By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION Orleans County expects to start construction on three new radio towers next month. The towers are part of $7.1 million upgrade to the county’s emergency communications system.
The county held a public hearing on the three towers on Wednesday. No one spoke in opposition to the 180-foot-high towers that will go in Shelby, Albion and Clarendon.
One will be on land owned by the town of Clarendon near its highway garage off Route 31A, the other will be next to the county’s Civil Defense Center on Courthouse Road in Albion and the other will be next to the Medina water tank on Route 31A. Medina and Clarendon both agreed to lease the land to the county at no cost.
Orleans County approved a $5 million deal last year with the Harris Corporation to rebuild the county’s emergency communications systems. Harris is reprogramming 1,100 portable radios and upgrading the dispatch center.
The county’s radio system was last overhauled in 1992. Orleans currently has one transmission tower on Countyhouse Road. That’s about 10 miles from the eastern and western ends of the county. Firefighters, police officers, and other first responders for years have complained that the county’s current radio system is often unreliable, particularly on the edges of the county.
The new towers should be up in the spring and the new system could be operational in April, county officials said.
The county was awarded a $2 million state grant towards the project from the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Orleans has taken out a $4.5 million bond to help finance the costs of the upgraded system.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The four public libraries in Orleans County are seeking a $1 contribution in the county budget for each resident in the county. That would total $42,883.
Currently, libraries are in the 2013 budget for $10,087. County officials are working on the 2014 spending plan, which should be presented next month.
Libraries could use more money to keep up with the costs of providing computer access, programs, books, magazines and other information for residents, said Susan Rudnicky, director of the Hoag Library in Albion.
She addressed the County Legislature on Wednesday. The county was giving $29,914 to be shared among the four libraries as recently as 2002, but that dropped to $7,480 in 2003. Since then, the amount was raised to $12,587 in 2007, $13,617 in 2010, and then was cut to $10,087 in 2011. It hasn’t changed since then.
Rudnicky said about 40 percent of county households do not have Internet access. Many of the residents in those homes rely on library computers to check email, fill out job applications and for research.
Libraries have experienced a growth in circulation and visits from the public in recent years, following renovations and technology upgrades, Rudnicky said. Medina’s library is currently closed while undergoing a major remodeling. It is expected to reopen on Nov. 1, Catherine Cooper, library director, told legislators.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – For six months members of the Orleans County Conservative Party have circulated petitions, asking residents to support a repeal of the county sales tax on fuel oil – gas, propane, home heating oil and wood.
On Wednesday, The party’s vice chairman, Paul Lauricella of Lyndonville, handed 97 pages of petitions signed by 1,100 people to County Legislature Chairman David Callard.
The county collects a 4 percent tax on fuel oil and it generates about $3.3 million in revenue for the county, money that helps offset the need for more property taxes, Callard said. The tax on gas raises about $1.8 million while the home heating oil tax generates $1.5 million, according to County Treasurer Susan Heard.
“It’s not an easy problem,” Callard told Lauricella and Al Lofthouse, the Conservative Party chairman. “You’re dealing with very big numbers.”
Lofthouse said the county could find other savings to make it possible to reduce the sales taxes on fuel. The Legislature should try to eliminate the tax out of respect to the “hard-working people” of the county who must buy fuel to travel to jobs and heat their homes, Lofthouse said. The Legislature could try eliminating the tax on home heating oil first, he suggested.
But to do so for home heating oil, taking $1.5 million away in revenue, would force the county to raise taxes by about $1 per $1,000 of assessed property, costing someone with a house assessed at $80,000 an additional $80 a year in property taxes.
The taxes on fuel account for $3.3 million of the county’s $14.9 million total in sales tax.
“I don’t think anybody disagrees with you,” Callard told Lofthouse. “But it’s very difficult to overcome those numbers in savings. We’re sympathetic and we hope someday to do what you’re saying.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2013 at 12:00 am
“This is a great place to go exploring.” – Brandon Blount
Photos by Tom Rivers – Brandon Blount stands by one of the stone walls that once propped up a bridge in Waterport by the Oak Orchard River.
WATERPORT – The former Waterport Trestle is famous locally. Mention the trestle around these parts, and many people will talk about riding their bikes and snowmobiles on the elevated bridge that used to carry trains over the Oak Orchard River. The trestle has been gone for 20 years.
The stone pillars and support bases for the trestle still remain. The stone is massive.
Every fall, hundreds of fishermen pass by the trestle bases along the Oak Orchard River. Stray from the fishing path along the creek and more of Waterport’s history remains in the woods.
The stone supports for a bridge that may have been built in the mid-1800s remain next to the Oak Orchard River, about a 100-yard walk from the Waterport Dam.
Brandon Blount doubts many people venture off the worn dirt paths in one of the area’s most popular fishing spots. Locals and out-of-state anglers will crowd the area by the Waterport Dam trying to hook Chinook salmon. They may venture down a path on the east side of the river to see how the fish how are biting.
Blount, 35, grew up taking many walks in the woods with his grandfather, the late Don “Cookie” Cook, a well-known local wildlife photographer. Cookie also liked the area’s history. He found an eager ear in Blount.
Fishermen seem oblivious to all of the old stone pieces near the Oak Orchard River and their past role in holding up bridges.
About two weeks ago Blount showed me the remnants of two pieces of Waterport history. The Medina sandstone walls remain on the west side of the Oak Orchard River just north of the trestle. The walls were part of a bridge that Blount thinks may date back to the 1850s.
It doesn’t have any steel supports. One of the wooden beams remains. Blount said the old bridges were typically abandoned and left to rot while something new may have been built close by. That’s what happened in Waterport.
Brandon Blount created this map of the area just north of the Waterport Dam. He highlighted the spot of the former Waterport Trestle and two bridges that once spanned the Oak Orchard River. The trestle is the bigger red box on the bottom. An older bridge was north of the trestle and then it was replaced with one farther to the north. Blount used an image from Google Maps to create the map.
The first bridge still has a wall and a beam and a few cast iron pins that helped hold things together. There isn’t a well worn path by this. You have to battle the weeds and dodge the trees.
One of the wooden beams still sticks up. But it looks like the bugs and nature have taken a toll on the wood. This stone wall can be seen on the other side of the river. In fact, several fishermen were wading in the water not too far away, oblivious to the area’s former industrial and railroad mite.
Blount is pictured by one of the support beams that remains from a bridge that was removed long ago from Waterport.
Blount knows some people know about the bridge with the wooden beams. If you have an imagination and wander down the river, you’ll see the stone wall and the beam and you might wonder.
The second bridge is harder to find. A stone wall doesn’t stand right next to the river in plain view. Blount walked through the woods, high-stepping weeds and fallen limbs. It took a couple tries, but then he found a steel girder sticking up in the dirt. Then there were two more of them. A 5-foot-high stone wall, nearly camouflaged by the wilderness, then appeared.
A wall of sandstone is set back in the woods by the Oak Orchard River. Blount thinks it was used to hold up a bridge about a century ago.
Blount suspects this one dates from the late 1800s to early 1900s. There are other stone walls nearby that once held up this bridge that connected Park Avenue to Clark Mills Road. The walls, which tower about 12 feet high and remain solid sandstone structures, are off the beaten path.
“I’ve brought people down here who have lived here their whole life and they didn’t know this was here,” Blount said.
Blount used to venture along the river, trying to catch fish. Now he prefers to go with his camera and very little modern technology.
Nature has reclaimed much of the area around a former bridge in the woods of Waterport.
“This is a great place to go exploring,” Blount said.
Orleans Hub plans to post historical photos of the trestle and the bridges in the future. We get a lot of feedback on the “Vintage Orleans” photos. However, history is more fun to discover on foot. The Hub hopes to share more adventures about local history.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2013 at 12:00 am
“I stand behind these people. I urge everyone to support them on Election Day.” – “Tinker” Young, president of Orleans County SCOPE
ALBION – The president of a pro-gun group, the Orleans County chapter of SCOPE, stood up at today’s County Legislature meeting and urged the public to support the incumbent legislators.
Emerson “Tinker” Young said the current Legislature distinguished itself around the state by renouncing the state’s SAFE Act, which was passed by the State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January. The Orleans Legislature formally opposed the act and then later called for state legislators and the governor to rescind it.
The 10 towns and four villages in Orleans then followed the county’s lead, making Orleans the only county in the state where every town, village and county elected board opposed the SAFE Act.
“They were already in action standing up for that flag and our Constitution,” Young said. “I stand behind these people. I urge everyone to support them on Election Day.”
Young spoke after Paul Fulcomer, president of the Joint Veterans Council, voiced his displeasure with fund-raising literature by a pro-nursing home group. The door knocker included an image of the American flag. The hole for the door knocker went through the flag.
Fulcomer said proper flag etiquette stipulates the flag shouldn’t be used for advertising.
“You can do any advertising you want but don’t use my flag for it,” said Fulcomer, a Vietnam War veteran.
Young, who’s also a Vietnam vet, said he was “rightly disgusted” by the ad that used the flag.
Dee Smith, a member of the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County, thanked the two speakers for their service as veterans.
“I’m all for the Constitution and doing the right things,” she said.
Smith has been a frequent observer at Legislature meetings since February, when the group voted to form a local development corporation that was charged with selling the 120-bed county nursing home. Smith and the Concerned Citizens don’t want the nursing home to be privatized.
“I’m for keeping the nursing home,” she told the Legislature. “I will continue to push for keeping it and I will buck you about it until the day I die.”
CLARENDON – An Albion man was sent to Orleans County Jail this afternoon following the investigation of an over-night crash in which the vehicle he was operating struck a building.
The incident was reported at about 6 this morning in the town of Clarendon at 15670 Mansfield Rd. Sometime during the night, a 2010 Hummer was travelling south on Hindsburg Road, towards the T-intersection with Mansfield Road.
Brandon D. Kirby, 26, was driving the vehicle. He crossed Mansfield Road, onto private property and struck the building owned by Acme Powerwashing Inc., of Holley. The operator fled the scene on foot at that time. The incident was reported after being discovered by an employee of the business.
Kirby, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was subsequently located approximately four hours later. He was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd Degree, Operating a Vehicle Without an Ignition Inter-Lock Device, Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Incident, and Failure to Stop for a Stop Sign.
Kirby appeared before Town of Clarendon Justice Richard Kemp and was committed to the county jail in lieu of $500 cash bail. A Parole Detainer was also placed against him.
The incident was investigated by Deputy J.A. DeFilipps and the arrest was handled by Deputy M.C. Mele. Investigator K.M. Strickland Jr. also assisted with the investigation, as did the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2013 at 12:00 am
“I owe these guys a huge amount of gratitude. If this had spread it could have been tragic for the community.” – Shawn Malark, owner of Orleans Pallet
Photos by Tom Rivers – Shawn Malark said he is thankful the massive fire at his warehouse last Thursday didn’t cause more damage to neighboring structures. A demolition crew continues to work on taking down two remaining walls in the warehouse.
ALBION – Shawn Malark watched the fire take off on Thursday afternoon, a blaze that destroyed a 16,000-square-foot warehouse and threatened his business, Orleans Pallet.
Malark worried the fire might be unstoppable, and could consume his neighbors, Empire Coating Inc. and a grain storage facility on West Academy Street. He envisioned major disruptions for residents if there was a big explosion.
But about 150 firefighters contained the blaze to the stone warehouse that was built in 1901.
“The firefighters were huge,” Malark said at Orleans Pallet today, where the business continues to make pallets and ship them to customers. “I owe these guys a huge amount of gratitude. If this had spread it could have been tragic for the community.”
Orleans Pallet continues in a manufacturing site, in an adjacent building to the warehouse. The surviving building suffered water and smoke damage, but Malark and his six employees have worked long hours to keep the operation going.
“There have been no service interruptions,” Malark said. “We’ve been trying to assure our customers that we’re fully operational and we have inventory for every customer.”
Malark and Orleans Pallet have a larger site in Rochester on Lee Road. He lost the main warehouse in Albion due to the fire, but the manufacturing site has about 11,000 square feet. His equipment for breaking down old or damaged pallets and rebuilding them with fresh wood all survived the fire.
The office with his computers also was spared, and so were his forklifts and a lineup of about 10 tractor trailer trucks. Most of them were parked by the loading dock of the fire and they all escaped unscathed.
Orleans Pallet employees Andrew Steffen, left, and Robert Morehouse use a saw to break down some pallets that will be rebuilt with fresh pieces.
Malark is thankful so many critical components of the business survived, especially when they were only a few feet away from the fire. A building across the street had its siding melt because of the heat from the fire.
“Not losing any trailers was a huge blessing,” Malark said.
Some of those trailers were full of 500 to 600 pallets. A smaller sandstone building next to the warehouse also was spared from the fire. That building is used for storage.
Malark opened Orleans Pallet in Albion at the corner of Hamilton Street and Route 31 in 2006. He had worked from three buildings at the site and had plans to put a new roof on the big warehouse.
“We had big plans for the building,” Malark said. “It’s just devastating, but it’s one day at a time. It’s nothing you can conquer in one day.”
Demolition crews continue to dismantle two remaining walls from the warehouse. That building could be down this weekend or next week, Malark said.
Once the site is safe, he will work on cleaning it up. He wants to salvage the sandstone from the building. He said many people have already expressed an interest in buying the stone.
On Wednesday morning, he signed off on donating the Albion Cold Storage Company sign to the village. The stone sign from the building’s original owner split in half but survived the fire and demolition.
Malark thanked Albion Fire Chief Rocky Sidari, Police Chief Rollie Nenni, Dale Brooks from the DPW, Ron Vendetti in code enforcement and Mayor Dean Theodorakos. They have all been cooperative in coping with the fire and its aftermath. (Malark had to put up $35,000 for the demolition.)
“We had to take the building down because it was a threat to the community,” Malark said.
He remains very impressed with the teamwork from the firefighters. More than a dozen fire companies from four counties responded to the fire and Sidari, the Albion chief, led the effort.
“Had Rocky not got everyone going where they needed to be the other buildings would not have been saved,” Malark said. “These were volunteer people risking their lives to not only save this business but to look out for the community. The heart and soul of the community was present at this fire.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Hay bales sit in a farm field on Route 279 in the town of Gaines.
The farm community is cheering legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday that caps assessments for agricultural land to no more than 2 percent increases annually.
Farmers have been vocal in recent years about their property taxes, which are the second highest in the country and more than triple the national average, according to New York Farm Bureau.
“The 2 percent agricultural assessment cap has long been a priority for New York Farm Bureau,” said Dean Norton, NYFB president. “It is a big step forward in reducing the increasing property tax burden that has limited our farmers’ ability to grow.”
Several agricultural groups pushed the state to enact a cap on ag assessments, including Farm Credit East, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the New York Apple Association, the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association.
“The 2 percent agricultural assessment cap is vital to preserving New York’s family farms,” said Dale Stein of Le Roy, a board member for the Dairy Producers. “Without this cap, tax costs will escalate to an unaffordable level for the farms and force many family farms out of business.”
State Sen. George Maziarz supported a cap on ag assessments. The Senate and Assembly both approved the legislation.
“We are striving to make it easier to keep farms in operation, and we can do that by preventing them from drowning in a tidal wave of new taxes,” Maziarz said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo from Wikipedia – Bed bugs are typically active at night when people are sleeping. They feed on blood.
ALBION – They first attracted major notice a few years ago in New York City when bed bugs bit people at night, and infested many city hotels.
The tiny insects, about a quarter inch long, have spread throughout the state, including to Orleans County. A County Health Department official has told village trustee Eileen Banker there is a “huge problem” with bed bugs in the county, Banker said at tonight’s Village Board meeting.
The Health Department has offered to meet with village officials to discuss strategies for combating the pest. The bed bugs are active at night, biting people to feed on their blood.
Village officials and local landlords have been meeting with the Health Department for more than a year, advising tenants and residents on precautions to reduce their risk.
Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti said he currently has 15 reported cases of bed bugs in the village. If an rental is infested and it’s vacant, landlords are responsible for treating the problem, Vendetti said.
He cautioned against putting the blame on landlords. Many of tenants and home owners bring bed bugs into their residences, Vendetti said. Children can bring them home from school or from a friend’s house. Adults can unknowingly bring them in after they return home.
Vendetti suspects some people introduce bed bugs to their homes when they pick up discarded furniture from along the road.
“It’s definitely an issue but it’s not something you want to start knee-jerking and passing things,” Vendetti told the Village Board.
Mayor Dean Theodorakos said he would invite a public health official to a village board meeting. Vendetti said he welcomes a partnership with the public health department on the problem, but he said it can’t be a village code enforcement issue primarily.
“I want to help, but I don’t want the whole ball of wax,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Albion native Stacey Kirby created the artwork
Photo courtesy of Stacey Kirby – The Brockport community on Saturday celebrated the installation and unveiling of a new 20- by 8-foot mural highlighting the Brockport community in 1914-1916 when the canal was widened. The mural is on the DPW Building at 38 East Ave.
BROCKPORT – A former nondescript building on East Avenue, the village of Brockport’s DPW garage, now displays a striking painting that highlights one of Brockport’s most ambitious public works projects: the widening the Erie Canal in 1914-1916.
Albion native Stacey Kirby created the mural that is 20 feet wide and 8 feet high. On Saturday, the artwork was dedicated.
Kirby referenced historic photos from the massive project in creating the mural. She incorporated the old technology of moving freight along the canal with mule-drawn boats with the new technology of the day, steam engines that powered the steam shovel in the painting.
She has a worker in the foreground holding a shovel. (Kirby took a photo of a barista at a coffee shop in Rochester as a model for the worker. She usually picks family and friends as her models in the murals.)
Kirby has two murals in Albion inside the Lyceum for the Catholic Church on Main Street.
