Photo by Tom Rivers: The Save-A-Lot store in Holley will close on Sept. 17 after 4 ½ years in Holley.

HOLLEY – Mayor Brian Sorochty says he is reaching out to grocery store operators and economic development officials to fill the impending void when Save-A-Lot closes in Holley on Sept. 17.

Sorochty said during Tuesday’s Village Board meeting that he has been in contact with Jim Whipple of the Orleans Economic Development Agency and Orleans County Legislators John DeFilipps and Ken DeRoller about the Save-A-Lot closing.

“I’m not sure what the village can do,” Sorochty said about the privately owned property.

The mayor has reached out to locally owned grocery stores in the area including the Alabama Holley Farms store in Basom (Genesee County) and Dash’s Market in Clarence (Erie County). He said the Alabama Holley Farms did not show an interest and he had not yet heard back from Dash’s.

“I will try to find grocers if someone gets me names and numbers,” Sorochty said.

He also updated the community on other issues, including the First Niagara bank closing. Despite efforts by local officials, Key Bank has made a final decision to close the First Niagara branch in Holley early next month.

“They have given final notice that they are vacating the property,” Sorochty said.

The towns of Murray, Clarendon, Kendall, the Village of Holley, Holley Central and Kendall Central Schools and members of local fire districts met several times over the summer to see if they could convince Key Bank to keep the branch open. A letter from all concerned parties was sent to Key Bank officials and signatures gathered on a petition. Sorochty met personally with Key Bank officials and local, state and national representatives were asked for support in the effort.

The building is privately owned, Sorochty noted. “They are motivated to get a new tenant. I have spoken with the broker.”

The broker has had some interest in the property, but more interest is expected once the property is vacated, the mayor said. The village will be interviewing with other banks and will move their accounts. Sorochty said the Town of Clarendon has already moved to Five Star Bank.

Photo by Kristina Gabalski: A public information meeting is being planned later this month on development plans for the old Holley High School.

Regarding the old Holley High School, a public information meeting is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 27.

Home Leasing of Rochester is working to acquire the property for possible restoration/renovation into mixed use including senior housing and space for Village of Holley offices.

Sorochty said the exact time and location of the meeting are being determined, but Home Leasing will be in attendance to bring the public up-to-date regarding their plans in advance of a planning board public hearing in October.

In another long-standing issue in Holley, Sorochty said the village and its Village of Holley Development Corporation (VHDC) have both signed the latest agreement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to transfer ownership of the eight Diaz homes in the village to the VHDC.

He said actual transfer of the ownership could come in six to eight weeks, following a closing process. The VHDC will then work to market and sell the properties to get them occupied once again and back on the tax rolls.

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Photo by Kristina Gabalski: Joe Sidonio poses with his family Tuesday evening at the Holley Middle School/High School where voting in the Murray District 4 Republican Committee Primary took place. His daughter, Amelia, is on the left and wife, Amy Machamer, is on the right.

MURRAY – Joe Sidonio was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s town Republican Committee primary in District 4.

Sidonio received 87 votes. Incumbents Kimberly DeFrank and Edwin Bower received 71 and 57 votes respectively.

The results mean that Sidonio now becomes a member of the committee and Bower loses his seat. DeFrank also was elected.

Sidonio said he is ready to work to move the Murray Town Committee forward in a positive way. “It’s a privilege and an honor to be elected,” Sidonio said.

Murray is a community with wonderful people, he noted. “I want to hear what they have to say.”

He said he worked to stick to the issues during his campaign and was encouraged Monday evening when he returned home after a Planning Board meeting and saw balloons tied to one of his political signs.

“It meant  a lot,” Sidonio said. “Politics can be negative.” The fact a resident had decorated his sign, “comforted me,” he said.

Turn-out for the primary was very high with 215 people voting. Officials at the polls remarked that 52 people from outside Murray District 4 came to vote, but had to be turned away as party members had to reside within the District 4 boundaries to be eligible to vote.

Sidonio said he had been concerned that turnout might be low, but the high numbers, “send a message to the Republican Party – that this little district wants freshness and fresh ideas.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The American flag by the Holley Jewell Buckman Post (American Legion) is pictured during a lightning storm last night. The storm barreled through the area with high winds and took down several trees and wires.

Here is how the scene looked without lightning in the background.

It started to downpour at about 8:15 p.m. in Holley. This shows the Public Square in the storm.

Pawlak family opened store in former Jubilee in February 2012

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Save-A-Lot store in Holley will close on Sept. 17 after 4 ½ years. The Pawlak family will continue to operate the Save-A-Lot in Albion and some of the Holley employees have been offered jobs in Albion.

HOLLEY – The Save-A-Lot store on Geddes Street will close on Sept. 17. The Pawlak family opened the store on Feb. 15, 2012 to great fanfare. A crowd of 300 people turned out for a grand-opening celebration. Holley had been without a grocery store since Jubilee closed in September 2006.

Unlike the former Jubilee store, Save-A-Lot had to contend with Dollar General in Holley, which appears to do a brisk business.

Village officials have been worried about the Save-A-Lot because it didn’t seem busy, and the shelves haven’t been fully stocked in recent months.

“We recognize that retail business is changing,” Jerome Pawlak and the Pawlak family said in a news release. “Competitive realities, a slow economy, and cost deflation the past two years in the food industry have forced us to make the decision to close the Holley Save-A-Lot Food Store. Unable to compete with these trends, we recognize the closing of our Holley location is the necessary course of action for us to take.”

The Pawlak family has been operating the Save-A-Lot in Albion for more than a decade. Pawlak said some of the employees at the Holley store have been offered jobs in Albion.

“My employees gave it their best and I’m thankful to them,” Pawlak said.

The Holley store will close at 5 p.m. on Sept. 17. The store received more than $1 million in renovations to become a Save-A-Lot.

The closing of the grocery store follows the announcement from First Niagara that the bank in Holley will also be closing next month. First Niagara has been acquired by KeyBank.

“We would like to thank the Holley community and especially our associates for your support, friendship, and the memories you have given us,” Pawlak said.

HOLLEY – There will be a free electronic waste recycling event on Saturday at the Holley Junior-Senior High School at 16848 Lynch Rd. Residents are encouraged to bring their old e-waste and properly recycle it.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) is hosting the event.

“Our first electronic recycling event in April was a massive success and I look forward to the same result in Holley,” Hawley said. “The ‘going green’ movement is crucial to ensuring a safe and clean environment for future generations, and this is a free event where residents can do their part and have some fun at the same time. I am encouraging all my residents to participate and bring their old printers, computer monitors, cell phones and other old or unusable electronic devices they wish to recycle.”

The event goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can dispose of cell phones, computers, monitors, printers, audio-visual equipment, small devices, and undamaged old-style TVs.

Photo by Kristina Gabalski: Village Board members have been discussing their concerns over the condition of sidewalks in Holley for some time. This photo shows sidewalks on Geddes Street.

HOLLEY – Village Board members have been concerned about deteriorating sidewalks in the community for years.

A federal grant could bring sought-after dollars to replace walkways in disrepair. Village Trustee Connie Nenni said the village is applying for a federally funded Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant which seeks to offer transportation choices for non-motorized users which are safe, reliable and convenient.

“The grant uses sidewalks as a form of transportation,” Trustee Nenni said.

The village needs personal letters of support from the community and is planning an informational meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Village Office, 72 Public Square, just prior to the next regular Village Board meeting.

The village is light on downtown parking availability, Nenni explained.

“Some people may prefer to walk to dance class, the library, restaurants, canal concerts, church, or athletic events at the school or soccer fields – if the village had decent sidewalks,” she said. “Right now, when people walk in the village, they are usually seen in the road.”

With the focus of the grant to use sidewalks as a form of transportation, Nenni emphasized letters of support should focus on how sidewalks facilitate getting people from one place to another.

Sidewalks are also used recreationally and for exercise, she noted, but that use is not the focus of the TAP grant. Time is also of the essence. The village has only a few weeks to prepare and apply for the grant, making it important for residents to attend the Sept. 13 meeting, Nenni added.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HULBERTON – The hamlet of Hulberton on the Erie Canal welcomed a big crowd of people today for the 40th annual St. Rocco’s Italian Festival. People flock to the community for Italian food, the Western New York Bocce Tournament and the chance to see old friends.

The top photo shows Jon Bower, 19, of Holley concentrating on his next shot in Bocce. He competed on the Erie Canalway Tree Farm team. There are 24 teams in today’s tournament.

The festival is the fund-raiser for the Catholic parish in Holley and Kendall, which includes St. Mary’s Church in Holley and St. Mark’s in Kendall.

A building that used to be used by a quarry company is now a dining hall and kitchen for the annual spaghetti dinner. Volunteers had enough dinners for 200 people. This picture was taken at about 2:30 p.m., when there was a lull in the dinner crowd.

Lena Pellegrino, a former Holley resident who now lives in Brockport, tends to the fried dough at the food pavilion.

Dan Mawn is in the back while a stack of sugar waffles wait to be consumed. The festival draws people from throughout the region for the food and fellowship.

The Brick Band from Holley had the festival grounds rocking.

Ed Morgan keeps watch on a pot of spaghetti. Volunteers started working on the dinners on Wednesday, first preparing meatballs for today’s crowd.

Jean Valente of Kendall serves one of the spaghetti dinners.

Charlene Poprawski, left, and Olivia Welch add sugar, and cinnamon and sugar to friend dough, which was popular with the crowd. Long-time volunteers said they were encouraged to see many younger people helping to put on the annual event, which is always the Sunday before Labor Day.

Bocce players measure to see who is closest to the small ball.

Festival-goers watch the bocce and enjoy a moment to catch up with their friends.

‘Best food in the league’ is also great bonding, chance to welcome students for new school year

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The concessions stand at Holley’s Woodlands Field was busy on Thursday evening while Holley hosted three games in a soccer tournament. Two principals and the office staff at the junior-senior high school volunteered to make burgers, French fries, chicken fingers, soft pretzels and nachos. They also fetched drinks from the busy spot.

The top photo shows Principal Susan Cory, left, and High School Secretary Roxanne Wagner. The high school office staff and principals volunteer in the concessions stand two or three times a year. That takes some pressure off the Sports Boosters and allows parents to watch their kids play in the games, Cory said.

She said the group had fun working together last night, and serving the food to the public, including many students.

“It’s a great way to start the year and see the kids and tell them we’re excited to see them,” Cory said.

She said other teachers and staff in the school district also volunteer for stints in the concessions stand during the soccer season.

Penny Cole, secretary for the guidance department, gave many people enthusiastic greetings.

Paula Barrus, the attendance clerk at Holley, collected money from people going to the Holley-Albion girls soccer game last night. It cost $1 for adults and 50 cents for kids to go to the game.

Roxanne Wagner is at the front window getting an order. It was fast-paced for the volunteers in the concessions last night.

Sal DeLuca, a Board of Education member and volunteer coach, cuts some of the home-made French fries. Holley has a reputation for an expansive menu with good food at its concessions stand, Cory said. “We have the best food in the league,” she said.

Dan Courtney, the assistant principal and athletic director at Holley, serves up an order of chicken fingers.