Press release
Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force
MEDINA – The manager of the Monroe Muffler and Brake in Medina has allegedly been selling narcotics from the location at 11334 Maple Ridge Rd., the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported.
Police on Tuesday arrested the site’s manager, James D. Swader. The 52-year-old from Akron was charged with five counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, five counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and five counts of criminal diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions in the fourth degree.
Swader was arraigned by Shelby Town Justice Dawn Keppler and committed to Orleans County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Shelby Town Court at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The Task Force and the Medina Police Department executed a search warrant on Tuesday at Monro Muffler following a three-month investigation into the sale and distribution of prescription narcotic pills in Medina.
As a result of the investigation, a search was executed after numerous narcotic buys were conducted inside the business. Police seized prescription narcotic medications, including morphine and oxycodone, which was located inside the manager’s tool box in the garage area of the business, the Task Force reported.
The investigation is ongoing and further arrests and charges are pending.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The annual chair auction to benefit Albion’s public library includes 30 chairs painted by local artists. Five of the chairs were used at the former Swan Library. The chairs will be bid on in a silent auction Friday and Saturday at the Strawberry Festival.
ALBION – Buy a funky chair. Honor your parents.
The Friends of the Hoag Library has two fund-raisers at this week’s Strawberry Festival. The group is having its annual chair auction, where local artists paint furniture. There will be 30 chairs up for bid, including five that were used in the former Swan Library.
The chairs can be bid on through a silent auction. The buyers will be picked on Saturday afternoon. The chairs will be at the former Swan Library on North Main Street.
There are about 100 bricks left over from the construction of the library at 134 South Main St. That building opened last July.
The Friends group wants to use those 100 bricks as part of a walkway at the new library. The bricks can be purchased for $65 as memorials.
The Friends will be at the former Swan site on Friday and Saturday to discuss the chair auction and memorial walkway.
The new Hoag Library also is selling memorial bricks for $65 each that will be part of a walkway by the library on South Main Street. Mary Anne Braunbach bought the first brick, in honor of her parents, Joseph and Clara DeCarlo.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Howard and Clara Lake opened The Park Grille on Saturday at 11089 Park Ave. in Medina. They are pictured with three of their employees. Pictured, in back, from left: Matt Winans (Clara Lake’s son), Riki Culverwell and Ben Madafferi.
Howard Lake cooks hamburgers at The Park Grille today.
MEDINA – Howard and Clara Lake moved their computer business, C & H PC, last May from a building behind their house on Laurel Street to a site on Park Avenue.
The new location is busy, close to several big companies in Medina, including Associated Brands, Baxter Healthcare Corp., Credit Recovery Financial Services, and several others. Barnes Metal Finishing is across the street.
Mr. Lake, Medina’s former mayor, sees all the traffic and thought those employees might want a quick lunch close by.
Last Saturday, the Lakes opened The Park Grille, serving Sahlen’s hot dogs, black angus hamburgers, French fries and ice cream. The site has been busy, Lake said.
“It’s been very popular,” he said earlier today, just before the lunch rush. “We’ve been getting a lot of repeat customers.”
The Lakes purchased a 26-foot-long trailer that is equipped with grills, a fryer and freezers. They expect to stay open until September, but Lake said customer demand may extend their season. The Lakes also expect to add more to the menu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Our Light of Victory now owns St. Mary’s, which was closed by the Catholic Diocese in 2007.
Albion has a reputation, in a good way, for the seven historic churches that are part of the Courthouse Square, a cluster of about 30 buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The former St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Brown Street doesn’t get the same recognition as a historical and community treasure, but the site should be considered on par with the churches by the courthouse.
I think the former St. Mary’s, built by Polish immigrants, may be most striking of all the Albion churches. It opened in 1893, predating some of the churches on the Square.
The Catholic Diocese closed the church in 2007. Our Light of Victory acquired the church and has Sunday services there.
I’d like to see a historic marker prominently placed on the property, honoring the Polish families who sacrificed and gave generously to build this church.
Matt Ballard has developed a wonderful web site, www.albionpolonia.com, that details the history of the church and many of Polish families who were drawn to Albion the late 1800s.
I passed by the church today. I had to stop and take a picture.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Work by Megan Swan and Kim Martillotta featured this month
Photos by Tom Rivers
Megan Swan, who just graduated with an art degree from Brockport State College, created the above pictured works that are part of an exhibit at Marti’s on Main.
ALBION – A new exhibit at Marti’s on Main features the work of Megan Swan, a local resident who just graduated from Brockport State College with an art degree.
The gallery at 229 North Main St. includes Swan’s ceramics, sculptures, paintings and black-and-white photography.
The community is welcome to visit the gallery and meet local artists during a reception Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Kim Martillotta grew up seeing this house on Route 98 that was owned by a family friend, Fred Ferris.
The gallery’s owner, Kim Martillotta, also is displaying some of her new work, including a painting of house that used to stand on Route 98 at the current Oak Orchard Estates. That house was owned by Fred Ferris, who worked for Martillotta’s father, Mimi Martillotta. He owned the Gulf gas station that is now the Yellow Goose on Route 98.
Martillotta has other paintings and collages she is presenting publicly for the first time.
She said she is inspired by Swan’s pottery and ceramics. Martillotta would like to raise money for a kiln that could be used by local artists. Martillotta is the leader of
The Art Circle Group, which meets regularly at the Marti’s gallery.
Martillotta made this three-dimensional collage that she entitled, “Circle of Life.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Three Little Maids performed in the Pratt Opera House last September. The group includes, from left: Maarit Vaga, Marsha Rivers and Kristi Phillips.
ALBION – Singers, dancers and theatrical performers – 115 people in all will take to the outdoor stage Saturday night to cap the Strawberry Festival.
Theatre on Main Street will be offered for the first time in the festival’s 27 years. A 20-by-24-foot stage will be set up on West Bank Street near Gotta Dance by Miss Amy. Local talent will perform from 7 to 10 p.m.
The initiative is a first of its kind between the National Park Foundation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. They contributed grants to pay for the stage. Other local sponsors, including Albion Main Street Alliance and Five Star Bank, also helped bring the event to Albion.
“It’s going to be a family-fun event with a lot of local talent,” said Michael Bonafede, one of the coordinators of the event.
The National Park Foundation and Erie Canalway reached out to Albion for the theater program. The groups wanted a theatrical show with a historic theater as a backdrop.
Initially the program was targeted for Main Street, but it proved too difficult to shut down a state road for most of the day. Crews will start working Saturday morning to set up the stage on West Bank. The stage will have a canopy.
Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler own the Pratt Opera House on Main Street. They have been working to restore the site from 1882, and expect to have a certificate of occupancy this fall as a “theater in the rough.” The National Park Foundation wants to see historic theaters rejuvenated, Koehler said.
Saturday’s program will provide a venue with a professional sound system. Spectators can watch the show in a historic downtown district. Some chairs will be available, but spectators are urged to bring a lawn chair.
The performers include: the Albion men’s and women’s select choruses, Spotlight Dance Company, The Bent Theater presents ‘The A List,’ Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, Lisa’s Dance Boutique, Erie Canal Sal, Dance Reflections, The Pratt Theater presents ‘Three Little Maids,’ Gotta Dance Academy and Performing Arts, and a Full Cast Fun Finale.
ALBION – Orleans County is accepting enrollment of additional parcels in certified agricultural districts during the month of June, pursuant to New York State Agricultural and Markets Law.
This annual 30-day window is for inclusion of property which is predominantly viable agricultural land. During this time period, land may only be added and not removed from an agricultural district.
This opportunity does not replace enrollment in an existing agricultural district during the eight-year, formal review process, but allows a once-a-year opportunity for a property owner to request that the County Legislature add parcels to one of Orleans County’s agricultural districts.
The agricultural districting program provides eligible operations right-to-farm protection, among other benefits. Please note that requesting enrollment during this 30-day time period is not a guarantee that property will be added to an existing agricultural district. Moreover, it will not automatically qualify property for a reduced agricultural property tax assessment. For information on obtaining a reduced agricultural property tax assessment, please contact a local assessor.
The eight-year, in-depth reviews are expected to continue for each agricultural district as scheduled.
At the conclusion of June, requests for inclusion in agricultural districts will be reviewed, in order, by the Orleans County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, the Orleans County Legislature, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Enrollment forms are available from the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development. Completed forms should be sent by June 30 to: James Bensley, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY 14411.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This bust and antiques, collectibles and other items from the former Swan Library will be for sale during the Strawberry Festival on Saturday.
ALBION – Century-old wicker chairs. Display cases for DVDs. Busts and collectibles from the 1800s and early 1900s.
They’re all for sale as Swan Library officials work to empty the historic building at the corner of North Main and West State streets.
Albion’s public library moved up the street last July to the new Hoag Library. The Swan site is being eyed for use as a local history museum.
Swan Library leaders want to remove some of the pieces that are taking up space at the Swan site. Some of the Swan furniture and most of the collection was moved to the new building. But not all of the furniture and collectibles were needed.
Community members are welcome to look over the items for sale on Friday. They will be sold on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. People are also welcome to come inside and tour the former library during the festival June 7-8.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2013 at 12:00 am
State tries to limit tax incentives for retail, but allows exceptions
Photo by Tom Rivers – The new Ace Hardware store at the former Jubilee in Medina received some assistance from the County of Orleans Economic Development Agency.
MEDINA – It sat empty for nearly seven years. The roof had started to cave in and vandals had free rein inside. The former Medina Jubilee hadn’t generated any tax revenue, either, for several years.
Clearly, it was a property in distress, said Jim Whipple, chief executive officer of the County of Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The Orleans EDA worked with Roger Andrews, owner of two Ace Hardware stores, to redevelop the site into a hardware store and lumber yard. The agency approved a $140,000 loan for the $1.2 million project. The EDA also established a 10-year tax plan that freezes the tax payments at $5,386 annually. That money is divvied up for the village, town, county and school district.
Tax incentives for retail operations have come under fire in the state. They are no longer allowed, as of April 1, unless the property is in a highly distressed area or if it is a tourism project. The Ace incentives were approved before the new law took effect, but Whipple said the incentives would pass muster under the new state policy.
“If you look at that property before, the roof was falling in, and look at the difference now,” Whipple said. “It’s made a huge difference in that area of the village. It’s right across from a park. It’s cleaned up that whole area of the town.”
Although the IDA provided some assistance with the project, Whipple noted that Andrews bore the vast majority of the expense. The site was owned by the county because the taxes were delinquent for several years. Andrews paid the county $100,000 upfront to offset the back taxes and part of the penalties.
The county agreed to take down a small drive-through structure by the building, remove two petroleum tanks and pave the parking lot after Andrews bought the materials for the project. Whipple noted the county was technically the property’s owner before Andrews acquired it.
Andrews also received a sales tax exemption of about $50,000 for building materials and other store improvements as part of the project. The new store opened in April.
Andrews said the project is now generating tax revenue for the community, as well as complementing the village’s historic downtown a few blocks away. Andrews owns an Ace near Hamburg and bought the former Hahn Hardware in Medina about two years ago.
“We paid the back taxes and the property is back on the tax rolls,” Andrews said. “We put the right project in this spot. It would have been a shame to let this building sit.”
Tom Snyder, owner of Medina Lumber and Hardware, has decried the IDA assistance for the Ace project. Some other community members also didn’t think it was fair to Snyder.
But Whipple said the property, which was certified as part of a distressed Census tract by state officials, is now a community asset. He praised Andrews for stepping up and tackling the ambitious renovation of a 26,000-square-foot building.
“A guy like that comes around once in a lifetime,” Whipple said about Andrews. “He took a major structure that was destined for the wrecking ball and totally renovated it.”
The IDA has provided some help to two other recent retail projects. The owners of The Village Inn in Gaines spent about $325,000 on a renovation last year. The IDA approved a sales tax exemption for the project that saved Mark Tillman, the restaurant owner, about $3,000. Whipple said the restaurant is a draw to people outside the county.
The Save-A-Lot in Holley, which also targeted a former Jubilee store, was approved for a loan and property tax abatement for the remodeled portion of the building. Those incentives were offered before the retail law took effect, but Whipple said the project would qualify under the new rules because the federal government classified Holley as a “food desert,” a community without a grocery store.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Mary Miesner has taught hundreds of second-graders
Photos by Tom Rivers – Mary Miesner reacts after being named Albion’s ‘Educator of the Year’ for the 2012-13 school year. Miesner has been teaching in the district for 40 years. Margy Brown, BOE president, is at right.
ALBION – A teacher with 40 years of service to elementary school students, beginning at the former Waterport Elementary School, was honored tonight as Albion’s 2012-13 “Educator of the Year.”
Mary Miesner was praised for mentoring other teachers and showing so much dedication to her students, about 1,000 different kids over her career. She is retiring later this month.
Elementary School Principal Jim Wood called her “an outstanding team player.” Miesner has been nominated for the award several times over her career.
“She personifies respect, responsibility and optimism,” Margy Brown, the Board of Education president, said about Miesner and the district’s three guiding principles.
Miesner has welcomed firefighters into her classroom and the school to teach students about fire prevention and safety. Her son Lee is active with the Albion Fire Department.
Before she was named ‘Educator of the Year,’ Mary Miesner was recognized for her impending retirement by Elementary School Principal Jim Wood, left, and Michael Bonnewell, the district’s superintendent.
Wood said Miesner has been a quiet leader, and a dependable teacher for her entire career.
“I’m the luckiest person,” Miesner said after receiving the award. “I’ve had a job I love for 40 years. Every year is a new start, a chance to broaden your horizons.”
Miesner considered retiring about three years ago. Her husband Ron was battling cancer. He urged her to keep working. He died in October 2010.
Miesner said she immersed herself in her job after her husband’s death.
“I needed the students,” she said.
She praised her co-workers, who refer to her as the “den mother” of the second grade teachers. Miesner taught second grade her entire career, except for the year she was acting principal at Waterport, a year she also taught fifth grade.
Three other former Waterport staff also are retiring after this school year. Kim Houserman was principal at Waterport, beginning in 1985, before moving to the middle school. Houserman worked 39 years in education, including the past 28 years at Albion in administration. Houserman said he has enjoyed a career mostly in the middle school, which he said “is full of energy and excitement.”
The following retiring teachers and staff were recognized by the Board of Education on Monday for the service to the district. The group includes, from left: Cathy Schwenk, Mary Ellen Gillard, Darlene Devine, Gail Nasca, Dan Shuler, Kim Houserman, Mary Miesner and Bonnie Adduci.
Darlene Devine, a music and art teacher, is retiring after 26 years at Albion. She also started in the Waterport school, which closed in 1989.
Cathy Schwenk, a special education teacher, is retiring after 33 years. She also worked in Waterport.
Miesner, Houserman, Devine and Schwenk are the last links to the school among the current staff.
“We can now say the Waterport school is officially closed,” Houserman said tonight at a reception for retiring teachers and others with milestone service anniversaries.
The district honored other retiring staff, including Dan Shuler who has worked 35 years with Buildings and Grounds, including 31 years as superintendent. He has been influential in a maintaining a beautiful, well-kept campus that is the envy of many other schools, said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent.
Gail Nasca is retiring after 18 years as a middle school English teacher. Mary Ellen Gillard is ending her career. She served in several roles in the past 11 years, including Even Start director, a third grade teacher and academic intervention service teacher. Bonnie Adduci also is retiring after six years as a nurse in the elementary school.
