New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a clergy abuse hotline and online complaint form through which victims can provide information – part of the Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into sexual abuse of children within the New York dioceses of the Catholic Church.
Victims and anyone with information about abuse can call the hotline at 1-800-771-7755 or file a complaint online at ag.ny.gov/ClergyAbuse. An investigator will review all allegations; the Attorney General and our law enforcement partners will seek to protect victims’ and witnesses’ identities.
The Attorney General’s Charities Bureau has launched a civil investigation into how the dioceses and other church entities – which are non-profit institutions – reviewed and potentially covered up allegations of extensive sexual abuse of minors.
As announced last month, the Attorney General’s Criminal Division is also seeking to partner with District Attorneys – who are the only entities that currently have the power to convene grand juries to investigate these matters – to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute any individuals who have committed criminal offenses that fall within the applicable statutes of limitations.
“The Pennsylvania grand jury report shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups in the dioceses. Victims in New York deserve to be heard as well – and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve,” said Attorney General Underwood. “I urge all victims and anyone else with information to contact our hotline. And make no mistake: the only way that justice can fully and truly be served is for the legislature to finally pass the Child Victims Act.”
It is important to note that many cases of abuse may not be prosecutable given New York’s statutes of limitations. The Attorney General has repeatedly urged the legislature to pass the Child Victims Act, which would allow all victims to file civil suits until age 50 and seek criminal charges until age 28. Under current law, victims only have until age 23 to file civil cases or seek criminal charges for most types of child sexual abuse; some of the most serious child sex crimes have no time limit on the bringing of criminal charges, but only for conduct that occurred in 2001 or later.
However, the Attorney General encourages any victim of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy to participate in this investigation, even if they believe that their information may be outside the statute of limitations for a court case. All victim information will be helpful to understanding and reforming the institutional approach of the Church, regardless of whether an individual case can be prosecuted.
“I continue to encourage District Attorneys in all counties to work with the Attorney General’s Office to investigate allegations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese. Past victims and current victims deserve to have their complaints aggressively investigated and those who have committed these horrific crimes must be held accountable,” said District Attorneys Association of New York President, Albany County District Attorney David Soares. “DAASNY is ready to collaborate with the Attorney General’s office to investigate complaints from victims and witnesses.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 September 2018 at 5:44 pm
Photos courtesy of Melissa Ierlan
CLARENDON – Bob Barrett, a Clarendon resident who lives in the town founder’s house, surprised town officials today by presenting a wood carving that Barrett made to show the mill run by Eldredge Farwell, founder of Clarendon.
Farwell discovered Clarendon in 1810 while looking for his brother Isaac’s lost horse. He traced Isaac’s footprints along the border of Sandy Creek and was impressed with the town waterfalls.
Farwell saw the waterfalls as a potential source of power for business. He moved his family to Clarendon in 1811 and built saw and grist mills. The town was originally named Farwell’s Mills but was renamed to Clarendon. Farwell was from Clarendon, Vermont. He died in 1843.
Barrett based his carving on this historical image from Melissa Ierlan, the town’s historian. Barrett worked about 50 hours on the carving.
Barrett has also made frames to display artifacts in the town hall, including a poster for the Clarendon sesiquencentennial in 1960 and an old map of the town. He also used his woodworking skills to restore a desk and chair in a historic cobblestone schoolhouse in Gaines on Gaines basin Road.
“He is a wonderful person and I can’t ever thank him enough for the things he does for us,” Ierlan said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 September 2018 at 5:11 pm
ALBION – A Rochester man who admitted to selling cocaine in Albion on Aug. 30, 2017, was sentenced to 3 ½ years in state prison.
Jahquan E. Coleman, 26, faced up to 4 years in prison as part of a plea deal for attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.
Judge Charles Zambito gave Coleman a break from the maximum sentence with 3 ½ years in prison, plus 3 years of post-release supervision. Because Coleman is a second-felony offender, the judge said he had to give Coleman at least 3 ½ years in prison.
Coleman has been in a drug treatment program while in the county jail.
“I would like to apologize today to the Town of Albion for the crimes I committed, for bringing drugs into the community,” Coleman said during sentencing this morning in County Court. “I know what I did was a terrible mistake.”
Coleman’s previous felony was for second-degree assault in Monroe County. He was convicted in April 2013.
“I feel you’re being sincere,” Zambito told Coleman. “You have a prior criminal history but it doesn’t involve drug sales.”
However, the judge said incarceration is warranted for the drug crime.
“It’s a serious problem and it affects a lot of people,” Zambito said.
In other cases:
• A Medina man was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation for setting his neighbor’s garage on fire.
Demetri Gordon, 24, faced arson, criminal mischief and burglary charges for the incident on Aug. 9, 2017 on South Main St.
“I apologize for everything I’ve done,” Gordon said in court today.
The fire was contained to the garage, which was attached to a house. Judge Zambito said the fire could have spread and caused more damage, even death.
“I agree with the district attorney that this is very serious and potentially life-threatening,” Zambito said.
There will be a hearing Oct. 18 to determine how much restitution Gordon needs to pay for the fire.
• Todd Brown, 30, of Brockport pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. He said he tried to sell cocaine in Orleans County on March 7, 2017.
As part of a plea deal, he faces up to 3 years in state prison and 2 years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on Nov. 15. He also has to pay $930 restitution to the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force.
• Breanna Eaton, 25, of Medina was terminated from a diversion program. If she had stayed drug-free and followed the rules of the program, a felony charge would have been dismissed and she would have been sentenced to a misdemeanor with no jail.
She will now be sentenced for fourth-degree grand larceny, which has a maximum of 1 to 3 years in state prison.
“She has tried her best,” her attorney Nathan Pace told the judge.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the distribution of $25.2 million dollars in federal funding through the Opioid State Targeted Response Grant, which will expand critical initiatives to combat the opioid crisis. In the second year New York State has been awarded this grant, 19 additional counties have been selected to receive funding. Funding will be distributed to programs that offer prevention, treatment, and recovery services in high-need areas across the state to increase access to treatment, and reduce unmet need and overdose-related deaths.
“This opioid crisis devastates families and entire communities and we must do everything in our power to fight back against this very real threat to New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “It’s critical that we continue to lead the nation in implementing new, effective solutions to save lives, and this funding will provide the expanded services and treatment that those suffering from addiction so desperately need.”
Funding for the Opioid State Targeted Response Grant is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Last year, 16 counties were recipients of the grant funding. This year, 19 additional counties have been identified as having high needs, for a total of 35 counties being supported through the second year of the grant. New counties to receive funding were designated as having high needs based on the number of opioid overdose deaths, hospitalizations involving opioids and residents leaving the county to access addiction treatment services.
The 19 counties awarded funding through the second year of the grant are: Suffolk, Broome, Oneida, Orange, Bronx, Cortland, Schenectady, Monroe, Richmond, Genesee, Nassau, Columbia, Kings, Herkimer, New York, Otsego, Dutchess, Queens, and Wayne. These counties will share more than $15 million to increase access to treatment through initiatives that include expanded mobile treatment, telepractice and peer services.
In addition, these high-need counties will share more than $1.3 million to expand medication-assisted treatment and treatment transition for patients in local correctional facilities and state parole violator facilities.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid epidemic by expanding access to traditional services, such as treatment programs, and recommending new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers and 24/7 open access centers. The governor has also worked to increase the availability of naloxone, resulting in more than 300,000 individuals in New York State receiving training to administer the opioid overdose reversal medication.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
State Sen. Robert Ortt presents a ceremonial check for $50,000 to Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES.
Senator Ortt secured the funding through this year’s state budget to purchase equipment for the two Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Workforce Training Centers. The Niagara Falls Workforce Training Center opened this month and the Lockport Workforce Training Center will be opening at the beginning of the year.
“We greatly appreciate the legislative and financial support from Sen. Ortt as evidence of our strong community involvement in the areas of economic development and continuing education towards building a well prepared and skilled workforce,” Godshall said.
File photos by Tom Rivers: Pete Consler is pictured in front of his cobblestone home in Kent, which also includes a carriage step. Consler and his wife Joan raised two sons in the historic house, which is included on a tour of cobblestone homes on Sept. 15.
The Cobblestone Museum is highlighting eight houses in a Cobblestone Tour of Homes on Sept. 15. The event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. is a self drive tour and includes stops from Clarendon to central Orleans County to the western end of Orleans in Shelby.
Cobblestone architecture flourished from about 1820 until the end of the Civil War with more 900 structures built in New York State during that time. Orleans County has about 100 cobblestone buildings.
The emphasis of the Cobblestone Home Tour is a focus on cobblestone masonry and its many forms of expression, said Doug Farley, museum director.
“Owners of many of the homes featured in the tour are graciously allowing ticket holders to tour the interior of their homes,” he said. “This behind-the-scene glimpse of home interiors is a favorite of previous attendees and will certainly be a highlight of this year’s tour, too.”
Those taking part in the tour are invited to set their own pace and visit sites throughout the day. A map and tour booklet containing historical information on each of the cobblestone buildings will be distributed to ticket holders. Tickets for the Cobblestone Home Tour are available at the Cobblestone Museum, 14389 Ridge Road W, Albion, or online at cobblestonemuseum.org. Check the museum website for information on ticket prices. Additional information is available online or by calling 585.589.9013.
Tour sites:
#1 Universalist Church (1834) – Exterior & Interior
14389 Ridge Road West, Childs
Owner: The Cobblestone Museum
#2 Ward House – Exterior & Interior
14393 Ridge Road West, Childs
Owner: The Cobblestone Society & Museum
#3 Gaines School District No. 5 – Exterior & Interior
14435 Ridge Road West, Childs
Owner: The Cobblestone Society & Museum
This home owned by Mary Anne Braunbach on Densmore Road in Gaines will be part of a tour of cobblestone houses on Sept. 14. Braunbach is a past president of the Cobblestone Museum. Her home was built in the 1840s.
#4 Brown/Braunbach Cobblestone House – Exterior & Interior
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 September 2018 at 7:53 am
5 districts are down 1,573 students or 21.5%; Only Yates County at 22.5% has more
Orleans County is one of only two counties in the state to see student enrollment drop by more than 20 percent in the past 10 years, according to a report from The Empire Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank and government watchdog in Albany.
While all upstate counties are seeing a decline in students, the loss is among the most severe in Orleans, where the five public school districts decreased from 7,327 students (grades prekindergarten through 12) in 2007-08 to 5,754 in 2017-18. That decrease of 21.5 percent is topped only by the 22.5 percent in Yates County, which includes Penn Yan and Dundee.
Map courtesy of The Empire Center: All of the upstate counties have experienced student enrollment declines in the past decade.
The Empire Center highlighted the enrollment losses on Tuesday. The organization said only about 100 of the 700 school districts in the state have added students in the decade. New York City and its nearby suburbs are seeing significant gains, while the upstate districts, especially the rural ones, are shrinking.
“Only 100 of the state’s nearly 700 districts have had net enrollment growth since 2007-08,” the Empire Center said. “Pockets of growth tend to be concentrated at socio-economic extremes, ranging from the wealthy Rye and Mamaroneck school districts, to struggling upstate cities such as Albany and Syracuse, to inner suburbs such as Roosevelt in Nassau County.”
In Orleans County, Kendall experienced the biggest decline in the decade at 25 percent. Lyndonville, at a 17.6 percent drop, had the least loss of the five districts in Orleans.
This chart shows the drop in the 10 years for the five local school districts.
District 2007-08 2017-18 enrollment drop % decline
Going back 20 years, the enrollment decline is more steep – 33.4 percent in the county, a drop of nearly 3,000 students. However, the loss would be even higher without the prekindergarten enrollment.
In 1997-98, none of the local public schools offered PreK. In 2017-18, the five districts combined had 290 students in PreK, which accounted for 5 percent of the overall enrollment. If the PreK students aren’t included in the comparison, the enrollment change in 20 years would be a decrease of 3,175 students from the 8,639 in 1997-98, a 36.8 percent loss.
This chart shows the drop in the 20 years for the five local school districts.
District 1997-1998 2017-18 enrollment drop % decline
The local districts have reduced staff and some districts have partnered with neighboring schools for athletic and extracurricular programs. Medina and Lyndonville, in particular, share several sports teams and also do a combined high school musical.
About a decade ago, Lyndonville and Barker did a study about merging the two districts, but the issue didn’t go before the public for a vote.
“These enrollment trends highlight the need for the kind of innovative reforms that New York’s governor, Legislature and union-dominated education establishment have resisted,” The Empire Center stated. “For example, rural districts need more regulatory freedom to experiment with distance learning and regional high school programs. Relief from state mandates—especially those affecting the hiring, assignment and compensation of teachers—would give all districts the greater flexibility they need to deal effectively with the biggest demographic changes they have experienced in a generation.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 8:29 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Terry Buchwald, an Elvis Presley impersonator for 28 years, arrives in downtown Medina on a motorcycle. Buchwald performed for two hours on a stage on a closed section of Main Street.
He is the headliner for the annual Super Cruise. The event was pushed back a week after rain a a week ago.
There were many classic cars on display on Main Street, including this 1964 Chevrolet Impala. The car owners and crowd came out on a 90-degree evening.
Buchwald sings “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” while dancing with Fonda Carr of Barre.
Buchwald left the stage several times to mingle with the crowd. The long-time entertainer was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
Howard Pierce of Lyndonville brought a 1967 Chevelle to the Super Cruise. He recently had the car restored after working on it over 12 years. The car had been in a barn for 30 years. Pierce bought it in December 1967 when he was 24 and serving in the Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.
Pierce debuted the restored vehicle last Sunday in Olcott in a car show with about 1,500 vehicles.
Buchwald makes his way down Main Street to the delight of many people who took photos with their phones.
Tim Cooper recently had this Medina Fire Department Mack fire truck restored. It was built in 1947.
Buchwald’s performance caps another season of classic car shows that are organized by David Green and Donna Bushover. A 50-50 raffle benefits the United Way of Orleans County.
WASHINGTON, DC – As NAFTA renegotiations resume with Canada this week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, on Tuesday urged the Trump Administration to reject any trade agreement unless it protects New York dairy farmers.
Unfair Canadian trade policies limit American dairy producers’ access to the Canadian market, and Gillibrand called on the Administration to end these practices in any new trade negotiation. In addition, with the Administration’s trade war and historically low dairy prices continuing to harm dairy farmers, Gillibrand also called on the Trump Administration to immediately distribute authorized emergency relief payments to help support dairy producers.
“New York’s dairy farmers are struggling right now,” said Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Milk prices are too low, our dairy insurance programs aren’t working, and the trade wars that President Trump started are hurting our dairy industry. As the Trump Administration renegotiates NAFTA, I am calling on the Trump Administration to guarantee that any final deal with Canada protects our dairy farmers. In addition, I am calling on the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately release the emergency relief payments that have been authorized for dairy farmers to help them bear the burden of the Trump Administration’s trade war. I will always fight for New York’s dairy industry in the Senate, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that any new trade deals protect our dairy farmers.”
Gillibrand wrote to the United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to ensure that any new trade agreement creates opportunities for dairy farmers. Under NAFTA, American dairy producers have not benefited from fair trade or unrestricted access to the Canadian market for their products. Instead, Canadian dairy subsidies and discriminatory trade quotas restrict New York dairy producers from selling their products to the nearest trade market. Gillibrand called for any final agreement with Canada to prioritize the well-being of dairy farmers, end discriminatory practices, and establish fair trade opportunities.
Gillibrand also called on the Trump Administration to immediately distribute emergency relief funding for dairy farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $12 billion in assistance to farmers across America. Dairy is supposed to receive an estimated $127 million, but there has been no clear explanation for how or when these payments will be issued. As historically low dairy prices and the Administration’s trade war continue to force dairy farmers to shoulder increasing amounts of debt to continue operating their farms, Gillibrand called on the USDA to issue these payments immediately to help keep farmers out of bankruptcy.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 1:31 pm
Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, is pictured on a new playground that will serve the elementary school.
MEDINA – The school district has a new road and playground at the elementary school to start that new year, with a host of other capital projects in the works including a new library in the high school.
Medina voters on Dec. 21, 2016 approved spending about $34 million for a series of upgrades at the school campus. In the summer of 2017, contractors worked on installing new turf and other improvements at Vet’s Park for the first major project with the capital improvements.
This summer, contractors built a new campus access road, linking Oak Orchard and Wise schools. The road ran through a playground by the elementary school.
That playground was removed and new one put in that is more age-appropriate, said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent. The old playground served children in grades 3 to 5. The new one is geared for children in prekindergarten through grade 3.
“We’re happy to have it done by opening day,” he said.
The campus road cost about $3 million. It was built to handle heavy buses. The project includes demolition, removal and grading, as well as new sidewalks, stormwater management, parking and road lighting, as well as the removal of the old playground and construction of a new one. The project also added a new parking lot with room for 70-75 vehicles.
“The new road will save a considerable amount of time at dismissal,” Kruzynski said. “Before there were cars backed up on Gwinn and Oak Orchard.”
Contractors work on the new lights that will shine along the new road.
The high school library is being expanded and will be a media center. It should open in November. “I can’t wait to show that off,” Kruzynski said.
Contractors also are working on new drainage for the JV softball and baseball fields, and are getting a spot ready by the tennis courts and track for bleachers. Those bleachers will come from Vet’s Park and new ones will be put in. Vet’s Park is being expanded to boost the seating space from about 700 to 1,500. Moving the bleachers and some of the light poles back in what is now a wooded area will allow Medina to add some turf in one corner of the field, which is currently cramped, Kruzynski said.
The district was able to keep an older tree that provides some shade by the new playground.
Contractors are also building a pole barn for storage for marching band equipment, so the band no longer will have to rent at Olde Pickle Factory.
Oak Orchard Elementary, which is about 50 years old, will get new windows throughout the building, replacing the originals.
A big chunk of the capital project, about $13.5 million, will overhaul the HVAC at the three school buildings and the bus garage. The elementary, middle and high schools will also get air conditioning.
Contractors will work the second shift during the school year after classes to work on the HVAC. The project will replace the boilers, which are all about 25 years or older.
Dirt is moved and a foundation will go in for bleachers near the tennis courts.
The district will also upgrade its information technology, moving the network operations center from the basement of the district office to Oak Orchard Elementary School. The project will add fiber optics to handle future needs as Medina moves to more electronic devices and on-line testing.
Next summer the district will work on the roof, ceiling panels and wall panels at the swimming pool. That will keep the site closed for the summer.
The new parking lot, near the playground by the elementary school, has 70-75 spaces. It will mainly be used by teachers and staff, which will free up more spaces by the front of the school.
The capital project includes lots of other work, including new science labs in the high school, a revamped track, new bus lifts, firm alarm systems, door hardware and bathrooms that are handicapped accessible, including in the locker rooms.
The gym bleachers will also be renovated, and there will be work at the Ag Classroom and greenhouse. Many of the district’s drinking fountains will also be replaced.
The work will be spread out including during the school year because there is too much to be done only during the summer.
“It’s going to be really interesting the next two years, watching it all get done,” Kruzynski said.
The JV baseball and softball fields are getting new drainage. The fields will be off limits next spring for the teams. The rebuilt track next door will have six lanes, an event area, a scoreboard, and fencing and paving.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 September 2018 at 11:44 am
Kneeling before the helmet, rifle and boots of a deceased soldier is how a soldier pays tribute to a fallen comrade, as depicted in this statue on the lawn of the Warrior House.
SHELBY – It may not look like much – an old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields.
But to the veterans who get to come there, it is a paradise.
The home on Salt Works Road is called the Warrior House where, on Sept. 14 and 15, a weekend of events has been planned for a handful of veterans.
After purchasing the farm on Salt Works Road, Pete Zeliff Jr. knew he didn’t want the farmhouse. It didn’t take him long to find a use for the old home.
Zeliff knew Joe Pionessa of Oakfield, who in turn introduced him to Ed Spence of South Alabama. Spence, a Marine and Army veteran, at the time was New York state director of Operation Injured Soldier, and was actively involved in developing events to support veterans.
Soon after meeting, the three came up with the idea of a retreat, where veterans could come and spend quality time, just relaxing or enjoying sporting events.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Warrior House in West Shelby hosted six veterans in early November 2015 for hunting and fellowship. These three include, from left: Albert Gonzalez from Theresa, near Fort Drum in northern New York; Shannon Girard from Lafayette, La.; and Shane Weyant from Holidaysburg, Pa.
The Warrior House became a reality in 2015.
Zeliff fixed up the interior and had 12 beds built to fill the downstairs.
The first event was a hunt, set up by Operation Injured Soldier, which paid to bring veterans from all over the country to the Warrior House. Three more sporting events were sponsored the first year, including a string of chartered fishing trips on Lake Ontario.
The Sept. 14 and 15 event will be a goose hunt, and will include participation by ABATE, an Albion-based motorcycle group that will sponsor a dice run. The dice run will begin at the Medina VFW at 10 a.m. and continue to other VFWs in the area, ending with a pig roast, live band and basket raffle at the Warrior House. Last year’s event raised about $13,000. For more information, contact dice run leader Todd Wilcox at (716) 566-0365.
The Warrior House is now a 501-3C, and donations of cash, food and raffle baskets is always welcome.
They are also looking for volunteers, and anyone interested can call (716) 560-0697.
Spence said they recently took in some homeless veterans and gave them temporary shelter at the Warrior House.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 10:53 am
The deadline to submit letters to the editor for the primary on Sept. 13 will be noon on Tuesday, Sept. 11.
Letters should be sent to info@orleanshub.com. Writers are urged to keep the letters to 500 words or less.
There are state-wide Democratic primaries on Sept. 13 for governor, lt. governor and attorney general. Democrats will choose between Cynthia Nixon and Andrew Cuomo for governor, Kathy Hochul and Jumane Williams for lieutenant governor, and among four candidates for attorney general — Sean Patrick Maloney, Letitia James, Leecia Eve and Zephyr Teachout.
Locally, in the Town of Gaines, Republicans will choose between Corey Black and Joseph Gangi, Jr. for the Gaines Town Board.
Murray Republicans also have a Town Board race. They will pick between Neil Valentine and Joseph Sidonio. Murray Republicans also have races for the GOP Committee in six districts. Also in Murray there is an opportunity to ballot (write-in) for a candidate for the Independence Party for the one-year term on the Town Board.
Members of the Reform Party state-wide will pick among three candidates for attorney general – Nancy Sliwa, Mike Diedrich and Christopher Garvey. There is also a write-in opportunity for the Reform Party in the 144th Assembly District, which includes Shelby in Orleans, and parts of Niagara and Erie counties. Michael Norris, the current assemblyman, will be on the ballot with a spot for write-ins.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 8:08 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Holley school district welcomed students back on Tuesday with open houses and a pep assembly. In the elementary school, teachers and staff lined the hallway and applauded for students as they headed to the gym for an assembly.
Each grade level in the elementary school wore T-shirts in a different color. Those grade levels also decorated their wings in their respective color. It will be a unifying theme throughout the school year.
Teachers, staff and administrators who work in more than one grade level wore multi-colored shirts for the open house and pep assembly.
Exzavier Pellegrino gets a hug from Mrs. Susan Thornton, who was his first grade teacher last year. Mrs. Thornton is teaching kindergarten this year while Exzavier heads to second grade.
Brian Fitzpatrick and daughter Olivia, who is headed to third grade, get a big welcome as they head to the gym for the opening assembly.
This is the third year that Holley has lined the corridor with teachers and staff to welcome students.
“It’s to get the kids excited about being here and to show them that we’ve missed them,” said Karri Schiavone, the school principal.
Brian Bartalo, the new superintendent at Holley Central School, addressed parents and students during the assembly. He started as superintendent on July 16 after working as principal at Hilton High School.
Bartalo grew up in Dansville, a small town in Livingston County that is similar in size to Holley.
“It feels like home,” he said about Holley.
Bartalo addresses a crowd of about 500 people in the gym. He said he is impressed by the teachers, staff and administrators at Holley, who make the extra effort in showing they care about the students.
“This was high energy with lots of hugs and high fives,” he said after the students were welcomed in the hallway and at the assembly.
The new superintendent said he appreciates the warm welcome he has received from the community since he started the job. “Everybody has been super-friendly,” he said.
Bartalo also urged parents to be active partners in helping their children learn and excel this school year.
Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal, said she has been looking forward to the start of the school year.
“I’m very excited,” she told the students.”It’s been very lonely here all summer.”
Schiavone started a new outreach this summer where she, teachers, guidance counselors and a social worker meet in teams of two or three people with kindergarteners and their families at their homes. They go over paperwork and forms needed for the school year and allow the incoming students to meet their teachers.
Schiavone and the school visited about 80 percent of the kindergarteners, an incoming group of about 85 students.
Anne Smith (right), a retired teacher who is now on the Board of Education, also received a round of applause from the teachers.
Ruthie Davis is starting kindergarten. She is led through the hallway by her parents, Joanna and Chuck Davis.
Tarek Garrett, a third grader, is welcomed back by the teachers at Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 6:56 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: A tractor is pictured on Zig Zag Road in Albion last week.
A heat advisory is in effect today when the high temperature is forecast to reach 90 degrees with heat index values in the upper 90s. The heat advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. for Orleans County, and much of western, central and northern New York.
The hot and humid conditions will bring an increased risk of heat related illness and dehydration, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.
The temperatures will drop after today with the highs on Thursday at 76 and Friday at 74.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 September 2018 at 8:11 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Oct. 14, 2015 shows some of the 400-foot-high turbines in Sheldon, Wyoming County. Apex Clean Energy is proposing projects that would have taller turbines in Barre, and also the towns of Yates and Somerset.
The Western New York Public Health Alliance, which includes the public health departments in Orleans and seven other counties, is asking the state to make sure industrial wind turbines get a stringent environmental review that addresses local concerns.
The state, since it enacted the Article 10 process for siting large-scale wind energy project, has waived a thorough environmental review at the local level. By deeming the projects Type II actions a more detailed environmental review can be waived at the local level, The Western New York Public Health Alliance wrote in a letter to the Public Service Commission.
“Under the Article 10 legislation, our local boards of health home rule ability to take steps to safeguard the health and wellness of our residents and protect the environment within our counties has been put at risk,” according to a June 12 letter from the WNY Public Health Alliance.
The Alliance sent the letter to the Honorable Kathleen H. Burgess, secretary to the commissioner of the Public Service Commission. The Alliance today sent a press release to the media, drawing attention to the group’s stance on the issue.
“What is the State’s position and plan to ensure that our residents’ health is protected and the impacts on our local environment have been reviewed and vetted through the standard state assessments for projects of this magnitude?” the letter asks.
The Boards of Health for Niagara and Orleans have earlier sent a similar letter to the Public Service Commission, asking that environmental concerns over the projects be a high priority.
“Our membership believes that any project of this nature and magnitude only be considered following a complete and transparent process including all the standard environmental and health impact studies and local input,” the Alliance states in its letter. “The WNYPHA, lacking both the resource and expertise in this very broad matter, believe it is both reasonable and prudent to require a full SEQRA environmental review prior to any further consideration or action by the Article 10 Siting Board.”
The state has formed a seven-member Siting Board that includes two representatives from a local community where a project is proposed, as well as the chairman of the Department of Public Service, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, commissioner of the Department of Health, chairman of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and the commissioner of Economic Development.
