CARLTON – After more than a week away from its family in Carlton, a beloved dog named Rori returned to his owners this morning.

Ann Humner and her husband Asi Sveisson adopted Rori, a brindle/white mix, from the SPCA in Erie County eight years ago.

Rori snapped off his tether on Dec. 8 and hadn’t been seen since, until he returned home in Carlton today, scratching his paws against the door at about 6 a.m.

“He is very skinny and he’s been sleeping all day,” Humner said. “He’s exhausted.”

Humner doesn’t know where Rori spent the previous eight days. She thinks he found shelter somewhere, maybe inside a barn or garage.

He appeared to be dropped off at the end of Hillcrest Drive early this morning. Rori’s paw prints started at the end of Hillcrest.

“I don’t know what happened but we’re very happy he’s home,” she said.

Orleans Hub featured Rori yesterday. We’re happy the dog found his way home.

Provided photos – Rori, left, has been missing since last Sunday. Lacey also got away but returned home on Wednesday.

CARLTON – Eight years ago Ann Humner and her husband Asi Sveisson adopted Rori, a brindle/white mix from the SPCA in Erie County.

Rori has been a beloved member of the family because she’s so “sweet and gentle,” Humner said today.

The family has been looking for the dog the past week since she broke off her tether last Sunday afternoon. Both Rori and Lacey, a husky mix, got away a week ago. Lacey returned home on Wednesday.

Humner and Sveisson live on Hillcrest Drive in Carlton. They owned a cottage there for about six years before moving in permanently last January. The location on Lake Alice is “gorgeous” and they wanted to stay there year-round in their retirement, Humner said.

Lacey helped track Rori for about 3 miles before losing the scent on Thursday. Humner asked that snowmobilers and others keep a look out for Rori. She said the dog, which weighs about 50 pounds, is very friendly.

For more information, contact Humner at 716-906-1585.

Rori, left, and Lacey are friends that like to stick together.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The U.S. Postal Service is reducing the hours at the Post Office in Kent, effective Jan. 11. The building is located at 1788 Kent Rd.

KENT – The U.S. Postal Service, in an effort to rein in its costs, is reducing the office hours at the site in Kent at 1788 Kent Rd.

The Post Office will be open 30 minutes less on weekdays andwill keep the same retail hours on Saturdays. The new hours are effective Jan. 11.

The Post Office lobby is currently open from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and then from 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.. The lobby is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

With the new hours the site will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then from 2 to 5 p.m.

“Current Saturday window service hours will not be reduced and access to delivery receptacles will not change as a result of the realignment of weekday window service hours,” said Karen Mazurkiewicz, WNY District Communications Coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service.

Customers will have access to their mail receptacles from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. from Monday through Friday and from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. The Post Office Box mail will be available daily for pick-up by 10:00 a.m. on weekdays and on Saturday, she said.

The Postal Service in 2011 announced it was going to close under-utilized Post Offices, about 3,500 nationwide, Mazurkiewicz said.

“The Postal Service began conducting community meetings and the Number One response was customers would rather see a reduction in hours than to have their Post Office closed,” she said. “Taking that feedback, USPS decided to modify its original plan and instead proposed an option where communities could keep their Post Office, but with reduced hours.”

CARLTON – There were 49 absentee ballots counted this morning to determine the winner of the race for highway superintendent in Carlton.

Krull lost the Republican primary to Snook, 215-155. Krull, the incumbent, still had the Independence Party line and would be in the Nov. 5 ballot. But it would be a long shot for a minor-party candidate to win against a Republican backed candidate.

Krull refused to give up. He acknowledged he didn’t campaign much in the primary. When he wasn’t working, he was racing to get a roof project done on his home.

The past seven weeks he was out door to door. Many residents also stepped out for him, taking out ads and rallying support.

He won 434-421, widening his lead with the absentee ballots.

Krull said he has tackled many road projects the past four years. He thinks it will take four more years to get caught up on the road infrastructure.

“I’ve worked awfully hard for the people of Carlton,” Krull said after the final results were announced today. “I feel I stand up for the little guy.”

Snook is one of four motor equipment operators in Carlton. Krull said there has been division in the highway department during the campaign. Now that the election is over, he hopes the group rallies to work together for the good of the town.

“Hopefully this can all be put behind us,” Krull said.

Press release, New York State DOT

CARLTON – The New York State Department of Transportation will close a 2-mile portion of the Lake Ontario State Parkway between Lakeside Beach State Park and Route 98 in the town of Carlton for the winter months effective Nov. 12.

The highway will be re-opened upon conclusion of the winter weather next spring. The same section was closed last winter.

Motorists will be directed to use Route 18 as a parallel detour route. Electronic message boards were placed this week to inform motorists of the upcoming closure.

CARLTON – An article on Monday about the races for town offices in Orleans County neglected to mention the write-in effort by Lea Olles for Carlton town clerk.

Olles lost a Republican primary to incumbent Pam Rush.

To see the article from Monday, which has been updated, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Brown’s Berry Patch and the Albion Rotary Club raised $2,566 for Hospice of Orleans with a 5-kilometer walk and run on Oct. 12. Margy Brown, center, presents a check to Hospice today. She is pictured with Rotary Club President Cindy Perry, left, and Marsha Rivers, director development and community relations for Hospice.

CARLTON – For 17 years the Brown family has organized a 5-kilometer run and walk through their orchards as a benefit for Hospice of Orleans County.

The race has now raised $31,190 for the agency, with the Oct. 12 race netting $2,566.

Margy Brown presented a check to Hospice Director of Development and Community Relations Marsha Rivers today during the Albion Rotary Club meeting. The Rotary Club provides some manpower during the race.

The Oct. 12 race was dedicated in memory of Judy Christopher, a Rotarian and volunteer at many of the Brown’s races.

“She was always a mentor,” Brown told the Rotary Club today. “I had a great deal of respect for her.”

The race T-shirt included an image of a phoenix as a tribute to Christopher, who owned Phoenix Fitness for about two decades in Albion.

Photos by Brad London – Ramsey Constructors of Lakeville removes the deck of a bridge today in Carlton.

CARLTON – The smallest of the three bridges over the Oak Orchard River in Point Breeze was removed today by Ramsey Constructors of Lakeville.

The bridge has been closed since December 2011 after an inspection found several deficiencies with the structure.

The bridge over the Oak Orchard River Road is part of an area known as “The Bridges.” Two other bigger bridges that are close by on Route 98 and Route 18 remain open. However, several Point Breeze business owners want a replacement for the smaller bridge to improve traffic flow for the area and provide an alternative in case one of the bigger state bridges is closed.

The state’s current funding formula, which prioritizes bridges with high traffic, makes it unlikely a new bridge will be constructed at the site anytime soon, county officials said.

“We do not feel that the bridge is eligible for any available funding programs at this time,” said Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer. “Plans are not currently in place to build a new bridge at the site.”

CARLTON – There aren’t too many left these days: unpaved public roads. But there are some in Orleans County.

Clark Mills Road in Carlton has shunned asphalt. The winding road is on the west side of the Oak Orchard River, which happens to be one the Orleans County’s top tourist attractions.

Many places in their tourism epicenter would likely dress up such a road, insisting on fresh pavement and all kinds of amenities. But I hope Clark Mills stays unpaved. It adds to the rural charm.

I’d like to find more unpaved public roads in the county. If you know of any, please send me a note at tom@orleanshub.com.

Press release, Orleans County Undersheriff Steve Smith

CARLTON – An Albion man was injured with a partially severed ear while he was a passenger during a mud bog event today.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:40 p.m. at Lake Alice Motor Sports, located at 1766 Waterport Rd.

Eric C. List, 49, of Bergen was operating a 1995 Jeep in the Lake Alice Mud Bogging Event. (Mud Bogging is a form of off-road motorsport in which the goal is to operate a four-wheel drive vehicle through a mud pit, which may be flat or hilly.)

Joel Barczak-Garcia, 23, of Albion was a rear-seat passenger in the Jeep. At some point, the vehicle travelled over a mud jump and down an embankment. Barczak-Garcia was not wearing a seat belt. His head struck a metal protrusion inside the vehicle resulting in the injury.  He was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance.

Two other passengers in the Jeep, Michelle Gallo, 39, and Jennifer Haines, 26, were not injured, nor was List.

The incident was investigated by Deputy J.J. Cole.

POINT BREEZE – One of the benefits of Point Breeze landing the title as “Ultimate Fishing Town” is all of the free advertising on the World Fishing Network, which runs an annual online contest to declare the top fishing community in the country.

The World Fishing Network has produced a clip about Point Breeze and its fishing prowess. The network interviewed Mike Waterhouse, the county’s sportsfishing coordinator, and Sharon Narburgh, owner of Narby’s Superette and Tackle.

The segment shows local waterways and some of our historic sites and impressive architecture, including the Orleans County Courthouse. (Click here to see the video.)

WFN crew members were in Point Breeze on June 26 to present a trophy to Carlton town officials and a $25,000 check to promote the fishery. Several businesses have already displayed big banners, declaring Point Breeze as the “Ultimate Fishing Town.”