By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 19 December 2017 at 9:55 am
Photo by Kristina Gabalski: Pictured from left includes Elementary School Principal Karri Schiavone, Board of Education member and Holley Rotarian John Heise, Holley Elementary Assistant Principal Tim Artessa and Jeff Martin, school district attorney and Holley Rotary Club member.
HOLLEY – John Heise, Holley School Board of Education member and member of the Holley Rotary, Monday night presented Holley Elementary Principal Karri Schiavone with $900 in $100 Wal-Mart gift cards to be distributed to students whose families are in need this holiday season.
The $900 in gift cards are part of a $1,600 donation the Holley Rotary is giving to families in the community this holiday through the school. Heise said one $100 gift card has already been presented to a local family, who could not afford to by groceries because of a needed car repair. Heise says he will be presenting Schiavone with the remainder of the gift cards in the near future.
School social workers spoke to the Holley Rotary in early November regarding the needs of families in the district, Heise said.
“The social workers do a tremendous job,” he added.
Schiavone thanked Rotary members for the donation.
“We have very giving students and families in the Holley community,” she said.
She and Heise noted the need seems to be greater this holiday for families who are struggling to make ends meet.
“This is a very generous community,” said Sue Cory, Middle School/High School principal. “The Wal-Mart cards are going to be a godsend. The spirit of Christmas is really alive and well here.”
Provided photos: More than 30 people attended a recent event at the Community Free Library to make Christmas cards to send to veterans at the Batavia VA.
HOLLEY – The Holley Community Free Library has offered numerous opportunities recently for residents to give back to their community. Library Director Sandra Shaw says the past few months have been busy.
On Oct. 28, more than 35 people came to the library to paint rocks for soliders serving in Kuwait. Small rocks were colorfully painted to brighten the lives of service men and women serving in Kuwait. The library provided materials and sent finished rocks to the troops.
Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the library on Dec. 2.
The Food for Fines program collected two boxes of food for the Community Center in November, and nearly 200 people attended the annual Community Christmas Party on Dec. 2. The event coincided with this year’s tree lighting and holiday parade celebration in the village. The library event featured carols, snacks, movies and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
On Dec. 9, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and more than 30 people came to the library to write Christmas cards for veterans. The library provided a selection of cards from which to choose and participants wrote messages of thanks as well as holiday wishes for local veterans. The cards were delivered to the VA Hospital in Batavia.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley joined Library Director Sandra Shaw and other patrons in writing Christmas cards.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 13 December 2017 at 8:05 am
HOLLEY – Village Board members on Tuesday evening authorized Mayor Brian Sorochty to sign engineering agreements pertaining to the village’s upcoming sidewalk and water improvements projects.
The village will contract with Wendel Engineering of Williamsville for both projects. Wendel will act as an engineering consultant for the sidewalk reconstruction project.
For the water improvements project, Sorochty will sign an Owner Engineer Agreement with Wendel for the Water System Improvements Grant.
The village will pay Wendel $167,675 for its work on the water system improvement project. Chatfield Engineering also submitted a proposal to the village at a cost of $189,430.
Sorochty said the village was not required to request proposals for the engineering work on the water project, but, “we had two very qualified engineers and we felt it was in the best interest of village residents to put out a request for proposals,” he explained.
The sidewalk and water projects, “mirror each other exactly,” Sorochty noted, and having the same engineering firm for both will create, “both practical and operational savings.” He said Wendel is, “supremely qualified to do the work.”
The village received a TAP grant of $1.78 million to construct curbs and sidewalks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, the village received nearly $1.3 million from the state for upgrades to the water system through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, as well as the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program.
In other business Tuesday, trustees approved spending $25,950 for the purchase of a transformer by the municipal electric department.
The purchase is being made for the thermal treatment of contaminated soil and water at the former Diaz site in the village. Sorochty said the village will be reimbursed by the Diaz site bursar for the purchase. Once the remediation work is done, the transformer will become the village’s asset, the mayor said.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the remediation project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 December 2017 at 9:46 am
Provided photos
HOLLEY – Holley Central School organized a free Day of Shopping for community members. Students were led by school social workers Kelly Bates and Stacey Braley and counselor Wanda Farrell. They organized the effort which included new and gently used donations.
The following businesses also donated money to us to help make the day successful: Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, Clarendon Lions Club, Holley Rotary Club, Crosby’s, Dr. Daniel Schiavone and The Whole Approach. Through this event more than 250 kids are helped.
Members of the Holley Rotary Interact Club unload the donations.
Families come to the school and each child in the household can receive the following: one toy, one stocking stuffer, one stuffed animal, one game, one movie and one book.
“The Holley community is so generous in always donating to this event,” said Samantha Zelent, a school social worker.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 5 December 2017 at 2:29 pm
Photo by Kristina Gabalski: Marge Dale, left, accepts a $2,000 check from the Holley Rotary Club. Rotarian Krista Wiley-Neale presented the money this morning.
HOLLEY – Marge Dale says she knows the goodness of the Holley community, but she never realized just how generous and caring her neighbors can be until now.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support,” Dale said Tuesday morning at the Holley Community Free Library where Holley Rotarian Krista Wiley-Neale presented her with a $2,000 gift check from the Holley Rotary.
Marge and her husband, Jim Dale, lost their home, all their possessions, and one of their dogs in a fire at their home on Fancher Road on Nov. 28.
“You never know what’s going to happen when you leave for work in the morning,” Marge Dale said.
The Dales are staying with family while the extent of their loss begins to sink in and they contemplate the overwhelming task of starting over. Additionally, Marge lost her dad just this past weekend.
Dale said the community has responded with clothes, household items, cash and more to help them get back on their feet.
Krista Wiley-Neale said the Holley Rotary voted Monday evening to make the donation to the Dales to help them recover. She said Rotary is always looking to help those in the community. The donation to the Dales is in advance of the Rotary’s February fundraising spaghetti dinner.
Those interested in helping the Dales can go to the Holley Rotary Facebook page for additional information or contact Early Sunrise Realty in Holley. There is also a GoFundMe set up. Click here for more information.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The fire on Nov. 28 spewed smoke on Fancher Road.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 December 2017 at 12:18 pm
HOLLEY – The American Legion in Holley will lead a memorial program on Thursday on the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The program starts at 7:55 a.m. at the gazebo by the canal. Holley used to have the memorial each year for the Pearl Harbor attack.
“We decided we wanted to start it back up again,” said John Pera, commander of the post in Holley. “We want to make it an annual thing.”
The event will include a prayer, comments from Pera, the playing of Taps and a gun salute from the Honor Guard. The public is welcome to attend the program.
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. In addition to 2,403 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor, another 1,178 were injured. It was the deadliest attack on American soil until the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 3 December 2017 at 8:39 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
HOLLEY – The Village of Holley celebrated a tree-lighting on Saturday night with the lights on the tree blue in honor of police and emergency responders in the Village of Holley.
A crowd gathered around the tree during an expanded “Night of Lights” celebration at Holley. Holley expanded the event from a parade and tree lighting to include multiple events in the Public Square beginning at 4 p.m.
The parade route went down Rt. 237 from the Elementary School to Wright Street and the Public Square. Mild, calm weather made for a pleasant evening for a holiday parade. This truck is from the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Volunteer Fire Company.
Holley Central School JV and Varsity Cheerleaders took first place in the parade with their “Ronald McDonald House” Christmas float. Peter Gewertz’s organ grinder float came in second place, and J&J Electric came in third place with an “Elfland” float.
A pumper truck from the Brockport Fire Department joined the parade.
The Holley Municipal Electric Department rounded out the parade with Santa at the back of the truck.
Santa heads towards the Public Square for the Memory Bulb and Tree Lighting ceremony.
Mayor Brian Sorochty was master of ceremonies for the tree lighting in the Public Square. Sorochty read a long list of names for the Memory Bulb ceremony. The tradition began in 1982 with community members purchasing “memory bulbs” in honor of deceased loved ones. All names are read before the tree is lit.
Additionally, the village began a new tradition this year, by selecting its first Village of Holley Citizen of the Year. Dr. Krista Wiley-Neale, owner of Wiley’s Ark Animal Care, was chosen for her efforts on behalf of the community including participation on the Village of Holley Development Corporation Board and the committee which organizes community events such as the Holley Night of Lights and June Fest. Wiley-Neale said she was very moved to receive the recognition and was given the honor of lighting the tree.
Mayor Sorochty announced that this year, the Holley tree is being lit in all blue lights in honor of police and emergency services personnel and the sacrifices they make in serving their community. Members of the police and fire departments were present for the tree lighting ceremony and Police Chief Roland Nenni, third from left, thanked Sorochty for the recognition from the community.
Marilyn Meade-Slentz samples wine from Leonard Oakes Winery at Dr. Daniel Schiavone’s dental office. Businesses in the Public Square hosted local wineries and crafts people beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Meade-Slentz, who lives in Holley, called the expanded Night of Lights event, “wonderful, I’m so excited they are doing this here.”
The Holley Community Free Library also hosted its annual community holiday party during the Night of Lights. Participants enjoyed signing carols, refreshments, holiday movies and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Here, 8-year old Desire`e Lashae visits with Santa.
Library Director Sandra Shaw said the library was a popular spot for families during the event. “It’s working well,” she said of the Night of Lights. She said the library celebration is the library’s, “gift back to the community,” during the holidays.
The Hat and Mitten tree is shown at the library. Donations for the tree will be taken to ABCD Grace’s Place Migrant Center and Monroe 2 BOCES, library director Sandra Shaw said.
Following the parade, community members gathered at the Fire Hall for performances by student musical groups from Holley Central Schools as well as refreshments.
Photos by Kristina Gabalski: Marlies Adams DiFante describes to students at Holley Central Middle School/ High School what it was really like to be in Germany during World War II.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 1 December 2017 at 7:43 pm
HOLLEY – Members of the Holley Central School Humanities Class hosted an assembly Friday morning featuring Rochester author Marlies Adams DiFante, whose autobiographical book, Queen of the Bremen, recounts her harrowing experiences as a child trapped with her family in World War II Germany.
DiFante’s family was trapped in Germany in 1939 when World War II broke out. Her German parents had returned there from their home in Naples, New York, to visit her dying grandfather. They were unable to board a ship to come back to the U.S. because Marlies’ mother was pregnant and nearing the end of her term.
Students in the Humanities class have been studying the book and DiFante gave a first person account during her talk of how Hitler took over all aspects of life in Germany.
“He left people desperate,” DiFante explained. She told students that hunger and cold drove many to become members of the Nazi Party (something which her family steadfastly refused to do).
“The Nazis gave preferential treatment to party members,” DiFante said. “Many people joined the party just to have food for their children … but then you had to inform on your neighbors.”
DiFante described to students how young people their own age during WWII in Germany became members of the Hitler Youth. Young men were trained how to shoot down enemy aircraft and young women wrote deceptive letters to the troops telling them that everything was fine at home, when in fact, every German city had been leveled by bombings.
She described the horror of surviving repetitive bombings – and what it was like to have no food, to live in constant fear, to be abused and bullied by the German children, and to be completely alone in the world without one friend.
“Don’t bully,” DiFante told students. “You don’t know what others are going through. Try to help others … smile at them and greet them.”
Members of the Humanities class thanked Marlies and presented her with flowers and a gift.
She encouraged students to forgive others, and spoke of how her and her family’s faith in God got them through their ordeal. “Don’t ever give up on God,” she said, “because He loves you … I hope you’ll learn that no matter how bad things become, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Students in the Humanities class said they were moved and learned much from Marlies’ first-hand account.
“It’s cool to get to see her in person,” Andrew Moseman said.
“It means a lot more now that we have seen her and we can understand what she went through even better,” Cory Caccamise said.
Following her presentation, Marlies Adams DiFante speaks with Holley students personally. She told them the importance of forgiving her aunt, with whom she stayed for a year as a child while her family was trapped in Germany during the Second World War. She suffered horrific neglect during those months. Marlies said she was all alone in the world at that time, without even one friend, save a cow her aunt and uncle owned, who offered her companionship and comfort.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 28 November 2017 at 7:11 pm
HOLLEY – The first major project of the Village of Holley Development Corporation (VHDC) – the acquisition and sale of the eight “Diaz homes” in the village – was successful, but the Board of Directors and members of the local development corporation are currently pondering their future.
The board of the VHDC met Monday evening for the first time since May 8. The board met to review final details of the sale of houses that were vacated after a leak by the former Diaz Chemical in January 2002.
The VHDC also discussed what it said were burdensome New York State reporting and training requirements that create a substantial challenge in moving forward to other projects for an LDC (local development corporation) of their size.
Dan Schiavone, president of the board, reported that he has spoken with all the buyers of the former Diaz homes. He said the transition from EPA to VHDC ownership and then the sale to private owners earlier this year was a success.
“The homes are in private hands, and hammers can be heard in some of them,” Schiavone said, noting that many new owners are in the process of improving the homes which stood empty for more than a decade.
The VHDC received 10 percent from sales of the properties and the EPA received 90 percent. Schiavone said the VHDC received $15,000 from the sales.
He discussed the challenges he has faced since the VHDC was formed in 2015, meeting NYS reporting requirements which include a certified financial audit and annual report. Schiavone said the level of the audit necessary will cost the VHDC $5,000 – meaning the VHDC could run out of money in just a few years simply by trying to comply with state requirements.
The VHDC had to seek out an accounting firm in Rochester to find someone with the certification to complete the audit and annual report, and Schiavone said the state so far has refused to grant any waivers for the reporting requirements even though the VHDC has only had a handful of financial transactions in its history.
“With the sale of the eight Diaz homes, our mission is accomplished,” Schiavone said. “We have no reason to be gloomy.”
However, he explained he is not optimistic that the state will back-off on financial and training requirements for board members which may make it difficult for the VHDC to continue.
Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty, who has been a major proponent of the VHDC, attended the meeting. He encouraged the VHDC to try to continue and said he has contacted Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s and State Senator Robert Ortt’s offices to see if any help can be provided.
VHDC members also discussed reaching out to other local LDCs to inquire how they cope with the expense of staying in compliance with the state.
Board members decided to wait and see what responses they get from legislators and other LDCs before deciding the best way to proceed.
Schiavone said if the difficulties involved in continuing the VHDC are too great, it could cease to operate and the $15,000 would be distributed, “to community projects which meet our mission and vision.”
HOLLEY – The Holley Hawks Trap Team finished in second place in the New York State Clay Target League, behind only the team from Holland High School.
The league is comprised of high school teams that compete at a local gun club and submit scores online. The Holley Rod and Gun Club hosts the Holley Hawks high school team. The Gun Club members teach gun safety and the sport of trap shooting.
In The New York Clay Target league, both boys and girls compete as a team against other schools in the state.
In the individual category, the top three averages for the fall league in the female category were all from Holley. Alexis Penna was first, Alexis Clemons finished second and Kelsie Johnstone was third in the state.
The spring league signup will be between Jan 15 and March 15th with the competition starting in April.
For more information on the New York State High School Clay Target League, click here.
