Photo by Tom Rivers
BARRE – It was an annual tradition every fall for Fred Daniels. He would carve many pumpkins and set them on a wagon by his barn on West Barre Road. He strung Christmas light in the pumpkins so they would light up.
Daniels died suddenly on Oct. 22 at age 75. His grandchildren decided to honor his memory by carving these pumpkins and displaying them on his wagon.
Referendums on a change in redistricting, $2 billion to upgrade technology at school districts, and electronic records for state legislators all gained state-wide approval on Tuesday, although Orleans County voters rejected two out of the three.
Orleans gave strong support to Proposal No. 2, which brings legislators into the digital age by allowing electronic distribution of state legislative bills. In Orleans, it passed with 5,217 yes votes or 66.7 percent compared to 2,605 no votes or 33.3 percent. State-wide it passed with 77 percent in favor.
Two other ballot propositions passed state-wide but had a slight majority opposing them in Orleans County.
A ballot proposition authorized a new commission for the once-a-decade assignment of drawing state legislative and congressional districts. The proposition passed state-wide with 57 percent in favor of it, according to the Associated Press.
In Orleans, 49.5 percent of voters or 3,776 were in favor of it while 50.5 percent or 3,853 were opposed.
The “Smart Schools Bond Act” will allow the state to borrow $2 billion for school districts to buy computers, connect to the Internet, improve security and build classrooms for prekindergarten students.
State-wide it passed with 62 percent, but in Orleans, 3,948 voters or 49.6 percent were for it while 4,018 or 50.4 percent were opposed.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the Monroe County Bomb Squad and Albion police officer David Mogle head into a house on West Park Street to remove a live grenade.
ALBION – The Monroe County Bomb Squad was in Albion late this afternoon to remove a World War II-era grenade from an Albion home on West Park Street.
The grenade was live and will be detonated by the Bomb Squad, said Roland Nenni, Albion police chief.
The grenade was discovered early this afternoon at 231 West Park St. The house has been owned by Elizabeth Donovan. The house has been in her family for many generations, going back before World War II, a family member said.
Donovan recently moved to Florida and the house is in process of being sold. There was an estate sale there over the weekend with more than 50 people in the house.
Linda and Joe Roberts were cleaning out the house today. Mr. Roberts discovered the grenade in the basement between a floor joist and the foundation. He noticed the pin was still in the grenade.
The Monroe County Bomb Squad was in Albion at about 5 p.m. to remove a grenade.
He called the Albion police, which took pictures of the grenade and sent them to the Monroe County Bomb Squad. They arrived at about 5 p.m. and removed the grenade. They put it into a container and will detonate it off site.
The Bomb Squad confirmed it was a pineapple grenade from World War II that had not been disarmed.
One of Donovan’s family members speculated Donovan’s brother and her brother-in-law, who both served in the war, may have brought back a grenade as a souvenir.
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts do many house clean-outs. They recently found a solid cannon ball from the War of 1812 inside a house.
Orleans County showed its Republican colors on Tuesday, giving overwhelming support to Republican candidates, including Rob Astorino for governor.
Andrew Cuomo may have been re-elected to another four-year term as governor, but he was disdained in Orleans, receiving only 24 percent of the vote or 2,179 votes to 6,530 for Astorino or 72.4 percent.
Here is the Orleans breakdown for other state and federal races:
Comptroller
Tom DiNapoli (D) 2,937 votes or 33.8 percent
Robert Antonacci (R) 5,437 votes or 62.6 percent
Attorney General
Eric Schneiderman (D) 2,357 votes or 27.1 percent
John Cahill (R) 6,049 votes or 69.6 percent
Congress 27th District
Chris Collin (R) 6,858 votes or 78.7 percent
James O’Donnell (D) 1,856 votes or 21.3 percent
State Senate 62nd District
Robert Ortt (R) 6,968 votes or 79.8 percent
Johnny Destino (D) 1,500 votes or 17.2 percent
Assembly 139th District
Steve Hawley (R) 6,884 votes or 95.0 percent
Mark Glogowski (LBT) 356 votes or 4.9 percent
Assembly 144th District
Jane Corwin (R) 810 votes
(Corwin was unopposed.)
Provided photo – Conni Nenni, clerk for Holley Central School, won last year’s “Biggest Loser” contest at the district by losing about 30 pounds. She has kept the weight off.
HOLLEY – The school district is inviting the community to participate in its third “Biggest Loser” contest. The event kicks off this evening at 6:30 p.m. with weigh-ins at the new Fitness Center located in the Elementary School.
There will also be a child/parent fitness challenge beginning at 6 p.m. The district will also provide a fitness seminar at 7 p.m.
The Biggest Loser will be picked based on percentage of weight loss over the following months. Last year’s winner, Connie Nenni, will speak at the kick off tonight.
Nenni, clerk for the school district, said she lost about 30 pounds over four months last year from February through June. She counted calories, committed to a walk/run routine and cut back on pasta, breads and potatoes.
“I tried different things before but wasn’t able to keep off the weight,” she said today.
Participants will be eligible for monthly prizes. There is no specific weight loss program to follow.
“Do it your way on your own time line,” the district advises.
There is no charge to participate. The contest is open to anyone who lives in or who works for the school district.
For more information, click here.
By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian
ALBION – It appears these were the Republican faithful in 1956. They were perhaps gathered at the Albion Town Club for a reception honoring Harold Strassen, center, a candidate for Senator at the time.
From left to right: Hamilton Doherty, Paul Miles, Barbara Moore, “Dick” Eddy, Strassen, Harold Hill, Thomas Heard Jr., and Robert Heath. They appear to be wearing badges that state: “Orleans County for Eisenhower.”
Ortt
Voters in three counties gave overwhelming support Rob Ortt to serve as the next state senator for District 62.
Ortt, the current North Tonawanda mayor, will succeed George Maziarz, who is retiring after 19 years as a state legislator. Ortt was challenged by a Maziarz foe, Johnny Destino. Destino, an attorney in Niagara Falls, had challenged Maziarz in a Republican Primary two years ago but switched to the Democratic Party.
Ortt had his biggest margin of victory in Orleans County with 6,968 votes (79.8 percent) to Destino’s 1,500 (17.2 percent). Those totals do not include the 258 votes or 3.0 percent for Paul Brown of the Working Families Party.
In Niagara County, the Board of Elections reported Ortt just about doubled Destino’s votes, 32,335 to 16,570 with 1,207 for Brown.
The Senate district also includes a western portion of Monroe County. Voters there backed Ortt with 69.7 percent or 6,078 votes to 26.8 percent or 2,336 votes for Destino. Brown had 292 votes or 3.4 percent.
Ortt’s win today follows a decisive win on Sept. 9 in the Republican Primary over Gia Arnold. Ortt received 71 percent of the votes that day.
Ortt, 35, has been North Tonawanda’s mayor for nearly 5 years. He served in the National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan from March to December 2008. Prior to being elected mayor, he served as the city’s treasurer and then clerk-treasurer.
Photos by Tom Rivers
Voters cast their ballots inside the Hoag Library today.
Barre election inspectors are pictured in front of a giant American flag. The inspectors include, from left: Adrienne Daniels, Richard Brakenbury, Carol Smith and Terry Gillette. The 10-by17-foot flag is from 1886 and includes 38 stars. It was donated to the town by the DeZetter family.
Election inspectors say today felt like Presidential Election with a big turnout at the polls.
The photo at left shows a voter at the Hoag Library, which served as a polling place for the first time.
Jack Baron was among the voters at the library polling place today.
Baron remembers when the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1971 with the 26th Amendment.
He said he was the third person in the county between ages 18 to 20 to register to vote back in 1971.
He hasn’t missed a chance to vote since then.
“It’s your civic duty,” he said. “If you don’t vote, you let very few people run everything.”
Angela English voted today and she gave her support to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for re-election as governor.
She said Cuomo impresses her as a strong leader, unafraid to take a stand even with an unpopular issue.
The governor most recently stepped out to take the lead with the state’s handling of the Ebola sickness, English said.
She appreciated that the governor picked Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester as a medical institution for people to receive treatment.
She thought that showed great confidence in Strong as a medical facility.
The governor didn’t any support from another county resident. Rebecca Cross of Barre voted today for the first time. She is 38.
She is upset with Cuomo over the SAFE Act, which she sees as an infringement on her gun rights.
“I’m gun owner and I figured it’s about time I registered and voted,” Cross said.
“I never took the time to register but our rights as gun owners are under attack.”
Polls are open until 9 p.m. Orleans Hub will have election results later tonight.
The polls had barely closed when the Associated Press and other media outlets declared Andrew Cuomo the winner of today’s gubernatorial election over Rob Astorino.
The local results aren’t in yet, but Cuomo, as a Democrat, had a major advantage over Astorino, a Republican and Westchester County executive.
State-wide, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 ratio. It’s the opposite in Orleans County, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by a 2-to-1 ratio.
ALBION – A Medina man was sentenced to 3 years in state prison Monday after he admitted to selling prescription drugs.
Stacy Bryan, 23, of Medina pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. As a second felony offender, he faced a maximum of 4 years in state prison. Punch gave him 3 years, despite a request for more leniency from Bryan’s attorney, who said the buyer of prescription pills sought out Bryan.
“I got caught up in something stupid,” Bryan said during sentencing. “I’m not a drug dealer.”
Bryan in a September court appearance admitted he sold dextroamphetamines on three occasions. The controlled substance is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch said Bryan, a second felony offender, already has a criminal history with attempted assault, theft and endangering the welfare of a child.
“This is a serious matter and it must be dealt with seriously,” the judge said.
As Bryan was led out of the courtroom, he yelled an expletive at the judge.
In other cases:
An Albion man pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum 1 ½ years in state prison.
Joseph B. James, 33, was living in Albion when he was arrested on April 1. He admitted in court he had cocaine with the intent to sell on March 3, 2014.
He is currently in the county jail. His attorney Shirley Gorman requested that bail for James, who has no prior felonies, be reduced. Judge Punch agreed to lower bail from $100,000 to $20,000. James will be sentenced at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2.
An Albion man who was scheduled to be sentenced had that adjourned for three months while he recovers from injuries.
James Herring III, 24, of East State Street is accused of selling cocaine on May 22, 2013. He faces up to 2 ½ years in state prison. He has pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
