U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer shakes hands with Chipper Gifaldi, a World War II veteran, today before a Veterans Day program at the American Legion in Holley.

HOLLEY – U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said the country needs to come together and put aside bitter divisions that were so visible in the presidential election.

Schumer was in Holley today to draw attention to federal and state tax credits for renovating historic sites.

Schumer said $3.7 million in tax credits ($3 million from the federal government and $700,000 from the state) would make redeveloping the old Holley High School financially feasible.

After stating his support for those tax credits, Schumer took questions from reporters.

He made the following comments about the election on Tuesday, where Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. (Schumer was easily re-elected in a race against Wendy Long.)

Here are Schumer’s remarks:

“First I want to thank the voters of New York State for electing me. I got about 70 percent of the vote. So I got a large percentage of the vote, and not just Democrats but Republicans and independents. So I thank you.

“President-elect Trump, he called me Wednesday morning. I congratulated him on his victory. And you know it is a beautiful thing, our democracy, how we peacefully pass the torch. There is a sacred right to vote and the American people made their voices heard, elected Donald Trump to the presidency and Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress. So I talked with Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan.

‘We all know it was a divisive election, and the outcome surprised some people. But that doesn’t matter. It’s time to come together and heal the bitter wounds.’

“I also want to offer my thanks to my dear friend Hillary Clinton for her hard-fight campaign. We worked together for eight years as senators. She was very gracious in her remarks as well. She has done a lot of service, incredible service, to this country. She has served as a beacon to all of us. I know she will serve the country well.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said he congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday for winning the presidency.

“We all know it was a divisive election, and the outcome surprised some people. But that doesn’t matter. It’s time to come together and heal the bitter wounds.

“As the leader-to-be of the Senate Democrats – God willing, my colleagues all said they would vote for me on Wednesday – I look forward to hearing from the American people and charting a path to achieve our sacred goals and defend our values.

“When the Founding Fathers finished writing the Constitution over in Philadelphia at Constitution Hall, they said they had created God’s Noble Experiment. I believe those three words are every bit as relevant today as they were then.

“We are under God, a nation of faith. We are noble, we believe in democracy and that everybody has equal opportunity. And experiment, that means we keep changing and adapting to the times as we’ve seen in election after election.

“I’m a patriot. I love America and I love our veterans, and we will move forward.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – There are a lot of people outside today in Orleans County enjoying the sunshine and warm weather, including Tom Dabrowski of Hamlin, shown teeing off on the first hole of the Holley-Brook Golf Course on Countyline Road.

Tom Dabrowski, left, was out golfing with his friend Greg Whitney of Greece. They had the course to themselves at about 11 a.m. today, when the temperature was 57 degrees.

Arlene Peone also was out walking her dog, Hannah, a husky. They are shown near the canal by Bennetts Corners Road.

Arlene Peone rewards Hannah with a treat during their late morning walk.

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MURRAY –Town Board members on Tuesday evening unanimously adopted the 2017 budget that reduces the tax rate.

The rates are down both town-wide and for the town outside the village. The town-wide rate is $3.06 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, down from $3.12 in 2016. In the town outside the village, the tax rate falls to $1.77/$1,000 assessed valuation from $1.80.

Appropriations in the 2017 budget total $2.3 million with $1.42 million to be raised through property taxes. That’s actually up from $1.41 million in 2016, but the tax rate decreases because assessments are up over $3 million, Supervisor John Morriss reported.

Morris thanked members of the citizen advisory committee who participated in the budget creation process.

“A lot of effort goes into it,” said resident Krista Wiley, a member of the advisory committee. “It’s a tough job.”

Wiley said most residents don’t have a sense of what it entails, going through each line item in detail.

“We had the same conversations as we do about our homes and businesses,” Wiley said.

No one spoke during a public hearing on the budget which was held before the vote.

“Lower tax rates should make the community feel happy,” town assessor Lynn Wood said.

He explained that the increase in assessments are the result of home sales. “The sales uptick the last year-and-a-half helps spur that,” he said, as well as construction of new homes.

Sandra Shaw, director of the Holley Community Free Library, addressed the board during the public comment portion of the meeting.  She reported to board members regarding how the library has decided to spend $20,000 in bullet aid obtained by State Senator Rob Ortt.

Shaw noted that patrons are requesting more programming and the library has decided to hire a part-time children’s librarian with $14,250 of the aid to be spent for that position and the remainder will be spent on items such as books, DVDs, and children’s, young adult and adult programs.

“We will expand the children’s program with a Duplo wall. At Easter we will have a Lego tutorial,” Shaw said.

She explained the tutorial will teach children how to construct a vehicle with Legos. Adult programming is also planned on a regular basis with a wide range of topics including weaving, tole painting and specifying your final wishes to your family.

Shaw said the funding will help the library to reach out to the town to provide programming.

“We want people to know we are here and to come join us and have fun at the library,” Shaw said.

She noted she has reached out to the University of Buffalo regarding the possibility of taking on a student who has almost finished their studies, and who would come to Holley for a semester and then be hired part-time.

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MURRAY – A violation against the Town of Murray for not sufficiently protecting the public water supply has been dismissed.

Town attorney Jeff Martin made the announcement during his report at the Murray Town Board meeting on Tuesday evening. Martin represented the town during an administrative hearing at the Orleans County Health Department.

The violation stemmed from an incident in August, when a farmer was utilizing a fire hydrant to irrigate fields.  The town allows for bulk water usage from hydrants and the process is monitored by Murray Highway/Water Superintendent Ed Morgan.

The hearing resulted in “beneficial dialogue regarding ways to better regulate the use of hydrants,” Martin told board members. He noted that according to Morgan, there are 377 fire hydrants in the town.

Councilman Paul Hendel thanked Martin for his work representing the town.

“Thanks to your hard work, the truth comes out,” Hendel said.

Council members noted that the violation was issued based on a photograph – the county health department did not travel to Murray for a field inspection before the violation was issued.

Discussion of the bulk water/hydrant use issue continued later in the meeting when resident Kerri Neale reported his wife had recently seen a tanker truck being filled with water from a hydrant and that the cap was left off the hydrant when the tanker left.

Neale said he called Ed Morgan, who told Neale he would check into the situation and that a meter had been assigned. Neale asked that the town be vigilant in monitoring bulk water use and to make sure meters and back-flow devices are used.

Supervisor Morriss said Morgan knows the norms of water usage in the town and would be alert to any unusual incidents of high usage. Morgan was not in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting. (Morgan, the county’s Republican Party chairman, was at Donald Trump’s victory party in New York City.)

Hendel said if the current procedure for bulk water usage in the town leads residents to question the integrity of water, then, “We need to take a look at our procedures to see if there is something we need to tighten up on or do in a different way.”

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Photos courtesy of Melissa Ierlan

CLARENDON – Volunteers and local Boy Scouts were busy on Saturday erecting a new fence at Hillside Cemetery. The effort was organized by Ben Downey for his Eagle Scout project. Ben is a member of Troop 59 in Clarendon.

The top photo shows Ben, right, with his father John Downey, left, and Ed Morgan, the Murray town highway superintendent and member of the Holley Rotary Club. Morgan volunteered to set the fence posts and install the fence on Saturday.

The Rotary Club was among the donors to the project with Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, the Clarendon Lions Club, American Legion, VFW, David and Josh Mitchell, and Ben’s family all contributing to the $3,000 project, which included a discounted price from EM Enterprise.

The fence was put up by the new Veterans’ Memorial, which was dedicated this past Memorial Day. That project was coordinated by Jacob Crandall for his Eagle rank.

That memorial includes five granite etched stones (for the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard), a pentagon-shaped concrete base and a 25-foot flagpole.

The fence will include commemorative plaques to recognize donors who contributed in memory of deceased veterans.

Matthew DeSimone also picked a Clarendon site for his Eagle Scout project this year. Matt led an effort to have new blacktop under the pavilion at the town park with picnic tables all repainted and repaired.

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HOLLEY –  Sweet treats and good music were enjoyed by those attending the Dessert Concert on Wednesday evening at Holley Middle School/High School. This photo shows the Concert Choir singing “Take Me Home” by Pentatonix.

The evening featured an array of desserts and nearly 30 performances by students. Teacher/Concert Choir director Kelly Marzano noted here was a “nice variety” of musical selections and that many new singers were performing for the first time.

“The students get to chose what (musical piece) interests them,” Marzano said.

The concert was presented by the Holley Music Department and students and their families brought items for the dessert portion of the evening.

Glenn Thrower (left) and Nick Schutz teamed up for two duets.  Here they perform “The Greasy Spoon” from Sponge Bob Square Pants.  Their second selection was “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer.

Jessica Mandigo (left) and Makenzie Ferranti perform “Some Things are Meant to Be” from Little Women.

Kayla Thrower performed “Nothing” from A Chorus Line.

Matt Skehan performed classic Sinatra – “The Way You Look Tonight”

Alexis Penna played acoustic guitar and sang “All I Can Do Is Write About It” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

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Photos by Kristina Gabalski

HOLLEY – Averie Johnson, a kindergarten at Holley Elementary School, decorated this pumpkin to look like a character from Pinkalicious.

The library at Holley Elementary School is once again filled with colorful characters from children’s books. It’s the third annual Book Character Pumpkin Decorating Contest.

Entries are being judged this week and winners will be awarded on Monday, which is Halloween. Julie Bader, Holley Elementary School Library Media Specialist, says the event is a time for students to remember favorite characters from beloved children’s books and to “introduce them to new characters they can read about.”

Here, a big orange pumpkin is transformed into “Clifford the Big Red Dog” by kindergartener Jack Breuilly.

Second-grader Aiden Kelley chose Ralph the mouse from The Mouse and the Motorcycle.  Note the drawing of the motorcycle behind the pumpkin.

Second-grader Cayden Cook used felt to turn a pumpkin into a plump guinea pig.

This Fifth Grade entry is a strikingly realistic interpretation of the dog in Max…..

Second-grader Aubrey Hazard chose to make a llama from the Llama Llama Time to Share book.

A pumpkin becomes Pete the Cat with his magic sunglasses and skateboard in this kindergarten entry.

Pikachu by kindergartener Cameron Kelley.

A metallic blue Sonic the Hedgehog  by a second-grader.

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Photo by Kristina Gabalski: Members of the Holley Central School Board of Education include, seated, from left: Sal DeLuca, Jr., John Heise and Mark Porter. Standing: Melissa Ierlan, Anne Winkley, President Brenda Swanger, and Vice President Robin Silvis.

HOLLEY – Members of the Holley Central School Board of Education were recognized during their regular meeting Monday evening as part of the upcoming observance of School Board Recognition Week, which begins Oct. 24.

District Clerk Connie Nenni presented members with gift cards and thanked them for their hard work.

“They do not get the recognition they should,” Nenni explained. “They work for free, some for many years, and we really appreciate everything they do.”

During the meeting, school attorney Jeff Martin reported on a question Assistant Superintendent for Business Sharon Zacher had asked at the September meeting, regarding the PILOT agreement for the Holley Save-A-Lot grocery store, which closed recently.

Martin said a PILOT was granted to the property owner in 2013 and runs through 2023. The Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement phased in property taxes over that 10-year period and Martin explained if the PILOT continues, the property owner will be obligated to make the required payment which goes to 40 percent of assessed valuation next year. If the PILOT agreement is terminated, the property owner will have to pay property taxes in full. Martin noted the building is currently assessed at $300,000.

Superintendent Robert D’Angelo reported that he will join school principals soon to begin making classroom visitations as part of the district’s ongoing effort to improve scores on assessment tests and classroom instruction. D’Angelo said he looks forward to the visits which will start now that the first several weeks of the school year are complete.

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File photo by Tom Rivers: Holley’s Parade of Lights passes through the Public Square in this photo from December 2013. The village is seeking community volunteers to help bring back the event, and work on the June-Fest.

HOLLEY –Village of Holley leaders say they are making progress to improve sidewalks in the village.

The Board of Trustees on Tuesday evening approved applying for a $2.2 million TAP grant which would help to repair approximately 25,000 linear feet of sidewalks in the village.

Mayor Brian Sorochty said areas targeted for repair encompass both sides of Route 237, Geddes Street from Van Buren to the Public Square, and the northeast quadrant of the village (from Rt. 237 to the lift bridge).

In September, Holley held an informational meeting regarding the grant for residents, who were encouraged to show their support for the effort through letters.

The TAP – Transportation Alternatives Grant – is an 80/20 federal matching grant. Trustees have discussed the possibility that the village’s 20 percent ($455,000) could come from in-kind services from the Department of Public Works.

During the September informational meeting, Tom Lajewski of O’Connell Associates said that if the village is awarded the grant, it could be a couple of years before construction begins.

Meeting today to plan for upcoming community events

Additionally, Mayor Brian Sorochty told Orleans Hub, that the village is hosting a meeting at 6:30 p.m. today at the Village Offices, 72 Public Square, regarding the upcoming “Festival of Lights” and “June-Fest” events.

Sorochty said village leaders are looking for community participation and hope to form a committee to assist with organizing the events. June-Fest was not held this past June, giving the village time to re-organize the event.

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Photo by Kristina Gabalski: The Murray-Holley Historical Society operates this museum, a former train depot, on Geddes Street Extension.

HOLLEY – The Murray-Holley Historical Society has received an increase in funding from the Town of Murray under to 2017 tentative budget, which was approved Tuesday evening by the Town Board.

Town Supervisor John Morriss said the budget contains $1,000 for the historical society.

“That’s good for us to know,” said John Kenney Jr., historical society member and former Holley mayor. “It’s definitely needed. Business costs don’t go down, they continually go up.”

Kenney addressed Town Board members regarding the support the historical society receives from the town. He provided the board with financial information from the past 10 years and discussed utility costs for the society’s museum and garage which are located on Geddes Street Extension in the village.

Kenney explained that the village recently provided slightly more than $860 in support to help cover costs.

File photo by Tom Rivers: The museum includes many local artifacts including the church bell from the former United Methodist Church that was in the Public Square. The church closed when the congregation moved to Route 237 in Clarendon.

“Maintenance is a major problem for us,” he said, and explained that he joined the historical society when he was serving as mayor.

“I encourage you to join the historical society,” Kenney told members of the Town Board. “It will enable you to have a good insight about what is going on and what the needs are.”

Kenney also provided details about the historical society’s fundraising efforts. He said a pulled-pork dinner is planned this Saturday at the American Legion in Holley.

“The money raised is used to cover the cost of utilities and maintenance of the buildings,” Kenney said. “The financial burden is too much, a lot comes out of our own pockets.”

He said the Murray/Holley Historical Society participated in the Orleans County Heritage Day held in September and emphasized the historical society is a valuable part of the community.

As an example he discussed a cross-state bicycle trip that stops in Holley. The trip brings people from across the country and the world to Holley and historical society members provide a respite and refreshments for participants.

“I hope it is something we all a take pride in,” he said of the historical society and its museum.

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MURRAY – Members of the Murray Town Board on Tuesday evening adopted two local laws:  Local Law No. 3 of 2016 which regulates stopping, standing and parking of motor vehicles on Lynch Road, and Local Law No. 4 of 2016 which repeals a 2007 local law regulating the outside storage of unlicensed vehicles.

Only the north side of Lynch Road from Route 237 west to the culvert is affected by the parking ban. Town Supervisor John Morriss stated that the law was the result of concerns expressed by residents over parking along the roadside during events at the Holley Middle School/High School.

“People have been parking on lawns,” Morriss said.

Residents have also stated they are concerned about safety along the roadway when the parking occurs.

During a public hearing on the law, one resident of Lynch Road noted speed zones along that area are not well marked.

“It’s a very dangerous situation,” he said, and explained that some motorists leaving the school grounds do speed along that section of Lynch Road.

Local Law No. 4 was adopted to “remove an unenforceable local law from the books,” town attorney Jeff Martin explained. The law repeals an earlier statute regarding the outside storage of unlicensed vehicles which is no longer effective due to a new state law – the international property maintenance code – which became fully effective Oct. 3.

During the public comment opportunity near the end of the agenda, resident Joe Sidonio requested that Town Board members reconsider the town’s bulk water policies.

Sidonio said he is concerned over water being used from fire hydrants and the “safety of the public fresh water supply.” He requested that the town take immediate action to “discontinue the business of the honor system with bulk water users…. the safety of drinking water is of paramount concern,” Sidonio said.

He noted that the town was cited last year for E. coli in the water. Additionally, Sidonio said violations are pending for not sufficiently protecting the public water supply regarding the connection recently of a fire hose to a hydrant.

Town Highway/Water Superintendent Ed Morgan was not in attendance at Tuesday evening’s meeting to respond to Sidonio.

Supervisor John Morriss told Sidonio the town planned to discuss the bulk water issue at an upcoming work session on Oct. 26, but that discussion will be re-scheduled allowing all interested parties to be present.

“Who knows what we will do in the future?” Morriss said regarding the town’s policy for bulk water usage. He said farmers would be upset if it was changed, however, he noted, “water is very important to people in the town. You are right,” he told Sidonio. “We need to protect it.”

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Bank closes First Niagara branch in Holley

HOLLEY – First Niagara Bank is no more in Orleans County.

In Albion, the First Niagara site became a KeyBank operation on Saturday, with the new sign unveiled after being hidden under a temporary covering.

In Holley, the First Niagara site closed after Friday and won’t reopen. (The photo above shows the site in Holley on Friday, the last day it was open.)

KeyBank acquired First Niagara in a $4.1 billion deal. On Tuesday morning, 304 First Niagara locations will reopen as Key sites, including the one in Albion.

KeyBank has been working over the long holiday weekend to prepare the First Niagara branches for the first business day as KeyBank on Tuesday.

In Holley, the bank posted a notice on the window that the the First Niagara accounts were transferred to the Brockport branch at 4707 Lake Rd.

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