By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Insurance company will help ID cause
Photos by Tom Rivers – Firefighters use the Albion ladder truck to help douse the house fire in Carlton on Friday.
CARLTON – The fire that destroyed a Carlton home on Friday afternoon remains under investigation, said Walter Batt, a fire investigator for Orleans County.
The insurance provider for the house owned by Tim and Terry Keller will have personnel on the scene early next week to help sift through the rubble and look for a cause.
Firefighters from several departments were on scene after the initial call went out at about 12:30 p.m. for the fire at 1830 Kent Rd. It took about three hours to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters struggled to snuff out the fire due to windy conditions on Friday.
Firefighters get into position to work out the fire at the back side of the house.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2014 at 2:02 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – Firefighters from several fire departments are on scene at a house fire on Kent Road. The house is fully engulfed with flames and firefighters are struggling to put it out due to windy conditions.
The house is owned by Tim and Terry Keller. They live at 1830 Kent Rd., next door to the Carlton Fire Station. Firefighters were dispatched at about 12:30 p.m.
Firefighters from throughout the county as well as from Hamlin responded to the call.
Carlton firefighters Ed Cooper and Ben Diltz direct water on the back of the house. The Albion ladder truck gets in position to spray water from up high.
The dark smoke from the blaze can be seen from miles away.
One firefighter suffered a muscle sprain in his knee and was taken from the scene by ambulance.
Heather Stone of Kent sent in this photo taken at about 1 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – A fire that tore through a home in Carlton was finally brought under control at about 3:30 p.m. today. (The top photo shows the scene at about 4:15 p.m.)
Firefighters battled the fire for about three hours. The house at 1830 Kent Road is owned by Tim and Terry Keller. Mr. Keller is a past chief of the Carlton Fire Company. The house is located next to a Carlton fire station.
Fire investigators are on the scene, sifting through the rubble to determine a cause. It appears to have started in a back corner of the house by a wood stove, but that hasn’t been determined as the cause.
Dan Strong, a Carlton firefighter, was taken from the scene by ambulance. He suffered a muscle strain in his knee, and has been released after being treated, Carlton firefighters said.
The fire spread through the house and took about three hours to bring under control.
Firefighters are barely visible through the smoke in this photo taken at about 1:15 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – Brown’s Berry Patch has hosted a 5-kilometer run and walk at its farm since 1996. The Oct. 11 event raised $3,615 for Hospice of Orleans, one of the highest totals in the race’s history.
Margy Brown, right, director of the race stopped by Hospice on Monday and presented a check to Bonnie Reigle, administrative assistant for the agency. They are pictured in the new garden next to the Martin-Linsin Residence.
The residence opened almost two years ago and includes eight residential suites for Hospice patients.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – Rush Outdoors, a TV series on hunting and fishing, filmed at the Oak Orchard River today on what was a perfect day for footage. Temperatures were in the mid-50s, leaves gently fell from trees, and fishermen were catching big fish left and right.
Tim Andrus of Kent is host of Rush Outdoors, which appears on seven networks in New York, northern Pennsylvania and southern Ontario. Andrus is pictured doing a segment for the show. Brian Kirby is the cameraman.
Kirby and Andrus marveled at the action on the river today. Anglers in one five-minute span landed a steelhead, a brown trout and a Chinook salmon.
Orleans County is a sponsor for the show and a 30-second commercial is featured during shows. The county is also listed on the Rush Outdoors web site (Click here).
Andrus and Kirby were at the Oak today filming an episode for season four of the show. It will air next year. When Rush Outdoors started, Orleans County was one of the first sponsors of the show. Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportsfishing promotion coordinator, said it has proven a good partnership and helped to raise the profile for the county’s fishery.
“Since I grew up here, I was adamant we needed to promote Orleans County,” Andrus said. “We have such a great fishery here.”
Today’s weather will make for great TV. Andrus and the crew also filmed a show this summer when charter boat captains took Vietnam War veterans out on the lake. The weather that day was horrible, with rain and fog.
Rush Outdoors promotes the Great Outdoors in New York, with a focus on hunting and fishing. Andrus juggles being host of the show with his job as a corrections officer at the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
The show sometimes will leave New York for hunting trips. Andrus last week was in Wyoming for a show on mule deer. He also hosted shows this year in Manitoba and North Dakota.
Carlos Ferley of West Virginia poses with a steelhead he caught today at the Oak Orchard River.
WATERPORT – The bridge over Lake Alice and Oak Orchard Road is reopened today after about five months of work.
The bridge, originally reported as only open to emergency vehicles, is open to all motorists.
Keeler Construction in Barre is the contractor for the $1.5 million project on the longest county-owned bridge. It stretches 700 feet across Lake Alice and the Oak Orchard Creek.
WATERPORT – A bridge that has been closed the past five months for $1.5 million in repairs will reopen today to emergency vehicles.
Fire trucks and ambulances can get through, but other motorists will have to wait until a final inspection on the bridge on Route 279. This is the longest county-owned bridge. It stretches 700 feet across Lake Alice and the Oak Orchard Creek.
Keeler Construction in Barre was hired to make repairs to the bridge. Many of the concrete box beams that support the bridge were badly deteriorated and needed to be replaced. The bridge also has a new surface with concrete, rubber membrane and blacktop.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2014 at 12:00 am
CARLTON – A consultant hired by the town to collect data on 2,400 properties is nearly done with the effort.
GAR Associates Inc. is being paid $68,000 to visit every property in the town and make note of swimming pools, additions, sheds, garages and exterior property improvements. GAR has been working on the project since March and should wrap up its work this month, Town Councilman Robin Lake said.
The firm has been working with Town Assessor Gene Massey. He will use the data from GAR for assessments on all the properties. Those assessments should be out in March.
“I think it will put everyone on an even keel,” Lake said.
The town has been working to update its assessment records so accurate and fair values can be designated for the properties. Carlton was engulfed in controversy in 2013 when new values for properties were assigned. Residents packed the Town Hall to complain about some of the big increases.
Residents also complained some properties were under-assessed. The town’s records didn’t show all the structures and improvements at some properties with low assessments, town officials said.
The Town Board chose not to re-appoint its assessor and worked out an arrangement with Kendall to share its assessor, Gene Massey.
“Gene will be very approachable,” Lake said. “If you have an issue, come on in and he’ll address it.”
The board has voted to freeze the assessments at 2012 levels, rather than allow the big increases to take effect. The board voted again to keep the 2014 data at the 2012 numbers, unless there was a building project at a property.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Carlton pays less for fire protection than most other towns in Orleans County
Photo by Tom Rivers – Jim Tabor, president of the Carlton Fire Company, is pictured on top of a Carlton pumper, using a master stream to direct more intense water at hay bales that caught on fire on Oct. 11.
CARLTON – The Carlton Fire Company can expect $20,000 more from town taxpayers in 2015, an increase that the fire company president says is sorely needed to help keep up with equipment, fuel, insurance, utilities and other expenses.
The Town Board said it would approve the increase when the town budget is approved next month. Carlton currently contributes $132,800 in town funds towards the fire company.
The $20,000 represents a 15 percent increase. Carlton can set aside that money, plus about $3,000 for contingency, and still remain under the 1.67 percent tax cap. The town isn’t giving raises to town employees.
David Krull, the town highway and water superintendent, told the board he supported the tight budget for other departments to better fund the fire department.
“The whole story here is they are underpaid compared to the other towns,” Krull told the Town Board during a meeting this evening.
Even with the $20,000 increase, Carlton is still on the low end of what towns give for fire protection.
Carlton taxpayers paid a 65 cent tax rate per $1,000 of assessed property for fire protection in 2014. That would increase by 10 cents with the additional $20,000, boosting the total town contribution to $152,800.
For comparison sake, here is how much other towns without contracts with village fire departments paid for fire protection in 2014: Barre, $164,000 at a $1.45 rate; Clarendon, $165,774 at $1.00 rate; Kendall, $160,900 at $1.38 rate to Kendall Fire Department and $66,386 at a $1.55 rate to the Morton Fire Department;
Murray, $190,000 at a $1.61 rate to the Holley Fire Department and $104,500 at a $1.59 rate to Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company; Ridgeway, $178,798 at a $1.26 rate to the Ridgeway Fire Company; and Shelby, $232,555 at a $1.44 rate to the Shelby and East Shelby fire companies.
“Our numbers were drastically low,” Jim Tabor, the Carlton Fire Company president, told the Town Board after presenting the data. “We’re still drastically low compared to other departments in the county.”
Carlton used to generate $40,000 a year in bingo profits. But that money is no longer there after an indoor smoking ban was enacted and legalized gambling, including video gaming centers, was expanded, Tabor said.
The fire company pressed for a $40,000 increase from the town last year and received about $20,000. It will get another $20,000 hike next year, and then Town Board members said they will only approve modest increases, likely about 2 percent a year, in the future.
Tabor said the bigger increases have been needed because the fire company used up some its reserves and put off needed equipment upgrades.
“We can’t keep digging because there’s nothing left to dig,” said Todd Ferris, a past chief.
Fire company leaders are projecting $173,200 in expenses in 2015. With the town’s contribution at $152,800, plus another $12,000 in fund-raising revenue, Tabor said the department is still short by more than $8,000.
He said 35 air pack bottles need to be replaced by 2017 at a maximum cost of $1,200 each. A new fire truck will soon be needed and that could top $350,000. The fire company has $190,000 saved in a fire truck reserve account.
The fire company is pursuing grants to help with the equipment upgrades, and volunteers continue to raise funds at the recreation hall. But Tabor said the town may need to bolster its support for the department to safely serve the community.
“It’s very difficult to get blood out of a stone,” Tabor told the Town Board. “I don’t know what our options are.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2014 at 10:01 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – Firefighters were dispatched at about 8:30 this morning to a fire at the grain facility at Lynn-Ette and Sons Farms, 1512 Kent Rd.
The fire was quickly put out in the central tower of the grain drying and storage facility for the farm. This is the second fire in less than a week at the site. The other one was on Thursday morning.
Darren Roberts, co-owner of the farm, said the central tower would be emptied of corn today while a crew investigates what is causing the problem.
Roberts said the farm is using more propane this season to dry corn. The wet fields has delayed harvesting by about a month. Roberts said the corn has been wet, requiring more heat to dry.
Carlton and Kendall firefighters were on the scene this morning.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – The St. Mary’s Archer’s Club on the Oak Orchard River in Carlton welcomed 55 participants in the club’s annual fly fishing tournament from Wednesday through Friday.
These anglers are pictured on Friday afternoon along the river. Out-of-state participants came from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
The catch-and-release tournament gives prizes for the biggest Chinook salmon, brown trout, Atlantic salmon and steelhead.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – Paul Glor of Rochester is way ahead of a field of about 75 runners this morning at the Brown’s Berry Patch 5K. Glor finished the race in 15:50. He has won the race the last five years and six times overall.
Participants are pictured at the beginning of the race, an annual event at Brown’s since 1996. The race has raised $32,000 for Hospice of Orleans, not counting today’s total.
Jack Richardson, 81, of Albion nears the finish line with his grandson, Chad Hardy, a senior at Roberts Wesleyan College. Richardson, a retired pastor, runs many local 5-kilometer races. His daughter Martha Hardy, Chad’s mother, also ran the race this morning.
Paul Glor was the men’s overall winner. He is pictured with Dana Phillips of Lyndonville, the women’s overall winner.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – About two dozen hay bales caught on fire this morning on Park Avenue, along the Oak Orchard River, in the Town of Carlton.
The Carlton Volunteer Fire Company was the scene at about 9:30 a.m.
Jim Tabor is pictured on top of the Carlton pumper, using a master stream to direct more intense water at the hay bales, attempting to break them apart.
Barre and Albion firefighters, as well as the Carlton Highway Department also responded to the incident, and helped tear apart the hay bales so they wouldn’t keep smoldering throughout the day.
The fire was smoky, and could be seen from several miles away.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
WATERPORT – There are a lot of vehicles in Carlton with license plates from Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states outside New York.
Many of those visitors are in town trying to catch some of the Chinook salmon on their annual spawning run up the Oak Orchard River and other Lake Ontario tributaries.
There was a crowd of anglers at the Waterport Dam this morning. The parking lot was full by the dam with many of the fishermen having to park along the road.
Shawn Dominikowski, 22, of Horseheads has a salmon on the line. He and his friend Brandon Barnic, 22, left Horseheads at 2 this morning and arrived at about 5 a.m. to claim a spot along the river.
Shawn Dominikowski, left, and Brandon Barnic look over the fish that Dominikowski caught this morning in the Oak Orchard River. It was the first time Dominikowski caught a salmon.
After some safety concerns last fall and earlier this spring, Brookfield Power Company posted some of its property with restricted access. Anglers are banned from standing in the water near the power plant.
They can stand in some sections of the water as long as they are wearing a personal flotation device.
These two fishermen both travelled from Central Pennsylvania to fish at the Oak Orchard. They arrived on Thursday and are staying until Sunday. D.R. Bubb is at left with his friend Tom Rager. They have both been catching their limit of three salmon each day.
They’ve been to Orleans County to fish each the past five years. They like the thrill of reeling in a 30-pound salmon.
“They’re very strong fish,” Rager said. “It’s so much fun hooking into one of them.”
CARLTON – A boil water advisory issued Tuesday night in Carlton was lifted this afternoon by the Orleans County Health Department.
The advisory was issued at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday when the town’s water system was back on-line following a repair to a water main leak. The system was down for about 12 hours.
The Health Department issued the advisory as a precaution. It took samples of the water on Wednesday and Thursday and results from those tests showed the water was safe to drink, said David Krull, the town highway and water superintendent.
The Health Department at 2:04 p.m. today gave the clearance that the advisory could be lifted, Krull said.
The town was forced to shut off the public water system for about 700 residents on Tuesday after a hole burst in a 16-inch main between Brown’s Berry Patch and the Route 18 bridge. The water had to be shut off so Carlton and Village of Albion crews could weld a patch on the transmission line.
