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Farmers have good weather next few days for apple harvest

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

GAINES – These bins are filled with apples on Route 279, just south of Route 104. The farm is owned by Jim Kirby and his son Adam.

After some chilly days last week, the high temperatures will be in the 60s this week. Today is forecast to be mostly cloudy with a high of 65, followed by mostly cloudy with a high of 64 on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

On Wednesday, it will be sunny with a high of 65, followed by mostly sunny with a high of 61 on Thursday.

Former public defender from Medina pleads guilty to gun charge

Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Press Release, U.S. Attorney William Hochul

BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Adam Rissew, 39, a former Monroe County Public Defender currently of Rochester and formerly of Medina, pleaded guilty to possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking before U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

The charge carries a mandatory prison term of 5 years and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Bruce, who is handling the case, stated that on July 20, 2012, Medina police officers and members of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force searched Rissew’s then-residence at 305 Catherine St. in the Village of Medina.

Officers found and seized in excess of 50 marijuana plants, paraphernalia related to the grow operation, numerous firearms and 684 rounds of various types of ammunition. Among the firearms found and seized was a loaded Glock 9mm semi automatic pistol that was kept between Rissew’s mattress and box springs. During his plea Rissew admitted he used the pistol to protect his marijuana growing operation.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Medina Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jose Avila, officers of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Chief Investigator Joseph Sacco, and Orleans County District Attorney Joseph Cardone.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2016 at 3 p.m. before Judge Skretny.

Tugboat Urger is floating museum, sharing canal history

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Tugboat Urger, built in 1901, has spent the past week in Orleans County, first docking in Medina on Sept. 30 before coming to Albion on Friday. The vessel is heading to Holley today and will welcome Holley fourth-graders for a tour and educational program on Tuesday morning before departing for Brockport.

The tugboat was originally used as a fishing boat and commercial shipping vessel for its first two decades. In the early 1920s, the Urger was sold to New York and was used to haul machinery, dredges and scows on the canal system for 60 years until the boat was retired from services in the 1980s.

The tugboat, one of the oldest working vessels in the country, is pictured in Albion this morning with the Ingersoll Street lift bridge in back.

In 1991, the Urger got new life as a “Teaching Tug.” It visits canal communities from early May until late October, educating children and adults about the canal system, which opened in 1825.

For more on Urger, click here.

3 sentenced to state prison for crimes in Orleans County

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Three people were sentenced to state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch.

Two people, a Medina woman and Rochester man, were sentenced for drug crimes, while an Albion man was sentenced for felony driving while intoxicated.

Jeremy Smith, 30, of Lydun Drive in Albion received the longest sentence at 1 to 3 years in state prison for driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He pleaded guilty on July 13 to felony DWI.

He admitted in court to DWI and driving without a license on Jan. 19, 2015, when he was in an accident while driving. He said he had been drinking beer before the accident. Smith has a prior felony DWI in 2006 and a prior misdemeanor DWI in 2002.

He could have faced up to 4 years in state prison, but received a reduced sentence as part of a plea deal.

His attorney, Dominic Saraceno, said Smith has struggled with alcohol since he was 13.

“He’s had a problem with alcohol since he was 13,” Saraceno said during sentencing. “It has pretty much destroyed his life.”

Punch said Smith not only was driving drunk, but was in an accident, refused a Breathalyzer test and marijuana was at the scene.

“Alcohol hasn’t destroyed your life but it has pretty much screwed it up at this point,” Punch said. “You’re a young man. You have a lot of years ahead of you.”

The judge revoked Smith’s driver’s license for a year and ordered that he pay a $520 court surcharge and $50 DNA fee.

“I hope you can figure out a way to stop drinking,” Punch told Smith at the sentencing.

In other sentencings in County Court today:

A Medina woman was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison. Judge Punch recommended that Erika Poole, 34, of Church Street, serve her time at the Willard Drug Treatment Center, a specialized state prison in Romulus, Seneca County.

Poole pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of controlled substance in the fifth degree, which has a maximum sentence of 2 years. Judge Punch gave her less than the maximum today.

Her attorney, Christopher Rodeman, said Poole has struggled with drug use.

“It’s very apparent she has engaged in this type of lifestyle due to her substance abuse problems and she is in dire need of treatment,” Rodeman said at sentencing.

Punch said he would recommend the State Department of Corrections give Poole the treatment program at Willard.

He told Poole she has a history of committing serious crimes, and she has handled herself with some arrogance during court proceedings.

“Arrogance is the enemy of change,” the judge told her. “If you want to change you need a touch of humility.”

A Rochester man was sentence to 1 ½ years in state prison for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth, a crime with a maximum of 2 years in prison.

Kenneth Thompson, 49, of Dale Street was charged with criminal sale and possession of drugs in Orleans County in early 2014.

Thompson said in court he has lost a family member to drugs.

“I decided not to touch drugs again,” he told the judge during sentencing.

Punch said Thompson has a “bad record” with prior crimes. The judge said he believed Thompson was sincere in wanting to avoid future drug activity.

“Think of the thousands of people who have died from drugs,” Punch said. “Maybe it will save your life.”

Shelby town justice picked to serve on NYS Magistrates Association

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Dawn Keppler says she wants association to reach out to rural judges

Photo by Tom Rivers – Dawn Keppler, the Shelby town justice since 1999, is one of 12 justices from around the state serving on the board of directors for the New York State Magistrates Association. She was elected to serve on the board on Sept. 28.

SHELBY – Dawn Keppler, a town justice in Shelby since 1999, was elected by her peers to serve on the board of directors for the NYS Magistrates Association, the first judge from Orleans County to serve on the organization’s board.

Keppler was picked for the board on Sept. 28 during the Magistrates annual conference in Niagara Falls. The association provides training and resources for town and village justices throughout the state.

Keppler said she will push for rural judges to better use the training programs offered through the Magistrates Association. All judges need to complete certification and training each year. They can take courses on-line or in person at conferences. (Ridgeway Town Justice Joseph Kujawa and Kendall Town Justice Debbie Drennan attended the four-day conference in Niagara Falls.)

Keppler was backed by a nominating committee to serve on the State Board. She has been the judge since Shelby and Ridgeway voted to share services in the court system, with the Shelby Town Hall used for both courts, and the Shelby and Ridgeway judges having jurisdiction in both towns.

The Village of Medina also dissolved its court in 2011, with those cases shifted to Ridgeway and Shelby.

Keppler said more towns and villages are looking to share services with their court systems.

“I’m one of the unique judges who has dealt with consolidation,” she said. “Many are now talking about it.”

The Town of Yates also has joined Shelby and Ridgeway in having multi-town jurisdiction for the judges. The three towns have gone from two judges each to one each. Yates keeps its court system at the Yates Town Hall.

Keppler said the shared system has been beneficial in the Medina community, where people going to court were often confused whether they went to the Ridgeway or Shelby town hall, or the Medina Village Hall. Now, they just go to the Shelby Town Hall.

Keppler works with her husband Phil and family in a cattle business, SK Herefords. Keppler manages the office and books, and helps when needed in the barn.

She also is the office manager for Webster, Schubel and Meier, a law office on West Center Street in downtown Medina.

She enjoys her job as the local town justice.

“It’s interesting – no case is ever the same,” she said. “Your job is to apply the law as it is written and uphold fairness in the courtroom.”

Holley ‘ghosts’ share grief and grandeur from community’s past

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – There was suffering and grief, lots of it in the 1800s and early 1900s. During a Ghost Walk on Saturday, when eight people at the cemetery were portrayed, many of the stories were heart-breaking, such as the life of Mary Youngs Buddery.

The Hulberton woman lost her husband John W. Buddery and four of their children to diphtheria in early 1888. Abby Blendowski, pictured in top photo, shared Buddery’s story.

Gina Buda, a GCC student from Bergen, portrayed Lillian Bentham, who survived the sinking of The Titanic in April 1912. Bentham was one of 710 to survive, while 1,514 died, including her godfather William Douton and another companion from Holley.

Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers portrayed William Douton, one of two Holley men who perished on The Titanic. Douton and Peter MacKain were both British quarrymen who returned to the Isle of Guernsey for the winter of 1911-1912.

They were coming back to the Holley area in April 1912. A marker in the cemetery notes their deaths. It is a memorial for the two men, paid for by the Order of the Oddfellows.

Dan Hamner, a GCC history professor, portrays Joseph Hess, who was a boxer and bar owner before turning temperance evangelist.

He would write an autobiography called “Out of Darkness, Into Light” in 1890, detailing his early life, his subsequent religious conversion and the importance of a life dedicated to temperance. He died at his home in Clarendon in 1893.

Hamner passed out temperance challenge cards with Joseph Hess’s picture. The cards sought people’s pledge and signature to abstain “from the use of all intoxicating liquors.”

Hamner handed out nearly 100 cards on Saturday night, but no one was willing to take the temperance oath.

Alex Farley, a GCC student from Corfu, portrays John Berry, who helped establish Hillside Cemetery in 1866 and served as its long-time president until his death in 1892. The cemetery’s older section has a park-like setting and is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Berry was also a politician who represented Orleans County in the State Legislature.

Another ghost included Lydia Wright Butterfield, who spoke about her husband Orson, who developed “Gold Fever” and headed to California, leaving his family for 16 years. Mr. Butterfield had a cobblestone house built in Clarendon in 1849. (The house was recently restored.)

Butterfield’s wife listed him as a widow in one census. He would come home and lived another 20 years with his wife. The family endured the loss of three young children.

The Ghost Walk tour included a visit with the “ghost” portraying Herbert Charles Taylor, who is believed to be the only Orleans County resident to die during the battle at Gettysburg.

Phoebe Sprague also was featured. She worked as a doctor in Holley, one of the first women in that role locally. A historic marker notes her distinction on Geddes Street.

Titanic survivor’s family is thankful for new grave marker in Holley

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The great-nieces of Lillian Bentham, the Holley teen who survived the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, attended Saturday’s Ghost Walk at Hillside Cemetery and are pictured with Gina Buda, a Genesee Community College student who portrayed Bentham.

The great-nieces all live in Rochester. Bentham lived in the city after growing up in Holley. She lived at 11 Kay Terrace. The great-nieces include, from left: Carol Foresta, Sherry Bentham and Laura Allis.

Buda of Bergen was among a group that helped put on the first Ghost Walk in the cemetery as part of a benefit for restoration of the chapel.

Brigden Memorials in Albion donated the stone with the engraving, and delivered it on Thursday, almost four decades after Bentham’s death.

She was 19 when she survived The Titanic, one of 710 to be rescued. The other 1,514 on the shp died, including her godfather William Douton of Holley.

The great-nieces said they are thankful for the new gravestone at Hillside Cemetery for Bentham.

Bentham would live to be 85, and remained in the Holley and Rochester region until her death on Dec. 15, 1977. She was married to John Black, who died at age 81 on June 28, 1977.

Bentham was buried in Hillside Cemetery next to her sister, Daisy Bentham, who died at age 16 in 1904. Lillian never had a headstone until Thursday.

“It’s awesome,” said Foresta.

“It’s totally unexpected,” Allis said.

Lillian and her husband didn’t have children. Orleans Hub reported on Thursday that she didn’t have surviving relatives. That was what the Clarendon Historical Society thought.

But the great-nieces are proof Lillian has surviving family, who still love her. Lillian lived with their father, Walter Bentham, near the end of her life. Her great-nieces said she didn’t want to talk about The Titanic.

Medina FD open house gives plenty of tips for fire prevention

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department treated the community to fun and many tips for preventing fires during an open house today, which is the start of National Fire Safety Week.

The top photo shows Shalin Mack, 5, of Medina aiming water at targets with help from Medina firefighter Jeff Tuohey.

Dale Heiser from the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control brought a trailer to Medina to show some common household fire hazards. Some lighters are made to look like toys, which can be an attraction for children and lead to accidental fires, Heiser said.

He had a hair dryer in a sink (with no water). He warns people, especially college students, to keep hair dryers and curling irons away from sinks.

He also showed extension cords that are intended to be temporary, but are used 24-7 in some households. Those cords can cause fires.

The stove also has a pot with the handle within reach of children. Heiser urges people to turn the pots so the handles can’t be easily grabbed by kids.

Dale Heiser also simulated smoke in the trailer, and showed people how smoke rises. That’s why they should get low – “Stay Low and Go!” – during a fire.

Chad Kenward, a Medina police officer and member of the Orleans County Multi-Agency SWAT Team, took questions from the public about the SWAT team and its vehicle.

The open house included New York State Police “seat belt convincer,” an interactive ride allows people to experience a simulated vehicle crash and gain an appreciation for why seat belts matter.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office “Safe Child” program, where children can be finger printed, and have their child safety seats checked for proper installation, also was available.

Mark Watts and his wife Denise are pictured in a 1933 fire truck that was used by the Medina Fire Department until 1972, when it was taken out of service. The truck was purchased by Joe Conley and he owned it until Watts bought it in 2007.

The truck had been out of the public eye since the 1970s, until Watts had it in the 2009 Memorial Day parade. The truck has been a regular in that parade, plus the Lyndonville Fourth of July parade, in recent years.

Caleb Fisher, 2, gets behind the wheel of the 1933 fire truck with his mother Audra next to him. Caleb’s father Adam Fisher is an EMT with COVA and a firefighter with the Barre Volunteer Fire Company.

New Golden Hill playground resembles lighthouse at state park

Staff Reports Posted 4 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Cheryl Wertman
BARKER – Golden Hill State Park is in the process of constructing a new playground at the campground on Lower Lake Road, just east of the Orleans County line in the Town of Yates.

While adding new swings, the centerpiece of the playground is the replica of the lighthouse for the main structure. It has the date the lighthouse was built – 1875 – on the side, Golden Hill plaques on the smaller towers and the signature lighthouse on the center tower.

The playground is to be completed in time for this coming Sunday’s Christmas at the Lighthouse Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

200 brave chill in walk/run to benefit families battling cancer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run has raised more than $250K

Photos by Tom Rivers

EAST SHELBY – There were about 200 people out walking and running the 3.1-mile course on a chilly Saturday morning for the 27th Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run.

The course starts near the East Shelby Fire Hall on East Shelby Road.

The Knights and Kaderli families have raised more than $250,000 with the event in 27 years. The money is put in a fund and given to help families with expenses while battling cancer.

John Bertrand of Clarence has a big burst of energy at the start of the race. He finished third overall with a time of 23:51. John is the grandson of the late Richard Knights.

Mr. Knights died from cancer in 1984. Five years later Sue Scharping Kaderli died from the disease.

The two families work together with fund-raisers for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. Other families also help, including the family of the late Dave Millis of Albion. Together they are able to distribute about $50,000 annually to help about 50 families battling cancer.

John Kaderli, the son of the late Sue Kaderli, sells raffle tickets on Saturday. There were about 100 gift baskets available during Saturday’s event. Kaderli thanked the community for supporting the cause for so many years.

“It’s a fabulous fund,” he said. “We’ve been able to help a lot of people.”

For more the on the Fund, click here.