Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last week signed into law election reforms that will make it easier for New Yorkers to vote and be counted in November.
The three-part package includes new measures allowing absentee ballot applications to be submitted to the Board of Elections immediately, expanding the necessary protections to allow a voter to get an absentee ballot due to risk or fear of illness including Covid-19 and ensuring all absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day or received by the Board of Elections without a postmark on the day after the Election will be counted.
Ballots with a postmark demonstrating that they were mailed on or before Election Day will be counted if received by Nov. 10.
“The federal administration has ordered an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Postal Service and with Covid-19 threatening our ability to have safe, in-person voting, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation’s history,” Cuomo said. “These actions will further break down barriers to democracy and will make it easier for all New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote this November.”
• Relating to Absentee Ballot Requests Due to Risk of Illness (S.8015-D/A.10833)
This legislation gives voters the right to request an absentee ballot due to risk of illness to themselves or others.
• Relating to Absentee Ballot Requests (S.8783A/A.10807)
This legislation authorizes voters to request absentee ballots immediately, 30 days before Election Day, adding almost 7 weeks to the amount of time a voter has to vote by absentee ballot. This legislation eliminates an outdated statutory provision that prevents voters from requesting absentee ballots until 30 days before Election Day. The legislation gives voters reassurance that they will receive and can cast their vote in a timely manner.
• Relating to Ballots Postmarked on Day of Election (S.8799A/A.10808-A)
This legislation allows ballots to be postmarked on the day of the election, November 3. The legislation also amends election law to allow the Board of Elections to count all absentee ballots that have a time stamp showing it was delivered to the Board of Elections the day after the election but does not have a dated postmark. The Board of Elections shall deem those ballots mailed in a timely fashion.
Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY, praised the passage of the new election bills, and urged the state to provide funding to the Board of Elections to implement the measures.
“Thanks to the Legislature and Governor Cuomo, this coming November New Yorkers will have three safe and secure ways to vote: early, absentee, or on Election Day.” Lerner said. “The Boards of Elections need more funding but these critical reforms will allow them to plan and execute the most consequential election this century. New York City voters should get ahead of the curve and apply online now for an absentee ballot, or make a plan to vote early starting October 24 – November 1. The rest of the state should be able to apply for an absentee ballot asap. Democracy does not pause.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2020 at 12:00 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LOCKPORT – Lockport last month installed three bronze statues that are a tribute to lock tenders. The three are the first of a 14-piece monument based off a photograph from 1897. That image depicts a dozen lock tenders, a young girl and a photographer.
The bronze statues recognize the following lock tenders: Michael Hennessey, in back, who worked as a lock tender for 16 years. He and his wife, Caroline, had eight children and lived at Ontario Street; Edward “Tom” O’Hara, front left, who had three children with his wife, Camille. They lived on West Avenue; Martin Noonan, of North Adam Street, who did not marry. His brother, Michael Noonan, became a priest and was pastor at St. Patrick’s Church in Lockport.
The Lockport Locks Heritage District Corp. commissioned Susan Geissler, a sculptor from Youngstown, to create the bronze figures. She has been commissioned to do five more with a goal of them being installed next spring.
David Kinyon, president of the Lockport Locks Heritage District Corp., was giving tours of the site on Saturday. He said the statues have helped people make a personal connection with the lock tenders who were so vital in operating the locks in Lockport. He sees many people getting their photographs taken with the statues. Children are encouraged to interact with the bronze figures.
The five new statues coming next spring will include the photographer, Frank B. Clench, and four more of the tenders.
The group is pushing to have the entire 14-piece monument by 2025, which will be the bicentennial of the Erie Canal’s opening.
These 12 Lockport Lock Tenders plus a young girl were photographed in 1897 by Frank B. Clench. The tenders were part of a 20-person workforce at the locks in 1897.
The lock tenders were picked in the 1890s from the eight wards in the City of Lockport. The ones in the photo are local residents who worked in the same spot on the steps where the bronze figures are located.
“It was difficult backbreaking work, with very few making it a career,” according to an interpretive panel at the site. “Those that did were tough as nails indeed.”
The lock tenders worked 12-hour days and were responsible for opening and closing the locks so boats could pass through safely. They also worked on maintenance at the site.
The Erie Traveler is a replica of a 19th century Erie Canal cargo boat. It was launched in Lockport in 2017. The Erie Traveler is 42 feet long and 7 feet wide. It was built by staff and volunteers of the Buffalo Maritime Center. The Locks Heritage District Corporation using the veseel for demonstrations at the canal in Lockport.
The Lockport Locks Heritage District Corp. also is working to complete the Flight of Five restoration project. The three middle locks – Locks 68, 69 and 70 – have been rehabilitated with work needed to have make the two end ones functional.
Kinyon said the projects are part of an effort to make Lockport an attraction of national significance.
For more on the Lockport Locks Heritage District Corp., click here.
Here is how it all started. My husband and I always talked about getting a dune buggy. But instead, around 2010, we invested in two motorcycles. To be honest, one was a Harley and one was a scooter! Brian got the Harley and I got the scooter.
It was going to be great fun. We were going to ride the highways together, side by side.
That was the plan, but not the reality.
The first and only problem was me. When we considered this adventure, we forgot to factor in two important variables: one – I am accident prone, and two – I do not like hair-raising experiences.
Don’t laugh, but I found the scooter to be scary. I was afraid to go over 20 m.p.h., and I kept crashing. The clutch-brake thing was too much for my brain to process. However, I was determined to achieve the “M” on my license for Motorcycle, and I did, so I was happy with that.
The helmet matched my bike, but that could not motivate me to get back on it after I passed the road test. So, I was relegated to the back of the Harley with Brian, and I did not like it. I wanted to be in front, not in back. If I couldn’t handle a scooter, no way I was going to handle a Harley.
Fast forward a couple years, and someone nearly sideswipes us off the Harley. It was a unanimous decision – it was time for a change. So, back to the original and much safer dream of the dune buggy. We sold the two-wheeled contraptions and began the search for a four-wheeled mobile. As luck had it, we found one in Orleans County. It was a year-and-a-half process, but my husband restored it.
It is beautiful. We named it LUVBUG25, since the year we purchased our Bug was also the year of our 25th wedding anniversary. Rest assured that the LUVBUG25 is more our speed. When you are in the Bug, people always smile and wave because it is a happy color and a fun shape. People are waving at the Bug, not us. It is the youthful spirit of the Bug that makes people happy.
A couple of kids mentioned to us that it must get “squirrelly in the back end” when we get going. Kids, we do not go that fast. We are past that point in life. We just want to enjoy the ride. We have no desire to get “squirrelly.” I love how LUVBUG25 proudly displays the reds, whites and blues in the tall whip antenna. Every time we take a spin, I look at my husband and say, “This is what it is all about.” Being outside with the wind in your hair, listening to some tunes on the radio. It makes one feel a part of something inviting – the world.
The LUVBUG25 is manual shift, which I am not skilled at. Perhaps someday I will learn, but for now I am happy to be my Luvbug’s passenger and co-captain in our ride through life … LUVBUG style.
If you and your honey have a fun adventure you have dreamed of, take a chance and just do it! Whether it be a flop like the motorcycles or a success like the dune buggy, you never know if you don’t try. To see the whip antenna and original Bug, visit my blog live online at https://www.positiveperksposts.com and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and share your comments. .
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2020 at 9:21 pm
Teams with Amy Sidari in Sid-Boli Productions, Crossroads Studio
Photos by Tom Rivers: Amy Sidari and Gary Simboli will be welcoming tour buses and concert-goers once the restrictions on crowd sizes ease due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Simboli last summer performed six concerts at Sidari’s Cabaret at Studio B for six bus tour groups.
ALBION – Gary Simboli, Albion’s musical director the past 35 years as well as a vocal teacher and choir director, has retired from his teaching career.
Simboli, 56, is continuing to perform in the community. Every Sunday morning he leads the music at the First Baptist Church of Albion and the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.
He also has joined forces with Amy Sidari in Crossroads Studio or Sid-Boli Productions.
Once the Covid-19 pandemic is over or restrictions relent on crowd sizes, Simboli will be performing at Sidari’s Cabaret at Studio B at the corner of Liberty and West Bank streets.
Sidari also runs the Gotta Dance by Miss Amy studio and Simboli has signed on to lead weekly sing-a-long classes for senior citizens. That starts in October.
“I will miss the kids and my theater team, but I’m very excited for this new chapter,” Simboli said during an interview at Gotta Dance and the Cabaret. “The kids have been great from the very beginning, with their heart and energy.”
Simboli and the high school drama program were working on Little Mermaid when the school was shut down on March 13. That performance was never able to happen. It would have been Simboli’s 70thmusical at Albion.
The shows were consistently recognized as among the best high school musicals in the Rochester Region by the Stars of Tomorrow program through the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.
Gary Simboli is pictured during the June 28, 2019 Albion High School graduation along with Board of Education members Wendy Kirby, left, and Chantelle Sacco.
Simboli, in his role with Sidari, gets to be the performer while she works out the details with bus tour companies.
“She is very innovative,” Simboli said about Sidari.
During the downtime with the Covid-19 pandemic, when her studio and cabaret were closed, Sidari and her father Ace Caldwell worked to create a new space. (Simboli joked he handed some drywall to Caldwell, who is in his 80s.)
The room will be another dance studio to spread out the dance classes, which will be offered in the morning, afternoons and evenings. It will also be a “green room” for performers at the cabaret to rest and prepare off stage.
“They will be treated like kings and queens,” Sidari said.
Caldwell and Sidari also put in the infrastructure for a kitchen. Down the road, Simboli said he would love to prepare meals as part of a dinner theater at the site.
“When it’s finished, I think this place will be impressive,” Simboli said about the latest improvements.
Simboli has two shows for the performances – “Musical Mischief” and “All You Need is Love.” He performed last summer to the tour bus groups, for people who hadn’t been to Albion. They were positive about being in the historic downtown with the Courthouse Square and the Erie Canal.
“When you live here you forget just how beautiful this community is,” Simboli said.
He also is working on recording a Christmas album in time for the upcoming holiday season.
Sidari said she sees the studio and cabaret as a resource bringing hope and energy to the community, especially during trying times with the pandemic.
She is grateful Simboli is sharing his talents with the community. He has long been loved and appreciated by Albionites, but Sidari said the shows last summer proved Simboli has wide appeal. The tour bus groups all are eager to return.
“All six tour groups were booked to be back this year, with a dozen more possible,” Sidari said. “This will be a building with great energy.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2020 at 3:16 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
GETZVILLE – Steve Goodrich, the American Legion commander in Lyndonville, and Anna Stelianou received their “Outstanding Citizen” awards this morning from the Orleans Hub.
They were among a group of citizens who would have been recognized during a March 16 awards program, but that event at Tillman’s Village Inn was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each year we recognize about 8 to 10 residents who made extraordinary efforts on behalf of the community that year. The Orleans Hub has been trying to present the 2019 awards individually, and do it in a way with some fanfare. (We still have three left to give to the Outstanding Citizens from 2019.)
Stelianou recently moved from Lyndonville to Asbury Point Assisted Living in Getzville. She was presented her award today in the courtyard in front of many of her new friends.
Anna Stelianou wanted to do something to honor veterans – every one of them in Lyndonville. She read about the Wreaths Across America program. Medina has been doing that at Boxwood Cemetery since 2013. Each year, a wreath at $15 each can be set on a veteran’s grave in December.
Photos by Lucy Rivers: Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub editor, presents a plaque to Anna Stelianou in appreciation for her efforts as an Outstanding Citizen of Orleans County.
Stelianou liked the idea of the wreaths for veterans’ graves. She saw Steve Goodrich, commander of the American Legion in Lyndonville, while they were each pumping gas. She told him about an idea. She wanted to purchase a wreath for every veteran’s grave in Lyndonville. That adds up to 402.
Goodrich said that would be a nice tribute. He thought Stelianou was making a one- or two-year commitment. The annual cost is about $6,000.
Stelianou said she wanted to do it – forever. Goodrich and Stelianou then met with the Lyndonville Area Foundation and she provided the funding. The anticipated interest on the donation is enough for an endowment to pay for the wreaths for long into the future.
Stelianou said she is doing it in appreciation for the community’s kindness to her parents, Ary and Konstantina. They emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Stelianou also donated the money for the program in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.
Stelianou said the community looked after her parents and their children, especially during the lean years of the Great Depression. Farmers in particular made sure the family had enough food to eat.
The Stelianou couple ran a small store on Main Street serving lunches, candy and ice cream. Anna Stelianou said the Lyndonville community welcomed her parents and helped them achieve the American dream.
Steve Goodrich also was presented with an Outstanding Citizen plaque today for his work on behalf of veterans in Lyndonville.
Goodrich also was recognized as an Outstanding Citizen for his efforts to organize the wreath program in Lyndonville. He worked with Wreaths Across America to arrange for the delivery and the placement of the wreaths. He had identified all the veterans’ graves about five years ago.
At the time, he was researching the veterans’ graves for when the Legion organizes placing American flags on each veteran’s grave just before Memorial Day. He was prompted to research the grave sites after a discussion with Peter Stelianou, Anna’s brother and a long-time Legion member. Peter served in World War II. He was 94 when he passed away on Nov. 8, 2018.
The wreaths were set in six cemeteries last year. Goodrich said he has since discovered about a dozen more veterans’ graves and they will have wreaths later this year.
Stelianou made another significant donation recently to assist veterans in the community. She gave money to help the Houseman-Tanner Post 1603 purchase a new ADA-certified trolley to be used in parades. The Post took possession of the trolley in June.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Steve Goodrich, commander of the American Legion in Lyndonville, and Anna Stelianou are pictured in early December 2019 at the grave of her parents, Ary and Konstantina, who emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Anna Stelianou provided the funding for an endowment to pay for about 400 wreaths to be set at veterans’ graves each year in Lyndonville.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new record-low Covid-19 test positivity rate of 0.69 percent and the lowest COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU patients since the pandemic began.
On Friday, hospitalizations dropped to 483, a new low since March 16, and the number of patients in ICUs dropped to 116, a new low since March 15. Intubations matched a previous low of 56.
“In New York we didn’t just flatten the curve, we bent it—and the numbers continue to stay low, demonstrating our data-driven phased reopening continues to work,” Governor Cuomo said. “Yesterday we had the lowest test positivity rate, lowest hospitalizations and lowest ICU patients since the middle of March. This shows that protecting public health and reopening our economy aren’t mutually exclusive if done the right way, and record-high testing doesn’t equal more positive tests. New Yorkers have driven this recovery and I urge everyone to stay New York Tough—wear masks, socially distance and stay disciplined. This thing isn’t over yet.”
Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,553 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 8 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. The observed violations were in Manhattan, 6; Queens, 1; and Suffolk, 1.
Of the 94,849 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 653, or 0.69 percent, were positive. Those 653 additional cases of novel coronavirus bring the statewide total to 429,165 confirmed cases in New York State.
(Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series about the historic Hamlet of Childs in the Town of Gaines. The hamlet of Childs lies just north of Albion at the intersection of Routes 104 and 98. In 2019, Childs was selected to be on the Landmark Society of Western New York’s “Five to Revive” list.)
By Erin Anheier, President of Cobblestone Society
GAINES – When stagecoaches were the preferred form of transportation, the town of Gaines welcomed visitors with 10 public houses.
The photo above shows the Village Inn in 1898. It was built in 1824 as a “tavern stand” by Samuel Percival in the heart of the hamlet of Childs.
Today, as Tillman’s Village Inn, it is the only remaining stagecoach stop on Ridge Road still serving the public with food and lodging, having been in near continuous operation since 1824. For the last seven decades, the Tillman family has preserved and cherished this heritage. Third generation proprietor Mark Tillman greets guests and will happily share his love of history.
The old hand water pump still stands along Ridge Road. This is where the horses were watered and where male guests were asked to wash themselves. Female guests were invited inside to freshen up.
The second floor held rooms available for the night, along with a ballroom. Today, comfortable lodging is available in two adjacent buildings.
The original inn has been enlarged by incorporating two historic barn structures that previously serviced the horses and carriages of early visitors. This large dining room showcases the original timber frame construction of the carriage barn with antiques and historic photos proudly displayed.
Over the years the Tillmans have served over 1,850 tons of their famous prime rib!
A great place to enjoy a refreshing beverage while soaking up the historic ambience, the Village Inn has been serving thirsty visitors at this bar for almost 200 years. Local lore has it that even during prohibition, clientele were seen stumbling out on a daily basis, much to the dismay of the local Temperance groups.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2020 at 8:46 am
ALBION – A 13-year-old boy allegedly took a truck from the Orleans County DPW very early Friday morning, and then drove off, striking a light pole in the Hoag Library parking lot and eventually leaving the truck in a hedge row on Phipps Road, Sheriff Chris Bourke said this morning.
The Sheriff’s Office on Friday released photos and video of the boy from a surveillance camera. Bourke said the public was able to help identify the boy.
The 13-year-old allegedly rode his bike to the DPW parking lot on West Academy Street at about 4 a.m. and then went through several vehicles before finding the keys to a pickup truck owned by the county DPW.
He then loaded his bike into the truck and drove off. Not long after, the boy was allegedly driving around the Hoag Library parking lot before striking and breaking a light pole.
The boy then drove off again, Bourke said.
The truck was recovered by Sheriff’s deputies early Friday evening in a hedge row in a field off from Phipps Road. The boy was also located Friday evening.
Sheriff’s investigators will be following up Monday with further action, Bourke said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2020 at 4:35 pm
Orleans County made it four straight days without a new confirmed case of Covid-19, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
Orleans has 11 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
In Genesee, there is one new confirmed case, a person in the 40s from LeRoy. The individual was not mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Genesee has now had 275 people test positive for Covid-19.
Genesee is also reporting two more recoveries from Covid-19, bringing the county’s total recoveries in the community to 211. One Genesee resident remains hospitalized due to the virus.
Genesee also has 23 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• Disparity between state and county numbers: We only report the numbers that are directly received to our departments. NYS data has been off due to some results being linked to people with one of our county’s addresses but actually don’t live in either county. These results are transferred to the appropriate county of residence, but are not reflected on the state’s daily updates.
• Be alert for scam artists: The Genesee and Orleans County Health Department staff will always identify themselves, their position, and the reason for their visit or phone call. All staff have county provided identification badges that have their pictures.
In the event you are approached by someone stating they are from the health department without a clear reason for their visit or phone call, do not let them in your home and do not give them any information and call 911.
• If symptoms, stay home: The most important thing to remember is if you are having any type of symptoms to STAY HOME! Some of the symptoms people have been reporting are fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste and/or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, headaches, fatigue nausea or vomiting and/or diarrhea.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2020 at 3:05 pm
Skip Carpenter and Kevin Lynch both running for mayor
HOLLEY – The slate of candidates is set for the Sept. 15 village election. A former Holley mayor, Stanley “Skip” Carpenter, is seeking the position and will be running against Kevin Lynch.
Lynch is the current Holley mayor. He was appointed to position on July 14, following the resignation of Brian Sorochty. Lynch had been serving as Holley’s deputy mayor.
There are two candidates for trustees. Connie Nenni is seeking re-election. Mark Bower is running for the position vacated by Lynch, when he moved up to be Holley’s mayor.
All of the terms are for two years.
The candidates all needed to submit petitions signed by at least 35 registered voters in the village.
The election will move from the Village Office at the Public Square to the Holley Gardens, the former high school that has been transformed into apartments and village offices. The polling location will be in the lobby.
Voting will be from noon to 9 p.m. To inquire about an absentee ballot, call the Village Office at (585) 638-6367.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2020 at 10:22 am
ALBION – Local organizers of food distributions in Orleans County expect to hear from Foodlink today if the program will be extended into the fall.
Next Friday in Holley is currently planned to be the last distribution. There was one this morning in Albion and there will be another on Wednesday at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds.
The distributions started in April and have grown. Today there were a boxes of meat, dairy and produce given to each vehicle, about 300 of each box. The distributions are advertised as starting at 9:30 a.m., but if the food is delivered and volunteers are in place, it starts sooner. Today there was a long line of cars by 8 a.m. The distribution started at about 8:15 a.m. and the food was all gone an hour later.
Annette Finch, community service director for Community Action, hopes the program will continue. So does Melissa Blanar, Office for the Aging director in the county.
They have organized many of the food distributions.
Melissa Webster, an employee of Bentley Brothers, carries a box of produce to a vehicle.
The food distributions are made possible through a state-funded program called Nourish New York. This funding allows Foodlink to purchase local product.
On a federal level, the USDA has implemented a new initiative called CFAP (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program). In this program, distributors who would normally serve schools, restaurants, and municipal programs are able to pre-pack boxes of perishable product and deliver to distributions being done all over the country.
If the distributions continues after this month, new locations will need to be found in Holley and Medina, which currently use school parking lots. School is scheduled to start next month.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new record-high number of Covid-19 test results—98,880—were reported to the state yesterday.
The governor also announced that hospitalizations dropped below 500 for the first time, to 490, the lowest number since March 16.
The number of ICU patients dropped to 119, the lowest number since March 15. The rate of positive tests—0.72 percent—was below 1 percent for the 14th straight day. No deaths were reported in New York City yesterday.
“Part of the reason we were able to tame the beast in New York is because of our aggressive testing strategy,” Cuomo said. “This is proof positive that when you have the virus under control, more testing does not equal more positives.
“We’ve been reopening for 14 weeks and our infection rate has actually gone down – the positive test rate has been below 1 percent the past 14 days and the number of hospitalizations dropped below 500 for the first time since March 16,” he said. “But my message to New Yorkers remains the same: this is not over, we have to be smart, wear a mask, socially distance and be New York Tough!”
The New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Health, and Labor are encouraging farmers to register for the Covid-19 testing initiative for seasonal workers, as announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo last week.
The state is making available free, on-farm Covid-19 testing to agricultural workers in Wayne, Orleans, Genesee, Ulster and Clinton Counties, which see the highest number of out-of-state workers during harvest season. The registration page is available by clicking here.
Farms who hire seasonal workers in these counties are being offered an opportunity to have workers tested. This initiative is voluntary, free and will be set up at sites selected by the farms who participate.
Farms who participate in these events must also ensure that they:
Have read, understood and comply with the State’s guidelines in the documents listed below.
Have a plan, including housing available to isolate workers if they are positive and quarantine workers who are identified as contacts to a case.
Have a plan to supplement their current workforce, if the need arises.
Pre-register using the link above.
An FAQ on the testing initiative is available in English here and in Spanish here. The flyer, which is being distributed in these counties, is available in English here and in Spanish here.
The prevention and testing initiative also includes partnering with the county health departments, local/community health care providers, county Cornell Cooperative Extensions and New York Farm Bureau to directly engage and educate farmers and farmworkers on the State’s prevention and quarantine protocols.
Farms will continue to partner with their local health departments to address the screening, isolation and quarantine status, and housing needs of their workers. Farmworkers are considered essential workers and may continue to work while under quarantine, provided the required conditions are followed.
As New York began its phased reopening, New York State outlined mandatory protections for essential workers in its NY Forward guidance. In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Markets implemented, with assistance from county Cornell Cooperative Extensions, a robust statewide effort to ensure farms had access to personal protective equipment, such as masks and sanitizer.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
Commercial fitness-related facilities, gyms and indoor physical activity-related classes in Genesee and Orleans Counties will be allowed to reopen on Monday, announced Legislative chairs Rochelle Stein for Genesee, and Lynne Johnson for Orleans.
“Our counties are pro-business counties and we will support any business trying to open as best as we can,” Johnson said. “I want to remind our residents and gym/fitness related owners that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. The tides may shift in this battle at any minute and we must do everything we can to prevent a second wave. So be smart, wear a mask, and follow all safety protocols.”
The guidelines apply to fitness activities and facilities, including but not limited to standalone/hotel/residential/office/higher education institutions gyms and fitness centers, yoga/Pilates/barre studios, boxing/kickboxing gyms, fitness boot camps, CrossFit or other plyometric boxes, other fitness classes, dance studios, martial arts studios, spin, rowing, etc. They will be allowed to reopen if they have completed the state requirements as noted below.
Each facility will be subject to a county health inspection within two weeks of their opening to ensure proper protocols are in place and adhere to state guidelines to protect customers and staff.
“Although we are proceeding with limited guidance from the state, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will begin inspections next week for fitness-related facilities and gyms as listed above that have completed the required documentation,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
Prior to reopening and inspection, gym owners and managers will have to adhere to the NYS guidelines which can be found on the NY Forward website and completing the following steps:
Develop a business safety plan
Have an HVAC inspection by an approved professional
Complete the affirmation for each facility location that they have reviewed and understand the New York State guidelines and will implement these protocols. Click the link for the affirmation statement and choose gyms and fitness centers.
Once the business safety plan and air handling inspection are complete and an attestation form is submitted, Genesee and Orleans Counties will begin the process of scheduling inspections. These steps must be completed prior to scheduling an inspection. For Genesee County, call 585-343-2580 ext. 5555 and for Orleans, call 585-589-3278.
“With our infection rate holding steady at or below 1 percent, we are confident we can reopen gyms and fitness facilities in a way that is both safe and responsible,” Stein said.
Gym owners should monitor the New York Forward website to answer questions or learn of the latest updates.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2020 at 4:20 pm
Orleans County, for the third straight day, doesn’t have any new Covid-19 cases to report. Orleans does have three more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
Genesee County has one new confirmed case, a person in the 30s from Batavia. Genesee has now had 274 people test positive for Covid-19.
The new case is an individual who wasn’t on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also is reporting nine new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. Genesee also has one resident hospitalized due to Covid-19.
Click here to view an online map of confirmed cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
• Statewide data: Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported today that the number of hospitalizations statewide from Covid, 518, is the lowest number since March 18.
New York also had its 13th straight day with the infection rate below 1 percent. There were 601 new cases on Wednesday out of 80,984 test results, a positive rate of 0.74 percent.
Other statewide data includes:
Number ICU – 120 (-11)
Deaths – 5 (Total Deaths, 25,275)
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• Communication survey: We need your help! Please consider taking a few minutes to complete a survey to measure our Genesee-Orleans Health Departments communication efforts in response to Covid-19. Your response is appreciated! Click here for the survey.
The survey will be available for your input until Aug. 24.
• Testing: If you are being tested for Covid-19 it is important that you self-quarantine until you get your test results, whether you have symptoms or not. If you are symptomatic, meaning you are coughing, have a fever or other symptoms, self-quarantine even if you are an essential worker until you get your results back. If you have Covid-19 you may be spreading it! That means to stay home and limit contact with other people, even in your household.
• Community Testing Sites: Check with the testing site for any specific criteria necessary for testing such as illness, contact with someone who tested positive, essential worker, required for reopening/business, etc. Many need to have a doctor referral/prescription. Always call first.
Oak Orchard Health: 301 West Ave Albion, NY 14411. Call (585) 589-5613 to be screened and to schedule an appointment – no walk-ins.
WellNow Urgent Care: 4189 Veterans Memorial Drive Batavia, NY 14020.
Rochester Regional Health Urgent Care: 16 Bank Street Batavia, NY 14020.
