ROCHESTER – Richard Brummel is making another push in court to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest in Holley.

He said he will seek an injunction in the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court in Rochester this afternoon. Brummel disagrees with a decision by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County.

Sheive and Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, argue that the Squirrel Slam has an environmental impact by wiping out thousands of squirrels.

Punch dismissed the case on Thursday and said the hunters in the contest are doing nothing illegal. They are hunting during the squirrel season. The Holley event is capped at 600 tickets or 300 two-person teams, said Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Company.  He said less than half actually hunt in the contest.

The hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrel runs from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 and there is a daily bag limit of 6. Red squirrels may be hunted anytime and there is no limit, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Brummel said the Holley Fire Department neglected to do an environmental impact study detailing the hunt’s impact on the squirrel population.

Brummel said an attorney from Buffalo has taken on the case and prepared the appeal that will be filed this afternoon. Brummel said he hopes the court will take action and stop the Squirrel Slam, which is scheduled for Feb. 28 and raises about $4,000 for the Fire Department.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated from the original version that said the appeal was denied.

ROCHESTER – An Appellate Court justice did not take up a request for an injunction to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest run by the Holley Fire Department.

Justice Joseph Valentino in Rochester today declined to issue a ruling for an appeal sought by Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County. Sheive and Richard Brummel of Long Island didn’t agree with a decision on Thursday by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch in dismissing a case that claimed the Fire Department did not follow state environmental laws with the Squirrel Slam.

Punch said the hunt follows state laws and does not violate environmental regulations.

Brummel appeared in court this afternoon with the appeal but Valentino did not take up the case, and did not set a hearing or schedule a submission for paperwork, Brummel said late this afternoon.

ALBION – Orleans County Court Judge James Punch ruled today the 9th annual Holley “Squirrel Slam” hunting contest can continue on Feb. 28.

The judge said the Holley Fire Department isn’t breaking any environmental laws with the contest, which he compared to a fishing derby that awards prizes for the heaviest fish.

Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, filed an injunction on Tuesday on behalf of Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County. Brummel argued in the court papers that the Holley Fire Department failed to comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act with the hunting contest by concentrating hundreds of hunters in a narrow geographic area, and killing squirrels when many are likely to be pregnant.

Judge Punch said that SEQRA, the environment law, typically is used when buildings are constructed or if the landscape is changed in some way. The squirrel hunting contest does not violate SEQRA or the state environmental laws, the judge said.

He said the argument in the case seems to “oppose hunting and a festive atmosphere of hunting.”

The judge dismissed the case “in its entirety.”

“It’s no different than a fishing derby where trophies are handed out to whoever catches the biggest fish,” Judge Punch said this morning.

Orleans Hub will have more on the case, with reaction from Brummel and the Fire Department.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, said he will continue to fight the Holley Fire Department on its squirrel hunting contest, which he compared to a “slaughter.”

ALBION – Richard Brummel had a tough morning in court in front of Orleans County Court Judge James Punch.

Brummel was told he didn’t file paperwork properly, and may have committed a crime by not having the proper power of attorney documents to represent Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County.

Brummel, in environmental activist from Long Island, had to be told to step back from the table normally reserved for the attorneys or defendant.

Judge James Punch said he didn’t believe Brummel intended the paperwork mistakes and judge said he wouldn’t sanction Brummel. But Punch said Brummel would not be allowed to appear on Sheive’s behalf in court.

The judge, however, ruled on the arguments presented in a court filing on Tuesday that sought to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest scheduled for Feb. 28. The judge determined the event doesn’t break any environmental laws and can go on as scheduled. The judge dismissed the case.

Many reporters from Rochester and Buffalo were in the courtroom for the proceedings. The Squirrel Slam has national and international attention from animal rights’ activists.

A squirrel walks on wires up high in this photo take last fall in Albion.

Brummel said he was able to raise enough money, with another $1,500 donation on Wednesday, to hire an attorney and pursue the case again.

“We hope this case will be properly back on the court’s calendar,” Brummel said.

He strongly disagreed with the judge’s decision today.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of judges and these judges do not apply the law,” Brummel told reporters after the court proceedings. “They apply their own opinion and that’s what happened today.”

Brummel believes there is an environmental impact with the hunt because so many squirrels are wiped out.

The Holley event is capped at 600 tickets or 300 two-person teams, said Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Company. The hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrel runs from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 and there is a daily bag limit of 6. Red squirrels may be hunted anytime and there is no limit, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Brummel said the Holley hunt happens at a time when many squirrels are pregnant. He said thousands of squirrels are eliminated with the Squirrel Slam. That kind of environmental impact should be addressed by the Fire Department.

“It’s really important that these issues be fought,” Brummel told reporters. “I couldn’t turn my back on what I thought was an attack on these lovely animals.”

Brummel drove 700 miles round trip to file the legal challenge to the case, only to have it dismissed in its entirety by the judge.

“It was worth it for the chance that we might win,” Brummel said. “It’s always worth fighting for the environment.”

Brummel said Orleans County residents are fortunate to live in an area with open spaces and lots of wildlife. He said Long Island is congested with lots of traffic and not much wildlife.

He didn’t like how Judge Punch compared the squirrel-hunting contest to a fishing derby.

“We have a huge problem with overfishing,” he said. “This isn’t frivolous. We are acting as if we have unlimited resources, whether it’s squirrels, fish, trees or whales.”

Fran Gaylord is interviewed by reporters inside the Orleans County Courthouse.

Gaylord, president of the fire company, said none of the hunters are breaking any laws. Although 600 tickets are sold, Gaylord said only about 120 to 140 of the two-person teams compete. Many people buy tickets to support the fire department and don’t hunt, he said.

The fire department used to only sell about 200 tickets for the fund-raiser, but it could easily sell 1,000 due to the publicity around the Squirrel Slam. The event is capped at 600 because that is how many people can fit in the fire hall for refreshments when the hunt is over.

“We haven’t paid one dime for advertising in three years because you guys do it for us,” Gaylord told reporters.

Gaylord said the opponents of the hunting contest tend to be downstate residents.

“This is a way of life up here,” he said about the contest. “It’s really no different than a fishing derby. You need a license and it has to get weighed.”

Orleans County judge will decide on Thursday if hunting competition will go on

Photo by Tom Rivers – Richard Brummel walks out of the Orleans County Courthouse today at about 5 p.m. after filing an injunction to stop the Holley Squirrel Slam, saying the hunting event damages the environment.

ALBION – A Long Island man filed an injunction in Orleans County today, seeking to stop the “Squirrel Slam” run by the Holley Fire Department.

Richard Brummel made the trip across the state and arrived in the courthouse at about 4:20 p.m. He filed the injunction in the courthouse and county clerk’s office. Orleans County Court Judge James Punch is expected to make his decision on Thursday morning, whether the Squirrel Slam will go on or not.

The Squirrel Slam has been criticized by animal rights’ groups. Some protestors on behalf of Friends of Animals have protested the last two Squirrel Slams in late February. Some state legislators have proposed legislation to ban hunting contests where participants shoot animals.

Participants in last year’s Squirrel Slam on Feb. 22, 2014, carry squirrels to the Holley fire hall to be weighed.

Brummel filed the injunction on behalf Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County. Brummel said he tried to get financing for the legal action from Friends of Animals, but was turned down.

Brummel said he is an environmental activist. He believes he has a compelling argument to stop the Squirrel Slam, or at least move to a different time of year when squirrels are less likely to be pregnant.

Brummel argues in the legal papers that the Holley Fire Department fails to comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act with the hunting contest. (Last year’s event sold out with 650 people buying tickets. Each team of two hunters can kill a maximum of five squirrels for the contest. Prizes are awarded to hunters with the heaviest squirrels. The event raises about $4,000 in profit for the fire department.)

Brummel argues the event damages the environment – “large quantities of vegetation or fauna (animals).” The Holley Fire Department has failed to address that environmental impact with the hunt, Brummel said.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Pack 62 in Holley gathered at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall last March for the annual Pinewood Derby. Adults, girls and non-Scouts are welcome to participate in this year’s derby on March 7.

HULBERTON – Leaders of the Cub Scout program in Holley are opening up a beloved tradition, the Pinewood Derby, to non-Scouts, girls and adults.

The annual Pinewood Derby will be on Saturday, March 7, at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall at 3353 Hulberton Rd. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and there is a $5 fee for non-Scouts.

The Scouting Pack opened the event to non-Scouts for the first time a year ago and had about 15 non-Scouts participate, who were mostly siblings of Scouts. Pack leaders are making a bigger effort to spread the word and invite the community to race in this year’s Pinewood Derby.

“It’s more fun for the boys to race if there are more cars in the race,” said Erika Thorn, committee chairwoman for Cub Scout Pack 62.

She hopes others in the community will see how enjoyable Scouting is, and how it is great bonding for families and friends.

“We want to show the fun part of Scouting,” Thorn said.

Adults are also welcome to build their own cars and compete in the event.

“Some of our Cub Scout dads really enjoy the competition,” Thorn said.

Scouts in Clarendon also will be participating in the Derby with the Holley Scouting program.

Pinewood Derby Car kits can be purchased at Iroquois Trail Council in Batavia and many hardware and home improvement stores. All cars must pass inspection to qualify for the race, and all cars need to follow the Derby rules (click here).

For more information, contact Thorn at (585) 406-0977 or by email at ekemp07@msn.com.

Provided photos – This cat was found Friday in Holley with its paws frozen to the ground. Sanitation workers found the cat in between two garbage cans.

HOLLEY – A cat found Friday with its paws frozen to the ground is on the mend.

The white, underweight cat was removed on Friday, and its skin peeled from its paws. A neighbor on Geddes Street took the cat to Wiley’s Animal Ark in Holley, where Dr. Krista Wiley says the cat, which appears to be a stray, is recovering.

The pads on its feet remain bright red, and they worry the tips of the cat’s ears are frostbitten.

“It’s amazing she lived,” Wiley said today. “In this kind of cold weather it is hard for cats to maintain their body weight.”

Wiley suspects the cat was looking for shelter in between the garbage cans. Wiley said no one has called looking for the cat.

She said she will likely work with Debbie Mignano of Stray Cat Solutions to try to find a home for the cat.

Wiley has been a vet in Holley for 12 years. This is her first time she has helped a cat recover after it was found with its feet frozen to the ground.

She urged people to not leave their pets outside for very long in the brutal cold.

Fire departments, school develop program to recruit volunteers, connect students to community

Photos by Tom Rivers – Students in the Clarendon, Holley, Hulberton Fire Youth Group include, front row, from left: McKenzie Hendrickson, Jenna McMillion, Cassie Mohney, Aaron Strathearn and Delilah Grathouse. Back row: Brad Kingdollar, Ella Mohney, Zack Dann, Dalton Major, James Sharp, Hunter McMillion and David Roe. Cassie Mohney and Dalton Major are both captains for the program.

CLARENDON – It was about 2 ½ years ago when three fire departments in eastern Orleans County had an idea for recruiting potential volunteer firefighters and also providing some guidance to local youths.

Clarendon, Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire company leaders pitched the idea of a firefighter youth group to the Holley school district and the Board of Education backed it.

Susan Cory, the middle/high school principal, promoted the new youth group over the announcements.

James Sharp was listening and wanted to give it a try. He doesn’t come from a firefighting family. But he enjoys the camaraderie and challenge with the fire service.

“If it wasn’t for this program I wouldn’t be a firefighter,” James said Thursday evening during an open house about the youth group.

Delilah Grathouse climbs through a bail-out prop, which is used to practice going through windows. Jon DeYoung Jr., right, is one of the advisors for the club.

James said the weekly meetings have provided good exercise. He likes feeling his adrenaline rush during the drills. And he has made many close friends.

“It’s pretty much a big family,” he said.

Representatives from the three fire departments, the Board of Education, and the Town of Clarendon attended the open house, as well as officials from the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

The youth group meets most Monday evenings at the Clarendon fire hall. Thirteen students have been steady members of the youth group, and they have all learned First Aid and CPR. They have practiced hose advancement skills in between cones, done extrication and patient packaging, and learned about firefighting tools on the trucks.

Five – James Sharp, Dalton Major, Hunter McMillion, Delilah Grathouse and Cassie Mohney – have joined local fire companies. All 13 raised their hands this evening and said they intend to join when they are old enough, and some even want to become firefighters in their careers.

Dalton Major, left, and Zack Dann do a right-hand search training exercise inside the Clarendon Fire Company Recreation Hall on Thursday evening as part of a demonstration for the Holley Board of Education and Clarendon Town Board.

The program is the only one of its kind in the state, where a local school district sponsors the firefighting club. Participants need to keep their grades above passing or they could be suspended from the program.

“The whole objective is to catch the kids before they get other ambitions,” said Pete Hendrickson, Holley fire chief. His daughter McKenzie is in the youth group.

If a kid isn’t from a firefighting family, Hendrickson said it can be difficult to interest them in the fire service. That doesn’t bode well for the future of volunteer fire departments.

That’s why the three fire departments wanted to reach out to youths to help provide a pipeline for future firefighters.

Delilah Grathouse, left, helps McKenzie Hendrickson put on her turnout gear, including an air pack. The gear weighs about 70 pounds.

Bob Freida, the Clarendon fire chief and an advisor to the youth group, said the program has gone exceptionally well. Five of the students have already committed to join the department, with more willing when they are old enough.

Freida said the program has given students a way to connect to the community.

“Many of these kids are not into sports and they’re not book worms,” Freida said. “They fall into the gap.”

Clarendon firefighters Marc Major and Jon DeYoung Jr. are also advisors for the program.

Major’s son Dalton, 15, has enjoyed the youth group so much he wants to become a professional firefighter when he’s older.

“This has been a really good learning experience,” Dalton said. “It’s a lot of fun and it definitely helps our community.”

Dalton Major prepares to climb through the bail-out prop with Clarendon Fire Bob Freida, left, and Clarendon firefighter Jon DeYoung Jr. serving as spotters.

Some of the drills have been difficult, but Dalton and the others say it gets easier with practice. Several of the students said the getting through the bail-out prop, which resembles a window up high, is a challenge, especially with 70 pounds of gear.

“If you’re not comfortable with it at first, we get more more comfortable with it,” Dalton said.

He gave an overview the program last March to The County Fire Coordinator’s Association of the State of New York, which was meeting at the state fire academy at Montour Falls. About 70 of the fire coordinators from counties throughout the state were there. Freida, Dalton’s father and Joe Morlino, chief of FHM, also attended that session.

Freida would like to see more schools partner with their local fire departments for similar programs.

“There’s a lot of interest in this (from other fire departments),” Freida said.

Cassie Mohney gives a presentation on the Clarendon, Holley, Hulberton Fire Youth Group to community members on Thursday. Clarendon Fire Chief Bob Freida, in back, is one of the advisors.

Cassie Mohney, 16, has long aspired to be a firefighter. She has completed the basic firefighter course, which took 96 hours. She also completed classes on engine company operations and water rescue, as well as others. She is a new member of the Holley Fire Department.

“There is a lot of training and practice,” she said.

She and Dalton Major are captains of the youth group, helping to get messages to the other students and organize them for drills and activities. Mohney has signed up for another training class: Fire Officer I.

“My family is in the department,” she said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do to help the community.”

Photo courtesy of Holley Fire Chief Pete Hendrickson  – Firefighters respond to the scene at the railroad crossing in Hulberton earlier today when a train struck a pickup truck.

Scott Christ’s pickup was mangled after the accident.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

MURRAY – A Holley was injured this morning when the pickup truck he was operating was struck by a freight train in the Town of Murray.

The incident occurred at about 11:20 a.m. in the 3600 block of Hulberton Road, where it crosses the Falls Railroad Line, between Telegraph and Lynch Roads.

Scott P. Christ, 51, was operating the 2010 Dodge Ram, travelling north, when it was struck by the eastbound train. Christ, who was the sole occupant of the truck, was transported by Monroe Ambulance to Strong West Emergency in Brockport. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The train, owned and operated by Genesee Valley Transportation Company in Batavia, consisted of a locomotive and two freight cars. One was a tanker containing ammonium nitrate and the other was refrigerated storage containing frozen vegetables. Neither of these cars nor their contents was compromised as a result of the collision. There was minimal damage to the locomotive.

The incident was investigated by Deputy E.N. Fuller, assisted by Sgt. D.W. Covis and Lt. C.M. Bourke. Investigation has determined that the railroad crossing lights were functioning properly at the time of the incident.

Personnel from the Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Departments and Holley Volunteer Ambulance also assisted at the scene. Investigator(s) from Genesee Valley Transportation responded to the incident as well.

SWEDEN – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in finding the driver of a fatal hit-and-run on New Year’s Eve.

Thomas Taylor, 53, of Holley was out plowing driveways at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Town of Sweden. He parked his truck in a driveway on Brockport-Spencerport Road (Route 31) and got out to look for a customer’s house. While walking on the shoulder of the road, he was struck by an oncoming vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

A passenger in Taylor’s pickup heard a noise and found Taylor lying in a ditch. Taylor was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Police have recovered debris from a car and they told WHAM in Rochester that will help them track down the driver in the fatal accident. (See “New clues in fatal hit and run” at 13wham.com.)

“The car parts left behind did have some serial numbers,” Captain David Inzana of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told WHAM. “We may now be able to trace what type of vehicle it came from and at least give us an idea what type of vehicle we’re looking for.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff’s Office at 585.423.9300.