Photo by Tom Rivers: A group walks down East Shelby Road on Oct. 7, 2023 for the 35th annual walk/run for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. The Knights and Kaderli families estimate that more than $1 million has been used from the fund since it was established, helping cover some of the utilities, co-pays and other bills for people fighting cancer in Orleans County.

MEDINA – For the past 37 years, the community has gathered for a walk/run to support patients living with cancer in Orleans County.

The Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run began when two families – those of Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli – decided to join their fundraising efforts in memory of their loved ones into one event.

“This year we are happy to celebrate our 37th annual Knights-Kaderli Walk on Oct 4,” said Stacey Knights Pellicano, Knights-Kaderli board member and daughter of Richard Knights. “This is our favorite time of year. We look forward to being with all of our supporters. If you have ever participated in our event, you understand the energy of that day. It gives us hope and unites participants.”

The walk/run will begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 4 at East Shelby Volunteer Fire Hall. Registration fee is $20 and participants are encouraged to ask their friends and neighbors for small sponsorship donations. Every dollar helps, Pellicano said. There is also a large basket raffle for the Knights-Kaderli Fund that morning at the East Shelby Firehall.

The 5K will continue as an untimed walk/run, so registrants can participate in a leisurely walk with family and friends, or set their watches for a 5K run. As always, participants and the community are encouraged to participate in their basket raffle. Lunch will be served immediately after the race and guests may eat outside under the pavilion. Everyone is urged to photograph their experience and tag Knights-Kaderli on Facebook and Instagram at #KnightsKaderli5K for some fun prizes.

Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli were both lifelong residents of Orleans County. Knights died from cancer at age 38 in 1984. Kaderli passed away from the disease at age 52 in 1989.

“They were both known for their spirit of community and we are honored to remember them in this way,” Pellicano said.

Funds are raised through annual events and various contributions made by individuals, organizations and memorials.

The Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund is a tax-exempt 501©3 organization, run by a board of directors, with no administrative costs. Money raised is used for the benefit of Orleans County cancer patients, to help them with medical supplies, nutritional supplements and prescriptions, transportation or day-to-day living.

For more information or financial assistance, contact Mary Zelazny at (585) 746-8455, Melissa Knights Bertrand at (716) 983-7932 or Pellicano at (716) 998-0977.

Participants may register for the walk/run online (click here). Those unable to participate are asked to consider a direct donation through Venmo@knightskaderli.

Heminway won primary for town supervisor but term doesn’t start until Jan. 1

Jim Heminway

SHELBY – Jim Heminway is getting a head start as the Shelby town supervisor.

Heminway won a Republican primary in June for town supervisor and appears to be a lock to win the general election as an unopposed candidate.

His one-year term will start on Jan. 1. However, this evening he was appointed as acting town supervisor until Dec. 31 by three members of the Town Board: John Misiti, Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny.

The Town Board needs either an acting town supervisor or town supervisor in order to file the town budget by Nov. 20.

The board has been without a town supervisor for about two months since Scott Wengewicz resigned in mid-July. Heminway beat Wengewicz in the Republican primary on June 24,  283 to 118.

Board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr. also resigned in mid-July. Seitz also was the deputy town supervisor.

The board was left with only two out of five members and couldn’t meet or conduct town business because it didn’t have a quorum until last week. That’s when Misiti joined the board following an appointment by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Misiti, Limina and Zelazny were unanimous in appointing Heminway as the acting town supervisor. He starts in the midst of the Town Board and department heads working to put together Shelby’s budget for 2026.

Misiti, during this evening’s meeting, said none of the three existing board members could be appointed acting town supervisor without resigning their seat. None wanted to do that and Misiti said the appointment could appear biased if they appointed one of the current members.

Heminway brings more than 40 years of experience in working in local industry with 20 years at Sigma (now Baxter) in Medina and then 21 years at Monroe Electronics (now Digital Alert Systems) in Lyndonville.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Seated from left, Chris Crane and Tammy Fearby chat with Joey Molisani while waiting for the start of the Fuller 155 benefit by the Watts/Fuller families to support suicide prevention causes. For a donation of any amount, people could write their loved ones name on a heart, which will be placed on a banner and carried in the Out of the Darkness walk on Saturday in Buffalo.

SHELBY – The Fuller 155 Suicide Prevention Basket Raffle/Walk Committee is extending a heartfelt thanks to the community for tremendous support of their annual fundraiser Sunday at Shelby Fire Hall.

Committee chair Ike Watts was overwhelmed with the generosity with which people throughout the area supported their efforts.

“Your support plays a meaningful role in helping us raise awareness, offer hope and provide essential resources to those affected by suicide and mental health struggles,” Watts said. “I am particularly grateful for my work family at Medina Central School. I received tremendous support from my co-workers.”

“Your kindness and generosity help us build a stronger, more compassionate community,” Watts said.

Walkers start out on the walk held for the first time this year during the annual suicide prevention fundraiser at Shelby Fire Hall.

A walk added for the first time this year brought 47 adult walkers and a crowd of children.

Jennifer Bansbach of Lyndonville signed up to walk in memory of three very dear people who succumbed to suicide, she said.

 “This is to support them, and besides it’s a beautiful day for a walk.”

The basket raffle had the most donations in the three years of the benefit – 242.

Early birds check out the more than 200 baskets donated for the Fuller 155 basket raffle/walk  to benefit suicide prevention Saturday at Shelby Fire Hall.

An added attraction was a trolley which Doug Bracey brought and gave rides to those unable to walk the route or pick up anyone who couldn’t finish.

“Everyone I spoke to said what a wonderful event this was and how happy they were to have come,” Watts said. “It was for a very meaningful cause.”

Another feature was a table where, for any donation, Chris Crane and Tammy Fearby sold hearts on which a loved one’s name or a message could be written. The circles were then glued on a banner which the Watts will carry in the Out of the Darkness Walk on Saturday in Buffalo.

Chris and Anita Hughes, right, register Jennifer Bansbach of Lyndonville for the first walk held in conjunction with a suicide prevention benefit Sunday at Shelby Fire Hall.

Board needs to tackle budget, expects to appoint acting town supervisor next week

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Shelby Town Board met on Tuesday for the first time since July 8. Pictured from left include new town councilman John Misiti, town attorney Kathleen Bennett, and board members Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny.

SHELBY – For the first time in about two months, the Shelby Town Board was able to convene and hold a meeting on Tuesday.

The board wasn’t able to function after three of the five members resigned in mid-July, leaving the board without a quorum to conduct business.

John Misiti takes his spot on the Town Board. He was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 5 and gives the Town Board a needed third member to conduct town business and hold a board meeting.

It took a special appointment by Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill a seat and give the board a needed third member to vote to pay bills and tend to other town business.

The governor appointed John Misiti, a retired sales manager who also is chairman of the board for the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Misiti, in his comments at the meeting on Tuesday, said he wants to put aside any in-fighting at town hall, and focus on the town’s finances while ensuring there isn’t a hostile work environment for the board members and employees.

“We’ve been in a state of paralysis here since essentially July 15,” Misiti said. “The acrimoniousness has to end.”

The board was unable to function following the resignations of Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr., who was also the deputy town supervisor. (The Town Board on Tuesday voted to accept those resignations. The board also approved a resolution to change the locks on the town supervisor’s office.)

Misiti joins Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny on the board. They said they would pick an acting town supervisor at their meeting on Sept.16, and that person wouldn’t be one of the current board members.

An acting supervisor is needed to certify the town’s budget for 2026, a document that needs to be finalized by Nov. 20.

The board met for 56 minutes on Tuesday, and there wasn’t a cross word exchanged the whole time. Residents commented they appreciated a shorter meeting focused on the issues facing the town.

John Parada spoke at the meeting and he said most of the previous board meetings often stretched past two hours.

About 40 people attended the Town Board meeting on Tuesday. The meeting ended after 56 minutes, far shorter than many of the meetings so far this year that often topped 2 hours.

Besides appointing an acting town supervisor on Sept. 16, the board also will work on the town budget for 2026.

Misiti said the board needs to get a handle on the town finances.

“The financial standing is the first priority to make sure we have money to finish the year out,” he said.

Town Justice Ed Grabowski thanked Misiti for agreeing to be on the board until Dec. 31 to allow town business to move forward.

Garbowski also shared with the board that Shelby has armed security officers for court nights. Three of those officers will be getting recertified next week for firearms.

The town pays the COPS security firm $56 per hour for security for a minimum of a four-hour shift plus mileage for the security officers.

Mark Wambach, left, and John Pratt III speak during Tuesday’s meeting. The two will face each other during the Nov. 4 election to fill one of the vacancies on the Town Board.

Wambach is backed by the Conservative Party while Pratt has the Republican line. The winner will get the final two years of Jeff Schiffer’s term.

Wambach asked the board if it would be presenting a list of priorities. Misiti responded that the finances are the immediate concern, and also accepting new flood maps for the town that were prepared by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). The board needs to finalize those so people in town are eligible for flood insurance.

The town will have a hearing on the flood maps at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Pratt thanked the three current board members for their willingness to serve the town.

Team Fuller 155 organizing event for third year, with new option for 3.5 -mile walk

Provided photo: Ike Watts takes time from organizing basket donations for a benefit Sept. 14 to support suicide prevention to hold 3-month-old granddaughter, Emma. The raffle is scheduled at Shelby Fire Hall.

SHELBY – A local family whose lives were forever changed by the suicide of a loved one are again planning an annual fundraiser to support suicide prevention.

It all started for Jason and Ike Watts when cousin Erin Fuller, an Orleans County sheriff’s deputy, died by suicide at age 45 on Sept. 12, 2015.

“It left the family lost and heartbroken,” Watts previously told the Hub.

Shortly after when they saw an advertisement for Out of the Darkness Walk in Buffalo to benefit suicide prevention, they knew they had found a way get involved. They formed a team, Fuller 155 (Erin’s badge number), and have walked there every year. In 2023 they came up with the idea to have their own basket raffle here at home. This year on Sept. 14 at Shelby Fire Hall, Team Fuller 155 has put together the third annual fundraiser to support suicide prevention.

This year, yet another feature has been added – a 3.5-mile community walk, starting and ending at the Shelby Fire Hall.

Their motto is “We support the fighters, admire the survivors, honor the taken and never give up hope,” said Watts.

“We encourage the community to take steps – literally and figuratively – toward mental health awareness and community healing,” Watts said.  “A walk interests different people and adds a new component of fundraising. People feel good when they’re outside in the fresh air. It clears your mind. Those who are struggling will have an hour to enjoy nature and clear their mind. The walk will pass by Shelby Falls and the creek. There’s something about being in the country that brings peace.”

Local resident Doug Bracey has a small trolley-like vehicle on which he will drive those who are unable to walk the distance. Shelby firefighters will also be riding the route with their emergency SUV to pick up anyone having trouble walking.

Registration is just $10 and will begin at 8 am., with the walk stepping off promptly at 9 a.m.

The basket raffle will begin at 10 a.m., featuring a wide array of themed baskets donated by local businesses, families and community members. Her goal is to have 155 baskets and they are already at almost 100. For the first time, Watts has solicited donations from local businesses. She sent out 157 letters requesting donations and two were returned “undeliverable,” bringing the total to the 155 – Erin Fuller’s badge number.

“I took that as a positive sign,” Watts said.

“In appreciation to the businesses who have donated baskets, I have gone back and purchased merchandise from them to make up another basket,” Watts said. “I want to make sure I support the businesses who support us by repaying their generosity.”

Some incredible baskets have already been received – items from a company called “Comfrt,” which makes clothing and items to comfort people with mental health, a toy ladder truck, items from a company called “Thirty One,” which sold totes and bags, a signed Josh Allen jersey, numerous gift cards and a collection of books for a year.

Donations of baskets is greatly appreciated and may be arranged by calling Watts at (585) 590-0291. Cash donations are always welcome and may be made by making a check payable to Orleans County Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Breakfast sandwiches will be served early in the day, giving attendees a warm welcome and the energy to participate in the morning’s activities, Watts said.

 Fuller 155’s Suicide Prevention Committee said the event is not just about honoring their cousin Erin.

“It’s about anyone who has been affected by suicide,” Watts said. “We’ve lost friends, teachers and a lot of others to suicide. Erin’s name is the foundation for our efforts, but we do it for all.”

“This event has grown into something incredibly special over the past three years, and we’re especially excited to include the community walk this year,” Watts added. “It’s another step in bringing people together to support one another and promote mental wellness.”

All funds raised from the event will support local suicide prevention programs and mental health outreach initiatives in Orleans County and surrounding areas.

Watts and her committee of Tammy Fearby, Rebecca Lacy and Christine Crane encourage the community to “come, walk, win and raise awareness.”

“Together we can make a difference,” they said.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: This truck from Modern Disposal lies on its side on South Gravel Road, Medina, just a few hundred feet south of Full Gospel Fellowship, after losing control about 1:30 p.m.

MEDINA – A Modern Disposal truck lost control and rolled over on South Gravel Road about 1:30 this afternoon.

Trooper Stirk with the New York State Police said the driver evidently caught the shoulder of the road and couldn’t recover. He said two occupants were taken to Medina hospital to be checked out, but didn’t appear to be seriously injured.

The incident closed South Gravel Road from Oak Orchard Road to Fletcher Chapel for nearly two hours. The road opened at about 5 p.m.

Volunteers from Shelby Fire Department were on the scene, assisting with traffic control.

Board has lacked a quorum since 3 out of 5 members resigned in July

File photo: John Misiti, chairman of the board for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, is shown during an EDA meeting in March.

SHELBY – Gov. Kathy Hochul today has appointed John Misiti to fill a vacancy on the Shelby Town Board. The appointment gives Shelby three board members, which are needed to carry out town business.

Three of the five board members resigned in July, leaving Shelby without a quorum on the board to conduct a Town Board meeting.

Governor Hochul issued this statement: “As a former Town Board member, I know firsthand how our local governments play a critical role in the daily lives of New Yorkers, and it’s absolutely critical for the Town of Shelby to have a functioning Town Board. After significant engagement with local stakeholders, I am appointing John Misiti to the Shelby Town Board to ensure the continuity of government.”

The board hasn’t been able to function for about six weeks following the resignations of Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr., who is also the deputy town supervisor.

Misiti, a retired sales manager, currently serves as chairman of the Orleans Economic Development Agency. He has been a volunteer on the EDA board for 23 years. Misiti had one other needed criteria to be considered by the governor for the appointment: He is a registered Democrat.

“I’m not looking back, I’m looking forward,” Misiti said. “We got to move forward.”

He will be on the board until Dec. 31. Misiti said he only intends to serve on the Shelby Town Board for about four months with no aspirations of seeking elected office in the future. In his role with the EDA, he said he would recuse himself if there are any votes directly affecting a project in Shelby.

On Jan 1, the board should be at full strength with all five members. Two of the members will likely be Jim Heminway as town supervisor and Larry Waters Sr. as a councilman. They won a Republican primary in June and don’t face any opposition on the ballot on the Nov. 4 general election. Incumbent Eddie Zelazny also won the primary.

The next Town Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. Misiti will join a board with Linda Limina and Eddie Zelazny. Among the three board members, they are expected to pick an acting town supervisor.

The board will be busy as it tries to put together the town’s budget for 2026.

Zelazny said he supported having Misiti’s name submitted to the governor’s office for consideration. Misiti said it was about a four-week process of a background check and vetting process by Hochul’s team.

“He’s business oriented,” Zelazny said about Misiti. “I’m happy we can get things rolling again.”

The two years of the unexpired term of Schiffer also will be filled in the Nov. 4 election. The Republican Committee backed John Pratt III, a former Town Board member, while the Conservative Party nominated Mark Wambach for that election.

The terms for Wengewicz and Seitz both end Dec. 31. Those can’t be filled with a special election. Because Schiffer has more time on his term after this year that spot can be filled at the Nov. 4 election.

That councilman’s position will be on the ballot as a two-year term, along with the full terms for town supervisor and two other councilman positions.

Mike Hodgins had his first heart transplant was almost 35 years ago. Friends and family are planning a benefit Oct. 11 at Shelby Fire Hall to help with medical expenses.

SHELBY – Mike Hodgins was hailed as a miracle when he survived a heart transplant nearly 35 years ago, followed by Covid in 2020.

Now he is hoping for one more miracle as he faces a second heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic.

“Mike has inspired so many with his strength, resilience and fighting spirit,” said Stephanie Kozma, a niece who is organizing the benefit.

This time Mike’s journey is even more demanding, according to Kozma.

He and his wife Kathy will have to travel to the Cleveland Clinic for testing, evaluation, surgery and recovery. This will require frequent and extended trips, time away from work and significant out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, food and transportation.

Through it all, Mike and Kathy continue to face each day with strength, love and unwavering hope. But they cannot do it alone.

The need the public’s support to help relieve the financial strain so they can focus fully on what matters most – Mike’s health and recovery, Kozma said.

Mike’s daughter Alicia said her father continues to work in his position at Medina Memorial Hospital.

“We urge the community to come together to support him and his family during this next chapter,” Kozma added.

The fundraiser is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Shelby Fire Hall. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Food, desserts and soda are included.

Mike’s favorite band, Dark Horse Run, will provide entertainment. There will also be a basket raffle 50/50 drawing and cash bar- but most of all, a whole lot of love for Miracle Mike.

Those who can’t make it but would like to donate may do so by logging on a GoFundMe (click here). Anyone who would like to donate a basket is asked to contact Stephanie at (716) 946-5591.

Photos courtesy of Susan Starkweather Miller

SHELBY – About 50 people attended Sunday’s evening tour of the Millville Cemetery in the Town of Shelby. Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper is shown leading the tour of the cemetery.

Millville is one of four cemeteries in Orleans County named to the National Register of Historic Places.

The most prominent monument marks the grave for Asa Hill, a Civil War soldier and prominent local farmer. His family put up the large monument, where local lore suggests he is looking towards Sanderson Road, keeping watch on the family farm.

Catherine Cooper and Alice Zacher, retired Shelby historian, are shown inside the chapel at the cemetery. Zacher helped get the cemetery listed on the National Register in 2007.

The Millville Cemetery was established in 1871 on East Shelby Road. The monuments and Victorian funerary art reflect the prosperity of the community back when it was home to three sawmills, gristmill and turning mill, according to the description of the site on the National Register.

The wood frame chapel has a Medina Sandstone foundation. It was built in 1894 into a hill and also served as a receiving vault and office.

Many prominent local residents are buried at Millville, including this large grave marker for Arnold Gregory, who left money to start a hospital in Albion. Some of the names of the family plots, such as Dresser and Pask, are names of roads in the community.

The Orleans County Historical Association has two more cemetery tours at 6 p.m. on Sundays in August:

• The tour on Aug. 24 Greenwood Cemetery, 16670 Roosevelt Highway/Route 18, Kendall, will focus on the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in 1825 in Kendall. Orleans County historian Catherine Cooper will lead this tour.
• Aug. 31 at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 581 East Ave., Albion, will conclude the series of tours. Catherine Cooper and Sue Starkweather Miller will lead the tour, which will include a visit to the chapel to view the beautiful interior stained glass windows, and stops at several prominent gravesites.

SHELBY – Two people will be on the November ballot to fill one of three sudden vacancies on the Shelby Town Board.

The Republican Committee has backed John Pratt III, a former Town Board member, while the Conservative Party has nominated Mark Wambach.

They are seeking to fill two years of an unexpired term from Jeff Schiffer. He and Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and councilman Stephen Seitz Sr. have all resigned from the Town Board, leaving the board with only two members – Linda Limina and Ed Zelazny.

The board needs at least three members to carry out town business and pay bills.

The terms for Wengewicz and Seitz both end Dec. 31. Those can’t be filled with a special election. The town has reached out to the governor’s office for Gov. Hochul to appoint at least one person to fill out the final months of either board members’ term.

Because Schiffer has more time on his term after this year that spot can be filled at the Nov. 4 election.

That councilman’s position will be on the ballot as a two-year term, along with the full terms for town supervisor and two other councilman positions.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dave Strong, senior project developer for New Leak Energy, met with Shelby community member on Tuesday evening to discuss the company’s plan for two solar projects along Route 63 in Shelby on land that was eyed for two wind turbines.

SHELBY – New Leaf Energy presented its plans for two solar projects to the community on Tuesday, touting the project as a boost in tax revenue for local governments while adding 9 megawatts of power to the grid with minimal impacts.

The projects together would generate about 9 megawatts of power. The solar installations are planned on South Gravel Road (Route 63) where two wind turbines were eyed by Borrego Solar System Inc. Borrego spun off the development side of its business to ECP, which named the new company, New Leaf Energy.

Dave Strong said the project will have minimal negative impacts while generating about $1 million in revenue for local governments in the next 15 years.

New Leaf withdrew its plans for the 633-foot-high turbines in March. Shelby town officials declined to create a wind overlay district needed for the project to move forward.

New Leaf has switched to solar proposals with one project at 18 acres at the Ledge Rock Farm at 4364 South Gravel where there is an apple orchard. The other would cover 20 acres at 4326 South Gravel where corn is currently being grown.

Dave Strong, senior project developer for New Leaf Energy, said the apple farm will continue with the solar taking out 18 acres of a farm with 100 to 125 acres of apples. The apples coming out of production are older, less popular varieties, he said.

The solar is planned to be set back 800 feet from Route 63, which is four times the town’s requirement of at least a 200-foot setback.

Strong said the project fits the town ordinance. The Shelby Town Board needs to do a SEQR environmental study and also vote whether the project is approved. The board currently only has two out of five members and can’t vote on anything until there is at least a third member on the board.

New Leaf will pay an estimated $1,089,485 in municipal revenue over 15 years, with it split in thirds with the Town of Shelby, Orleans County and Medina School District. The payments include $63,000 in the first year with 2 percent annual increases, peaking at $83,127 in year 15. Fire and library taxes also are included, Strong said.

New Leaf will have a bond in place to cover decommissioning costs, which is currently at $131,646. After 25 years, at a 2.5 percent annual rate increase, the cost would be $244,065.

Decommissioning includes removing everything in the project – modules, racks, rack wiring, electrical equipment, concrete pads, load racks, foundation piles, fences, power poles, gravel road reclamation and trucking to transfer station.

The projects don’t include any battery storage. Strong said there would by 4-by-8-foot solar panels mounted on aluminum racks. The electricity could tie into three-phase electric lines on 63, he said.

New Leaf also will do a glare study to ensure the panels are set up in a way that won’t adversely affect drivers, Strong said.

The two projects are planned along Route 63, south of the Village of Medina.

‘Shelby is in a serious situation having lost their supervisor and deputy town supervisor’

Photos by Tom Rivers: Kathleen Bennett, the attorney for the Town of Shelby, speaks with about 100 residents during a meeting on Tuesday at the Shelby fire hall. She said the Town Board currently can not function because there are only two members and at least three are needed to conduct town business.

SHELBY – The Shelby town government faces a difficult predicament after three of its members, including the town supervisor and deputy town supervisor, resigned last week.

Town attorney Kathleen Bennett said the board can’t meet and can’t vote on anything without a third member.

Bennett said the board is paralyzed and can’t have a Town Board meeting, pay bills or approve a budget until a third member is appointed or elected.

John Parada said the three resignations from the board members “crippled” the town government.

Bennett met with about 100 residents on Tuesday at the Shelby fire hall to discuss what she called “a serious situation.” She said town employees will be paid in the near future and health insurance will be paid for employees and past employees. That’s because those were set up on a pre-pay schedule.

The town has the money in its account in the short-term to make those payments. However, Bennett said money will need to be transferred from an investment account into the town fund where it can be spent for payroll, insurance and other bills. She doesn’t have a time frame for how soon that needs to happen before the current funds are exhausted.

“We’re working to make sure the payroll and health insurance will continue,” she said. “That is of primary importance.”

The town also has bills to vendors and others not on a pre-pay schedule. They will get their money but it may not happen in the usual time frame.

“Ultimately all bills will be paid they just might not be paid on time,” Bennett told the residents at the meeting.

Bennett said there are two ways to quickly resolve the crisis caused by the resignations of Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr., who is also the deputy town supervisor.

Either Wengewicz or Seitz could rescind their resignation and rejoin the board to allow for an appointment to the board. Wengewicz or Seitz could then resign again. But the board would have the needed three members after the appointment.

Schiffer can’t rescind his motion because the Board of Elections has already started the process to fill his vacant position as part of this November’s election. Candidates on the ballot for this position need a nomination from one of four constituted parties – Republican, Democratic, Conservative and Working Families. The deadline is July 28 for a certification of nomination.

Wengewicz or Seitz both have terms ending Dec. 31. If someone is appointed to fill one or both of their spots, they would only be in the job until Dec. 31. (Jim Heminway last month won a Republican primary against Wengewicz for town supervisor, and Lawrence Waters Sr. and Ed Żelazny both won primaries for town councilman over Michael Moriarty and Vassilios Bitsas. Seitz didn’t seek re-election. But those terms don’t start until Jan. 1 and there is still a general election in November.)

Kathleen Bennett said she is pushing to get a third member on the Town Board as soon as possible, and also is trying to ensure the town has money in its accounts to make payroll and cover health benefits for employees and former employees. Some of the town’s funds are in an investment account and will need to be transferred over to pay some bills in the near future.

Bennett said she reached out to Wengewicz or Seitz about rescinding their resignations and briefly rejoining the board so a member could be appointed. Seitz declined and Wengewicz hasn’t responded to Bennett, she said.

“I’ve advised them it would be in everyone’s best interests for one of them to rescind their resignation just for the point of appointing one member,” she said.

Shelby also has the option of a governor’s appointment to the board. Last year two towns faced a similar situation as Shelby following mass resignations of board members.

In the Town of Berne in Albany County, Hochul made an appointment six months after the resignations. In St. Lawrence County, four of the five members of the Hermon Town Board and Hochul appointed two members about a month later.

Bennett said the governor’s office has been notified of the Shelby situation and asked to start the process of filling a vacancy. She hopes the turnaround will be about a month and not the six months it took in Berne.

In both Berne and Hermon, the resignations were on Republican boards. Hochul filled the  vacancies with Democrats, Bennett said, and they served for only a few months so the Town Board could function until the new year started.

If a timely appointment isn’t made by Hochul or locally (with one of the board members who resigned rescinding that action and rejoining the board briefly), Bennett said the board could have enough members after the November election to fill Shiffer’s term. The winner of that election could join the board once the result is certified by the Board of Election and wouldn’t have to wait until Jan. 1.

Bennett works for the Bond, Schoeneck & King law firm. One of her colleagues has reached out to the governor’s office, asking the governor’s office to start the process of trying to fill the vacancy.

“The governor appreciates the seriousness of the situation,” Bennett said. “Shelby is in a serious situation having lost their supervisor and deputy town supervisor.”

The town departments – clerk’s office, court and highway – should all functionally normally even though the Town Board is currently unable to meet and vote on anything.

Schiffer resigned last Thursday, with Wengewicz and Seitz stepping down from their positions on Friday. Bennett said their notices didn’t include a reason for why they were quitting.

Cassandra Boring, a confidential secretary to the town supervisor, also resigned.

SHELBY – Three of the five Shelby Town Boards resigned last week leaving the board without a quorum to carry on town business.

Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr. all resigned. Seitz also is the town’s deputy town supervisor. With the resignations of the three board members, the Town Board only has Linda Limina and Eddie Zelazny left.

There will be a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Shelby fire hall where town attorney, Kathleen Bennett, will discuss the situation and possible next steps for the Town Board and government.

The board doesn’t have enough members to appoint anyone to fill the vacancies.

Wengewicz on June 24 was defeated by Jim Heminway in a Republican primary for town supervisor, 283 to 118.

Lawrence Waters Sr. and Ed Żelazny campaigned with Heminway and they defeated Michael Moriarty and Vassilios Bitsas in the Republican primary. The Republican Committee endorsed Wengewicz, Moriarty and Bitsas. Although they won the primary, the terms for office don’t start until Jan. 1, 2026.

Last year in the Town of Berne in Albany County three of the five board members resigned. The town wasn’t able to have another Town Board meeting for eight months until March 2025. Kathy Hochul needed to make an appointment to fill one of the vacancies so the Town Board could have a quorum.

In St. Lawrence County, four of the five members of the Hermon Town Board resigned in March 2024. The town was unable to carry out routine business, even paying its bills. Gov. Hochul would appoint two members on April 4, 2024 so the board could function but it needed unanimous votes among the three members for a resolution to pass.

Tuesday’s meeting in Shelby is expected to last until 6:30 p.m.

After that there will be a presentation from representatives of New Leaf Energy on their plans for two solar energy projects on Route 63. One solar project is called South Gravel Rd. Solar 1 LLC and the other is South Gravel Rd. Solar 3LLC. Both are for 5 megawatts of power.

Penny for hot dogs, pie, lemonade and many other activities

Photos by Tom Rivers

EAST SHELBY – Horses pull a wagon on Sunday during the very popular Old-Fashioned Day celebration at the East Shelby Community Bible Church.

The event typically draws about 2,000 people for an event that goes back about 35 years.

Aaleyah Hoste of Medina pets a horse named Blaize. She is next to her parents, Amber and Brandon. Jacob Sherlock, right, of Springville brought a team of horses to give rides. There were six different groups of horses and wagons offering rides.

The church served pie, hot dogs and lemonade for a penny. From left cooking the hot dogs include Ken Baker, Jack Redick and Mike Conlon. The church had 2,500 hot dogs ready for the public.

Robert Eaton and Denise Jaczynski get pies ready for the people. Church members baked 325 pies. At 8 slices each that was 2,520 slices altogether.

JoJo Dudley, 7, did laundry in a wash basin – the old-fashioned way. Doing the laundry was much harder work back in the 1800s. It was typically done on Mondays with the dirtiest clothes done last. Water needed to be gathered and warmed up. When the task was done, the water was poured in flower beds. People used onions and lemons to help clean the clothes.

The church choir sang several hymns while pastor Erik Olsen played the piano. Olsen said about 200 people put on the event.

This horse pulls a wagon down Barber Road with freshly cut wheat fields nearby.

These signs lined Barber Road near the West Jackson Corners village.

Emma Kehlenbeck, 8, of Alexander hammers in a wooden peg in a coat rack under some guidance from Leo Dispenza at left. Church volunteers had 275 coat racks ready to be assembled.

A long line of cars parked along East Shelby Road to see the events at the village, West Jackson Corners, created by the church across the road.