By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Veterans Memorial planned for Hillside Cemetery
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Holley Rotary Club served about 200 spaghetti dinners on Saturday, with proceeds going towards an Eagle Scout project at Hillside Cemetery.
The top photo shows Holley Rotarians, from left: Jeff Martin, Larry Swanger, Josh Mitchell and Roger DeFrancesca.
Jacob Crandall, an Eagle Scout candidate, is trying to upgrade the veterans section at the cemetery. He wants a new 25-foot-high flag pole, five granite etched stones (for the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard), and a pentagon-shaped concrete base. Jacob would like to have the project complete in the spring.
Bob Miller cooks spaghetti at the fund-raiser at the VFW where the Rotary Club meets every Monday evening.
Elissa Rowley is pictured with her father, Bill Downey. Elissa joined the Holley Rotary Club earlier this month. She works as program manager for the National Kidney Foundation. She is a third-generation Rotary member following her grandfather, Frenchy Downey, and her father, who are both members of the Albion Rotary Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2016 at 8:03 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers – Holley firefighters are pictured with Alexandria Disque, second from left, and a dog Sadie, as well as Sadie’s owner Cassie Wolfanger, left. Disque and Sadie were rescued this afternoon after being swept in a tunnel on Sandy Creek that goes under the Erie Canal. The firefighters were on a boat that went into the dark tunnel. Pictured from left in back include Fran Gaylord, Harris Reed and Justin McMillon.
HOLLEY – A woman and a dog were both rescued from a near drowning today after they were swept into a dark tunnel that went under the Erie Canal.
Alexandria Disque, 23, was at the Holley Waterfalls with her friend Cassie Wolfanger. They both play on the women’s rugby team at Brockport State College. They were at the waterfalls with Cassie’s dog, Sadie.
The dog, an English yellow lab, fell into Sandy Creek and was soon swept away on the fast-moving current. Disque dove in and tried to save the dog.
Soon both went through a culvert that takes Sandy Creek under the canal. The concrete tunnel is dark.
Wolfanger called 911 when Disque and Sadie vanished.
Today is the Squirrel Slam hunting contest, a fund-raising event for the Holley Fire Department. Many firefighters were at the Holley Fire Hall and they were quickly on the scene at the base of the waterfalls.
Firefighters deployed a rescue boat and Fran Gaylord, Justin McMillon and Harris Reed went into the culvert to find Disque and Sadie.
Photos courtesy of Kurt Wannenwetsch
Firefighters descended near the Holley Waterfalls where Sandy Creek heads under the Erie Canal to find Disque and Sadie. The firefighters are in a line holding a rope as the boat goes into the culvert.
A rope was tied to the boat as firefighters passed into the tunnel. It was hard to see once they entered the tunnel, Gaylord said.
They went about 500 feet down before they found Disque. She found a crack in the concrete and was barely hanging on. She had nearly lost all motor skill function at that point because she was freezing after about a half-hour in the water.
Reed was at the back of the boat and he pulled Disque onto the boat. She was taken by Monroe Ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital.
Holley firefigters bring Alexandria Disque, right, safely to shore after getting her out of the culvert tunnel. Disque’s friend Cassie Wolfanger, left, is relieved to see Disque.
The firefighters went back into the tunnel. They could see a dog’s head bobbing. This time then had to go about 600 feet into the tunnel to get the dog.
Sadie was checked by local veterinarian Dr. Krista Wiley. Gaylord took the dog back to the firehall to warm it up and get the dog some food. Gaylord even took Sadie for a walk.
Sadie is rescued from the water.
Disque and Wolfanger arrived at about 6 p.m. to reunite with the dog. They thanked the firefighters for the rescue.
Gaylord said Disque’s physical fitness likely saved her life, allowing her to withstand the cold and hard-driving water. Disque said she was bundled up in the ambulance and at the hospital. After the ride to Strong, her temperature was taken and it was 92 degrees.
Disque said she was able to hang on to the 80-pound dog by its harness when she was in the culvert before finally letting go. She didn’t know the culvert let out at the other end. She was in the dark in the tunnel, fighting the current when the firefighters arrived in a boat.
Disque and Wolfanger said the Holley Waterfalls is a popular spot for many Brockport students who sometimes want a peaceful spot to study or a chance to enjoy nature.
“Everyone knows about the Holley Waterfalls,” Wolfanger said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo: www.DonaldJTrump.com – Donald Trump has emerged as the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
ALBION – The Orleans County Republican Committee endorsed Donald Trump for president today in a unanimous vote among about 60 committee members.
The county might be the first to officially endorse Trump for president, said Ed Morgan, chairman of the Orleans County Republican Party.
“He’s a businessman who has been very successful,” Morgan said. “Government should be run as a business and not political.”
Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star, has emerged the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. Morgan asked the local committee if any members wanted to endorse another candidate. Everyone backed Trump.
Morgan said he has met Trump several times, including when Trump was weighing a run for state governor against Andrew Cuomo in 2014. Trump opted not to run. Morgan and other Republican leaders in Western New York travelled to Manhattan in January 2014 to meet with Trump.
Photo courtesy of Ed Morgan – Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Ed Morgan, Orleans County Republican Party chairman, at a meeting in New York City in January 2014.
Morgan said Trump in person and on the phone is different from the bombastic persona on television.
“Yes, he’s a little radical and he pulls no punches,” Morgan said. “But in person he’s a totally different person to talk to.”
Trump has surrounded himself with skilled leaders in his businesses, Morgan said, and he expects Trump would do the same as president.
“He will pick the best, whether Republican or Democrat,” Morgan said. “He will have the brightest and smartest cabinet we’ve ever had.”
The Orleans County GOP Committee follows an endorsement from Congressman Chris Collins this week. Collins was the first member of the House of Representatives to back Trump.
Collins attended today’s Orleans GOP meeting, and he stated his support for Trump.
In announcing his support for Trump on Wednesday, Collins said Trump would “end business as usual” in Washington.
“Donald Trump has clearly demonstrated that he has both the guts and the fortitude to return our nation’s jobs stolen by China, take on our enemies like ISIS, Iran, North Korea and Russia, and most importantly, reestablish the opportunity for our children and grandchildren to attain the American Dream,” Collins said. “That is why I am proud to endorse him as the next President of the United States.”
The Orleans GOP also endorsed Collins for a third term in Congress. The Clarence businessman was first elected to the 27th Congressional District in 2012.
The Orleans Republicans also endorsed State Sen. Robert Ortt of North Tonawanda, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley of Batavia and State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin of Clarence for two-year terms in the State Legislature.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Sign and Lighting Services LLC from Ontario, NY, puts a new sign up for Peebles in Albion on Friday. The previous sign was damaged in a wind storm late last year.
The winds have kicked back up today and a wind advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. tonight for Orleans County and much of Western New York.
A car heads north on Gaines Basin Road on Friday after crossing the canal bridge.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 27 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Volume 2, Issue 9
ALBION – Located just east of the Village of Albion, St. Joseph’s Cemetery was established in 1920 under the pastorate and direction of Msgr. Francis Sullivan. Notice the paving stones covering East Avenue and the extensive landscaping of the property along the road.
The center driveway runs north towards a circle containing four statues depicting the crucifixion of Christ and the chapel behind it. A larger pathway surrounded the chapel creating a section for burials within that loop.
St. Joseph’s Church celebrated its first Mass as a parish in 1852. For over twelve years prior, the Irish Catholic community relied on itinerant priests from Lockport to provide the sacraments throughout the year. This often meant that baptisms, marriages, and the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist would occur in bunches as a priest was made available by the Diocese of Buffalo.
The earliest Irish Catholics engaged in manual labor often in the sandstone quarries scattered along the Erie Canal, which led to accidental deaths and the contraction of tuberculosis. Even though the congregation established itself in the 1850s, there was still a matter of burials for parishioners. The lack of a dedicated cemetery was cause for concern among the early Catholics, but Mt. Albion was undoubtedly a sufficient alternative as there was little room for choice.
In 1873 under the direction of Rev. John Marius Castaldi the Catholics purchased a tract of land on Brown Road in the Town of Gaines for use as a parish cemetery. Upon its opening, many families elected to remove their loved ones to the newly established cemetery. Commonly referred to as “Holy Cross” or the “Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery,” the official cemetery ledger refers to the cemetery as “Holy Sepulchre” and served the congregation for nearly 50 years.
When property was purchased for the new cemetery, a new chapel was to be erected on site. Under the direction of parishioner Pasquale DiLaura, the Romanesque Revival chapel was constructed of Medina Sandstone at a cost of $10,000. The roof was covered with terra cotta tiles and the vault inside could hold approximately 15 bodies during the winter months.
The beautiful stained glass windows were manufactured by the Frohe Art Glass Company of Buffalo under the direction of Leo P. Frohe. The windows were some of the last created under his supervision before his death in 1919.
The opening of the new location provided Catholics with a cemetery along one of the main thoroughfares into Albion, rivaling the location of Mt. Albion Cemetery.
Established families were encouraged to purchase new lots in the new cemetery and provided with credits and buy-backs for unfilled lots at the old cemetery. The parish sold off adjacent land at the old location and reinterred numerous bodies between 1920 and 1925, essentially ending the sale of any new plots on Brown Road.
Families who wished for the old cemetery to serve as their final resting place were offered vacated or unfilled plots at resale.
This photograph, taken June 15, 1923, shows the cemetery at an early stage of development. Many of the gravestones shown in the image are from families who elected to have their loved ones reinterred at the new location. A large granite stone, front right, marks the gravesite of John Cunneen, local attorney and one-term New York State Attorney General.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Honeycrisp apples are pictured in October at the Roberts Circle R fruit stand and farm market on Route 18 in Carlton.
Press Release, NY Farm Bureau
ALBANY New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s Congressional delegation this past week in Washington, DC, discussing the organization’s public policy priorities for 2016 at the federal level.
New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of National Affairs, discussed the priorities during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.
GMO LABELING
New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Senator Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
GMO labeling is an important issue in New York State as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods, NYFB officials said.
New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike. Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is currently supportive of Senator Robert’s bill.
The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.
“Public policy must be based on sound science and not on fear and misinformation shared on social media,” said Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau president. “Broad or individual state labeling requirements out there today undermine the public’s trust in the safe and nutritious food our farmers grow, without balancing the benefits that GMOs provide to our environment and to hungry populations around the world.”
Regulations
New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the CWA and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.
Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. That doesn’t mean this issue is settled. The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works with way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.
“More regulation is being heaped on businesses across the United States, and it is infringing on our ability to be successful and provide jobs, food, fuel and fiber in a sustainable way in this economic climate,” said Norton.
New York Farm Bureau was also successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NYFB is in support of allowing third party accredited individuals as well as NRCS staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.
Immigration Reform
New York Farm Bureau has long been saying that we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.
Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program.
This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.
“When we don’t have labor, crops get left on the trees and on the ground,” said Norton. “We need to work to find avenues to make it easier to find people willing to come to the United States to provide the labor we need for harvest or planting time.”
Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.
Food Safety Rules
Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. Our farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, and the FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.
“It is important that the FDA works with New York State to provide both the necessary funding and training that will help educate our farmers about their new responsibilities,” said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s Associate Director of National Affairs. “We also will be monitoring the roll out so the rules will be applied fairly and consistently across the country so as not to put New York growers at a disadvantage.”
Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from.
Trade
With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement with the European Union.
The TPP agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 millionper year respectively. It is estimated that the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500jobs to the New York economy.
“These trade agreements are great for our farmers to improve access to markets,” said Wolters.
New York Farm Bureau will also continue to oppose limitations on the use of geographic indicators. Restricting geographical names for food, like feta and parmesan, would inhibit the marketability and competitiveness of U.S. food products.
“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. We have nearly 36,000 farms and more than 200,000 jobs in totality when you include processing and on farm jobs. We are working to continue to make sure farmers are here and the landscape is prosperous,” said Norton.
LYNDONVILLE – Mental health issues are gaining national attention and Lyndonville Central School District is teaming up with Orleans County Mental Health to provide services to the students.
“Our district works to assure resources are available to our students and this satellite mental health office helps to achieve that,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “Allowing our students to have appropriate support provides them an opportunity for further success in the classroom.”
Services are available to Lyndonville students on a referral basis two days a week. Students are referred to the county mental health counselor by the district and parent/guardian permission is then obtained. The student then goes through an initial assessment with the counselor and regular appointments are planned thereafter.
This satellite office provides county mental health services in Lyndonville, in addition to the services offered at the county location in Albion.
“We are excited by the opportunity to bring community-based services to youth in their natural environment,” said Mark O’Brien, director of mental health and community services at Orleans County Department of Mental Health.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – State Trooper Engin Okdem tries to dribble the basketball past Albion teacher Mike Jones during the fourth annual basketball game between NY State Troopers and Albion Purple Eagle Faculty. The Troopers won, 67-62.
Albion teacher Michael Fahy, center, warms up with the team during the halftime intermission.
State Trooper Jay Hoy, based at the Warsaw barracks, is a K9 handler. He did a demonstration at halftime with K9 Rison. The dog is trained at detecting drugs and helping to locate people.
Doug Rich, a State Trooper who lives in Orleans County, prepares to throw the ball in bounds.
Kiera LeBeau of Houghton, niece of teacher Kathy Schmitt and State Police Lt. Kurt Schmitt, dunks the ball after getting a boost from a trooper. Kids from the crowd were invited to shoot free throws when the teachers were fouled.
Mike Jones, center, boxes out for the Albion teachers on a shot that went in by teacher Lucian Price.
The game was a fund-raiser for the Middle School FFA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council meeting in Rochester on Thursday. She said a $500 million push from the state to expand broadband Internet will be a big boost to students, residents and businesses in underserved areas of the state, including Orleans County. Hochul is pictured with Danny Wegman, left, and Joel Seligman, University of Rochester president, who both serve as co-chairmen of the council.
ROCHESTER – New York State will begin accepting applications next week for $500 million to expand high-speed Internet. Orleans County officials are ready to pounce on the money.
Orleans has been working on the issue for several years, determining the needs in the county and working with an engineer on how to best to best expand the service. Orleans also has teamed with Niagara County, in a two-county effort to bring high-speed Internet to areas with no service or low speeds.
“We’ve been doing our homework for years,” said Lynne Johnson, an Orleans County legislator working on the issue. “We’re two voices.”
Gov. Cuomo and the State legislature are setting aside $500 million, which needs to be matched by private industry in expanding the service. That means there is at least $1 billion directed to improving the service.
The merger of Time Warner and Charter Communications also will result in expanded coverage, said Vincent Esposito, director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
“As part of the Time Warner and Charter Communications merger, they will have to upgrade service,” Esposito said on Thursday during a meeting of the Regional Economic Development Council at the Rochester Convention Center. “Orleans County will be part of the Time Warner upgrade.”
About a third of the geographic area in Orleans County does not have access to high-speed Internet. That is the same in Niagara County. The two counties are proposing that companies use more cable to serve those areas and also install wireless technology.
“A blended solution is the only way you will reach the last house,” said Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey.
It is too costly for companies to run cable on roads with a few houses. But wireless technology is more affordable for sparsely populated areas, he said after the meeting in Rochester on Thursday.
Orleans is part of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, and Niagara is the the Western New York council. The two counties are seeking funds through both councils, which Godfrey and Johnson said boosts the chances for more coverage in the two counties.
The applications to the state will be accepted from March 1 to April 15.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the meeting at the Convention Center. She said much of upstate lacks access to high-speed Internet. That puts those areas at a major disadvantage, she said.
Many employers require prospective job applicants to fill out applications on-line, and students are required to do homework on-line. Businesses increasingly sell products by the Internet and need to fill out reports and do research on-line. Residents also enjoy streaming movies.
“If you have it, you don’t think about it,” Hochul said about high-speed Internet. “If you don’t, you’re gasping for air.”
Hochul said the upcoming investment in broadband will make New York more attractive for residents and businesses.
“We’ll be the most covered state in the nation,” she said. “It will be a big advantage for us.”
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 25 February 2016 at 12:00 am
Kendall doesn’t have enough players to field own team
KENDALL – The Kendall Board of Education is considering allowing Kendall boys to try out for the Holley varsity baseball team.
The Kendall district does not have enough interested students to field a varsity baseball team this spring and board members gave an unofficial “nod” to pursue an agreement with Holley Central School.
“I’m not opposed to giving seniors the opportunity to try out at Holley,” Board President Nadine Hanlon said on Wednesday evening. Board members Chaley Swift and Vice-President Christopher Gerken also said they were “OK” with giving it a try.
Holley is willing to take on varsity players from Kendall, and Hanlon said she has had a phone call from the parents of one student at Kendall who would like the opportunity to play baseball during his senior year.
Superintendent Julie Christensen said the district would need to cover the cost of transporting players to Holley for practices and games. Parents would then pick up students following practices and games.
“The team would be known as the Holley-Kendall Hawks,” Christensen said.
She noted try-outs are scheduled for March 7 and that the Holley varsity baseball coach would have final say on who makes the team. The agreement would be on a year-by-year basis.
The opportunity would be open only to Kendall seniors and juniors who are not eligible to play JV baseball, board members decided.
Christensen said Holley would be able to field a varsity baseball team without Kendall players.
Chaley Swift noted that the district should prepare itself to make similar decisions regarding sports teams in the future or risk losing teams. “What sports are we going to put on the chopping block if we don’t (enter into agreements with other districts)?” she asked.
Kendall has been reluctant to allow students to try out for football at Holley. Hanlon said that is partly because the district needs to maintain its soccer program in the fall and football would cut into that, and partly because there is a substantial cost related to football.
