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

Photos courtesy of Melissa Ierlan

CLARENDON – Thomas Brintal, who served in the Revolutionary War, has a new headstone in Maplewood Cemetery on Route 237 in Clarendon.

Brintal was a sergeant with Doolittle’s Regiment in the Massachusetts Line. He lived to be 86, dying on Aug. 18, 1830.

His original headstone was lying on the ground in two pieces.

“It was so degraded, and dark and stained,” said Town Historian Melissa Ierlan.

She set the new headstone on Sunday. She wrote to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., requesting the new headstone for Brintal. The VA shipped the new stone to the Town Hall.

Ierlan made the request to the VA after one of Brintal’s descendants, a veteran who currently lives in Colorado, asked the VA for the new headstone for Brintal but was unsuccessful.

Ierlan sent the VA a photo of the original headstone, and the VA agreed to a new one.

Brintal isn’t the only Revolutionary War soldier buried at the pioneer cemetery. Augustus Sturges also is buried there.

Clarendon is also home to Lemuel Cook, a veteran of American Revolution. Cook was the last living pensioner from that war. He died on May 20, 1866, at the age of 107. Cook saw action at the Battle of Brandywine and Yorktown and met General George Washington. He is buried at Cook Cemetery on Munger Road.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Clarendon firefighter Jonathan DeYoung sprays water on the perimeter of a field on South Holley Road at about 4 p.m. Debbie Chilson is driving the truck.

Firefighters were dispatched to scene near the Munger Road intersection at 3:15 for reports of a brush fire. A farmer was working in the field when a spark from the machinery may have ignited the field of straw, said Fire Chief Jim DeYoung.

There are currently dry conditions on the ground, and temperature was in the mid-80s when the field caught on fire.

About 5 acres of the field burned. It made it look like the mucklands, the black soil nearby. Holley, left, and Clarendon brought their brush trucks and sprayed water on the edges initially to keep the fire from spreading into the woods, DeYoung said.

Holley and Clarendon also brought tankers with more water to the scene.

Rick Cary of the Holley Fire Department sprays water from Holley’s brush truck. Chris Chilson is the driver.

Cary waters the edge of the field by South Holley Road where there was a row of utility poles.

Return to top

CLARENDON – Route 237 has reopened after a tanker rolled over and spilled several thousand gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer on Monday afternoon.

The tractor trailer flipped when it rounded the curve between Hinds Road and Church Street. The area near the accident is limited to one lane and there are flaggers out to slow traffic while crews work on the cleanup.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Spill Response Team and a private contractor are working on the cleanup.

Return to top

Provided photos from Orleans EMO: The Monroe County Fire Bureau Hazmat Team works to contain the leak on an overturned tanker.

CLAREENDON – Emergency response crews have stopped the leak of liquid nitrogen fertilizer after a tractor trailer rolled over at 3:30 p.m. on Route 237 in Clarendon.

The crews are expected to be there for a while longer on the cleanup, the Orleans Emergency Management Office said.

The spilled product poses no significant health risk and is primarily an eye and skin irritant. Air quality monitoring is being done in the area of the scene, with no adverse readings are being indicated at this time, said the Orleans EMO.

The Clarendon Fire Company and Monroe Ambulance were dispatched to the accident in the area of 4602 Holley-Byron Rd. Upon arrival Clarendon firefighters reported a tractor trailer on its side with liquid nitrogen dumping from the top hatch of the trailer, and the driver out of the vehicle sitting on the side of the road.

The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Monroe Ambulance.

The tractor trailer was carrying approximately 6,100 gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer at the time of the accident. As of 5:45 p.m., Monroe County Fire Bureau Hazmat Team was able to stop the leak. At this time, crews are working to drain the remaining liquid nitrogen from the tank, before the truck and trailer can be removed, the Orleans EMO said.

The accident shut down a section of Route 237 between Church Street and Hinds Road.

The NYS DEC Spill Response Team is on scene and monitoring the situation and assessing the potential environmental impact.  Holley-Byron Road (Route 237) remains closed at this time between Church Street and Hinds Road in the Town of Clarendon.

At this time the following agencies have been involved with the response: Clarendon, Holley, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Barre and Albion Fire Departments, Orleans County Emergency Management, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe Ambulance, Monroe County Fire Bureau, NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Police, National Grid, A.D. Call and Son’s, and Kerhaert’s Towing.

“It was quite a team effort,” said Dale Banker, Orleans County EMO coordinator. “Great work by all.”

Albion, Kendall and Brockport are standing by to cover jobs in the eastern and central portions of the county. Crews will be on scene for quite some time this evening as cleanup efforts continue, the Orleans EMO said.

Return to top

CLARENDON – An Orleans Hub reader sent in these photos of a tanker after it flipped at about 3:30 p.m. on Route 237 at the curve near the Hanson quarry.

The tanker leaked several thousand gallons of liquid fertilizer with nitrogen.

Route 237 is shut down between the Route 31A intersection and Hinds Road.

The State Police is handling the situation with assistance from many local fire departments, the DEC Spill Response Team, Monroe County Hazmat Team and other first responders.

The tanker rolled into the cattails at the curve, which is a wetland.

The driver of the truck was taken by ambulance. A person who was one of the first on the scene said the driver didn’t appear to have serious injuries.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

CLARENDON – Numerous fire departments and hazmat response crews are in Clarendon after a tanker flipped on the curve on Route 237 and spilled thousands of gallons of liquid fertilizer with nitrogen.

The accident happened at about 3:30 p.m. Route 237 is shut down between the Route 31A intersection and Hinds Road. The tanker flipped on the curve near the Hanson quarry.

Media are not allowed close to the scene. The State Police is handling the situation with assistance from many local fire departments, the DEC Spill Response Team, Monroe County Hazmat Team and other first responders.

The tanker rolled into the cattails at the curve, which is considered a wetland.

The driver of the truck was taken by ambulance. A person on site said the driver didn’t appear to have serious injuries.

Return to top

Jeremy and Tracy Van Ameron opened Van’s Pit Stop right before Covid-19 pandemic hit

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jeremy Van Ameron stands with his daughter Ali and wife Tracy in front of their store on Route 237 in Clarendon. Jeremy, who owns an auto repair shop in Albion, plans to move that business to Clarendon in the near future.

CLARENDON – An Albion businessman and his family are being welcomed into the town of Clarendon, and applauded for committing to a new business during the recent pandemic.

Jeremy Van Ameron and his wife Tracy purchased the convenience store and gas station on Route 237 in October. They spent months cleaning and remodeling, with plans to move his auto repair shop there.

“We started selling food and gas in February, and then the pandemic hit,” Tracy said. “We had to shut down our seating area inside.”

“Then gas prices dropped off because nobody was going anywhere,” Jeremy said. “But the Clarendon community helped us a lot. They provided a ton of support.”

Tracy said they were in awe of the amount of support the community provided.

“That’s what us locals do,” said Nyla Gaylord, coordinator of the Clarendon Farmers’ Market, which the Van Amerons invited to set up this year on their property. “We like to hang out and talk, and the Van Amerons put tables out in front for us.”

Gaylord commended the Van Amerons for not giving up when things were so difficult. She said Tracy, who is a software engineer for L3 Harris Corporation, not only had to work her job during the pandemic, as well as the new business, but she was faced with home schooling her children: Justin, 16 and Ali, 12. A son Zach was a student in college.

Jeremy grew up in Albion, but moved back to Clarendon in 1997. Since purchasing the convenience store they call Van’s Pit Stop, they have expanded the menu to include wings, chicken tenders, hot and cold subs, steakburgers, various sides and a pit plate of two hamburgers or cheeseburgers, fries or home fries, macaroni salad and meat sauce. A variety of breakfast sandwiches are also available.

A Friday night fish try has become very popular, Jeremy said. They use only fresh, skinless haddock, with comes with fries, cole slaw or macaroni salad.

They just recently added ice cream.

The store is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The kitchen closes each night one hour before the store closing.

Return to top

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Luchiya Zbanke of Holley, left, who displayed her paintings and hand painted Panama hats, at the Clarendon Farmers’ Market on its opening day Thursday, talks with Nyla Gaylord. Gaylord, who started the market, holds a dozen of her eggs, which she sells as a market vendor. The market will be open from 3:30 to 6 p.m. every Thursday at its new location, Van’s Pitt Stop on Route 237.

CLARENDON – The Clarendon Farmers’ Market opened for the season on Thursday at its new location at Van’s Pitt Stop on route 237, just north of Clarendon’s four corners.

Participation was light for the first day, because of a late growing season, said Nyla Gaylord, who is the market coordinator. Things will pick up as the season progresses, she said.

Vendors for the first day included Theresa Jewell of Holley with alpaca socks and boot liners, homemade masks and sunbonnets; Terry Garrison of Albion with handmade kitchen towels and crocheted baby blankets; Dawn Pulcino of Holley with baked goods, homemade jellies and lemonade; Luchiya Zbanke of Holley with paintings and hand-painted Panama hats; and Gaylord with eggs.

Gaylord originally started the market on the grounds of the Historical Society, but said they made the decision to move to Van’s Pitt Stop on Route 237, hoping for more traffic and to support the new local business.

“Together, it’s a win-win situation,” Gaylord said.

Elaine Ryan, left, and Theresa Jewell of Holley hold a mannequin wearing a sun bonnet and mask, which Jewell sold in her booth at the Clarendon Farmers’ Market on Thursday, along with alpaca socks and boot liners. Jewell and her husband Chuck are members of the Empire Alpaca Association.

The vendors who braved the hot temperatures to be at the market’s opening day were all happy to be able to participate and showcase their wares.

Jewell and her husband Chuck own Stoney Meadows Alpacas and Stone Mountain Looms at their farm on Glidden Road. They are members of the Empire Alpaca Association and support fiber growers from all over the area, who bring their fiber to the Jewells, who then send it to the mill. The Jewells also support Medina FFA and have donated animals for teacher Todd Eick and his students.

Theresa Jewell said she and her husband will take their alpacas to a show in Syracuse in October, along with the Medina FFA, where they will explain fiber growing to the public.

Clarendon Town Supervisor Dick Moy visited the Farmers’ Market Thursday to show his support.

“He is very supportive of us,” Gaylord said. “He makes Clarendon ‘friendly’.”

Dawn Pulvino of Holley, left, sells a jar of her homemade jelly to Mary Ann Siembor at opening day of the Clarendon Farmers’ Market on Thursday. At rear is Pulcino’s dad, Alfred Pulcino III. Dawn, who runs a bakery, also sold crustadas, fudge, biscuits and lemonade.

Terry Garrison said she crochets all winter and her baby blankets and hand towels are a big hit. She prices her items reasonably, selling the hand towels for three for $5.

“I sell a lot of them,” she said.

Dawn Pulcino, who runs a bakery in Holley, said her first customer on Thursday bought all her homemade fudge, but she still had a large assortment of jellies, biscuits for 50 cents, lemonade, fruit crustadas and penny candy.

Her jellies included traditional strawberry, plum and orange marmalade, and combinations, such as strawberry rhubarb and raspberry habanero. She offered samples on crackers or pretzels. In the future, she will have homemade vanilla and orange extracts.

Luchiya Zbanke of Holley was thrilled to be part of the Farmers’ Market with her paintings, T-shirts and hand-painted Panama hats. A native of Romania, she has only been in the United States for four years and in Holley with her husband Marciel for the last two. She recently became a citizen, Gaylord explained.

The Clarendon Farmers’ Market will be open from 3:30 to 6 p.m. every Thursday.

Return to top