Photos by Tom Rivers – The Honor Guard does a gun salute during a Veterans day service today in Albion.

County Legislator Lynne Johnson spoke at the service, saying Veterans Day gives Americans a chance to express their appreciation to veterans.

ALBION –  Today on Veterans Day, Orleans County residents, especially the younger generations, were urged to learn more about the sacrifices made by American soldiers.

Speakers at a Veterans Day ceremony said Americans have been defending the country for more than two centuries, pressing on despite starvation in the Revolutionary War to patrolling a current battlefield in the mountains of Afghanistan.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said Americans owe a debt of gratitude to veterans, past and present.

“Our country’s freedom and way of life is guaranteed by the sacrifices of those who pledged to defend our Constitution, with the price of their lives if necessary,” Hawley said.

On Memorial Day, Americans honor service members who lost their lives in war. On Veterans Day, Hawley said, the country remembers the sacrifices of veterans who returned from conflict, “but still carry the wounds of battle, both internal and external.”

County Legislator Don Allport urged veterans to share their stories so others can better appreciate their sacrifices.

County Legislators Don Allport and Lynne Johnson both spoke at the service outside the Veterans Service Agency on Route 31. They praised veterans for heeding a call to protect the country, regardless of the location on the globe or the danger at hand.

“This is a day we can remember and honor the veterans,” Johnson said.

She said some families have borne a high cost of that service as many Americans have been killed in the line of duty.

Allport urged veterans in the county to tell their stories so Americans can appreciate the sacrifices for their rights to bear arms, worship in religion, speak out and other freedoms.

“Let young people know what you went through for America,” Allport said.

He told the crowd he worries about the United States.

“Our country is headed down a dark and evil path,” he said.

Veterans, including Emerson “Tinker” Young in front, attend a Veterans Day service in Albion outside the Veterans Service Agency.

Paul Fulcomer, the Veterans Service Agency director, works with veterans on a daily basis, helping them to access benefits they have earned.

“I’m very fortunate every day in my job I get to say thank you to the veterans,” Fulcomer said. “I encourage you all to thank a veteran today.”

Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion, has three sons who enlisted in the Marines. One son Michael remains in active duty and completed a deployment to Afghanistan.

Lindsay led the service today in opening and closing prayers, asking God to bless the United States.

Adam Tabelski, communications director for state Sen. George Maziarz, also spoke at the service. Tabelski also completed an overseas deployment as a soldier.

He welcomed peace for the world, and urged Americans to help veterans when they return from war to adjust to the next chapter in their lives.

“It will serve as a continual reminder of what veterans have done for us in the past, present and future.” – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Photo by Tom Rivers – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley speaks during a Veterans Day service in Albion today.

One of Orleans County’s busiest roads, Route 98, has been designated as a memorial highway for local veterans.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday signed the legislation designating Route 98 from its northern tip in Carlton near Lake Ontario to the southern border of Genesee County as the “Genesee and Orleans Veterans’ Memorial Highway.”

Designating this portion of Route 98 is a fitting tribute to the service men and women who have selflessly defended the lives of millions of Americans, Cuomo said on Sunday when he signed the bill.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley introduced the legislation in the Assembly and secured Senate sponsors in George Maziarz and Michael Ranzenhofer.

“It will serve as a continual reminder of what veterans have done for us in the past, present and future,” Hawley said this afternoon about the memorial highway.

He said the state Department of Transportation will erect the signage along Route 98.

Hawley and the state senators considered other state highways in the two counties for the memorial highway, but decided Route 98 was the best choice.

“It’s right down the center,” Hawley said.

Cuomo also announced on Sunday that he signed legislation to ensure that the flags lowered to half-staff at the State Capitol in honor of a fallen soldier are presented to the loved ones of the deceased.

“As we honor the service of all those who served this Veterans Day, I am proud to sign this legislation to provide this lasting symbol to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom,” the governor said. “New York state commemorates the fallen by lowering flags flown above the State Capitol to half-staff, and by giving these flags to the loved ones of our heroes we will help further honor their memory and courage.”

Absentees will be opened on Nov. 12 to determine winners

Four races in town elections are too close to name a winner until the absentee ballots are all opened. That will happen on Nov. 12 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Board of Elections office.

Of the four races, the Albion town supervisor contest is the closest. Jake Olles is ahead of Matt Passarell by 1 vote, 476-475. Both candidates are town councilmen vying to replace Dennis Stirk, who didn’t seek re-election.

The BOE has received 46 absentees in the race, but Election Commissioner Dennis Piedimonte said more may have been mailed in on Tuesday.

In Barre, it was also close in the race to succeed Alan Jones as town justice. Richard DeCarlo Jr. has a nine-vote lead over Rick Root, 205 to 196, with about 20 absentees to be counted.

Two races for highway superintendent are also very close. In Carlton, incumbent David Krull is ahead of Paul Snook, 403 to 394 with 48 absentees to be counted.

In Ridgeway, Ray Wendling has an eight-vote lead, 570 to 562, over incumbent Mark Goheen. There are 33 absentees out.

Nursing Home issue not enough to elect opposition except for Fred Miller in Albion

ALBION – A public outcry over the past several months against selling the county nursing home wasn’t enough to elect a slate of candidates who ran to “Save Our Nursing Home.”

The Republican candidates for Legislature were all swept into office, except for incumbent Henry Smith Jr. He lost to Fred Miller, 900-607. Miller is an Albion village trustee who owns a hardware store in downtown Albion.

Miller’s victory was tempered by the loss of four candidates who ran on an independent “Save Our Nurisng Home” line. Those candidates – Gary Kent, Jack Gillman, Linda Rak and Emil Smith – also secured either the Democrat or Conservative lines. Miller ran with the backing of the Democrats and Conservatives, as did David Schult.

“Everyone worked very hard,” said Jeanne Crane, the Democratic Party chairwoman. “They put their whole heart into it. They did the best that they could.”

Crane said Democrats fielded an energetic challenge to Republicans, who have nearly double the number of registered Democrats in the county. Republicans also had more money to spend for mailers and advertising, Crane said.

“I’m just disappointed for the people who ran and put their whole heart into it,” she said at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, where Democrats and many members of the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County gathered on Tuesday night.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Concerned Citizens of Orleans County boldly urged people to vote in support of candidates who wanted The Villages of Orleans to stay a county-owned nursing home. This van was parked at the routes 98 and 31 intersection on Tuesday.

The group had hoped to celebrate a victory, and many expected a win given the Republicans, Conservatives and independents who rallied for the cause of keeping the nursing home county-owned. County Legislator George Bower, a Republican, chose to stay with the Democrats on Tuesday night rather than the Republican gathering at the Pillars.

Bower was the lone legislator who opposed transferring The Villages of Orleans, the 120-bed nursing home, to a local development corporation. That three-man board has received bids for the nursing home.

The atmosphere was subdued when the results were announced at the Pullman Church. None of the Save Our Nursing Home candidates won. Kent worked hard on the campaign for the past nine months. Incumbent Don Allport received 3,292 votes to 2,859 for Kent.

About 50 people at Pullman stood up and applauded Kent when he addressed the group. Kent thanked them for making the nursing home such a high-profile issue. He urged them to keep the “Save Our Nursing Home” signs in the ground, well after election day.

“Straighten them up and leave them there,” he said.

Miller’s win will give Democrats their first elected county official in four years. Miller credited his 33 years at the hardware store, plus experience on the Village Board, for giving him many connections in the community. He knows many residents turned out at the polls because of the nursing home.

“It woke up the community,” he said.

Miller said he will resign from the Village Board before his legislator term starts on Jan. 1. He is the first village resident to serve on the County Legislature in 30 years even though the village is the county seat.

Miller has a reputation on the Village Board for nay votes. He said he will bring an independent streak to the Legislature.

“I haven’t liked the lopsidedness of the County Legislature,” he said. “It takes someone to go against the grain.”

Republicans posted comfortable margins of victory in five other races. Legislature Chairman David Callard was unopposed.

Incumbent Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville was among the winners. She received 968 votes to 629 for Linda Rak.

Johnson acknowledged Orleans is a strong Republican county, which was key in a near GOP sweep.

But she said voters wanted more than a “one-issue campaign.” The Republicans have been noting the Legislature’s efforts to stay under the 2 percent property tax cap the past two years, and efforts to upgrade the emergency communication system, fix the county jail, promote the fishing industry, and trim the county government workforce.

“A lot of people were very passionate about the nursing home,” Johnson said. “We are going to save the nursing home. It just won’t be county-owned.”

Ed Morgan, the GOP chairman, praised the Republican legislators for bringing a business-approach to managing the county, looking for ways to reduce costs and privatize services where possible.

“They’ve done a good job especially when so many people are at their throats to cut, cut, cut,” Morgan said.

The county will have more resources for road and infrastructure, as well as public safety once the nursing home is sold, Morgan said.

“We stayed to the issues and the candidates worked hard,” he said about the GOP victories.

Johnson said Smith will be missed on the Legislature.

“He is a very honest, humble and moral man,” she said. “He’s been a big part of our team.”

New York voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution on Tuesday, allowing seven new resort-style casinos to be built off Indian-owned land.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed for the casino expansion, saying it would bring jobs and much-needed tourism money to the state, particularly four upstate locations. A new casino won’t be in Western New York as part of a compact with the Seneca Nation of Indians.

Most counties backed the casino expansion, but Orleans said no, with 3,226 voters opposing the amendment and 2,922 in favor of it.

The governor was pleased with the state-wide vote on the issue. He made this statement late Tuesday.

“This vote will keep hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year in neighboring states right here in New York while increasing revenue for local schools, lowering property tax taxes and bringing proper regulation to the industry,” he said.

There were six state-wide proposals before voters on Tuesday. One of them, a proposal to raise the allowable retirement age for judges to 80, was rejected. It failed in Orleans by a 1,735 to 4,016 vote.

Other proposals passed voter approval, including in Orleans County.

New Yorkers OK’d a long-standing constitutional element that allows municipalities to exclude the cost of sewer projects from their mandated debt limits, which encourages improvements to the state’s crumbling infrastructure. In Orleans, it passed 2,880 to 2,597.

Two land issues in the Adirondack Forest Preserve were also on the ballot. Proposal 4 authorizes the state to arrange a land swap to settle century-old property disputes between NY and about 180 private landowners. It won overwhelming support state-wide. It passed in Orleans with a 3,472 to 1,966 vote.

Another proposal was ahead in votes state-wide. It will allow NYCO Minerals the chance to expand by 200 acres at its wollastonite mine in Essex County. In exchange it will give 1,500 acres of land for inclusion in the forest preserve. The issue passed in Orleans by a 2,872 to 2,548 vote.

A proposal to provide an additional credit on civil service exams for disabled combat veterans was heartily endorsed state-wide and in Orleans County.

The state Constitution only allows a veteran to receive additional civil service credit once. The proposition on the ballot Tuesday will allow a veteran to receive additional service credit based upon the newly certified disability. Orleans voters supported it 4,580 to 1,268.

Public arts project raised $1,250 for art scholarships

Photo by Tom Rivers – Artist Christy Valsente, an employee at Arnold’s Auto Parts in Albion, created this palette that was displayed at Arnold’s as part of the Palettes of Orleans.

ALBION – In May, they started popping up in businesses around Orleans County, colorful paintings of local scenes and other subjects.

Kathy Blackburn, director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, hoped to have maybe 20 or 30 of the paintings displayed in businesses as part of a public arts trail that would promote merchants and local artists while raising money for art scholarships.

The businesses and artists surpassed Blackburn’s expectations. About 70 of the paintings were displayed. They were auctioned off last month during an event at Hickory Ridge Country Club.

The project raised $1,250 for scholarships with $250 going to each school district – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.

“It created a lot of buzz in the county,” Blackburn said.

She already is working on the second edition of the Palettes of Orleans in 2014, but there will be some changes.

Blackburn would like to get the palettes to artists early next year so they can work on their paintings with the goal to have them all unveiled at the same time, a July 1 target date.

This year, the palettes were put up whenever artists could finish them, with some done in May and others as late as September and early October. About 40 artists donated their services for the project.

Blackburn believes the Palettes proved a showcase for the local artists, giving them more exposure.

“Who knew we had this much talent in Orleans County?” she said.

The Chamber plans to have a fall auction again in 2014 so bidders can purchase the artwork and meet the artists with some of the proceeds going to art scholarships.

Here are the unofficial results for the town elections, with 40 of the 40 polling places in Orleans County reporting. Some of the races are too close to call until the absentee ballots are opened next Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Town of Albion

Town Supervisor – Jake Olles (D, No Bull): 476

Town Supervisor – Matt Passarell (R, C): 475

Town Councilman – Todd Sargent (D, R): 783

Town Councilman – Richard Remley (R): 497

Town Councilman – Justin Sheehan (D): 458

Town of Barre

Town Supervisor – Mark Chamberlain (R): 325

Town Supervisor – Cyndy Van Lieshout (D): 186

Town Councilman – Tom McCabe (R): 331

Town Councilman – Lynn Hill (R): 366

Town Councilman – Joe Grabowski (D): 224

Town Justice – Richard DeCarlo (R, I): 205

Town Justice – Rick Root (D): 196

Town Justice – Sean Pogue (C): 117

Town of Carlton

Town Clerk – Pam Rush (R): 519

Town Clerk – Lea Olles (write-in): 185

Town Councilman – Joyce Harris (R): 401

Town Councilman – James Shoemaker (R): 392

Town Councilman – Bilal Huzair (D, C): 296

Town Councilman – Douglas Hart (D): 245

Highway Superintendent – Paul Snook (R, C): 394

Highway Superintendent – David Krull (I): 403

Town Justice – Kevin Hurley (R): 551

Town of Clarendon

Town Supervisor – Richard Moy (R): 378

Town Councilman – Paul Nicosia (R): 364

Town Councilman – Marc Major (R): 351

Town of Gaines

Town Supervisor – Carol Culhane (R, C): 427

Town Councilman – James Kirby (R): 374

Town Councilman – Susan Smith (R): 403

Town Councilman – John Leggat (D): 184

Town Clerk – Jean Klatt (R): 371

Town Justice – Bruce Schmidt (D, R, C): 482

Town of Kendall

Town Supervisor – Anthony Cammarata (R): 375

Town Supervisor – Bart Joseph (write-in): 183

Town Councilman – Bruce Newell (R): 360

Town Councilman – Patrick Snook, Jr. (R): 362

Town Councilman – David Balka (write-in) + David Gaudioso (write-in): total 298

Town Justice – Debra Drennan (R): 436

Town Justice – Stephen Cliff (D): 171

Town Clerk – Amy Richardson (R): 513

Highway Superintendent – Warren Kruger (R): 517

Town of Murray

Town Supervisor – John Morriss (R): 410

Town Councilman – Kathleen Case (R): 372

Town Councilman – Paul Hendel (R): 407

Town Clerk – Cindy Oliver (R): 414

Highway Superintendent – Ed Morgan (R): 410

Town Justice – Gary Passarell (R): 402

Town of Ridgeway

Highway Superintendent – Mark Goheen (R, I): 562

Highway Superintendent – Ray Wendling (C, People’s Party): 570

Town Councilman – David Stalker (R): 742

Town Councilman – Jeff Toussaint (R): 832

Town Clerk – Barb Klatt (R): 921

Town Justice – Lawrence Sanderson (R): 867

Town of Shelby

Town Supervisor – Merle “Skip” Draper (R, C): 461

Town Councilman – Steve Seitz Jr. (R): 453

Town Councilman – William Bacon (R): 434

Town of Yates

Town Councilman – James Whipple (R): 284

Town Councilman – Brad Bentley (R): 338

Town Councilman – Paul Lauricella (C): 167

Town Supervisor – John Belson (R): 359

Town Justice – Don Grabowski (R): 376

“Turnout for local elections tends to be 27 percent, but this year it will likely top 40 percent or more in towns with contested races,” Election Commissioner Dennis Piedimonte said.

“Towns with unopposed candidates didn’t see a lot of turnout, probably around 20 percent,” Piedimonte said.

The returns are starting to come in at the Board of Elections.

It may be too close to call in the races for Highway Superintendent in Carlton and Ridgeway.

Dave Krull has a narrow lead over Paul Snook in Carlton and Ray Wendling has a slight lead over Mark Goheen in Ridgeway. Absentee ballots will be opened in a week to determine winner.

Photo by Tom Rivers

I voted at about noon today in Albion at the Elks Lodge on West State Street. I was told by the voting inspectors that turnout has been “steady” so far.

It is a warm day, which will make it easier for more people to get to the polls.

Not every one realizes there are six propositions on the back side of the ballot, so don’t forget about them. The one getting the most press is a proposal to allow seven casinos in the state that aren’t on Indian-owned land.

This might be the third year locally for the optical-scan machines. I miss the old manual-lever voting machines, but I’m getting used to the paper ballots.

The unofficial results for the Orleans County Legislature elections are in, with 40 of the 40 polling places reporting.

At-Large, West – David Callard (R-I): 4408

At-Large, Central – Don Allport (R, I, C): 3419

At-Large, Central – Gary Kent (D, Nursing Home): 2917

At-Large, East – John DeFilipps (R, I): 3367

At-Large, East – Jack Gillman (D, Nursing Home): 2573

District 1 – Bill Eick (R, I): 833

District 1 – Emil Smith (C, Nursing Home): 518

District 2 – Lynne Johnson (R, I): 968

District 2 – Linda Rak (C, Nursing Home): 629

District 3 – Fred Miller (D, C): 900

District 3 – Henry Smith (R, I): 607

District 4 – Ken DeRoller (R, I): 1142

District 4 – David Schult (D, C): 683

County Treasurer Susan Heard (R, I): 5146

County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard (R, I): 5287

Photo by Tom Rivers – A van decorated with a message urging Orleans County residents to vote and “Rescue the Villages” is parked at the northwest intersection of routes 98 and 31 in Albion. We’ll find out later if the nursing home issue is a factor in the local elections.

Orleans Hub will be working the elections tonight and will be updating the site frequently with results and comments from candidates and party leaders.

One big factor this election is the nursing home, and the push from many residents who want it to stay county-owned. Four candidates ran on a “Save Our Nursing Home” party line.

The Conservative Party also may play a factor in the election. The party has tended to only endorse Republican candidates, but this election the party also backed Democrats and independents.

Most of the towns also have contested races, including three – Albion, Barre and Kendall – where two candidates are running for town supervisor.

Republicans have big advantage in numbers

Photo by Tom Rivers – Legislature Chairman David Callard is unopposed for another two-year term as legislator. There are races for the six other legislator seats.

Tomorrow is decision day for Orleans County residents. They will go to the polls to decide the leaders of town and county governments. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In recent years, most of the candidates for county offices have been unopposed. But this year many of the races are contested, especially for county Legislature, where six of the seven legislator seats have two candidates.

The Legislature in February voted to transfer the nursing home to a local development corporation. The LDC was given the mission of finding a buyer for the site.

The move to sell the 120-bed nursing home stirred the passions of many community members, including candidates who want to stop the sale. Four candidates are running under an independent “Save Our Nursing Home” line.

Republicans have been dominant in recent years. Every elected county position is currently filled by a Republican. A Democrat has not held an elected county position since Gary Kent of Albion served on the Legislature in 2008 and 2009.

Republicans have a nearly 2 to 1 enrollment edge over Democrats, 10,397 to 5,573. There are 4,730 “blanks” or unaffiliated voters, plus 1,058 members of the Independence Party. Other party enrollment figures include 518 Conservatives, 160 members of the Working Families Party, 46 in the Green Party and 23 Libertarians. There are 22,505 registered voters in the county.

Here is a list of candidates for the county offices:

There are three county-wide legislator positions, with each requiring a legislator to live in the east end, central and west end of the county, respectively. George Bower of Holley has served in one of the spots for about two decades. But he is retiring.

Republicans endorsed Clarendon Town Councilman John DeFilipps for the two-year position. Democrats backed former Kendall Town Supervisor Jonathan “Jack” Gillman for the spot. He also has the “Save Our Nursing Home” line.

DeFilipps and all of the Republican candidates for Legislature have the Independence Party line.

In the countywide legislator position, central, the race again pits incumbent Republican Don Allport versus Kent. This is the fourth time they are facing each other. Allport has won the last two elections after Kent defeated him in November 2007.

Kent has been a loud advocate for keeping the nursing home in county ownership. Allport is the only Republican for Legislature that secured the Conservative Party endorsement.

Like Gillman and two other candidates – Linda Rak and Emil Smith – Kent has the independent Nursing Home line.

In the other county-wide position, this one on the western end, Legislature Chairman David Callard in unopposed.

In the district seats, there are races for every position.

Republican Bill Eick currently represents District 1, which includes the towns of Barre, Clarendon and most of Shelby. He is being challenged by Emil Smith, who has the Nursing Home line and Conservative Party support.

In District 2, Republican incumbent Lynne Johnson is challenged by Linda Rak, who is backed by the Conservative Party and also has the Nursing Home line. The district includes the towns of Ridgeway and Yates and a portion of Shelby.

District 3 includes the towns of Albion and Gaines. Republican Henry Smith is challenged by Fred Miller, who is backed by the Democrats and Conservatives. Miller is a current trustee on the Albion Village Board.

District 4 will have a new legislator because Ken Rush is retiring as the representative for the towns of Carlton, Kendall and Murray. Republicans endorsed Ken DeRoller for the position. He is vying against David Schult, who is endorsed by the Democrats and Conservatives.

County Treasurer Susan Heard and County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard are unopposed in their re-election bids for four-year terms.

At least two towns – Albion and Kendall – will elect new town supervisors

Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday to elect town officials in an election that promises to change the makeup of some local Town Boards.

Two towns, Albion and Kendall, have town supervisors that aren’t seeking election, which means those towns will have a new chief executive officer. In Barre, incumbent Mark Chamberlain, R, also faces a challenge for town supervisor from Cyndy Van Lie Shout, D.

The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Here is a list of the local town races:

Albion – Town Supervisor Dennis Stirk, D, is not seeking re-election for another two-year term. He is the only Democrat who currently serves as a town supervisor in Orleans County.

Stirk is backing the Deputy Town Supervisor Jake Olles, who is endorsed by the Democratic Party. He also is running under the independent “No Bull” party. He is running against Town Councilman Matt Passarell, who has the Republican and Conservative party lines for town supervisor.

The Town Board will have two new councilmen because neither incumbent, Tim Neilans or Passarell, is seeking re-election for that position. Todd Sargent has the Democratic and Republican lines. Richard Remley has the Republican line while Justin Sheehan has the Democratic line. Voters will elect two of the three to four-year terms.

In Barre, Chamberlain versus Van Lie Shout tops the races. Residents also will pick among three candidates for town justice. Alan Jones is retiring. The following want to succeed him: Rick Root, a Democrat; Richard DeCarlo Jr., Republican and Independence parties; and Sean Pogue, a Conservative.

Three candidates – Joe Grabowski, a Democrat, and Republicans Tom McCabe and Lynn Hll – are also running for two Town Council positions.

In Carlton, four candidates are vying for two Town Board seats, including Bilal Huzair, D, C; Douglas Hart, D; and incumbents Joyce Harris, R; and James Shoemaker, R.

In a rematch of the Republican primary for highway superintendent, incumbent David Krull is running under the Independence Party. He lost a close GOP primary to Paul Snook Sr., who has the Republican and Conservative Party lines.

Town Clerk Pam Rush also appears to be unopposed, but Lea Olles is mounting a write-in campaign. Olles lost to Rush in the Republican Primary in September.

Town Justice Kevin Hurley, a Republican, is unopposed.

It’s a quiet election for town offices in Clarendon. The Republican team is unopposed. Dick Moy is seeking re-election to town supervisor while Paul Nicosia and Marc Major are running for four-year terms on the Town Board.

In Gaines, a there is a three-way race for two Town Board seats. Republican incumbents Jim Kirby and Sue Smith face a challenge from John Leggat, who is endorsed by the Democratic Party. Smith also has the Conservative line.

Town Supervisor Carol Culhane is unopposed for re-election. She has the GOP and Conservative lines.

Town Clerk Jean Klatt, R, is unopposed for re-election and Bruce Schmidt, the town justice, is unopposed. He has the Republican, Democratic and Conservative lines.

In Kendall, two candidates are running for a town justice race that pits Stephen Cliff, a Democrat, against Debra Drennan, a Republican.

The other positions on the Town Board appear to be unopposed. Town Supervisor Dan Gaesser isn’t seeking re-election. The Republican Committeee endorsed Anthony Cammarata for town supervisor. Gaesser is helping to lead a write-in campaign to have Councilman Bart Joseph elected town supervisor.

Two other Republicans for Town Board, Bruce Newell and Patrick Snook, Jr., also appear to be unopposed, but two write-in candidates, David Balka and David Gaudioso, are mounting an effort to be elected.

Town Clerk Amy Richardson, R, and Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger, R, are both unopposed.

The Republican team of incumbents is unopposed in Murray. The slate includes John Morris for town supervisor, Kathleen Case and Paul Hendel for Town Board, Cynthia Oliver for town clerk, Ed Morgan for highway superintendent and Gary Passarell for town justice.

In Ridgeway there is a rematch of the GOP primary for highway superintendent. Incumbent Mark Goheen, Republican and Independence, held off challenger Raymond Wendling in the primary. But Wendling is back as a candidate for the Conservative Party and the independent Ridgeway Peoples Party.

The other Republican candidates are unopposed including David Stalker and Jeffrey Toussaint for Town Board, Barbara Klatt for town clerk, and Lawrence Sanderson for town justice.

In Shelby, three Republican candidates are unopposed, including Merle “Skip” Draper for town supervisor and Steve Seitz Jr. and William Bacon for the Town Board.

In Yates, three candidates are running for two positions as town councilmen. Paul Lauricella Jr., a member of the Conservative Party, is running against Republicans James Whipple and Bradley Bentley.

Two other Republicans – Town Supervisor John Belson and Town Justice Donald Grabowski – are both unopposed.

Photos by Tom Rivers

At 2 a.m. tonight we gain an hour as part of Daylight Saving Time. On the plus side, we can get an extra hour of sleep.

But I personally dread this time of the year when it gets dark at about 5 p.m. But this is the law of the land. So don’t forget to turn your clocks back.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The county jail received about $1 million in improvements that should mostly pay for themselves in increased efficiency costs, county officials said.

ALBION – The county has completed about $1.5 million in energy conservation upgrades, work that officials expect will pay for itself in the coming years through increased energy efficiencies.

Most of the work, about $1 million worth of projects, was focused at the county jail. But the initiatives included energy upgrades at the County Clerk’s Building, Courthouse, highway garage, mental health building, nursing home, public safety building, central hall (treasurer’s office) and veterans office. In the six of the nine buildings, new more energy-efficient lights were installed.

The county spent $1,474,371 for the projects. State and federal grants paid $111,200. The upgrades are expected to reduce the county’s utility bills by $63,853 a year at the current market prices, said Keith Krug, the project manager from Wendel Energy of Buffalo.

The projects could pay for themselves in about 15 to 20 years with the reduced energy costs.

Wendel worked with county officials, especially highway superintendent Jerry Gray, for about two years in making the improvements. The highway department helped bring the projects in under budget by $82,000, Krug told legislators.

“Jerry Gray and his staff are the most committed DPW department we’ve ever worked with,” Krug said. “They did everything on time. In the end you were able to do more with your dollar.”

The improvements have given the county jail extended life by at least another 20 years, and stopped the pressure from the state Department of Corrections to build a new facility, legislators said.

“The $1 million in jail improvements saved the county $30 million by not having to build a new jail,” Legislator Lynne Johnson said.

Wendel did an energy audit of 10 county buildings about two years ago and worked with the county to identify projects that would have a payback through grants and energy savings.

The jail on Platt Street, built in two stages around 1970, was crowded and falling into disrepair mainly due to water infiltration. The state was pressuring Orleans to build a new facility.

But a series of improvements, plus a drop in the inmate population, have quieted talk that the jail is inadequate.

The jail used to have a problem with water infiltration from the roof, with a leaking expansion joint the main culprit. But contractors put on a new tiled roof and sealed the expansion joint. The roof is on top of a rubber membrane with a drainage system.

The jail also has a new boiler system, and a series of energy efficiency improvements, including new caulking around about 100 windows and also on the seams of the building. Crews sprayed insulation inside the concrete panels on the building.

The project upgraded showers and gate motors in the cell blocks. The showers now have water timers and a raised concrete pad on the floor, which will reduce water migration.