HOLLEY – The Village of Holley seeks volunteers to help pick up trash along the canal on April 26, about a week before the historic waterway opens for its 190^th season.

The village is hosting the “Canal Clean Sweep” from 9 a.m. to noon at the Canal Park on East Avenue. Pawlak’s Save A-Lot is sponsoring the event.

This will be the eighth Canal Sweep state-wide along the canal. The state Canal Corp. is partnering with Parks & Trails New York, and the state Environmental Facilities Corporation for the initiative.

For more information about the cleanup event in Holley, contact Village Clerk Jane Murray at 585-638-6367 x102 or Village Trustee David Dill at 585-943-9188 or dilldavid7@aol.com.

However, residents will now pay separate fire tax

Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify the fire district isn’t part of the village budget.

HOLLEY – Village residents would pay the same $13.94 tax rate in Holley, according to a preliminary 2014-15 budget that will be voted on 7 p.m. Friday at the Village Hall.

However, the budget doesn’t include the Holley Fire Department expenses. The fire department for the first time is part of the Joint Holley Fire District. The fire district added a $1.61 rate to the tax bill for village residents. However, that isn’t part of the village budget. The fire protection bill went out in January and was part of the tax bill for town of Murray residents.

The village budget proposal totals $1,162,680 for the general fund, which is up $36,006 or 3.2 percent from the $1,126,674 in 2013-14.

The village saw its overall assessed value jump by 4.2 percent, a change from $52.25 million to $54.43 million.  That helped keep the proposed tax rate a $13.94 despite a growth in the tax levy from $728,339 to $758,473, a 4.1 percent increase or another $30,134 that will be collected in taxes.

The budget sets the salaries for the four village trustees at $4,500 each while Mayor John Kenney is paid $7,900.

The meeting Friday includes a public hearing at 7 p.m. for residents to ask questions or comment about the budget.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The First Baptist Church in Holley appears as a silhouette in this photo taken at about 8:15 p.m. tonight. The church is made of Medina sandstone. It has been a landmark building for more than a century on Geddes Street.

Here is how Geddes Street looks near the church, looking west.

I saw the reflection in this marshy area on Route 31 in Murray, just a little past the Murray Town Hall. The picture is a little fuzzy. I didn’t have a tripod, only a monopod to help hold the camera steady. I wished I was out a little sooner while there was still daylight.

There were a lot of nice reflections from all the water in the fields. Hopefully I’ll have a chance on Wednesday for some photos.

Local teams see drop off in participants this year

HOLLEY – It’s a rite of passage for many youths: spending the spring making friends on the Little League diamond, swatting mosquitoes in the outfield and chewing sunflower seeds on the bench.

But fewer boys and their families are choosing the sport these days in some local leagues.

Holley typically has 150 players, ages 5 to 17, but only has 60 committed so far. Albion’s Midget League is down from eight to seven teams and many of the teams use to have 15 to 20 players ages 8 to 12. The teams this year typically has 11 or 12 players.

“With electronics kids don’t want to leave the house,” said Heather Colella, director of the Holley Youth Baseball Program.

She said lacrosse seems to be siphoning off some players. Holley’s soccer season also kicks off in late June and Colella said there is some overlap with baseball season. That may be deterring some from playing baseball.

“We’re really down this year for baseball,” she said. “I worry about their socialization. I want these kids to have something to do.”

Colella was director of the league last year and it had a strong year with 150 playing T-ball, coach pitch, Little League and Pony League. There are still two weeks left to sign up for the sport. Players and their parents are welcome to contact her at 585-752-6158 or through the League’s Facebook page by clicking here.

In the Albion Midget League, the numbers seem to be down among the older players, the 11- and 12-year-olds, said Michael Neidert, one of the coaches.

There has been an increase in younger players, which Neidert said bodes well for the future of the league.

“We’re not sure why the numbers are down,” he said about the overall participants. “The kids must be choosing something else.”

The cold spring and the snow and rain haven’t helped get people in a baseball mood. The Albion league has pushed back opening day from May 3 to May 10.

“Normally the kids would be out practicing by now,” Neidert said.

Players are still welcome to sign up for the season in Albion.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Holley Board of Education met on Monday evening. A petition seeks to reduce the size of the board from seven to five members. Pictured, from clockwise at lower left: school attorney Jeff Martin, BOE member Jack Welch, district clerk Connie Nenni, BOE President Brenda Swanger and BOE member Sal DeLuca.

HOLLEY – For the third straight school election, Holley voters will be asked to vote on a referendum about the size of the Board of Education.

Two years ago, voters approved shrinking the board size from nine to five members, a process that would have been phased in over three years. The measure barely passed in May 2012 in 395-to-392 vote.

Last year a new petition sought to stop the reduction at seven members, not going all the way down to five. Residents approved that referendum with a 350-to-257 vote last May.

Board member Jack Welch pushed the petition two years ago to reduce the board to five members. He again circulated a petition to shrink the board to five members. The petition had enough signatures and was filed by the deadline for the May 20 election, said Jeff Martin, the school district attorney.

“I just hope when this one is done we’re done for a while,” Brenda Swanger, the Board of Education president, said during Monday’s board meeting when the petition was accepted for the May 20 ballot. “We’re looking foolish in the community.”

Welch has noted many other similar-size schools, such as Kendall, function with five BOE members.

The BOE members are volunteers, and supporters of a bigger school board say more members bring more viewpoints and representation from the community.

Kellie Spychalski, a BOE member, said she didn’t like how Welch sought support for the petition by using what appeared to be district letterhead, which may have given residents the impression the district was behind the push for a board reduction.

“I’m very disappointed in the way this was brought to the board,” she said.

Spychalski also said last year’s vote showed strong support for keeping the board at seven members. But Welch said the vote two years ago actually had more yes votes, at 395, than the 350 who supported capping the board at seven members last May.

“This is just a continuation from two years ago,” Welch responded to Spychalski.

Residents will get an $800,000 tax cut

Photo by Tom Rivers – This tree stands by the Holley Elementary School with the Junior-Senior High School in back.

HOLLEY – The Board of Education will cut school taxes by 10.6 percent or $800,000, according to a $25 million budget that was approved during tonight’s board meeting.

The tax cut would reduce residents tax rate from $25.11 to a projected $22.44 per $1,000 of assessed property. The 2014-15 budget goes before voters on May 20.

“We’re giving some money back,” said Brenda Swanger, the BOE president.

The district is responding to a state comptroller’s audit in February. The report said Holley’s cash reserves were too big. (Click here to see the report.)

In addition to cutting taxes, Holley is paying down $975,000 in debt. That will reduce Holley’s debt and interest payments in the immediate future.

Holley may also pay for new school buses from the surplus rather than borrowing money, said Kathy Saville, the district’s business administrator. The Board of Education also voted tonight to create a $2.5 million capital reserve fund. Some of the surplus could be moved into that account near the end of this school year.

Holley is raising its budget from $22,976,429 to $25,070,000 with the accelerated debt payments causing most of that spending increase. The BOE also plans to add four instructional staff to help bolster students’ academic performance, Swanger said.

The statutory limit for surplus funds is 4 percent of the ensuing year’s budget or about $1 million for Holley, according to the comptroller. The district was over the surplus fund threshold by more than $7 million or 35 percent, according to the comptroller’s report.

Holley is working to reduce the surplus to about 6 to 7 percent of the budget. Saville doesn’t want to go all the way down to 4 percent or $1 million.

“One million dollars doesn’t even get you through one payroll,” Saville said.

Holley collected $7,541,779 in taxes in the 2013-14 budget. The tax levy will drop to $6,741,780 as part of the proposed budget.

Photos by Sue Cook – June Chippendale stands in front of an Americana display inside her store Antiques & Rusty Relics.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

FANCHER – A lover of antiques has turned a former train depot in Fancher into the home for a new business, Antiques & Rusty Relics.

June Chippendale loves the location, just north of the curve on Route 31, between Holley and Albion. She likes to hear the rumble and whistle of trains as they pass by at Route 387.

“We had two trains go by today! It was so exciting!” Chippendale exclaimed on Friday.

Chippendale and her husband Ken had originally wanted to set up shop in Caledonia. Ken’s job transferred him to the area, but without a space available for rent, they began to search elsewhere. After looking through Craigslist, they found the old train depot space, which had formerly been the Big Ash showroom.

“I told my husband, ‘I can do this. We can have a store,’” she said.

The train depot is a familiar site to anyone passing through Fancher. The store plans to use the porch in the summer for seating during events.

Chippendale said her love of antiques was brought on by her children. When they each moved out of their college apartments, they would return home with furniture and store it in the family’s barn. Chippendale found that the space was filling quickly and didn’t want to hold a garage sale for all the items. Instead she approached a co-op that allowed her to set up and sell her unneeded items. After working with other co-ops, she eventually decided to make the move to her own store.

Chippendale obtained the space on Feb. 1, and began updating the building to fit her needs. She is proud to say she used many reused items – repurposed counters from a closed flower shop and other repurposed equipment – in the store.

“I love this place,” Chippendale stated. “It has great karma. It’s a warm, happy place. We love antiques. We love this train depot atmosphere.”

The store opened on March 1 and will celebrate a grand opening on Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The event will include mulled apple cider, other refreshments, and some giveaways during the day.

Chippendale suggests making plenty of time to go through the store’s multiple rooms to get a good look at all of the merchandise.

Chippendale’s store holds her own items as well as those of four other antiques vendors. Items include antiques, retired Longaberger basket designs, quality furniture and more.

“I’ve known June for 30 years,” said vendor Diane Wight. “When I moved up here I collected anything old. Baked enamel was priority one, but I ran out of room.” Wight is selling some of her collection to make room for more space in her home. “Now I’m more into primitive-style items.”

Wight said she has gone with Chippendale to garage sales and auctions in search of collectibles on many occasions. She plans to be a permanent vendor at the store.

“Where can you go to have fun in the past?” she asked. “This is fun.”

Chippendale says that her husband, an avid fan of old hot rods, is planning to have a car-related event in the summer at the store, such as a cruise-in car show. They also plan to have LuGia’s Ice Cream during the hot months.

The store address is 3570 Fancher Rd., Holley. They are open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and other days by appointment. For more information, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HULBERTON – Pack 62 in Holley gathered at the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Firehall on Saturday for the annual Pinewood Derby. The event this year was opened up to the community, with non-Scouts and siblings of Scouts welcomed to participate.

There were 42 participants in all, and the event concluded with a pasta dinner in the firehall.

“We think the Pinewood Derby is awesome and we want everyone to experience it,” said Debbie Patt, the Cubmaster and event chairwoman.

The track was set up inside the firehall. The Pinewood Derby is a long-time Scouting tradition. Scouts typically work with their fathers or a grownup to create the cars.

Jason Clark served as the starter for some of the races. He is part of the Kendall Scouting program and volunteered to help with Holley’s Pinewood Derby.

Hunter Smith of Holley won the “Best in Show” during the Pinewood Derby. The Scouts made the trophies out of recycled matierals.

Other winners include: Chuck MacPhee, Peoples’ Choice; Ethan Race, Tiger; Ethan Gonzalez, Wolf; Kyle Surowy, Webelo; Dawson Moy, Sibling; Mike Clark, Vintage or Open; Wayne Thorn, Adult.

Some of the participants gather for a photo after a day at the races inside the firehall.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jessica DeFazio last month opened the Happy Hour Liquor Inc., in downtown Holley at 30 Public Square. The store is open seven days a week.

HOLLEY – A Holley native moved back to her hometown and opened a new liquor store at 30 Public Square.

Jessica DeFazio, 28, sees lots of potential in Holley’s downtown, especially as more businesses open, drawing more traffic and customers who can visit several of the shops and restaurants.

She opened Happy Hour Liquor Inc. on Jan. 10. She said she sells “a little bit of everything,” from whiskey, wine, rum, brandy, tequila and scotch. The business is open seven days a week.

The site had been used as a pawn shop, which moved next door. DeFazio grew up in Holley and was living in Spencerport until she moved back. She said houses are far more inexpensive in Holley. That was one draw to come back to Holley.

“It’s small, it’s quiet, it’s comfortable,” she said. “I love it here.”

She said there are more businesses than people may realize in the community. She would like to see more people in the Holley area shop where they live rather than driving to Brockport.

DeFazio earned an associate’s degree in humanities and social sciences from Monroe Community College. She wanted to open her own business. She said the state Liquor Authority was helpful in approving her license, and Holley village officials also backed the business, including her new sign.

For more information on Happy Hour Liquor, visit happyhourliquorinc.com.

Derrick Bradley, wearing a skunk costume, joins local residents as they respond to protestors who oppose the annual ‘Squirrel Slam’ fundraiser in Holley.

Edita Birnkrant, director of Friends of Animals in New York, gathers with fellow protestors at Thomas Street and Public Square in Holley.

The Orleans County chapter of SCOPE (Shooters Committee On Political Education) is also in Holley today distributing buttons.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Hunters walk towards the Holley fire hall with squirrels to be weighed as part of today’s “Squirrel Slam” hunting contest.

HOLLEY – While a small group of protestors stood outside, shivering in the cold and holding signs against a squirrel hunting contest, the Holley fire hall was filled with more than 400 hunters.

They had been out hunting earlier in the day, shooting squirrels. Individuals and teams with the heaviest squirrels won prizes. It’s a tradition Friends of Animals wants to see outlawed.

Friends for the second year targeted the Holley event, questioning why a fire department, with a mission of saving lives, would organize a fundraiser that welcomed participants 12 and older to kill squirrels.

There were fewer than a dozen protestors against the Squirrel Slam at Public Square during a 4:30 to 6 p.m. protest. Edita Birnkrant, director of Friends of Animals in New York, made the trip from New York City. Her organization is against all hunting, but is speficially pushing legislation that would ban wildlife killing contests.

There were fewer than a dozen protestors from Friends of Animals in Holley today for the Squirrel Slam. They group is trying to raise public awareness about its efforts to make wildlife hunting contests illegal as fund-raisers. The group had a designated spot in front of the Holley Hotel where they stood with signs.

Jeanne O’Dell of Pavilion stood with the Friends of Animals, holding a sign. She said it was her first protest.

“Some people might say it’s only squirrels, but it’s still violence,” said O’Dell, 54.

O’Dell said she is an animal advocate. Two years ago she adopted a rescued pit bull. She doesn’t like the Squirrel Slam, partly because it welcomes children to shoot guns.

Holley resident Kerri Neale talked with the protestors while he walked around with a boot, seeking donations for the Holley Fire Department. Neale went out hunting squirrels with a friend earlier in the day. Neale said he shot three. He thinks the push by Friends and some downstate legislators shows a culture clash between upstate and New York City.

“Our cultures are different,” he said. “I can’t tell them want to do with their culture.”

The Holley Police Department designated spots for protestors. Supporters of the Friends of Animals were by the Holley Hotel at left while hunting enthusiasts were across the street at right in back. Another group holding SCOPE (Shooters Committee On Political Education) also protested at right by the former Tagg’s Tavern. That group opposes the SAFE Act, a gun control measure approved by the governor and State Legislature in January 2013.

Neale and Birnkrant exchanged words. Neale told her some Holley residents hunt to supplement their groceries. He noted it is a poor area, something he told Birnkrant well-to-do people in New York City may not realize.

Birnkrant acknowledged there is a disconnect between NYC and upstate. She told Neale she questions why people would want to put guns in the hands of children, which she said desensitizes them to violence and killing.

“Your culture sickens me,” she told Neale.

She complained to him for coming in the protestors’ designated space by the Holley Hotel, saying things to provoke the group. She told him none of the Friends of Animals walked across the street to provoke demonstrators in support of hunting, the Second Amendment and the Holley Fire Department.

Neale said he supports the right to protest, including by the Friends of Animals, although he said the group’s mission is “misguided.”

He said the Squirrel Slam embraced “skillful hunting, not torturing animals.”

Kerri Neale, a Holley resident who hunted squirrels on Saturday, talks with Edita Birnkrant, director of Friends of Animals in New York, during Saturday’s demonstration. Neale, right, solicited donations for the Holley Fire Department. He said he collected about $100 for the Fire Department, including individual cash donations from some of the Friends of Animals representatives.

In talking with Birnkrant, he stressed she and many of the Friends supporters were from New York City.

Birnkrant said the city pays more than its share in taxes, keeping the state going.

“Without New York City, Western New York would fall into Lake Ontario,” Birnkrant told Neale.

She had another exchange with Dan Shuler of Barre. Shuler walked towards her and told her squirrels are just like rats, which are common in NYC.

While they talked, hunters walked by with squirrels on a string. One shouted to Birnkrant that squirrels are “yummy.”

Shuler encouraged Birnkrant to go back to New York City. In front of a Holley police officer, she told Shuler, “I’m a New Yorker. We provide all the funds for your [expletive] little town.”

She turned around and walked away. Shuler was standing there with a young boy. Shuler asked if others heard what he heard. He was surprised Birnkrant would swear in front of a kid, a police officer (and a reporter).

Birnkrant earlier in the day presented Police Chief William Murphy with names from 5,500 people around the world in an online petition, calling on Holley to cease the Squirrel Slam.

Animal rights advocates were also in Brockport earlier in the day, protesting the slam.