By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Two people will spend time in Orleans County Jail after being sentenced this afternoon by Judge James Punch.
Stuart J. Rodden, 26, of Medina was sentenced to weekends in jail for the next year. He could have spent more time in jail but Punch said Rodden has a full-time job and has taken responsibility.
He warned Rodden if he shows up at jail under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the sentence will be a solid year in jail or more.
“Don’t make me out to be a fool,” the judge told Rodden today.
Rodden faced charges of violating probation, driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree. He was arrested on Aug. 7 following the investigation of a motor vehicle accident with an unregistered dirtbike on South Lyndonville Road (Route 63) in the Town of Ridgeway.
“I’m not the same person,” Rodden told Punch during sentencing. “I do work hard. I’ve made mistakes but I’ve grown tremendously in this process.”
Rodden’s attorney Ben Bonargio said Rodden has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and has received treatment.
In another sentencing today, a Lyndonville man was sentenced to 45 days in jail plus 5 years of probation. David Tower, 36, of Cape Drive faced charges of growing cannabis and criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree.
Marijuana plants seized at Tower’s yard weighed more than 6 pounds at a lab in Niagara County.
Punch said he and the local court system won’t look the other way with marijuana crimes.
“You need to understand and accept our job is to enforce the law and marijuana is against the law,” Punch told Tower during sentencing. “I and the district attorney don’t have the right to pick and choose which laws to enforce.”
The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday (April 19) for the much-anticipated presidential primary in New York. The leading candidates have all held campaign rallies in Western New York.
The Republican candidates on the ballot include Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Ben Carson. Carson has suspended his campaign, but he remains on the ballot.
The Democratic candidates on the ballot include Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for president. There are also 12 delegates on the ballot, and voters can choose up to six.
Poll sites include:
Albion: Hoag Library, 134 S. Main St.
Barre: Town Hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.
Carlton: Town Hall, 14341 Waterport Carlton Rd.
Clarendon: Town Hall, 16385 Church St.
Gaines: Town Hall, 14087 Ridge Rd.
Kendall: Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd.
Murray: Holley Junior-Senior High School, 16848 Lynch Rd., Holley
Ridgeway: (Districts 1, 3, 6-7) Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Co., 11392 Ridge Rd.
(Districts 2, 4-5) Ridgeway Town Hall, 410 West Ave.
Shelby: Town Hall, 4062 Salt Works Rd.,
Yates: Town Hall, 8 South Main St.
Press Release, Medical Society of the State of New York
WESTBURY Thomas J. Madejski, MD, a board-certified internist in Medina, took office on Sunday as vice president of the Medical Society of the State of New York at its 210th annual House of Delegates meeting in Tarrytown.
Dr. Madejski received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the School of Pharmacy, State University of New York at Buffalo and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the School of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse.
He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, and was Chief Resident in the Department of Medicine from 1989-1990. In 1990, he was named a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He holds additional certifications in the areas of geriatric medicine and hospice and palliative medicine.
Active in organized medicine, Dr. Madejski has been a delegate representing New York at the American Medical Association’s annual meeting for the past 11 years. In 2015, he was elected to the AMA’s Council of Medical Service. Additionally, Dr. Madejski is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and past president and member of the Orleans County Medical Society.
Prior to his election as vice president, Dr. Madejski was the Medical Society of the State of New York’s treasurer. He also has served MSSNY as Commissioner, Division of Socio-Medical Economics and as Vice-Chair, Legislative & Physician Advocacy Committee.
Dr. Madejski is an attending physician at Medina Memorial Hospital and serves on the hospital’s Medical Quality Assurance Committee. He is also a clinical instructor in medicine & pharmacy at University of Buffalo.
With a specialized focus in geriatric medicine, Dr. Madejski is the medical director of Orleans County Nursing Home, Absolut Care of Gasport Nursing Facility and the Hospice of Orleans County.
Dr. Madejski resides in Albion and practices at General Physicians Medical Practice in Medina.
Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2016 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Chris and Karen Watt had this 154-foot-high wind turbine at Watt Farms on Route 98 erected about four years ago. The construction and location resulted in lawsuits from a neighbor and the Town of Gaines.
GAINES – Chris and Karen Watt, owner of a fruit farm and farm market on Route 98, have filed a notice of claim against the Town of Gaines, saying they intend to sue the town and four town officials for “slanderous and libelous” comments in regards to the wind turbine near the farm market.
In an Orleans Hub article in January, Town Supervisor Carol Culhane voiced her disappointment that James Punch, acting Supreme Court justice, allowed the turbine to stay put following an order from the state Department of Agriculture of Markets.
Culhane and three Town Board members – Richard DeCarlo Sr., James Kirby and Susan Smith – on Jan. 5 passed a formal resolution that was critical of Ag and Markets for “immoral conduct” with the turbine issue at Watt Farms. The Town Board asked the Attorney General to conduct an ethics review of Ag and Markets staff with the Watt turbine issue and similar matters.
The resolution also stated that the Watts “attempted to evade the requirements of the Town Law by obtaining a permit for a wind tower which required site plan approval.”
The Gaines resolution, approved by four Town Board members, also stated the Watts received “illegal assistance” from the former Planning Board chairman in obtaining an improperly issued permit so the turbine could be sited “in a location which directly threatened public health and safety.”
Frank Aloi, the attorney for the Watts, said Chris and Karen Watt did nothing wrong with the turbine permitting process. He said they went to great lengths to follow the local and state laws.
The resolution on Jan. 5 from the town clearly infers an “illicit conspiracy” between the Watts and the former Planning Board chairman with the building permit, according to the legal papers filed by the Watts. However, previous litigation showed the Watts and prior town officials did nothing illegal, Aloi said in the notice of intent.
Culhane, the town supervisor, when contacted by Orleans Hub declined to discuss the issue because of the possible litigation.
When she first took office in January 2012, she moved to abolish the Town Planning Board and have those functions handled by the Zonings Board of Appeals. The ZBA then had the Watts reapply for a permit, which had been approved in 2011.
The second time around the town told the Watts the turbine needed to be moved away from the farm market and a U-Pick orchard. The Watts and Ag & Markets said that could cost $20,000 and was unreasonable. The town wanted the turbine 169.4 feet away from areas where people gathered. (That represents 1.1 multiplied by the turbine height.)
Ag and Markets suggested the setback from “human-occupied buildings” be five times the rotor distance or five times 23.6 feet, which would be 118 feet for the Watt turbine. Ag and Markets based that suggestion from the recommendation by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority or NYSERDA.
Ag and Markets also said any U-Pick area within the 118 feet could be off limits to the public.
Judge James Punch, acting Supreme Court justice, made final ruling on the matter in December, saying the turbine should stay put. He based that decision partly on the determination and order from Richard Ball, commissioner of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Ball on Jan. 14, 2015 said sent official notice to the Town of Gaines, saying it was wrong to insist that the turbine be moved away from a farm market and U-Pick orchard at Watt Farms. Ball sent the letter to town officials, telling them they needed to comply with the Agriculture and Markets Law.
Culhane and the board majority have alleged “immoral conduct” by Ag & Markets and said the state agency has “falsely represented the facts of the case.”
Those comments are noted in the notice of intent from the Watts. Aloi, in the March 4 filing, said the Town Board didn’t appeal Punch’s decision in December, but instead used a “bully pulpit” at the Town Board meeting and in the local media to “intentionally and maliciously libel” Chris and Karen Watt.
Aloi said the potential damages against the Watts from the alleged defamation are unknown right now. The farm market hasn’t opened yet this year to see if the Watts will lose customers from the attacks on their character. The Watts also sell fruit at many farmers’ markets in the region, in addition to selling fruit wholesale to larger customers.
Filing the notice of intent gives the Watts the option to file a lawsuit within a year. Aloi, in the court papers, said the Watts have already spent $35,000 in litigation costs, and most of that could have been avoided if the Town Board hadn’t dissolved the Planning Board and launched a “personal vendetta” against the Watt family.
The notice of intent names the four Town Board members who voted in favor of the resolution on Jan. 5. It doesn’t name Mary Neilans, a new Town Board member who was sworn into her position as town councilwoman on Jan. 5. She abstained from the vote on the resolution about the turbine. Neilans lives next to the Watts, and she filed the first lawsuit in the matter after the turbine went up in August 2011.
File photos by Tom Rivers – Dee Robinson, a historian, shares a lecture in February 2015 at the Hoag Library on early black history in Orleans County. The program was part of a Black History Month celebration. Robinson is being recognized for lifetime achievement in her role as historian.
Press Release, GCC
Now in its third year, the Orleans County Heritage Heroes Awards were created in 2014 as a way to recognize the efforts of those who give their time, hard work, and often money to preserve and protect local heritage. Often unnoticed, the efforts of those honored help to ensure that the history of Orleans County will be passed to the next generation.
The 2016 class of Heritage Heroes will be recognized in a ceremony at Genesee Community College in Albion on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Jim Simon, associate dean of Orleans County Campus Centers, expressed his wish that many from the community would attend the ceremony to help celebrate.
“Those chosen as Heritage Heroes are special people,” according to Simon. “They give freely of their time and work tirelessly to preserve the many historic assets of Orleans County. We hope that their neighbors and friends will turn out for the ceremony to show their appreciation for all that these honorees have done.”
This year’s Heritage Heroes are:
Tim Archer – A distinguished teacher at Albion Middle School, Archer was the 2009-2010 “Educator of the Year.” Working with retired Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin, Archer and his students took on the task of revitalizing the long neglected County Alms House Cemetery in Albion. After cleaning up the cemetery and resetting toppled and buried stones, students researched the names of nearly 160 residents buried there.
Provided photo
This photo from May 2015 shows Albion seventh grade service learning students helping to clear brush at the old CCC/POW Camp at Hamlin Beach State Park. WWII prisoners of war were housed here in the 1940s. Pictured, from left, are Kolin Vangorder, Conner Hollenbeck, camp expert Ed Evans, Patrick Ricker, teacher Tim Archer, Cody Wilson, and Brooklynn Reed. It’s one of many service learning projects led by Archer that highlight local history.
More recently, Archer and his students sought to honor the only known resident of Orleans County to be killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Buried in Hillside Cemetery in Holley, Charles Herbert Taylor fought for the 140th New York Volunteer Infantry. Believing that Taylor’s resting place should be highlighted, Archer applied to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for a grant to erect a historic marker.
Margaret Wiley – During a violent storm in 1916, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse was destroyed. But thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Committee, led by Peg Wiley, the historic structure has been rebuilt and once again stands as a beacon over the Ontario shore.
This photo of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse was taken in May 2015. Construction of the lighthouse was completed in 2010. It is a replica of one from 1876. That lighthouse toppled over in a windstorm in 1916.
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse is one of the landmarks at Point Breeze. Completed in 2010 – almost a hundred years after its demise – the Lighthouse features a museum and a recently added Children’s Peace Garden. As the impetus behind this amazing effort, Peg helped to raise over $300,000 to make her dream a reality.
Since its opening, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse museum has become one of the jewels in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, welcoming visitors by tens of thousands from all over the world and all fifty states.
Al Capurso – Presently the Town of Gaines historian, Al is being honored for his many contributions prior to the appointment. One such effort was the naming of a small creek after pioneer Elizabeth Gilbert.
In early 2013, Al and his son Kenny noticed a creek along Brown Road in Gaines. They followed its path across Ridge Road to Carlton. It flows 6.5 miles northeast and connects with Marsh Creek about 2.4 miles south of Lake Ontario. After research showed that the stream was unnamed, Al lobbied to name it after a plucky early pioneer who was the first to settle on Ridge Road in Orleans County in 1807. After approval from the Federal Bureau of Geographic Names, Al hosted a dedication ceremony and even made the sign marking Gilbert Creek.
Al Capurso is pictured with a new historical marker that was unveiled Oct. 17 by a former one-room schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road, just north of the Erie Canal. The schoolhouse was built in 1832 and is one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the area.
More recently, Al has led a determined effort to save the cobblestone schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road. The schoolhouse for District No. 2 was built in 1832 and served as a school until 1944.
It fell into disrepair and had long faded from public memory until Al took a hand in the matter and gathered a sympathetic crew who have cleaned, painted and repaired the centuries old structure. To ensure that the building is not forgotten again, Al worked to erect a historic marker on the site.
In addition to the three Heritage Heroes to be honored on April 29th, two special awards will be bestowed:
The Robert E. Waters Award for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to retired Town of Gaines historian Delia Robinson. An authority on cobblestone construction, Robinson is the author of Cobblestone Buildings of Orleans County and served as the resource librarian at the Cobblestone Society and Museum.
She is also author of Historical Amnesia, highlighting the contributions of many women in shaping Orleans County and was instrumental in having many historical markers put up in Orleans County that note contributions from women. She continues to give monthly historical lectures at Hoag Library called “Tea with Dee.”
Over the years, Dee has generously given of her time to speak to local groups, advocate for historic projects, and provide research support for others seeking to know more about their family tree.
The award in named for late Robert Waters, long-time publisher of the The Journal-Register in Medina. He was a champion of many local projects, including the saving of the Medina Armory. He was influential in the Medina Sandstone Society and was a Heritage Hero in 2014.
The C.W. “Bill” Lattin Award for Excellence in Municipal History will be awarded to Melissa Ierlan, Town of Clarendon Historian and President of the Clarendon Historical Society.
Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian and president of the Historical Society, unveils a historical marker on Sept. 21, 2014 for Hillside Cemetery, which in 2013 was named to National Register of Historic Places.
A historian not afraid to get her hands dirty, Melissa has put in many hours and lots of elbow grease to restore faded historical markers from throughout the area. Dismounting the signs, she has stripped them and meticulously repainted the signs the iconic blue and gold before replacing them.
Ierlan has also been instrumental in the effort to restore the beautiful red sandstone, gothic revival chapel at Hillside Cemetery in Holley. Designed by Rochester architect Addison Forbes, the Medina sandstone chapel was built in 1894. Due in part to her efforts, a grant of $126,210 was recently secured from New York State for the restoration fund.
Those selected as Heritage Heroes could be of any age but had to be living residents of Orleans County. No Posthumous nominations were accepted. History professionals and GCC employees were also not eligible for the award, nor were those serving on the award selection committees. The selection committees were made up of staff and students of Genesee Community College, community members and history professionals.
The award ceremony on April 29th at GCC in Albion is open to the public, but seating is limited. A reception will follow the ceremony featuring light refreshments. For more information on the awards or the ceremony, contact Jim Simon at jsimon@genesee.edu or Prof. Derek Maxfield at ddmaxfield@genesee.edu or by calling the Albion Campus Center at 585-589-4936.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2016 at 12:00 am
Documentarians visit Pat Aina’s family in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers – Kay DiLaura displays a photo on Friday of her brother, Pasquale “Pat” Aina, who was killed in Japan by a suicide pilot on Aprl 18, 1945.
ALBION – Kay DiLaura still remembers the profound sadness when her brother, Pat Aina, died in Japan during World War II on April 18, 1945.
Aina was 26, a gunner on a plane who also worked radar and the radio. He and 10 other Americans were on a B-29 that was struck by a Japanese suicide pilot. The American plane spun out of control and came down near a Japanese air strip in Tachiarai. Aina’s family was notified of the crash, but he would be listed as missing for a year before his death was confirmed.
This photo, included in a booklet at the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum, shows Aina’s crashed plane in Japan.
Aina had three grown brothers and a sister. Another sister died as an infant. DiLaura said her brother had a great sense of humor and loved his Italian roots. He taught himself Italian and wrote many letters to older people in Albion when he was at war. He wrote those notes in Italian and the people from Sicily loved that.
In December 2009, a package from Japan arrived in Albion for the family of Sgt. Pasquale Aina. The parcel was sent to 129 West Academy St., Aina’s home. The Aina family had moved from there more than 50 years previously.
But one of his cousins happened to be at the Post Office when the package arrived, and he directed Postal Service employees to DiLaura, who lives on Meadowbrook Drive.
Akio Tokunaga, an art constructor, sent the package to Aina’s family. Tokunaga requested a photo of Aina for a museum in Tachiarai, a museum dedicated to peace. Tokunaga said the museum would display the photos of the Americans “equally” as victims of war.
DiLaura agreed to send a picture of her brother, and a group photo of the 11 crew members from the downed plane. In November 2010, DiLaura’s daughter Suzanne Wells went to visit the museum. Her son Christopher lives in Japan.
“The museum is very well done,” she said.
She stood on the spot where her uncle’s plane crashed.
She said the museum includes moving displays about the loss of life from war. Wells has been the contact for Tokunaga. He visited Albion last Thursday and Friday with a documentary filmmaker. Wells helped get them in touch with family of two other crew members who died in the plane crash. Tokunaga and filmmaker Shinsuke Ogata also are going to Kansas City and Utah.
Akio Tokunaga meets with Suzanne Wells, left, and her mother Kay DiLaura.
Tokunaga said the peace museum has proven popular wit the public and sends an important message.
“I don’t want to see another war,” he said. “I don’t want it anymore.”
He said the museum wanted the recognize the loss of life, including the Americans.
“It’s quite unusual to have pictures of American soldiers ina Japanese museum,” he said at DiLaura’s home on Friday. “But they are victims of the war, too.”
Pat Aina, far right, is pictured with his brothers, from left: Peter, Sam and James.
Wells said she had luck connecting with two of Aina’s crewmates through Facebook. She wants to keep reaching out to other families of the crew.
She appreciates Tokunaga’s efforts to recognize the 11 Americans who died in Tachiarai. (Aina was exhumed from a Japanese farm field in 1948. He was buried in the Punch Bowl in Hawaii, a national memorial cemetery.
DiLaura enjoyed talking about her brother with Tokunaga and Ogata.
“He was a great guy,” she said about Aina. “If he was here, he’d have something to say. He had a keen sense of humor.”
Akio Tokunaga is pictured next to Kay DiLaura during a visit to her home last week with Suzanne Wells and her husband Bob. Filmmaker Shinsuke Ogata, right, is making a documentary to be shown in Japan about Pat Aina and 10 other Americans who died after a suicide pilot crashed into their plane on April 18, 1945.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2016 at 2:40 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A passenger in a vehicle struck this afternoon at the West Countyhouse and Eagle Harbor-West Barre Road intersection was taken by ambulance to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia with minor injuries, a Sheriff’s deputy said at the scene.
The driver of a red pickup truck was following a tractor and drove through the Stop sign at about 1 p.m., striking the white vehicle, a deputy said.
Albion firefighters were on scene to extricate the passenger who was stuck inside due to the crumpled door.
Orleans County deputies, a state trooper and COVA were also on scene.
Stepped up enforcement aims to keep teen drivers safe
This Public Service Announcement from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee urges teen to drive safely.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is joining law enforcement throughout the state this week in stepped up enforcement of speeding in school zones, cell phone use while driving, underage drinking, not wearing seatbelts and child restraints, and passing school busses when the red lights are flashing.
The effort is part of a state-wide “No Empty Chair” campaign to keep teen drivers safe so they can graduate and not be an empty seat during commencement.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo also is backing the “No Empty Chair” teen driving safety education and enforcement campaign to raise awareness of highway dangers during prom and graduation season.
State and local law enforcement will participate in the week-long, multi-agency campaign from Monday through Friday. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee also encourages school administrators, local traffic safety partners, and other community stakeholders to raise awareness to ensure there are no empty chairs at prom and graduation this season.
“Raising awareness about traffic safety can prevent senseless tragedies and save lives,” said Governor Cuomo. “By spreading the word about the Empty Chair Campaign, we can stop crashes before they occur, and ensure a bright future for all of New York’s students.”
State and local law enforcement will increase their presence in the vicinity of local high schools throughout the campaign, and officers are encouraged to be vigilant about violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law, which is designed to provide time for young people to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios.
The campaign will target specific infractions throughout the week, while also enforcing all other vehicle and traffic laws. The target dates are as follows:
Monday, April 18, 2016 – Speeding in school zones
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 – Seatbelts and child restraints
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 – Cell phone use and texting
Thursday, April 21, 2016 – Operation Safe Stop/promoting school bus safety
Friday, April 22, 2016 – Underage drinking and impaired driving
“Our goal with this initiative is to keep teens safe so they can enjoy what is ahead of them – prom, graduation, and then moving on to the next step of their lives,” said New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico. “Please buckle up, slow down, and put away your cell phones while driving. These few actions will make the highways safer for all and help prevent tragedy this prom season.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research uncovered the following facts in New York:
Between 2012 and 2014, 11 to 13 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New York State occurred in crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 20.
Drivers ages 16 and 17 involved in fatal and personal injury crashes in New York State were more likely to be driving with passengers than drivers in all other fatal and personal injury crashes (43 percent versus 29 percent in 2014).
According to 2013 data, in police-reported fatal and personal injury crashes statewide, drivers ages 16 to 20 were much more likely than all drivers to have multiple contributing factors, which included driver inexperience, unsafe speed, following too closely, failure to yield right-of-way, and driver inattention/distraction.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2016 at 12:00 am
About 120 participate in event to honor Wayne Burlison
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Brian Krieger and Adam Burlison release balloons just after noon today during the second annual Run for Wayne, a 3.17-mile race in honor of Adam’s father Wayne Burlison.
He was 36 when he died from colon cancer on March 26, 2014. Krieger and Burlison were close friends and running partners. They helped start the Albion Running Club, which organized today’s race.
Wayne’s wife Lisa Burlison thanked the community for supporting the race. She also shared about her husband’s faith, and his commitment to his family, fitness and his students. Mr. Burlison taught music at Albion for 12 years.
The runners gather on Clarendon Road near the elementary school for the start of the race. The 3.17-mile course represents the 3 months and 17 days that Burlison lived his diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer.
The bright sunshine and temperatures in the 60s was a contrast from the first Run for Wayne on March 28, 2015, when there was lots of snow on the ground and frigid temperatures.
The Albion pep band played upbeat tunes to cheer on the runners.
Runners head east on Route 31 past Butts Road for the first mile.
Tess Pettit, right, and Trinity Allen hand out water.
Runners head into Mount Albion Cemetery, passing underneath the big stone arch. Burlison played in the Mark Time Marchers, a band that performs in many local parades.
A runner approaches a photo of Burlison attached to a tree along the course in the cemetery.
After a loop in the cemetery, runners head west on Route 31 to the finish at the elementary school.
Riley Seielstad, an Albion high schooler, ran her first race today. She was one of Burlison’s students.
Race results will be posted on the Albion Running Club website. Click here for more information.
ROCHESTER – Scouts from Pack 164 served as Color Guard for the final Amerks home game on Friday. This has become an annual event for Pack 164.
Flag bearers were Nathan Stefani and Oliver Beach. Other Scouts include Alakai Colmenaro, Noah George, Ethan Merrill, Aaron Flanagan, Patrick Fox, Logan Scott-Grager, Michael Ryan, Logan Kast and Tristan Tilbe. Scout leaders on the ice include Rick Merrill, Mike Beach and John Kast.
John Kast, left, and the Scouts had close seats to the action.
The Amerks lost the home finale, 5-0, to the Albany Devils at The Blue Cross Arena.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 16 April 2016 at 12:00 am
Village wants to bring festival back in 2017
File photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the combined Holley-Kendall marching band participate in the parade in this photo from June 7, 2014.
HOLLEY – Mayor John Kenney says the annual June Fest community celebration has been postponed for this year, but should be back in 2017.
“We are going to start planning for next year,” he told Orleans Hub this week.
The mayor said funds will be included in the village budget and he expects a committee will be formed to help organize the event. He said he also expects to contact Town of Murray officials to see if they have an interest in being involved.
Clarendon residents Dr. Marge Krizan and John Krizan approached the Holley Village Board in February and offered to form an ad hoc committee to organize a 2016 June Fest, as the continuation of the event appeared to be in jeopardy. Dr. Krizan told Orleans Hub that she presented a scaled-back version of the event to the Village Board at its March 8 meeting, but the ad hoc committee did not receive the “blessing” of the village to continue.
In a letter to the Village Board dated March 21, Dr. Krizan wrote that the festival could not go forward this year without approval and sponsorship of the Village Board; sufficient information and materials from prior June Fest celebrations; and the credibility of a Village of Holley endorsement of their plan.
Fireworks at the soccer field capped last year’s festival, when there was a full schedule of events from the morning to the night.
“We believe it would be better to produce a quality … event for all concerned as opposed to producing an event which would not satisfy the Board based on their comments at the March 8, 2016 board meeting,” she wrote.
Additionally in her letter, Dr. Krizan offered the assistance of the ad hoc committee to bring the 2017 June Fest to fruition.
“We like to do things the right way,” she told Orleans Hub. “We had to have credibility … (A 2016 scaled-back June Fest) can’t be done the right way without the full backing of the Board. We tried. We learned another thing about local government.”
Dr. Krizan said Village Board members did not want to make a decision on moving ahead with June Fest this year without vendors and donations in place, but she explained that the ad hoc committee had difficulty accessing information on the event from previous years, which would have helped them seek out and secure vendors and donations.
“We tried, but from the start there was obstacle upon obstacle,” she said. “No one knew where the paperwork was.”
Additionally, Dr. Krizan said board members indicated they would prefer to have a full slate of events included if June Fest were held this year.
The ad hoc committee had proposed an abbreviated event.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 16 April 2016 at 12:00 am
Volume 2, Issue 16
ALBION – As the American Library Association closes 2016’s National Library Week, we take a look back at this interior image of the Swan Library taken in 1900.
This year’s theme for library week was “Libraries Transform,” meaning libraries transform the lives of those who use them and transform the communities they serve. Of course, this also means libraries physically transform how they serve their communities.
This image shows the north room of the library known as the reading room, one of the few public spaces in the original building. We see a sign atop one of the tables in the rear of the room that says “HUSH,” the library’s original reference section with two shelves in the back, and numerous resources set out on the tables. Miss Lillian Achilles sits at the front desk, situated to look over the reading room, and the antiquated card catalog positioned near the librarian.
The Swan Library was established by the will of prominent businessman William Gere Swan upon his death in 1896. It was the executors of his will, Emma his wife and Isaac Signor who were responsible for carrying out Swan’s wishes. After the organization received its charter signed December 21, 1899 by Melvil Dewey (then director of the NYS Library), J. Mills Platt of Rochester was hired to develop plans for the conversion of the Burrows mansions to a functioning library.
The reading room stretched the length of the north half of the first floor, a desk was positioned to overlook this room and a window installed to receive and distribute books to patrons from the front foyer. A “Trustees Room” was positioned in the southeast corner of the building, providing the governing body a location to meet and the basement was affixed with a kitchen and dining room for events.
Shortly after renovations were completed, Lillian Achilles was hired as the Swan Library’s first librarian at an annual salary of $600. Although the trustees had consulted with her about the proposed layout of the building’s interior, she found numerous shortcomings that needed to be addressed immediately. Less than 25% of the total floor space was allocated for books and no space was set aside for processing and cataloging new materials.
Achilles designated a room as an office for this task and spent nearly three months cataloging the 4,900 books from the Albion Free Town Library and Albion Public Library as well as the 700 books purchased specifically for the new building. Without the luxuries of a typewriter, she spent countless hours handwriting all of the cards, which she finally finished on March 17, 1900; it would be another year before the card catalog was completed.
Now supported by taxes, the library’s original trustees felt that the library should be predominantly supported by Swan’s endowment. This led to severe budget limitations and restricted Miss Achilles’ abilities to purchase new books. The problem became substantially worse in 1907 when the Village of Albion withdrew their financial support. Along with several local drug stores, the library established rental collections to supplement income and provide continued access to information – support was eventually restored.
Despite these limitations, the library quickly became a cultural center for the community. It served the local schools as a supplement to small classroom collections, provided “quiet” games for children to play, established a boys club in 1901, and became a repository for historical artifacts – a true transformation from the traditional view of the public library’s role.
Any librarian will tell you that Miss Achilles was a saint for handwriting the library’s first card catalog!
MEDINA – Orchard Manor Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina hosted a luncheon on Thursday for its volunteers in recognition of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16).
The following were recognized, from left, front row: Robin Dubai and Jan Pritchard. Back row: Ray Levesque, Gail Nellist, Laurie Seager (volunteer coordinator) and Paula Banazwski.
The theme was “Volunteers, Our Greatest Natural Resource.” Residents also created a decorative mural to show their appreciation. Anyone wishing to learn more about volunteering at Orchard Manor should call Laurie Seager, Volunteer Coordinator, at (585) 798-4100.
BATAVIA – Founding a college is no simple task. Establishing Genesee Community College in the mid-1960s involved more than a decade of planning with hundreds of community members working hard in support of the innovative idea that Genesee and surrounding counties would benefit from having a college.
As GCC recognizes its 50th Anniversary, numerous historical dates are being celebrated, as are the pioneering efforts and vision of its founding citizens.
Today (April 15, 2016) is Founding Day at GCC’s Batavia Campus, which will celebrate the exact date 50 years prior that the State University of New York officially approved and recognized the interests of the Genesee County Board of Supervisors to establish and sponsor a two-year college in Genesee County. It is one of many important dates in the college’s history, and also the first event in the coming 18 months where GCC will reflect on it’s unique past while planning ahead for the future.
At 11 a.m. today on Founding Day, the college community including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and friends will gather in the William W. Stuart Forum for a cake cutting ceremony. In addition, a specially prepared historical photo show will run continuously until 2 p.m., and all visitors will have the chance to be part of a pending time capsule by briefly answer the inquiry: “What I found at GCC.”
Edited responses to this inquiry will be added to the soon to be launched 50th Anniversary website. WGCC, the college’s radio station will be broadcasting live, and the GCC Cougar mascot will pose for numerous photo ops. Lastly, the college will officially release the new 50th Anniversary logo featuring a creative blue and gold flame matching the College’s colors that date back to the late 1960’s with the insignia “The True-Blue Past – Our Golden Future.”
“This is the ‘soft opening’ to the college’s anniversary program,” President James Sunser, Ed.D. said at a recent planning meeting. “It gives us the opportunity to publish and promote our calendar of upcoming events and the many opportunities we are looking forward to, including the new logo with a few surprises.”
The next big college event is the official groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 28 at 4 p.m. for the new Student Success Center and the Event Center. College and community leaders will gather to recognize the start of construction for these two new facilities, collectively valued at more than $21 million and totaling 75,000 square feet.
In addition, the program includes the opportunity to officially kickoff GCC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, paying homage to the community leaders 50 years ago whose vision gave rise to Genesee Community College’s long term success. Final plans for groundbreaking ceremony are in development and details will be available soon.
File photo Tom Rivers – This tugboat in Albion stands out in the fog, with the Main Street lift bridge in back, in this photo from May 31, 2015.
Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today wrote to the National Park Service urging for the New York State Barge Canal to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The NYS Barge Canal extends through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo and includes the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal, stretching 525 miles across New York State. This designation would provide additional economic development and tourism promotion opportunities.
“The New York State Barge Canal shaped the course of settlement in the Northeast, Midwest, and Great Plains, and established New York City as the nation’s premiere seaport and commercial center,” said Senator Gillibrand. “For over a century, New York’s canal system has played an influential role in the economy and development of the region and our country. This designation would be another national highlight of New York’s rich history and strengthens our commitment to preserving our landmarks.”
In this photo from the Orleans County History Department, crews work on the retaining walls at the Canal Basin in Medina on April 3, 1914. It was part of the Barge Canal expansion about a century ago.
The National Park Service in October 2014 announced the Barge Canal was on the National Register of Historic Places. Gillibrand now is pushing for a higher designation.
The Erie Canal opened in 1825. The Barge Canal represents the widening of the canal between 1905 and 1918. Many of the bridges, guard gates, waste weir systems and other canal infrastructure remain in use today.
Gillibrand, in her letter to the National Park Service, highlighted that during the 1850s the canal carried 33,000 shipments and by 1882, carried over $120 million dollars in cargo. Today, the canal is used for recreational purposes, contributing to New York’s tourism economy.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to the National Park Service Director is included below.
Mr. Jonathan B. Jarvis
Director
National Park Service
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Director Jarvis,
I write in support of the nomination of the New York State (NYS) Barge Canal to be designated as a National Historic Landmark (NHL). Listing as a National Historic Landmark would be a logical step in appropriately honoring the nationally-significant role that New York’s canal system has played in our country. Furthermore, NHL designation would be timely and appropriate, helping to raise the waterway’s stature and creating additional economic development and tourism promotion opportunities.
The NYS Barge Canal system is composed of the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal, and stretches 525 miles through New York State. New York State’s Erie Canal has been in continuous operation since 1825 and has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of not only New York State but the country.
It facilitated and shaped the course of settlement in the Northeast, Midwest and Great Plains, and established New York City as the nation’s premiere seaport and commercial center. The Erie Canal alone originally stretched 363 miles from Albany, New York to Buffalo, New York. During its peak in 1855, the canal system carried 33,000 shipments and by 1882 the canal had carried over $120 million dollars in cargo. Today the canal is used almost entirely for recreation, open for walking, jogging, biking and cross-country skiing, contributing to New York and the nation’s tourism economy.
As we approach the Barge Canal’s Centennial year in 2018, as well as the observance of the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial period between 2017 and 2025, NHL designation would help attract national and international attention during this important period of reflection and celebration.
Further, through the efforts of the NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the World Canals Conference will be held in Syracuse in September 2017. This international event provides another opportunity to celebrate and promote the national significance of New York State’s Barge Canal system, which is about to embark on its 192nd year of continuous operation.
I ask that you please give the New York State Barge Canal’s application your full consideration.
