‘I want you guys to have fun tonight but please make good decisions.’ – Roland Nenni, Albion and Holley police chief

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Peyton Sargent lays on the front hood of a vehicle this morning during a drunk driving simulation at Holley Junior-Senior High School.

Peyton and her classmates have prom this evening at The Plantation House in Spencerport. First responders in the Holley community created the simulation this morning to send a message about the sometimes fatal consequences of drunk driving.

The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period when teen driver-involved crashes rise 14 percent compared to the rest of the year.

Braden Ferranti was a passenger in a vehicle involved in the crash. A Holley police officer, Dillon Black, checks on him. Holley students were told that Ferranti and Kory Puente both suffered serious injuries.

Cade Aina was the driver in the mock accident. Here he is given a test to see if he is impaired. George Barton is the Holley police officer.

Scott Schmidt, an Orleans County coroner and funeral director, was called to the scene. He would declare Peyton deceased and helped put her body in a hearse.

Rachel Sargent, Peyton’s mother, is giving the tragic news about her daughter. Rachel said she reacted with grief because she wanted to send a message to her daughter’s classmates about how serious the consequences can be to driving drunk or impaired.

After the crash simulation, students went into the school auditorium where there was a mock arraignment and sentencing for Aina. Joanne Best, the public defender is at left. Dillon Black, the Holley police officer, leads Aina away in handcuffs.

If this was a real case, Aina would have been charged with first-degree vehicular manslaughter, which carries a maximum of 15 years in prison, and vehicular assault, which has a seven-year maximum.

Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church used to be Aina’s Little League coach in Albion. He said Aina had a spotless record until the crash. The judge asked the students how many would sentence Aina to the maximum of 15 years in prison. No one put up their hand. The students favored a lesser sentence and Church said he would likely give someone in a similar case a sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

Aina, in that scenario, might not be out of prison until his mid-20s and then would be on parole with supervision. He would see his job prospects severely diminished and would have to pay court fines and attorney fees, Church said.

Roland Nenni, the Albion and Holley police chief, urged students “to be courageous” and not ride with a drunk driver or someone impaired by drugs. In back are Judge Sanford Church, District Attorney Joe Cardone, and Public Defender Joanne Best.

People impaired or drunk shouldn’t drive and Nenni told them to call 911 if they feel stranded and can’t get a ride. Nenni said he has authorized Holley and Albion police officers to give teens a ride if they are impaired or drunk, or don’t want to ride with someone who shouldn’t be driving. Nenni said they wouldn’t face criminal charges in those instances when they need help. (Albion also has its prom tonight at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.)

The police chief is also a former Holley fire chief chief. He has responded to many fatal accidents. Those tragedies happen too often because of bad choices from drivers, Nenni said.

“I want you guys to have fun tonight but please make good decisions,” he told the Holley students.

District Attorney Joe Cardone also told students he has prosecuted many cases where a drunk driver killed someone or caused serious injuries, “due to a few moments of a bad decision.”

“Maybe you think it can’t be you, but it can be you,” Cardone said.

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‘He stayed close with everybody. He was a social butterfly. Floyd was the center of everybody’s social circle.’

Floyd Hanes

HOLLEY – Floyd Hanes was a key player in Holley’s state championship boys soccer teams in 1990 and 1991. He was intense, and wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the other team.

Off the field, he was a different person, with a quick smile and many friends.

Hanes died unexpectedly at age 43 on May 24. Many of his grieving friends and family have raised more than $4,000 for a memorial scholarship in his name.

Hanes wore number 12 for Holley as the team’s right wing and striker. His friend Ben Schiavone urged people to donate $12 in honor of Hanes for the scholarship. Many gave $12. Some gave $48, to represent $12 multiplied by the four years he played on varsity.

Others gave $112 with one donor at $512. The school district will award two scholarships at the June 29 graduation. The scholarships re $512 each and will go to graduating seniors who played soccer in a manner like Hanes, a fast and ferocious style of play.

“He played so hard,” said Schiavone, his Holley teammate for two seasons. “He was the enemy of the other team. He was so intense.”

Hanes played soccer for two seasons after Holley at Monroe Community College. He continued to play in soccer leagues and also for a semi=pro football team in Florida.

After about seven years in Florida, he moved back to Holley to be closer to his family.

“He stayed close with everybody,” Schiavone said today. “He was a social butterfly. Floyd was the center of everybody’s social circle.”

Sam Zelent, a school social worker, graduated in 1993, a year before Hanes did from Holley. They remained friends after school. She has been helping to collect the money for Hanes’ scholarship

“I have been getting money from people that I have not heard from in over 20 years, but were impacted by Floyd’s death,” Zelent said. “Floyd was truly one of a kind. He was so incredibly sweet and he loved soccer.”

The scholarship donations continue to climb, with Zelent providing updates on her Facebook page

“That is amazing to me, and a testimony to the generosity of those who loved him,” she said about the donations. “Floyd was loved by so many. This is so noticeable with the amazing amount of money collected for the scholarship in his name.”

The description of the new Floyd Hanes Scholarship says it was created in loving memory by friends and family of Floyd, a 1994 Holley Graduate who proudly wore number 12 on the Soccer Field. “It will be awarded to the senior who best represent all aspects of Floyd: his loving and caring nature towards others and his intensity and fire on the soccer field.”

To donate to the scholarship even at $12, checks to the scholarship can be mailed to Penny Cole, Holley Central School, 3800 North Main St., Holley NY 14470 or to Jeana Hayes at 16480 Telegraph Rd., Holley NY 14470, through Venmo @samantha-zelent, or PayPal at Szelent@holleycsd.org.

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Photos courtesy of John Heise

HOLLEY – The Holley community celebrated its June Fest today with activities throughout the day, including a parade from the school through the Public Square.

The top photo shows a group from Enchanted Princess Parties of Rochester. The characters were available to pose for photos after the parade.

This was the first time the group joined in a community parade.

“We had so much fun,” said Jennifer Norton, owner of Enchanted. “The kids were all so happy. The town did a great job with the event.”

Kerri Neale, center, joined the Holley Rod and Gun Club in promoting the club’s 100^th anniversary this year.

Cub Scouts toss candy to spectators along the parade route.

The combined Holley-Kendall Marching Band gave an energetic performance.

The Myron Holley Garden Club was among many community organizations in the parade.

The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies remain a popular presence in the local parade.

The Heads Over Heels dance group joined the parade processional.

After the parade, there were many activities at the canal park and trail, including wine and beer tasting, bands, a climbing wall, face painting, balloon twisting, a chicken barbecue and other craft and food vendors. Fireworks were scheduled to cap the day.

The festival began with yoga at the falls followed by the annual 5K Jim Ferris Memorial Race.

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ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board voted again to not support a local law from Murray to regulate special events at farms and wineries.

The town presented the local law to the Orleans County Planning Board in March, and the county didn’t back it.

The town revised the law, and the Planning Board, in a 10-5 vote on Thursday evening, didn’t support approval for the Murray law.

The board said it was concerned that feedback from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, sent on Thursday morning, wasn’t reflected in the regulations.

The town is trying to allow more farm operations to host special events, operations that currently don’t fall within protections from Ag & Markets and the Right to Farm law. Those regulations allow farm practices and sales if the events directly promote products from the farm.

Murray wants to allow Kateland Farms to legally be able to host weddings and special events. The miniature horse farm on Lake Road has hosted weddings in recent years, but the use doesn’t meet the current zoning for a residential-agriculture district.

Hosting weddings also may not promote miniature horse “products.” Murray is trying to give Kateland an option in the local law for hosting the events, while also including language for restrictions and controls to protect neighbors from noise after-hours and other impacts from the operation.

“We believe we are expanding the opportunities in the Town of Murray to host events,” Paul Hendel, a member of the Planning Board, told the other board members on Thursday.

Hendel also is a member of the Murray Town Board. The town had a public hearing on the proposed law on April 9 and received lots of pushback from other farms, who are concerned they will need a special use permit from the town for their events.

Amy Machamer, co-owner of Hurd Orchards, said that permit, requiring approval every year (now every two years with the revised proposed law), creates uncertainty for farms and leaves the approval to a code enforcement officer who might not fully understand the businesses or may not grant approval for political reasons.

Hendel said the town’s proposal wouldn’t affect farms that currently meet Ag and Markets’ standards for special events.

“This will open the door of opportunity that is currently closed,” he said about operations like Kateland.

But Machamer said the proposed law needs to clearly say the farms that meet Ag & Markets’ standards are exempt and won’t need a special use permit.

The staff at the County Planning Department recommended the Murray law be approved. County staff said it provides a way for the town to address neighbor concerns about noise, traffic by the side of roads and other issues.

Kevin Johnson of Clarendon, a member of the Planning Board, said he worries the town law would have a negative effect of farm markets and wineries, especially through the uncertainty of needing a special use permit.

The Murray Town Board can still approve the local law, without the county’s backing.

(Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect that the County Planning Board didn’t have enough votes to support Murray’s proposed law, which differs from the first version of the article which said the board recommended denial for the referral.)

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Crystal Gurney, right, reacts after being recognized at the Holley Board of Education on Tuesday for receiving tenure. She works as an ESL teacher in the elementary school and translates into Spanish many reports, forms and other documents from the school district.

Karri Schiavone, left, is the principal of the elementary school.  She noted that Gurney is a National Board Certified Teacher. She also is a Holley graduate.

Emily Harms, an ESL teacher in the middle-high school, is congratulated for attaining tenure. Susan Cory (left) is the middle-high school principal. She said Harms, a Holley graduate, is an asset to the district.

Kristina Rich, a speech pathologist, in the elementary school also has been approved for tenure. Karri Schiavone, the school principal, said Rich has been very effective and developed a following with students.

Evinn Meadow, a middle-high school art teacher, also attained tenure, but she was unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting.

The tenure process used to take three years, but has been lengthened by the state to now be four years.

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Photo by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Two Holley seniors won first place in the state-wide SkillsUSA competition last month in Syracuse.

Braden Ferranti, left, and Kory Puente advance to the next level of competition.

Ferranti was on the first place, four-member “Teamworks” group with other students from WeMoCo in Spencerport. Ferranti did the plumbing and electrical work on the team, while the other students did masonry and carpentry.

The team advances to nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, from June 24-29 for the National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students.

This is Ferranti’s second trip to nationals. He came in seventh out of more than 50 students at nationals last year in the plumbing competition. He said he is the first WeMoCo student to go to nationals in back to back years.

Puente won first in the dental assistant competition. He wants to be a dentist. The SkillsUSA competition put students through all the tasks a dental assistant needs to do, as well as answer questions about the occupation.

Puente advances to an international competition from June 19-23 at Disney in Orlando, Fla.

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Press Release, Holley Central School

HOLLEY – In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Holley Central School will again offer free breakfast and lunch to all children age 18 and younger, from July 8 to Aug. 16.

Children age 18 and younger who live in the district are eligible for this summer program, regardless of income level. Pre-registration is not required. Transportation will not be provided by the district for this program.

Breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Middle School/High School Dining Hall.

Adults may also purchase breakfast and lunch during this program. Breakfast is $2.60 and lunch is $4.35.

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Kaci Schiavone

HOLLEY — The Top 10 graduates at Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina will be addressed by a Holley graduate who has a medical doctorate degree.

Kaci Schiavone is the keynote speaker at the 33rd annual Top 10 dinner on June 3 at Hickory Ridge Golf Course and Country Club.

After she graduated from Holley in 2009, Schiavone earned a bachelor’s science degree from the University of Rochester in biochemistry with distinction in research. She then spent a year at the University of Pittsburgh as a research lab technician in the field of X-ray crystallography. In 2018, she graduated with her medical doctorate degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo.

She is currently a general surgery resident physician at the University of Rochester. Her training requires her to care for critically ill patients while engaging in multi-disciplinary surgical setting. Upon completing the five-year residency program, Schiavone will continue training in a more specialized surgical fellowship.

She is engaged to Michael Pretsch, a 2007 Holley grad.

The Top 10 students from each district include:

• Holley — Emily Bibby, Neila Hand, McKenzie Hill, Abrianna Kruger, Shawna Lusk, Madison Marsh, Gregory Morrill, Lexianne Seewagen, Anastasiya Yaroshchuk and Kristina Yaroshchuk.

• Kendall — Ryan Barrett, Ethan Billings, Jessica Coble, Morgan Davis, Matthew DiNatale, Michael Gardner, Peter Gilman, Hunter Menze, Anna Oakley and John Rath.

• Lyndonville — Justin Corser, Hannah Despard, Grace Hayes, Noah Heinsler, Tamara Huzair, Anna Lewis, Sage Moore, Natalie Ostrowski, Jocelyn Plummer and Carly-Grace Woodworth.

• Medina — Emma Baldwin, Alissa Blount, Jessica Granchelli, Margaret Griffin, Kaela Grosslinger, Kody Leno, Raymond Paull, Cora Payne, Jonathan Pietrafesa and Kali Schrader.

(Editor’s note: Albion has a separate honors convocation dinner for students with a GPA at 90 or above. On May 20, 39 students were recognized at the dinner.)

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Keeler Construction in Albion is busy today putting new pavement on Route 31 in Holley. This photo is on the west side of the village, looking down from the railroad overpass.

The state Department of Transportation hired Keeler for the job, which started last month and includes milling and repaving Route 31.

A flagman keeps an eye out for motorists on Route 31. The project has slowed down traffic.

The DOT next year will pave Route 237 in the village.

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MURRAY – The owner of a Murray business has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Murray and its former code enforcement officer.

Anthony Manno, owner of A & M Automotive and Transmissions in Fancher, was in the parking lot at the Fancher Post Office on Route 31 on Feb. 23, 2018. Ron Vendetti, Murray’s code enforcement officer at the time, drove over Manno’s right foot, according to a lawsuit filed April 11 against the town and Vendetti.

“The injury to the plaintiff was caused by the negligence of the defendants,” the lawsuit states. “As a result of the defendants’ negligence, plaintiff suffered serious and permanent injuries, causing him to endure pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and a permanent disability.”

Manno served a notice of claim to the town in March 2018, and town has refused to pay or adjust this claim, according the lawsuit filed by Sheldon W. Boyce Jr. of Brenna Boyce Attorneys At Law in Rochester.

“The actions of defendant Vendetti were so wanton, willful and reckless as to justify an award for punitive damages,” the lawsuit states.

Manno is seeking compensatory and punitive damages plus interest, costs and disbursements.

The Murray Town Board didn’t reappoint Vendetti to code enforcement officer in 2019. Vendetti, however, challenged that decision because he had already received a paycheck to start the year as the code enforcement officer.

The board last month approved a separation agreement with Vendetti for an undisclosed sum.

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Press Release, Holley Central School

HOLLEY – Students in Holley’s Middle School/High School Geometry in Construction class on Thursday and Friday will install the barn they have built for Homesteads for Hope, a non-profit community farm that is open to people of all abilities in the Rochester region.

Weather permitting, the students will transport their “work in progress” to H4H on Manitou Road. Students are scheduled to be on site from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day to complete the installation of the barn that will house small animals.

Holley math teacher Russ Albright and technology teacher Tim Rogers co-teach Geometry in Construction, with students rotating between math days and building days each week. There are 12 students in this year’s class, with the majority in 10th grade.

The class helps students learn how math concepts can be applied to real-world problems to create solutions. Students combined their math and construction skills to build a 16’ x 20’ barn for H4H this year.

In the fall, students went on a fieldtrip to the H4H farm so they could better understand how this organization operates and where the barn will be placed on the property. By housing animals like chickens and rabbits in the barn, it will provide new opportunities for young adults to care for the animals on the farm. The barn installation is part of the Phase I plan for H4H.

The barn features a gambrel roof, sliding barn doors, windows and a loft on the second floor. Students constructed stairs to the loft, designed to maximize floor space. A metal skin siding will be added to the barn once it is in place. Students planned for the project by working on a scale model of the barn. The barn was staged on a specially built platform at school before it was dismantled and transported to H4H to be installed permanently.

The skills students learn in this class will be carried with them beyond high school to be used in future jobs or to make home repairs.

“Students enjoy this class because they can see the real-world application of math,” said Rogers. “Many students who don’t traditionally perform well in math class are performing much better in this class.”

The scores from last year’s Regents Exam continue to show that Geometry in Construction students score better than traditional geometry class students. Regardless of how they do on the Geometry Regents exam in June, they leave class feeling proud of completing a community service project that helps others.

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