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Cuomo insists on ethics and educational reforms in budget

Staff Reports Posted 23 March 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he won’t sign a new state budget without ethics reform in Albany. The governor also is insisting other reforms, including teacher evaluations, be approved as part of the budget.

Cuomo’s communications director, Melissa DeRosa, issued this statement on behalf of Cuomo this afternoon:

“The governor and the legislative leaders are in the midst of ongoing budget discussions which have intensified as we have gotten closer to the budget deadline. As rumors swirl in the Capitol, several issues should be clarified.

“The governor has stated repeatedly and clearly that ethics reform was a top priority and that he wouldn’t sign a budget without ethics reform. Nothing has changed. A budget done with both houses must include ethics reform. The governor believes that the concerns of legislators who have outside employment such as a law practice have been addressed consistent with his program for increased ethics disclosure and transparency. The Assembly obviously has already agreed with the governor’s ethics package and has numerous members with outside employment. The governor said he would not sign off on a budget that doesn’t include the ethics reforms he outlined, and he meant it.

“Education reform is another top priority in this budget. The key education reforms are dealing with the epidemic of failing schools, improvement to the teacher evaluation system, tenure reform, teacher performance bonuses and scholarships to attract new teachers. If those reforms are passed, the governor will support a significant funding increase. The governor believes these changes will be transformative to our education system.

“The DREAM Act is supported by the Assembly and the Education Tax Credit is supported by the Senate. Last year, neither initiative was passed. The governor believes at this point, that either both will pass or neither. The governor supports passage of both and included them in his budget. If they don’t pass in the budget, they could still pass in regular session.

“The governor supports a pay commission and included it in his original budget. The charter cap and mayoral control for New York City are issues that can be addressed in the budget, or more likely in the remainder of the session. Regardless, both should be addressed before the conclusion of the session.

“Other top priorities in the budget include raising the minimum wage, a small business tax cut and real property tax relief, the governor’s $1.5 billion Upstate Revitalization Initiative, statewide broadband, a Thruway stabilization fund and a substantial increase in funding for affordable housing.”

Medina told it’s violating Civil Service rules with extended temporary firefighters

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2015 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The Village Board has been told it has violated Civil Service rules by having temporary paid firefighters for an extended period.

Jack Welch, the Orleans County director of personnel, advised the Village Board members last week that the village needs to address the situation.

The village created a temporary paid firefighter position 18 months ago. It was first created for a year and then was extended another six months. The Village Board created a second temporary paid position about six months ago.

Fire Chief Todd Zinkievich asked the Village Board tonight to make the two positions permanent. He estimated the two positions, as permanent full-time jobs, would cost about $4,000 to $4,500 more each annually than the temporary positions. That doesn’t include health insurance costs.

Zinkievich said the two positions have helped reduce overall overtime costs for the department, and also allows the department to answer nearly every call on a speedy basis. He said revenue increases in the ambulance service – higher mileage reimbursement rates and increased out-of-district charges – should more than cover the added expense for the two full-time permanent positions.

Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said the board would likely request a little more time from Welch to resolve the issue. The board briefly discussed the matter during its meeting tonight, before going into executive session behind closed doors.

Zinkievich urged the board to reach a decision soon.

“We need to have serious dialogue,” he said. “We can’t let this drag out.”

The fire chief said the union for firefighters is willing to make concessions in its new contract if the village would make the two positions permanent.

Zinkievich also reported that firefighter Ashton Lang passed the test to serve as a paramedic.

“We have another paramedic on staff so that is excellent,” Zinkievich said.

Buffalo man sentenced to 3 years in prison for selling drugs in Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – A Buffalo man with a previous criminal history was sentenced to 3 years in state prison for selling drugs in Albion.

Timothy Cobb, 31, of 1015 Lafayette Ave., Buffalo, was arrested on June 4, 2014 and charged with numerous drug crimes. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Cobb has multiple felonies and misdemeanors in his past, Orleans County Court Judge James Punch said during sentencing this afternoon. He sentenced Cobb to 3 years in state prison and 3 years of post-release supervision.

In other cases:

A Rochester man admitted he sold cocaine from a vehicle on McKinstry Street in Albion on Oct. 6, 2013.

Timothy J. Turner, 33, of 451 Mount Read Blvd., in Rochester, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. As part of a plea deal, he will face a maximum of 3 years in state prison when he is sentenced on June 29.

If the sentence exceeds 3 years, Turner can withdraw his plea and go to trial.

A Holley woman admitted she had oxycodone, a prescription narcotic, with the intent to sell it on Dec. 6.

Lauren A. Hennekey, 19, pleaded guilty to CPCS in the 5th degree and CPCS in the 7th degree.

Judge Punch accepted her into Drug Court. If she is successful in the program, the more serious CPCS charge will be dismissed and she will be sentenced to the misdemeanor charge of CPCS in the 7th degree.

Garage fire rages in Clarendon

Staff Reports Posted 23 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Firefighters are on the scene of a garage fire on Fancher Road in Clarendon. The garage is owned by Joe Blair.

Blair was welding and working on a vehicle when the fire started. He was able to escape without injury.

Wind company plans open house April 1 in Barker

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2015 at 12:00 am

BARKER – A company looking to build 60 to 68 wind turbines in the towns of Yates and Somerset will have a public meeting April 1 about the project.

The open house style meeting will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Barker Fire Hall, 1660 Quaker Rd.

Apex Clean Energy will discuss areas being considered for the project – “Lighthouse Wind.” The turbines collectively would generate about 200 megawatts of power, enough to power 59,000 homes, Apex officials said.

Each turbine would generate about 3 megawatts of power, up from the 1.5 to 1.8 megawatts with turbines about a decade ago. The Apex turbines would also be more than 100 feet taller than the ones in Wyoming County. The Apex turbines would be about 550 feet high from the ground to the top of the turbine blade.

The projects would bring the prospect of significant revenue to the towns, school districts and Orleans and Niagara counties, while also paying landowners to have the turbines on their land.

“Both the landowners and towns stand to profit,” Taylor Quarles, development manager for Apex, said during a public meeting Dec. 9 at Yates Town Hall.

Many residents in the two towns have formed an opposition group, Save Ontario Shores. That group believes the turbines pose many negative impacts, including reduced property values of nearby residents, noise and shadow flicker, disrupted wildlife and other issues.

“We are concerned about the wellbeing of all the residents, including the wildlife,” wrote Save Ontario Shores President John Riggi and Director Roger Barth in a Feb. 20 letter to the editor on the Orleans Hub. “We want to ensure that landowners are protected and that our towns clearly understand the health risks, lifestyle changes, and transformation of the character and ecology of the entire area prior to making decisions and signing contracts.”

For more information about the project, click here.

Wine-tasting party raises funds for Pullman roof project

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Will Ouweleen of Eagle Crest Vineyards in Conesus pours a glass of wine during the second annual Pullman Pours wine-tasting at Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

About 150 people attended the event, which serves as a fund-raiser for the church that is working to replace its roof.

Ouweleen has been outspoken against fracking in the Finger Lakes. His winery sells a bottle of wine, “No Fracking Red.”

The stained-glass windows behind Ouweleen were designed by famed stained-glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. He was a friend of George Pullman, who had the church built as a tribute to his parents in Albion. The church has about 40 Tiffany stained-glass windows.

Chris Tee, a wine server from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina, pours a sample of wine for Kim Lawrence and Bruce Phillips. Other featured local wineries included Becker Farm’s Vizcarra Vineyards, Lake Ontario Winery & Vineyards, Schwenk Wine Cellars, and Seneca Lake’s Eagle Crest Vineyards.

Al Capurso and his son Dan provide bluegrass music during the event. Their band is called “Of The Bear.” Three different groups performed during the two-hour party that included five wineries and food tastings by The Pillars Estate, Della’s Chocolates, Kirby’s Farm Market, SNL Sweet Escapes, Shirt Factory Cafe and Watt Farms Country Market.

Jim Knight, a member of the Pullman church, is dressed as “Bacchus,” the Roman god of wine. Knight is pictured with his brother John Knight, Jim’s wife Betty, and John’s wife Melanie.

Jim and Betty Knight are key organizers of the Pullman wine-tasting event.

Ed Koban and the Ed Koban Group perform in front of a Tiffany-decorated Johnson pipe organ.

The Pullman church was built in 1894. It was included in the inaugural class last year in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.

Ellis had a criminal record prior to shooting at deputy

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2015 at 12:00 am

James Ellis

CLARENDON The man killed in a shootout with an Orleans County deputy late Friday night had a criminal record.

James J. Ellis, 44, was on Probation and in Drug Court in Wyoming County, an Orleans County law enforcement official said.

He has two prior felony charges. He was recently arrested on Dec. 23 when he was wanted on a probation violation and allegedly had drugs in his pockets. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on Dec. 23 and was committed to Wyoming County Jail without bail at that time.

Ellis was living at 8 Durfee Rd. in Wyoming, about an hour’s drive from Orleans County. His mother and ex-girlfriend lived in Orleans County.

Police were called at 2:46 a.m. Saturday about a domestic disturbance a the ex-girlfriend’s house. Ellis allegedly had a gun. He sped away from the house in Shelby and was discovered in Clarendon after he crashed into a telephone pole on Route 31A.

He was in a wooded area when Deputy James DeFilipps responded to the scene. Ellis opened fire on DeFilipps, hitting him twice in the abdomen, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess said. DeFilipps was wearing a bullet-proof vest. He suffered minor injuries from the shots.

He fired at Ellis, fatally wounding him. The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Officer will do an autopsy.

Ellis had been arrested before in Orleans County, according to The Daily News of Batavia. He was charged with harassment, petit larceny and endangering the welfare of a child in Gaines after a domestic dispute at a house on Bacon Road, according to the newspaper.

Ellis was on probation in Wyoming County after being arrested in July 2013 for numerous traffic and penal law violations, including having 16 suspensions on his driver’s license, according to The Daily News.

Ellis was released from jail on Feb. 4 after his arrest on Dec. 23, The Daily News reported.

Empty bowls teaches community about local hunger

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion seventh-graders Alissa Brown, left, and Leeyah Rechtsiegel promote the Empty Bowls fund-raiser on March 21 at Albion Middle School.

ALBION – The colorful bowls were all made by Albion seventh-graders, and the dishes were more than pleasing to the eye.

Each student wrote a message about local hunger, and those words were placed in the bowls. They each sold for $5 on March 21 as part of a fund-raiser for the food pantry at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

“I made this bowl to help the needy,” one student wrote in a message as part of Empty Bowls event, which included a bowl of soup at the middle school cafeteria.

Albion seventh-graders made 170 decorative bowls in art class. They were sold for $5 each with proceeds going to the food pantry at Community Action.

Albion seventh-graders have been partnering with Community Action the past four years for the project. Students made 170 bowls in art class, learning pottery from teacher Kamie Feder.

The event raises nearly $1,000 for Community Action. Seventh-graders spend the school year learning about food and hunger. They visit Food Link in Rochester, help package 200 holiday food baskets at Community Action, and spend class time researching the issue.

“It brings an awareness to the community that people are hungry,” said Annette Finch, director of community services for Community Action. “The number of people who are asking for help has gone up substantially.”

Community Action runs a kitchen in Holley, where demand has been increasing to 700 to 750 meals a month. Residents are using the food pantry in Albion more on a year-round basis.

Each student wrote a note about hunger that was placed in a bowl.

Sue Starkweather Miller, Albion’s grants manager, said the project shows students that hunger is an issue locally, not just in a distant country.

“This has been a perfect curriculum-community need connection,” she said. “There is meaning behind what the kids are learning.”

Ricky Daniels created a turtle-themed bowl for the event. He added a head and legs to the bowl. He said the entire class has been working hard on the project.

“The whole seventh grade has really gotten into it,” he said. “It’s cool that the profits go to charity.”

Police identify man in fatal shooting

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2015 at 11:20 am

Deputy James DeFilipps shot twice, but OK due to bullet-proof vest

James Ellis

CLARENDON – A Wyoming County man who opened fire on law enforcement officers was shot dead early this morning.

James J. Ellis, 44, of Wyoming crashed his vehicle into a telephone pole on Route 31A in Clarendon at about 3 a.m. Police discovered the wreck in a neighbor’s front yard while looking for Ellis. When Deputy James DeFilipps left his patrol car to search for Ellis, the suspect opened fire from a wooded area near the vehicle, Sheriff Scott Hess said.

Deputy DeFilipps was shot twice in the abdomen, and then managed to fatally shoot Ellis. DeFilipps was taken from the scene by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, Hess said.

“Fortunately he was hit in the vest,” Hess told reporters at a press conference at about 10:30 a.m. today. “He’s doing fine.”

Ellis was involved in a domestic disturbance prior to the shooting. He was at an ex-girlfriend’s house in Shelby. Her friends were concerned and called 911 at 2:46 a.m. to report the incident, saying that Ellis had a gun.

The Sheriff’s Department and State Police were given a vehicle and suspect description. The vehicle was observed eastbound on Route 31A in the Town of Albion. Officers were unable to maintain visual contact with the vehicle due to the suspect’s high rate of speed, Hess said.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone, Sheriff Scott Hess and Chief Deputy Tom Drennan discuss the fatal shooting on a Wyoming County man last night after he shot and wounded an Orleans County deputy.

Responding officers located the vehicle on Route 31A in the Town of Clarendon. The suspect had crashed his vehicle after leaving the roadway, striking a telephone pole. Ellis was in a wooded area with a .45 caliber handgun. He started firing at responding officers when they reached the scene, a dark stretch of Route 31A, Chief Deputy Tom Drennan said.

The officers couldn’t see Ellis, but heard his gun shots and could tell the bullets were close, Drennan said.

Deputy James DeFilipps took cover behind his patrol vehicle, then took further cover into a wooded area near the road. While proceeding to the wooded area, DeFilipps confronted Ellis a short distance away. Ellis shot the deputy twice in the abdomen. DeFilipps returned fire with his weapon, killing Ellis, Hess said.

“The whole thing lasted seconds,” Drennan said.

Ellis’s body was taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. That report, plus evidence at the scene, should provide more details about the incident, which remains under investigation, Drennan said.

DeFilipps is a 12-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department. He was patrolling the eastern section of Orleans County last night. He started his career with the Holley Police Department.

District Attorney Joe Cardone said the incident would be reviewed by the grand jury “to make sure everything was handled properly.”

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, Albion Police, Holley Police, Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force and Clarendon Fire Company.

Albion Scouts show creative side in building Pinewood Derby cars

Posted 21 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – The group of winners in today’s Pinewood Derby include, kneeling, from left: Jason Conn, second place; Anthony LoGalbo, Best In Den Tiger Cubs; Donovon Braley, first place. Standing, from left: Xavier Penafiel, third place; Dylan Narburgh, Best in Den Bears; Austin Narburgh, Best in Den Webelos; Ethan Merrill, Most Original; Oliver Beach, Best in Den Wolves and Best in Show.

Jackson Ward won the Judges’ Choice Award for the car that best represented the Cub Scout way and motto of “Do Your Best.”

By Thom Jennings
ALBION – Cub Scout Pack 164 in Albion held its annual Pinewood Derby this afternoon at St. Joe’s Catholic School Lyceum. The pack is chartered by St. Joe’s Holy Family Parish and the Knights of Columbus.

The first Pinewood Derby in the nation dates back to 1953, and has become a rite of passage for many parents. The kids get the kit to build their car one month ahead of time, and are allowed to build the car with the assistance of a parent or other relative.
The rules are simple; the car must be made from an official Pinewood Derby kit and cannot weigh more than five ounces after it has been modified.

In addition to the racing component, there are prizes for the best design, thus racers must decide whether they will forego the laws of aerodynamics and opt to win the best design, or strike a balance between the two.

(Thom Jennings took these photos of some of the cars.)

Police Car by Oliver Beach

Angry Birds by Nick Baxter

Snake by Brayden Ryder

Minecraft by Zack Baron

Ninja Turtle by Teigen Bieber

A group of Scouts, including Sawyer Braley at right and Scoutmaster Mike Beach, stand around the microphone and sing the National Anthem.

Clarendon homeowner describes ‘scary’ situation with shootout

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – A vehicle driven by James Ellis hit a telephone pole on Route 31A at about 3 a.m. this morning and the vehicle came to a rest in front yard of Christopher and Denise Wing. Mr. Wing is pictured in back being interviewed by news reporters at about 12:30 p.m. today.

After hitting the telephone pole, Ellis then fled to a wooded area and soon was involved in a shootout with responding police officers. Ellis twice shot James DeFilipps, an Orleans County deputy, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest. That protected him from the shots to his abdomen. DeFilipps fatally shot Ellis, 44, of Wyoming County.

National Grid put up this new telephone pole after James Ellis drove into a pole early this morning at this location at a bend on Route 31A.

Ellis was fleeing police after showing up at his ex-girlfriend’s house in Shelby with a gun, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess said.

Mr. Wing said he and his wife were awakened at about 3 a.m. by the car crash. When they heard the initial gun shot, they thought someone had hit a deer and was shooting the animal to put it out of its misery. But after multiple shots were fired, Mr. Wing said he knew something more was going on.

“It’s a little scary,” Mr. Wing told reporters outside his home, which is about a ½ mile west of the Bennetts Corners Road intersection. “You live out in the country and you don’t expect that to happen. This is usually a pretty quiet road.”

He estimated the shots were fired 5 to 10 minutes after the initial crash.

Christopher Wing points to his front yard on Route 31A, where a deputy was in a shootout with a man from Wyoming County early this morning.

State Police and other investigators had the section of 31A blocked off near Wing’s home until about 10:30 a.m. today while they collected evidence.

Wing said he is most thankful that Deputy DeFilipps only suffered minor injuries and returned home to his family.

Wing’s grown son, Mark Wing, grew up on the peaceful stretch of 31A. He said cars would occasionally veer off the winding road.

He said he is grateful his parents were unharmed in the incident, and that Deputy DeFilipps and other law enforcement agencies were quickly on scene.

“It’s a little scary because it’s so close to home,” Mark Wing said. “Thankfully the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department was quick to respond.”

Students raise awareness about hunger

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion seventh-graders had their sixth annual Empty Bowls event on Thursday, an event that raises awareness about hunger and generates money for the food pantry at Community Action.

About 150 students made bowls in art class, learning pottery from teacher Kamie Feder. The bowls were for sale on Thursday for $5 each. Some were also for sale during Friday’s high school musical, “Honk!”

Each student wrote a note about hunger that was placed on each bowl.

Students in the service learning class taught by Tim Archer have learned about hunger locally, in the region, nationally and in the world. They visited Foodlink in Rochester and have helped Community Action with food baskets.

They learned that one out of four people have an insecure food supply locally.

Medina man, a new U.S. citizen, named NY Student of the Year

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Octaviano Gomez, third from left, was recognized as one of 20 “students of the year” last week by New York Association of Continuing/Community Education. He went to Albany and was recognized by state legislators, including Sen. Robert Ortt, right. Gomez is pictured with his daughter Bella and wife Carmen.

MEDINA – Octaviano Gomez only attended school for a few months in the first grade. That was it for his schooling, until 2012 when he started English as a Second Language classes, an effort that culminated with him earning U.S. citizenship in May.

Last week he was also named one of 20 “students of the year” by the New York Association of Continuing/Community Education. He went to the state capital in Albany for the awards program and was recognized by state legislators.

The Mexican native started working for U.S. farms when he was 13, picking grapes in California. He picked strawberries in Oregon, apples in Washington and parsley in Florida. For years he would work during the winters in Florida before coming to New York State to pick apples.

In 2001, he hurt his back pushing a crate of tomatoes in Florida. He was reinjured in 2012, straining his back while stacking boxes of oranges. Gomez needed surgery to help ease the pain in his leg. He remains disabled.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Octaviano Gomez is pictured with other students at the World Life Institute, watching a slide show from an awards program in Albany, where he was celebrated for his success learning English.

Gomez, now 42, was nominated by his teacher, Linda Redfield, for the state award. He is the fifth student to receive the honor at the World Life Institute, which provides ESL and citizenship education in a partnership with the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

“It’s very unusual for an agricultural worker, with all the obstacles in life, to attain citizenship and literacy,” Redfield said. “He is a very quick learner. It’s amazing to me in two years he could prepare for the citizenship test and pass in English.”

Gomez, now 42, says he continues to suffer pain in his back and legs. But he wants to keep learning, to be an example for his children and increase his options locally.

Three of his children – Beatrice, Cody and Octavio – have graduated from Medina. Beatrice is in college in Texas. Gomez and his wife Carmen have a daughter, Bella, in first grade.

Gomez said he likes to help her with her homework.

“I want to keep learning more,” he said on Wednesday at the World Life Institute.

Gomez was recognized with a party at the school by his teachers and other students, who work at Intergrow Greenhouses and other local farms.

Gomez holds an American flag last June during an awards program for students in the BOCES program at the World Life Institute.

“I want to say this is possible for all of you,” Redfield told other students in the ESL program. “All of you are students of the year. You work on farms and then come to school at night to try to improve yourselves.”

Redfield praised Gomez for attending nearly every class on Mondays and Wednesdays for the past two-plus years. He has been faithful and determined, practicing his spelling and grammar, and using the Rosetta Stone software to practice listening and speaking skills.

“He has been a serious student,” said another teacher, Cheryl Lieberman. “He had his goals. He did the work. He always showed up to class, no matter the weather.”

Gomez has spread the word about the classes at World Life Institute and BOCES. His wife is a new student in the program.

Gomez grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico. His native language is Mixtec, a rare Indian language used in Oaxaca language. He may continue his education through community college.

“He wants to learn more and advance his skills,” Redfield said.

Albion’s other railroad bridge is low-rider

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The dip back below freezing has icicles hanging off the railroad bridge on Butts Road in Albion.

This bridge only has a clearance of 7 feet, 2 inches.

This is the other bridge built because of the railroad in Albion. The bigger bridge on Clarendon Street, built over the railroad, will begin to be demolished today.

Father of Mexican worker killed in farm accident attends vigil in Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Daniel Larios Hernandez seeks better working and living conditions for migrant workers

Photos by Tom Rivers – Daniel Larios Hernandez holds a picture of his son, Luis Daniel Larios Hernandez, in a march on Main Street in Albion to raise awareness about the dangers of working on farms. The march followed a vigil at the Presbyterian Church in honor of Luis and other farmworkers who died on the job.

ALBION – Daniel Larios Hernandez said his son was hard-working and determined to provide for his family, which included his wife Teresa and 4-year-old daughter Citlalli of Jalisco, Mexico.

Luis Daniel Larios Hernandez, or “Dani,” had worked in the United States at farms in Florida and California. Last year he came to Western New York for the first time, hired by Root Brothers Farm.

He was killed in an accident on Aug. 29 when he was standing next to a parked farm truck and a second truck (also parked and unoccupied) rolled down a slight incline and struck Dani, age 25. He was pinned between the two vehicles, according to a report from Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.

Dani’s father raised money and sold off pieces of his property to travel from Mexico and see where his son died. He made the trip to honor his son and other workers from Mexico who make the long journey to work at U.S. farms.

“We are trying to commemorate my son,” Larios Hernandez said through an interpreter with about dozen supporters. “I want to reiterate my support for all of the migrants. I want this action to be on their behalf.”

Paula Macas Betchart, an organizer with the Worker Justice Center of NY, speaks during a vigil and rally inside the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. The three photos show workers who died in a farm accidents in Penn Yann, Ithaca and Albion.

Larios Hernandez was joined by the Worker Justice Center of NY, the Workers’ Center of Central New York and a few members of churches in Albion, Brockport and Rochester.

“This is a sad day,” said Bill Plews, a member of the Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee. “This is a reminder of a very tragic day.”

The groups would like to see safer farms for the farm owners and their workers, better housing for the workers and an immigration overhaul, so workers can more easily cross the border and return home when their work is done.

Rebecca Fuentes, an organizer with the Workers’ Center of CNY, is pushing for more farm inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, stiffer fines for infractions, more safety training and better protective equipment and gear for workers.

“Dani” is one of 61 farmworkers who died on NY farms between 2006-2014, with 23 dying in 2014, with tractor rollovers and entanglement in other farm machinery the leading causes of death, according to the Worker Justice Center.

The vigil for Dani today included photos of workers who died in farm accidents, including Marco Antonio Ortiz Perez in Penn Yann and Francisco Oritz in Ithaca.

“These are fatalities that are preventable,” Fuentes said. “Agriculture is one of the most dangerous places to work.”

She spoke at a press conference outside Root Farms on Route 31A in Barre. Some of the posters made for the vigil and rally included images of tomatoes. “Dani” was working with tomatoes the day he died.

Daniel Larios Hernandez holds a picture of his son while standing along Route 31A in Barre, near Root Brothers Farm. The rain caused the writing to bleed.

“When you pick up a tomato or an apple or drink a glass a milk, think about the labor that went into it, and not just the farmer but the farmworker as well,” Fuentes said.

She said many farmworkers return home with serious injuries – missing fingers and sore backs – that make it difficult for them to provide for their families.

Improved safety programs would beenfit the farm owners as well, she said. Their workers would be less likely to be injured, their would be reduced workman’s compensation costs, and the farmers could save their own lives, Fuentes said.

“There’s this way of thinking that farmers are very strong and self reliant,” she said. “But what does that mean if you’re missing an arm or a leg, or if you lose your life?”

Larios Hernandez wants to raise the farm safety issue in the region, home to a dynamic fruit, vegetable and dairy sector that rely heavily on physical labor.

He will speak at a Presbyterian Church in Gates this evening and will also address a group in Syracuse on Monday.

He said his son was a friendly person who loved his family. In Mexico, “Dani” worked at a job installing closed circuit televisions.

He made the trip to Orleans County last year, traveling with family to work at Root Brothers.

“He was very caring,” Larios Hernandez said through an interpreter. “He was very humane. He respected everybody and treated everybody equal.”

Gail Mott, a member of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, makes posters in Albion for a vigil and rally.