Holley/Murray

Holley pushes to form LDC to acquire old school, ‘Diaz homes’

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The old Holley High School has been decaying at the corner of routes 31 and 237, a prominent part of Holley.

HOLLEY – The Village Board thinks it may have a solution to move along the redevelopment of the old Holley High School and to also get eight homes currently owned by the federal government back into the hands of residents.

The village is working on establishing a local development corporation. That entity could hold title on the properties and also be vehicle for directing resources to the sites, with a goal of getting them back on the tax rolls and contributing to the community, said Mayor John Kenney.

Other communities have LDCs to take possession of troubled properties and work on their development. Holley will need to name members to a board for the LDC and legally create the corporation. Kenney said those efforts are in process.

The village has been pressuring the federal Environmental Protection Agency for years to put eight houses back on the market. Congressman Chris Collins and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer have also pushed the EPA to release the sites so they could be sold as residences. The houses are on Jackson, Geddes, Van Buren and North Main streets.

Jackson Street in Holley is a tree-lined neighborhood with residential appeal, Mayor John Kenney said. Some of the houses owned by the EPA are on the street, which also used to be home to Diaz Chemical.

The houses were feared contaminated from a leak at the former Diaz Chemical plant in January 2002. The houses have been cleaned and deemed safe. Yet the EPA still sits on them. Kenney said the village will offer to take the sites through the LDC so they can be sold. Proceeds from the sale would go to the LDC and be directed to other community benefit projects, Kenney said.

That could include helping with the rehabilitation of the old school. That site has been abandoned for nearly two decades and stuck in limbo through a bankruptcy.

Local governments have declined to take possession of the site due to the potential liability. Kenney said an LDC may been better able to push development at the old school.

The village also is trying to get the school on the National Register of Historic Places. That status could draw grants and tax credits for a redevelopment project at the school.

Giant crane sets precast pieces for Hulberton bridge

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

MURRAY – A monstrous 400-ton crane loomed high along Ridge Road today while Crane-Hogan Structural Systems set precast concrete pieces for a new bridge on Hulberton Road. (Several readers sent the Hub messages, urging us to stop by and get photos.)

Crane-Hogan of Spencerport set 10 pieces of the bridge today, with the heaviest at 22 tons. The crane will remain on site on Wednesday while 12 more pieces of the wing walls are installed, according to a site inspector from Labella Associates in Rochester. (The inspector noted several salmon have been passing through the creek each hour while on their salmon run.)

Lakeland’s Concrete in Avon manufactured the precast concrete pieces for the bridge over the west branch of Sandy Creek. The new bridge is expected to be complete and open in time for Thanksgiving. The project cost about $1.3 million.

The federal government is paying 80 percent of the costs, with the state paying 15 percent and the county the remaining 5 percent.

Tractor trailer gets stuck under railroad bridge in Holley

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A tractor trailer got stuck under the railroad bridge in Holley this afternoon, an occurrence that Fire Department officials say isn’t uncommon.

A driver from Florida was hauling a load of French fries at about 3:50 p.m. when the trailer got jammed under the bridge.

The bridge has a clearance of 11 feet, 11 inches. The truck and the front of the trailer cleared the underpass. As the truck went up the hill on South Main Street (Route 237), the trailer got stuck.

Lyons Heavy Towing and Recovery in Medina dislodged the trailer by dragging it backwards. Traffic was blocked from that section of the road for about three hours.

A similar incident happened about three weeks ago when a driver hauling blueberries got stuck under the bridge. That driver was headed north, from the opposite direction from today’s incident.

Fran Gaylord, Holley Fire Department president, said trucks get stuck under the bridge a few times a year. Some also slam on the brakes and manage to stop in time.

“The problem is they don’t read,” Gaylord said about the clearance signs.

The trailer is dragged backwards by Lyons Heavy Towing and Recovery at about 6:30 p.m.

Holley police ticketed the driver with failure to observe a traffic control device.

Genesee Valley Transportation, which operates the railroad, was on scene and inspected the bridge and found it to be structurally sound after the crash.

Hillside Cemetery named preservation priority

Staff Reports Posted 7 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Historic burial grounds picked for ‘Five to Revive’

Photo by Richard Margolis/Landmark Society – Hillside Cemetery includes a chapel built in 1894 that is in need of repairs.

ROCHESTER – A historic cemetery in the Town of Clarendon has been identified as one of five preservation priorities for the Greater Rochester region.

The Landmark Society of Western New York today announced Hillside Cemetery and four other sites were included in the 2014 “Five to Revive” – a list of historic sites it has determined to be in need of targeted revitalization. The announcement was made at the Landmark Society headquarters on Fitzhugh Street in Rochester. The list includes:

Auditorium Theater, Rochester
Designated Buildings of Historic Value, Rochester
Erie Canal Warehouse, Village of Brockport
Hillside Cemetery and Chapel, Town of Clarendon
Former Trinity Episcopal Church, Town of Seneca Falls

“The preservation efforts of The Landmark Society of Western New York continue to be focused on community revitalization,” said Wayne Goodman, executive director. “This is the second year we are announcing a Five to Revive list to call attention to key properties in Western New York that are in need of investment. We can’t stress enough that these are significant historic properties whose rehabilitations can become catalytic projects for the neighborhoods and communities that surround them.

This is the second year a Holley site was picked for the list. Last year’s debut “Five to Revive” included the old Holley High School.

The Five to Revive initiative is chaired by Tom Castelein, Vice-President of Preservation on The Landmark Society Board.

“Our inaugural 2013 list of properties are moving closer to the goal of contributing to economic revitalization in their communities,” Castelein said.

The effort continues to enhance the organization’s ongoing efforts to support revitalization in WNY.

“Preservation is revitalization,” Goodman said. “Preservation creates local jobs, stimulates investment, increases tax revenues and builds sustainable communities. When residents, communities and those in local and state governments work together the possibilities are limitless.”

Here is what the Landmark Society said about Hillside Cemetery:

Hillside Cemetery and Chapel
NYS Route 237 and South Holley Road
Town of Clarendon, Orleans County

Located just outside the village of Holley, Hillside Cemetery is an active town cemetery established in 1866 and developed between 1866 and 1938. Encompassing approximately 30 acres, the cemetery is a significant example of two periods of cemetery design. Built in 1894, the elegant Gothic Revival Chapel is prominently located near the entrance to the cemetery on the west side of South Holley Road and is a primary feature of the cemetery. The Chapel has been vacant and largely unused since the 1960s. Both the designed landscape of the Cemetery and the Chapel suffer from deferred maintenance and lack of funds.

Why Selected:
The Hillside Cemetery and Chapel are important examples of historic landscape architecture and building architecture in Orleans County. They are highly visible resources at the southern gateway into the village of Holley. With such historic and architectural significance, the Hillside Cemetery and Chapel could, with proper funding and maintenance, serve as attractive assets in the Clarendon and Holley communities.

For more information on the Landmark Society, click here.

Clarendon eyes more markers for historical sites

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Clarendon’s first cemetery is located off Route 31A on Hibbard Road and includes the sign, “Christian Graveyard.” The town’s founder, Eldredge Farwell, is buried there.

CLARENDON – The town last month erected a historical marker for Hillside Cemetery, a sign that notes the cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Leaders of the Clarendon Historical Society are working to get more markers up, so the community and visitors can better understand and appreciate some of the town’s notable historic sites.

The markers cost about $1,200 each. The William Pomeroy Foundation paid the cost for the Hillside marker, but only after extensive research for the site.

Some of those details can be difficult to track down and pinpoint from the 1800s, making it a challenge to satisfy the Pomeroy Foundation, said Erin Anheier, a member of the Historical Society. The group may need to consider raising the funds and doing a marker each year.

“The Pomeroy Foundation wants documentation and some of these events are so old it’s hard to get documentation,” she said.

A historical marker could note the Old Stone Store, at the corner of routes 31A and 237, is built in 1836 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Anheier would like to see the community put its next historical marker by the Old Stone Store, a building the Historical Society saved from demolition about three years ago. The Historical Society teamed with the Landmark Society of Western New York and the Town of Clarendon to find a buyer and developer for the building from 1836.

Joe and Sue Fertitta are renovating the site, which was named to the National Register of Historical Places. It’s one of the oldest Medina Sandstone structures in the county.

The building was used as a general store, and also at different points housed the post office and town court functions.

George Copeland was one of the operators of the store. He lived on Church Street near Route 237. The Historical Society would live to see a historical marker by his former home, a white Greek Revival house.

The society also believes two cemeteries are deserving of markers. A cemetery on Hibbard Road, just off Route 31A, was the first in Clarendon. It bears the grave of Eldredge Farwell, the town founder.

Eldredge Farwell is buried in the cemetery on Hibbard Road. He died in 1843. Farwell discovered Clarendon in 1810 while looking for his brother Isaac’s lost horse. He traced Isaac’s footprints along the border of Sandy Creek and was impressed with the town waterfalls.

Farwell saw the waterfalls as a potential source of power for business. He moved his family to Clarendon in 1811 and built saw and grist mills. The town was originally named Farwell’s Mills but was renamed to Clarendon. Farwell was from Clarendon, Vermont.
The cemetery on Hibbard Road has a sign that says, “Christian Graveyard.”

The Historical Society would also like to put a marker by Cook Cemetery on Munger Road. That cemetery is the final resting place for Lemuel Cook.

When he died in 1866, he was 106. He is believed to be the last living Revolutionary War veteran.

Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian, unveils a historical marker on Sept. 21 for Hillside Cemetery, which last year was named to National Register of Historic Places.

Vacant trailer goes up in flames in Murray

Staff Reports Posted 2 October 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photos

MURRAY – A vacant trailer at 24 Skyline Circle in the Town of Murray was destroyed in a fire early this morning. Firefighters responded at about 2 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke from the burning trailer.

Kevin Dann, deputy chief for the Holley Fire Department, said the fire was under control in about a half hour. Holley firefighters were assisted at the scene by the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company and Brockport Fire Department. The Kendall Fire Department filled in at the Holley fire station.

The fire is under investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

Holley man killed while trying to help motorist in Monroe County

Staff Reports Posted 27 September 2014 at 12:00 am

BROCKPORT – A Holley resident was killed on Friday night while trying to help a stopped motorist in the town of Sweden, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is reporting.

Brian D. Lonnen II, 26, stopped on Route 31 near Gallup Road at about 8:20 p.m. While he was crossing the road to help a motorist on the south side of the road, Lonnen was struck by a van and killed.

The driver of the van isn’t facing any charges. The Sheriff’s Office says the accident remains under investigation.

Holley rededicates refurbished fountain

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Village officials rededicated a fountain that was first installed in the Public Square 100 years ago.

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.”

The fountain was taken apart and refurbished with K.M. Verhagen doing much of the restoration work. The fountain was disassembled and sandblasted. New stainless hardware was installed and broken casting was welded. It was also cleaned, primed, and repainted. The detailing was done by local artist Howard Barry.

Rosa Maria Scroope, 2, and Marcus Vinca, 3, both of Holley delight in the water trickling from the rebuilt fountain in downtown Holley.

Village Historian Marsha DeFillipps praised the efforts to spruce up and repair the fountain.

“They did a beautiful job,” she said following a dedication ceremony on Saturday.

The village used $15,000 in state funds to pay for the fixes to the village landmark.

Clarendon unveils marker for historic cemetery

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Community makes push to restore chapel

Photos by Tom Rivers – Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon town historian, unveils a historical marker this afternoon for Hillside Cemetery, which last year was named to National Register of Historic Places.

Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy said the town supports the effort to restore the chapel, which was built in 1894 from local Medina sandstone.

HOLLEY – A year ago the U.S. Department of Interior gave lofty status to Hillside Cemetery by placing it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today a historical marker was unveiled to highlight that recognition. A grant from the William Pomeroy Foundation paid the $1,280 cost for the marker.

The Holley and Clarendon community held an open house celebration for the chapel at the cemetery and Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin gave a tour of the chapel and cemetery. Town officials and the Clarendon Historical Society also urged the community to help restore the chapel, which needs a new roof, wooden window frames, some mortar repointing and repainting inside.

The chapel was open for tours today as part of a celebration for the site being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The town is seeking a state grant to help with the $225,000 overall project. Town Historian Melissa Ierlan and Clarendon Historical Society member Erin Anheier are leading the effort to restore the chapel. They worked on the grant application and also the National Register nomination.

“The community owes them a big debt of gratitude,” said Richard Moy, Clarendon town supervisor.

Erin Anheier tells the community the chapel and cemetery are a “treasure.”

The town has owned Hillside Cemetery since the Hillside Cemetery Association disbanded about a decade ago. The cemetery is located at the corner of Route 237 and South Holley Road.

The cemetery opened in 1866 and was designed in the 19th century “Rural Cemetery Movement.” That is on the eastern side of the cemetery where the gravesides are dug into the side of the hill.

The 20th century “Lawn Style” approach is seen in the western portion. The cemetery has many beautiful gravestones that are works of art, Anheier said.

“We’re here to celebrate the historic treasure in our midst,” Anheier said when addressing about 50 people today.

Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin leads a tour of Hillside Cemetery. He is pictured with a crowd outside the chapel.

This photo was taken from the inside of the chapel, looking through one of the windows.

The chapel was built in 1894. It remains much like its original state with no alterations inside. However, the roof needs to be replaced and wooden window frames are rotting.

Anheier and Ierlan want the chapel to again be available for funerals. The site also has fine acoustics for concerts. Amy Harris played her flute during a reception this afternoon inside the chapel.

Melissa Ierlan, the town historian, leads a tour of the mortuary chamber, which has room for 48 caskets. The space continues to be used to store some caskets during the winter when the ground is frozen.

This picture was taken looking up from the mortuary chambers to the stairs leading to the main chapel room.

The National Register listing should boost the town’s chances for securing funding for the chapel restoration. The Historical Society and town would like to use the building for community events in the future.

Donations of more than $1,000 will be recognized with a plaque in the restored chapel. Donations can be sent to the Clarendon Historical Society Chapel Fund, P.O. Box 124, Clarendon, NY, 14429.

For more information, call the Town Hall at 585-638-6371 ext. 104 or email clarendon_hs@yahoo.com.

Amy Harris plays her flute during a reception today inside the chapel at Hillside Cemetery.

Boot drive collects money for Clarendon firefighter battling cancer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Firefighters from three companies are out today collecting money in a boot drive for Jon DeYoung, the deputy fire chief at Clarendon who is battling colon cancer for the second time.

DeYoung, 49, as been an active firefighter with the Clarendon Fire Company for 25 years. In the top photo, his son Jon DeYoung Jr. accepts money from a motorist in the boot drive at the intersection of routes 31 and 237.

Firefighters form Clarendon, Holley and the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire companies are out collecting funds for DeYoung, who is currently receiving treatments at the Cleveland Clinic.

DeYoung Jr. thanked the other firefighters in the East Battalion of Orleans County for rallying on behalf of his father.

“In the East Battalion we stick together,” DeYoung Jr. said.

His father has been a long-time leader for the Clarendon Fire Company, earning respect and admiration in the community, said Fire Chief Bob Freida.

“He’s an outstanding person who wouldn’t think twice about helping someone else in the community,” Freida said.

Holley firefighters had the idea for the boot drive today. In this picture Harris Reed, Holley’s assistant chief, accepts a donation.

Harris Reed, front, and Holley firefighter Jim Papponetti work together at this intersection on Route 31.

Update 4 p.m.: Holley Fire Department officials say the boot drive raised $2,710 for DeYoung and his family to help pay for costs not covered by insurance.

Holley school district will open fitness center

Posted 11 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Press release, Holley Central School

HOLLEY – A new fitness center will soon be opening at Holley Elementary School for use by the students, staff and community. The creation of the fitness center is due to the Carol White Physical Education Program, a multi-year $441,000 federal grant for Holley.

Lisa Campbell, the district’s Director of Physical Education, was instrumental in securing this grant for the district. Holley has used the grant money to purchase state-of-the-art fitness equipment to outfit the center.

Initially, the fitness center will be open two nights per week from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., starting in late fall/early winter. The center will be supervised by a Holley staff member and Holley Security Officers will be on duty during the community use hours.

During the evening hours, children under the age of 10 will not be permitted to use the equipment. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form in order to use the equipment.

“I invite you to use the fitness center as your schedule permits, as it is just one more service that the school district provides the community, and we are very proud to do so,” said Robert D’Angelo, Holley school district superintendent.

Refurbished Holley fountain will be rededicated on Sept. 20

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 September 2014 at 12:00 am

File photo by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A fountain that was originally installed 100 years ago in the Public Square will be rededicated on Sept. 20 after being refurbished.

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.”

Holley is using a state street-scape grant to make improvements to the fountain. K.M. Verhagen did much of the restoration work. The fountain was disassembled and sandblasted. New stainless hardware was installed and broken casting was welded. It was also cleaned, primed, and repainted. The detailing was done by local artist Howard Barry.

The work is complete but the scaffold and plastic will remain around the fountain until the 10 a.m. unveiling on Sept. 20. The community is welcome to the dedication ceremony.

Holley looks to fill vacancy on Board of Education

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Spychalski

HOLLEY – The school district welcomes residents to apply for a vacant position on the Board of Education.

Kellie Spychalski, the board’s vice president, resigned during the Aug. 18 BOE meeting. Her terms runs until June 30, 2015.

The board wants to appoint someone to fill the vacancy. Residents are welcome to send letters of interest in the position to Connie Nenni, District Clerk at 3800 North Main St. Rd., Holley, NY 14470 or email the letter to cnenni@holleycsd.org. Monday is the last day to apply for the volunteer position.

“The Board and entire Holley community wish to thank Kellie for her hard work and dedication, as well as her many years of service to the students, staff and school community,” according to a statement on the Holley district web site.

Spychalski resigned due the demands of her job as executive director with Opportunities Unlimited in Niagara County, said BOE President Brenda Swanger.

Spychalski left the Arc of Orleans County last year to take the position in Niagara County. She worked for The Arc for 21 years. She has been commuting from Holley to Niagara Falls.

“She was a great addition to the board,” Swanger said. “She is a very respected professional woman who loves the kids.”

The BOE appointed Robin Silvis to vice president of the board during the Aug. 18 meeting.

Police say Holley woman has been missing for more than a week

Staff Reports Posted 3 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Lynnette Schumacher, WHEC

HOLLEY – Village police say a Holley woman, Lynnette Schumacher, has been missing since last Tuesday when she was last seen at the Holley Hotel on Thomas Street.

Schumacher suffers from mental disorders and may not have her medication, investigators told WHEC in Rochester. She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and gray sweatpants. Schumacher is also heavily tattooed.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

Schumacher was subject of a missing person alert in March from the village of Albion. She allegedly took an acquaintance’s car and was located in the city of Rochester.

Holley man, 38, rescued in Lake Ontario

Posted 1 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

CARLTON – A Holley man had to be rescued this afternoon while swimming in Lake Ontario.

Sean M. Bemont, 38, was boating with his wife Elena, 35, about 1 mile north of Wilson Road in the Town of Carlton. Bemont decided to take a swim and at some point he and the boat began drifting apart.

He was attempting to swim back to the boat when he experienced a medical problem. Elena Bemont, who is not savvy to the operation of the vessel, called 9-1-1 as the boat was drifting farther away from her husband.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Marine Unit responded to the area. Deputies Erin Fuller and Jim Burke rescued Bemont from the water. He was not wearing a PFD.

Deputy Fuller transported Bemont to the State Boat Launch on Oak Orchard River, where he was treated by personnel from Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance and released. Deputy Burke drove Bemont’s boat back to its dock at Wiley’s Marina, also on Oak Orchard River.