CARLTON – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the name of last night’s apparent drowning victim in the Oak Orchard River.

William E. Rowe, 67, was a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. He came to the area with three friends earlier this week to participate in a 3-day fishing charter on Lake Ontario.

Mr. Rowe jumped from the Kenyonville Road bridge at about 7 p.m. on Thursday after talking with teenagers who had been jumping from the bridge. Firefighters and law enforcement officers searched for his body for about 90 minutes. He was found at 8:43 p.m.

Rowe’s death is believed to be accidental, Sheriff Scott Hess said today. No foul play is suspected. The investigation by the Sheriff’s Office is continuing and includes the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Fire departments and law enforcement personnel search the water in the Oak Orchard River near the Kenyonville Road bridge after a man jumped and drowned this evening.

Press Release
Sheriff Scott Hess

An adult male from Cincinnati, Ohio is dead tonight, the apparent victim of a drowning in the Town of Carlton.

The incident occurred at 7:15 p.m., in Oak Orchard River off the Kenyonville Road bridge, in the hamlet of Kenyonville. The victim, who had been in the area since Tuesday for a three-day Lake Ontario fishing charter, approached a group of teenage girls who were jumping off the bridge into the river.

He asked them if he could jump too and then did so without any objection. According to the witnesses, the man surfaced briefly and then submerged. He did not re-surface.

A crew from the Carlton Fire Department recovered the body at about 8:45 p.m. He was pronounced dead by Orleans County Coroner Scott Schmidt, and taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin in Ohio.

In addition to the Carlton FD, crews from the Albion and Lyndonville Fire Departments assisted in the search for the deceased. The Sheriff’s Marine Unit was also on-scene.

The incident was investigated by Deputy A.A. Breuilly. He was assisted by Sgt. G.T. Gunkler, Sgt. D.E. Foeller Jr., Lt. C.M. Bourke, and Chief Deputy T.L. Drennan. State Troopers from the Albion barracks also assisted at the scene.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – A 67-year-old man drowned after jumping off the Kenyonville Road bridge this evening.

Several fire departments and law enforcement agencies responded to the recovery effort. The man was found at 8:43 p.m. near the two boats at the far right in the top photo, the west side of the bridge on Oak Orchard River.

The man is from Cincinnati and was in town with friends for a charter fishing trip, one of his friends said. The man had been drinking and went for a walk down the bridge. He was staying with four other friends at the Lake Alice Cottages by the bridge.

Several teen-agers were out on the bridge in late afternoon and early evening, jumping into the Oak Orchard River. The man’s friends thought he was just going for a walk on the bridge. But then he jumped from the bridge.

“I don’t know why,” one of his friends said.

The bridge is a popular spot for people, mostly teen-agers, to jump. The water is about 20 feet deep near the bridge.

A 9-1-1 call went out and firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 7:18 p.m.

The bridge is a popular spot for teen-agers during the summer, neighbors said. One woman drove by the bridge at 4 p.m. today and she said there were about 15 teens on the bridge, jumping off.

“We need more police patrols,” she said.

There is signage warning people to not swim or dive, but neighbors said the teens do anyway.

“This should put a scare into the kids,” a neighbor said. “If one of them slipped on the guard rail and hit their head, they’d be gone.”

The man from Cincinnati and his friends had a big day on a charter boat, catching several big Chinook salmon, one of the friends said. They had planned to go to a casino in Niagara Falls tonight, before boarding their plane for home tomorrow.

One of the visiting fishermen instead called the wife of the man who drowned, telling her about the tragic death of her husband.

Firefighters and law enforcement officers tried to keep onlookers from getting on the bridge.

Firefighters searched both sides of the bridge until the man was found about 90 minutes after he drowned.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Breeze Inn Again co-owner Nicole Bellnier, right, and waitress Jennifer Viza are pictured inside the restaurant on Route 98.

POINT BREEZE Nicole and Ed Bellnier debated earlier this spring whether they should enjoy a summer of leisure with their boat on Lake Ontario or commit to reviving a former restaurant site and running that demanding business.

The couple loves the Point Breeze community, and they saw the restaurant as an important gathering spot for the community. They decided to sell their boat, and use that money to help get the restaurant off the ground.

They opened the Breeze Inn Again restaurant and café on May 22. The site is at 928 Point Breeze Rd., near the northern end of Route 98.

“We wanted to give something back to the community,” Mrs. Bellnier said. “Point Breeze is a little niche. It’s a tight-knit community.”

Bellnier worked as a waitress at the Crooked Door Tavern in Albion, starting the first day for the business. She was there 3 ½ years and then worked at the Medina Theatre Company as a manager.

“I love the restaurant business,” Bellnier said. “Every day is different.”

Nicole Bellnier prepares a Reuben sandwich at Breeze Inn Again. The Reuben is one of the restaurant’s more popular items. Bellnier slow cooks the corned beef for five hours. Employee Tyler Quill is also pictured. He cooks, does the dishes, prep cooks, and serves up ice cream.

Bellnier has been using many of her grandmother’s recipes in preparing the food. Breeze Inn Again serves breakfasts, lunch and dinner.

Her husband has worked in sales for 30 years at the Spurr dealership in Brockport.

They gave the restaurant new paint, a new menu, added ice cream and an outdoor seating area. The building is owned by John Brown and David Tufts, and they put in new kitchen equipment.

The Bellniers are active in the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association. The restaurant, back when it was known as Breeze Inn, was the birthplace for OONA about a decade ago. Community members used to meet at the site to play cards and games.

The picnic tables have all been painted with fun colors as part of an outdoor area for ice cream and desserts.

Mrs. Bellnier is among a staff of eight that are serving breakfasts and lunches on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The restaurant stays open later for dinner from Thursday through Saturday.

Mrs. Bellnier suffered a broken leg four days before Breeze Inn Again opened. She managed to cook, bus tables and prep food, using a scooter to get around. She had a cast on for 6 ½ weeks.

She strives for quality ingredients, including fresh produce from local farmers. She said the restaurant needs to make the extra effort for customers.

“People only have so much time and money,” she said. “When they come here we want them to feel welcome.”

Bellnier said Point Breeze can feel like a peaceful getaway, with the lake, a lighthouse, the Oak Orchard River and several fruit farms. She believes the new restaurant adds to charm of the area.

“We live right around the corner from here and we wanted to have something beautiful for the community with fresh food,” Bellnier said.

CARLTON A Barre man who went missing on Sunday night was found safe on Monday afternoon, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess said.

The man’s family had called Orleans County 911 on Sunday night at about 11:20 after he failed to return to a campsite at Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, where they were staying.

The man, who was not identified by law enforcement, had left the park to take someone home, and was expected to come right back. The family further reported that the individual might be suffering from early onset dementia, Hess said.

A missing person’s report was filed and the vehicle description was disseminated to local law enforcement agencies.

The search intensified around 12:30 p.m. Monday when Lakeside Beach State Park Manager Thomas Rowland found the missing man’s truck on state park property off the west end of an unpaved park service road that is normally off-limits to park patrons.

The truck was stuck in some soft ground on the east bank of Johnson’s Creek, and appeared to have been abandoned there, Hess said. This prompted a massive search detail involving several law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff’s Marine Unit, K-9 dogs, a State Police helicopter, state park employees and the Carlton Fire Department.

Searchers located the man shortly before 4:30 p.m. and after he was checked out by EMS personnel, he was returned to his family. Hess didn’t detail where the man was located.

In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, agencies involved in the search included the New York State Park Police, state troopers from the Albion barracks, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Border Patrol.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Blind Leading the Blind, a contemporary rock band, is shown performing at the Orleans County Marine Park in July 2013. The band will be back for another concert on Aug. 18.

CARLTON – The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association will kick off its sixth summer concert series on Tuesday with the Dave Viterna Group playing classic rock, oldies and blues at the main pavilion at the Orleans County Marine Park.

The Tuesday evening concerts start at 6 p.m. and run until Aug. 18. They typically draw 200 to 400 people for music. Many concert-goers enjoy walking around the park on Route 98, a site that includes docking along the Oak Orchard River.

“We want people to have a good time and keep coming back,” said Paul Zeppetella, concert coordinator for OONA.

OONA partners with Orleans County Tourism in organizing the concerts. OONA and the county want to showcase the park at Point Breeze. The site will see an upgrade this year to its playground, stairway and electric hook-ups for boaters.

The Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and Orleans County officials are pictured today promoting the upcoming summer concert series at the Marine Park. The group includes, from left: Lynne Menz, county tourism coordinator; Tracy Panczyszyn, OONA communications coordinator; Paul Zeppetella, OONA concert coordinator; Frank Panczyszyn, OONA concert emcee; and county legislators Ken DeRoller and John DeFilipps.

The concerts on Tuesday evenings are intended to draw people to the Point on a weekday. The area tends to be busy anyway on weekends.

Concert organizers try to change up the band schedule each year, adding some bands that haven’t played at the site in the past.

This year’s lineup includes three bands that will be new to the Marine Park: The Brick Band, 78 RPM Big Band, and The Boomers.

Sponsors cover about half of the cost of bringing in the bands, with the county and a $2 admission charge covering the rest.

Tracy Panczyszyn, OONA communications coordinator, said there are many nearby talented musicians to draw from for the OONA concert series as well as other concerts in the community.

The Clarendon Lions Club will be at the park for each concert serving hamburgers and sausage. Club members working the grill in this photo from July 2013 include Kevin Johnson, left, and Don Knapp.

The concert lineup includes:

July 7 – The Dave Viterna Group (classic rock, oldies, blues)
July 14 – Brick Band (rock, jazz, country, oldies, R&B)
July 21 – The Who Dats (classic rock, pop)
July 28 – Jive Street Five (classic golden age, rat pack)
August 4 – 78 RPM Big Band (big band)
August 11 – The Boomers (ballads to boogie by)
August 18 – The Blind Leading the Blind (contemporary rock)

In addition, The Black North Inn and El Gallo, a Mexican restaurant in Albion, will be vendors for the concert series.

Photos by Tom Rivers

POINT BREEZE – About 40 members of the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association built a fire by the Lake Ontario shore and welcomed summer with a party on Saturday night.

The OONA members met at the home of Gene Haines, next to the Oak Orchard Lighthouse. They celebrated the summer solstice, which officially begins today at 12:38 p.m..

At 8:56 p.m. on Saturday, the OONA members gathered at the shoreline, with maracas and other noise-makers to say good-bye to spring and hello to summer.

This is the fourth year that OONA members have held a summer solstice celebration.

OONA members work on building the fire.

Photos by Tom Rivers  – Bilal Huzair, deputy director for the World Sufi Foundation, sits on the front steps of the group’s mosque on Fuller Road in Carlton.

CARLTON – A State Supreme Court justice has ruled the World Sufi Foundation can keep its mosque on Fuller Road and another site used for medical services on Waterport Road.

The ex-wife of the Sufi Foundation’s minister, Dr. Asaf Durakovic, claimed in a lawsuit that the properties were fraudulently transferred to the World Sufi Foundation.

The World Sufi Foundation argued in court that the properties were bought by the group and have been maintained by members. The sites are not a personal asset of Dr. Durakovic, the group told Judge James Punch.

The properties were titled in the name of Durakovic because he was the senior minister when the World Sufi Foundation was incorporated. Title to the properties was transferred automatically once the World Sufi Foundation was incorporated in 2004, the group said in court filings.

Punch, in a decision dated on Thursday, said Durakovic held title to the properties in Waterport, but he had no “beneficial interest” in these assets. He merely held them “as the titular head of the Sufi World Foundation,” Punch wrote in his decision.

The site at 1815 Waterport Rd. has been used a medical clinic and the property at 1529 Fuller Rd. has been primarily used as a meeting place for prayers and ceremonies.

Punch’s decision follows a similar conclusion by a Canadian Court, which found the properties were not part of the Durakovic’s and his former wife’s marital estate.

This site on Fuller Road has been used for prayers and services by the local Muslim community.

The judge made his decision on Thursday and the Sufi Foundation was notified of it in mail on Monday.

That followed almost a week of public demonstrations, including an interfaith rally on Sunday outside the courthouse, seeking religious protections for all faiths.

Bilal Huzair, a member of the Sufi Foundation, said the group is relieved the case is over and it can continue to use the sites.

Huzair stopped by the mosque on Fuller Road today. He said the site has been used by the local Muslim community for 37 years for prayers, services and other special events. The site is in a rural area along a dirt road. Huzair said the community enjoys the peacefulness of the location.

“Someone is always here praying or just enjoying it,” he said.

The mosque has a symbol near the front door that means “He is.” The property also has many trees, and each member has planted at least one.

“It’s giving thanks to God,” he said about all the trees.

Huzair said the Muslim community appreciates the support from other people in the community, especially at the interfaith rally on Sunday, when people stood in a downpour.

The pastors of the First Presbyterian Church in Albion and Pullman Memorial Universalist Church were part of that rally, as well as the Social Justice Committee from the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Albion and other religious groups from outside Albion.

“There were members from different churches who joined us in the pouring rain,” Huzair said.

He is hopeful the religious people can continue to build a strong interfaith community in Orleans County and the region.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Demonstrators were out on Sunday for several hours on Main Street in Albion, holding signs and trying to raise awareness for a court case in State Supreme Court in Orleans County.

ALBION – The Waterport Sufi community is planning an interfaith rally at 2 p.m. on Sunday outside the Orleans County Courthouse to protest a lawsuit that threatens the group’s use of a mosque on Fuller Road in Waterport.

The rally is intended as an interfaith event to support Constitutional rights for religious freedom.

The Sufi community is at risk of losing its place of worship as a result of a private lawsuit now before the New York Supreme Court in Orleans County, said Bilal Huzair, deputy director for the local Sufi Foundation.

The congregation and its local supporters have been picketing the courthouse in Albion for the past week to oppose what it says is an abuse of the legal process.

The local Muslim community has used the mosque on a dirt road in Carlton for 37 years. Many people have been married at the site on Fuller Road over the years. The mosque continues to be used for services and prayers, Huzair said.

He said a former wife of one of the mosque’s ministers has filed a lawsuit, seeking possession of the building. The issue has been argued before James Punch, acting State Supreme Court justice, and his decision is expected soon, Huzair said.

“This is not an individual’s property,” Huzair said on Sunday about the mosque. “We’re being held back from practicing our faith.”

The Sufi community is asking its friends in Western New York, other faith congregations, and all concerned people to stand with them to defend the Constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Protestors are out at Courthouse Square today trying to raise awareness of an impending court action that could make a mosque in Waterport no longer available to the World Sufi Foundation.

The local Muslim community has used the mosque on a dirt road in Carlton for 37 years. Many people have been married at the site on Fuller Road over the years. The mosque continues to be used for services and prayers, said Bilal Huzair, deputy director for the World Sufi Foundation.

He said a former wife of one of the mosque’s ministers has filed a lawsuit, seeking possession of the building. The issue has been argued before James Punch, acting State Supreme Court justice, and his decision is expected soon, Huzair said.

“This is not an individual’s property,” he said about the mosque. “We’re being held back from practicing our faith.”

About 50 protestors began walking along Main Street by the courthouse at about 10 a.m. They plan to be there until 4 p.m. today.

“We want to make sure our freedom of the Constitution is upheld,” Huzair said. “Our focus is on preserving our rights.”

Huzair said some of the protestors weren’t part of the World Sufi Foundation, but were supportive of the group’s effort to raise awareness of the case.

“We want to make sure this doesn’t happen to another church,” Huzair said.

Huzair said the lawsuit should worry all of those concerned about faith and liberty. He said the lawsuit contends the site on Fuller Road and also a community-run medical office are not religious properties and should be seized to settle a private lawsuit that does not directly involve the community.

“This is an abuse of the legal process,” Huzair said. “The court should have dismissed this outrageous claim immediately. Instead they have left us hanging for months not knowing if our place of worship would be sold out from under us.”