By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 6:24 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion police officer Jeff Gifaldi, left, checks on a tractor trailer that caused a power outage on Orchard Street near the Lake Country Pennysaver and Yellow Goose on North Main Street.
A driver for Beckmann Distribution Service Inc. in Carlyle, Ill., hit a wire at about 5:30 p.m. The driver was attempting to turn around on Orchard Street.
The driver noticed the 22-ton weight limit for the Main Street canal bridge. He was attempting to turn around and find another way across the canal, Albion police said.
National Grid was called to the scene and was expected soon to restore power for the section of the village.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – St. Peter’s Cathedral in Erie, Pa., towers 265 feet and remains a dominant part of the city skyline.
MEDINA – Eleven sites, some soaring 200 feet or higher, have joined the list of nominations for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Some of the nominees are huge and breathtaking in their size. St. Peter’s Cathedral in Erie, Pa., takes up about three city blocks. It towers more than 265 feet.
“It is truly a magnificent structure with massive amounts of Medina sandstone,” Jim Hancock, a member of the Hall of Fame Committee, said during a nomination reception on Thursday.
The church was built in 1894. It was the first site outside New York State to make the list of nominees.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The First Presbyterian Church in Albion, shown during a winter storm last February, has endured many Western New York winters.
Three sites were nominated from Orleans County: First Presbyterian Church in Albion, built in 1874; the former St. Rocco’s Catholic Church (now Cornerstone Christian Church), built by Italian immigrants in Hulberton in 1906; and Robin Hill Manor, a residence completed in 1952 by William Smith in Lyndonville.
Several locations in Buffalo also were nominated: The Asbury-Delaware Church (now known as Babeville), built in 1876 and now a performing arts venue and events center owned by singer Ani DiFranco; the Olmsted Circles at the Buffalo parks, built in 1876; the Buffalo Crematory from 1885; and the W.H. Gratwick House, built in 1888 but torn down in 1919. (Because it was demolished it wouldn’t be included in the Hall of Fame).
John Slack, a member of the Hall of Fame Committee, discusses the Olmsted Circles, which have been nominated for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Two sites were nominated in Jamestown. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church was constructed from 1892 to 1894. The site includes a tower with a clock on four faces, as well as the city’s only chime bells. The Prendergast family funded the church project.
That family also paid for Jamestown’s public library. The James Prendergast Free Library opened in 1891. The building consumes an entire city block on Cherry Street. The library has rounded arches, a turret on the southeast corner and stone steps that were cut from a single stone to help the steps weather the harsh winter climate.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Prendergast Library in Jamestown is one of two sites from Jamestown nominated for the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
The HOF Committee traveled to Central New York to visit the Sonnenberg Mansion in Canandaigua. The Queen Anne-style mansion was built from 1885 to 1887 and has 40 rooms. The Sonnenberg Mansion and its gardens are now a part of the New York State Parks Department.
Provided photo – The Sonnenberg Mansion is now part of the NY State Park Department. The 40-room mansion was completed in 1887.
The nominated sites join 15 holdovers from 2013 for consideration for the Hall of Fame. Six inaugural sites were enshrined last December. The second class will be inducted in the spring.
“We can be proud of the Medina Sandstone Society for recognizing the beautiful sandstone buildings that have been erected from Orleans County stone,” said Kathy Blackburn, director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
During a reception Thursday at the Medina Theatre, she praised the Sandstone Society for working to preserve and promote the Medina Sandstone heritage. The Sandstone Society also gives out annual grants for local community projects.
Jennifer Wells-Dickerson speaks about her great-grandfather, Pasquale DiLaura of Albion, who kept the sandstone industry alive from 1920 to the 1960s.
Thursday’s reception included a feature about Pasquale DiLaura. When the sandstone industry was struggling in 1920, he opened a quarry in Clarendon and lined up work for the stone masons. DiLaura led the crews that built the Hamlin Beach State Park. He taught the young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps how to cut stone. Many of those structures endure about 80 years after they were built.
DiLaura’s stone also was used for the Lake Ontario State Parkway and many other local projects. His great-granddaughter, Jennifer Wells-Dickerson, shared his story during the reception on Thursday. She said she is working on a book about DiLaura.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tim Smith from Chesapeake Organ Service in Red Lion, Pa., drills screws out of the top of the organ at Trinity Lutheran Church in Medina. The organ is being taken apart with a bigger one headed to the church.
MEDINA – For nearly a century the organ at Trinity Lutheran Church in Medina filled the sanctuary with sounds of beloved church hymns.
But in recent days, the organ has been torn apart, with sounds of drills, hammers and bursting wood.
The organ should be gone in a few days. By Easter, a bigger, better organ will be in its place.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the church,” said Andrew Meier, the church organist.
Tim Smith works on removing the church organ at Trinity Lutheran.
Meier helped orchestrate the change. Trinity is removing an organ from 1925 with eight ranks or eight sets of pipes and two manuals or keyboards. It will be replaced with one from 1968 that has 29 sets of pipes and three keyboards. Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio donated the 1968 Holtkamp pipe organ to Trinity Lutheran.
The church in Cincinnati is being renovated and is putting in a more compact organ. Trinity has the space for the organ to be spread out in all of its glory.
Smith’s company will clean and rebuild the organ. The church has raised most of the money for the project, but donations are welcome. (Checks for “Organ Fund” can be sent to Trinity Lutheran Church, 1212 West Ave., Medina NY 14103.)
Trinity has the space in the balcony to accommodate a large organ. Tim Smith is standing on top of the instrument.
Meier said there are many fine organs in Orleans County as well as in Rochester.
“We could make our area an organ destination,” he said. “I think we really have something here.”
Smith has seen a resurgence in the instruments, with Gen X’ers leading a push to more traditional church music with organs. He also is executive director of The Portageville Chapel in Wyoming County. That includes a church from 1841 with a chapel that serves as a retreat for organists. Smith said the chapel has been booked for 50 weeks this year for organists looking to hone their craft.
He connected with Meier at The Portageville Chapel. Smith said Trinity will be receiving an organ “in very fine condition.” He will bring the organ to Medina in stages, likely in beginning in January. The goal is to have the organ ready for April 5, Easter Sunday.
Tim Smith is working on the task of taking apart an organ from 1925.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – CRFS, which a year ago moved into the former Chase site, was approved for a $250,000 loan today for working capital for the company’s expansion.
ALBION – Albion’s largest private employer was approved for a $250,000 low-interest loan today by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Claims Recovery Financial Services will use the funds for working capital, said Jim Whipple, EDA executive director. CRFS about a year ago consolidated its operations at the former Chase site in Albion.
The company shifted its employees from sites in Medina and a next-door location in Albion to the former Chase building. The company employs about 600 people at the site.
CRFS has five years to pay back the money at a rate that is 75 percent of prime. The money comes out of the EDA’s revolving loan fund for businesses. As the loan is paid back, the funds will be available for other businesses to borrow.
“We’re pleased with the positive direction CRFS is headed,” said Ken DeRoller, a county legislator and EDA board member.
The company has grown from about 10 employees a decade ago to its current size. CRFS is led by Orleans County native Jodi Gaines. The company serves clients in all 50 states, working with banks and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to recover past-due interest, unpaid principal, unpaid taxes and unpaid insurance on houses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Apex Clean Energy will have open house in Yates on Dec. 9
Apex Clean Energy – A 200-megawatt wind farm is eyed for the towns of Yates and Somerset along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
YATES – A company is eyeing the lakeshore towns of Yates in Orleans County and Somerset in Niagara for a 200-megawatt wind farm called “Lighthouse Wind.”
Apex Clean Energy hasn’t made an official proposal for the project yet, but it is connecting with landowners and local officials in the communities. The company had an open house last month at the Barker Fire Hall and will be available for another open house from 3 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Yates Town Hall.
The company is considering 60 to 75 of the wind turbines that tower about 500 feet. The Orleans Economic Development Agency discussed the project this morning at its monthly board meeting.
The EDA would like to be a part of the project to ensure revenue from the wind farm is directed to Yates, the county and the Lyndonville school district. Jim Whipple, the EDA executive director, said the potential revenue for the community has Yates town officials “excited.”
The electricity from the wind turbines would be tied into the grid near the Somerset power plant, Whipple said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
SHELBY – Walter Zelazny & Sons farm in Medina was out harvesting corn late this afternoon in this field at the corner of Route 63 and Fletcher Chapel Road.
The U.S. is forecasting a record high corn crop this year at 14.4 billion bushels. The cold snap pushed up the price slightly to $3.86 a bushel.
WASHINGTON, DC – The House Republican majority gave strong support for a controversial oil pipeline project today. The Keystone XL oil pipeline was approved in the House, 252-161, and now heads to the Senate.
The 1,179-mile project would go from Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska. It would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Congressman Chris Collins, R-Clarence, issued this statement after the vote:
“Achieving energy independence is vital for our nation’s economic growth and national security. For the past six years, the President’s Administration has hidden behind political motives to delay a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. While the Obama Administration and Senate Democrats have delayed, the American people have missed out on the thousands of jobs and lower energy costs that would be created by approval of the pipeline.
“As November’s elections results prove, Americans want economic growth and jobs now, and House Republicans are taking a major step towards those goals. It is time for the President and Senate Democrats to put aside their punitive political agenda and harness our nation’s energy potential.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – Local officials are planning an 11:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting on Monday for the Waterport bridge, which reopened on Oct. 22 after about five months of construction work.
The bridge is 700 feet across. It’s the longest county-owned bridge. It stretches across Lake Alice and the Oak Orchard River.
Keeler Construction in Barre served as the contractor for the $1.5 million project.
Another county bridge that has been under construction reopened earlier this week. The bridge on Hulberton Road near Route 104 is brand new, a $1.3 million project over Sandy Creek in the Town of Murray.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Albion and Medina kids compete in Louisville
In May, Jack Hill won the state FFA competition for delivering the junior creed speech. Hill was an eighth grader when he delivered the 2 ½ minute speech at the State Convention, which was hosted by Medina.
Jack Hill
His success earned him a trip to the National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Hill earned a bronze award, competing against the state champs from around the country.
He needed to memorize the creed and be ready to answer questions from the judges.
Jack was the first Medina student to compete at nationals “in a very long time,” said Todd Eick, the Medina FFA advisor.
Eick and four other students joined Hill at the convention, which they compared to a massive pep rally for agriculture. About 60,000 students were in Louisville from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 for the event.
“You can’t begin to describe the energy of 64,000 kids wearing blue jackets and cheering for agriculture,” Eick said. “It’s definitely been a motivation for the kids that went and have gotten back. They have a different drive.”
Albion sent 10 students and two advisors to the National Convention. Jayne Bannister competed in the extemporaneous speaking competition and finished in the top 20, good for a bronze award.
Jayne Bannister
Jayne, an Albion senior, spoke about the role the United States can play in food production and food security in the future. She sees American farmers sharing good agriculture practices with other countries, including in Africa, to help boost yields and preserve farmland.
She said a growing world population, with a shrinking land mass for food, poses a great challenge to farmers. She thinks the agricultural industry will meet the needs in the future.
“We have to be more efficient and smarter in providing food for the world,” she said.
Jayne has been accepted to Kansas State University, where she plans to double major in animal science and agriculture education. Her family runs a beef and fruit farm in Point Breeze.
Jayne felt drawn to Kansas, the second leading state for beef.
“There are cows everywhere,” she said about the landscape at K State. “It felt like home away from home.”
Another Albion FFA member was recognized at the National Convention. Paige Levandowski is a junior at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, studying agriculture education. She wants to be an ag teacher, and would welcome the chance to return to Orleans County to help with an FFA program.
Paige Levandowski
She earned her American Degree through FFA. It was a continuation of her Empire Degree with a focus in equine science and management. Levandowski tracked expenses and revenues for buying and selling horses.
She buys horses and resells them after riding them and taking them to horse shows. She buys horses when they are “green” with not much training.
Levandowski was state vice president of FFA two years ago when she was a freshman at SUNY Morrisville. She was determined to complete the American Degree.
“It’s the highest ranking for a member,” she said. “It’s really good closure for my FFA career.”
The Albion chapter also was recognized at the National Convention with a silver award. It won a bronze award the previous year.
The chapter has 80 members. It was recognized for its community outreach efforts, including a holiday food drive that nets about 20,000 pounds of produce for Community Action. The FFA chapter also puts on a fall festival for the elementary school, welcoming students to paint pumpkins and do other crafts.
“The kids do a great job reaching out to the community,” said Adam Krenning, FFA advisor and ag teacher.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Julie Berry praises upbringing and education in Medina
Photos by Tom Rivers
It’s been a busy day for Julie Berry in her return to Orleans County. She led writing workshops and assemblies at Medina Central School earlier in the day, before heading to Albion for a book talk and signing at 3 p.m. at the Hoag Library.
She was back in Medina at 6:30 for another book event at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
Berry, a 1991 Medina graduate, is pictured in her event at the Hoag Library. She is promoting her eighth book, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. That book follows the 2013 Viking release of her highly acclaimed YA novel, All the Truth That’s In Me.
“Loving stories is part of being human,” Berry told a Hoag crowd of about 25 people. “One of the things that distinguishes us from animals is we are a storytelling species.”
Berry shared some of her secrets to a good story: suffering and an underdog.
She develops characters who overcome struggles and challenges. She gives them friends and they are often outnumbered.
“Make them the underdog and pile on the enemies,” she said.
Berry reads from her latest novel, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place from Roaring Brook Press is a farcical Victorian murder mystery for ages 10 to 14. It tells the story of seven proper schoolgirls in a Victorian finishing school, who bury their dead headmistress in the back yard after she is mysteriously poisoned at Sunday dinner. To avoid being sent home, they carry on as if nothing is amiss. Deception, danger and mayhem abound in this rollicking middle-grade romp.
Berry said she was at a lecture when she heard the phrase “a regiment of maidens.” She thinks people think of maidens as being innocent. In her novel, they try to solve a murder.
“What’s important is coming up with stories that keep people moving the pages,” she said.
Berry said she is grateful for her upbringing on a farm in Medina and for her education by dedicated teachers.
“I had a phenomenal education in Medina,” she said. “I had teachers who cared. I had programs and resources available to me.”
Julie Berry said she enjoys coming back to Orleans County, calling it “a magical place.”
Berry lived in the Boston area for about a decade before moving to the Los Angeles area with her husband and four sons. She welcomes the chance to come to her hometown.
“Orleans County is a magical place for me because of all of my memories of the countryside,” she said.
She told the Albion group, which included many teen-agers, she has been fortunate to have a husband who encouraged her to pursue writing, even when there were “a lot of failures and disappointments.”
“I hope for each of you there is someplace where there are people who believe in you,” she said. “My husband believed in me and cared about me. I’m so grateful I listened to my family and husband.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Two teens – Albion High School senior Carol Pritchard, left, and GCC student Alise Pangrazio – try to buy Lottery tickets from Fischer’s News Stand in a video produced by GCASA.
ALBION – An organization is urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of gambling, warning the kids to not buy lottery tickets and bet money on games.
The Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has produced a 3-minute commercial, warning about gambling addiction. The commercial (Click here to see it) targets teen gambling. GCASA says a survey of students in grades 6 through 12 revealed that about 30 percent gamble through either the lottery or betting on sports.
In the commercial, GCASA states that gambling has become an accepted pastime. The agency urges parents to talk to their children about the dangers of gambling before a serious problem develops.
GCASA has received funding from the New York Council on Problem Gambling for 2014 to increase the number of parents who are committed to talking to their children about the dangers associated with underage gambling, said Pat Crowley, project director for Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition.
“As with many challenging issues for youth, it is important for parents to talk about gambling,” Crowley said. “It is important for parents to examine their own attitudes and habits around gambling and make sure you are modeling healthy behaviors.”
For more information regarding problem gambling contact GCASA at 585-589-0055 in Albion or 585-343-1124 in Batavia or you can reach the NYS HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY.
KNOWLESVILLE – These ladies were members of a class in the Presbyterian Church at Knowlesville. The picture was taken in 1905, and it shows their teacher, Mrs. John Preston, in the front row center.
First row, left to right: Mrs. Arthur Gillett, Mrs. Preston, and Mrs. Charles Sayers.
Second row: Mrs. Avery Andrews, Mrs. Dora Tanner, Mrs. Roscoe Ostrander, Mrs. Eugene Woodford, and Mrs. George Stanley.
Third row: Mrs. John Whitwell, Mrs. Fred Armstrong, Miss Grace Remelee, Mrs. Fred Anderson, Mrs. Frank Howlett, and Miss Mittie Tanner.
Top row: Mrs. George Prudon, Miss Jean Cameron, Mrs. Harry Frost, and Mrs. George Pettingill.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Pete Dragan worked the fields locally for 75 years
Photo by Tom Rivers – This sign was erected last week on Route 98, just south of the village of Albion. It is in honor of Pete Dragan, who owned Dragan Farm for more than 75 years. Dragan died at age 96 on Aug. 7, 2012.
ALBION – Pete Dragan used to joke with his employees that they were attending Dragan College, learning to fix machinery, plant and harvest crops, and get along with other people.
Dragan was a prominent local farmer for about 75 years. He grew soybeans and corn. He died at age 96 on Aug. 7, 2012.
His employees haven’t forgotten Dragan. They put up a sign last week that says, “Dragan College.” The sign is along Route 98, just south of the Village of Albion.
“Pete was a well-known man for starting new things,” said long-time employee Danny Wright.
If a Dragan employee or former worker needed a reference for a job, Dragan told them to put on their application that they went to Dragan College. It was a tongue-in-cheek expression that he repeated often.
Dragan’s daughter Diana Dragan Reed and the farm’s employees decided they wanted to honor Pete with a sign. Dennis Button made the sign and Jim Babcock made the supports. The sign went up last week, and it has lots of people talking about Dragan, who was once a frequent sight in the community with his white farm cars.
“I’m so thrilled that it’s been executed,” Dragan Reed said about the sign. “I thought it would be a great tribute to him.”
She lives in central Florida and has been helping with some of the farm administration. Dragan Farm is in the process of being acquired by two long-time Dragan employees, Steven Swiercznski and his cousin Tod Swiercznski. The sign is great tribute to her father, but she knows he would be most pleased the farm will continue and will keep the Dragan name.
“My father had farming in his blood,” Dragan Reed said. “He wanted to carry on the farm for his employees.”
Dragan Farm works nearly 2,000 acres of wheat and soybeans. It put up a new drying bin this year.
Dragan was active with the farm even at age 96, communicating with employees from his cell phone while he was in the hospital, his daughter said.
“He was talking until the very end, wanting to know what was going on with the farm,” she said. “His mind was very clear.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Without nursing home, total spending down 20%
ALBION – Orleans County property owners will pay less in county taxes next year, according to a county budget proposal that for the first time doesn’t include the nursing home.
The sale is expected to close soon after Jan. 1. The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center is being sold for $7.8 million to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC.
That will take 98 full-time and 64 part-time employees off the public payroll. It will also save the county a projected $1.5 million subsidy for the nursing home in 2015.
County residents will see the tax rate fall by 22 cents, from $10.11 to $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property.
If the county didn’t sell the nursing home, Legislature Chairman David Callard said property owners would have faced a 50-cent increase in the tax rate in 2015.
The Legislature will use some of the projected savings from the nursing home to boost some member agencies and also beef up infrastructure work, including replacing bridges and culverts.
“I believe this budget is one of the finest budgets the Legislature has prepared in a number of years,” Callard said during this afternoon’s Legislature meeting.
Overall spending would drop 19.4 percent from $79,786,629 to $65,015,266. The county’s tax levy, what it collects in taxes from property owners, would drop by 1.5 percent from $16,441,366 to $16,209,165.
This is the tentative budget as submitted by Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer. Residents can comment on the plan during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Orleans County Courthouse.
The budget increases the county allocation to the Orleans County Economic Development Agency from $150,000 to $170,000, the Soil and Water Conservation District from $57,750 to $75,000, the share to the Cornell Cooperative Extension from $219,500 to $225,000, Genesee-Orleans Regional Council on the Arts from $1,000 to $3,000, and the Sportsmen Federation from $500 to $1,000. The four public libraries will remain at a collective $10,000 from the county, according to the budget proposal.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2014 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – For 112 years, this building at the corner of Main and State streets was home to Swan Library. It was vacated in June 2012 when the library moved to the new Hoag Library. It could be sold by the end of the year.
ALBION – A local businessman has submitted an offer to buy the former Swan Library on Main Street. The building has been vacant since June 2012, when Albion’s public library moved to the new Hoag Library.
The Swan Library Association owns the building and has been looking for a new owner. The library has been spending $25,000 to $28,000 annually for maintenance, insurance and other costs for the former library, which was originally a mansion constructed in 1851.
It was donated by the Swan family as a public library, which opened in 1900. The site became too cramped for a modern library and patrons complained there were only a few parking spaces. It is air-conditioned and has an elevator.
Library President Kevin Doherty didn’t disclose who made the offer and what the intended use is for the building. He said the library will be working with Holley attorney Doug Heath on the real estate transaction. Doherty said a local businessman made a cash offer.
“Folks we’re not going to get $500,000 for the building over there,” Doherty said at tonight’s library trustee meeting.
The deal was facilitated by Grace Kent and Linda Smith, Doherty said.
The library will reach out to County Historian Bill Lattin for advice about preserving artifacts inside the building, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The former library was eyed as a local history museum, but that project didn’t come to fruition.
