MURRAY – The Orleans County Health Department has lifted a boil water advisory for Murray residents on public water north of the canal.

About 500 residents were advised to boil tap water for a minute. That advisory was issued on Wednesday after water samples on Monday and Tuesday showed E. coli bacteria.

Two straight days with positive tests triggered the two-day advisory.

Town highway workers have flushed water hydrants to improve water flows in the water lines north of the canal. Tests since Tuesday have showed negative results for E coli.

“We want to thank everyone for their patience and concern,” Ed Morgan, the Murray highway superintendent, said this morning.

MURRAY – Residents in the Murray north of the canal are being advised to boil their water for a minute due to the presence of E. coli bacteria during water samples earlier this week.

The town on Wednesday morning was informed that water samples on Monday and Tuesday tested positive for the bacteria. Two straight days with positive tests prompts a boil water advisory.

Town officials hand-delivered notices of the advisory to about 500 households north of the canal on Wednesday, said Ed Morgan, the town’s water and highway superintendent.

Highway workers have been flushing hydrants to get fresh water in the lines. Tests on Wednesday and Thursday haven’t shown bacteria, Morgan said. He expects to be given the OK on Friday morning that the boil water advisory can be lifted at noon.

The Highway Department, once the advisory is lifted, will hand-deliver notices to the 500 households.

E. coli can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, and other symptoms.

The positive tests were found in the Murray hamlet. Morgan said that part of town is served by water coming from the Village of Albion through the Town of Gaines from the west, and the Monroe County Water Authority from the east.

The water doesn’t flow one way in that part of town, unlike in most water districts.

“It’s a good thing we sample,” he said. “Fortunately we caught it.”

Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Holley Central School Jr./Sr. High School Principal Susan Cory, left, and Elementary Principal Karri Schiavone discuss School Improvement Reports with the Board of Education on Monday.

HOLLEY – Students at the Holley Central School District in Grades 3-8 are making gains in math, but continue to struggle on ELA (English/Language Arts) State Assessment tests, Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School principals reported to Board of Education this week.

Elementary Principal Karri Schiavone and Jr./Sr. High School Principal Susan Cory presented School Improvement Reports to the Board, which included results from 2015 assessment testing.

The highlight of the report was the Third Grade Math scores with 64.3 percent of students who took the test passing.

On the down-side of the math assessment, only 14.3 percent of seventh-graders who took the test at Holley passed. On the ELA test, fourth-graders did the best with 35.4 percent of those taking the test passing. Only 15.2 percent of fifth-graders and 14.9 percent of seventh-graders passed the ELA assessment.

“It’s not where we want to be,” Schiavone said of the Fifth Grade ELA results.

Both principals were optimistic, however, and emphasized that overall, Holley is improving on the Math/ELA Common Core Assessment tests.

“The percentage of students passing the math is growing so much faster that the ELA,” Schiavone said. “We have to look at what we are doing and math and apply to the ELA.”

Cory noted that the overall improvement is showing that instruction is working and students are “coming to us (at the Jr./Sr. High School) very well prepared.”

Cory and Schiavone also reported on Teacher/Principal ratings which are drawn from several components including student performance and State testing scores.

In the Holley Central School District, 100 percent of the principals were rated as “effective.” Of teachers, 67 percent were rated as “highly effective” and 33 percent were rated as effective. The rankings for support staff – which includes teacher assistants, library media specialists and counselors – were 100 percent rated at highly effective.

“Our teachers are working hard,” Schiavone said. “They are very effective, concerned teachers. We are not spinning our wheels anymore. We’ve got to keep the momentum going, stay the path and keep plugging along.”

Cory said the district has a reason to celebrate the improvement, however gradual, and explained that it “will take us some time” to bring scores up higher.

“We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Board member John Heise said.

This year the Holley Central School District is working to implement a school improvement plan that centers on continuous improvement of student test scores on all tests, not just assessments. School Improvement Teams are being formed in both buildings which will review improvement plans. The teams include teachers, parents, school administrators, support staff and a member of the Board of Education.

Also at Monday’s meeting, siblings Donovan Ross and Marli Woods were presented with the “Soaring to New Heights” Award. On Sept. 6, Donovan called 911 when their 38-year old mother began to show symptoms of a stroke.

Ambulance crew members and hospital officials said Donovan and Marli’s quick response and their help in providing important information was crucial in getting their mother help as quickly as possible. She remains hospitalized and Donovan and Marli are staying with their grandparents.

“You two are very strong … you are just astounding,” Board of Education member Robin Silvis said. “You have a community that loves you.”

CLARENDON – Clarendon Town Board members have decided to take a “wait and see” strategy regarding the possibility of “going solar” to save on energy costs at town facilities.

Board members have investigated the idea for several months, but during their regular meeting Tuesday evening decided not to move forward with solar power at this time.

“I can’t seem to get comfortable with it myself,” Councilperson Paul Nicosia said.

He explained that developments in solar energy are “coming fast and furious” and he would like to see it working elsewhere before Clarendon makes any decision.

“We can wait until the dust settles,” he said. “There is no urgency for us.”

Councilperson Marc Major agreed. “There are other steps we could take,” he said regarding energy efficient choices. “Every day I’m hearing stuff on the TV and radio about progress out there.”

He noted lighting could be changed to LED or a switch could be made to on-demand water heaters. “There’s a lot we can do in-house here.”

Councilperson William Campbell noted the county has informed municipalities that grant funding is available for solar projects which can cover up to 80 percent of the instillation/start-up costs.

Councilperson Allen Robinson said the town could afford to sit back and watch at this point.

“We need to do improvements at the Highway Department building,” he noted.

The 31-year old building is in need of a new roof and furnace which will be a major expense for the town.

In other business, Supervisor Richard Moy announced during his report that the town has received a $20,000 grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to help fund restoration work at the chapel in Hillside Cemetery. Officials said the grant funds would be used for roof replacement, a major component of the project.

More than 3,000 meals served to students over summer

Provided photo – These boys enjoy a meal at Holley Central School over the summer.

Press Release
Holley Central School

HOLLEY – Holley children received free breakfast and lunch at the Holley Middle/High School Dining Hall this summer due to a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The school district provided meals to children under the age of 18 living within the Holley Central School District, regardless of income level.

“We are pleased to offer the community at large the opportunity to take part in this program,” said Holley Superintendent Robert D’Angelo.

Food Service Director Vickie Scroger said that the district served on average 135 people per day, with the busiest days being Tuesdays through Thursdays when most of the fitness classes were also offered.

Scroger also said that they fed more students and families at lunch time than they did at breakfast. From the end of June through the end of August, students consumed 1,140 breakfasts and 2,249 lunches, while the adults ate 41 breakfasts and 400 lunches.

Students who participated in morning and/or afternoon exercise classes such as FIT4U! and BLAST programs appreciated the chance to refuel their bodies before and after their exercise sessions.

Brothers Steven and John Mounts participated in all of the FIT4U! sessions and said they liked the convenience of the breakfast breaks, which were a grab-and-go breakfast option. They returned to the Dining Hall each day for lunch and enjoyed the wraps as their favorite mid-day meal. “This is a better lunch than we’d make for ourselves,” Steven said.

Students cited Frudels, cereal, pancakes and bagels as their top choices for breakfast. Pizza, wraps, tacos, subs, fruit and vegetables were their favorites for lunch. The kids also enjoyed watching TV at breakfast and a movie at lunch time.

“My son eats more lunch here than he does at home,” said Jaime Lyndaker, who brought her son to the Dining Hall for lunch after his summer recreation program.

“The kids like eating together,” said Ruth Press, who was at lunch with her grandson.
Both Lyndaker and Press said they thought that it was a valuable program for the district to offer and appreciated the chance to save money on groceries.

Adults, including Holley staff members, were also able to purchase breakfast and lunch from the district during this program. Breakfast was $2.25 and lunch was $4.

HOLLEY – Members of the Holley Village Board on Tuesday evening discussed the status of the agreement to finally get eight homes owned by the federal government back on the tax rolls.

The Village, the Village of Holley Development Corporation, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are trying to work out a deal for the eight “Diaz homes,” sites that were affected by a chemical leak from the former Diaz Chemical plant in January 2002.

All three parties had signed an agreement which would turn over ownership of the homes from the EPA to the VHDC to be sold. However, the EPA then sent another agreement which included new wording calling for lead abatement in the homes to be completed by a certified lead abatement contractor.

“You don’t expect somebody to sneak something in there,” Village Attorney John Sansone told village trustees on Tuesday.

He said he had reviewed some minor expected changes when, “Something in my head said to read it all.” That is when he discovered the new wording regarding lead abatement. Sansone said he has spoken with an EPA attorney who said the new wording was added because of “safety concerns.”

Sansone said he worries that adding stipulations to the agreement will make it difficult to sell the properties.

VHDC Chairman Dan Schiavone has contacted the EPA with a list of options the village is willing to consider regarding the lead abatement issue, Sansone said.

Holley officials are now awaiting the EPA’s response before moving forward. Neither the Village nor the VHDC has signed the new agreement.

In other business, Village Board members accepted with regrets and best wishes the resignation of William Murphy as Police Chief. Murphy, who is retired from the Greece Police Department, served as police chief in Holley for 7 1/2 years and resigned earlier this month after the Village Board decided not to seek a pay waiver for his retirement.

Photos courtesy of NY State Fair

SYRACUSE – Two dance groups from Lisa’s Dance Boutique in Holley competed in the finals of the talent show at the State Fair today. Both groups made it to the final 25 acts out of 240 to start the competition in the Mini Division.

The top photo shows Leah Weinbeck, left, and Kylie Towne, members of the “5-6-7-8” group, performing at the State Fair on Saturday, when their group of 14 dancers advanced to today’s finals.

This photo shows Charley London, a member of the group, performing on Saturday.

The dance groups are all led by instructor Heather Kelley. She has groups compete at the State Fair in Syracuse most years. One year she had a group win the state championship.

“It’s an opportunity for the kids to put on their dance one more time,” Kelley said. “We try to put together fun routines that are entertaining for the crowd.”

Group photos courtesy of Heather Kelley

The group “5-6-7-8” includes, from left: Madigan Neumann, Cora Bennage, Kayleigh Neale, Julia Frederick, Leah Weinbeck , Leah Kania, Allison Amoroso, Olivia Amoroso, Charley London, Kylie Towne, Savanna Isenberg, Hannah Coolbaugh, Deanna Schubmehl and Leah Pritchard.

This group, “A Little Party,” also advanced to the finals today. The group includes: Kylie Towne, Julia Frederick, Allison Amoroso, Madison Isenberg, Savanna Isenberg, Emilie Weinbeck, Leah Weinbeck, Kayleigh Neale and Olivia Amoroso.

Three other groups advanced to the semifinal competition, where there were 80 acts, down from the 240 that initially competed.

This duet, “Fireball,” includes Savanna and Madison Isenberg.

These dancers performed “Bills.” They are Kylie Towne and Kayleigh Neale.

“Every Heart” also made it to the semifinals and includes Allison & Olivia Amoroso.

Frank Ruggiero of Rochester has been coming to play in bocce tournament for about 15 years at St. Rocco’s Festival in Hulberton. Bocce and lots of Italian food brought people to the festival grounds near the canal.

Photos and article by Kim Pritt

HULBERTON – The temperatures in the high 80s and humidity didn’t stop several hundred people from enjoying the 39th Annual St. Rocco’s Italian Festival this afternoon in Hulberton.

The popular event offered something for everyone with a wide variety of Italian food, including a spaghetti dinner, baked goods, children’s games, music, a basket raffle and other attractions.

Doug Heath, right, and Bill Austin take a turn cooking Italian sausage, onions, peppers, hamburgers, and hot dogs for the crowd.

Festival organizer Bill Campbell said the festival has been a local tradition for 39 years with proceeds benefitting St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Holley.

“We have a great bunch of volunteers who work hard to put this event on,” he said. “We couldn’t do it without the volunteers and the donations. They work all month and some all year to prepare for this day.”

Cortney Quaranto from Holley takes her turn on the Bocce court. This is Cortney’s first year playing in this tournament. “My brother usually plays on my father’s team, but he is in the Air Force, now, so I stepped in to fill the spot on the team.”

A highlight of the festival is the WNY Bocce Tournament. Teams come from all over New York State and Canada to play in this annual tournament. The teams play a series of elimination rounds of the traditional Italian bowling game until first and second place teams can be declared, typically well into the evening hours.

Tournament organizer Randy Bower (center) is pictured with Paul Quaranto from Holley (left), playing for Team Red and Libby DiPardo from Niagara Falls, ON (right), playing for Team The Gamblers.

“We have teams from across Orleans County, as well as from across the state, such as Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Seneca Falls, to name a few,” said Randy Bower, tournament organizer for over 20 year. “This is the biggest event of this kind in Orleans County and these are the only Bocce tournament courts here in Orleans County.”

This year marks the 150th Anniversary for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Parish in Holley. Several commemorative items were available for sale at the Anniversary Booth at the Festival.

St. Mary’s church is located at 13 S. Main Street, Holley. The parish also includes St. Mark’s Church in Kendall.

St. Rocco’s Festival is a fund-raiser for St. Mary’s. This year’s festival included commemorative items for the parish’s 150th anniversary.

Appraised value for houses called ‘shockingly low’

HOLLEY – A snag has developed regarding the agreement between the Village of Holley Development Corporation, the Village of Holley and the EPA for the transfer of the ownership of the eight “Diaz Homes” from the EPA to the VHDC.

During the VHDC meeting on Monday evening, Board President Dan Schiavone reported that the agreement remains unsigned due to the fact the copy signed by Schiavone and village officials was “the second-to-last… not the most recent revision.”

The federal Environmental Protection Agency notified the parties of the situation and sent a new agreement, but Schiavone explained that that the wording had been altered to state the homes now need to have lead abatement completed by a certified lead abatement contractor rather than by the property owner.

“It’s a big game changer,” Schiavone said because the abatement work would come at a significant cost and might threaten the future sale of the homes.

Wording of the original contract allowed for abatement work to be done by the property owner under the supervision of the village code enforcement officer.

During Monday’s meeting, Schiavone also discussed appraisal values for the eight homes located on Jackson, South Main and Geddes Streets. The appraisals range from $0 for 6 Jackson St. to $60,000 for 37 S. Main St.

Appraisals for the eight properties total $217,000, an amount described by Schiavone as “shockingly low.”

Schiavone says the EPA “wants to get rid of the houses,” but has expressed concerns over passing a house down the line with unacceptable lead levels.

He reported that the village has not signed the new agreement under the advice of the village attorney.

Potential cost of certified abatement could be near $10,000, officials estimated. That kind of expense on a house appraised at $20,000, “might make the difference between selling and not selling,” Schiavone said.

Board members agreed that Schiavone would call the EPA to try to continue to negotiate wording in the contract.

“It’s a small detail that makes a major change in the deal,” he said.

Board members will meet next on Oct. 19 and will consider a proposal by a local real estate agent to list the properties once the VHDC eventually takes ownership.

CLARENDON – Primary Day on Sept. 10 will see no less than four candidates vying for the Republican line for Clarendon highway superintendent.

Incumbent Larry Swanger is facing a challenge by Tracy Bruce Chalker, Frederick Seeman III, and Craig Nicosia.

Larry Swanger

Swanger is in his 26th year as highway superintendent.

“I thought about it and realized I’m not really ready for retirement,” Swanger said. He points out that he also serves as water superintendent.

“I’ve been here since day one for water,” he added.

Swanger says the town has created 10 water districts during his years in office and, “we’re working to get more water in. We’re always looking to do more.”

He still enjoys his job as highway/water superintendent, and said he will continue to work to improve the roads in the town despite the challenges.

“It’s hard with costs going up, there’s only so much money to do road repairs,” he said. “I’m always looking to find more revenue for the town. I enjoy being with the residents and taking care of the town.”

“I don’t think people realize how much responsibility there is to this job,” he continued, noting administrative duties of the post. “The majority of the time, I’m in the office … I would like to get out more.”

Tracy Bruce Chalker

Tracy Bruce Chalker has lived in Clarendon for 28 years and has 20 years of experience in highway construction trades including working as foreman and lead person on construction and repair of roads, bridges, water lines, and other municipal projects.

He is also a life member and 17-year active member of the Clarendon Fire Department. He has served as a sportsman’s education instructor for 16 years and served seven years on the Clarendon Planning Board.

“I’ve been involved in the community over the years,” Chalker said. “I like the community. I feel very experienced and knowledgeable.”

Chalker said his experience would benefit the town as it continues to grow. It’s time for a change in the leadership of the Highway Department, he said.

“The Superintendent has run for so many years unopposed,” Chalker said.

He asked voters to look at, “the knowledge and experience in the field behind the candidates running.”

If elected, Chalker said he would continue in the same direction the town is already going and will work to “get taxes in check as much as possible.”

Fred Seeman

Fred Seeman III is a former Kodak employee. He currently owns his own landscaping business and drives a school bus for the Holley Central School District.

He said his work at Kodak gave him experience with “taking care of budgets.” His other jobs have “touched on construction, excavating and building … I’m a jack-of-all-trades.”

Seeman said he believes Swanger has done a good job, but “It’s time for a change. It’s time to do things differently.”

If elected highway superintendent, Seeman said he would work to “change things up in the department … change the way we take care of snow plowing and road maintenance … see things with a fresh pair of eyes … be more open-ended, let people know they can come in and talk, that the door is open. If there is a problem, they can come on down.”

No matter the results of the voting on Primary Day, Seeman says he expects the November race to be close.

“There’s a lot of people out there who don’t have a party affiliation,” he said.

Craig Nicosia

Craig Nicosia has owned and operated his own business for 23 years and said his work involves construction and snow plowing.

“I have experience in commercial and residential snow plowing since 1988,” he said. “Everything I do, I would be doing the same thing in the Highway Department, but on a bigger scale.”

In the summer, Nicosia said he works construction jobs and road projects with his 10-wheeler dump truck.

“I reconstruct roads, do water mains, water lines,” he said. “I’ve done hook-ups, I’ve done a lot of blacktopping.”

“Everything I’ve done could be put to good use in Clarendon,” Nicosia said. “Running a business, I’m used to budgeting. Everything I do is seasonal.”

He explained he has to be prepared for gaps in his work in the spring and fall.

“I know what’s important to spend money on,” he said.

Swanger is doing a good job, Nicosia said. However, the challenger said he has ideas for ways to do things differently.

“I believe in teamwork,” he said, adding he’s not afraid to jump in a truck to help get the job done.

Nicosia said he would like the opportunity to serve his town and neighbors.

“I love living in the Town of Clarendon,” he said. “I have made this my home. I’ve made a lot of friends. I would love to serve the people I know.”

Polls will be open Sept. 10 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Clarendon Town Hall, 16385 Church St.