news

Boating safety course offered

Posted 14 July 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

CARLTON – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will offer a Boating Safety & PWC Certification Course on Saturday, July 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The class will be held at the Carlton Fire Department Recreation Hall at 1853 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98). This training is mandatory for all persons operating Personal Water Craft (Jet Skiis/Waverunners).

The class size will be limited to 45 students. There is no fee for the course, however students must pre-register and obtain a course booklet. To pre-register you must appear in-person at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office – 400 Public Safety Bldg., 13925 State Route 31, Albion. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For additional information, contact Deputy Erin Fuller (Sheriff’s Marine Unit) at (585) 682-4366 or (585) 589-5527.

There’s a George Washington Monument in Orleans County

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

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Ridge Road Improvement Association put up this monument to George Washington and local Revolutionary War soldiers in 1932.

Photo by Tom Rivers

MURRAY – I noticed the big stone with the bronze marker for the first time yesterday on the way to the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival.

I had no idea we had a monument in honor of George Washington in Orleans County. But there it stands along Ridge Road at the Route 237 intersection, in front of a building across from the Murray Superette.

The marker was put up by the Ridge Road Improvement Association in 1932: “To honor and commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of George Washington and the men who fought in the American Revolution and sleep in the town of Murray.”

The marker list the names of Murray revolutionaries:

Robinson Smith, “Life Guard of Washington”

Asa Clark, “The Courier who carried the news to Washington of the attack on Throgs Neck.”

Captain Timothy Ruggles

William Jennings

Amos Frink

Captain Aaron Warren, “who built the first grist mill in the town of Murray”

The marker also notes that New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton stayed in a primitive log cabin near the spot during “an eventful horseback trip through Western New York in1810.” Clinton was the force behind getting the Erie Canal built.

There are several markers along Ridge Road. I’ll try to find out more about them.

Elba’s new sign proclaims muck roots

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

Photo by Tom Rivers – Elba put up new welcome signs today that claim the community is the “Onion Capitol of the World.”

ELBA – The village has put up a much-improved welcome sign that celebrates its muck roots as the “Onion Capitol of the World.”

For years Elba had signs that said, “Population: Just Right.” That was a cute slogan, but I also thought it sent a message that the community didn’t want any newcomers.

The new sign shows pride in Elba’s onion heritage and productivity. Another NY onion-growing region, the Black Dirt Region in Orange County, also claims to be the world’s onion capitol.

Elba became an onion powerhouse after a swamp was cleared almost a century ago. I used to be the agriculture reporter for The Daily News in Batavia, and I covered the muck. Most of the best 5,000 acres are in Orleans County, and few onions today are grown in Elba. That crop needs deep soil and the deeper muck is in the towns of Barre and Clarendon.

But most of the packing houses and farmers have Elba addresses. Panek Farms and Triple G Farms are both Albion operations and they grow onions on the muck.

I don’t fault Elba for making such a bold claim. It’s good to see them show pride in their roots.

Should Orleans try a county-wide art project?

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

Photo by Tom Rivers – “Chubby” stands outside a former Rochester fire station on University Avenue.

ROCHESTER – “Chubby” is quite popular in Rochester. I met him yesterday for the first time.

He is one of several fiberglass horses painted in Rochester along University Avenue’s “ARTWalk.”

Chubby is located in front of a former Rochester fire house that is now home to Craft Company No. 6, a handmade arts and crafts store that’s been in business for three decades. There is also a sculpture of a firefighter next to Chubby. Before motorized fire trucks, horses were used to pull steam engines to fire scenes. Chubby was Rochester’s most famous equine firefighter.

Other communities have done public arts projects, including Batavia with horses and Olean with squirrels. I think we could pull this off in Orleans County.

Olean painted many fiberglass squirrels and sprinkled them around the city.

I think one possibility for Orleans would be having different painted “creatures” spread around the county, with one in front of each of the 10 town halls and the four village halls.

The lakefront communities – Kendall, Carlton and Yates – might consider having giant painted salmon. We could mix in other animals – deer, ducks, beavers, bluebirds and more. Each community could pick an animal to highlight. These would be painted and set up outside the municipal buildings.

It would be an attraction and would link the communities together and provide a sense of history and “place,” as community planners like to say. If each community contributed, it wouldn’t be a huge daunting task for one entity. I also like the idea of spreading them around the county, rather than concentrating them all in one spot.

Maziarz issues statement, saying he’ll retire

Staff Reports Posted 13 July 2013 at 12:00 am

State Sen. George Maziarz will end his career in Albany this year, after 19 years as a state senator.He confirmed media reports tonight that he wasn’t going to seek re-election. He issued this statement:

“It is no secret to my family and close friends that I have been considering retirement from the state Legislature for the last five years. And as I geared up for another long campaign season, I realized I just did not have the passion and commitment that I have had in the past to see it through.

“People will ask me why now and the simple answer is there is never the perfect time to step away. I had the honor of following the late John Daly into the State Senate. I remember him telling me when he left the Senate it was simply time for the next generation of leaders in the Legislature. After nearly two decades in office, I fully understand what he meant and feel that way today.

“My second daughter gets married this summer and that is a much bigger priority for me than another grueling campaign. My family has sacrificed enough for my public service through the years and I cannot ask for any more.

“To the people of Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties who I have had the pleasure to represent since 1995, I extend my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support. I always told people that being your Senator was the greatest job in the world, one I dedicated myself to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We accomplished great things and I did my best to help my constituents with any problem … big or small. Thank you for giving a kid from North Tonawanda the chance to fulfill his dream of serving in the state Senate.”

Pratt photos featured in prestigious Rochester art show

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

Walter Jakubowski of Albion is highlighted at MAG

Photos courtesy of Walter Jakubowski
Walter Jakubowski took these photos last year of the interior of the Pratt Opera House on the third floor of a building in downtown Albion.

ROCHESTER – It happens every two years, one of the region’s most prestigious art shows, featuring the 100 finest pieces of new art work in the Finger Lakes region.

The new show opens tomorrow and features three photographs of the Pratt Opera House taken by Albion photographer Walter Jakubowski.

One of the photos of the box seating area in the theater is being used to promote the

64th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition at the Memorial Art Gallery.

The MAG only accepts art created within the past two years for the show. Jakubowski, a former CAD specialist at Kodak in industrial design, took the Pratt photos last year for building owners Michael Bonafede and Judith Koehler.

“I thought of everything I’ve done in the past two years and the Pratt photographs stood out,” Jakubowski said. “They are important because they highlight Albion’s heritage. The Pratt is a wonderful old structure that a lot of people aren’t familiar with.”

Bonafede and Koehler are working to restore the site, and expect of have a certificate of occupancy for a “theater in the rough” this fall.

Jakubowski lives in a cobblestone home in Albion with his wife of three decades, Gretchen Murray Sepik.

Jakubowski has been featured in the MAG show before. He hopes his selection this time will help promote his photography career.

The MAG is located at 500 University Ave. The show features 100 works by 81 artists from a 27-county region of western and central New York. Jakubowski is the only artist from Orleans County picked for the show. There were 623 entries by 230 artists.

There will be an opening reception Saturday at the MAG beginning at 8 p.m. The exhibit runs until Sept. 8.

Parade remains expressive tradition at Kendall Firemen’s Carnival

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

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies work their magic during tonight’s parade in Kendall.

These youngsters show off some exceptional facial hair.

Kendall Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger promotes a classic car show from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Vietnam Veterans led off the parade.

KENDALL – The annual Firemen’s Carnival has returned to Kendall with an hour-long parade the highlight of tonight’s festivities. It was quite a spectacle with youngsters dressed as hippies, tractors pulling floats, fire trucks from three counties and the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies.

The parade was led by a group of Vietnam veterans from Rochester and ended with a line of fire trucks.

The three-day carnival continues Saturday, wrapping up with fireworks at 10:20 p.m.

“Coastie” is part of public relations campaign about boater safety through the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Hamlin.

Carrie Milano of Hamlin holds her 2-month-old son Nick during tonight’s parade in Kendall.

Riders in with Lone Oak Stables in Kendall were among the parade participants.

Lone Oak Stables had a cleanup crew behind the horses on Kendall Road during the parade.

Fun and games at Bullard

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

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Cole London, 10, of Albion tries to toss a bean bag through a target as part of a Children’s Carnival today at Bullard Park. The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., was coordinated by the Village of Albion Parks Program and Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

Bri Hursh, 9, of Hamlin holds still while Pam Hage, a family advocate at Community Action, paints a flower on Bri’s cheek. Face-painting and many other games and activities were part of a Children’s Carnival today at Bullard Park.

Western Orleans is first focus of county’s broadband wireless effort

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

Orleans County officials say many residents and businesses in the rural outlying areas are at a competitive disadvantage because many areas lack access to high-speed Internet.

That makes it harder for students to complete homework, residents to fill out job applications and businesses to reach customers – tasks that increasingly require high-speed Internet.

The county has tried to coax Time Warner the past three years to extend services in the rural areas, but the cable provider has balked unless it was paid $10,000 a mile to run the infrastructure. The county believes wireless Internet may be the best solution to increasing access at an affordable cost.

The county and three local towns are starting a “mini-study” that could expand to the rest of Orleans and even Niagara counties.

The study will first focus on the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates, where highway superintendents have been trained to survey their towns to catalog assets that could be used to expand broadband Internet access.

The Niagara Orleans Regional Alliance – led by Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson and Niagara County Legislator Dave Godfrey – has been spearheading an initiative with the goal of attracting last-mile broadband Internet to rural businesses and residents without access.

“The approach is to market the region to a number of Internet service providers and work with them to find a solution that is both profitable to them and have zero long-term costs to local taxpayers while providing affordable broadband services to residents,” said Evhen Tupis, principal at BPGreene and Associates, a rural broadband consulting firm.

To do so, un-served addresses are being cataloged, potential “build on” structures – such as existing communication towers, water towers and other tall structures – are being identified and positioned as assets with potential ISP’s.

There is a focus on Wireless ISP’s because of the inherently lower build-out costs, though cable-line providers are certainly not excluded.

BPGreene and Associates trained the highway superintendents to document the needed information. Tupis of Clarendon is now in the process of repackaging their results into a Request for Comment (RFC). Through it, potential providers will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on the completeness of the information and voice their desire to participate in a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to actually Internet services.

Legislature Chairman Dave Callard, R-Medina, plans to use the result of the RFC to decide if this approach would warrant more towns in Orleans County.

“As an added benefit, it is quite possible that this initiative may introduce competition in presently-served areas as well,” Tupis said.

Enlarging the Canal in Medina

Posted 11 July 2013 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

MEDINA – This picture taken in 1913 shows, in the foreground, the top of the aqueduct in the bottom of the canal in which the Oak Orchard Creek flows through. This is just before the water tumbles over Medina Falls.

This photo is looking west into the Erie Canal Basin at Medina when the last enlargement to this historic waterway was under construction. The building with a smoke stack in the middle ground in the A.L. Swett Electric Light and Power Co. Behind the stack is the tower of the Bancroft House. It was a hotel and is now the NAPA store. In the distance to the left appears the steeple of the First Baptist Church.