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Marine surprises friends in return home for Easter

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Cali Pietroboni, 19, was just promoted to private first class

Photos by Tom Rivers – Chelsea Hare, right, recognizes the person taking the order at Tim Hortons in Albion this afternoon.

ALBION – Cali Pietroboni told her closest friends she would get a few days off around Easter but would be spending that time in Miami.

Pietroboni, 19, is a Marine from Lyndonville. She was home for 10 days in January. That’s been it since leaving for Boot Camp last October. Her decision to go to Florida didn’t sit well with her best friend, Chelsea Hare.

Pietroboni and Hare have been close friends since elementary school at Lyndonville. They both graduated in 2013. They like to tease and surprise each other.

Pietroboni pulled off a shocker this afternoon. Hare’s mother Tina Hare was at the Tim Hortons in Albion. She had her daughter and another friend Rachael Allen come over at 1:30 p.m.

When they went to the counter to order, they saw a familiar face in the Tim Hortons uniform. Chelsea stood for a minute in disbelief and with a blank expression. They she broke out in a smile and in tears.

Cali Pietroboni and Chelsea Hare embrace at Tim Hortons in Albion.

Pietroboni met her at the end of the counter and the two had a long embrace.

“I thought there’s no way that’s Cali right now,” Hare said.

Pietroboni completed Boot Camp at Parris Island in South Carolina in January. She has been at Camp Johnson in North Carolina most of the past three months. She was recently promoted to private first class. She graduates from a personal administration school at Camp Johnson on June 3. She is eager to see her assignment. Many of the Marines at Camp Johnson have been assigned to service in foreign countries, she said.

Pietroboni also wanted to come home this weekend to see her parents, Derek and Vickie Dix, and her little brother Connor Dell.

“It’s been a great opportunity to travel and meet new people,” Pietroboni said. “There’s also pride in being a part of the world’s most elite fighting force.”

Cali Pietroboni hugs her friend Rachael Allen while Chelsea Hare watches.

Tina Hare helped orchestrate the surprise this afternoon. She has known Pietroboni for more than a decade. Despite Pietroboni’s diminutive stature – she’s only 4’ 11’’ – she has proven her strength and determination in recent months, Hare said.

“Ever since she was a little girl she wouldn’t back down,” Hare said. “And she’s always liked to joke around.”

Rachel Godfrey, the Tim Hortons manager, was happy to loan a uniform to Pietroboni for the surprise.

“I give her a lot of credit for going into the Marines,” Godfrey said.

Salmon stocked in Lake Alice almost a half century ago

Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

WATERPORT – On April 2, 1969, Edward D. Holmes of Region 8 Department of Environmental Conservation in Avon and Kenneth Rush of Waterport (right) are shown stocking the first salmon (Coho) in Orleans County.

The site was on the north side of Lake Alice just east of the Route 279 bridge over Oak Orchard River in Waterport.

Medina resident has pushed preservation policies and action

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Heritage Hero: Chris Busch

Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris Busch is chairman of the Village of Medina’s Planning Board and Medina’s Tree Board. He also is vice chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House, pictured behind him on Main Street.

MEDINA – In small-town Upstate New York, there aren’t too many downtown business districts like Medina’s these days. The buildings are well maintained with a high occupancy rate.

It feels like a Norman Rockwell painting, a step back in time with so many independent merchants and sense of history with buildings from the mid to late 1800s and the early 20th Century.

Chris Busch sees the downtown’s historical integrity as a draw for the community. He has served nearly 20 years on the Village Planning Board and helped to craft zoning and design standards for the downtown. As chairman of the Planning Board, he also heads the village’s Historic and Architectural Review Board, which provides guidance to downtown building owners for signs, paint and other exterior work.

“We’ve been very successful promoting and implementing preservation because we’ve been able to do it in such a fashion that the community has been able to embrace it without angst and suspicion,” Busch said.

He praised Kay Revelas, former director of the Medina Chamber of Commerce, for rallying business owners to back preservation and a historic designation for the downtown a generation ago. Many in the community have championed the issue and the building owners have embraced it, Busch said.

“It’s taken the diligence of many people to protect the downtown business district,” he said. “It’s paying off because people very much enjoy the look and feel of downtown Medina with its history and heritage.”

Busch will be honored as a “Heritage Hero” on April 25 during a Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina. He was picked for his leadership on the Planning Board and his many civic contributions, including the design of 11 interpretative panels in the downtown that will highlight Medina history. Those panels should be installed later this month or in early May.

Medina elementary students are part of an annual Arbor Day celebration. Students write poems and sing songs about trees. They also help plant them. Busch is chairman of the Tree Board. The National Arbor Day Foundation has given Medina a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA” for its commitment to planting trees every year.

Busch works as a history teacher in Lockport. His heart is in Medina.

He served as village historian and later joined the Municipal Tree Board and has been its chairman for several years. Medina has been planting 50 to 100 trees most years in the past decade and that is helping to replenish an urban forest that was diminished by road projects, wind storms and disease.

“Medina was once known for beautiful residences and tree-lined streets,” he said. “Many years of neglect led to a severely depleted urban forest.”

The village’s commitment to planting trees has earned it awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation. It has recognized Medina with a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA.”

Busch said the trees make neighborhoods more appealing visually and should make the homes more valuable and inviting for residents.

Chris Busch is pictured inside the Bent’s Opera House about a year ago during a tour as part of the Civil War Encampment in Medina. The opera house was constructed during the Civil War.

He has been a leader with the Orleans Renaissance Group, organizing the efforts to bring concerts into the community. He is vice chairman of the ORG, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House on Main Street. That Medina sandstone building was constructed during the Civil War.

The ORG wants to again have performances in the top floor of the site, with a restaurant on the second floor and the first floor available for businesses. Busch sees the site as an anchor for the downtown, drawing customers for other businesses nearby.

The “Heritage Hero” Committee also picked Busch for the award because of his efforts designing the 11 interpretive panels and helping to secure funding for the project.

The panels will be on Main Street with one on West Center Street by the Newell building, which was once a high-end shirt manufacturer.

A series of 11 interpretive panels that highlight Medina history and notable residents will be installed this spring in downtown Medina. Chris Busch designed the panels, including this one of the former U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who married a Medina girl, Frances Folsom.

Busch believes the panels will help locals and visitors better appreciate Medina’s rich heritage and history. He often sees people gawking at the downtown structures, aiming cameras at the buildings.

“It’s something that needed to be done to help people visualize it,” he said.

The panels will tell the stories of some of the people behind the downtown buildings and the community’s early days with a bustling Erie Canal, sandstone quarries and other industries.

“People will be surprised how much they will have an impact on tourist visitors,” Busch said. “These will without a doubt provide a reason for tourists to linger and learn.”

Holley club will host ‘Shot Heard Around the U.S.’ on Saturday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – The Holley Rod and Gun Club is welcoming the public to the club on Saturday at noon to fire a “Shot Heard Around the U.S.” in support of the Second Amendment.

The club and participants plan to fire one legal safe shot. Gun clubs around the country will be doing similar events at noon on Saturday.

There will be a $1 charge to participate and that money will go to a legal defense fund for SCOPE (Shooters Committee on Political Education).

The club will open at 11 a.m. It is located at 4189 Pumping Station Rd. Participants are encouraged to be there before 11:30 so everyone can be lined up for the big “shot” at noon, said Gia Arnold of Holley, who is a state-wide coordinator for New York Revolution.

“This is on the anniversary of the original shot heard around the world back during the American Revolution and it signifies our important fight for our 2nd Amendment freedom,” Arnold said. “The whole country will be participating and I thought it was really important to make sure we were participating locally. We are hoping to have new faces.”

The NYR formed soon after Gov. Cuomo and the State Legislature passed the SAFE Act in January 2013. The NY Revolution sees the gun control law as an attack on Second Amendment rights.

Many gun clubs and NYR members fired a “Shot Heard Around NY” in January on the one-year anniversary of the SAFE Act. Locally, the event was held in Arnold’s backyard in January. She is thankful the Holley club is participating in the event on Saturday so there is more public access.

“It’s open to non gun-owners as well if they would like to show up and support the effort,” Arnold said.

2 weeks before canal opens

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Historic waterway starts 190th season on May 1

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Erie Canal is mostly empty now, but soon it will be filled and will be operational for its 190th season.

The State Canal Corp. is planning a May 1 opening for the canal (depending on the weather). The top photo was taken last evening in the bottom of the canal in Albion, east of the Main Street lift bridge looking towards a privately owned bridge. Gaines Basin Road is about another ½ mile to the east.

The gates on the canal along Albion-Eagle Harbor Road are reflected in the shallow canal in this photo taken from the privately owned bridge, which I have heard referred to as Bowman’s Bridge. The bridge leads to a couple houses and the former Albion water treatment plant.

Here is a picture of a puddle in a field by the towpath.

Photo shows Medina’s Canal Basin before it was widened

Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Area by Waterfalls was used for hydropower

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

MEDINA – In this panoramic view from 1905, we see Oak Orchard Creek from the Erie Canal in Medina.

On the right is the Medina Waterfalls and next to it is Station No. 1 of the A.L. Swett Electric Light and Power Company.

This photo was taken before the present canal basin was enlarged as we know it. Oak Orchard Creek below the Falls is a reservoir for electric generation known as Glenwood Lake. In this picture we are looking at the southern end of Glenwood.

WNY economic development officials will pitch STAMP benefits for Orleans

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Courtesy of Genesee County EDC – A rendering shows a build-out of the 1,250-acre STAMP site in the town of Alabama.

ALBION – A mega-project 1 mile south of the Orleans County border could provide significant benefits to Orleans and the Western New York region, economic development officials said.

A contingent of officials will address the Orleans County Legislature at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, updating Orleans officials on WNY STAMP (Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park).

That 1,250-acre site is in the town of Alabama. STAMP will accommodate nanotechnology companies including semiconductor 450mm chip fab, flat panel display, solar manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing.

Genesee County Economic Development Center officials have been working on the site for nine years. It received a huge boost in the new state budget with a $33 million commitment from the state. That has local officials thinking there must be companies interested and ready to build at the site.

Long term, the STAMP project would likely employ nearly 10,000 workers on site and the total regional employment, including supply chain and construction trades, would likely exceed 20,000 to 50,000 jobs, according to GCEDC.

Orleans County legislators are scheduled to hear from Raymond Cianfrini, Genesee County Legislative Chairman; Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County EDC; Tom Kucharski, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise; and Mark Peterson, president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Enterprise.

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers of the County Clerks Building and the public is welcome to attend.

“This will be a game-changer for the entire community,” Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said.

He sees the Medina community as being a primary beneficiary of the project. It is one of the closest population centers to the site. He expects many of the workers to live and shop in the Medina area.

“We’re an easy drive up 63,” he said.

Mexican restaurant will open next month in Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Courtesy Albion Historic Preservation Commission – A Mexican restaurant called “El Gallo” will give a building that is currently painted all white a vastly different look. The site at 33 North Main St. also includes an awning. This design is by the LonoWood Art Company in Albion.

ALBION – A building that has sat mostly vacant for nearly two decades is expected to open next month as a Mexican restaurant.

Miguel Jimenez has been working almost every day since February to renovate 33 North Main St. He would like to open “ El Gallo” – Spanish for “The Rooster” – in time for Cinco de Mayo on May 5.

The building is currently painted white and is located next to a parking lot by the First Presbyterian Church.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Here is the building as it appeared at about 8:30 tonight. The site is prominent in the downtown historic district.

Jimenez received approval for the building’s paint, new sign and an awning during tonight’s Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Commission members praised him for turning a long-vacant structure into a productive use for the community.

“I’m delighted something will be done with the building,” Commission member told Jimenez during the meeting.

The downtown hasn’t had a new awning in many years.

“I love the idea of an awning,” said Commission member Ric Albright. “It will be great.”

The building will be painted in Roycroft Copper Red, Rookwood Amber and Rookwood Dark Green.

Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti said he welcomed a new look in the downtown, which is named to the National Register of Historic Places.

“Different colors add character to the district,” Vendetti said.

Fairhaven Treasures will have second Peace Garden in Orleans County

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – The front lawn at Fairhaven Treasures will soon be transformed into an international peace garden.

GAINES – A historic homestead that was renovated and reopened as an art gallery and high-end co-op late last year will soon have an International Peace Garden in its front lawn.

Fairhaven Treasures, at the southeast corner of routes 98 and 104, will have a garden, three flag poles and a stone wall that says “Fairhaven.” That is the name John Proctor gave for the hamlet when he lived there more than 200 years ago.

Proctor is known as the Paul Revere of Ridge Road because he rode along the Ridge warning settlers that the British were coming during the War of 1812. He had a log cabin at the corner of 98 and 104 before the large brick house was built in 1834.

File photo by Tom Rivers – The creek that runs by the Cobblestone Society Museum on Route 98, just south of Route 104, is named for John Proctor. The creek is called “Proctor Brook.”

Ray Burke and his wife Linda now own the property and they worked most of last year upgrading the site. There will be a grand opening for Fairhaven Treasures on May 3-4.

Gaines Town Supervisor Carol Culhane assisted with the renovation providing some of the manual labor. She also connected with the International Peace Garden Foundation about having a site in Gaines at Proctor’s former property.

“It’s a great tourist possibility,” she said.

Fairhaven will be the second peace garden in the county. Brown’s Berry Patch dedicated the first one last year.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Bob and Deborah Brown dedicated a peace garden at Brown’s Berry Patch last October. They were joined by Paula Savage, right, of Batavia who is founder of the Peace Garden Foundation.

The garden locations need to have a historical connection to the War of 1812. At the Browns, family matriarch Bathshua Brown settled in the area in 1804 when the trees were so dense in Carlton the area was known as the Black North. She helped fight off the British in the war and took one of their captains captive.

Bathshua and her pioneering spirit also is noted on a historical marker in front of Brown’s Berry Patch.

The Fairhaven garden will include flag poles for the American, Canadian and Peace Garden flags. Culhane said it will enhance the historic district along the Ridge, which includes the Cobblestone Society Museum.

New signs point to Cobblestone Museum

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

GAINES – The state Department of Transportation about two weeks ago added new signs near the routes 98 and 104 intersection, highlighting the presence of the Cobblestone Society Museum.

The museum has eight historic buildings, including three with cobblestone masonry. The Cobblestone Church, pictured on Route 104, was built in 1834 and is the oldest cobblestone church in North America.

The museum, which is a National Historic Landmark, opens on Mother’s Day. For more on the museum, click here.

Blue Bus stopped in Albion in 1920s

Posted 16 April 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – This snapshot was taken in the late 1920s in front of the Rialto Theater on Main Street in Albion.

The bus signage indicates: “Ride The Blue Bus – Rochester Batavia Buffalo.” The word “Special” is also displayed. This may have been a special excursion for Odd Fellows or Rebeccas as the 100F Temple was located next to the theater.

A storefront at the time in the Odd Fellows building has “Billiards” painted on a window.

Note a man placing luggage on top of the bus. Hope it didn’t rain!

Rebuild Bullard sets $50,000 fund-raising goal

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion Lions Club, Village of Albion and community members are trying to raise $50,000 to update playground equipment and make other improvements at Bullard Park.

ALBION – Some of the equipment may go back 50 years, and some of the playground apparatus have been removed or modified due to safety concerns.

Bullard Park is in need of an update, said Dale Brooks, superintendent for the Department of Public Works.

The village sought state funding in 2012 and 2013, but both grant applications were denied. Brooks and the village want to forge ahead with improvements.

The “Rebuild Bullard” Committee met Tuesday and set a $50,000 fund-raising goal. That should be enough to put in new playground for bigger kids and make other improvements.

However, the committee hasn’t established a priority for the first project at Bullard. Recreation Director John Grillo believes a spray park would be a major draw to the park, bringing people from throughout the county.

Some of the equipment at the park goes back generations.

However, the village needs to run water and sewer lines to a central location for the spray park, and Brooks would like to see bathrooms and a changing area built for a spray park. He will seek construction estimates for the infrastructure, spray park and bathroom. That should be well in excess of $50,000.

Brooks would prefer to first address safety issues with the playground. The village has updated equipment at Pee Wee Park, a section of Bullard for toddlers and younger children. The spot with playground equipment for older children hasn’t been updated in many years.

“My concern is the safety part,” Brooks said at a meeting at Hoag Library.

Brooks is also a member of the Albion Lions Club, and the club is helping to raise funds for the project. Lions Cub President Bill Robinson said the fund-raising and improvements will likely take years. But he wants to get started “so the children’s playground is a safe place to play and the park is a credit to the community.”

The committee brainstormed several fund-raisers including a Battle of Bands, car wash, bowling tournament, dunk tank at the Strawberry Festival and donations that would go into a village account designated for the park.

Brooks and Grillo also would like to see neighboring towns provide some funding for the park because it is used by children and families outside the village.

The improvements will depend on the money coming to fruition. However, Brooks said some safety improvements may be required by the village’s insurance provider.

The committee will meet next at 7 p.m. on May 20 at Hoag Library.

Residents can turn in unused prescriptions on April 26

Posted 16 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Locations also added for April 19 drop off

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will once again participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative on April 26.

Residents can drop off unused prescriptions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following collection points:

Orleans County Public Safety Building, 13925 State Route 31, Albion

Holley Fire Department, 7 Thomas St., Holley

Medina Fire Department, 600 Main St., Medina

This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA).

This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications for safe & proper disposal. During this cycle we have added one-hour “early-bird” drop off on Saturday, April 19, with times and locations as follows:

Lyndonville Fire Department and Shelby Fire Dire Recreation Hall from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Carlton FD Recreation Hall and Barre Fire Department from 11 a.m. to noon

Kendall Fire Department and Clarendon Fire Department from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Special thanks to all fire departments for assisting us with this event.

Barre boy, 9, raises and donates heritage sheep

Posted 16 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Hog Island sheep is nearing extinction

Photos by Sue Cook – Frost, a Hog Island sheep raised by William Trembley, will be going to Washington, D.C. on Friday.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

BARRE – Heritage breeds are a look back at the yesteryear of the way farm animals used to exist for our forefathers. One farm in Barre has taken on the responsibility on raising some of these animals that may otherwise go extinct.

Nine-year-old William Trembley is the registered farmer for a flock of Hog Island sheep. The breed originated from their namesake island in Virginia. They have been rated as critical by The Livestock Conservancy. This means that there are fewer than 200 annual registrations of the breed in the United States and they are estimated to have a global population of less than 2,000. The Hog Island sheep that William has are one of only two flocks in New York state.

“These are a breed from 1600,” said Julie Trembley, William’s mother. “You can make socks like the colonists had. You can make blankets like them, too.”

She has found that many people are interested in the wool from heritage sheep that allows people to create period pieces of clothing and goods that existed long ago.

This Friday, two of the sheep will be taking a trip to their new home in Washington, D.C. There, the Accokeek Foundation will take them in as permanent residents of their Colonial farm to become a part of their flock of Hog Island sheep from around the country.

The family originally connected with the foundation when Julie called for assistance to ensure they were taking care of the breed correctly. They spoke with Polly Festa, the livestock manager. She asked if they would be willing to donate couple lambs to the foundation for the sake of furthering the breed. William agreed that it would be a great idea and the family will begin the transport of the sheep before dawn on Friday.

William is holding one of the black variations of the Hog Island sheep. There is color variation in the breed, but it is not a breed standard for them to be mostly black or white. He is pictured with his mother Julie.

The two sheep that will be going will be a female named Frost who was born on a bitterly cold day to Martha, named after Martha Washington. The male lamb they are sending is Supersheep, who got his name from his black mask like a superhero’s. He was born to Betsy, named for Betsy Ross. The family picked the historic names in honor of the fact that they are a heritage breed. William was given the privilege of naming the sheep and his parents loved what he chose.

Julie saw an advertisement that simply read “Six sheep, need a home.” The owners, who could no longer keep them due to the need to relocate, discovered through questioning Julie that the older Trembley boys each had half of the family’s flock of American Tunis, which is another heritage breed of sheep with red coloration that date back to when Thomas Jefferson kept them. Tunis sheep are classified as rare, which is a better standing than critical. The owners felt comfortable giving the sheep to a family that already understood a heritage breed.

This year around the first week of March, during the bitter cold, little lambs were born. Eight of the nine were abandoned by the mother. The family thinks it was due to the bitter cold, but also because the flock is feral and behaves somewhat different from modern domesticated breeds, though they do remain an overall close-knit group.

“They’re like a synchronized swimming team. They don’t look left or right without being in sync with each other,” said Julie.

When the lambs were born, they needed to be fed frequently. Through diluted bottles, they are now being weaned off of milk.

The lambs’ care needs were extensive at birth. They were already freezing, and some had begun to suffer from frostbite. On top of that, they also needed to be fed every three hours and kept very warm. Julie said it was not only hard, but nearly impossible. Todd Eick, Medina’s agriculture teacher, recognized the breed when he first saw them and immediately wanted to help.

After transporting them to the school, the ag students assisted in the care of the sheep as part of their class studies. Julie said that the family made the decision that three of the sheep will be given as scholarships to Medina students that participated in their care. The family will be at the 4-H Fair in July with some of their remaining Hog Island breed, where they will show the sheep in an attempt to win ribbons.

Julie is deeply grateful for the help that the Medina students provided and that Mr. Eick was willing to reach out. Taking care of the lambs was so difficult that many helping hands made all the difference in the world.

“I really want to thank Mr. Eick, and the Medina Ag classes because they helped us bottle feed when we had eight bottle babies,” Julie said. “They’re the reason these babies survived and thrived and can go to D.C. I want to thank them for their help. We were exhausted!”

Holley man sentenced to prison for taking prized coins

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2014 at 12:00 am

ALBION – A Holley man was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison for taking valuable coins from a Kendall resident on Oct. 22.

James Calus, 42, of Perry Street pleaded guilty to attempted burglary in the third degree. He has a prior record, but his attorney Shirley Gorman said the previous crimes were more than 20 years ago.

Calus took the coins to help pay for college tuition for his girlfriend’s son, and to help with family bills, Gorman told County Court Judge James Punch.

“It wasn’t for drugs or gambling,” she said.

Calus took the coins not knowing how valuable they were, Gorman said. The victim in the crime asked Punch to sentence Calus to weekends in jail so he could work and pay towards restitution.

But Punch said the seriousness of crime warranted state prison.

“Just because you need money doesn’t give you the right to wander into someone else’s property and take their hard-earned property,” the judge said during sentencing on Monday.

In other cases in county court:

A Medina man was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for felony aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated.

Milton Hinkley III, 41, of Glenwood Avenue was charged with DWI and AUO after he was stopped on May 18, 2013 on Glenwood Avenue.

He had been on Probation three times and “apparently it’s had no effect,” Punch said. Hinkley has a prior DWI in 1999.

An inmate at Orleans Correctional Facility was sentenced to another year in prison for promoting prison contraband.

Jason Seifert, 28, has been at the prison in Albion since April 23, 2010. He pleaded guilty to promoting prison contraband when he received a controlled substance, the drug buprenorphine, in the mail from his mother.

His mother, Tracey Stratton, 51, of Vermont last week was sentenced to a year in county jail for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

A Kent man was sent to jail on $15,000 bail. Daniel Flanagan, 28, of Bills Road appeared in court after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest for missing a previous scheduled appearance.

He faces charges of DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after being stopped Dec. 7 on East State Street in Albion.

An Albion man was arraigned for violation of probation and jailed on $20,000 bail. Dennis Calkins, 34, faces more serious charges but they are yet to be brought before the grand jury.

Calkins on Feb. 13 allegedly jumped from a moving vehicle and fled police on foot. He was wanted on a parole warrant. Albion police and Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies found a backpack full of ingredients for making methamphetamine in the back seat of the car he was driving.

Calkins was charged with felony unlawful manufacturing or possession of meth or meth lab materials, punishable by up to seven years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of obstruction of governmental administration and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Police also charged him with use of a car without an Interlock device, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlawful fleeing from a police officer and resisting arrest.