By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2014 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – The Town Board approved a $1,646,378 budget on Tuesday that calls for a tiny tax increase of 0.12 percent, well below the 2 percent tax cap.
The budget will increase the tax levy, what the town collects in taxes, from $672,660 to $673,364. The tax rate will increase from $4.430 to $4.435, which is another half penny per $1,000 of assessed property.
The budget includes $1,229,418 in town funds outside of special districts. The districts – water, lighting, fire protection and library – accounted for $416,960.
“We looked at where we can provide services and maintain services and still stay under the tax cap,” said Tony Cammarata, the town supervisor.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2014 at 12:00 am
School leader worries about declining enrollment
Photo by Tom Rivers – Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata says the town is working to extend public waterlines in Kendall.
KENDALL – Town officials were asked on Tuesday to push to extend public water in the town and also to target abandoned and distressed houses.
The lack of public water and the unkempt houses is a deterrent to growing the community, said Nadine Hanlon, president of the Kendall Board of Education. She offered to write letters to state officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, if it would improve the town’s chances for a public water project.
The school district keeps shrinking. It had 762 students last school year and is now down to 729, a 4.3 percent drop. In 2001, Kendall had a student enrollment of 1,132. It is down by 403 students or 35.6 percent over 13 years.
“To me that’s very concerning,” Hanlon told the Town Board.
She sees some of the distressed properties as potential housing for young families if the sites could be improved. Public water lines could also draw more families to Kendall, she said.
“Anything you can do to get more water in the community and clean up the houses,” she told the Town Board.
She noted the school district is about to upgrade its facilities and the district also has been recognized as a leader for student achievement.
“We strive to provide a great education, but we can’t do that without children in our schools,” Hanlon said.
The Town Board is working on a new Water District that would include Kendall Road, Norway Road and Creek Road in the northern part of town. Kendall’s chances for federal funding for the project increase if the majority of the households in the district are low to moderate income, with $56,000 considered the threshold, said Tony Cammarata, the town supervisor.
Kendall needs at least 80 percent of the property owners in the district to complete income surveys. By Monday, the town reached the 80 percent mark with 63 out of 78 turned in. Cammarata also said the majority are under the $56,000 threshold.
The town will take the next step in the process, which could be adding more homes to the district or forming the district with the three roads.
“I’m sitting here at a very high confidence level that we’re moving to the next level,” Cammarata said.
Two other residents said abandoned and unsightly properties are driving down property values and driving away potential residents. Carol D’Agostino, the high school principal and life-time Kendall resident, suggested the town and local service clubs could offer to haul away some junk and debris from properties. The items could be collected or dropped off at the town and then hauled away.
Cammarata said he would see if a committee could be formed to pursue the “Town Cleanup Day.”
Lynn Mael, a Kenmor Road resident, says a neighbor has moved out of a house and left it abandoned and in disarray. The site is owned by the Bank of America and attracts rodents, said Mael, a former code enforcement officer. He suggested the town look into condemning the property.
Paul Hennekey, the current codes officer, said he wants to avoid condemning sites because of the legal process involved. It’s also difficult to resell and rehabilitate condemned sites, he said.
Hennekey agreed there are many properties in distress in Kendall.
“The abandoned buildings are a problem,” he said. “My approach is to keep them sealed and mowed. But sometimes it is hard to find a contact for the owner.”
The Town Board on Tuesday welcomed Wayne Martin to his first meeting as town councilman. He won an election on Nov. 4. Rather than wait until Jan. 1 for Martin to take office, Cammarata and the Town Board appointed Martin to a vacant position on the board caused by the resignation of Patrick Snook.
Martin served 30 years in the Navy, including 20 years of active duty. He works part-time for a pool company in Spencerport and also part-time for the Public Safety Training Facility in Rochester, maintaining equipment. He’s also a CPR instructor.
Community Action volunteers last week packed 60 boxes of personal care products, packaged food, magazines, games and other activity items for soldiers.
Kristen Ostrander of Kendall led the “Treats for Troops” effort. Many local families will miss close holiday interactions this season because a member of their family is serving with the military overseas.
Besides the items, each solider also will receive a thank you note from Kendall fifth and sixth graders.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 November 2014 at 12:00 am
There wasn’t much action in the local election scene this year for town and county races. The bulk of those positions will be up for election next year.
But there were four positions open and all four candidates were unopposed on Tuesday.
Albion elected two justices with incumbent Gary Moore receiving 986 votes for re-election. The retired police officer was endorsed by both the Republican and Democratic Party.
Kevin Howard opted against re-election. Joe Fuller, a recently retired Albion police officer, was cross-endorsed by the Democrats and Republicans and he received 894 votes. Fuller is also a county coroner.
In Kendall, two candidates ran unopposed. David Gaudioso, a Republican, received 615 votes for town justice. Incumbent Stephen Cliff chose not to run for re-election.
Wayne M. Martin, Jr., another Republican, ran for a three-year term on the Town Board and received 625 votes. Martin will fill the remainder of a term from Patrick Snook, who resigned last January.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2014 at 12:00 am
SPENCERPORT – The BOCES that serves the Holley and Kendall school districts, as well as seven districts in western Monroe County, is proposing a $29.2 million capitol project.
Residents in the nine-member Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES can vote on the proposal on Dec. 16 at the WEMOCO Educational Services Center. Voting will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 3599 Big Ridge Rd.
This would be the first capitol project in 40 years and would include an addition and renovations so the center mirror’s a modern workplace for students in the career and technology program, BOCES leaders said.
The project calls for a 15,200-square-foot addition to the campus. That addition would cost an estimated $9.8 million. The addition will include space for classrooms, a career skills center, and early childhood and preschool programs.
The project also includes $12.3 million in work to the center’s north building, renovating classrooms, replacing rooftop units and exhaust systems, improving plumbing and electrical systems. The south building at the center would also get $6.2 million in upgrades.
There also is $968,500 slated for parking lot reconstruction, with improved bus and traffic flow, upgraded lighting and utilities, drainage and a relocated playground.
The BOCES served an average of 1,067 students each of the past five years with 44 from Kendall and 58 from Holley.
State aid would cover 63.2 percent of the project with member districts covering the remaining 36.8 percent. That share for Holley would be $400,451, while Kendall would pay $320,078.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2014 at 12:00 am
The races for governor and State Senate are getting lots of attention before the Nov. 4 election. There are also positions on the ballot in two local towns.
Albion will elect two justices on Nov. 4, and two candidates are unopposed.
Incumbent Gary Moore, a retired police officer, is seeking re-election to a four-year term. Kevin Howard has opted against re-election. Joe Fuller, a recently retired Albion police officer, has been cross-endorsed by the Democrats and Republicans for justice. Fuller is also a county coroner. Moore also has the Democratic and Republican Party endorsement.
In Kendall, two candidates are running unopposed. David Gaudioso has the Republican endorsement for town justice. Incumbent Stephen Cliff chose not to run for re-election.
Wayne M. Martin, Jr. also has the GOP endorsement for the Town Board. Martin is running to fill the remainder of a term from Patrick Snook, who resigned last January.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – Members of the Kendall Board of Education are pictured with district superintendent Julie Christensen, third from left, this evening behind the existing cafeteria, where a new one will be built.
The board members include, from left: Martin Goodenbery, Vice President Chris Gerken, President Nadine Hanlon, Chaley Swift and Charles Patt.
This rendering from SWBR Architects shows how the new cafeteria will look. Contractors will get started on the cafeteria on Oct. 27. That project is scheduled to be ready in time for the 2015-16 school year.
District Superintendent Julie Christensen outlines the capital project before a ground-breaking celebration this evening.
Both the elementary school and junior-senior high school buildings will be “ripped apart” next summer for an array of improvements, Christensen said.
The project includes new roofs for both school buildings, as well as energy efficient improvements, heating and ventilation work, and updated security measures. Both sites will also see improvements to parking lots and sidewalks.
The junior-senior high school was built in 1971 in an “open classroom” model that didn’t include contained classrooms. The school includes partitions to try to reduce noise and hallway distractions. The capital project would give all the classrooms four walls and their own door.
This rendering from SWBR Architects shows how the junior-senior high school will look after renovations. The top left picture shows the existing school.
The Board of Education last month approved about $16 million in construction bids. Turner Construction of Buffalo will serve as construction manager for the project, overseeing seven different contracts.
The following are low bidders for the project:
General trades – Allied Builders, Inc. of Brockport for $4,987,000.
Roofing – Elmer W. Davis of Rochester for $5,782,177.
Drywall – Accurate Acoustical Corp. of Victor for $1,144,000.
Plumbing – Michael A. Ferrauilo Plumbing & Heating of Rochester for $468,000.
HVAC – Landry Mechanical Contractors of Le Roy for $2,253,500.
Electrical – Kaplan-Schmidt Electric of Rochester for $1,189,000.
Controls – Trane of Rochester for $592,756.
Christensen addresses community members inside the cafeteria during a ground-breaking celebration. Board of Education members are pictured next to her, including from left: Nadine Hanlon, Chris Gerken, Charles Patt, Chaley Swift and Martin Goodenbery.
Hanlon thanked the community for its support, including approving the $25 million capital project in May 2013. The project will result in a better learning environment for students and teachers, while also making the buildings much more secure, she said.
“It’s so exciting for our school district and for our community,” Hanlon said. “The school is the community hub for Kendall.”
Kendall school adminsitrators pose with the ceremonial ground-breaking shovels. They include, from left: Elementary Principal Sharon Smith, District Superintendent Julie Christensen and High School Principal Carol D’Agostino, who was in Kendall’s first class in the open classrooms when the school opened about four decades ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – A massive arcing rainbow broke out in the sky this evening around 6:30. The top photo was taken behind the Kendall Junior-Senior High School. I was there for the ground-breaking for the school district’s $25 million capitol project. (Check back soon for that story.)
It was a moody sky and I headed to Greenwood Cemetery on Route 18 in Kendall for some photos, including one of the Civil War cannon.
This is one of the many well-kept cemeteries in the county that serves as a final resting place for our local residents.
The county should develop a Civil War Trail and include Greenwood Cemetery as a stop.
These older cemeteries have a strong sense of sacrifice.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess
KENDALL – Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputies recently recovered several marijuana plants being cultivated at two separate locations in the Town of Kendall.
On Tuesday at approximately 5:45 p.m., Deputies J.J. Cole and T.N. Tooley were sent to the 16400 block of Roosevelt Highway (State Route 18) after a combine operator discovered the plants growing in a corn field he was threshing.
The deputies subsequently seized 55 plants from that location. Neither the combine operator nor the property owner had any prior knowledge of the plants or the growers.
At approximately 7:05 p.m. that same day, Deputies Cole and Tooley responded to the 16400 block of Carr Road for a report of a “suspicious vehicle and person(s)” in the area. Two males had been observed exiting a vehicle and running into the adjacent corn field. When patrols arrived, the vehicle/person(s) had already left the area.
Deputies Cole and Tooley observed a pathway leading into the corn field. They followed the path and recovered 10 additional marijuana plants being grown there.
The 65 recovered plants were subsequently destroyed.
KENDALL – A Rochester man escaped serious injury last night after crashing the all-terrain vehicle he was operating in the Town of Kendall.
The incident was reported to Orleans County 9-1-1 shortly after 7 p.m. Philip J. McLaren, 24, had been operating the ATV across open land east of the 1800 block of Kendall Road (State Route 237).
McLaren, who was not familiar with the area, came upon a drainage ditch and made a sharp turn to avoid it. In doing so he lost control of the ATV, which then overturned. He was ejected.
McLaren was not wearing a protective helmet at the time of the incident. He was flown by MercyFlight helicopter to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he was treated and later discharged.
The incident was investigated by Deputy J.J. Cole. Kendall Fire and EMS personnel also assisted at the scene.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Elizabeth Pearson earns Gold Award
Photos by Peggy Barringer – Elizabeth Pearson is pictured with the new sign she made for the Kendall Community Park located across from the Kendall Elementary School.
KENDALL – The Kendall community opened a new park a few years ago with a gazebo as the centerpiece of the site. That park never had a sign and the gazebo was lacking enough places to sit down.
A local Girl Scout has met those needs for the site, building two benches and a sign for the park along Kendall Road across from the elementary school.
Elizabeth Pearson, 19, completed the projects for her Gold Award, the top honor that can be attained by a Girl Scout. She is one of only 5 percent of Scouts to earn the Gold Award.
Elizabeth worked closely with a mentor, Elizabeth Pensgen of Pittsford, to assemble the benches and sign, sanding them and then either staining or painting them.
Elizabeth was joined at a celebration Saturday for completion of the project by Ed Gaesser, a past president of the Kendall Board of Education, and Nadine Hanlon, current BOE president. The board in January supported the project.
Elizabeth Pearson also made these benches for the gazebo on Kendall Road. Each gazebo also has an etching of an eagle, the school mascot.
Elizabeth then worked to line up donations for the materials and complete the projects. She thanked Lowe’s for donating the wood and Lakeshore Luxuries in Hamlin for donating the decking screws.
She did the bulk of the work over the summer and last month. She graduated from Kendall last June and is a freshman at Monroe Community College, majoring in liberal arts.
She juggled her school work with the projects, which required a minimum of 80 hours of work to be eligible for the Gold Award.
Elizabeth lives just across the county line in Hamlin. She has been active in Troop 82089 for 10 years. She is grateful for the Scouting experiences.
“You get to be with your friends and do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do including horseback riding, whitewater rafting, camping and Christmas caroling,” she said.
She said the Gold Award projects were fun – and a lot of work.
“A lot of girls will back off from a Gold Award because it is so much work,” she said. “I wanted to be one of the few to get the Gold Award.”
Forrest Gump, Charlie Brown, Olaf make appearances
Photos by Peggy Barringer
KENDALL – Stars from the Silver Screen visited Kendall this year for the community’s annual scarecrow festival. This year’s theme was “Your Favorite Movie” and 15 characters were highlighted, including Charlie Brown and his gang.
Forrest Gump also was portrayed, sitting with a box of chocolates and his suitcase while waiting on a bench for a bus.
Olaf the snowman from the movie “Frozen” is a friendly face.
Chloe Dunn decorates a pumpkin as part of the festival. Some of the action shifted to the highway garage due to the drizzly weather.The festival also included live music, a scavenger hunt, a magic/balloon show, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, and a build your own scarecrow.
Bourke Balloon Show features Richard Hughson and Twistin’ Tim. In their balloon show the following were welcomed on stage: Grace Levett, princess; David P. as a bad guy; Elijah Bibby as the dragon; and William Lavender as a prince/frog.
The town is happy to celebrate the Scarecrow Festival with its welcome sign leading into the community.
A character from “The Lego Movie” celebrates the popular song from the movie.
Scarlet O-Chair-A makes an appearance in the Scarecrow Festival.
Ella Cole enjoyed the festival. Her grandmother, Becky Charland, is the festival main coordinator.
A llama named Domino also attended the festival and mingled with the crowd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Students petitioned district, which says it was never cut from curriculum
KENDALL – In August five elementary students petitioned the Kendall Board of Education to keep cursive writing in the curriculum.
The students are getting their wish, although Principal Sharon Smith said cursive writing wasn’t removed from the curriculum.
Cursive will be taught to third- and fourth-graders this year, and fifth- and sixth-graders will be given trace guides and work sheets to practice at home.
“It’s one more way students can communicate their thoughts,” Smith said.
Five students – Morgan Bukatis, Grace Casey, Cayden Faulks, Cameron Faulks and Riley Casey – submitted petitions signed by about 35 people to keep cursive writing. Smith said cursive never left the curriculum.
She said parents and grandparents of elementary students no doubt remember practicing cursive writing in school. Today’s students also learn to communicate on laptop computers, iPads and other technology during a time-crunched class schedule.
“There are other communication tools available now,” she said. “We had some parents ask, ‘Why are you still teaching cursive writing?'”
She praised the students for getting the petitions signed, meeting with school officials and presenting their ideas to the Board of Education.
“They’ve learned the democratic process,” Smith said. “That was the most valuable thing they learned.”
Cindy Christ is the grandmother of Cayden and Cameron Faulks. She supported the students in their push to promote cursive writing. She is pleased with the outcome from the school.
“The students that petitioned the school board are so excited to be learning it and that they have made a difference in their school,” Christ said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2014 at 12:00 am
District will have ground-breaking celebration Oct. 15
Photo by Tom Rivers – Kendall Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon, left, smiles with Julie Christensen, school district superintendent, after the Board of Education accepted seven different construction bids this evening for upgrades to the elementary and junior-senior high school.
KENDALL – Two-plus years of planning for a major capital project at Kendall Central School reached a big milestone this evening when the Board of Education approved construction bids for the project.
The seven different contracts totaled $16,416,433. That was under the district’s projections and means the district won’t have to eliminate pieces of the project to stay under budget.
The district will celebrate the ground-breaking of the project with a 6 p.m. ceremony on Oct. 15 just before the Board of Education meeting. The ground-breaking will be behind the junior-senior high school near the soccer fields. That area is where an addition for the cafeteria and kitchen will go.
The board approved the following bids tonight:
General trades – Allied Builders, Inc. of Brockport for $4,987,000.
Roofing – Elmer W. Davis of Rochester for $5,782,177.
Drywall – Accurate Acoustical Corp. of Victor for $1,144,000.
Plumbing – Michael A. Ferrauilo Plumbing & Heating of Rochester for $468,000.
HVAC – Landry Mechancial Contractors of Le Roy for $2,253,500.
Electrical – Kaplan-Schmidt Electric of Rochester for $1,189,000.
Controls – Trane of Rochester for $592,756.
When the bids were approved, Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon cracked a wide smile. She was a student at Kendall not long after the open classrooms were constructed. The project will make all of the classrooms enclosed, as well as tackling numerous other upgrades.
“It’s very exciting,” Hanlon said. “It’s exciting for me to see the transition.”
The project includes new roofs for both school buildings, as well as energy efficient improvements, heating and ventilation work, and updated security measures. Both sites will also see improvements to parking lots and sidewalks.
The junior-senior high school was built in 1971 in an “open classroom” model that didn’t include contained classrooms. The school includes partitions to try to reduce noise and hallway distractions. The capital project would give all the classrooms four walls and their own door.
Kendall residents approved the $25 million capitol project in May 2013. The district has been working with the State Education Department since then on the final designs for the work.
The construction bids do not include costs for architectural fees, construction management, legal fees and other non-construction costs.
Contractors are scheduled to start work on the project Oct. 27, beginning in the back cafeteria of the junior-senior high school, as well as some of the underground infrastructure work at the elementary school.
Crews will continue to work in wings of the junior-senior high school during the winter and spring, with contractors busy next summer so the buildings are ready for the new 2015-16 school year next September. The project will be substantially complete then, with the final work planned for the summer of 2016.
The capitol project will be 90 percent funded with state aid. Kendall’s local share already is saved in a capital reserve account.
