BATAVIA, NY (readMedia) – Genesee Community College, including all seven campus locations in Batavia, Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw, proudly announces 467 students were named to the President’s List for the Fall 2014 semester.
Students honored on the President’s List have maintained full-time enrollment and earned a quality point index of 3.75 roughly equivalent to an A or better.
The College has initiated a Provost’s List to recognize part-time students with a quality point index of 3.75 or better, which will be released in the next several weeks.
This year’s Genesee Community College Fall 2014 President’s List honorees, with their hometowns, are listed below:
Connor Barleben of Albion
Sandra Baxter of Albion
Christine Chennell of Albion
Pamela Cherry of Albion
Stacy Daniels of Albion
Mitchell DeSmit of Albion
Laura Dunham of Albion
Henry Haines of Albion
Audra Heslor of Albion
Angel Javier of Albion
Thomas Leggat of Albion
Dalton Mitchell of Albion
Chelsea Moore of Albion
Sarah Olmstead of Albion
Alise Pangrazio of Albion
David Pieniaszek of Albion
Marquise Riddick of Albion
Garrett Rustay of Albion
Christina Salvatore of Albion
Kelsey Schmitt of Albion
Julia Southcott of Albion
Emily Thering of Albion
Jack Treese of Albion
Pauline Twardowski of Albion
Tina Wilkins of Albion
Irene Youngman of Albion
Jessica Brien of Holley
Tashanna Hards of Holley
Heather Jones of Holley
Felicia Kraatz of Holley
Christopher Mason of Holley
Claudia Passarell of Holley
Michelle Silpoch of Holley
Emily Skehan of Holley
Lindsay Smith of Holley
Dennis Wakula of Holley
Darcey Schulwitz of Kendall
Alexa Wolf of Kendall
Mary Brockway of Kent
Barbara Feathers of Kent
Kalee Galletta of Kent
Kelli Napolitano of Kent
Nicole Boring of Lyndonville
Adrienne Hallows of Lyndonville
Stacy Heideman of Lyndonville
Charles McKinney of Lyndonville
Mandy Moore of Lyndonville
Brandon Pajek of Lyndonville
Regina Simon of Lyndonville
Kellie Wilcox of Lyndonville
Deborah Barnes of Medina
Lynn Bolton of Medina
Kimberly Brueckner of Medina
Amy Jackson of Medina
Daphne Kroll of Medina
Taylor Miller of Medina
Baillie Oberther of Medina
Elizabeth Pickle of Medina
Missy Pries of Medina
Samantha Snyder of Medina
Jacob Werth of Medina
Brad Wilson of Medina
Hannah Wolfe of Medina
Rhonda Wright of Medina
Amanda Campbell of Waterport
With the main campus in Batavia, New York and six campus centers located in Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw, Genesee Community College serves more than 7,000 students. As part of the State University of New York SUNY , GCC offers more than 60 academic programs and certificates. The Supply Chain Management concentration under the Business Administration program is one of GCC’s newest academic programs, which is offered entirely online.
ALBION – The motor on the basketball hoop at the Albion Elementary School set off a fire alarm this morning, which resulted in an evacuation of the school just before 10 a.m., Albion school officials said.
Students are returning to the school after going to the high school gym.
“Everyone is fine,” District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell said in an emailed and text message to parents. “Appreciate the student cooperation throughout.”
The district will send a letter home today about the incident.
ALBANY – On the second anniversary of the signing of the NY SAFE Act, State Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) joined other state lawmakers in pushing to repeal the law on Thursday.
Ortt has sponsored a handful of bills introduced by State Sen. Kathy Marchione and State Sen. Mike Nozzolio. The bills would overturn what Ortt said is the unconstitutional SAFE Act.
“The SAFE Act was a terrible piece of legislation passed in the dead of the night without proper public or even legislative input,” Ortt said. “It failed to protect a single New Yorker, turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, and infringed on our constitutional rights.”
Sen. Ortt is proud to put his name alongside Sen. Marchione’s and Sen. Nozzolio’s bills. Together, Ortt said they are all committed to protecting the Second Amendment.
“When I was elected as Senator, I vowed to be the voice of many concerned constituents who vehemently said they wanted this law repealed,” Ortt said. “I want those people to know I have not forgotten about them.”
The bills include amending the criminal procedure law and other laws relating to the suspension and revocation of firearms licenses; private sale or disposal of firearms, rifles, or shotguns; amending the penal law in relation to large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 January 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Three people in prison for sex crimes will soon be released and they will be registered as sex offenders.
Two will be labeled as Level 3 offenders, the highest rating.
Joseph Sanderson, 65, has been serving a 9-year sentence for first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree sexual abuse for crimes involving multiple children. He is currently in Riverview Correctional Facility in Ogdensburg. He could be released on March 2.
He appeared in Orleans County Court on Monday before Judge James Punch, who assigned the risk level.
Raymond Keffer Jr., 38, also will be a Level 3 sex offender. Keffer, formerly of Albion, is currently in Gowanda Correctional facility, serving a 5-year, 6-month sentence for second- and third-degree rape. His crimes involved teen-age girls, the District Attorney’s Office reported.
Keffer could be released on Feb. 18.
Jeremy Pucci, 25, is at the Orleans Correctional Facility, serving a minimum of 3 years and 5 months to a maximum of 4 years after being convicted of child pornography and molesting two children. He is to be released on Feb. 23.
Punch assigned Pucci, a former Ridgeway resident, as a Level 2 sex offender. Pucci was convicted of possession of obscene sexual performance by a child and first-degree attempted sexual abuse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Events will help fund memorial scholarship for Albion music teacher
Provided photos – A concert on Jan. 30 and a 3.17-mile walk/run on March 28 will honor the memory of Wayne Burlison and raise money for a memorial scholarship.
ALBION – Two upcoming events will include two passions in Wayne Burlison’s life: music and running.
A concert on Jan. 30 and a 3.17-mile walk/run will also raise money for a memorial scholarship in Burlison’s name. The Albion Alumni Foundation will administer the fund. The group has set a $10,000 fund-raising goal with a plan to offer a $500 scholarship each year.
Burlison’s wife Lisa, an elementary school teacher, will help select the scholarship winner.
“With a strong passion for music and the fine arts, he was also a person of integrity and perseverance, believing that all can achieve in ways they hope to grow,” the Alumni Foundation stated. “He sought to find ways to help others learn, especially amongst difficulty. Mr. Burlison loved both the school and his community, showed compassion towards others, and was dedicated and committed to his family.”
Burlison was 36 when he died from colon cancer last March 26. He worked as an elementary band teacher at Albion. He was active in the community, playing in several music groups.
He also promoted fitness through the Albion Running Club, which organizes the Strawberry Festival 5K/8K. The Running Club will debut the “Run for Wayne” on March 28 with the course starting and ending at the school.
The Jan. 30 concert will be 7 p.m. at the middle school auditorium and will feature
Albion music teachers and some ensembles and groups that Wayne was involved in throughout the years. Scheduled to perform that evening are The Mark Time Marchers, The Hit Men, the praise band at the Albion Free Methodist Church, The AHS Jazz Ensemble (Wayne was the assistant director), and an ensemble from the AHS Marching Band (Wayne was the assistant director).
Tickets are $5 and will go directly to the scholarship fund. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Call 589-2050 ext. 2405 for more information or click here to be directed to the Alumni Foundation website. Tickets are also available at Bloom’s Flower Shop and Fischer’s Newsroom
Besides his active involvement in music programs, Burlison also became an advocate for health and wellness.
Burlison lost nearly 150 pounds in 2008. He was about 300 pounds before he started losing weight through the Wii Fit game, exercise and healthier foods.
He ran early in the mornings and became a long-distance runner, completing a 26.2-mile marathon and several half marathons. He also was a leader of a 12-week running program that culminated with the 5k at the Strawberry Festival in June.
That “Run for God” training program continues with another session starting in March. Burlison’s friends in the Running Club are taking the lead in organizing the 3.17-mile walk and run. The distance is a little longer than the 3.1-mile 5Ks. The 3.17 represents 3 months and 17 days, the amount of time Burlison lived from his cancer diagnosis until his death.
The “Run for Wayne” will begin at 12:01 p.m. That start time represents one of Burlison’s favorite Bible verses: Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witness, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Participants in the event will receive shirts and medals. For more information on the “Run for Wayne,” click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star team thrills at Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The circus was back in Albion tonight with jugglers, acrobats, contortionists and clowns all in the ring.
In the top photo, Kevin Sadrak had the audience squirming with some of his contortions in the high school gym. Sadrak was among the perfromers in the Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star Circus. The group will be performing in Medina at the middle school for two shows on Friday at 5 and 7:15 p.m.
Billy Martin, the circus’s owner, welcomes the crowd at Albion. Some of the proceeds from the event benefit the Albion High School Close-Up Club.
The Fabulous Francy is a hoola-hooping sensation.
The show stopped for a moment so Vincent, one of the performers, could be recognized on his 13th birthday.
Two members of the Renowned Rinny Family from Argentina perform a juggling routine.
There were many lighted wands, swords and toys waving in the air by children in the crowd.
Johnathan, one of the Rinny family members, rides a 5-wheeled-high unicycle that is 20 feet tall.
Roger, a crowd favorite, provides some comic relief. He is pictured with Billy Martin. Roger would do a funny trampoline routine.
For more on the circus, visit billymartincircus.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Dione Harrington, a supervisor with the Department of Social Services, was named the Orleans County Employee for the Year for 2014.
ALBION – Dione Harrington admits her job will sometimes keep her awake at night. She sees many children and senior citizens in neglect and abuse.
Harrington and a team of caseworkers at the Department of Social Services will work to improve the situations, sometimes bringing in law enforcement or other support services for parenting or drug addictions.
She has worked in DSS for 24 years, including the past 14 years as a supervisor with child protective, adult protective and domestic violence cases.
Harrington and the DSS staff consistently rank in the top 10 in New York on the performance measures mandated by the state for child protection investigations, said Nola Goodrich-Kresse, a public health educator and vice president of the Employees Assistance Program.
The EAP on Wednesday named Harrington the county “Employee of the Year.” She was presented a plaque during the Orleans County Legislature meeting.
The caseloads for Harrington and six child protective caseworkers have jumped, from about 300 child protective cases in 2001 to about 700 now.
Harrington said a surge in drug problems in the community is responsible for most of the rise in child abuse and neglect.
“The big issue is drug abuse,” she said. “It is a horrific problem in the county and all over. It can impair a parents’ ability to be a parent.”
Harrington said her co-workers and many service providers “genuinely care about kids,” trying to improve their situations and make them safe and healthy.
She will often direct services to families from Drug Court, the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, the Care Net Center of Greater Orleans, and other agencies.
“You cannot focus on what has happened to the child,” Harrington said she will often tell her staff. “You just focus on it not happening again.”
However, she said the cases can be troubling.
“You still bring it home with you at night,” she said.
She oversees two investigators in elder abuse. For seniors, that is typically financial exploitation, Harrington said.
She collaborates with legal and human services professionals, and she continues to earn their respect, Goodrich-Kresse said.
Harrington was named Employee of the Month last February. The EAP committee considered the honored employees from each month and then picked a top employee for the year.
Other employees recognized for going “above and beyond their duty” the past year include Wayne Krull in highway, William Culverwell in buildings and grounds, Karen Wygal in nursing home, James Halstead from the Sheriff’s Department, Tammy Vanwycke in the nursing home, Onnalee O’Connor in the Legislature’s office, and C.J. Laubacher from the Sheriff’s Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Project expected to be complete in summer
File photo by Tom Rivers – The Clarendon Street bridge in the village of Albion will be ripped out this year with that section of the street to be blocked off.
ALBION – Contractors have submitted bids for tearing out a village-owned bridge, a project that should start in March and be complete in the summer.
Village officials opened bids for the Clarendon Street bridge project on Wednesday and the prices ranged from a low of $442,640 from Keeler Construction of Albion to $1,130,089 from Frederico Construction & Demolition in Rochester.
Kevin Miller, project manager and an engineer from Bergmann Associates in Buffalo, is reviewing the bids and will make a recommendation to the Village Board, which could vote on the contractor on Feb. 28.
The village expected the project to cost about $700,000. Keeler’s bid is well under that. None of the other five bidders were under $700,000.
The village is paying 5 percent of the overall project costs, while the state pays 15 percent and the federal government 80 percent.
Besides removing the 50-year-old bridge, the highway embankments will be lowered and the street will be blocked off at a 90-degree angle at Crimson Drive. On the north side, it will also be blocked off with a turnaround spot near Childs Street.
The village was planning on replacing the bridge but the costs for the project exceeded estimates by about $600,000. The state and federal shares weren’t approved for the additional cost, which would have left the village footing the entire bill for the increase.
The Village Board deemed that too expensive and chose a different, less costly option of tearing out the bridge and blocking off the street near the railroad tracks.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The grain facility at Panek Farms is pictured along West Countyhouse Road on Wednesday at dusk.
After a few days in the single-digits, with wind chills below zero, today will warm up to a high of 23. It will be cold again on Friday. It will reach 24, but the temperatures are forecast to drop to 13 by 4 p.m. and fall to 6 on Friday night, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
On Saturday it will reach a high of 30 with a high of 38 on Sunday, according to the Weather Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2015 at 12:00 am
‘Dissolution has divided friends, neighbors and families. This cannot go on.’ – Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli
Photos by Tom Rivers – Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper, right, responds to a question about village dissolution. He is joined by Councilman Dale Stalker during a meeting at the Medina High School Auditorium attended by more than 300 people.
MEDINA – A big crowd of about 300 people attended a public meeting by the Town Boards in Shelby and Ridgeway on Wednesday night. The town officials stated their strong opposition to the dissolution of the Village of Medina.
Villagers shouldn’t expect the towns to pick up the level of services currently provided in the village, officials from both towns said.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier and other supporters of the dissolution plan see it as a restructuring of services that eases the tax burden on village residents, shifts some costs to the towns and brings in much-needed state aid.
But Jeff Toussaint, Ridgeway town councilman, called it a divisive effort that will only push costs onto the towns. He said the plan has residents outside the village fretting about “unbearable tax hikes.”
“The dissolution plan promoted by One Medina will not unite Medina but ruin it,” Toussaint said.
Ridgeway Town Board members David Stalker, right, and Paul Blajszczak both voiced their opposition to village dissolution. Stalker lives in the village and he said he enjoys the heightened services which come at a higher cost.
Village residents will vote on dissolution from noon to 9 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the Senior Center.
Residents won’t be voting on a specific dissolution plan. They will decide whether or not the village government will continue.
Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper and Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli both said the dissolution plan doesn’t save nearly enough money to justify eliminating the village government and creating new layers of government bureaucracy, including special districts, a local development corporation and additional burdens on the two towns.
The plan identifies $277,000 in cost savings and $541,000 in additional state aid for $818,000 in overall benefit. (Click here to see the dissolution plan.)
But with combined budgets of more than $10 million, the $277,000 was called a small amount in operational savings.
“I don’t trust the math,” Draper said. “It’s very clear these are all estimates.”
Draper said he is dubious there would be any savings at all because the plan only calls for adding one full-time position to the police department, which would go from covering the village to both towns, or from 3 square miles to 98. If four police officers were needed that would offset the $277,000 in identified cost savings.
Gary Lamar, president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, said the Medina Fire Department is critical to ambulance and fire service for Western Orleans County. He doesn’t want to see the Medina Fire Department disrupted through dissolution.
The town officials said they want to recommit to shared service discussions. Draper said the communities have established a record of cooperation before through courts and assessing services. He sees benefits to the village if the towns took over all plowing and street maintenance. However, if villagers want sidewalk plowing, they could pay for that and other “enhanced services,” Draper said.
The Shelby town supervisor sees the two towns providing “baseline services,” with village residents paying for additional services such as police.
Meier has said shared services don’t do enough to ease the significant tax strain on village residents. Villagers pay a combined tax rate of $54 per $1,000 of assessed property. Moving outside the village can knock about $12 off that combined tax rate, a significant disparity and major disincentive to invest in the village, the mayor has said.
The village tax rate would drop about $6, according to the dissolution plan. Ridgeway residents outside the village in 2013 paid a $6.71 rate for town, lighting and fire protection. That would rise 46 percent to $9.83 if the village dissolves and services are picked up according to the plan.
Shelby residents would see a 10 percent increase with dissolution with the 2013 rate for outside-village residents going from $8.36 per $1,000 of assessed property to $9.17. That would raise taxes for a $70,000 home from $585 to $642.
But the town officials don’t buy the numbers, particularly with the costs for police.
Paul Hendel served as moderator for the meeting at Medina High School.
Shelby Town Councilman Steve Seitz said the plan wasn’t well thought out and didn’t include input from the town officials. He told the village officials they shouldn’t quit on the village. He urged them to come back to the table and find more ways to share services and cooperate.
Ridgeway Town Councilman Paul Blajszczak described the dissolution plan as “radical and premature.”
He urged village residents “to elect candidates interested in productive collaboration.”
The town officials were asked to be specific in how the taxes could be cut for village residents. Shared services was a refrain among the two towns.
Napoli, the Ridgeway supervisor, said the dissolution push has stirred the passions of the community – for the wrong reasons.
“Dissolution has divided friends, neighbors and families,” Napoli said. “This cannot go on.”
Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli speaks against dissolution, saying the community should preserve the village. Jeff Toussaint is at right.
Ed Weider is one the proponents of “One Medina,” an effort that seeks to dissolve the village and merge the two towns. He spoke after several residents and town officials spoke about the beautiful downtown and historic flavor of the community.
Weider said there is another part of Medina, and it is growing: decay. He travels the village in a motorized wheelchair. He sees lots of vacant houses and properties being neglected.
Dissolving the village and merging the towns would lower government costs and bring in much needed state aid, helping to pay for services and lower residents’ tax bills, Weider said.
“i don’t think we can afford to maintain the status quo,” Weider said.
Weider praised the two town boards for their presentation on Wednesday night. The boards have proven they work well together and are willing to face community challenges. Weider urged them to support the village dissolution, to bring a unified and streamlined voice to local government.
Ed Weider addresses the two town boards before about 300 people on Wednesday night. Owen Toale is at right, holding the microphone for Weider.
The town officials were asked if they had been approached about a merger of the two towns. They said they hadn’t. Blajszczak said they would have to consider the issue if there was a citizen petition.
But he doubted there would be significant savings because there would still be the same amount of work with water, sewer, street maintenance and plowing, and other services.
“Would a merger save money?” Blajszczak said. “That’s an assumption.”
Some of the residents asked the town officials what the village residents get for the $1.1 million villagers pay to the two towns annually. Draper noted assessing and court for sure.
“The amount of service from the town is minimal at best,” resident Dick Berry responded to Draper.
Berry said he wished more of his local taxes could be directed to the village, which is doing the bulk of the work.
“There has to be a better way,” Berry said.
The town officials were also urged to press for more sales tax revenue from the county and to demand more municipal state aid from New York.
Proponents of dissolution will have a public meeting on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Medina Theatre. That meeting will include Don Earle, Seneca Falls town supervisor. He will share his community’s experience with dissolution, discussing impacts on taxes and services, and the community’s reaction to the changes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Regardless of the dissolution vote on Jan. 20, there will be another village election in the spring with two trustee positions on the ballot.
The village election usually falls the third Tuesday of March, but this year that lands on St. Patrick’s Day. Because of that, the Village Board voted to move the election a day later to March 18, a Wednesday.
Trustees Mark Kruzynski and Mark Irwin both have their positions up for election.
Petitions are currently available at the village office. Petitions can be turned in to the village clerk between Feb. 3 and Feb. 10.
Even if dissolution is approved on Jan. 20, the village government will remain for an estimated two years to allow for a transition.
Besides setting the date for the next village election for March 18, the board on Monday also hired a new police officer. Edwin Bower comes from the Holley Police Department. He graduated from the Rural Police Training Academy last March. He will start at Medina with a salary at $44,712.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Meredith Patterson, winner of the Orleans County American Legion Oratorical Contest, shared her winning speech with the County Legislature today. Patterson, a junior at Albion, calls on citizens to better understand the U.S. Constitution and commit themselves to being active participants in the government.
Patterson said the Constitution is a job description for Americans.
“How long do you think you would be employed if you didn’t understand your job description?”
Orleans County Legislator John DeFilipps is at left and Mark O’Brien, director of the County Mental Health Department, is in back at right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2015 at 12:00 am
Editorial
In about 500 words, how would you best tout Orleans County as a place to visit?
That was my challenge. My co-workers at The Lake Country Pennysaver are putting together the 2015 Orleans County Visitor’s Guide. This publication begins with a welcome message that is about 500 words.
This is what I came up with: In Orleans County, you’re welcome to slow down and relax
File photos by Tom Rivers
The leaves are changing colors by Fruit Avenue in the Town of Ridgeway in this photo from October.
Orleans County moves at a slower pace than the bigger cities and larger metro areas nearby. We don’t apologize for it.
You’ll find some of us parked along country roads with binoculars in hand, gazing at a Snowy Owl or a bald eagle. In the fall, we enjoy a walk in the woods, or along the historic Erie Canal. You’ll see us out jogging, riding a bike or enjoying the local waterways by boat or kayak.
Some of us prefer fishing. Our Oak Orchard River is world-famous for its Chinook salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout. You can catch these fish in a lot of our smaller streams, too.
We have our favorite fishing spots – maybe an old quarry or a spot off the beaten path. (I know where I like to go, and I’m not telling.)
Jeff Baron, the father of a Tiger Cub, joins about 50 Scouters and their family members while fishing in an old Albion quarry in September 2013.
This is a beautiful county with lush landscapes. We still have plenty of unpaved roads out among the farms. I can’t help but smile when I drive along Woodchuck Alley or Johnny Cake Lane. “Progress” can wait. I’m happy out here.
We’re a big apple-growing county. The best time for a country drive may be in the spring when the blossoms on our fruit trees are in full bloom. Roll down your window because it smells as pretty as it looks.
If you want to feel inspired by the American Dream, Orleans County showcases the grit and determination of immigrants and pioneer settlers from the 1800s. They dug the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825 and cuts through Orleans County. Prosperity followed, with ornate residences, soaring churches, and spare-no-expense government buildings and downtown commercial sites.
Other communities knocked down their mansions to make way for chain stores. They demolished historic downtown buildings for malls and parking lots. Our Orleans ancestors cleverly kept the bulldozers at bay.
The downtown business districts in Albion and Medina are on the National Register for Historic Places. So is Courthouse Square and the seven churches within that block. Many of our grand old houses and cemeteries also are on the National Register, a nod to their significance to the American experience and their remarkable preservation for nearly two centuries.
The industrious pioneers in the early- to mid-1800s built houses featuring cobblestones on the exterior walls. Orleans and surrounding areas are a treasure trove of these unique structures, including the oldest cobblestone church in North America (1834), which is part of the Cobblestone Museum – one of only a few sites in Western New York deemed a National Historic Landmark.
That museum includes lots of surprises. One of my favorites is the outhouse that belonged to Rufus Bullock. Rufus grew up in Albion and went on to become governor of Georgia just after the Civil War. He is buried in the historic Mount Albion Cemetery.
You can learn and experience a lot around here. Best do it by foot, or by boat. Take your sweet time.
The Cobblestone Museum has six outhouses, including this one next to the Farmer’s Hall.
Orleans Hub readers are welcome to submit their own sales pitches about the county in 500 words or so. We could run them as letters to the editor. Send your “Welcome to Orleans County” messages to news@orleanshub.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2015 at 12:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers – The First United Methodist Church in Albion, built in 1860, is located at the corner of Platt and East State streets. The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church wants the congregation to vacate the build within three months due to structural issues with the roof.
ALBION – The First United Methodist Church will be leaving a building that has been the congregation’s home for more than 150 years.
The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church has given the congregation an April 15 deadline to be out of the historic building at the corner of Platt and East State streets.
Church members are working on packing up possessions in the church and cleaning out rooms. It will be an arduous process, said Terry Wilbert, church of the church’s administrative council.
Many of the items will go into storage. Some will be thrown out or recycled. Some may be donated to other churches or back to families.
The Conference discussed the Albion building during its meeting Monday in Syracuse. The church has a failing roof and replacing it, with a new structural system, is estimated at about $1 million, money the church doesn’t have.
The church has many large stained glass windows including this one of “The Good Shepherd.”
The congregation of about 30 families plans to stay together, to continue its Sunday School ministry and worship service. Wilbert said the congregation is negotiating with Christ Episcopal Church to jointly share that building on Main Street.
“It will be temporary and we don’t know if temporary is five weeks, five months or five years,” Wilbert said today.
The Conference wants to try to sell the building that dates from at least 1860 and is part of the Courthouse Square, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wilbert said the Conference is reaching out to real estate firms and auction companies to market the building nationally.
The church has been using five wooden beams to help support the roof since December 2012.
For more than two years the church has rented tall wooden pillars to support the roof. That isn’t a long-term solution and those beams are costing the church about $15,000 a year. The Conference has committed to paying that cost in the immediate future, Wilbert said.
In the meantime, church members will be cleaning the site and boxing up valuables.
“It’s a daunting task when you think about how big the building is,” Wilbert said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2015 at 12:00 am
District eyes offering the minimum tax break
Photos by Tom Rivers – Carl Boyle of Lyndonville tells Medina Central School Superintendent Jeff Evoy (in back) that the district should support a tax exemption for veterans. Boyle served during the Cold War and he said the tax exemption doesn’t include Cold War veterans.
MEDINA – The Board of Education hasn’t made a final decision, but the group is leaning towards offering about 500 veterans in the school district a discount in their school taxes, a move that will cause a tax increase for nonveterans.
“It’s a difficult decision in light of the economy and the poverty in our county, and in light of the debt we owe our veterans,” said Chris Keller, president of the Medina BOE.
The Board of Education discussed offering the exemption to veterans during Tuesday’s board meeting. Board members said they don’t want to put undue financial stress on nonveterans.
With that in mind, the board is considering offering the minimum tax exemption to veterans. If it approved, nonveterans would pay $32 more in taxes for a property assessed at $100,000, school superintendent Jeff Evoy said.
Veterans who served in wartime (World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf Conflict since Aug. 2, 1990) would get $6,000 off their assessments. That would save eligible veterans about $140 each. (The district’s tax rate is $23.31 per $1,000 of assessed property. Multiply $23.31 by 6 to determine the dollars saved through the exemption.)
The state in December 2013 voted to allow school districts the option of giving the exemption. The county, all 10 towns and three villages already had been offering it to veterans. (Only the Village of Albion doesn’t, according to the county Office of Real Property Tax Services. Updated 10:30 a.m.: The Village of Albion offers the exemption to veterans in World War I, WWII, and the Korean War.)
Board of Education President Chris Keller said the district wants to offer the exemption for veterans, but school officials don’t want to shift too much tax burden on other residents.
Medina is the first school district in the county to take up the issue. Veterans in November approached the Board, asking the district to implement the exemptions.
“It’s not an easy issue, no question about it,” said resident David Barhite. “But we wouldn’t be here without our veterans.”
Barhite said veterans deserve the tax discount. Many of them sacrificed pay and benefits from their jobs to be in the military, he said.
In addition to the $6,000 wartime exemption, veterans who were in a combat zone could have their taxable assessed values dropped by another $4,000. That would save another $93.24.
Veterans who are disabled from their military service could get $20,000 off their assessments, which would save them $466.20, based on the district’s current tax rate.
The state law allows districts to offer double what Medina is considering. The maximum exemption would be $12,000 off for wartime service, $8,000 for combat duty and $40,000 for being disabled.
If Medina offered the maximum exemptions, nonveterans would see their taxes go up $51 for properties assessed at $100,000, according to school officials.
Dave Kusmierczak said veterans could use the exemption, but he would prefer it to be offered through state income taxes and not property taxes.
Maureen Blackburn, former BOE president, said the community has many struggling young families, where $30 to $50 more in taxes is a big deal.
“That might be snow boots,” she said.
Blackburn said she holds veterans “in the highest regard,” but the district needs to consider the impact and tax burden on younger families, who live in a much different and more difficult economy these days. Many of the families are working double jobs and still not making ends meet, Blackburn said.
“I would like our young families to have a place at the table when you’re considering your decision,” she said.
Nelda Toussaint also spoke against the exemption, saying it wasn’t fair to other residents who would see a shift in their taxes. Another resident, Tim Elliott, said he thinks many residents are struggling to get by, and the added taxes would be difficult for them to pay.
The New York State School Boards Association opposes the “alternative veterans exemption” because it would require other local taxpayers to make up the difference. The association would prefer to see the state provide the exemption through state income taxes.
“The law as is presents school boards with a dilemma,” NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer said in a statement last February. “If they adopt the exemption, that would increase taxes for other taxpayers in their district. If they do not adopt the exemption, they could be viewed as not being supportive of veterans.”
Local veteran Dave Kusmierczak said veterans could use a break in their taxes. The exemption through property taxes not only shifts some of the tax load to nonveterans, but it also excludes many veterans, Kusmierczak said. If they don’t own property, they won’t get an exemption. He would like to see the benefit offered through income taxes so more veterans would be able to use it.
Carl Boyle served in the Cold War, but the state doesn’t include that as wartime service. He said the proposal discriminates against veterans in the Cold War.
Carl Boyle served overseas in Germany during the Cold War. He isn’t eligible for the wartime exemption because Cold War veterans weren’t included.
Boyle said he slept for months outside in the cold during his service, and tensions were high with the Russians.
“It was a war of nerves,” Boyle told the Board of Education. “It took a toll on me and several other thousand Cold War veterans. The Cold War vet is being crapped on. That isn’t fair. That’s discrimination.”
Medina has 217 veterans eligible for the wartime exemption and 260 more eligible for service in a combat zone. Of those two groups, 95 are rated as disabled.
BOE President Chris Keller took a poll of board members on Tuesday, to see where they stand at this point. Several said they were in favor of offering the minimum exemption. But the board wants more time to consider the issue and weigh the impacts.
Offering the exemption would also reduce the district’s STAR funds from the state by $4,524, with nonveterans to make up that difference, Evoy said.
The district will have another public hearing at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 for the minimum exemption levels. The board could vote on the issue at that meeting. In order for the exemption to apply to the 2015-16 school taxes, the board needs to adopt the exemption by March 1.
BOE member John McCarthy said the district is in a difficult position. He said the state allowed the exemption, but passed the decision making and impact to the local level.
“It will pit neighbor versus neighbor, and school district versus school district,” McCarthy said.
