Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The sun rises over the railroad tracks looking east from the Clarendon Street bridge this morning in Albion.
I rushed out to get a few photos after my 9-year-old son came downstairs exclaiming about the colors in the sky at 7 this morning. He instructed me to “go take a picture.”
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – A Crew was out today putting in a new driveway for Fairhaven Treasures, a site at the southeast intersection of routes 98 and 104. The new driveway will be on 98.
The property owners, Ray and Linda Burke, have been transforming the former Swiercznski homestead into an art gallery and high-end craft co-op. The Burkes are hoping to open the site to the public on Nov. 29, a day after Thanksgiving.
Press release, New York State DOT
CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation will close a 2-mile portion of the Lake Ontario State Parkway between Lakeside Beach State Park and Route 98 in the town of Carlton for the winter months effective Nov. 12.
The highway will be re-opened upon conclusion of the winter weather next spring. The same section was closed last winter.
Motorists will be directed to use Route 18 as a parallel detour route. Electronic message boards were placed this week to inform motorists of the upcoming closure.
Dr. Clark J. Godshall
Press release, New York State Council of School Superintendents
ALBANY – The leader of the Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Dr. Clark Godshall, has been named the 2014 New York State School Superintendent of the Year.
Godshall was honored by the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
“Dr. Godshall is a nationally recognized school leader and an international advocate for students,” said Council President Mary Beth R. Fiore, superintendent of Elmira Heights Central School. “He is an experienced and involved leader on the local, state and national level, always keeping children’s interests at the center of his decision-making while seeking optimum efficiencies for his component school districts.”
She praised Godshall, calling him a recognized expert on educational service agencies, school finance and effective school district governance.
As the NY Superintendent of the Year, Godshall now becomes New York’s candidate for national superintendent of the year, to be awarded at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. in February 2014.
“I am immensely honored and humbled by this award,” Godshall said. “To be named New York Superintendent of the Year is a direct reflection of the dedication and hard work by the local school boards, staff, teachers and support teams across the Orleans/Niagara BOCES service area. The Orleans/Niagara BOCES, our component school districts and the communities we serve strongly support what it takes to make a difference in providing quality public schools. I’m honored to represent all of them and my superintendent colleagues in New York State who have dedicated their lives to this work.”
Dr. Godshall was nominated for the New York Superintendent of the Year by Orleans/Niagara BOCES School Board President Becky Albright.
“Dr. Godshall is a role model for all educational leaders,” Albright said. “His expertise, talent and creativity are examples to other educators, parents, community members and students.”
Godshall has served as the District Superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services for the past 14 years. He started with the local BOCES 24 years ago and served as assistant superintendent for 10 years. He started his career as a science teacher at Hilton.
The Orleans/Niagara BOCES serves 38,000 students. It is consistently ranked as one of the top BOCES in the state.
In honoring Godshall, the Council of Superintendents noted these details about the Orleans/Niagara BOCES:
Operates the third largest career and technical education BOCES and regional summer school in New York State;
Career and technical education graduation rate is consistently more than 93 percent and the BOCES exceeds the state and national average student performance with over 161 students receiving their Technical Endorsement Seal;
Orleans/Niagara BOCES is the only BOCES in New York State to receive frequent national recognition for their fiscal management from ASBO International and Government Finance Officers’ Association;
The current LPN program had a 100 percent passing rate for the Test of Essential Academic Skills;
Their Adult Literacy Program is ranked number one in New York State.It is had grown from 500 to 3,000 and served over 2,000 people this year alone.
While at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, Godshall has worked with his team to:
Standardize programs against state and national benchmarks to align with state and federal standards while using data to effectively monitor students’ progress and success.
Develop an effective continuum of services for students with special needs focused on main-streaming, integrated classrooms and ensuring that service follows needs.
Expand program offerings to include new programs – Baking, Fashion Design/Interior Design, Certified Personal Trainer and Heavy Equipment/Diesel/Agricultural Mechanical programs.
Offer over 80 collegiate articulation agreements for high school students to gain higher education credit prior to graduation.
Supports a high school alternative education program enabling at-risk students to graduate with a Regents and Advanced Regents diplomas.
Promote the importance of shared services to maximize local school districts capacity to offer shared administrators, employee benefits’ consortiums, energy and purchasing co-ops, shared media and printing services, along with safety services to both schools and other agencies.
Broaden the eco-friendly focus through an increase in energy savings programs; installation of systems to shut down all computers and control building temperatures.
Conducted and facilitated over 50 professional administrator searches on behalf of regional districts.
Broaden communication to reach more people through an enhanced website and the use of Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Facilitate a variety of partnerships with businesses, civic organizations, hospitals, and governmental organizations to collaborate on the provision of services and supports for students.
Develop fiscally responsible budgets, yielding one of the lowest average budget increases over the past four years, while preserving or enhancing programs in the face of spiraling reductions in state aid. Continually recognized as a state model of financial management for a school entity.
Construct and renovate facilities, all on schedule and under budget, including new component district special educational space in centralized locations.
Four races in town elections are too close to name a winner until the absentee ballots are all opened. That will happen on Nov. 12 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Board of Elections office.
Of the four races, the Albion town supervisor contest is the closest. Jake Olles is ahead of Matt Passarell by 1 vote, 476-475. Both candidates are town councilmen vying to replace Dennis Stirk, who didn’t seek re-election.
The BOE has received 46 absentees in the race, but Election Commissioner Dennis Piedimonte said more may have been mailed in on Tuesday.
In Barre, it was also close in the race to succeed Alan Jones as town justice. Richard DeCarlo Jr. has a nine-vote lead over Rick Root, 205 to 196, with about 20 absentees to be counted.
Two races for highway superintendent are also very close. In Carlton, incumbent David Krull is ahead of Paul Snook, 403 to 394 with 48 absentees to be counted.
In Ridgeway, Ray Wendling has an eight-vote lead, 570 to 562, over incumbent Mark Goheen. There are 33 absentees out.
ALBION – A public outcry over the past several months against selling the county nursing home wasn’t enough to elect a slate of candidates who ran to “Save Our Nursing Home.”
The Republican candidates for Legislature were all swept into office, except for incumbent Henry Smith Jr. He lost to Fred Miller, 900-607. Miller is an Albion village trustee who owns a hardware store in downtown Albion.
Miller’s victory was tempered by the loss of four candidates who ran on an independent “Save Our Nurisng Home” line. Those candidates – Gary Kent, Jack Gillman, Linda Rak and Emil Smith – also secured either the Democrat or Conservative lines. Miller ran with the backing of the Democrats and Conservatives, as did David Schult.
“Everyone worked very hard,” said Jeanne Crane, the Democratic Party chairwoman. “They put their whole heart into it. They did the best that they could.”
Crane said Democrats fielded an energetic challenge to Republicans, who have nearly double the number of registered Democrats in the county. Republicans also had more money to spend for mailers and advertising, Crane said.
“I’m just disappointed for the people who ran and put their whole heart into it,” she said at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, where Democrats and many members of the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County gathered on Tuesday night.
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Concerned Citizens of Orleans County boldly urged people to vote in support of candidates who wanted The Villages of Orleans to stay a county-owned nursing home. This van was parked at the routes 98 and 31 intersection on Tuesday.
The group had hoped to celebrate a victory, and many expected a win given the Republicans, Conservatives and independents who rallied for the cause of keeping the nursing home county-owned. County Legislator George Bower, a Republican, chose to stay with the Democrats on Tuesday night rather than the Republican gathering at the Pillars.
Bower was the lone legislator who opposed transferring The Villages of Orleans, the 120-bed nursing home, to a local development corporation. That three-man board has received bids for the nursing home.
The atmosphere was subdued when the results were announced at the Pullman Church. None of the Save Our Nursing Home candidates won. Kent worked hard on the campaign for the past nine months. Incumbent Don Allport received 3,292 votes to 2,859 for Kent.
About 50 people at Pullman stood up and applauded Kent when he addressed the group. Kent thanked them for making the nursing home such a high-profile issue. He urged them to keep the “Save Our Nursing Home” signs in the ground, well after election day.
“Straighten them up and leave them there,” he said.
Miller’s win will give Democrats their first elected county official in four years. Miller credited his 33 years at the hardware store, plus experience on the Village Board, for giving him many connections in the community. He knows many residents turned out at the polls because of the nursing home.
“It woke up the community,” he said.
Miller said he will resign from the Village Board before his legislator term starts on Jan. 1. He is the first village resident to serve on the County Legislature in 30 years even though the village is the county seat.
Miller has a reputation on the Village Board for nay votes. He said he will bring an independent streak to the Legislature.
“I haven’t liked the lopsidedness of the County Legislature,” he said. “It takes someone to go against the grain.”
Republicans posted comfortable margins of victory in five other races. Legislature Chairman David Callard was unopposed.
Incumbent Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville was among the winners. She received 968 votes to 629 for Linda Rak.
Johnson acknowledged Orleans is a strong Republican county, which was key in a near GOP sweep.
But she said voters wanted more than a “one-issue campaign.” The Republicans have been noting the Legislature’s efforts to stay under the 2 percent property tax cap the past two years, and efforts to upgrade the emergency communication system, fix the county jail, promote the fishing industry, and trim the county government workforce.
“A lot of people were very passionate about the nursing home,” Johnson said. “We are going to save the nursing home. It just won’t be county-owned.”
Ed Morgan, the GOP chairman, praised the Republican legislators for bringing a business-approach to managing the county, looking for ways to reduce costs and privatize services where possible.
“They’ve done a good job especially when so many people are at their throats to cut, cut, cut,” Morgan said.
The county will have more resources for road and infrastructure, as well as public safety once the nursing home is sold, Morgan said.
“We stayed to the issues and the candidates worked hard,” he said about the GOP victories.
Johnson said Smith will be missed on the Legislature.
“He is a very honest, humble and moral man,” she said. “He’s been a big part of our team.”
New York voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution on Tuesday, allowing seven new resort-style casinos to be built off Indian-owned land.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed for the casino expansion, saying it would bring jobs and much-needed tourism money to the state, particularly four upstate locations. A new casino won’t be in Western New York as part of a compact with the Seneca Nation of Indians.
Most counties backed the casino expansion, but Orleans said no, with 3,226 voters opposing the amendment and 2,922 in favor of it.
The governor was pleased with the state-wide vote on the issue. He made this statement late Tuesday.
“This vote will keep hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year in neighboring states right here in New York while increasing revenue for local schools, lowering property tax taxes and bringing proper regulation to the industry,” he said.
There were six state-wide proposals before voters on Tuesday. One of them, a proposal to raise the allowable retirement age for judges to 80, was rejected. It failed in Orleans by a 1,735 to 4,016 vote.
Other proposals passed voter approval, including in Orleans County.
New Yorkers OK’d a long-standing constitutional element that allows municipalities to exclude the cost of sewer projects from their mandated debt limits, which encourages improvements to the state’s crumbling infrastructure. In Orleans, it passed 2,880 to 2,597.
Two land issues in the Adirondack Forest Preserve were also on the ballot. Proposal 4 authorizes the state to arrange a land swap to settle century-old property disputes between NY and about 180 private landowners. It won overwhelming support state-wide. It passed in Orleans with a 3,472 to 1,966 vote.
Another proposal was ahead in votes state-wide. It will allow NYCO Minerals the chance to expand by 200 acres at its wollastonite mine in Essex County. In exchange it will give 1,500 acres of land for inclusion in the forest preserve. The issue passed in Orleans by a 2,872 to 2,548 vote.
A proposal to provide an additional credit on civil service exams for disabled combat veterans was heartily endorsed state-wide and in Orleans County.
The state Constitution only allows a veteran to receive additional civil service credit once. The proposition on the ballot Tuesday will allow a veteran to receive additional service credit based upon the newly certified disability. Orleans voters supported it 4,580 to 1,268.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Artist Christy Valsente, an employee at Arnold’s Auto Parts in Albion, created this palette that was displayed at Arnold’s as part of the Palettes of Orleans.
ALBION – In May, they started popping up in businesses around Orleans County, colorful paintings of local scenes and other subjects.
Kathy Blackburn, director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, hoped to have maybe 20 or 30 of the paintings displayed in businesses as part of a public arts trail that would promote merchants and local artists while raising money for art scholarships.
The businesses and artists surpassed Blackburn’s expectations. About 70 of the paintings were displayed. They were auctioned off last month during an event at Hickory Ridge Country Club.
The project raised $1,250 for scholarships with $250 going to each school district – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.
“It created a lot of buzz in the county,” Blackburn said.
She already is working on the second edition of the Palettes of Orleans in 2014, but there will be some changes.
Blackburn would like to get the palettes to artists early next year so they can work on their paintings with the goal to have them all unveiled at the same time, a July 1 target date.
This year, the palettes were put up whenever artists could finish them, with some done in May and others as late as September and early October. About 40 artists donated their services for the project.
Blackburn believes the Palettes proved a showcase for the local artists, giving them more exposure.
“Who knew we had this much talent in Orleans County?” she said.
The Chamber plans to have a fall auction again in 2014 so bidders can purchase the artwork and meet the artists with some of the proceeds going to art scholarships.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jahan Zib, a 10-year-old from Afghanistan, joins Albion fifth-graders in a friendship circle today at the school.
Albion students give Nasratullah, wearing hat, a group hug today.
ALBION – Today they ran in the elementary school gym, smiling and kicking a soccer ball. When it was time for two boys from Afghanistan to go, a group of fifth-graders gave them a group hug.
Nasratullah, 10, and Jahan Zib, 9, have spent the past two months in Orleans County through the Project Life program at the World Life Institute in Waterport.
Both boys have lost parents in the war in Afghanistan. Project Life started in 1997 and has now hosted 128 children who are orphans from the troubled lands of Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Project Life Director Linda Redfield visited Albion Elementary School today with Jahan Zib and Nasratullah.
Four children from Chechnya spent this past summer in Waterport through the program. Project Life had not hosted an Afghan child since 2006. One Afghan boy, who spent the summer of 2002 in Waterport, is now in medical school. He connected with the Project Life program earlier this year and recommended Nasratullah and Jahan Zib.
Today they joined Project Life Director Linda Redfield in a visit to Albion Elementary School’s Multicultural Club. Redfield showed the students a power point with photos from Afghanistan and Chechnya.
She included pictures of Nasratullah and Jahan Zib when they first arrived two months ago. They appeared sad and lethargic.
“They had been drinking contaminated water and they arrived here sick,” Redfield said.
Jahan Zib kicks the soccer ball during a game with Albion fifth-graders today in the elementary school gym.
Project Life is sending water filters home with them so they don’t have to drink bad water. Nasratullah also had an eye condition that nearly blocked his vision. But with a visit to the eye doctor and medication, he doesn’t have any sight problems. He will go home well-stocked with the eye medication.
The boys were wearing their Afghan clothes today, which are made of very thin material because Redfield said it can be so oppressively hot in the country.
The boys have been staying with host families. They have been taking English classes and enjoying the fresh air, as well as good food, exercise and “careful attention,” Redfield said.
The Albion Multicultural Club said it will try to send care packages to the boys when they return to Afghanistan and try to maintain a friendship for the future.
The Afghan boys posed for a picture with the Albion Multicultural Club, which is led by ESL teacher CarmenRose Brittan, back row near center.
By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian
WATERPORT – Lillian Sargent of Waterport posed for this photograph taken by Fred Holt around 1925.
She is the epitome of style for a teen-age girl of the 1920s. Note the bobbed hair, beads around her neck, summer dress, stockings and shoes.
She was the envy of girls whose mothers would not let them get their long hair bobbed.
This was meant to be an artistic picture but it also shows us a lot about the style from the Roaring ’20s.
KNOWLESVILLE – The lift bridge in Knowlesville will be closed beginning today so the state Department of Transportation can perform necessary maintenance repairs.
The bridge is expected to be closed for up to two weeks, state Sen. George Maziarz’s office advised.
The bridge, which was built in 1910, has had a weight restriction and is limited to one lane. It will remain at its current width upon reopening.
Here are the unofficial results for the town elections, with 40 of the 40 polling places in Orleans County reporting. Some of the races are too close to call until the absentee ballots are opened next Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Town Supervisor – Jake Olles (D, No Bull): 476
Town Supervisor – Matt Passarell (R, C): 475
Town Councilman – Todd Sargent (D, R): 783
Town Councilman – Richard Remley (R): 497
Town Councilman – Justin Sheehan (D): 458
Town Supervisor – Mark Chamberlain (R): 325
Town Supervisor – Cyndy Van Lieshout (D): 186
Town Councilman – Tom McCabe (R): 331
Town Councilman – Lynn Hill (R): 366
Town Councilman – Joe Grabowski (D): 224
Town Justice – Richard DeCarlo (R, I): 205
Town Justice – Rick Root (D): 196
Town Justice – Sean Pogue (C): 117
Town Clerk – Pam Rush (R): 519
Town Clerk – Lea Olles (write-in): 185
Town Councilman – Joyce Harris (R): 401
Town Councilman – James Shoemaker (R): 392
Town Councilman – Bilal Huzair (D, C): 296
Town Councilman – Douglas Hart (D): 245
Highway Superintendent – Paul Snook (R, C): 394
Highway Superintendent – David Krull (I): 403
Town Justice – Kevin Hurley (R): 551
Town Supervisor – Richard Moy (R): 378
Town Councilman – Paul Nicosia (R): 364
Town Councilman – Marc Major (R): 351
Town Supervisor – Carol Culhane (R, C): 427
Town Councilman – James Kirby (R): 374
Town Councilman – Susan Smith (R): 403
Town Councilman – John Leggat (D): 184
Town Clerk – Jean Klatt (R): 371
Town Justice – Bruce Schmidt (D, R, C): 482
Town Supervisor – Anthony Cammarata (R): 375
Town Supervisor – Bart Joseph (write-in): 183
Town Councilman – Bruce Newell (R): 360
Town Councilman – Patrick Snook, Jr. (R): 362
Town Councilman – David Balka (write-in) + David Gaudioso (write-in): total 298
Town Justice – Debra Drennan (R): 436
Town Justice – Stephen Cliff (D): 171
Town Clerk – Amy Richardson (R): 513
Highway Superintendent – Warren Kruger (R): 517
Town Supervisor – John Morriss (R): 410
Town Councilman – Kathleen Case (R): 372
Town Councilman – Paul Hendel (R): 407
Town Clerk – Cindy Oliver (R): 414
Highway Superintendent – Ed Morgan (R): 410
Town Justice – Gary Passarell (R): 402
Highway Superintendent – Mark Goheen (R, I): 562
Highway Superintendent – Ray Wendling (C, People’s Party): 570
Town Councilman – David Stalker (R): 742
Town Councilman – Jeff Toussaint (R): 832
Town Clerk – Barb Klatt (R): 921
Town Justice – Lawrence Sanderson (R): 867
Town Supervisor – Merle “Skip” Draper (R, C): 461
Town Councilman – Steve Seitz Jr. (R): 453
Town Councilman – William Bacon (R): 434
Town Councilman – James Whipple (R): 284
Town Councilman – Brad Bentley (R): 338
Town Councilman – Paul Lauricella (C): 167
Town Supervisor – John Belson (R): 359
Town Justice – Don Grabowski (R): 376
“Turnout for local elections tends to be 27 percent, but this year it will likely top 40 percent or more in towns with contested races,” Election Commissioner Dennis Piedimonte said.
“Towns with unopposed candidates didn’t see a lot of turnout, probably around 20 percent,” Piedimonte said.
The returns are starting to come in at the Board of Elections.
It may be too close to call in the races for Highway Superintendent in Carlton and Ridgeway.
Dave Krull has a narrow lead over Paul Snook in Carlton and Ray Wendling has a slight lead over Mark Goheen in Ridgeway. Absentee ballots will be opened in a week to determine winner.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
ALBION – The Albion High School baseball team had its picture taken in 1933 in front of what was then the Albion High School on East Academy Street. (The building is now the Albion Academy and is used for senior citizen apartments, Nutri-Fair and the Arc of Orleans County.)
What is really great about this picture is that all the players are identified.
The team includes the bat boy in front named Richard Foster.
Second row, from left: Pat Monacelli, Anthony Glenn Peter “Coke” Ross, Philbrook Vick, Nellio DiGuilio, Amaday “Cal” Colonna, Edmond Biordi, Louis Hollenbeck, Clyde Furness and Robert Bloom.
Third row: Peter DeLuca, F. Craig Campbell, Sam Juliana, Sam Martillotta, Louis “Pooch” Massaro, John Russelli, Jack Newman, Ralph Tiffany, Robert Wood and Coach Spierdowis.
Back row: Angelo Bell (manager), Mike Christopher, Ted “Bear” DiLaura, Steve Adams, Bruce Farnsworth, Dominic DiLodovico, Frank “Pete” Morrow, George Dragon, Joe Christopher and Henry Dragon.
The unofficial results for the Orleans County Legislature elections are in, with 40 of the 40 polling places reporting.
At-Large, West – David Callard (R-I): 4408
At-Large, Central – Don Allport (R, I, C): 3419
At-Large, Central – Gary Kent (D, Nursing Home): 2917
At-Large, East – John DeFilipps (R, I): 3367
At-Large, East – Jack Gillman (D, Nursing Home): 2573
District 1 – Bill Eick (R, I): 833
District 1 – Emil Smith (C, Nursing Home): 518
District 2 – Lynne Johnson (R, I): 968
District 2 – Linda Rak (C, Nursing Home): 629
District 3 – Fred Miller (D, C): 900
District 3 – Henry Smith (R, I): 607
District 4 – Ken DeRoller (R, I): 1142
District 4 – David Schult (D, C): 683
County Treasurer Susan Heard (R, I): 5146
County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard (R, I): 5287
