Facebook

news

Albion residents speak against plan to turn daycare into 10-unit housing

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – John Williams, a member of the Elks Lodge in Albion, opposes a plan to turn a daycare next door into 10 efficiency units.

This former childcare center is eyed for 10 apartments.

ALBION – A proposal to turn a former child care center at the end of West State Street into 10 apartments has riled neighbors, including the Elks Lodge, which is next door to the former Agri-Business Child Development site.

“It’s not a good thing,” John Williams, a member of the Elks, told the Village Planning Board. “You could have sex offenders in there and ex cons. It’s no good.”

Williams and other neighbors said the site, if turned into 10 apartments, would bring down the property values in the neighborhood.

Linda Smith of Albion wants to buy the site from the state and turn it into 10 “efficiency units” that would be about 550 square feet each with their own bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. She said she does criminal background checks on all applicants for her apartments.

“If I think they are a danger, I can refuse them,” she said about applicants.

The efficiency units wouldn’t be a “flop house” or boarding house, and residents would stay for at least a month. Smith said the project would improve a building that has sat empty for at least three years and would return the site to the tax rolls.

“I take pride in them,” she said about the properties she owns in Albion. “I keep them up. I try to put good people in them.”

The building is in a residential neighborhood. Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti said it’s highly unlikely the building would be converted into one- or two-unit housing.

He wrote a proposal for adaptive reuse overlay districts that would target buildings older than 1996 that are vacant with more than 5,000 square feet of space. The zoning would provide some flexibility for reusing the properties, but also provides conditions for the Planning Board to consider the project’s impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Planning Board Chairman Dan Gleason said there are many vacant or underutilized sites in the village that need creative solutions. The Planning Board and Village Board would need to adopt the adaptive reuse zoning for the building before Smith could proceed. The Orleans County Planning Board also would need to weigh in on the proposal.

Several neighbors said they didn’t want a 10-unit site in their neighborhood. Matt Passarell, a member of Town Board, said the proposal is contrary to the recently approved Albion comprehensive plan, where community members they wanted less rental properties in the village.

“We established a vision in our comprehensive plan and we should stick to it,” Passarell said.

Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti is looking for creative ways to reuse vacant buildings that are bigger than 5,000 square feet. He has proposed an adaptive reuse overlay district for those properties.

His parents, Jim and Barbara Passarell, both addressed the board and said the West State Street neighborhood has sharply declined in their 30 years on the street. Mrs. Passarell said the street has turned into “a slum.”

She also told Vendetti he should be neutral in enforcing codes, not working to create new zoning.

Vendetti said he was asked by the Village Board to draft a proposal for reusing some of the larger vacant buildings in the village that don’t lend themselves a one- or two-unit housing.

“It’s a hard thing to figure out,” Vendetti said about the properties.

The village’s tax assessed value has been shrinking in recent years. Gleason, the Planning Board chairman, said the village would benefit if sites were reused, rather than sitting vacant or being torn down. He said the board wouldn’t make a decision soon on the adaptive reuse zoning or on Smith’s project.

“It gives you an idea of what we’re up against,” Gleason said. “If you look around Albion, there’s a lot of empty buildings. We’re looking for ways to reuse some of those buildings and increase our tax base.”

Mary Martin has one more chance to shine on stage as high schooler

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Mary Martin was named an outstanding lead by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League for her performance as Belle.

Mary Martin helps “The Beast,” played by William Grimble, during Albion’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

ALBION – Mary Martin will have one last chance on the stage as a high schooler before she heads to Niagara University this fall to join that school’s theater program.

Martin, a senior at Albion, is among 16 female leads from a nine-county area who will perform May 23 at the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester. That 7 to 9:30 p.m. event that also features the top 16 male leads.

The winning female and male will represent the Rochester region in the fifth annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City.

Martin is performing May 23 after being picked a top female lead for her performance as Belle in Albion’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” She also was a top female lead in the Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s “Stars of Tomorrow” program last year for her performance as Maria Rainer in “The Sound of Music.”

Gary Simboli, Albion’s musical director, said it is very rare for a student to be awarded a top female or male lead two years in a row in the Stars program.

“If you look at a bell curve, she is really on the far end of the bell curve,” Simboli said. “She continues to work on her craft. She has a lot of dedication.”

Martin also is among the “Fan Favorites” listed in the Stars program. That on-line voting contest will award the student with the most votes the title of “Fan Favorite” and also four VIP seats to the opening night of “GHOST The Musical” on Oct. 8.

To vote for Martin, click here.

On the contest’s Web site, Martin thanks Simboli, other musical and band teachers, and her fellow cast members:

“The past four years have gone by so quickly! I can hardly believe that I am about to go on to college to pursue performing arts,” Martin writes. “I was honored to be given the part as Belle and I would like to say that I have never in my whole life worked with such an AMAZING and talented cast. I love you all and I will miss you! Mr. Simboli and Mr. Thaine, what would I do without you?! Mrs. Winans, Mrs. Berg and Mrs. Pettit, thank you for being so patient with me! I wish all of you every happiness.”

Hillside Cemetery gets historical due

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Hillside Cemetery

Photo by Tom Rivers – Hillside Cemetery in Holley, located at the corner of Route 237 and South Holley Road, has been approved for listing on the New York State Register of Historic Places. Next month it may be added to the national list. The cemetery includes a sandstone chapel built in 1894 in the Gothic Revival architecture style.

HOLLEY – State historic preservation officials are confirming what many already know in the Holley area: Hillside Cemetery is a special place.

The cemetery with 3,500 graves is a distinctive example of a Victorian style cemetery on the west side of South Holley Road. That older section includes terraces and monuments that emphasize a sentimental Victorian attitude. Across the road on the east side the cemetery reflects the open lawn-park style.

Last month the cemetery was added to the New York State Register of Historic Places. It was nominated to go on the national list. A decision is expected next month.

“The cemetery is like a mini-Mount Albion,” said Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon code enforcement officer and cemetery manager.

She worked on the application for historic designation with town resident Erin Anheier, who wrote successful applications to land her home on Bennetts Corners Road and the “Old Stone Store” on the state and national lists.

Ierlan wanted the cemetery to be recognized, seeing the designation as a source of community pride. She also said the listings on the state and national registers should help the town’s chances to secure grant funding for repairs to a sandstone chapel from 1894. That building is the cemetery’s focal point.

The building is structurally solid, but it needs roof and window repairs that Ierlan said could exceed $150,000. She wants to see the building preserved.

“It’s like a time capsule inside there,” she said today. “If they don’t do something with it, the roof will cave in and it will be a shell of itself.”

Hillside Cemetery

Photo by Tom Rivers – The western side of the cemetery includes terraces and monuments emphasizing the sentimental Victorian attitude toward death.

Ierlan sees the town’s historical homes and the cemetery as assets that can be draws for Clarendon. She praised Anheier for her volunteer work and vision in gaining the historical status for some of the sites in Clarendon.

“We don’t want to just be a blip on the map, or one of those towns that people just drive through,” Ierlan said. “We have a lot of great history in Clarendon.”

Hillside was established in 1866 by the Holley Cemetery Association. That group disbanded in 2003 and turned the cemetery’s maintenance over to the town.

Hillside is the third cemetery in Orleans with historical recognition. Mount Albion was named to the national list in 1976 and the Millville Cemetery in Shelby was added in 2007.

Hawley will keep district office in Albion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am

ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley has recommitted to keeping Albion as his district office, even though the redistricting process shifted the center of his district to Elba.

The 139th Assembly District was changed about a year ago during redistricting, with the boundaries moved south to include all of Genesee County. The new lines make northern Genesee the geographic center of the district.

Hawley’s district used to include all of Orleans, but Shelby was removed, as well as the town of Somerset. He picked up the southern border of Genesee, which previously wasn’t in the district. The 139th also includes four Monroe towns: Hamlin, Clarkson, Sweden and Riga.

Assembly District 139

Hawley’s predecessor, Charles Nesbitt, picked Albion as the district office in 2002, moving it to his hometown after the office was based in Brockport.

Hawley, who has served in the Assembly since 2006, isn’t going to pull up stakes from Albion.

“It’s accessible,” he said about his office at the Albion Visitors’ Center, 121 North Main Street. “It’s right in the center of Orleans County. People are familiar with it.”

The village owns the site at 121 North Main St. The Village Board requested a 2 percent increase in Hawley’s lease, which includes utilities. Hawley’s office paid $14,832 this past year for the space. The Assembly’s majority conference will decide if the increase is approved. Hawley said he supports paying a little more for the space.

“I don’t think that’s outlandish at all,” he said.

The Albion building also gives him access to a conference room and he said there is plenty of parking close by.

Hawley has stepped up outreach efforts with residents in Genesee and Monroe counties. His staff has office hours every Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Genesee Community College in Room T123 of the Conable Technology Building. His staff also will be available on Wednesdays at Brockport State College.

Hawley said he will meet with residents personally throughout the district if they schedule an appointment by contacting hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us or by calling the district office at 585-589-5780.

Medina will soon raise water, sewer rates

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The village hasn’t increased its water and sewer rates in a decade. That will soon change.

The Village Board will meet 7 p.m. May 28 to schedule a public hearing for an increase. First, the board needs to determine how much the rates will go up for village users and out-of-village customers in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway.

“We have 10 years of increases to catch up on,” said Mayor Andrew Meier.

Medina has been working with a consultant, Paul Bringewatt of Canandaigua, to determine how much the rates should increase. The village also has been looking at how personnel and other budgeted expenses are credited to either the water or general fund.

Some of the village fund expenses, which are paid solely by the village-only property owners, may be shifted to the water budget, which includes both village and outside-village users. That would ease some pressure on the general fund, and village property owners.

Meier said the issues will be discussed May 28 and during the public hearing, which has yet to be set.

Medina buys its water from the Niagara County Water District. Village residents pay a retail rate to the village, while the towns receive a wholesale rate from Medina. The towns of Shelby and Ridgeway then sell then water to residents in their water districts.

Artists have road show this Saturday

Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Artwork by Connie Mosher of Albion

Press release, GO-Art!

The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council presents the 2013 Artist Road Show in Orleans County this Saturday from 10am to 3pm. This event is free for all attendees.

Previously called the Open Studio Tour, this sixth annual event features an Art Trail with five artists in a variety of media at three studios and galleries in Orleans County, all open for guests to experience art and meet the artists in person.

The Artist Road Show is envisioned to provide an exciting opportunity to see artists at work, view or purchase art, raise awareness of art and culture and contribute to tourism in Genesee and Orleans counties. A map of all sites and artists may be picked up at GO ART!, Seymour Place, 201 East Main Street in Batavia and at participating sites as well as online at www.GOart.org.

Sites and Artists featured in Orleans County include:

At Marti’s on Main:
Connie Mosher, Kim Martillotta & Chris Versteeg

227 N. Main St., Albion, NY 14411

Connie Mosher
I am primarily a painter experimenting in other mediums,such as Polaroid transfers and scanner photography. I love capturing the image of fresh flowers in all their delicate beauty on the scanner. They are alive!

Kim Martillotta
First of all, I am an artist. I sculpt, collage, paint, and I am a photographer. That is what I do, and who I am. I also have a great little Fine Art Gallery. It has given me the opportunity to meet other artists and show the world their art. I want to inspire, and in the process have been very inspired myself. We have First Friday events from May thru December and I encourage folks to stop by any time. Meet the artists and have some fun!

Chris Versteeg
My goal is to encourage people to really look at, and enjoy our surroundings. And, to generate a smile, perhaps.

Artwork by the Mental Health Association

At MHA of Orleans County:
MHA Art Workshop artists

20 S. Main St., Albion, NY 14411

MHA of Orleans County
Creative individuals meet every Wednesday for Art Workshop, and are thrilled to be part of The Road Show. View their unique styles and techniques within this large group of student artists. Pieces range from sculpture, hand crafted beads, watercolors, oils and acrylics. You will find Abstract and Realism in this workroom. Stop in to MHA, where these semi-pros are happy to talk to you about their work! Artists will also be working on some new pieces as you tour. Some pieces are for purchase.

At Solace Pointe:
Betsy LaMere

1882 Kent Rd., Kent, NY 14477

Betsy LaMere
Betsy specializes in equine/canine art and is a member of the IEA and CAG. Known for her distinctive style in pen and ink, Betsy also creates images of companion animals, nature and florals in photography, acrylics and colored pencils.

This event is made possible with the generous support of The Bank of Castile and the New York State Council on the Arts. For more information, please call 585-343-9313, email info@GOart.org or visit www.GOart.org.

Consultants make pitch to help sell county nursing home

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Russ Martino, chairman of Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation, jots down notes during a presentation today during the organization’s meeting at the public health department. Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, is pictured across from Martino.

ALBION – The consultants and firms are lining up to help Orleans County sell its 120-bed nursing home, The Villages of Orleans on Route 31.

From accounting, legal and real estate services, several firms are pitching their services to Orleans County and its newly created entity, the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation. The County Legislature in February voted to transfer the Villages of Orleans to a three-member Local Development Corporation, which that group tasked with finding a buyer and selling the facility.

County officials want to be out of the nursing home business because projections show $2 million to $4 million annual operating losses at the site.

Despite the deficits, the county nursing home has plenty of value to other operators, said a real estate professional who helps counties sell the properties.

“These nursing home are a commodity and they’re extremely valuable if run the right way,” said Josh Jandris, a senior associate with Marcus and Millichap’s National Senior Housing Group, a Chicago firm that specializes selling nursing homes.

That firm is working to sell nursing homes for nine NY counties – Chautauqua, Chemung, Essex, Ontario, Orange, Rockland, Saratoga, Steuben and Ulster.

Shrinking government reimbursement rates plus rising employee costs for publicly owned facilities have led to a big push to sell the municipally owned sites in the past three years, Jandris told the LDC during its meeting today.

Josh Jandris, a senior associate with Marcus and Millichap’s National Seniors Housing Group based in Chicago, discusses how the firm can help get a good price for The Villages of Orleans.

The firm is working with 21 governments in six states to sell nursing homes. Jandris said the company has helped governments sell sites at 25 percent above the minimum bid. The firm can help determine the market value for The Villages and then market the site to 2,500 potential buyers, Jandris said. His firm would receive 2.5 percent of the sale price.

Another organization, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester, said it would work with the county to sell the property for a fee that would likely range from $60,000 to $100,000, depending on the services. CGR’s cost also includes the services from Health Dimensions Group, which has connections with potential buyers throughout the country, said Don Pryor, CGR’s director of human services.

CGR would also work to determine the market rate for The Villages, and could research potential buyers to make sure they are good fit for the county, committed to quality care and serving “hard-to-place” residents who may have behavioral problems or be on Medicaid.

Jandris said Marcus and Millichap would also vet potential buyers to make sure they have good track records for serving patients and employee retention.

Don Pryor, director of human services research for the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester, meets with county officials and members of the Orleans County Health Facilities Corporation on Wednesday to discuss how CGR could help sell the 120-bed county nursing home.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said the county wants a buyer that would continue the Communty As Schools program with Albion Central School, where at-risk students take classes and work in internships at the nursing home. Jandris said the county can stipulate that and set other demands on the buyers, but that may result in a lower sale price.

Nesbitt also wants to hear proposals from potential buyers on how they would reuse the entire facility, including wings from the early 1960s that are mostly empty. That space might be able to be used for a senior daycare or respite site.

The new LDC will seek proposals from firms to market the nursing home and provide consulting services for the sale. That proposal will go out May 17 and will be due June 3. The LDC is expected to meet soon after June 3 to review the proposals.

The LDC during today’s meeting approved two agreements for professional services. The Harris Beach legal firm in Pittsford will represent the group on an as needed basis and will bill by the hour, including defending the county in a lawsuit filed by two citizens who say the county illegally transferred the nursing home and its assets to the LDC.

The Bonadio Group, a Pittsford accounting firm, will charge $8,500 annually to make sure the LDC submits the appropriate regulatory filings with the state.

“We assure you they will be done and be done on time,” said Nick Mazzo, a municipal consultant with Bonadio.

The LDC is aiming to complete a sale by Dec. 31, 2014.

Big FFA crowd makes it unlikely Albion will host convention again

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – About 160 FFA students crowd into the middle school band room, waiting to be awarded Empire Degrees. The auditorium was full so these students had to wait in a different room.

ALBION – Don’t expect to see the FFA state convention return to Albion again. The school is too small to accommodate the growing crowd of students, advisors, chaperones and parents who come from all corners of the state.

“We’re done because we’ve run out of room,” said Adam Krenning, Albion’s FFA advisor and agriculture teacher.

In 2007, about 800 FFA students, advisors and chaperones came to Albion for the three-day state FFA convention.

When the school hosted the event May 2-4, there were 1,106 students and about 500 more adults on the school campus for the convention.

There weren’t enough seats in the middle school auditorium for closing ceremonies on May 4, forcing Albion to crowd 160 students into the band room. Those students were receiving their Empire Degrees, the highest award for FFA in New York. They watched the closing ceremonies on television while waiting their turn on stage.

FFA has soared in popularity in recent years with new chapters opening and existing chapters adding members. That reality makes it difficult to find a school that can handle the influx of people.

Not only does the school need a big auditorium with about 2,000 seats, but it needs several nearby hotels to house all the guests. Most of the visiting FFA students stayed in Batavia, a half-hour drive, during the recent convention.

Most rural schools don’t have 1,000 hotel rooms so close by. And most rural schools that offer FFA programs don’t have auditoriums that can fit the FFA crowd.

Medina will host the convention next year. That school has a smaller auditorium than Albion’s. Medina will need to use technology so students and guests can witness the events live in other rooms, besides the auditorium, said Todd Eick, Medina’s FFA advisor.

“It’s an outstanding problem to have,” he said about the space crunch. “There are some new schools started chapters and the numbers are rising.”

The big numbers for the convention are eliminating some long-time host sites, and may result in designating regional locations for the FFA convention. That could mean the convention center in Rochester, said Krenning, a member of the state FFA’s governing board.

The convention was held two years in a row at Cobleskill State College. Those conventions in 2010 and ’11, were in partnership with the Walton and Sidney FFA chapters.

Jenny McKenna, the Albion FFA president, prefers to see the convention rotate sites so students can experience new areas.

“If they do it in the same location so many years in a row, it’s not as exciting for the students,” she said.

The experience on the college campus didn’t work too well when junior high and high school students were sharing a campus with college students. But Krenning said the FFA leaders are wondering if the convention could be at a college following commencement when the campus is mostly empty. The students could then stay in dorms, have access to classrooms and a big auditorium, and participate in tours of local agriculture.

Some FFA officials have suggested two schools close together share their facilities for a convention. But that would still leave FFA with an auditorium that’s too small. And Krenning said he wouldn’t want to be split up on two campuses for a convention.

FFA leaders need to work out a solution so the students can all be accommodated, Eick said.

“It’s definitely something that needs to be talked about,” he said.

Orleans remembers two police officers who died in the line of duty

Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

ALBION – Tomorrow on May 15th, as we celebrate National Peace Officers Memorial Day, we honor the memory of two Orleans County law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty:

New York State Police Sergeant Harry A. Adams was killed on Sept. 1, 1951. Adams was directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Sawyer Road in the Town of Carlton when he was struck by a drunk driver.

Sergeant Adams was a 28-year veteran of the State Police, having enlisted in December 1923. He had been assigned to Orleans County since 1932 and was in charge of the Gaines sub-station. At the time of his death, Sergeant Adams was 55. He was survived by his wife and four children.

Orleans County Deputy Sheriff David H. Whittier died on Sept. 8, 1989 from injuries sustained eight months earlier on Jan. 19, 1989.  On that January night, Whittier was on patrol when he came upon an un-occupied vehicle on Gaines Basin Road in the Town of Gaines.

While Whittier was out checking the abandoned pick-up truck, the truck was struck by another vehicle operated by a drunk driver. The impact pinned Whittier between his patrol car and the truck he was checking. Whittier never recovered from the injuries he sustained as a result, and eventually succumbed to those injuries.

Whittier was a two-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and was fulfilling a life-long dream of a career in law enforcement. At the time of his death, Deputy Whittier was 41. He was survived by his wife and two children.

We salute these brave men who gave their lives in the performance of duty. They are not forgotten.

The Men & Women of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

Orleans schools make switch to optical scan voting machines

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

The mechanical voting machine may not see another local election.

When residents vote on the school budgets in Orleans County next Tuesday, they will cast their ballots on the new optical scan machines that have been used by towns and county since 2010.

The old mechanical lever machines, technology that had been used for about a century, may have seen their last local election.

“Some of them are getting unrepairable,” said Clara Martin, a deputy election commissioner for the Orleans County Board of Elections.

The county’s voting machine technicians met with the five school districts and they reached a mutual decision to phase out the old machines for the optical scans.

The change to optical scan machines will cost Albion Central School about $1,500 more for the election. Each ballot cost 60 cents, said Shawn Liddle, Albion’s assistant superintendent for business.

The mechanical voting machines have been phased out for most elections throughout New York as part of the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The federal government paid most of the upfront costs for the new machines that have electronic scanners.

I hope we can keep some of the old machines around as museum pieces. I know some of the local towns have taken them to the scrap yard.

Lee-Whedon Library budget approved

Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – A $573,063 budget for Lee-Whedon Memorial Library was overwhelmingly backed by Medina school districts residents on Monday, passing with an 83-6 vote.

This budget represents an increase of 1.8 percent. Residents also re-elected incumbent Trustee Isabella Mark to another five-year term.

“We are grateful to the community for the continuing support,” said Maryellen Dale, Board president. “We authorized a major but necessary expense this year – the replacement of the 45-year-old roof at a cost of $215,000.”

A state construction grant will pay 50 percent of the roof costs.

“We look forward to decreased energy costs as a result of the newly insulated roof,” Dale said. “However, as the building approaches its 50th year, we notice that it is in need of updating. Many of the ceiling tiles are stained and broken. The walls were last painted in 1994, the carpet was replaced in 1996. It is time to freshen up! We plan to give the community a building it can be proud of. Plans are afoot for this major renovation project to be completed in the fall.”

Orleans/Niagara BOCES recognizes nursing students

Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Front row from left: Michelle Neal, Shentelle Shaffer, Kasey Turrell, Lauren Zulick, Tara Milton Back row from left: Nicole Szatkowski, Jessica Makowski, Tanya Kopp, Stacy Erck, Brynne Perfitt, Erica Stahl, Todd Harris, Daniel Beatty

Press Release: Orleans/Niagara BOCES

May is the month when nurses of all types are recognized and celebrated. The Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) students at the Orleans and Niagara Career and Technical Education Centers have been working hard to complete their 1,730 hour course that will allow then to take the NCLEX exam for their license. The Orleans/Niagara BOCES students spend 510 hours at local hospitals to get their clinical hours and assist the nurses in many of their duties taking care of those who are recovering or require treatment. They deserve big congratulations for all the hard work and dedication to starting this rewarding career.

Firefighter sentenced for sex crimes

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Elsenheimer admitted to sex acts with two teen-age boys

ALBION – A former Medina firefighter was sentenced to two years in state prison on Monday after he admitted in court in March that performed sexual acts on two teen-age boys.

Jeffrey J. Elsenheimer Jr., 32, worked as a full-time Medina firefighter for six years. Investigators from the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force found nude photographs of a 16-year-old boy on Elsenheimer’s cell phone, which were sent while he was on duty.

The alleged abuse with the two boys occurred between March and August 2012.

Elsenheimer faced a 29-count indictment, including 17 felony counts and 12 misdemeanors. He pled guilty to one count of third-degree sexual act with each boy, and faced up to four years in state prison.

He was sentenced to two two-year sentences that will run at the same time. Elsenheimer also will be registered as a sex offender and will have eight years of post-release supervison when he’s out of prison.

Elsenheimer served as Medina Fire Department public information officer in addition to his duties as firefighter. He had to surrender his EMT license. He also worked as a part-time dispatcher for the county, and was fired from that position when he was charged with the sex crimes. He previously worked as a teacher at Kendall.

Fruit farmers fight freeze

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Overnight irrigation helps protect crop from cold

Photos by Tom Rivers – Ice coats the blossoms on the blueberry bushes at Brown’s Berry Patch in Waterport.

This riser sprays water on blueberry bushes at Brown’s.

CARLTON – This morning the blueberry blossoms at Brown’s Berry Patch were coated with about a half-inch of ice after being doused with water overnight.

It may seem counterintuitive to spray water on orchards when it’s freezing, but the ice provides some protection for the crops. As the ice freezes, it gives off heat to keep the buds from dropping below 32 and freezing.

Brown’s pulled an all-nighter last night running an irrigation system for the blueberries and strawberries. The plants were in full-blown blossom stage when the cold hit last night. Brown’s was ready, spending the previous days setting up irrigation systems, running pipes into the orchards with sprinklers and risers.

“Your early bloom is your biggest berries,” said Eric Brown, co-owner of Brown’s Berry Patch and Orchard Dale Fruit Farm. “They’re in the delicate stage. You have to protect them.”

Brown walked through the orchards this morning, and inspected the blossoms. He didn’t see black in the flowers, which would have been a sign the blossoms were dead. He believes the irrigation made a difference overnight and helped stave off big losses. The freeze can kill off blossoms when they are so vulnerable in early May.

That happened last year when a very warm March caused fruit trees to blossom early, and then a deep freeze hit in late April with several days of temperatures in the low 20s. That caused widespread damage to the apple crop, resulting in the worst season since 1945.

“Last year there was damage everywhere,” Brown said.

Eric Brown looks over a field of strawberries this morning after an overnight freeze.

Last night the temperatures didn’t plunge into the low 20s. Apples, when they’re in the blossom stage, can endure 30 to 31 degrees, the low temperatures earlier today in Waterport.

Apples are heartier than strawberries and blueberries. That’s why Brown’s focused on keeping the berries alive by running the irrigation system.

“You buy it as insurance and hope you never have to use it,” Brown said at the farm a little after 6 this morning.

The farm set up an irrigation system to help strawberries survive the cold.

This year’s cold spell isn’t nearly as bad as last year, when the farm irrigated the berries at least six nights. That allowed Brown’s to have a berry crop last year.

Some farmers in Wayne County lost all of their apple crop last year. Many of them have purchased wind machines that help move out cold air and pull down warm air, Brown said. A couple degrees difference in the orchard can make the difference in the blossoms surviving and the farmers having a crop.

Discovering the Millville Cemetery, another local historic landmark

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2013 at 12:00 am

Shelby site is listed on National Register of Historic Places

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Millville Cemetery, which was established in 1871 on East Shelby Road, includes this iron arch with the cemetery name. The large statue in the background marks the grave for Asa Hill, a Civil War soldier and prominent local farmer.

This wood frame chapel has a Medina sandstone foundation. It was built into a hill and also served as a receiving vault and office.

SHELBY – Last month I write about Hillside Cemetery in Holley being nominated at the state level to join the National Register of Historic Places, a decision that is expected to be announced this month by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

In doing research on Hillside Cemetery, I discovered that two other cemeteries in Orleans County were on the National Register. I knew Mount Albion was recognized, but I didn’t realize Millville Cemetery made the list in 2007.

I stopped by the cemetery Friday evening on the way to the East Shelby fire hall. Millville Cemetery is impressive, especially the monument to Asa Hill, a Civil War soldier who returned to community and became a prominent farmer. His family put up the large monument, where local lore suggests he is looking towards Sanderson Road, keeping watch on the family farm, said Bill Lattin, the county historian.

The monument for Asa Hill honors the Millville resident who served in the Civil War.

If we ever establish a Civil War Trail in Orleans County, Asa Hill’s monument should certainly be on the list. Several other Civil War soldiers are buried at Millville.

The wood frame chapel in the cemetery was built in a Gothic Revival style in 1894. It includes a Medina sandstone foundation. The chapel also served as the cemetery office and receiving vault.

Millville Cemetery was established in 1871. A sandstone retaining wall faces East Shelby Road. The monuments and Victorian funerary art reflect the prosperity of the community back when it was home to three sawmills, gristmill and turning mill, according to the description of the site on the National Register.

There are many enormous and grand trees in this cemetery.

The cemetery is elevated in an otherwise flat area. “The landscaping and roads and the plantings make it an exemplary vernacular rural cemetery,” according the Department of the Interior, which decides whether a site meets the threshold to be on the National Register.

The Millville Cemetery Association, like many independent cemetery associations, recently disbanded and turned the cemetery over the to town. Shelby is now owner and guardian of the cemetery. Hillside also folded and the Town of Clarendon is the site’s owner.