Fire Safety winners get picked up in the big red trucks

Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller

ALBION – Firefighters from Albion, Barre and Carlton have been picking up elementary students since last week and giving them a ride to school. First-grader Leo Gotte is shown with his teacher, Miss Samantha Seaman, and Carlton firefighter Ryan Woolston.

One student in each grade level – prekindergarten to grade 5 – won a ride in the fire truck. The winning student had the top poster or project to promote fire safety.

PreKindergarten winner Adysyn Lamb is joined by her teacher, Mrs. Deanna Moore.

Kenneth Whitcfoft from Mrs. Debra Perry’s room won for the kindergarteners. His classmates joined him for a group photo with the Albion fire truck.

Kindergarten winner Kenneth Whitcfoft and Mrs. Debra Perry wave to the class when they arrive at school.

Second grade winner Caleb Wolfe was joined on the ride his his teacher, Mrs. Kim Mergler.

Third grade winner Annabelle Harper from Mrs. Sheryl LeBaron’s room is helped off the bus by Albion firefighter Rob Connor.

Makenzie Cook is the fourth grade winner from Mrs. Cheryl Rightmyer’s class. They rode in a Barre fire truck.

Melodee Sager, a fifth-grader in Mr. Mark Skurzewski’s class, got to ride a Barre fire truck.

Another student, Rilee Tranello, is scheduled to get a ride on an Albion fire truck on Friday morning.

The fire safety week program and contest is organized by teacher Angie Wolfe.

Some of the winning posters and projects are in display in the lobby at the elementary school, including this one by first-grader Leo Gotte.

The National Weather Service is warning of powerful winds in Orleans County and much of Western New York from 8 tonight through 1 p.m. on Friday.

The Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a high wind warning with southwest to west winds at 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts of 60 to 65 mph expected.

The damaging winds will bring down numerous trees and power lines, with widespread power outages expected, the Weather Service said.

National Grid has 2,100 workers ready to respond to power outages

In preparation for forecasted gale-force winds moving west to east across portions of upstate New York beginning later tonight, National Grid has increased staffing to more than 2,100 line, service, tree, damage assessment and public safety workers, including line contractor support from as far away as South Carolina and Tennessee.

Crews are being prepositioned, particularly in western and central New York, where wind gusts off of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are forecasted to be in excess of 70 mph.

In anticipation of the storm, the company also provides customers with the following safety reminders:

Electricity & Generator Safety

• If a power outage occurs, customers can notify National Grid online to expedite restoration.

• Never touch downed power lines; always assume they are carrying live electricity. Downed

lines should immediately be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or by calling 911.

• Generators used to supply power during an outage must be operated outdoors to prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. Before operating a generator, be sure to disconnect from National Grid’s system by shutting off the main breaker, located in the electric service panel. Failure to do this could endanger our crews and your neighbors.

• Customers who depend on electrically powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should register as a life support customer by calling National Grid at 1-800-642- 4272. (In a medical emergency, always dial 911.)

• Keep a number of working flashlights and an extra supply of batteries in your home and be sure to charge all electronic devices before the storm.

• Please use caution when driving near emergency responders and crews restoring power.

• Be sure to check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage.

A reminder on estimated restoration times

Immediately after a storm, restoration times on National Grid’s Outage Central site may be listed as “assessing conditions.” That’s because safety hazards, such as trees, tree limbs, and downed wires must be cleared away so that infrastructure damage can be assessed and restoration plans can be executed.

It’s normal for outage numbers and ETRs to fluctuate. The numbers can go up and down as an ongoing storm causes new outages and/or as we de-energize lines to make conditions safe for repairs and restoration. Additionally, there could be new outages that occur that are separate from storm-related outages.

Outage Central Reminder: Our Outage Central page shows the estimated time of restoration for entire communities and reflects the estimated time for the last customer in that community to have power restored. The most accurate way for customers to check on the power restoration estimate for their specific address is to log into the National Grid’s Report or Check an Outage page.

This photo shows fog on the canal in Medina near the Horan Road bridge.

ALBION – An Albion man facing up to 20 years in prison on federal child pornography charges pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court this morning to unlawful surveillance in the second degree.

Andrew Campbell, 33, faces 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for the crime when he is sentenced on Jan. 16. That time will be served concurrently with the federal charge, where there will likely be a much longer sentence.

Campbell on Oct. 8 pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography. In that case, law enforcement did a forensic analysis of a desktop, laptop, and hard drive of Campbell’s that revealed more than 65 image files and more than 20 videos containing child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler, and other depictions of violence.

In the local case in County Court, Campbell admitted today to using an iPhone to record two girls without their consent.

He could also face a fine of up to $5,000 and $375 in court surcharges and fees.

• In another case, Dennis S. Biaselli, 45, of Albion was arraigned on felony driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of motor vehicle.

He was charged after a car accident on Sept. 17, when he struck a utility pole on Zig Zag Road in Albion. He allegedly fled the scene but then returned to get his car.

Biaselli has two prior felonies and 11 prior misdemeanors, said District Attorney Joe Cardone.

He has been in jail since Sept. 19 with bail at $5,000. After Public Defender Joanne Best requested a reduction in bail, County Court Judge Sanford Church agreed to lower it to $3,000 cash or bond.

• A Medina man appeared in court for a bail hearing. Michael Harrison faces charges of grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree. Harrison alleged stole someone’s wallet.

Judge Church agreed to release Harrison on his own recognizance.

• A former inmate in the Albion Correctional facility was arraigned on promoting prison contraband in the second degree. Stacey Haley of Massena in St. Lawrence County allegedly introduced Suboxone into the prison in August 2018. She has since been released from the women’s prison in Albion.

ALBION – Three people were sentenced to incarceration in Orleans County Court this morning by Judge Sanford Church.

Joseph Newton, 33, of Medina will spend 4 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree and attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree.

Newton admitted in a previous court appearance to having cocaine in Orleans County on Feb. 13 with the intent to sell it. He also admitted to stealing an outboard Mercury motor on Aug. 5, 2018, which was valued at about $1,200. Newton sold it for $1,000.

Newton, as part of his sentence, needs to pay $1,260 in restitution, with $1,200 for the stolen motor and another $60 to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.

While he was an inmate, he was planning to attend a family funeral on May 21 and arranged to receive tobacco and a controlled substance.

Those items were allegedly placed under the body of a family member in her coffin. An investigator with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office overheard Newton arranging for the items during a phone call from the jail. The day of the funeral an investigator checked to see if the tobacco and two pills were under the grandmother’s body, and they were under her shoulder, according to investigator Ken Strickland.

Newton’s visit to the funeral was canceled and he was charged with attempted promoting prison contraband in the first and second degree.

Judge Church told Newton the incident at the funeral home “cries out for help and I hope you get the help you need.”

Newton started a drug treatment program while in jail through GCASA. He intends to keep working on his drug addiction issues in prison, said his attorney, Michael O’Keefe.

“My client is looking forward to a clean life away from drugs,” O’Keefe told the judge during sentencing today.

In two other sentencings this morning:

• Linda Meise, 37, formerly Oak Orchard Estates in Albion was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation for having precursors for making methamphetamine.

She is a first-time felony offender. She was charged along with her husband, Richard Meise on June 20.

Mr. Meise, 36, pleaded guilty in court today to attempted unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in the third degree. He faces 1 ½ years in prison and up 1 to 2 years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on Jan. 9.

• Joshua Cuadrado, 22, of Brockport was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years probation for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

He was allegedly selling marijuana products in Medina community when he was arrested in February.

Cuadrado said he is working hard to break his addiction to smoking marijuana.

Provided photos from Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville and Medina Lions Clubs did eye screenings on Tuesday for 140 students at Lyndonville in grades kindergarten through 7. The top photo shows Lions Club members from left: Bruce Schmidt, Jim Hancock, Don Colquhoun and Lynne Johnson.

Jim Hancock screens one of the 140 students who had their vision checked on Tuesday.

The Lions Club members were assisted by several Lyndonville Leo Club members. The Leo Club members, under the direction of Adviser Aimee Chaffee, escorted students to and from the screenings.

This was the fourth year in a row that the vision screening has taken place in Lyndonville. Some vision issues have been discovered over the years.

Press Release, AAA

Here’s hoping for all treats and no tricks this Halloween! With more than 41 million children between ages 5 and 14 trick or treating today, it’s a busy night on the roads – and the worst night for vandalism.

AAA Western and Central New York is reminding everyone to be on the lookout for pedestrians in the coming week, to celebrate responsibly and to make sure your home is protected against any tricks.

There are some scary statistics when it comes to alcohol-related crashes on Halloween. AAA and the NHSTA found that:

• During the Halloween holiday period (6 p.m. October 31 to 5:59 a.m. November 1) during the years 2013-2017, 158 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes.

• On Halloween in 2013-2017, 42 percent of people fatally injured in a traffic crash involved at least 1 drunk driver.

• In 2017, more than half of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween occurred with the pedestrian outside of a marked crosswalk.

• Nearly 80 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween occurred after 6 p.m. in 2017.

Sometimes Halloween mischief can be harder to avoid. “Property vandalism and injuries tend to spike on Halloween night,” said David Hodge, vice president of insurance for AAA Western and Central New York. “It’s important to make sure you’re covered for whatever might occur.”

Prepare for pranksters

Vehicles are nearly twice as likely to be vandalized on Halloween as on an average day, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. To avoid having your car egged or even stolen, park it in a secure garage or a safe, well-lit area. Double check that car doors are locked and windows are up.

Look out for black cats, blind spots and Batman

Drive slowly and be on the lookout for creatures that can come out of nowhere. Turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. Don’t hesitate to use your horn if you’re concerned that trick-or-treaters don’t see you.

Light up the night

Generous lighting outside of your home keeps vandals away while providing safe passage to party guests and trick-or-treaters. Keep walkways and stairs clear of debris and make sure they’re well-lit.

Beware the brew

Serve non-alcoholic beverages and food along with your preferred potion. Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.

Press Release, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

As Lake Ontario’s southern shoreline recovers after unprecedented flooding this past spring and summer, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is encouraging impacted residents and businesses to apply for relief funding through the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

The Department of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is administering a 2019 Individual Homeowner Assistance Program that will provide residents in the impacted eight-county region up to $50,000 in state funding to help offset damages to their primary residences.

Funding to address damages to secondary homes may be considered following fulfillment of primary residence applications and Hawley is encouraging secondary homeowners to apply before the October deadline.

“Lake Ontario’s unprecedented high water levels and subsequent flooding the past several years have caused a great deal of destruction to homes and businesses along the shoreline, but we are implementing a package of state aid that will put us on the road to recovery,” Hawley said. “It is crucial that those who were impacted by flooding submit their applications before October 31 to become eligible. I am eager to work with state and local leaders to see that homeowners, businesses and municipalities receive the help they need moving forward.”

Applicants are eligible to receive funding for costs not covered by other sources, such as insurance, and include primary homeowners who reside in the eight counties associated with REDI – Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne – and meet the below criteria:

Homeowners who were impacted by flooding January 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019. Applications must be received by October 31, 2019.

Applications must address damage incurred to primary residences, which sustained direct physical flood-related damage that threatens the safety of the home.

Click here for more information.

(Editor’s Note: The state also has $30 million available for businesses through the Lake Ontario Business Resiliency Program with grants of up to $200,000 to eligible applicants who experienced direct physical flood-related damage due to the high-water levels from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in 2019.  Eligible applicant types are expected to include small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, farms, homeowners’ associations and owners of rental properties. For inquiries related to the Lake Ontario Business Resiliency Program, please email LakeOntario@esd.ny.gov.)

Deanna Cameron publishes ‘What Happened That Night’

Press Release, GCC

Deanna Cameron

MEDINA – It is a rare occasion when a young adult knows exactly what they want to do as a vocation, and rarer still when he or she steps into that vocation while still in college.

And, it is truly exceptional when a student who is still working toward her high school diploma takes the initiative to write and publish her first book of fiction. Welcome to the world of Deanna Cameron of Medina, whose first book, What Happened That Night was recently published by Wattpad Books after already accumulating 1.3 million reads from fans around the world through the online Wattpad.

What Happened That Night hit bookshelves in North America and Europe after being traditionally published through Wattpad Books in September, following its online success on Wattpad. The global multiplatform company publishes original stories to a community of more than 80 million people who share and connect over fiction and nonfiction.

The book is also now available online at Amazon (click here) and Barnes and Noble (click here).

The novel follows the story of Clara Porterfield, a teenager who grapples with the aftermath of the murder of her longtime crush at the hands of her older sister. It’s a twist-filled tale that tackles themes of sexual abuse, the price of secrets and the need for families to move on after tragedy strikes.

Cameron goes by the internet pen name of LyssFrom1996 on Wattpad. She is 23 years old and was homeschooled by her parents. She has been enrolled at Genesee Community College since 2017 and is currently finishing the coursework that will allow her to earn her high school diploma. Upon completion, she plans to declare a major in Liberal Arts and Science – Humanities and Social Science with a concentration in English to further her writing career.

Cameron is very willing to share her experiences about writing her book, successfully getting published and gaining an international fanbase. She can be reached at lyss74@zoho.com and she can often be found at GCC’s Medina Campus Center at 11470 Maple Ridge Rd.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters battle a fire at a large shed in Albion on Tuesday evening at about 7 p.m. The fire was at 168 West Academy St., a house owned by Richard Nenni and rented out. The tenants were able to stay in the house because the fire was largely confined to the shed, said Albion police officer Will Francis.

The fire was caused by an a electrical heater in the shed which didn’t have enough space, said Francis, who is a fire investigator. He was assisted in determining the cause by Steve Cooley, a county fire investigator, and Jacob Crooks, a fire investigator with the Medina Fire Department. There were some combustibles inside the shed – paint and propane – that caused the fire to accelerate, Francis said.

The house is across from Auto Zone on West Avenue.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Brian Sorochty, mayor of Holley, speaks during a Waterfront Advisory Committee meeting in Albion on Tuesday. Sorochty would like to see a brand developed for the canal towns, and marinas with gas and other services for boaters.

There are widewater locations on the canal that are underutilized that might be ideal for the marina locations, Sorochty said.

He was among about 40 people at a meeting Tuesday evening at Hoag Library. They are working to develop a Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the villages of Albion and Holley, and the towns of Albion, Murray, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby. The Village of Medina has developed its own waterfront plan.

The meeting included a hands-on, interactive workshop for people to identify potential projects and strategies with long-term community and economic benefits along the Canal Corridor.

The county received a state grant for $62,000 to develop the plan and hired LaBella Associates as a consultant.

Samuel Robinson, 19, is the Village of Albion representative on the committee. He said the communities need to consider people who ride bikes and uses public transportation in the community. There also needs to be more “fantastic activities for youth.”

The workshop on Tuesday was the first in a series of three public participation meetings that will be held over the next six months. Future public meeting will focus on a review of potential revitalization projects and the final recommendations for the plan.

LaBella handed out stickers and asked people to rank their highest priorities along the canal. Red-colored stickers signified the highest priority, with green the second highest, yellow the third highest and blue the fourth highest priority.

Many of the red stickers went by economic development, with a goal to boost investment and job opportunities in the canal communities. That includes a better environment for small businesses in the downtowns, as well as commercial, industrial and agriculture growth.

The farming sector would benefit from continued use of siphoning canal water for irrigation. The canal bridges also need to be strong enough to handle farm equipment, the group said.

Top priorities also went to more programs – community events, concerts, races, competitions and historical event celebrations – along the canal.

Some people wanted to see an improved streetscape, with more trees in the downtown, safer cross walks, and signage directing people to services and attractions. The canal towns should also have interpretive panels to better explain local history and the canal’s role in developing the towns.

Adam Johnson (pictured), owner of the 39 Problems bar and restaurant on Main Street in Albion, said the downtown would be more pedestrian friendly if the travel lanes on Route 98 were narrower. That would encourage drivers to slow down, and give more room for pedestrians.

He also wants to see more trees in the downtown, and diagonal parking on one side of the Main Street so there is more parking.

The canal path itself would benefit from lighting, so people would feel safer walking in the evening and at night, Johnson said.

In Holley, he’d like to see the original canal bed cleaned out and promoted. There are numerous former quarries along the towpath and Johnson said they should have signs on them, so people would appreciate the area’s Medina sandstone heritage.

The group also favors having distance markers on the towpath, to inform cyclists, boaters and other users how close they are to a town.

This sign is on the west side of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion. Adam Johnson said there should be more signage in the commercial area of the village, instead of waiting until people may have passed by the community.

Johnson also sees opportunities to use the canal in the winter, because there is some water that remains. Johnson said it could be used for ice skating and other winter sports.

There also should be more launches along the canal for people with kayaks, he said.

Community members including Albion Village Trustee Stan Farone, right, put stickers to signify their priorities for projects in the canal communities.

The Waterfront Advisory Committee will meet again in November to review the ideas from Tuesday’s workshop. Ed Flynn, director of planning at LaBella, said community members can email him other ideas for the committee to consider. His email is eflynn@LaBellaPC.com.

The waterfront plan could be used by the canal communities to pursue state funding for projects, Flynn said.

‘I’m very concerned. This will forever change the landscape of our society.’ – District Attorney Joe Cardone

Photos by Tom Rivers: Joe Cardone has served as Orleans County’s district attorney since March 1992. He said recent state laws have empowered people accused of crimes.

ALBION – Jan. 1 will bring significant changes to the local criminal justice system as local judges will no longer be able to put people in jail on bail for many felony crimes.

The state is taking away discretion for judges in setting bail in non-violent felonies, and all misdemeanors and violations, said Joe Cardone, Orleans County district attorney.

Judges will be releasing most people facing felonies on their own recognizance, with an appearance ticket for an upcoming court date. Judges can hold people in jail if they are charged with murder, violating orders of protection, rape and child pornography.

Some felonies, such as second-degree manslaughter, illegal drug possession and sales, even second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary won’t have options for bail.

“We’re concerned about the safety of the people in our county and their safety being compromised,” Cardone told local officials last week during a meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities. “Come Jan. 1, we will literally be opening the doors to our jail and releasing them. I don’t understand the rationale. People being victimized will see the perpetrators on the streets.”

Cardone said he expects to see the jail population cut in half on Jan. 1. The county jail currently has a capacity for 82 inmates.

Cardone said the state has swung the pendulum from protecting victims of crimes to the accused. Not only are there significant legislative changes, but the state is pouring millions of dollars into public defender’s offices, while offering no aid increases for the district attorney’s offices. The local Crime Victim’s Office is seeing its state funding cut from about $98,000 annually to $58,000.

Cardone, the county DA since March 1992, said the community will be alarmed next year to see people facing serious charges out in the community, outside of jail.

“This is not anything the local law enforcement or District Attorney’s Office is on favor of,” Cardone said. “But it’s something we have to deal with.”

The DA said some time in jail can sometimes diffuse situations, often in the cases of domestic violence or drug addiction.

The county jail staff will often work to connect people to treatment facilities, rather than just releasing them without help lined up.

“Unfortunately they may be sticking needles in their arms within minutes,” Cardone said. “I fully expect our opioid overdoses will go dramatically up. Jail can be a great vehicle to get people help.”

Joe Cardone speaks to local town, village and county officials last week during the Orleans County Association of Municipalities meeting at Tillman’s Village Inn.

As part of the criminal justice reform, law enforcement officers also need to get the contact information for those charged with crimes, and guarantee they will be contacted with reminders about upcoming court dates wither by text, email, a phone call or through registered mail. If the person doesn’t show up for court, a judge needs assurance the person was contacted before issuing a warrant for an arrest.

Those charged with crimes also have a right to return to the alleged crime scene, where a house may have been broken into or a person sexually assaulted.

The State Legislature and Gov. Cuomo approved the changes as part of the state budget adoption. Cardone said there weren’t any hearings about the criminal justice changes, and the state didn’t provide more funding for law enforcement, district attorney’s offices or probation..

“I’m very concerned,” Cardone said about the impending changes. “This will forever change the landscape of our society.”

The county estimates it will cost the DA’s Office and Probation each an additional $180,000 annually to meet the new requirements, and that will be paid for by local taxpayers.

Cardone’s office faces changes in the discovery statutes. DA’s currently have 45 days to turn over all documents and body cam video. That will be reduced to 15 days. That includes lab results.

The DA’s Office also needs to provide the defense a list of witnesses and confidential informants, including their addresses. Cardone said that will discourage people from coming forward as witnesses or informants. The DA said he will seek orders of protection for people who are informants or witnesses.

He said he worries if all the information isn’t provided to the defense by 15 days from an arrest, the defense attorneys will seek to dismiss the cases. Some of the information, such as lab results, are outside the DA’s and law enforcement’s control.

The new laws also allow a bail hearing every 30 days, for those who are in jail.

If people aren’t in jail, then may head out of state, or to Canada or Mexico. The county typically pays to have three to five people extradited from outside to the area to appear in court in Orleans County.

Cardone expects that number will rise now that fewer people will be held in jail.

“We can’t absorb that cost,” he said about extraditions.

The county also will need to create a pretrial agency “to make sure we’re not keeping people in jail who shouldn’t be in jail.” Cardone said the state hasn’t provided any standards for the pretrial agency.

“You add all this together and we have a great amount of concern over this,” Cardone said.

District attorneys and law enforcement officials from throughout the state have expressed their concerns to public safety over the new regulations. But Cardone said the state isn’t backing off.

“It’s a train that’s not going to get stopped in my opinion,” Cardone said. “There is not much chance of stopping this before Jan. 1.”

The slate of candidates is set for the Nov. 5 election with the local town and county races.

Barre has the most candidates – seven for three spots on the Town Board, although one candidate – Bradlee Driesel – has withdrawn from the race but remains on the ballot as a Republican.

There is also a three-way battle for town supervisor in Ridgeway, with incumbent Brian Napoli facing a challenge from Michael Maak, a Democrat, and David Stalker, who is endorsed by the Conservative Party.

Orleans County doesn’t tend to have candidates run on the Libertarian Party line. This election there are two Libertarian candidates, Chase Tkach for county legislator and Kenneth Capurso for the Gaines Town Board.

Two candidates also won’t appear on the ballot. Brett Sobieraski lost a close Republican primary in June to Chris Bourke for sheriff. Bourke is on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines on Nov. 5, while Sobieraski mounts a write-in campaign.

Bob Miller, the current Murray town supervisor, lost a close Republican primary to Joe Sidonio, who has the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. Miller also is running a write-in campaign.

Here is a list of the candidates who will appear on the ballot:

(R = Republican, D = Democrat, C = Conservative, I = Independence, L = Libertarian, WF = Working Families)

Orleans County

Sheriff: Chris Bourke (R, C, I)

County Legislator At Large, West: Merle “Skip” Draper (R)

County Legislator At Large, Central (pick 1): Donald Allport (R), Chase Tkach  (L)

County Legislator At Large, East: John DeFilipps (R)

District # 1: William Eick (R)

District # 2: Lynne Johnson (R)

District #3: Fred Miller (D)

District #4: Kenneth DeRoller (R)

Town of Albion

Town Supervisor: Richard Remley (R)

Councilperson (pick 2): Terry Wilbert (D), Darlene Benton (D)

Town Clerk: Sarah Basinait (R)

Highway Superintendent: Michael Neidert (D, R)

Town of Barre

Town Supervisor (pick 1): Sean Pogue (R, I), Gerald Solazzo (Citizens for Change)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): LuAnn Tierney (D), Margaret Swan (R, I), Bradlee Driesel (R, I), Kerri Richardson (C, Citizens for Change) and Cindy Burnside (Citizens for Change) (Editor’s note: Diesel has withdrawn from race but remains on the ballot.)

Town Clerk: Maureen Beach (D)

Town Justice: Rick Root (D)

Highway Superintendent: Dale Brooks (R)

Town of Carlton

Town Supervisor: Gayle Ashbery (R)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): John Fitzak (R), Dana Woolston (R)

Town Justice: Patricia Russell (R)

Town of Clarendon

Town Supervisor: Richard Moy (R)

Town Councilperson: Bruce Hovey (R), Allen Robinson (R)

Town Clerk: Susan Colby (R)

Highway Superintendent (pick 1): Tracy Bruce Chalker (R, C, Non Affiliated Party), Robert Freida (Community Service)

Town of Gaines

Town Supervisor: Joseph Grube (R)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): Corey Black (R), Ronald Mannella (R), Mary Neilans (C) and Kenneth Capurso (L)

Highway Superintendent: Mark Radzinski (R)

Town of Kendall

Town Supervisor: Anthony Cammarata

Town Councilperson (pick 2): Margaret Lynn Szozda, Barbara Flow

Highway Superintendent: Warren Kruger

Town of Murray

Town Supervisor: Joseph Sidonio (R, C, I)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): Neil Valentine (R, C), Lloyd Chirst, Jr. (R) and Dirk Lammes, Jr. (C, I)

Town of Ridgeway

Town Supervisor (pick 1): Michael Maak (D), Brian Napoli (R, Ridgeway Reform) and David Stalker (C)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): Mary Woodruff (R), Duane Payne (R)

Town Justice: Joseph Kujawa (R)

Highway Superintendent: John Olinger (R, Friends of John W. Olinger)

Town of Shelby

Town Supervisor: Edward Houseknecht (R)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): John Pratt III (R), Jeffrey Smith (R)

Town Clerk: Darlene Rich (D)

Town Justice (pick 1): Dawn Keppler (R), Mark Wambach (C, WF)

Highway Superintendent (pick 1): Michael Fuller (D), Dale Root (R, C)

Town of Yates

Town Supervisor: James Simon (R)

Town Councilperson (pick 2): John Riggi (R), Susan Hrovat (R)

Town Clerk: Michele Harling (R)

Highway Superintendent: Roger Wolfe (R)

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters battle a fire at a shed behind a house in Albion on West Avenue, across from Auto Zone. They were dispatched to scene at 6:54 p.m.

The building was quickly consumed by fire and appeared to damage a structure next door. This is on the north side of the road, between West Academy Street and Empire Coating.

No additional information is available.

Click here to see a video of the fire.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard speaks during today’s dedication of a graveside marker for Charles D. Harris. He received a new headstone in the summer at Mount Albion Cemetery, following the efforts of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Medal of Honor Historical Society.

The new marker is on west side of the cemetery on Route 31.

Harris, who fought in the Civil War, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Apache Wars in 1869.

On September 23, 1869, Harris was present at Red Creek, Arizona, with Company D of the 8th U.S. Cavalry. On that date, the 8th Cavalry engaged a group of Apache Indians during the Apache Wars, which resulted in three men receiving the Medal of Honor.

Harris had a military gravestone in the cemetery, but it didn’t note he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The specifics of the engagement and the actions that warranted the awarding of the medal remain shrouded in mystery, Ballard said. After the war, Harris returned to Albion and lived a quiet life until his passing on September 6, 1895.

Harris is one of two Medal of Honor recipients to be buried in Orleans County. The other, John Butts of Medina, is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Medina.

Ray Johnston, director of the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the U.S., spent about five years trying to show that Harris was the same Charles D. Harris who served in the Civil War from Albion. There have been two occasions where a Medal of Honor was awarded to the wrong person with the same name.

Johnston traveled to Albion from Toledo, Ohio. The retired U.S. Postal Service carrier served in the Vietnam War.

The Medal of Honor Historical Society has been able to find the final resting places for 160 Medal of Honor recipients and continues to try to find 365 others.

Johnston said the organization would like to have a photo of Harris and also know the whereabouts of his Medal of Honor.

“I love looking for these lost souls,” Johnston told about 50 people at the marker dedication ceremony today.

Ray Johnston greets Betty and John Kemp of Clarendon. Mrs. Kemp is the great-niece of Charles Harris. She read about the ceremony for Harris in the Lake Country Pennysaver.

“I was a little shocked to see it in the paper,” she said. “This is like coming home.”

Tim Archer, a service learning teacher at Albion, organized today’s dedication service. One of his classes of seventh-graders attended the event.

“Bravery and courage are important virtues,” Archer said. “He (Harris) pushed through his fears and we are certainly grateful to him.”

MacKenzie Snook, an Albion seventh-grader, shares about Harris’s sister, Lydia. She was 11 when she was killed September 28, 1859, when the Main Street bridge collapsed on the Erie Canal. Her brother was 13 at the time.

Archer’s students two years ago worked with the Orleans County Historical Association to purchase a gravestone for Lydia Harris at Mount Albion.

These students – from left Kiera Zambito, Chloe Gray and Madison LeBaron – sing “God Bless America” at the ceremony.

Seventh-grader Landen Allis shares history about the Medal of Honor. About 3,500 of the medals have been awarded since the Civil War.

Another seventh-grader, Oliver Beach, spoke at the ceremony and shared a poem, “Recessional.”

County Legislator Don Allport said the community should remember and honor the sacrifices of veterans, including those from Harris’s era.

“I will always be grateful of everyone who came before me and allows me to stand here in this great republic,” Allport said.

Eileen Banker, Albion’s mayor, also spoke and thanked Archer’s class for helping to honor Harris, more than a century after his death.

“We have a solemn duty to honor the men and women like Charles Harris for what they are – heroes,” Banker said.

Members of the local Honor Guard did a 21-gun salute and then Taps was played.

Photo courtesy of Carol D’Agostino, Kendall school principal

KENDALL – Town officials spent part of today at the Kendall Junior-Senior High School, talking about local issues with Kendall’s government classes.

The top photo shows Town Board member Barb Flow, Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata and Town Board member Lynn Szozda with students in a class taught by Joe Petrosino.

The town officials were invited to the school so students could better understand how town government functions, and the duties of the local officials.