By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2018 at 8:19 am
HOLLEY – Village residents who are eligible voters, 18 and older, will elect a mayor and two trustees for the Village Board today.
The election is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Office, 72 Public Square.
There are two candidates running for a two-year term as mayor: incumbent Brian Sorochty and Shawn O’Mara.
Four candidates are running for two trustee positions that are also for two-year terms. Incumbents Kevin Lynch and Connie Nenni are challenged by Robyn Schubmehl and Alexa Downey.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2018 at 9:27 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Six candidates running for the Holley Village Board were part of a candidate forum on Wednesday evening at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. Pictured up front include mayoral candidates Shawn O’Mara and Brian Sorochty, and trustee candidates Connie Nenni, Alexa Downey, Robyn Schubmehl and Kevin Lynch. Michael Bonafede served as moderator and Sandy Heise, Krista Wiley, Chris Sartwell and Judith Koehler were question screeners.
A video of Wednesday’s candidate forum for the Holley is now available on the Lake Country Media YouTube channel by clicking here.
The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub sponsored the forum on Wednesday at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium.
The video is 1 hour, 32 minutes and shows candidates giving opening and closing statements, and responding to questions submitted by the audience.
The candidates for the election on Tuesday include Shawn O’Mara and incumbent Brian Sorochty for mayor; and Alexa Downey and Robyn Schubmehl for village trustee, challenging incumbents Connie Nenni and Kevin Lynch.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office.
HOLLEY – The Holley Board of Education has selected Brian Bartalo as the next superintendent of the school district pending formal appointment to the position at the next Board of Education meeting on June 18.
He will start as superintendent on July 16. He replaces Robert D’Angelo, who retired.
“Throughout the rigorous search process, Brian demonstrated an ability to connect with students, staff and community members,” said Board President Brenda Swanger. “His long experience and track record of success make him the ideal leader to move our district forward.”
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.
“The Holley community has been very welcoming to me through this search process,” said Bartalo. “I look forward to working with the Board to further the district’s mission of instilling a passion for lifelong learning within our students.”
Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES District Superintendent Jo Anne L. Antonacci assisted the Holley Board of Education as search consultant throughout the process.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Six candidates running for the Holley Village Board were part of a candidate forum on Wednesday evening at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. Pictured from left include mayoral candidates Shawn O’Mara and Brian Sorochty, and trustee candidates Connie Nenni, Alexa Downey, Robyn Schubmehl and Kevin Lynch.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 June 2018 at 10:24 am
HOLLEY – Village residents have choices on Tuesday when they go to the polls to elect a mayor and two trustees. There are six candidates running for three positions on the Village Board. Those candidates shared their views and goals for the village during a candidate forum on Wednesday evening at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. The event was sponsored by the Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.
Brian Sorochty
The incumbents – Mayor Brian Sorochty and trustees Connie Nenni and Kevin Lynch – see great progress in the village in the past two years with Holley securing grants for new sidewalks and water infrastructure, as well as a planning grant to help redevelop the downtown and bolster the economic, housing and recreational opportunities in the village.
Sorochty sees the $17 million renovation of the old Holley High School into 41 apartments for seniors and the village offices as a major victory for the village. Construction will start in the fall and the project should be complete within two years.
The soon-to-start improvements in the village will show potential developers and businesses that Holley is headed in the right direction, Sorochty said.
“One of the best things we can do is show that we’re a community on the move,” Sorochty told about 75 people at the candidate forum.
Shawn O’Mara
Shawn O’Mara, a candidate for mayor, sees a lot of empty storefronts, as well as the recent closures of Holley’s only bank and grocery store. He said he would push to find another bank and grocery store for the community. He also said the village suffers from deteriorating roads and sidewalks.
“I have determination,” he said. “I can think on my feet and get results.”
Sorochty works as Vice President of Engineering for an engineering/construction company, overseeing 35 employees.
O’Mara is a Gates police officer. He has worked 25 years in law enforcement, including the beginning of his career with the Holley Police Department.
The incumbent trustees – Nenni and Lynch – said the current board has put in the hard work to have Holley positioned for success, with grants for sidewalks and water infrastructure. The old high school redevelopment also was years in the making.
“We’ve definitely made a lot of progress but there is more to do,” Nenni said. “We’ve been working hard to transform this village with multi-million-dollar projects. You’ll see and feel every bit of them when they are done.”
Connie Nenni, left, answers a question during the candidate forum on Wednesday. Other trustee candidates include Alexa Downey, Robyn Schubmehl and Kevin Lynch.
Nenni currently works as secretary to the Holley school district superintendent. She previously was Holley’s village clerk-treasurer. She has written grants for the village concert series, and helped rally the community to support the sidewalk grant, which will replace about a third of sidewalks in Holley.
Kevin Lynch is retired after 36 years from the Canal Corp., including about 20 years in Pittsford as the chief lock operator.
Lynch said the village government can be daunting to understand for a newcomer on the board. He is currently Holley’s deputy mayor and said he is very familiar with the staff and duties of the Electric Department, Department of Public Works and the Clerk’s Office. He said he is proud of Holley’s recent successes, especially with the redevelopment of the old school. He was a member of the last graduating class in the building.
Alexa Downey
Alexa Downey works as a teacher’s assistant in prekindergarten. She is a Brooklyn native who sees lots of potential for Holley as a historic canal town, especially if the storefronts can be filled.
She said she would bring a positive presence to the board and would be active in the community, getting resident feedback. She is currently co-president of the Holley PTSA and a volunteer with the Sports Boosters.
Robyn Schubmehl works as a supervisor and paralegal for a foreclosure firm in Medina. She said the Village Board would benefit from fresh ideas. She said she has the commitment and dedication to be an asset to the board.
“Everyone brings something to the table,” she said. “We need to work together cohesively.”
O’Mara, Schubmehl and Downey are running as a team. They congratulated the current board for the success with grants and projects, but said more work is needed, especially with sidewalks and the deteriorating road conditions.
Sorochty, Nenni and Lynch also cited efforts to maintain services without raising taxes. The village has contracts with the Village of Albion to run Holley’s sewer plant and also for leadership in the police department. Roland Nenni serves as both Holley’s and Albion’s police chief.
Sorochty said the arrangements have resulted in superior service for Holley and at much-reduced cost than hiring full-time personnel for the positions.
O’Mara said more consolidation of village government would keep taxes from rising. But Sorochty and Lynch said Holley is running a “bare bones” staff. The shared services approach is the best way to preserve services with local control, without being too costly for the village, they said.
Michael Bonafede served as moderator of the forum, which was attended by about 75 people.
The candidates were asked many questions during the forum, including whether the police department should be dissolved, how to stabilize taxes, whether the village should have a full-time administrator, how Holley can best capitalize on the canal and other topics.
None of the candidates favored dissolving the village police force and having the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office assume the work.
O’Mara said Holley is start for many in law enforcement and the new officers prove their dedication to the community. Sorochty also said the current board has made keeping a 24-7 police presence a priority.
None of the candidates want to see Holley hire a full-time administrator. They all said Holley is too small and shouldn’t be adding positions that would increase the burden on taxpayers.
Some villages in other counties have full-time administrators. But the candidates said Holley has enough staff to keep the village government working.
Sorochty said a rumor went around the village that an administrator position would be created.
“It’s false,” he said. “It’s absolutely ridiculous. The village is too small.”
Kevin Lynch
The canal park is one of the village’s assets, with a gazebo for concerts, boat tie-ins and camping sites along the canal in Holley. O’Mara said more docking and expanded amenities could draw more boaters and kayakers to Holley.
The candidates were asked if a kayak and boat launch should be pursued near the lift bridge. Sorochty said there could be grant funding available for that. But Lynch, a former Canal Corp. employee, said he doubted the Canal Corp. would support that because there is already a boat launch a mile east of Holley.
Sorochty said clearing out an original canal bed, the only section west of Rochester, could be a tourism draw and a source of pride for the community. Orleans County officials are interested in helping to remove trees and brush from that original canal bed this fall, Sorochty said.
The candidates were also asked about code enforcement, including the possibility of county-wide code enforcement, rather than each town and village doing the service. That might require a uniform code for all the municipalities, or code officers being familiar with varying codes in towns and villages.
Schubmehl and Downey both said the community needs to have fair code enforcement. Right now there is a perception code enforcement picks on some people.
“I want to make sure code enforcement is fair and truly look out for Holley and not have another agenda,” Downey said.
Robyn Schubmehl
Schubmehl said, “Code enforcement needs to be fair across the board.”
The candidates were also asked about the controversial tree clearing along the northern side of the Erie Canal. There is concern trees could be cut down on the south side near Holley’s Canal Park and the waterfalls. Sorochty said Canal Corp. officials have no plans of removing those trees. But if they did in the future, the candidates said Holley should hire a lawyer and pursue an injunction, like Perinton, Brighton and Pittsford did to halt the project.
“If those trees come down you’ll lose the beauty of the canal,” O’Mara said.
The candidates were asked how many village meetings they have attended in the past two years. O’Mara, Downey and Schubmehl all said they haven’t been to a Village Board meeting. Lynch has been to them all, while Sorochty and Nenni have near-perfect attendance.
The election is from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at the Village Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 June 2018 at 8:55 am
HOLLEY – Village residents can hear directly today from the six candidates running for the Village Board.
The forum begins at 6 p.m. at the Holley Junior-Senior High School Auditorium. The event is sponsored by The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.
The event is set up as a forum and not a debate. Candidates will give opening and closing statements, and will respond to questions submitted by the audience.
Three incumbents are running in the June 19 election, including Mayor Brian Sorochty and two current village trustees – Connie Nenni and Kevin Lynch, the deputy mayor.
The other candidates include Shawn O’Mara for mayor and Alexa Downey and Robyn Schubmehl for village trustees.
The June 19 election will be from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office.
Photos by Kristina Gabalski: Amelia Sidonio, 15, of Holley led the planting effort on Thursday for a new bee pollinator meadow on Hurd Road near her family’s farm market at Hurd Orchards. Amelia, left, is joined by Joan-Marie Gabalski and Grace Gregoire in scattering seed in the newly tilled pollinator meadow.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 June 2018 at 7:28 am
HOLLEY – A local teen-ager is leading an effort to create a pollinator meadow where bees will be encouraged to flourish.
Amelia Sidonio, 15, and a group of local 4-Hers spread wildflower seed on Thursday for the new meadow which is about a half mile from Hurd Orchards, which is owned by Amelia’s family.
Bayer, which has an agricultural products division, provided a $2,500 grant for the project. Bayer is paying for pollinator meadows in all 50 states, part of an effort to encourage native bee populations.
Amelia Sidonio distributes seeds to Grace Gregoire, Sadie Gregoire and Luke Gregoire prior to planting.
The colony collapse disorder and other diseases have decimated the honey bee population, making the fruit industry vulnerable because bees are needed to pollinate crops for them to grow. The new meadows will provide pollen for native bees and honey bees.
“I’m just really happy to have the opportunity to work with Bayer and start the movement of wildflower plantings,” Amelia said.
She is a sophomore at the Harley School in Rochester. She has been involved with the Orleans County 4-H program since she was 5, starting as a Cloverbud with the rabbit program.
During a 4-H public presentation, she researched the crisis with the declining bee population and presented that report. She wanted to do something to help bees, and learned about the funding opportunity through Bayer.
Her mother, Amy Machamer, was honored in 2016 by Bayer with a farming innovation award. Machamer was recognized by Bayer welcoming the public on their farm to learn about agriculture. Hurd Orchards hosts luncheons and dinners that teach about growing fruit. Machamer also teaches people how to prepare dishes with ingredients grown from the Hurd farm.
A 4-Her holds a handful of seed. Wildflower seed planted included red poppies, yarrow, milkweed, oxeye and painted daisies.
The first pollinator meadow is about a half mile from the market at Hurd Orchards. Machamer and her daughter want to add another meadow closer to the market. That was the plan last year but it was too rainy to get the meadow started.
A group of Orleans County 4-Hers met in a small field on Hurd Road in Murray on Thursday to plant a pollinator meadow. Amelia reached out to her 4-H friends who filled pails with wildflower seeds and scattered the seed in the newly tilled meadow.
“It’s important to get the community involved,” Amelia said. “It’s good to connect to different kinds of agriculture.”
Orleans County 4-Hers are pictured after the planting. They are, from left: Luke Gregoire, John Gabalski, Amelia Sidonio, Grace Gregoire, Joan-Marie Gabalski and Sadie Gregoire.
She wants to raise more public awareness of the issue affecting bees. She said the wildflowers also have the added benefit of beautifying the countryside.
The plants will germinate this year and some may flower. Next year the planting will really take hold and provide blooms for many years to come.
“That field will be absolutely gorgeous,” Machamer said. “It will be really pretty. It will be really beautiful. It will provide beauty and a pollinator meadow, and raise consciousness.”
For more on the Bayer program to help bees, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2018 at 9:42 pm
Provided photos: The spring Holley trap shooting team includes, front row, from left: Coach Jaime Almeter, Coach Ted Major, Kyle Surowy, Rayelle Bonacci, Evan Press, Joe Silpoch, Jakob Silpoch, Coach John Waldron, Coach Doug Baker and Coach Butch Moy. Back row: Hunter Cleveland, Triston McFadden, Alexis Clemens, Kelsie Johnstone, Brandon Dillenbeck, Alexis Penna and Max Hollister.
HOLLEY – The Holley trap team just finished its third season in the NYS High School Clay Target League. Holley was third in its conference out of six teams in the Spring 2018. Holley also competed in Spring 2017 and Fall 2017.
The schools are broken into conferences based on the size of the trap team. Holley with its 17 members competed in Class 1A in Conference 4. Kendall also had a team this spring for the first time and came in seventh out of seven teams in Conference 1.
The team for the first time was able to give a $500 scholarship. Steve Markle, a supporter of the program, donated the $500. He presents the scholarship last week to Brandon Dillenbeck for his high shooting and academic success.
Markle took up trap shooting himself two years ago at the Holley Rod & Gun Club, where the team practices and holds many of its matches. Markle said the sport teaches discipline and focus.
He said his two daughters were fortunate to get scholarships when they graduated from high school.
“I was looking for a way to give back,” Markle said. “I wanted to know what I could do to help the team out.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 June 2018 at 3:21 pm
Brian Sorochty
Shawn O’Mara
HOLLEY – Village residents can hear directly from the six candidates running for the Village Board during a forum on June 13 at the middle-high school auditorium.
The forum begins at 6 p.m. and is sponsored by The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.
The event is set up as a forum and not a debate. Candidates will give opening and closing statements, and will respond to questions submitted by the audience.
Three incumbents are running in the June 19 election, including Mayor Brian Sorochty and two current village trustees – Connie Nenni and Kevin Lynch, the deputy mayor.
The other candidates include Shawn O’Mara for mayor and Alexa Downey and Robyn Schubmehl for village trustees.
Sorochty works as Vice President of Engineering for an engineering/construction company. He said the village is seeing significant progress including the imminent construction of the old Holley High School, turning a vacant structure into senior housing and the village offices.
Holley also has been awarded $4.5 million in grants to fix many village sidewalks and upgrade the water system.
The village also was approved for a $165,600 state grant to develop a brownfield opportunities area program. That plan will help Holley develop strategies for improved housing, business and tourism opportunities.
Sorochty also said Holley is applying for a Bridges and Culvert grant, seeking about $900,000 to replace the undersized bridge on Veterans Memorial Drive and minor road widening to allow trucks to turn into the Industrial Park.
O’Mara is a Gates police officer. He has worked 25 years in law enforcement, including the beginning of his career with the Holley Police Department.
O’Mara supports Holley’s grant efforts. His campaign literature calls for stabilizing village taxes, reducing unnecessary spending and “providing excellent customer service from all village departments.”
The June 19 election will be from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 June 2018 at 11:51 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – A float in the June Fest parade that many people have found to be offensive and racist has prompted the June Fest Committee and the village to insist on a final check of all entries before the parade, Mayor Brian Sorochty said today.
A vehicle pulling a trailer had a detached fake head mounted by the front bumper and other strange “decorations,” included a black baby doll that was chained to a tree. There was a Sandy’s Oak Orchard Marina marker on the vehicle, but Sandy Kintz, marina owner, said she didn’t endorse the decorations.
A friend, Peter Gewerz, created the display. She was told it would be a water theme with a kayak and maybe an alligator.
“I had no idea,” she said. “I’m flabbergasted.”
Mayor Sorochty and Kintz have both spoken with Gewerz who insisted he meant nothing racist or offensive in the display. He is known for big Halloween displays.
“He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to do that,” Kintz said about a racist message. “If you know him, you know he would never do that.”
She apologized to the community for the display.
Sorochty said the committee and village will do a thorough review of all floats in the future while they are in the parade staging area at the elementary school.
He issued this statement to the media:
“It has come to our attention that one of the parade participants had display material on their float that offended many people. I have spoken with this person and he claims that he had no intention what so ever of displaying any kind of racist or offensive message. I have also spent the last day looking into the matter, keeping in mind that we had several committee members all who were responsible for a variety of aspects of this fast growing event. The bottom line is that when this individual arrived we clearly did not perform a thorough review and scrutinize the float content.
“This event is supposed to be an opportunity to celebrate our community and the floats are supposed to family friendly. The fact that this happened is very saddening to me and for all those that were disturbed and offended by this float I am sorry. Please note that neither the Village of Holley nor our Community Events Committee would ever approve of any offensive content for our festival.
“Our committee has done a wonderful job pulling this festival together and growing it the last two years and I hope that this one incident does not take away from what a great day it was. Our committee has only done this now for two years and we are learning each year how to improve the operations of this event. Going forward we will absolutely have an individual dedicated to performing a final check on all floats to ensure this does not happen again. Thank you for your understanding.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2018 at 8:20 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Fireworks are reflected in the Erie Canal by the lift bridge in Holley at about 10 p.m. on Saturday. A 20-minute fireworks show was an explosive conclusion to the June Fest celebration in Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 June 2018 at 6:13 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The parade seemed to keep going in Holley today with classic cars, community organizations, fire trucks and other participants as part of a re-energized June Fest.
The top photo shows Koryn Neale tossing candy with a group from Wiley’s Ark Animal Care, which is owned by her mother, Krista Wiley, who also is coordinator of the June Fest.
Al Pulcino of the American Legion greeted many people with a big smile along the parade route, which went from the elementary school through the Public Square.
Maarit Vaga dressed as Cobble the Museum Mouse for the Cobblestone Museum. She rode in a 1911 Reo truck owned by Russ Bosch of Clarendon.
John Brown of Batavia brought this 1964 Amphicar and his dog Reagan, an English Setter, for the parade. Brown also brought several other classic vehicles for the parade and for a car show. Brown, owner of a collision shop in Batavia, was recognized with the business award for his efforts with the parade.
Al Capurso, president of the Orleans County Historical Society, dressed as a pioneer resident with a log cabin shed to honor the pioneers. Capurso said he will have the log cabin shed at upcoming parades in Albion, Barre and Lyndonville.
There were many soccer participants in the parade and that earned the youth soccer program the youth award from the parade judges.
Dan Schiavone, left, and John Kenney, both former Holley mayors, served as parade judges along with Penny Cole.
Some members of the Clarendon-Holley-Hulberton fire youth group march in the parade.
The Holley-Kendall Marching Band was awarded the grand prize from the parade judges.
Carol D’Agostino and the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies were a big hit with the crowd. They won the award for best group.
Barb Kurzowski walks a llama in the parade to promote the Orleans County 4-H program.
Dustin’s Pizzeria was among many local businesses in the parade.
Dick Holland of West Henrietta drives a 1947 Massey Ferguson tractor through the Public Square. He is followed by Matt Clayton of Knowlesville and Raychelle Wilson with a 1958 Massey Ferguson.
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.
