By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2019 at 9:46 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: John Grillo accepts an award from Brenda Swanger, president of the Board of Education. Grillo is retiring as coach.
HOLLEY – John Grillo was praised by Holley school officials this evening for a distinguished career that includes a state record 796 wins as a wrestling coach.
Grillo’s achievements as a coach are an “unparalleled record as a professional,” said Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent.
Bartalo joined Holley this year after working in the Hilton school district. Even at Hilton, Grillo is well regarded for building such a strong program at Holley, and for his relationships with other coaches and the wrestling community, Bartalo said.
Grillo’s achievements were highlighted during the Board of Education meeting this evening, including 16 times the Genesee Region coach of the year, five times the Section 5 coach of the year, and a finalist for national coach of the year. His teams also won 20 GR league titles and 12 Sectional championships.
But even more importantly, Grillo was a great role model for the athletes and helped many succeed off the mat as well, said Dan Courtney, the school’s athletic director.
“The numbers are mind blowing,” Courtney said about Grillo’s achievement as a coach. “But it’s not just the wins and losses.”
Grillo said he was proud of this year’s combined Holley and Kendall team which won the sportsmanship award for Section 5 for the first time in his career. Grillo said that award is a tribute to the wrestlers, the parents and the fans in the community.
Grillo also thanked the Holley school district for backing the wrestling program through the years.
“Thank you for bringing me in,” he said. “I know I was a pain in the rump at times, but you always supported me in doing what we had to do to build the program. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and your support over the years.”
Photos courtesy of the family: Andie Carpenter relished nature hikes. “She was outdoorsy and liked adventure,” said her father, Josh Carpenter.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 March 2019 at 11:58 am
Family and friends establishing memorial scholarship at Holley for Andie Carpenter
HOLLEY – A Holley woman didn’t let vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome keep her from an active student life at Holley Central School and then in college, where she was majoring in a radiological technology program.
Andie Carpenter
Andie Carpenter, 20, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 31. She was in her last semester at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake. She died after an artery ruptured.
“She was a bright light,” said her mother, Maria Vowles. “She lit up a room.”
Andie wasn’t diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos until she was 15. That diagnosis followed years of doctor visits when Andie and her family knew something was wrong. She bruised easily. Her skin stretched far more than a typical person’s. She slept with her eyes open.
These are tell-tale signs of Ehlers-Danlos, which doesn’t have a cure. Ehlers-Danlos weakens the connective tissues of the body. It also can weaken blood vessels and organs.
Andie and her family were grateful for the diagnosis, and Andie refused to lay low in life.
“She didn’t like to be called fragile or delicate,” said her stepmother, Mandy Carpenter. “She didn’t want to be thought of as weak. She was a strong girl. She never let anything get in her way.”
Andie was strongly urged by doctors not to play contact sports. Even a small collision could turn into a big bruise.
So she ran cross country, a demanding sport where the races are 3.1 miles with training runs even farther. She ran hard, even with swollen feet.
“She liked being a part of the team and the friendship,” said her father, Josh Carpenter.
Andie also played tennis and briefly tried basketball for Holley. She gave up basketball after tearing ligaments in her knee.
Andie Carpenter was well liked for her friendly personality and her determination.
She enjoyed photography and taking hikes in nature. She wanted to be a 46er, climbing all of the mountain peaks in the Adirondacks. She was partway on that goal.
Andie researched her college major, and picked the rigorous radiological technology program, which includes taking CAT scans. Only 22 students get into the program at North Country Community College, and many don’t get through the program, which includes 1,500 hours in clinical training and work on site at radiologic technology departments across the North Country.
Andie did her training at the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, Canton-Potsdam Hospital and the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.
“She worked hard and focused on her studies,” her mother said. “She was three months from graduating.”
She was living in an apartment. She was a responsible adult, making sure all of her bills were paid. She was looking forward to starting her career.
Andie wrote this in her memoir about living with the disease:
“Even though I found out that I have (vascular) Ehlers Danlos, I still act like the same person I use to be. I still participate in many activities and enjoy life. You either accept the fact that you have the disorder and go on with your life like a normal person or worry about what could happen and not enjoy life at all. I chose to accept that I have it and go on with my days without worrying about it.”
About 400 people attended her calling hours last month at a Brockport funeral home. The family is thankful for the outpouring of support.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of love from the Holley community,” Mandy Carpenter said.
The family is establishing scholarships in Andie’s memory and is planning upcoming fundraisers.
The first event will be June 9 at World Gym in Rochester, 1717 East Ave. Participants can donate in a fun and challenging workout. Andie’s mother is a member of this gym.
There will be a 5K fun run/1-mile walk on July 13 in Holley. The course will go by the Holley Waterfalls and is similar to the route for the Holley cross country team, a course she ran hundreds of times. The 5K starts at 10 a.m. with the walk beginning at 10:10 a.m. Check in is at the Holley gazebo by the canal park.
The North Country Community College is establishing a memorial scholarship for Andie Carpenter. The scholarship descriptions says, “Andie was a bubbly person who made everyone smile a bit more each and every day. This award is given to a hard-working, determined, and driven to succeed graduate, who is always willing to go the extra mile to help others. The recipient of this award is a lot like Andie; he or she has a positive outlook on life, who is always making those around them happier.”
Andie’s family and friends also are creating a scholarship through the Holley Central School. They are accepting donations to the Andie Mae Carpenter Scholarship Fund, Holley Central School District, 3800 North Main Street, Holley, NY 14470.
The family also is raising money for the Center for Vascular Ehlers- Danlos Syndrome Research, c/o Hal Dietz, MD, Institute of Genetic Medicine fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Rangos 550, Baltimore, MD 21205. (www.hopkinsmedicine.org).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 March 2019 at 11:22 am
Photo courtesy of Holley Fire Department
HOLLEY – Firefighters were dispatched to Norway Road in Murray on Sunday morning for reports of a chimney fire. Once on scene, firefighters realized the fire wasn’t in the chimney, but in the partition in the house, Holley Fire Chief Harris Reed said today.
Hamlin, Kendall and Holley firefighters were on soon after the call went out at 5:09 a.m.
Reed said the homeowner had a smoke detector which alerted the residents to the fire. The chief thanked the firefighters for their speedy response, which prevented the fire from spreading and doing more damage.
“It was a really good stop,” Reed said. “Minutes later and the house could have been on the ground.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 March 2019 at 10:32 pm
Jesus is a Yankees fan, while Judas favors the Red Sox in Holley’s show
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Matt Skehan, a senior at Holley, has the lead role of Jesus in the school’s performance of Godspell. He is shown during a rehearsal today.
Skehan suffered a fractured growth plate in his wrist during a basketball game about a month ago. The injury hasn’t kept him off the stage.
Skehan said the lead roles had to learn long lines, more so than in other shows, and they needed to be in sync with each other on stage to get the comedic timing down.
He has been in the musicals since seventh grade.
“There’s not a day it isn’t joyful,” Skehan said about the musicals. “It’s like one big family. Everybody cares for everyone.”
Holley will perform the show for the community at 7 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Middle/High School Auditorium. Tickets can be ordered online by clicking here.
Callie Updike plays Judas, a disciple who betrays Jesus.
“He deals with the emotional turmoil of betraying a trusted friend,” Callie said about her character. “It just rips you apart.”
Dan Burke is the director of the show. Burke, a science teacher at the school, also is the varsity baseball coach and a New York Yankees fan. Burke has Jesus wearing a Yankees shirt, while Judas wears the jersey for the archrival Red Sox.
Burke likes that the show allows the kids to have personalities and express themselves (and gives the director some leeway in the costumes).
There are 50 students in the cast, plus another 20 behind the scenes.
Burke has wanted to do Godspell for many years, and believes he has the right cast for the show this year.
“Godspell is a very difficult show to do,” he said. “There is timing and the actors have to tell stories on stage. It’s a powerful message.”
Mike Stoll plays John the Baptist and sings, “Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord.” Stoll enters the auditorium from the back of the room and walks down one of the aisles, turning to face the crowd. He then baptizes cast members on stage.
There are many high-energy songs and dances in the show. Allyson Skehan, left, and Lexianne Seewagen are among the cast members.
Matt Skehan as Jesus shares one of the parables from the Bible. Jesus urges kindness, tolerance and love.
Burke said the musical brings people from many backgrounds together in the school.
“If you want to get rid of bullying in schools, make them do musicals,” he said.
Adrianna Kruger stars as Robin and sings, “Day by Day.” Many of the cast members get solos in Godspell.
Tickets for the shows can be ordered online by clicking here or by going to the MS/HS main office.
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2019 at 5:22 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – A group of elementary students sing during today’s All-County Music Festival. There were nearly 300 students who performed in this afternoon’s music festival at Holley. The event was organized by the Orleans County Music Educators’ Association.
Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina all had students performing in the festival, which included 111 students in the elementary chorus, 75 in the middle school band, and 103 in the high school chorus.
Michael Conte, an instrumental music teacher at Williamsville North High School, leads the middle school band.
Sophia Cardone of Medina sings a solo during “How Can I Keep From Singing,” one of four songs performed by the high school chorus during today’s All-County Music Festival.
Zach Busch, a band teacher at Holley, welcomes the crowd to the musical festival and introduces Michael Conte, the guest conductor for the middle school band.
Elementary students were led by Shana Kohler, a choral director and music teacher at Hilton. The students sang four songs, “The Tailor of Gloucester,” “Al Shlosha D’Varium,” “To Music” and “Kokoleoko.”
Shana Kohler, the guest conductor, was high energy in leading the elementary students.
Daniel Reisdorf, a music teacher at Pembroke, leads the high school chorus. The group sang “And the Glory of the Lord,” “How Can I Keep from Singing,” “Indodana” and “Swinging with the Saints.”
The high school chorus performs in the Holley school auditorium. There are two All-County Music Festivals each year in Orleans County. The concert last month included the elementary band, middle school chorus and high school band.
The middle school band performed “Rough Riders,” “Morning Reflection,” “Overture for the Winds” and “Shackelford Banks.”
HOLLEY – These members of the Holley Interact Club at the school helped the Holley Rotary Club serve 225 spaghetti dinners on Saturday evening at the VFW.
The proceeds each year are used to support local families in need because of illness, death or disaster. The club gave $1,000 each to two families. One was to help with immediate expenses when a husband/father died suddenly. The other was to a local family with a child fighting cancer.
The VFW was a busy place for the dinner. There were 14 members of the Interact Club helping the Rotary Club with the event. The Interact Club also receives a small percentage of the proceeds.
Holley Rotary Club member Jeff Martin works in the kitchen, ready to serve spaghetti.
Photos courtesy of Emily Kwiatkowski: Evan Valentine, left, is pictured with Bishop Richard Malone and Carter Neumann, another altar server at the St. Mary’s & St. Mark’s Parish. Valentine on Saturday was recognized as altar server of the year for the parish. Neumann won the award the previous year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2019 at 5:36 pm
Evan Valentine is pictured at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on Franklin Street in Buffalo with his parents, Diane and Neil Valentine.
HOLLEY – Evan Valentine was honored on Saturday as altar server of the year for the St. Mary’s & St. Mark’s Parish.
Evan, 16, has been an altar server since he was 8. He is a role model for the youth and the adults in the parish, said Emily Kwiatkowski, pastoral associate for the parish.
“Evan is such a good kid,” she said today. “He is always smiling, even during his recent challenges.”
Evan was diagnosed with leukemia on Oct. 20. He has completed three rounds of chemotherapy, and soon starts a fourth and final round.
He hasn’t complained about the chemo and has stayed strong in his faith, Kwiatkowski said.
She nominated him for the altar server award last year, before he was diagnosed with leukemia.
He was recognized by the Buffalo Catholic Diocese during an awards program on Saturday at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
Evan helps train younger altar servers. He also shows up early and stays late getting the vessels and candles ready for Mass and then picking up after the service. He is looking forward to resuming the role once his chemotherapy is over.
“He is always willing to help serve wherever needed,” Kwiatkowski said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2019 at 12:29 pm
Dan Monacelli praised for serving in interim role at school last 3 months
Photo from Holley Central School: Dan Monacelli is shown on Friday with a cake on his last day as interim principal for the Holley Junior-Senior High School.
HOLLEY – Dan Monacelli’s interim role as principal for the Holley Junior-Senior High School ended on Friday after nearly three months.
Monacelli, a retired Albion principal, filled for Holley while Susan Cory was on a personal leave of absence. She will be back at the school on Monday.
“The kids loved him,” said Brenda Swanger, the Board of Education principal. “He did a great job. He’s a great guy who is so full of life.”
Monacelli, an Albion native, retired from Albion in June 2017. He started his teaching career in Elba, and returned to Albion as a Correction Room specialist. Then he taught health before getting into administration at Pembroke and the Niagara Academy. He was hired as high school principal at Albion in 2007 and then moved over to lead the middle school.
“We’re very thankful he was willing to fill in for us,” Swanger said.
Photos by Annette Mrzywka: Nicole Mrzywka and Hughie, her English Springer Spaniel, are pictured after competing at the Westminster Dog Show. Mrzywka made it to the final eight in the junior showmanship competition.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2019 at 10:01 am
Nicole Mrzywka advanced to final 8 out of 102 in junior showmanship competition
NEW YORK – A Holley High School senior who competed at the Westminster Dog Show is calling the experience, “a dream come true.”
Nicole Mrzywka, 17, has been showing dogs since she was 9, starting with the Orleans County 4-H program. On Tuesday she was on the biggest stage for dog shows, the prestigious Westminster event that is broadcast on television.
Nicole qualified to be one of 102 youths in the junior showmanship competition. She needed to win seven American Kennel Club sanctioned events to qualify.
The 102 youths in the competition were separated into groups of four with about 25 in each group. The top two from each group advanced to the finals.
Nicole was picked for that exclusive group – the final eight. She and Hughie, her English Springer Spaniel, were able to compete in the main ring at Madison Square Garden. She received a $500 scholarship for making it to the finals.
Nicole Mrzywka and Hughie compete at the Westminster Kennel Club’s Dog Show on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
She was judged on how well she presented her dog in confirmation how Hughie meets the standards of the breed.
“It’s all about smoothness and how you react with your dog and how you handle it if he acts up,” Nicole said by phone this morning.
She has competed at big dog shows before in Philadelphia and in Florida at the national championship for the American Kennel Club. The Westminster show is considered the Super Bowl of dog shows, she said.
She expects to be back next year in her final year as a junior. She has already won six events this year and only needs one more to qualify for Westminster in 2020.
Nicole said she is grateful for the friendships she has made at the dog shows, from the local 4-H club to the bigger national events.
“Getting into the dog show world, you meet so many people who really become a second family,” she said.
The Holley senior wants to be an elementary school teacher. She is planning to major in early childhood education in college.
Two benefits of being a teacher: “I’d get weekends and summers off for dog shows,” Nicole said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 February 2019 at 5:20 pm
Photo by Annette Mrzywka: Nicole Mrzywka rides the subway with her English Springer Spaniel this afternoon. They will be in the showring at 7 p.m. at the Westminster Dog Show.
NEW YORK – A Holley High School senior is competing with her dog at one of the most prestigious dog shows.
Nicole Mrzywka, 17, advanced this morning to the finals of the junior showmanship competition at the Westminster Kennel Club. She will be back in the show ring 7 p.m. today at Madison Square Garden. She is wearing arm band No. 63.
Nicole is showing Hughie, an English Springer Spaniel. The competition can be viewed on the Westminster Kennel Club app.
“It’s always a big thing when someone from Orleans County competes on the national stage, and not only competes but excels,” said Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.
He has known Nicole for about a decade. She is a member of the Orleans County 4-H Heelers Dog Cub.
Batt said Nicole is well regarded for her skills in showing dogs.
“It’s her dedication and her practice,” he said, explaining why she is so successful.
Nicole last July was named queen of the Orleans County 4-H Fair. She shows more than dogs. The past four years she has been the reserve champion in the grand master showman competition, which features the top showman in several breeds of livestock.
At Holley, she plays on the volleyball team and was a Genesee-Region league all-star this past season.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2019 at 12:06 pm
Photo from Holley Central School: A polar bear mascot tries to rally support for a team from Holley, including students, staff and superintendent Brian Bartalo. Holley has raised $1,295 so far towards its goal of $2,000.
Holley and Kendall schools are both sending groups to the Polar Plunge this Sunday in Lake Ontario. They will be at Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte at noon to jump into the cold water.
Holley and Kendall have participated in the Plunge for several years. The event typically raises more than $200,000 for the Special Olympics.
Holley and Kendall are both trying to raise $2,000 for the Special Olympics. Kendall has raised $550 so far towards its goal. (Click here for more on Kendall’s fundraising page.) Holley is up to $1,295. (Click here for more on Holley’s fundraising page.)
Last year Holley students and their teacher and Student Council Advisor Jim Di Sessa raised just under $1,100. That passed the group’s fundraising goal of $1,000. Holley has doubled its goal this year.
Last year Kendall raised $1,875 at the Polar Plunge.
File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Feb. 12, 2017 shows a group of people jumping into Lake Ontario for the Polar Plunge in Charlotte at Ontario Beach Park.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Veterans from Orleans County fill the front pews of the First Baptist Church of Holley on Sunday, where they participated in a memorial service honoring four chaplains who died at sea during World War II. The chaplains are remembered for giving up their life vests, locking arms and praying together as their ship sank.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 February 2019 at 10:19 am
Chuck Eberhardt tells the story of Rabbi Alexander D. Goode during the Four Chaplains service Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Holley.
HOLLEY – The legend of the Four Chaplains, while tragic, is one which has gone down in history.
Each year on Feb. 3, it has become customary in churches throughout the country, including the First Baptist Church of Holley, to present a service honoring the four chaplains of four different faiths who gave their lives to save four other sailors during World War II.
The service in Orleans County was started by Larry Montello of Albion, who learned about it in 2007 from a lady he met after moving here from the Adirondacks. He has organized a service, with help from the American Legion, VFW and Legion Auxiliary ever since.
The first service was at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion, and Montello moved it to various other churches, but for the last four years, it has taken place at the First Baptist Church of Holley.
The four chaplains were Clark V. Poling, a Baptist minister; John P. Washington, a Catholic priest; George L. Fox, a Methodist minister; and Alexander D. Goode, a Rabbi.
During World War II, they were all assigned to the USAT Dorchester.
In the early morning of Feb. 3, 1943 while sailing through the icy waters of the North Atlantic from Boston to Greenland, their ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat.
The chaplains got on deck and started handing out life vests. When all were handed out and there were still many men without any, the chaplains took theirs off and gave them to four sailors.
Larry Montello, right, reads a certificate of appreciation before he, Cathy Fox, president of the Orleans County American Legion Auxiliary; and Steve Johnson, County Legion commander (in cap), present it to Elder Todd Thomas (next to Fox) and pastor Joe Willis with the First Baptist Church.
Ron Ayrault of Holley plays Taps at the conclusion of the Four Chaplains service.
As the ship sank, the chaplains locked arms and prayed and sang in their own religions. Each was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross.
Participating in Sunday’s service were members of the American Legion in Medina, Albion and Lyndonville; VFW in Medina and Holley; Orleans County Legion Auxiliary; and Orleans County Pfc. Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program, which provided refreshments.
Also in attendance was American Legion vice commander of Gasport, Dan Fuller and his wife Susan.
Veterans formed an honor guard, while several others read the life histories of each chaplain, followed by laying a rose by each chaplain’s picture and lighting a candle in his memory.
Readings were given by Steve Goodrich, Clark V. Poling; Earl Schmidt, John. P. Washington; Ron Ayrault, George L. Fox; and Chuck Eberhardt, Alexander D. Goode.
Steve Johnson with the American Legion in Medina explained the service, saying an act of Congress in 1988 proclaimed Feb. 3 annually as Four Chaplains Day.
There were 902 men aboard the USAT Dorchester; only 230 survived.
Todd Thomas, an elder at the First Baptist Church, spoke on the sacrifice made by the four chaplains and how they willingly gave their lives.
Larry Montello, left, gives instructions to Legion and VFW members who formed the honor guard for Sunday’s Four Chaplains service at the First Baptist Church of Holley. Lined up are Glenn Whitmore, American Legion commander in Medina; Dave Kusmierczak, a member of Medina VFW; John Pera, commander of Holley American Legion; and Fred Heschke of Medina, member of the VFW.
Ron Ayrault salutes the American flag after lighting a candle in honor of George L. Fox during the Four Chaplains service.
Earl Schmidt, director of Orleans County Veterans’ Services, shares the story of John P. Washington, a Catholic priest and one of four chaplains who died in World War II when their ship was sunk by the Germans.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2019 at 12:50 pm
HOLLEY – Many school districts closed today in Western New York, including Albion, Medina and Lyndonville in Orleans County. Holley and Kendall both stayed open. (Kendall has cancelled all afternoon and evening activities at the school today.)
(UPDATED at 2:36 p.m.: Holley has also cancelled after-school activities today and school on Thursday.)
Brian Bartalo, Holley’s Superintendent of Schools, posted on the district website his rationale for keeping school open today. Here is his explanation:
“I want to assure you that the decision to close school is taken very seriously and with the safety of all in mind. If any one reason, or combination of them, suggests that we should close school, I will do so.
“Here are some of the factors I consider when deciding to keep the district open or closed based on weather conditions: visibility, road conditions, temperatures (including wind chill), and the pending forecast. I consult with a number of people inside and outside of our district and monitor these factors continuously. I also make sure the heat in all our buildings is functioning and busses are able to run. Once I’ve been assured we are within a safe range to open, school remains open.
“Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower issued a ‘travel advisory’ for today (Jan. 30), not a ‘ban,’ based on the weather conditions in the western parts of Orleans County. If there had been a travel ban declared, we would be closed.
“Some area districts elected to close today, due to a high number of students who walk to school. All our students have the opportunity to be transported to school. While we have some that chose to walk to school, they can all board a district bus to get to and from school. Most of our students are picked up at their home (driveway). At dismissal time, no students are “out waiting” for a bus. They are picked up right near our buildings and then let out to go directly into their homes.
“School is an important place for our students to be. I want them to know and understand that. Some students are warmer and have more nutritious meals in school. Some parents can’t provide adequate supervision at home when we close and they have to go to work. Some parents have to choose to miss work and forfeit pay if they have to stay home to provide care for their children on emergency closing days.
“In the end, my decision is to do what’s best for our students, staff and community.
“If weather conditions worsen, I will get the message out ASAP if we need to cancel any activities or close school.”
MURRAY – State troopers have charged a Holley man with driving while intoxicated after he allegedly drove off Ridge Road and hit the porch of a house on Saturday afternoon.
Lawrence Lentz, 44, showed signs of being intoxicated and subsequently failed standardized field sobriety tests at the scene, troopers said.
Lentz was arrested for DWI and transported to the State Police Barracks in Albion, where a chemical test revealed him to have a .11% BAC, troopers said.
Troopers responded to the intersection of Route 104 and Route 237 in Murray at about 3 p.m. for a report of a vehicle that struck a house. The roof of the porch of the house needed to be stabilized.
The Holley Fire Department used rescue jacks to lift up roof and apply support beams for the time being.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 January 2019 at 11:57 am
HOLLEY – A new historical marker will be erected this spring on South Main Street in Holley at the former home of Chauncey Robinson, who was an abolitionist who opened his home to hide escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad.
The county, Orleans County Historical Association and two local donors are sharing the cost for the marker at 35 South Main, west of Geddes Street.
Local historians have long suspected there were houses in Orleans County on the Underground Railroad, which was a secret network of trails and homes. But there wasn’t documentation to back it up, until Clarendon Historian Melissa Ierlan found a letter from Robinson’s grandson.
In the lengthy letter, the grandson details visiting his grandfather, who took him up to the second floor of the back side of the house. The grandfather pulled back a curtain, and there was a group of escaped slaves on beds.
“It’s pretty unusual to find descriptions like that,” said Matt Ballard, the county historian and president of the Orleans County Historical Association.
More research showed that Robinson was in fact an outspoken abolitionist,.
The Orleans County Historical Association considered other sites for a marker, but decided on Robinson and his work with the Underground Railroad. Ballard said this will be the second historical marker in Orleans County about African-American history. Medina in April 2015 unveiled a marker on Main Street in recognition of two speeches delivered in the community by Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist. Ballard likes how the Holley marker highlights a local resident advocating for escaped slaves.
“This is more a man who lived in the community who was well respected and was participating in the Underground Railroad,” Ballard said today. “There has been a lot of speculation and rumor with the Underground Railroad, but no written documentation.”
Ballard wants to see markers recognize underrepresented groups in the county’s history, and also bring attention to overlooked and unappreciated sites.
The Holley marker will be two-sided with one side highlighting Robinson and the Underground Railroad, and the other side noted the work of Ezra Brainerd, who built Robinson’s home and oversaw construction of the canal embankment over Sandy Creek, “which was a major undertaking,” Ballard said.
The Historical Association is considering other spots for historical markers in the future, including:
• The childhood home of Henry A. Spencer on Chamberlain Street in Albion. Spencer was the first African-American student at University of Rochester, a pall bearer for Frederick Douglass’s funeral, a member of Frederick Douglass Memorial Committee, and secretary for the NYS Assembly.
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church on Brown Street in Albion, the first Polish rural mission church outside of Buffalo, and center of Albion’s Polonia.
• George Pullman’s home on East State Street in the Village of Albion
• Silas Mainville Burroughs’ home at State Street Park in Medina. S.M. Burroughs Sr. was a NYS Assemblyman and a congressman. S.M. Burroughs Jr. was founder of Burroughs Wellcome & Co., now GlaxoSmithKline.
• Carlyon Calamity in the Town of Carlton on Yates-Carlton Townline, This is the site of a railroad accident on R.W.&O. Railroad, causing deaths of 17 passengers.
• Stangeland property on Norway Road in Kendall, the site of Andreas Stangeland home. Stangeland traveled with Cleng Peerson in 1824 to select land for Sloopers, and remained with Norwegians as Peerson traveled westward.
• Bidelman’s Tannery on Ridge Road near Rt. 279 in Gaines, which was originally Mather’s Tannery. Masons allegedly stopped at site while transporting the kidnapped William Morgan to Lewiston.
• Brady’s Quarry on Butts Road near the canal in Albion. The site allegedly provided sandstone for the Capitol Building in Albany. (Historians need to confirm location.)
• Sgt. Isaac Hawkins home near Glenwood & Ryan streets in Medina. Hawkins, an African-American, was a member of 54th Massachusetts Infantry. He was captured at Battle of Olustee, a prisoner at Andersonville, and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
• Lake Alice in Carlton, a man-made lake that was constructed by Western New York Utilities Co. in 1917. The company purchased over 50 parcels of property and relocated buildings to create reservoir.
• Wilson Hanging at Courthouse Square in Albion, the site of only public execution in Orleans County.
Ballard welcomes suggestions from the community for other markers. To contact him, send an email to Matt.Ballard@orleanscountyny.gov.
