By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2019 at 1:51 pm
None of Orleans County districts are in top 50 in state for poverty rates
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau about poverty rates for school districts shows that none of the districts in Orleans County are even close to being in the top 50 of the districts with the highest poverty rates.
The Rochester City School District has the highest school-age poverty rate in the state at 52.2 percent, with 17,895 school-aged children out of 34,286, in poverty, according to the Census Bureau. The 50th highest rate is 30.2 percent of school-age children in poverty and that’s in Sidney Central School n Delaware County.
The Census Bureau detailed the poverty rates for children, ages 5 to 17, in each school district. In Orleans County, Holley has the highest poverty rate at 22.4 percent or 245 out of 1,094 school-aged children in 2017.
That is just above the 22.0 percent in Albion, the 20.8 percent in Medina, the 19.5 percent in Lyndonville and 17.8 percent in Kendall.
The Orleans poverty rates are higher than neighboring districts outside the county. Barker has a rate of 11.5 percent, while Batavia is at 18.3 percent. Brockport is at 13.6 percent; Elba is at 9.7 percent; Hilton at 8.8 percent and Roy-Hart, 9.0 percent.
Holley Central School Superintendent Brian Bartalo said the district’s leadership discusses the poverty rate and how the district can use technology and education to help students overcome poverty.
Bartalo joined Holley as school superintendent in July. He said he is impressed with the community support, and the push for high achievement for all students.
“The Holley community wants the best for their kids,” Bartalo said today. “The poverty rate isn’t defining us, although if the trend continues we will need to look for more ways to support our kids.”
Bartalo said Holley has technology and Internet access “that levels the playing field.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jake Peters holds the Nov. 23, 1963 issue of The Post-Standard of Syracuse, detailing the shooting death of President John F. Kennedy. The historic newspaper is one of many given to Holley students who are going through the papers and creating a database. Peters is also active in the Holley Hub, which does podcasts of current events.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 January 2019 at 8:10 pm
‘Holley Hub’ also does podcasts of current events
HOLLEY – Holley students in a current events class led by teacher Nick D’Amuro have spent this week poring over headlines from key moments in U.S. history since the 1960s.
One of D’Amuro’s colleagues, science teacher Kristen Pelkey, handed off five boxes of newspapers covering about 60 years since 1958. These are newspapers from Syracuse that show the news coverage from historic days, including the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.; the resignation of Richard Nixon as U.S. president; many achievements by astronauts; and other key moments as well as ongoing coverage of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.
Students are looking through the stacks of papers with rubber gloves, and making an inventory of the big headlines. They are making other observations, including the prominence of cigarette advertising, the lack of women in the news, and how newspapers weren’t very critical of government leaders until the 1970s with Nixon, who resigned in disgrace.
Holley teacher Nick D’Amuro and his students in the current events class look through newspapers of famous events from the 1960s.
The newspapers in the 1960s are very much in favor of government leaders, and really touted U.S. advances by astronauts as the country raced against Russia to have the first man on the Moon.
“In the 1960s, the newspapers were very patriotic and supportive of the government,” D’Amuro said during the class on Friday. “In the 1970s, the newspapers were more critical.”
There are 15 students in the class in grades 10 through 12. They meet each day for eighth period in the school library.
The batch of historic newspapers was a pleasant surprise. They were given to the science teacher, who thought D’Amuro and his class would enjoy going through the newspapers, which are considered “the first rough draft of history.”
“Martin Luther King Slain” – This April 5, 1968 edition of The Post-Standard in Syracuse covers the assassination of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The photo to the left shows Rev. Andrew Young, an aide to King shows where King was hit by a bullet in Memphis, Tenn. The newspaper cost 10 cents at the time.
The students have been digging into news this year, and it had been current events. The class created a “Holley Hub” podcast and has had about a dozen episodes so far. D’Amuro, who also teaches social studies, wants students to be critical thinkers and educated citizens. The podcasts are available through the Holley Hub Twitter feed.
D’Amuro said the old newspapers, covering historic events, has inspired students, and took them right back to key moments they had read about in class. With the newspaper coverage, the events didn’t feel like an event from decades ago.
The Holley students will go through the newspapers and compile highlights that they hope to share with the school community after they are done with their research, D’Amuro said.
D’Amuro holds a copy of The Post-Standard from Aug. 9, 1974 that includes extensive coverage of the resignation of Richard Nixon as president. This edition includes the rare use of red letters in the headline. Back then, the newspapers were almost solely black and white.
“Condition of Sen. Kennedy Remains Extremely Critical” – The June 6, 1968 Post-Standard is headlined by the shooting of Sen. Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles at a hotel. RFK was running for president was he was fatally shot by an assassin.
“Germans Celebrate Unity” – The Oct. 3, 1990 Herald-Journal highlights the reunification of Germany. “Forty-five years after it was carved up in defeat and disgrace, Germany was reunited today in a celebration of pealing bells, national hymns and the jubilant blare of good old German oom-pah-pah,” the article states. By 1990, there were color photographs on the front page.
These students are in the library discussing a podcast for the Holley Hub. They include, from left: Jordan Grein, editor Jeremy Crandall, and Jake Peters.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2019 at 2:54 pm
MURRAY – The Town of Murray no longer has Ron Vendetti working as its code enforcement officer. The Town Board during its annual organizational meeting on Tuesday did not make an appointment to the position.
The town will have Melissa Ierlan, Clarendon’s code enforcement officer, fill in for some inspections. All contacts at Murray should still be made with Val Mauro, the deputy clerk.
“It is anticipated that after interviews with qualified applicants we will be able to fill this position for the foreseeable future with a quality candidate who embodies our mission of customer satisfaction and community involvement,” Town Supervisor Robert Miller said in a letter announcing the code enforcement change. “This transition may cause some minor delays, but we expect to offer uninterrupted service while we manage this situation. Your patience and cooperation are greatly appreciated.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 January 2019 at 4:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – These three dogs were rescued this afternoon in a fire at an apartment, 11 White St., Holley.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 1:58 p.m. They put out a fire in the basement.
The residence filled with smoke. A tenant went back inside the house to get one of the dogs. The tenant was taken by Monroe Ambulance to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters opened windows and used fans to ventilate the house, which includes two apartments.
Firefighters form Holley, Clarendon, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Albion, Hamlin and Brockport were at the scene, as well as the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, Holley Police Department, Monroe Ambulance and the county fire investigators.
Harris Reed, right, took over as Holley fire chief from Kevin Dann, left, on Jan. 1. This was Reed’s first fire call as the chief.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 5 January 2019 at 8:58 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 1
HOLLEY – This photograph, taken September 25, 1926, shows the aftermath of a locomotive collision at Holley. Looking south on South Main Street, the Holley Electric building is pictured on the left. A few individuals are in the vicinity, including a young girl standing between the tall white fence and truck along the left side of the road. Upon closer inspection, a bicycle is lying on the curb near the railroad overpass, possibly left there by the girl.
At 3:33 p.m. on September 24, 1926, an express train, Engine 3373, pulling 28 cars and two coaches departed the Fancher station on the New York Central Railroad. Meanwhile, Engine 485 operating at a local quarry just east of Holley was pulling two cars along a segment of track. According to reports following the accident, Engine 485 was switching cars near the Holley station located immediately west of the railroad overpass as the express train approached.
Travelling westbound against current traffic, the engineer in charge of Engine 485 observed the approaching express train, warned his fireman of the impending danger, and both quickly jumped to safety. A similar scenario unfolded aboard Engine 3373 and the two locomotives collided travelling at approximately 20-25 mph. While the engineer of Engine 3373 was able to safely jump from the express train, his fireman Frank Maloney was not as fortunate.
Both trains derailed, mangling the tracks and piling up cars behind them. Engine 3373 rolled onto its left side, striking the railroad station on the north side of the tracks while Engine 485 rolled in the opposite direction, striking the freight house. A large portion of the station was damaged and freight house knocked from its foundation. Maloney, who was unable to jump from the engine, was pinned under the wreckage and severely scalded; he died shortly after the collision.
This photograph shows the scene the following morning when a wrecking crew arrived on scene to clean up the debris. By the time this image was taken, Engine 3373 was turned upright, but the mangle pieces of Engine 485 are visible to the east of the overpass. A local brakeman was found at fault for failing to warn the oncoming express train.
Distressed parents can leave a baby up to 30 days old at police stations with no questions asked as long as staff present
The Albion and Holley police departments both have signs letting the public know the sites are Safe haven sites. The Albion PD is located at 106 North Platt St. and the Holley PD is at 8 Thomas St.
Press Release, Roland Nenni, Police Chief for Albion and Holley police departments
The Albion and Holley police departments in conjunction with Project Stork Inc. are proud to announce the recent designation and training for both agencies as Safe Haven locations.
New York State Law provides that a distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for his or her infant can give up custody of a baby that is 30 days old or less – no questions asked.
The parent must simply bring the infant to a safe haven location and make sure a person is located to give the child. As long as the child shows no signs of intentional abuse, no name or other information is required.
The officers and staff of both the Albion and Holley police departments were given training on the law and the procedure on how to handle an infant being turned over.
Signs have also been placed outside of both police stations indicating that the stations are Safe Haven locations. Each station also has a complete kit of supplies needed to care for an infant until other trained personnel arrive. These kits include items such as diapers, formula, clothing and other essential items.
I would like to thank the founder of Project Stork Inc., Jenny Staebell, for providing the signs and infant kits to the two police departments for this potentially lifesaving option to a distressed parent.
Thanks to the Safe Haven Law no one ever has to abandon a child again. For more information on the Safe Haven law in New York, click here.
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‘The citizens of the communities we serve will have a greater chance of survival when a person goes into cardiac arrest because of our new capabilities.’ – Police Chief Roland Nenni
Press Release, Roland Nenni, Police Chief for Albion and Holley police departments
Photo courtesy Albion Police Department: Albion Police Officer Daryl Robb trains with one of the new AEDs.
The Albion and Holley police departments are proud to announce the addition of Automatic External Defibrillators, commonly known as AEDs, to all police patrol vehicles in both departments as well as units in each police station.
All Albion and Holley police officers and civilian staff have also been certified by the American Heart Association by attending the Heart Saver AED/CPR course.
The AEDs and training were funded by a Community Health Grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation. The total cost of the AEDs and training was $11,335. Without this funding the life-saving tools would not have been possible.
The Albion Police Department and Holley Police Department first respond to all emergency medical calls in their respective jurisdictions. Albion and Holley officers arrive on scene within minutes of a medical emergency, often well before EMS personnel arrive. Officers will now have the life-saving tools needed during these medical responses. The citizens of the communities we serve will have a greater chance of survival when a person goes into cardiac arrest because of our new capabilities.
The AHA Heart Saver AED/CPR course that was taught to all officers and staff also comes with a Basic First Aid component. With this added training means an added level of care that will be provided to patients of medical emergencies.
I am very happy that we now have this added lifesaving ability. I am so proud that our officers see themselves as true public servants and as life savers, not just as law enforcement officers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 December 2018 at 10:34 am
David Hull, a retired preschool teacher, is featured in about 20 of the popular books
Photos by Tom Rivers: David Hull of Holley is shown with two of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books that he is featured in. Hull, a retired preschool teacher, has stories in about 20 of the books in the Chicken Soup series.
HOLLEY – David Hull of Holley has become a frequent contributor of one of the most popular book series.
Hull, a retired preschool teacher, has stories in about 20 of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. The Chicken Soup for the Soul series started about 25 years ago and now includes more than 250 titles. It has sold more than 100 million copies.
Each of the books includes 101 stories that tend to be three to four pages for each article. Hull, 59, checked the Chicken Soup website about seven years ago, and sent in a story. Although he has now been included in about 20 of the books, Hull said some of his stories didn’t make the final cut.
Chicken Soup editors say they get several thousand submissions for each book. Hull said he tries to write from the heart and mix in humor.
“You got to be very persistent and brave to send your stuff off to publishers,” he said during an interview last week at Sam’s Diner in Holley. “Don’t be stopped by rejection.”
Hull said he wrote for some small magazines before being published in Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Chicken Soup published The Power of Yes! This year and includes two articles by Hull. In “Boldly Going” he shares how a friend urged him to help at a community clothing center at a local church. Hull was moved by the people, including a high schooler who wore size 9 shoes during school and his father then wore the same shoes later in the day for work. The shoes were wore out. There were children without winter coats and a family using mittens to keep warm at night.
The next day, Hull went to a department store and found shoes and clothes on clearance, including a new pair of size 9 shoes for the father and son.
“My friend may have had to persuade me to get involved, but because of that experience, I realized that many people were a lot worse off than me,” Hull wrote. “I also learned that I could help my community through the simple tasks of being aware and donating a little time and money.”
Also in The Power of Yes!, he writes about his reluctance to try a community exercise program in Kendall. But in “C.R.A.F.T.S.” – Calming, Relaxing Activity for Tired Souls – Hull finds acceptance and success. Six months into the program he loses 11 pounds and drops his cholesterol and blood pressure.
Hull is featured in these four recent Chicken Soup books.
Hull studied English in college and earned a degree in education. He worked 28 years as a teacher at the Brockport Child Development Center at Brockport State College. He retired four years ago.
He tries to write each day. Some days that might only be jotting down some notes.
“It’s very therapeutic,” he said. “It helps you to reflect on situations and think more deeply.”
The Best Advice I Ever Heard also was published in 2018, featuring 101 stories of “epiphanies and wise words.” Hull writes about “The Sensitive Plant.” It’s a fern-like herb his mother had in her house. When the plant was stressed it would tuck its leaves close together. Hull writes about a tough first semester of college, when his grades were low. He was tempted to give up. His mother told him to not act like the sensitive plant, putting his guard up and refusing to take risks. Hull returned to college and, with perseverance, would graduate.
Hull said he has submitted stories for future Chicken Soup books. He’s waiting to see if those will be published.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 December 2018 at 5:08 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – An employee with Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport gets a cable in place on Wednesday on the Bennetts Corners Road bridge over the Erie Canal.
This is the first of seven canal bridges in Orleans County that will be rehabilitated with a new deck and other improvements.
The Bennetts Corners bridge had its weight limit reduced to 4 tons before it was closed on Dec. 3 for the construction project.
The state Department of Transportation announced last month that seven of the canal bridges would receive extensive work with the seventh bridge to be completed in the summer 2020. The Bennetts Corners Road bridge could reopen in about six months.
Crane-Hogan gets a platform in place to work on the deck of the bridge on Bennetts Corners Road.
The state is spending $10.7 million on the seven bridges. Besides Bennetts Corners, other bridges that will be upgraded include: Telegraph Road in the Town of Murray, Transit Road in the Town of Murray, Densmore Road in the Town of Albion, Gaines Basin Road in the Town of Gaines, Bates Road in the Village of Medina, and Marshall Road in the Town of Ridgeway.
The DOT said the work on these bridges will include installing high-strength galvanized steel to replace steel floor systems, low chords, gusset plates, and truss elements. Bridge railing and guide rail on the bridge approaches also will be improved and each bridge will be repainted. The alignments and profiles of the bridges will not change.
The seven single-lane truss bridges were constructed between 1909 and 1914.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The former Albion grammar school, renovated for $7 million a decade ago, has 30 apartments for senior citizens on East Academy Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2018 at 8:50 am
Turning big school buildings into apartments and offices costs many millions of dollars.
Home Leasing in Rochester has started work on the former Holley High School, turning a building that had been vacant for about 30 years into 41 apartments for senior citizens with about 6,000 square feet also to be used as the Village of Holley offices.
The Holley project will cost about $17 million. Tax credits and grants have been critical for the project to move forward.
The big cost for renovation won’t result in a property tax boom for Holley. Home Leasing is paying $13,500 in a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) beginning in 2021. The $13,500 will be shared among Holley Central, the Village of Holley, Orleans County and the Town of Murray.
Home Leasing in Rochester faces an ambitious project in turning the long-vacant former Holley High School into 41 apartments and the offices for the Village of Holley.
The 30-year PILOT agreement has the amount in payments increasing 2 percent each year until it reaches $23,973.90 in 2050.
Those 41 apartments would generate about $330 each in annual tax revenue in 2021 with the PILOT in 2021.
The owner of a house in Holley, valued at $80,000, pays about $4,000 in taxes. The tax rate for the school, village, town and county is about $50 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The renovation of the old school was never looked at as a tax windfall. Village officials didn’t want a prominent location in the community to continue to deteriorate, oppressing the entire neighborhood. The property also was in bankruptcy and had long stopped generating any taxes.
Albion also witnessed a stunning $7 million transformation of an old school. PathStone, formerly Rural Opportunities, in 2007 started work on the former Albion Grammar School, which was built in 1906 with gray Medina sandstone. The school on East Academy Street served kindergarten through grade six before closing in the early 1970s. It was originally a high school.
Rural Opportunities in 2009 opened the Albion Academy with 30 apartments for senior citizens, as well as space on the first floor for the Office for the Aging and the Arc of Orleans County. The Meals on Wheels and Nutri-faire program is run from the Academy.
Rural Opportunities wanted to plan its expenses for taxes. It reached a deal with the local municipalities to pay what the site was generating in taxes, $5,800, when it was privately owned with only a few apartments.
The Town of Albion, Village of Albion, school district and county agreed to keep the tax burden at $5,800 annually for 10 years.
The Albion Academy, like the Holley school, was viewed as an opportunity for affordable senior housing, while saving an important community landmark and providing a big lift to a neighborhood.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Nelson Leehouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing, stands in front of the former Holley High School on Dec. 11 when the community, and local, state and federal officials gathered for a “preservation celebration” for the building. The community’s enthusiasm for the project, and the building’s prominent location in Holley, were among the factors pushing him for the renovation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2018 at 10:20 am
HOLLEY – The local, state and federal officials all deserve lots of credit for finding money to help make the renovation of the former Holley High School a financially feasible project for Home Leasing, a Rochester firm with three generations of construction and housing experience.
It wasn’t just the politicians and government leaders who made the project a reality. Holley residents were also a big factor in saving the structure.
Home Leasing is working on a $17 million extreme makeover of the former school. It will be a major lift for Holley and Orleans County because the site is at an important gateway on the eastern end of county.
The school building has been deteriorating for about 30 years, oppressing the psyche and morale of the community. It’s transformation is more than a development project that will add 41 apartments for senior citizens and also become the new village offices for Holley.
The school holds cherished memories for many in the community. And the building’s prominent location on Route 31 in the heart of the village warrants the site be a showcase of pride. That hasn’t been the case for three decades.
There have been several would-be developers for the building over the years, and all backed away until Home Leasing stepped in about three years ago and showed great fortitude and perseverance. Holley residents also deserve lots of credit for not giving up on the site, for pressing the village to make the school redevelopment a priority.
Nelson Leenhouts joins the Holley community for a celebration photo last week in front of the former school.
Nelson Leenhouts, the Home Properties chief executive officer, has been in the real estate development business for 50 years. Never has a community worked harder on a project than the school redevelopment in Holley, he said.
Village officials worked with local, state and federal officials to get the pieces in place for the project. It wasn’t easy. The school was last owned by a manufacturing company that went bankrupt. The title for the property was in limbo. And that was a deal-breaker before.
This time the county attorney, recently retired David Schubel, worked out a way to get the title in the clear by having it go to a local development corporation instead of a municipality. The village and county didn’t want to take ownership of the property and be on the hook for liability, especially if the redevelopment fizzled and big building in ruin was left behind. The title was a big obstacle that was resolved.
The staggering cost of the project also scared off would-be developers. There wasn’t enough incentives and grants to make it work.
A local resident had an idea to sweeten the pot and perhaps make the project doable. Erin Anheier of Clarendon was successful in helping several sites in the Holley area get listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That designation increases the chances for grants and also historic tax credits for redevelopment projects.
She thought the Holley High School, built in 1930, was deserving of the National Register, and that distinction would also help make the site eligible for more tax credits. The redevelopment includes a $5.1 million in Historic Tax Credit.
Anheier was showing officials from the Landmark Society of Western New York the old stone store in Clarendon about seven years ago when she persuaded them to stop by the old Holley High School, which is about 4 miles from Clarendon.
The Landmark Society at the time was considering a new “Five to Revive” list. The Landmark Society wanted to highlight five properties in dire need of investment in the Rochester area. The organization wanted to pick properties where the redevelopment would have a big ripple effect in their neighborhoods.
The Landmark Society saw the old school as a perfect candidate for the Five to Revive. The inaugural list in May 2013 included the Holley school.
Leenhouts and Home Leasing took note and came to Holley for the first time to see the school. Leenhouts right away saw lots of possibilities – and challenges.
The Holley community deserves lots of credit for welcoming Leenhouts and helping him to work through the many potential pitfalls.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2018 at 1:59 pm
HOLLEY – The school district evacuated students and staff from the middle-senior high school at about 11:30 a.m. today after the smell of gas was detected. They went to the elementary school.
The Holley Fire Department and NYSEG have isolated and addressed the issue at the MS/HS, and deemed the building safe to occupy, Holley school officials stated on the district website.
Staff and students have returned to the MS/HS and resumed classes around 1 p.m. All afternoon and evening activities will be held.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 15 December 2018 at 6:04 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 49
HOLLEY – After years of diligent work by the residents of Holley, the long-term preservation of the old Holley High School is finally secure. Historians commend those who undertake such noble work as communities so often set aside the difficult task of investing in historic treasures, instead investing in new construction as a symbol of “progress.”
The history of this particular structure dates back to 1930, but the story of the particular lot upon which it rests dates back to the 1840s. In 1847, the community selected Hiram Frisbee, Augustus Southworth, and William Hatch as members of a committee tasked with gathering subscriptions to establish an academy. This industrious team procured the necessary resources – money, lumber, millwork, timber, lime, brick, building stone, plows, boots and shoes, teaming (horses), and labor – so that a two-story brick building could be constructed on a $300 lot of land donated by Frisbee.
The school operated for nearly three years as a private academy until its formal incorporation by the Board of Regents as the Holley Academy in 1850. At this time, the institution’s assets totaled $3,021.25 including the building, library, academic apparatus, and land; Augustus Southworth was selected as the first president of the organization’s Board of Trustees. According to Isaac Signor, “For eighteen years this institution did most excellent work, but like many other academies was not financially a success.”
The apparent financial woes of the academy, combined with the increasing population of students in Holley, forced the community to explore alternate accommodations. The resulting decision established a Union Free district, combining this newly formed entity with the Holley Academy to form the Holley Union School and Academy.
A Union Free district typically involved the combination of two or more common schools within a particular geographic area to form a district with boundaries that matched the limits of a village or city. The Board of Trustees for the Union School and Academy included George Pierce, Jeffrey Harwood, Dr. Edwin R. Armstrong, James Farnsworth, Nelson Hatch (son of William Hatch), and D. H. Parsons; Col. John Berry, Augustus Southworth, and Horatio Keys were selected as honorary members.
Dr. Armstrong wrote the following concerning the academic coursework offered at the institution:
“Young men who desire a collegiate course can here go through the preparatory studies for admission to any College in the land. Those who are not able or desirous to enter College but with a thorough Academic education that will fit them for most any vocation in life can obtain it here. Young ladies who aim to secure a good knowledge of science and literature that will fit them for most any position which woman is permitted to occupy, need not go abroad to obtain it as we have a school here affording all the facilities for intellectual culture that may be found elsewhere.”
Praising the institution and calling the community to support the school Armstrong wrote:
“Good schools like good churches are paying institutions in any community, not only morally and intellectually, but even financially, for they enhance the value of real estate far more than the amount required to support them…If God has seen fit to give you money, and your poor neighbor children, contribute your money to educate your neighbor’s children that they may thereby become intelligent citizens.”
In 1882, the school constructed an addition at a cost of $4,500 in order to support an increase in attendance; seven years later the school purchased the Coy House and lot on the corner of Wright and Main streets, converting two rooms for use as classrooms. According to Signor, the school employed eight teachers to instruct 350 students in 1894. A remodeling project was undertaken in 1896 and two years later, the institution formally changed its name to the Holley High School.
Recognizing the growing population of the community and the failure of the aging building, now four times its original size, to meet the needs of a larger student body, residents made the decision to construct a new school by passing a $260,000 capital budget project. Designed by the Rochester architect Carl C. Ade, the new building would accommodate approximately 750-800 students, more than double the number attending the institution in 1894.
M. Iupa & Maggio Company of Rochester was selected as the general contractor, bidding $191,496 to complete the project. William C. Barber of Rochester was selected to complete the heating and ventilation work ($35,527), the Reinagel Lighting Company of Buffalo was selected to complete the electric ($12,020), and John Corcoran of Holley bid $9,814 to complete the plumbing work. Overall, the project came in well under budget, costing taxpayers approximately $.28 per square foot.
During this massive project, all grades below seven were relocated to three buildings on Geddes Street while all other grades remained in the old building; the old academy building was eventually razed in 1930.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dave Nenni (front left), Holley DPW superintendent, and Matt Campbell, Holley’s electric and water superintendent, hold a 97-pound stone that will be placed at the renovated old school next year when contractors transform the building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 December 2018 at 9:43 am
An original cornerstone is at the front of the former Holley High School.
HOLLEY – The renovation of the former Holley High School is a dream come true for the Holley community. For the past two decades residents have had their hopes raised as developers pitched plans to turn the building into apartments.
Those projects never came to fruition – until Home Leasing, a Rochester company, started construction about a month ago.
“We are blessed,” said Marsha DeFilipps, the Holley and Murray historian. “The school is right in the center of the village. It will be a highlight of the community.”
DeFilipps attended a “Preservation Celebration” on Tuesday for the former school. She graduated from the school in 1965. The building closed in 1975 as a school, but would be used by Liftec Manufacturing until it went bankrupt in the mid-1990s.
“A lot of kids went there,” she said. “There are a lot of great memories. We had a lot of fun in that school.”
A sign directs people to the American Legion for a Preservation Celebration on Tuesday. The former Holley High School is in back.
The Liftec bankruptcy created a challenge with getting a clear title for the property. That issue put the brakes on previous attempts to acquire the property for apartments, including a serious push from Catholic Charities.
David Schubel, who recently retired as county attorney, was praised during the Preservation Celebration for figuring out a way to get clear title on the project. An LDC was created to hold the title. None of the local governments wanted the title because they didn’t want to be in the chain of liability for the property.
The county also forgave back taxes on the property and helped to resolve issues with the mortgage.
While the property sat in limbo for about two decades, the Village of Holley mowed the grass and kept vigilance at the site. Holley also agreed to move its village offices to the building as an anchor tenant. The village also agreed to continue to mow the lawn and take ownership of an parking lot that will be upgraded by Home Leasing.
These four sit in the front row in the American Legion during Tuesday’s Preservation Celebration. They include, from left: Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty, County Legislator John DeFilipps (a 1975 Holley graduate), Landmark Society executive director Wayne Goodman, and Nelson Leenhouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing.
The actions by the village and county resolved barriers that could have stood in the way for the $17 million renovation, Home Leasing officials said.
“This is a story of team work,” said Kimberly Russell, executive vice president for Home Leasing.
She has worked on the project for five years.
“We are proud to be here,” she told a group in Holley’s American Legion on Tuesday during a Preservation Celebration. “We are honored to be here.”
Besides the efforts from local government leaders, state and federal officials pushed to make the project a reality. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer was at the school property on Nov. 11, 2016, stating his support for tax credits for the project.
Home Leasing was able to put together a complicated deal with tax credits to make the school renovation possible. The company is leveraging $12 million in tax credits – $6.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and $5.1 million in Historic Tax Credit equity – which are critical in making the project financial feasible.
The school will be turned into 41 apartments for senior citizens, with about 6,000 square feet set aside for the village offices for Holley.
Nelson Leenhouts has been working in the real estate development business for a half century. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Home Leasing.
Leenhouts said the community’s enthusiasm for the project kept him and Home Leasing focused on the Holley Gardens, the senior apartments that will be created at the former school.
He recalled a public forum on Sept. 27, 2016 at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. Home Leasing went over its plans for the property.
More than 100 people showed up and they shared their gratitude to Leenhouts for his persistence and vision for the property.
That kind of public support isn’t the norm, Leenhouts said.
Nelson Leenhouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing, speaks to a crowd Tuesday at the American Legion. The community’s enthusiasm for the project, and the building’s prominent location in Holley, were among the factors pushing him for the renovation.
Home Leasing first became interested in the former school after it was included on the inaugural “Five to Revive” list by the Landmark Society of Western New York. That list was unveiled on May 16, 2013, and was widely publicized in the Rochester area media.
The five sites were picked for their importance to their communities, and for the potential transformational impact they could have in their neighborhoods. All five were in desperate need of investment.
Home Leasing is working on the school project with Edgemere Development. The Five to Revive designation caught Edgemere’s attention, said Charlie Oster, development manager for Edgemere.
He also cited the community support for the project, including the forum in September 2016.
“It was welcoming, it was warm,” he said about the community reaction to the project.
Charlie Oster, development manager for Edgemere, said persistence and community support helped with the redevelopment of the school.
The school posed environmental, financial and historic preservation challenges, Oster said.
“Holley Gardens is a story of community, complexity and ultimately perseverance,” he said during the celebration Tuesday.
County Legislator John DeFilipps was Legislature chairman when the county agreed to forgive the taxes and work out creating the LDC for the title. DeFilipps also graduated from Holley in 1975, the last class to complete its senior year at the school.
He has toured Home Leasing properties, including the renovation of the former Eastman Dental Dispensary, which was built by George Eastman in 1917 to address a community need for affordable dental care. The building was vacated in 1978, and sat idle for nearly four decades. It is now the Eastman Gardens with 52 apartments for people 55 and older.
“The Home Leasing properties are all very well done,” DeFilipps said.
The Eastman site was also on the initial Five to Revive in 2013. Wayne Goodman, Landmark Society executive director, praised Leenhouts and Home Leasing for taking on the project in Holley.
“This project needed a lot of miracles to happen,” Goodman said. “It has taken incredible support from so many people – the Village of Holley, the Town of Murray, Orleans County and the State of New York. It has been an incredible collaboration.”
The residents’ support stands out, Goodman said, and so has the tenacity of village officials, including Mayor Brian Sorochty.
Home Leasing has started work on the school. It is first focused on removing asbestos and pigeon droppings. The windows will all be replaced and then Home Leasing will start creating apartments in the second floor and then work on the first floor. The auditorium space will be transformed into the village offices. The building will have new utilities.
The wooden trim inside will be taken out, revived and put back in.
Home Leasing currently has eight employees working at the building.
George DeRue, Home Leasing’s vice president of historical preservation, is working on the Holley project. He has 30 years with Home Leasing.
“Next year around this time it will all be done and it will be a nice, gorgeous building,” DaRue told a happy crowd Tuesday in Holley.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jaime Tuozzolo, vice president and senior relationship manager for KeyBank’s Development Lending, speaks during Tuesday’s Preservation Celebration for the former Holley High School. She said the bank is pleased to be part of “a very special project for Holley.”
HOLLEY – KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment has provided $21.9 million in total financing to Home Leasing, LLC for the historic preservation and creation of affordable housing in the former Holley High School in Holley.
KeyBank provided a $9.9 million construction loan, plus $6.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and $5.1 million in Historic Tax Credit equity.
Holley Gardens is an adaptive re-use project that will preserve the former Holley High School and transform it into a mixed-use and mixed-income property offering 41 units of housing for low- to moderate-income seniors. There is also 6,080 square feet of planned commercial space leased to the Village of Holley. The community is located within steps of the local library, restaurants and services. The project breaks ground today in a preservation celebration.
“KeyBank is proud to partner with Home Leasing and Edgemere Development to preserve and transform Holley High School into this mixed-use space,” said Rob Likes, national manager of the CDLI team. “Importantly, the preservation celebration demonstrates our commitment to making safe and decent affordable housing available in the communities we serve.”
“Our mission at Home Leasing is to improve the lives of residents in the communities in which we work,” said Nelson Leenhouts, Chairman & CEO of Home Leasing. “KeyBank’s partnership, along with broad community support will establish Holley Gardens as a welcoming, thriving senior community in the heart of the Village of Holley.”
Upon completion, there will be a total of 41 multi-family units ranging from studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments targeting seniors at rent levels at or below 30%, 50%, 60% and 80% area median income levels. Seven of the units will be available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services through the Orleans County Office on Aging.
“KeyBank’s CDLI team is committed to making more affordable housing options available across the country,” said Jaime Tuozzolo, vice president and senior relationship manager on KeyBank’s CDLI team. “The preservation of local space like the former Holley High School is critically important to this effort. The local support for this development was impressive. We are honored to celebrate the commencement of Holley Gardens with our partners today.”
Tuozzolo worked on the financing with Ryan Olman, vice president and senior relationship manager on KeyBank’s CDLI team.
Additionally, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has provided a $3.1 million Housing Trust Fund loan, a $1 million Community Investment Fund loan and a total of $668,515 in annual tax credits to support the Holley Gardens project. New York State Empire State Development has provided a $1 million RestoreNY grant.
