By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 May 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A man who broke into a convenience store in Medina last year and stole $350 was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in state prison on Monday.
Gregory Thompson, 48, of Medina was ordered to pay restitution, and Judge James Punch also issued an order of protection for the owner of the Stop N Shop on East Center Street.
Thompson has a lengthy criminal history. He apologized for the crime in court on Monday.
“He does have a long history of substance abuse,” said his attorney, Dominic Saraceno. “It has affected and it has been a contributing factor in his criminal conduct.”
Thompson requested he be sentenced to the Willard Drug Treatment Center in the state prison system. Thompson has spent the past nine months in the county jail, and he said he has used that time to reflect on his life and commit to a new way of living.
“I’m just trying to put myself back on track,” he told Punch. “I do need help.”
Punch said he has sentenced Thompson several times before, and Thompson was often “an angry, difficult defendant.” But the judge said he was willing to give Thompson a chance at Willard. If Thompson was unsuccessful there, he would complete his sentence in a regular state prison, Punch said.
“Your record is horrible, but this is your first time admitting fault,” Punch said. “I hope you get some help.”
In another case in County Court, a Rochester man pleaded guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover informant from Orleans County.
Alexander J. DeHoyos, 34, will face a maximum of 4 years in state prison. He admitted to selling the cocaine on May 19, 2015. He will be sentenced on Aug. 22 for attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.
DeHoyos was admitted to the Elmira Correctional Facility in March after being sentenced in Monroe County for second-degree assault.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 May 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Dan Beam receives his honor cords from his mother, Debbie DiBacco, while his father, Roger Beam, looks on during an Academic Honors Convocation Dinner on Monday.
Albion recognized 37 seniors who will soon be graduating with cumulative grade point averages at 90 percent or higher.
Alyce Miller is congratulated by Michael Bonnewell, Albion Central School superintendent. Alyce’s mother Betsy Miller, left, is ready to give Alyce her honor cords. High School Principal Matthew Peterson is in back, along with Eileen Banker from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s office.
The convocation dinner includes a keynote address from an Albion graduate. This year Sarah Brown Dirkes, Class of 2005, delivered the message to the crowd at Hickory Ridge Country Club.
Dirkes was the class president when she was a senior, active in FFA, the school musical and many other activities. She worked in admissions for Cornell University and she said Cornell values well-rounded students.
She is director of external relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C., meeting with many corporate leaders from Whole Foods, WalMart and other companies in the U.S. food supply chain.
Dirkes grew up on a family farm, Brown’s Berry Patch, and she said she learned the values of grit and hard work. Her father, Bob Brown, also impressed on her the importance of nurturing relationships in the community. She urged the Albion honor grads to develop a network, and to roll up their sleeves and work hard.
She has been successful in her career by “daring to fail,” which for her is sometimes building up the confidence to meet with CEOs, forging through a crowd during a stockholder meeting. When she was class president, Dirkes led the push to move the Albion prom from Buffalo or Rochester to Hickory Ridge. That site in Murray has remained the prom location, with a popular red carpet scene for parents and friends to see the prom attendees.
Dirkes also told the students they should know their strengths and match those skills with their profession.
Desiree Barber is congratulated by her parents during the convocation dinner at Hickory Ridge.
Elijah Van Epps goes through a receiving line of well-wishers, including District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell.
Bruce Landis, a local professional photographer, prepares the honor grads for a group picture.
The 37 honor graduates include: Marella Albanese, Miranda Allen, Dylan Bader, Matthew Baker, Desiree Barber, Daniel Beam, Bethany Bowman, Scott Daniels, Matthew DeCarlo, Alex DeSmit, Wynter Dumont, Cheyanna Eagle, Randall Eblacker, Kelley Flanagan, Matthew Flanagan, Madeline Gibbs, Sarah Graham, Mckayla Hastings, Meghan Hurley, Miranda King, Caitlin Malanowski, Alexis Manning, Alyce Miller, Evan Pappalardo, Meredith Patterson, Katelyn Perry, Katlin Pieniaszek, Aliya Rayner, Zachary Shaffer, Kelsee Soule, Melissa Symonds, Kyle Thaine, Nathaniel Trembley, Elijah Van Epps, Chloe Weis, Raven White and Mikayla Yaskulski.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The walkway to the Albion Middle School is pictured Monday evening while the trees are in bloom in front a Vietnam Memorial.
Voters will go the polls today at the five school districts in Orleans County to decide whether to pass budgets, propositions and elect members to the Board of Education.
Here is a snapshot of each school district:
ALBION – The proposed $33,890,990 school budget keeps taxes at the same amount, $8,355,939, as the 2015-16 budget. The district’s tax rate for the current school year, $16.06 per $1,000 of assessed property, is the lowest of all districts in Orleans, Genesee, Niagara and Monroe counties. The Albion rate is estimated to fall to $15.87 in 2016-17, school officials said.
Other propositions include:
Authorization to spend up to $460,000 for buses;
Approval to collect $687,211 for Hoag Library, which is up 1 percent from the $680,411 for 2015-16.
Choosing one of four candidates for a five-year term on the Board of Education. The candidates include Dylan Hellems, Steven LaLonde, Kevin Doherty and Anitrice Riley.
Voting will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the elementary school, conference room A.
HOLLEY – The proposed $24.4 million budget for 2016-17 includes a 1.99 percent increase in the tax levy. The budget is 4.73 percent higher than the current year budget. The nearly 5 percent budget-to-budget increase is due to the district’s share of the Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Capital Project, school officials said.
The proposed budget maintains current staffing and programs, and brings the average tax rate to approximately $22.81 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Besides the budget, voters will decide the following: Proposition 2 for the purchase of schools buses – two full-sized and two 30-passenger school buses not to exceed $339,000; Proposition 3 is the budget for the Community Free Library in Holley of $116,061.
Additionally, three candidates are running for two 3-year term seats on the School Board. John Heise and Brenda Swanger are running for re-election, and Christine Klafehn is also running for an open seat.
Voting will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the foyer of the Holley Middle School/High School.
KENDALL – The proposed budget increases spending from $15,065,842 to $17,392,234, predominantly due to the debt incurred with the recent capital improvement project. The budget-to-budget increase, however, is completely offset by an increase in state aid from $9,884,890 to $11,855,939, school officials said.
The proposed tax levy remains unchanged in the 2016/17 budget, and the tax rate will be $17.39/$1,000 assessed value for a Kendall resident.
One seat on the School Board of Education is up for election this year. Incumbent Charles Patt is seeking another term. Debra Szczepanski is also seeking a term on the Board. The five-year term will run through June 30, 2021.
Voting is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kendall Elementary School Gymnasium.
LYNDONVILLE – The school district is proposing a budget that will reduce taxes by 3.4 percent, continuing a downward trend in the tax burden.
The district is proposing a budget that seeks a tax levy of $4,266,578, which is down from $4,416,578 in 2015-16. The previous year, 2014-15, the district’s tax levy was $4,666,578. Lyndonville has reduced the tax levy by $400,000 in two years, a drop of 8.6 percent.
The district’s $13,254,000 budget is nearly the same in expenditures as in 2015-16. The 2016-17 budget is $108 more than the $13,253,892 in 2015-16.
Other propositions include:
$91,589 for Yates Community Library (up from $90,653).
Establish 2016 Transportation Reserve Fund to fund bus and vehicle purchases, not to exceed $720,000 over 8 years.
Authorization to purchase one 66-passenger school bus at a maximum estimated cost of $110,000. School officials say the bus proposition and Transportation Reserve Fund will not have an impact on the tax levy.
Three incumbents on the Board of Education are all running unopposed for three-year terms. They include Harold Suhr, Terry Stinson and Rick Mufford.
Voting will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Stroyan Auditorium forum.
MEDINA – The school district’s budget for 2016-17 reduces taxes for the fourth straight year. The $35,825,184 budget is up about $1 million from the $34,802,870 in 2015-16.
The state has boosted aid by nearly $900,000 and Medina is tapping some of its reserve funds to lower taxes in 2016-17, school officials said.
The new state budget boosts aid to Medina from $23,769,997 to $24,860,152. That increase is a big factor in Medina’s ability to cut taxes by 1.3 percent, from $8,774,760 to $8,660,915.
The budget keeps all existing programs and also boosts the gifted and talented offerings.
There are six people running for three three-year terms, including incumbents Lori Draper and Wendi Pencille. Retired Medina school administrator Alberta Suozzi also is running for the board along with Timothy Dunham, Virginia Nicholson and Brenda Lindsay. (Draper and Pencille are seeking re-election and John McCarthy opted against seeking another term.)
Voting will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the District Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The former Crooked Door Tavern closed in January 2015. It will be up for auction on Wednesday with bids accepted at 3 p.m. at the Orleans County Courthouse.
ALBION – A tavern/restaurant that closed in January 2015 had strong sales and devoted following, drawing customers from between Buffalo and Rochester, said an auctioneer broker trying to sell the former Crooked Door.
“It’s definitely an attractive property,” said Michael Foster, auctioneer broker for Tranzon Auction Properties in Kenmore. “It’s a great opportunity for a restauranteur.”
The tavern, the former Club 469, opened in January 2011 following extensive renovations by Joe and Debbie Martillotta. They operated the business for more than three years, selling it in April 2014 to Susan Holmes. She closed the business in January 2015, nine months after acquiring the property at 469 East State St.
A bank is foreclosing on the Crooked Door and has hired Tranzon to sell it. There will be an auction at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Orleans County Courthouse, 1 South Main St. Bidders should register at 2:30 p.m.
Foster said the site is largely unchanged from when it was last open. The 4,316-square-foot building is nearly turnkey.
“All the equipment is there,” he said. “There is definitely potential.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Vendors, speakers will cover range of topics
Photo courtesy of Photos by Bruce – Gwen St. John, center, is pictured with her daughters, Cheryl Chladek, left, and Karen Sawicz. St. John, former owner of the Lake Country Pennysaver and a registered nurse, died on Feb. 25 at age 88 after fighting cancer and other illnesses.
ALBION – A seminar on Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hoag Library will explore end-of-life care issues that many people are reluctant to consider.
The Albion Rotary Club has organized the seminar that will include a vendor fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Many businesses and agencies will be available to discuss their services including representatives from nursing homes, Hospice, Brigden Memorials, assisted care facilities, funeral homes, Mount Albion Cemetery, Office for the Aging, a bank that provides long-term care insurance, Medina Memorial Hospital and other service providers.
After the vendor fair, several speakers will then share advice and their experiences from 8 to 9 p.m.
Local attorney Sanford Church will discuss advanced directives, John Zonitch will highlight Medicaid Law with nursing home admissions, Scott Schmidt will bring a coroner’s perspective to unattended deaths, Susie Miller from the Office for the Aging will talk about a PRI (Patient Review Instrument), and Karen Sawicz will offer advice from a caregiver’s perspective.
“People don’t want to think about that their parent or that they themselves will come into this situation,” said Grace Denniston, a retired Office for the Aging director and Rotary Club member who helped plan Tuesday’s seminar. “Taking care of some of the issues can make it so much easier for the survivors.”
Denniston suggests pre-paying for a funeral, buying a cemetery plot and gravestone.
There are many issues for the caregivers, and Sawicz will share advice learned from five years of managing her mother’s health care.
Sawicz is president of the Rotary Club. She pushed to have the seminar on Tuesday after realizing there was so much she didn’t know in caring for her mother, Gwen St. John, who had her first surgery for cancer in March 2011. She battled other illnesses until her death at age 88 on Feb. 25 at the Martin-Linsin Residence of Hospice of Orleans.
St. John was a dynamic woman who earned her degree as a registered nurse in 1948 from Rochester General Hospital. She worked many years at the former Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital in Albion. She maintained her license until she was 82.
In 1960, she and her husband Vince purchased the Albion-Holley Pennysaver, which they jointly operated until their retirement in 1989. Sawicz has been running the operation since, and serves as publisher of the Pennysaver and the Orleans Hub.
Sawicz was a caregiver for her mother, and organized schedules for home healthcare aides. Her mother was able to stay at her home on Route 279 before moving to Hospice for the final week of her life.
Sawicz had help in hiring home health aides, and planning their work schedules from a friend in the health care field. Sawicz fielded calls from the aides who would share her mother’s condition.
“You have to learn your patient,” she said. “You don’t call the ambulance or doctor every time.”
Sawicz and the aides learned St. Johns baseline temperature, about 97 degrees. If her temperature was 100, that was a worrisome sign. Her mother didn’t tolerate antibiotics well, and her sodium level would plummet.
Sawicz kept records and showed doctors the documentation about how her mother responded to medicine. She often would seek clarification from doctors, making sure they understood her mother’s patient history.
“You need to be assertive and ask questions,” Sawicz said. “Don’t be nasty but be assertive.”
Sawicz kept her mother’s medical history on her SmartPhone. She would suggest people do the same, or print it out on paper so it’s easily accessible when filling out numerous medical forms and meeting with doctors.
Sawicz said she was fortunate to have a supportive family and employees, who would step in at a moment’s notice when she had to care for her mother. St. John battled cancer, a stress fracture, dementia and other health issues. Dementia was the worst to endure because her mother was robbed of her sweet disposition and personality, Sawicz said.
“We just want to help people think about planning,” Sawicz said about the seminar. “It will make things a little easier because people don’t want to talk about death.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bidders and curiosity seekers gather outside the Orleans County Courthouse for the auction today at 3 p.m. for the former Crooked Door tavern. The property at 469 East State St. sold for $135,000.
ALBION – The owner of The Village House, a restaurant that opened 30 years ago on East Avenue in Albion, bought the former Crooked Door tavern today at an auction for $135,000.
Alex Mitrousis, The Village House owner, said his family wants to turn the Crooked Door into a sports bar with finger foods.
“We’re not in a rush,” he said about a timetable for the project.
Mitrousis said he has been in the restaurant business for 46 years, starting when he opened the Brockport Diner. He said they are intense businesses that need many employees. He has 40 workers at The Village House. A sports bar with a downsized menu will be a different experience than The Village House, and a viable business, Mitrousis said.
The Crooked Door, the former Club 469, opened in January 2011 following extensive renovations by Joe and Debbie Martillotta. They operated the business for more than three years, selling it in April 2014 to Susan Holmes. She closed the business in January 2015, nine months after acquiring the property at 469 East State St.
Key Bank held the mortgage, which was $427,740 in arrears. The sale today will go towards that debt.
Key Bank submitted the opening bid of $75,000. Then Steve Gramiak, owner of the Black North Inn and Mitrousis, were in a bidding battle until Gramiak opted not to go above $135,000. Gramiak said he saw the property as an investment that could be leased to someone wanting to run a restaurant with a bar.
The former Crooked Door Tavern closed in January 2015.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Ed Morgan – Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Ed Morgan, Orleans County Repbulican Party chairman, at a meeting in New York City in January 2014.
Ed Morgan, the chairman of the Orleans County Republican Party, has been picked as one of the delegates in the 27th Congressional District for the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Morgan has led the Orleans County GOP for the past decade. He serves as regional vice chairman of the NY Republican Party Committee. He is also the Murray town highway superintendent.
“It’s quite an honor,” Morgan said about serving as a delegate to the National Convention, which will be in Cleveland from July 18-21. The convention will host about 2,470 delegates.
Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. Morgan was an early backer of Trump for president, and the Orleans County Republican Committee may have been the first county in New York to endorse Trump for president.
Not all Republicans are behind Trump, and Morgan said there could be a push for another candidate during the convention.
“It will be exciting,” he said. “I’m definitely for Trump, but I’m not convinced it will be a rubber stamp.”
Morgan also attended the 2012 Republican National Convention when Mitt Romney was nominated as the party’s candidate.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2016 at 12:00 am
The Orleans County Conservative Party has decided to withhold endorsements from long-term local elected officials seeking re-election this year. The Conservative Party Committee says it will no longer endorse candidates who have served more than three terms in their elected positions.
The Committee decided not to endorse Joe Cardone, the county’s district attorney for more than two decades, in his candidacy for another four-year term.
Conservative Party leaders also aren’t endorsing Charlie Smith and Scott Schmidt for additional terms as coroner due to their long service in the positions.
“The Founders never intended for a person to go into elected public service and make a life-time career out of it,” said Paul Lauricella, Conservative Party vice chairman. “Our committee strongly believes that the problems we have in this country are the direct result of career politicians that never know when to leave and will never vote to fix this problem.”
The Conservative Party did make one endorsement during its meeting last week. It is backing Rocco L. Sidari for coroner. Sidari, a former Albion fire chief, has served as coroner for about a year. He is seeking his first four-year term.
The Orleans County Republican Party Committee has endorsed Cardone for DA, and Schmidt, Smith and Sidari for coroner. The election is in November.
In addition, the local Conservative Party isn’t backing state legislators who have served more than three terms. That includes Steve Hawley of Batavia, who has been the assemblyman for 10 years. He is seeking another two-year term in the post. He was interviewed by the local Conservative Party Committee, but Lauricella said the group decided not to endorse him.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina in collaboration with the Orleans County Job Development Agency will host the premiere Medina Area Job Fair on Thursday, May 19, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Medina United Methodist Church (former Apple Grove), 11004 West Center Street Ext, in Medina.
The facility has plenty of space for parking in the adjacent lot, and transportation is also available through the Orleans Transit Service’s Dial-a-Ride by calling at least 24 hours in advance to 585-589-0707.
Participants include the newest addition to the Medina area, Pride Pak, along with many others such as ATB Staffing, Brunner, Child Care Resource & Referral (Community Action), Genesee Community College, Imagine Staffing, Iroquois Job Corps, Orchard Manor, Orleans County Adult Learning Services (OCALS), Orleans County Job Development’s Youth/Young Adult Employment Program, Orleans Transit Service, P-Raising Kids, Pathstone, Takeform, and more.
“We wanted to highlight the import of employment in the Medina area and the positive community we have here for living, working and playing, especially given the new businesses we are welcoming here such as Pride Pak along with the robust existing corporate base,” said Mayor Michael Sidari.
The Orleans County Job Development Agency is assisting with the event.
“The more opportunities we can facilitate by partnering with other agencies, both in the public and private sector, the better we are able to help both job seekers to find employment and businesses to develop a strong workforce, enhancing the economic vibrancy of Orleans County,” said Kelly Kiebala, director of Job Development.
Those seeking employment are invited to attend. They should bring a current resume and come dressed for success. Assistance with resume development, application completion and/or interview skills will be available on site by OC Job Development counselors.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photos – Several speakers attended a rally in Albion on Saturday seeking to divide NY into two regions. Some of the speakers included, from left: Pastor Earl C. Wallace from Liberty Christian Fellowship in Halfmoon (eastern New York); Cathy Sapeta from New Yorkers United for Kids; John Bergener, Jr., Divide NYS Caucus, Inc.; Mattie Zarpentine of Holley representing New York Revolution; and Stephen Aldstadt, president of SCOPE (Shooters Committee on Political Education).
ALBION – Upstate New York is outnumbered in the State Legislature, and the dominating influence of downstate drives up costs for upstaters, and leads to social policies outside community norms for Upstate, speakers at a rally in Albion said on Saturday.
The Divide NYS Caucus, Inc. wants to create two autonomous regions with the New York region consisting of the counties Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester.
The rest of the state would be the New Amsterdam Region, consisting of the other 53 counties in the state, including Orleans.
John Bergener, Jr., one of the leaders of the Divide NYS Caucus, said the group is pushing for residents to support a Constitutional Convention in 2017. The goal isn’t to create two different states, but to divide the state into two autonomous regions. That effort would not require Congressional approval and can bypass the NY Legislature through a NYS Constitutional Convention, Bergener said.
John Bergener, Jr. speaks at Bullard Park about a push to divide the state into two autonomous regions.
Every 20 years, New York residents have an opportunity to vote on whether to hold a NYS Constitutional Convention. The convention would focus on the State Constitution only. The next opportunity for a convention vote will be November 2017.
Bergener and the Divide NYS Caucus said the state has very diverse population with the majority of the counties small to medium sized communities set in a rural and suburban climate. Those communities tend to be conservative with their values. The state also is home to New York City and the surrounding counties that are far more liberal than Upstate. The divergent regions make it difficult to govern the state.
New York Revolution formed soon after the state passed the SAFE Act in January 2013, a controversial gun control law. Zarpentine said the group is focused on fighting for Second Amendment rights, but sees other problems in the state encroaching on the rights and lifestyle of upstate residents.
“The SAFE Act got many of us involved,” Zarpentine said. “But this is much more than a Second Amendment issue.”
The downstate influence in the State Legislature and governor’s office has driven up costs for businesses and taxes for residents, making Upstate uncompetitive for many businesses and driving away people.
Mattie Zarpentine, a state coordinator of New York Revolution, speaks at the rally in Albion.
“Albany does not care how we feel, how we live and will just continue to push forward their agenda,” Zarpentine said. “How is upstate being served by a downstate governor and a downstate controlled legislature?”
Zarpentine said Albany politicians continue to be mired in scandal, with no end in sight. The governor and Legislature haven’t enacted ethics reform, she said. This month the former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos were both sentenced to prison for corruption.
Zarpentine, a Holley resident, said she was encouraged by the different groups that attended the rally in Albion. The groups are trying to build support for the Constitutional Convention.
It was a fairly small crowd at the Albion rally, which was held with rain, gusty weather and temperatures in the 50s. Zarpentine said she met people from Jamestown, Saratoga and other parts of the state. They are determined to have a state that preserves residents’ rights and works for solutions for attracting and keeping businesses and families.
“A small number of people can make change,” Zarpentine said.
Pastor Earl Wallace of Liberty Christian Fellowship spoke on the Biblical basis of the Bill of Rights. Wallace said the Founding Fathers were influenced by the Bible, especially the 10 Commandments, and historical documents such as the Magna Carta from 1215 that treat citizens according to Biblical principles.
Kathy Sapeta of New Yorkers United for Kids wants to repeal Common Core in schools.
Stephen Aldstadt, president of SCOPE, discussed the SAFE Act and NY regulations that make New York the highest taxed state in the country.
Zarpentine said the groups will make their feelings known to state legislators.
“Our representatives are not advocating for us to the full extent that they should be,” she said.
