Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A tractor trailer from Georgia got stuck under the railroad underpass/bridge this morning. Holley Police and firefighters from the Murray Joint Fire District have been on scene since just after 9 a.m. The Village Department of Public Works also is at the scene, helping to clean up debris in the road.

Holley police and firefighters say a truck gets pinned under the bridge about every six months.

A tow truck was called to help pull the truck and trailer out from under the bridge on Route 237. The clearance is 11 feet, 11 inches.

The stuck trucks are a frequent occurrence in Holley where there are signs posted that say, “11′-11”  CLEARANCE” just before both sides of the bridge, and also on the bridge.

Truckers over the years have said their GPS systems route them through Holley on Route 237. The truckers don’t have a straight-shot view of the bridge in either direction. Often they are upon the bridge before it’s too late to slow down and avoid it.

Village officials in the past have asked nearby manufacturing plants, cold storages and food processors to tell truckers not to use the route by the bridge.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MURRAY – Firefighters tonight were able to put keep a smoke situation in a vacant apartment in Murray from turning into a big fire. Firefighters were dispatched to 16576 Ridge Rd., across from the Murray Superette at about 10 p.m.

The building, a former video store, has two apartments. The one that is vacant was full of smoke and the tenants in the other apartment called 911 to report the smoke coming out of the apartment.

Firefighters discovered electrical wiring had melted and the insulation and studs were charred and smoking. They sprayed some water to keep it from becoming a fire.

The owner of the building has been renovating the vacant apartment, a Sheriff’s deputy said.

The four residents in the opposite apartment need to find a temporary place to stay while repairs are made and the site passes inspection, said Harris Reed, the Murray Joint Fire District fire chief.

Fire investigators are on site trying to determine the cause.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The ladder truck for the Murray Fire District is used to carry a man in a stokes basket at 7 East Union St. He was badly injured when the concrete floor on his porch broke, and he and his son fell about 10 feet at 4:30 p.m.

The son suffered at least a broken ankle in the fall. His father suffered more serious injuries. He was trapped under a heavy chunk of concrete for about a half hour, said Harris Reed, chief of the Murray Joint Fire District.

Three firefighters were able to move the concrete piece off the father. Reed estimated the concrete weighed 1,000 pounds.

A member of the Monroe County Special Operations Team walks away from the front porch area that collapsed today at 4:30 p.m.

Murray and Clarendon firefighters used a rope rescue, putting the father in a stokes basket and lifting him out of the small room under the front steps.

He was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. His son was taken by ambulance to Strong.

Long-time firefighters said they had never seen such an incident, with the concrete floor of a porch cracking, and collapsing below with a person trapped.

No additional information is available.

The father and son fell about 10 feet after the concrete floor collapsed.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The four-sided clock at the Fancher Curve is a memorial to 10 young men from the community who died in World War II. The memorial was dedicated on Aug. 14, 1949. This photo is from November 2016.

FANCHER – Fred Fiorito remembers the big crowd of people when the Fancher Memorial was dedicated on Aug. 14, 1949.

He was only 10, and he has never forgotten seeing the Gold Star mothers in mourning. The memorial on the “Fancher Curve” on Route 31 is a four-faced clock in a stone monument made of local sandstone.

Fiorito moved away from Fancher when he was 20. He enjoyed a career as a chiropractor in New York City. He would come home a few times each year to see family, including his brother Ted Fiorito. Fred noticed the memorial gradually deteriorate.

Sometimes the clocks didn’t work. The mortar was crumbling. The site wasn’t a great showcase or memorial for the 10 who in World War II. Those 10 include John Christopher, Joseph Christopher, Cosmo Coccitti, John Kettle, Jr., Leonard Licursi, Martin Licursi, Richard Merritt, Camille Nenni, Floyd Valentine and Richard Vendetta.

“I knew some of those families,” Fiorito said. “The monument’s condition was distasteful.”

Last May near Memorial Day, Fiorito was home recovering from an injury. He thought back to his childhood and the memorial.

“That memorial was built out of love for the guys in the area who left and didn’t come back,” Fiorito said by phone. “Those 10 guys who gave their lives gave them for you, me and everybody.”

Fiorito decided to call the Murray Town Hall. He left a message on Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio’s answering machine, offering to make a donation to get the memorial looking better.

This photo from the Holley Standard shows the memorial in August 1949.

“I just want to see it brought back to where it was many years ago when it was first done,” Fiorito said. “I feel a connection to my home and it will always be my home, and that monument is very important to me.”

Fiorito has offered $10,000 to upgrade the memorial. He is pleased Sidonio has “enthusiastically” embraced the project and wants to have the improvements in place by Aug. 14, which would be the 72^nd anniversary of the memorial’s dedication.

Dan Mawn, president of the Murray-Holley Historical Society, has been a key coordinator in the project. He connected with Neal Muscarella, an Albion mason, to replace the green mortar on the monument.

Mawn, who is retired from the Holley Electric and Water Department, will put in new movements for the clocks, and new electrical service.

“It is a project that is very worthwhile,” Mawn said.

Sidonio and Mawn also want to upgrade the landscaping at the site, and make the flagpoles look better.

“We want to create a better sense of place for the monument,” Sidonio said.

A photo from the memorial’s dedication showed several rifles stacked on top of the monument. Sidonio and Mawn wondered if those rifles were part of an original display on the monument, and if the rifles had been removed or taken.

They looked at the top of the monument and there aren’t any brackets or other evidence that the rifles were being held in place on the memorial. They must have been temporarily put there.

The former Holley Standard reported on the monument on Aug. 11, 1949, previewing the dedication ceremony three days later. The newspaper declared the project “an example of community enterprise and cooperation.”

A bronze plaque lists the names of the local soldiers who perished in the war: John Christopher, Joseph Christopher, Cosmo Coccitti, John Kettle, Jr., Leonard Licursi, Martin Licursi, Richard Merritt, Camille Nenni, Floyd Valentine and Richard Vendetta.

The monument designed by local resident Pat DiLaura with stone donated from quarry owned by Art Nenni

Local quarrymen worked to get out the stone including Gene Nenni, Oresto Nenni, Americo Belli, Richard DePalma of Holley, and Richard Raneri, Tony Passarell and Angelo Manella of Albion. Gene DePalma graded the site of the monument

Lee Colavito and Dan Fiorita did the mason work, Thomas Friedo of Fancher did the electrical work, hooking up the four electric clocks and the lighting at the base of the monument.

Fred Fiorito said the monument is a one-of-kind memorial that was created by the local residents in honor of the 10 local soldiers. The project utilizes the talents and resources of the local community.

“Even though I moved 400 miles away and I’ve been away a long time, my heart is still there,” Fred Fiorito said. “I just couldn’t stand to see the monument left the way it is. It honors 10 boys who stood up and never came back.”

Grades 3-6 will go to 4 days of in-person, and grades 7-12 could as well

HOLLEY – The school district announced it will be bringing back more students next month for 4 days of in-person learning each week, and could have all grade levels at 4 days a week if the state approves lowering the minimum spacing between desks from 6 to 3 feet.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last Friday announced it was changing its guideline for minimum social distancing in schools, from 6 to 3 feet, as long as students are wearing masks.

“This has caused many regions and entire state health departments to alter restrictions and update their guidance plans, which could ultimately allow for more students to return to school buildings for in-person learning this academic year,” Brian Bartalo, Holley school district superintendent, said in a letter today to the community.

Before Holley can move desks closer it needs the NYS Department of Health to approve the change in social distancing guidance. Holley has been anticipating the change to 3 feet, and is planning a phase-in after spring recess to bring back more students for four days of in-perosn learning. Just last week Holley brought back students for four days in grades K through 2, instead of being limited to two days of in-person with the hybrid schedule.

Before last week, Holley already had four days of in-person learning in Pre-K, the alternative high school, and self-contained special education classes, where the class sizes are smaller.

Even if the state doesn’t reduce the minimum desk spacing to three feet, Holley plans to have grades 3 through 6 go to four days of in-person learning the week of April 5-9.

If the minimum spacing is reduced to 3 feet, Holley could move hybrid students in the Junior-Senior High School to four days of in-person learning. If the 3-foot distance is approved, Holley plans to move grades 7-8 to four days of in-person learning the week of April 12-16, and then the following week, April 19-23, the hybrid students in grades 9-12 would go from two to four days.

Holley will continue to have Wednesdays as remote only.

“The reasons for keeping Wednesdays as remote learning days include: providing time for staff to prepare and post lessons, and connect with our fully remote learners; allowing time to bring in small groups of students for academic intervention and related services; and for teachers to receive professional development, and update learning plans and curriculum,” Bartalo said in his letter today.

Holley will be reaching out to the fully remote student families prior to the start of the fourth quarter on April 19 to determine if they plan to stay remote or return to in-person school.

“Based on the number of students who remain fully remote and after evaluating how things are progressing with four days/week, we’ll determine if it’s possible to increase to five days/week for our in-person students,” Bartalo said.

The district superintendent said the situation and guidelines from the state have frequently been in flux, making it difficult for districts to plan. He expects the 3-foot change will be approved by the state, allowing for more students to be in class, in-person.

“We believe that this phase back-in approach is proactive, and gives staff time to prepare and adjust learning plans, bus schedules, and modify classroom and dining spaces based on new guidance from NYS,” Bartalo said. “We also hope it gives families time to prepare for this transition back to more in-person learning at Holley CSD.”

HOLLEY – The school district is dismissing middle/high school early today after a gas leak in the middle-high school.

Those students were evacuated to the elementary school. All staff and students are safe, the district posted on its website.

“The MS/HS students will be dismissed early from the ES, where the buses will pick them up for the departure home,” the district said. “If you plan to pick a MS/HS student up, please pick them up at District Office. Thank you.”

Evan Valentine

HOLLEY – The Board of Education approved a request to establish a new scholarship in memory of Evan Valentine, a courageous student who passed away on February 21, 2021 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

A member of this year’s senior class, Evan played soccer and golf and performed in the school musicals. He was confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in August and was the altar server of the year in 2018 in the Western New York Diocese. He also was active in Boy Scouts.

The scholarship will likely start at $500. No qualifications have been developed yet. The Valentine family will be working with a school committee to come up with a profile and the family will also be involved with the selection of the recipient(s).

The Valentine family and the district want to make this an annual scholarship to be presented each year at graduation.

Photo by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Prestyn McMillion, a Holley eighth-grader, was presented with a Soaring to New Heights award on Monday evening by Sue Cory, the junior-senior high school principal.

Prestyn assisted a neighbor who was having a medical emergency. He noticed a car was running, the driver appeared unresponsive and he was able to get her help. He was recognized by the school district for “his compassion and fast action.” He is part of a family that is active in the fire department.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Bartalo, the Holley school superintendent, said there is a “gray area” for athletes wearing masks during high school events. Pictured in back are Connie Nenni, left, the district clerk and Robin Silvis, the BOE president.

HOLLEY – School leaders who watch high school sporting events or who see photos on the Orleans Hub notice that many of the athletes have their masks pulled down and aren’t covering their nose or mouth.

Some of the opposing players aren’t even wearing masks.

Brian Bartalo, the Holley school superintendent, said other students and parents see that and wonder why other students can’t do the usual musical, marching band or chorus concert.

“It’s created consternation for the music and drama folks,” Bartalo told the Board of Education on Monday.

Board member Anne Smith brought up the topic, saying she sees many of the sports photos on the Orleans Hub with masks that don’t seem to be properly worn.

Bartalo said the New York State Public High School Athletic Association allows a “gray area” with the masks. The association calls for athletes to wear masks at all times “unless unable to tolerate face covering for physical activity.” If they feel they can’t tolerate a mask, they can lower it, Bartalo said.

If athletes decide to lower their masks, referees or game officials have told the schools they aren’t going to “police” it, Bartalo said.

Coaches are taking athletes at “face value” if they lower their masks, it’s because they can’t handle playing the sport with the mask on, said Robin Silvis, the board president.

HOLLEY – When the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was signed by President Biden last week, Holley Central School was expecting the package would include $1,114,999 for the district.

That follows the $373,533 approved last March for Holley in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. That initial funding helped the district pay for additional costs of PPE and other Covid-19 expenses.

Turns out Holley is getting the $1,114,999, plus another $2,428,000 in the American Rescue Plan. The district was notified of the unexpected funding on Monday at 2 p.m.

Sharon Zacher, the district assistant superintendent for business, said Holley has until Sept. 30, 2023 to spend the money. So far the only stipulation known for the money is at least 20 percent needs to go to “loss of learning costs” to help students get caught up who fell behind during the pandemic, Zacher told the Board of Education on Monday evening.

The $2.4 million takes some pressure off the district in the next two to three years. Holley is plugging the $1,114,999 into the proposed 2021-22 budget. Zacher was concerned the following year how the district would respond with the loss of that funding from the budget, especially if state aid didn’t increase significantly.

“This eases the worry about when the $1.1 million is gone,” Zacher said about the additional $2.4 million.

She updated the Board of Education on Monday about the budget progress so far. Next month the board will vote on a budget to present to voters in May.

Right now the budget is at a 3 percent spending increase, $26,553,900 compared to the $25,780,000 for 2020-21. The budget was also at $25,780,000 the previous year.

Zacher’s draft proposal would increase taxes by 2 percent, from $7,427,919 to $7,576,477. That would be just under the district’s allowable tax cap for next school year, which is a 2.029 percent increase.

Holley has the usual budget increases with staff raises and the costs of health insurance. Next school year, Zacher said Holley should budget for an additional bus attendant, some equipment for Buildings and Grounds, a new kettle at $25,000 for the kitchen, and a bigger expense for repair costs for take-home devices for students.

Zacher expects to receive more information from the state and federal governments about the $2.4 million and how it can be used by the district.

“We want to hear more before making a recommendation,” she told the board.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Karri Schiavone, Holley Elementary School principal, tells the Board of Education on Monday that the school had a great first day with students in grades K through 2 back this week without the hybrid schedule.

HOLLEY – It felt like the first day of school at Holley Elementary School on Monday for students in kindergarten through second grade.

It was the first day without the hybrid schedule, where students were in-person for two days a week, alternating with half their class to keep the capacity down in the classroom and on buses.

Holley school officials did the calculations and found they could bring students in those grade levels back for four days of in-person a week. Wednesday will remain a day for remote learning.

“It was so smooth,” Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal, told the Holley Board of Education on Monday evening. “It was happy kids and happy teachers everywhere.”

Students were able to meet some of their classmates in person for the first time this school year. Some of those students were only known as faces on a computer screen for Zoom video conferencing.

The district needs to work out details for the student drop-off because there was a line out to Perry Street.

“We need to tweak the arrival and dismissal times for cars,” Schiavone said.

Otherwise, she said the shift to bringing more students back has gone “fantastic.”

She praised the Buildings and Grounds staff for rearranging desks and tables to meet the 6-foot social distancing guideline from the state. The food service, transportation, district office, teachers and support staff “all made it work,” Schiavone said.

Holley wants to bring back more students for in-person each day but Schiavone said the social distancing guideline would need to be lowered. Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent, said school officials around the state are expecting the guideline to be reduced to 3 feet, as long as students are wearing masks. That change would allow for more students on buses, more in classrooms and more in the cafeteria.

“We expect the changes will come,” Bartalo said.

This elementary classroom has plastic barriers on the desks as an added protection against the spread of Covid-19.

If the distancing isn’t lowered from 6 to 3 feet, Bartalo said the district will still try to bring back more students, but may not be able to do more full grade levels.

The district wants to have more students in-person by April 19, which is the start of the final quarter when students will be gearing up for final exams and state assessments.

Bartalo noted that Monday was very close to the one-year anniversary of when schools last year were closed to in-person learning due the Covid-19 pandemic. March 13 was last day for in-person learning in 2020.

“Today was our youngest students and we will start working are way up,” Bartalo told the Board of Education.  “We can all agree that having 5- and 6-year-olds at home on a computer being supervised in very challenging.”

The district early in the school year increased the in-person days to four days for students in prekindergarten, those in self-contained special education classes and the alternative high school, which is held in a wing of the elementary school.

Those groups are all smaller classes of no more than 12 students where the district can meet the social distancing requirement, keeping desks 6 feet apart.

The district also brought back for four days of in-person learning about 100 students with IEPs who have a learning disability and need some additional educational services.

Holley on March 1 also allowed students at the WeMoCo in Spencerport to attend in-person classes four days a week.

“Our goal is to get all of the hybrid kids back for the fourth quarter,” Bartalo said.

That will depend on the state changing the social distancing to 3 feet. He said he is encouraged by the number of new cases in the county being the lowest since October, while more people are getting vaccinated from Covid.

At police reform session, Holley PD viewed as ‘stepping stone’ to other larger departments

Photos by Tom Rivers: Roland Nenni, Holley police chief until he retires on March 31, speaks during a forum on police reform last Thursday at the village office in the former Holley High School.

HOLLEY – The Holley Police Department responds to about 1,000 calls annually, and many are lockouts, alarms going off, and building checks.

But increasingly, the department responds to people in mental health crisis. Holley Police Chief Roland Nenni said more mental health personnel are needed in the community to help assist individuals in a mental health crisis.

In Orleans County, two classes of law enforcement officers, about a dozen in each class, have taken week-long crisis intervention training, learning techniques to de-escalate situations with people suffering a mental health issue.

“It’s not enough,” Nenni said about the training for officers. “It’s definitely not enough.”

The county would benefit with a  team of trained specialists who could quickly be deployed to a crisis situation. “With SWAT, you’re bringing a sledgehammer to the problem,” he said.

Nenni said there needs to be more psychiatric facilities with beds for people to stay.

“We’re trying to find better ways of dealing with mental health,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that.”

Nenni spoke last Thursday during a meeting about police reform. Those meetings are required for the 500 law enforcement agencies around the state. They need to submit a plan to the state by April 1, and show that they have given the public a chance to air concerns about how the police departments are responding to community needs.

“We have a great community and we have a great police department,” Nenni told about 20 people at the meeting.

About 20 people attended the session last week about the Holley Police Department.

Nenni said the mandate on law enforcement agencies of all sizes around the state for police reform is “insulting” to departments like Holley, which have banned chokeholds and have a policy for use of force.

Holley officers have had body cameras since October 2017. They carry AEDs in their patrol cars in case they go to a call and someone is in cardiac arrest.

The Holley PD does about 25 to 75 arrests each year. In the past 10 years, Nenni said officers have used force about a dozen times.

Holley’s policies and its police reform plan will be posted on the Village of Holley website and Facebook page before the April 1 deadline.

“What the governor is mandating, we already have that,” Nenni said. “Our orders exceed the policies mandated by the governor.”

But the purpose of the meeting on Thursday was to hear from the community what Holley PD could be doing better.

Diane Rouse, a local resident, said more mental health services are needed to assist the police and respond to residents who need help. There are bigger issues, too – poverty and drug abuse – that are part of the mental health issues and crime in the community, Rouse said.

District Attorney Joe Cardone said law enforcement often are called to people “hysterical” with mental health problems that may been even more extreme from drug use.

“I have a lot of respect for law enforcement,” Cardone said. “These men and women walk into very volatile situations and have to make decisions quickly. We’re asking law enforcement to diffuse situations and these are very difficult situations.”

Nenni expects to see more resources for mental health services. In Orleans County, a crisis intervention team should be run from the county and not from the Holley PD and individual law enforcement agencies, Nenni said.

“This is on the national radar,” he said. “We’re keenly aware of the problems that mental health causes for law enforcement.”

‘I have a lot of respect for law enforcement. These men and women walk into very volatile situations and have to make decisions quickly. We’re asking law enforcement to diffuse situations and these are very difficult situations.’ – DA Joe Cardone

Another focus of the police reform mandate from the governor is to make sure the public feels they are being treated fairly by law enforcement, Cardone said, whether they are victims of crime or the defendants.

Joanne Best, the county’s public defender, also attended the Holley forum.

“We don’t honestly get a lot of complaints from our clients that the police did something wrong to me,” Best said.

She suggested the law enforcement agencies make annual reports public, and detail how many calls, how many arrests and the results of those arrests.

Nenni is a Holley resident who also is Albion’s police chief. He is ending a 29-year law enforcement career on March 31. He said it has been an honor to lead the department in his home community.

Nenni, the leader of the Orleans County SWAT team, was praised for his service by Joe Cardone, the county’s district attorney.

“I can tell you he will be sorely missed,” Cardone said. “He has done great work in Albion and Holley and throughout Orleans County.”

Best also praised the retiring police chief for being “extremely accessible.” She also commended Nenni for leading numerous community events, from the National Night Out at Bullard Park in Albion to DWI simulations at Holley and Albion schools. In those mock accidents, students role play being in an accident, with firefighters extricating them from vehicles. In Holley, there has been a court re-enactment with the drunken driver sentenced to state prison.

Bob Barton will take over as acting chief of the Holley Police Department. He is retired from the Greece Police Department and has worked as a part-time officer in Holley for several years.

The Village Board has appointed Bob Barton to serve as acting chief beginning April 1. Barton is retired from the Greece Police Department and has worked as a part-time officer in Holley

Barton said he prefers working in a small town, where it is easier to get to know the residents and businesses.

“Being a cop is getting to know your community and letting your community get to know you,” he said. “I like being a local cop because a local cop gets to know the people. That’s what it’s all about.”

Holley currently has one full-time officer, a part-time chief and about 10 other part-timers. Mayor Kevin Lynch said Holley is looking to fill another full-time position.

John Kenney, a former Holley mayor, said the department acts as a “stepping stone” for new officers to get experience and then move on to bigger departments. The turnover can make it challenging to maintain consistent staffing. Right now, Nenni said there are about 6-7 open shifts a month that aren’t staffed.

When a Holley officer isn’t on duty, there is usually a Sheriff’s deputy or state trooper close by.

Cardone said law enforcement will likely face another new challenge. He expects the State Legislature and governor to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Cardone believes that will result in more serious and fatal car accidents and other problems for the community.

“There is no question that will lead to more issues,” Cardone said. “There is no question this is a very difficult time for law enforcement.”

Photos by Tom Rivers: The clocks on the former United Methodist church in Holley’s Public Square loom large on Friday morning.

Daylight Saving Time starts tonight at 2 a.m. with clocks going forward an hour. Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 7.

AAA warns that as Americans “spring forward” and set their clocks ahead one hour, they will be losing an hour of sleep. The change in daylight hours means motorists could experience drowsy driving and added distractions behind the wheel, AAA said.

AAA urged motorists to take precautions against drowsy driving and be alert for kids walking home from school or playing outside.

“While many people are looking forward to the end of winter, few realize the added dangers that can come as a result of a time change, especially when behind the wheel,” said Elizabeth Carey, Director of Public Relations, AAA Western and Central New York. “This hour change can disturb sleep patterns, perhaps even resulting in drowsy driving.”

Holley’s Public Square was busy on Friday morning. The former church has been a landmark in the square for more than a century. The four clock faces on the clock were refurbished in 2015 after being bare for many years. Glenn Hughson, owner of the former United Methodist church building, put back the clocks and their mechanical systems.

Press Release, Police Chief Roland Nenni

HOLLEY – The Holley Police Department will be holding a police forum at 7 p.m. today at the Village Office (the former Holley High School), 1 Wright St.

The purpose of this forum is to get the input form the community so that the Police Department can better serve the citizens of the Village of Holley.

The Orleans County District Attorney and Public Defender will be in attendance to address recent changes to the legal and criminal justice system and can address any questions.

The intent is to have open discussions. If anyone would like to speak or address a particular issue, we ask that you contact the Village Office at 638-6367 before the event to be placed on the agenda.