By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – This memorial to victims in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was dedicated two years ago in Medina’s Rotary Park.
ALBION – The community is invited to two memorial events on Thursday for the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when nearly 3,000 people were killed.
There will be a 10 a.m. service at the Elks Lodge on West State Street in Albion, with first responders recognized. Police officers, firefighters, emergency medics and citizens will light candles and place memorial wreaths. Larry Montello, an active member of the American Legion, is organzing the event to honor the people who were killed in terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a downed airplane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania.
Participants are asked to gather at the Elks Lodge at 9 a.m. Community Action will provide refreshments.
The service will also include the playing of taps, the raising of a 9/11 flag and a gun salute.
Later at 6 p.m., there will be a candlelight vigil in front of the Orleans County Courthouse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Brittany Kennedy – Brittany Kennedy returned to West Kendall Road home on Aug. 11 to see a black bear by her house. The bear went up on her porch and sifted through a recycling bin and grabbed a coffee can before taking off for the woods. The story about the bear sighting was the most clicked story of the month on the Orleans Hub.
Orleans Hub just completed our 17th month of covering local news and August proved our busiest month for total pageviews.
Readers checked out 454,522 pageviews, which topped the July record of 444,389. Our number of unique visitors each day is holding steady at just over 4,600. Orleans Hub went “live” on April 2, 2013.
We typically post our Top 5 stories of the month but this time we will do our Top 7 because numbers 5, 6 and 7 were nearly tied in pageviews or “clicks” on the headline, numbers that are usually generated through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Shelby firefighter John Miller, 36, was injured in this accident on Aug. 1 near the intersection of Maple Ridge Road and West Avenue.
Photo by Tom Rivers – An Albion school bus heads down East Park Street this morning after picking up students.
Press release
Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess wants to remind everyone that all area schools are back in session this week following the summer recess.
School buses are back on our roadways, and students will be walking along streets and highways and/or waiting for their buses.
“This is the time of year when we ask motorists to be especially watchful in residential areas, along school bus routes, and in school zones,” Hess said. “Children and traffic are often a deadly combination because kids often make impulsive decisions that can result in grave consequences. Drivers must never assume that children walking to or from school will make responsible, mature decisions.”
The NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee recommends the following:
Please watch carefully for children near school buildings, in areas where school buses are traveling, or where there are signs for school zones or bus stops.
Motorists please remember that if you are approaching a school bus from either direction, and its yellow lights are flashing, the bus is preparing to stop.
If the red lights are flashing on the school bus YOU MUST STOP! It’s the law and the penalty for violating it is severe.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office wishes everyone a safe return to school and continued safety throughout the school year!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
A caravan of Model T Fords head down South Main Street in Medina this morning in route from Albion to Orleans Ford in Medina. These two cars are driven by Tom Eagles (1914 Model T Ford four-door convertible), front, of Hamilton, Ontario, and Brad Glover (red 1911 Model T) from Scarborough, Ontario.
About two dozen of the Model T cars are in Orleans County for the weekend, touring local sites. The owners are members of the Model T Ford Club, Ontario Region. Many of the drivers are Canadians.
Glover, the Ontario resident, said he welcomes the get-a-ways with his car.
“It’s for the camaraderie,” he said. “That’s the whole the point of doing it. I don’t see the point of just looking at it.”
Most of the Model T cars are painted black. That’s how they were made from 1914 to 1925. Glover’s car was made in 1911 and was painted red.
“The early cars had colors,” he said. “They also had more brass.”
George Bidleman (left), owner of Orleans Fords in Medina, poses with Doug Lockwood of Albion and Lockwood’s 1926 Ford Model T. Lockwood has owned the car since the 1960s and driven it in many states.
“It’s been a good car,” Lockwood said.
Bidleman served the Model T drivers and riders breakfast at the dealership.
“It’s awesome,” Bidleman said, looking at the lineup of old cars.
The “Easy Ride Tour” heads to Lockport and Olcott today. On Sunday the cars head to Pine Hill Airport in Barre for breakfast, then they go to Brockport and swing back to Schwenk’s Winery in Kent.
Monday they are going to Mount Albion Cemetery before heading out to see the Shoe Tree in Lyndonville, and nearby Amish and Mennonite businesses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Allens Bridge Road canal bridge in Albion has a weight limit of 7 tons. It is one of several canal bridges that can not carry heavy trucks.
It doesn’t happen very often but the elected town, village and county boards are united on an issue. They have all passed formal resolutions for more state funding for roads and bridges.
The money is already there, said Legislator Ken DeRoller, R-Kendall, but the state diverts funding for roads and bridges to other purposes.
The County Legislature, 10 Town Boards and four Village Boards in the county have all formally approved resolutions “Urging Structural Reform of the State Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund.” Carlton was the most recent to approve the resolution, making it unanimous among the elected municipal boards.
Taxpayers pay billions into the Highway and Bridge Trust Fund through taxes and fees but 75 percent of the money is then “siphoned off to pay for borrowing and operating costs of state agencies, leaving fewer dollars for improving our infrastructure,” according to the resolution.
The local government leaders are urging the governor and State Legislature to develop a multi-year plan for the fund to meet the infrastructure needs for bridges and roads in the state.
This is only the second time all municipal boards in the county have passed the same resolution. The boards did it for the first time last year in opposing the SAFE Act, a gun control law approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature in January 2013.
The county, towns and villages also have been pressing the state to better maintain bridges in the county. The canal bridges are particularly worrisome, officials said. There are 26 canal bridges in the county, including seven lift bridges.
Twelve of the 26 bridges have been declared “functionally obsolete.” Another six are considered “structurally deficient” by the state Department of Transportation. Two are closed – Brown Street in Albion and Hindsburg Road in Murray. The Knowlesville lift bridge is limited to one lane and 6 tons.
Other bridges have reduced weight limits below 10 tons, including Transit Road in Albion at 9 tons, Allens Bridge Road in Albion at 7 tons, Presbyterian Road in Albion at 5 tons, and Groth Road at 9 tons in Murray. Most of the bridges are about 100 years old. They were installed when the canal was widened in 1909 to 1914.
The closed and weight-reduced bridges forces longer trips for school buses, fire trucks, tractor trailers and big farm equipment, hindering public safety and commerce in the county, legislators said.
With less state funding for bridges, the county is considering using more local dollars for infrastructure projects so more bridges aren’t closed in the near future. That will put the burden of the projects on local taxpayers.
Press release, New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association
ALBION – Officers from the Orleans Correctional Facility held their second annual charity golf tournament on Aug. 18 and raised $7,000 for the American Heart Association in honor of an officer who recently passed away from a heart-related condition.
The charity event, which had more than 150 participants at the Batavia Country Club, raised $7,000 in the name of Officer Duane Catanesi, who passed away suddenly in January.
Fellow officers and civilian staff from Orleans organized the tournament and had assistance from officers from Attica and Gowanda Correctional Facilities. The tournament was also supported from local businesses in the area that donated raffle items and sponsored tee signs.
Last year the tournament benefited the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in honor of an officer who could no longer work after he was diagnosed with MS. The 2013 tournament raised $6,500 for the MS Society.
“I would like to thank each and every officer who volunteered their time in organizing and participating in this important charity event,” said Western Region Vice President Mike Dildine. “For the past two years this tournament has supported two important organizations that are very close to our members’ hearts. They not only raised money to support these two organizations, but they did it in honor of two fellow officers and their families. NYSCOPBA members raise money for a wide variety of charities and local community organizations throughout the year and our members should be proud of the impact they have on those organizations.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard, center, accepts a plaque from of the Orleans County Sportsmen Federation, including Mike Elam, at left, and Mike Donahue, the group’s president.
ALBION – When the log cabin at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds needed repairs beginning about three years ago, the County Legislature directed $5,000 to replacing three of the walls at the site.
Volunteers, including Legislature Chairman David Callard, have worked steadily at removing the old rotted walls and replacing them with new wood.
The refurbished log cabin, including a new front fence, was done in time for last month’s fair, providing a safer and better showcase for local conservation and sportsmen’s clubs.
Leaders of the Orleans County Sportsmen Federation stopped by the Legislature’s meeting on Wednesday to thank the group for their support. The Sportsmen presented a plaque to Legislature Chairman David Callard, who spent a couple days working with volunteers on the project, removing old mortar and tearing out the rotted wood.
The cabin was first completed in 1976 and is used for many hunter safety classes, and conservation programs.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Volunteers work on removing a wall at a log cabin at the 4-H Fairgrounds in this photo from June. A new wooden wall was built in time for the fair.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Visitors now have to use elevator and be ‘buzzed’ in
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Residents who wanted to see the County Legislature typically would ascend the stairs at the County Clerks’ Building at 3 South Main St.
But visitors now have to use an elevator from the bottom floor and be “buzzed” in.
The county took out old tall wooden doors and replaced it with smaller doors with a steel frame. The old doors are being stored. (This picture was taken in late July while the old doors were still in place. A new door is in the back.)
Most of the Legislature’s visitors won’t be using the new door. They are directed to a door just outside the elevator on the top floor. Legislature David Callard said legislative staff were often caught off guard with two entrances leading to their work area.
The upgraded security is part of an effort to make the county buildings safer for employees, Callard said.
“We’re looking at other departments,” he said. “This is concern for all municipalities across the nation.”
The finished product includes a secure entrance leading into the top floor of the County Clerks’ Building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – In 2011, Orleans County started sending out tax bills that highlighted the local taxpayer costs for the nursing home, state-mandated programs and other general services.
But the county plans to cease the “Truth in Taxation” and return to one line item on tax bills beginning in 2015. The nursing home is being sold and breaking out the categories proved “confusing” to residents, said Legislator Lynne Johnson, R-Lyndonville.
The Legislature will have a public hearing at 4:20 p.m. on Sept. 24 about the changes. The hearing will be in the Legislative Chambers of the County Clerks’ Building at 3 South Main St.
The county will continue to highlight the costs for state-mandated programs, Johnson said, by using a memo box on the bills that says 100 percent of the tax levy goes to state-mandated programs, with Medicaid the most costly.
“We’re still fighting unfunded mandates,” she said. “We aren’t backing off unfunded mandates.”
In other action, the Legislature:
Appointed Ed Morgan of Holley to serve as the county’s new representative on the board of directors for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Morgan is the Murray town highway superintendent and the Orleans County Republican Party chairman.
He will replace Marcia Tuohey, who died on Aug. 7 and represented the county for nearly a decade on the OTB board.
One legislator, Fred Miller, opposed the appointment because he said there should have been public input on who would represent the county in the part-time position.
“It’s the process I’m opposed to,” Miller said.
Legislature Chairman David Callard said the county’s appointment still needs to be confirmed by the state Racing and Wagering Board, and that typically takes two to four months. However, if there is a big change with upcoming state elections, Callard said the Racing and Wagering Board might not approve the appointment until spring. That would be a long time for the county to go without representation on the OTB board.
State Sen. George Maziarz urged the County Legislature to fill the position expeditiously so he could help to have the person confirmed, Callard said. Maziarz is ending his career in Albany after this year.
Approved purchase of a new boat for the Orleans County Marine Patrol for $219,675. The new boat will replace a 2001 Baja Marine Vessel.
The new boat is a 27-foot-long Walk Around Cabin Marine Vessel. It will be purchased from SAFE Boats International in Bremerton, Wa. The county will spend up to $100,000 in local dollars for the boat to be financed over seven years. Grants from the state Parks and Recreation and state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will cover more than half the cost.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Local ‘Flivver Drivers’ are hosting about 20 of the cars
Photos by Tom Rivers – Joe Baker is pictured with his daughter Stephanie Carrico and her children, from left: Rachel, 1; Bailey, 2; and Annabelle, 4. They are posed with a 1920 Ford Model T.
ALBION – The “Easy Ride Tour” is returning to Albion this weekend and about 20 Model T Fords will be out visiting local sights.
Joe Baker of Albion is organizing the local tour that will include cars from Upstate New York and Southern Ontario. Baker is a member of the local “Flivver Drivers.”
He welcomes the public to stop and chat with the car owners when they make their stops over the weekend. Many of the Model T’s were restored – cars sometimes rescued from hedge rows.
Joe Baker’s grandchildren enjoy the comfy seats in a 1920 Ford Model T. Baker owns three Model T’s that will be featured in this weekend’s “Easy Ride Tour.”
“We try to get as many people interested in this hobby,” Baker said this morning at his home on West Bacon Road. “These cars are 100 years old and will need someone to take care of them.”
Baker will have three Model T’s on the road for the weekend. His daughter, Stephanie Carrico, is bringing a 1931 Model A from her home in Albany.
Carrico grew up with the old cars and has embraced the hobby. She takes her car to store and often drops off her daughter at preschool. People have lots of questions. When she got married, a caravan of Model A’s delivered the wedding party. Her father used to take her to school on the first day in the Model A.
“These clubs are very family oriented,” said Mr. Baker, owner of Quality Construction.
This year’s tour coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Model T. Orleans Ford in Medina will host 20 of the Model T’s, including at least 3 from 1914 or older, on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m.
Joe Baker of Albion stands next to a 1926 Ford Model T C Cab Pickup with a 1916 Model T in the middle and a 1920 Model T at the end.
The cars will arrive Friday evening and will visit Rocking R Ranch and Café, Cobble-Ridge Cooperative and Fair Haven Treasures on Ridge Road.
On Saturday, after going to Orleans Ford, they will head to Mac’s Antique Auto Parts in Lockport and then they’re off to Olcott.
Sunday the cars head to Pine Hill Airport in Barre for breakfast, then they go to Brockport and swing back to Schwenk’s Winery in Kent.
Monday they are going to Mount Albion Cemetery before heading out to see the Shoe Tree in Lyndonville, and nearby Amish and Mennonite businesses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature plans to raise the maximum income levels for senior citizens to qualify for a tax break.
Right now seniors who earn less than $19,200 are eligible for discounts on their county taxes. That level hasn’t been changed since 2007. The new level would be increased by $2,000.
The county will have a public hearing at 4:25 p.m. on Sept. 24 for the proposal. The hearing will be at the County Clerks’ Building in the Legislative chambers at 3 South Main St.
Right now the county offers 50 percent off for seniors with household incomes up to $13,500. The sliding scale exemption drops to 20 percent off for seniors with annual incomes between $18,300 and $19,199. It’s 0 percent for seniors with incomes at $19,200 or above.
The new proposed schedule includes the following percentage exemptions:
50 percent off for incomes up to $15,500
45 percent off for incomes between $15,500 and $16,499
40 percent between $16,500 and $17,499
35 percent between $17,500 and $18,499
30 percent between $18,500 and $19,399
25 percent between $19,400 and $20,299
20 percent between $20,300 and $21,199
0 percent after $21,200
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2014 at 12:00 am
‘Mural Mania’ leader wants murals in every canal town
Photo by Tom Rivers – Orleans County’s canal towns already have many murals, including eight in Holley on an octagonal building by the Canal Park and lift bridge. Artist Stacey Kirby created these murals called Treasures of Holley. They were unveiled in the spring 2010.
An international conference focusing on the power of murals to beautify and educate will be in the Rochester region in 2016, and the leader of the local effort wants to see more murals in canal communities.
Mark Decracker, founder of Mural Mania, has spearheaded many murals in the Wayne County area. He pushed to bring the Global Mural Conference to the Rochester area in 2016. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced the international will be coming to highlight public art along the canal.
Decracker said there are now murals in every canal community for 75 miles heading east of Rochester from Macedon to Syracuse. He would like to see at least one mural in every canal community – all 363 miles of the canal – within two years.
“You can take an unsightly area and turn it around,” Decracker said. “People will come to see a corridor of art.”
Provided photo – Arthur Barnes is pictured next to a 10-foot-long mural he installed in January at the corner of Presbyterian and Knowlesville roads at a former fire station. The mural highlights the nearby Widewaters section of the canal.
Photo courtesy of Mural Mania – This mural highlights the Battle of Sodus. It is one of several historical-themed murals in Wayne County.
Decracker is working to create an inventory of all of the public art along the canal trail. He also wants to encourage communities to add more. The conference can provide a goal to get the projects done by 2016, but Decracker said the murals will be a benefit long after the conference.
“We should do anything we can to improve the space,” he said. “Murals have a proven track record. They promote our heritage. They are a place to learn. Tourists will also stay longer if they can learn about local history.”
Decracker pushed for his first mural in 2007 in the village of Lyons. The community continues to embrace the projects and more towns reach out to him for help with projects.
“It’s a new renaissance along the canal,” he said. “We are filling in the gaps pretty quick. We can really make this place (the Canal Corridor) pretty special.”
Gillibrand held a press conference with Decracker on Aug. 11, announcing her support for the region to host the murals conference. A week later, an official announcement was made that the conference would be coming to the Rochester area.
“This is great news for the Finger Lakes Region and for everyone along the Erie Canal Corridor,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “This convention will bring welcome attention to the wealth of murals along the Erie Canal, as well as highlight everything that the region has to offer. It will bring together international, national, and local artists and give greater visibility to the talented artists in the area. The conference will encourage community discussion about how the arts can help to narrate the story of the Erie Canal and showcase our history in unique ways.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – Suzanne Wells, a retired Albion art teacher, created this Erie Canal-themed bench for downtown Albion. It is one of 10 benches painted as murals in Albion.
Decracker would like to work with schools to create individual art pieces that could be included in a larger mosaic. He would like that collective piece to then be showcased along the canal in a traveling boat.
Gordon Prestoungrange, president of the Global Mural Conference, said Decracker and Mural Mania put on a compelling presentation, convincing the conference leaders to come to the canal communities.
“This location was chosen because we wanted to learn about all that this region has to offer, and we are excited to aid in the revitalization of the canal corridor,” he said. “The Global Mural Conference will bring enthusiasm about the arts to Western New York and inspire even greater creativity in the area in the future.”
For more information, click here to see the web site for Mural Mania.
Contributed Story Posted 21 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided Photo
Several sports celebrities joined the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern in raising money for the agency during its golf tournament last month at the Batavia Country Club.
In this photo, Roosevelt Bouie, left, is pictured with two former wide receivers for the Buffalo Bills, Lou Piccone and Ed Rutkowski. Bouie starred on the basketball court for Kendall High School, Syracuse University and then in pro leagues overseas.
About 50 people played in the tournament and raised about $1,000 for the agency. The Ministry of Concern is selling raffle tickets for the Nov. 9 Bills game against the Chiefs as well as for a chance to win a football signed by members of the 1995 Bills team. Call 589-9210 for more information.
‘Teaching Is The Core’ to strengthen assessment practices
Press release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – The Orleans/Niagara BOCES has been approved for a $400,000 grant from the State Education Department for the “Teaching is the Core” initiative, said Dr. Clark Godshall, BOCES Superintendent.
The grant, funded through New York’s Federal Race to the Top grant, will support the 13 component school districts and the BOCES in their efforts to eliminate locally adopted tests that do not contribute to teaching and learning. In addition, the funds will help the districts identify and improve high-quality assessments already in use that can be included as a component of multiple measures of student learning and school and educator effectiveness.
“The recent outcry over too many school assessments belies the need for quality assessments that are an integral part of teaching and learning,” Godshall said. “While tests provide useful feedback to teachers, parents and students, they must be of high quality and informative.”
Some of the tests do not always support good instruction and sometimes even crowd out time for student learning, Godshall said.
“Testing should be the minimum necessary to inform effective decision-making in classrooms, schools and districts,” he said. “This grant will help reduce non-essential local testing in our region. And, more important, they’ll help teachers teach more and test less, which is exactly what our students need.”
The grant will also support professional development throughout the districts to maintain educational excellence. Albion, Medina and Lyndonville are part of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES.
The “Teaching is the Core” funding will allow the 13 districts and BOCES to:
Determine which assessments support the instructional goals of the district;
Determine an appropriate action plan that will eliminate unnecessary assessments and increase the use of diverse and quality assessment;
Support the use of diversified assessment strategies by encouraging a review of local assessments currently in use for teacher evaluations (APPR); and
Establish a professional development program that will aid teachers in identifying high-quality assessments and improving assessment practices.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2014 at 12:00 am
The second round of state standardized tests, which are aligned with Common Core Learning Standards, show that most local students are not meeting proficiency levels in the tests for grades 3 through 8.
State-wide only about a third of students are at proficiency levels for the math and English tests. The percentage of students who are proficient in math rose from 31.2 percent to 35.8 percent, according to test results released last week by the State Education Department.
The percentage for English Language Arts barely changed, with proficiency rates increasing from 31.3 percent to 31.4 percent, according to the state Education Department. Students who are proficient or higher score a 3 or 4 on the exams.
Here are the proficiency levels for each test in the five local districts in Orleans County:
