Photo by Tom Rivers: This mural of the Erie Canal and Myron Holley, an early canal commissioner who the village is named after, is on the back of the Community Free Library. It is being painted by retired Holley art teacher Tony Barry. There will be a celebration of the mural today at 9 a.m. to help kick off Holley's June Fest.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2023 at 7:50 am
HOLLEY – June Fest will be today in the Village of Holley, and organizers say there are many activities throughout the day for people of all ages.
The schedule starts at 9 a.m., with the unveiling of a canal-themed mural on the back of the Community Free Library. Tony Barry isn’t quite done with the project that highlights Holley’s namesake, Myron Holley. He was an early canal commissioner who was influential in the construction of the manmade waterway.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band will perform at 9:30 a.m. and the go in a processional playing music through the Public Square, down White Street to the canal gazebo.
The festival also will debut a cardboard regatta in the Erie Cana at 9:45 a.m. The participants were by invite-only. Rainey Losee, one of the organizers, wants people to see the regatta and get ideas on how to make it bigger next year.
Holley is trying the regatta after some of the organizers saw it in Watkins Glen. There needs to be teams of at least two people in boats made of cardboard and held together with duct tape. Today they will only race from the south side of the canal to the north side.
“It’s something fun and unique,” Losee said. “I think it will be cool.”
There will be 50 vendors in the canal park and path. There will be bounce houses, pony rides, alpacas, food, beverages, craft vendors and a wine-tasting.
At 12:30 p.m., Mark Ross of Woodstock will put on his family entertainment show to the pavilion. There will be a 7:30 p.m. concert by Beggars will Ride which includes Holley alumni Tom Mark, Rick Brunette and Daniel Mark.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church also is selling chicken barbecue dinners from 11:30 a.m. until sold out, and The Whole Approach will be leading yoga and other fitness activities near the waterfalls. There will be other games during the day by the falls: badminton, cornhole, volleyball, lawn darts, frisbee, horseshoes and a coloring activity.
“The festival is important to the village,” Losee said. “People are happy to have a reason to be out and about.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Caleb Donley, a ninth-grader, fires at a clay target during a practice on Thursday evening for the Holley trap team. The team took first out of eight schools in 1A - Conference 10 for the first title since the school started the trap team in 2016.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 May 2023 at 9:19 am
HOLLEY – The school’s trap team has won its conference for the first time since Holley joined the NYS High School Clay Target League in 2016.
This is the eighth season Holley has been in the league. Holley earned second places in prior seasons, but took first this time based on the cumulative scores of its shooters over five weeks of competition.
The team has 18 students, from grades seven to seniors. Holley finished first out of 8 teams in 1A – Conference 10. The scores are counted for 12 of the shooters on the teams.
Holley trap shooting team members are pictured on Thursday evening at their final practice of the season. Pictured, from left, in front are Hunter Pachla, Leigha Walker, Kohle Pachla and Mason Merle. Back row: Tessa Hazzard, TJ Calvaruso, Caleb Donley, Ryan Blodgett, Ashton Buzard, Jaxson Schicker, Teanna Church and Layne Walker. Others on the team not in photo include Max Hollister, Mason Moyer, Evan Press, Joshua Silpoch, Noah St. John and Ronald Thorn.
Holley’s score of 3,984.50 topped Unatego High School in second with 3,573, Genesee Valley in third at 3,331.50, Trumansburg in fourth at 2,874, Sandy Creek in fifth at 2,776, Paul V. Moore in sixth at 2,680, Voorheesville in seventh at 2,310, and Romulus in eighth at 1,751.
Two other schools in Orleans County compete in the trap shooting league. Albion was fifth out of 8 teams in 1A – Conference 1 with East Aurora in first. Kendall was fifth out of 8 teams in 1A – Conference 8 with Berlin High School in first in that conference.
The schools are grouped based on the size of their teams. They compete at their home bases virtually against the other teams. They aren’t competing at the same spot next to each other in person.
Holley’s team competes at the Holley Rod and Gun Club. A trap house fires clay discs at up to 42 miles an hour from five different angles. The shooters move to five different stations and take 50 shots per round. They have to hit targets at different heights, angles and speeds.
Many of Holley’s shooters hit 40 or more of the 50 targets – an 80 percent or better rate.
“It’s practice, practice, practice – and concentration,” sad head coach John Waldron. Other coaches include Butch Moy, Doug Baker and Mike Elsner.
John Waldron, head coach of the team, gives a safety briefing before the team started practice on Thursday. They also had pizza to celebrate their first conference championship for Holley in trap shooting.
The coaches thanked the community for donating money for the team to buy ammunition. There are collections for people to donate at Sam’s Diner and Dustin’s Pizzeria.
Caleb Donley, a freshman, has been on the team for two seasons. He said he didn’t hit many of the targets the first year but now is breaking about half of them.
“It’s great competition,” he said on Thursday at the Rod & Gun Club. “I’ve gotten way better since the first time I did it.”
Caleb said it take s good hand-eye coordination to be a good shooter.
“It prepares you for hunting season,” he said.
Teanna Church, 16, said her skills have improved in trap shooting. She looks forward to joining her father when they go out hunting. Teanna also plays on Holley’s softball team.
Teanna Church, a junior, enjoys going hunting with her father. She said her skills have improved from being on the trap shooting team. She has hit 33 of the 50 targets. She said it was a challenge at first to be a good shooter.
“I’ve grown from when I started,” she said. “I have more confidence. I’m not someone who quits on something.”
She praised her teammates for being disciplined and focused to prepare for the competitions.
“I think we’ve done a very good job,” she said about the trap shooters. “We’ve all grown and have been working very hard.”
TJ Calvaruso, right, and Holley grad Ethan Waldron were partners in a shooting game on Thursday. Waldon, 20, was on the team its first six years. Calvaruso, 15, is one of Holley’s top shooters. He usually hits at least 45 of the 50 clay discs.
TJ Calvaruso has patches showing streaks where he has hit 25, 50 and 75 taregts in a row. His record is 99 consecutive.
Teanna Church, left, and Layna Walker take aim at the orange clay target (high above Layman’s head) at the Holley Rod & Gun Club.
HOLLEY – There will be a Memorial Day parade in the village of Holley on May 29. The parade participants will arrive at the American Legion/Holley Post Office between 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.
Participants will line up and proceed towards the traffic light and turn left on Route 237. The parade will go directly to Hillside Cemetery.
A ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial Flag Pole, including the placement of wreaths and the reading of the Gettysburg Address.
The community is welcome to be part of the parade as a participant or spectator. Any questions can be directed to Melissa Ierlan at 585-402-0148.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 May 2023 at 8:34 am
Provided photos
SPRINGVILLE – The marching bands from Albion and Holley-Kendall both earned first place awards during the Springville Pageant of Bands on Saturday.
Albion’s marching band had the top overall score in the parade at 97.6. There were nine marching bands in the parade on a rainy day.
Albion also was honored for Outstanding Colorguard, Outstanding Drum Major Team (Jason Anstey and Audrey Pask) and Class B Champion.
The Albion band next performs on Saturday at the Darien Lake Music Fest, and then for the Memorial Day parade in Albion on May 29.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band competed for the first time at the Springville Pageant of Bands and earned a 1st Place finish in Class C for the parade competition with a score of 92.6, which was more points than the bands from West Valley and Genesee Valley.
Taigan Guerrero, a Kendall senior and Holley-Kendall marching band drum major also was recognized as Best Drum Major in the parade.
The band was welcomed back to town with an enthusiastic escort from Holley Police Department, Murray Joint Fire District, Clarendon Fire Department and Kendall Fire Department.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band will be performing at Holley June Fest on June 3, Albion Strawberry Festival on June 10, and on June 14 at Hawk Stadium in Holley for the annual spring showcase and awards ceremony.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band is under the Direction of Zach Busch (Holley), Assistant Direction of Scott Wheeler (Holley) & Meghan Pitarresi (Kendall), and Color Guard Direction of Emily Kwiatkowski.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 May 2023 at 7:52 am
Photos courtesy of Jack Kohmann
HOLLEY – Scouts in Troop 59 of Clarendon on Thursday placed over 450 flags on the veterans’ graves at the three cemeteries in the Holley/Clarendon area in time for Memorial Day, which is on May 29.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 May 2023 at 9:32 am
Provided photos
FANCHER – Matt Passarell, left, of the VFW and American Legion in Albion holds a historical marker with Murray Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio. The new marker was unveiled on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by veterans, historians and local residents.
The Pomeroy Foundation paid for the cost of the new marker which is at the Fancher Curve on Route 31 and highlights the World War II memorial.
The monument is made of Medina Sandstone with a green mortar and four clock faces. It was originally dedicated on Aug. 14, 1949 as a monument to 10 young men from the Fancher community who were killed in World War II. Those soldiers include John Christopher, Joseph Christopher, Cosmo Coccitti, Floyd Valentine, John Kettle Jr., Leonard Licursi, Martin Licursi, Camille Nenni, Richard Merritt and Richard Vendetta. They left the hamlets of Fancher, Brockville and Hulberton and went off to war and didn’t return.
“This was an underappreciated piece of property,” Sidonio said on Wednesday. “Now there is increased general awareness about what it is. This is a visual reminder that this is an important triangle. People should know it’s not just a municipal clock. It is a World War II monument.”
From left include Dan Mawn, president of the Murray-Holley Historical Society; Ron Ayrault, an American Legion member who attended the memorial’s dedication ceremony as a kid on Aug. 14, 1949; and Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio.
Mawn also did the electrical upgrades to get the clock working again inside the memorial.
Veterans who attended the ceremony on Wednesday included Scott Galliford, the American Legion post commander in Holley; Jeff Brien, VFW Post commander in Holley; Mike Donahue, VFW Post commander in Albion; Ron Ayrault, Dave Cole, James Coates, Joe Sidonio, Kevin Foley, Chuck Eberhardt, Joe Gehl, Matt Passarell, Gary Dingle and Rex Hultz.
Joe Sidonio and Ron Ayrault spoke during the historical marker unveiling. Sodonio said the marker culminates two years of effort to restore the memorial and increase public awareness about the site’s purpose, that it isn’t just a municipal clock.
About two years ago the effort was jump-started by a phone call from Dr. Fred Fiorito, a Fancher native. He offered to help pay for restoring the memorial.
Sidonio also thanked Erin Anheier of Clarendon who wrote the application to get the site listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 May 2023 at 12:44 pm
‘The goal is to have engaged young voters who will roll back their sleeves and help their communities.’
Photos by Tom Rivers: These Holley seniors are among a group from Holley pursuing the NYS Seal of Civic Readiness. They include, in front, from left: Julia Scroup, Lily Sprague, Ava Quincey and Rosie Emery. In back: Elise Quincey and Casey Onisk. Other students pursuing the Seal include Ryan Blodgett, Morgan Blosenhauer, Erin DeFrank, Emma Downey, Sarah Kelly, Shannon Kelly, Ryan Frank and Aidan McFadden. Last year in the debut of the program three students met the requirements for the Seal.
HOLLEY – A group of students at Holley are part of a new program in the state that seeks to develop citizen leaders.
Holley students have been working hard on the Seal of Civic Readiness that not only builds knowledge of the government, but pushes students to put their knowhow into action.
Holley students seeking the Seal have been writing letters to the editor, advocating for a sustainable environment, running an outreach program for veterans, and leading an awareness walk about acceptance of the LGTBQ community, among the many efforts to be leaders on issues of importance to them.
Holley last year was among the pilot school districts in the state to offer the Seal of Civic Readiness. There were only 50 school districts in the state in the pilot program, and Holley and Elba were the only districts in the four-county GLOW region in the initial year of the program. The state wanted a cross-section of rural, suburban and city school districts to “test” the program in the beginning.
“The goal is to have engaged young voters who will roll back their sleeves and help their communities,” said Mike Crissman, a social studies teacher and department chairman at Holley.
He is among the team of teachers developing the curriculum for Holley students to meet the standards of the Seal, and also for a Senior Capstone Project. The students, in addition to their coursework and capstone project, also need to do at least 20 hours of an internship. They need to keep up on current events and are quizzed weekly on what’s happening in the country.
Students who meet all the criteria for the Seal of Civic Readiness have that distinction noted on their high school diplomas. It also gives them added skills and knowledge to be citizen leaders, and likely will help them stand out in the college admission process, said Nick D’Amuro, Holley social studies teacher.
The state debuted the program last year and pilot districts learned from each other on the strengths of the program and areas that need improvement. Three Holley students completed the program last year: Thomas Dobri, Aiyana Galanti and Breanna Girangaya.
They needed to demonstrate time-management skills, assess sources of information, utilize critical thinking and media literacy, and take civic action in their own community.
These Holley teachers are working with students to earn the Seal of Civic Readiness. From left include Nick D’Amuro, social studies teacher; Mike Crissman, social studies teacher and department chairman; and Kayla Thrower, U.S. history and Participation in Government teacher.
The districts have flexibility in shaping the program and don’t have to follow the same blueprint.
This year there are 14 Holley students in the program: Ryan Blodgett, Morgan Blosenhauer, Erin DeFrank, Emma Downey, Rosie Emery, Sarah Kelly, Shannon Kelly, Ryan Frank, Aidan McFadden, Casey Onisk, Ava Quincey, Elise Quincey, Julia Scroup and Lily Sprague.
The students have done extra work in their Participation in Government/economics classes. Their research papers are longer, for example.
A key part of the Seal is the Senior Capstone project and a presentation that must be 10 to 15 minutes about that project. It is a chance for the students to delve deeper into a topic that interests them, D’Amuro said.
Lily Sprague, for example, has organized a walk-in time at the Clarkson Town Hall on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. when veterans can learn about and be connected to services in the community. (D’Amuro serves as a member of the Clarkson Town Board.)
Casey Onick organized a “Day of Silence” walk on April 14 around the junior-senior high school campus. There were signs of people killed around the country who were targeted for being gay or transgender. Onick, who is president of the Gay Straight Alliance at the school, wanted to send a message that “transphobia kills” and “homophobia kills.”
Onick said the students seeking the Seal haven’t been shy about “stirring the pot” with controversial issues.
“Some people can’t handle having their views challenged,” she said.
She would like to see more awareness about LGTBQ issues in the schools “to minimize hate.”
Another student, Rosie Emery, investigated whether social media has been positive or negative for the LGTBQ community. She sees social media as helping to connect people who may feel alone or ostracized, but the social media messages also can direct hostility to those who are gay or transgender.
Some of the students have written letters to the editor that have been posted on the Orleans Hub about gun control, including support for having armed security in schools while another opposed teachers having guns. A student advocated for more resources devoted to root causes of kids being in foster care. Another said pharmaceutical companies shouldn’t be able to use propaganda with TV ads in promoting drugs.
Elise Quincey spent time at a local manufacturing plant to talk with company leaders about whether they feel the country is moving fast enough to stem the impacts of climate change. She also interviewed a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology about the issue.
Quincey said the company and the RIT professor are concerned there isn’t enough willpower among citizens and elected officials right now to make the needed changes to slow the impacts of climate change. She wants to study sustainability and political science in college.
“It’s definitely made me more engaged in the community,” Elise said about working on the Seal of Civic Readiness. “
Her twin sister Ava Quincey polled teachers in grades 4 to 6 for their opinions about technology in classrooms, including student use of computers, iPads and robots. Quincey also did an internship with a fifth grade classroom from November to January. She is planning to attend Geneseo as an education major.
Crissman, the Holley department leader, expects to see the state mandate that all 700-plus districts offer the Seal for students. He sees students with more confidence, who are ready to step out and advocate on issues of importance to them.
Kayla Thrower, a Holley teacher, said she is impressed with the students’ civic knowledge and civic participation.
“All of the Seal kids are taking it to the next level,” she said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Holley Mayor Mark Bower speaks on Tuesday evening during a town hall meeting focused on vandalism in the village. Police Chief Bob Barton is in back.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2023 at 11:58 am
HOLLEY – Village officials are asking for the public’s help to target graffiti in the community, whether at village-owned sites or on private property.
‘This is a team effort,” Holley Police Chief Bob Barton said on Tuesday evening during a town hall meeting on vandalism in the village. “We do this together. You are our eyes and ears.”
Holley runs a small police department that can’t be everywhere at once. Many of the crimes often happen when it’s dark in out-of-way places, such as the Firemen’s Field on North Main Street or the canal path and the bathrooms/shower facilities at the canal park.
Mayor Mark Bower said it’s a costly problem for the village. Holley spent about $18,000 replacing fixtures that were ripped out of the bathrooms and showers, and making other repairs to the site. He is committed to opening it for the canal and summer season, but he said he remains concerned for the frequent vandalism at the site.
The bathrooms/shower facility along the canal are frequent targets of vandalism. Mayor Mark Bower said it cost about $18,000 to repair ripped out fixtures and other vandalism. The site will reopen soon. The gazebo in back also has been damaged in the past by vandals.
Holley will have security cameras outside the bathrooms and gazebo area, and some other spots that are often damaged by vandals.
The mayor led the town hall meeting on the issue. He wants to make the public aware of the problem, take their ideas and ask them to help with reducing the problem.
Chief Barton said the department is somewhat hamstrung in combating the problem since the state “raised the age” from 16 to 18 for people to be tried as adults for crimes. Many juveniles go largely unpunished for the crimes, including at 16- and 17-year-olds, Barton said.
The Holley police has arrested several juveniles for vandalism and thefts, and has done search warrants. That has deterred some of the activity, but Barton expects it will increase once it’s summer and school lets out.
Police Chief Bob Barton urged residents to report suspicious activity. He said many frequently hit areas are out of the public eye including along the canal path and the Firemen’s Field off North Main Street.
He and his officers try to patrol all the streets in an 8-hour shift. They try to build relationships with residents.
“The more police presence you have, the less likely juveniles will commit crimes,” Barton said.
He acknowledged the department is short-staffed and there are some open shifts. Lewis Passarell, a former Holley mayor and police chief, said officers aren’t patrolling enough. He thinks they also are called outside the village too often to help with mutual aid.
Village Trustee Jim DeFilipps, a retired Sheriff’s deputy, said the Sheriff’s Office provides more backup and assistance to Holley than the village does for calls outside Holley.
Some of the residents at the meeting suggested either official neighborhood watch organizations or an unofficial network of residents who walk the streets and the canal paths. They could report suspicious activity and also try to form more friendly relationships with youths.
Barton said the village isn’t being overrun with crime. He said a very small percentage causes most of the problems.
Barton worked 20 years full-time with the Town of Greece Police Department before joining the Holley Police Department in August 2008. He said many communities, large and small, deal with vandalism caused by youths.
The big change for law enforcement is the change in “Raise the Age,” he said.
“I can tell you this, the problems we have in Holley are not unique to Holley,” Barton said. “This is universal. But that doesn’t mean we accept it and do nothing about it.”
Mayor Bower said he doesn’t want to use vandalism as an excuse not to push forward with projects. He would like to see artistic murals and a splash park in Holley, but some have voiced concern those projects would be vandalized.
Bower said he is planning another town hall meeting in October focused on property maintenance. During that meeting he will provide an update on vandalism.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 April 2023 at 4:28 pm
HOLLEY – The Village Board on Monday approved a $2,116,716 village budget that will increase taxes by 1.8 percent.
The budget increases the tax rate by 2.0 percent from $16.92 to $17.26 per $1,000 of assessed property. The tax levy, what the village collects in property taxes, will go from $1,004,300 in 2022-23 to $1,022,300 in 2023-24.
Mayor Mark Bower said the Village Board imposed a spending freeze on Feb. 1 which allowed Holley to have more money from the current budget to carry over into the next fiscal year to help prevent a bigger tax increase. The village also is able to tap into some of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with some of the expenses.
Bower said all village employees will get 2 percent raises in the new budget. The village, however, will need to look at updating salaries to stay competitive with other municipalities, especially for its electric workers, Bower said.
The budget for 2023-24 includes the following departments or categories with 2022-23 in parentheses: Department of Public Works, $429,573 ($367,492); Police, $328,980 ($324,000); Office, $302,202 ($300,049); Employee Benefits, $173,562 ($167,179); Debt Payments, $154,000 ($139,137); Water Fund, $515,720 ($493,636); and Sewer Fund, $212,679 ($172,248).
The Holley village budget no longer includes the fire department. That is now managed by commissioners in the Murray Joint Fire District. The tax rate for that district is $1.82 per $1,000 and isn’t in the village taxes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2023 at 7:40 am
Photos from Murray Joint Fire District
MURRAY – A truck hauling corn overturned on Monday afternoon shutting down Ridge Road for a few hours.
The driver of the truck for Shelby Transportation was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for minor injuries, Murray Fire Chief Rick Cary said.
The truck was hauling corn west to the ethanol plant in Medina. The truck driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned at about 1:45 p.m. between Hindsburg and Petersmith roads.
Murray firefighters were assisted at the scene by the State Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s office, Orleans County Emergency Management and the state Department of Transportation.
Ray Kerhaert’s Towing & Auto Repair in Rochester was able to get the truck back upright. No additional information is available.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 April 2023 at 10:31 pm
Provided photos
HOLLEY – It was another huge effort today from Holley for the annual Canal Clean Sweep, a state-wide effort along the Erie Canal towpath and in the canal communities.
This group of Holley students gathers for a photo with some staff before heading out to pick up trash along the towpath, canal park, village streets and Lynch Road and Hurd Road outside the village.
Before heading out the group was addressed by Holley Mayor Mark Bower and District Superintendent Brian Bartalo.
Many of the students were in the Interact Club in the middle-high school, and the EarlyAct kids in the elementary school. There are about 100 students in the Interact Club. EarlyAct started this year in the elementary school and has about 40 members.
Casey Onisk, a senior and Interact member, designed the T-shirts.
The 100-plus students and many teachers and administrators is up from about 75 last year.
“This day has grown every year,” said Samantha Zelent, the Interact Club advisor and a school counselor. “For small Holley to have this large of a turnout really speaks volumes about us.”
EarlyAct member McKenna Seaward, school staff member Jean Smith, and parent Eric Frendendall grab garbage along the canal.
Middle School Interact Club members Ava Mosier, Chloe Bowen and Addyson Moyer check the Public Square for litter.
A group of Interacters joins Karri Schiavone, left, the elementary school principal.
There was lots of trash to be picked up in the village and out in the countryside.
Some Interacters found a lost rooster.
Interacter Desiree McCormack and Rotarian Jeff Martin fill a trash bag while out on Lynch Road.
A group of middle school boys and 6th grade teacher Dustin Gardner found lots of trash and also a ski, a bat, golf balls and 13 dollars.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2023 at 8:54 am
HOLLEY – The school district will allow community youth soccer teams to use the Woodlands soccer complex.
Holley’s youth teams have played their home games at the JP’s fields off Route 31 near the Holley Business ark. But the Holley Soccer Club is growing with more teams, said Harris Reed, the club president.
The club reached out to the school district about having use of the Woodlands fields. Those fields are considered among the nicest in the area, and even hosted the state soccer tournament in the late 1990s.
Brian Bartalo, the school district superintendent, said the two full-size fields will be available for the community youth soccer program. There will also be some tree-clearing at the site to remove some dead ash trees.
There are 150 kids in the Holley Soccer Club, Reed said. The club only has one full-size field at JP’s and several other smaller fields there. The Woodlands complex gives the program more options for scheduling games.
“Our Soccer Club is growing and we want to keep it growing,” Reed said. “With the Woodlands now we can accommodate more teams and games.”
Holley will use Woodlands for games only, Reed said. He appreciates the district making them available for the club soccer program.
“This will mean a lot to the kids,” Reed said. “That is a one-of-kind field. It’s out in the woods.”
The Holley Soccer Club also is raising funds for the program, including a first-time chicken barbecue on May 20 at the JP’s site. Those tickets are available pre-sale only. Contact a soccer player or check the club’s website for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2023 at 3:06 pm
HOLLEY – Mayor Mark Bower will lead a town hall meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss vandalism at village-owned sites in the community, including the bathrooms/shower facility by the canal and the bathrooms at the Firemen’s Field on North Main Street.
“We want to mobilize our residents to all be on the same page,” Bower said about making people aware of the vandalism. “What can everyone do to minimize the amount of vandalism we experience?”
Police Chief Bob Barton is expected to provide information about the number of incidents and extent of the damages.
“It has been unreal on North Main Street,” Bower said about the Firemen’s Field park. “At the canal bathroom building the fixtures have been ripped out of the wall, things get smashed, and there is graffiti. We’ve got to do something about it.”
The mayor will lead a discussion about the issue from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the village office in the former Holley High School.
He would like to do two town hall meetings a year with a focus on a pressing issue in the community. He also will give residents a chance to ask questions about other concerns.
Bower said he also will be forming a mayor’s advisory council that he would like to have in place next month to help identify and address issues in the village.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2023 at 11:06 am
‘We’re not a target district but we still have work to do, and the Regents is one of them.’ – Holley School Superintendent Brian Bartalo
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Bartalo, Holley school district superintendent, said the district remains committed to continuous improvement for students.
HOLLEY – School district leaders announced Holley, after four years, is no longer considered a “target” school district in need of improvement.
The district has made solid gains academically and is off the list of target districts by the State Education Department. Holley was put on the list in January 2019 due to low scores for seventh- and eighth-graders. At that time Holley was one of 106 school districts on the list out of 733 districts in the state.
The district’s performance in state standardized tests for seventh- and eighth-graders was in the lowest 5 percent at the time, said Brendan Keiser, the district’s director of Teaching and Learning.
“We did it – we’re off the list,” Keiser told the Board of Education on Monday. “It’s been a journey. The last four years have been incredible.”
Keiser and Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent, praised students, parents, teachers, administrators and board of education members for committing to improvement.
“It felt like a burden but it gave us a path, and we will continue on that path,” Bartalo said.
Being on the list of target districts brought about $250,000 in additional state resources annually to Holley for consultants, educational materials and resources. Holley will continue to utilize consultants as it pushes for continuous improvement, Keiser said. The district can tap into its federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act for those resources.
While the district has seen strong improvement in student performance, Bartalo and Keiser said high school Regents scores continue to lag, despite Holley’s high graduation rate.
Holley will make raising Regents scores a focus in the immediate future. The district also wants to improve academic performance for students in special education. Hispanic students in the middle school also are a subgroup with low scores on standardized tests, Keiser said.
Bartalo said he will be discussing a strategic plan on April 28 with teachers that will focus on the next five years at Holley. The four years as a target school provided a blueprint for raising student achievement, Bartalo said.
“We’re not a target district but we still have work to do, and the Regents is one of them,” Bartalo said.
Robin Silvis, the board president, praised the district and community for their efforts, especially during the Covid pandemic, to boost student achievement.
“It felt yucky to be a target district,” Silvis said. “It was a gut punch and we took the tools to make it work. There has been substantial growth here.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2023 at 8:41 am
HOLLEY – The Board of Education approved a proposed $28,920,000 school budget for 2023-24 that would increase property taxes by 1.49 percent.
The budget goes to a public vote on May 16 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the foyer of the junior-senior high school.
The tax levy increase is under the district’s allowable tax cap of 3.79 percent, said Sharon Zacher, Holley’s assistant superintendent for business.
The levy would increase by 1.49 percent or $115,034 to $7,835,466. That is the smallest increase since taxes were increased by 1.35 percent in 2017-18. The following years the tax levy increase was 2.0 percent in 2018-19, 2.5 percent in 2019-20, and then 1.95 percent for each of three years from 2020-21 to 2022-23.
The budget shows a 7.81 percent spending increase or by $1,938,000 – up from the $26,982,000 in the current school year.
The increase is driven by inflation and contractual agreements, Zacher said on Monday while going over the budget during the Board of Education meeting.
Holley would get a big boost in Foundation Aid from the state – 15.99 percent or $1,869,196 more, from $11,623,776 to $13,492,972, based on the governor’s budget. The state budget remains at an impasse, nearly three weeks late. Zacher said the increase proposed by the governor makes up for some of the lagging aid from the state in recent years through Foundation Aid.
The district also is planning a capital outlay project that won’t exceed $100,000 with state aid covering up to 92.3 percent of the cost. The projects include middle/high school door replacement and hardware – roof access doors, custodial hall to gym vestibule fire doors, auditorium stage door going to the mezzanine, and fob access to the main office, counseling and library.
The ballot on May 16 will also include a proposition authorizing the district to spend up to $338,000 for two full-size buses and one smaller bus.
Another proposition will authorize Holley to collect $200,815 for Community Free Library – up from $194,966 in 2022-23.
There are also three candidates running for the Board of Education – Dan Cater, Trina Lorentz and Robin Silvis. The seats are currently filled by Silvis, the board president, and Andrea Newman.
HOLLEY – The school district will allow community youth soccer teams to use the Woodlands soccer complex.
