By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2020 at 7:28 am
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both have tested positive for Covid-19. The president made the announcement through Twitter at 12:54 a.m.
“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” Trump tweeted. “We will get through this TOGETHER!”
One of Trump’s senior aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive, too.
The news comes in the final stretch of the presidential campaign.
Trump is reportedly feeling “well,” according to the New York Times, and he will stay isolated in the White House.
On Wednesday night he attended a campaign rally in Duluth, Minn.
Joe Biden, Trump’s rival in the 2020 presidential race, tweeted this response this morning: “Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.”
U.S. Rep Chris Jacobs (NY-27) issued this statement: “My thoughts are with the First Family, and I pray for a swift and full recovery for the President and First Lady.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted this statement: “My thoughts are with President Trump and the First Lady and I wish them a full and speedy recovery. This virus is vicious and spreads easily. Wear a mask. Let’s all look out for each other.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2020 at 8:13 pm
Historical Association moves cabin from Albion backyard to behind Gaines Basin cobblestone schoolhouse
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A log cabin, built by Boy Scouts and one of their dads in 1930, was moved about 4 miles today from a backyard in Albion to behind the historic Gaines Basin No. 2 cobblestone school on Gaines Basin Road.
Keeler Construction volunteered to take the cabin on this flatbed trailer. It is shown in the top photo headed down Route 98 in Albion near Oak Orchard Lanes.
“I’m very relieved,” said Rick Ebbs, who braced the cabin, wrapped it in plastic and coordinated the move. “I was worried it would fall apart.”
Keeler employee Chad Plummer and three highway workers from the Town of Gaines – Seth Dumrese, Jeff Page and Brian Burke – showed up at about 8 this morning in Ralph and Patricia Moorhouse’s backyard on Linwood Avenue. They donated the cabin to the Orleans County Historical Society.
Mrs. Moorhouse’s father, Faris Benton, was one of the scouts who built the cabin with help from his father, Fred Benton. The scouts dragged logs from the nearby woods. They built a fireplace on the inside and outside. That fireplace has deteriorated but will be reset and repaired in its new location.
Mrs. Moorhouse said three generations of the family and many neighborhood kids enjoyed the cabin. Her husband put a new roof on about 40 years ago and that helped preserve the cabin.
Mike Gillette takes a photo of the site where he often hung up with friends as a kid. He is joined by his dog, Cooper. The fireplace will be moved and reset at the new spot for the cabin on Gaines Basin Road.
Gillette, 57, took a day off from work to see the cabin’s move.
“We spent a lot of time in the cabin as kids,” he said. “It was the neighborhood fort.”
After trick-or-treating on Halloween, Gillette said he and his friends would gather in the cabin to check out their candy and trade. They had cider and doughnuts.
The 10-by-14-foot log cabin had withered in recent years, partly due to woodchucks. They damaged the concrete floor causing it to heave.
“It was pretty feeble,” he said about the cabin. “I am impressed with the job they did bracing it to get ready for the move.”
Keeler starts the trip down Linwood Avenue. It took the cabin down Main Street (Route 98) before turning left on Bacon Road. From there it turned left to Gaines Basin Road, stopping at the school just north of the Erie Canal.
Pat Moorhouse said it was difficult to watch the cabin be moved today.
“It’s a lot of memories for our family,” she said. “It’s so sad to see it go. But knowing it will be preserved, it just makes sense.”
That schoolhouse, built in 1832, has been the focus of an intense preservation effort in recent years by the Orleans County Historical Association. It is the oldest documented cobblestone building in the area.
The Historical Association thought the log cabin, which was built by children, was a good fit next to a school.
The Town of Gaines Highway Department brought a payloader and backhoe to help lift the cabin onto Keeler trailer and then take it off. Brian Burke is at left and Seth Dumrese is at right.
Rick Ebbs watches to see how the cabin is lining up on a concrete pad and a new base. Ebbs prepped the cabin for the move and also built the new base for the cabin.
The Gaines highway workers set the cabin in place. The entire process took about 2 hours this morning.
Bill Lattin, the retired county historian, thanked the Moorhouse family for donating the cabin.
“It’s a unique building,” he said. “It’s a facet of local history involving scouts. It shows the ingenuity the scouts took in creating such a structure.”
Al Capurso, one of the leaders of the Historical Association, talked a few years ago about building a new log cabin at the Cobblestone Museum. Lattin was aware of the log cabin in the Moorhouse backyard. He thought it would be better to preserve the cabin rather than try to build a new one. Capurso supported that effort.
The Moorhouses were receptive, and even donated $1,000 to help with the relocation effort.
Lattin sees the cabin being used again by scouts once the chimney and fireplace are reset and the cabin strengthened. The scouts have plenty of space to camp with tents and do cookouts.
“Once this is done it will be a very good camp site for scouts,” Lattin said.
He marveled at the cabin which has endured nearly a century. The scouts in 1930 dragged logs from nearby woods. They did all the notching, so the logs would fit tight.
“It was all hard hand work,” Lattin said. “It’s the only one like it in the world.”
Anyone interested in donating to the cabin, chimney and fireplace restoration is welcome to a send a check to the Orleans County Historical Association, PO Box 125, Albion NY 14411.
Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: Service Learning teacher Tim Archer and student Brynn Dugan put the finishing touches on the First Academy historic marker.
Press Release, Albion Central School
Renzo Tomasi paints the First Church historic marker.
ALBION – Field trips and class visitors may be on hold for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped Albion Middle School’s Service Learning teacher Tim Archer from finding ways for his students to get hands-on experience with local history.
Working with Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan, Archer brought three historical markers to the school this week.
On Wednesday, two of Archer’s 7th grade Service Learning students, Brynn Dugan and Renzo Tomasi, came to the school to help paint the markers that Ierlan had previously restored and primed.
The three markers are from the Town of Gaines, denoting the history of First Church, First Academy and Union Cemetery.
“These projects help kids learn history and engage in their community in a lasting way,” said Archer, who loves working with people like Ierlan who have a passion for local history.
These are the 23rd, 24th, and 25th signs in the area that Ierlan has restored.
“It’s fun,” said Ierlan when asked why she continues to work with the markers. “And you get to see some pride in town history restored.”
Dugan and Tomasi helped Archer and Ierlan get the base blue layer onto all three signs. Once they’re dry, Ierlan will do the detail work of painting the lettering in yellow, and then the markers will be remounted, bringing a fresh face to local history.
Melissa Ierlan paints the First Church historic marker.
Brynn Dugan works on the Union Cemetery historic marker.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
During September there were 2 exposures in Orleans County from feral cats that tested positive for rabies and resulted in unnecessary and costly post-exposure treatments.
It’s important to avoid contact with unknown animals both wild and domestic – love your own, leave the rest alone.
It is an important reminder that all dogs, cats and ferrets are to be updated on their rabies vaccines. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be hosting free drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinics in October.
The Orleans County clinic will be on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 Route 31, Albion).
The Genesee County clinic will be on Thursday, October 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street Road, Batavia).
To assist with crowd control, the vaccination clinics are only for respective county residents. The Genesee clinic will only be for Genesee County residents and the Orleans clinic will only be for Orleans County residents.
Click here to fill in the rabies certificate for your pets. Be sure to print out two copies for each pet to be vaccinated and bring them with you. Masks are required when speaking to staff and when outside of your vehicle at the vaccination station.
Press Release, New York State Association of Counties
New York’s county leaders today renewed their call for the White House and Congressional leaders to reach an agreement that would provide local governments with direct federal Coronavirus stimulus assistance. The leaders met this morning to close the New York State Association of Counties’ virtual Fall Seminar.
“Every day that passes without a deal on direct aid to local governments, the deeper the economic hole that is being dug in our communities,” said NYSAC President John F. Marren. “Local governments stepped up and expended great resources to stop the spread of the virus and now, with state aid being withheld and revenue collection down, counties are being forced to cut services and lay off employees, which only depresses the economy further. It’s time for Washington to get behind a plan and get this done for the American people.”
According to NYSAC’s analysis of the HEROES Act, which was moved by leaders in the House of Representatives this week, counties across the state would receive nearly $3 billion in federal stimulus from the modified HEROES Act.
Through the Community Development Block Grant program, entitlement communities across New York State–municipalities over 50,000 in population–would receive about $2.4 billion. Other, smaller cities and localities across the state, would receive $2.2 billion. New York City, which is home to more than half of the state’s 19 million people, would receive $5.35 billion.
“We are in the middle of a national emergency that is impacting every community in New York and across the country. The federal government has provided emergency assistance to businesses and individuals, now it must do the same for the local governments who have been most impacted by this public health crisis so we can continue to battle COVID-19 and prevent further damage to our economy,” said Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, president of the NYS County Executives’ Association.
During the meeting, leaders were briefed by White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs William Crozer on the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19 and the administration’s support for an addition $250 billion to states and localities across the country. Crozer applauded NYSAC’s economic analysis, saying that it was the most comprehensive COVID-19 revenue impact report from any state in the nation.
“Counties appreciate the continued partnership and open dialog that we’ve had with the White House as they’ve led the local response to the global pandemic, but the time as come for all parties in Washington to come together and reach an agreement on direct aid to local governments,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario.
The county leaders acknowledged the support they have from the bi-partisan state congressional delegation and called on them to press leaders from both parties to agree on a plan that will provide federal funding to states and local governments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2020 at 4:43 pm
Orleans County has no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for the third straight day while Genesee County has 2 more cases.
Genesee’s new confirmed cases are residents of Batavia and Elba, with one in the 40s and the other in the 50s. The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
Genesee is reporting 4 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states while Orleans has 2 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel. Genesee also has one resident hospitalized due to Covid-19.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 24 active cases in the three rural counties with 10 each in Genesee and Orleans, and four in Wyoming.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
• School Guidance: The counties have received updated guidance from the New York State Department of Health regarding when/if to send your child to school and when/if staff should report. Click here to see the document.
This has been sent out to all school districts. If you have issues with this guidance or further questions we encourage you to contact your state elected officials or the state directly as the local counties do not have control over what the state directs.
• Nursing Home Visitation: New guidance for skilled nursing facility visitation is available by clicking here. The state is requiring the facilities to have visitors provide proof of negative Covid-19 test results within 7 days of visit. This may result in multiple tests to continue to visit your loved ones. To find additional test sites nearest you, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2020 at 2:50 pm
MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library won’t be offering its Finally Fridays concert series this winter.
The library made the announcement today, citing concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. The concerts are Friday evenings from early January to early March. The events typically attract about 200 people to the library.
The library was looking forward to offering the series for the 20th year.
“We waited as long as we could, hoping for months, that we would not have to make this sad announcement,” Lee-Whedon posted on its Facebook page. “Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to offer our Finally Fridays concert series next year. We will wait until 2022 when we can hopefully come together as a community and enjoy our local musicians once more.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2020 at 8:03 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
BARRE – The leaves are starting to change colors in Orleans County. This tree was pictured last evening on West Barre Road, just west of the Barre Town Hall.
New York’s tourism officials are urging people to get out and see the leaves. Orleans is in the “just changing” stage.
I Love New York tourism updates the weekly fall foliage report every Wednesday. This map for the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 6 shows the leaves in Orleans County are “just changing” while other regions are at mid-point or peak colors. Long Island and New York City also are “just changing.”
“Spectacular peak fall foliage will make its first appearances in New York State this weekend in many areas of the Adirondacks and Catskills, as well as a portion of the Thousand Islands-Seaway region,” according to the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program. “Leaves are rapidly changing color following days and nights of cooler weather.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2020 at 4:41 pm
Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed Covid-19 cases for the second straight day, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
Genesee County is reporting one new case, a person in the 40s from Elba. The individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Genesee has now had 309 people test positive for Covid-19 since March.
Genesee also has 15 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. The county has one person hospitalized from Covid.
In Orleans County, there is one more recovery to report from the community, bringing that total to 145. Orleans also has 6 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
• State-wide Data: There were 1,000 new cases reported to the state on Tuesday out of 97,960 test results with 1.02 percent positive.
This is each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days.
The state has deployed rapid testing machines to 20 zip codes in Rockland, Kings, Orange and Nassau counties. Within the 20 hotspot zip codes, the average rate of positive tests is 5.5 percent. The rate of positive tests for the remainder of New York State, not counting the top 20 ZIP codes, is 0.82 percent.
“So you have two infection rates that you want to pay attention to: the statewide numbers and then the cluster numbers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “All of this is a stark reminder that we need to stay smart and vigilant – wear a mask, socially distance, follow the public health guidance – because this thing is not over.”
• Emergency Regulation Extended: The Governor also announced the New York State Department of Financial Services will extend an emergency regulation requiring New York health insurers to waive out-of-pocket costs, including cost-sharing, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, for in-network mental health services for New York’s frontline essential workers during Covid-19 until Nov. 27.
The extension of this emergency regulation helps to ensure that cost-sharing is not a barrier to in-network mental health services during COVID-19 for health care workers, first responders, transit workers, food services workers, retail workers at essential businesses, and other frontline essential employees, who are required to directly interact with the public while working during this continuing public health emergency.
Cuomo first announced the state’s directive requiring New York insurers to waive out-of-pocket costs for in-network mental health services for frontline essential workers during Covid-19 in May.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2020 at 3:17 pm
Courtesy of DEC: The yellow areas are to be remediated.
MIDDLEPORT – The public can comment on a cleanup plan in Middleport where the FMC Corporation will have seven sites excavated.
Those sites are immediately north and south of the canal and east of the Niagara-Orleans county line. The state Department of Environmental Conservation said the sites were contaminated by FMC primarily with arsenic.
The DEC worked with the state Department of Health on the cleanup plan.
The contaminated areas are listed as a State Superfund Site. They are considered a Class 2 site on the State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites. A Class 2 site represents a significant threat to public health or the environment with action required, the DEC said in a fact sheet about the project.
Details of the cleanup include:
Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils followed by restoration of excavated areas;
Importing clean material that meets the established soil cleanup objectives for use as backfill;
Implementing a Health and Safety Plan and Community Air Monitoring Plan during all ground intrusive activities; and
Implementing a Site Management Plan for long-term maintenance of the remedial systems.
The DEC will accept comments about the plan until DEC is accepting public comments about the proposal through Nov. 16. To submit a comment, access the DEC’s project locator by clicking here. Enter site ID, 932014. Comments can be submitted to the DEC project manager listed under Project-Related Questions in the “Who to Contact” area at left.
About the site: The plant site was used for the manufacturing of a number of chemicals used as pesticides and herbicides between the 1920s and the 1980s. In the mid-1980s, the plant shifted from manufacturing to only formulating pesticides (mixing and packaging) and is presently operating in this capacity.
During its manufacturing period, the plant released hazardous and non-hazardous wastes through production activities and disposed of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in an on-site landfill and a number of surface impoundments.
WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) signed a discharge petition yesterday to force a vote on H.R. 8265, a bill that would release the over $130 billion in unspent Paycheck Protection Program funds currently available.
“American small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges, and we have an excellent opportunity to deliver them critical aid now,” Jacobs said. “The success of the Paycheck Protection Program cannot be disputed, so the fact that this bill has been used as a pawn in partisan games is an appalling disservice to the American people.”
“I was proud to cosponsor H.R. 8265, and I am proud to sign this discharge petition and join my colleagues to support American small businesses,” he said. “I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to sign this petition to help us get this critical funding to our small businesses and main streets.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2020 at 12:38 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, center, holds the Bible while Village Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott takes their oaths of office on Monday evening at the Medina Senior Center.
MEDINA – The village’s newly elected officials took the oaths of office on Monday – about six months later than planned.
Mayor Mike Sidari and Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott were all re-elected on Sept. 15. The village election was pushed back from March 18 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new terms will last about 18 months instead of the usual 2 years.
Mayor Mike Sidari is sworn in as mayor while his wife Brenda holds the Bible.
Sidari is an active member of the Medina Fire Department. He is retired as the food service administrator for the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
Sherman is a special education teacher at Medina. Elliott is co-owner of Brushstrokes Studios in Medina and other small businesses.
Sidari said the village is fortunate to have several active committees and volunteers spearheading projects, from a new dog park, upgraded skate park, overhaul to Pine Street Park, and many significant private investments.
On Monday the Boxwood Commission shared ideas to improve the cemetery, possibly with a pet cemetery section and also a columbarium, a structure with niches to hold funeral urns.
Sidari said the Commission is another group of citizens committed to making Medina a better place. The Commission’s proposal will be considered by the board in the coming months.
The mayor said some village committees need to reorganized. The board approved the following appointments:
• Parks Committee: Jessica Marciano, Kimberly Kennedy and Chris Goyette.
• Tree Board: Jacob Hebdon, Bob Sanderson, Nick Mroz, Lisa Tombari and Kathy Blackburn, who will be a temporary member of the Board while it gets restarted.
• Zoning Board of Appeals (terms through March 31, 2023): David Berry and Reinhard Rogowski.
• Planning Board (terms through March 31, 2025): John Dieter and Kathy Blackburn.
• Boxwood Cemetery Commission (terms through March 31, 2023): Gabrielle Barone and Jacob Hebdon.
• Tourism Committee (term through March 31, 2022): James Hancock.
Mayor Sidari also assigned trustee to different committees and urged them to be in contact with department heads at least once a week.
Trustees Owen Toale, Tim Elliott, Todd Bensley and Marguerite Sherman were assigned the following committees: Fire/Code, Toale and Elliott; Police/DPW, Sherman and Bensley; Employee Relations, Toale and Bensley; Clerk-Treasurer, Sidari; Town of Ridgeway, Bensley; Medina Area Partnership, Elliott; Boxwood Cemetery, Bensley; Tourism Committee, Sherman; Town of Shelby, Sherman; Orleans County, Toale; Joint Recreation, Toale and Elliott; and Waterfront Development Committee, Elliott.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2020 at 11:25 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame Committee members Jim Hancock, left, and Don Colquhoun unveil the four new inductees into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame on Oct. 17, 2019. The Hall of Fame has 29 inductees. It was established in 2013 and is located inside Medina City Hall.
MEDINA – October has been a highlight in recent years for the Medina Sandstone Society. The group inducts honorees into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame, which is located in the main meeting room of Medina City Hall.
The Sandstone Society created the Hall of Fame in 2013 and has inducted 29 sites in New York and Pennsylvania. Last year it recognized a mansion in Erie, and churches in Palmyra, Geneva and Rome.
This year there won’t be a Hall of Fame induction due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jim Hancock, one of the Hall of Fame Committee members, said the group didn’t go visit nominated sites due to Covid concerns.
The Sandstone Society has received 59 nominations since 2013 and welcomes more.
“We weren’t able to do traditional travel to inspect and do research,” Hancock said today.
The Sandstone Society will resume the Hall of Fame induction in 2021, and Hancock said the committee looks forward to getting back on the road to visit the sites. Don Colquhoun and David Miller are also on the committee.
The Sandstone Society is looking to do a special recognition for some of the grand residences in Orleans County made of Medina Sandstone. Those sites wouldn’t be inducted in the Hall of Fame, but Hancock said the committee wants to recognize some of the homes that have been diligently maintained for over a century, some since the 1840s.
“It will be a different type of citation for beautiful and long-lasting homes,” Hancock said. “We haven’t decided how we want to do. It’s a work in progress.”
