Provided photo – Holley graduate Nicole Blackburn is pictured with Dr. Steve Tyrell, president of North Country Community College, and Wyatt Willis. Blackburn and Willis were both recognized on April 5 in Albany with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
A Holley graduate, now a student at North Country Community College, has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. This award is the highest honor bestowed upon a student by the State University of New York.
Nicole Blackburn, the daughter Nadine and Brian Blackburn of Holley, is majoring in Health Science. She serves as a student ambassador who welcomes prospective students and families to the college community.
Additionally, she is the captain of North Country Community College’s women’s basketball team.
As a result of her academic success, Nicole is also the recipient of the Scholar of Promise Award and the Trudeau Institute Biology Ward.
Only two North Country Community College received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Wyatt Willis is the other recipient. He is a resident of Brainardsville and a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard involved with homeland security following 9/11.
“Both Nicole and Wyatt are great examples of students who make the most of their college experience,” said Dr. Steve Tyrell, president of North Country Community College. “As you can see, they are student leaders who clearly understand the importance of community and civic responsibilities at the College and in the community. I stand with everyone in the college community in applauding both of them for their success and recognition of this prestigious award.”
Both Nicole and Wyatt were honored by Dr. Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor of the State University of New York, in a formal ceremony held on April 5 in Albany.
MEDINA – Thirty-four students were inducted into the Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society on Wednesday at Medina High School.
Current members, under the direction of advisor Bronwyn Green, placed cords around the necks of the new members in a ceremony that honored a nearly century-old tradition.
This year’s inductees are: Coby Albone, Xion Baes, Brittany Bearss, Kathryn Bilicki, Nicholas Bogan, Teanna Cardone, Aeddon Cayea, Mallory Colton, Jadiel Flores-Medina, Taylor Frasier, Grace Fuller, Martha Gardner, Sarah Granchelli, Emily Green, Abigail Griffin, Molley Gross, Brandon Harris, Erin Hofmeister, Madison Holland, Taylor Hurrell, Kyla Leno, Chase McAdoo, Abbyleigh Osborne-Jones, Morgan Roach, Federico Rosario, Victoria Schicker, Carley Schultz, Kristian Snyder, Mikayla Soha, Emmanuel Sones, Paige Wagner, Nicole Waild, Madeline Winters and Kathryn Young.
Principal Michael Cavanagh welcomed honored guests and Medina Mayor Andrew Meier gave the keynote address.
In the 1920’s an exclusive scholarship club was held at Medina High School that invited students to join them based on their grade point average and formal recommendations. When Medina Central School District decided to charter its own chapter of the National Honor Society in 1964, the administration decided to honor the spirit of the existing club.
Grace Fuller is corded by Colm Cooper.
Emmanuel Sones receives the NHS cords from Allison Bensley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2016 at 12:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion Marching Band performs at last June’s Albion Strawberry Festival.
ALBION – The Albion music program has again made a national list of schools with music programs cited for excellence by the North American Music Merchants.
NAMM has named Albion and 475 other school districts in the country as a “Best Communities for Music Education.” Albion has made the list the past nine years.
The NAMM organization gives out the award to recognize districts that make music a priority, especially in an era of tight school budgets and packed student schedules.
Nathaniel Trembley played Ugly, a misfit rejected by his siblings for his unusual appearance in Albion High School’s production of “Honk!” during last year’s high school spring musical. Albion will perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat April 8-9.
Albion runs an active music program in the elementary, middle and high schools. The high school puts on a full-scale musical and students also perform in several different instrumental and choral groups. In all, high school musicians perform numerous times during the school year.
Just last week, 468 kids in grades 3 through 12 sang in a district chorus concert.
The middle school puts on a full-scale musical, and its students perform with the marching and jazz bands. Elementary music teachers lead students in performances throughout the year.
The NAMM Foundation wants to single out districts for outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of the core curriculum.
The schools recognized by name represent 3.5 percent of the nation’s 13,515 school districts.
To see the list of school districts recognized by NAMM, click here.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 22 March 2016 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – The April 19th New York Presidential Primary is causing some concern for Holley Central School Superintendent Robert D’Angelo.
That’s because the Holley Middle School/High School is the designated polling place for voters in the Town of Murray and D’Angelo asked members of the Holley Central School Board of Education on Monday evening to consider discussing the possibility of the eventual re-location of the polling place with Orleans County Board of Elections officials.
D’Angelo told board members he is a former U.S. history teacher who appreciates the importance of elections and making school buildings available to the community. “But my concern is the safety of the students,” he said.
D’Angelo has added a security officer from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the building on April 19, but he worries, particularly as this year’s presidential campaign heats up on the national level, that the district, “cannot control who comes in those buildings.”
Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Holley Fourth Grade teacher Lynn Vendetti, left, was presented with a Soaring to New Heights Award by Holley Elementary Principal Karri Schiavone during Monday evening’s School Board of Education meeting.
He said he has already scheduled a Superintendent’s Conference/Staff Development Day for the date of the November election, so that students will not be on campus that day.
“I think this election could bring out an enormous amount of people,” D’Angelo said of the upcoming presidential election in the fall. “We want to make sure people in our buildings are safe. We will do the best we can on April 19th, when they hold the primary.”
He noted Holley is the only public school building in Orleans County that is used as a polling place, and added after the board meeting, it may be one of very few, if any, in the region.
School Board President Brenda Swanger and other members of the board noted the meeting room/court room at the Murray Town Hall has benches that are locked in place and cannot be moved to accommodate voting. She said she has spoken with Sheriff Randy Bower and Holley Police Chief Roland Nenni and will meet with officials at the Board of Elections. Swanger said she will report back to the Board of Education in April.
D’Angelo and Swanger noted it is probably too late to change the polling place this year, but hope that the site can be moved in the future.
Also at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Holley fourth grade teacher Lynn Vendetti was presented with a Soaring to New Heights Award.
Vendetti was nominated by one of her students recently for a “Golden Apple Award” presented by Channel 8 News in Rochester.
Vendetti has worked closely to help the student who has been struggling with attendance issues to improve this year.
Schiavone said the award was “so well-deserved.”
“It’s not just me,” Vendetti said in accepting the award, “I work with a great team and the parents have been so supportive.”
BARRE – The Barre Volunteer Fire Company held its annual banquet and awards program on Saturday at the East Shelby Fire Hall.
The Barre Fire Company presented many awards, including the EMS Person of the Year to Amanda Dixon, left. She is pictured with James Neal, second from left; Jerry Bentley and Patrick Lamka, the EMS captain.
Mark Farone was named Firefighter of the Year.
Chris Flansburg won the Chief’s Award. Both Farone and Flansburg are dedicated volunteers for the Barre Fire Company.
Terry Bentley, right, accepts the President’s Award from Karl Driesel.
Womens Auxiliary officers include from left: Mora Curtis, Betty Hazel, Stephanie Spencer and Stephanie Corke.
Officers for 2016 include from left: Susan Driesel, Fire Police Captain; Nic Elliot, 4th Lieutenant; Ben Flansburg, Captain; Bert Mathes, 1st Lieutenant; James Neal, Assistant Chief; Chris Flansburg, 2nd Lieutenant; Doug Bentley, Mechanic; Jerry Bentley, Chief; Brian Bentley, Assistant Mechanic; and Patrick Lamka, EMS Captain. (Not pictured: John Egloff is 3rd Lieutenant.)
The banquet on Saturday included a special presentation recognizing four generations of the Bentley family for their volunteer service to the fire company. Family members have given 158 years of service to the Barre Fire Company, including 93 years in a leadership position.
The Fire Company marks its 55th year this year. Gerald Bentley, who passed away in 1996, was a charter member. His son Douglas Bentley joined in April 1972 and was chief in 1987-88 and has been mechanic since 1995.
The third generation of Bentleys started when Tom Bentley and Jerry Bentley both joined in March 1989. Tom has been assistant mechanic, lieutenant, assistant chief and chief from 2005-2010. Jerry has been lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, and chief from 1997 to 2004 and since 2015.
Terry Bentley joinedin August 1995 and has served as vice president, president, EMS captain and is currently secretary.
The fourth generation of Bentleys also has joined the Barre Volunteer Fire Company. Brian Bentley became a member in March 2012. He is the assistant mechanic for 2016. Kara Bentley joined in November 2015.
Provided photo/National Corn Growers Association – Matt Kludt (center) of Kendall placed third nationally in the A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated Category of the 2015 National Corn Yield Contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. Trophies were presented at the annual Commodity Classic held in New Orleans in early March. From left, are Martin Barbre, Carmi, IL, chairman of the NCGA Corn Board; Kludt; and Wesley Spurlock, Stafford, TX, first vice president of the Corn Board.
Press Release, National Corn Growers Association
NEW ORLEANS – A local corn grower has been honored as one of 18 national winners in the 2015 National Corn Yield Contest sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association.
Matt Kludt of Kendall placed third in the nation in the A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated
Class with a yield of 322.9722 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was DEKALB DKC52-84RIB.
The 2015 competition included 7,729 entries from 45 states. The contest consists of six classes. In the national competition, three placings are awarded within each class. The 18 national winners represented nine states.
The average yield among national winners was 386.4 bushels per acre – greater than the 2015 U.S. average of 169.3 bushels per acre. Six of the national winners recorded yields of 400 bushels or more per acre.
“This harvest, the world witnessed the incredible bounty U.S. corn farmers can provide to meet the growing need for food, fuel and fiber both in our nation and around the world,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a corn grower from Newburg, MD.
Agronomic data gleaned from the contest reveal the following:
Average planting population for the national winners was 40,861 seeds per acre, compared to 34,123 for all entrants.
National winners applied an average of 364.06 pounds of nitrogen, 116.39 pounds of
phosphorus and 231.78 pounds of potassium per acre.
Average commercial nitrogen use per bushel of yield was 0.94 pounds for the national winners and 0.89 pounds for all entrants.
27.78 percent of the national winners applied trace minerals, compared to 38.74 percent of all entrants.
Use of manure as a fertilizer was consistent. 38.89 percent of national winners applied manure, compared to 16.06 percent of all entrants.
The National Corn Yield Contest began in 1965 with 20 entries from 3 states. The highest overall yield was 218.9 bushels per acre, while the national yield average was in the mid-60 bushel-per-acre range.
The winners were recognized March 4 at the 2016 Commodity Classic, the premier convention and trade show of the U.S. corn, soybean, sorghum, wheat and equipment industries, held this year in New Orleans, LA.
The National Corn Growers Association represents more than 41,000 members, 48 affiliated state corn grower and checkoff organizations, and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.
Provided photo – Dakota Purvee of Albion holds the banner with the logo he created in his graphic design class at BOCES.
Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was looking for some artwork to represent their 9th District Eastern Region.
The group asked Orleans Career and Technical Education Graphic Arts teacher Crystal Hall-Cirillo if she had anyone in class who would be willing to take on the project.
“I thought one of my seniors, Dakota Purvee, would be a great person to tackle it,” she said.
Dakota, who is from the Albion Central School, was excited to see what he could come up with.
“They wanted a logo to put on their banner that would represent Buffalo, Cleveland, Massena and Niagara Falls,” Dakota said.
He submitted designs to the 50-person board and waited for feedback.
“They chose one and asked me to add more color and make some other changes,” he said. “When it was done they said they loved it.”
When Dakota saw his finished product on the Coast Guard banner he said, “It’s awesome. It was a good experience for me because I saw what it was like to work with a real client and have to keep making changes to please them. I really enjoyed the process.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Orleans Hub held a reception at the Hoag Library on Tuesday evening for the people and organizations we named “Outstanding Citizens” for 2015. We also recognized Randy Bower, the new Orleans County sheriff, as “Person of the Year.”
The front row, includes, from left: Joette McHugh, Randy Bower, Gail Miller and Melissa Ierlan. Back row: James DeFilipps, Marietta Schuth from Kendall Community Choir, Tony Hipes from Medina Area Association of Churches, Sue Metzo from MAAC, Lisa Stratton, and Thom Jennings (accepting on behalf of his nephew Peter Zeliff Jr.) Missing from photo includes Al Capurso and Bob Songin.
Bower was recognized as Person of the Year after being elected sheriff in one of the most competitive county elections in recent memory.
The sheriff told group of award-winners that he was honored to be recognized “with so many amazing people.”
The Outstanding Citizens were named by the Orleans Hub on Dec. 31. Editor Tom Rivers and Publisher Karen Sawicz weighed the contributions from people and organizations in 2015.
The Kendall Community Chorus has performed in numerous concerts since 2008. The group has been led by director Mary Campbell. Sixty-eight people have sung in the choir since it started, and many have become close friends through the group.
Joette McHugh has been an active volunteer with the Friends of the Orleans County Animal Shelter the past seven years, helping to adopt out 1,500 animals from the shelter. She knows all of the dogs and cats by name, and has an energetic group of volunteers looking after the animals. The Friends also raised $7,000 for the animal shelter last year, and those funds helped to have all dogs neutered at the shelter, and also paid for a new washer and dryer.
Medina Area Association of Churches has been together for nearly 50 years, running a Clothing Depot throughout the year, an annual holiday toy and food drive for about 150 children in the community, and a working together on other religious and community events. The depot generates about $30,000 to $35,000 annually that the churches give back to the community for many causes.
Bob Songin, a charter boat captain, lead a pen-rearing project from 1998 to 2014 until passing off the reins to a new group of volunteers last year. The pen-rearing volunteers helped to raise fish in the Oak Orchard River. Songin has given countless hours to improve the fishery through the pen-rearing project, where about 100,000 baby fish are nurtured each year in the Oak Orchard. The project has increased the survival rate of fish, and charter boat captains say more bigger fish return to the Oak Orchard for fall fishing runs since the pen-rearing, boosting the county’s top tourism industry.
Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop in Albion, also spearheads several efforts in Albion, including the planting and watering of downtown flowers, and organizing the annual wine-tasting, Beggar’s Night the Friday before Halloween, and other projects to promote downtown businesses and the community.
Peter Zeliff Jr. turned an old farmhouse in West Shelby turned into hunting retreat for wounded warriors. Zeliff and a team of volunteers fixed up the house and connected with veterans’ groups to bring injured soldiers to the site for a few days of hunting. The property has been renamed The Warrior House. The site hosted its first hunt in September with 13 wounded veterans. Other groups have followed and The Warrior House will be made available to spouses and children of veterans as well.
Gail Miller stepped forward last year as volunteer coordinator of the new Canal Village Farmers’ Market in Medina in the parking lot across from the Post Office. Miller worked with vendors and lined up entertainment and exhibitors. Some Saturdays, 450 to 500 attended the market.
Al Capurso led a volunteer effort to save a cobblestone schoolhouse from 1832, a former one-room schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road, just north of the Erie Canal. The schoolhouse was built in 1832 and is one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the area. The building has been largely abandoned since 1944, until last year when it got a new roof. Boards were removed from windows and sashes restored. Junk was cleared out, and a historical marker put up.
Melissa Ierlan has given many faded historical markers a fresh coat of paint. She started that effort in 2014 when Clarendon was celebrating the 150th anniversary of Carl Akeley’s birth. Akeley grew up in Clarendon on Hinds Road and became one of the most famous taxidermists in the world. The historical marker on Hinds Road about Akeley could barely be read due to flaking paint. Ierlan took the marker down, stripped off the remaining paint and repainted it blue and gold. She has now worked on about a dozen markers around the county.
James DeFilipps was shot twice in a shootout at 3 a.m. on March 21 following a high-speed chase with James Ellis of Wyoming County. DeFilipps was the first police officer on scene when Ellis wrecked his vehicle in Clarendon on Route 31A. Police were pursuing Ellis after a 911 call when he threatened an ex-girlfriend in Shelby with a gun. Ellis had fled to a nearby wooded area in Clarendon and opened fire on DeFilipps and other deputies and police to arrive on the scene. DeFilipps, despite getting hit twice by gunfire, shot Ellis, killing him and ending his threat. For his acts of valor, DeFilipps was named Deputy of the Year for 2015 by the New York State Sheriff’s Association.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Chris Carr, 7-time national grand champion, attends Crusaders Motorcycle Club annual banquet
Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris Carr, a famed motorcycle racer, addresses about 200 people on Saturday during the annual meeting for the Crusaders Motorcycle Club.
Chris Carr addresses the motorcycle group at the Elks’ Club in Albion. After his presentation, trophies were handed out to the top riders for the 2015 season.
Chris Carr shares life lessons and highlights from his career. He was given a standing ovation by the Crusaders Motorcycle Club.
Jeremy Higgins accepts the award for rider of the year for 2015.
Evan Van Ameron is congratulated by Chris Carr for being the top driver in the 125cc class.
Kyle Tambe won the 250 Amateur division and also was awarded the Chris Miller Award for the driver that shows the most potential to go pro.
ALBION – Before he was a seven-time grand national champion, Chris Carr developed his skills on amateur flat tracks in Northern California.
Carr, 48, was a dominant rider in the American Motorcycle Association, and was inducted in the AMA Hall of Fame. He attracted major corporate sponsorship and set the record for fastest speed on a motorcycle at 350.884 miles per hour.
But it started at tracks similar to the one on Culvert Road in Medina. The Crusaders Motorcycle Club runs that track, and has raced there every year since 1957.
“That is to be admired for you guys keeping it going for so long,” Carr told about 200 people at the annual meeting for the club on Saturday night.
Carr remains a star among dirt track riders. The Crusaders handed out trophies and awards on Saturday for kids and adult riders. They all had their picture taken with Carr.
The Hall of Fame rider was invited to the banquet on Saturday by Dave and Rhonda Waters, long-time members of the Crusaders. Carr, who now works as commentator, said there has been a “rebirth” in flat track racing at the amateur and pro level. (The Crusaders have about 150 riders during their Sunday races.)
Carr first started racing as a 6-year-old. He lost more than he won as an amateur and as a professional.
“It’s OK to fall and crash,” Carr told the group. “But get yourself back up and finish the race.”
The drive to complete the course may be the most important quality a rider can have, which will benefit the racers in other facets of their lives, Carr said.
Riders need to show respect for other competitors and not put others at unnecessary risk, he said. Carr has been in 28 races in his career where another rider died, including the first time when he was 8 and as 12-year-old was killed in the same race.
“Have respect for each other,” Carr said. “That is someone’s son or daughter.”
Carr said he enjoyed the thrill of competition in racing more than he did playing baseball and basketball as a kid. He is grateful he made a career out of racing, with sponsors and many victories.
He said it is a difficult career to race as a professional and win enough to make money, and have corporate support.
“You’re not a pro unless you are making money at it,” Carr said. “A pro is a guy with more money in his banking account at the end of the year than when he started.”
Some of the youth riders are pictured with their trophies.
The Crusaders recognize the top riders at the local track for 2015, including Jeremy Higgins of Bergen, who was the track champion.
The top three riders in each division include:
50cc shaft: Brody Hazel, first; Braydon Blair, second; and Madison Davis, third.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Nearly 35,000 miles and counting for Brian Kent
Provided photos – Brian Kent, right, lets a man sign the map on top of Kent’s electric-powered vehicle, a Nissan Leaf. Kent is travelling the country in the vehicle to promote the cars as a viable option for long-range trips.
For nearly six months Brian Kent has been traveling the country, spreading a message that electric cars are reliable long-range vehicles.
Since he left Albion on Aug. 24, Kent has driven a 2013 Nissan LEAF nearly 35,000 miles. He was at 34,260 miles on Thursday when he was in South Lake, Texas.
When he left Albion in late August, Kent intended a 100-day trip that would cover 26,000 miles. He wanted to drive through 48 states (all but Alaska and Hawaii).
Kent scrapped the plan, preferring not to stick to a strict schedule. He estimates he has talked with more than 2,000 people on the trip, often when he is charging his car.
Kent’s car is pictured in Cheyenne, WY, on Nov. 12 next to an 8-foot-high boot.
He has made numerous new friends and has emerged as a bit of a celebrity of the electric car movement. He received a hero’s welcome when he visited a Tesla sales site in Dallas-Fort Worth.
He has been featured in blogs and news sites that promote and explore electric cars and the green energy movement.
Kent plans to come home in April. He wants to be in New Jersey on March 31 when the new Tesla Model 3 is introduced.
Kent has planted a tree in almost all of the states he has visited on the trip. He is pictured in Arizona last month.
Kent set out to shatter myths about the electric vehicles. They are capable of long-range trips. He wanted to show the network of charge stations throughout the country and also meet other electric vehicle drivers.
“I wanted to show that a car like mine could do it,” he said by phone. “I wanted to demonstrate the viability of limited range, affordable electric vehicles.”
Kent parked next to a holiday light display in December.
He also wanted to break the world record for longest trip in an electric vehicle (non solar). Norman Hajjar set the mark in Tesla Model S with 12,183 miles from March 28 to April 21, 2014 in a trip that started in Portand, Oregon and ended in Venice, Calif.
Kent smashed that record. But another driver, Steve Sasman, also took a big trip in 2015. Sasman covered 27,615 miles last year in the US and Canada. News of his trip came out in December. Kent faced a dilemma in late December. He could set the 133-day record but he would have to really push his Leaf.
He wasn’t going to do it, but some of his key supporters urged him to break the record. On the last day he drove 650 miles in his Leaf, a trip from San Diego to Canada, breaking the record for the entire trip by 5 miles at 27,620 miles.
Kent has been visiting the state capitals. Here is his car in Indianapolis on Sept. 20.
He has been at a more leisurely pace the past two months since breaking the record. He has been spending time with one of his supporters, a family in the Dallas, Texas area. But he will soon be heading to Little Rock, Ark, as he works his way to New Jersey for the new Tesla unveiling.
Kampgrounds of America is one of Kent’s sponsors. They have charging stations and they have also let his stay in cabins. He spends about half of his nights sleeping in the car. He has it set up with a feather bed in back. He took out the back seats.
“The best part: no exhaust,” he said.
Besides Kampgrounds of America, Kent is partnering with Michelin, Plug in America, National Drive Electric Week, EV Charge Hub, Clean Technica, Inside EVs, and The Green Optimistic for the educational trip.
A woman in Texas signs the map on Kent’s car, one of the keepsakes from the trip.
Kent said the car has only ran out of power once. The first day of the trip when he was in the Catskills and took a wrong turn, resulting in an 18-mile detour. He needed to be towed. He said driver error, and not the car, is at fault for that incident.
Otherwise, the car has been able to go all over the country without missing a charge.
Kent also has planted a tree in nearly every state he has visited. That is 35 in 39 states. Four times he didn’t have someone lined up who would care for the tree, ensuring it was watered and cared for in the critical few weeks after a tree is planted.
He tries to see the capital in each state. He also stops at the popular tourist attractions, trying to get his car in photos with famous scenes, including mountains in the background or public art or war memorials.
Kent’s car has accumulated messages since the trip started about six months ago.
His car is covered in decals of sponsors and messages from supporters. He has wrap on top of the car that shows a map of the U.S. In each state he asks at least one person to sign their state.
“This is the best life experience I’ve ever had,” Kent said. “I’ve met an amazing array of people along the way,” he said.
Kent is pictured at a beach in California. He is calling the journey, “The Negative Carbon Road Trip.” The trees planted will more than offset the carbon dioxide for running his vehicle.
