Voters approved construction project last December
HOLLEY – The State Education Department has approved an $8.9 million construction project that was backed by district voters last December by a 2-to-1 ratio.
The district is working with SEI Design and Turner Construction on the third and final phase of the Capital Project.
Holley voters approved the third phase of the district’s Capital Project on Dec. 9 in a vote of 175-72. The Phase III portion of the project encompasses replacement of rooftop HVAC units, replacement of radiators and water pumps, repairs around windows and doors to prevent leaking, replacement of flooring, installation of new tennis courts and playgrounds, and construction of a bus loop in the front of the elementary school to separate bus from vehicle traffic.
Once this project is complete, the district will have completed almost $40 million of capital construction work, using reserves to cover the local share of the projects.
“Our physical plant will become the most modern and up-to-date of any school district in the area,” said Robert D’Angelo, school district superintendent.
The Capital Project Phase III work is projected to begin this summer and will end during the 2016-17 school year. The replacement and upgrade of equipment and machinery at Holley will enable the district to become more energy efficient and save money on utility costs. The community will reap the benefits of playing on new tennis courts and playgrounds for years to come, the district said in a press release today.
Provided photo – Hospice of Orleans accepted a $2,500 check on Saturday night from Monsanto. The following are pictured, from left: Jeff Cunningham, Monsanto’s Northeast business manager; Nyla Gaylord, Director of Development for Hospice; and Charles Mathes of the Mathes Farm in Holley.
MEDINA – For the second year in a row a local farmer has selected Hospice of Orleans to receive a $2,500 donation from America’s Farmers Grow Communities, a Monsanto Fund.
Mathes Farms in Holley picked Hospice to be the $2,500 recipient. The check was presented on Saturday during the Hospice Beat the Winter Blues event at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina.
“Hospice has helped a number of people in my family and I’m happy to help them,” said Charles Mathes as he and Jeff Cunningham presented the large ceremonial check.
Cunningham explained that the donation “is Monsanto’s way of supporting the local communities in which we sell seeds and other agricultural products to local farmers.”
Hospice of Orleans will use this gift to help fund costs associated with renovating a room at the main office for use by the bereavement group. Renovations will make the room look like a comfortable living room where there is ample space for group members to gather in an inviting atmosphere.
A sell-out crowd Beat the Winter Blues and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Zambistro Catering and improvisational jazz and blues by Doug Egling on winds and Mike Putman on guitars. A surprise guest, Kate Egling, sang some old blues tunes accompanied by Doug and Mike.
The group is known locally for their regular performances with jazz, blues, and jazz fusion bands at the Dinosaur Grill in Rochester and local events.
Kate Egling sings while joining Mike Putnam and Egling’s husband Doug during a performance Saturday at the winery on Ridge Road.
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, represented by Darrel Oakes and his sister Wendy Oakes Wilson, served as hosts of the event and provided a first glass of Blanc d’Orleans wine for free. Since 2013, for every bottle of their white wine, Blanc d’Orleans sold, $1 goes to Hospice of Orleans.
According to Mary Anne Fischer, Hospice executive director, this first-time event was a sell-out and a huge success.
“We hope to hold a similar event next year,” Fischer said. “We are very grateful for the support of the community, for our entertainers, donors, caterers, and the Oakes family for their long-term support of Hospice of Orleans with their signature wine Blanc d’ Orleans.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 March 2015 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – The village has formed the Village of Holley Development Corporation to focus on putting distressed properties back on the tax rolls and as contributing assets for the community.
The local development corporation met on Monday and picked its officers with Holley dentist Dan Schiavone to serve as president, Holley veterinarian Krista Wiley as vice president, Mark Monacelli as treasurer and Jenna Amering as secretary.
In addition, Village Trustee Brian Sorochty and Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti will attend the local development corporation’s meetings and assist it with its goals.
The Village Board on Tuesday agreed to allow the Village Hall to be used for meeting space for the LDC.
The group will be focusing on getting eight houses back on the tax rolls that were feared contaminated by Diaz Chemical more than a decade ago. The Environmental Protection Agency owns the houses and has deemed them safe to live in.
The village would like the houses to be given to the LDC, which would then sell them and use proceeds from the sale to fund other redevelopment projects.
Village officials said on Tuesday that the EPA has offered to share 25 percent of the revenue from the housing sales with the village. Holley wants all 100 percent, not only to help fund other reclamation projects in Holley but to make up for years of the having the houses off the tax rolls.
“I would consider we’re miles apart,” said Village Attorney John Sansone.
Village Trustee Connie Nenni said the dollars from the houses “are small peanuts” to the EPA. She suggested the Town of Murray, Orleans County and Holley Central School join the effort in pressuring the EPA to release the houses so they can be sold.
“Everybody wants these back on the tax rolls,” she said. “It would benefit everyone.”
The village could also use the LDC to focus on houses in mortgage foreclosure. Often those houses can sit empty for three to five years. With the LDC, the village could push to have those houses reoccupied, perhaps in about a year.
The LDC could also be useful in redeveloping the former Holley High School, which has been vacant for about two decades, Sorochty said.
In other action Tuesday:
The board accepted the resignation of Timothy Moulton from the Police Department, effective Feb. 27.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Brad DeWaal carries a bag full of one-gallon jugs that he will fill with water because he doesn’t have access to water in his home.
CLARENDON – The deep cold has frozen many waterlines for Holley water customers in the past two weeks. Most have been without water for a short time, waiting a day or two until the waterlines could be thawed.
But two water customers have been waiting two weeks, with no time frame for when water service restored.
Brad DeWaal and his neighbor Scott Parson live outside the village on Route 237 in Clarendon. They can see the village municipal water tank from their front yards. They believed they were hooked into a public water system.
That’s what it says on their tax records. That’s what the real estate agent told DeWaal when he bought his home five years ago.
However, when DeWaal lost his water due to a frozen line, he was told that the line was put in by contractors in the 1960s. The village provides the water, but the 2-inch line is privately owned.
DeWaal is dismayed by the situation, which has him and his family filling jugs with water and taking showers at friends’ houses.
Brad DeWaal holds up a piece of a broken 2-inch waterline that served his home on Route 237. DeWaal bought his house outside the Village of Holley five years ago and was told he was on a public waterline.
“How is it possible you’re on a state highway and are on a private waterline?” DeWaal said at his home today, which is about a half mile south of the village line.
The village and Town of Clarendon have known the waterline was privately put in the 1960s, Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy said.
Clarendon officials have tried before to convince residents on that section of Route 237 to pursue a public water line for the area, but Moy said they have refused.
If the latest problem prompts residents to push for a public line, Moy said the town would be willing to pursue a project.
“It’s always up to the people,” Moy said this afternoon. “We tried it before but they never wanted it.”
To install a public waterline, Clarendon would have to create a water district, do engineering and secure funding, which could be long-term financing to be paid by residents in the district.
It’s a process that sometimes takes several years to get in place by the time the waterline is constructed.
Brad DeWaal points to a spot in his front yard by Route 237 where village crews dug up his yard to investigate a frozen waterline. The standpipe that holds village water is visible south of DeWaal’s by Hillside Cemetery.
DeWaal said he was never told by the town that the line was privately owned until he sought answers in the past two weeks. He said he wouldn’t have bought the house if he had known that reality.
“I wouldn’t have wanted this headache,” he said.
DeWaal and his wife Marcia moved from Hilton to Holley five years ago with their son Ronnie, a junior in high school. DeWaal, a retired deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, said the tax records and mortgage documents all said the house was on public water.
It’s been a difficult two weeks. His son has been staying with a friend so he can use the shower and have “a little more of a normal lifestyle” due to the dry faucets at home, DeWaal said.
He and his wife are also taking showers at friends’ houses, and filling up jugs with water to bring home. It doesn’t look like the situation will change anytime soon.
Holley and Clarendon both say it’s not their responsibility. DeWaal isn’t convinced it’s on the homeowners to fix the line.
He plans to attend Tuesday’s Village Board meeting at 7 p.m. to press the village for help.
Provided photos – Angelena Golisano, Destiny Blosenhauer, Efrain Cruz and David LoDolce enjoy their after-school free snack in the Holley Elementary Café.
Press Release
Holley Central School
HOLLEY – Students staying after school for help with a class, participation in a club or activity, or athletic practice now have a chance to pick up a free healthy snack in the cafeteria before heading off to their event.
The free snack differs by the day and gives students an opportunity to try a new snack without spending any money. Snack offerings have included assorted fruit juices, carrots with ranch dressing, celery with peanut butter, cheese sticks or pepperoni with crackers, yogurt, Goldfish crackers, strawberries, oranges and frozen bananas with Nutella.
Nathan Towne enjoys his after-school snack at Holley Middle School/High School.
The snack program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture because at least 50 percent of Holley students qualify for free or reduced meals. All students are eligible to receive the free after-school snacks, regardless if they qualify for free or reduced meals.
The program began in both the Elementary School and Middle School/High School on Jan. 5 and has been well received by students in both schools.
In the MS/HS, about 70 students a day grab the free snack before heading off to their activity. The elementary students are fans of the pepperoni, cheese and crackers or Goldfish crackers with peanut butter.
They appreciate having some healthy fuel in their bodies before they head down to the Fitness Center to participate in a FIT4U! session. FIT4U! is a physical fitness and nutrition program funded by the Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant that Holley received last year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Jon DeYoung thanks community for support
Photos by Tom Rivers – Clarendon Fire Chief Jon DeYoung holds up a photo of his son Jon DeYoung Jr. from a few years ago while introducing members of a firefighting youth group. DeYoung has fought colon cancer the past two years. He was installed as the fire company’s fire chief on Saturday night.
CLARENDON – In October an ambulance was sent to Jon DeYoung’s home. DeYoung is a long-time Clarendon firefighter and the ambulance squad knew him.
It didn’t look good for DeYoung. He just had a second surgery for colon cancer and an infection was threatening his life. His brother Jim DeYoung said the family worried if Jon DeYoung would survive that night.
DeYoung fought through the infection and he has made it through radiation, chemotherapy and surgeries the past two years. The 49-year-old had a scan about two weeks ago and he said doctors didn’t see any signs of cancer.
On Saturday, DeYoung was installed as the fire company’s chief, replacing Bob Freida who served in the role the past eight years. DeYoung previously served as chief about 20 years ago.
“I’m feeling good,” DeYoung said after Saturday’s installation dinner. “You got to keep a positive attitude.”
DeYoung was awarded the President’s Award from Danny Campbell, the outgoing president. Campbell has served in the role for eight years. Freida is the Fire Company’s new president.
Outgoing Fire Chief Bob Freida (pictured at podium) presented a Chief’s Award to active volunteer Karl Biedlingmaier, a lieutenant with the Fire Company.
Campbell served as emcee of the installation dinner, and he mixed in many jokes during the event. However, he was overcome with emotion and wasn’t able to get the words out when he wanted to give the President’s Award to DeYoung. Campbell said afterward he is thankful his long-time friend is back to good health.
Campbell wanted to recognize DeYoung “for never giving up and for showing exceptional courage.”
DeYoung is the son of a former fire chief. DeYoung’s son Jon Jr. also is active with the Fire Company, serving on the board of directors and as a captain.
“I’ve had a lot of support from the fire departments and people in general,” DeYoung said.
Campbell also was honored during the installation dinner for 40 years of service to the Clarendon Fire Company. He was presented with a plaque from the Fire Company and citations from the offices of State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Congressman Chris Collins.
Cassie Mohney, left, and Dalton Major serve as captains in the firefighting youth group. Cassie thanked the Clarendon, Holley and FHM fire companies for supporting the program and for the many mentors who dedicate time in working with the youths.
“This individual has really stood out,” Freida said in recognizing Biedlingmaier.
Freida also was praised for bringing new programs into the Fire Company, including a youth group for Holley students. Clarendon teams with Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray firefighters with a program that is the only one of its kind in the state.
Freida said the initiative should develop firefighters of the future for the departments in eastern Orleans County.
There are 13 Holley students who participate in the program, learning basic firefighting skills.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – John Harvey (left), the fire police captain for the Clarendon Fire Company, is congratulated by Marc Major, a captain with the fire company, after Harvey was named winner of the Everett and Letha Campbell Award which is the “Firefighter of the Year.”
CLARENDON – John Harvey can be counted on to show up for nearly every fire and EMS call in Clarendon. Harvey is one of the dedicated members of the Clarendon Fire Company’s fire police.
He is often out directing traffic, keeping motorists from dangerous scenes and also protecting firefighters from traffic. Harvey, 78, also drums up business for Fire Company raffles and fund-raisers.
On Saturday, he was named Clarendon’s “Firefighter of the Year” – winner of the Everett and Letha Campbell Award.
“He is at every call,” said Danny Campbell, the outgoing Fire Company president and son of Everett and Letha. “He is very, very dedicated.”
Harvey is fire police captain, a group that includes eight volunteers, and he is also secretary for the Fire Company. He has volunteered with the Clarendon Fire Company the past 14 years.
He previously joined the Rochester Protectives in 1973 and was a past president of the group that worked with salvage, setting up and operating fans and lighting at incidents, and also pumping out flooded basements.
Harvey said he has made many friends through the fire service and is grateful for the chance to support the local fire company and community.
Often he and the other fire police will be at a scene for several hours, sometimes in the freezing cold. Harvey said some motorists are rude and don’t like to be redirected away from an emergency scene.
“You want to protect the public so they don’t get in a dangerous situation,” Harvey said. “And we want to keep the firefighters safe because they have enough to worry about.”
Harvey said the raffles and other fund-raisers are also important for the Fire Company, helping to outfit firefighters with safe and current gear, as well as paying towards other equipment.
“Without that funding a majority of the equipment that is not mandated we might not have,” Harvey said.
He expects to keep busy with the Fire Company for years to come.
“I enjoy it immensely,” Harvey said. “I just love it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – About 350 people gather inside the Holley fire hall on Saturday following the Squirrel Slam competition. Most of the people who bought tickets actually didn’t hunt, but they enjoy a dinner, prizes and conversation inside the fire hall.
Steve Parkhurst of Kendall said it was a tough day to go hunting. He needed to trudge snow 2 to 3 feet deep in his backyard to try to hunt squirrels. Parkhurst was able to get one, far less than the limit of six for the day.
“Even if I didn’t get a squirrel it would have been a good day,” Parkhurst said inside the Holley firehall following the “9th Annual Hazzard County Squirrel Slam.”
Teams were given prizes for the heaviest squirrels. The biggest one weighed 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Parkhurst was out hunting earlier in the day with a friend. They were one of 58 teams to compete in today’s Squirrel Slam hunting contest through the Holley Fire Department, which was down from 136 two-person teams a year ago. The deep snow and cold reduced the hunting teams, although the Fire Department still sold the maximum of 600 tickets for the contest.
“This is a good thing to get together with your friends and family,” Parkhurst said. “It also helps the community and the Fire Department.”
The event has drawn national and international attention the past three years after being highlighted by animal rights’ activists.
These T-shirts sell for $12 each and are very popular. Last year event organizer Dennis Bauer donated $700 from the T-shirt proceeds to Orleans County SCOPE.
One activist even tried to take the Fire Department to court over the environmental impacts of the hunt, but the case was dismissed last week.
Parkhurst said he was one of the originals who has been at all nine Squirrel Slams. He credited Holley for continuing the event despite some of the pushback from animal rights’ groups. If Holley backed out, Parkhurst said he would ask Kendall to sponsor the event.
Holley Fire Department leaders said the event clears about $4,000 in profit, making it a strong fund-raiser. Fran Gaylord, president of the Fire Department, said many hunters and community members thank the department for keeping on the event, despite the pressure to cancel it.
“There have been no issues today and everybody is having a good time,” Gaylord said at the firehall after the hunt. “People are glad we stood our ground and won’t be bullied.”
Frank Balys, a past Holley fire chief, sold 50-50 raffle tickets at the fire hall.
Saturday there were only four protesters near the fire hall by the Holley Hotel, including Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island. He is pushing the legal challenge to the hunting contest, saying it has a negative environmental impact because many squirrels are killed near Holley.
“I feel the squirrels and all the supporters of our efforts to halt the hunt this year deserve to be represented in Holley today,” Brummel said in a statement to the media. “Perhaps this will be the last year we have to do this, but I am expecting a continuing battle over this and other senseless animals killing contests.”
Dennis Bauer of Hamlin has organized all nine of the Squirrel Slams. He thanked the Holley Fire Department for continuing to support the event.
Bauer was out hunting with his son Jeremy earlier in the day and they didn’t shoot any squirrels.
Bauer pushed for the Squirrel Slam as a motivation to get friends and family out together on the last day of the hunting season.
“My thought was it was one more time to get buddies and families out together,” Bauer said.
Jeff Lavender, a past Holley fire chief, calls out the winning raffle numbers.
Bauer said the protesters of the event are “misinformed.” They assume all of the squirrels are shot in Holley, when participants hunt in several Western New York counties and bring their squirrels to Holley to be weighed. The name “Slam” may also have people thinking the squirrels meet a tortuous death, when Bauer said they are all shot legally during the hunting season.
“If I thought we were hurting the squirrel the population, I wouldn’t do it because I’m a hunter and I don’t want my game gone,” Bauer said. “The DEC has the squirrel season open this time of the year for a reason.”
Bauer said he is encouraged by the big crowd of people that come to the fire hall for food and conversation.
“This isn’t about going out and killing squirrels,” he said. “It’s about bringing people together.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Village advises residents to keep trickle of water flowing until thaw
Photos by Tom Rivers – Matt Campbell, superintendent of Holley’s water and electric departments, operates an excavator to dig down to a frozen water line on East Albion Street this afternoon.
HOLLEY – It started last Tuesday amidst a punishingly cold February: water lines became clogged with ice.
About 15 Holley residents have since called the Village Office to report no water was coming out of their faucets.
Village water crews have been busy for the past 10 days, sometimes working late into the night to thaw out frozen pipes.
“People can’t be without water,” said Don Wharram, a technician with the electric and water departments.
The village is advising residents to maintain a trickle of water at all times until the deep freeze is over and the spring thaw arrives. Matt Campbell, Water and Electric superintendent, said the steady stream of water can help prevent the pipes from freezing.
Don Wharram, a Holley electric and water technician, attaches a chain to a sign post that would have to be removed to heat up a frozen water line about 4 feet below ground.
That steady trickle may save the water department from digging 4 feet down into the frozen ground. Workers have to dig into a hard ground, and then pump boiling water into the service line to get a water flow back into the line.
The village is responsible for the service lines which are under the street and sidewalk. Some residents have also had their water lines freeze because of unheated basements. If those cases, residents have to hire a plumber or solve the problem themselves.
The Holley crews have responded to about 15 frozen lines so far, working at times in sub 0 temperatures.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – This cat was found Feb. 6 in Holley by garbage workers with its paws frozen to the ground. After a rebound in health, the cat was adopted out to a family in Pittsford.
HOLLEY – A cat that was found between two garbage cans with its paws frozen to the ground has recovered from its injuries and been adopted to a home in Pittsford.
The white, underweight cat was found on Gulf Road by sanitation workers on a brutally cold Feb. 6. The skin had peeled from its paws and the cat appeared to have frostbite.
A Holley resident brought the cat to Wiley’s Animal Ark in Holley. Dr. Krista Wiley, owner of Wiley’s Animal Ark, said the cat nicknamed “Snowflake” still has tender feet, but the bruising has healed. The cat’s ears also turned back to a healthy pink color after about nine days of care.
Wiley and her staff also spayed and wormed the cat, “and fed her lots of calories to try to get her body condition improved.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2015 at 12:00 am
ROCHESTER – Richard Brummel is making another push in court to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest in Holley.
He said he will seek an injunction in the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court in Rochester this afternoon. Brummel disagrees with a decision by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County.
Sheive and Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, argue that the Squirrel Slam has an environmental impact by wiping out thousands of squirrels.
Punch dismissed the case on Thursday and said the hunters in the contest are doing nothing illegal. They are hunting during the squirrel season. The Holley event is capped at 600 tickets or 300 two-person teams, said Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Company. He said less than half actually hunt in the contest.
The hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrel runs from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 and there is a daily bag limit of 6. Red squirrels may be hunted anytime and there is no limit, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Brummel said the Holley Fire Department neglected to do an environmental impact study detailing the hunt’s impact on the squirrel population.
Brummel said an attorney from Buffalo has taken on the case and prepared the appeal that will be filed this afternoon. Brummel said he hopes the court will take action and stop the Squirrel Slam, which is scheduled for Feb. 28 and raises about $4,000 for the Fire Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from the original version that said the appeal was denied.
ROCHESTER – An Appellate Court justice did not take up a request for an injunction to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest run by the Holley Fire Department.
Justice Joseph Valentino in Rochester today declined to issue a ruling for an appeal sought by Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County. Sheive and Richard Brummel of Long Island didn’t agree with a decision on Thursday by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch in dismissing a case that claimed the Fire Department did not follow state environmental laws with the Squirrel Slam.
Punch said the hunt follows state laws and does not violate environmental regulations.
Brummel appeared in court this afternoon with the appeal but Valentino did not take up the case, and did not set a hearing or schedule a submission for paperwork, Brummel said late this afternoon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2015 at 10:31 am
ALBION – Orleans County Court Judge James Punch ruled today the 9th annual Holley “Squirrel Slam” hunting contest can continue on Feb. 28.
The judge said the Holley Fire Department isn’t breaking any environmental laws with the contest, which he compared to a fishing derby that awards prizes for the heaviest fish.
Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, filed an injunction on Tuesday on behalf of Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County. Brummel argued in the court papers that the Holley Fire Department failed to comply with the State Environmental Quality Review Act with the hunting contest by concentrating hundreds of hunters in a narrow geographic area, and killing squirrels when many are likely to be pregnant.
Judge Punch said that SEQRA, the environment law, typically is used when buildings are constructed or if the landscape is changed in some way. The squirrel hunting contest does not violate SEQRA or the state environmental laws, the judge said.
He said the argument in the case seems to “oppose hunting and a festive atmosphere of hunting.”
The judge dismissed the case “in its entirety.”
“It’s no different than a fishing derby where trophies are handed out to whoever catches the biggest fish,” Judge Punch said this morning.
Orleans Hub will have more on the case, with reaction from Brummel and the Fire Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, said he will continue to fight the Holley Fire Department on its squirrel hunting contest, which he compared to a “slaughter.”
ALBION – Richard Brummel had a tough morning in court in front of Orleans County Court Judge James Punch.
Brummel was told he didn’t file paperwork properly, and may have committed a crime by not having the proper power of attorney documents to represent Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County.
Brummel, in environmental activist from Long Island, had to be told to step back from the table normally reserved for the attorneys or defendant.
Judge James Punch said he didn’t believe Brummel intended the paperwork mistakes and judge said he wouldn’t sanction Brummel. But Punch said Brummel would not be allowed to appear on Sheive’s behalf in court.
The judge, however, ruled on the arguments presented in a court filing on Tuesday that sought to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest scheduled for Feb. 28. The judge determined the event doesn’t break any environmental laws and can go on as scheduled. The judge dismissed the case.
Many reporters from Rochester and Buffalo were in the courtroom for the proceedings. The Squirrel Slam has national and international attention from animal rights’ activists.
A squirrel walks on wires up high in this photo take last fall in Albion.
Brummel said he was able to raise enough money, with another $1,500 donation on Wednesday, to hire an attorney and pursue the case again.
“We hope this case will be properly back on the court’s calendar,” Brummel said.
He strongly disagreed with the judge’s decision today.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of judges and these judges do not apply the law,” Brummel told reporters after the court proceedings. “They apply their own opinion and that’s what happened today.”
Brummel believes there is an environmental impact with the hunt because so many squirrels are wiped out.
The Holley event is capped at 600 tickets or 300 two-person teams, said Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Company. The hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrel runs from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 and there is a daily bag limit of 6. Red squirrels may be hunted anytime and there is no limit, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Brummel said the Holley hunt happens at a time when many squirrels are pregnant. He said thousands of squirrels are eliminated with the Squirrel Slam. That kind of environmental impact should be addressed by the Fire Department.
“It’s really important that these issues be fought,” Brummel told reporters. “I couldn’t turn my back on what I thought was an attack on these lovely animals.”
Brummel drove 700 miles round trip to file the legal challenge to the case, only to have it dismissed in its entirety by the judge.
“It was worth it for the chance that we might win,” Brummel said. “It’s always worth fighting for the environment.”
Brummel said Orleans County residents are fortunate to live in an area with open spaces and lots of wildlife. He said Long Island is congested with lots of traffic and not much wildlife.
He didn’t like how Judge Punch compared the squirrel-hunting contest to a fishing derby.
“We have a huge problem with overfishing,” he said. “This isn’t frivolous. We are acting as if we have unlimited resources, whether it’s squirrels, fish, trees or whales.”
Fran Gaylord is interviewed by reporters inside the Orleans County Courthouse.
Gaylord, president of the fire company, said none of the hunters are breaking any laws. Although 600 tickets are sold, Gaylord said only about 120 to 140 of the two-person teams compete. Many people buy tickets to support the fire department and don’t hunt, he said.
The fire department used to only sell about 200 tickets for the fund-raiser, but it could easily sell 1,000 due to the publicity around the Squirrel Slam. The event is capped at 600 because that is how many people can fit in the fire hall for refreshments when the hunt is over.
“We haven’t paid one dime for advertising in three years because you guys do it for us,” Gaylord told reporters.
Gaylord said the opponents of the hunting contest tend to be downstate residents.
“This is a way of life up here,” he said about the contest. “It’s really no different than a fishing derby. You need a license and it has to get weighed.”
