By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Now that the harsh winter is finally over, work has begun at a site that is targeted to be home for a new Dunkin’ Donuts in Albion. This photo was taken from Platt Street, looking west.
The Environmental Construction Group of Albion is first working on asbestos at the warehouse. Demolition should start next week and is expected to take two to three weeks, said Ron Vendetti, the village code enforcement officer.
When the site is clear, Dunkin’ can start work on a 2,000-square-foot store at 153 South Main St., between Tim Hortons and the railroad tracks. The new store would have 30 seats inside, 46 parking spaces, a 230-square-foot freezer next to the building, and a drive-through lane that could accommodate 10 vehicles.
The property will have exits on both Main and Platt streets. JFJ Holdings of North Andover, Mass., is the developer for the project.
Vendetti said the company has not yet applied for a building permit. He expects construction to start in April or May, with the store opening in late summer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, center, chaired a Congressional field hearing in Albion on Thursday about broadband Internet access. Collins is joined by Andy Karellas (left), a staff member for the House Committee on Small Business, and Ted Alexander, a senior legislative assistant for Collins.
ALBION – When Congressman Chris Collins needed a location for a field hearing, a backdrop for the challenges of bringing broadband Internet to a community, he picked Albion in Orleans County.
County officials and the town leaders have struggled to get industry and government leaders to expand the service in rural pockets of the county.
Industry officials report that 95 percent of the county is covered with broadband, but Legislature Chairman David Callard said the coverage may be as low as 50 percent. It hurts local businesses, residents and students who are at a competitive disadvantage in an increasingly wired world.
Callard updated Collins on the local efforts to document the gaps in coverage and a push to expand service. Callard and officials from five other counties attended a Congressional field hearing and then a roundtable discussion about rural broadband access.
Collins chose Albion as the location for the hearing, which Callard believes is a first in Orleans County’s history. Testimony offered at the House Subcommittee on Health and Technology will be shared with the House Small Business Committee, which includes Collins.
“It’s a national priority to get 100 percent coverage,” Collins said at the hearing.
The Small Business Committee is nonpartisan and committing to growing small businesses, Collins said. Broadband access for everyone is critical for boosting the rural economy, he said.
“We don’t have the political infighting going on,” he said about the Small Business Committee. “We want to do what’s best for America.”
Industry officials and Oakfield farmer Kendra Lamb, left, testified during the hearing.
Broadband Internet providers have invested billions of dollars in upgrading and expanding their infrastructure, but they said in some cases it doesn’t make financial sense to go everywhere.
Some rural areas have too few households or customers to justify a company’s investment in broadband infrastructure, industry officials said at the hearing.
To reach “the last mile” and blanket the region and country with broadband, industry leaders said some government resources will be needed in a partnership with providers.
“It remains extremely challenging to extend broadband to the most rural areas of New York State, where geographic isolation and topographic issues make it economically infeasible for companies to reach these areas – investment simply cannot be recouped before it is time to reinvest,” said Mark Meyerhofer, director of government relations for Time Warner of Northeast-Western New York.
Time Warner provides high-speed Internet to 2.3 million customers in NY, including 120,000 businesses. The company has invested $2 billion in infrastructure the past four years in NY.
In the rural eight-county 27th Congressional District, which is represented by Collins, Time Warner has built 335 miles of new lines, Meyerhofer said.
The company now provides access to 96 percent of the homes and businesses in its NY footprint. To reach the unserved areas, Meyerhofer said government dollars may be needed in partnership with service providers. The government shouldn’t spend money to duplicate existing, privately funded networks, he said.
“Government programs need to focus on ‘last mile’ services, which is the most difficult and costly part of deployment,” he said during the hearing.
The government should seek a broad base to pay for expanded high-speed Internet so it doesn’t become cost prohibitive to the targeted consumers or taxpayers, Meyerhofer said.
He praised the state’s ConnectNY initiative which has expanded broadband in many rural counties. The program prevents overbuilding, shares costs broadly through state bonds, is provider and technology neutral, and there are no strings attached to network operations, Meyerhofer said.
Jill Canfield is director of legal and industry affairs for The General Broadband Association, which represents 17 rural telecommunications providers in NY and about 900 in the country. She said poorly drafted rules from the Federal Communications Commission have deterred investment in rural broadband networks.
“The rural industry remains hesitant to invest while it awaits a more predictable and investment friendly replacement for the much derided caps and continues to seek its own broadband-focused fund that supports standalone broadband,” she said.
Collins praised the participants at the hearing, and said he will push for a solution to extend the service throughout the rural communities – or else those residents and businesses will struggle to compete in the 21st century.
“When businesses invest, grow, and hire, whole communities will benefit,” Collins said. “Lack of access to broadband is one more roadblock among the many economic challenges rural small businesses have to work hard to overcome.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Before a Medina company can begin work on a $15 million expansion project, it will need approval for the project from the Orleans County Planning Board.
That board will meet 7 p.m. Thursday at the County Administration Building, Conference Room C, 14016 Route 31 West.
The board will review the company’s plan for a 48,125-square-foot addition that will be connected to the southeast side of the company’s current facility on Bates Road. Brunner also plans to expand its parking lot and add an access road.
The company wants to start construction soon so the addition to have the project ready for production of truck axles by Jan. 1, 2015.
Brunner International already employs 360 people in Medina and expects it will add 35 to 40 jobs as part of the expansion. The new building will go next to a 41,250-square-foot expansion about five years ago that added 50 jobs in Medina.
Brunner looked at Kentucky for the latest expansion, but picked Medina for the project. New York Power Authority in December announced it approved 2.4 megawatts of low-cost electricity for the project. The state also said it would provide a $750,000 incentive package under Empire State Development’s Excelsior Jobs Program.
Brunner is based in Canada. The company is expanding the production of machined axle forgings that are sold to large, heavy-duty truck and trailer suppliers. It will utilize automation and add jobs as part of the expansion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2014 at 12:00 am
County ranks near bottom in many health categories
Photo by Tom Rivers – Paul Pettit, Orleans County Health Department director, talks about the county’s health rankings and a community health assessment and improvement plan during an Albion Rotary Club meeting on Thursday.
ALBION – Orleans County health officials want to engage a broad base of the community to improve many health factors and indicators in the county, which rank near the bottom among the 62 counties in the state.
The Health Department can’t do it alone and needs help from non-profit organizations, civic groups and businesses to have a healthier county, said Paul Pettit, the county’s health department director.
Ultimately, it will come down to individuals making healthy choices, such as not smoking, exercising and eating nutritious foods, he told the Albion Rotary Club on Thursday.
“It will take a group effort and you, as an individual, to move these numbers in a positive direction,” he said.
Orleans fares among the worst in the state for access to primary care physicians and dentists, while its residents have high rates of smoking and adult obesity. An annual County Health Rankings report also says Orleans residents choose fast food at a rate above the state and national averages.
Overall, the report ranks Orleans as the 52nd healthiest county out of 62.
The annual County Health Rankings report provides a community health profile of about 3,000 counties in the United States. The report looks at health outcomes – rates of premature death, low-birthweight babies and days of poor physical and mental health. The “health factors” category includes alcohol and tobacco use, diet and risky sexual behavior.
Orleans ranked 52nd in health outcomes, 57th in health factors, 58th in health behaviors, 62nd in access to clinical care, 45th in social and economic factors and 50th in physical environment, which includes air quality, drinking water safety and access to recreational facilities, healthy foods and fast food.
A new report is due next week. Pettit was given a sneak peak at the data and he said the county hasn’t shown much improvement in the categories.
Orleans has a plan that will help improve the health of residents, said Nola Goodrich-Kreese, the county’s public health educator. The county finished a Community Health Improvement Plan (click here) and also a Community Health Assessment (click here). Both were done in collaboration with Genesee and Wyoming counties. The three counties together have about 150,000 residents.
The counties established priorities that include preventing chronic diseases; reducing obesity; reducing illnesses, disabilities and deaths related to tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposures; and strengthening infrastructure for mental health.
Orleans is seeking grants for diabetes prevention, is seeking to replicate Genesee County’s Get Fit! community exercise program, is working with Smoke-Free Now to reduce tobacco exposure, and will try to increase awareness of mental health services in the county and in the region.
The three counties surveyed 1,700 residents and they listed their top concerns as cancer, 45.5 percent; heart disease, 44.0 percent and depression, 41.7 percent.
Statewide the following were identified as public health priorities: Prevent chronic diseases; promote healthy and safe environments; promote healthy women, infants and children; promote mental health and prevent substance abuse; and prevent HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases and healthcare associated infections.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Cobblestone Society Museum includes three cobblestone buildings on Route 104 and also this collection of three wooden buildings: a print shop, harness shop, and an exhibit hall of 19th century farming tools. There are other buildings in the complex as well.
Provided photo – Claire Turner, left, and Taylor George have been helping to update the Cobbelstone Society Museum web site and expand the museum’s social media presence.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Cobblestone Society Museum opens for the season on Mother’s Day.
Press release, Cobblestone Society Museum
ALBION – In a classic case of “old meets new,” the Cobblestone Museum is engaging social media and other contemporary communication tools to attract visitors to its historical site near the intersection of routes 98 and 104.
The museum is embracing new technology to reach a wider audience. The museum also hired some fresh faces with new co-directors Sarah Karas and Matthew Ballard. They are teaming with Brockport State College interns Claire Turner and Taylor George to advance the museum board’s goal of drawing more visitors to its unique collection of cobblestone architecture and artifacts.
“Our new co-directors bring complementary talents to the table,” Cobblestone Trustee Diane Palmer said. “And we’re really excited about this new partnership with SUNY Brockport. It’s going to help us create a larger online presence.”
Cobblestone Trustee Stephen Karas helped forge the alliance with Brockport. “It has been refreshing and encouraging to view the different ideas and approaches that the co-directors and interns have designed to promote the Cobblestone through these new venues,” he said. “It is our goal that this will allow us to reach a much broader audience and encourage visits to our museum.”
The museum is already well on its way to achieving a new online “look,” resulting from a web design competition in a Brockport class last fall. One of the winning designers, graphic design and marketing student Claire Turner, also landed one of the two internships with the museum this spring.
As website intern, Turner is working to have the new site up and running in time for the museum’s opening event on Mother’s Day. Turner hails from the Rochester suburb of Greece and plans to pursue a career in the field of brand design. She enjoys the small town charm of Brockport and would like to continue her work with nonprofits.
“Claire’s contributions have been an enormous help so far,” said Ballard, one of museum co-directors. “Her skills in graphic design have put us on the fast track to a beautiful new website.”
Taylor George is the museum’s new social media intern. She has already established new social media accounts on Twitter (@CobblestoneMuse), Pinterest (The Cobblestone Society Museum), and Instagram (Cobblestone Museum), and will be helping maintain these accounts, along with the museum’s current Facebook page (The Cobblestone Museum). She is a journalism and broadcasting student graduating this May.
Originally from the Southern Tier town of Sidney, George would like to move to the South after she graduates to pursue a career in the food writing sector. She said working with her grandmother at the Sidney Historical Museum has inspired her to contribute her skill set to the Cobblestone Museum.
Sarah Karas, one of the new co-directors, has been working with George on the social media aspects.
“It has been a pleasure working with Taylor,” Karas said. “She has great ideas on how to promote events and the museum in a unique way. She has been a valuable addition to our organization.”
The museum will use its new online presence to help promote events, provide information on renting the museum for weddings and meeting spaces, and to generate interest in general admission tours and large group tours. In the future, new interns will continue to maintain the website and social media aspects of the museum.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
After months of miserable weather, spring arrives
Photos by Tom Rivers
An ice storm hit on Dec. 22, knocking power out in about half the county. National Grid crews worked hard to have power restored in time for Christmas.
A frequent sight this winter: a plow truck. This photo from Feb. 5 shows a Village of Albion plow truck on on East Park Street. It snowed about 9 inches that day. The county issued a travel advisory and the governor declared a state of emergency for New York due to the big storm.
An ice storm. A blizzard. And many days in the deep cold, with temperatures in the single digits or below. The winter of 2013-14 was the most miserable that I can recall, mainly because we had so many days in the single digits or below. The low temperatures combined with stiff winds made it feel like Antarctica.
The National Weather Service frequently put out warnings and advisories about dangerous wind chills, flood watches and hazardous weather. The Sheriff’s Department issued travel advisories. The governor declared a state of emergency. Local schools closed.
Today, let us celebrate as we bid good bye to winter. We took its best punches and we’re still standing.
Here are a few photos, looking back on the frozen season.
With some of our recent light winters, we’ haven’t had enough snow to go sledding. That wasn’t a problem this year if you could handle the cold temperatures. In this photo on Dec. 15, Melissa Fromm of Albion heads down the hill at Bullard Park in Albion with her niece Mariah Plain on her back and friend Leah Pawlak on the very top.
The snow and ice is dangerous. On Dec. 17, a Brockport man – Daniel L. Hollaert Jr., 23 – was killed after he collided with a full-size school bus owned and operated by the Kendall Central School District. The accident occurred at about 7 a.m. on Ridge Road.
When the temperatures did warm up, the area was often shrouded in fog. The heavy fog seemed to make prominent landmarks nearly disappear. In this photo on Dec. 20, the Glenwood Avenue canal bridge in Medina has almost vanished from the landscape.
The ice storm on Dec. 22 coated branches in ice, and those branches came crashing down, knocking out power. In some cases, entire trees gave out from the weight of the ice. This tree fell at about 2:35 a.m. on Dec. 22 and crashed into the home of Gary Moore and his family on South Main Street in Albion. The tree crashed on the family car and also torn off some siding and damaged the roof of the Moore home.
The winter landscape included a historic high sighting of Snowy Owls. They typically stay in Canada for the winter, but there were many in Orleans County. Vince Flow of Kendall captured this closeup of a Snowy Owl in Kendall on Christmas.
For three days a cat was stranded atop a telephone pole in Waterport. Jeremy Arnold, owner of JG Tree Service, rescued Nora on Dec. 28. “Everybody says it’s just a cat or an animal, but people get attached to their pets,” Arnold said after getting Nora down and handing her to her owner, Venita Nauden.
Brandon Bias and his friend Jacob Rausch, both 15, made a rink on the frozen Erie Canal just east of the Ingersoll Street bridge on Jan. 4. The two, who both play for the Brockport Eagles hockey team, played together for more than two hours on the canal in Albion.
Peggy Barringer of Albion stopped by Point Breeze in Carlton and Lomond Shores in Kendall in early January and captured images of the ice formations by the lake.
Sandy Andrews, a member of the First United Methodist Church in Albion, shovels the steps and sidewalk on Jan. 22, when the temperature peaked at 7 degrees. The church provides a ministry for people taking their driver’s license tests. The drivers and their families are served coffee and provided a warm spot from the cold.
You don’t see this every day: a sun dog. The phenomenon showed up on Jan. 22, appearing like a rainbow. The low-lying sun creates ice halos. Dawn Gardner took this photo in East Shelby on Fletcher Chapel Road at South Woods Road.
There were so many cold days that schools were forced to stay open despite the harsh weather. I took the above photo through the frosted front window of my house on Jan. 23. The Albion school bus stopped to pick up elementary school children.
On Feb. 5 a storm barreled through the county in late morning and all five school districts cancelled after-school activities. Some districts sent students home early. I was out driving that day and it ranks high as the most precarious trip I’ve had in years due to the whiteout conditions. The photo shows Gaines Basin Road looking south from near Ridge Road. Gov. Cuomo has declared a state-wide emergency due the storm.
Some days the winds howled. On Feb. 7, the wind chill was 15 below. This photo was taken on Countyhouse Road near the Ridgeway-Albion town line.
Carl Sargent woke up to another snow storm on Feb. 10. He was out shoveling that morning on Caroline Street in Albion.
The freeze-and-thaw cycle left long icicles hanging from buildings. This picture was taken on Feb. 16 and shows the Center for Workforce Development building on Route 31 in Albion, right next to the GCC campus.
It may have only been in the teens on March 2, but it was still a glorious sunset in Orleans County. This photo was taken on Gaines Basin Road in Albion, looking west along the railroad tracks. The temperatures were forecast to fall to 4 degrees that night.
On March 12 a blizzard hit, dropping about a foot of snow on the county. This photo shows traffic creeping along Main Street in Albion by the Presbyterian Church and the county courthouse.
It looked like a white planet when firefighters, including Dan Strong of Carlton, responded to a chimney fire on Ridge Road in Gaines during the blizzard.
ALBION – “The Knave Hearts” was performed by these Albion youngsters, circa 1921-1922.
Seated on the floor is Jean Brodie. First row, from left: Kirke Hart, Katherine Hanley Bott, Marjorie Reed Mahoney, Bill Curtis and Margaret Dunshee Landfear.
Back row, from left: Edmund C.R. Lasher (Tweedle Dee), Jack Burbank (Tweedle Dum), LaMont McNall, Russ Scharping, Pricilla Bronson, Charles Owens, Marcia Brown Hart and Albert Mason.
The fantastic costumes would indicate it was an outstanding production.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Matt Davis owns car dealership in Albion
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club today welcomed a new member – Matt Davis.
At 34, he is the youngest member in the club. Last April he bought the former Daniels car dealership and renamed it Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC. He named the dealership in honor of his grandfather. Davis also owns a dealership in Great Valley.
Davis receives his Rotary pin today from Brad Shelp, who works for Davis. Shelp has perfect weekly attendance at the Albion Rotary Club going back 57 years.
Marlee Diehl, an assistant district governor, led the induction at the Village Inn.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
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.
ALBION – A mansion that has dominated a corner on Main Street could be put up for sale on the open market.
The former Swan Library building at the corner of North Main and West State streets has been vacant for nearly two years. It has cost the Swan Library Association about $25,000 a year for minimal utilities, insurance, service contracts for the elevator and fire alarm, maintenance and grounds upkeep.
“We really need to get that monkey off of our backs,” Kevin Doherty, president of the library’s board of trustees, said at Wednesday’s board meeting.
The library board was open to selling the 6,000-square-foot site for a small amount if it was used for a public purpose such as a museum. County officials had talked about the site becoming a museum and an office for the county historian. But that initiative has failed to come to fruition.
“It never reached the point where a determination could be made,” said Legislature Chairman David Callard. “It was too loosely organized.”
John Sawyer, the CEO and co-owner of Western New York Energy, was pushing for the museum and offered to help finance it. He died from leukemia at age 72 in October. The Orleans County Historical Association also endorsed the project.
Doherty wants to check with the groups interested in the museum to see if there has been behind-the-scenes work toward that goal.
“We really need to think about a back-up plan,” he said.
The library will reach out to real estate companies, and may list the property on web sites for historic homes. Swan is located in a historic district that is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
If none of those efforts lead to a sale, board member Linda Smith said the library board may be forced to have an auction to dispose of the property.
The building was 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.
In July 2012, the new Hoag Library opened with 14,600 square feet and about 60 parking spaces. Circulation has jumped from about 80,000 annually at the Swan site to 120,000 last year at the Hoag.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Collins holds Congressional field hearing in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers – Mark Meyerhofer, director of government relations for Time Warner in Northeast-Western New York, speaks this morning during a Congressional field hearing through the House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology. Congressman Chris Collins is at right, chairing the hearing.
ALBION – Extending broadband Internet access to 100 percent of the country, including sparse rural pockets currently without the service, needs to be a top priority for the country, said Congressman Chris Collins.
He chaired a Congressional field hearing in Albion today, when industry officials spoke about the challenges in providing coverage in some of the rural areas, and the need to reach “the last mile” so businesses and residents aren’t at a competitive disadvantage.
Collins, R-Clarence, said 97 percent of the 27th Congressional District has broandband access, but that still leaves about 24,000 without high-speed Internet.
In the U.S., about 98.5 percent have access, but that leaves 4.5 million without the service in the country, Collins said.
“It’s a national priority to get 100 percent coverage,” he said.
Collins held the hearing in Albion, where Orleans County leaders are working with the rural townships to try to quantify who doesn’t have the service and to figure out how to get high-speed Internet along roads that only have a few residents.
A survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013 found that 69 percent of NY farms have high-speed Internet. That leaves 31 percent or 11,000 farm operations without the service, said Kendra Lamb, who spoke at the hearing on behalf of New York Farm Bureau and Lamb Farms in Oakfield.
High-speed Internet is imperative for many farm operations, for record-keeping, access to databases, and use of precision technology in the field, Lamb said.
It’s also important for retaining residents, she said. Many don’t want to live in areas without the service.
“This makes our rural areas less attractive places for people to live, spurring the brain drain and economic decline some of our formerly thriving small towns in rural New York have experienced,” Lamb said. “A large part of ensuring that our rural areas remain viable and contribute to economic development is making sure every citizen has access to Broadband service.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Kathy Jurs is pictured with characters at Disney World after running a half marathon in January. She raised $5,123 which was the most of anyone from western and central New York.
ALBION – When Kathy Jurs battled Non-Hodgins lymphoma in 2010, she could count on a card in the mail or a treat from Susan Bennett.
Jurs was 29 when she was diagnosed with a cancer of the lymphoid tissue. She lost nearly all of her hair while enduring chemotherapy and radiation. Bennett was always a source of encouragement.
“She would send me notes and gifts,” Jurs said.
Jurs, 32, made a full recovery and returned to work at Poverty Hill Farms in Albion. She has worked there since she was 15. She is the herdsman and calf manager. She arrives at work at 4:45 in the morning and stays until about 4 or 4:30.
Amy Neal is her best friend. Amy is married to Jamie Neal, one of the farm co-owners. She is also Bennett’s daughter.
In June, Bennett was diagnosed with the same cancer as Jurs. Kathy decided she would raise money for research for the disease by running a half marathon at Disney in January.
“I wanted to get into shape, stay healthy and do it for Susan,” Jurs said.
She trained five days a week, including long runs on Saturdays. She joined a group at Mendon Ponds for the Saturday treks. The runners were all raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In four months, Jurs ran over 400 miles getting ready for the half marathon. The sponsors poured in, with Jurs collecting $5,123, the most of any participant from western and central NY.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jurs works as the herdsman and calf manager at Poverty Hill Farm in Albion, which is owned by the Neal family.
“I never dreamed we could raise that much money,” Jurs said.
Bennett was popular in the community. She was active at the Barre Presbyterian Church and as bookkeeper at Al Bennett and Sons, a feed and farm supply store in Barre. Her husband Richard was a long-time county legislator.
“Everybody knew Susan,” Jurs said. “She talked to everybody.”
Jurs set out to finish the 13.1-mile run in under 3 hours. She met that goal on Jan. 11. Her euphoria in finishing was crushed after the race when she learned that Bennett had died that morning at age 67.
Jurs intends to keep running, and raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She plans to run the Flower City Half Marathon in Rochester on April 27.
Richard Bennett praised Jurs for her good heart and determination. When his wife was battling cancer, Jurs often sent her notes and gifts.
“Kathy was her constant booster,” Mr. Bennett said. “She encouraged Susan a lot. It gives you faith in the young people today. They are a very giving group.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2014 at 12:00 am
LYNDONVILLE – It was a quiet election in Lyndonville with only one candidate on the ballot. Charles Covell was elected with all 19 of the votes cast on Tuesday.
Covell was elected to serve the remaining year of a trustee term originally won by James Whipple. He resigned after moving outside the village last year. Covell was appointed by Mayor Stephen McAvoy.
Covell, the owner of Creekside Laundromat in Lyndonville, was appointed to the Village Board on Oct. 14.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This plant, Phragmites australis, grows by the Holley Elementary School. It is an invasive plant that can take over where cattails once grew.
HOLLEY – The photo of a plant by the Holley Elementary School sure looked pretty. We had it on the Orleans Hub on Tuesday.
I wasn’t positive what the plant was. I guessed it was cattails, but I wasn’t certain. Well, it’s not cattails.
Dennis Kirby, manager of the Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District, did some research and identified the plant as Phragmites australis. This is an invasive plant that is causing a lot of trouble in coastal wetlands.
Locally, it pops up in ditches and wet areas.
“You see it around in a lot of places,” he said.
The plant crowds out cattails and takes over a spot. Cattails provide a good home for muskrats and some waterfowl. But Phragmites australis grows close together and isn’t a good habitat for wildlife, Kirby said.
“This is a very pretty plant, but actually a very invasive one that tends to take over and crowd out where the cattails previously grew,” Kirby said.
ALBION – The Dye Hose firemen sat for this group photo June of 1884. In the background off Platt Street is the Albion Village Hall and Fire Department.
First row, from left: Wm Taylor, C. Dunning, P.W. Collins, secretary Warner Thompson, assistant foreman W. Stockton, E. Warner, E. Woods, F. Gould and M. Davis.
Second row: steward B. Butler, M. McLean, treasurer G. Shourds, J. Lewis, J. Bunn, John Bordwell, F. Taylor, J.C. Wilcox, J. Bradley, C.B. Lattin, B. Thurston and C. Higley.
Note the uniforms all have “DH” monograms embossed on them.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Library user Donna Wolcott said the board of trustees treated former director Susan Rudnicky poorly when she was dismissed last week during regular business hours. “We wouldn’t have this library without Susan,” Wolcott said about Rudnicky.
ALBION – Supporters of Susan Rudnicky, the library director in Albion for 15 years, spoke out in her defense at tonight’s meeting of the Swan Library Association board of directors. That board on March 11 voted to dismiss Rudnicky.
One of the trustees, Mary Anne Braunbach, resigned tonight over the way Rudnicky was let go. “It could have been less public, less humiliating, and could have avoided the discomfort for all who observed,” Braunbach said while submitting her resignation.
Braunbach didn’t attend the March 11 board meeting because she is president of Friends of the Library. Rudnicky was escorted out of the library at 6:15 p.m. last Tuesday. She was walked past the group of Friends and other patrons.
“What bothers me is the way you did it,” said Donna Wolcott, a library patron. “It was very insensitive. I’m just appalled.”
The walking out of the building fed rumors in the community that Rudnicky must have done something very wrong, Wolcott said.
Rudnicky did not do anything illegal nor was there any malfeasance, said Kevin Doherty, the board president. But she didn’t follow directives from the board, an issue that had been ongoing for years, he said.
Mary Anne Braunbach, a trustee for the Swan Library Association board of directors, announces her resignation from the board tonight due to way the board dismissed library director Susan Rudnicky last week. Other board members in the photo include Dele Theodorakos, center, and Linda Smith.
Wolcott said Rudnicky was always professional with the public, and she was committed to community causes, serving as president of the Cobblestone Society Museum and a member of the Rotary Club. She also wrote grants that netted $800,000 for the construction of the new Hoag Library, which opened in July 2012.
“We wouldn’t have this library without Susan,” Wolcott said.
Another library user Judy Manley, a member of the Friends, also spoke in support of Rudnicky. Rudnicky’s long-time assistant Susie Gaylard said the board should have celebrated Rudnicky, and her tireless work to get the new library built. The board should have let Rudnicky retire. She turns 62 later this year, Gaylard said.
“I was at the Friends meeting and it was very unfriendly,” Gaylard said. “She wasn’t shown the respect she was due.”
Doherty said the timing of the dismissal wasn’t intended to fall during the Friends meeting. The Friends usually meet at 7 p.m. on a Wednesday but the time was moved to 6 p.m. on a Tuesday.
Ken Braunbach, a library supporter who is married to Mary Anne, challenged Doherty and the board to let the community know that Rudnicky didn’t do anything illegal.
“You have to get that stigma off her,” Braunbach said. “It’s unfair to Susan.”
