ALBION – A cutout of Bill Carpenter playing his guitar is near the stage at the Elks Club as part of a 10-hour jam session today in his memory. Jonesie and the Cruisers (with help from Who Dats members John Borello and Ed Hilfiker) are performing. Carpenter at one time was a member of Jonesie.

Carpenter’s wife took the photo of Carpenter playing in their garage a little over a year ago.

Carpenter was 60 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident on Aug. 27, 2017. He hit a deer at about 6:30 in the morning on Route 279 while on his way to work at the Albion Correctional Facility.

He worked 26 years for Kodak, then four years for Lyndonville Central School as a custodian before becoming as corrections officer. He did that latter job for almost 10 years.

He was a member of the Albion Elks Club and the Elks Riders, a group of motorcyclists.

Carpenter loved music and performed in many local bands. These photos show him and some of the bands over several decades.

He also had a DJ business and loved to get people dancing a wedding receptions and other events.

“He was always entertaining,” said his wife, Elizabeth. “He loved to make people smile.”

Many local bands are playing in the benefit today to raise funds for  scholarship in Carpenter’s name. It will go to a student from Orleans County majoring in music.

The Who Dats were the first to perform today followed by Jonesie and the Cruisers, “A” Blues Band, 42 Nickels, Triple Play and band with Trellis Cooper. (Cooper worked with Carpenter and was one of the main organizers of the event.)

Carpenter was a lifelong Lyndonville resident. When his job became uncertain at Kodak, he started working as a custodian at Lyndonville Central School. It was at that job he got to know his wife Elizabeth, who would walk the hallways after school with friends.

The couple had been married for 12 years. Mr. Carpenter became a corrections officer at age 50, trying to boost his income. He carried a small Bible in his shirt pocket on his shifts.

Some of the inmates sent him Father’s Day cards because they appreciated his kindness and compassion, his wife said.

After his death, some of the inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility, a prison for women, sent Mrs. Carpenter a card, saying her husband treated the inmates with respect and would be missed.

Numerous co-workers also attended his funeral, and they said Carpenter was a father figure for many of the young corrections officers. He started his corrections career at Fishkill outside New York City for 3 ½ years and then a year at Five Points, a maximum security prison at Romulus. He would work four straight 16-hour days and then would get eight days off.

Carpenter was well regarded by local musicians, and they all volunteered to play today at the scholarship benefit.

Lonnie Froman, lead singer for The Who Dats, was recruited by Carpenter to sing in the band Flashback about 25 years ago. Carpenter’s friend heard Froman sing at karaoke and Carpenter reached out to the singer.

“He was just a likable guy,” Froman said. “It was a plus that he knew how to play the guitar.”

Carpenter was a mainstay in the local music scene. Froman looked at the cutout several times and knew Carpenter would have loved to have been playing with the bands today.

“He would have been up there in a heartbeat,” Froman said. “He played in so many bands over the years.”

The local bands share a kinship, Froman said.

“Everybody knows everybody,” he said about the members of the different bands. “It’s like a fraternity.”

Press Release, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development

MEDINA – The public information session and public hearing for the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan will be Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively, at the Shelby Town Hall, 4062 Salt Works Rd.

“The draft WOCP (Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan) is the result of 18 months of hard work by committee members and the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development,” said Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon, who also chairs the committee responsible for revising the WOCP.

Simon is hopeful that “residents in Western Orleans will take the time to review the plan and provide the committee comments on its contents.”

The draft WOCP remains available for review at the town and village halls in Western Orleans County, the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library and the Yates Community Library. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft plan and submit their comments to the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development – the agency facilitating this process.

Comments should be submitted to the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development at 14016 Route 31, Albion NY, 14411. Additionally, the plan and an electronic comment form can be found on the Department’s webpage (click here).

Questions about the WOCP of the public involvement process should be directed to Sarah Gatti at the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development by phone at 585-589-3187 or email at sarah.gatti@orleanscountyny.gov.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A Ride4Life stunt rider leaves a trail of smoke as well as tire marks on East State Street in front of the courthouse during an exhibition last October. About 300 people watched the stunts at the Albion event.

The Orleans County Deputy Sheriffs Association is stating its support for the Ride4Life ministry and leader Scott Caraboolad.

The Albion Police Department on Wednesday expressed concern about Caraboolad being part of a business that sold anti-police T-shirts. He also is featured in videos online leading police through chases on the open road, putting people in danger.

Caraboolad and Ride4Life are scheduled to visit three local schools and do other community events from Sept. 13-15, including a demonstration on Sept. 14 on East State Street in Albion. Caraboolad has become a Christian and now shares a message of overcoming addiction and despair.

The videos and T-shirt merchandise are from at least four years ago.

Jeff Gifaldi, president of the Orleans County Deputy Sheriffs Association, issued this statement in support of Ride4Life:

“There are many times that our law enforcement officers come into contact with people who are anti-police and spread a negative message about all police officers.

“The Orleans County Deputy Sheriffs Association does not condone these messages and take pride in the fact that our members actively take steps on a daily basis to change these opinions. We truly believe that one officer, one positive interaction can facilitate this change.

“With that being said, it is also important to recognize that we are all human, capable of making mistakes, as well as making changes.

“Recent information has come to light that Scott Caraboolad had involvement in the creation of shirts with an anti-police message a number of years ago.

“In the past year, many of our members have spent time with Scott along with the entire Ride4Life crew, who toured around the county spreading a positive message of life reform.

“To judge his character now based on a mistake or mistakes made in his past would be to dilute the importance of his current example and message. Our interactions with Scott have been nothing but positive and we support his mission to share a pathway to change, especially in this time where the opioid epidemic is ravaging our community.

“For anyone else struggling with addiction, we would encourage you to reach out and let us show you the positive interactions that occur between the law enforcement and the Orleans County Community.”

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 34

This monument paid for by Elizur Kirke Hart is one of the most stunning monuments at Mount Albion Cemetery.

ALBION – Sunday will mark the final tour of Mt. Albion Cemetery this summer, which starts at 6 p.m. and will travel a path across the western end of the cemetery. Over the last several weekends, I found myself intrigued by the visual representations of social and cultural changes throughout the cemetery.

The earliest sections of the cemetery are characterized by a lack of uniformity, whether one looks at the varying size of lots, the random distribution of lot numbers, or the diverse styles of monuments. As one travels into the “newer” sections of the cemetery, lots are set out in uniform size, orientation, and cemetery monuments appear more similar to one another.

While preparing for these tours, I stumbled across excerpts from a Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog for marble cemetery monuments. An individual could purchase a headstone of modest size at a cost of $7 to $8, plus additional rates for lettering and shipping. A later catalog distributed in 1906 provided prospective customers with samples of granite monuments, a relatively new business venture for the company.

One particular example from the catalog is reminiscent of some larger stones found within Mt. Albion. The “Art Renaissance” model is similar in style to that of the Alfred Skinner monument, although the ornamentation is far simpler with the catalog model. Customers could choose from several different sizes, running anywhere from $100 (or $2,768 with inflation) for a 4 foot 10 inch tall monument weighing 1,800 pounds to $312.30 (or $8,638 with inflation) for a 9 foot 2 inch tall monument weighing 11,680 pounds.

Production for a monument of this size required twelve weeks from quarry to cemetery, which included cutting the stone, lettering the face, and shipping by railroad. Typical lettering costs for granite ran anywhere from $.12 to $.72 per letter and customers could select typeface ranging in size from one inch to six inches in height. For raised lettering, prices ran anywhere from $.45 to $2.78 per letter ranging in size from one inch to 8 inches. Old English, German, Gothic, and ornamental lettering would cost customers nearly double the price of traditional fonts, so an individual could easily spend more than the cost of the stone itself when adding text depending upon the length of names, dates, and epitaphs.

Although standardized mail-order monuments were an option, many people preferred individualized monuments that displayed the artistic talents of local monument dealers. This particular memorial, standing upon lot 879 and paid for by Elizur Kirke Hart, is perhaps one of the most stunning and ostentatious monuments in the entire cemetery. Designed by Charles Diem of Albion in 1879, the large granite monument cost Mr. Hart roughly $7,900. Although the total amount spent on the memorial would run upwards of $236,000 today taking inflation into account, the artisanship and labor required to replicate such a beautiful piece of art would likely require double that amount at minimum. The monument stands upon an 8-square-foot base of granite with an eight-foot tall statue of “Hope” resting on top.

The statue stands as a symbol of the virtue of hope; the desire and expectation of receiving something. In relation to cemetery symbolism, this often reflects hope for eternal happiness and divine union. Hope is one of seven Heavenly Virtues including Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, and Prudence; Faith, Hope, and Charity (or Love) are considered the three Theological Virtues. Held in her left hand is an anchor, a traditional Christian representation of hope as it often represented safety. In the Catholic tradition, the anchor is symbolic of the execution of St. Clement of Rome by Emperor Trajan, who was tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea.

In this depiction, Hope is dressed in a stola, the female counterpart to the Roman toga, with her right hand over her breast as a representation of faith. In other depictions, her index finger points to the sky as a representation of the path to heaven. A similar, smaller statue stands upon the gravesite of David Jones and James Whitney near the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. On that particular example, the large anchor rests at Hope’s feet with a chain attached.

Charles Diem was also responsible for a number of other strikingly beautiful monuments throughout the cemetery including the marble tablets found within the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, the large bald eagle draping a mourning cloth over the monument of Col. Robert H. Graham (just west of the tower), and the stunning marble baldacchino that stands on the Sanford E. Church lot. Of course, Sears, Roebuck & Company could not replicate the beauty and complexity of these monuments.

Courtesy of Howard Owens/The Batavian

BATAVIA – An 80-year-old resident of Medina was pronounced dead at the scene Friday evening of a two-car motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Pearl Street Road and Wortendyke Road, Batavia.

The investigation so far indicates that Irene B. Cichocki was driving a 2018 Kia Sportage westbound on Route 33 when it was hit broadside by a 2016 Honda Pilot that was southbound on Wortendyke Road, The Batavian is reporting.

The Pilot was driven by Lauren D. Power, 17, of Scotch Plains, N.J.

Power reportedly told investigators she was unfamiliar with the area and did not see the stop sign on Wortendyke.

Power, along with her passengers, suffered minor injuries and were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for evaluation and treatment. Her passengers were Marianna D. Ban of Hamlin, Sophia E. Buono of Rochester, and Justin R. Barnard of Rochester.

The investigation indicates that after Power’s Pilot hit Cichocki’s SUV, the Sportage overturned multiple times and came to rest in a grassy area on the south side of Pearl Street Road.

Neither alcohol nor drugs are considered a factor in the accident.

Power was issued a citation for alleged failure to stop at a stop sign.

The cause of the accident is officially still under investigation.

The investigation is being conducted by Undersheriff Gregory Walker, Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator James Diehl, Investigator Joseph Loftus, Deputy Kyle Krzemien. Trooper Brackett assisted at the scene along with Mercy EMS, East Pembroke Fire, and Town of Batavia Fire, and L & L Transmission Towing Agency.

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer

HOLLEY – Standing at the Village of Holley Police Department in Orleans County, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today launched his push to pass the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act as part of an upcoming package of bills to address the opioids crisis across Upstate New York and the United States.

Sen. Schumer

According to Schumer, the bipartisan bill originally introduced by Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) creates a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that will help state and local law enforcement secure new high-tech, portable screening devices to quickly, effectively, and safely identify dangerous drugs like fentanyl, in the field.

Schumer explained that the opioid crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck and an all-of-the-above approach, and that the POWER Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to address it on the ground level.

“The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities in Orleans County and throughout the Rochester-Finger Lakes region,” Schumer said. “It is not only ripping families apart it is also putting our law enforcement officials at risk by exposing them to illegal and fatal substances such as fentanyl. And it is our responsibility to protect the men and women who bravely put themselves in harm’s way to ensure the public safety of our communities by providing them with the proper resources to do their job. This bill and these screening devices will help keep law enforcement safe and allow them to work more efficiently while on the front lines fighting the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities.”

Schumer said that overdoses and fatalities are up across the board in Orleans County this year. Schumer explained that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin, has quickly swept into the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, and is exacerbating the opioid epidemic which is already destroying families in Orleans County. In 2017, Orleans County had 43 overdoses and 8 fatal drug overdoses. Additionally, in 2017, 224 people from Orleans County were admitted into chemical dependency programs. So far in 2018, Orleans County has already had 36 overdoses and 7 fatal overdoses. Schumer explained that these overdoses are from both heroin, and heroin combined with fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. Schumer said that this lethal combination of drugs is referred to as “Gray Death.”

Although pharmaceutical fentanyl can be misused, most of the fentanyl being sold on the street is illicitly manufactured. While distributors in China are the principal source of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture the drug, as well as a source for finished-product illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, Mexico is the primary source of illicit fentanyl smuggled into the United States. Fentanyl suppliers then use methods such as mislabeling shipments or concealing the drug inside legitimate goods in order to avoid law enforcement detection.

In 2016, law enforcement officials seized nearly 200 pounds of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, primarily from along the southwest border. This is a 25-fold increase over seizures in 2015. Between 2014 and 2015, deaths involving synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl, increased by 72 percent, taking more than 9,500 lives. The labs that make these synthetic opioids take advantage of law enforcement officials’ limited capabilities to detect fentanyl. Schumer added the drug is extremely lucrative for dealers and cartels, who can sell $3,000 to $5,000 in fentanyl purchased from a Chinese drug laboratory for up to $1.5 million on the street.

‘This is not just a big city problem. Orleans County, like every other community throughout the country, is dealing every day with the catastrophic consequences of opiate addiction and the mayhem it is causing for individuals and their families.’ – Orleans County DA Joe Cardone

Schumer was joined by Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone, Police Chief of Holley & Albion Village Police Departments Roland Nenni, Supervising Investigator of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force Joe Sacco, Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower, Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward and Orleans County Administrator Chuck Nesbitt.

To address these challenges, Senator Schumer joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to introduce the bi-partisan POWER ACT to ensure that law enforcement agencies have the tools to identify illicit drugs and prevent them from coming across the border. Schumer, who has a history of working to get law enforcement the resources and equipment necessary to keep our communities safe, announced his support for the bi-partisan legislation.

Specifically, the Schumer backed POWER Act would authorize $20 million to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to create a new grant program to help state and local law enforcement organizations secure high-tech, portable screening devices in order to better detect illicit fentanyl and protect field officers from exposure.

“The field drug test kits used today require our officers to handle drugs which is very dangerous for us since deadly drugs like Fentanyl can kill by just touching them,” said Joe Sacco, Supervising Investigator of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force. “We appreciate Senator Schumer’s push to make better high-tech drug screening equipment available to protect our local law enforcement and help them to take down dealers and remove fentanyl from our communities.”

Schumer is calling on his colleagues to immediately pass the POWER Act on its own or as part of the Opioid Crisis Response Act.  The Opioid Crisis Response Act would authorize sweeping new initiatives to combat the opioid crisis by boosting prevention and treatment assistance, improving detection and seizure of illegal drugs shipped into the U.S., such as fentanyl, through stronger FDA and Customs and Border Protection coordination, and strengthening support for state and local law enforcement.

For example, the bill would reauthorize and improve the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, including the Rochester and Buffalo HIDTA task forces which have provided resources and assistance to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force to investigate and arrest fentanyl dealers.

For example, in May 2018, the HIDTA-funded Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET), partnered with the Orleans County Major Felony Task Force, arrested four people in Rochester who are alleged to have sold and distributed fentanyl that law enforcement officials believe are responsible for the recent spike of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in Orleans County. During the arrests, police seized 33 grams of fentanyl, and six grams of heroin. Similarly in February, GRANET partnered with the Orleans County Major Felony Task Force, Albion Police, and Rochester Police to investigate and arrest a Rochester resident that was a major supplier of heroin/fentanyl mixture to Orleans County dealers. The investigation identified at least 30 individuals residing in Orleans County that were being supplied with heroin and fentanyl. Police seized heroin/fentanyl packaged for sale, more than an ounce of heroin/fentanyl in process of being packaged for sale, as well as cocaine packaged for sale, cash, scales, packaging material and other drug paraphernalia.

“While local police departments like Holley and Albion are on the front lines of this opioid and fentanyl crisis, it is a national epidemic hitting communities across the nation,” said Roland Nenni, the police chief in Albion and Holley. “We need assistance from our Federal partners. That’s why we appreciate Senator Schumer’s push for additional federal funding and resources to combat the flow of fentanyl, make better drug detection equipment available to local law enforcement to reduce dangers and aid investigations, and boost education, prevention and treatment.”

Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone said, “Thank you Senator Schumer for your commitment to empowering local law enforcement to deal with the many dangers that we are confronted with by this current Fentanyl epidemic. This is an excellent example of different levels of government working together in an effective manner to combat the serious issues illegal drugs present to our community. This is not just a big city problem. Orleans County, like every other community throughout the country, is dealing every day with the catastrophic consequences of opiate addiction and the mayhem it is causing for individuals and their families.”

Federal law enforcement officials have already deployed this drug scanning equipment to screen contraband smuggled into the United States at the border or through the mail. For example, when border officials encounter a suspicious substance, it can be difficult to detect the source of the illicit material and whether it poses a hazard to them.

In the face of this challenge, federal law enforcement agencies at U.S. ports of entry have had success with screening and determining illicit drugs, like fentanyl, with the help of these high-tech, handheld chemical screening devices. The POWER Act ensures that local law enforcement in communities like Orleans County and beyond can also afford to obtain this same technology and portable chemical screening devices, in order to better interpret tests gathered from the field, and minimize agent’s exposure to dangerous substances.

MEDINA – Main Street in Medina will host the end of its summer cruise-ins with a final Super Cruise on Wednesday, featuring Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald.

Cruise-ins have been a tradition in Medina for many years, beginning the end of June and taking place weekly in the canal basin. It has also been a tradition to hold the cruise-ins at the Orleans County 4-H Fair during Friday of fair week, and for one Friday at the Orleans County Marine Park at Point Breeze.

Lynne Menz shared this photo from the third floor of the Bent’s Opera House. This was early in the Super Cruise on 2015, before the street was packed with people.

If the weather is good Wednesday, they will have between 250 and 300 cars lining Main Street, said organizer David Green. In the past, antique vehicles and classic cars have stretched down Main Street from the red light downtown around the bend to the canal.

Main Street will be closed from Center Street north, and cars will begin arriving by 4:30 p.m., Green said.

Buchwald will entertain from 6 to 8 p.m. He has performed at the Super Cruise for several years, typically arriving by motorcycle.

As in the past, food vendors will be set up on Main Street and local restaurants will also be open to welcome customers. Several of the restaurants, including Avanti’s, Captain Kidz and Rudy’s, are sponsors of the event, Green said.

Door prizes for antique vehicle owners have been donated by Ace Hardware in Medina.

The evening will also feature 50/50 drawings, with the proceeds going to United Way of Orleans County, which is a sponsor of the cruise-ins.

In case of rain, a rain date will be announced.

(CORRECTION: The proposed water line project doesn’t include any portion of Allen Road, as was stated in an earlier version of this article.)

ALBION – The Village of Albion is pursuing two state grants for infrastructure projects that are each about $1 million.

Albion has applied for $800,000 in state funding to go towards a disinfection project at the Pollution Control Plant on Densmore Street. That project could cost $950,000 total at the sewer plant.

In case the grant doesn’t come through, the Village Board on Wednesday started the process to bond the project at $950,000. The board said Albion has a good chance to receive a grant, which is expected to be announced by the state in November-December.

The Village Board said the project needs to move forward per the direction of the State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The board also is seeking state funding for a $930,000 project to replace waterlines on South Clinton and West Academy streets, between Route 31 and Allen Road. It also includes a section of Hamilton Street to the village.

The project would be 60 percent funded by the state. The new waterlines are needed to boost water pressure on those streets. Albion currently isn’t meeting the standards for fire flows on those streets, Fire Chief Harry Papponetti said.

Village officials are trying to get letters of support from residents in the project area by Aug. 29. The grant needs to be submitted to the state by Sept. 7.

The board also is eyeing a $3 million project to upgrade the pumps for the water plant. That project would drastically cut the electricity costs for the plant, Trustee Gary Katsanis said. The village may pursue that project next year.

CLARENDON – The Orleans County Legislature has awarded the contract to replace a culvert bridge on South Holley Road in Clarendon.

Diehl Development of Bergen is the lowest responsible bidder on the project and will do the work for $535,723, the Legislature said.

The new bridge culvert is fully funded through the Bridge NY program, Jerry Gray, the county highway superintendent, said.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dale Banker, Orleans County’s Emergency Management coordinator, is pictured at a fire in Carlton on May 20. He is a member of the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs radio communication committee/board.

ALBION – Two Orleans County employees are serving on state boards for emergency communications.

Dale Banker, director of the Orleans County Emergency management Office, has been named to the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs Radio Communications Committee.

Banker, a former Albion fire chief, has served as the EMO leader for about four years, during which time the county has worked to upgrade its emergency communications system.

Allen Turner is the communications coordinator for the dispatch center at Orleans County. He has worked nearly 26 years for the county starting as a dispatcher. He is a member of the East Shelby Volunteer Company.

Another county official has been named to state Interoperable and Emergency Communications Board.

Allen Turner, the county’s 911 communications coordinator, is the first from Orleans County to serve on that board which has 25 members. The term is for four years.

The group will make recommendations to the commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services on the expenditure of grants and other funding programs related to interoperable and emergency communications.

The board also will make recommendations related to the development, coordination and implementation of policies, plans, standards, programs and services related to interoperable and emergency communications, including but not limited to ensuring compliance with federal mandates for interoperable communications and compatibility with the national incident management system.

The board also will:

• Establish structures and guidelines to maintain interoperable communications planning and coordination at the statewide level.
• Establish, promulgate and revise standards for the operation of public safety answering points.
• Establish guidelines regarding the creation of regionally based radio communications systems compatible with the structures and guidelines consistent with federal mandates and best practices.

Photos courtesy of Arthur Barnes

ALBION – Arthur Barnes removed a mural on Monday from the former Burgio Tire barn just north of the Erie Canal on Main Street in Albion. Barnes created the mural 13 years ago. It shows the Gaines Basin Road bridge and a farm along the canal in Albion.

The mural was hit with graffiti about two years ago and the paint had faded. The mural is on a north wall facing south and Barnes said it faced maximum sun exposure.

Barnes removed the mural 15 foot long mural on Monday. The painting is 10 feet tall. He would like to repaint the mural and reinstall it somewhere else in the community, preferably on a south wall, facing north.

The former Burgio building is being renovated to become wedding venue and also to sell candy and ice cream. John and Natasha Wasuck of Spencerport are working to open “The Lockstone” at 160 North Main St.

Barnes is pictured with the mural after it was installed in 2005.

He also created canal-themed murals that are displayed in Holley, Knowlesville and Medina.

Scott Caraboolad used to sell T-shirts with anti-police message

Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Caraboolad does a stunt on Oct. 5 in front of the student body at Lyndonville Central School. Caraboolad and other stunt riders are part of the Ride4Life ministry that also has a anti-drug message.

ALBION – Scott Caraboolad doesn’t shy away from his past, when he was a drug addict who squandered a fortune as a professional stunt rider.

Caraboolad was in Orleans County for three days last October sharing his story about getting hooked on drugs and then breaking free from addiction. He visited three school districts and shared his story – and daring stunt rides – at community events in Albion, Medina and at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. He is now the leader of the Ride4Life ministry.

He is due to return Sept. 13-15. However, the Albion Police Department and Albion Village Board aren’t sure they want him back. The Albion Police Department were shown photos and links to Starboyz, a website Caraboolad used to be a part of that sells anti-police T-shirts such as “Cops Lie!” and “FTP” for F— the Police. There are also videos of Caraboolad online doing dangerous stunts on a motorcycle with traffic on an open road.

“I’m all about telling kids that drugs are bad, but this is an individual who has profited off slandering police,” Albion police officer Karol Hughes told the Village Board on Wednesday.

Hughes is president of the Albion police officers’ union. He said the website with the anti-police T-shirts is still active.

Caraboolad and Ride4Life are scheduled for an event in Albion on Sept. 14. The village approved closing off a section of East State Street in front of the courthouse for the show.

Police Chief Roland Nenni told the board he didn’t support bringing in Caraboolad.

“I find it really disturbing,” the police chief said. “It really bothers our officers.”

File photo: Scott Caraboolad speaks during “Hopefest” last October at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Nenni said he wasn’t aware until recently that Caraboolad previously encouraged an anti-police message.

A group of churches that are part of PACT – Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation – have taken the lead in bringing in Caraboolad. Other backers include the Sheriff’s Office, Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Orleans County, the Genesee-Orleans Opioid Task Force and other agencies.

Caraboolad traveled from Akron, Ohio to Orleans County to share his story of drug and alcohol addiction and how he came back from nearly attempting suicide. He credits his new-found faith in Christ. Caraboolad said he was trying to find happiness in material possessions and money, but overcame his addictions after turning to God.

Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, shared the Albion police chief’s concerns with Caraboolad today. Caraboolad said the Starboyz predates his Christian transformation. Caraboolad was a partner with that website and has walked away from it, but a former partner keeps it going, said Lindsay, who is pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion.

Lindsay has a son who is a police officer. Lindsay said he knew Caraboolad was a recovering addict, but didn’t know he previously promoted an anti-police message.

The two were on the phone for an hour today and Lindsay is more amazed of Caraboolad’s turnaround.

“Yes, there is stuff out there in his past, but I’m more convinced than ever that he is who he says he is,” Lindsay said. “He is a genuine man.”

The pastor said he is understands the concerns of the police.

“Right now it’s a hard time in our country to be a cop,” Lindsay said.

He welcomed the community to hear Caraboolad on Sunday. He will be giving a message during a 6 p.m. prayer and worship service at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Lindsay said he is hopeful the Albion Village Board and Police Department will support Caraboolad after hearing more of his story.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.7388B/A.8684B) to protect pets from being abandoned during an eviction. The law requires officers executing a warrant of eviction to check the property for pets and to coordinate the safe removal of such animals with the evictee.

“I know firsthand how pets quickly become members of your family and it is absurd that in these instances a living animal can be treated the same as a possession and be put in harm’s way,” Governor Cuomo said. “I’m proud to sign this measure that will protect beloved family pets and solve this issue once and for all.”

When an eviction order is executed, a marshal takes possession of the property located within the evictee’s premises, prepares a written inventory of all items inside, stores the items for a specified amount of time, and then allows the evicted tenant to later retrieve their items. Current law does not distinguish between the treatment of a couch and an animal, which can result in the abandonment of pets. The law signed today addresses this oversight to help ensure the safety and care of pets.

“Pets are family members too, and we are taking action to protect our four-legged friends,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “This legislation will ensure the safety of animals during the eviction process. Pets should be treated in a safe, responsible, and humane manner, and no animal should be abandoned.”

Senator Jim Tedisco, Chairman of the Senate Social Services Committee and Senate Chair of NYS Animal Advocacy Day, said, “Those executing eviction notices and those leaving their home have a responsibility to make sure to check the property so an animal is not left behind to die. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for signing the bill into law and Assemblymember Rosenthal for her efforts to get this passed in the Assembly – and thanks to all those animal advocates for being a voice for those who have no voice, our companion animals.”

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, “The No Pet Left Behind Law recognizes that pets should not be treated like property when their family is evicted, and it will ensure that plans are made for their care.”

ALBION – An Albion attorney pleaded guilty today to scheme to defraud and could face up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

Kevin Allen

Kevin R. Allen, 32, admitted today in Orleans County Court to scheme to defraud in the first and third degrees.

Charles Zambito, acting judge in the case, asked Allen if he engaged in a systematic scheme to defraud 10 or more people from July 2013 to January 2018.

Allen said he did.

Zambito also asked Allen if he obtained property from one or more people as part of the scheme.

Allen said he did.

He was arrested in January following complaints of misconduct from two separate clients.

One client alleged that Allen was paid for attorney services to commence divorce proceedings and was then advised the divorce was finalized when in fact, the process had not been started, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office said in January.

A second client told Sheriff’s investigators that Allen was hired to bring a civil lawsuit against certain companies and assist in collecting monies owed from a divorce. Allen allegedly collected more than $57,000 from the victim and had not filed any claims on behalf of his client, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

In court today, the names were read from 15 total victims.

Zambito said Allen will have to surrender his law license as part of the plea deal.

The judge told Allen he could face 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 1, but the judge hasn’t decided on the punishment.

“I don’t know what I’m going to sentence you to, but you are taking a chance it could be prison,” Zambito told Allen, who wanted to go forward with the plea today.

Allen remains free on $10,000 bail.

The Niagara County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case because Allen served as an intern in the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office several years ago.