By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 June 2018 at 4:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Village of Holley is bustling today with many activities as part of the June Fest, including a big parade at 11 from the elementary school through the Public Square. The top photo shows Bill Ingham of Morton with his 1954 Model 40 John Deere tractor.
Cameron Kelley, 6, of Holley makes his way up the climbing wall.
Dan Mawn, president of the Murray-Holley Historical Society, rings a bell by the Historical Society Museum. Mawn rang the bell 12 times at noon, the first time in many years the bell had rung out that many times at noon. The bell was originally used by the United Methodist Church when it was in the Public Square. The church built a new site in Clarendon on Route 237. The bell was donated to the Historical Society about a decade ago and was mounted in a display by Mawn and the village in early 2017.
The museum is open today includes many displays of Holley pride, including this uniform of the state champion marching band in the 1950s.
Adam Johnson, owner of 39 Problems in Albion, is debuting a new Chuck Wagon, which is like a food truck. Johnson, a Holley resident, unveiled the new portable trailer on Friday at CRFS in Albion. He plans to take it to community events and parties.
The Clarendon Lions Club sells hot dogs, sausage, hamburgers and cheeseburgers at Holley’s Canal Park. This trio includes, from left: President Kevin Johnson, Roger Boynton and Chris Miller.
Children enjoy a bounce house in the park.
The festival concludes with fireworks tonight at the Firemen’s Field across from the elementary school.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 June 2018 at 3:19 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Many community organizations participated last year’s June Fest parade, including the Holley-Kendall Marching Band.
HOLLEY – The local festival season is starting to ramp up with Holley’s June Fest on Saturday. The village will be bustling with activities from 9 a.m. until fireworks at night.
The festival took a year off in 2016 but returned last year, and is back again with more activities and volunteers.
When the festival didn’t happen in 2016, people realized how much they valued the event, said Krista Wiley, this year’s coordinator. She was among the new volunteers who stepped forward to help last year with the June Fest.
“It’s something we lost that people really enjoyed,” she said. “They see old classmates and neighbors. It’s a great thing. It maintains that small-town feel.”
The festival has some new twists this year, with wooden boats in the parade, fireworks at night, an expanded wine tasting area that includes beer and cider, as well as other additions including vintage tractors on display by the museum.
Wiley likes how the festival organizers are willing to try new things.
“It can be different each year,” she said. “People are accepting of that. We already have ideas for next year.”
Some highlights for Saturday’s June Fest:
• 5K race starting at 9 a.m. at elementary school
• Arts and crafts vendors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on canal path
• Village-wide garage and yard sales from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.
• Gray Wolf Karate for a demonstration at 9:30
• Parade starting at 11 a.m.
• Library book sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Wine tasting from noon to 4 p.m.
• Erie Canal Sal at museum at 1 p.m.
• St. Mary’s chicken barbecue
• Historical Society bake sale
• Expanded kids’ area with bounce house and games
Wiley said many volunteers have worked on the festival, which also has benefitted from the efforts of the Holley villages and school employees.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 May 2018 at 6:05 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Charlene Favata, president of the VFW Auxiliary in Holley, carries the American flag out of the Holley Elementary School gymnasium after a Memorial Day assembly this morning.
Elementary students took the lead in the organizing and running the event, with help from teachers’ assistants Jennifer Morgan and Alexis Downey, and Tim Artessa, the school’s assistant principal.
Students in the chorus sing, “Fly High, You Grand Old Flag,” during the assembly.
Sloane Kruger, a fifth-grader, and Alexis Downey, a teacher’s assistant, were among students and staff who shared, “Because of their sacrifice …” Downey said because of the sacrifice of soldiers she can teach children, while Sloane said because of that sacrifice she can learn in school.
Julianna Thomas, a fifth-grader, served as an emcee of the assembly. Her grandfather, Jeff Thomas, was among the veterans recognized for his military service.
Leigha and Layne Walker, who are sisters, read the poem, “In Flanders Field,” a poem written in World War I.
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Morgan: Leigha, right, and Layne Walker read the poem in front of about 550 elementary students.
These prekindergarten students, including Brielle Carpenter, show their patriotism during the assembly.
HOLLEY – The Board of Education at Holley Central School has chosen three finalists for the district’s next top administrator. The finalists are:
• Frank Bai-Rossi – Principal, Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District
• Brian Bartalo – Principal, Hilton Central School District
• Dr. Anthony Cook – Superintendent, Diocese of Rochester Schools
“Our Board is delighted with the qualified candidates we’ve selected to be finalists,” said Board President Brenda Swanger. “We look forward to welcoming the community at the upcoming Meet the Finalist forums so everyone has the opportunity to interact with these three experienced educational leaders.”
The three finalists are scheduled for individual day-long school visits that include a Meet the Finalist community forum from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Holley Middle School/High School Auditorium, 16848 Lynch Rd. The forums will give staff and community members the opportunity to meet each candidate, ask questions, and submit feedback forms to the board. The schedule is as follows:
• Tuesday, May 29: Frank Bai-Rossi
• Wednesday, May 30: Brian Bartalo
• Thursday, May 31: Dr. Anthony Cook
“In keeping with Holley’s focus on instilling a passion for lifelong learning, the members of the Board of Education have been diligent in their efforts to choose a new leader for their administration,” said Jo Anne Antonacci, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES District Superintendent and Search Consultant. “The Board will continue its commitment to soliciting feedback from Holley district staff and residents in the final stages of this process.”
The BOE will announce the new superintendent sometime in June, with the goal to have the superintendent start Sept. 1.
Frank Bai-Rossi
Frank Bai-Rossi is the principal of the Midlakes Middle and High School in the Phelps-Clifton Springs School District. He previously served as an assistant principal at Penfield High School for seven years. Prior to becoming an administrator, Bai-Rossi began his career in education at Hillside Children’s Center as a special education teacher. He spent the first eight years of his public-school career working as a special education teacher in the Greece Central School District. While in Greece, Bai-Rossi served as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) to help implement a Small Learning Community Grant and provide professional development.
Bai-Rossi received a Master of Science in Education from Nazareth College and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Canisius College. He completed the Superintendent Development Program through SUNY Oswego and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Alfred University. Bai-Rossi is married and has three children; he is an avid golfer and a die-hard Bills fan.
Brian Bartalo
Brian Bartalo is currently the principal and International Baccalaureate Head of School at Hilton High School, a post he has held since 2005. From 1999 until 2005, Bartalo was an assistant principal at Hilton HS. Prior to that, he served for one year as the dean of students at Hilton HS. In 1988, Bartalo began his teaching career as a special education teacher at Merton Williams Middle School in the Hilton Central School District, where he taught and coached until 1998.
Bartalo holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from SUNY Buffalo State, a Master of Science in Education from Syracuse University and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Education Administration from The College at Brockport. He is also the director of the Genesee Valley Rotary Camp, a camp for children with special needs. Bartalo and his wife Marcia, a counselor at Brockport High School, live in Brockport and have two sons, Jakob, 23 and Nathaniel, 20.
Dr. Anthony Cook
A life-long Rochester resident, Dr. Anthony Cook has served area schools as a teacher, coach, mentor and administrator for 14 years. Since 2013, Cook has held the position of superintendent for the 18 Diocese of Rochester Schools, serving 3,400 students. Cook oversees schools located in Auburn, Avon, Brighton, Canandaigua, Charlotte, Chili, Corning, Geneva, Greece, Elmira, Horseheads, Irondequoit, Penfield, Penn Yan, Pittsford, Rochester, and Webster. Prior to being selected as superintendent, Cook was the principal at Seton Catholic School, located in Brighton.
As the instructional leader, he established processes for curriculum development and managed capital improvement projects, including a state-of-the-art science classroom. Cook is a certified New York State Administrator and Teacher, holding a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester’s Warner School, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Geneseo and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY Geneseo. He lives in North Greece with his wife Amy, and two daughters, Leah and Nora.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2018 at 2:02 pm
HOLLEY – Six candidates have turned in petitions to run for the Holley Village Board in the June 19 election.
Mayor Brian Sorochty is seeking another two-year term as mayor. He is being challenged by Shawn O’Mara, who works as a police officer with the Gates Police Department.
Two current village trustees – Conni Nenni and Kevin Lynch, the deputy mayor – are also seeking re-election. They are challenged by Alexa Downey and Robyn Schubmehl.
Candidates need to turn in petitions signed by at least 50 village residents who are eligible voters. There is a deadline of Friday for additional candidates, although no one else has picked up a petition.
Holley is the only village in Orleans County that holds its election in June. The others – Albion, Lyndonville and Medina – have elections in March.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2018 at 9:58 pm
HOLLEY – District residents approved the school budget and other propositions, while electing three to the Board of Education, including one new member, retired teacher Anne Smith.
The $25,210,000 school budget passed, 437-207. The budget represents a 2.0 percent tax increase, with the tax levy going from $6,968,766 to $7,108,141.
Other propositions include:
• Authorization to spend up to $222,914 for two school buses and a sport utility vehicle, which passed, 418-224.
• Approval of $153,713 in funding for Community Free Library, passed 473-173.
• There were five candidates running for three positions. Two incumbents were re-elected to three-year terms, including Melissa Ierlan, 441; and Mark Porter, 348. Anne Smith was elected with 351, which was 12 more than incumbent Anne Winkley with 339. Nancy Manard MacPhee received 179 votes. The new terms start July 1.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The old Holley High School, vacant and in dilapidation for the past two decades, will be transformed into senior housing and also the village offices for Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2018 at 9:43 am
‘I truly believe this will be a transformative project with great impact for our village and other communities around us.’ – Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty
HOLLEY – A grant for $5.1 million announced on Thursday for the Holley Gardens project will allow a develop to move forward with the transformation of the old Holley High School into affordable senior housing and also the village offices for Holley.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the $5.1 million on Thursday, part of $200 million for housing projects state-wide.
The adaptive reuse of the former Holley High School into a mixed-use facility will create 41 homes for seniors age 55 and up. The existing school auditorium will be renovated for use by the Village of Holley as meeting space and administrative offices.
Holley Gardens is in the heart of the Village of Holley and residents will have easy access to local small businesses and amenities, Cuomo said.
Home Leasing LLC, a Rochester company, has proposed a $17 million renovation of the former school, to create residential apartments and offices that would be used for the village government. Home Leasing is working along with Edgemere Development, Glasow Simmons Architecture L.L.P. and Marathon Engineering – all Rochester-based firms – on the project.
“We at Home Leasing are truly honored to be part of bringing this historic landmark back to life,” said Nelson Leenhouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing LLC. “Holley Gardens will provide housing opportunity to area seniors and updated and accessible Village offices to the community. We are thankful for the unwavering commitment of the Village of Holley, the County of Orleans, Governor Cuomo, New York’s Homes and Community Renewal and Senator Schumer to the revitalization of this quaint canal side Village.”
Cuomo in March announced a $1 million “Restore New York” grant to go towards the renovation of the old Holley High School.
The latest funding will allow Home Leasing to move forward with the project. Brian Sorochty, mayor of Holley, said the revitalization of the old school will have a big impact on the village and Orleans County.
“The governor’s announcement that The Holley Gardens project was awarded $5.1 million is fantastic news and we thank Governor Cuomo for this award and his commitment to these types of adaptive reuse projects,” Sorochty said. “For Holley residents, this means that when combined with the $1 million already granted from Restore NY, this project is a reality!”
Nelson Leenhouts, chairman and CEO of Home Leasing, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer discussed the importance of keeping federal tax incentives for redeveloping historic sites during this event on Nov. 11, 2016. Leenhouts, during that event, said in his 50 years of real estate development he has never had a community work so hard as Holley to make a project a reality as the redevelopment of the old school.
Holley village officials have been pushing for an answer to the former school for more than a decade. The building sits in the heart of the village at the intersection of two state roads, routes 31 and 237.
“Residents will soon see this landmark building restored to its fullest potential,” the mayor said. “Having an historic building of this magnitude, which is located at the main intersection in our Village revitalized will breathe new life into our community. This project will not only benefit Holley, but also our entire County. I truly believe this will be a transformative project with great impact for our village and other communities around us.”
The village worked to have the site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it eligible for tax incentives. The Landmark Society of Western New York named the old school to its list of “Five to Revive,” and that designation helped get the attention of Home Leasing.
Sorochty said many people have stepped forward to have the school primed for revitalization. The school closed in the early 1970s and was last used by Liftec Manufacturing in the mid-1990s.
“There have been many residents in our village that have been hoping and pushing for this type of project for over 10 years,” he said. “Our Village Board has been working at this with the developers for approximately three years and it is very gratifying to see it come together into this exciting project. We hit this one on all cylinders, including support from all local, county and state officials, our residents, and a wonderful and dedicated development team lead by Home Leasing and Edgemere Development. A project of this magnitude simply can’t happen without everyone pulling in the same direction. My sincere thanks to all who made this a reality.”
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer was in Holley on Nov. 11, 2016 for a news conference at the old school to show his support for keeping federal tax credits for developers who rehab historic sites.
“At long last the decades of watching the beloved former Holley High School building sit vacant and decaying are finally over because we are breathing new life into this local historic treasure,” he said in a statement. “Now with federal historic rehab credits and state and federal housing tax credits we can break ground on the plan to revamp the old Holley High School into Holley Gardens with new senior housing, new larger space to house Village offices and a restored auditorium for community public meetings. Holley Gardens will truly be a win-win-win: for local residents, for local businesses and the entire regional economy.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2018 at 10:32 pm
HOLLEY – The Village Board approved a budget this evening for the 2018-19 that keeps the tax rate at$15.65 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The $1,120,521 budget includes $268,190 for office, $360,200 in the DPW, $294,700 for the police department, $140,279 for employee benefits and $64,652 for general debt.
There also is $410,634 budgeted for the water department and $167,429 for the sewer department. Those departments are funded by user fees.
“I’m extremely pleased with the budget,” said Brian Sorochty, the Holley mayor. “The board the last two years has done a good job managing spending, and holding the tax rate.”
He also praised the village department heads for working to pare down their expenses to keep the tax rate from increasing.
Although the tax rate will remain the same, the village will collect 1.27 percent more in taxes, from $836,965 to $847,596.
The village’s tax base is up by 0.59 percent or $319,274, from $53,846,841 to $54,166,115.
The village is working on three large grants that will address new sidewalks and water infrastructure. Construction could start in late fall or spring.
Holley also was approved for a $165,600 state grant on Feb. 1 to develop a brownfield opportunities area program.
The Holley grant will complete a Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination for 813 acres with 55 potential sites, according to the state announcement. The objectives include identifying opportunities surrounding the former high school in the downtown core; improved housing and income opportunities for residents; identifying strategies to reduce commercial vacancies; identifying opportunities at the Diaz Chemical site remediation; leveraging the Erie Canal; improving wayfinding in the Village; preparing design guidelines for the Public Square; and improving the village’s vitality.
Sorochty said the village clerk and code enforcement officer will be working extra hours for the village to implement this grant, which is part of Holley’s 15 percent local share for the project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2018 at 10:55 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Holley Elementary School is pictured recently on North Main Street.
HOLLEY – The Holley Board of Education on Monday approved a $25,210,000 school budget that will go before voters on May 15.
The budget represents a 2.0 percent tax increase, with the tax levy going from $6,968,766 to $7,108,141.
The budget maintains the current programs in the district, said Sharon Zacher, the assistant superintendent for business.
Holley is reducing overall staff by 2.5 full-time equivalent positions, with two of those positions to be abolished through attrition.
The district’s enrollment is projected to hold steady, going from 997 in 2017-18 to 995 next school year.
The May 15 vote will include a proposition to approve the purchase of two school buses and a sport utility vehicle for replacement purposes during the 2018-2019 school year.
Eligible residents, 18 and older, will also vote on funding for Community Free Library.
There is also an election for the Board of Education. There are five candidates running for three positions, including incumbents – Mark Porter, Anne Winkley and Melissa Ierlan. Nancy Manard MacPhee and Anne Smith also are running for three-year terms on the board.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2018 at 12:23 pm
Agenda for shared services and consolidations doesn’t include radical change to local law enforcement
Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign for the police station for the Holley Police Department is shown on Thomas Street. Roland Nenni is currently Holley’s police chief.
ALBION – The village mayors, town supervisors and county legislators are talking about sharing more services and possibly consolidating some functions, including code enforcement, water service, grant writing, information technology and perhaps other services.
The group met on April 5 to discuss several possibilities that could reduce overall costs and perhaps result in better service.
Law enforcement, however, won’t be part of the discussion, right now. Village officials declined to even mention the issue at the April 6 meeting.
The village police departments and Orleans County Sheriff’s Department will continue to do some specialized training together, but there is no push to dissolve a village department and have the county Sheriff’s Office step up its patrols in a village.
“The leadership at the various villages have expressed reservations for a number of reasons,” said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer. “It has to come from the villages. They’re the ones who have to vote or not vote.”
The local entities worked with a consultant, CGR in Rochester, on a law enforcement efficiency study. CGR’s work showed there would be significant tax savings for the villages of Albion and Medina – about $6 to $8 per $1,000 of assessed property – if they dissolved their departments and then the county took over. (Doing so would also raise the county tax rate by an estimated $2 per $1,000 if all of the village police departments dissolved and deputies were hired to work in the villages.)
Holley, which also has a police department, wouldn’t see as much savings because it’s department is staffed with many part-timers. Having full-time deputies patrol the village ultimately wouldn’t reduce costs in Holley, according to the study. (Lyndonville only has one part-time officer.)
All of the villages joined the county in voting to do the study. However, the villages haven’t embraced the findings.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari has told the law enforcement committee he wants to keep the village police. He said there hasn’t been a push by village residents to end the local department.
Albion had a village election last month and three candidates who made keeping the village police a focus of their campaign were all elected, although it was close.
Eileen Banker received 250 out of 614 votes to win election in a three-way race that included Joyce Riley, 211 votes, and Kevin Doherty, 153. Riley and Doherty said they were open to looking at all villages expenses and making tough decisions. That didn’t mean they favored dissolving the police department, but they said they were willing to give the department rigorous scrutiny. Although Banker won, she didn’t receive an overwhelming mandate. She received 41 percent of the vote.
The Republican duo of Gary Katsanis, 306 votes, and Stan Farone, 300, eked out a win over Democratic Party candidates, Jason Dragon, 274 votes, and Sandra Walter, 264. Dragon and Walter said they didn’t think the police department, which costs the village about $1.2 million annually, was affordable for the village. Having a county-wide force, doing the primary patrols in the villages, would spread out the cost for all taxpayers. Dragon said village residents pay for law enforcement in both their county and village taxes.
A state grant paid $36,000 towards the study while the county paid CGR $38,000 for its work. The county isn’t going to press the issue, Nesbitt said.
If village residents want to pursue the issue, they could always petition to have a police department dissolved. Ultimately, if a village wanted to consider a dissolution of the village police, residents would decide the fate in a public referendum.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 14 April 2018 at 8:14 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 15
April 14th marks the 106th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic and although I share a common surname, I can assure you that Dr. Robert Ballard is no direct relative of mine (that I am aware of). On that fateful day in 1912, the exquisitely decorated vessel struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. and was fully submerged within a matter of three hours. Of the 2,224 passengers, over 1,500 perished in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean nearly 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, making it one of the most devastating maritime disasters in modern history.
Over the years, newspapers have recounted the stories of survivors while paying tribute to the victims as each landmark anniversary passes. Of the most notable local residents connected to the catastrophe, the story of Lillian Bentham of Holley is most frequently recalled. Of course, the story of May Howard (buried in Boxwood Cemetery) is also shared. So, I thought it best to thoroughly recount some of these recollections over the course of several articles starting with the story of Lillian Bentham.
On July 23, 1892 a baby girl was born to Henry and Mary Jane Bentham of Holley, New York. The Benthams were natives of Guernsey in the Channel Islands where Henry learned the trade of stone cutting and stone dressing before immigrating to the United States. Given the number of other immigrants from the same region of the British Isles, it is likely that Mr. Bentham was aware of job opportunities in the booming sandstone quarries scattered throughout Orleans County. When Lillian was born, Henry asked fellow quarryman William Douton to be his daughter’s godfather. Both men were active in Holley’s I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 42 and presumably good friends.
Henry and Mary Jane Bentham suffered the loss of their daughter Daisy in early March of 1903 as the result of a year-long illness. Her obituary read, “As a young girl, Daisy was an exceptionally beautiful and charming child, with winning and attractive ways that made her a general favorite with all who knew her.” This eloquent eulogy is reflected through the broken daisy that appears on the young girl’s headstone in Hillside Cemetery. Eight years after the passing of Daisy, the family mourned the loss of Henry on October 24, 1911 following a two-year long battle with tuberculosis. He was remembered as a “…man of very social, genial nature, generous, kindly, and sympathetic.”
It is possible that this tragic event was a reason for 19-year-old Lillian to travel to Guernsey to visit family, likely her older sister Annie who was living overseas at the time. Bentham and two others, including William Douton and fellow quarryman Peter McKane, returned to Guernsey where many of the men had started their careers as stone dressers. During their time away, Mary Jane Bentham and her son Walter relocated to Rochester. On the return trip, Lillian and the party she was travelling with were set to return aboard the R.M.S. Titanic. She had purchased a second class ticket, number 28404, for 13 pounds while Douton and McKane shared a joint ticket, number 38403, which cost 26 pounds.
It was well known by passengers that the Titanic’s crew was pushing the ship’s limits in order to break record timing on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. On the evening of April 14, 1912, Lillian retired to her quarters and prepared for bed when she was suddenly jarred by the ship’s collision with the iceberg. The elderly woman sharing her berth was sleeping peacefully when the accident occurred and the impact caused the woman to fall out of bed. A crew member passed the cabin and calmly told the two women that the ship had struck a fishing boat, encouraging both to return to sleep. Lillian fell asleep for a period of 20 or 30 minutes before the sounds of screaming men and women woke her.
She quickly threw on her clothes and made her way up on deck. Lillian reported the following scene to the Holley Standard which was printed on April 25, 1912, “The women and children were crowded together on both sides of the ship and were being put over the sides into the lifeboats. There were some men among them, mostly helping the women along, bidding them a good-bye and cheering them up. The rest of the men were crowded together, some kneeling down and praying, others standing like statues.” As more people crowded onto the deck a number of men, many being immigrants, attempted to jump into the lifeboats; they were shot and killed by crewmen.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This gravestone for Lillian Bentham was installed on Oct. 1, 2015 at Hillside Cemetery in Holley/Clarendon. Brigden Memorials of Albion donated the stone. Bentham lived to be 85, and remained in the Holley and Rochester region until her death on Dec. 15, 1977. Bentham was buried in Hillside Cemetery next to her sister, Daisy Bentham, who died at age 16 in 1904. Lillian never had a headstone until Brigden donated one about four decades after her death.
Lillian was placed in Lifeboat 12, the third boat lowered on the port side and was allegedly within an earshot of the Captain Edward Smith as he shouted, “Now, every man for himself, she’s going down.” The band played sacred music for the duration of the ensuing commotion, playing “Nearer My God to Thee” as their final piece. Bentham recalled everyone praying on their knees as the ship’s deck dipped below water. As the vessel submerged the boilers exploded, scalding and killing many on deck and those locked below deck. She watched as the ship broke in two before disappearing below the waterline.
As the lifeboats bobbed atop the water, men and women were occasionally plucked from the water while others were struck over the head with oars to prevent panicked survivors from capsizing the tiny boats. Lillian recalled a tragic scene that remained with her for the rest of her life; an infant with its hands either crushed or cut off was thrown overboard to “put it out of its misery. It was very weak and would have died soon anyway.” The dead were thrown overboard to make way for those survivors floating in the freezing waters. Many died from shock, the result of exposure to extreme cold. Those in the lifeboats huddled together, most in their nightgowns, unprepared for the frigid temperatures of the cold Atlantic night.
When the R.M.S. Carpathia arrived at New York City, Mrs. Emily Douton was present and ready to welcome Lillian and her husband. Word was sent early of the survivors of the disaster, but Emily’s first question to Lillian was “Where’s William?” In the months following the disaster, the Holley Lodge I.O.O.F. purchased a cemetery monument for fellow members Douton and McKane, whose bodies were never recovered. The stone was dedicated in June of 1912 and reads “Erected in Memory of Wm. Doughton & Peter MacKain lost at sea with S.S. Titanic April 14, 1912 by Holley Lodge 42 IOOF.” Emily Douton remarried twice before her death on June 30, 1923 from stomach cancer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2018 at 5:21 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The percentage of students who are refusing to take state assessments has dropped significantly at Holley Central School.
The tests aren’t nearly as lengthy and the student scores are no longer tied to teacher evaluations. Those might be big factors in why fewer students are refusing to take state tests.
Two years ago, all local schools had at least 20 percent of their students in grades 3 to 8 “opt out” of taking state assessments for math and English language arts.
Today was the beginning of the testing for the ELA assessments. Those tests used to be over three days. Now they are over two days with the tests taking about 90 minutes each day, although students aren’t under a time limit as long as they are working productively. The math tests follow next week for some schools.
Lyndonville had 8 percent of its students, 17 out of 212, refuse the tests today. Last year it was closer to 25 to 30 percent, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.
“As a school district, we have tried to not make these tests stand out as anything special, just another way to measure student progress, like any other assessment,” Smith said. “The tests are important, we don’t discount that, but we also tried hard to not elevate either, as we want students to take these tests to see where we are doing well and where need to improve.”
Holley has had the highest refusal rate among the Orleans County districts, topping 40 percent in 2015, and then 36 percent for Math and 32 percent for English in 2016. Today the district had near 90 percent participation, said Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal.
Medina had about 10 percent of the students refuse the tests, while Kendall was less than 15 percent and Albion was 14 percent, according to school superintendents at those districts.
The students who refuse the tests aren’t penalized. They typically stay in the classroom and have reading materials.
Here are the opt out rates for the districts in 2015:
• Albion, 29.0 percent for Math; 22.0 percent for ELA
• Holley, 43.0 percent for Math; 40.0 percent for ELA
• Kendall, 34 percent for Math; 30 percent for ELA
• Lyndonville, 26 percent Math; 19 percent for ELA
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2018 at 9:39 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – A blue heron takes off near the Holley Waterfalls on Saturday afternoon.
After about a half inch of snow on Saturday, there will be more scattered snow showers today before 2 p.m., and the high will only hit 33, according to the National Weather Service.
The other high temps this week include 38 on Monday, 40 on Tuesday, 43 on Wednesday, 49 on Thursday, 44 on Friday and 51 on Saturday.
The Holley Waterfalls is pictured on Saturday afternoon with a light coating of snow on the ground.
The Holley Waterfalls is one of the area’s nicest natural attractions. You can reach the waterfalls by turning onto Frisbee Terrace off Route 31 in the Public Square. Follow Frisbee Terrace past the former grocery store and the village’s DPW garage.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2018 at 6:00 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Sean Seeler, in lift, installs a bracket this afternoon to hold a new sign for the Holley Falls Bar & Grill. Sean’s father, Dan, is looking out through the window of the business in Holley’s Public Square.
The Seeler family has been working the past five years to renovate the site, the former Tagg’s Tavern. The construction is “98 percent complete,” Mr. Seeler said. He expects the bar and restaurant will open this summer.
Provided photo: Dan Seeler made the sign with his sons, Sean and Jesse.
The sign was needed for the business to secure a liquor license. The Seelers know there is lots of interest from the community in the project, but they said they need more time before they are ready to open. Monica Seeler, Dan’s wife, said they expect to hire 25 to 35 people to run the bar and restaurant when it opens this summer.
In addition to the bar and restaurant, the Seelers renovated the upper levels to create apartments that are all rented.
The building used to have a wooden exterior when it was Tagg’s Tavern. The wood was removed to reveal cast iron columns in front. The Seelers needed to rebuild walls, paint them and make numerous other improvements for one of the most prominent buildings in Holley. They also added an awning.
They named the restaurant and bar for the Holley Falls, a popular spot that is located down Frisbee Terrace, a short walk from the restaurant.
Mr. and Mrs. Seeler said they feel positive momentum in the village with upcoming sidewalk and street projects, as well as a good chance for the redevelopment of the old Holley High School.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2018 at 5:12 pm
Provided photo from Corning Museum of Glass: A barge with mobile glassmaking equipment will be in Holley on July 24 and then in Medina on Aug. 11-12.
HOLLEY – A barge with glassmaking equipment will stop in Holley on July 24 as part of a summer-long tour along the Erie Canal.
The Corning Museum of Glass announced last month that the 2018 GlassBarge tour will visit Medina, docking at Medina Canal Basin on August 11-12. But after some negotiations with Holley village officials, a second Orleans County stop was added.
Mayor Brian Sorochty said the barge will be in Holley at the Canal Park on July 24.
The tour is the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial. The GlassBarge will offer free public glassmaking demonstrations at each scheduled stop during its four-month tour.
GlassBarge commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company – now known as Corning Incorporated – relocating to Corning via the New York Waterways by canal barge.
In celebration of this pivotal journey, the Corning Museum is recreating the voyage with GlassBarge – a 30′ x 80′ canal barge equipped with Corning’s patented all-electric glassmaking equipment. In addition to sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning, the GlassBarge tour emphasizes the continued role of New York’s waterways in shaping the state’s industry, culture, and community.
GlassBarge begins it tour in Brooklyn on May 17 and will travel north on the Hudson River, then westward along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo before making its way to the Finger Lakes. A ceremonial last leg of the trip will take place by land, concluding in Corning with a community-wide celebration on Sept. 22. (Besides stopping in Holley and Medina, GlassBarge will also be in Brockport from Aug. 17-19.)
A flotilla of historic ships will accompany GlassBarge, including the Lois McClure, a replica of an 1862 canal barge, and the C.L. Churchill, a 1964 tugboat, both part of the permanent collection of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The museum will share the story of 19th-century canal life and how materials were shipped on New York’s waterways. On the Erie Canal, GlassBarge will be moved by an historic tug from the fleet of the South Street Seaport Museum, connecting upstate and downstate by water.
GlassBarge will provide daily demonstrations. All demos are approximately 30 minutes long, and reservations are strongly encouraged through free timed tickets that will be available at www.cmog.org/GlassBarge. Reservations will open 4-6 weeks prior to each stop. Demos can also be viewed from shore without a reservation.
