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Author gets big response to new book, ‘Beyond Haunted Holley’
Raymond Santoro writes more ‘tales of mystery and the unexplained’
Photos by Tom Rivers
CLARENDON – Raymond Santoro, the Holley and Murray historian, had a line of people wanting him to signa copy of his new book, Beyond Haunted Holley – Further Tales of Mystery and the Unexplained. Santoro held a book-signing on Wednesday evening at the Hillside Cemetery chapel.
He will be signing books and reading from the book at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Community Free Library in Holley. He has another book signing and talk at 6 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse, 3286 Gaines Basin Rd., Albion. This schoolhouse is used by the Orleans County Historical Association.
Ghost-themed cookies were served Wednesday evening at the Clarendon chapel. Santoro has 500 copies of the new book available.
“Beyond Haunted Holley” costs $18 and can be purchased at Author’s Note bookstore in Medina, the Community Free Library in Holley, Murray Town Hall and Cobblestone Museum in Albion.
Santoro’s new book is a follow-up to his book from 2023 on Haunted Holley. That book has been a sellout with two printings. He wrote about paranormal experiences for people in the Holley community.
He included his email at the end of the book. He received 80 emails from people, sharing their own stories and experiences. Others have called him or told him in person that they felt encounters with ghosts or the unexplained. Santoro said Haunted Holley has generated a lot of interest, much more than he expected.
“There are plenty of local stories to fill a dozen books,” he said.
Santoro encourages people to read the stories with an open mind.
“There is so much of the world we don’t comprehend and perhaps aren’t meant to fully understand,” he writes in the introduction of the 174-page book. “I hope that reading this work as whole might shed light on some of these mysteries.”
Raymond Santoro signed a copy of his book for Gerry Rightmyer, the Murray town supervisor. Rightmyer said he found the first book on Haunted Holley to be a page-turner that he couldn’t put down.
“It is extremely interesting,” Rightmyer said. “I’m real excited to get started on reading this one, too.”
Santoro wore a black cape for added effect during a brief book talk on Wednesday evening in the Hillside chapel.
His new book shares stories from communities near Holley – Bergen, Churchville, Hulberton, Kendall and others.
Santoro was joined up front by Peter Turkow, left, the president of the Clarendon Historical Society. Turkow said Santoro has done a commendable job writing stories that have a profound impact on many people in the community.
“Everybody has a scary story to tell,” Turkow said. “He has done a great job. It’s an important and unique contribution to the history of Holley and the surrounding towns.”
Firefighters conclude week-long fire prevention efforts at Albion elementary
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Lauren Zwifka, a Barre firefighter and 2026 Albion graduate, helps Sebastian, an Albion fourth-grader, hit a target with water from a fire hose.
A group of volunteer firefighters wrapped up a week-long fire prevention effort at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School this week. After spending four days with classroom activities, firefighters joined students outside to learn about fire trucks and equipment, and test their fire prevention knowledge.
Barre firefighters Lauren Zwikfa and Barry Flansburg helped students aim at the targets.
Albion firefighters Victoria Tabor and Jeremy DiMatteo let these students get a close look at some of the tools and gear in a fire truck.
Ryan Woolston of the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company let students hold a 20-pound air bottle that holds oxygen if firefighters go inside to fight a fire.
Students crawl through a smoke simulator inside a fire safety training trailer was outside the school today. That trailer, owned by the Orleans County’s Emergency Management Office, has a fog machine to simulate smoky rooms. Students were urged to “Stay Low and Go.” Students went through the smoke when the door inside the trailer wasn’t hot.
If the door inside the trailer was hot, students were told to instead look for a way out of the room. The electrical door could be heated to simulate a hot door from fire. Thomas Bringenberg climbs out the window and down a ladder. Albion firefighter Cody Newsome was there if any assistance was needed.
The fake flames are knocked down with water sprayed by Barre firefighter Gary Rowley, left, with second-grader Dylan Feitshans and Barry Flansburg with second-grader Danny Klips.
Shelby should keep highway chief, town clerk as elected positions
Editor:
Town of Shelby voters have an important decision to make in this year’s election. Will the Shelby residents allow the Republican Town Board to make a decision regarding how the Town Superintendent of Highways and the Town Clerk positions are selected?
There are 10 towns in Orleans County and presently all towns make this decision by having candidates on the ballot. Why does this all-Republican board want to take away this right from the citizens?
Every voter needs to be aware that they will no longer have a choice in this process. Why? Remember, it is doubtful that qualified candidates will be chosen unless you are a registered Republican. No Democrat, Conservative or other parties will ever be considered. Do not let the Town Board make this decision for you. It is not a fair process.
Exercise your right and vote.
Jeanne Crane
Carlton
Sheriff issues press release on fatal fire in Knowlesville, with 2 others injured
Victims’ names not released, cause of blaze under investigation
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the fire on Thursday night at 12625 Presbyterian St.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
KNWOELSVILLE – On Thursday at 8:28 p.m., the Orleans County Sheriff’s 911 Center received multiple reports of a working house fire with two people trapped at 12625 Presbyterian St. in the Town of Ridgeway.
Upon arrival, Ridgeway Fire found a working house fire, and two victims. One victim, a resident of the house, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester with injuries.
A second victim, a neighbor from across the street, had become aware of the fire, ran over and entered the burning house in an attempt to rescue the remaining person in the house. Conditions forced the neighbor out of the house due to the heavy fire and smoke and was in fact on fire himself as he exited the house.
This victim had to roll and receive assistance from others in the front yard to have the fire be extinguished. The second victim was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital as well.
The third victim was deceased and located on the first floor of the residence.
Currently, the cause and origin of the fire is under investigation. Further details and names of the victims will be released when appropriate.
Public safety dispatchers sent the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company to the scene with automatic mutual aid from the following: Medina Fire and Ambulance, Albion FD, East Shelby FC, Shelby FC, Orleans County Emergency Management and Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies.
Additional mutual aid was called into the scene or to fill in from the following: Lyndonville FD, Mercy Ambulance, Tri-Town Ambulance Filling in at Medina, Mercy Flight to the O.C. Fairgrounds, Barre FC, Carlton FC, Orleans County Sheriff’s Animal Control, Murray Fire Dist., Batavia to fill in at Albion and Middleport to fill in at Medina.
The Orleans County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene.
Orleans County Emergency Management fire coordinators and fire investigators were on scene with EMO Director Justine Niederhofer.
NYS Fire was on scene with fire investigators, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s investigators and Sheriff’s fire investigators were on scene as well.
The fire shot out of windows, the roof and the front porch and took several hours to get under control.
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Even par round for Green at Korea tourney
Medina’s Melanie Green posted an even par 72 on Friday’s (Korea time) second round of the LPGA Tour’s BMW Championship being played in South Korea.
Green, who had a 4 under par 68 in the opening round, had four birdies (on 2, 7, 12 and 18) to offset four bogeys (on 3, 4, 9 and 16) on the up and down round two.
Heading into the third round she is 9 shots back of the leader who is at 13 under.
Sheriff’s Office will accept unused medications Saturday during Drug Takeback Day
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in National Prescription Drug Takeback Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Public Safety Building, 13925 Route 31.
The Sheriff’s Office will accept prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and pet medications, but won’t take sharps or illegal drugs.
“We encourage residents to safely dispose of unused or unwanted medications!” the Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page. “Help prevent prescription drug misuse, protect our families, and keep our community safe!”
For the safety of law enforcement personnel, people bringing in medications should make sure all needles are properly capped and secured. Loose or uncapped needles will not be accepted, the Sheriff’s Office stated.
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Crew delivered baby last night in ambulance while filling in for Medina
SHELBY – An ambulance crew that was filling in for the Medina Fire Department delivered a healthy baby boy last night in the back of an ambulance while en route to Unity Hospital in Rochester.
With Medina ambulance crews on scene at a fire on Presbyterian Street in Ridgeway, Tri-Town Ambulance was called to fill in for Medina.
Tri-Town, which is based in Gasport, was dispatched to Shelby for a woman who was having contractions eight minutes apart.
Tri-Town arrived and was headed to Unity with the mother. Carl Greene and Lisa Petrillo, both EMTs, were on the call with Greene driving the ambulance and Petrillo in the back, helping the mother deliver the baby.
“Mom and baby boy are comfortable resting at the hospital,” Tri-Town stated on its Facebook page. “We would like to congratulate EMT-Petrillo and Greene on a job well done. Way to make Tri-Town Proud.”
Town of Yates uses open process to ensure accountability in local government
Editor:
I read, with interest, Mr. Steven Colon’s notice of write-in candidacy for the post of Town of Yates Supervisor. I’d like to commend Mr. Colon for his willingness to step up and stand for this leadership position.
Mr. Colon, however, seems a bit misinformed as to the candidate endorsement process and how it functions. My view of the endorsement process is quite different than Mr. Colon’s. I served as Yates Town Councilman from 2015-2024, successfully running three election campaigns for that position. The process for endorsement was the same in all three:
- A Letter of Consideration for Endorsement was written by myself to the Yates Republican Committee. The Letter of Consideration included my views on the Town and what was needed to ensure a prudent path forward for the Town of Yates, not only now, but into the future.
- The Yates Republican Committee assessed each Letter of Consideration and interviewed each candidate.
- Based on the Letters of Consideration and the interviews, the Yates Republican Committee discussed and voted on the candidates to be endorsed.
In my view, the endorsement process illustrates our representative democracy and clearly does not bypass the democratic process. It certainly does not take place behind closed doors.
By definition, a representative democracy is one in which citizens elect officials to make law and policy on their behalf with those elected officials accountable to the electorate. That is the reason for public comment during privilege-of-the-floor sessions at Town Board meetings.
Regarding hand-picked candidates, as mentioned by Mr. Colon in his editorial, I’ll again reference the reader to the endorsement steps listed above. There is no hand-picking in the endorsement process. It is accountable, transparent and ensures a competitive candidate endorsement determination.
Lastly, the retirement of the current Yates Town Supervisor, Mr. James Simon, opens the seat for Supervisor. As such, a sitting board member has expressed interest in the Supervisor position and has moved through the endorsement process as described above. However, that person is still a sitting Town Board member and therefore that person’s seat is not open for election.
If, and only if, the board member is elected to the Supervisor position does the board position become vacant. In that case, the Board is within its legal purview to interview and select a board member replacement to serve the remainder of the, now vacant, term. Again, there is nothing surreptitious, cloak and dagger, or “smoke-filled back room” about the process.
Both board member endorsement and replacement processes are transparent, competitive and ensure essential accountability in local government.
I wish Mr. Colon well and best of luck in the upcoming election.
Thank you,
John Riggi
Town of Yates
