By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – A reception was held this afternoon at the Orleans County Public Safety Building honoring Patricia Morrisey, a retiring teacher with the Albion Central School District. She taught inmates in the county jail for 30 years. She is pictured with Scott Wilson, the jail superintendent.
ALBION – It may not seem like a dream job for a teacher, but that is how Patricia Morrissey describes her part-time job the past 30 years at the Orleans County Jail.
She worked with young inmates, ages 16 to 21 who hadn’t graduated from high school but wanted to work towards earning a General Equivalency Diploma.
Morrissey helped the students learn the fundamentals in math and reading, and many of the students were motivated to get their GED.
Morrissey is retiring from the job. Today she was recognized at a reception at the Orleans County Public Safety Building.
Morrissey worked with small class sizes, sometimes only two to five students. Sometimes as many as 15.
“It was a very unique situation, working in that kind of setting,” Morrissey said today. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Morrissey worked for the Orleans-Niagara BOCES for the first 13 years before her employer became Albion Central School, which is responsible for offering an education to people up to age 21 if they haven’t graduated.
Morrissey said the younger inmate population has shrunk over the years. She remembers when they were as many as 40 students over the course of a school year. This year she had 15 students for stints of the school year. Some of those inmates may be in the jail for a few weeks.
Morrissey connects with students’ teachers and tries to keep the students on track for earning school credits. Other students focus on earning a GED, which is now the Test Assessing Secondary Completion, a more rigorous test than the GED, Morrissey said.
Many of the students have done well in the smaller class setting, with a focus on mastering the basics in math before moving on to algebra and even trigonometry.
“You’re their cheerleader,” Morrissey said. “You get them to believe in themselves because you’re working with kids who often haven’t been successful in school.”
Morrissey worked in the jail three hours daily from Monday through Friday.
Many of her students earned GEDs, and Morrissey helped point some of them to college.
“I certainly became attached to a lot of them,” she said. “There’s no question that for many kids this was their redemption. It provided them with a second chance.”
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 18 June 2015 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – During their final meeting of the 2014-2015 school year, members of the Kendall School Board of Education approved a new course offering for the upcoming school year: Civil Engineering and Architecture.
Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Principal Carol D’Agostino said offering the new course is part of the district’s goal to have “… more and diverse electives for students. We try to find where the students’ interests lie,” she said.
Faculty members had a say in the new course, D’Agostino said. The new course fits well with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum. She said the district already has staff available to teach the new course.
“Great job, that’s exciting,” said Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon.
Board members also approved two exchange students for 2015-16 through the International Student Exchange program. The students are from Thailand and Brazil.
Hanlon noted it has been at least two years since the district hosted exchange students. She said the program is very beneficial,
“Students make bonds they will never forget,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – John Dady, part of the Dady Brothers with his brother Joe, performed along the Erie Canal in Albion this evening, the kick off of a new season of concerts on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.
The venue shifted from a closed off East Bank Street to the spot by the canal and Platt Street.
There were about 150 people at the concert this evening and several commented they like the new location ny the canal.
John and Joe Dady perform by the canal with a boathouse in the background. The brothers played bluegrass, Irish and folk music between the lift bridges on Main and Ingersoll streets.
Community members brought down lawn chairs and relaxed while members of the Albion Fire Department sold hot dogs and other food from the fire hall.
The concert lineup from the rest of the series includes Triple Play Band on June 25, Who Dats on July 2, Creek Band on July 9, Jonesie & The Cruisers on July 16, The Lonely Ones on July 23, The Dirty White Boys on July 30, Julie Dunlap & High Maintenance on Aug. 6, and Amanda Lee Peers on Aug. 13.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The bishop of the Western New York Diocese for the Episcopal Church spent several hours in Orleans County on Wednesday, visiting sites in Albion and Medina.
The Right Rev. R. William Franklin is pictured with Robert Waters, a member of the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Medina. They are pictured at City Hall in Medina after Waters showed Franklin the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. Several Episcopal churches in WNY were built with Medina Sandstone, some nearly 200 years ago.
Franklin is the 11th bishop for the diocese since 1839. He has a doctorate in church history from Harvard University.
He stopped at several historic sites in Orleans County on Wednesday and sees potential for the community to utilize its historic assets, including the churches.
Franklin visited the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion, a site that includes 40-plus Tiffany stained-glass windows. The church was built with money from Albion native George Pullman, who amassed a fortune with luxurious railroad sleeping cars.
Franklin said Pullman is an influential figure in the local and national history. The bishop also wanted to see the church building in Albion.
Bob Waters shows Bishop Franklin the Sandstone Hall of Fame. Franklin highlights St. Paul’s Cathedral, a big Episcopal church in Buffalo that was included in the first class of the Sandstone Hall of Fame.
“It is unusual in a small town to find a big, beautiful Universalist church,” he said.
He visited the historic downtown business districts in Albion and Medina, learning about the history of the communities. He also had lunch at the Shirt Factory Café and was given a tour of Baxter Healthcare in Medina.
“These are fascinating towns,” Franklin said.
As bishop, Franklin leads 59 congregations in eight counties. He visits each church at least once a year, often showing up just before the service and staying for a luncheon. He wants to do more than just visit for a service and a meal. He wants to help connect the congregations to the community.
Many of the Episcopal churches are struggling with members. The local Episcopal churches have a dozen or fewer people on most Sundays. The churches are sharing clergy.
Franklin said he is working with church leaders throughout the diocese to plan a “sustainable” future for the churches.
“My goal is to keep all of the churches open because every one is precious,” he said.
Franklin met with members of the St. John’s Episcopal Church. Cynthia Kiebala, one of the church wardens, was pleased to see the bishop touring Orleans County and supporting the congregations. Kiebala said the churches may have small numbers, but she sees big value in the congregations.
“We have outreach ministries and concern for one another,” she said.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 18 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Stacey Kirby shows third-graders at Holley Elementary School where she incorporated their work into a mural of the biome at Holley Falls. The mural was unveiled at the school Wednesday evening and will hang in the third grade hallway at the school.
HOLLEY – The cafeteria at Holley Elementary School was the scene of the unveiling of a very special work of art Wednesday evening.
Local artist Stacey Kirby unveiled a mural of the “Biome at Holley Falls” which she painted in conjunction with students in Karen Quaranto’s third grade class.
These sketches were made by the third grade students, and Stacey Kirby incorporated the artwork into the mural.
This close-up of the mural shows the leaves at the bottom.
The mural depicts the waterfalls with the colors of changing autumn foliage in the background. In the foreground at the bottom of the painting, are leaves scattered in a grassy area. The leaves were drawn by the students during a visit to the park earlier in June and incorporated into the painting by Kirby.
Quaranto says the project was funded by a grant from GO ART! – the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
“The mural project integrated science and social studies,” she said, as well as including art.
Holley third-grader CeCe Farruggia poses with the biome of “The Arctic” which she created with a group of students in her class. The biomes were on display during the unveiling of the Biome at Holley Falls mural which the students created with local artist Stacey Kirby.
In addition to the mural, Laurence Dabney, a former Holley art teacher, helped students to create four dioramas of different biomes – the ocean, the arctic, the rainforest and the desert.
The mural helped students to learn about and experience their own local biome, Quaranto said. A biome is defined as a distinct ecological community of plants and animals living together.
“The kids loved it,” she said of the project.
The project included observational drawing by students at the falls with Kirby, an Albion native. She also visited third-graders at the school to demonstrate her painting techniques and how observation plays a key role in painting realistically.
Kirby says she enjoys working with the students and seeing how they react to the process as well as what facets interest them.
The mural will now hang in the third grade hallway for all to enjoy.
Students in Karen Quaranto’s third grade class at Holley Elementary tell the audience about their project to create a mural with Stacey Kirby of the biome at Holley Falls during an unveiling of the painting Wednesday evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Tom Drennan
ALBION – Tom Drennan sees his experience working his way up through the ranks of the Sheriff’s Department, as well as his vast training in a 23-year career, as a great asset for the next sheriff in Orleans County.
Drennan is currently the chief deputy for the Sheriff’s Department. He started as a road patrol deputy in September 1992 and has been promoted to lieutenant, criminal investigator, major and chief deputy.
Drennan, 50, has been endorsed by the Republican Party Committee to be sheriff, replacing Scott Hess, who is retiring on Dec. 31. Drennan faces election challenges from Randy Bower, a current county dispatcher who has the Conservative Party endorsement, and former Medina police investigator Don Organisciak. Bower said he intends to force a Republican primary on Sept. 10.
Drennan lives in Kendall and has been a member of the Kendall Fire Department for 33 years. He has been a fire commissioner the past 9 years, and is currently vice chairman.
His wife, Terri Drennan, is the crime victims’ services coordinator in Orleans County. The Drennans have three children ages 13, 22 and 24.
Before starting a law enforcement career, Drennan worked for a fruit farm in Kendall and a machining company in Rochester.
The following interview was conducted with Drennan last week:
Question: I didn’t know you worked at a farm and as a machinist.
Answer: I got to where I was machining and rebuilding motors, everything from lawn mower motors to big diesel bulldozer engines, machining them and then putting them back together again. I did that for a few years and went back to the original machine shop where I worked, Davenport Screw Machines. I went to the police academy on my own over at Genesee Community, not knowing what the economy was going to do.
Q: That was early ’90s?
A: Right. I started the academy in September 1990, a couple days after my father passed away, and graduated in March 1991. I continued working in the machining industry until I was contacted by then Sheriff Dave Green in regards to if I was interested in law enforcement and if I wanted to come on board. I said I was. I ran into him at the County Fair in July 1992 and on Sept. 1, I was hired.
That is when Civil Service started. I had taken the test, scored well and was actually the first Civil Service deputy hired by the Sheriff’s Department.
I had been an auxiliary police member and rode every other weekend with a deputy. I started that in ’89.
Q: Where do you think you got the interest in law enforcement?
A: I had been around law enforcement officers throughout my whole life. It really started in the fire service. I grew up in the fire service. My father (Jack Drennan) was a member of the Kendall Fire Department. He was a past chief in the ’70s. Since I could walk I have been at the fire hall. My father got me interested in public service. He was very big into the ambulance and EMT side of the fire service.
I grew up there at the fire hall. I was around law enforcement people coming in and out of the fire hall.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tom Drennan leads a mass casualty training exercise on May 31, 2014 at Medina schools. The drill involved police officers and firefighters from several agencies. Drennan said recent school shootings in the country prompted local law enforcement to press for training to improve their response to try to minimize any chaos and casualties from an active shooter.
Q: Could you describe the chief deputy duties?
A: It has a lot of administrative parts to it. You’re still connected with the criminal investigation side of things or the road patrol and the day-to-day. I’ve been very fortunate I’m involved in almost every facet of the department on a day-to-day basis, hour after hour. I’m in the front office with the civil division, multiple times a day. There are questions coming in from the lobby, reports, and how things were handled, and questions being referred to me from the upfront office. They may have someone on the line who has questions.
I meet with the jail superintendent on a daily basis about what’s going on in the jail. Over the last three years I’ve really learned a lot about the operations of the jail and the construction work that has been going on over there.
I started on afternoons as a deputy, then I was named OIC (officer in charge). When the supervisor wasn’t there, I was in charge. From there I took the Civil Service Exam and became a lieutenant and got to run a shift, which is like running a small department. Sometimes it was me and one other guy. Others times it was me and four or five other people if we were doing a detail.
I had an opportunity to go into the criminal investigation side of things. I took that solely because Chris Bourke was the lieutenant on days and I could foresee him being there a long time. If I ever wanted to get off for concerts, sporting events and Little League games, I thought here was an opportunity to learn something and go into another direction with the criminal investigation side, and also be able to be home. I did that for quite a while.
Q: It does seem like you and department leaders are visible on many of the calls.
A: We’re big enough with about 100 employees that you have to be an administrator and delegate at times. But we’re also small enough, especially with the criminal division when you have three people working and they’re all be tied up, that you have to get involved.
If we get a call at the County Office Building, that there is somebody out of control at social services, you get up from desk and be the first person there. There could be a mental health situation and someone is out of control at Mental Health. You go over there and try to help out and get things under control or figure out what’s going on until the patrols can get there.
Q: Can having a presence diffuse situations if people see an officer?
A: Absolutely. Over the years we deal with the same people over and over again, or the next generation, so when we do show up sometimes you’ll deal with someone who remembers who you were and that you helped them. That can help diffuse the situation.
Q: Why do you want to be sheriff?
A: My qualifications, training and what I’ve done with my career, I just want to continue building on that and give back to the community. Public safety is priority one. I’ve been invested in it my whole life. I want to help bring that next generation up. We’re going through a transition in our department with a lot of young guys coming in. I’d like to be a part of that molding and shaping of that next generation.
Q: The county is looking at a study for policing services in the county. That study could point to a county-wide policing service, perhaps with substations at the eastern and western ends.
A: You would have to have substations. It wouldn’t make good sense to have those cars come to Albion for everything they have to do with the processing and the arrests. It would be nice to get in at a spot where you need to use a hard-wired computer.
Genesee County has it where a deputy goes to Le Roy and picks up a car and stays over at that end. Maybe you could do that here. I have to think with the study and anything that could potentially take effect, it could be years before they could hammer out any details. People don’t like giving up their law enforcement, and for good reason.
If the county took over and someone called 911 in Medina, how long would it take for that person to get there? Right now they’re used to a couple minute response time. They’re concerned they might not get that same service.
You’d have to make a lot of changes on how you ran the department to make sure you are providing the best coverage that you can. It would give you an opportunity to move some people around. Now we’re working on shared services. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
Tom Drennan has been the face of the Sheriff’s Department at many events and press conferences in recent years. He represented the Sheriff’s Department during a public forum on Oct. 21, 2013 about the SAFE Act. Drennan, left, is pictured with Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone, second from left, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Steve Aldstadt, state president of the Shooters Committee on Political Education or SCOPE.
Q: It seems like 20-plus years in law enforcement would wear on a person. You could retire.
A: I could, but I hope to finish my career and walk out with my head held high and know that I made a difference. With the sheriff’s position I’d like to go in there, make some improvements, and know that when I left the department is in a better place than when I came in, with some changes, some different philosophies and a different identity for the department.
Q: What are some of the different philosophies you might implement?
A: Where we are today with the Sheriff’s Department is different than how I envision it. I think we need to get back to be more involved in the community. We need more accountability and professionalism, so we’re out there working with the people, interacting at town events, career days at schools. We have increased our involvement and interactions with the schools over the last year and a half and I’d like to see that grow and strengthen.
When you get into the community you, people tell you their complaints. It’s finding out exactly what the peoples’ problems are. It might seem like something small to you, but to them it means something. All they want to know is if someone is listening to them, can somebody make a difference.
We can’t solve all the world’s problems. We can’t make everybody happy. I understand that. I’ve certainly dealt with that over my career. But we can be invested in the community and let people know that we are here for them, doing everything we can to make their community better.
Q: Do you have you have a sense if things have got worse around here, crime-wise, over your career?
A: We certainly have a major problem currently with heroin. It started a few years ago with the pills and spilled over with heroin. It’s something that can get out of control in a hurry. It always takes us a little longer out here (in Orleans County) to be affected, but once it creeps in and gets a foothold, people become dependent upon it.
We have our problems out here, just like the city does, but not at that volume.
Q: So the heroin is an issue in our county as we speak?
A: It’s a serious, serious problem.
Q: For a rural county, it seems like we have a lot of serious crimes.
A: We’re kind of made for that, being between Rochester and Niagara Falls. Batavia has also grown quite a bit, being near the Thruway. We’re also right here on the border. We don’t see a ton of problems coming across the lake. But this is a heavy traffic area for tourism passing through, with people coming to shop and whatnot.
A lot of our problems come out of the City of Rochester as far as the drugs and the kids travelling back and forth. We’re kind of made as the great little country county, yet we’re right in the middle of a lot of problems.
Q: Does that effect the Sheriff’s Department, in terms of having to prepare and respond to serious crimes?
A: You have to prepare for so many things with such a small foundation of workers. That’s another thing I’d like to see changed. So much has fallen on the shoulders of so few. I’d like to see that spread out.
Tom Drennan, pictured at the turtle race on Saturday at the Albion Strawberry Festival, said the Sheriff’s Department needs to be more visible at community events.
Q: With only 23 deputies, investigators or lieutenants, that doesn’t seem like a lot to work with for the Sheriff’s Department.
A: It’s not. We typically have 16 guys we can draw from. If something bad happens, we can get depleted in a hurry. Not only do we have to deal with a situation like the DeFilipps’ shooting, where you have to have the manpower to take care of that situation. But now immediately you have to get more personnel in to take care of the county.
That’s why we have developed a good relationship with the local police departments. They come out and assist us and we go in and assist them. The State Police often times on a major incident we will use their crime ID guys and their technicians to help us because we just can’t afford to lose two or three people or five people to start collecting evidence when we have so much other work to do. We have to have those relationships because we’re just not big enough.
Q: It seems tricky to get the staff you need while juggling the budget issues.
A: Yeah. You wear many hats at different times throughout the day.
I understand (if I became sheriff) my role would change to even more administrative tasks than I have now. But I hope to continue to be utilized as a resource. If someone comes out of the interview room, I can give some advice, I can draw from that experience.
That is what will be so important during this transition is being there for the people so they can rely on you. I think that is a huge part of this race, that I can draw from that experience, refer to a class that I went to or a I case that I had. If I don’t have all the answers, I can pull out my phone and reach into the contacts.
I have a desk drawer full of business cards of associates and people that I’ve met throughout the area that are in law enforcement. I can ask, “How did you guys handle this? I know you had this before.” There are a lot of resources out there that I’ve made contact with.
Q: People wonder who you would have as undersheriff?
A: I have been asked by a lot of people about that. I’ve been telling everyone that this race is about the sheriff’s position, not the undersheriff’s position. The undersheriff works at the discretion of the sheriff. He could be here today and gone tomorrow at the choice of the sheriff or on their own. They might decide to call it a career or to go on to something else.
I want to make this about the sheriff’s race and not the undersheriff’s race. I can assure you, (the undersheriff) will be a strong individual that will come in. I have been approached by a half dozen people. As we go through the process in the next few months, I expect I’ll be approached by more.
There will be a regular interview process. I want to see the background of anybody that is interested. Anybody can apply. We’ll go through it and when the election is over, it will be announced.
Q: If you’re elected sheriff, is the undersheriff your choice or does the Legislature weigh in?
A: With that topic and just about any other topic, I’m willing to talk to anybody. I’m not the sole source of ideas. I don’t have all of the answers. I’ll talk with people and get their ideas.
A deputy could have a good idea. I’ll listen to the supervisors, the deputies, the jailors, everybody. If somebody has an idea, let’s talk about it.
When it comes time to make a decision, it would fall on my shoulders. I am prepared for that.
Q: Does being married to the crime victims’ coordinator help you in your job?
A: Oh, definitely. I have learned a ton from her about victims’ issues. I take that into consideration. In investigations you have to think about them. It has strengthened me in my ability to do the job because of who she is and what she brings to my profession. It has had a tremendous impact on my ability to do my job.
I want to make sure the service that myself or the people in the Sheriff’s Office are doing is the best for victims.
It’s made me a better law enforcement officer.
Tom Drennan is pictured with his wife Terri, the county’s crime victims’ services coordinator.
Q: Anything else you want to say?
A: I guess to make it as simple as possible, in this whole process, it isn’t about me. I could walk away knowing that I had a good career and find something else to do. It could be continuing on in investigations, doing an outdoor job on a farm, whatever it may be.
But it’s about the public and the community. I want to improve where we are today as a community with the protection we give them. I’m not a politician, I’m a cop. I’ll learn to do so of that politician stuff.
That’s where I’m coming from. This is about public safety, priority one, to make our schools and community safer.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 17 June 2015 at 12:00 am
CLARENDON – The Town Boards of Clarendon and Barre will hold a joint public hearing on Tuesday, June 23, to gather public input regarding the potential consolidation of their town justice courts.
The hearing is set for 7 p.m. at the Clarendon Town Hall, 16385 Church St.
The merger would eliminate one justice position in the Town of Clarendon. Currently, Justice Richard DeCarlo is the sole justice in the Town of Barre following the retirement of Town Justice John Henderson, Jr.
Clarendon has two judges, Tom DiFante and Richard H. Kemp. Kemp reportedly intends not to seek re-election.
Members of the Clarendon Town Board during their regular meeting Tuesday evening continued to discuss the possible consolidation – under which both towns would maintain their own facilities and the single Clarendon and Barre town justices would have jurisdiction in both courts.
“It’s very confusing to me and I’m sure to the rest of the board,” Town Supervisor Richard Moy said. “I worry about the court system going forward.”
Already, courts on the west side of the county – in the towns of Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates – are consolidated and Orleans County District Attorney Joseph Cardone, who attended Tuesday’s meeting, told town board members that it might make sense to consolidate courts in the eastern and central sections of the county as well.
Cardone made it clear that town justices have control over district attorney nights in their courts.
“The judges set the docket,” he said. “If the judge wants us five nights a week, we will be here.”
If consolidation occurs, Cardone said the towns will shape the way the courts function.
“There is no downside to the Town of Clarendon consolidating,” he said. “Revenues from what happens in Clarendon will stay in the Town of Clarendon.”
Cardone said the advantage of the consolidation is that the town would have one judge and get a second judge at no additional cost.
Clarendon Town Justice Tom DiFante also attended the meeting.
“As a judge, it doesn’t make much of a difference to me,” he told the board. “There is no huge benefit to consolidating or not consolidating.”
He noted that the court clerks in both towns have expressed concerns about additional work they might face if consolidation occurs, and added that consolidation would give him jurisdiction in the Town of Barre, which he does not currently have.
Both Moy and DiFante said they believe one justice is sufficient for the town and DiFante suggested that both towns could run their courts separately for one year with one justice and then re-visit the possibility of consolidation.
Supervisor Moy noted that $30,000 is available from the state for courts considering consolidation and another $50,000 is available if consolidation takes place.
Cardone said he would reach out to court officials on the west side of the county to see if some might be available to attend the public hearing on June 23.
MEDINA – A Town of Ridgeway man has been arrested after he allegedly misappropriated several thousand dollars in funds belonging to the Medina L.O.Y.A.L. (Lake Ontario Youth Athletic League) Youth Football Program.
Elija H. Howard, 41, is accused of making numerous transactions using the program’s debit/credit card for purchases that were not legitimate. This occurred over a lengthy period of time during which Howard was the league commissioner. This was a joint investigation conducted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Major Felony Crimes Task Force.
Howard was charged on Monday with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree, a D Felony. He appeared before Town of Ridgeway Justice Joseph Kujawa and was subsequently released on bail. His next scheduled court appearance date is June 19.
The incident investigation and subsequent arrest was conducted by Investigator C.L. Black of the Task Force and Investigator K.M. Strickland Jr. of the Sheriff’s Office.
MEDINA – Elijah Howard, former commissioner of Medina LOYAL Football and Cheerleading, was arraigned Monday in Ridgeway Town Court on charges of grand larceny in the third degree. According to the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office, Howard allegedly embezzled $6,000 from the youth league.
The charges were brought forth after a several-month-long joint investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Major Felony Crimes Task Force. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a person associated with the league alerted them to possible wrongdoing, and the investigation led to Howard’s arrest in connection with fraudulent purchases made with the league credit/debit card.
Howard was remanded on $6,000 bail, which he posted. He is scheduled to appear in Ridgeway Town Court again on Friday at 10 a.m.
Regarding the alleged crime, District Attorney Joe Cardone said it is not uncommon for such organizations.
“When you have groups or associations that have inadequate accountability, it’s not unusual to have something like this happen,” he said. “You need to have checks and balances in place.”
As for LOYAL Football and Cheerleading, the organization put a new board of directors in place this past December in an effort to turn the tide and make things right.
“We’re moving forward,” said Lucas Silversmith, the new commissioner. “No one from the previous board is on it now.”
Silversmith explained that anomalies in the league’s finances were first brought to his attention by LOYAL Baseball commissioner Chris Goyette. The leagues operate separately, but file taxes jointly.
Goyette said LOYAL’s roots were in a number of youth sports and the organization had one main governing board and several sport-specific boards. As the original group slowly saw its children age out of the programs, most of the sports were left to run themselves, with football and baseball the last two standing and left to report to only themselves.
“The first year I became heavily involved in baseball I noticed there was a problem with our taxes,” Goyette recalled. “The state had changed the regulations for non-profit organizations.”
He explained how certain monetary thresholds had changed without anyone realizing it, leading to LOYAL Baseball having to get its house in order. It has and has recouped almost all of the money it lost during that time.
That experience is what led Goyette to alert Silversmith and the new board of the issue on the football side of things.
“Last May I needed to sign off on the taxes,” he stated. “Football’s hadn’t been filed and I was disturbed because I didn’t want our organization in trouble again.
“I noticed activities where I didn’t expect to see activities, and saw what I thought were a favorable amount of questionable uses of the ATM,” Goyette said.
Once made aware of the possible issue, Silversmith said he made it his priority to fix things.
“It was the first thing we did as a new board,” he said, referring to a review of league finances. Silversmith added that he reached out to the Sheriff’s Office regarding the issue, but found out that it was “already under investigation.”
He noted, “They just asked me to give them permission to look into our accounts, and we’ve cooperated fully. As a non-profit organization we should have nothing to hide.”
An official from the Sheriff’s Office did note the “totally cooperative” nature of LOYAL football during the investigation.
Silversmith said one of the problems with the prior LOYAL Football boards may have been the lack of access to league accounts.
“That was also one of the first things we did – go over our bank statement at every board meeting,” Silversmith noted. “The statement is available to our officers because we need to see what we’re doing, what we’re approving.”
While Silversmith said he is unsure how far back the problem went, he also was quick to point out that the league’s efforts in the past several months have led to an increase in registered participants and a decrease in equipment costs.
“Financially, we’re probably the best we’ve been in a long time,” he said. “My wife, Monica, has been in charge of fundraising this year and we’ve done some things that haven’t drained parents.”
Among those have been some dances at Medina’s Wise Middle School, “giving kids something to do and parents a chance to maybe go out to eat,” Silversmith said.
The new financial model of the league has allowed the board to purchase some new helmets and put itself in position to purchase more as they need replacing.
“The old equipment guy always told me the league didn’t have the money, but we’re raising it now, getting new top-of-the-line concussion helmets,” Silversmith stated. “The new board is really stepping up.”
Moving forward, Silversmith said the biggest thing he can offer to the public as a show of trust is transparency in league accounting. “We want to make sure we don’t let this happen again and that we have every dollar accounted for,” he said.
As for the league itself, the final day of registration is Sunday at Junior Wilson’s on Bates Road from noon to 2 p.m. Registration costs are $60 per child as opposed to $75 last year.
The equipment costs for football have dropped a little, while cheerleading equipment costs have been slashed by almost two-thirds thanks to the fundraising efforts of the past six months.
“It’s great to have so many people come forward to right a wrong, because the whole thing is about the kids,” Silversmith commented. “We need to keep our focus there, and that’s one of the reasons we wanted lower prices – to get more people involved.
“We play teams like Batavia and Newfane, and compared to us those teams have money,” he continued. “We lose a lot of kids who are great athletes because they’re priced out of playing.”
Regarding the lost money, Silversmith simply stated, “I hope we can recover it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Bands will play at canal gazebo off Platt Street
File photos – The Dady Brothers, shown performing during last year’s debut concert series in Albion, will be back on Thursday to play in Albion.
ALBION – The Village of Albion will kick off its second concert series with the Dady Brothers playing bluegrass, Irish and folk music in a concert Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Dady Brothers were featured last year in Albion when the village started its concert series. The first season was on a closed off section of East Bank Street. The venue is shifting to the gazebo along the canal across from the Fire Department on Platt Street.
Village Clerk Linda Babcock is the main coordinator for the concerts, which run every Thursday until Aug. 13. The village, the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and several sponsors are helping to fund the series.
CRFS is contributing $1,000 and other donors include the Albion Merchants Association, Albion Agencies, Christopher-Mitchell Funeral Homes, Hazy Jade Gift Shop, Jim Babcock Construction and Krantz Furniture.
The Albion Fire Department will be selling hot dogs and hamburgers during the concerts. On Thursday, the Merchants Association will be having a chicken barbecue to raise funds for events to promote the business district.
The concert lineup includes the Dady Brothers on June 18, Triple Play Band on June 25, Who Dats on July 2, Creek Band on July 9, Jonesie & The Cruisers on July 16, The Lonely Ones on July 23, The Dirty White Boys on July 30, Julie Dunlap & High Maintenance on Aug. 6, and Amanda Lee Peers on Aug. 13.
A crowd watches the Dady Brothers perform in concert about a year ago in downtown Albion.
BARRE – Dale Ostroski, center, was recognized on June 3 for a 20-year attendance award at the School for Highway Superintendents, which is co-sponsored by the Association of Towns of the State of New York in Albany, and the Cornell Local Roads Program in Ithaca.
Ostroski is pictured with David Orr (left), director of the Cornell Local Roads Program, and Russell Page, president of New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways and Superintendent of Highways.
The Annual School for Highway Superintendents, or Highway School, is a conference attended by about 700 participants, the majority being local highway and public works officials. The Highway School features topics related to all aspects of highway care and maintenance.
The Cornell Local Roads Program provides training, technical assistance, and information to municipal officials and employees responsible for the maintenance, construction, and management of local highways and bridges in New York State.
Ostroski is retiring on Dec. 31 as Barre highway superintendent.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2015 at 12:00 am
Carlton farmer, 80, was also active in Fire Department
Photos courtesy of Roberts family – Lynn Roberts is pictured about two years ago at Circle R Fruit Farm with his son Darren Roberts, center, Bernie Heberle, manager of Circle R. Lynn Roberts died on Saturday at age 80.
CARLTON – Lynn Roberts was working as a barber in his 20s when he decided to pursue his passion in life: farming.
He bought 130 acres from his grandparents, George and Beatrice Roberts, land near the intersection of Kent Road and Route 18.
In the next 50 years, Roberts would build one of the biggest farms in Orleans County and Western New York. Lynn-Ette and Sons farms more than 8,000 acres of grain and vegetables. Roberts in 1991 also started Circle R Fruit Farm, which includes another 550 acres of apples and fruit.
The two farm operations have 32 full-time year-round employees and about 100 other seasonal workers.
“He had a vision,” said his son Darren Roberts, manager of Lynn-Ette and Sons. “It was A-1, top notch or we didn’t do it.”
Mr. Roberts died on Saturday at age 80. Besides the farm, he enjoyed hunting and fishing, and was a long-time active member of the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company.
His family marveled at Roberts’ determination in building the farm, especially when corn prices were low for so long, making it difficult to acquire land and equipment.
Darren Roberts said his father had many sleepless nights during the lean years. Lynn would cut cabbage himself in the early years. His wife Annette often drove a truck with tomatoes to the market.
“That’s why the farm was so dear to him,” Darren said. “They had to fight so hard to keep it going.”
Lynn Roberts is pictured about 20 years ago with a Walker Foxhound and a coyote they hunted. Roberts often drove his truck in the community with a dog next to him.
The farm grew with the help from family and dedicated employees, Darren said. His brother Robin was a long-time manager and was critical to Lynn-Ette’s success, Darren said. Their brother-in-law Greg Jurs was instrumental in the farm’s bean operation, including the addition of its own packing line about three decades ago.
Lynn-Ette also added its own trucking fleet and diversified into fruit, led by manager Bernie Heberle.
Darren said his father surrounded himself with good employees, and inspired them to innovate in the industry, whether trying a new packing line, experimenting with fertilizer applications or using hail cannons to protect the crops during a storm.
“He said we have to find our niche,” Darren said about the farm. “He had a drive to get things done.”
The Lynn-Ette and Circle R trucks are distinguished with the large “R” letters that Lynn added about 30 years ago. The farm was making a sweet corn delivery to a processing plant in Bergen. Darren said the plant had trouble telling the trucks apart.
So Lynn started putting the big “R” on the Lynn-Ette trucks. He liked it so much, the letter “R” is now stands out with LED lights on about a dozen of the trucks.
Lynn remained a presence at the farm in recent years. He was pleased to see the farm grow. He was sentimental about his farming friends. He had pictures of many of his farming neighbors in his office.
Before farm equipment was so big and powerful, Darren said farmers would work together, sometimes just to move huge boulders from fields.
His father didn’t want debt to pile up on the farm and worked to pay off equipment within a year. He didn’t want to be weighed down with worry about those bills.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Lynn Roberts was proud of his farm and put large “R” letters on the front of farm trucks for Lynn-Ette and Sons and Circle R Fruit Farm.
Gary Kludt is co-owner of the Kludt Brothers Inc., a large neighboring vegetable and grain farm in Kendall. The two big farms have got along well for many years, Kludt said.
“We’ve been neighbors forever,” Kludt said. “We’ve always been on good terms and avoided butting heads.”
Kludt said farmers have needed to work smarter and not just harder to survive.
“You got to have some breaks in life and people you trust to get ahead,” Kludt said. “You need foresight in making the right decisions.”
Roberts surrounded himself with a dedicated group of employees, Kludt said, and Lynn proved himself a savvy businessman who could make the tough decisions, Kludt said.
Roberts took chances with the bean line and venturing into fruit production, Kludt said.
“They’ve never been afraid to get their feet wet,” Kludt said.
He knows Roberts was proud and thankful to see the farm grow and succeed.
“He took pride in Circle R and Lynn-Ette and Sons,” Kludt said. “That was his pride and joy – his farm.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – The lift bridge in Eagle Harbor is one of 17 on the Erie Canal, and one of seven in Orleans County.
Press release
State Sen. Robert Ortt
Legislation sponsored by State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) would close unreasonable loopholes in the canal law and hold New York State responsible for maintaining and repairing canal infrastructure before lift bridges fall into disrepair. The bill (S2658) passed in the State Senate on Tuesday.
“Under this bill, the state would be mandated to improve deteriorated lift bridges, and would no longer be able to skirt current law by simply closing the bridge,” Ortt said. “It’s absurd to think that letting infrastructure needs fall to the wayside is acceptable. Not only would this measure address safety and economic concerns, it would also hold the state accountable, close loopholes and ultimately protect our children and communities.”
Currently, the New York State Department of Transportation and the state Canal Corporation, under the direction of the Thruway Authority, are required to maintain canal lift bridges. Certain loopholes in the law, however, often result in the deterioration and closure of the bridges. As the law currently stands, the state can choose whether or not to repair a canal lift bridge as long as there is an alternate transportation route.
In addition, a rundown lift bridge may not be closed, but often times restricted to emergency and commercial vehicles, including tractor trailers, school buses, and other large trucks exceeding a certain weight limit. As a result, residents and those in the agriculture industry are forced to take alternate routes that are typically longer and end up costing more money in travel expenses.
The bill would require the state to maintain canal lift bridges, but doing so in a way that would not hinder commerce, transportation of students, or agriculture.
“Local commerce takes a hit when farmers or other small businesses can’t cross a restricted canal bridge, because of a weight limit,” Ortt said. “It’s unfair to make farmers, school buses, and tractor trailers travel 25, 30, 40 miles out of the way to get where they need to go. That, along with ignoring vital infrastructure needs, is completely unacceptable.”
Additionally, the bill would call for at least one public hearing before a lift bridge is closed.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Three people were sentenced for crimes in Orleans County, including state prison for an Albion man.
Curtis McCall, 28, previously of 319 West State St., was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years for third-degree burglary, criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree and attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree for crimes on June 1, 2011.
McCall had been wanted on a warrant. He turned himself in.
In other cases on Monday, Judge James Punch sentenced the following:
Dana Hubler of Holley was sentenced to a year in jail for violating her probation. She could have received 4 years in state prison.
Hubler admitted she violated her probation by driving a vehicle without a license, drinking alcohol, driving without an interlock ignition device, and missing several probation appointments.
Hubler is an Army veteran and a mother.
Punch said he didn’t think state prison was appropriate for Hubler, but he said some time incarcerated was necessary.
“I understand you have a child and served your country as a veteran, I respect that,” Punch said at sentencing. “My concern is the public safety.”
An Albion woman avoided jail time, but will serve three years on Probation and 80 hours of community service in her sentence for criminal trespass in the second degree.
Brandie Sumeriski of East Bank Street was arrested with two other people for breaking into an Albion house with four children in May 2014. Those three faced second-degree burglary and other charges.
Sumeriski was present for the crime but didn’t have an active role in it.
“Your role was somewhat tangential,” Punch said.
As part of the sentencing, he said Sumeriski needs to stay away from the co-defendants in the case.
“You have some problems and one of them is you hang around the wrong people,” the judge said.
ELBA – An Albion man has been jailed and faces numerous charges after being arrested on Monday by State Police in Elba for driving without a license and allegedly exceeding 100 miles per hour with an infant in the backseat.
Kyle J. Allport, 30, of Albion was arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child – a Class A Misdemeanor, Speeding, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd, Unlicensed Operator, and Failure to Comply with a Lawful Order of a Police Officer.
Troopers reported they observed Allport speeding on Route 98 in the Town of Elba. He accelerated to over 100 mph as a state trooper began to follow him. The vehicle was stopped and further investigation determined Allport had a suspended driver’s license and had a child in the back seat, less than 1 year old, police reported.
Allport was taken to the Town of Elba Court for arraignment and remanded to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Town Court on June 25.
