By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 March 2014 at 3:15 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – Firefighters quickly put out a chimney fire this afternoon at a house owned by Bill and Anne Downey at 13506 Ridge Rd., in the town of Gaines. The call went out at about 1:45 p.m.
Firefighters are taking the cap off the top of the chimney and they will run a chain through the chimney to clear debris and fire hazards.
Dan Strong of the Carlton Fire Company walks down Ridge Road at about 2 p.m. when he joined other firefighters at a chimney fire.
Firefighters said they had a good turnout for an afternoon call when many firefighters typically are at work. Many were home today due to the blizzard and were available to respond to the call.
Al Cheverie and his son Andrew of the Albion Fire Department were among the firefighters who responded to the call in a blizzard this afternoon in Gaines.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Uptown Browsery and Cobble-Ridge feature many vendors
Provided photo – Albion Mayor Dean Theodorakos joins the vendors at the Uptown Browsery for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Saturday morning. The site is located at 118 North Main St.
Two new co-ops with antiques, collectibles and other items celebrated their grand openings on Saturday.
The Uptown Browsery is located downtown Albion with 15 vendors. Uptown is a spinoff of the Downtown Browsery at 14 East Bank St. Downtown Browsery opened eight years ago.
That site became too crowded for more vendors. Browsery leaders found additional vendors and some of the same ones decided to expand their merchandise at the Uptown location. The two sites collectively have 20 vendors.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Some of the vendors at Uptown Browsery pose for a photo on Saturday. The group includes, from left, front row: Lucy Sackett, Karen Appleman, Maureen Bennett and Kim Remley. Second row: Kevin Lake, Scott Sackett, Erik Sinkora, Liz Groat, Elizabeth Penafiel, Susie Gaylard and Mary Lou Smith.
Karen Appleman was one of the founding vendors of the Browsery nearly a decade ago. She said the vendors share the costs and workload in running the stores.
“We have a big variety,” Appleman said.
The Uptown site is a little more upscale than the Downtown Browsery, she said.
“We’ve had some big-ticket items go out the door,” she said.
The Uptown Browsery also sells coffee and there are plans for baked goods and sandwiches to be sold at the site.
The Cobble-Ridge Co-op on Ridge Road opened on Saturday with 10 vendors. Kim Rowe is owner of the site at 14462 Ridge Rd.
Rowe also is the owner of U Make Scents shampoos and conditioners. She welcomed vendors for the site, wanting to create an old-time variety store.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Some of vendors at Cobble-Ridge Co-op include, from left: Betsy Meisenzahl, Lisa Mannella, Linda Roberts, Chris Nelson, Paula Brooks, Earl Treese Sr., and Kim Rowe.
Photos by Sue Cook – Kim Rowe poses with some of her craft displays inside the Cobble-Ridge Co-op.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
GAINES – After months of anticipation, Kim Rowe will open the Cobble-Ridge Co-op today on Ridge Road with 10 vendors.
“A lot of people have been buzzing about it,” Rowe said.
Today’s grand opening event will feature Of the Bear, a musical collaboration between Al Capurso and his son. They will entertain shoppers with their bluegrass sound starting at 10:30 a.m. Refreshments will be served as well.
Rowe put an offer in on the USA Merchantile building in June and was able to close in November. She did some clean-up on the space and applied for permits from the town of Gaines and the county. Rowe, owner of U Make Scents shampoos and conditioners, bought the building and accepted applications from interested vendors.
“I needed to figure out what to do with the rest of the space. This made sense,” she said. “It’s like an old time variety store, but not just with one vendor, there are several.”
Betsy Meisenzahl sells an assortment of items like cupcake wrapper topiary art, coasters, cutting boards, holiday crafts, ornaments, and more. Her table is adjacent to another vendor specializing in quilted items.
Stepping inside is like walking into a miniature flea market. Vendors fill the room with their own little display spaces selling an amalgam of items.
Betsy Meisenzahl plans to be a permanent vendor at the co-op. “I saw her sign out front and decided to stop in. I talked to Kim and came back the next day with all the paperwork filled out. I thought it was awesome.”
Meisenzahl commented that this is a great spot for finding craft supplies in small quantities so that you don’t have to buy in bulk the way you might at many big chain stores, and that the cost is reasonable. “Everybody here is fairly priced,” she said.
“I don’t take commissions or cuts from any of the vendors,” Rowe stated.
Albion resident Earl Treese Sr. has a section of collectibles including Star Wars, Godzilla, and many other pop culture items for sale.
Rowe feels it helps everyone price their items the way that they want. She hopes that if you walk in looking for one item, you will see something from another vendor and want to purchase from them as well. Rowe sells several craft products, furnishings, and lots of other little odds-and-ends items.
The current vendors include local businesses, such as Big Ash and Hendel Farms. Viola’s Boutique has also set up a display of their own inside the co-op selling accessories such as scarves, bags, and necklaces. Owner Tina Page applied as a vendor at Rowe’s encouragement.
“It’s another opportunity to showcase merchandise, and it’s a good location,” Page said.
Rowe plans to further expand the business by having outdoor flea markets and farmers’ markets when the weather warms up. She also hopes to create a kitchen space in the back of the building.
She welcomes customers to come back frequently and provide feedback. She says she plans to change around merchandise all the time in order to provide what the customer wants and would love to add more vendors.
The grand opening is today at 10:30 a.m. The co-op will be open regularly Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Cobble-Ridge Co-op or becoming a vendor, call (585) 283-4009. It is located at 14462 Ridge Rd., Albion, next door to the Olde Dogge Inn.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2014 at 12:00 am
Matt Ballard and Sarah Karas will share workload
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Cobblestone Society Museum includes several buildings on Route 104 and Route 98 in the Childs hamlet, including this Universalist Church that was built in 1834, the oldest cobblestone church in North America.
GAINES – Two Albion residents with a love for history have been hired as co-directors of the Cobblestone Society Museum, a National Historic Landmark in the Gaines hamlet of Childs.
Matthew Ballard and Sarah Karas will share the workload in managing the museum, which opens on Mother’s Day and closes on Columbus Day weekend.
The museum director job is high demand in the spring, summer and fall with the activity slowing during the winter.
Ballard and Karas both work as librarians. Ballard is library supervisor for Hilbert College in Hamburg. Karas works as a reference librarian at Genesee Community College. Both Ballard and Karas impressed museum board members during the interview process, said Susan Rudnicky, president of the museum board of directors.
“Both have their strengths – and their strengths are not the same as each other’s,” Rudnicky said. “We wanted so many skills to run the museum that it would probably have been impossible to get them all in one person. By selecting Matt and Sarah both, we are getting a larger selection of those skills than by just taking one of them.”
Karas brings a teaching background to the museum while Ballard has been focused on research and history.
By sharing the workload, the two can both keep their other jobs, Rudnicky said. They both started at the museum last week.
“They will be responsible for deciding who does which parts of the job, and ultimately their job titles will reflect those differences,” she said.
Karas graduated from the University at Buffalo in May 2012 with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Oneonta State College in May 2010 in Adolescent English Education. She has a state teaching certificate in English for grades 7-12 and in School Library for grades K-12.
She has volunteered at the museum for the past three years giving tours, organizing the book sale, cataloging historic books, and completing other tasks.
Ballard received a Bachelor of Science in History from Brockport State College in 2010, studying Colonial American and New York State history. In 2012, Ballard graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Master of Library Science. He focused on archival and records management.
For the past eight years, he has been active in the study of local history. He has served on the board of the Orleans County Genealogical Society and has contributed time with Orleans County Historical Association, the Cobblestone Society Museum, and with local preservation efforts.
He teaches genealogical research and has spoken at numerous events and programs throughout the tri-county area on local history subjects. He has developed a web site, www.albionpolonia.com, about the Polish-American community in Albion.
Rudnicky and the Cobblestone board believe the new directors will bring the museum to a new generation of users. The site is the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County.
“Their combined skills will enable the museum to continue our mission into the future, and expand how we share museum treasures with the local and wider community,” Rudnicky said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2014 at 12:00 am
Red Hat Society are regulars at local restaurants
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – The Red Hat Society was out on the town again today, this time stopping at The Village Inn for lunch.
The group includes about 20 members who live in the Medina area. They call themselves “The Apple Dumplings.”
They go out at least once a month, wearing red hats and purple clothing. They may go shopping or out to eat. (The group also is open to members younger than 50, but they have to wear pink hats and lavender-colored clothing.)
Shirley Amos pushed to start the group about 15 years ago. Amos, 84, died on Dec. 4. She was the group’s leader, the “Queen Mother.” She loved the color red and even had a red coffin at her funeral, her friends said.
The group insists on the dress code and one other criteria: “Have fun.”
Photos by Sue Cook – The Old Goat’s sign by the edge of the road features a well-dressed goat smoking a pipe and wearing a monocle.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
GAINES – Walking into The Old Goat is like stepping into a cozy country home. Tarama Vacanti, the owner of the store, greets you at the door with a smile and happily lets you explore. The store is made of three rooms full of antiques and vintage items, as well as some country crafts.
The Old Goat has a diverse selection. You can find everything from antique signs to sewing machines, lanterns to luggage, doorknobs to decorations, and many other items.
Vacanti started her business from her house by selling out of her garage and through eBay for 15 years. She finally decided to open a store in Gaines four months ago and has found a huge outpouring of interest in her business.
“The people here are awesome,” she said. “Everyone is very supportive. This is a lot of fun.”
Her husband Eddie helps create some of the store’s most popular items: recycled and repurposed furniture. The items, such as benches and cabinets, are usually made from wood that was sourced from barns and 1800s homes.
The front room of the shop offers a mixture of antique and recycled-wood furniture.
Many of The Old Goat’s customers are repeats and they come from Canada to Canandaigua. Some of them come in seeking specific items. Vacanti commented that some people come in to see what she has stocked for silver items, while another woman comes in looking for old-fashioned baby clothing.
The store has new items about twice a week, and Vacanti said her family brings her their finds all the time. She tries to make sure every time a customer comes in that they see something different.
Vacanti also said that if someone is looking for a specific item and she doesn’t have it, she will put it on a list of what to look for during buying trips.
The back room is a showcase for many smaller items such as antique toys and housewares.
The Old Goat, located at 14069 Ridge Rd. West, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, call (585) 298-6167 or visit the business’s Facebook page by clicking here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2014 at 12:00 am
Hawley wants governor to apologize for comments about ‘extreme conservatives’
Photos by Tom Rivers – State Sen. George Maziarz credited Gov. Andrew Cuomo for pressing for tax relief, but Maziarz said the governor needs to provide some relief to local governments that are paying for state-mandated programs. County Legislator Don Allport is at left and State Assemblyman Steve is at right.
GAINES – State legislators said the atmosphere in Albany has changed under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who seems serious about bringing tax relief to state residents and businesses.
However, some of that relief will be in the form of an election gimmick, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said during a Legislature Luncheon on Friday.
The governor, who is seeking re-election in November, wants a $350 state rebate to arrive in the mail for Middle Class families in October, Hawley said.
The governor has proposed $2 billion in tax relief to residents and businesses. State Sen. George Maziarz said that is quite a difference than 2009-10, when the state under Gov. David Paterson pushed through $14 billion in new taxes and fees. The new taxes under Paterson “were the dark days of Albany,” Maziarz said.
One of those taxes by Paterson, a tax called the 18-A utility surcharge, was supposed to expire after four years, but Cuomo has allowed it to continue, Maziarz said.
According to National Grid figures, the utility tax costs a typical large business $30,000 a year, $540 for a typical small business, and $55 per year for an average household. “It’s the most onerous tax,” Maziarz said.
He is chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. Maziarz wants the 18-A utility surcharge rescinded in the upcoming state budget. The tax generates about $500 million a year for the state. If it was gone, there would be more job creation and investment by businesses, he said.
The state legislators commented on a number of issues during the luncheon, which was attended by about 75 people at the Village Inn.
‘Extreme conservatives’
Hawley took issue with the governor’s comments on a radio show about a week ago, when Cuomo said “extreme conservatives” don’t have a place in New York.. He defined them as pro-life, anti-gay marriage and pro-assault weapon.
“Governor, we’re New Yorkers, too,” Hawley said.
The governor needs to represent all of the residents, including those from low-wealth school districts, those who support the right to bear arms and those with conservative social viewpoints, Hawley said.
“Governor, we do matter,” Hawley said. “That’s the diversity of the state. Hopefully we’ll be hearing form him soon with an apology.”
Cuomo said his comments were directed at candidates, saying “extreme conservatives” don’t have a place for a state office in New York.
Maziarz, as an elected public official in the state government, said he is a conservative who views marriage as only between a man and a woman. He called the governor’s remarks “very disappointing.”
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley urged the governor to come to Western New York and apologize for comments about “extreme conservatives.”
Mandate relief
The governor has failed to push through any significant mandate relief for local governments, which are forced to provide some programs and services by the state, the legislators said.
“We implemented 2 percent property tax with the promise we’d untie the hands of the locals,” Hawley said. “But again that hasn’t happened.”
Cuomo and the Legislature have not worked to rein in program costs, especially the $60 billion annual Medicaid program, Hawley said.
He would like to see some the program’s costs reduced and county share in the program eased.
“The cost is unbelievably phenomenal,” he said.
Maziarz said one easy way to reduce the costs would be to bar EBT cards from being used at casinos and strip clubs.
Both said they want residency requirements before people can access benefits, and the state should do drug and alcohol testing for people on public assistance.
Hawley and Maziarz agreed the state should have reached a deal on mandate relief before imposing a property tax cap on the local governments. The local municipalities, without relief from the cost drivers from the state, will be forced to slash non-mandated services and eat into their reserve funds to stay under the 2 percent cap.
Population loss
The eight Western New York counties, including Orleans, all lost population between 2000 and 2010. Upstate has sluggish growth overall, while the country is seeing robust growth.
The loss of people pulls money out of the community. That includes retirees who head for other states, including the less tax-oppressive Pennsylvania, said Ken Pokalsky, vice president of government affairs for the New York Business Council.
“An astounding amount of income is leaving,” he said. “We’re losing a lot of wealth. A lot of people are leaving when they enter retirement.”
The legislators said less taxes and a better business environment would lead to more jobs and opportunities for people to be in the state.
Fracking
Hawley and Maziarz both said they support fracking, but they think New York may have missed the opportunity due to endless studies and delays by the governor and the Legislature.
The industry has had a transformative impact in Pennsylvania and other states. The price of natural gas, however, has fallen and companies may not be pushing to invest in new areas right now.
Fracking could have been a huge boon to the state, particularly along the economically depressed Southern Tier, Maziarz said.
“It could have created a lot of jobs and economic development,” he said. “I think we may have missed the boat on that one.”
Broadband
The two legislators say there are working with local officials and Congressman Chris Collins for rural Broadband to be accessible in rural pockets of the county where there currently isn’t service. They said Collins may have an announcement soon about a Broadband initiative.
“It’s good for our children,” Maziarz said. “It’s the wave of the future.”
Casino in Henrietta
Hawley and Maziarz don’t support a new casino in Henrietta that would be run by the Seneca Nation of Indians. The Senecas haven’t submitted a formal proposal for the casino, but a developer said the tribe is talking about the project.
Marcia Tuohey, a former County Legislature chairwoman, now sits as the county’s’ representative on the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. board of directors. WROTB owns Batavia Downs, which returns some of its profits from a video gaming center to Orleans and 14 other counties, as well as the cities of Rochester and Buffalo.
A casino in Henrietta would be devastating to the Downs, Tuohey said, and may mean no money would be shared with the member counties.
Hawley and Maziarz said the region may already be saturated with casinos, video gaming sites and Lotto games.
“It would just a redistribution of the same money from one area to the next,” Hawley said about the Henrietta casino.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 December 2013 at 12:00 am
GAINES – A Holley woman who has developed her own line of shampoo and conditioners has purchased a Ridge Road building that she intends to turn into a co-op for other vendors.
Kim Rowe plans to turn the former “Buy American” mercantile into a co-op with arts, crafts and antique vendors.
The Orleans County Planning Board supported the project during its meeting on Thursday. Planners said the project fits in nicely with the historic flavor of Ridge Road and the nearby Cobblestone Society Museum.
Rowe, owner and developer of U Make Scents, is working to open Cobble-Ridge Co-op.
In addition to the vendors, Rowe would like to use the site for an outdoor flea market in the spring and fall. Eventually she would like to sell food products inside and outside at the location.
GAINES – Two Albion teenagers are hospitalized this afternoon following a one-vehicle crash in the town of Gaines.
The incident occurred shortly after noon in the 2900 block of Densmore Road, just south of Route 104.
Jenny Lee Ettinger, 19, was operating a 2001 Chevrolet Tracker northbound on Densmore Road when she lost control of the vehicle. The SUV crossed the center line and ran off the west side of the roadway into an apple orchard, coming to rest after impaling itself on a tree. Ettinger was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Mercy Flight helicopter.
A male front seat passenger is identified as Austin J. Klein, 17, of Barre. He had to be extricated from the vehicle by Albion firefighters. He was transported to Strong by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance.
Slippery road conditions and imprudent speed were contributing factors. The incident was investigated by Deputy E.N. Fuller and Sergeant D.W. Covis.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 December 2013 at 12:00 am
154-foot-high structure will be allowed away from public
GAINES – The Town of Gaines Zoning Board of Appeals ruled tonight that Chris Watt needs to take down a 154-foot-high turbine that was erected about two years ago at Watt Farms, 3121 Oak Orchard Rd.
Watt can put it up somewhere else on his property as long as it’s at least 169.4 feet away from the public. That includes U-pick orchards and a route that is used by a train as part of the farm’s agri-tourism efforts.
The turbine was the focus of a lawsuit in state Supreme Court after Watt’s next-door neighbor Mary Neilans and her brother Robert sued the town, claiming proper procedures weren’t followed. The Planning Board waived site plan review and didn’t offer residents a chance to comment on the turbine during a public hearing, according to their lawsuit in State Supreme Court.
Judge James Punch issued a ruling in January 2012, not siding with either party. He put the issue back in the town’s hands.
The Town Planning Board was abolished by the Town Board last year and its functions were passed to the ZBA. That board made Watt submit a site plan application for the turbine. The board said Watt could keep the turbine but it needed to be moved away from a farm market/greenhouse/retail area. It is currently 117 feet away from the building.
The town wants a buffer zone of 1.1 times the height of a turbine or 169.4 feet in this case. That is the recommended distance from the state Ag and Markets, according to the ZBA decision.
“This came down to public safety,” said Michael Grabowski, the ZBA chairman.
The board was unanimous tonight with members Raymond Burke, Marilynn Miller, Curtis Strickland and David Thom all joining Grabowski in supporting the decision.
Watt attended the meeting with his attorney Lance Mark. They said they will consider their next course of action, which may include an appeal in State Supreme Court.
The ZBA did not find fault with the turbine fitting agricultural purposes or meeting the setback requirement from a neighbor’s property. Grabowski said the turbine met those standards. But he said the structure needs to be moved away from public spaces in case the tower fell or a blade broke off.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – A 13-foot-long fiberglass fish has been a local landmark for nearly 25 years at Al Capurso’s front yard on Route 279 in Gaines.
Capurso used to run the Bait Barn at the location, and bought the fish in 1990 from the Albion and Medina Rotary Clubs, which used it in the 1980s to promote the Orleans County Trout and Salmon Derby.
The Rotary Clubs sold it in 1990 to Capurso. The fish was targeted with graffiti a few years ago as part of a Albion High School class prank. The fish had a Purple Eagle theme until Capurso painted it recently with a message: “Go Fish.” He plans to add yellow spots to the fish once the weather permits.
Capurso said the fish needs some repairs and the trailer holding it is shot. He would be interested in donating it to a new owner if it was used to promote the local fishery.
I’d like to see something like this down at Point Breeze. This is something people would get their picture taken with and could add to charm of the area.
Carlton has $25,000 to spend as part of Point Breeze’s prize for winning the Ultimate Fishing Town. That money needs to be used to promote the fishery and a nice public art project could make the area more distinctive.
I wonder how much it would cost for a 20-foot-long fish?
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Rollie Sanford’s property on Gaines Basin Road, about a mile north of the canal, is well known in the Albion area because of the collection of vintage gas pumps that have been restored by Rollie and his son Scott. Rollie has picked up other relics, including this hitching post and a toy horse.
GAINES – When he and his wife Elma retired from teaching in the early 1980s, Roland Sanford and his wife decided they wanted to have some adventures together.
The couple didn’t need to book a cruise. They went on treasure hunts locally. They are known in the Albion area for an impressive collection of old gas pumps. Orleans Hub featured the collection in a June 13 article. (Click here to see it.)
Mrs. Sanford passed away on Christmas Eve in 2005. Her son Scott has become a gas pump enthusiast. He has restored many of the pumps on the property. There are about a dozen of them, dating from 1915 to 1960.
Since that June article on the Hub, Scott has put two more pumps out by a barn on Gaines Basin Road, including one painted in honor of the Albion Fire Department. That old-fashioned fire extinguisher on wheels used to hold chemicals and was used by a fire department generations ago.
I was at the Sanfords’ last weekend for a story about the gas pumps for the “585” magazine that covers the Rochester region. I pitch the magazine some articles about Orleans County topics and sometimes they say yes. They wanted the one about the gas pumps. I can’t give away too much of that article.
I did see some other very interesting artifacts at the Sanfords, items I’ve never seen before.
Rollie has a nice old cast iron hitching post in his front yard with a toy horse laying on it. Rollie, 93, says he “picked it up somewhere.”
The retired history teacher likes artifacts from a different era. He has several old lanterns that used to line the canal at night. The lanterns were needed so boats wouldn’t ram into the canal walls. These old lanterns weigh about 25 pounds each. Sanford said the canal used to have employees who lighted the lanterns and also checked the historic waterway for leaks.
Rollie Sanford has collected canal lanterns that were used as markers along the canal when it was dark.
This lantern was used on the canal long ago.
“The lights were used as guides,” he said.
Rollie in some of his hunts for local relics also returned home with an old railroad cart that now sits in his son’s front yard.
Rollie also came across a millstone and brokered a deal to have it moved to the Sanford property, which has been in the family for six generations.
Scott and Julie Sanford have a century old railroad cart in their front lawn. In the back is a millstone that Scott’s father Rollie saved from being discarded years ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2013 at 12:00 am
GAINES – Residents in the town of Gaines will pay a slightly lower tax rate in 2014 after the Town Board approved a $1,327,371 budget on Tuesday.
The town will take in $570,882 in property taxes next year, the same as in 2013. Because the town’s total assessed value grew 1.9 percent, from $111.3 million to $113.4 million, the tax rate will drop.
Residents in the village of Albion who live in Gaines will pay $4.12 per $1,000 of assessed property, which is down from $4.19 in 2013. Property owners outside the village will pay a $5.26 rate, which is down from $5.37.
“We’ve pared down expenses and we’ve been conservative,” said Town Supervisor Carol Culhane.
The budget reduces spending from $1,341,647 to $1,327,371. The 2014 spending plan gives town employees 2 percent raises, except for members of the Town Board. Culhane will continue to be paid $5,500 while the four town councilman are each paid $2,800, the same pay level the past several years.
The costs for state retirement contributions, which have been escalating in recent years, will go down slightly next year. The town is also budgeting the same amount for health insurance.
Culhane said the main meeting room will be updated in 2014. The carpet will be replaced with money left over from the Bicentennial Committee.
The chairs will also be swapped out with ones that have been in storage in the basement. The windows are also being replaced with a state courts grant.
The room was painted this year as a project through the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Shelby. Culhane said all of the projects will total less than $300 in direct costs to town taxpayers.
The 2014 budget also keeps a very low fire protection rate for Gaines residents outside the village. The rate will go up from 31 cents to 36 per $1,000 of assessed property. Most of towns pay at least $1 per $1,000 of assessed property for fire protection.
The village of Albion is trying to negotiate a new contract with a higher rate for Gaines residents, Culhane said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
GAINES – A Crew was out today putting in a new driveway for Fairhaven Treasures, a site at the southeast intersection of routes 98 and 104. The new driveway will be on 98.
The property owners, Ray and Linda Burke, have been transforming the former Swiercznski homestead into an art gallery and high-end craft co-op. The Burkes are hoping to open the site to the public on Nov. 29, a day after Thanksgiving.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2013 at 12:00 am
Nick Condoluci goes all out in a scary setup
Photos by Tom Rivers
EAGLE HARBOR – Nick Condoluci may have the scariest setup for Halloween in Orleans County, a backyard with hanging skeletons, a grave yard, a guillotine and a “Booger Booth,” just to name a few.
Condoluci makes most of the props himself, spending much of the winter cutting out and designing tombstones, signs and other scary features, including an electric chair with a buzzer on the seat.
“You can’t buy this stuff,” he said. “I think I have the largest Halloween display in Orleans County. No one else does it to this extreme.”
Condoluci created the outdoor setup about five years ago at his home on School Lane in Eagle Harbor. (The first road north of the lift bridge.)
He opens the attractions up for the community each year about a week before Halloween. He has the setup aglow in green, red, yellow and orange lights each night from 6 to 9 p.m. On Halloween some of his friends – “actors” – will be part of the display.
“They are here to scare you,” Condoluci said.
He has turned 1-acre in his backyard into a scare land, with a spooky fake graveyard bearing the names of the people killed in the Salem Witch Trials.
Condoluci, a school bus driver, said Halloween and the display are just a hobby that he enjoys sharing with the community.
“I call it Halloween to the extreme,” he said.
Condoluci said some of the visitors like to pose with the guillotine and the stocks in the backyard. He is happy to oblige any photo requests.
