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Yates Town Board approves met tower

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

YATES – The Town Board approved a nearly 200-foot-high tower that will test wind strength and consistency near the Yates shoreline, a step that is needed if Apex Wind Energy advances its plan for 60 to 68 wind turbines in Yates and neighboring Somerset.

The Town Board voted 3-1 on Thursday to approve the 196.85 foot high meteorological tower on land owned by Donna Bane. The tower will be on part of a 65-acre lot at the southwest corner of Lakeshore and Marshall roads.

The Orleans County Planning Board recommended the town approve the tower during the Planning Board’s April 23 meeting. For the town to deny the tower, it needed a super-majority vote with at least four votes against the tower. (The Town Board usually has five members, but Steve Freeman recently resigned, leaving the board with four members.)

Town Supervisor John Belson said there was no legal basis for denying the meteorological tower. The tower fits the zoning standards of the town, he said.

“It’s an allowed use,” he said today. “It’s a permitted use.”

Yates did approve stipulations that the tower be lighted and painted to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards.

Members of Save Ontario Shores, a citizens’ group against the wind turbines, attended the meeting and voiced opposition to MET tower.

Town Board member Jim Whipple opposed the tower, saying the timing wasn’t right for the structure because Apex still needs to complete a preliminary scoping statement that addresses some of the specifics of the wind project and environmental concerns.

“I voted no because I think they are way out in front,” Whipple said during today’s board meeting of the Orleans Economic Development Agency, where he is executive director. “I don’t think it’s time yet.”

Belson said the MET tower isn’t the same as the wind turbines, which would peak at nearly 600 feet high from the top of their blades. That project will be reviewed by the state, with some input from the local community.

A state siting board will have final say on that project. That seven-member board is supposed to include two representatives from the project area. Belson said he has four Yates residents in mind to be considered for the siting board and he expects Somerset would have four people for the state to consider.

State officials will have final say on the two local representatives. Belson said it would be fair to have one from Yates and one from Somerset.

Belson and Yates town officials have met with State Sen. Robert Ortt, and State Assembly members Steve Hawley and Jane Corwin to discuss the project and to make sure there is a local voice in the process.

Belson said the project is unusual for the state because it spreads over two towns in two counties.

“It’s something that never been done before in New York State,” he said about the multi jurisdictions.

NY wants downtown Holley on National Register

Staff Reports Posted 12 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The refurbished Salisbury Fountain in downtown Holley is pictured during last Saturday’s parade in Holley.

Members of the Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps march through the Public Square in Holley during last Saturday’s parade. The Public Square area has been nominated by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation for the state and national registers of historic places.

The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies perform on Route 31 in downtown Holley during last Saturday’s parade that passed through the historic district.

HOLLEY – Downtown Holley is among 26 sites throughout the state that have been nominated for the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The nominations reflect the breadth of New York’s history, ranging from one of the last amusement park rides left at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair in Queens, to the site of a 1943 school segregation fight in Rockland County, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

“New York has a rich heritage, and important events in the history of this state and this nation have occurred in virtually every corner of it,” Cuomo said. “By placing these sites on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we can ensure that they will be preserved and enjoyed by New Yorkers and visitors for years to come.”

Holley’s downtown was backed for the State and National Register by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation. Here is what it said about the Holley district:

Holley Village Historic District – The district’s 37 properties make up the commercial and institutional core of the village as it developed from 1822 to 1931; it was built along a distinctive street plan that was oriented to the Erie Canal’s irregular alignment as it spanned Sandy Creek.

Commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Rose Harvey said, “These sites are the physical reminders of the incredible scope of architectural vision, craftsmanship, innovation and history across New York State. Listing these landmarks will give them the recognition and support they deserve.”

State and National Register listing can assist property owners in revitalizing buildings, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

Spurred by the state and federal historic rehabilitation commercial tax credits administered by the State Historic Preservation Office, developers invested $500 million statewide in 2014 to revitalize properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Homeowners using the state historic homeowner rehabilitation tax credit invested more than $9.8 million statewide on home improvements to help revitalize historic neighborhoods.

The state and federal government have both added several sites in Holley and Clarendon to the registers in recent years, including Hillside Cemetery, the Old Stone Store, and at least two cobblestone houses in the community.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.

No one hurt in 2-car accident in Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2015 at 1:58 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There were no injuries in a 2-car accident at about 12:45 p.m. today on Route 31 near the driveway to Frank’s Auto on the western end of the Village of Albion.

Albion firefighters, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and other first responders were at the scene.

Albion firefighter Jim Peruzzini looks over the two cars, which both sustained minor damage from the accident.

Interfaith rally planned for Sunday outside Courthouse

Staff Reports Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Demonstrators were out on Sunday for several hours on Main Street in Albion, holding signs and trying to raise awareness for a court case in State Supreme Court in Orleans County.

ALBION – The Waterport Sufi community is planning an interfaith rally at 2 p.m. on Sunday outside the Orleans County Courthouse to protest a lawsuit that threatens the group’s use of a mosque on Fuller Road in Waterport.

The rally is intended as an interfaith event to support Constitutional rights for religious freedom.

The Sufi community is at risk of losing its place of worship as a result of a private lawsuit now before the New York Supreme Court in Orleans County, said Bilal Huzair, deputy director for the local Sufi Foundation.

The congregation and its local supporters have been picketing the courthouse in Albion for the past week to oppose what it says is an abuse of the legal process.

The local Muslim community has used the mosque on a dirt road in Carlton for 37 years. Many people have been married at the site on Fuller Road over the years. The mosque continues to be used for services and prayers, Huzair said.

He said a former wife of one of the mosque’s ministers has filed a lawsuit, seeking possession of the building. The issue has been argued before James Punch, acting State Supreme Court justice, and his decision is expected soon, Huzair said.

“This is not an individual’s property,” Huzair said on Sunday about the mosque. “We’re being held back from practicing our faith.”

The Sufi community is asking its friends in Western New York, other faith congregations, and all concerned people to stand with them to defend the Constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans.

Albion will run Elba sewer and water plants

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – Village of Albion personnel will run Elba’s water and sewer plants for a year with Albion to be paid $34,320 for providing personnel on a part-time basis.

The agreement was formally approved by the Albion Village Board on Wednesday, and is retroactive to June 1.

Albion will have personnel at the Elba facilities for about 2 hours each day. Rick Albright, the sewer plant chief operator, will handle the sewer oversight in Elba while Bill Logan, a DPW worker with a water license, will work at Elba’s water plant.

Albion has been managing the Holley sewer plant for the past year.

Elba is expected to use village personnel on a short-term basis for water because a transmission line is currently being installed down Route 98. That will link Elba to the Monroe County Water Authority, which provides much of the public water in Genesee County. Elba may not be able to connect to that system until next year.

The agreement between Elba and Albion gives each municipality the option of backing out of the agreement with 90 days notice.

Albion officials said the agreements with Elba and Holley are ways to bring revenue into the village, while using existing employees to help neighboring municipalities.

Village of Albion to borrow $550,000 for 3 big roof projects

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – The roof at the Village Hall, at the corner of East Bank and Platt streets, will soon be replaced as well as the roofs on the Fire Hall and Department of Public Works buildings.

ALBION – The Village Board decided on Wednesday to borrow $550,000 in a bond to pay for new roofs for the Village Hall, Fire Hall and Department of Public Works.

Doing all of the projects at once should provide some economies of scale and result in lower bids from contractors, said Dale Brooks, DPW superintendent.

The double-layered roofs have been leaking and they at the end of their useful lives, said Jason Foote, an engineer with Clark Patterson Lee, which inspected the roofs and helped prepare cost estimates.

The board voted to seek a bond to pay for the project, which should be done before winter.

The project will include the 3,500 square foot roof on the Village Hall, the 2,200 square foot roof on the Fire Hall, and two roofs at the DPW building – one that is 10,900 square feet over the truck bays and shop, and another that is 3,500 square feet over the offices.

Foote said the new roofs will be more energy efficient. The current roofs are two layers. Those layers will be ripped off for a new roof.

The village will wait for bids from banks on the bond to see the interest rates on the loan.

Holley schools will serve breakfast, lunch during summer for free

Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Press Release, Holley Central School

HOLLEY – Beginning on June 29, Holley children are eligible to receive free meals this summer. Free breakfast and lunch will be served at the Holley Middle School/High School Dining Hall.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the school district will provide meals to children under the age of 18 living within the Holley Central School District, regardless of income level. Pre-registration is not required.

Breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 a.m and lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program ends on Aug. 28. Meals will not be available on July 3 in observance of the Fourth of July holiday.

Breakfast options will include fresh baked toast or bagels, English muffins, cereal, yogurt, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, fresh fruit, juice and milk. Lunch options will consist of a variety of food that may include grilled meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, subs or wraps.

Adults, including Holley staff members, may also purchase breakfast and lunch from the district during this program. Breakfast is $2.25 and lunch is $4.

“We’re very pleased to provide this program to the community,” said District Superintendent Robert D’Angelo.

He encourages the community to take advantage of this program when children are attending the summer recreation program, summer school, or sports programs. The program is available to children not participating in a summer program at Holley.

Transportation will not be provided by the school district for those who wish to participate in the free meal program.

Randy Bower says he has enough signatures to force GOP primary

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – Randy Bower said today he already has enough signatures to force a Republican Primary in the race for sheriff against GOP-endorsed candidate Tom Drennan.

Drennan received the Republican Party Committee’s endorsement on May 7. There are about 10,000 registered Republicans in Orleans County. To force a primary, Bower needs at least 5 percent or about 500 signatures on petitions from eligible Republicans

Those petitions are due to the Board of Elections between July 6-9.

Bower said he has far exceeded the minimum threshold to force a Republican Primary on Sept. 10.

“I have more than enough,” he said. “It is unbelievable how well we did.”

Bower has worked as a dispatcher since 1986 for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. He has the Conservative Party endorsement and will be on the ballot in November.

Drennan started his career with the Sheriff’s Department as a deputy in 1992 on road patrol. He has been the department’s chief deputy since July 2006.

The Orleans County Democratic Party last week endorsed a retired Medina police officer and investigator, Don Organisciak, as its candidate.

Scott Hess, the current sheriff, has decided to retire after his term expires on Dec. 31.

Albion resident named new Elba school superintendent

Staff Reports Posted 11 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Keith Palmer

ELBA – The Elba Central School has picked Keith Palmer, an Albion resident and a principal at Pembroke High School, to serve as its next district superintendent.

Palmer, a former school administrator at Kendall, is set to start at Elba on July 1.

“I look forward to working with the Elba Board, faculty, students and community to develop strong relationships as we work together to deliver the district’s vision and mission,” Palmer said. “Our first priority is the education of our students as we focus on curriculum and instruction. This will enhance our students’ academic achievement as we work together to meet the district’s academic and financial goals.”

Palmer is currently the principal of the Pembroke Central High School, where he has served since 2003. Previously, he was assistant principal at the Kendall High School, a position he held for 12 years.

Palmer began his career in 1987 as a math and computer science teacher at North Warren Central School in the Adirondacks. He also taught at the Washington Correctional Facility located in Comstock for two summers in both 1988 and 1990.

Palmer holds a Bachelor of Arts from Houghton College, and a master’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. He holds three New York State Certifications – a NYS School District Administrator, a NYS School Administrator and Supervisor Certificate and a NYS School Business Administrator Certificate.

Palmer’s career encompasses a variety of leadership accomplishments including developing Professional Learning Communities to build school/family communication and maintaining effective relations with union leadership.

“The Board is confident in selecting Mr. Palmer to lead Elba Central Schools,” said Tony Zambito, president of the Board of Education at Elba Central School. “His professional background, along with a deep understanding of many aspects of educational leadership, makes him an excellent fit for the staff and students of the district. The search process narrowed the field to three excellent candidates. The board values all of the participation and input from stakeholders and community members and is committed and proud of this decision.”

Thunderstorms expected later this afternoon

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

This dock is a public boat launch site along the Erie Canal in Albion, just west of the Main Street lift bridge. It is pictured during the sunset on Tuesday evening.

It won’t be so peaceful later today, according to the National Weather Service. It warns that “numerous thunderstorms” are expected to develop in mid-afternoon through mid to late evening. Those storms are forecast to hit Orleans County and much of Western New York.

“Some of these storms are expected to become severe with damaging winds and large hail,” the Weather Service advised.