Nursing Home issue not enough to elect opposition except for Fred Miller in Albion

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.”

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 of Albion

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 of Barre

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 of Carlton

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 of Clarendon

Town Supervisor – Richard Moy (R): 378

Town Councilman – Paul Nicosia (R): 364

Town Councilman – Marc Major (R): 351

Town of Gaines

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 of Kendall

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 of Murray

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

Town of Ridgeway

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 of Shelby

Town Supervisor – Merle “Skip” Draper (R, C): 461

Town Councilman – Steve Seitz Jr. (R): 453

Town Councilman – William Bacon (R): 434

Town of Yates

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

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.

Public arts project raised $1,250 for art scholarships

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.

“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.