HOLLEY – Genesee Community College history professor Derek Maxfield will bring to an end the month-long series of events on “Hillside Heritage” with a lecture on Monday at Hillside Cemetery in Holley.
Maxfield will discuss “Victorian Death and the Civil War.” The events at the cemetery, including three public lectures and a very successful ghost walk, are part of an initiative to bring more attention to the plight of the Gothic Revival chapel at the cemetery, which was completed in 1894.
Derek Maxfield
Efforts are underway to raise funds to restore the beautiful Medina sandstone building designed by Rochester architect Addison Forbes. The chapel and cemetery are included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The lecture on Monday will combine two of Maxfield’s research interests in one talk – Victorian culture and the Civil War. By 1861, Victorian culture with its many social rules dominated American society and set the standards of conduct for the ladies and gentlemen of the era.
These same social mores played an important role in bringing about the great war between the states. But the war far exceeded what the Victorians or anyone else expected bringing a cataclysm of suffering and death that would change values and culture profoundly.
The Monday lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the chapel at Hillside Cemetery. In keeping with the season, the lecture will be delivered without the aid of any technology and the chapel will be lit with only oil lamps and candles – producing an appropriately spooky effect. While the lecture is free, donations to the chapel restoration fund will be gladly accepted.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Some of the turbines that peak at about 400 feet high are pictured in Sheldon, Wyoming County. The turbines proposed for Yates and Somerset would reach 570 feet high.
ALBION – Orleans County legislators may be taking a wait-and-see approach with a proposed wind energy project in Yates and Somerset, but the county officials aren’t holding back their opinions on the loss of local control in deciding the fate of the project.
“Every New Yorker should be outraged with Albany stepping on local governments,” said Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines.
The state has previously allowed the local governments to have the final say with wind turbines, landfills and other projects.
But the state has created a Siting Committee for large-scale wind turbine projects, including the proposed “Lighthouse Wind” from Apex Clean Energy in Yates and Somerset.
The seven-member Siting Committee is to include two members from the local project area. The committee will be chaired by the state Department of Public Service and includes the leaders of four other state departments: Department of Environmental Conservation, NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), Empire State Development and the Department of Health.
State officials have five of the seven votes.
“People should be outraged that Albany can sit there and dictate what goes into a town or village,” Allport said at Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. “Every citizen in New York, regardless of where they live, should be outraged.”
The Town of Albion likely wouldn’t have been able to stop Waste Management from building an 80-acre landfill in the late 1990s if the state had changed “home rule” and didn’t give the localities the final say in the process, Allport said.
The Legislature expects to pass a formal resolution condemning the state’s shift in the Article X process, giving the final vote to the Siting Committee. Legislature Chairman David Callard said the county will try to get all 10 towns and four villages in the county to pass similar resolutions.
“The Orleans County Legislature will take on the fight,” Callard said. “We’re going to take on the fight because really it’s a matter of principle and it affects the towns and villages.”
Callard and the Legislature have declined to weigh in on the Apex project specifically. Callard wants to see the results of a town-wide survey on the wind project before the Legislature votes whether to support or oppose it.
The Niagara County Legislature passed a formal resolution against the project after a survey by the Town of Somerset showed strong opposition to the project.
Yates officials are working with a member from Save Ontario Shores, a citizens group opposed to the wind turbines, and Apex Wind Energy on the survey. SOS did its own survey earlier this month and found 77.9 percent of the 421 respondents opposed the project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – On Monday, a Williamson man showed up in court an hour late for his sentencing. Nathan L. Parsad, 24, struggled to stand up and keep his eyes open while in court.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch delayed the sentencing for three days because Parsad was under the influence of drugs. Parsad admitted in court on Monday he had recently used heroin and another drug.
Today, Parsad spoke clearly and stood up straight during sentencing.
“I would like to apologize for the other day,” he told Judge Punch during sentencing.
Parsad’s attorney, Nathan Pace, said Parsad has struggled with drug addictions for several years, despite the support of a loving family.
Parsad was driving on Jan. 12 on Ridge Road in Gaines when he was in an accident. Parsad and two of his passengers – Caitlin E. Jones, 29, of Canandaigua and Eric L. Shirley, 28, of Canandaigua – all faced drug charges after police found drugs in the vehicle.
Parsad applied to be in the county’s Drug Court, which can result in reduced charges with successful completion of the program. But he was removed from Drug Court after testing positive for drug use.
He could have faced up to 2 ½ years in state prison for criminal possession of a controlled substance. As part of a plea deal, he was given a maximum of a year in jail.
Punch told Parsad his actions have an effect not only on him, but society. The judge said Parsad poses a danger to the community because he has a history of selling drugs, and operating vehicles under the influence of drugs.
“Frankly, you’re a mess,” the judge said. “Your condition here on Monday, that was really disturbing. I could see first-hand what cocaine and heroin can do to an otherwise healthy, intelligent person.”
Parsad declined probation, which could have required treatment. The judge said Parsad has rejected treatment.
“I hope you find redemption on your own,” Punch told Parsad when he was sentenced to jail.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – The St. Mary’s Archer’s Club on the Oak Orchard River in Carlton has been busy with anglers this week despite a lot of rain.
This group is pictured on Wednesday afternoon after a big downpour that morning.
Andrew Lang of Pittsburgh, Pa. caught this brown trout. He arrived on Sunday and is spending the week fishing in Orleans County.
Some of the fishermen said the fish haven’t been as plentiful as in the past, but they said the rain will raise the water levels in the Oak Orchard and bring more fish up the river.
Many of the fishermen made long treks across the state or out-of-state to try to catch salmon and trout from the Oak Orchard.
This trio from Orange County crosses the river, with fast-moving water from the rain, together on Wednesday. The group has been coming to Orleans County to fish the past 10 years.
The grounds at the Archer’s Club include lots of muddy footprints from all of the rain.
This fisherman has a net close by in case he hooks a big fish.
While the fishermen are in town to catch fish, they said they enjoy being outdoors with the changing leaves. Catching a big salmon or trout is just a nice bonus.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Gloria Jasso last week received her high school diploma from Brockport after years of study, beginning with English classes at her Kendall home in 1998.
WATERPORT – Gloria Jasso was 22 when she went to her first class, English as a Second Language.
It was 1998, and she and some of her farmworker friends gathered in Gloria’s home in Kendall to be taught by Linda Redfield.
Jasso grew up in rural, impoverished Mexico and never attended school. That wasn’t unusual for girls in Michoacan, the poorest state in Mexico. Jasso grew up in a mountainous region. She learned some reading and writing from her aunt.
“There were no schools or teachers,” Jasso said.
She started working at Herberle Farms in Hamlin in 1994. She would work there for 19 years, picking apples, trimming trees, planting strawberries, and working in the warehouse.
Gloria Jasso is pictured with one of her tutors, Deanne Borrie (left) and teacher Linda Redfield, right.
After work, she would take classes. In the winter, when she wasn’t working for the farm, she could spend even more time learning, attending classes in Medina and later in Brockport. She also learned splelling, English, math and other skills by helping her four children with their homework.
Once she learned words in English, she wanted to learn more. It was the same with math. As she mastered some skills, she kept pushing herself.
“As soon as I was learning a word in English it made me more excited to learn more,” Jasso said.
For 17 years she learned, improving her English, math, computer skills and education.
She considered getting a General Equivalency Diploma, but opted for a more challenging high school diploma. Last week, she was presented with that diploma through the National External Diploma Program.
“She had the intention to always improve herself,” said Linda Redfield, one of her teachers.
Redfield is the education director at the World Life Institute on Stillwater Road in Waterport. The school hosted a celebration for Jasso on Wednesday.
Jasso said her teachers and several volunteer tutors were instrumental in her success, in completing the many classes and building her confidence.
She completed many of her classes on-line and met with teachers twice a week at the public library in Brockport. She was looking for a tutor to help check her work. Several people stepped forward, including Deanne Borrie of Kent.
Borrie and the tutors declined any payment, even gas money, despite Jasso’s offers. Borrie said she is grateful to have Jasso as a friend and is inspired by her work ethic and her generous nature.
Jasso and her husband Efrain Arellano recently moved into their own house in Brockport. They have four children, including daughter Tania, who was the valedictorian at Kendall in 2015.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Tania Arellano was a star for Kendall in athletics and academics. She was the valedictorian of the Class of 2015.
Tania now plays soccer and basketball at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. Tania is a business and accounting major, and scholarships are covering her college costs.
“She is very smart,” Jasso said about her daughter. “I am so proud of her.”
Tania was deeply committed to her schoolwork at Kendall, and took a rare absence from school in 2011 to accompany her mother to Albany, when Jasso was honored as a “student of the year” by the New York State Association of Adult Continuing and Community Education.
Jasso and her husband have three other children: Johnny, a 10th grader; Princesa, a sixth grader; and Diego, a fourth-grader. They attend school in Brockport.
Jasso said she is looking to update her resume and may pursue job training.
“I have to see what’s available,” she said.
Redfield said Jasso’s achievement is remarkable.
“She never had an education in her home country,” Redfield said.
Jasso thanked her teachers and tutors for their help on the educational journey. In addition to Borrie, Frank and Jeanne Lauta, Bill and JoAnne Camaan, and Frank and Tracy Panczyszyn all volunteered as tutors with Jasso.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Don Organisciak
HOLLEY – William Murphy, the former Holley chief who worked at small and large police departments in a 30-year law enforcement career, would be Don Organisciak’s first choice for undersheriff, the candidate for sheriff said on Wednesday.
Organisciak, a retired Medina police officer and investigator, is endorsed by the Democratic Party in the Nov. 3 election for sheriff. He faces Randy Bower (Republican and Conservative lines) and Tom Drennan, who is running under the Reform and Independence lines.
Bower has said Chris Bourke, a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office, would serve as undersheriff and Drennan last week said Brett Sobieraski, a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department and a Kent resident, would serve in the role if Drennan is elected.
Murphy, an Albion native, started his career with Holley in 1985. He went on to work at the Albion, Rochester and Greece police departments and then retired. However, he took the opportunity to return to Holley as police chief about 7 ½ years ago.
He led the department with 10 part-time officers until Sept. 1.
“He would be my first call,” Organisciak said about Murphy.
The sheriff candidate said Murphy’s experience with small, medium and large departments would be an asset. Murphy has been an officer and worked in management, Organisciak said.
“He has a good background,” Organisciak said. “If I had to leave the office or go out of town, I would feel comfortable leaving him in charge.”
Organisciak has said the election should be about the sheriff. However, he wants the public to know if he is elected he will have a qualified and experienced undersheriff in the post.
“I want someone I can trust, someone with a level head, someone who can communicate with the staff and the citizens, and Bill can do that,” Organisciak said.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
ALBION – Classical guitar teacher Jim Doyle of Albion performs a duet with student Hattie Starr of Lyndonville as part of the Rochester Guitar Club outreach program Tuesday evening in Albion at the Hoag Library.
Members of the Rochester Guitar Club performed at the library as part of the club’s Round Robin Outreach program, which provides an opportunity for members
to perform alone or together and to encourage new members.
The club is for lovers of acoustic guitar and music performed included several different styles – from Scott Joplin to Bach. The event drew a large crowd to the community room area of the library.
Members of the Rochester Guitar Club perform “Maid Colleen” together as part of their program Tuesday evening in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – This photo is looking south on Waterport Road from Stillwater Road on Wednesday, when it was raining for most of the day.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory today for Orleans County and much of Western New York. The advisory is in effect until 11 p.m.
Southwest winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 55 mph, are expected. The strong winds could make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles and could take down tree limbs, resulting in power outages.
Today is forecast for a high of 52 degrees with showers likely.
This photo shows Clarks Mills Road, a dirt road in Carlton along Oak Orchard River, during the rain on Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Roland Nenni is Holley resident, who started career with Holley 23 years ago
ALBION – The chief of the Albion Police Department will also serve as leader of the Holley PD in a new inter-municipal agreement between the two villages.
Roland Nenni grew up in Holley and continues to live there. He also is a past Holley fire chief. He started his law enforcement career as a Holley police officer 23 years ago.
“I know what the community wants from its police force and will make sure the citizens of both communities are provided with the best possible police departments,” Nenni said.
He has worked with the Albion PD for about 22 years, including the past 4 ½ as police chief.
Holley has been without a police chief since William Murphy resigned, effective Sept. 1. Murphy led the department of 10 part-time officers for 7 ½ years.
Nenni will continue to lead Albion’s department with 11 full-time officers. Albion and Holley both also have a civilian clerk for the police departments.
Nenni said there is no set time commitment for him each day or week for each department.
“The time spent on each department will vary from day to day and week to week,” he said. “Initially time will be spent making the agencies run similar to each other. After the initial set up I will manage the agencies the same as a larger department manages two precincts or two section offices.”
The one-year agreement with Holley was effective on Monday and will be re-evaluated every year.
Nenni said it will save both villages money. Holley is paying Albion $35,000 to have Nenni serve as its leader. Murphy was paid $42,000 as police chief.
The two departments have a long history of working together and with training exercises.
“The joint venture formalizes the relationship,” Nenni said.
Albion has other inter-municipal agreements with villages. Albion village personnel currently run Holley’s sewer plant, and Albion staff also manage Elba’s water and sewer plants.
Albion Mayor Dean London said the agreements save Albion and the other villages money, and also allow them to share talented staff at Albion.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
HOLLEY – The Holley Elementary School Library is currently filled with Halloween pumpkins that are bursting with personality. The library is hosting its 2nd annual “Book Character” Pumpkin Decorating Contest. (The top photo shows Junie B. Jones, which was made by a third-grader.)
Holley Elementary Library Media Specialist Julie Bader says winners will be announced on Friday. The contest is open to students and their families and follows the theme of “My Favorite Book Character.” Classrooms can also participate in the contest.
In a first grade entry, mini pumpkins are used to create Eric Carle’s “Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
The entries this year, “have exceeded my wildest dreams what they have come up with,” Bader says.
She explains the contest encourages reading favorite books as well as discovering new characters students may not have known before. It also reaches out to families and parents in hopes that they will work along with Bader to instill a love of reading and literary characters in students.
A pre-K entry features a classic children’s book character: Humpty Dumpty.
No carving of pumpkins is allowed. Participants paint, decorate and embellish their creations with a wide-range of artistic materials.
First, second and third prizes will be awarded for Pre-K- first grade; second through third grade; and fourth through sixth grade.
This pumpkin goes pink as Wilber from Charlotte’s Web in an entry by a fourth-grader.
A sixth-grader utilizes a pumpkin turned on its stem end to create a zombie fish character.
This entry by a Holley fifth-rader features innovative use of props to create the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
A pre-K/Kindergarten entry features mini pumpkins decorated as Ten Little Ladybugs.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tom Kuryla, commissioner of the Orleans County Department of Social Services, is pictured in the hallway outside the DSS offices on the second floor of the County Administration Building on Route 31. He started as DSS commissioner in 2010, and welfare fraud recoveries and cost avoidance have doubled since then.
ALBION – The raid at the Murray Superette on Tuesday, when three people were arrested in a food stamp trafficking scheme, is the latest sign Orleans County officials, including the district attorney and law enforcement agencies, are taking welfare fraud very seriously.
Three Salamaca brothers – Alexander, Myron and Olec – were all arrested on Tuesday and jailed on $20,000 bail. Police believe their fraud could reach into “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The Salamaca family owns the Murray Superette on Route 104. Police say store owners and some employees accepted customers’ food stamps for cash at 70 percent to the customer, and then allowed customers to purchase items not authorized by the food stamp program, including cigarettes and lottery tickets.
At least 50 people have been identified for using their food stamp benefits in exchange for cash and that number should grow, said District Attorney Joe Cardone.
The arrests on Tuesday followed 15 months of investigation, including work from the county’s Welfare Fraud Unit in the Department of Social Services. The two full-time investigators, Marie Snyder and Scott Twitchell, have a solid understanding of the social services programs, and know the red flags that can show welfare fraud, DSS Commissioner Tom Kuryla said.
“If there is welfare fraud, we’re going to find out,” Kuryla said. “We owe it to the taxpayers to show that we’re working on their behalf, too.”
Kuryla joined the Orleans County DSS as commissioner in 2010, after being deputy commissioner in Seneca County, where he oversaw the fraud investigations.
The Orleans fraud numbers have doubled in the past five years.
Year
Fraud recovery
Cost Avoidance
2009
$39,313
$352,938
2010
$40,417
$968,742
2011
$75,984
$1,423,272
2012
$84,472
$1,598,814
2013
$83,100
$1,610,684
2014
$88,613
$1,799,478
2015*
$52,013
$1,401,658
Source: Orleans County DSS. The 2015 data represents the first nine months of the year.
The county added a second full-time investigator in 2013. Orleans County leads similar-size nearby counties in welfare fraud detection and recovery.
Wyoming County investigators prevented an estimated $1,343,000 in unentitled benefits in 2014, and also recovered $62,000 in fraud, according to an April 18, 2015 article from The Daily News in Batavia. That report also said Genesee County prevented $787,716 in improper benefits and recovered $20,000 in fraud in 2014.
When the investigators with Orleans DSS detect fraud, they will often work with local law enforcement, which makes the arrests.
Tom Drennan, chief deputy of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, went over the game plan for making arrests and executing search warrants with about 20 officers from several agencies on Tuesday morning when the Murray Superette was raided and three people charged in a food stamp trafficking scheme. Drennan and the officers are pictured at about 6:30 a.m. at the Gaines Town Hall. Orleans County’s Welfare Fraud Unit has been involved in the case.
Some of the candidates for county-wide offices have said the county isn’t doing enough to crack down on welfare fraud. Kuryla said the county is a leader with its efforts and is doing everything “reasonable” to detect fraud and prevent it when people seek public assistance.
He said there has been some pushback from people who don’t like seeing people arrested, denied benefits or forced to pay back assistance.
“Some people think we’re beating up the poor,” Kuryla said. “That is not the case. We want to give people the appropriate assistance that they need. We’re absolutely trying not to hurt anybody who deserves benefits.”
An improving local job market and the county’s welfare fraud crackdown has brought down the county’s overall welfare caseload and cost, Kuryla said.
The caseloads for Family Assistance and Safety Net (assistance for people without children or who have been on welfare for more than 5 years) have been reduced from 758 in 2014 to the current level of 592, Kuryla said.
The reduced caseloads should reduce the county’s welfare costs by at least $200,000 this year, “conservatively,” Kuryla said.
“The numbers are coming down,” he said. “Many people realize it’s easier to get a job than to come in here and try to fool them.”
He said identifying the fraud takes people with their sole focus on looking for the red flags, and responding to referrals from the public and a hotline. Kuryla said county officials are discussing adding a third welfare fraud investigator to keep up with the workload and pursue more leads.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Here is another look at those flags in the West Ridgeway Cemetery.
RIDGEWAY – Flags at graves in the West Ridgeway Cemetery are pictured on Tuesday with bright sunshine breaking through the foliage of the cemetery along Route 104.
Today, western and central New York could see hazardous weather, the National Weather Service said.
There is potential for a thunderstorm to develop along a cold front boundary that is expected to cross the area this evening, the Weather Service said.
“Should these thunderstorms develop, stronger and possibly damaging winds will be possible,” the Weather Service said.
Today is forecast for a high of 64 degrees with a 100 percent chance of rain.
Thursday will see a high of 52 degrees with showers likely, while Friday will have a high of 47 and slight chance of rain, according to the Weather Service.
(Editor’s Note: Michelle Restivo of Albion joined her grandfather, Richard “Dick” Heard, on the Honor Flight this past weekend from Rochester to Washington, D.C. Heard, 91, is a life-long Albion resident who lives in his childhood home. He enlisted during World War II and was a radar mechanic. In February of 1943, he was called to active service from reserve status. He was stationed in six states throughout his time serving. Restivo is a kindergarten teacher in Batavia.)
By Michelle Restivo
ROCHESTER – “Folks, we’ve got a slight problem, but nothing we can’t handle.”
Steve, our Honor Flight trip leader, addressed the 54 American Veterans and their guardians at the airport gate early this past Saturday morning.
My Grandpa Dick and I were among the group waiting to board a plane to begin our Honor Flight trip to Washington DC. Our pilot had called in sick! The backup pilot was completing his FAA mandated 10-hour crew rest, and would be unable to fly our plane until 10 a.m., 4 hours later than our scheduled departure time.
The 4 other local Southwest pilots were already out on flights for the morning. So, we settled in for a bit of a wait.
Michelle Restivo and Richard Heard pose for a “selfie” from their seats on the plane.
The Rochester Honor Flight Organization is amazing. Now that I’ve seen it in action, I am in total awe. These people bend over backwards while standing on their heads, to accommodate and please our Veterans.
Soon after the delay was announced, HFO volunteers started coming around offering decks of playing cards and newspapers they had bought at the airport newsstand. Then, came the start of the continuous passing of snacks, candy, and water.
“What would you like? Can I get you anything? Please, have another.” My grandpa was in his glory. He never passed up an opportunity to dip his hand into the snack or candy bag, and at one point in the trip he had a stockpile of various snacks, four water bottles, and a Gatorade.
About halfway into our delay, Steve came back onto the PA system and told us, “Alright, we usually do this on the bus ride in to DC, but since we’re getting a late start and we’ll be here a while, we’re doing it now. Time for something you haven’t heard in a while. Mail call, guys.”
Just like in the service, he called out each service man or woman’s name, and a volunteer brought over a pack of letters. My grandpa received 8 letters, addressed to Corporal Heard.
The letters were written by Monroe County students of varying ages. He received letters from kids in 3rd, 8th, and 11th grade, as well as one teacher. Each letter was unique in its own way, but all had the same theme: gratitude for his service and his sacrifice.
The letter writers had been given information about the Vet they were writing to, including the branch of service and in which war they served. Grandpa Dick was in the Army Air Corp in World War II. Many letters included personal connections.
“This boy is interesting,” Grandpa said about one letter. “His family was from the Ukraine, and his great grandfather died while fighting on the Eastern Front.”
I took a closer look at this letter, which opened with, “I am merely a high school student,” and continued later, “I consider anybody who was in the military a war hero, whether they were in Europe, the Pacific, or stateside. People tend to forget there were people back at home helping the soldiers at the fronts get through the Imperial and Nazi empires.”
My Grandpa spent his 4 years in the service stateside, and this young man made sure to recognize the importance of that.
As promised, the pilot arrived promptly at the end of his crew rest, and our short flight to Baltimore was smooth. Hot cocoa was Grandpa’s drink of choice when the beverage service came around, and of course, he enjoyed another snack.
We de-boarded the plane and walked off the jet way, to be greeted by thunderous applause and a line of people waving American Flags. The first person in line was a young naval cadet. He reached out to shake my grandpa’s hand, “Thank you for your service, sir.” It was a phrase we would hear over and over again during the next 24 hours.
We continued down the line, Grandpa shaking hands with many thankful people along the way. After leaving our gate, we proceeded through the airport, past gates filled with people. All were on their feet, applauding the Vets with a standing ovation.
Many called out, “Thank you for your service!” as we wheeled by. It was an amazing sight, one that brought out some very raw emotion from Vets and guardians alike.
My grandpa is a man of few words, when it comes to feelings. He would love to tell you all about the latest news story he read, or information about a rare species of bird in East Africa. But, he rarely talks about himself.
Once we were situated on the bus moving on our way to Washington DC, I asked him what he thought about the airport arrival. “That was nice. It was so nice.” Indeed it was.
The bus ride included a box lunch for each of us. We were attempting to make up time, so we omitted our 1-hour stop for lunch. Grandpa was surprised to find a ham wrap inside his box.
“Oh, this is wrap. I’ve never had one of these before.” Earlier in the day, Honor Flight served us an airport breakfast of McDonald’s breakfast meals, and Grandpa had his first ever Egg McMuffin. He deemed both items, “good.” It was a day of firsts for him, that’s for sure.
As you can imagine, traveling with 54 WWII and Korean War Vets is not an easy task. The youngest Vet in our group was 81, and the oldest, 98. Each Vet was provided with a wheelchair, though I noticed some never used it. Good for them!
But, that means everywhere we went, we were loading and unloading these chairs, and transporting many of the guys in and out of them. My grandpa is ambulatory and still drives around town, does his own grocery shopping, and ventures out to his great-grand kid’s sporting contests.
However, he agreed to use a wheelchair for much of the trip, as we were often covering longer distances than he was used to. Usually, once we reached our destination, we would park the wheelchair and he would use his handy collapsible cane to motor around the historical monuments.
Noticing the similarity of when my family and I visited Disney World where each amusement ride had a large area denoted for “stroller parking” and our line of wheelchairs parked at stops all over DC, I chuckled to myself at one point.
Our first stop was Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where we watched the very respectful changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Our trip leaders told us to look for the Sergeant and the guards to scuff their foot as they passed by our Veteran group.
Apparently, it is how they acknowledge the former servicemen, even though they are not supposed to ever scuff their feet during the ceremony. We looked and listened, and sure enough, we saw it. The inspection and changing of the guard ceremony was incredibly precise and showed the utmost respect. “That was really something,” my grandpa said after we had moved on.
Our next stop was the Women’s Memorial. We had 5 women veterans in our group, and all had asked to add this stop to our trip. Even with the lengthy delay, our HFO trip leaders made sure to honor their request.
This stop is where my grandpa was surprised when getting off the bus was another granddaughter of his, her husband, and 2 of their 3 children. They live just outside of DC, and I had been coordinating with her all morning arranging the meet up. They followed our bus for the rest of the day and toured many of the memorials with us. “Wow!” my grandpa said upon seeing our family.
Back on our bus, we circled the Marine Corp memorial, Iwo Jima, and saw the Air Force memorial from afar. Due to our altered schedule, we did not get off at those as planned.
The next stop was a big one and we covered the Lincoln Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Wall, in that order per my grandpa’s request. After seeing all three, he said the Lincoln was his favorite.
Although when I asked him later in the day on Sunday, he said he liked all of the memorials for different reasons, and that he really liked the way the Korean War Memorial was depicted.
It was at this memorial that he explained to us about the very long antennae on the radios that the soldiers carried. Since he went to radio school, he shared with us that, “low frequency antenna was used so as not to be detected.”
Grandpa also talked about Korea as being the “forgotten war” and told us that it never really ended. “That war is still being fought now,” he said.
It was here at the Korean War Memorial, that I saw one of my most memorable moments, my grandpa sitting near a wall inscribed with the words,” Freedom is not free.”
It was a poignant picture, one that really brought tears to my eyes. Squeezing all three of these memorials in during just the 45 minutes we had at this stop was tight (most people only saw two out of the three). It was a bit of a race back to our bus, but we made it thanks to speed walking/pushing skills of my cousin’s husband.
“Hurry up and wait” was something I heard many of the Vets and guardians say during our trip. Through listening to their comments and conversations, I deduced that this was a common phrase heard in the military.
One serviceman told a story about moving out, sitting in the heat all afternoon, waiting, then retreating, moving out again, and then retreating back for the night. Many of them said “hurry up and wait” originated in the military, and that they were all very good at following those orders.
Fortunately for us, it wasn’t too long of a wait before we arrived at our final stop for the day, the World War II Memorial. Our most anticipated stop, and one that exceeded anything we could have imagined.
(Michelle Restivo will have more on the Honor Flight.)
ALBANY – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced $1 million in funding is available to assist new farmers begin their careers.
Now in its second year, the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund will build upon a successful 2015 when more than $610,000 was awarded to 19 farms across the state in order to support the continued growth of New York’s agricultural industry.
“Farming remains an important industry in New York and an essential part of this state’s economy,” Governor Cuomo said. “By creating new opportunities for early-stage farmers to expand and diversify agricultural production across the state, we are bolstering the growth in this sector and helping to ensure its vitality for years to come.”
The $1 million New Farmers Grant Fund will provide grants of up to 50 percent of total project costs. Funds may provide a minimum of $15,000 and maximum of $50,000 for up to 50 percent of project costs with the remaining 50 percent being matched by the recipient.
Eligible project costs include the purchase of farm machinery, supplies and equipment, and construction or improvement of farm buildings. Empire State Development, in consultation with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, will administer the fund which is open to New York farmers in the first 10 years of having a farm operation of 150 acres or less.
The application and guidelines for the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund are available online and the deadline for submission is January 22, 2016. Visit regionalcouncils.ny.gov for both the application and guidelines.
“Beginning farmers are as an important resource to the future of New York agriculture as land and water,” said New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton. “The grant fund and loan forgiveness program will kick start necessary investments that may be needed on growing farms and in turn support the agricultural economy statewide.”
Additionally, the New York State Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program, which encourages new college graduates to pursue farming careers in New York State, is now accepting applications for 2016.
The Incentive Program, available through New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, provides loan forgiveness awards to individuals who obtain an undergraduate degree from an approved New York State college or university and agree to operate a farm in New York State, on a full-time basis, for five years. In its first year, funding was provided for up to 10 awards and all 10 awards were given to eligible farmers.
The application for the New York State Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Program is available online and the deadline for submission is Dec. 1, 2015. Click here for the application.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, a former hog farmer and Genesee County Farm Bureau president, released this statement about the NY “New Farmers” program:
“As the owner of our family-owned farm for many years, I know firsthand how difficult life in the agriculture industry can be,” Hawley said. “Profits from produce and livestock sales fluctuate and the possibility of drought and flooding is always real. I can imagine the trepidation many young men and women feel as they begin their career in farming and agriculture, and this funding is a tremendous opportunity for aspiring farmers to get on their feet. Up to $50,000 in matching grant funds are available for everything from tractor and plow purchases to construction of barns and silos. I am proud of the work we have done to bolster the agriculture industry in New York State and I pledge my continued support going forward.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Members of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force raided the Murray Superette on Route 104 this morning at about 7 a.m., following a 15-month investigation.
MURRAY Three brothers that run the Murray Superette have been charged following a 15-month investigation into a food stamp trafficking scheme and the sale of untaxed cigarettes.
The three Salamaca brothers – Alexander, Myron and Olec – were all arrested this morning and are in jail on $20,000 bail, said Joe Sacco, supervising investigator for the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.
Police executed search warrants at Murray Superette, a winery started by the family last year on Hindsburg Road and the residences of the brothers.
Sacco said the total fraud could reach into the “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The Task Force and the county welfare fraud unit through the Department of Social Services have been investigating the Murray Superette since July 2014.
Sacco said the store owners and some employees accepted customers’ food stamps for cash at 70 percent to the customer, and then allowed customers to purchase items not authorized by the food stamp program such as cigarettes (including untaxed cigarettes), alcohol, Lottery tickets, gasoline and other items.
