By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2023 at 11:27 pm
Yates board members hold off challenge from 2 Conservatives
The Town of Murray elected Gerald Rightmyer as the next town supervisor, ending Joe Sidonio’s four-year tenure. Rightmyer, who beat Sidonio in a June 27 Republican primary, had 510 votes to the 175 for Sidonio, who ran under the Conservative Party line.
Other results in Murray include:
Town Council members for four-year terms (pick two) – Lloyd Christ Jr., 484; and Randall Bower, 489.
Town Council members for two-year terms (pick two) – Michael Christopher, 441; Elaine Berg, 461; and Eric Collyer, 216.
In Kendall, residents elected a new member to the Town Board in David Bentley, a Republican with 361 votes. He ousted Margaret Lynn Szozda, a Democrat and incumbent, with 198 votes. Barb Flow, a Republican was re-elected with 432 votes.
Other candidates elected include: Tony Cammarata, town supervisor with 410 votes; and Eric Maxon, highway superintendent with 426 votes. There were also 88 write-ins for highway superintendent. Maxon will succeed Warren Kruger, who Maxon defeated in a Republican primary.
In Yates, incumbent Town Board members John Riggi and Susan Hrovat were re-elected, holding off a challenge from Paul Lauricella Jr. and Steven Colon.
Hrovat, 245 votes, and Riggi, 244, votes, are Republicans. They were challenged by Lauricella, 173 votes, and Colon, 129, who ran under the Conservative Party and independent “Taxpayers First.”
Other Yates candidates to be re-elected include incumbents: Jim Simon for town supervisor, 312 votes; Michelle Harling for town clerk, 351 votes; and Roger Wolfe for highway superintendent, 352 votes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2023 at 2:07 pm
Goal in first year is 100 wreaths to be placed on veterans’ graves Dec. 16
File photo by Tom Rivers: People visit the chapel at Hillside Cemetery in Holley/Clarendon. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
HOLLEY – The Holley Rotary Club is leading an effort to have wreaths placed on veterans’ graves for the Wreaths Across America celebration and observance on Dec. 16.
Lyndonville and Medina have been a part of Wreaths Across America in recent years. Now Holley is joining the effort that is in nearly 4,000 communities around the country.
Laura Bentley, a member of the Holley Rotary Club, was part of the effort in Medina last year, serving as a volunteer and helping to place wreaths on veterans’ graves. She was impressed and moved to see such a cross section of Medina volunteer to place the wreaths.
“The number that showed up for the community, from Boy Scouts to elderly veterans, it was very diverse group in size,” Bentley said today.
The Holley Rotary Club agreed to lead the effort at Hillside Cemetery where there are about 600 veterans’ graves. Holley Rotary is seeking to raise funds to do 100 wreaths in the first year. The wreaths are $17 each. Holley Rotary will be purchasing some of the wreaths and seek donations as well, Bentley said.
Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath to support Holley Rotary are invited to visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NY0482 to learn more.
National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Kayla Neale, a senior at Holley Junior-Senior High School holds a bald eagle she made that won first place in the state and national VFW 3-D Patriotic Art Contest.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2023 at 8:18 pm
HOLLEY – A bald eagle made from recycled materials – a coat hanger, fabric, buttons for eyes and sun flower seeds for talons – has won first place in the state and national VFW 3-D patriotic art contests.
Kayla Neale, 17, created the sculpture. She is a senior at Holley Junior-Senior High School. She won $150 in the state contest and then $2,500 in the national competition.
The eagle is well traveled, going to Albany for the state event and Phoenix, Arizona for the national convention.
He is currently back at the Neale home in Holley.
“I like having this guy around,” Kayla said at her sculpture while at Valley View Circle home on Saturday. She is the daughter of Kerri and Krista Neale. “I like the way he turned out.”
But the eagle won’t be home for too long. Kayla is donating it to the local VFW in Holley to be on display.
She will use the $2,500 from the grand prize towards college expenses. She would like to go to Rochester Institute of Technology to study in the illustration department with a minor in sculpture.
Kayla used common objects she found around the art room and her Holley home to make the bald eagle sculpture. She unraveled a coat hanger and used that wire to make a skeleton for the eagle. She made the body out of paper and wrapped it in masking tape to make it more solid.
The beak and feet were wrapped in yarn and then covered in Elmer’s glue. She used scrap fabric to make the feathers. She painted two buttons for the eyes and added sunflower seeds for the bird’s talons.
Her final touch was a small ash log as a foundation to secure the eagle.
The entire sculpture couldn’t weigh more than 5 pounds, or be taller or wider than 18 inches. She estimates she spent 30 hours on the project.
The entry for the contests also included an essay about bald eagles.
“Like this sculpture, America has been crafted with a lot of different material throughout time,” Neale wrote in her essay. “The different fabrics that make up the eagle’s exterior are different textures, colors and materials; she is much like the people of America. Her physical appearance is insignificant to what’s important, her structure and foundation.”
Neale is eager to get to work on the sculpture for the 2024 contest. She said it will have a Statue of Liberty theme.
She also is working on an art project at school. This is a 2-dimensional creation. She would like to borrow mementoes from veterans – hats, medals and other memorabilia. She would take a photo of those to use as a reference for a painting. Anyone willing to let her borrow a memento should contact her father, Kerri, at (585) 749-1926.
Kayla said she likes the artistic process of gradually creating a piece.
“It is fun watching it all come together,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 October 2023 at 11:18 am
Raymond Santoro’s new book is a hot-seller
Photo by Tom Rivers: Raymond Santoro hold a copy of his book, “Haunted Holley – Tales of Ghosts, Miracles and Unexplained Mysteries.” The 144-page book shares some of the supernatural experiences Santoro has experienced or heard about in the Holley area.
HOLLEY – Raymond Santoro suspects everyone has had experiences with the supernatural, but they probably don’t talk about it too much.
They don’t want people to think they’re strange, or to say things that may seem contrary to their religious upbringing and views. They also might not be certain about just what they saw, or heard, or felt.
Santoro has compiled a book about some of his experiences, and those that his Holley friends and neighbors have shared. The result is a 144-page book: “Haunted Holley – Tales of Ghosts, Miracles and Unexplained Mysteries.”
“I wanted to write this so people would know that if these things happen to you, you shouldn’t feel afraid or embarrassed,” Santoro said. “I wanted people to know you’re not alone.”
Provided photos: Raymond Santoro holds a copy of his book during an event Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel.
He has sold about 400 copies of the book already in the first two weeks it has been out. He signed copies on Saturday at the Murray-Holley Historical Society from noon until 3 p.m. He had a book talk on Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel and sold about 100 copies for $10 each.
Santoro will give a talk “Tales of Ghosts and Unexplained Mysteries” and sign copies of his book at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse, 3286 Gaines Basin Rd.
Santoro, 64, is retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He splits time between Holley and Arizona. He has written books about his family, including a 30-year project, “From Italy to the United States – The Santoro Family,” which came out in 2019.
“Haunted Holley” is his first book for the general public. Santoro said it has people talking, and sharing some of their own experiences with ghosts or some supernatural force.
He has received the most comments about an anecdote with his childhood friend, Paul Rocco. It was December 1974, and Santoro was using a Ouija board with some of his buddies. They asked the board who would be the next person to die in Holley. The board spelled out Paul Rocco, and said he would die by strangulation. Paul was only 12 at the time.
A few days later, Santoro heard the sirens in Holley. Paul was out using a snowblowing and his long scarf got caught in the machine. It pulled the scarf tight around his neck. He was choking and turned blue. The ambulance crew was able to be revive him and Rocco went on to be a music star, playing guitar with the Chesterfield Kings. Rocco would die at age 47 from liver complications.
Santoro, a founding member of the Murray-Holley Historical Society in 1985, has spoken with many people in Holley and he concludes many of the homes are not necessarily “haunted” but “occupied” by ghosts and a supernatural presence.
People tell him about doors that open and close mysteriously, including one at a home on West Albion Street that not only shut, but was bolted mysteriously, with the owners locked out and needing the police for help to get inside. Santoro said the residents in the home reported seeing an apparition of a scary man upstairs “dressed funny.” Other times an unplugged microwave came on, prompting the owner to throw it outside.
“My key take away from this collection of experiences is there is definitely an afterlife,” Santoro writes in the conclusion of the book. “I know some of these stories may be in direct conflict with the Good Book, but I can say with absolute certainty that earthly death does not necessarily mean the end.”
A good-size crowd turned out for Santoro’s book-signing and talk on Oct. 18 at the Hillside Cemetery Chapel. He will be signing copies of the book at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse.
Santoro believes there are ghosts that are harmless, and others that are more sinister. He said people need to be wary about inviting in an evil presence.
“There is some form of continuation beyond this reality, and I will leave it to the philosophers and clerics to debate and hammer out the specifics of what that may be,” Santoro concluded.
The book is available at the Author’s Note bookstore in Medina, Cobblestone Museum in Gaines, Clarendon Town Hall, Community Free Library in Holley, and the Murray-Holley Historical Society.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2023 at 12:07 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Kids wore costumes this morning in a parade around the Public Square for candy. It was the kickoff of today’s Fall “Hallow” Fest in the village.
There are activities throughout the day. There are many vendors at the canal park as well as games – balloon darts, football toss, apple launcher and ring toss.
The library will host games and stories from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be music by Don Newcomb from noon to 2 p.m.
Ray Santoro will sign copies of his book, “Haunted Holley,” from noon to 3 p.m.
There will also be hot chocolate and other goodies throughout the day. St. Mary’s Catholic Church will host a trunk or treat beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event is capped by “spooky stories” at 8:30 p.m. at the old village office in the Public Square.
Raymond Santoro signs a copy of his new 144-page book, “Haunted Holley.” He is shown inside the Murray-Holley Historical Society.
Jason R., right, of Retro World Toys and Mark Scarborough hand out candy during the parade around the Public Square this morning. Jason R. said he expects to open Retro World Toys in about six weeks in the Public Square.
Jessica Weit of Holley takes her children in the parade where there were several stops. Her kids include Amelia as Sky from Paw Patrol, Robbie as Big Foot and Andy as a giraffe.
Bill Moroz hands out candy to Teagan, who is dressed as Scooby Doo while joined by her grandparents, Tolanda and Dan Kronfield.
Joseph Caruna is a Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtle and his friend Brayden Adams is wearing the Scream costume. They led the parade of kids seeking candy.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2023 at 9:02 am
Provided photos
HOLLEY – Vendetti Farms in Holley recently welcomed first-graders from Holley for a hayride, tour of farm equipment and pumpkin picking.
The farm hosts the first-graders every fall. The kids play a variety of games with pumpkins including pumpkin bowling, tic tac toe, ring toss and pumpkin stacking.
Students learn about the different types of corn grown on the farm and make a craft using ornamental corn.
Karen Clark, a school employee, brings her goats and chickens to the farm.
“It’s a fun day, not just for the kids, but also the adult volunteers, most of who are retired teachers from Holley School District,” Lynn Vendetti said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2023 at 9:03 pm
Provided photos
CLARENDON – A group of 73 students in the Holley Rotary Interact Club spent part of today cleaning headstones at Hillside Cemetery.
The cleaning will help keep the headstones clear of dirt and moss or lichens for several years. This is one of the service projects done each year by the Interact members who are led by advisor Samantha Zelent.
The students were up early today and worked in some chilly weather with some guidance from Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon’s town historian and a former member of the Holley Board of Education.
“This is such a meaningful event not only to teach our younger generations how to give back to the community they live in but to honor the generations of local residents who have been buried in the cemetery since 1866,” Ierlan said.
Donuts from Paula’s have become a tradition were supplied by Alex Lane, a member of the Holley Rotary Club. Dr. Dan Schiavone, a dentist in Holley, was a big giver towards the cleaning supplies, and Zelent was able to round up other donations towards the project.
“It is so amazing to me the attitude the young people of our school district towards doing community service,” Ierlan said. “They do it with ease and are so sincere in their efforts to give back. The staff, parents and local residents who came out today did a lot of work. It is so rewarding to see the before and after results of this event.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2023 at 5:10 pm
MURRAY – The town has about $250,000 left from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and has about a year to spend the funds.
The board isn’t certain how it will spend those funds, whether it could goes towards public water, upgrades to the town hall, new ditch-clearing equipment for the highway department or another project or expense.
The town was awarded $305,742 in ARPA. Murray used $30,600 in 2023 to pay Monroe Ambulance for EMS coverage in the town.
Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio in the proposed 2024 town budget has put the ambulance contract to be paid by town taxpayers and not with the ARPA money. Monroe is seeking $52,000 from Murray next year.
Sidonio doesn’t want to see the ARPA money “nickel and dimed” and reduced to the point where it couldn’t cover new equipment or a town hall upgrade.
He didn’t want ARPA used for the ambulance in 2023 because he believed the Village of Holley should have chipped in towards the ambulance because Holley also received ARPA money.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021. Some of the funds went to local governments to help them make investments in long-term assets, rebuild reserves and cover temporary operating shortfalls.
Murray still has the bulk of its ARPA. Some residents on Brockville Road have asked for a public waterline because their wells run dry and there is poor water quality. Part of Bennetts Corners Road also would like a public waterline.
Sidonio would rather see the ARPA funds go towards a project with town-wide benefit rather than to help a few residents.
He said the town hall needs upgrades, and Highway Superintendent Dirk Lammes has advocated for ditch-mowing equipment.
“The ARPA funds will eventually run out,” Sidonio said. “I don’t want to nickel and dime the ARPA fund to diminish the ability to do a larger project.”
Sidonio, Town Councilman Gerry Rightmyer and Lammes plan to go see the residents’ properties where public water is requested to assess the size of the project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 October 2023 at 9:22 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Sandra Shaw, director of the Community Free Library in Holley, shows a sketch of a mural proposal for the back of the building. The library is seeking a grant from GO Art! for the mural by Arthur Barnes. (The mural on the left was recently finished by Tony Barry. The scene from Barnes is at the center and right.)
Shaw attended the Murray Town Board meeting on Monday and asked for a letter of support from the Town Board for the project. Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio said he would write a letter stating the town’s backing for the project.
The library recently celebrated the completion of the first mural on the back of the building at the Public Square. That mural by Barry has an Erie Canal theme and includes a portrait of Myron Holley, an early canal commissioner who the village was named after.
The mural by Barnes would highlight the community’s agricultural heritage, showing apple and wheat farms and older barns. The artist will try to show how the farming community looked not long after the canal opened in 1825.
Shaw said the library continues to look for ways to connect with the community. She noted there will be a pajama storybook hour in the library at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 that will also be available through Facebook live.
The Community Free Library will be doing a Halloween party on Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with pumpkin painting and crafts as part of Holley’s Fall “Hallow” Fest that day.
Shaw also invited community members to be at the library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Veterans’ Day, Nov. 11, when about 250 Christmas cards will be signed with messages for veterans at the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2023 at 9:13 pm
MURRAY – The town has a new deputy supervisor and he isn’t a member of the Town Board.
Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio on Monday announced Eric Collyer would be the new deputy town supervisor, replacing Mike Mele who resigned from the Town Board after being named an Orleans County elections commissioner on June 27.
Michael Christopher has been appointed to fill Mele’s seat on the Town Board as a councilman, but the deputy supervisor was unfilled until Monday’s Town Board meeting when Sidonio announced Collyer would be in the role.
Collyer is the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals chairman. He also is running with Sidonio to be on the board. They are both endorsed by the Conservative Party. They campaigned together for the Republican primary in June.
Sidonio lost the primary to Gerry Rightmyer, 350-237. The incumbent Town Board members, Lloyd Christ and Randy Bower, topped Collyer with Bower receiving 319 votes and Christ 314, to Collyer’s 274.
Sidonio said he is comfortable with Collyer stepping in as town supervisor if Sidonio is unavailable. Collyer will be given keys to the town hall and the supervisor’s office. He can sign checks and documents, and run town meetings if Sidonio can’t be there.
Sidonio acknowledged he is often at odds with the other board members.
“I got a hostile board,” he said. “With Eric, he shares the same values I do fiscally.”
In the other towns in Orleans County, the deputy supervisor is a member of the Town Board. Sidonio reached out to the Association of Towns of the State of New York for a legal opinion about whether a person can be appointed deputy town supervisor without actually being on the Town Board. Lori Mithen-Demasi, general counsel for the Association of Towns, said in an email to Sidonio the deputy doesn’t have to be a Town Board member.
A Zoning Board of Appeals member or Planning Board member also can be the deputy town supervisor, but a Town Board member cannot be a member of the ZBA or Planning Board, according to the legal opinion. In Collyer’s case, he is on Zoning Board, and can serve as the deputy town supervisor because he isn’t on the Town Board.
Collyer’s appointment as deputy town supervisor is good until Dec. 31.
In Murray, the upcoming election includes all five positions on the Town Board. (Early voting is from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5 with the general election on Nov. 7.)
For town supervisor, Sidonio has the Conservative line while Rightmyer has the Republican and “Community” lines for a 2-year term.
The other four Town Board seats also are up for election. Lloyd Christ and Randy Bower are unopposed as Republicans for four-year terms.
There are two other two-year terms with Michael Christopher and Elaine Berg running as Republicans and Eric Collier backed by the Conservative Party.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2023 at 5:18 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Holley’s lift bridge on East Avenue is shown on June 2, 2018 during a fireworks show to cap the village’s June Fest.
HOLLEY – The lift bridge in Holley will close to traffic on Thursday and is expected to reopen two weeks later on Nov. 2, the state Department of Transportation advised today.
The bridge will be closed for maintenance. The lift bridge was originally constructed in 1911. Motorists should utilize the bridge carrying State Route 237 over the Erie Canal or other nearby canal bridges during the closure, the DOT said.
“Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones,” according to the DOT advisory. “Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2023 at 12:23 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: A Monroe Ambulance was at the scene on a fire last month in Albion on Phipps Road.
MURRAY – Monroe Ambulance is seeking a 50 percent increase in a contract to serve seven towns as the primary ambulance provider.
The company based in Rochester is in its first year of a contract with six towns in Orleans County. The first year was supposed to be for $200,000 but was reduced to $181,200 after Kendall bowed out of the agreement.
Monroe is now seeking $300,000 for 2024 to be the primary ambulance provider for the central Orleans towns of Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton, and the eastern towns of Clarendon, Murray and Kendall.
Randy Bower, a Murray town councilman, is on the negotiating committee for the seven towns working on a new contract with Monroe. He said during Murray’s Town Board meeting on Monday that Monroe initially was seeking “just shy” of $500,000 for 2024, but has since settled on $300,000.
At that amount, Murray’s share would increase from $30,600 in 2023 to $52,000 next year, said Town Supervisor Joe Sidonio.
Murray used part of its federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to pay for the ambulance service in 2023. But Sidonio said the expense is budgeted to be covered by town taxpayers next year, and is driving a 20-cent increase in the town tax rate, from $4.61 to $4.81 for the outside-village rate and $3.03 to $3.23 for town residents in the Village of Holley.
The town will have a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 on the proposed budget for 2024.
“This is the one item that is putting significant pressure on the budget,” Sidonio said during Monday’s board meeting.
Monroe is seeking the increase to better compensate staff at a time when the minimum wage has been steadily rising, Bower said.
Bower and Sidonio said Murray officials are satisfied with the service from Monroe Ambulance in the past year. Monroe would keep an advanced life support ambulance in Albion and a basic life support ambulance in Holley and Brockport as part of the contract. The BLS would be based in Holley for 12 hours at the firehall and then 12 hours from Brockport at Strong West, Bower said.
“They are doing a good job here,” Sidonio said.
He praised local firefighters in Murray Joint Fire District for often being the first on the scene for EMS calls before handing off a call to a crew from Monroe Ambulance. He said local firefighters have been fast on calls to help many residents, including his late father-in-law, Jeff Machamer, who passed away on Sept. 24. One firefighter was quick to respond at 3 a.m. on a call and stayed with the family for several hours, Sidonio said.
“I can’t say enough about the local gang,” he said.
Sidonio and Bower said Mercy Flight hasn’t shown much interest in the ambulance contract this time. A year ago, Mercy Flight and Monroe Ambulance both pursued the ambulance contract with six of the towns voting for Monroe, while Kendall insisted its fire districts already had an agreement with Monroe at no charge.
Monroe this time is demanding Kendall pay towards having a dedicated ambulance in eastern and central Orleans.
Bower said he expects Monroe will be approved as the ambulance provider in 2024 with the contract to be reviewed again next year.
UPDATE at 2:00 p.m. on Oct 17: Mercy Flight officials say they are very interested in providing ambulance coverage for Orleans and would have two ALS ambulances in the county as part of a $180,000 contract agreement. Those ambulances would be mostly staffed with employees from the former COVA Ambulance based in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 10:40 am
Holley also urged to look at zoning to allow expanded small engine repair at former Danny’s Equipment
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board was asked to give an opinion about a special use permit and the site plan to convert the vacant Clover Hill assisted living complex into multi-family apartments in Albion.
But before making a decision, the Planning Board wants to see the handicapped parking spots clearly delineated, and wants to know if a new parking lot will be asphalt and whether the Albion Fire Department and County Emergency Management Office have given their input for a fire lane at the property on 355 South Main St.
Clover Hill closed in March 2022 as an assisted living site. Realtegic LP in Amherst, led by president Ravi Prasher, wants to the turn the site into 18 apartments – four would be studio apartments and 14 would be single-bedroom.
Realtegic would work with Buildmore Corporation to convert the facility into apartments. Bilal Huzair of Carlton is CEO of Buildmore.
The current site has 19 parking spaces with two designated as handicapped parking. Village Planning Board members are considering requiring two more plus another one that would be van-size, said Janet Navarra-Salvatore, an Albion Planning Board member who is also on the County Planning Board.
Realtegic wants to add another parking lot but wants it to be gravel initially to see how the drainage works at the site, she said. The village code requires two off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit so there would need to be at least 36 parking spaces.
The County Planning Board said the village should consider a deadline next spring for deciding whether the gravel lot would be paved.
The county recommended the village try to get clarity on those issues with the developer and then bring the referral back to the County Planning Board.
Planners also wondered if more detailed drawings could be developed about the interior of the property, how the offices and other empty spaces at the former Clover Hill will be utilized and what is the plan for renting out the units if there aren’t enough tenants willing to pay the asking price.
In another referral last Thursday, the County Planning Board also sent it back, this time to the Village of Holley.
Nathan Merle wants to utilize the former Danny’s Equipment at 122 West Albion St. (Route 31) for small engine repair. The village code allows small engine repair of lawn and garden equipment at the site, but doesn’t specify for ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles. Merle has told the village the site is only viable as a small engine repair business if he can do more than lawn and garden equipment.
The county said Holley needs to either expand the definition of what small engine repair is allowed or make the property zoned commercial. The zoning change could be feasible because part of a parking area for Stockham Lumber touches the back of 122 West Albion St., so it wouldn’t be spot zoning. However, that can be time consuming to change the zoning, County Planning Board members said.
Bruce Kirby, a County Planning Board member, said there would be very little change in how the property is being used compared to the repairs done when it was operated for 45 years by Daniel Dill, who retired a few months ago from the business. Merle, in a letter, said there will be less impact on the neighborhood because there won’t be tractor trailer deliveries, and the drop off and pick up of most equipment will be done by appointment.
However, the village needs to make a change in the zoning definition or extend the commercial zone to make the expanded small engine repairs allowable, board members said.
Merle has lived next door to the site for 19 years. He urged the village and county to approve his proposed use of the site.
“We would like to see this property maintained and not fall into disrepair,” he wrote in a letter to the Holley Zoning Board of Appeals. “It also provides me the opportunity to run a business that can draw other people into the village limits to help sustain our community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2023 at 9:25 am
Dustin Reisman has run pizza business in Public Square for 17 years
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dustin Reisman works in the kitchen at Dustin’s Pizzeria on Friday. He has owned the business the past 17 years with 10 to 12 employees.
HOLLEY – The Holley community is planning a “Day of Dustin” on Tuesday to show appreciation for Dustin Reisman, owner of Dustin’s Pizzeria the past 17 years.
The business suffered when a former employee posted on social media the business was plagued with unsanitary conditions including cockroaches in the kitchen. Reisman tried to refute those allegations, but the orders for pizza, wings, subs and other food drastically dropped after that post.
The Orleans County Health Department and village code enforcement also inspected Dustin’s on Sept. 15 and found no public health hazards or violations. They pulled out equipment and looked closely for any pests but didn’t find any.
Reisman posted the full report on the Dustin’s Pizzeria Facebook page, as well as previous inspections from the Health Department that showed no violations.
But he fears some damage has been done to the business’s reputation.
“I don’t hold any negative feeling towards the person,” Reisman said about the former employee who made the allegations on social media. “I just want to move on and survive.”
Dustin Reisman and his wife Jennifer and shown with their children, Dustin Jr. and Harper, in front of the pizzeria at 50 Public Square.
Reisman relies on the business to support his family, and he said the pizzeria’s success is also critical to the livelihoods for his 10 to 12 employees.
Reisman, 42, has worked in the pizza business for 25 years. He is a 2000 graduate of the Holley school district. Dustin’s has been a stable presence in Holley’s Public Square for nearly two decades.
Reisman is thankful for his career and the chance to see so many members of the Holley community on a regular basis. When he drives in the community, he spots the homes of his regular customers and can tell his wife and children what the residents at those houses typically order. Reisman can even recite the phone numbers of many of his long-time customers.
“I know the community,” he said. “Everywhere I go I pretty much know everyone in town.”
After the social media post alleging an unsanitary kitchen last week, Reisman said it was a very slow few days after that. Even last Sunday’s Bills game wasn’t too busy for pizza orders.
But after posting the Health Department inspection, the orders started coming back. And some of his customers decided to show their appreciation with the “Day of Dustin” on Tuesday, which is his birthday.
“This is about standing up for the members of our community who have repeatedly shown up for the members within their community,” according to one post promoting the day. “Dustin and his family have been generous and kind to my family on more than one occasion, and I know our town is full of people who would say the same about their lovely fam.”
Customers are encouraged to order from Dustin’s and post selfies with the hash tag #adayatdustins. They are urged to positive positive reviews on Google.
Reisman and his wife, Jennifer, said they are very appreciative of the support. The couple has two young children, Dustin Jr. and Harper.
“It’s been very humbling for us,” Reisman said about the community response.
