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County budget cuts taxes by 1.5%

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

Without nursing home, total spending down 20%

ALBION – Orleans County property owners will pay less in county taxes next year, according to a county budget proposal that for the first time doesn’t include the nursing home.

The sale is expected to close soon after Jan. 1. The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center is being sold for $7.8 million to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC.

That will take 98 full-time and 64 part-time employees off the public payroll. It will also save the county a projected $1.5 million subsidy for the nursing home in 2015.

County residents will see the tax rate fall by 22 cents, from $10.11 to $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property.

If the county didn’t sell the nursing home, Legislature Chairman David Callard said property owners would have faced a 50-cent increase in the tax rate in 2015.

The Legislature will use some of the projected savings from the nursing home to boost some member agencies and also beef up infrastructure work, including replacing bridges and culverts.

“I believe this budget is one of the finest budgets the Legislature has prepared in a number of years,” Callard said during this afternoon’s Legislature meeting.

Overall spending would drop 19.4 percent from $79,786,629 to $65,015,266. The county’s tax levy, what it collects in taxes from property owners, would drop by 1.5 percent from $16,441,366 to $16,209,165.

This is the tentative budget as submitted by Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer. Residents can comment on the plan during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Orleans County Courthouse.

The budget increases the county allocation to the Orleans County Economic Development Agency from $150,000 to $170,000, the Soil and Water Conservation District from $57,750 to $75,000, the share to the Cornell Cooperative Extension from $219,500 to $225,000, Genesee-Orleans Regional Council on the Arts from $1,000 to $3,000, and the Sportsmen Federation from $500 to $1,000. The four public libraries will remain at a collective $10,000 from the county, according to the budget proposal.

Residents question Hoag leaders over personnel changes

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

Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion resident Ken Braunbach says Hoag Library has lost five valuable employees recently. He asked if a new director or the Board of Trustees was pushing the recent changes in personnel. He asked Board President Kevin Doherty to resign from his position.

ALBION – It started with the termination of Susan Rudnicky as library director in March. Her long-time assistant then resigned. Since a new director started in August, three more long-time employees have left. One was fired, another resigned with the other retiring.

About 60 people attended the Board of Trustees meeting tonight for the library. Several speakers said they were upset by the loss of five employees who collectively worked at the library for 130 years, according to former trustee Mary Anne Braunbach.

She has asked board members about the changes, wanting to know the board was pushing for the personnel changes or new director Jeff Davignon.

“The board says they can’t talk about it,” Braunbach said at tonight’s meeting. “That’s why people go into public office: to talk about it.”

Mary Anne Braunbach

Board President Kevin Doherty said he shouldn’t discuss personnel issues publicly. He said he would be open to a meeting with the public with more back and forth comments but he first wanted to check with an attorney and other board members to “establish ground rules.”

“I don’t want a situation where I create a liability for the organization,” he told the group.

Pat Cammarata, a former library trustee, urged Doherty and the board to provide some insight to the public about the personnel changes.

“It might help to resolve some of the tension,” she said.

Resident Gary Derwick expressed his disappointment with the loss of several long-term staff members.

“Let’s celebrate these people rather than an act of dishonor or disgrace in how these people were let go,” Derwick said.

Kevin Doherty, president of the board, said he needed to check with an attorney before commenting on personnel at the library. He said he could publicly discuss personnel policies but not specific employees.

After several speakers at the meeting tonight, Doherty tried to go on to other board business. That angered some of the residents who wanted Doherty to address the staffing issues.

He told the group they didn’t speak for the entire library service area, about 16,000 people in the towns of Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton.

Doherty noted the circulation numbers haven’t dropped and people are honoring their pledges to a capital campaign for the new library.

“The 60 people here are not respective of the entire district,” Doherty said.

Several residents then walked out in a show of disgust.

Former library employee and trustee Terry-Lynn Corrigan said she would withhold her pledge because of the changes at the library.

“It’s not because I don’t think the building is worth it,” she said. “It’s because I don’t like what is going on. I’m not giving my pledge until this place is cleaned up.”

Cammarata urged Corrigan and other community members to honor their commitments to the capital campaign.

“Reneging now represents a broken promise,” she said. “If the pledges aren’t there it means a cut in services. If there is a shortfall, who will suffer? It won’t be the board because they aren’t getting paid. It will be community and the staff.”

Joe Gehl asked if changes in staffing had hurt circulation numbers and donations to the library. He was told both numbers haven’t been hurt.

Brian Kent is the son of Grace Kent, who was terminated last month. He said donors to the campaign gave to more than a building, but also for the character of the library. He said recent decisions are not in sync with the library’s proud tradition.

While several speakers spoke against the recent changes, saying they’ve hurt staff morale and created an unwelcome environment for library users, one employee said she supports the changes.

Charity Garrow works in tech services for the Hoag. She refuted the claims that all staff oppose the new programs and direction at the library.

“The people who are commenting that everyone is unhappy with everything, that’s not the case,” Garrow said. “There is good going on here and it’s being buried by some of the negative comments.”

Firefighters take care of chimney fire in Barre

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

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Firefighters put out a chimney fire in Barre this morning at the home of John and Val Hucknall, 13601 West Lee Rd.

The call went out to firefighters at 9:30 a.m. In the top photo, Medina firefighters Fernando Papila, top, and Matt Herriven work on the fire. They put dry chemical powder down the chimney and then ran a chain through the chimney, clearing it out.

The Hucknall’s son, Jeremy, was outside and noticed the smoke coming from the chimney this morning. Firefighters from Barre, Medina and Albion responded to the call.

New Hub calendars are available

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

ALBION – Orleans Hub has new calendars for 2015 that showcase the four seasons in Orleans County. The cover photo shows Marisa Hanlon of Kendall riding her horse at the 4-H Fairgrounds while the sun was setting during the fair this past July.

That is one of 25 images in the calendar (two for each month plus the cover image).
The calendars are $10. They are available at the Lake Country Pennysaver, 170 North Main St., Albion. The office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 to 3:30.

They are also available at Main Street TV & Appliance Sales at 430 Main St. in Medina.

Orleans Hub can mail these as well with an additional charge for shipping. For more information on that, call the office at 585-589-5641.

Albion football team is pictured in 1901

Posted 11 November 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – In this picture, taken on the Orleans County Courthouse lawn in November 1901, we see the Albion High School football team.

Kneeling in front, left to right: Unidentified, Arthur Elson, Burr Heady, William Crandall and Jay Brown. Second row, left to right: Walter Radley, Bill Luttenton, Everett Barnum, Frank Vanstone, Homer Brown and Clarence Nesbitt.

Three together at left are Mike Hughes, George Houghton, and Foster Wood. Next three together left to right are Homer Heady, Harry Harding, Fred Vanstone, and Harry Woods, the man in the suit.

The boys are Bud Wilcox and Teddy Vanstone. The man on the sidewalk is unidentified. Members of this football team graduated in the years 1902 to 1906.

Notice four of the men are wearing nose guards.

Korean War vet receives long overdue medals

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jim Traufler of Albion received medals today for his service six decades ago when he was in the Marine Corps in the Korean War.

In the photo, Traufler, 82, received six medals as well as an embrace from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Traufler was recognized during a Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Veterans Service Agency office on Route 31 in Albion.

“It’s something you don’t think about,” Traufler said about the medals. “I’ll put them away and give them to my kids and grandkids.”

Traufler served in the Marines from 1951 to 1954. Today he received National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Combat Action Medal, Republic of Korea War Service Medal, and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

Traufler visited with Veterans Service Agency office on another matter when Paul Fulcomer, director of the Veterans Service Agency, noticed that Traufler was eligible to receive several medals. Traufler didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but his wife Virginia pushed for him to accept the medals in public.

“I thought it was a fantastic honor,” she said.

After his service in the Korean War, Traufler worked as a truck driver, taking three trips a week from Buffalo to Boston. After he retired as truck driver, he started another career as a rides mechanic at Darien Lake. He did that for 14 years before retiring two years ago at age 80.

Veterans are welcome to call the Veterans Service Agency to inquire if they are due any medals for their military service. For more information, call 589-7000 ext. 3218.

Cold is coming soon enough

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – These seagulls are enjoying a tranquil day today with temperatures in the high 60s. The birds are content in a field along Gaines Basin Road, just south of the Erie Canal across from PAWS Animal Shelter.

Temperatures will plummet tonight with a high of 41 forecast for Wednesday followed by a high of 37 on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. The temperature will reach a high of 35 on Friday with a chance of snow.

Medina native and acclaimed author returns Thursday for book events

Staff Reports Posted 11 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Julie Berry has written a new murder mystery

Julie Berry has a new novel out: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.

MEDINA – Julie Berry is coming home for a series of events on Thursday to promote her latest murder mystery, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.

Berry, a 1991 Medina High School graduate, will meet with Medina students during the school day on Thursday for writing workshops and assemblies. She also will have book talks and signings at 3 p.m. at the Hoag Library in Albion and then at 6:30 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. Books will be available for sale at book library events.

She will also be at the Rochester Children’s Book Festival on Saturday at Monroe Community College.

Berry currently lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and four sons.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place from Roaring Brook Press is a farcical Victorian murder mystery for ages 10 to 14. It tells the story of seven proper schoolgirls in a Victorian finishing school, who bury their dead headmistress in the back yard after she is mysteriously poisoned at Sunday dinner. To avoid being sent home, they carry on as if nothing is amiss. Deception, danger and mayhem abound in this rollicking middle-grade romp.

Julie Berry

The book has been called “a delicious confection” by Jessica Day George, author of Wednesdays in the Tower. According to Holly Goldberg Stone (Counting by 7s) it is “Stunning. Hilarious. And wholly original. If David Sedaris and Agatha Christie had a child, it would be Julie Berry.”

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is Berry’s 8th title, and it follows the 2013 Viking release of her highly acclaimed YA novel, All the Truth That’s In Me.

“All the Truth” received many accolades including: Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book for 2013, 2014 Edgar Award nominee, Carnegie Medal nominee, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten title, Junior Library Guild Selection, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, Horn Book Fanfare 2013 title, and a 2014 TAYSHAS Top Ten pick.

The author’s previous titles include The Amaranth Enchantment (Bloomsburv 2009), Secondhand Charm (Bloomsbury, 2010), and the Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys series (Penguin Books, 2010-11).

For more information, or to view the animated book trailer, visit www.julieberrybooks.com.

County gives thanks to veterans for service

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – An Honor Guard stands at attention during a Veterans Day ceremony today outside the Veterans Service Agency at 13996 Route 31 West.

Carl Boyle, a member of the American Legion in Lyndonville, is pictured at the far right. The Honor Guard did a 21-gun salute at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Frank Berger, left, and Ken Schaal are part of the Honor Guard doing a 21-gun salute at today’s Veterans Day ceremony.

The Rev. Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion, gave the invocation at the service. Three of Lindsay’s sons enlisted in the military and one continues in active duty.

Lindsay said veterans are role models, providing examples of putting service before themselves. He prayed for the families of veterans, who may feel anxiety while loved ones are deployed. Lindsay also prayed for veterans when they transition from active duty to civilian life.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley addressed about 50 people at the ceremony. Hawley, a former member of the Army National Guard, said veterans have secured other rights for Americans, including freedom of press and freedom of speech.

“We should never forget the sacrifice of veterans,” Hawley said. “Let’s not forget the families of those deployed. They bear a special burden this season.”

The U.S. military ensures a safer world, Hawley said, responding to terrorists including Osama bin Laden and the ISIS.

Orleans County Legislator Don Allport said American soldiers have secured freedom for the United States, and much of the world. Allport, pictured next to Veterans Service Agency Director Paul Fulcomer, noted that 4,000 current Orleans County residents are veterans, about 10 percent of the county population.

Allport urged all county residents to take an oath to defend the Constitution. If everyone did that, Allport said, “America would be an unstoppable force in the world.”

Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson shared the words of General Douglas A. MacArthur, who addressed the Military Academy at West Point on May 12, 1962. “Duty, Honor, Country,” MacArthur told the cadets at the time.

Those words from MacArthur represent the ideals of the U.S. military Johnson said. She recently joined veterans on a trip to the Nation’s capital to see war memorials. She said she was touched by the veterans’ stories of service.

Jennifer Printup sings “America the Beautiful” during a Veterans Day ceremony today.

Veterans stand at attention during the service.

Russell Young of Medina plays “Taps” near the end of the service. He is using his father’s trumpet. His father Russell Young served in World War II. Behind Young is a 105 MM Howitzer, Model 101A1. It was used in the Korean War from June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1953. The memorial was dedicated on July 27, 2003, the 50th anniversary of the ending of the war.

A crowd gathers outside the Veterans Service Agency on Route 31 for a Veterans Day service today.

Mexican restaurant celebrates Day of the Dead

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Edgar Rosario has his face painted for today’s Dia de Los Muertos/Todos Los Santos celebration at Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill, a restaurant where his father Francisco Rosario is co-owner. Edgar is pictured near murals inside the restaurant near the bar.

MEDINA – It was a huge smorgasbord of food – chocolate, candy, bread, fruit and much more. The display included flowers and gifts, and it gave off a rich and sweet smell.

The Rosario family believes some of their late relatives came to visit for the annual Day of the Dead/All Saints Day, a 30-day tradition in the Mexican culture where families honor their dead. Their souls are believed to come home and take in the aromas during the celebration.

For the first time, the Rosario family, owners of Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill in Medina, welcomed the community to be a part of an important cultural tradition in Mexico.

“Having this restaurant we’re able to share traditional foods,” said Leonel Rosario, co-owner of Mariachi de Oro. “We wanted to share more of our culture with the community.”

Leonel Rosario and his wife Dolores Alvarado perform The Hat Dance, a traditional Mexican folk dance tonight at The Day of the Dead festivities.

Three years ago Leonel Rosario and his family opened Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill on Maple Ridge Road in Medina. The Rosarios are thankful the community has supported the business.

The Rosarios created an altar of food and flowers at the restaurant today. Rosario told about 50 people at Mariachi de Oro about the popular tradition in Mexico. When he grew up in Oaxaca, he would visit a cemetery with his family, and spend much of the night with candles, flowers and tending to relatives’ graves.

The waitresses at Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill have their faces painted and they are wearing traditional blouses and dresses from Oaxaca in Mexico, where the Rosario family is from. The waitresses include, from left: Ashley Vandegenachte, Amber Perez, Dolores Alvarado, Elysa Rodriguez and Yasmin Gutierrez.

In the morning, families would gather at their homes for a tradition that is bigger than Christmas for many Mexicans.

“We believe in old traditions, old cultures from the State of Oaxaca,” Rosario told a group tonight at the restaurant. “We want to keep the tradition going. Some day I will come visit my kids’ houses (after I die).”

The Rosarios served cooked grasshoppers, soup, chicken mole, tamales and dessert. They also shared traditional dances and music with the crowd.

Francisco Rosario, right, plays the accordion and Pablo Rosario plays the guitar during The Day of the Dead celebration at Mariachi de Oro.

“It’s good to see young people keeping their culture alive,” said Scott Galliford of Clarendon. He attended the celebration with his wife, Christine Hunt.

They have visited Mexico for The Day of Dead in Oaxaca. Galliford said it is a fun time to be in the country, partaking in the food and music. He said he is grateful the Rosarios opened up the celebration to the community.

An altar of flowers and food was prepared for the Day of the Dead/All Saints Day.