Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

KENDALL – A 3½ hour search for a missing swimmer on Lake Ontario on Saturday afternoon and evening had a happy ending when the individual was located and rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The incident began shortly before 5:30 p.m. James A. Cox, 62, of Holley and his brother William E. Cox, 51, of Albion had left from Point Breeze and taken their boat out on the lake for a pleasure trip.

They were about 3 miles out from the Town of Kendall shoreline when the younger Cox decided to take a swim. They shut down the boat’s engine and William Cox entered the water. Eventually he and the vessel began to drift apart.

The elder brother attempted to start the engine at that time, but was unsuccessful. The boat and the younger Cox continued drifting apart until the brothers were no longer in sight of one another.

James Cox called Orleans County 9-1-1 and the Sheriff’s Marine Unit was dispatched. Deputies E.N. Fuller and J.R. Heinlein responded to the area and, utilizing GPS coordinates supplied by Cox’s cell phone, they eventually located the disabled vessel.

James Cox was taken on-board the Sheriff’s boat and the search for his brother continued. That search also included the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York State Police Aviation Unit, and the Carlton F.D. Marine Unit. Just before 9 p.m., the Coast Guard notified Orleans County 9-1-1 that they had rescued William Cox and were transporting him to Point Breeze to meet with EMS personnel.

Mr. Cox walked off the Coast Guard vessel under his own power. He was transported as a precaution to Strong West Emergency in Brockport by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance. Cox’s boat was towed back to Point Breeze by the Sheriff’s Marine Unit.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – The annual Kendall Fire Department Carnival kicked off today with midway rides, waffles, and lots of pep in downtown Kendall.

The top photo shows the Super Trooper ride and other attractions at the carnival, which continues until Saturday. Friday will be highlighted by a parade at 7 p.m. with fireworks capping off Saturday. Click here to see a schedule.

Colleen Clary, left, and Diane Furness sell waffles covered in confectionary sugar. They said the waffles are popular at $1 each. They expect the Ladies Auxiliary will sell hundreds of them during the carnival.

Alana Kirstein, left, rides in the Ferris Wheel with her friend Kayla Cole. Both girls are from Kendall.

The “Clam Crew” includes, from left: Dave Cole, Tom Drennan and Craig Herman. The Fire Department has 1,100 dozen of clams available for the carnival.

The band Swamp Moose from Hamlin performed under the tent at the carnival. The group includes, from left: Jim Greco, vocals and lead guitar; Steve Lauth, lead vocals and guitar; and Gil Eller, vocals and guitar.

Photos courtesy of Kendall Central School

KENDALL – Ryan Clay accepts his high school diploma from Principal Carol D’Agostino. Clay was given a standing ovation from his classmates.

Ryan and his family were in a serious car accident in July 2014. He returned to school in March 2015.

He was one of 62 graduates celebrated during commencement on Friday. The district announced that 90 percent of the graduates received a Regents diploma with 46 percent receiving a “with honors” distinction.

The boys wore blue caps and gowns.

The girls were dressed in white caps and gowns.

The district also announced that, 32 percent of the graduates were on honor roll all through their high school years, and 67 percent received a scholastic achievement award.

The future will include college for 77 percent of the graduates this fall, while 20 percent will join the workforce and 3 percent will join the military.

Zachary Adams accepts his diploma from Carol D’Agostino while his classmates and Superintendent Julie Christensen look on.

Zach received a standing ovation after his goal in an October soccer game, his first varsity game, was noted during commencement.

Christensen spoke about two important events in the graduates’ senior year that she attributed to the character of the Class of 2015: the rally around Ryan Clay after his serious car accident and the team support for Zach Adams when he scored his goal.

Class Officers – Jennifer West, Rebecca Murray, Brianna Jurs and Hannah Evans – presented Class Advisors Renee Cliff and Mirjam Bauer with gifts to thank them
for their service to the class.

Michael Kludt, co-owner of Kludt Farms and a Class of 1982 graduate of Kendall, gave the commencement address. Kludt and his wife gave each graduate a gift bag after the ceremony.

Valedictorian Tania Arellano gave her speech to the packed auditorium.

Salutatorian Taylor Clay delivers his speech.

After one of the class officers announced each graduate’s name, Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon announced the graduate’s scholarships and awards received, and future plans.

Principal Carol D’Agostino posed with the graduates after giving them their diplomas. Superintendent Julie Christensen offered handshakes or hugs to the graduates on their way back to their seats on the stage.

The Royal Blue Band, directed by Music Director Ashlea Strouse, played the music to begin and end the ceremony.

Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon is pictured with her daughter Marisa, one of the 62 graduates at Kendall.

Barb Flow will join the Kendall Town Board in August

KENDALL – Kendall Recreation Director Barb Flow may be retiring at the end of July after 26 years in the position, but she will remain active in Kendall and will serve the community in a new role.

“I’ve always wanted to keep kids busy so they stay out of trouble and get good exercise away from the TV and video games,” Flow said about her career as recreation director. “I love to see all the playing fields with all the different uniform colors.”

Although she is retiring as recreation director, Flow said she will be available to assist her successor in any way she can.

Additionally, Flow will be taking a new roll in town government as a member of the Town Board.

“It will be fine,” she said of the upcoming changes.

Many residents have expressed some concerns about what will happen when she leaves the part-time post, but Flow explains the time is right for her to step aside.

“I have loved this job,” she said. “I love people. I love to work with people. I have very mixed emotions. I will act as a mentor to whomever comes in.”

She said that change will be good as a new person will bring in new ideas to the department.

For Flow, her retirement will open up more time to spend with her five grandchildren and to serve Kendall residents on the Town Board. Flow was recently appointed to fill a vacancy on the board, effective Aug. 1, after she wraps-up her duties as recreation director at the end of July.

When she began working as the recreation director in 1989, there was no office for her at the Town Hall as there is today. She worked out of her home.

“There’s been a lot of changes over the years,” she said.

Flow started many new rec. programs in Kendall including T-ball. She says more kids were enrolled in rec. programs back then – there were 10 minor league teams and three major league teams. Today there is one minor league team, one major league team, and two midget teams.

“The biggest challenge has been enrollment,” she explained. As numbers have declined, Flow has reached out to the neighboring towns of Hamlin and Sweden/Clarkson, helping all municipalities to increase their number of participants and continue to field teams.

“We want to keep up a rapport with surrounding towns to keep everything going,” she says. “I want to be around to help.”

In 2005-2006, Flow started co-ed soccer for ages 3-6. Other rec. programs over the years have included hunter and bow safety, basketball, indoor soccer and open gym.

The town also sponsors a swimming program on Saturdays at a pool at Brockport State College for 6-8 weeks each year.

Flow said she is grateful for all the help and support over the years from the community.

“I worked closely with the school,” Flow said. “They’ve been wonderful, and so has the Town of Kendall and the Kendall and Morton Fire Departments.”

Flow has a sports background. She graduated from Brockport State with a physical education degree and worked as an assistant with the Town of Greece recreation department before she and her husband, Vince, moved to Kendall to raise their three children.

“Kendall is a great place to raise kids,” she said. “I can’t say enough about Kendall, I love the town. My parents taught me to not just live in a community, but to make it your home and be a part of it. They taught me great values.”

She explained that farms and businesses located in the town have been very generous and willing over the years to act as sponsors for the Rec. Department, even if the owners did not have children or grandchildren on various teams.

“They have taken such an interest in the youth,” she said.

Town of Kendall Supervisor Tony Cammarata said Flow has done a great job for the town.

“She is a pillar of the community,” Cammarata said. “We look forward to her taking on different levels of responsibility,” -referencing her upcoming roll as a town board member.

Flow said she has many wonderful memories of her time as rec. director including the baseball parade which was held on the opening day of the season, and the end-of-year picnics for baseball and soccer.

She’s watched over the years as small children started out in sports in her programs, went on to be successful on high school teams, “… and then got college scholarships. Sports opened doors along the way for them,” she said.

Additionally, some of her earliest participants now have their own families and coach some of the Kendall Rec. teams. “It’s pretty awesome,” Flow said.

Flow has been responsible for adult programming as well as youth programming and said another favorite memory is of 4th graders from Kendall Elementary coming to perform the annual holiday concert for senior citizens.

“They sing Christmas carols and play band instruments,” she said.

She will continue her work as a member of the Orleans County Youth Board and was honored her for her work in 2001 with the Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award.

After a new recreation director is selected, Flow said she will do all she can to help that person become acclimated to the duties which have become second-nature to her such as paperwork and vouchers. She will also personally take the new director to meet with her various contacts inside and outside the town to ensure that long-standing rec. programs continue.

Photo courtesy of Helen Unterborn

KENDALL – Wallace Higgins, a former Kendall resident, shared his experiences as a Tuskegee Airman during a talk with the Kendall Lions Club earlier this month.

Higgins grew up in Kendall and talked about his early years during the presentation to the Lions Club.

Higgins told about encountering racial segregation and discrimination for the first time after entering the service and training in Pre-Flight at the Tuskegee Institute. He also discussed his post-war education at NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He went on to become an Associate Professor at Alfred, retiring in 1985.

Higgins, 89, has been a member of Alfred Lions Club for 50 years and spent decades in community service.

He is in the official registry as a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman. For his work with the Civil Air Patrol prior to his enlistment he was a recent recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.

This May, NYS Senator Cathy Young and the State Legislature inducted Higgins into the Veterans Hall of Fame in Albany.

Photo courtesy of State Sen. Cathy Young’s office

“Wally Higgins’ patriotic service and sacrifice for our country, and truly his entire life’s story is remarkable example of the selflessness demonstrated by so many in his generation,” Young said when Higgins was recognized in Albany. “They gave so much at a time when battles raged all around the globe and our nation needed heroes. As an original Tuskegee Airman who served in the Pacific theater, Wally’s aviation knowledge and skills were vital to the movement of troops and materials.”

Born on November 11, 1925 on a small farm in Kendall, Wally is the son of Alice and Daniel Higgins.

“Aside from his service, Wally is a loving father and dedicated family man, who deserves our deepest respect and praise. It was an honor to be able to recognize him and have his story memorialized in the state’s history,” Young said.

As soon as he turned 18 years old, Higgins enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. Having already been attending Civil Air Patrol classes in Rochester during his senior year of high school, he already had interest in pursuing aviation.

After initially reporting to Fort Dix, New Jersey, Higgins was sent to Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training and aptitude testing. As a result of his skin color and proficiencies, Wally was selected to be part of the Tuskegee Airmen experiment in Alabama, where he trained in Pre-Flight and Primary Flight training, including solo runs in the P-17 Stearman.

Photo by Helen Unterborn – Retired Major Ryan D’Andrea, Margaret Buell and Wally Higgins look over pictures of the Higgins family homestead in Kendall. D’Andrea now lives in the Higgins family homestead on Roosevelt Highway in Kendall.

Following 11 months at Tuskegee, a downturn in the war in Europe resulted in less pilot training and Higgins was transferred to the 1909th Engineers Aviation Battalion. A sergeant in charge of an all-black, 30-man platoon, Mr. Higgins served in Saipan and Okinawa building roads, airfields and ammunition storage buildings.

On March 17, 1947 Wally was Honorably Discharged as a Staff Sergeant with Squadron F, 3505th Army Air Force. For his service, Mr. Higgins earned the WW-II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and New York State Medal for Merit. He was also recently presented with a Congressional Gold Medal due to his Civil Air Patrol involvement during the war.

Upon returning from the war, Wally was accepted to the College of Ceramics at Alfred University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramic design in 1952. While a student there, he met and married Norma Miller almost 64 years ago and never left Alfred. They raised four children, still reside in Allegany County, and nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

KENDALL – During their final meeting of the 2014-2015 school year, members of the Kendall School Board of Education approved a new course offering for the upcoming school year: Civil Engineering and Architecture.

Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Principal Carol D’Agostino said offering the new course is part of the district’s goal to have “… more and diverse electives for students. We try to find where the students’ interests lie,” she said.

Faculty members had a say in the new course, D’Agostino said. The new course fits well with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum. She said the district already has staff available to teach the new course.

“Great job, that’s exciting,” said Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon.

Board members also approved two exchange students for 2015-16 through the International Student Exchange program. The students are from Thailand and Brazil.

Hanlon noted it has been at least two years since the district hosted exchange students. She said the program is very beneficial,

“Students make bonds they will never forget,” she said.

Nadine Hanlon re-elected to Board of Education

KENDALL – Kendall residents gave strong support for a $15,065,842 budget today. The spending plan passed 172-50.

The budget increases expenditures by 1.6 percent but keeps the tax levy unchanged.
All of the propositions passed with wide margins of support.

Proposition 2 creates a school bus replacement reserve fund not to exceed $100,000 annually. It passed 180-40.

Proposition 3 allows the purchase of school buses to replace existing vehicles at a sum not to exceed $250,000. It passed, 174-46.

Proposition 4 allows the creation of a capital improvement reserve fund not to exceed $5 million. It passed, 174-47.

Kendall residents also re-elected Nadine Hanlon, the current Board of Education president, to another five-year term. She was unopposed and received 199 votes.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jim Barrett, an emergency medical technician for the Kendall Fire Department, also works as a senior engineer for a company that manufactures hospital sterilization equipment. He used his life-savings skills as an EMT during a recent flight in the Middle East.

KENDALL – Jim Barrett has been on many long airplane trips and the veteran emergency medical technician will let the flight crews know he is an EMT and can help “just in case” someone may be feeling sick.

Almost every flight, Barrett can enjoy the trip without being prompted into action.

On May 7, Barrett was pressed into service when a flight attendant fell ill during a 14-hour flight from Washington, D.C. to Dubai. Barrett examined her and believed she was suffering from an acute appendicitis. The attendant was in severe pain, doubled over on the floor of the plane. Barrett didn’t think she could make it to the final destination before her appendix ruptured.

“If it bursts, there is infection in her abdominal cavity,” Barrett said today. “It would have been very dire. I don’t know if she would have survived that. We still had five hours to go.”

Barrett, 53, insisted to the flight crew the plane should be diverted so the flight attendant could be treated. Another medical professional on board confirmed the diagnosis, Barrett said.

The pilots at United consulted a medical command on ground, and those personnel suggested Tylenol and anti-nauseous pills. They believed the flight attendant could make it to Dubai, Barrett said.

But Barrett didn’t think the woman could last much longer. She was in extreme pain. He convinced the crew to divert and land at Ankara, the capitol of Turkey.

Turkish paramedics met the plane almost immediately after it landed and the stewardess was rushed to a local hospital.

Barrett and about 250 passengers on the 777 airplane stayed overnight in Ankara. The next morning they returned to the plane and the crew told Barrett the woman had the surgery, with doctors saying she only had 5 to 10 minutes to spare.

The woman had the operation in Turkey, and has since returned to the United States, Barrett said.

He has been an EMT for 35 years, starting when he was 18. He works as an electrical engineer, and is currently a senior engineer for Getinge, a company in Henrietta that makes hospital sterilization equipment.

Barrett travels to the Middle East, a big market for Getinge. He helps lead training for company employees and its distributors on maintaining and repairing the equipment.

Barrett said he is grateful the pilots diverted the plane so the flight attendant could get the needed medical care.

“I’ve had people get sick on planes before but I’ve never actually told the captain, ‘You must divert this plane,'” Barrett said. “We had a really good outcome from this. We did the right thing.”

Barrett said his effort on the plane is “all in a day’s work for a Kendall firefighter and EMT.”

His son Alex, 17, is a Kendall junior firefighter, and Barrett serves as advisor to the group.

He flew back home from the Middle East on Friday, with many of the same crew members from the flight on May 7. Barrett said he was warmly greeted by the crew.

“They said they were real happy they landed the plane,” he said.

Legislator worries about shrinking school enrollment

KENDALL – Kendall Central School District residents will see five propositions, including the 2015-16 budget, on the May 19 ballot.

School Board of Education members and District Superintendent Julie Christensen presented the budget during the annual meeting on Wednesday.

The proposed 2015-16 budget is $15.07 million and is Proposition 1 on the ballot. The budget includes a 0 percent increase in the tax levy.

Although enrollment continues to decline, there is no reduction in staff. The overall budget represents a 1.62 percent increase over the 2014-15 budget.

Christensen explained that the budget remains relatively flat because increases in cost of living have been offset by a decrease in pension costs, a decline in health insurance costs and energy savings from the district’s energy performance contract.

The proposed tax rate for Town of Kendall residents is $17.39 per $1,000 of assessed value. Property owners will see an estimated increase in their tax bill of $3 for a house assessed at $100,000, “mostly due to the PILOT agreement for the Cottages at Troutburg project,” Christensen said.

Proposition 2 would create a school bus replacement reserve fund not to exceed $100,000 annually.

Proposition 3 would allow the purchase of school buses to replace existing vehicles at a sum not to exceed $250,000.

Proposition 4 would allow the creation of a capital improvement reserve fund not to exceed $5 million.

Propositions 2, 3, and 4 will have no additional taxes if approved, the district said.

Proposition 5 is the election of one, five-year term member to the Board of Education. Current School Board President Nadine Hanlon is the incumbent and is seeking re-election. She is the only candidate for the single open seat.

Hanlon says she has enjoyed serving the last five years on the board. “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure to work with this board.”

She noted that she looks forward to moving ahead with the district’s “wonderful capital project” and the Urban/Suburban program that would welcome Rochester students to Kendall.

Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller attended the meeting. During the public comment portion of the hearing, DeRoller expressed concern over the average loss of 28 students from the district each year and explained Orleans and Niagara counties are working together to bring broadband to the community, which would help draw more businesses and new residents.

He also discussed the PILOT for the Cottages at Troutburg which is impacting the school budget for the first time.

“There are new investors” for the project, DeRoller said about the development at the former Salvation Army camp by Lake Ontario “It is a positive and robust picture at this point.”

DeRoller also said Kendall is in a “tough spot” due to a “flattening of the assessment roll.” He explained additionally there has been, on average, the construction of only one new home in Kendall each year over the last 10 years.

He explained the county, school district and town will work together to help the community grow.

“We have tough work ahead of us,” he said.

The Annual District Vote will be held May 19 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kendall Elementary School gymnasium. Voters must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of the Kendall Central School District for at least 30 prior to the vote. Proper ID is also required. Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained through the district clerk.

Provided photos
KENDALL – About 50 volunteers were out picking up trash along Kendall roadsides on Saturday during the Kendall Lions Club’s annual Environmental Cleanup Day.

In addition to the Kendall Lions, volunteers included Kendall Central School Leo Club, local Boy Scouts, area church groups, Kendall town officials and other Kendall community members.

Volunteers arrived at the Town Highway Building and were given a safety vest purchased by the Lions club to wear while covering almost 34 miles of town roads.

At the end of the morning a flat-bed trailer was filled with the bags of trash and several items were recycled through the e-waste program.

KENDALL – The Board of Education approved a $15,065,842 budget on Wednesday that represents a 1.59 percent budget-to-budget increase, Superintendent Julie Christensen said.

A public hearing on the 2015-16 budget and propositions is set for 7 p.m. on May 6 at the High School Commons. The annual District Budget Vote and elections will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 19 at the Elementary School Gymnasium.

Kendall will keep the tax levy flat by using a $400,000 increase in state aid.

Although the tax levy is holding steady, the tax rate will increase slightly, less than 0.5 percent, Christensen said. She noted the tax rate increase relates to the PILOT agreement for the Cottages at Troutburg project.

“The budget looks good,” she said. “There are no changes for student programs.”

Christensen explained that increases in the budget mainly involve a rise in the number of incoming kindergarteners who have special needs and will require the hiring of additional teacher and bus aides.

The district is also in need of technology equipment, particularly with changes to classrooms that are part of the Capital Improvement Project.

KENDALL – Members of the Kendall Central School District Board of Education have voted to join the Urban-Suburban program, in which students from the Rochester City School District attend schools outside city limits.

The program is marking its 50th anniversary this year and is funded by the New York State Education Department and the Rochester City School District.

“Five districts have joined this year,” Kendall School Superintendent Julie Christensen said.

Two of those districts include Hilton and Spencerport.

Joining the Urban-Suburban program is part of non-resident enrollment options Kendall will utilize in the upcoming school year to combat declining student numbers.

Christensen said current enrollment at Kendall is 718 students, down from 759 a year ago and 724 just last month.

The April 15 Kendall School Board of Education meeting was the third meeting where the board sought public input on the issue.

“This is a win-win for everybody,” Board Vice-President Chris Gerken said.

One parent in the audience said she felt the program is “fabulous” and provides opportunities for city students which they might not otherwise have.

Kendall can determine how many students it will accept and students can be removed from the program if the district so decides. The district can also opt out of the program if it wishes.

Gerken said he is “100 percent for the program,” but proposed that board members “discuss it next year” to access if the program is working in the district.

The district estimates that Urban-Suburban will bring $12,000 in aid per each student that is accepted.

Kendall is also offering enrollment to non-resident staff children and non-resident, non-staff committee approved children whose families would pay tuition to attend school in the district.

The Board approved non-resident tuition rates which will be 50 percent of state recommended tuition for the first student; 30 percent of state tuition for a second student and 10 percent of state tuition for any additional students.

The state recommends tuition of $2,440 for grades K-6 and $5,051 for students in grades 7-12. Special education tuition rates are significantly higher.