Provided photos

CLARENDON – Melissa Ierlan, Clarendon town historian, leads a tour of Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon and Holley on Sunday evening.

It was part of a series of Sunday evening tours this month organized by the Orleans County Historical Association.

The Historical Association planned five programs on Sundays in August. They all start at 6 p.m. The series ends this Sunday with a presentation by Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian. He will present “Telling Tales Out of School” from his book, “Trivial Tales.” This program will be at the Gaines Basin School, 3286 Gaines Basin Rd. in Albion.

The tour on Sunday in Clarendon included a look inside the chapel at the Hillside Cemetery which has received significant preservation work in recent years with work on the roof, repointing and repairs to the windows.

The time inside the chapel included music played by organist Scott Schmidt, who shared old and familiar tunes.

Photo by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Village of Holley employees including Matt Campbell (in the excavator) are working late tonight to fix a water main break on Route 31A in the Town of Clarendon.

This is the primary 12-inch waterline from the Monroe County Water Authority that feeds the town’s water districts.

There is currently widespread low water pressure because the water needed to be shut off near the leak at about 7:45 p.m. This spot is between Thomas Estates and Akeley Manor on Route 31A, just west of Hall Road and Countyline Road.

This photo was taken at about 9 p.m. The workers were waiting for National Grid to show up and give the OK for the crew to dig down and find the leak, and “cut it and clamp it” on the watermain. That would be a repair to the waterline.

Campbell is Holley’s superintendent of water and electric. He is shown in the excavator scooping water out of the spot where they will be working. The crew is hopeful the water main will be fixed tonight.

CLARENDON – Tracy Chalker, the Clarendon town highway superintendent, has already had to spring into action four times recently with highway workers to remove fallen ash trees from Clarendon roadways.

The ash trees in town have been decimated by the emerald ash borer, which have caused widespread destruction to ash trees throughout the country.

“It will be a total disaster in four, five years with ash trees coming down,” Chalker told the Clarendon Tow Board on Tuesday.

Town Councilman Allen Robinson said the state and county should consider a pre-emptive plan to take down trees off the right-of-way that are in danger of falling into roads and taking down wires.

“There’s a lot of dead trees,” Robinson said. “There will be a lot of trees that will be flopping in the roads.”

Town Supervisor Richard Moy said he has been taking an informal inventory of the ash trees, and they are in big numbers around town.

“There are so many of them,” he said.

Chalker and the highway workers were praised by Town Councilman Marc Major for their speedy response in removing the trees. Major is also a volunteer firefighter and he said the highway workers are quickly on scene when a tree comes down in the road.

Church will meet at Clarendon location and be known as Disciples First United Methodist

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Randy Moore pulls the cover off the new sign for a merged church – Disciples First United Methodist Church, which brings together the Disciples UM Church and the Albion First UM Church.

Moore, a member of the board of trustees for Disciples, was joined by Leslee Lockwood of the Albion congregation in unveiling the sign at about 11:30 a.m. after the first service of the newly merged church.

Leslee Lockwood and Randy Moore cut the ribbon on the new sign for the church on Route 237, south of the Village of Holley.

The two congregations have been sharing a pastor for nine years. The pastor previously would travel to Albion and then to Clarendon for services until the Albion members started attending the Clarendon site about 18 months ago.

The two congregations each voted on April 25 to formally merge. Today was the first service for the merged group.

Linda Glantz is the church’s pastor. During her sermon today she spoke about Lego toy blocks, which are simple plastic bricks but can be used to build elaborate structures.

“They have a basic design, but the magic is in the way they fit together,” she said. “They are designed to be connected.”

Glantz said the new church is stronger with both congregations together. Disciples First UMC will have a focus on three core values of faith, family and friends.

“God created us for community,” she said. “Like Legos we are designed to fit together.”

James Shaw, a Boy Scout in Troop 59, served as a acolyte this morning and lit one of the candles at the altar. The church has been a longtime sponsor of a Boy Scout troop.

Vonda Fossitt, the district superintendent and former pastor of Albion First UMC, speaks during the service today with lay leaders from each congregation – Christine Shade of Disciples and Rachel Marasco of Albion First. Fossitt said Disciples First United Methodist Church “is duly organized for the glory of God, the proclamation of the gospel, and the service of humanity.”

In addition to unveiling the new sign, the church planted a maple tree on the lawn.

Richard Moy (left), Clarendon town supervisor, joined in the celebration today and helped plant the tree. Terry Wilbert of the Albion First UMC is back in center and Randy Moore, right, guides the tree into the ground. Moore, 45, has attended the church since he was 9.

Marcy LaPenna served bowls of ice cream while other church members prepared popcorn, hot dogs and other food for a picnic for about 75 people.

Photos courtesy of Don Welch

CLARENDON – Route 237 is getting repaved in Clarendon, from the Clarendon corners to the Holley village line.

Don Welch took these photos on Wednesday of Highway Rehab Corp., repaving the road. Their machines heat the road surface with gas torches, then dig up the hot asphalt, mix in some oil, and lay it back down, Welch said.

It takes 3 machines to do one lane of the road. A vibratory roller follows the paving trucks and leaves the recycled surface smooth as new. A top layer of asphalt will be added after they’re done, Welch said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Firefighters hose down the spot where a barn stood before being destroyed by a fire this afternoon.

The property at 5414 South Holley Rd. is owned by Gary Helms. It is located south of Route 31A between Gladden and LaDue roads.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:01 p.m. Black smoke spewed into the air and could be seen from several miles away.

The barn was devoured by the fast-moving flames.

Orleans County fire investigators were at the scene. No additional information is available.

Photos courtesy of Melissa Ierlan

CLARENDON – Jeremy Arnold (right), owner of Arnold’s Tree Service in Holley, and his friend and employee CJ Stevens replaced the flag at Clarendon Town Park on Route 237 on Thursday.

The previous flag was tattered and tangled at the top of the flag pole.

Melissa Ierlan, the town historian and code enforcement officer, called Arnold to see if he could replace the flag. He responded within minutes.

Ierlan gave him the new flag to replace. She keeps many flags to update ones at town cemeteries and the historical society.

Arnold and Stevens are both veterans and were glad to help with the task.

Arnold used his bucket truck to free the tangled flag from the pole.

Stevens secures the new flag to the park that includes the Clarendon waterfalls.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Leigh and Chuck Kinsey of Clarendon are leaders of a new Missing Angels group at Orleans Recovery – Hope Begins Here. They are shown with a portrait of their son, Mark, who passed away at age 35 after an overdose on June 1, 2019. The Missing Angels group has been meeting since January with smaller in-person gatherings or through Zoom videoconferencing.

ALBION – A Clarendon couple who lost their son to an overdose is leading a group, Missing Angels, to help others with their grief.

Chuck and Leigh Kinsey are the parents of Mark Kinsey, who passed on June 1, 2019 at age 35. Mark battled substance use since he was 17.

He was home for five weeks while in recovery but died after taking heroin with lethal fentanyl. Two people from Holley went to state prison for providing the highly dangerous drug.

The Kinseys say there are many local families who have endured the loss and grief of a loved one from an overdose.

“We want people in the community going through this to know they are not alone,” Mr. Kinsey said. “There are other people out here willing to talk about this and share their story.”

They have been leading Missing Angels since January. There are meetings through Zoom videoconferencing the first Thursdays each month, and in-person gatherings the third Thursdays. The meetings are at Orleans Recovery – Hope Begins Here, Suite 190 at the Arnold Gregory Office Complex, 243 South Main Street in Albion.

Don Snyder, president of Orleans Recovery, said the organization wants to be a resource for the community and also help overcome the stigma of people suffering from addiction. Snyder is retired a prison chaplain.

“As a person of faith and as a chaplain, I’ve always cared about people are hurting,” Snyder said.

Orleans Recovery started about five years ago by local clergy, former Sheriff Randy Bower and other community stakeholders. Snyder said the group backs the Missing Angels program to help families and loved ones of people who have died in an overdose.

‘We feel the grief process will be never ending. But we have a path that we’ve been down that we want to share with people.’ – Chuck Kinsey

Snyder is thankful the Kinseys have stepped forward to lead the group, and give it structure and compassion.

“This is not a therapy,” Mr. Kinsey said. “This is a place where you can set up your own path for recovery.”

Mr. Kinsey, who is retired as the computer services director for Orleans County, said his son started with substance use at age 17, “unbeknownst to us.”

Mark Kinsey worked as a cook for nearly two decades. He was creative and full of life, his mother said.

The family tried many approaches to push him to long-term recovery. He seemed to be in a good place in his recovery just before his fatal overdose.

“We tried tough love,” Mrs. Kinsey said. “But we showed him how much we love him.”

The Kinseys said holidays are difficult for families who have lost loved ones prematurely to an overdose. They observe Mark’s birthday on Jan. 9 and acknowledge the anniversary of his death on June 1.

They encourage families and loved ones to journal, create a memorial corner in their homes in honor of their loved ones. That corner can be a spot to mediate and pray.

“We feel the grief process will be never ending,” Mr. Kinsey said. “But we have a path that we’ve been down that we want to share with people.”

The number of drug overdose deaths increased 27 percent during the pandemic to 88,000 during the 12-month period ending in August 2020, the leader of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said Thursday.

The Kinseys and Snyder of Orleans Recovery said the opioid overdoses remain a crisis, even though it has been knocked out of the news for much of the past year.

“This is an epidemic that will be with us a lot longer than Covid-19,” Mr. Kinsey said. “There is no vaccine for opioid use.”

Some users can be hooked after the first time they try opioids, and can descend into “full-blown substance use disorder” that often leaves them powerless to fight the addiction.

The Kinseys said their group will be advocating for more service sin Orleans County for people fighting addiction, including daily methadone clinics for people in narcotic addiction.

Snyder said talking about the problem can help the community better respond to people in addiction and offer support for their families.

“There is still a stigma that drives people underground,” Snyder said. “People are overdosing. We’re losing a lot of people.”

For more on the Missing Angels program, contact Orleans Recovery, 585-210-8750, or email orleansrecoveryhope@gmail.com for details on meetings and other programs.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Many local firefighters responded to 4581 Holley-Byron Rd. to a house that was filled with smoke after a fire in a side wall.

Nobody was home in the house owned by Will Grathouse when firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The top photo shows the ladder truck from Holley. There were also personnel from at least Clarendon, Holley, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Albion, Barre and South Byron fire departments, as well as Monroe Ambulance, the State Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

Smoke spews from the windows in the top floor of the house.

Firefighters broke windows in the first floor of the house to let out smoke.

Earl Jenks of the Clarendon Fire Company was at the controls for Clarendon’s ladder truck.

Doug Bentley of the Barre Volunteer Fire Company was among the group of firefighters who were at the scene well past midnight.

No other information is available.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $357 million in funding road improvement projects in every county of the state, including $1.2 million to resurface Route 237 from the Genesee County line through Clarendon, the Village of Holley and Town of Murray.

These infrastructure renewal projects will incorporate the use of environmentally conscious construction techniques such as warm-mix asphalt and cold in place asphalt recycling that can be applied at significantly lower temperatures, thereby reducing fuel consumption and decreasing the production of associated greenhouse gas emission during construction, Cuomo said in a news release.

These techniques also allow existing materials to be reused and can reduce the amount of materials that would otherwise be trucked to landfills. The projects announced today are currently being designed and construction will begin next spring.

“New York continues to lead the nation in demonstrating that infrastructure investments supporting economic growth can be balanced with protecting our precious environmental and natural resources,” Cuomo said. “These investments are laying the foundation for sustained growth in tourism and business development while enhancing the resilience of the supporting infrastructure.”

This funding, administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, will support 135 paving projects and the renewal of approximately 1,740 lane miles of pavements across New York State.

Other nearby projects include:

• Genesee County: $1.3 million to resurface Route 98 from Route 20 to the City of Batavia (South Limit) in the Towns of Alexander and Batavia.

• Livingston County-Monroe County: $27.5 million to resurface I-390 from Routes 5 & 20 (Exit 10) to I-390 (Exit 12), including mainline and ramps, in the Town of Avon, Livingston County and in the Towns of Henrietta and Rush, Monroe County.

• Wyoming County: $1.2 million to resurface Route 98 from Route 20A to Route 354 in the Towns of Sheldon, Bennington, and Attica, Wyoming County.

• Erie County: $12.8 million to resurface I-290 From I-190 to I-90 in the Towns of Amherst and Tonawanda.

• Erie County: $2.1 million to resurface Route 263 (Millersport Highway) from Route 270 (Campbell Boulevard) to Route 78 (Transit Road).

• Niagara County: $5.6 million to resurface I-190 Northbound from Route 384 (Buffalo Avenue) to Route 31 (Witmer Road) in the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara.

Return to top

Agencies wait to hear if program will be extended into November

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Volunteers and representatives from Community Action of Orleans & Genesee gave out boxes of food this morning in Clarendon in the parking lot for the rec hall and Clarendon Volunteer Fire Company on Route 31A.

This was the first time a food distribution was at the spot in Clarendon. The previous ones in Holley during the Covid-19 pandemic have been at the former Jubilee parking lot and then at the Holley school district.

Volunteers including Mark Dickinson of the Iroquois Job Corps put in boxes in trunks of vehicles. There were about 300 boxes and each one contained about 30-40 pounds of produce, dairy and meat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding the Farmers to Families Food Box Program through the end of October. There isn’t an indication yet if the program will continue in November.

The schedule for the rest of the month in Orleans County:

• Friday, October 23rd – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – no lines before 8 a.m. The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north towards Ridge Road. Exit will be on to Ridge Road
• Friday, October 30th – This event will be at the Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street.

Return to top