By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This memorial to victims in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was dedicated two years ago in Medina’s Rotary Park.
ALBION – The community is invited to two memorial events on Thursday for the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when nearly 3,000 people were killed.
There will be a 10 a.m. service at the Elks Lodge on West State Street in Albion, with first responders recognized. Police officers, firefighters, emergency medics and citizens will light candles and place memorial wreaths. Larry Montello, an active member of the American Legion, is organzing the event to honor the people who were killed in terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a downed airplane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania.
Participants are asked to gather at the Elks Lodge at 9 a.m. Community Action will provide refreshments.
The service will also include the playing of taps, the raising of a 9/11 flag and a gun salute.
Later at 6 p.m., there will be a candlelight vigil in front of the Orleans County Courthouse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Board of Education approved a four-year contract with its custodians and maintenance workers on Monday, an agreement that gives the workers 3 percent raises annually but also makes them pay more towards their health insurance.
The workers in the CSEA union had been without a contract since June 30. The workers are cleaners, custodians and maintenance workers. The union members are scheduled to vote on the contract on Sept. 10.
They will see their share of health insurance costs rise from 10 to 15 percent as part of the contract. They also will need more unused sick days to earn healthcare coverage after they retire.
The previous contract required 20 unused sick days to be eligible for a year of health insurance coverage in retirement. The new contract will require 25 unused sick days to earn a year of health insurance. (Retirees pay 15 percent of the health insurance cost.)
The district has its teachers under contract and is trying to reach an agreement with the union representing support staff – aides, building secretaries, physical therapists and registered nurses in the schools. That group has been without a contract for more than two years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Andrew Cuomo and his running mate, Kathy Hochul, have about 60 percent of the state-wide votes with 55 percent of precincts reporting. That is enough for the Associated Press to declare them winners.
Cuomo and Hochul faced spirited challengers in law professors Zephyr Teachout for governor and Timothy Wu for lieutenant governor.
Hochul, a former member of Congress whose district included Orleans County, campaigned hard in New York City in recent weeks. Neither she or Cuomo made an appearance in Orleans during the campaign.
Orleans is hardly Democrat country. Republicans have about a 2 to 1 edge in enrollment. Voting today in the Democratic primary was particularly meager with 248 voting for Cuomo, 119 for Teachout and 36 for Randy Credico, a comedian and activist. There are about 5,500 registered Democrats in the county so today’s vote totals – 403 – was less than 10 percent of the Democrats.
Hochul had a bigger majority in Orleans than Cuomo. She received 297 votes to Wu’s 103 or 74 percent of the total. Cuomo received 61 percent of the Orleans vote.
Hochul issued this statement at 11:04 p.m.:
“I am sincerely honored that Democrats from every corner of this state have put their faith in me to be their nominee for Lieutenant Governor. As a proud daughter of Buffalo, I have a deep gratitude for the support and encouragement they have shown to me. And I would also like to thank Tim Wu for running such a spirited campaign.
“I congratulate Gov. Cuomo, who has once again shown that he is the choice of all New Yorkers. His accomplishments over these past four years have been nothing less than extraordinary, and his vision for the future of our state is exactly what we need to keep New York moving in the right direction.
“New York has made so much progress under the leadership of Gov. Cuomo. From creating jobs to cutting taxes, to getting government to function once again, we have turned this state around, and this November, we will continue our march forward.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Robert Ortt, mayor of North Tonawanda, is pictured on Monday speaking at a pro-gun rally in Albion. He defeated Gia Arnold today in a Republican primary, getting 71 percent of the three-county vote.
NORTH TONAWANDA – Robert Ortt won a decisive victory in a Republican primary today against Gia Arnold of Holley.
Ortt, the North Tonawanda mayor, received 71 percent of the vote from Republicans in three counties, 4,927 votes to Arnold’s 2,007.
Ortt received 78 percent of the votes in Orleans County, 829 to Arnold’s 229.In Niagara County, Ortt had 3,998 votes to Arnold’s 1,154. The district also includes a portion of western Monroe County, where Ortt received 100 votes to Arnold’s 24.
He now has the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines for the Nov. 4 election against Johnny Destino, a Niagara Falls attorney running as a Democrat.
They are vying for the seat currently filled by George Maziarz, who opted not to seek re-election.
“I want to thank everyone who contributed to this victory tonight,” Ortt said in a statement tonight. “We won this race the same way we will win in November – with grassroots campaigning, taking our message directly to the voters of Niagara, Orleans and Monroe Counties.
“Albany is broken and we need a proven public servant to fight on behalf of the residents of the 62nd Senate District. As a combat veteran and mayor of my hometown of North Tonawanda, I have dedicated my life to public service and am committed to fighting for the values of my community.”
Ortt, 35, said he will work to reduce the cost of government and help create good-paying jobs.
“I will commit myself to standing up for your constitutional freedoms, something I swore to do when I put on the uniform of a United States solider,” he said. “Tonight is only step one. Tomorrow we continue to take our message to every corner of the 62nd Senate District to ask for their support in sending a combat veteran and chief executive to Albany.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – A Medina woman was sentenced to 2 years in state prison today after she pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.
Serina Winters admitted in court on March 3 that she had prescription narcotics and gave them to her estranged husband. Winters, 37, of 909 Church St., Apt. 1 faced numerous drug charges but those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal when she plead guilty to CPCS in the fifth degree, which has a maximum sentence of 2 ½ years in state prison.
“You have a horrible record,” Judge James Punch told Winters during sentencing this afternoon. “You’re completely irresponsible. There is no consideration for any one but yourself.”
Winters will also have one year of post-release supervision when she is out of prison.
In another drug case in county court, Freddie Taylor of Rochester pleaded guilty to criminal possession of controlled substance in the fifth degree.
Taylor, 45, of 510 Mt. Read Blvd. was arrested on April 1 on several drug charges. He admitted in court today he had cocaine in Albion on Feb. 3.
As a second felony offender, Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 4 years in state prison. He will be sentenced on Nov. 24. Punch agreed to lower Taylor’s bail from $250,000 to $25,000 which Punch said is more in line with the charge.
RIDGEWAY – A Cortland County man is dead following a one-car crash this morning in the Town of Ridgeway.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m., Paul R. Brundage, 61, of Marathon drove his 2004 Honda Suburban into the driveway of a private residence off the 3600 block of Horan Road, near Portage Road.
He then exited the vehicle and collapsed. When approached by the homeowner, Brundage said he “needed help and needed to go to the hospital.” The homeowner called 9-1-1 but before EMS arrived, Brundage got back in his car and drove off, despite efforts by the homeowner to prevent him from doing so. A short distance away, his vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a tree.
Brundage was transported by Medina Fire Department ambulance to Medina Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m.
The incident was investigated by Deputy M.C. Mele, assisted by Investigators K.M. Strickland Jr., and D.E. Foeller Jr. That investigation is now joined by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester.
ALBION – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) will be hosting a free car seat safety check at the Albion Fire Hall this Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. The fire hall is located at 108 North Platt.
“As a father, I can tell you there’s nothing more important about your car than the kids riding in the backseat,” Hawley said. “I would encourage all parents to come down to our car seat check and ensure that their children are as safe as they can be.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Miller faces 25 years in state prison if convicted
Frederick Miller
ALBION – A murder trial that has been delayed three times will finally begin on Tuesday with jury selection scheduled to start at 10 a.m. at the Orleans County Courthouse.
Frederick Miller, 62, is accused of bludgeoning and stabbing Rachel Miller several times, causing her death on March 4, 2013. If convicted of second-degree murder, he could be sentenced to 25 years in state prison.
The trial was first delayed when Miller switched attorneys from the public defender to Robert King of Rochester. It was delayed again when King in March filed paperwork for a psychiatric defense, claiming Miller subjected to emotional abuse by his live-in girlfriend.
But King withdrew that defense when Miller refused to meet with a psychiatrist. Orleans County Court Judge James Punch on April 28 said he was forced to preclude expert psychiatric testimony because Miller refused to cooperate.
The trial was set to start on May 12, but was again pushed back. King, the defense lawyer, filed a motion to review evidence that District Attorney Joe Cardone sought to add to the prosecution’s case. Cardone filed an amended indictment and King requested time to explore the evidence and alleged proof.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch opted on May 12 to delay the trial so King would have time to file a motion about the amended indictment.
Rachel Miller, 53, died of blunt force trauma combined with multiple stab wounds on March 4, 2013. The couple allegedly had a fight at a home they shared on Oak Orchard River Road, according to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Joe Mesler, president of the Second Amendment Coalition of Western New York, tells 200 people they need to hold elected officials accountable and demand they protect Constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment. He urged gun owners to vote.
ALBION – About 200 people attended a rally outside the Albion Gun Shop this evening with the group vocal in denouncing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and calling for him to be ousted from office in this election.
The gun owners were urged to register to vote and cast their ballots on Nov. 4. Mattie Zarpentine, a regional coordinator for the New York Revolution, said only 20 percent of gun owners vote. But if they go to the polls in droves, Zarpentine said they can more than offset the votes from New York City, which tend to go to Cuomo and other Democratic Party candidates.
Mattie Zarpentine of Holley addresses the pro-gun crowd in Albion.
“We could outvote New York City if we support Constitutionally minded candidates,” Zarpentine told a crowd gathered on a closed-off Hamilton Street in front of the Albion Gun Shop.
Joe Palumbo, owner of the Albion Gun Shop, thanks the group for its support.
The rally was scheduled after the Albion Gun Shop was visited by the State Police in late August and told to turn over its records of customers who purchased an AR-15 gun with a bullet button feature. Police contended that feature violated the spirit of the SAFE Act, a controversial gun control measure passed in January 2013.
Joe Palumbo, owner of the gun shop, reluctantly turned over the names of 164 customers who bought the gun since the SAFE Act was passed. He also has been filling the bullet buttons with epoxy, which police say will now meet the SAFE Act standards.
He thanked his customers and many supporters in pro-gun groups for backing him and his business since news broke about his customer records being turned over to the State Police. Palumbo said he was advised by his attorney not to say too much because of potential litgation with the issue.
His attorney, James D. Tresmond of Buffalo, released a statement that was read by Steve Aldstadt, state president of SCOPE, the Shooters Committee on Political Education. Tresmond has already filed several lawsuits challenging the SAFE Act. He contends the law is unconstitutional with “arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.”
Steve Alstadt, president of SCOPE in New York, urges gun owners to vote Andrew Cuomo out of office.
Tresmond said the “prospects look good” in court for the SAFE Act challenges.
“We have only begun to fight,” he said in his statement.
SCOPE is funding some of the court fights, and the organization also is promoting gun owners to vote, especially on Nov. 4, Alstadt said.
“That will be New York’s recall election,” he said.
Joe Mesler is president of the Second Amendment Coalition in Western New York, a group that formed five days after the SAFE Act passed. Mesler said he fears the governor and State Legislature will continue to infringe on gun owners’ rights.
About 200 people attended a rally outside the Albion Gun Shop on Hamilton Street this evening. The rally was planned after State Police demanded gun shop owner Joe Palumbo turn over his records for customers who purchased the AR-15 gun with a bullet button feature.
He urged the group to be ever vigilant with their state elected officials. He urged them to go to Albany, attend local functions by state legislators and ask them a lot of questions – while demanding answers.
Steve Hawley voices his displeasure with the SAFE Act.
Many of the state legislators in WNY are Republicans who voted against the SAFE Act. But Mesler said most of them have backed provisions in the state budget for enforcing the SAFE Act. He has challenged legislators for supporting state funds to enforce unconstitutional laws.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said he wants to repeal the SAFE Act but downstate legislators won’t let that legislation come to a vote. Hawley favors dividing Upstate New York from New York City, creating two separate states.
Hawley said the SAFE Act was passed near midnight without a proper vetting from the Legislature and the public.
The law has numerous gray areas and was poorly crafted, Hawley said. He faulted Cuomo and the majority of the Legislature for hastily approving the legislation after a school shooting in Connecticut. Cuomo played on the emotions of the public, Hawley said.
“Shame on you, governor,” Hawley said.
Robert Ortt, a candidate for the State Senate, also addresses the crowd and states his support for repealing the SAFE Act.
Ortt is running for State Senate in the 62nd District, in the spot currently held by George Maziarz, who isn’t seeking re-election. Ortt, the North Tonawanda mayor, served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He said he will work to repeal the SAFE Act.
He worries that the State Senate, the remaining legislative body with a Republican majority, could be overtaken by Democrats. That would give that downstate-dominated party full control of the Legislature and perhaps the governor’s office. If that happens, Ortt said more freedoms could be lost to an overzealous Legislature and governor.
Mark Glogowski, a candidate for State Assembly, takes a turn with the bullhorn.
Another candidate for the State Legislature, Mark Glogowski of Hamlin, is running as a Libertarian against Steve Hawley. Glogowski said he favors less intrusive gun laws. He doesn’t think guns should be registered. If voters gave strong support to a Libertarian candidate it would send “shock waves” to Albany, Glogowski said.
“How about making a statement with your vote?” he said.
Nick Nersinger of Barre holds a sign he made stating his displeasure with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state’s gun control laws.
“I’m against the SAFE Act,” he said. “On Election Day I will be voting against Gov. Cuomo and I hope the rest of New York State does as well. No one has the right to take away those freedoms.”
