MEDINA – The Orleans County Legislature has accepted the construction bid for work on a bridge in Medina on East Oak Orchard Street.

C.P. Ward of Scottsville will do preventative maintenance on the bridge for $352,008. The county also approved a contract with Labella Associates in Rochester for up to $63,000. Labella will provide construction support, construction inspection, and estimating and technical assumptions for the project.

Federal funds are covering 80 percent of the total project costs, while the state contributes 15 percent through Marchiselli program and the county pays 5 percent.

The total project cost breakdown includes $411,408 from federal government, $77,083 from state and a county cost of $25,694.

Photo from Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Adam Hazel, left, and Sgt. Kevin Colonna were happy to help this girl with her shopping during the debut of “Shop with a Cop” last December.

ALBION – The “Shop with a Cop” program will return this holiday season. The Walmart Foundation has awarded the Sheriff’s Office a $3,000 grant.

The money will allow the Sheriff’s Office to continue a local holiday outreach program benefiting children and families in Orleans County.

The program debuted last year with about a dozen law enforcement officers joining 16 local children who picked presents for their family members. The grant from the Walmart Foundation covers the costs of the presents.

The County Legislature on Wednesday voted to accept the grant from Walmart.

The Legislature also authorized the Sheriff’s Office to apply to the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation for Crackdown Grant Funding in the amount of $15,000 for 2020-2021.

Grant funds would allow the Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies to participate in increased STOP DWI patrols during peak holiday periods throughout the year.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Cornell Cooperative Extension estimated is has given out more than $200,000 of food during five distributions since late May.

Robert Batt, the executive director of the Extension, estimates the organization has distributed 167,250 pounds of food. That includes 120,000 pounds of produce, 27,000 pounds of meat and 20,250 pounds of dairy.

The Extension has hosted the distributions on May 29, June 10, June  24, July 8 and July 22.

There are two more scheduled: Aug. 12 and Aug. 26. They start at 10 a.m. and continue until all 1,200 boxes of produce are gone. Many weeks have included additional boxes of dairy and meats.

Batt said the food is valued at $208,000 during the five distributions. The food is available through a USDA farmers-to-families produce initiative. James Desiderio Inc. of Buffalo serves as the distributor of the produce at the fairgrounds.

There have also been distributions on Fridays, alternating at sites in Albion, Holley and Medina. There will be one tomorrow in Albion at Community Action’s Main Street Store, 9:30 a.m. until gone. It may start sooner if the delivery trucks arrive before 9:30.

‘I’ve never seen prices zoom the way they have.’

ALBION – Orleans County real estate is in demand, with homes selling at a brisk pace often well above the asking price.

“I’ve never seen prices zoom the way they have,” said Rita Zambito, owner of Zambito Realtors in Medina.

Normally, it takes about six months to sell a house in Orleans County.

“Now they are selling in days and weeks,” she said.

One house sold for $40,000 above the asking price. It’s not uncommon for them to sell for $20,000 over the listed price, she said.

The houses are in demand in both the village and out in the countryside. People are also buying vacant land with plans to build new homes, Zambito said.

There is a shortage of houses on the market, which is a factor in the demand. There are also very low interest rates, and people seem to be drawn to the small towns and rural living during the pandemic, said David Snell, owner of Snell Realtors in Albion.

The hot real estate was raised during an Orleans County Legislature meeting on Wednesday. Barry Flansburg, chairman of the Orleans County Farmland Protection Board, spoke at a public hearing about adding two parcels of land to the county’s agricultural district.

Flansburg is also the town assessor in Barre, Byron, Elba and Oakfield. He said the rural areas are in demand for residents.

The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed some of that demand, especially with people working from home and not having to commute into Rochester or Buffalo. The rural areas tend to have a lower Covid-19 caseload than more populated areas.

“You wouldn’t think so but the current pandemic we’re going through is an absolute draw to be in Western New York,” Flansburg told county legislators on Wednesday. “The real estate sales are going out of sight. They are selling out of sight within days of coming on the market.”

Flansburg urged the legislators to keep pushing for broadband internet in the rural areas, and also to extend waterlines and improve water infrastructure in the county.

“Orleans County and what we have in Western New York is actually a draw right now,” Flansburg said the taxes are actually lower in Orleans County for most property owners, compared to what people are paying in more populated counties.

He urged the county to keep investing in the community and not pull back on services and projects.

“The Covid pandemic will be a benefit to the county in the long run because the people will come,” Flansburg said.

‘As states reopen, we cannot imperil our economic recovery efforts by slashing state programs that pay our teachers, firefighters, healthcare and frontline workers.’

Press Release, National Governors Association

Governors Larry Hogan of Maryland, the National Governors Association chair, and Andrew Cuomo of New York, the NGA vice chair, issued the following statement about the need for state stabilization funding in the next COVID-19 relief bill:

“It has been over four months since the governors began to lead the coronavirus response in America – through implementing functioning testing programs and by slowing the spread through socially responsible but economically devastating closures of schools and businesses.

“To protect against the global pandemic, states shut down parts of our economies. The resulting consequence has been a catastrophic loss of hundreds of billions of dollars to state budgets. The rapid economic downturn has left no region of the country untouched and has stressed every aspect of state delivery of critical needs and services to its residents. In order to support states in the continuing pandemic response, a $500 billion state stabilization fund must be included in any COVID-19 relief package from the Senate.

“States are ground zero in this fight. We provide the critical services Americans depend on including public safety, education, healthcare, food assistance, local aid and transportation. We also employ over 20 million people across the country. And yet, of the $3 trillion in aid from four relief packages, no unrestricted federal support to stabilize state budgets and account for the economic loss states face as a direct result to fight COVID-19 has ever been included.

“Governors, by law, must balance our budgets each year. Given the sharp drop in economic activity as a direct result of the pandemic economic shutdown and the corresponding reduction in tax receipts, state budgets are in tatters. Governors have already made cut budgets and reduced our payrolls by 1.5 million people, but without Senate action, we will need to make steeper cuts and reduce payrolls even more, at precisely the time when these services are needed most.

“As states reopen, we cannot imperil our economic recovery efforts by slashing state programs that pay our teachers, firefighters, healthcare and frontline workers. To protect our economy and keep the recovery going forward, Congress must provide states with $500 billion in unrestricted assistance and increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage to 12%.

“We need the Senate’s strong support now, so we can fight the virus together and make an economic recovery a reality.”

‘I feel very fortunate to be able to see all of my friends again’

Photos by Tom Rivers

GASPORT – Thomas Vazquez and Morgan Greco make their entrance and walk down the red carpet during Medina’s senior prom this evening at Becker Farms in Gasport.

The event was planned for June 12 but was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions on crowd sizes. Medina capped this evening’s event at up 150 people.

Michael Cavanagh, the high school principal, said about 110 students attended the event, and there were also teachers and other chaperones.

He met with student leaders last month who were adamant they wanted the prom, even if it was pushed back into the summer.

“The voices of the students were loud and clear: they wanted one more chance to be together,” Cavanagh said.

There were some restrictions at the event, including no dancing.

A formal dinner was planned at Becker Farms, the crowning of prom royalty and each senior received a “swag bag.”

Trevor Luthart and Devin Griffen walk the red carpet and get their photo taken by many people.

Mary Flores checks a message on her phone while waiting for the event to start. She appreciated that the prom was able to happen when so many other proms were cancelled by other schools or venues due to Covid-19.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to see all of my friends again,” she said.

Kody Leno and Margaret Klotzbach are all smiles on the red carpet. Leno was the valedictorian of the Class of 2019, and Klotzbach is this year’s salutatorian.

Rylend Callicutt and Tessa Pecoraro make their entrance in front of the paparazzi.

Hannah Heil and August Pietrafesa were dates for the formal occasion.

Brilliance Johnson escorts Chloe Nashwenter down the red carpet.

Tyesha Robinson and Sarah Sones said they are grateful Medina found a way to keep the prom.

The red carpet as it appears after everyone made their entrances and settled in for dinner.

Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed cases of Covid-19, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

Orleans also added nine people to precautionary quarantine to travel restrictions. The county still has 77 on precautionary quarantine due to travel.

The county also reports one additional recovery in the community from Covid-19 for 118 total. There are also two people hospitalized in the county from the virus.

In Genesee County, there is one additional confirmed case, bringing Genesee’s total to 245 cases of Covid-19.

The new case is a Darien resident in the 30s. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Genesee also has nine more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states, and now has 96 on precautionary quarantine.

More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Department

• Travel Advisory: New York is requiring travelers from the following 31 states with high coronavirus rates to self-quarantine for 14 days: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Those violating could be subject to a judicial order and mandatory quarantine and potential fines. These states may change at any time.

• Traveler Health Form: For all out-of-state travelers from NYS restricted states, whether arriving by land or air, must self-identify by completing a traveler health form or be subject to a $2,000 fine. Click here for the traveler health form.

Photo courtesy of Orleans County 4-H program: Members of the Abundant Harvest 4-H Club made these clothing and other home economics projects. They are on display at Blissett’s Specialty Shop in Medina.

MEDINA – Orleans County 4-H kids won’t be able to display their work at the fair this year after the annual event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Trolley Building at the fairgrounds normally displays clothing and other home economics projects by children in the 4-H program.

With no fair, the 4-H program has connected with businesses in Albion and Medina to display the work by the kids. The exhibits will also be shown at some of the local libraries.

Blissett’s Specialty Shop on Main Street in Medina is the first site to show the 4-H work. More locations will be added the next three weeks, said Kristina Gabalski, the 4-H coordinator.

“This effort gives our 4-H members a chance to share their projects with the community, while still holding onto them for evaluation next year,” Gabalski said. “I think people enjoy seeing the projects at fair, and this allows them to safely view some of the projects this year with the absence of fair.”

Planning Board will decide if mural stays, and if 2 more are appropriate

Photos by Tom Rivers: The new mural of the Canalligator has been popular on social media. The large painting is on the back of a building in an alley off Proctor Place, a block from Main Street.

MEDINA – A mural on a cinder block building in a Medina alley is already popular on the Instagram and TikTok social media sites. The “Canalligator” stretches out about 50 feet, and shows an alligator lounging by the canal, holding a “Go Bills” flag.

Tim Meyers, a Buffalo based artist, finished the project about two weeks ago.

“Everybody that has seen it loves it and says it looks amazing,” said Edee Hoffmeister, owner of Celebrity Day Spa.

The mural is partly on the back of her building and also a building owned by the Tom Fenton Trust. The total mural is about 75 feet long, and includes some boarded up windows.

The village code enforcement office said the project was done without a proper permit and notification to the village.

Provided photo: This is how the site looked before the project.

Dan Gardner, the village code enforcement officer, sent a letter on July 10 to the Tom Fenton Trust and the Hoffmeister, saying the mural was out of compliance and failed to get a certificate of appropriateness from the Village of Medina Planning Board. The project shouldn’t have started without an application being submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer, who then submits the application to the Planning Board, according to the letter.

The village code states a certificate of appropriateness is needed for any exterior alterations in the Historic Preservation District when those alterations are visible from a public street or alley, and the project “affects the appearance and cohesiveness of the Historic Preservation District.”

The village Planning Board will consider the matter during its Aug. 4 meeting at 7 p.m.

The Form Foundation, a non profit devoted to public arts projects in Medina, spearheaded the project. The group would like to do two other murals this year in Medina in the area near Proctor Place, a block off Main Street. The group will ask the Planning Board to approve those projects on Aug. 4.

The mural includes several boarded up windows on the back of a building.

One of the proposed new murals would be on cinder blocks on the back of a building owned by Rita Zambito on Proctor Place, close to Pearl Street.

Another mural is planned for a cinder block building at the corner of Pearl Street and West Avenue.

Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said the village current expectations for murals are they should have a historic theme, connecting to Medina’s past.

The Canalligator mural may fit the historic theme, anyway. There is local lore of an alligator in the canal at one time. Tim Meyers, who goes by “Murkedelic” in his social media, was able to create a mural of the canal and the alligator.

“I haven’t heard anything bad about it,” Hoffmeister said. “I love it. It looks way better than they did.”

The mural is in the back parking area for her employees. But she said people from Buffalo have been showing up to look at the mural.

The Form Foundation has raised $38,000 for public murals. The group would like to change them every two to three years with a yearly festival to planned around the painting of the murals.

The group says it wants to clean up blighted, non-historic structures “in a progressive way young families and professionals would be attracted to.”

Tim Meyers, who goes by Murkedelic with his social media, created the mural on the back of Celebrity Day Spa.

Town Supervisor urges company to formally withdraw wind turbine project in Somerset, Yates

Press Release, Jeffrey M. Dewart, Town Supervisor of Somerset

SOMERSET — Apex Clean Energy informed the Town of Somerset last Thursday that the last remaining meteorological tower located on Lower Lake Road was being decommissioned immediately. Sometime shortly thereafter, the meteorological tower was taken down and is no longer standing.

Somerset Town Supervisor Jeff Dewart said, “We recently notified Apex that its last met tower in the Town was violating the special use permit, and we are happy to hear Apex finally decided to remove it.”

At one time, Apex Clean Energy, a Virginia-based company, had three meteorological towers erected in Somerset related to the Lighthouse Wind project. All three towers have now been removed by Apex. Lighthouse Wind’s local office, previously located in Barker, has also been vacated and closed for more than a year. As a result, Apex no longer has any physical presence in the Town of Somerset.

Supervisor Dewart said, “Although Apex has packed up and left town, I’d like to see Apex formally abandon this project so the Town can have some closure. The Lighthouse Wind project has divided our town for too long. Enough is enough.”

Apex formally commenced the Article 10 process in 2014. During the past six years, Apex has not secured a single agreement or approval from any New York State agency or local government regarding any aspect of the unpopular Lighthouse Wind project. Apex has not engaged in any required Article 10 stipulation negotiations since the summer of 2018; and, in April 2019, Apex informed the Town of Somerset it would not submit an Article 10 application in 2019 and closed down their required office in town. It has been and now is abundantly clear that Apex has no plans to further pursue the Lighthouse Wind Project at any time in the future.

Supervisor Dewart said. “The right thing for Apex to do at this point is to remove this project from the NYISO queue, terminate the Article 10 process, and release the local land owners from any remaining lease obligations. I hope they do the right thing.”

‘What we found with this survey is that no farm was untouched by the pandemic or the economic fallout.’ – NYFB President David Fisher

Press Release, New York Farm Bureau

New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization, unveiled the results of a member survey that found 65% of the state’s farms and agribusinesses have been negatively impacted financially by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“What we found with this survey is that no farm was untouched by the pandemic or the economic fallout,” said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher. “All of this underscores the need to continue to invest in our food system while also making health and safety a priority.”

More than 500 NYFB members participated in the informal survey conducted in mid-June that asked a dozen wide-ranging questions about the rural economy, health and safety of farm families and their employees as well as access to necessary personal protective equipment (PPEs). Respondents also described how they were personally affected. Here are some key findings.

• 43% of farms have lost sales during the pandemic.
• More than a third of farms and agribusinesses (37%) are experiencing cash flow issues.
• Almost half (47%) say they have reduced spending to local vendors and suppliers or will do so in the future.
• An overwhelming majority of farms (84%) have a plan in place to train and assist their employees to mitigate the spread of the virus.
• 46% of respondents say they are concerned about their mental health or that of someone they know.

“Farmers are doing their best to make sure food production doesn’t stop, but we need to maintain the ability to process, distribute and market what we produce,” Fisher said. “As the state and federal governments look toward potential budget cuts and additional Covid-19 assistance, agriculture must be a part of the discussion. It really does take all of us working together to have a strong, sustainable food system that supports the farm community and feeds yours.”

Editor’s Note: Some survey responses from farmers include:

• An Orleans County livestock farm owner who said they are storing more farm products, meats and eggs. “Very difficult time getting cattle processed,” the Orleans livestock farmer said.
• An Oswego County vegetable and fruit farm said it hired more workers to meet demand.
• A Wyoming County maple farm was able to produce maple syrup before the pandemic but now the farm is storing the syrup rather than selling it.
• A Saratoga County equine farm cut back on feed, tack and equipment purchases.
• A Jefferson County dairy was forced to sell the entire herd due to lack of market.
• A Suffolk County nursery and landscape business said it is selling more retail and wholesale while the landscape division “has been severely affected.”
• A Schuyler County equine farm lost three months of farm income during the peak of the seasonal agritourism business.
• A Yates County winery reports it had to cut 90 percent of its workers because it couldn’t sell wine to visitors. With the loss of employees “nothing is getting done on the farm.”

To cope with the changes in the marketplace farmers have been forced to respond. A Chautauqua County dairy farm reports it cut milk production by 15 percent. A Suffolk County aquaculture business shifted to more internet direct sales.

A Wayne County fruit farm hired an employee to develop a Covid-19 plan, monitoring employee health and implementing sanitation practices daily for vehicles, farm equipment, worker housing and offices.

An Orange County vegetable farm is doing its farm stand business by online orders only, with customer pickup at curbside.

A Cayuga County dairy farm reports it put an expansion on hold. It is looking into risk management options and added daily sanitation.

Consultant says pool of superintendent candidates has been shrinking the past 20 years

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dr. Teresa Lawrence and her husband Dr. Thomas Ramming are both serving as consultants for the Albion school district in a superintendent’s search. They are shown leading a community forum on Tuesday in the Albion Middle School gym.

ALBION – The consultants assisting the Albion Board of Education in the search for a new district superintendent said they are impressed with the community engagement in the process.

So far 408 people have filled out a survey about the district and what they want in the next superintendent. Dr. Teresa Lawrence and Dr. Thomas Ramming, the consultants in the search, said that is the biggest response they have seen in the past five superintendent searches they’ve led, which were at districts larger and smaller than Albion.

Participants in 10 forums the past two days have been asked to list opportunities and challenges in the district, and traits they want in the next superintendent.

“That is outstanding,” said Ramming, a Gasport native and Roy-Hart graduate. “This is a very interested community in what goes on in the schools.”

Ramming and Lawrence are married. They led 10 focus groups and a community forum this week, asking students, parents, teachers and other community members to identify opportunities and challenges in the district, and the most desired characteristics they want in the district’s top administrator.

Albion wants to have the new superintendent in place by Jan. 1. Scott Bischoping is serving as Albion’s interim superintendent. Bischoping most recently served as interim superintendent at North Rose-Wolcott Central School. Previously, Bischoping was an interim superintendent at Batavia City School District. He also was the district superintendent for Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES.

Ramming and Lawrence both worked as school superintendents. Ramming said the pool of candidates has been steadily shrinking the past 20 years.

“If you are a family person, the 24-7 demands can negatively impact your family life,” he said.

Ramming said superintendents are often married and their spouse has a job, and they may have kids in school.

“That makes it harder to get up and go,” he said.

Superintendents also don’t have tenure in most districts. They can be vulnerable in the job if the Board of Education doesn’t like the job performance or wants a different leader.

Ramming said superintendents can’t be successful on their own. They need to work as a team with the Board of Education and need the support of the community.

“Good leadership is essential,” Ramming said. “Criticism comes with the job but it is important to let them know when they’re doing a good job, too.”

The district’s on-line survey will close on July 24. The survey lists about 30 qualities and skills for a superintendent. Respondents are asked to rank their five most critical skills for a superintendent to be effective at Albion. Click here to see the survey.

There were about 10 people in this community forum in the middle school gym. Other focus groups included teachers, staff, students, community leaders, alumni and Board of Education members.

MURRAY – The Murray Republican Committee has endorsed Dirk Lammes to be the town’s next highway superintendent.

Lammes currently owns Lammes Construction and works with municipalities with waterline repairs. His company also does snowplowing in the winters.

Ed Morgan, the Murray highway superintendent for 30 years, resigned on May 31.

That came too late in the normal endorsement and petition process, which is done in the spring.

Lammes will be on the November ballot as the Republican candidate for a one-year term. Next year there will be the normal election process for a full term. (Lammes also has been endorsed by the Conservative Party.)

The Murray Republican’s Committee to Fill Vacancies met on July 11 and interviewed three candidates. David Nenni, the Holley DPW superintendent, and Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim DeFilipps also were interested in the position.

Lammes, 52, has been doing emergency waterline repairs for municipalities since 2001, mainly in the Town of Irondequoit. He also has a contract in the Town of Henrietta.

He purchased his first backhoe when he was 18, doing construction work on his own, while working full-time with his father with construction work in Rochester.

If he is elected highway superintendent, Lammes said he would step back from his business which would be run by his nephew and son.

He has been plowing snow for more than three decades.

“It’s not like it’s new to me,” he said.

Lammes, a youth baseball coach the past 10 years, said he welcomes the chance to work closer to home.

“I like a challenge and the work is interesting to me,” he said. “I look forward to working with everybody. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel. But if there are things we can improve on I will do it.”

The Highway Department is currently led by Deputy Highway Superintendent Louise Passarell with Dennis Mandigo, the senior highway employee, in charge of water.

By Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist

Provided photo: Sterling Stroman, a residential services kitchen manager for GCASA, passed away from cancer on Sunday. He brought optimism and a sense of humor to the job.

BATAVIA – Calling him “part of the fabric of our team,” the executive director of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse fondly remembers longtime residential services kitchen manager Sterling Stroman who passed away on Sunday after a six-year battle with cancer.

“It is so sad to hear about the passing of Sterling. He was part of the fabric of our team at GCASA and always brought his kind energy to everything he did,” Bennett said.

Stroman, a Batavia native who graduated from Oakfield-Alabama Central School, was 55.

His wife, Ella, informed family and friends of his death.

“I would like to let you know that my husband Sterling has passed away … he went very peaceful and did not suffer any more than he did,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “He is in a better place. I also would like to thank everyone for your love and prayers.”

A fun-loving and caring individual who made friends easily, Stroman made the headlines last November when, through arrangements made by HomeCare and Hospice, was able to scratch off a couple big ticket items on his “bucket list.”

First, he and his family were treated to a Buffalo Sabres game, where he was able to meet star Jack Eichel and Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, and a couple weeks later, he was able to meet his pro sports hero, John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback of his beloved Denver Broncos when the team faced the Bills in Buffalo.

Closer to home, on May 2, Stroman was honored with a parade – led by the City of Batavia Fire Department – that traveled past his home on North Lyon Street.

Organized by his sister, Michelle, and sister-in-law Robin Gangarossa, the parade of love and support included about 50 cars, filled with friends, GCASA colleagues and family members.

Nicole Davis, director of residential services at GCASA, said Stroman was “committed, dependable and dedicated to those that we serve.”

“Sterling certainly was a staple in residential services,” Davis said. “He was that employee that would positively boast about our staff, services, and residents, and he would always make us laugh with his many quips and life stories. We all count ourselves lucky to have known a man like him, and we miss his presence every day.”

Bennett said Stroman’s memory will live on as part of the nonprofit organization’s expansion to the Atwater House residential facility. Stroman worked at GCASA for more than 20 years.

“It will be fitting to honor his memory in our new residential program as we plan to dedicate the new kitchen and cafeteria in his name,” Bennett said. “Preparing and serving meals was his way to share the love he had for others.”

Friends are invited to call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at The City Church, 210 East Main Street, Batavia. A 1 p.m. “Celebration of Life” will immediately follow at the church. He will be laid to rest in Grand View Cemetery.

Governor shouldn’t punish entire industry based on violators, group says

MEDINA – A group of Medina business owners who serve alcohol have sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, urging him not to follow through with a threat on Monday that would order all bars and restaurants to shut down if there continues to be flagrant violations with social distancing and not wearing masks.

The coalition of Medina business owners said the governor would be “unjustly” punishing many businesses who have worked to follow the rules, and implemented numerous precautions to protect the public from Covid-19.

The letter is signed by Scott Robinson, president of Medina Area Partnership; Michael Zambito, owner of Zambistro; Alexandra Gilman, owner of Shirt Factory; Leonel Rosario, owner of Mariachi De Oro; Bryan & Larissa DeGraw, owners of 810 Meadworks; Brian Christiaansen, owner of Mark’s Pizzeria in Medina; Wendy Wilson and John Oakes of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery; Tim Hungerford and Teresa Misiti, owners of Mile 303, Brody Hoffmeister, owner of Rudy’s Diner; and Katie Misiti and Travis Hartway of Sourced Market & Eatery.

“Our Upstate New York community has been part of a vibrant renaissance in recent years, one we hope to maintain during these challenging times,” the group writes in the letter. “However, we all know it won’t be easy.”

The group said the prospect of restaurants being forced to close would be “unimaginable.”

The governor says many bars and restaurants are putting public health at risk with large social gatherings. Last Thursday he announced a new executive order where bars and restaurants can’t serve alcohol only. Customers also need to order food.

The governor said his goal was to prevent “hobnobbing” where customers don’t stay put at a table but instead move about the crowd.

On Monday, after seeing widespread reports and posts on social media of large crowds at bars and restaurants, Cuomo said the state is close to ordering those establishments close down.

“If you choose closure, it unjustly punishes those of us who are spending everyday to make sure our patrons, staff, and community remain safe. We don’t just think about those within our designated areas, but we’re constantly thinking about those around us.

The group said the Orleans County community and state have worked hard to reduce the number of Covid-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations.

“COVID-19 is not gone, New York is not in the clear, and we believe concerns of another wave hitting our state,” the Medina business owners write in the letter. “At this moment, we can only do our best to continue using the guidance your administration has provided and act as frontline workers to make sure others follow these safety mitigation measures.”

‘We implore you to continue using a regional approach throughout the state, rather than punishing some of us for the indiscretions of others.’

The Medina businesses have displayed “Wear a Mask” signs, posted frequently on Facebook with guidance for dining, posted Instagram images of staff wearing masks, put down floor markers outlining social distancing, and had nonstop discussions with patrons about staying seated.

The businesses have measured the distance between seats/tables/walkways, and countless other items have been added to the business operations.

“Your recent decision that mandates food accompanying alcoholic beverages was just another item we collectively added to our list,” the letter states. “The majority of us realized this step was to address a real concern that could set all of us back. If you think it’s frustrating that rules are being followed, imagine how those of us who are following them feel.”

The Medina business owners said it will take all establishments and their customers to adhere to the guidance and stop the spread of Covid-19.

“We’re not going to beat the pandemic as individuals, but by coming together as a team,” the business owners wrote to the governor. “While we’ll continue to look out for our neighboring businesses who are abiding by the rules, we need you to look out for us and allow us the opportunity to build ourselves back up.”

The group thanked the governor for his leadership and asked for his consideration during these challenging times.

“There is still a long road ahead and none of us know what the coming months will hold,” they wrote in the letter. “We implore you to continue using a regional approach throughout the state, rather than punishing some of us for the indiscretions of others.”