By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The 70-member Genesee Chorale performs during the “Light of Christmas” concert this afternoon at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion.
Director Ric Jones has his back to the crowd.
Ric Jones, director of the Genesee Chorale, leads the group in singing “O Come All Ye Faithful” during the concert this afternoon.
Jones, a Medina resident, and the Chorale performed about dozen songs during today’s concert. The group also performed in Albion for a Christmas concert a year ago.
Albion students also performed in the concert. In this photo, John Flanagan plays “What Child Is This” with the Brass Ensemble up in the balcony.
Gary Simboli directs the Albion Women’s Select Choir in singing “O, Holy Night.”
Karen Jones is the soloist for the Chorale in singing “Away In A Manger.” Jones’s husband Ric is the Chorale director.
More than 350 people attended the concert in the historic Presbyterian Church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Santa Claus makes eye contact with a youngster at the First Baptist Church in Albion today.
Santa visited children and their families at the church today in Albion. The visit was followed with a potluck lunch and a cake.
Each child sat on Santa’s lap and shared a gift request for Christmas. In this photo, Danielle Schmidt, daughter of the church pastor Aleka Schmidt, tells Santa she wants a ferret for Christmas.
ALBION – The holiday season is upon us and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to remember the basics for maintaining your safety while shopping and at home:
Thieves look forward to the holidays as much as you do. When outside of malls or shopping plazas, stay in well lit areas. Do not leave valuables in open view inside your car. Lock them in the trunk or cover them in an unobtrusive way. If you place purchases in the car with the intention of doing some additional shopping, take time to move your vehicle to another location. You never know when thieves are watching.
Don’t flash large amounts of cash when making purchases. Carry your purse or shoulder bag close to your body, not dangling by long straps. Carry your wallet in an inside pocket of your coat or front pants pocket. Carry only the credit card(s) you intend to use. Leave the others at home.
Always lock your vehicle and your house. Leave lights turned on both inside and outside your residence after dark. Most burglars prefer to practice their craft under cover of darkness. If you plan on being away from your home for an extended period of time, put lights and the TV on timers. Also make arrangements for someone to pick-up your mail and newspapers. An overstuffed mailbox or newspapers piled up on the porch is a sure sign that no one is at home.
Opportunity is the key ingredient to a criminal’s success. By following these basic safety and prevention tips, you can significantly reduce your chances of becoming a victim. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office joins with other law enforcement agencies in wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Shelby Volunteer Fire Company firefighters Scott Petry, left, and Jeff Arnett were successful getting The Multi-Force Forcible Entry Door open during a training exercise this afternoon at the Orleans County Fire Training Center.
Local businesses pooled their money to buy the door for $6,000 from Firehouse Innovations Corp. Before the county had the door in its training arsenal, firefighters used a rusty old door at the Fire Training Center, or they hoped to use a house that would soon to be taken down.
It wasn’t an ideal scenario because firefighters didn’t have doors that could take the repeated demands for training exercises, said Jerry Lewis, a state certified training instructor.
Firefighters now have a door that can take all kinds of hits, as firefighters practice getting a locked door open quickly.
“It’s made to take a beating,” said Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision in Medina, which donated for the training door. “They said they want it to last.”
Jeff Arnett, left, and Scott Petry work together trying to get the door to open.
Many firefighters have already trained on the new equipment, which actually has two doors. Lewis said firefighters are learning nine different techniques for getting doors open. The equipment can be set up as inward-opening doors, outward-opening doors, left-hand and right-hand swinging door, and with metal or wood jambs. Firefighters can practice using Halligan and flat head axe or maul. A Hydra Ram and rabbit tool can also be used.
“Forcible entry is hard to teach unless you have something that can take the repetition,” Lewis said. “We’re trying to provide the most realistic training you can get so when they get out on an emergency they can perform their jobs.”
The faster firefighters can gain access to a building, the quicker they can douse flames.
The door will also be available to the SWAT team in Orleans County.
Lyons donated to the door and also secured donations from the following businesses: David Dunn Salvage in Middleport, Cruisin Auto Parts in Middleport, Zacher Construction in Medina, Brazzell Automotive in Medina, Medina Lumber & Hardware, Medina Cold Storage, Rudy’s in Medina, Growmark in Knowlesville, Panek Farms in Albion, Matt C.M. Contracting in Medina, Waters Autobody in Albion, and Orleans Ford in Medina.
Firefighters and two of the businesses that donated to the forcible entry door pose for a picture today. The group includes, from left: Dale Banker, emergency management director; Jerry Lewis, fire instructor; Shelby firefighter Jeff Arnett: Shelby firefighter Scott Petry: Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision; and Cory Vercruysse, general manager for Cruisin Auto Parts and a driver for David Dunn Salvage.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville community this evening lighted 43 Christmas trees that were donated by residents and community organizations.
Last year in the debut of the Christmas tree event there were 26 trees decorated and sponsored by the community.
Santa arrived by sleigh with a Lyndonville fire truck providing an escort.
Santa pulled the lever at the “North Pole Electric Company” to turn on the power for the trees at Veterans Park.
Members of the Lyndonville Select Chorus, led by teacher Jennifer Trupo, sang Christmas carols on the front lawn by Yates Community Library. Three of the members include, from left: Rebekah Hoffee, Trevor Thaine and Jessica Harling.
Many community organizations sponsored and decorated a tree. The trees will stay lit in the evenings until after New Year’s Day. The Village of Lyndonville teamed to put on the event with the Lyndonville Fire Department/Auxiliary, Lyndonville Lions Club and Lyndonville United Methodist Women.
“It’s been an awesome community event,” said Carla Woodworth, one of the organizers. “I want to thank everyone who came and who made this possible.”
The Lyndonville Fire Department decorated this tree.
After Santa arrived at the park, the action shifted to inside the Village Hall where Santa met with youngsters and cookies and hot chocolate were served.
Santa poses for a picture with Madalyn Mack, 6, and her brother Lucas, both of Lyndonville.
Jaiden Cecchini, 6, of Albion is all smiles in sharing his wish list with Santa.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 December 2014 at 12:00 am
File photos by Tom Rivers – Massive Medina sandstone pillars are at the entrance of Boxwood Cemetery with a sandstone chapel from 1903 in the background. The State Parks Department nominated the cemetery for the National Register of Historic Places on Thursday.
MEDINA – In 1849, Medina resident David Card expressed his dying wish: “to be buried on the hill north of Medina.” Card got his wish, and his burial was the catalyst for establishing Boxwood Cemetery.
The 20-acre site has become the final resting place for 5,000 people. It is also a distinctive example of several cemetery movements. It was originally established in the Rural Cemetery manner in 1850. The cemetery on North Gravel Road (Route 63) grew in size, and later sections were added in the Lawn Park and Memorial Park styles. The State Parks Department on Thursday nominated the cemetery for the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Park Service, through the U.S. Department of the Interior, will have final say on the cemetery’s inclusion on the Register. If it is approved, it would be the fourth cemetery in Orleans County to make the National Register, following Mount Albion Cemetery, Millville Cemetery in Shelby and Hillside Cemetery in Holley and Clarendon.
The listing gives the sites better access to grants and funding for preservation initiatives.
Boxwood reflects the changing and developing tastes in cemetery design from the mid 19th Century to the late 20th Century, according to the State Parks Department.
Boxwood Cemetery was built on a hill just outside the village. Drawing from contemporary English romantic landscape design ideas, Rural Cemeteries such as Boxwood utilized varied topography, curving drives for carriages and separate pedestrian pathways.
“At Boxwood Cemetery, the basic principles of these design trends, such as the rolling landscape and individual fenced family plots typical of Rural Cemeteries and later the emphasis on the unbroken lawn landscape, were translated for the size and resources of the growing Medina community,” according to the National Register nomination. “As the cemetery grew in size throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Boxwood Cemetery looked to the latest theories and ideas about cemetery design, designing subsequent additions reflective of this evolution.”
The cemetery includes many prominent residents who made an impact locally and beyond. Among those listed in the National Register nomination, include:
Don Bent, who established the local opera house that was a major center of civic, educational, and social affairs in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Charles Newton Hood, who ran the opera house and was also a newspaperman.
Edward Davey, an award-winning carriage maker.
Albert L. Swett (gravesite pictured), a prominent businessman who helped put Medina on the map with his company, Swett Iron Works. He is also responsible for bringing electric power to Medina by damming Oak Orchard Creek, located just to the east behind Boxwood Cemetery, thus creating Glenwood Lake as a reservoir to run his electric-generating plant.
John Ryan, who opened the first commercial quarry of Medina sandstone.
Levan Merritt, a successful businessman who helped lay out Boxwood Cemetery.
W.B. Robbins, part owner of a foundry and four-time village president.
Silas M. Burroughs, a general in the New York State Militia, a state assemblyman, and a representative in the U.S. Congress.
Henry A. Childs, a Supreme Court Justice for the Western District of New York.
Irving L’Hommedieu, a state senator.
Edwin Franklin Brown, a wounded Civil War veteran who went on to be the military mayor of Vicksburg, MS during Reconstruction and then became the inspector general of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. A hospital in Dayton, OH, was named in his honor.
Major General John S. Thompson, who as a captain during World War I was decorated with the British Distinguished Conduct Medal, Belgian Medal, French Service Cross and United States Medal.
George Shattuck, whose books on penmanship were used throughout the world.
Boxwood Cemetery is characteristic of the Rural Cemetery movement. Prior to that movement, most burial grounds tended to be in church yards and associated with a specific denomination, according to Boxwood’s National Register nomination. Rural Cemeteries created a non-sectarian burial place that emphasized romantic associations with picturesque, park-like natural landscapes.
The Village of Medina has owned and maintained Boxwood since it was formally established in 1850.
For more information on Boxwood, click here to see its National Register nomination.
ALBION – In this photo from 1950 we see officers of the Albion High School Hi-Y Club.
Left to right: Leonard Nayman, sergeant-at-Arms; Richard Cooper, president; Roy Schroeder, faculty advisor; Jerry Smith, secretary; and James Keeler, treasurer.
Press Release, U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul’s Office
BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Rico J. Vendetti, 44, of Rochester pleaded guilty to Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Similar to the storyline of a well known Charles Dickens novel, this defendant operated a sophisticated theft ring which utilized a gang of thieves to steal from numerous stores in Western New York,” Hochul said. “Unlike the fictional version, however, Vendetti relied upon adults to commit innumerable instances of shoplifting, and then turned to the internet to dispose of the merchandise. The defendant’s operation also led to the death of an elderly man who owned a comic book collection targeted for theft by Vendetti. As this prosecution demonstrates, the Office will use the full extent of federal law to bring all organized crime rings to justice.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony M. Bruce and Scott S. Allen, who are handling the case, stated that beginning in 2004 or 2005, the defendant began dealing with a number of shoplifters or “boosters” who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise from stores such as Walmart, Sears, Home Depot, JoAnn Fabrics, Tops and Wegmans.
The merchandise was sold to Vendetti for 25¢ on the dollar. The defendant then sold the merchandise on eBay for about half of its retail value, primarily to out-of-state customers.
Prior to July 5, 2010, the defendant learned of 78-year-old Homer Marciniak’s comic book collection, with an estimated value of $30,000, and began to plan and carry out a home invasion robbery. On July 5, 2010, Albert Parsons, Donald Griffin, and a third individual entered Marciniak’s Medina home.
During the robbery, Marciniak’s valuable collection of collectible comic books was stolen and Marciniak was beaten. Several hours after being treated for bruises and lacerations suffered during the robbery and released from the hospital, Marciniak was readmitted to the hospital where he died of a heart attack.
Charges are pending against defendants Parsons, Griffin and Arlene Combs. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Terry Stewart was convicted of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the case and is awaiting sentencing. Brandon Meade was convicted of conspiring to transport and transfer stolen property with an aggregate value of $5,000 in interstate commerce and is also awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Troopers from the Troop A Major Crimes Unit of the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Batavia, under the direction of Captain George Brown, Detectives from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Scott Hess, Detectives from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn, Officers from the Medina Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jose Avila and Officers from the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.
U.S. Attorney Hochul also praised the work of Orleans County District Attorney Joseph Cardone who brought this case to the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
KENDALL – Readers have been sending photos of Snowy Owls to Orleans Hub in the last two weeks after sending many last winter when Snowy Owls were here in a historic migration, perhaps the biggest in a half century.
All of those photos included one Snowy Owl, until Thursday when Vince Flow of Kendall saw three in a corn field on Lakeshore Road in Kendall.
Flow snapped the picture of two Snowy Owls in the top picture.
This Snowy Owl was near the other two.
“This morning I found three all in the same cut corn field,” Flow said in an email on Thursday. “Awesome sight.”
Pam Moore of Barre also got a photo of a Snowy Owl late last month in Batavia at the Genesee County Airport. Moore said she saw two owls at the same time in Batavia.
“The one would not come out of the fence and hung close to the runways but the other one came outside of the fence for a few minutes and I was able to snap a few pictures!”
Peggy Barringer of Albion took this picture of a Snowy Owl at the airport in Batavia late last month.
“It was way off in the distance and I zoomed as much as I could,” she said. “It sat there on an orange cone for a long time, though, looking to and fro.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the Monroe County Bomb Squad and Albion police officer David Mogle head into a house on West Park Street on Nov. 4 to remove a live grenade from the World War II era.
Orleans Hub broke the 500,000-mark for page views for the third straight month in November. Overall, we had 501,550 pageviews in November for a daily average of 16,718.
We also averaged 5,440 daily unique visitors, the third straight month we were over 5,000 for a daily average.
We were down a little from the record traffic in October, when we had a daily average of 5,640 unique visitors, and a daily page view average of 17,786. (The November traffic was about double from a year ago.)
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Kelsee Soule and the Albion girls volleyball team captured a Sectional title.
We were in between fall and winter sports seasons for much of November. Mike and Cheryl Wertman captured the playoff action for the local teams. Four teams earned Sectional titles including: Albion girls volleyball, Kendall girls soccer, the Barker field hockey and the Barker boys cross country teams.
Photo by Tom Rivers – A fire on Nov. 7 destroyed the Carlton home owned by Tim and Terry Keller.
The top five articles for the month (for “clicks”) include:
ALBION – Another painted bench promoting Albion history has been completed. This one features Mount Albion Cemetery. The bench was painted by Albion native Stacey Kirby.
The top photo shows the arch leading into the cemetery, which was established in 1843 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kirby delivered the bench to the Albion Middle School on Thursday, but first stopped at the cemetery to get this photo.
The bench will spend the winter inside the school. It will be placed in Albion’s downtown next spring, joining 10 other benches that were painted to promote local heritage.
This scene shows the Ingersoll Fountain, which was added to the cemetery in 1914.
The bench was paid for with a state Main Street grant. The artist fee was covered with some of the proceeds from a “Ghost Walk” in September, when Albion drama students portrayed prominent residents in the cemetery. About 500 people attended that event.
Kyle Thaine portrays Rufus Bullock, who grew up in Albion and was a railroad official in George. Bullock was elected Georgia’s governor in 1868. He was instrumental in the reconstruction of Georgia after the Civil War.
MEDINA – A secret group is conducting “push polling” about Medina’s village government dissolution, trying to intimidate residents to oppose dissolution, Mayor Andrew Meier said.
He issued this statement today:
“Numerous constituents have been in contact with my office about intimidating, high-pressure telemarketing calls they have been receiving. Pollsters ask leading questions about village dissolution, and refuse to say for whom the “poll” is being conducted or who is paying for it. The Village of Medina is not responsible for these calls. Residents are urged to exercise caution with respect to any and all coercive campaign tactics.”
Meier labeled the tactic a “push poll” where an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of voters under the guise of conducting a poll.
The dissolution of the village government goes before village voters on Jan. 20.
Winners to be recognized at Civil War Encampment in Medina
Press Release, GCC
BATAVIA – Organizers of the annual Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College’s Medina Campus Center seek to once again recognize the efforts of dedicated Orleans County citizens who work hard to preserve the county’s history.
Nominations are being accepted through Feb. 15, 2015 for the second annual Heritage Heroes Awards.
Nominees for Heritage Heroes Awards can be any age but posthumous nominations will not be accepted. History professionals and GCC employees are also not eligible for the award, nor are those who serve on the awards selection committees. All nominees must be individual Orleans County residents, and cannot be nominated as a group.
Orleans Hub file photo – The following were recognized as Heritage Heroes last April at GCC during the Civil War Encampment, from left: Bill Lattin, Matthew Ballard, Chris Busch, Robert Waters (also accepting for Craig Lacey), and Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan (accepting on behalf of Erin Anheier).
Five winners were honored last year including Medina Sandstone Society founder Robert Waters, co-director of the Cobblestone Society Museum Matthew Ballard, Medina Historical Society vice president Craig Lacy, Medina village planning board member Chris Busch, Clarendon preservationist Erin Anheier and Bill Lattin received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Because nominations are not retained for future consideration, nominees not selected to receive awards last year are encouraged to submit nominations again.
“Residents of Orleans County take great pride in their heritage,” said Jim Simon, Associate Dean of GCC’s Orleans County Campus Centers in Medina and Albion. “We want to recognize the time and investment of individuals who are tireless advocates for local history.”
To nominate someone for the Heritage Heroes Awards, write up a statement describing the person’s contributions, projects and community affiliations. Include his/her name (anonymous nominations will not be accepted), address, phone number and email address. The more in-depth the detail provided in the nomination, the stronger the submission. Submit the nomination to:
Genesee Community College
ATTENTION: Heritage Heroes Committee
11470 Maple Ridge Rd.
Medina, NY 14103-9675
Nominations may also be emailed to Jim Simon at jsimon@genesee.edu. Please write Heritage Heroes Nomination in the subject line.
A screening committee made up of community members, history professionals and GCC students will review the nominations and select finalists. From those finalists, a committee including GCC Associate Dean Jim Simon, Assistant Professor and Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield and Orleans Hub Editor Tom Rivers will choose the Heritage Heroes.
“We are very pleased to recognize those whose efforts often go unnoticed,” said Maxfield. “They make many personal sacrifices in order to preserve history for future generations.”
The Heritage Heroes will be recognized during a ceremony at the annual Civil War Encampment at Genesee Community College in Medina in April 2015.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – The call went out from dispatch at 12:15 p.m. about an accident on Crandall Road in the Town of Gaines.
Firefighters, a state trooper and an ambulance saw a trail of debris, including a demolished mailbox, along Ridge Road, just east of Crandall Road. But they couldn’t find the car in the accident – until they checked down Crandall Road where a car had been driven off the road into the brush.
There weren’t any injuries in the incidents. No additional information has been released.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 December 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The fountain in the Holley Public Square is up close with a full moon in the background in this photo taken this evening.
Village officials used a state grant to refurbish the fountain this year. The fountain was first installed in the Public Square 100 years ago.
Lights are already hanging in the Public Square. A Christmas tree will be lighted on Saturday at 6 p.m. The community is welcome to attend that event.
The Salisbury Fountain was originally given to the village by Mrs. Abraham Salisbury. According to a plaque, it was “Presented through the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.”
