Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County elections officials at right begin a three-hour process this morning in counting absentee ballots in four close races in Albion, Barre, Carlton and Ridgeway. Many of the candidates crowded into a room next to the Board of Elections office to observe the count.

Orleans County Election Commissioners Janice Grabowski, left, and Dennis Piedimonte count an absentee ballot earlier today in one of four tight races. Ed Morgan, the Orleans County GOP chairman, is in the foreground.

ALBION – Long-time political observers in Orleans County called it unprecedented, the four local elections that came down to the absentee ballots today.

In some elections, there might be one race like that. Four years ago, Dan Gaesser had a 16-vote lead over Jack Gillman for Kendall town supervisor on election night. After the absentees were counted, Gaesser won by seven votes, 413-406.

That’s the closest race I can remember during a November election. The all-time closest, in my memory, came during a village election in March 2006. Mike Hadick beat incumbent Ed Salvatore, 440-438, for Albion mayor.

In that election, a paperwork snafu kept Salvatore off the Republican line. Hadick was at the top of the ballot as a Democrat while Salvatore was listed far below on an independent line. Hadick’s victory may be the most shocking upset I’ll ever see. To Hadick’s credit, he was a tenacious campaigner and got out the vote.

Most of our local elections don’t have opposition. If a Republican has a challenger, the Republican generally wins 2 to 1.

This time was different. Two of the four super-close races involved highway superintendents. Both Dave Krull of Carlton and Mark Goheen of Ridgeway are finishing their first terms. With about four years on the job, their names are not yet ingrained in the public from multiple terms in the position.

They both faced challengers from their own party. Paul Snook managed to capture the GOP line from Krull in the Republican primary. Goheen held off Ray Wendling in the primary, but Wendling kept campaigning on two other lines, Conservative and the Ridgeway Peoples Party.

Both Snook and Wendling have jobs with highway departments, which gave them credibility in their campaigns. In the end, both Krull and Goheen held on to their jobs.

I think they will be even harder to beat four years from now if they run again. Both will be much more established in their jobs.

The only time I’ve seen a challenger unseat a veteran highway superintendent was four years ago when Krull defeated Steve Jones, who had been the highway superintendent in Carlton for 12 years. Krull was able to win the general election this time with only the Independence Party line. The man has proven he can overcome long odds in an election.

Albion had a close race for town supervisor. Neither of the candidates was the incumbent in the position. That presented an opportunity for a close race because generally the incumbents are so difficult to beat.

Both Jake Olles and Matt Passarell had a major party line and a secondary line. The second line proved critical in this race and in the highway battles. (If Krull didn’t have the Independence line, the race would have been over at the primary.)

Passarell ultimately defeated Olles on the strength of the Republican Party’s big advantage in enrolled voters. But without the Conservative line for Passarell, Olles would have taken the election, which is hard to do running as a Democrat.

Potential candidates should take notice: get a second line, and if you’re going to run against an incumbent, you should strike before the candidate has more than a term in office.

I recall another close election six years ago for county legislator. Gary Kent defeated Don Allport that election after Allport had been in office one term or two years.

Allport won the following election in 2009 and has now beat Kent the last three elections for a county-wide legislator position. It’s difficult for a Democrat to win a town race in Orleans County. I think it’s a major challenge for a Democrat to pull it off across the county. Kent has been close, but Allport won the latest election by about 500 votes, 3,419 to 2,917.

Now that Allport is established in the position, I’m not sure he can be beat, even if John F. Kennedy or Daniel Patrick Moynihan was living here and in his prime. Kent deserves a lot of credit for keeping the race so close.

The town justice race in Barre was interesting, and we don’t get to see too many races like this one. A long-time sitting judge, Al Jones, is retiring. That opened the door for a new candidate. Three people wanted the job, including Republican Richard DeCarlo, Democrat Rick Root and Conservative Sean Pogue.

Normally, the Republican would win big. But Pogue siphoned off some of the DeCarlo’s votes. Root is from a well-known family in Barre, plus Root had been on the Town Board. DeCarlo, a former Gaines resident, also is new to Barre. He moved to the town about 1 ½ years ago.

If I were a betting man I would have guessed the dynamics were in Root’s favor and the Democrat would have won in the Republican town. (However, Barre has a recent history, more than any other Orleans town, of electing Democrats.)

DeCarlo was unrelenting in going door to door and that may have been the difference in his 213-207 victory. (Pogue got 122 votes.)

So that’s another lesson for local candidates: don’t forget to get out there and press flesh and meet people. The personal touch is often the deciding factor.

One week after a very close election in four town races, we will find out who won this morning.

The Board of Elections will open absentee ballots, beginning at 9 a.m. at the 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.

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.

Two races for highway superintendent are very close. In Carlton, incumbent David Krull is ahead of Paul Snook, 403 to 394.

In Ridgeway, Ray Wendling has an eight-vote lead, 570 to 562, over incumbent Mark Goheen.

Orleans Hub will post the results later this morning.

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Honor Guard does a gun salute during a Veterans day service today in Albion.

County Legislator Lynne Johnson spoke at the service, saying Veterans Day gives Americans a chance to express their appreciation to veterans.

ALBION –  Today on Veterans Day, Orleans County residents, especially the younger generations, were urged to learn more about the sacrifices made by American soldiers.

Speakers at a Veterans Day ceremony said Americans have been defending the country for more than two centuries, pressing on despite starvation in the Revolutionary War to patrolling a current battlefield in the mountains of Afghanistan.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said Americans owe a debt of gratitude to veterans, past and present.

“Our country’s freedom and way of life is guaranteed by the sacrifices of those who pledged to defend our Constitution, with the price of their lives if necessary,” Hawley said.

On Memorial Day, Americans honor service members who lost their lives in war. On Veterans Day, Hawley said, the country remembers the sacrifices of veterans who returned from conflict, “but still carry the wounds of battle, both internal and external.”

County Legislator Don Allport urged veterans to share their stories so others can better appreciate their sacrifices.

County Legislators Don Allport and Lynne Johnson both spoke at the service outside the Veterans Service Agency on Route 31. They praised veterans for heeding a call to protect the country, regardless of the location on the globe or the danger at hand.

“This is a day we can remember and honor the veterans,” Johnson said.

She said some families have borne a high cost of that service as many Americans have been killed in the line of duty.

Allport urged veterans in the county to tell their stories so Americans can appreciate the sacrifices for their rights to bear arms, worship in religion, speak out and other freedoms.

“Let young people know what you went through for America,” Allport said.

He told the crowd he worries about the United States.

“Our country is headed down a dark and evil path,” he said.

Veterans, including Emerson “Tinker” Young in front, attend a Veterans Day service in Albion outside the Veterans Service Agency.

Paul Fulcomer, the Veterans Service Agency director, works with veterans on a daily basis, helping them to access benefits they have earned.

“I’m very fortunate every day in my job I get to say thank you to the veterans,” Fulcomer said. “I encourage you all to thank a veteran today.”

Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion, has three sons who enlisted in the Marines. One son Michael remains in active duty and completed a deployment to Afghanistan.

Lindsay led the service today in opening and closing prayers, asking God to bless the United States.

Adam Tabelski, communications director for state Sen. George Maziarz, also spoke at the service. Tabelski also completed an overseas deployment as a soldier.

He welcomed peace for the world, and urged Americans to help veterans when they return from war to adjust to the next chapter in their lives.

“It will serve as a continual reminder of what veterans have done for us in the past, present and future.” – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Photo by Tom Rivers – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley speaks during a Veterans Day service in Albion today.

One of Orleans County’s busiest roads, Route 98, has been designated as a memorial highway for local veterans.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday signed the legislation designating Route 98 from its northern tip in Carlton near Lake Ontario to the southern border of Genesee County as the “Genesee and Orleans Veterans’ Memorial Highway.”

Designating this portion of Route 98 is a fitting tribute to the service men and women who have selflessly defended the lives of millions of Americans, Cuomo said on Sunday when he signed the bill.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley introduced the legislation in the Assembly and secured Senate sponsors in George Maziarz and Michael Ranzenhofer.

“It will serve as a continual reminder of what veterans have done for us in the past, present and future,” Hawley said this afternoon about the memorial highway.

He said the state Department of Transportation will erect the signage along Route 98.

Hawley and the state senators considered other state highways in the two counties for the memorial highway, but decided Route 98 was the best choice.

“It’s right down the center,” Hawley said.

Cuomo also announced on Sunday that he signed legislation to ensure that the flags lowered to half-staff at the State Capitol in honor of a fallen soldier are presented to the loved ones of the deceased.

“As we honor the service of all those who served this Veterans Day, I am proud to sign this legislation to provide this lasting symbol to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom,” the governor said. “New York state commemorates the fallen by lowering flags flown above the State Capitol to half-staff, and by giving these flags to the loved ones of our heroes we will help further honor their memory and courage.”