By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Brunner International is planning a 48,000-square-foot addition to its complex at the corner of Route 31 and Bates Road in Medina.
MEDINA – Brunner International will save more than $500,000 in local taxes, plus another $1 million in financing costs through deals approved Friday by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The company is investing $13.5 million in an expansion in Medina that will add 35 new jobs. Brunner also will keep 363 existing jobs in the community as part of a 48,000-square-foot expansion at the corner of Bates Road and Route 31.
The EDA board agreed to back a tax-exempt bond for the company’s project. That will save Brunner an estimated $1,066,000 in financing costs for the $13.5 million loan.
The EDA isn’t financially liable for the loan, said Jim Whipple, the EDA executive director.
The agency can use the tax-exempt bonds as an incentive for companies doing industrial expansions, he said.
The EDA approved a tax savings plan known as a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) on Friday. The 15-year agreement will save Brunner $426,012 in property taxes to the town of Ridgeway, Orleans County and Medina Central School. The project is just outside the village of Medina.
The PILOT applies to the entire Brunner property, not just the addition. The entire complex, which is about 300,000 square feet, has an estimated assessment of $1,761,000. Brunner will pay 25 percent of the tax burden for the property in the first year with an additional 5 percent added each of the following years until it is paying the full tax burden in year 16.
The PILOT also commits the company to paying $639,018 in taxes over the 15 years.
The company expects to spend $1.9 million for building and equipment improvements. The Orleans EDA waived $76,000 in sales tax plus $53,252 in the mortgage recording tax for the expansion. That saves the company an additional $129,252.
The EDA will collect a $38,000 fee for its role in the project. That fee was determined by multiplying 2 percent by the $1.9 million in building improvements.
When the fee is subtracted from the sales and mortgage tax savings, the EDA estimated the Brunner will see $91,252 in first-year savings. That doesn’t include the savings through the PILOT and bond financing spread over many years.
Brunner produces components for heavy-duty trucks and trailers. It is working to have the new addition up and operational by the end of the year.
Students get a lesson from Mr. Byrne on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.
Story and pictures courtesy of
Tim Lincoln, Medina teacher
A group of Medina 8th grade students explored Washington, D.C. and its rich history from Wednesday to Friday last week. The trip marks the culmination of a two-year study of the history of the United States, its government, and the remarkable individuals that have influenced our great nation.
Throughout the trip, students were able to make connections to their study in the areas of history, literature, and science. Eighth-grader Leah Sheelar felt that the trip was more valuable than a typical week at school. “We were able to learn social studies first-hand, visiting the White House, Capitol Building, and the monuments.”
On Wednesday, students explored the Newseum, which featured the late Tim Russert’s office on display. Russert, a Buffalo native and dedicated Bills fan, was the moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” for 16 years. Following dinner at Fuel Pizza, the students visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. and FDR memorials.
Thursday’s itinerary included a subway ride from the hotel to the National Mall, where students visited several museums at the Smithsonian Institution. Future science majors Ian Joseph and Jacob Bensley enjoyed the hands-on activities at the Smithsonian Institution, especially the Air and Space Museum.
Nick Boyle and Bryan Bale were particularly moved by their visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Bale remarked that the museum “made it feel like you were one of (the Jews in Germany).” Each student is given an ID card and a brief biography of a concentration camp resident prior to the tour, providing a powerful first-hand narrative of the atrocities experienced by the victims of the Holocaust.
“Bao Bao” at the Smithsonian Institution
On the early summer evening, fireflies abundant, students were led on a tour of the monuments by Medina teacher and aspiring docent, Joe Byrne. Destiny Satkowski was most impressed by the Vietnam Memorial. “You could feel the energy and the respect for the veterans that gave their lives for their country.”
The trip concluded on Friday with a guided tour of Arlington National Cemetery and a visit to the National Zoo. At the zoo, students were able to visit Bao Bao (Chinese meaning “Treasure”), a panda born at the zoo in August of last year.
Overall, the trip was invaluable to the group. The adventure provided a tremendous learning opportunity for the students, while creating long-lasting memories for classmates and teachers.
The trip was made possible through the efforts of Medina parents, teachers, and administrators in conjunction with First Choice Travel in Batavia.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The canal boat, “Cayuga,” tied up in Albion today between the Main Street and Ingersoll Street lift bridges on the Erie Canal. (Ingersoll Street is in the background.)
As the summer boating season gets close, there should soon be more boats on the historic waterway.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The Orleans Economic Development Agency has hired a consultant to do a feasibility study for a new hotel in Medina.
Orleans County doesn’t have a brand name hotel in the county. That is one reason why county officials believe Orleans has the lowest visitor spending of any county in the state. Many of the visitors are day-trippers. A brand name hotel could prompt more visitors to stay and spend money in the county.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency voted on Friday to pay Interim Hospitality Consultants $3,500 to do a feasibility study for a hotel in the Medina area. Interim is based in Tallahassee, Fla.
Cobblestone Inn officials have visited the county twice to look at potential sites for a hotel, said Jim Whipple, EDA chief executive officer.
The company prefers Medina over Albion because Albion is on Route 98 and not too far from the cluster of hotels in Batavia.
“Medina is away from the Batavia strip,” Whipple said.
Cobblestone hotels tend to locally owned and in smaller markets. Whipple thinks Orleans County could prove to be an ideal marketplace.
Many visitors come for family events, reunions, graduation parties and business travel, as well as for other special events, he said. The proposed STAMP site in the town of Alabama, which is projected to bring 10,000 jobs to the community, could also make the Medina area attractive for a hotel.
Interim will evaluate the market potential of a new hotel; project levels of market penetration, occupancy and average room rate for the first five years of operation; comment on appropriate number, types and sizes of guest rooms, food and beverage facilities, meeting rooms and other amenities; prepare projections of cash flow from operations; and provide a written conclusion on financial projections for a proposed hotel.
Provided photos – Amanda Zok and her date Garrett Van Lieshout rode to the Albion prom in a red Case tractor.
HOLLEY – Some Albion students and their dates picked limos and limo buses to ride in style to Friday’s Senior Prom at Hickory Ridge Golf Resort in Holley.
Two couples chose to ride in tractors. Amanda Zok and her date Garrett Van Lieshout rode in a red Case tractor.
Quinton Vercruysse and his date Michelle Maxwell made it to the prom in a green John Deere.
Quinton Vercruysse and Michelle Maxwell, and Amanda Zok and Garrett Van Lieshout pose in front of a John Deere on prom night.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The school district sent home letters today, reminding parents that toy guns are not allowed at school.
A student today brought to school a spring-action toy gun that shoots B-Bs. The gun was confiscated. The student did not shoot or threaten any other students with the toy, according to the letter from District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell and Middle School Principal Dan Monacelli. The student will be disciplined through the Code of Conduct.
The two administrators said “a number of our students” purchased the toy guns during the Strawberry Festival on Friday and Saturday.
“We write to let you know about the situation and to seek your help in reminding your children that items like this are not permitted at school,” Bonnewell and Monacelli wrote in the letter.
They also noted last Thursday’s accidental shooting when a 13-year-old shot his brother, 9, in the arm while playing with a stolen gun. That investigation remains a law enforcement issue, the school officials said.
“With your help and the help of students like those who reported today’s incident, we remain committed to the safety of our students,” Bonnewell and Monacelli said in the letter.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Editorial
A new cemetery for Western New York veterans won’t be far from Orleans County. The 132-acre site is planned for Pembroke near a Thruway exit. That seems an ideal location – easy access for veterans and their families from Buffalo to Rochester and small towns in between. It will be a lot closer than the Bath National Cemetery in Steuben County, the closest veterans’ cemetery.
The cemetery in Pembroke could bear the name of a decorated war hero from Buffalo. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is pushing for the site to honor “Wild Bill” Donovan. He served as a Lt. Colonel in World War I. He founded and led the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the CIA, during World War II. Donovan is the only American to earn all four of the highest military awards in the United States.
Donovan is deserving of our respect. But I don’t think any cemetery for veterans should single out the service and sacrifice of one man above others who also heeded the call and gave of themselves, many paying the ultimate price.
Perhaps a visitor center at the site could bear Donovan’s name. The Buffalo News on Sunday editorialized that naming the cemetery for Donovan doesn’t go far enough in honoring this man. Some community leaders pushed for a new federal courthouse built in Buffalo to be named for Donovan, but that honor went to Robert H. Jackson, a former U.S. attorney and Supreme Court justice from Jamestown.
I don’t think a cemetery should bear the name of any one individual. Imagine if community leaders decided Mount Albion Cemetery should be known as the Rufus Bullock Cemetery as a memorial for a native son who served as governor of Georgia?
The cemetery in Pembroke should be known as the Western New York Veterans’ Cemetery, honoring a group of men and women who served their country. The WNY community should try harder to find a way to honor Donovan.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 June 2014 at 12:00 am
East Bank Street will be closed off for concerts
ALBION – The village of Albion will kick off its new “Concerts by the Canal” series this Thursday with two bands performing on a closed off East Bank Street. There is no admission charge.
The Dady Brothers, a well-known group that performs in Western New York and beyond, will sing beginning at 6:30 in the debut concert of the new series. The Dady Brothers play many folk instruments with their music. They have recorded 10 CDs.
Provided photo – The Dady Brothers will be the featured performers on Thursday.
A local band will play first for a half hour. The band called Pedestrians will play at 6 p.m., just before the Dady Brothers. That is the format the village of Albion is striving for in the series, which runs every Thursday until July 24. (July 3 will be off). A newer band will play for a half hour before the featured performer takes the stage.
“We want to give people another reason to come and explore the downtown,” said Sid Beaty, program coordinator for the village.
The village, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and the Albion Rotary Club are all sponsoring the series. The bands will play on Thursday evenings when many downtown stores have extended hours until 7 p.m.
The bands will perform on a mobile stage created by Eagle Scout Allen Sanford. He is a member of Route 98, which is the featured band on June 26.
The series coincides with extended hours by many businesses in the downtown on Thursdays until 7 p.m. The village also wants to have a farmers’ market on Thursdays on East Bank Street from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Farmers are urged to call the village at 589-9176 to inquire about being a vendor.
The lineup for the concert series includes:
June 19: The Pedestrians open followed by featured performers, The Dady Brothers
June 26: Whiskey Rebellion opening followed by Route 98
July 10: Sophisticats
July 17: The Who Dats
July 24: Dirty White Boys
The Albion Merchants Association also is planning a wine-tasting – “Sip and Stroll Through History” – from 3 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 9. Presale tickets are available at Bindings Bookstore, Hazy Jade Gift Shop and Xpress Fitness and Tanning.
HOLLEY – Teachers from Holley today will be ducking from flying tins of whipped cream and wiping their brows in a pie-throwing contest, all to help raise money for Camp Good Days and Special Times.
The event is being organized by Holley 8th graders and will feature 15 teachers and administrators who are willing to take a little ‘pie in the eye’ for a good cause. Students will be able to take their turn at throwing a pie for a dollar a try between 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. This event is one of many fun, outdoor activities that are scheduled to take place today as part of the school’s annual, end-of-the-year Academic Field Day celebration.
Hundreds of dollars in donations for the contest have already been collected for the cause and Camp Good Days representatives have been invited to attend.
Last month, the Camp’s Branchport location on Keuka Lake was damaged by heavy flooding and costly repairs threatened to delay its season opening. Around that time, students in Holley English teacher Suzanne Lepkowski’s class (as well as other eighth graders) were reading a book called The Acorn People by Ron Jones. The book tells a story about a camp counselor who becomes inspired by the people at his camp who are facing unimaginable physical hardships.
“The book resonated with students in a meaningful way,” said Lepkowski. “So, when students heard about the flooding at Camp Good Days and Special Times, they wanted to do something to help and teachers were quick to support the effort.”
HOLLEY – Students filled tins with whipped cream and paid $1 for the chance to throw the pies at teachers this afternoon.
Fifteen teachers administrators agreed to be targets in the pie-throwing contest that raised for Camp Good Days and Special Times. The Camp’s Branchport location on Keuka Lake was damaged by heavy flooding and costly repairs threatened to delay its season opening.
Holley 8th graders organized the pie-throwing as part of the school’s annual, end-of-the-year Academic Field Day celebration. Here they line up and get ready to throw the pies.
Albion resident making film for college Honors project
Photos by Sue Cook – Main characters Della (Amelia Favata) and Kyle (Adam Dixson) overdramatically look at the art during a scene that is meant to be reminiscent of ’80s teen movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
ALBION – Drawing from personal inspiration, Rhonda Parker of Albion spent 20 years conceptualizing, adjusting and writing her script for a romantic comedy.
“Friends Don’t Let Friends Date Friends” is the result of this dedicated work and will be released this fall.
The cast includes more than 35 people, which includes smaller roles in the film. Parker says that if extras were included into the count, the number of people in the movie would run into the hundreds.
“Friends Don’t Let Friends Date Friends” is the story of Della Regal, an emotionally unavailable young woman full of sarcastic humor, as she watches her friends fall in and out of love around her. As the film progresses, she finds herself conflicted over feelings for two different male friends. She is both happy for them and the girls they are with, but also feels irritated and annoyed about the situation.
Amelia Favata has the role of Della in the film and is no stranger to acting. She has been acting since she was 10 years old and has an associate’s degree in Theater Arts. Favata comes from Canandaigua each weekend to complete her scenes. In her everyday life, she is a barista at Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters.
“I hope people will fall in love with the characters and be emotionally engaged,” she said. “I hope they can relate to the story and, most importantly, laugh! After all, this is a comedy. I am very proud to be working on such a unique project. The script is what initially got me excited because it was so funny and well thought out. The characters are lovable and relatable. This is a quality film fueled by passion, talent and love.”
Erik Witkowski, playing Jeff in the film, said, “I think people will watch this film and be able to relate in so many ways to their personal life. Everyone has had ‘that’ friend. We’ve heard on many occasions that hindsight is 20/20 and as a friend you may have wished you intervened on a relationship, only to watch it crash and burn.”
Director Rhonda Parker (bottom left) poses with participants in her film including actors, crew and Marti’s on Main Street business owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella (2nd from left in top row).
Parker is making the film as her Honors program project. She is attending GCC for degrees as a paralegal and also for Communication Media Arts. She hopes everyone will be impressed with the end result after the amount of work and time put into the film by not just herself, but also her cast and crew.
The movie has taken place entirely in Orleans County. Parker and her husband Mark, who is cameraman for the film, live in Albion and are natives of the county, so they knew they wanted the area as their choice of location.
“It’s very much the promoting, diversity, unity and the beauty of New York, the local flavor,” Mrs. Parker said. “I’m not just making it here because it’s where I’m at; I love it here. This is where the story was born. This is where it needs to take place.”
While many shoot locations were flexible, such as homes, bridges and cemeteries, others required planning and permission from local business owners. The Lighthouse Restaurant in Point Breeze, Della’s Chocolates and Rudy’s in Medina, and The Main Street Store and Marti’s on Main Art Gallery have used for scenes.
Upcoming scenes will be filmed in the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion and the Shirt Factory Cafe in Medina. There is also a secret, undisclosed location for the finale that will take place in Albion.
Mark Parker films a scene with Michael O’Keefe (kneeling) instructing characters Della and Kyle in a drawing exercise.
“Everyone enjoys us being there and they get as involved as they can. Waitresses get to be waitresses in the film, art gallery browsers get to be onlookers in the film. It’s pretty cool,” said Adam Dixson who has the main male role of Kyle Montgomery.
Dixson is a resident of Oakfield and was very excited to work on a film so close to home.
“The cemetery was more like a park and the entire layout of it was very picturesque and peaceful. We got some cool photos there too,” said Favata, referring to Mt. Albion Cemetery. “I also loved the art at Marti’s on Main. I myself really love art and actually used to draw and paint all the time. Everyone has been really supportive and on board with us filming and seemed to have fun too.”
Parker will be wrapping up filming around the first weekend in July. After that, her husband will edit the film with her input. Mark will also be writing two or three original songs for the film as well. Parker appreciates the work that everyone is putting in and is very happy with the actors she chose.
“The individual actors bring so much to it that makes it come alive,” she said. “They come up with ideas and aren’t afraid to share them with me and then it makes everything brilliant. There’s no pretentiousness at all on set, it’s just fun. It’s just people that are genuinely fun and enjoying each others company and making art.”
Local artist, Michael O’Keefe, was able use his talent in the film. During his scene in Marti’s on Main, he was able to use a technique he created that he nicknamed Channart, which means channeled art.
Two people are paired up with one person holding the pen and the other person holding the drawer’s wrist. Without looking at the paper, the wrist-holder does most of the movement. Neither person looks at the paper while they draw together. The end result looks abstract, but full of fluidity and motion.
“It was Rhonda’s dream to do something like this and she did,” said O’Keefe. “We’re getting great art and great ideas.”
The film will be released in the fall to DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download and streaming. To see the teaser trailer click here. For more information and behind-the-scenes of the film, visit the film’s Facebook page.
Parker would love more community participation in her film, especially with two large wedding scenes coming up. Many extras are needed for upcoming scenes and more crew members are also being sought after for simple tasks (age 18 and older). She would also love to give local bands the chance to submit music for inclusion in the film.
To discuss opportunities for participation, e-mail rparker8@my.genesee.edu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Skip Stratton was out volunteering early this morning by watering the flowers in downtown Albion, at the routes 98 and 31 intersection, at Bullard Park and by some of the gateway signs in the village.
Stratton and other volunteers with the Albion Merchants Association handle the duty on weekends.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Some of the Self Advocate All Stars at the Arc of Orleans County were out washing cars at Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot today. In the top photo, Leslie Swanson gets some suds on a car owned by Meredith Minier of Albion.
The group raised $165 today. They are donating that money to self advocates in Yates County who lost many possessions in a recent flood.
Jonathan Doherty, one of the All Stars, helps clean a car. He welcomes more residents to join the group.
Sienna Garcia-Mathewson was part of the car washing crew today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The two-day Strawberry Festival, now in its 28th year, is a wholesome celebration of small town life.
The event continues to draw big crowds, especially for the 10 a.m. parade on Saturday. (A 1960 Chevy Impala is decked out in American flags for the parade in the top photo.)
This year the Festival Committee picked an agriculture theme for the event: “Flourish! Our Farms – Our Future.”
The festival strives to put on a series of family-friendly entertainment, with lots of food and music.
Here are a few highlights. We’ll have more later today on the parade.
Jessica and Matt Panek lead the float for Panek’s Picking Patch.
Daddy Cool and Krista Hartwig sing “Mustang Sally” with the Pratt Pack.
The Mark Time Marchers are ahead of the Albion Fire Department in the parade along Main Street.
Debbie Boyer, chairwoman of the Amazing Turtle Race, presents Jarred Saj with a surprise award during the parade. Saj sold the most tickets, nearly 300, for the Turtle Race.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – One of the members of the Rochester Scottish Pipes and Drums plays the bagpipes during the 28th annual Strawberry Festival Parade on Saturday.
Michael Bonafede, chairman of the Albion Strawberry Festival Committee, also is a drummer. He plays the drums and leads a horse-drawn carriage with a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin. The coffin was on display as part of the 100th anniversary celebration for the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home.
A member of the Pink Princesses Albion Youth Baseball Team hunts for candy in her bag during the parade.
Albion firefighters Dale Banker, in front, and Matt Francis march in the parade with other member of the AFD.
Dancin’ Derrick Bradley was in costume helping to promote the Weed Man.
Jenny McKenna of Barre is serving as the New York State Guernsey Princess. She was last year’s Niagara-Orleans Dairy Princess.
Karalyn Klotzbach walked down Main Street in the parade with her mother Katie Klotzbach and other members of the Panek family.
Another parade participant waves to the crowd.
Mattie Zarpentine, one of the coordinators for New York Revolution, leads the group’s float down Main Street.
Albion fifth-grader Lucas O’Connor is one of the banner holders for the Albion Marching Band.
Members of the Pembroke Marching Band performed in the parade.
The combined Holley-Kendall Marching Band, now in its second year, returned to the Strawberry Festival.
