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Albion finally hires town attorney

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Board backs James Bell of Brockport, a ’70 Albion grad

ALBION – The Town Board finally resolved an impasse over hiring a municipal attorney. James Bell of Brockport, a 1970 Albion graduate, was hired at a $25,000 base pay.

Bell will also bill the town $175 an hour for work involving litigation. He works as the Sweden town attorney and also for Orleans County for some legal matters.

The decision at Monday’s board meeting followed three meetings in January when the board couldn’t reach a majority decision for an attorney. The board couldn’t muster three votes to bring back Robert Roberson of Lockport, who served in the roles in 2012 and 2013 at a $36,000 annual pay. The board also considered John Gavenda of Albion and Andrew Meier of Medina.

Board members Dan Poprawski, Richard Remley, Todd Sargent and Town Supervisor Matt Passarell all voted for Bell on Monday. Town Councilman Jake Olles abstained.

The Town Board also recognized members of the Downtown Albion Neighborhood Advisory Committee which volunteered for two years helping with a downtown grant that provided more than $300,000 in matching funds for building projects and nearly $50,000 streetscape improvements that should debut in the spring.

The DANAC members include Clifford Thom Sr., Brad Shelp, Gary Katsanis, Gerald Baehr, Ron Ebbs and Neil Johnson, as well as alternates Kim Remley, Dean Theodorakos and Sue Starkweather Miller.

Passarell thanked the committee for helping to see the grant funds approved for several projects in the downtown.

Kevin Lake, president of the Albion Main Street Alliance, thanked past Town Boards for pursuing the grant and working to approve the projects. Lake said AMSA would like to work on additional community projects for the community with the current Town Board.

“This summer I saw a downtown I’d never seen before with so many lifts,” Lake told the Town Board. “People were busy working on their buildings. That was pretty cool.”

Winter won’t relent in WNY

Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Another 3 to 5 inches forecast for today

Photos by Tom Rivers

Carl Sargent shovels his sidewalk this morning on Caroline Street in Albion after more snow fell. The National Weather Service is forecasting 3 to 5 inches of snow today for Orleans County.

The NWS has issued a lake effect snow advisory until 10 a.m. for eastern Niagara and northern Orleans counties.

The Ingersoll Street Lift Bridge in Albion is blanketed with snow this morning.

Steam locomotive passes through Albion in the 1940s

Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

ALBION – In this picture from the late 1940s we see a steam locomotive at the West Academy Street Railroad crossing in Albion.

After this period of time diesel engines replaced steam. To the left we notice an open box car on a siding next to the Woods & Sprague Mill. In the distance is the Albion Cold Storage. (The cold storage building was most recently used by the Orleans Pallet Company and burned in an Oct. 17, 2013 fire.)

Pastor ordered to avoid church due to presence of children

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Roy Harriger pleads not guilty to sex abuse charges

Harriger

The pastor of the Community Fellowship Church in the town of Hartland was told to stay away from church and any other locations where there are children 18 or younger.

Orleans County Court Judge James Punch made that stipulation on Roy Harriger today. Harriger, pastor of the Community Fellowship Church, faces six counts of sex abuse charges. He was arraigned in county court this afternoon and pleaded not guilty.

He asked through his attorney, Larry Koss of Brockport, to be permitted to attend church. But Punch said Harriger needs to stay away from church and any homes with children. He also must not email and have any communications with children.

“There will be no exceptions,” Punch said at the arraignment.

Harriger was arraigned on three counts of coarse sexual contact in the first degree and three counts of incest. He was first arraigned in the Yates Town Court on Nov. 27 after being charged by the state police. He posted $250,000 bail. Punch kept the bail at $250,000.

He also ordered Harriger to surrender all of his guns after the request was made by District Attorney Joe Cardone. Harriger has already surrendered one gun but Cardone said he believes Harriger has others, and Cardone wants them turned over.

The alleged crimes by Harriger occurred against three family members between September 2000 and September 2001, when he was pastor of the Ashwood Wesleyan Church in Lyndonville.

Harriger, 70, of Middleport was the pastor at Ashwood Wesleyan for 12 years before he was terminated by the church in 2009 after a falling out with denomination leaders. Harriger then started a new church, Community Fellowship Church in Johnson Creek, which is in Niagara County.

A state police investigation revealed the alleged crimes were perpetrated in New York, as well as the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania between 1974 and 2003. The alleged incidents in Michigan and Pennsylvania have been referred to their respective State Police agencies, New York State Police said.

Cardone is prosecuting the charges against Harriger in Orleans County. Cardone said he had no comment if charges will be pursued in the other states.

Harriger is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 24.

Lyndonville school embraces e-readers

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Austin Buzard, a freshman at Lyndonville, cozies up with a Nook e-reader last week in the school library.

Buzard shows how the text is displayed on the Nook e-reader. Students can highlight text, and increase the font size.

LYNDONVILLE – When a popular book is borrowed at Lyndonville Central School’s library that used to mean the book would be off limits for another student for at least two weeks.

That could be be frustrating for students who were reading a series, a Harry Potter adventure or other Young Adult fiction.

“Gone With The Wind could be out for a month before I got it back,” said Bob Santella, the district librarian.

Lyndonville has embraced technology to drastically increase its supply of books, without needing more shelf space.

The school district about two years ago purchased 40 Nook e-readers. They have been so popular that Lyndonville now has 108 e-readers. Some include books that are required for classes, book such as Ayn Rand’s “The Anthem.”

“This is a medium that attracts the kids’ attention,” said Aaron Slack, the middle-high school principal.

The Nook e-readers hold numerous titles of books, allowing the school district to easily provide multiple copies of popular books.

Many school districts don’t have any e-readers or only a few. Lyndonville has used some of its state aid for hardware to buy the e-readers. They are loaned out just like any other book in the library.

None of the devices, which can hold hundreds of book titles, have been lost or damaged in nearly two years, a sign that students value the Nooks, Slack said.

Jason Smith, the superintendent at Lyndonville Central School, wants to promote reading among students at the district. He sensed some students might not want a thick book to read. Students may not like lugging around another book when their backpacks are already full.

He was having lunch with seventh- and eighth-graders about two years ago when he proposed adding Nooks to the library.

The students, who are well acquainted with Smart Phones and other technology, urged the district to give e-readers a try.

“This technology is no longer a gimmick,” Smith said.

Barnes and Noble gave the district a discount on the Nooks, selling them for $138 each, down from the usual price of $216. The e-books are cheaper than buying printed copies.

The e-books also typically arrive within 15 minutes after they are ordered. The printed books can take six weeks to get shipped to the district.

“The kids are becoming very proficient,” said Santella, the librarian.

Lyndonville has embraced technology in the schools. This group of second-graders is working in the computer lab.

Some print books with several hundred pages can intimidate students, he said. With e-books, students just click on a cover image of the book. The e-readers each have a thesaurus and dictionary if students want to look up words. They can highlight text and make the type bigger. Lyndonville also has audio versions of some of the books.

Students are introduced to the e-readers in elementary school. Santella said many students are already comfortable with devices, even in the younger grades, when they first work on an e-reader.

“These kids are becoming very proficient with technology,” Santella said.

Medina may tighten sign standards

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Ellen J. Goods recently put up a sign on Main Street that includes a chair. The Village Planning Board hasn’t approved the sign, but could during its meeting next month.

MEDINA – The Village Planning Board and Code Enforcement Officer Marty Busch may update guidelines for signs that includes colors, façade changes and other information about the looks of the buildings.

The board and Busch said some building owners are putting up signs without first getting village approval. The board doesn’t want businesses to incur added costs by re-doing signs, but board members said they should be consulted on signs.

The issue was raised last week when the board reviewed an application for a sign at 433 Main St. The sign for Ellen J. Goods, a business with vintage furniture and antiques, already has been installed and includes a chair attached to the sign.

Planning Board members tabled the application because they wanted to see what the sign looks like during the daylight. Signs need a certificate of appropriateness from the Planning Board when the signs are in the historic downtown business district.

Board members said they aren’t necessarily opposed to the sign. A few other sites have projecting elements as part of their signs, including one with a sewing machine and a barber pole. Some historic photos of Medina show businesses with horse shoes and a giant sneakers attached to signs.

Planning Board member Todd Bensley said the board should work to develop a booklet with design guidelines. The board has talked about that initiative for about three or four years.

Medina has connected with National Main Street Center about becoming an official “Main Street” program. Albion, Lockport and Lyons currently have adopted the Main Street initiatives. Busch said the National Main Street Center could work with Medina to update design and preservation standards for the downtown.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from a previous version that implied Medina does not have sign standards.

Medina officials want to allow wineries in downtown

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – Village planning officials want to update the zoning for the downtown business district to allow for wineries, breweries and micro-breweries.

The village zoning currently doesn’t state that wineries and breweries are an allowed use in the downtown. That doesn’t mean they are currently prohibited. A project would require a special use permit and extra scrutiny under the current code.

The Planning Board has been discussing the zoning change since December. Planning Board members and Code Enforcement Office Marty Busch have reached out to other communities with wineries and breweries in their business districts.

“We’re gathering information and we have some good information coming in,” Busch said at last week’s Planning Board meeting.

He wants to get a sense of sales volume and parking needs at wineries and breweries in downtown business districts.

Planning Board member Todd Bensley said he wants any zoning changes to include provisions against odor and noise that could be a deterrent to other businesses.

“We need to protect the integrity of the downtown business district,” Bensley said. “It can be a positive if it’s done right.”

Busch said the village has been approached about a winery and brewery in the downtown. He also thinks the village should look at allowing wineries and breweries on the Maple Ridge Road corridor.

The state Legislature and Gov. Cuomo last year approved an expansion of the Niagara Wine Trail through Orleans County to Rochester.

“Medina is a in a good place with the expansion of the wine trail,” Busch said.

Long-time Sheriff’s employee is praised at farewell party

Contributed Story Posted 9 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photo

Agnes Recco is joined at her recent retirement party by Sgt. Michael Christopher, a Corrections Officer in the county jail and president of the union, Local 2966 that represents jail and office employees.

Recco worked 22 years for the Orleans County Sheriff Department front office. Recco, better known to her co-workers as “Aggie,” started on Nov. 9, 1992 and worked until Jan. 3. She served as a civil clerk dealing mostly with billing and civil process.

Her retirement was celebrated in the Sheriff Department’s front office on Jan. 3 with lunch and cake put on by her fellow workers. Also, OCSEA Local 2966 presented Recco with a gift card of $220, which is calculated for $10 for each year of service to Orleans County. Family, friends and co-workers gathered on Jan. 25 at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville for her retirement party.

Photograph shows several landmarks about a century ago

Posted 9 February 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

RIDGEWAY – In this scene from around 1910 we see the Ridge Road where it crosses over Oak Orchard Creek at Oak Orchard on the Ridge.

At lower left is the Culvert Road. Just beyond the steel frame bridge with a plank floor is the old Cobblestone Lee Distillery. That’s the building with a high smoke stack.

Looking westward up the hill is a man driving a horse and buggy towards the bridge. At the top of the hill is the old Cobblestone Inn at the corner of the Oak Orchard River Road. This photo was taken by W.C. Eaton of Jeddo.

Filmmaker will be in Medina for Civil War Encampment

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 February 2014 at 12:00 am

GCC has several Civil War lectures planned through May

Genesee Community College has several lectures scheduled the next three months about the Civil War, including a visit and talk from the director of the film Copperhead.

Ron Maxwell

Ron Maxwell will be in Medina on April 26 during the Civil War Encampment. He will be joined for a lecture by Elba author Bill Kauffman, who wrote the screenplay for Copperhead.

Maxwell is currently promoting the release of the DVD version of Copperhead, a film that explores the right of free speech during the American Civil War. Maxwell and Kauffman will appear at a time to be determined.

The third annual GCC Civil War Encampment weekend will be April 25-27. The event in Medina will include a parade, battles, lectures and demonstrations.

The college is planning other lectures during the 150^th anniversary of the war.

“The Civil War Tower in Mt. Albion Cemetery: A History” will be presented by Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian. The lecture will be 7 p.m. on Feb. 27 at the Albion Campus Center.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Mt. Albion Cemetery is one of the most unique physical commemorations of Civil War valor. Standing at the highest point in the cemetery, the monument – a tower – rises through the treetops for a stunning view of the countryside.

Made of Medina sandstone, this tribute remembers the 463 Orleans County men who perished in the war. Lattin will disucss the history of this magnificent historic tower and learn about the challenges faced by those who dedicated themselves to building an iconic monument to those who fell in that great fraternal war.

“Copperheads and the Constitution: Lincoln’s ‘Fire in the Rear’” will be presented by Adam Tabelski, former mayor of Medina, and senior aide to Sen. George Maziarz. The lecture will be 10 a.m. April 11 at the Medina Campus Center.

As President Lincoln searched for ways to take the military offensive and defeat the Confederate army in the South, he had problems back at home. There was, in fact, a jeopardizing ‘fire in the rear’ that needed to be put out: the activism of so-called “copperheads,” who were politicians and others whose beliefs ran counter to the prevailing wartime sentiment of preserving the Unionand, later, freeing the slavesat all costs.

Copperheads sought victories not on the battlefield, but in communities, in the courts, and at the ballot box. This talk will explore their tumultuous history.

The Batavia campus will also host a Civil War Lecture Series the first Wednesday of each month through May. On March 5, GCC Prof. Michael Gosselin will speak – “A Plain Businessman of the Republic: An English Professor Reads Grant Memoirs.” On April 2, Rev. Gary Hakes will talk about religion and the Civil War. Finally, on May 7 Mike “Max” Szemplenski will talk about “Dean Richmond and the Civil War.”

The Batavia lectures will be in the Conable Technology Building in room T102. They are free and open to the public.