By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – FFA students will deliver 27,000 pounds of food to Community Action this morning. That effort tops the previous record of 19,000 pounds from a year ago. The food will be shared with local food pantries.
In the top photo, Albion FFA member Andrea Muoio carries a sack of cabbage to a tractor trailer.
Barry Flansburg, left, grabs a box of apples to be handed off to FFA members in the ag shop this morning at Albion High School.
Jerico Chudy, right, is handed off a box of apples from Elizabeth Bentley.
FFA Advisor Adam Krenning works with students Jayne Bannister and Jacob Buzard to load the tractor trailer.
Kellie O’Hearn takes a 50-pound bag of potatoes from Logan London. The two are both seniors.
Press Release, Orleans County Undersheriff Steve Smith
CLARENDON – Two Brinks employees escaped serious injury this morning when their armored truck ran off the roadway and overturned in the Town of Clarendon.
The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on Holley-Byron Road (Route 237) between Hinds Road and Church Street.
Gary E. Machlowski, 64, of Buffalo was operating the truck headed north on Rt. 237 when he failed to negotiate a curve near Hanson Stone Corporation. The truck ran off the west side of the roadway and overturned, coming to rest on its roof.
A passenger in the truck’s rear compartment is identified as James A. Reinertsen, 32, of Buffalo. Both Reinertsen and Machlowski were treated at the scene by Clarendon EMS and Monroe Ambulance personnel. Neither individual was transported to the hospital.
Supervisory personnel from Brinks responded to the scene as well as a second armored truck. That section of Rt. 237 remained closed to traffic until about 1:45 p.m.
The incident was investigated by Deputy M.C. Mele, assisted by Deputy T.N. Tooley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The victim in Friday’s fire at Nayman’s, a small engine repair shop at 205 North Main St., has been identified as the business’s owner, Francis Nayman, 76.
The fire and death have been ruled accidental with no foul play suspected, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
“This determination is based upon the evaluation of the scene combined with an autopsy performed by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office,” Nenni said.
Police and fire investigators believe the fire was caused when Nayman came into close proximity of a portable propane heater. That caused Nayman’s clothing or the wheelchair he was sitting in to ignite, Nenni said.
Nayman is a long-time owner of the business. He suffered a stroke several years ago and was limited to the wheelchair. He inspired many in the community with his work ethic. He also was active in the local Democratic Party for decades.
Albion Police and the Albion Fire Department were dispatched to Nayman’s at 3:51 p.m. on Friday for a possible structure fire. Firefighters entered the building with smoke and a fire on the floor in the center of the mechanics area of the business.
The fire was quickly extinguished and the smoke was ventilated. Nayman’s badly burned body was found on the floor by a wheelchair that was also heavily damaged, Nenni said.
The incident was initially ruled suspicious due to limited physical evidence initially observed and the circumstances surrounding where the body was located, the police chief said.
The official case ruling will be made when lab results are returned following additional forensic tests to be performed, Nenni said.
The incident was investigated by the Albion Police Department, Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, New York State Police ID Unit, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Orleans County Coroner’s Office and the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Shelcy Plueckhahn, right, opened Capable Hearts today at 12 East Bank St., Albion. She is pictured with her sister Jewel Shingleton.
ALBION – A new gift store with Christian books and inspirational messages opened today at 12 East Bank St.
Capable Hearts is more than a business, said owner Shelcy Plueckhahn. She sees the store as a ministry for the community. She wants the site to be used for Bible studies, youth groups and as a support for people enduring grief.
Plueckhahn knows about suffering a devastating loss. Her son Demitrios Alexandris was 14 when he died in October 2009. Demitrios had several disabilities and was well-loved by his Albion classmates.
He was expressive in sharing his Christian faith. He drew a heart for his mother and that drawing hangs inside Capable Hearts. It also is the store’s logo.
“Losing Demitrios was the hardest part of my life,” Plueckhahn said. “This store is like having my son here. This is him continuing with his messages. He started it and we’re going to continue it.”
Plueckhahn and her family created this display which she calls “the ladder of hope.” It includes resources to help people with their grief.
Plueckhahn works full-time as a family advocate at Head Start. She is running the new business with her family and friends. She is selling books, archangel figurines and other gifts to cover the costs of the storefront and programs.
“Our mission is reaching out to people,” she said.
She knows not everyone is comfortable in a church setting. She hopes the store will provide a place for people to connect with God and others in the community.
For more information on Capable Hearts, visit capablehearts.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 10:22 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers – A section of Main Street in Albion has been blocked off for about six hours today while police and fire investigators were on scene at Nayman’s, a small engine repair garage at 205 North Main St. The street was expected to be reopened after 10 p.m.
ALBION – A fatal fire remains under investigation and the person who died in the fire is not being identified because police are not 100 percent sure who it is, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said tonight.
There will be an autopsy Saturday morning by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. The autopsy as well as the fire scene investigation should provide more answers about the cause of the fire and death, as well as the deceased’s identity, Nenni said.
Albion firefighters were quickly on the scene after the dispatch call went out at 3:51 p.m. when there were reports of smoke coming from Nayman’s, Nenni said. Firefighters were already out for another call in the community.
They quickly put out the fire at Nayman’s and discovered a burned body inside. Police and fire investigators originally ruled the fire and death suspicious, and that hasn’t been ruled out, Nenni said.
“We’re still deeming it suspicious,” he said at about 10 p.m. today. “Right now it’s an unknown.”
Albion police officers and firefighters were joined in the investigation by Orleans County fire investigators, New York State Police crime and identification technicians, and investigators from the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
“We will know more tomorrow,” Nenni said. “We’re still deeming it a suspicious incident.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 5:41 pm
ALBION – Police and fire officials are investigating a fatal fire in Albion at the Nayman’s garage at 205 North Main St.
Albion fire officials confirmed a body was found inside the garage. Local police and the Albion Fire Department arrived on scene soon after dispatch put out the call for a structure fire at the location at 3:51 p.m.
State police and state fire investigators have joined local police and firefighters at the scene.
The name of the person who died hasn’t been released and investigators are inside looking for a cause of the fire.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Former Boy Scouts and their leaders in Troop 60 in Albion met for a farewell dinner at Hojack’s Bar and Grill tonight. The troop is turning in its charter next month.
Pictured, kneeling, include from left: Dale Adamo and Ben Metcalf. Standing, from left: Jonathan Doherty, Scout Executive Jess Markel, Dave Hollenbeck, past scoutmaster Mike Metcalf, and assistant scoutmaster Steve Yoder.
The troop formed in 1997 and was sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church. About 50 to 60 boys participated in the troop, with 12 attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
“It taught me a lot about character,” said Ben Metcalf, 26. ‘If everyone lived by the 10 Commandments and the 12 Scouting principles, we wouldn’t have any problems in the world.”
Ben and his brother Tom both earned their Eagle rank. Their father Mike was a long-time Scoutmaster and volunteer.
Some of the Scouts reminisced by their adventures, including winter camp outs, biking and canoeing trips along the Canal (all the way to Camp Dittmer in Phelps), the Pinewood Derby and other activities.
Troop numbers dwindled in recent years. There was one Scout left at the end of last June and he transferred to Troop 164 in Albion. There are two remaining troops in the Albion community, Troop 164 is sponsored by the Catholic Church and Troop 175 is sponsored by the West Barre United Methodist Church.
Many of the Scouts became leaders in the five-county Iroquois Trail Council by working at Camp Dittmer in the summers. Allen Sanford is among the recent Troop 60 Scouts who continues to be a leader at Dittmer.
Metcalf worked as a Scout Executive before joining Jim and Adam Kirby at their farm in Albion.
Steve Yoder has been an assistant scoutmaster for about 30 years, staying with the program after his son aged out. He started volunteering in Rochester, and was with Troop 60 from day one in 1997. Yoder has been paralyzed on the left side of his body since he had a stroke in his early 30s about three decades ago.
He didn’t let that stop him from sharing how to start fires in the wilderness and stay warm on winter camp-outs. His secret to staying warm in the cold: eat a lot of cheese.
“Everyone contributes something,” he said about the Scouting program. “It’s gratifying to teach them a skill and have them come back later and say, ‘You taught me that.'”
Jonathan Doherty is among the Eagle Scouts at Troop 60. He stayed on as an adult volunteer and will help at Troop 164. He organized the dinner tonight.
Troop 60 won’t be going away, even as it turns in its charter.
“You still have all these people,” said Jess Markel, a Scout Executive who attended tonight’s dinner. “Hopefully Troop 60 will be a phoenix and rise again.”
Provided Photo – Albion Police Department members volunteered with the Red Kettle campaign today. He following are pictured, from left: Officer Jeff Gifaldi, Officer Brandon Annable, Officer Robert Wagner, Sgt. David Mogle, Lt. Thomas O’Hearn and Officer Karol Hughes.
Press Release
Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni
ALBION – Members of the Albion Police Benevolent Association volunteered their time today for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Several Albion police officers donated their time to “ring the bell” and man the kettle at the Tops Market in Albion.
The Albion Police Department and Albion Police PBA hope that in some way they have helped a person in need. The job of police officers is to serve and protect. The term serve to a police officer can have many meanings. The Albion Police PBA feels that to serve goes farther than just enforcing the law.
ALBION – Ellie the Elephant is one of many gifts donated in a Toy Challenge by local businesses.
The toys will be sorted and given to local families by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
The Toy Drive Committee includes, from left: Kris Hartwig, administrative assistant at S & B Whistler & Sons (Phinney Tool & Die) in Medina; Leslie Blake from Western New York Energy in Medina; Wendy Hinkley, volunteer; Carolyn Wagner, human resource manager at BMP in Medina; Marsha Rivers, executive director for Orleans County United Way; and Anni Skowneski, case manager for Community Action.
Many local businesses and organizations gave to the effort. The toys will be categorized by gender and age group. The volunteers have “Wish Lists” for the kids and they come in and pick out the toy to match or closely match the wish list items.
They bag the items and then the families come in to pick up the bag of toys. Kris Hartwig said it is good method for the families to be a part of the gift-giving process. They can see the children open up the gifts on Christmas morning.
“We are thankful for every donation received,” Skowneski said. “Every child deserves a present on Christmas.”
Toys are sorted and categorized in the basement of the First Baptist Church in Albion. Community Action will try to match the toys up with about 350 local families.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Officials at Medina Memorial Hospital and Orleans Community Health celebrated a new CT scan machine that will give better imagining reads and also expose patients to 40 percent less radiation. The following are pictured during an open house on Thursday, from left: Board of Directors members Les Morse and Ron Felstead; Janelle Cordle, lead CT technician; Board Vice President Dawn Meland (in back); Jen Maynard, director of radiology and corporate compliance; Board President Bruce Krenning; and Dolores Horvath, hospital CEO.
MEDINA – A new CT scan machine was welcomed into Medina Memorial Hospital on Thursday. The machine will give hospital staff much improved imaging when scans are taken of a brain, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
The CT scanner replaces one from 2001. The new one is a 64 slice CT scan compared to a 4 slice. Besides better imaging, the new machine will expose patients to 40 percent less radiation, said Jen Maynard, director of radiology and corporate compliance for the hospital and Orleans Community Health.
“We’re taking the concerns of our patients to the next level,” said Dolores Horvath, CEO of the hospital and Orleans Community Health.
Hospital officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebration on Thursday. Horvath said it will be part of a wave of improvements at the hospital and the Orleans Community Health.
She expects the state Board of Health will soon give the final OK for renovations in the front lobby and emergency room at the hospital. The community can also expect new medical and surgical services, as well as additional outpatient services in 2015.
Orleans Community Health invested about $400,000 for the CT scan machine and $130,000 for a digital reader and backup system in the X-Ray Department. The hospital worked with General Electric for both equipment purchases.
“It’s very complicated, highly technical and very expensive,” Horvath told officials during the ribbon-cutting. “It brings us into state-of-the-art imaging.”
Jen Maynard, the director of radiology and corporate compliance for Orleans Community Health (Medina Memorial Hospital), holds up a digital reader that also backs up files. The hospital spent about $130,000 for the equipment. Dolores Horvath, left, is CEO for the hospital and health system
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Firefighters and police are on the scene at a fire at Nayman’s, a long-time business at 205 North Main St. The dispatch call went out at 3:51 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 12:00 am
County hires 2 full-time investigators for group
ALBION – A multi-agency task force that targeted drug and major felony crimes in the county will no longer include officers from the Albion, Holley and Medina police departments.
The Orleans County Legislature announced the village personnel are out of the task force and two full-time investigators would be added at county expense.
The county had been paying Albion and Medina $50,000 annually towards the salary of a full-time officer and $25,000 to Holley for a part-time officer.
The villages, especially Albion and Medina, have long complained that the $50,000 did not come close to covering costs of a full-time officer for the salary, overtime and benefits.
“We heard it was costing the villages more than they were receiving,” said David Callard, Orleans County Legislature chairman. “By us taking on full-time employees it will eliminate the extra costs from the villages. They’ll have their own staffing at their own costs.”
The decision announced Wednesday caught the village leaders by surprise. However, they say village police will continue to fight drug and other crime in the community.
The decision comes about halfway through the village budget cycle, which runs June 1 to May 31.
Roland Nenni, Albion police chief, said his department now faces a $25,000 budget gap for the rest of the village fiscal year.
The Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force has existed for about 20 years. Nenni said it has been controversial since its inception.
“The views of how it should run and by what funding has changed many times over the years, depending on who sat on the various boards,” he said.
The Task Force has included a supervising officer paid by the county, a member of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, and officers from the Albion, Holley and Medina police departments. An officer from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement joined the Task Force this year as a full-time presence.
Callard said the two new full-time investigators and the ICE officer will more than offset the manpower from the villages – two full-time officers and a part-timer.
Nenni said he is optimistic the Task Force will remain effective and will work closely with the local village police.
“The impact of not having an officer from each agency assigned to unit is yet to be seen and only time will tell,” he said. “The Albion Police Department is committed to serve the residents of the Village of Albion in the protection of life and property and will continue to serve in all aspects of that protection.”
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said the loss of county funding may not be a budget blow to Medina because that officer can return to work full-time with the Medina department. The big overtime costs for the officer working at the Task Force are now gone, Meier said.
“I am pleased the county has taken an even greater leadership role in combating major crime,” Meier said. “In particular, the illegal drug trade isn’t just a problem in the villages. It’s countywide, and we must address it collectively.”
The county is capping officer overtime at $10,000 each per year. The new officers are scheduled to start on Jan. 1.
Callard said the village mayors and police chiefs will continue to be welcome on an advisory board for the Task Force.
“We’re all working together for the same purpose,” Callard said. “We’re still going to work together cooperatively.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Villages see share drop from $404,666 in 2013 to $398,110 in 2015
ALBION – The revenue-starved villages in Orleans County will see their shares of the sales tax for towns and villages drop because of a formula that ties the town and village share to their assessments.
The towns’ assessments are going up while the villages have been shrinking in recent years.
The county takes in about $15 million in sales tax. Since 2001, it has set aside $1,366,671 from that total for the 10 towns and villages. In 2013, the four villages – Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina – received $404,661. That fell to $400,681 in 2014 and the apportionment for 2015 drops the village share to $398,111.
The Village of Albion will get $175,305, which is down from $180,457 in 2013. Medina’s share is $159,586 next year (down from $160,988 in 2013), with Holley at $47,746 (down from $48,596 in 2014) and Lyndonville at $15,473 (compared to $15,511 in 2014).
To determine the village share, the county divides the village taxable value by the town taxable value. As the villages lose assessed value and the towns gain, the village share gets smaller.
For example, in the Town of Albion, the village accounted for 57.14 percent of the total taxable value in 2015. The village was 57.45 percent in 2014 and 58.59 percent in 2013.
The apportionment for 2015 includes the following amounts per town: Albion, $115,666; Barre, $64,536; Carlton, $95,418; Clarendon, $116,261; Gaines, $86,558; Kendall, $86,813; Murray, $111,220; Ridgeway, $124,828; Shelby, $101,179; and Yates, $66,082.
Orleans County was barely touched by the big snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area last month, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo has requested Orleans be included with other counties and be eligible for federal disaster aid.
The governor today said he has requested a major disaster declaration be issued for Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Orleans, St. Lawrence and Wyoming counties due to snowstorm and flooding that occurred from Nov. 18-26.
State and local governments had more than $46.6 million in response costs and infrastructure damage verified as a result of the storm, the governor said. A major disaster declaration for these counties is the next step in seeking financial assistance from the federal government once the $27.3 million damage threshold is met to allow local communities continue to recover.
“Once again, extreme weather came to New York and once again New Yorkers came together to help our neighbors in their time of need,” Cuomo said. “The state, working with communities from every corner of New York, mobilized an unprecedented response to the storm that struck Western New York and the North County. As we continue the recovery process, federal assistance is critical to helping these communities and their residents move beyond this storm and prepare for the rest of the upcoming winter season.”
A total of 14 fatalities and six injuries were attributed to the Lake Effect Snow event. More than 370 structures experienced roof damage from the weight of snow with an additional 38 structures completely destroyed.
In rural communities, barn collapses killed and injured livestock, including cattle and horses. Dairy farmers were forced to dump more than 250,000 pounds of milk. Damages to the agricultural industry alone are estimated at more than $15 million.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jeff Davignon, director of Hoag Library, outlines what he said are successes in the library during his first three months on the job. He spoke during Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
ALBION – In his first three months as director of the Hoag Library, Jeff Davignon has pushed to improve programming, signage and the environment at the library, trying to make the site more welcoming to people of all ages, particularly children, he said during Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
He believes the community has responded to the changes. He cited a door counter that tracked 9,311 people through the front door of the building from September through November, compared to 4,113 people during the same three months in 2013.
Davignon said the library has added children’s programming, including Minecraft and literacy efforts. The Minecraft game utilizes reading and science on a program where users interact with other players over the Internet.
“They are the future engineers of America,” Davignon said about Minecraft players. “The children are communicating, collaborating and learning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).”
The Minecraft players are also future adults, as are the other children that use the library, Davignon said. Hoag has created “The Loft” on the second floor for teens to study.
Davignon was criticized at Wednesday’s board meeting by library user Donna Wolcott for not providing enough oversight to teens, who she said use foul language and have public displays of affection.
Davignon said the teen programs and how to engage them is “a work in progress.” But he said he wants to continue to reach out to the age group.
“Having teens in the library has added vitality,” he said. “We’re going to try. We’re going to make an investment and see if it pays off.”
About 40 people attended Wednesdays’ board meeting, the first since last month’s contentious meeting when several residents said they were upset about changes at the library, including the termination of a long-time employee and other resignations or retirements.
The board responded to many of the questions from a month ago with more detail on Wednesday. Trustee Carol Miller spoke about the library’s “progressive levels of discipline” that include three steps before an employee is fired, unless the director deems one offense enough for a firing.
Trustee Linda Smith shared that a committee reviewed 20 applications for the director’s job and narrowed that pool to nine people who were interviewed. Davignon was picked by the committee and the board as the top candidate. He started in late August and is on a six-month probationary period.
Former trustee Patricia Cammarata thanked the board for open dialogue at the meeting. She asked that community members be able to send letters confidentially to one trustee, who would then share that information with other trustees.
Cammarata said some residents have left letters that haven’t been acknowledged by the board or library staff. The board has created an email account – hoaglibrary@gmail.com – to take questions from the community. Letters can also be sent to Hoag Library, 134 South Main St., Albion, NY 14411. Attention: S.L. Board of Trustees.
Cammarata would like the letters to be received away from the library. Library Board President Kevin Doherty wants to check with legal counsel on how to best do that.
Ken Braunbach also addressed the board and said he is disappointed about “character assassinations” some library officials have made in the public about his wife, Mary Anne Braunbach, a former board member and current president of the Friends of the Library.
“You shouldn’t discredit the Friends,” Mr. Braunbach said. “They work very hard finding money for the library, which helps you.”
Mrs. Braunbach addressed the board and she questioned if counting people through the doors has been done accurately, especially with people like herself who make frequent trips to the library, going back and forth to retrieve items from their vehicles.
She also said circulation numbers are the best way to measure if the library is seeing more use.
The circulation numbers weren’t available at the meeting.
Davignon said the library is assessing its collection. He would like to weed out seldom used books and replace them with more popular items.
He would like to establish community focus groups in the new year to help chart the library’s future and its programming. In early 2015, Hoag will introduce a new website, a 3-D printing program, credit card acceptance, and a consistent schedule of interesting programs for children and adults, Davignon said.
