November-December 2013 ONTARIO COUNTY Volume 15 #6
Atwater Park: A larger part of the Public Square, Atwater Park has served the public in many different ways. Many of the very first county fairs were held here.5 In 1844, the new Whig political party built a long cabin headquarters on the park site where it promoted the successful presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison.6 On at least two occasions, the integrity of the Atwater Park area was nearly compromised as a result of the growing need for space by the county government and the US Postal Service. Early in 1957, the Board of Supervisors considered building a county office building in the park area. A quarter of a century later, the City of Canandaigua proposed that part of Atwater Park be used to expand parking for the Post Office. Both the city and the county were interested in keeping the Postal Service in the downtown area.7 Ultimately, the Canandaigua Post Office moved to a facility on Eastern Boulevard. In 1993, Ontario County undertook a $150,000 restoration project designed to improve the area around the bandstand. The entire project was funded by a federal historic landscape preservation grant.8 Overall, the Atwater Park section of Public Square continues to look, and be used by the public, in much of the same way as it was when Oliver Phelps deeded it to the county.
Canandaigua Inn Park: Also a remaining section of the historic Public Square, Canandaigua Inn Park has been largely unchanged since it became county property. The area in front of the old Canandaigua Inn (and now the police station) has always been a great place for visitors to stroll and to appreciate the central fountain which has been modified throughout the years. The only other additions have been landscaping and a historical marker near Main Street.
Gannett Hill Park: Credited for founding and/or expanding newspaper companies such as The Democrat and Chronicle and the USA Today, newspaper mogul Frank Gannett was a prominent figure in the Rochester and Western New York Region. As a youth, Gannett worked in the very fields which are now wildlife refuges and grasslands within the county park. Gannett Hill takes its name from the fact that his parents once farmed a good portion of the hilltop. The owner of the park site itself was actually Llewlyn C. Watkins. It is important to note that the Gannett family property has never been a part of the park – the park was named after the Gannett family due to its history of farming and Frank Gannett’s distinction. Aside from the Public Square, the Gannett Hill area was a leading candidate for the county’s first park. In 1916 a group of Boy Scouts from the City of Canandaigua hiked Gannett Hill to camp as guests of Irving B. Wilson who owned 300 acres at the top. This ‘first annual’ hike received a great deal of coverage and soon tourists were being encouraged to drive up the hill.9 By 1963, Bernice M. Watkins, widow of Llewelyn C. Watkins, was anxious to sell the property to the county. Through the assistance of state aid, the Board of Supervisors approved the acquisition of the land.10 Initial development included the improvement of access roads, restroom facilities, picnic tables and the first pavilions. In 1967, Supervisors approved the construction of a four-million gallon reservoir pond on the site. The “jump off” site was also improved with a retaining wall.11 It has been almost fifty years since the purchase of the park site. Today, it serves more than fifty thousand visitors each year.
Look for Deep Run and other parks in the next edition and more parks in subsequent editions!
A Collaborative Effort by Chris Bowering & Preston Pierce, with Assistance from Mark Shannon
5 “Farmer’s Holiday” Ontario Repository. Oct. 26, 1824. p.; 6 “Tippecanoe Club.” Ontario Repository. Apr. 22, 1840. p. 7 Ellis, Ada. “Local Historian Writes to Protest Building in Park.” Daily Messenger. May 24, 1957. p. 4; Caher, John. “Committee votes to cut into park. Daily Messenger. Aug. 18, 1983. p.; Zitrin, Richard. “council committee: don’t use park for new parking.” Daily Messenger. Aug. 24, 1983. p.; Gerew, Gary. “Canandaigua gets leverage in park talks.” Democrat and Chronicle. Sep. 9,1983. p. ; Caher, John. “County favors Atwater park plan.” Daily Messenger. Sep. 9, 1983. p. 8 Hatcher, John. “Trees axed in Atwater.” Daily Messenger. May 6, 1993. p. 3 A. 9 “Boy Scouts Will Hike to Gannett’s Hill and Camp There all Night.” Ontario County Times. Sep. 27, 1916. p. 6; “Boy Scouts Climb Up on Gannett Hill.” Ontario County Times. Oct. 11, 1916. p. 6. 10 “Ontario County to Consider Park Site in South Bristol.” Democrat and Chronicle. Fe. 1, 1963. 11 “County Park to Get State Aid.” Ontario County Times‐Journal. Apr. 24, 1963. p. 1 EMPLOYEE UPDATES
RETIREMENTS Kathleen Taft, Support Investigator, Social Services, 10/05/13 Suzanne Bruen, Finance Clerk II, PS Finance, 10/19/13 Mary Farinelli, Cleaner, Public Works, 10/26/13 Suzanne McGuigan, Reg. Prof. Nurse, Social Services, 10/31/13 Deb Schoen, Senior Clerk, Veterans Service Agency, 11/9/13 Marilyn Desmith, Reg. Professional Nurse, Health Facility, 11/29/13
RESIGNATIONS Elizabeth Taylor, Supervising Nurse, Health Facility, 10/2/13 Raveen Thangavel, Senior Physical Therapist, Health Facility, 10/5/13 Calvin Battle, Nursing Assistant, Health Facility, 10/10/13 Stephanie VanderMolen, Client Transp. Driver, PT, Transportation, 10/23/13 Lora Elling, Caseworker, Social Services, 11/1/2013 Matthew Whitney, County Police Officer, Office of the Sheriff, 11/13/2013 Marjorie Hinman, Health Facility Worker, Health Facility, 11/24/2013 Cristi VanCaeseele, Typist, PT, Office of the Aging, 11/28/2013 Dan Kazmark, Health Facility Worker, Health Facility, 12/1/2013 Elissa Hughes, Nurse Practitioner, Office of the Sheriff, 12/4/2013
PROMOTIONS Tricia Mahoney, to Sr. Caseworker from Caseworker, DSS, 12/2/13 Cindy Abraszek, to Secretary I from Sr. Clerk, Human Resources, 12/4/13 Paul Jansen-Jr, to HVAC Technician from Bldg Maintenance Mechanic, Public Works, 12/6/13
REASSIGNMENTS Brett Lowry, Correction Officer, Office of the Sheriff, PT to FT status, 9/27/13
NEW EMPLOYEES/APPOINTMENTS Susan Burnett, Office Specialist I (temporary), Sub. Abuse, 10/7/13 Travis Goodman, Building Maintenance Mechanic, Public Works, 10/15/13 Jessica Langer, Buyer, Purchasing, 10/15/13 Nicholas Basile, Investigator, Public Defender, 10/15/13 Benjamin Gilmour, Assistant Public Defender, Public Defender, 10/15/13 Kimio Streeter, Nursing Assistant, Health Facility, 10/17/13 Matthew Cook, Correction Officer, Office of the Sheriff, 10/21/13 Sue Davie, Cleaner, Public Works, 11/04/13 Laurie Arner, Employee Relations Asst., Human Resources, 11/18/13 Tammy Clarke, Finance Clerk I, DSS Accounting, 11/18/13 Calvin Battle, Licensed Practical Nurse, Per Diem, Health Facility, 11/19/13 Joseph Hairfield, Client Transportation Driver, PT, On-Call, Transportation, 11/12/13 June Guererri, Client Transportation Driver, PT, On-Call, Transportation, 11/15/13 Michael Sykes, Workforce Development Counselor, Social Services, 12/2/13 Megan Masyln, Reg. Professional Nurse - Jail, Office of the Sheriff,12/3/13 Heather Cooper, Health Facility Worker, Health Facility, 12/2/13
Emily Phillips, Human Resources
OCHF is hosting a decorating contest again this year. Assemble a team of no more than 6 people and register with the activities department at Ext.4330. We’ll assign you an area to decorate. We do have some decorations here you can use, and then if you have some of your own things you’d like to add it just makes it all the better. Decorating has to be completed between the day after Thanksgiving and Monday December 10th- the day before our 1st Christmas Festival. Judging will be done by an unbiased party. The team that gets 1st place will get a pizza party, 2nd place will receive bagel and cream cheese for breakfast and 3rd place will win a cookie platter. This has been very successful the last couple years and brings everyone into the holiday spirit. The residents just love it. So come join in the fun at OCHF. Tammy Voeltz, Health Facility
Slips, Trips and Falls
We have once again entered the season of “slips, trips and falls”. This category alone is listed as the cause of 1 in 5 of all injuries in Ontario County and accounts for 1/3 of all of our Workers’ Comp claims. Slips, trips and falls incidents are the leading cause of accidental injury all across the country and cause 15% of accidental deaths. This is second only to deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes.
In a slip, trip or fall incident we injure our wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees and hips. Over a million workers are injured by slips, trips and falls and this type of injury accounts for 15% of all accidental death. Slips, trips and falls are only second to motor vehicles as the cause of all fatalities. Slips, trips and falls account for 17% of all disabling injuries and most important almost all incidents could have been prevented.
It sounds simple but if we were more aware of our surroundings and followed a few simple tips, we could dramatically improve the safety of all employees. So what are these simple safety tips? First, recognize the major factors that cause slips, trips and falls. Second, we need to be familiar with strategies to reduce the possibility of these accidents.
Some facts are that falls from the same level are more frequent but less severe and falls from elevated heights occur less frequent but are more severe. However, falls from a height of 10’ or less account for 60% of all of these accidents. Fortunately, most of accidents of this nature occur at floor level, rather than from an elevated place.
Unsafe conditions noted in slip, trip and fall injuries included poor housekeeping, wet or slippery surfaces, obstacles in walkways, lighting, footwear, stairs and ladders. Typical comments about these unsafe conditions included areas not kept clear and clean or had obstacles; walking surfaces wet from rain or snow; a walking surface that had poor or inadequate lighting; wearing the wrong footwear for the condition or work situation; and/or not using handrails when climbing stairs. Unsafe behaviors that contributed to the injury included such specific things as wearing footwear that was too slick for conditions, walking too fast or running or making a rapid change in direction.
Being aware of and addressing walking surfaces for unsafe environmental and equipment hazards that could cause slips, trips or falls is a good first step in fall prevention. Wearing the proper footwear for the conditions is equally important. In addition, attention should be paid to housekeeping, lighting, stairways and ladders. Corrective action needs to be taken immediately to address problems found. Something as simple as posting a sign or barrier to warn of a wet surface being posted until the surface can be cleaned may certainly help prevent a possible slip, trip or fall.
This is one type of injury that can be prevented with a little help from all of us.
Sherman Manchester, Safety Coordinator
CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING TREE
Ornaments with names and gift ideas were placed on the Gift Giving Tree. The last ornament has been taken off. The county employees have always supported the tree and we want to let everyone know how much we appreciate it. Remember that the gifts have to be back to OFA by 12/13/13.
Dawn Newvine, Office for the Aging
Everything You Wanted To Know About Email - But Were Afraid To Ask
Email is an excellent communication tool yet it has a “dark side.” Since its not face to face human conversation, it’s very easy to misinterpret an email if it’s not written properly. Here are some tips when writing an email:
1. Read the email back to yourself; does it have a “tone” about it? It’s very easy to write an abrupt, discourteous, or even rude sounding email. We may not mean to sound this way but to the reader, it can come off sounding condescending especially if we are known to have less than a perfect bedside manner.
2. Consider the audience. Are we being too “flowery?” Do we need to get to the point or are we trying to relay information on a subject unfamiliar to the reader? Too simple and we may sound “superior.” Too detailed or using too much jargon and we may sound preachy or confusing.
3. Be slow to respond if we receive what is perceived to be an abrupt or unprofessional email Sometimes it’s just best to stop and take a breather before responding to an email that may seem discourteous, disrespectful or sarcastic. Chances are if we shoot an angry toned rapid fire email back at the sender, we will do nothing to further any communications which could be counterproductive at best.
4. Be careful what you write in an email It has been said that “you should never write in an email anything you wouldn’t want said in public.” It’s very easy to write an email and send it to the wrong audience—an experience that you won’t soon forget!
5. Size Matters Email can be overwhelming and pile up like so much junk mail in our mailboxes. Usually, it’s not the amount of emails you receive that causes overlimits—it’s the size of the attachment that usually puts the mailbox overlimit. If this happens to you, you can sort your inbox by size and find out which emails are causing havoc. Don’t forget your Sent and Deleted Items box either. These folders can easily accumulate massive amounts of email. If you need help on archiving your email or need to know more about the “Enterprise Vault archiving system”, please feel free to call X8856
6. Advanced Find Quick tip: Can’t find that email? To do an advanced find in Outlook (any version) use the following keystroke combo: CTRL+Shift+F You can do a search on a word or phrase and by many different variables.
Lorna LeBlanc, IS
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though some doctors these days are trying to make their patients office visits a tad bit more enjoyable, and my veterinarian is no exception! My visit was more like a spa treatment! After my exam, I enjoyed a dip in their new Jacuzzi! That’s right folks, a hot tub! It even had a water fountain and fresh towels to dry off with.
I love it here. Maybe it was in honor of National Cat Day, (Oct. 29). Regardless, I can’t wait to go back. Bailey is nuts, this place is great! Now if I can just get them to serve me a little Albacore next time… Hmmm now where’s the suggestion box…
Reminder From Happy Tails:
The kitten's friends at Happy Tails, the Humane Society shelter in Hopewell, have a holiday wish list. Here are some things that they could really use:
♦ Clay Cat Litter ♦ Old Clean Towels ♦ Bleach ♦ Blankets ♦ Laundry Detergent ♦ Floor Cleaner ♦ 30 and 55 Gallon Trash Bags ♦ Dish Detergent ♦ Rechargeable AA Batteries ♦ Paper Towels ♦ Rubber Gloves ♦ Legal Pads ♦ Scrub Brushes ♦ Postage Stamps ♦ Cat/Dog Treats & Toys ♦ Copier Paper
From all of us at Visions ~ Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!
Don’t Forget! The Visions Newsletter is always looking for new, important, and interesting stories or tidbits of information about Ontario County Employees, Departments, or special events or recognitions within Departments. Just simply e-mail or call!
Please keep in mind – all submissions get reviewed by the entire editorial staff before being printed. [email protected]
Visions Update is the bi-monthly newsletter for the employees of Ontario County government. The purpose of this newsletter is to convey information to sustain Service Excellence, to provide examples of leadership and positive actions, and publish departmental news.
The editorial board is composed of the following:
Ray DeRuyter ~ Purchasing: 396-4444 Tammy Hagadorn ~ County Attorney’s Office: 396-4490 Louise Heusler ~ Printing: 396-4051
Important dates for 2014 publications are as follows:
January/February Issue Editorial Board Meets and Articles Due to Printing by 1/9/14 • Publication Date 1/16/14
March/April Issue Editorial Board Meets and Articles Due to Printing by 3/13/14 • Publication Date 3/20/14
Please make every effort to work within these time frames in order to assure success in providing the newsletter in the established timely manner. Please submit articles either on a disc or as an email attachment. We will accept hard copies if there is no other format available. If submitted, electronic photographs associated with an article will be considered for publication.
Questions, comments, or ideas are gladly welcomed by any editorial board member - we would like to hear from you.