Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Joyce McNutt, the Orleans County commissioner of jurors, accepts a proclamation from County Legislator Fred Miller on Tuesday declaring November as Juror Appreciation Month.

McNutt said jurors are needed in trials at the local and county courts, and also for the grand jury.

The proclamation from the Legislature states, “The right to a trial by jury is one of the core values of American citizenship and the obligation and privilege to serve as a juror are as fundamental to our democracy as the right to vote.”

The Legislature said it appreciates the services of Orleans County residents “who annually give their time and talents to serve on juries whether it be in person or on telephone standby.”

Provided photo: One free preparedness class will be available per household for people completing the Citizen Preparedness Training Class on Nov. 25.

CARLTON – Orleans County Emergency Management will be offering a Citizens Preparedness Training Class on Nov. 25 that is open to county residents at no cost.

This training will help people to prepare for severe weather events, said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director.

“The registration for the event last year was overwhelming and interest exceeded capacity so this year Carlton Fire Company has stepped up to host the event at the Carlton Rec Hall, which will allow a much greater capacity,” he said.

The class will be on Nov. 25, starting at 6 p.m. at the Carlton Rec Hall, 1853 Oak Orchard Rd.

The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program provides an introduction to responding to a natural or human-caused disaster. Participants are advised on how to properly develop family emergency plans and stock up on emergency supplies. Each family that attends will receive one preparedness kit.

Pre-registration is required. Click here to register.

Press Release, Orleans County Youth Board

ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Board today said organizations seeking funding for youth services programs and projects must have their applications submitted to the county by Dec. 10.

Applications are for programs and projects in Orleans County that take place between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30, 2025.

Kelly Kiebala, Orleans County Youth Bureau Administrator, said there are three different funding categories, the Youth Development Program (YDP), Youth Teams Sports (YTS), and Youth Sports & Education Opportunity Funding (YSEOF).

There are separate applications and the required documents for each funding source can be found on the Youth Bureau website (click here).

“The Youth Board encourages all youth organizations to download the applications and understand the different requirements for each grant,” Kiebala said.  “Organizations should apply for the funding that best suits their programs and maximizes their funding opportunities. We appreciate the important work these groups do in serving our youth and want to be sure they do not miss the deadline for funding.”

Those with questions about the application and funding programs should email the Youth Bureau at OrleansCountyYouthBureau@OrleanscountyNY.gov.

‘It won’t be perfect this year, but it’s going to be pretty cool’

Photos by Tom Rivers: Michael Bonafede, right, and a team of volunteers work on a float last week at Bonafede’s property. Mick Tower, in back, worked for the late Charles Howard with many of the floats and attractions he had at Christmas Park in Albion and also at the State Fair. Howard was founder and director of a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. The committee organizing the lighted Christmas parade on Dec. 14 has named the parade in his honor. It is now the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.

ALBION – A committee working on Albion’s Christmas parade on Dec. 14 has changed the name from Santa’s Hometown Parade to the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.

The committee wants to pay tribute to Howard, who ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. He also operated Christmas Park beginning in the mid-1950s. That site attracted about 80,000 people a year.

Howard turned part of his farm on Phipps Road into Christmas Park with amusement park rides, a petting zoo and other attractions.

The parade on Dec. 14 already has 20 floats committed as well as bands. It will honor Howard with more than the parade name.

A group of volunteers is building a float in Howard’s style. They are putting Santa in an older sleigh, and it will appear to be ready to take flight with a group of reindeer.

“New generations of people don’t know Charles Howard,” said Michael Bonafede, one of the volunteers building the float. “He is an excellent role and a unique asset for this area. His character and integrity were the keys to his success.”

The float design team includes, in front from left: Ron, Mick and Mike Tower. In back, Michael Bonafede, Frank Jenks and David Valente.

The volunteers last week made a 20-by-10 foot deck for the float. It has room for an 8-piece band on the back of the float with the sleigh in the middle and the reindeer up front.

Michael Bonafede said the sleigh was acquired in Connecticut and the sleigh will usher in Santa for the parade. The sleigh has a classic look. Its curved in the front which matches some of the photos from when Charles Howard portrayed Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parades in the 1950s and early 1960s.

The group wants to build an iconic float to cap the parade. Howard was known for his creative mind in building floats. The Albion group building the new float will create a display where it will look like nine reindeer are taking off.

Bonafede found two long pieces of metal that used to be part of a soccer goal on his property. For many years, Bonafede hosted the youth soccer program in Albion.

Frank Jenks and Ron Tower brainstorm how to best position the sleigh on steel railings that used to be the top of a soccer goal. Mick Tower, in back, offers some insights. He urged the group to not “bite off more than they can chew” with the first float.

Howard, too, would repurpose pieces of wood and other materials to make his displays. One of his employees, Mick Tower, is helping with the new float. Tower, 89, was tasked by Howard to turn his visions into reality. (Tower will serve as grand marshal of the upcoming parade.)

Tower was part of a team that built the track for a train at Christmas Park, a tunnel, wooden snowflakes, wooden icicles hanging down from the roof, the fire place, and many other projects. There was never a slow moment. Howard had short- and long-term projects. Tower recalled the effort in turning a pond on the property into Snowflake Lake.

Bonafede said the volunteers eventually would like to have the reindeer in motion and some other special effects. For this year, the reindeer may just be lawn ornaments.

“It won’t be perfect this year, but it’s going to be pretty cool,” Bonafede said.

Tower’s son, Ron and Mike, also are part of the team building the new float. Like their father they work in construction.

Frank Jenks also is part of the team, and so is David Valente who has put in a steel railing on the float and is working on other touches to give it strength and some seasonal flare.

David Valente of Hamlin has repurposed steel for railings on the float. Bonafede secured the steel and Valente said he is pleased to lend his talents to the project.

The group is seeking donated artificial Christmas trees to fill out the float this year. Anyone willing to donate can contact the parade chairwoman, Susan Oschmann, at (585) 202-0594 or susanoschmann@gmail.com.

She welcomes more entries for the fourth annual parade. Participants can sign up by Dec. 13. Click here for more information about registering to be in the parade.

Oschmann said several sponsors are backing the parade, which is allowing the committee to double the prize money. First place gets $600, with $400 for second and $200 for third.

The group working on the Santa float also said they would welcome a spot to store it in the offseason if someone has space in a barn, Quonset hut or garage. For more information, contact Bonafede at (585) 749-1413.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Warren Harding, homeless outreach coordinator of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, and director Jami Allport display some of the backpacks available to the homeless. They were purchased with a grant Allport applied for from Greater Rochester Health Foundation.

ALBION – When Jami Allport accepted the position as director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern in August 2023, one problem soon caught her attention – the homeless population in Orleans County.

“People say homelessness is not a problem in rural counties like Orleans, it is a city problem,” Allport said. “It’s not. And we have to educate the public that homelessness is here and it’s not going anywhere.”

The mission of Ministry of Concern has always been to help those in need, and Allport wanted to further that mission any way she could.

“I jumped in with both feet, and started attending any meeting I could,” she said.

When she heard about Point in Time count by the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, she knew that was something Ministry of Concern had to be involved with. When she met Aeddon Cayea, grant writer at United Way of Orleans County, he offered and was successful in applying for a grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.

“The grant is for two years and allowed us to hire Warren Harding, a retired cop, as Homeless Outreach coordinator,” Allport said. “Our goal is to seek out and interact with the homeless community.”

Jami Allport, director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, shows what is in the new backpacks being given to the homeless.

Harding was looking for something to do which was more fulfilling than the odd jobs he had been doing. His first day was spent walking through woods, along railroad tracks, around abandoned buildings and even under tractor trailers to seek out the homeless.

“I came back to the office and started to digest what I’d seen,” Harding said.

Point in Time had devised a survey which homeless are asked to complete, asking very simple questions as to why they are homeless and where they have been sleeping. The surveys were only being conducted by Point in Time once a year, and Allport wondered why they couldn’t do it more often.

“I realized we weren’t going to get answers if we only sought them once a year,” she said. “With the grant we received the end of August, we can conduct the surveys all year.”

Allport met with Nyla Gaylord, director of United Way of Orleans County, who urged her into the warming center in Albion. Independent Living reached out and said they were getting ready to do the annual Point in Time count.

Information acquired goes into the system for New York state.

“The more we show great need, the more money we can get for Orleans County,” Allport said.

In order to seek out the homeless and encourage them to make out a survey, they need volunteers 18 or older. Allport will arrange training. She is also planning a series of informational workshops for the community to share what homelessness looks like in Orleans County.

One big benefit from the grant is allowing Ministry of Concern to purchase waterproof backpacks filled with essentials for a homeless person to survive, if only for a short time. One room at GOMOC’s new headquarters in the First Presbyterian Church in Albion is filled with the backpacks, which contain a blanket, two bottles of water, two MREs with a fork, a hat, scarf, gloves, two pair of socks, a shower cap treated with shampoo that doesn’t need to be rinsed out, baby wipes, sunscreen, waterless toothbrush, sunscreen and a self-inflating air mattress.

At the turn of a dial, the air mattress rolls back up. Also included is a $10 gift card to McDonalds or Burger King and pamphlets with information on services a homeless person might need.

Since implementing their mission a week ago to serve the homeless, Ministry of Concern has seen an average of one person per day.

“Unfortunately, this won’t end their homelessness,” Allport said. “There is no place to put them right now with the severe housing crisis in Orleans County. We want them to know this is a safe place for them to come to. We will not advocate for them, but with them. We will walk alongside them in their journey.”

Allport also announced her office has funds available for rental assistance and is ready for children to be signed up for free Christmas gifts.

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, call (585) 589-9210.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Scott Petry on Monday removes a flag from its hardware on Main Street. Two crews from Medina’s DPW took down all the veterans’ banners Monday. Families wishing to keep their banner which had been up for the third year can pick them up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. today at the village clerk’s office on Park Avenue. (Center) DPW worker Scott Petry removes a veteran’s flag on Main Street near the Medina theater. Forty new ones were added this year. (Right) These banners on West Avenue across from Lee-Whedon Memorial Library are the family of Mary Woodruff’s husband Paul. Mary hangs them every year, as Paul’s dad Willis Burr Woodruff is the reason Mary started the banner program in Medina, after seeing them in Willis’ hometown of Almond.

MEDINA – As is traditional in Medina the day after Veterans’ Day, Medina DPW was out early in the morning taking down the veterans’ banners for another year.

Mary Woodruff, who heads the banner project, will be at the Medina village clerk’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today to hand out the banners which have hung for three years and can now be claimed by family members.

Woodruff started the project in 2019 after seeing her husband Paul’s father’s banner while visiting Almond.

“The banners were first hanging on wires in a school gymnasium and they blew my mind,” she said. “I talked to the lady who did them and got the information and brought it back to Medina. Mike Sidari was mayor then and I started to explain the program at a Village Board meeting. That was November 2018 and I got the OK that night. The program took off and has grown every year since.”

The first year 30 banners were hung in 2019, and by 2021, there were more than 100, and then 240 in 2022.

“I can’t say enough about the DPW, who puts up the banners and takes them down,” Woodruff said.

Banners hang for three years, and on the third year, the first year’s banners are taken home and washed by Mary and Paul, then made available for families to pick them up.

Applications for next year’s banners will be available after the first of January. The cost is a one-time charge of $200 for three years’ exposure. A banner may be hung for a fourth year for an additional cost of $125.

Although Paul’s father was from Alfred Station south of Buffalo, Mary hangs it every year, because he is the reason she started the project in Medina. Willis Burr Woodruff was a tech sergeant with the U. S. Army during World War II.

Other relatives, which all hung together on West Avenue near the railroad tracks, were John McElwain, a brother-in-law; Ken Schaal, cousin; and Carl Caleb Jr., Mary’s brother-in-law.

Banners hung have represented veterans in all branches of the military and World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam Conflict and Persian Gulf War. Woodruff is excited at the prospect next year of having at least one soldier represented from the Revolutionary War.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign at the Crosby’s at the intersection of 98 and 31 in Albion displays the prices for a gallon of gas on Monday evening.

Gas prices continue to decrease slightly and are getting close to an average of $3 per gas for regular unleaded in the country.

The national average price was $3.08 on Monday, down a cent from a week earlier, while the New York State average was $3.15, also down a cent. A year ago the national average was $3.32 while the state-wide average was $3.62, according to AAA.

“The national average is now less than a dime away from dipping below $3 for the first time since May of 2021,” AAA reported on Monday. “But the possible formation of a new hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could delay or even temporarily reverse the decline in pump prices.”

The national average price for diesel was $3.53 on Monday, down two cents from a week earlier while the New York average was $3.87, no change from last Monday.

The average prices in counties around Western New York include:

• Orleans, $3.255
• Genesee, $3.284
• Wyoming, $3.237
• Livingston, $3.357
• Monroe, $3.237
• Niagara, $3.163
• Erie, $3.221
• Chautauqua, $3.458
• Cattaraugus, $3.338
• Allegany, $3.325

Photo and information courtesy of SUNY Oneonta

ONEONTA – Daisy Perez-Reyes and the SUNY Oneonta iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team traveled to Paris in late October to compete in the annual iGEM Grand Jamboree and received a gold medal in its first-ever collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College.

Perez-Reyes of Albion is studying Sociology at SUNY Oneonta.

The iGEM Grand Jamboree is a competition where teams of students from around the world “push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world.” More than 450 teams registered for the competition this year, making the 2024 Grand Jamboree the largest in iGEM history. This was the fifth competition for the SUNY Oneonta team, which won silver medals in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“We could not be prouder of this year’s team, not only for their success, but also for their enthusiasm and dedication to having a positive impact on the world,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Kelly Gallagher, who advises the team alongside Associate Professor of Biology Jill Fielhaber.

“Receiving a gold medal represents the culmination of countless hours spent both in and outside of the lab from every student,” said Dr. Fielhaber. “Our team’s first collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College makes receiving SUNY Oneonta’s first gold medal all the more significant.”

This year’s team included 16 SUNY Oneonta students from a wide variety of majors – including Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Dietetics, Early Childhood/Childhood Education, Earth Science, English, Exercise Science, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology. They worked on both the scientific and human practices aspects of the project.

Hartwick team members included majors in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together under the mentorship of faculty from both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick, the students worked on a project titled, “pHish and CHIPS,” to create a device that would neutralize water automatically after detecting the presence of extreme pH imbalances.

“It all started with thinking about what the CHIPS and Science Act meant for upstate New York and all the investment in semiconductor manufacturers that has impacted the state,” said Dr. Gallagher.

Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act has accelerated the development of new semiconductor chip fabrication plants throughout the United States, with two plants planned for construction near Oneonta. Research for the team’s “pHish and CHIPS” project began in April 2024.

According to the team’s project description, water is crucial to the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips. Prior to release or recycling of these chips, fabricators purify their wastewater by adjusting the pH level and removing contaminants called polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). With millions of gallons of water to process daily, real-time pH adjustment presents sustainability and water management challenges.

Part of the iGEM students’ goal was to use their knowledge of synthetic biology to design a pH-sensitive wastewater system that would “turn on” and release buffers to neutralize the water in the presence of pH extremes during the chip fabrication process.

While one part of the team was concerned with the research and development of the pH device, the human practices group investigated the ethical and regulatory landscape of the project and how to best engage public interests and concerns.

This included how to successfully approach corporate sponsorship, researching what human impacts are related to these types of waste streams, where current holes in regulations exist and what can be done to help close those gaps, and how the group can improve industry issues.

Together, the full team worked on “pHish and CHIPS” with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Six (Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and Nine (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation) in mind.

The 2024 iGEM Grand Jamboree was four days long, from Oct. 23-26, at the Paris Convention Center – a roughly 15-minute drive from the Eiffel Tower.

At the conference, the team had a booth set up and coordinated times for each member to represent “pHish and CHIPS.” With guidance from their faculty advisors, each student was prepared to answer questions during the judging session by being an expert on at least one part of their project. When they weren’t at the booth, the students explored the other presentations at the Grand Jamboree.

About 100 people seek winter clothes during event in Albion

Photo courtesy of Jack Burris: Hands 4 Hope made jackets, boots, gloves and other winter clothing available on Sunday in a Red Jacket Rally after a Spanish-speaking Mass at Holy Family Parish in Albion.

ALBION – The Hands 4 Hope ministry has been offering prayers and food for nine years now, making Saturday morning stops in Albion, Holley and Medina.

Hands 4 Hope has added winter coats, boots, hats and gloves to that effort with monthly Red Jacket rallies.

Jack Burris, the Hands 4 Hope founder and leader, decided to focus a Red Jacket Rally on the Spanish-speaking population of the community. The rally was held this past Sunday after a Spanish-speaking Mass at Holy Family Parish. Burris and a team of volunteers set up outside the church with the clothes on racks and tables.

About 100 people were able to take clothing with the cold weather around the corner.

Hands 4 Hope typically does a Red Jacket Rally the third Thursday in September, October and November. There is another one planned for Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at Evans Ace Hardware, 342 East Center St., Medina.

Hands 4 Hope welcomes donated jackets, from children to adult sizes, as well as boots, hats and gloves. They can be dropped off inside the Arnold Gregory Office Complex in Suite 174 at 243 S Main St., Albion.

Photos by Tom Rivers: These tables have kid-size boots and other winter clothing. This photo was taken after about 100 people went through, picking out coats and other winter apparel.

Hands 4 Hope has already given away 459 coats since Sept. 1, passing the 407 distributed last year from September through the end of December.

Emily Kwiatkowski, the director of discipleship and mission at ONE Catholic, said the parish welcomed the chance to partner with Hands 4 Hope for the Red Jacket Rally.

“There is a very widespread need among the Hispanic community for a wide variety of things,” Kwiatkowski said.

Father Mark Noonan, pastor at ONE Catholic, did a promo of the Red Jacket Rally, speaking in Spanish in a Facebook post, encouraging people to stop by for the winter clothing.

Burris said he was thrilled to see the donated clothing be put to good use, and to send a message to the immigrants and others that the local community values them.

Hands 4 Hope typically sets up away from churches. But this time was stationed outside Holy Family Parish.

“Many people steer clear of churches for a variety of reasons,” he said.

Through the food, clothes and prayers offered by Hands 4 Hope, “they know God loves them through the community,” Burris said.

Jack Burris, right, founded Hands 4 Hope nine years ago. He appreciates the community’s continued donations towards the ministry.

Will make debut with Grease which will hit stage in March

Press Release, Holley Central School

Kayla Thrower, left, will direct Holley’s upcoming school musical of Grease.

HOLLEY – Holley Middle School/High School has announced “Grease” as its 2024-25 musical production.

Teacher and Holley alum Kayla Thrower has been selected as the school’s musical director. She succeeds MS/HS teachers and siblings Dan and Kellie Burke who co-directed Holley’s musicals for over 30 years; both have now retired from the district.

Thrower is a Holley 2017 alum who notably played the role of Ursula in the school’s 2016 production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” She began teaching social studies at Holley MS/HS in 2022. Thrower previously served as musical assistant, vocal coach and head of stage crew for the school’s musical production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in 2024.

“I am incredibly excited and thankful to lead this year’s musical production,” Thrower said. “As a student, the musical was an integral part of my life. The experiences I had on stage brought me out of my shell and taught me valuable life skills. I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to give that experience back to my students, who continue to impress me with their talent and dedication to the arts.”

Holley MS/HS chorus teacher Kelly Marzano, who has taught at Holley since 2006, will take over the role of vocal director this year.

“The music in ‘Grease’ is not just integral to the storyline, it’s the hallmark,” said Marzano. “I look forward to helping the cast gain confidence in their singing through good vocal technique and applying that to their character portrayals. We’re fortunate to have so many creative and talented students here in Holley. This is sure to be a production for the record books. I am honored to be a part of it.”

Band teacher Zach Busch will support this year’s production as pit director. “Grease” was performed at Holley in 2017, and it was the first musical he was involved in when he began teaching in Holley that year.

“I am very excited to bring this iconic production back to the stage at Holley,” Busch said. “My goal is to provide the best musical accompaniment possible for our students on stage. I also look forward to welcoming student-musicians into the pit to learn from and play alongside our adult musicians.”

Performances will be held at the Holley Middle/High School Auditorium on March 14 at 7 p.m., and March 15 at 2 and 7 p.m. Ticket information will be shared on the HCSD website at a closer date.

“Grease” Synopsis:

Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical.

Head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as “Greased Lightnin’,” “It’s Raining on Prom Night” and “Alone at the Drive-In Movie,” recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Noah Magee walks out of the County Clerk’s Building, where there is an entrance to the County Courthouse, after the trial concluded today where he faces second-degree murder. Judge Sanford Church scheduled Dec. 4 for when he will announce his decision in the case, although he could issue a written decision sooner.

ALBION – Noah Magee’s attorneys say he shouldn’t face any charges for a Feb. 8 collision that resulted in the death of Roger Kingdollar III.

It was merely an accident and Magee, 19, shouldn’t be charged with second-degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving or failure to keep right, his attorney, Paul Vacca Jr. said in closing statements this morning in the Orleans County Court.

Kingdollar, 24, was driving a dirt bike on McNamar Road at about 4 p.m. He was on a lawn beyond the north side of the road. Two of his friends were on four-wheelers, and Vacca said they were weaving in the road. Magee had just turned from Angevine Road onto McNamar when he was confronted with Kingdollar on the north side and the four wheelers in the road, Vacca said.

Magee then tried to safely get off the road, and collided with Kingdollar, Vacca said.

He described Kingdollar as driving the dirt bike recklessly, doing wheelies and weaving.

“My client is the victim of circumstance here,” Vacca told Judge Sanford Church, who is presiding over the case and will decide Magee’s fate. “The dirt bike was the cause of the accident.”

Magee last week waived his right to trial by jury. In a bench trial, the judge decides if the defendant is guilty.

District Attorney Joe Cardone said it was “preposterous” to say Kingdollar was at fault in the accident. A surveillance video from a neighbor shows Kingdollar riding just north of the road in the grass. He wasn’t doing any wheelies.

The video shows Magee cross the center line, go past the opposite lane and shoulder of the road and then strike Kingdollar in the grass, Cardone said.

“He drove his vehicle in the path of this victim,” he said.

Magee was very familiar with the intersection and road, Cardone said. Magee traveled the road almost daily going from his sister’s in Batavia to his girlfriend’s.

He and Kingdollar also knew each other from years of “animosity,” Cardone said. Kingdollar previously tried to run Magee off the road, and Magee threw a rock at Kingdollar while he was driving a vehicle, Cardone said. Magee felt like Kingdollar had “constantly terrorized” him and his friends who also enjoyed dirt bikes and four-wheelers, Cardone said.

In text messages with a friend, Magee was urged to find Kingdollar and “beat his ass,” Cardone said in his closing statement. Magee allegedly told the friend in a text he was waiting for the right time.

Cardone said that moment came on Feb. 8, when Magee rounded the corner of Angevine and McNamar and saw Kingdollar without a helmet on the dirt bike.

Magee didn’t intend to kill Kingdollar. He just meant to intimidate him and brush him off, Cardone said.

Magee hit the gas pedal and drove towards Kingdollar, but then hit the brake just before the collision, Cardone said. The left side of Magee’s 2006 Chevrolet Silverado truck hit the left side of the dirt bike’s handlebars. Cardone noted the 9,200-pound truck far outweighed the 236-pound dirt bike.

The collision caused a fatal fracture in Kingdollar’s neck, Cardone said citing the testimony of the medical examiner who performed an autopsy. Kingdollar was knocked into a ditch by the road.

James Vacca, Paul Vacca’s brother and part of the defense, said Kingdollar may have suffered the fatal neck fracture when he was moved from the ditch using ropes without any neck support.

Vacca said Magee decelerated to 24 miles per hour and didn’t have any intoxicants in his system, while Kingdollar had three types of THC from using marijuana that day and from chronic use.

“That may have been a contributing factor,” James Vacca said.

Cardone refuted that contention, saying Kingdollar did nothing to cause the collision.

The lack of any intoxicants in Magee’s system also shows he was clear-minded in driving towards Kingdollar, Cardone said.

Vacca also described the collision as being similar to people walking in a busy mall and rounding a corner and bumping into each other.

“This is not an accident,” Cardone said about the collision. “This is not two people running into each other in the mall.”

While Magee didn’t intend to kill Kingdollar, Magee made intentional choices that led to Kingdollar’s death, Cardone said.

Magee would face a more serious charge if he intentionally tried to kill Kingdollar. But Cardone said the evidence shows Magee tried to scare Kingdollar, by grazing him instead of making a direct hit. And Magee certainly wouldn’t have tried to intentionally kill Kingdollar in front of his friends who were on four-wheelers, Cardone said.

With the second-degree murder charge, the defendant doesn’t need to have tried to kill the other person. Cardone said the defendant needs to show an extreme disregard for human life, and that is the situation with Magee who struck the dirt bike with a much heavier pickup truck.

“He thought he would just brush the victim and move on, but he totally miscalculated,” Cardone said. “He badly misjudged. Any reasonable driver who saw people coming in the opposite direction would have slowed down and not sped up.”

After the collision Magee drove off but came back to get a headlight in the road. One of Kingdollar’s friends allegedly threatened Magee’s life and Magee fled the scene out of concern for his safety, James Vacca said.

Cardone said Magee fled and attempted to hide the truck on a dirt lane off Chugg Road. He only returned to the scene after being persuaded by his sister.

The trial is the last one for Cardone in his 33 years as the county’s district attorney. He told the court today he has tried to be a voice for victims of crimes in the community.

“I ask the court to do justice for the Kingdollar family,” Cardone said.

Judge Sanford Church didn’t make a ruling today. He scheduled 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 to announce his decision in the case, although he said he may decide the outcome sooner.

ALBION – Orleans County officials have put together a tentative $99,092,747 budget that represents a 7.1 percent spending increase and would raise taxes by 1.95 percent.

Jack Welch

The additional $375,000  in the tax levy from the $19,264,000 for 2024 stays under the tax cap, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer. The tax rate will drop by 66 cents per $1,000 of assessed property to $7.91 due to growth in the tax base through reassessments.

Welch filed the tentative budget on Friday, the deadline to submit the tentative plan. There will be a public hearing at 4 p.m. on Dec. 3 for the budget, with the Legislature to vote in a meeting following the hearing in the legislative chambers of the County Office Building.

Welch, in a budget message, said the fiscal plan faces many financial pressures and uncertainties.

“This year’s $99 million budget recommendation is influenced by VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity once again,” he said.

Mandated costs are on the rise, including the “9 for 90 Mandates.” Nine mandated programs used to consume 90 percent of the county’s tax ley. In 2024, it was up to 98.9 percent. But the 2025 budget has the mandates totaling $21,060,228 or 107.4 percent of the tax levy, Welch said. The mandated programs’ cost is up by 10.5 percent.

One of those mandates, health insurance costs, are up 19.8 percent to $7.7 million.

“The true challenge of this expense is that nearly 24 percent of this cost is for one drug,” Welch said in his budget message. “As an experience-rated group, orphan drug expenses play a significant role in the calculation of health insurance premium rates by all health insurance companies.”

The costs for retirement are up 22 percent over the 2024 budgeted expense for the pension contributions.

“The retirement increase is related to the increase in benefits for Tier 6 and the comptroller’s need to increase revenue since more employees are retiring from the workforce statewide,” Welch said.

Sales tax helps offset property taxes, and sales tax has been rising significantly in recent years. However, this year it was $900,000 below the amount in 2023 for the first six months, but then saw an $800,000 jump in the third quarter, Welch said.

“Accrued sales tax collections year-to-date are still below 2023,” he said. “This is the first time since 2016 we have experienced this. Residents have shifted their spending from taxable sales to sales that do not have a sales tax connected to essential goods like food and rent.”

The county’s Capital Plan includes $10,925,755 in projects and equipment upgrades.

That includes the following departments:

Highway – $8,132,479

Peter Bilt 10-wheeler, $260,000; Rollers, $200,000; local bridge and culvert repairs, $200,000; two pickup trucks on lease, $22,104; Upper Holley and South Holley Road replace and overlay, $460,000; patch and seal county roads, $200,000; highway reconstruction, $2,464,280; Eagle Harbor Road culvert replacement design, $170,000; Eagle Harbor Road culvert replacement, $759,625; Gillette Road bridge replacement design, $289,270; bridge preventive maintenance, $1,809,300; Route 279 bridge replacement, $1,136,900; Lakeshore Road bridge design, $161,000.

Buildings and Grounds – $1,410,000

Public Safety Roof, $1,200,000; sewer lateral lining, $150,000; Mental Health and Clerk’s buildings, $50,000; Animal Control roof, $10,000.

Information Technology Services – $70,000

Firewall replacement, $70,000.

Sheriff’s Office – $1,313,276

Dispatcher Stations upgrade, $810,000; jail repairs, $200,000; Jail vests, $13,000; Axon Tasers lease in jail, $6,000; animal control leased truck, $15,000; fleet maintenance program 2022, $66,493; fleet maintenance program 2024, $52,958; fleet maintenance program 2025, $106,000; Tasers lease from 2024 to 2028, $43,825.

Welch said the county has experienced big increases in homeless placements the past 30 months for temporary and emergency housing.

“Our total monthly placements are up over 190% when compared to July 2022 with our in-county placements up 116% and our out-of-county placements up over 600% as of October 2024,” Welch said.

The county budget includes 445 full-time, 107 part-time and 163 seasonal positions across numerous programs and services. This is a decrease of 4 full-time positions and an increase of 10 part-time positions compared to 2024.

The county has struggled to fill some positions in the government. With that reality, plus the rise in costs for employee benefits, the county has begun changing the work week for employees from 35 hours per week to 37.5 hours per week – with a goal of 40 hours per week rather than hiring additional employees, Welch said.

The annual fee for solid waste and recycling service will increase $5 to $225. This fee will continue to support the e-waste collection efforts for county residents at three sites across Orleans County, Welch said.

“The program remains very popular, with high demand for the disposal of CRT monitors and televisions,” he said. “The county is also planning to continue to offer the Household Hazardous Waste pick up annually, which includes residential tires.”

To see more on the tentative budget, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Ingersoll Street is shown north of the canal late this afternoon.

The State Department of Transportation on Tuesday will mill a section of Ingersoll between Caroline and Bank streets, and then pave that section on Wednesday.

Ingersoll has seen increased traffic the past two years with the Main Street lift bridge closed and much of the traffic diverted to the Ingersoll lift bridge.

The section of Ingersoll will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the two days.

From 9 a.m. to 2:30 traffic will need to use alternate routes to cross the Erie Canal: Butts Road on the east side and Gaines Basin Road on the west side.

Provided photo: The Girangaya family has been highlighted by Hillside as a role model for foster-to-adoption success.

Press Release, Hillside

HOLLEY – As they approach their 20th anniversary of working with Hillside as foster and adoptive parents, Chris and Alan Girangaya of Holley, have created a legacy of love and commitment for children in need.

Over the years, the Girangayas have welcomed and fostered dozens of children until either the children could be reunited with their families or other permanent placements could be made. They have also legally adopted eight of those children over the years, six of whom still live at home with their forever dads.

“Chris and Alan Girangaya’s partnership with the Hillside community opened many opportunities for children as well as within their own family,” said Jean Galle, Hillside Vice President of Community Based Services. “Through their care, love, and nurturing, many children have been able to call this family their family, and this house, their home.”

Hillside’s Therapeutic Foster Care model is designed to aim for biological family reunifications whenever possible, with foster parents often playing an invaluable partnership role in that process – but in many cases, adoption remains a possible outcome.

“Hillside has been so helpful and supportive,” Chris and Alan shared. “Because we work so closely with the dedicated Hillside staff, we have developed a close-knit and personal relationship. They’re always there for you!”

As with many of their adoptions, Chris and Alan have maintained relationships with their children’s biological families when possible. In fact, one of their children’s maternal grandmothers joined her grandson’s recent celebratory courthouse adoption ceremony.

Maria Cristalli, Hillside President & CEO, points out that the need for foster families has never been greater, and Hillside is always seeking new families willing to open their homes and their hearts to young people in need.

“Becoming a foster parent makes such a difference in a young person’s life,” she said. “Whether you’re providing short-term or respite support, or long-term support to children in need, these connections and relationships bring stability to so many children.”

Hillside’s Therapeutic Foster Care program includes ongoing training and support opportunities for foster families. To learn more, visit www.hillside.com.

Note: The Girangayas participated in a recent Hillside “Conversations with the CEO” podcast interview with Maria Cristalli. To listen, click here.

About Hillside:

Founded in 1837, Hillside is one of the country’s oldest family and youth non-profit human services organizations, and the largest of its type in New York State. The agency supports vulnerable children, adults and families through services delivered on residential campuses, in group homes, and in a wide range of school- and community-based settings.

Last year alone, Hillside programs and staff—across central and western New York State and in Prince George’s County, MD—helped more than 9,000 young people and families work toward building the stronger futures they deserve. Learn more at www.hillside.com. To support Hillside’s mission, visit www.hillside.com/donate.