By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2020 at 9:08 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: These geese are in flight over the Wilson-Tuscarora State Park on Tuesday at sunset.
There is a wind advisory in effect today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Orleans County and Western New York.
The westerly winds will be 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects such as Halloween decorations and trash receptacles,” the Weather Service said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
Today is forecast to reach a high of 64 with showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2020 at 8:30 am
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Tuesday that New Mexico has been added to New York State’s Covid-19 travel advisory. No areas have been removed.
The advisory requires individuals who have traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
“Mass gatherings cause infections, which cause a cluster; a cluster causes community spread – that is the natural evolution of things unless we intervene and stop the cycle,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ve seen it in colleges, factory settings around the country, in apple plants around New York, a single restaurant on Long Island – we’ve even seen in the Rose Garden that mass gatherings spread this virus. We’re seeing clusters now in several areas in the state and we have to stop the spread before we go backwards on the progress we’ve made.”
The full list of 33 states and two territories on the travel advisory now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 7:59 pm
2 counties reach 400 recoveries in community from Covid
Orleans County has two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, with both residents of Murray. One person is in the 20s and the other is in the 30s.
One individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments reported.
Orleans has now had 320 people test positive for Covid since March.
Genesee County is reporting one more confirmed case of Covid, an Elba resident in the 50s. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has now had 324 people test positive.
The two counties are also reporting more recoveries. Orleans has had two more people released from mandatory isolation after recovering from Covid, while Genesee has one more. The two counties have reached a milestone with 400 recoveries in the community – 245 in Genesee and 155 in Orleans. That doesn’t include people who contracted Covid in state-regulated facilities.
Orleans also has 17 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee continues to have one person hospitalized with Covid.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 33 active cases in the three counties with three in Orleans, 12 in Wyoming and 18 in Genesee.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 2:05 pm
CARLTON – Covid-19 isn’t keeping the fishermen from Orleans County, who are back trying to catch a Chinook salmon or brown trout in local tributaries.
New York’s travel advisory on states with high rates of Covid-19 infections is keeping some people away, but the core group is back from Pennsylvania and other parts of New York.
Local businesses, especially those in lodging, say they have seen an increase in customers, and not only during the tributary fishing season.
Many people from cities have sought out rooms in Orleans County, even if only for a few days.
“We’ve been booked since June and that continues through early November,” said Ron Albertson of Albion, who rents out a vacation lodge in Kuckville, right by Lake Ontario. “We’ve had had families an couples, people from the cities who just want to get away for a few days.”
Albertson lists the cottage on Vacation Rentals by Owner or VRBO. Before the pandemic, he had people stay in the cottage from England, Sweden and Germany. The past six months, it’s been many families who stayed, including one from Holley.
Ron Bierstine, owner of Oak Orchard Tackle and Lodge since 1998, said more people are willing to try the great outdoors during the pandemic.
Ron Bierstine said the travel advisory has kept away customers from West Virginia, who would stay in his lodge and also go fishing.
But he has seen many new faces, including rookies who haven’t tried fishing before.
“They’ve heard about the great salmon fishing here and they want to try it,” he said.
There is demand for more guides to help new fishermen navigate the tributaries and know the best bait to entice the big fish, Bierstine said.
The fish have been making their fall run, and their presence always brings out the anglers, he said.
The fall fishing season is critical for his business and others that cater to the fishermen.
“This is my Christmas,” he said. “If I don’t make it in the fall, I don’t make it.”
His business has struggled like many others with supply chain issues. He doesn’t have the full array of products that he normally has, although Bierstine said he is still well stocked for anglers.
“Things are really starting to ramp up for the tributary season,” he said. “There are plenty of guys around.”
George Lacey, owner of the Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina, joins office manager Alexis Montes at the business on Roosevelt Highway in Carlton, near the bridge over the Oak Orchard River.
Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina has 14 rooms that have been booked solid since the summer and will be until Nov. 30. Many of the customers are fishermen, but Lacey said there has been a big increase in people staying from New York City. They wanted a break from the city during the pandemic and sought out a spot near water, Lacey said.
Captain’s Cove was closed in April because of Covid. Lacey used that downtime to upgrade the motel rooms. The customers have been positive, giving him good reviews online which has brought more people to Captain’s Cove.
The site also rents pontoon boats and motor boats, and gives customers use of kayaks.
“We had people come from Niagara Falls or Rochester, just wanting to stay a day,” Lacey said. “They liked it so much they stayed for a week.”
He knows the pandemic with the restrictions on capacity for some businesses like restaurants hurts many of the establishments in Orleans County.
“This is going to hurt for many years,” he said about the revenue losses for many businesses. “It’s going to be a struggle for a lot of people.”
Lacey invested heavily in Captain’s Cove after significant flooding in 2017. He raised the parking lot by 5 feet.
Sharon Narburgh said Narby’s Superette and Tackle is seeing many new faces during the pandemic.
Sharon Narburgh, owner of Narby’s Superette and Tackle on Route 98 in Point Breeze, never closed during Covid, keeping the gas station, groceries and tackle shop open. She has been with the business for 54 years. She said Narby’s has been busy.
“We’re getting more people who were stuck at home and haven’t fished for years,” she said. “They want to be out of the house.”
The travel advisory has hurt, keeping some long-time customers away. There are currently 32 states on the advisory. Travelers from those states to New York must quarantine in NY for two weeks.
Narburgh said the travel advisory is unpredictable, and it has cost many businesses customers, often at the last second.
“The charters have lost a lot of business, which means we all lose some business,” she said. “That means Orleans County lost a lot of business.”
She said the pandemic has revealed there is a shortage of beds in the county for visitors.
“We try hard to find a place for them to stay in Orleans County,” she said. I don’t want to send them out of county.”
These three anglers fish from a boat in the Oak Orchard River in front of Captain’s Cove near the Route 18 bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 12:30 pm
Jeff Lewis replaces Jeanne Crane, who led the party for 25 years
Jeff Lewis
CARLTON – Orleans County Democrats have a new leader after long-time party chairwoman Jeanne Crane stepped down.
Crane will continue as a vice chairwoman while Jeff Lewis takes the reins as party leader in Orleans County.
Crane, a retired nurse at Medina Memorial Hospital, has been party chairwoman in Orleans County for about 25 years and has served on the committee for about 50 years.
She said Lewis, a senior vice president with PathStone, has many connections in the region, including with elected officials.
Lewis has worked with PathStone (previously known as Rural Opportunities) since 1976. He lives in Carlton.
He wants to get more people involved in local politics. He welcomes people to connect with the Orleans County Democratic Party on its website (click here) or by sending him an email at goldenjubel@aol.com.
The Democrats in the county are outnumbered by Republicans by 2-to-1, with about 11,000 registered Republicans to about 5,500 Democrats in the county. Republicans fill nearly all of the elected positions at the local level.
“I strongly believe in the two-party system,” Lewis said. “In Orleans County, we’ve never not had the two-party system.”
Lewis said he favors progressive ideas socially, but considers himself a conservative with budgeting and management.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jeanne Crane is shown during the Fourth of July parade in Lyndonville in 2015.
He is concerned about the federal government’s direction under President Donald Trump. He sees weakened regulations for the environment, a more vulnerable Social Security, uncertainty over health care coverage and a push towards corporate interests over small businesses.
“The institutions that I believe in at the federal level are under attack,” Lewis said.
Lewis urged the community to be engaged in the election process, and share their opinions without disparaging others.
“Being involved in this role is a civic duty,” he said. “I can get along with almost anybody. At the end of the day we might disagree but we can still get along.”
Crane said she has enjoyed serving as party leader for a quarter century, even though it is a difficult challenge for a Democrat in Orleans County.
She appreciates the courage of the local candidates and the passion of the many local party volunteers, who try to get more voters registered.
Crane attended two party national conventions – 2016 when Hillary Clinton was the presidential nominee and 2012 when Barack Obama was seeking a second term.
She has met many high-profile Democrats including Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton at the White House, the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Al Sharpton.
She remain on the state committee and on the board of directors for the Democratic Rural Conference.
“I’ve really enjoyed it but it’s time to get younger people involved and new ideas,” Crane said.
She is encouraged by two new members on the local Democratic Party Committee. Beth Wood is serving as secretary and Kriss Sniffen is the treasurer.
Cory Pawlaczyk took this photo of a sunrise along the Erie Canal in Medina. It won second place in the “Along the Trail” category in an annual Erie Canal photo contest.
WATERFORD – A photograph of a sunrise along the Erie Canal in Medina is among 12 winners selected in the 15th Annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest.
Cory Pawlaczyk took the photo that won second place in the “Along the Trail” category. The contest is organized by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Winners were chosen from a competitive group of over 435 entries, but only the top three were chosen in each of four categories. In addition, 12 photographs received an Honorable Mention including one of a tugboat by Susan Starkweather Miller of Albion.
“These remarkable images remind us that the NYS Canal System remains a symbol of strength for our communities, providing a distinct sense of place and pride in where we live, work and play. We are delighted to share them widely,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Susan Starkweather Miller of Albion won an honorable mention for this fall photo of the Tugboat Dewitt Clinton at Adams Basin in Monroe County.
Winning images can be viewed online (click here) and will be featured in the 2021 Erie Canalway calendar, which will be available for free at libraries, visitor centers, and by request beginning in December.
Winning images capture the beauty and uniqueness of the waterway, canal communities and landscapes.
“As New Yorkers, we are lucky—it’s easy to take for granted the natural beauty around every corner,” said New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “The Erie Canalway’s annual photo contest gives us an opportunity to see our waterway’s iconic infrastructure through the eyes of others and appreciate its beauty. The amateur photographers who captured these images offer a glimpse into the past, present and future of the canal and remind us just how fortunate we are to have an amenity like this at our fingertips.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 9:29 am
ALBION – There are about half the students in the school district’s fall athletic program this year with Covid-19 restrictions pushing football, volleyball and competitive cheerleading to March.
The district also doesn’t have modified sports for seventh- and eighth-graders who counted in the total for last fall.
The district is offering an intramural program with soccer and cross country for seventh- and eighth-graders. Those students will compete against each other instead of students from other schools, Adam Krenning, the district’s athletic director, told the Board of Education on Monday.
The district’s fall season has started with golf, cross country and JV and varsity soccer. Each athlete is limited to two spectators per contest. Krenning said some schools and leagues aren’t allowing spectators.
He told the board he worries crowds of spectators could jeopardize the season for the athletes.
“We’re asking everyone to adhere to the two spectators,” he said. “We have to keep the attendance down and try to social distance.”
The district has set up a YouTube channel and will videotape some of the games.
Krenning was asked about athletes wearing masks. He said athletes turn in their masks and practice pinnies after each practice and they are washed by the district.
Krenning was also asked about winter sports, which are to begin on Nov. 30. Wrestling and basketball are both considered high-risk sports by the state with Covid-19.
“If I was a betting man I’d say swimming will happen,” he said. “I don’t know about the other ones.”
MEDINA – Orleans/Niagara BOCES Security and Law Enforcement teachers, Dudley Gilbert and Gene Newman, invited retired medical examiner Neal Hodgson to speak to their juniors at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.
Mr. Hodgson talked to the students about his former career and showed the students an autopsy video and some photos from cases that he worked on. He talked to them about cases that made an impact on him and what they may encounter as law enforcement officers when attending accidents or crime scenes.
Many of the students found the autopsies interesting as well as Mr. Hodgson’s observations and reactions. The images were no doubt disturbing, but left an impact on the students as far as making poor choices and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Mr. Hodgson has been lecturing to students from high schools to colleges for over 50 years. He currently lives in Florida, but says he likes to travel around the country to talk to students and to share his expertise.
“I am probably one of the few medical examiners in the country who do this and it is a very important mission to me,” he said. “I will keep doing this until I am physically unable to do so. It always amazes me when I run into people who heard me talk years ago and still remember it and now I am talking to some of their children. I love what I do!”
Both Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Newman were grateful for Mr. Hodgson’s time and his insights to this side of law enforcement.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 8:26 am
ALBION – The Albion Board of Education filled a vacancy on the Board of Education on Monday, turning to a former board member.
Marlene Seielstad was nearly elected this past June when there were seven candidates for three spots on the board. Seielstad came in fourth in the election, behind John Kast, Chris Kinter and Kurt Schmitt.
Margy Brown, a board member, said it makes sense and follows past practice in filling a vacancy to pick Seielstad. She had the most votes among those who weren’t elected in June. Seielstad also expressed interest in filling the vacancy and is familiar with the issues and interworkings of being on the board.
Seielstad, a real estate agent for 28 years, also served on the board for the Niagara-Orleans BOCES. She said in an email to the board that her career has given her experience in negotiations which will be needed as the board picks the district’s next superintendent.
She can start right away once she takes the oath of office. The board has a special meeting this evening to discuss the next steps in picking a new superintendent with its consultants.
Seielstad will fill the seat vacated by Elissa Nesbitt. Seielstad will be in the role until the next board election in May. The final two years of Nesbitt’s term will be then filled in the election in May.
Two board members, Board President Kathy Harling and Linda Weller, didn’t vote for Seielstad. They instead favored Joyce Riley, who had 12 fewer votes than Seielstad, 614 to 626, during the June election.
Riley was on the board up until June whereas Seielstad was last on the board in June 2017. Riley is also black and would bring needed diversity to the board, Harling said.
Victoria Elsenheimer also sent in a message to board for public comment. She urged the board to have more diversity. The nine members on the board are all white. They don’t reflect the diversity of the student body, Elsenheimer said.
Nesbitt resigned following public pressure when three families were upset she called 911 on three 10-year-old boys, saying they refused to get off a wall at Hazard Parkway. The families saw it as racial profiling.
Nesbitt has disputed that but didn’t want the issue to be a distraction for the board. She has apologized in letters to the families for misjudging the situation.
Harling said the district’s lawyer continues to investigate the situation and is expected to give the board a report soon.
Elsenheimer asked that the report be shared with the community. She urged the board to have training on being culturally competent.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2020 at 9:26 pm
Chuck Tingley shows a traveler with a message, ‘Fake It Til You Make It!’
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Chuck Tingley of Buffalo works a mural today on the back of 410 Main St. This is the third new mural in Medina to be painted since July near Proctor Place, a one-way street a block from Main Street.
Tingley painted the back cinder block wall of a building in bright colors. The mural – “Fake It Til You Make It!” – sends a message of the importance of self-confidence in relation to the pursuit of one’s dreams.
Tingley was up high in a lift working on the mural today. He was hired by the Form Foundation, which coordinated the new murals.
A fourth mural also has started with floral patterns. Right now the primer is on for a design with local, native species of pollinator flowers. That one by Chris Piontkowski will be at 428-436 Main Street on the opposite wall of the “Canalligator” mural. Chris Piontkowski has proposed this design using local, native species of pollinator flowers.
Tingley adds details to the cat’s face. This is looking up from the ground to Tingley, who was in a lift.
Tim Hungerford, one of the leaders of the Form Foundation, said he is pleased to see the murals become a reality and how the public has been so receptive.
“It has been incredibly rewarding and fun watching it all come to fruition,” he said today.
This is the sketch Tingley made for the mural and the this is how the wall looked before it was painted.
Julian Montague, an artist from Buffalo, has completed this mural on two walls of a building at the corner of Pearl Street and West Avenue. The site is being used as a gym.
Montague added these geometric characters to the two walls that are 14 feet high and 80 feet long.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2020 at 5:13 pm
Three more Elba students have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total to seven students who have confirmed cases of Covid-19.
The three new cases are not included in the nine new cases overall in Genesee County since Friday afternoon. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported the nine new cases at 4 p.m. today.
An hour later, the Health Departments reported there were three more cases at Elba.
“The individuals have been placed under mandatory isolation where they will remain until they are fully recovered,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health Director in Genesee and Orleans counties.
Health Department officials are conducting contact tracing that is in process. Students and staff will be notified and placed under quarantine if they were identified as a close contact. Contacts will be expected to follow the New York State Department of Health quarantine guidelines.
“The district is continuing its collaboration with the Genesee County Health Department in identifying close contacts and testing symptomatic students,” said Ned Dale, superintendent of Elba Central School. “We ask parents to be aware of Covid-19 symptoms and contact your child’s healthcare provider immediately if symptoms appear.”
Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Elba is doing 100 percent remote learning though Monday, October 12. In-person learning through the hybrid model is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 13.
Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is accepting nominations for his Congressional Veteran of the Month program.
To nominate a veteran who is a current resident of the 27th Congressional District to be recognized, constituents can click here.
Once completed, nomination forms can be submitted to Rep. Jacobs’ office three different ways:
Email the form to NY27Veteran@mail.house.gov, Fax to (716)-631-7610, or mail to the Clarence District office at 8203 Main Street, Suite 2 – Williamsville, NY 14221.
“As a State Senator, my Veteran of the Month program was one of the most incredible and truly humbling programs I had the honor of conducting,” Jacobs said. “I am eager to launch this program from my Congressional Office and honor the truly incredible veterans of NY27 for their selfless service to our country and their communities.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2020 at 4:18 pm
Genesee passes Orleans in total cases since March
Orleans County doesn’t have any new cases of Covid-19 to report since Friday while Genesee County has nine more, including three under the age of 20.
Genesee’s new cases are residents of Alabama, Elba, LeRoy and Oakfield. Besides the three under age 20, the new cases include two people in their 20s, one in the 40s, and three people in their 50s.
Seven individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
One of the new positive cases is a student at Elba High School. This case was identified in a press release Friday evening.
“If you were not notified you are not considered a close contact,” the Health Department said in today’s news release.
The new cases bring Genesee’s total since March to 323. Genesee now has had more people test positive for Covid-19 than Orleans, which has had 318 cases.
Genesee also is reporting four more recoveries and Orleans has had five more. Those people have been released from mandatory isolation.
In Genesee, there are 8 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states while Orleans County has 11 more on precautionary quarantine due to travel.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties. There are currently three active cases in Orleans, 18 in Genesee and seven in Wyoming.
