By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Paul Wagner led emergency management after 9-11, and through radio project
Photo by Tom Rivers – Paul Wagner, director of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County, poses with a birthday cake for him today on his 68th birthday. The cake was shared before the Orleans County Legislature meeting this afternoon.
ALBION – The leader of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County will retire on July 18 after seeing through a $7.1 million new emergency communications system.
Paul Wagner, 68, considered retiring sooner but he was committed to waiting until the new digital system was ready and working. Today the county switched from an analog system to the new digital one.
“I didn’t think it was fair to leave somebody else to pick up all of the pieces,” Wagner said today when county officials celebrated the radio system’s success.
He was praised for seeing the project through, while also working with firefighters to keep up with their training for numerous potential disasters, from dirty bombs to hazardous materials to ethanol tankers that catch fire.
“He prepared everyone for threats and worst-case scenarios, including weapons of mass destruction,” said Mike Fuller, chief of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
Wagner started as a firefighter in 1964, when he joined the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. He later moved across the county and joined the Clarendon Fire Company, serving as the fire chief.
He was appointed EMO director 14 years ago. Fuller said Wagner has the respect of the firefighters, partly based on a long commitment as a volunteer firefighter and past chief.
“You have to walk the walk before you can talk the talk,” Fuller said.
Three firefighters are vying to replace Wagner as the EMO director. Current Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari, Past Albion Fire Chief Dale Banker and Past Holley Fire Chief David Knapp, a current county fire investigator, are all pursuing the job.
The Fire Chiefs Association could recommend Wagner’s successor at its meeting June 5. Legislature Chairman David Callard and the Legislature will fill the opening by appointment.
This snapshot from the 1890s shows an unidentified artist working on a landscape painting along the marshes of Oak Orchard River.
He is seated in a row boat wearing a velvet suit consisting of knickers, vest and coat. This is topped off with a beret. He also appears to be smoking a pipe while sketching.
A canvas appears in the foreground. The case supported on his lap contains tubes of paint and brushes.
POTSDAM, NY – Ryan P. Golden of Kent, N.Y., a junior at Clarkson University majoring in computer science, received the Pi Mu Epsilon Award for Sophomores In Computer Science at the University Recognition Day ceremony during the spring semester. The award is given to the sophomore mathematics or computer science major who has made a noteworthy contribution in mathematics or computer science while at Clarkson.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company.
Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world’s pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 May 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A former Catholic school on Brown Street that was turned into a bed and breakfast a decade ago is in the process of being sold and will become an adult daycare and assisted living site.
Tender Loving Family Care Inc. currently operates similar sites in Brockport, Le Roy and Batavia. The Le Roy site has a waiting list, and some Orleans County residents have expressed interest in staying there. That prompted Annika D’Andrea, the business’s president and CEO, to look for a spot in Orleans County.
Lou and Jeri Becker, both Xerox retirees, bought the property 10 years ago and turned it into the Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast with four guest rooms. Those rooms and another one will be available for seniors to stay in with staff on site.
Tender Loving Family Care also is planning to have an adult daycare where seniors can stay during the day with structured activities.
The Village Planning Board approved a special use permit for the project at its meeting this afternoon.
The Beckers had many community events at the location, including a tribute day for Charles Howard, the founder of a Santa Claus School in Albion, and also a 100th anniversary celebration for the former St. Mary’s Catholic School.
The Beckers are working to close the Bed and Breakfast on July 21. Cindy Ingraham, a realtor and friend of D’Andrea’s, told the Village Planning Board that the site could be open for senior citizens in September.
“It’s turnkey,” she said. “We expect to be open within 30 days after the closing.”
The Beckers believe the new use will be a good fit for the location.
“We’re excited,” Mr. Becker said. “The people who went to school there can come back and finish their last years.”
Tender Loving Family Care expects to have an open house for the community before the business opens in Albion.
ALBION – Early on the morning of May 8, 1913, a fire broke out on the fourth floor of the Albion High School on East Academy Street.
As we see in this photo, extensive damage was caused by a Bunsen burner which had been left on overnight in the chemistry lab. Albion firemen are seen in this picture putting out the fire.
The high school was built in 1906. After a new high school was built on East Avenue in 1932, the older building became the Albion Grammar School. This fine Medina Sandstone structure remains today as an apartment building for senior citizens with the first floor used for the Meals on Wheels and Nutri-fair programs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Veterans Joe Gehl, front, and Steve Coville were among the participants in today’s Memorial Day parade in Albion.
Amelia Symons, 2, of Albion holds an American flag while watching the parade with her brother Henry on Main Street in Albion.
Mark Roberts, commander of the VFW in Albion, raises the American flag with Wally Skrypnik, acting American Legion commander, during the Memorial Day service in front of the Middle School.
Gary Befus, a past commander of the American Legion in Albion, stands at attention during the Memorial Day service.
The Albion Marching Band participated in the parade that went from Main Street to East Avenue to the Middle School front lawn.
Vietnam War veteran and helicopter pilot Charlie Nesbitt addressed the crowd in front of the Middle School. Nesbitt said the holiday was a time to remember of the sacrifices of Americans, including three of his friends.
He talked about Albion native Rick Engle, one of Nesbitt’s childhood friend and Little League teammates, who died in Vietnam in 1968.
Nesbitt also served with Norm Perron, a helicopter pilot from Maryland who loved to entertain his fellow soldiers with a classical guitar. He died when his helicopter was shot down when he tried to rescue soldiers.
Another Vietnam veteran Dick Fore was exposed to Agent Orange. He was in the special forces. He worked as a professor at Genesee Community College, but would died from the effects of Agent Orange in 1993.
The soldiers all made a choice to serve, and to give their lives for their country, Nesbitt said.
Orleans County Legislator Don Allport also addressed the crowd. He urged veterans to tell and record their experiences in the military and at war.
“We don’t want it lost to history,” Allport said. “Americans need to know.”
During the Memorial Day service Albion student Martha Smith read “Flander’s Fields” and student Meredith Patterson read “The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Robert June
ALBION – Robert June has completed a rare feat at age 17. He has earned a college degree and he is still a senior in high school. He will graduate from Albion next month.
June on May 18 walked the commencement stage at Genesee Community College for his associate’s degree. He actually completed the needed coursework for the GCC degree a year sooner when he was a junior in high school.
“I’ll be completely honest with you, I just love learning and education in general,” June said.
He plans to study finance at the University of Denver. But he will first take a year off from college to work and save up money.
June took classes at GCC during the summers after his freshman and sophomore years in high school. He took other classes during the school that counted for college credit at both the high school and at the GCC campus center in Albion.
He praised his Albion math teacher, Shelly Daggs, for pushing him in the classroom.
“Mrs. Daggs is one of the best teachers ever,” he said.
June said he was motivated to complete as many courses as possible while in high school partly because of the low cost of the college credit. He estimates his associate’s degree only cost about $2,000 for textbooks and gas.
He juggled the coursework while playing center for the Albion football team, competing in track, and being active with the school’s Chess Club and Masterminds team.
June’s achievement, earning a college degree before graduating from high school, is unusual, but not unprecedented. Machaon Bonafede also earned a GCC degree before he graduated from Albion about 15 years ago.
“He is a very tenacious young man with his eyes on the prize,” Donna Rae Sutherland, GCC’s associate director of marketing communications, said about June. “He has saved a ton of money.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Editorial:
What a missed opportunity. We could have made a case to a possible future governor of New York. At the very least, Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive and GOP candidate for governor, is an influential person, a man you want as an advocate to help solve your community problems.
But I bet Astorino thinks all is well in Orleans County. Astorino made three stops in Orleans County last Thursday, and he saw some of our brightest success stories. You can’t blame local government and Republican officials for wanting to show off the county.
They took him to Precision Packaging Products in Holley, Western New York Energy’s ethanol plant in Shelby and the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina, which is the base for Baxter Healthcare. These are all juggernauts.
Astorino’s tag line in his campaign is “Winning or Losing?” He criticizes Cuomo for an exodus of residents and jobs. The message about a broken state seemed out of sync while he stood in the lobbies of growing businesses.
In a county with a high unemployment rate, oppressive village tax rates, and many closed bridges and vacant buildings, I question the decision to just showcase our successes.
I would have had him give his speech in front of the dilapidated former Holley High School, a building in disrepair that sadly sits at a gateway into Orleans County. We could use some state resources to either revive the building or have it taken down.
I would have given him a ride along the Lake Ontario State Parkway, and hit some of the potholes and taken the detours so he would have a feel for the condition of that road.
I would have stopped by the closed canal bridge on Hindsburg Road in Murray, or Brown Street in Albion or the one-lane lift bridge in Knowlesville. There are several choices for shut-down or nearly closed canal bridges.
We could have also driven over the Clarendon Street bridge in Albion. I would have told him the costs recently jumped and the federal and state governments both refused to adjust their budgets, instead sticking the village with the entire increase. The Feds and state are supposed to pay 95 percent of the project, but now the bridge will likely be demolished and blocked off because the village can’t afford the replacement.
I’d swing by Bullard Park and show him some of the playground equipment still in use after 50 years. The village sought state help for upgrades, but was denied the past two grant cycles.
I’d explain the structural discrimination the state has set up against villages, how comparable small cities get about $150 per person in state aid but villages only get $5 to $10 per person. With the same state aid as small cities – nearly $1 million more a year – Albion could upgrade its playground, fix its bridge and fill in pot holes.
I’d take the governor candidate to City Hall in Medina. The police department and fire departments both work out of the building. Medina toyed with becoming a city about a century ago, but opted to stay a village. That was a bad decision. It has meant very little in state aid to help provide services to the community.
The burden on the village is so heavy that Mayor Andrew Meier and some community leaders believe it’s best if the village government vanishes, with the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway expected to pick up the services. That would help to spread the tax burden for the many services provided by village taxpayers, services that often go outside village boundaries.
The leaders of the two towns are fighting that process. Medina could work around the towns and ensure a strong future if it had a strong partner in the State of New York, which currently picks winners and losers with its municipal aid policies. Unfortunately for Orleans County, we haven’t had the state’s blessing.
In many ways, Orleans County with its crumbling infrastructure and crushing village taxes provided the perfect backdrop for Astorino and his campaign against Cuomo.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2014 at 12:00 am
WATERPORT – A bridge over Lake Alice has been blocked off from motorists so contractors can make repairs to the site over the next five to six months. But the barriers haven’t stopping residents from fishing and jumping from the bridge into the water.
Many people were spotted over the weekend on the bridge. Cameras have been installed and residents are warned they could be arrested if they are on the bridge before the construction project is complete, said Jennifer Vazquez, the construction inspector for Labella Associates.
“It’s for everyone’s safety,” she said this morning.
Keeler Construction of Barre will work on $1.5 million in repairs and preventive maintenance on the Waterport Road bridge over Oak Orchard Creek. The 700-foot-long bridge has been popular for fishermen and thrill-seekers.
Concrete barriers have been placed at the ends of the bridge to block motorists, but pedestrians are still getting on the bridge. Vazquez urged them to stay off until the project is done.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Dave Mogle, owner of D.K. Auto Body Repair in Albion, worries that a blocked off Clarendon Street bridge would hurt his business at 338 Childs St.
ALBION – David Mogle has a new mechanic starting today at D.K. Auto Body Repair in Albion. A couple months ago, Mogle added on to the business, giving the front office more room and a new look.
But now Mogle is questioning those investments. His business is at the corner of Clarendon and Childs streets. He’s right next to a bridge that could soon be closed and torn out. The street could be blocked off at the bridge.
The bridge carries 1,600 vehicles a day, and Mogle said his customers and delivery trucks account for some of that.
“This is a great street and we have good neighbors,” Mogle said. “I never envisioned they would just block it off and put up a guard rail.”
Mogle started the business at Childs Street in 1990. He was 28 then. He has grown D & K to 10 employees who do mechanical and autobody work.
The business has steadily grown, and Mogle attributes some of that to the vehicles who pass by Clarendon Street and see his shop.
“We have many dedicated customers,” Mogle said. “But I worry about getting new customers if we’re hard for them to find.”
The Clarendon Street bridge carries about 1,600 vehicles a day on the east side of the village of Albion.
Mogle said ideally his business would be on routes 31 or 98, busy and highly visible locations. But Childs and Clarendon streets has proven a good spot, and he assumed the village was working to have the bridge replaced.
But about two weeks ago that changed. New construction, design and other costs for the bridge raised the cost by about $600,000 over the budget, and that increase would have to be paid by the village. The federal and state governments committed to 95 percent of the costs when the project was about $1.5 million. The village share jumped from about $200,000 to $775,000 with the latest projected costs.
The Village Board says that is too high for village taxpayers. The federal and state money can be used demolish the bridge and block off the street near the railroad tracks. The board hopes to have renderings of how the blocked off street will look in time for its 7 p.m. meeting on June 11.
Mogle is disappointed by the latest developments. He said his business will be hurt if the street is blocked off by the tracks. He also worries it will be dangerous for students, who he said will walk around barricades to get to and from school.
Mogle isn’t the only business owner worried. Sue Holmes purchased the Crooked Door Tavern on April 3. That business is at the corner of East State and Brown streets. The Brown Street canal bridge has been closed for about two years. Now the Clarendon Street bridge faces demolition with no replacement.
“It’s one less way for people to find a way to us,” said Holmes, who has 17 employees. “We’re already off the beaten path. We want to make it easier for people to get to us, not harder.”
A chicken barbecue last month raised nearly $2,000 to support the Scouting program in Albion. The Knights of Columbus Council No. 1330 in Albion has been doing the Palm Sunday chicken barbecue for many years. The Knights recently presented three $650 checks to the Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, and Venture Scouts with funds from the event totaling $1,950. The checks were presented by Carl Laubacher (Treasurer), back left; Larry Wolfe (Council/Boy Scout Liaison), back row second from right; and Bob Ballard (Grand Knight), back right. Scout leaders Dr. Tom and Sandra Madejski accepted the donations with several scout members.
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department
Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer with many swimming pools opening for the season. Although swimming is a physical activity that offers many health benefits, pools and other recreational water venues are also a place where germs can be spread and injuries can happen.
Recreational Water Illnesses, also known as RWIs, are caused by germs spreading by swallowing, breathing in, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs/spas, lakes, rivers, or oceans.
Contrary to popular belief, chlorine and other disinfectants do not kill germs instantly. While most germs are killed within minutes, Cryptosporidium (also known as Crypto) can live for days. Before they are killed, these germs can cause RWIs, such as gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea caused by germs such as Crypto, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli. Swallowing just a mouthful of water that contains these germs can make you sick.
Ways to prevent RWIs include not swallowing the water you swim in, keeping poop (feces), pee (urine) and germs out of the water, checking (or knowing) the free chlorine level (1 -3 mg/L or parts per million) and pH (7.2 – 7.8) before getting into the water, and taking children on bathroom breaks or checking swim diapers every 30 – 60 minutes. Make sure you change your children’s diapers in the bathrooms or away from the water.
As it is important to take precautionary measures to protect yourself against RWIs, also taking the same measures to prevent other injuries while swimming, such as those chemically related, drowning and sunburn are important too!
Chemicals are needed in order to maintain good water quality in a pool but are also responsible for thousands of emergency room visits each year.
ALWAYS:
Secure pool chemicals away from children and animals.
Keep all pool chemicals in original containers.
Read product label and manufacturer’s directions for each use.
Use appropriate protective gear, such as safety glasses and gloves, when handling pool chemicals.
NEVER:
Mix chlorine products with each other, with acid, or with any other substance.
It is a sad reality that every day 10 people die from drowning, and that 2 out of those 10 are children under 15 years old. Following these steps can help save lives
Staying close, being alert and watching children in and around the pool:
Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water, it only takes a second to slip under the water.
When using a public pool, always keep alert for your children, do not depend on the lifeguards as they have a lot of people to look after.
Teach children basic water safety tips.
Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.
Have a telephone close by when you or your family are using a pool or hot tub/spa.
If a child is missing, look for him or her in the water first.
Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
Learning and practicing water safety skills:
Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.
Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.
Having appropriate equipment for your pool or spa:
Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates.
Install and use a lockable safety cover on your hot tub/spa.
If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.
Make sure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, ask your pool service provider if you do not know.
Maintain pool and hot tub/spa covers in good working order. Never walk on pool or spa covers.
Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.
While enjoying the water, don’t forget to protect your skin too! There is no such thing as a “healthy” tan.
Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours:
Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
Use sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Slather it on and refresh it after a couple of hours, after swimming or sweating.
Provided photo – Air Force Airman 1st Class Camron M. Quaranto
Press release
Hometown News Releases
Air Force Airman 1st Class Camron M. Quaranto graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Quaranto is the son of Paul and Christy Quaranto of Holley.
He is a 2012 graduate of Holley Central High School. He earned an associate degree in 2013 from Genesee Community College, Batavia.
Photos by Sue Cook – Wreaths were placed by the memorial near the Holley Post Office. Here members of the Sons of the American Legion, including Dan Mawn at right, place the third wreath.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
HOLLEY – The Holley community honored veterans today, first with a ceremony outside of the Jewell Buckman Post 529 and then with a parade through the downtown and services at local cemeteries.
“Out little village has always answered our nation’s call to arms and we have lost many of our young in defense of freedom,” said Chuck Eberhardt of the American Legion.
Major Ryan D’Andrea
Major Ryan D’Andrea told the crowd about the oath that taken by ROTC students at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He explained that this oath has been taken by many and that few likely thought they would have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
“The oath is to the Constitution, the ideals on which this nation was founded, not to any one person, but to the concept. We defend it from all who would see it destroyed. Faith, loyalty, duty, nation. These are the things that those we honor today swore to uphold. Let us reflect on that always,” D’Andrea said to the audience.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band, led by music teacher Daniel Wakefield, played the national anthem during the ceremony.
Holley Mayor John Kenney addressed the crowd as well. “We are today remembering those soldiers, past and present, who gave their lives so that we, their families, friends and neighbors, may continue to enjoy our precious freedom. May we continue to remember, year after year, that freedom is not free. And may we long continue to thank and honor our United States soldiers.”
Veterans led the community to the VFW. After the parade, veterans went to the cemeteries to lay wreaths.
Holley resident Wendi Pollock was among the crowd with her grandson. “We’re here because I’ve got my two youngest in the military and they’re out protecting our freedom along with all the ones that have in past, present and future.”
The ceremony also included the naming of all those who have passed since Memorial Day last year, a gun salute by veterans and Taps was played on bugle at the closing.
Children’s groups such as Scout Pack 3062 and some of the Little League baseball teams followed the procession.
