Fire departments, school develop program to recruit volunteers, connect students to community

Photos by Tom Rivers – Students in the Clarendon, Holley, Hulberton Fire Youth Group include, front row, from left: McKenzie Hendrickson, Jenna McMillion, Cassie Mohney, Aaron Strathearn and Delilah Grathouse. Back row: Brad Kingdollar, Ella Mohney, Zack Dann, Dalton Major, James Sharp, Hunter McMillion and David Roe. Cassie Mohney and Dalton Major are both captains for the program.

CLARENDON – It was about 2 ½ years ago when three fire departments in eastern Orleans County had an idea for recruiting potential volunteer firefighters and also providing some guidance to local youths.

Clarendon, Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire company leaders pitched the idea of a firefighter youth group to the Holley school district and the Board of Education backed it.

Susan Cory, the middle/high school principal, promoted the new youth group over the announcements.

James Sharp was listening and wanted to give it a try. He doesn’t come from a firefighting family. But he enjoys the camaraderie and challenge with the fire service.

“If it wasn’t for this program I wouldn’t be a firefighter,” James said Thursday evening during an open house about the youth group.

Delilah Grathouse climbs through a bail-out prop, which is used to practice going through windows. Jon DeYoung Jr., right, is one of the advisors for the club.

James said the weekly meetings have provided good exercise. He likes feeling his adrenaline rush during the drills. And he has made many close friends.

“It’s pretty much a big family,” he said.

Representatives from the three fire departments, the Board of Education, and the Town of Clarendon attended the open house, as well as officials from the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

The youth group meets most Monday evenings at the Clarendon fire hall. Thirteen students have been steady members of the youth group, and they have all learned First Aid and CPR. They have practiced hose advancement skills in between cones, done extrication and patient packaging, and learned about firefighting tools on the trucks.

Five – James Sharp, Dalton Major, Hunter McMillion, Delilah Grathouse and Cassie Mohney – have joined local fire companies. All 13 raised their hands this evening and said they intend to join when they are old enough, and some even want to become firefighters in their careers.

Dalton Major, left, and Zack Dann do a right-hand search training exercise inside the Clarendon Fire Company Recreation Hall on Thursday evening as part of a demonstration for the Holley Board of Education and Clarendon Town Board.

The program is the only one of its kind in the state, where a local school district sponsors the firefighting club. Participants need to keep their grades above passing or they could be suspended from the program.

“The whole objective is to catch the kids before they get other ambitions,” said Pete Hendrickson, Holley fire chief. His daughter McKenzie is in the youth group.

If a kid isn’t from a firefighting family, Hendrickson said it can be difficult to interest them in the fire service. That doesn’t bode well for the future of volunteer fire departments.

That’s why the three fire departments wanted to reach out to youths to help provide a pipeline for future firefighters.

Delilah Grathouse, left, helps McKenzie Hendrickson put on her turnout gear, including an air pack. The gear weighs about 70 pounds.

Bob Freida, the Clarendon fire chief and an advisor to the youth group, said the program has gone exceptionally well. Five of the students have already committed to join the department, with more willing when they are old enough.

Freida said the program has given students a way to connect to the community.

“Many of these kids are not into sports and they’re not book worms,” Freida said. “They fall into the gap.”

Clarendon firefighters Marc Major and Jon DeYoung Jr. are also advisors for the program.

Major’s son Dalton, 15, has enjoyed the youth group so much he wants to become a professional firefighter when he’s older.

“This has been a really good learning experience,” Dalton said. “It’s a lot of fun and it definitely helps our community.”

Dalton Major prepares to climb through the bail-out prop with Clarendon Fire Bob Freida, left, and Clarendon firefighter Jon DeYoung Jr. serving as spotters.

Some of the drills have been difficult, but Dalton and the others say it gets easier with practice. Several of the students said the getting through the bail-out prop, which resembles a window up high, is a challenge, especially with 70 pounds of gear.

“If you’re not comfortable with it at first, we get more more comfortable with it,” Dalton said.

He gave an overview the program last March to The County Fire Coordinator’s Association of the State of New York, which was meeting at the state fire academy at Montour Falls. About 70 of the fire coordinators from counties throughout the state were there. Freida, Dalton’s father and Joe Morlino, chief of FHM, also attended that session.

Freida would like to see more schools partner with their local fire departments for similar programs.

“There’s a lot of interest in this (from other fire departments),” Freida said.

Cassie Mohney gives a presentation on the Clarendon, Holley, Hulberton Fire Youth Group to community members on Thursday. Clarendon Fire Chief Bob Freida, in back, is one of the advisors.

Cassie Mohney, 16, has long aspired to be a firefighter. She has completed the basic firefighter course, which took 96 hours. She also completed classes on engine company operations and water rescue, as well as others. She is a new member of the Holley Fire Department.

“There is a lot of training and practice,” she said.

She and Dalton Major are captains of the youth group, helping to get messages to the other students and organize them for drills and activities. Mohney has signed up for another training class: Fire Officer I.

“My family is in the department,” she said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do to help the community.”

Photo courtesy of Holley Fire Chief Pete Hendrickson  – Firefighters respond to the scene at the railroad crossing in Hulberton earlier today when a train struck a pickup truck.

Scott Christ’s pickup was mangled after the accident.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

MURRAY – A Holley was injured this morning when the pickup truck he was operating was struck by a freight train in the Town of Murray.

The incident occurred at about 11:20 a.m. in the 3600 block of Hulberton Road, where it crosses the Falls Railroad Line, between Telegraph and Lynch Roads.

Scott P. Christ, 51, was operating the 2010 Dodge Ram, travelling north, when it was struck by the eastbound train. Christ, who was the sole occupant of the truck, was transported by Monroe Ambulance to Strong West Emergency in Brockport. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The train, owned and operated by Genesee Valley Transportation Company in Batavia, consisted of a locomotive and two freight cars. One was a tanker containing ammonium nitrate and the other was refrigerated storage containing frozen vegetables. Neither of these cars nor their contents was compromised as a result of the collision. There was minimal damage to the locomotive.

The incident was investigated by Deputy E.N. Fuller, assisted by Sgt. D.W. Covis and Lt. C.M. Bourke. Investigation has determined that the railroad crossing lights were functioning properly at the time of the incident.

Personnel from the Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Departments and Holley Volunteer Ambulance also assisted at the scene. Investigator(s) from Genesee Valley Transportation responded to the incident as well.

SWEDEN – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in finding the driver of a fatal hit-and-run on New Year’s Eve.

Thomas Taylor, 53, of Holley was out plowing driveways at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Town of Sweden. He parked his truck in a driveway on Brockport-Spencerport Road (Route 31) and got out to look for a customer’s house. While walking on the shoulder of the road, he was struck by an oncoming vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

A passenger in Taylor’s pickup heard a noise and found Taylor lying in a ditch. Taylor was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Police have recovered debris from a car and they told WHAM in Rochester that will help them track down the driver in the fatal accident. (See “New clues in fatal hit and run” at 13wham.com.)

“The car parts left behind did have some serial numbers,” Captain David Inzana of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told WHAM. “We may now be able to trace what type of vehicle it came from and at least give us an idea what type of vehicle we’re looking for.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff’s Office at 585.423.9300.

SWEDEN – A Holley man was killed on New Year’s Eve in a hit-and-run in the Town of Sweden, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Thomas Taylor, 53, was plowing driveways on Wednesday night. He parked his truck in a driveway on Brockport-Spencerport Road at about 11:30 p.m. when he got out to look for a customer’s house. While walking on the shoulder of the road, he was struck by an oncoming vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

A passenger in Taylor’s pickup heard a noise and found Taylor lying in a ditch. Taylor was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A two-car accident on Route 237 resulted in two people going to the hospital for minor injuries, Holley fire officials said at the scene.

The accident happened at about 3:30 p.m. One motorist appears to have driven through the stop sign at Telegraph Road, crossing into North Main Street, where the car was struck. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department is expected to issue a news release on the accident later.

A driver in one of the vehicles was trapped inside after her vehicle was T-boned. Holley firefighters were able to extricate her from the vehicle.

The Holley Fire Department and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company were both at the scene. Monroe Ambulance transported one of the drivers with the Brockport Fire Department taking the other.

Past Holley Fire Chief Dave Knapp said the intersection has been the scene for many accidents over the years, including a fatal crash in March 2008.

Holley firefighter John Totter surveys the scene on North Main Street.

Press Release, Orleans County Undersheriff Steve Smith

CLARENDON – Two Brinks employees escaped serious injury this morning when their armored truck ran off the roadway and overturned in the Town of Clarendon.

The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on Holley-Byron Road (Route 237) between Hinds Road and Church Street.

Gary E. Machlowski, 64, of Buffalo was operating the truck headed north on Rt. 237 when he failed to negotiate a curve near Hanson Stone Corporation. The truck ran off the west side of the roadway and overturned, coming to rest on its roof.

A passenger in the truck’s rear compartment is identified as James A. Reinertsen, 32, of Buffalo. Both Reinertsen and Machlowski were treated at the scene by Clarendon EMS and Monroe Ambulance personnel. Neither individual was transported to the hospital.

Supervisory personnel from Brinks responded to the scene as well as a second armored truck. That section of Rt. 237 remained closed to traffic until about 1:45 p.m.

The incident was investigated by Deputy M.C. Mele, assisted by Deputy T.N. Tooley.

HOLLEY – School district residents, by a more than 2-to-1 vote, approved an $8.9 million capital project today.

The proposition passed, 175 to 72. The project includes roof top HVAC units, windows, radiators, flooring and exterior doors. The district also wants to improve the student drop-off area and the playground at the elementary school and move the tennis courts.

The district already the local share of the project set aside in a reserve fund. District officials say local taxes won’t be increased because of the project.

The proposal follows about $32 million of school improvements at Holley Central School. The project approved today includes “nuts and bolts” on improvements that weren’t part of a recent capitol project, said Robert D’Angelo, the district superintendent.

The district will need to submit designs to the State Education Department before sending the work out to bid. The project is expected to be completed in 2016 and 2017.

HOLLEY – School district voters will go to the polls form 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. today to decide whether the district can move forward on an $8.9 million capital project.

The project includes roof top HVAC units, windows, radiators, flooring and exterior doors. The district also wants to improve the student drop-off area and the playground at the elementary school and move the tennis courts.

The district already has $2.5 million set aside in a capital reserve account to cover the local share of the project, which will be mostly paid for from the state. District officials say local taxes won’t be increased because of the project.

The proposal follows about $32 million of school improvements at Holley Central School. But more work needs to be done and the district is ready to pursue “nuts and bolts” on improvements that weren’t part of a recent capitol project, said Robert D’Angelo, the district superintendent.

D’Angelo expects the projects in the capital plan will make the district more efficient and reduce energy costs. The work would likely be completed in 2016 and 2017.

Voting today is in the middle/high school foyer. Voters must be at least 18, a United States citizen and a legal resident of the school district for at least the last 30 days.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The fountain in the Holley Public Square is up close with a full moon in the background in this photo taken this evening.

Village officials used a state grant to refurbish the fountain this year. The fountain was first installed in the Public Square 100 years ago.

Lights are already hanging in the Public Square. A Christmas tree will be lighted on Saturday at 6 p.m. The community is welcome to attend that event.

The Salisbury Fountain was originally given to the village by Mrs. Abraham Salisbury. According to a plaque, it was “Presented through the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.”

District wants healthier kids and families

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Brenda Swanger, president of the Holley Board of Education, joins Holley children in trying the new iDANCE fitness game during a grand-opening celebration on Monday for the school’s new fitness center.

The center is in a spot where the library used to be located in the elementary school.
Holley received a federal grant for nearly $800,000 over three years for fitness programs for the community. That grant paid for the equipment, and also will fund a nutritionist to work with the cafeteria staff and health classes.

The grant also is paying to train Holley staff on the equipment and be available from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the center will be open for family fitness nights beginning today.

The center will be open to students after school from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Robert D’Angelo, the district superintendent, watches children try new exercise equipment in the fitness center, which includes four large flat screen televisions. D’Angelo said the televisions will appeal to some of the room’s users.

“By itself some of the equipment would be too boring,” D’Angelo said. “People want the TVs.”

The fitness center includes many exercise bikes with video screens. The screens resemble scenes and terrain, making it appear the users are riding the bikes down a street or a course.

Some of the equipment also has video games, but those games will only work if the exercise equipment is being used. It’s part of a push towards “exergaming.”

“The difference is the technology,” said Lisa Campbell, a Holley physical education teacher. “We’re hoping to win over the kids.”

Campbell helped the district secure the grant. She and other school officials were concerned about student’s obesity rates and body mass indexes.

The district used that data to help secure the grant from the federal government. Campbell said students need to be taught proper nutrition and be encouraged to exercise while young. If they are overweight as children, they are very likely to be that way as adults, she said.

School officials were joined by dignitaries for a ribbon cutting, including from left: Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy, Murray Town Supervisor John Morriss, Murray Highway Superintendent Ed Morgan, State Senator-elect Rob Ortt, Eileen Banker (chief of staff for Assemblyman Steve Hawley), BOE President Brenda Swanger, BOE member Robin Silvis, teacher Lisa Campbell and BOE member Sal DeLuca.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MURRAY – Dark smoke billowed into the sky at about 4:30 p.m. today, making firefighters think there was a structure fire at 16210 Lynch Rd.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they learned the cause for the smoke was a rubbish fire, including a burning television and other household items that were in a pile. Firefighters from Fancher-Hulberton-Murray and Holley responded to the scene.

School district will discuss capital project on Tuesday; Vote is on Dec. 9

HOLLEY – Holley Central School welcomes the community to check out a fitness center on Monday during a celebration beginning at 6 p.m.

The district used an $800,000 federal Carol White grant for the project. The grant will also pay for an initiative to promote good nutrition among students, staff and families, said Robert D’Angelo, district superintendent.

The new center, located in the elementary school, will be open to the community on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. with certified staff on hand. If there is demand for more hours, the district will try to accommodate the need.

Holley will also host an informational meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the middle/high school auditorium. That meeting will include a presentation on a proposed $8.9 million capital project. The vote will be on Dec. 9 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The capital project include includes roof top HVAC units, windows, radiators, flooring and exterior doors. The district also wants to improve the student drop-off area and the playground at the elementary school and move the tennis courts.

The district already has $2.5 million set aside in a capital reserve account to cover the local share of the project, which will be mostly paid for from the state.

Holley site gets new life with extensive renovations

Photos by Tom Rivers – This building used to have a wooden exterior when it was Tagg’s Tavern. The wood was removed to reveal cast iron columns in front. Dan and Monica Seeler needed to rebuild walls, paint them and make numerous other improvements for one of the most prominent buildings in Holley. The site will have an awning when it is expected to open as a restaurant and bar in the spring.

The Holley Falls Bar and Grill is awaiting cosmetic work inside. Otherwise, the extensive remodeling is mostly complete. The restaurant will have room to seat 60 people with another 20 spots in the bar.

HOLLEY – Dan and Monica Seeler have been asked if they are crazy for taking on perhaps the most ambitious renovation and transformation project in Holley’s recent history.

The couple moved from Hamlin to Holley seven years ago. They see a lot of potential in Holley, a close-knit small town with a collection of historic commercial and public buildings around the Public Square.

The former Tagg’s Tavern had been vacant for several years when the Seelers bought it four years ago. They envisioned the Holley Falls Bar and Grill in the tavern, with high-end apartments upstairs and in a neighboring site, a former barbershop. (The Holley Falls are located down Frisbee Terrace, a short walk from the restaurant.)

The restaurant gives a view of the Public Square, including a former church that is now a residential site. “We have given it new life,” Dan Seeler said about the building.

It would take a major transformation to pull off the transformation. The Seelers have three of the apartments ready with two more to go. The bar and grill is down to the cosmetics. That business should open in the spring.

The Seelers have won the respect from many in the community for their commitment to excellence, and for what people see as a draw to the community, a business that could pull in customers for other merchants.

“It will be an asset to the village,” said Jonathan Ross, owner of Jonathan’s Pastry at 23 Public Square, two storefronts down from the Seelers. “It will build up the value of Holley.”

Dan Seeler stands in one of the apartments above the Holley Falls Bar and Grill. There are three apartments, ranging from 900 to 1,100 square feet, above the restaurant.

Ross said the village has benefitted from another recent major remodel: the Save-A-Lot in the former Jubilee. The Seelers’ project adds to that movement in the business district.

“It’s all about the traffic flow,” Ross said about the business district. “(The new restaurant) should bring other people from outside Holley.”

The Seelers have been working on the transformation at Tagg’s for three years. It hasn’t been easy. They were approved for $130,000 in matching grant through the NY Main Street program. They won’t get that money until the project is done.

They actually were approved for two grants with $80,000 towards the former Tagg’s and $50,000 for the extensive remodeling of the former barbershop building. They needed to wait for state approvals before doing most of the work.

The Seelers put up this new building, which includes their office, two apartments and the kitchen for the restaurant. The previous structure collapsed following the brutal winter.

Last winter’s punishing cold proved the final blow for the barbershop building. When the Seelers prepared to work on the site early this summer, the building collapsed.

They removed the debris and have built a new structure. However, instead of $50,000 in grant money for the project they will only get $17,000 because the historic building is gone. They had intended to just do interior renovations of the building, not construct a new site.

The Seelers were out $33,000 in grant funds and also had to spend more on the project with a new building. Mr. Seeler was sad to see the old structure go. He prides himself in bringing back sites that have been long neglected. But the building proved too far gone.

Dan Seeler heads into one of the new apartments above the future Holley Falls Bar and Grill. The entrance to the apartments is in an elevated courtyard.

Tagg’s was nearly at the point of no return, he said.

“This building was on its last legs,” he said.

He has repaired masonry walls, replaced floors and strengthened the structure. When he took off the wooden exterior, he discovered the orginal cast iron columns for the façade. They have been spiffed up and now are proudly part of the building’s look.

Seeler, 57, has worked in the commercial construction business for 40 years. A carpenter by trade, he has led the renovation effort at the Tagg’s site with help from his two sons, Jesse and Sean. Mrs. Seeler will run the steak and seafood restaurant.

The Seelers have worked on four other projects in the community in addition to the Tagg’s transformation.

“We like the small-town atmosphere here,” Seeler said. “We could have a mini Brockport here.”

The Seelers are grateful to be in the home stretch of the project. Three of the apartments should be available next month. Seeler created a courtyard for the three upper apartments. Tagg’s and the barbershop building used to have roofs that touched. But Seeler left some room between the roofs, allowing for the courtyard up high as well as the entrances to the apartments.

The interior of the Seeler apartments features lots of woodwork and existing light.

Seeler put in many windows to utilize natural light. The apartments give a birds eye view of the Public Square. Seeler has been spending his Saturday mornings giving tours of the apartments and restaurant space to interested community members. He loves their reaction to the apartments.

“Everybody I talk to has the hubbubs about it,” Seeler said. “People are excited.”

Most Holley residents remember the site as a notorious bar and rooming house. Now, Seeler believes the site has a urban apartment feel with a bar and grill that will be a major positive for Holley and Orleans County.

“I’ve tried to use my knowledge from the years and years of building with this project,” Seeler said. “We’ve given it new life.”

Seeler has two more apartments under construction, including this one which will be 1,300 square feet on the second floor. “It has a great view and a personality of its own.”

Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Firefighters cut a hole in the roof at 34 Orchard St. and were able to put out a fire in the attic.

It took about 20 minutes for firefighters to get the fire under control, said Kevin Dann, deputy chief for the Holley Fire Department. The initial call went out at 11:50 p.m. on Friday.

Shari Brooks lives at the house with her husband and daughter, and their dog. Everyone got out of the house.

Clarendon, Holley, Hamlin, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, and Morton all responded to the fire, which is under investigation.

Provided photo – The Community Free Library uses two buildings in the Public Square in the Village of Holley. The library wants to replace the roofs on both buildings.

HOLLEY – The Community Free Library is working to replace roofs on two historic buildings in the downtown, a project that is estimated to cost $40,000.

The library has $25,000 set aside for the project at 86 Public Square. It is trying to raise the funds for the remainder. Both roofs have been leaking, said Sandra Shaw, library director.

The library put out bids for the project and its board of directors will meet Monday to pick a contractor for the project, she said.

Holley Elementary School students are trying to help the library meet the $15,000 shortfall for the project. The Student Council created coin collectors to place in local businesses for the project.

Provided photo – Elementary Student Council members are pictured with coin collectors to be placed in local businesses. The group includes, from left: Rachael Howard, Allyson Skehan, Makayla Famoly, Skyla Milazzo, Elise Quincey and Storm Boyce.

Provided photo – The ‘Raise the Roof’ containers are in several Holley businesses.

Larry Dabney, a retired Holley teacher, also serves on the library board. He helped the students create the containers. His grandson, Thomas Dobri, is also on the Student Council.

Shaw said she appreciates the efforts from the students and the community support.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said this morning. “We have a great community here.”

The containers have been placed in the following locations: Community Free Library, Village of Holley offices, Dr. Schiavone’s practice, First Niagara, Sam’s Diner, Heath & Martin, Nationwide office, Dr. Thompson’s office, Kurtz’s Car Care, Wiley’s Ark Animal Care, Save-A-Lot, Holley Pharmacy, and the Holley Post Office. Donations can be made at the library and collection containers can also be found at Holley Elementary.

Shaw said she is pursuing grants and other funding for the project. She had hoped the county budget would include an increase for libraries, but the proposed budget again calls for $10,000 to be shared by the four public libraries in the county.