Sidari, Sherman and Elliott ran without opposition

MEDINA – The incumbent mayor and two trustees were re-elected today in a low-key election without any opposition.

Mike Sidari was elected mayor with 41 votes, while Marguerite Sherman received 46 for trustee and Tim Elliott was picked on 43 ballots.

The trio ran together two years ago under the “The Village Party” and is back for two more years.

Sidari is an active member of the Medina Fire Department. He is retired as the food service administrator for the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.

Sherman is a special education teacher at Medina. Elliott is co-owner of Brushstrokes Studios in Medina.

LYNDONVILLE – Darren Wilson won a close race for village trustee, 33-30, over Anne Marie Holland in today’s village election.

Darren Wilson

Holland was appointed to the board in September. The election was to fill the remaining year of the term as trustee.

Holland and Wilson are both friends who said good things about each other.

Wilson serves as president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation, and Holland is a member of that board. She is also president of the Lions Club and director of special programs, staff development and pupil services at Lyndonville Central School.

Wilson is a Florida native who works as a graphic and industrial designer with a focus in the automotive industry. His office is on Route 63. His wife Wendy is general manager of LynOaken Farms and president of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.

He sees lots of potential for the community, and is pleased to see progress on Main Street with a new grocery store opening and a new owner for the Pennysaver building. Wilson, in his role on the Village Planning Board, favored a tax exemption for the downtown that would not increase a building’s assessment for five years if there were upgrades, and then would phase in the assessment 20 percent from years 6 through 10.

Lyndonville has 485 registered voters. The 63 who voted represents 13 percent of the registered voters.

Republicans sweep in winning all 3 Village Board seats

Eileen Banker

ALBION – Village residents elected Eileen Banker today, and also picked two Republicans for trustees.

That gives the Republicans a sweep for the three positions up for election. It was a close race, however.

Banker received 250 votes, followed by 211 for Joyce Riley and 153 for Kevin Doherty. Riley was backed by the Democrats and Doherty ran under the independent “Spark Some Action” line.

Voters also elected the Republican duo of Gary Katsanis, 306 votes, and Stan Farone, 300. The put them ahead of the Democratic Party candidates, Jason Dragon with 274 votes and Sandra Walter with 264.

Banker has been on the board for eight years, including the past four as deputy mayor. She works as the chief of staff for Assemblyman Steve Hawley. Banker’s husband Dale also is a former Village Board member and fire chief, who currently is the county’s emergency management coordinator.

Eileen and Dale are Albion natives who raised their daughter in the village.

“I love this village,” Banker said after the results were announced at the Village Hall. “This is our home. We eat, sleep and live here.”

Banker is the second woman to be elected mayor in Albion. She recalled when Donna Rodden served in the role in the 1970s.

“I remember thinking how cool it was to have a woman as mayor,” Banker said.

She ran her campaign with Farone and Katsanis. They went door to door, instead of holding a meet and greet.

“We wanted to go out and see the voter instead of having them come to us,” she said.

The Republican team was elected to new four-year terms which start April 1. Banker said approving the village budget by the end of April will be the first big job for the board.

The Republicans were adamant in their support of keeping the Albion Police Department in its current staffing of at least two officers on duty at all times, including overnight shifts. The Democratic candidates said they were open to considering scaling back the overnight to one officer. They were also opening to seeing if the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and State Police would pick up policing in the village. If that happened, it would result in a big tax cut for village property owners. Riley, Walter and Dragon said the village tax rate is too high and isn’t sustainable for attracting residents and businesses.

Doherty favors looking at all village expenses and making customer service a higher priority. He said the current board hasn’t done enough to fight decline in the village and position Albion for a better future.

The village had 500 ballots printed for the election but the turnout passed expectations with 614 total. After the 500 votes, the village used paper ballots. It took nearly an hour to count the paper ballots. The results were announced just before 10 p.m.

Katsanis, who served on the board from 2014 to 2016, said he was encouraged by the turnout at the polls and seven candidates seeking three positions.

“I have to give the Democrats and Kevin Doherty credit for getting involved and making sure the issues were heard,” Katsanis said.

Press Release, New York State Association of Counties

Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is pictured recently. The Main Street businesses collect sales tax while large out-of-state companies do not for Internet purchases, which puts the local businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

On behalf of its member counties, the state’s retailers and property taxpayers, today the New York State Association of Counties called on state legislators to support the Internet Fairness and Conformity Act in the 2018-19 State Budget.

The Internet Fairness and Conformity Act would require online marketplaces with more than $100 million in annual sales, such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy, to collect sales tax on any sales coming into New York. Currently, the state’s outdated tax collection system does not require out-of-state Internet-based competitors to collect sales taxes.

“Current state sales tax law favors out-of-state businesses over our own Main Street and mall businesses,” said NYSAC President MaryEllen Odell, the Putnam County Executive. “These are businesses that operate in our communities, employ our family members and neighbors, belong to our Rotary Clubs and sponsor youth athletics. If you have a brick and mortar store in New York than you must collect sales taxes whether you are selling in person or online. But the online seller from Nebraska does not have to collect those sales taxes, and they also are not employing our neighbors or sponsoring our Little League teams.”

From a government revenue standpoint, counties rely on two forms of taxes: property taxes and sales taxes.

“The loss of retail activity on Main Streets and malls is having a negative impact in our communities,” said Stephen J. Acquario, NYSAC executive director. “We are losing businesses. We are losing jobs. We are losing retail activity, and we are losing revenue. Local governments are struggling with high property taxes and need alternate forms of revenue to provide essential public services and alleviate the need to ask property taxpayers for more. We need marketplace fairness in New York now.”

Property taxes were capped at about a 2 percent growth rate by the state in 2011 and sales tax revenues have been largely stagnant since the recession of 2008. The result is that counties and local governments that rely on these two forms of revenues have been dipping into reserves, cutting services and programs, reducing their workforces, and delaying critical infrastructure projects.

“If we do not modernize our sales tax system, counties will have no choice but to start raising property taxes to sustain our programs and services, and no one wants that,” said NYSAC Vice President Chuck Nesbitt, the Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer. “We need to level the playing field for the businesses in our community, and we need state lawmakers to enact the Internet Fairness and Conformity Act in this year’s state budget.”

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced new legislation, the Promoting Infrastructure and Protecting the Economy (PIPE) Act, which would create a new grant program for water infrastructure projects.

The bill would authorize $5 billion over 10 years to provide discretionary grants to state and local governments, tribal governments, and public water utilities for projects related to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

Grants funded by Gillibrand’s PIPE Act could be used to construct, replace, or repair public drinking water and waste water infrastructure, including projects to upgrade facilities to comply with water quality regulations to protect public health and the environment.

According to a report by the New York State Office of the Comptroller, New York State drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will require tens of billions of dollars in investment in the coming decades. Wastewater treatment facilities are, on average, 30 years old, and 30 percent of the underground sewers are over 60 years old and operating beyond their useful life expectancy. Gillibrand’s legislation would allow communities to make critical upgrades to their water systems, ensuring clean water for their residents and reliable water systems to help promote economic development.

“Too many communities in New York that pipes that are old and leaking, lack sewer systems, and have outdated technology that isn’t doing a good enough job of keeping wastewater from polluting the environment,” said Senator Gillibrand. “No New Yorker should ever have to worry about whether their water is safe to drink. My new bill, the PIPE Act, would create a new discretionary grant program to fund drinking water and sewer projects so that communities can have the resources they need to fix their broken water infrastructure.”

Specifically, the PIPE Act would do the following:

• Establish a new discretionary grant program for water infrastructure and authorize it to be funded at $5 billion over the next 10 years.

• Allow state, local, and tribal governments and public water utilities to apply for grants for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

• Allow multiple projects to be bundled into one grant application to help small and rural projects compete for funds.

• Ensure that grants are spent on a mix of rural, suburban, and urban projects by capping the maximum amount of the total funding any one state can receive at 20 percent.

In recent years a dwindling number of participants has caused problems for many small football playing high schools across the state.

In order to keep their football programs going some schools have turned to merging with neighboring districts, such as Medina and Lyndonville have done for the past several years. Others have turned to another alternative – 8 man football – and that is the direction Holley is taking.

“It’s a done deal. We’re going to play 8 man football this fall,” said Holley Athletic Director Dan Courtney. “Our numbers have been low so this came around at the right time for us and we’re going to give it a try. It’s nothing new. Eight man football has been around for a long time and is played in many states. We want to give our kids the opportunity to continue to play football and this provides us the chance to do that.”

Section V has given its approval for 8 man competition, a decision which follows the Section III (Central New York) move to form an 8 man division last year. That division included Cooperstown, South Lewis, New York Mills, Bishop Grimes, Oriskany and Pulaski.

“Our coaches and players are excited that we will have football,” said Hawks head Coach Wil Prince. “We’re really excited. We’ve done our research and have talked to the Section III people and they have nothing but positives to say about it. I think it will really help us. It really was going to 8 man or nothing so it is a way for us to not only keep football but to build the program.”

Some of those Section III schools likely loom as possible opponents for Holley this fall as to date CG Finney is the only other Section V school to indicate its plans to go to 8 man football though Courtney notes several other districts have expressed interest.

“Schools have until August to make a decision to switch from 11 to 8 man football so we will have to see what schools choose to do so but playing some of the Section III schools is something we’re looking at,” noted Courtney.

Played on a regulation field 8 man football requires a minimum squad of only 12 players as opposed to the 16 which the state requires for an 11 man team.

Interestingly, for Holley the switch to 8 man football is almost going back to the Hawks gridiron roots as when Genesee Region League (then Genesee Orleans League) schools formed football teams after World War II they were 6 man teams. Holley in fact played 6 man football from 1948-1955 before dropping the sport until it was reinstated as 11 man football in 2002.

Judge sets bail at $25K for Richard Hering Jr.

ALBION – An Albion man facing charges of rape and incest against a child and sexual abuse against three children denied the charges in Orleans County Court on Monday, when the judge set bail at $25,000.

Richard Hering Jr., 45, said he is innocent and offered to take a polygraph test.

“He vehemently denies having done this,” said Mark Lewis, Hering’s attorney. “He should be presumed innocent.”

Hering and his girlfriend Renee Koch, 54, were charged on Feb. 27 with forcible touching, sex abuse and act in manner injurious to a child less than 17 years of age. There were allegedly three victims.

After those charges, Hering was arrested again on March 9 after additional information was developed, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

The charges include two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child (felony), two counts of first-degree rape (felony) and two counts of incest in the first degree (felony).

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2008 and 2010 in the Village of Albion. District Attorney Joe Cardone said the victim of the alleged crime is very credible.

Cardone asked Sara Sheldon, interim County Court judge, to set bail for Hering at $50,000 during a bail hearing Monday in County Court.

“These are extremely serious charges,” Cardone said. “We are concerned he is a flight risk.”

Lewis said the charges against Hering are only accusations. The attorney asked for a lower bail.

Cardone noted that Hering has a previous conviction in 1994 for a misdemeanor of attempted sexual abuse in the 2nd degree in Clarendon.

Sheldon said she was concerned about that charge as well as allegations that there are three victims in the latest case.

She set bail at $25,000 cash and $50,000 bond.

In other cases in County Court on Monday:

• The judge agreed to accept a Rochester woman into a judicial diversion program where her felony charge will be dismissed if she can avoid drugs and complete treatment in the next two years.

Adrienne Williams, 52, has been to state prison three times. She has battled addictions for many years. The diversion program, which requires treatment, gives her a chance for breaking the cycle, said her attorney, Dominic Saraceno.

Williams thanked Judge Sheldon for the opportunity. Williams pleaded guilty to promoting prison contraband in the first degree. She admitted to bringing 49 pills to the Albion Correctional Facility.

If she fails in the diversion program, she could face up to 3 ½ to 7 years in state prison.

Cardone opposed the diversion program for Williams, saying she has “led a life of criminal behavior” with 35 convictions.

If Williams can complete the program, the felony charges will be dismissed and she will be sentenced to three years of probation to be served in Monroe County.

“It’s going to be hard,” Sheldon told Williams. “You need to make your appointments and you’re going to be tested constantly. It’s going to be hard work, and you need to do the heavy lifting.”

• A trial will start April 30 for Lamar L. Nelson, 29, of Rochester, who is accused of selling cocaine in Albion on May 1. He faces multiple charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession in the fourth degree as well as criminally using drug paraphernalia. Nelson has declined any plea offers.

• A trial for another Rochester man facing drug charges is scheduled to begin on May 7. Victor T. Simmons, 47, is accusing of selling heroin and cocaine in Albion.

Simmons declined a plea deal with a maximum sentence of 2 ½ years in state prison if he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari is pictured with elementary students during an Arbor Day celebration on April 29, 2016. The village has been planting about 60 to 80 trees each year for more than a decade.

MEDINA – Mike Sidari says it’s a good time to be Medina mayor with the downtown thriving, new businesses opening in the Medina Business Park and many residents committed to volunteering and improving the community.

Sidari is finishing his first two-year term as mayor and is unopposed in today’s election. He said years of groundwork are paying off with the revived downtown and businesses such as Pride Pak opening in the Medina Business Park. Takeform Architectural Graphics also is doing a big expansion and a new hotel, Cobblestone Suites, is expected to start construction this year on a 58-bed hotel.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency is marketing more land in Medina for businesses. The sites have access to infrastructure and the low-cost hydropower from Niagara Falls.

“There are a few projects coming up,” Sidari said. “The village is starting to make a comeback.”

Medina can’t sit idle and wait for the development. Sidari said the village will be doing a study of its sewer plant with assistance from the Orleans EDA.

“We will be looking at what we have now and where we need to be in the future,” Sidari said.

The village should look to increase sewer capacity to meet the demands of an anticipated buildout in the business parks, he said.

Sidari sees the downtown getting stronger with the renovation of the Bent’s Opera House into a restaurant, boutique hotel, and wedding venue with space for a market serving healthy options next door. Talis Equity and Roger Hungerford are driving that project. They are also planning to convert the former Medina High School into apartments.

Medina last year applied for a $10 million downtown grant from the state, but was denied with the funds going to Batavia. Sidari said village stakeholders are working on another application for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. If Medina is approved for those funds, it would speed up more projects in the downtown and by the canal waterfront.

“We’re definitely applying for that again,” Sidari said.

He is retired from the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Albion where he was the food service administrator providing meals to 1,000 inmates. He oversaw 7 employees plus 80 inmate workers.

Sidari has been on the Village Board for four years, with the first two as a trustee and the past two as mayor.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning. Our goal is to make Medina better.”

Sidari is unopposed today along with Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott. The trio is running under “The Village Party.” Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center, 615 West Ave.

Photo courtesy of Jodi Shaffer: Horses at Long Bridge and Route 31 in Albion were outside in the snow on a chilly morning last week.

Today is the start of spring but it will still feel like winter with a high of 34 and low tonight of 24.

The highs for the next few days will barely break freezing with Wednesday at 34, Thursday at 36, Friday at 36 and Saturday at 35, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Three villages in Orleans County will have elections today, including a mayoral contest in Albion with three candidates for mayor.

Incumbent Mayor Dean London isn’t seeking re-election. Eileen Banker, the current deputy mayor, has the backing of the Republican Party while Joyce Riley is running under the Democratic Party line.

Kevin Doherty also is running under the independent “Spark Some Action” party line.

There are also two trustee positions up for election. The Republicans endorsed Gary Katsanis and incumbent Stan Farone, while Democrats picked Sandra Walter and Jason Dragon for their candidates.

The voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 35-37 East Bank St.

In Lyndonville, there is one position up for election and it’s to fill one year for a trustee. Ann Marie Holland was appointed to board last year when there was a vacancy. She is running under the “Lyndonville Party.” Darren Wilson also is running under the “Main Street Party” in the election.

Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 2 South Main St.

In Medina, three incumbents are all unopposed, including Mayor Mike Sidari and Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott. The trio is running under “The Village Party.” The three were also unopposed when they ran for election two years ago.

In Medina, voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center, 615 West Ave.

In Lyndonville and Medina, candidates run under independent parties without the official backing of either Republicans or Democrats. Holley used to have its elections in March, but now has them in June.

Anne Marie Holland and Darren Wilson seek one-year on Village Board

LYNDONVILLE – Two candidates running to fill a one-year term on the Village Board are well established leaders in Lyndonville.

Anne Marie Holland

Anne Marie Holland, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in September, is currently president of the Lyndonville Lions Club. She is also a Lyndonville school administrator, serving as director of special programs, staff development and pupil services.

She is challenged in the village election on Tuesday by Darren Wilson, who is president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation. Wilson is a Florida native who works as a graphic and industrial designer with a focus in the automotive industry. His office is on Route 63. His wife Wendy is general manager of LynOaken Farms and president of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.

Holland, in her role as Lions Club president, also is a member of the Foundation board of directors. Wilson has been a member of Foundation since 2002. As president, he leads the board’s meetings. The Foundation distributes about $100,000 to the community each year for scholarships and projects.

Wilson is also on the Village Planning Board and is a member of the Lions Club.

Neither Holland or Wilson has anything bad to say about the other. In fact, they both say the other candidate is well qualified and would be a good choice.

Darren Wilson

Both say they want to serve the community in another way by being on the Village Board.

Holland has worked in education for 33 years, including the past 25 at Lyndonville. She and her husband Roy moved to the community when they bought the Green Harbor Campground and Marina. They sold the business about 15 years ago but have stayed in Lyndonville. Their two grown children have also moved back to Lyndonville.

“We were made to feel very welcome in the community,” Holland said about when they first moved to Lyndonville. “I want to be able to contribute and give back to the community.”

She said bringing more vitality to Main Street is a priority. She supported the recent decision to offer a tax exemption to downtown buildings. If the owners upgrade the sites, they wouldn’t see their tax assessments go up for five years, and then the taxes would be phased in from years 6 to 10. Wilson also pushed for that exemption and presented it to the Village Board as an alternative for enticing projects to the downtown.

“I want to see some life on Main Street again,” she said. “I want it to stay a positive place to raise children. I think it’s a beautiful community.”

She is pleased the Pennysaver building has recently been purchased and the owner has plans for utilizing the building. Ultimately, she said local residents need to support the businesses for them to succeed in the community.

Holland also praised the efforts of the Lions Club, library, the town, village and other community groups for bringing concerts to the downtown, the Fourth of July festival and other events. The Lions Club last week voted to purchase new patriotic banners for Main Street.

“I have the best interests of the community at heart,” Holland said. “I’m willing to listen and work hard. I’m running to keep Lyndonville a nice place to live.”

Wilson moved to Lyndonville about 20 years ago. He sees lots of potential in the community. The school district is a source of pride, and so are the nearby apple farms.

His service on the Foundation has given him insight into the assets of the community and some of the challenges and budget shortfalls. The Foundation can often bridge a funding gap for a program. The Foundation’s board includes many community leaders, including representatives from the school, the village mayor and town supervisor, and several others.

Wilson said his 30 years of business experience would be an asset to the Village Board. He said the village has been struggling in recent years, particularly with increased vacancies on Main Street.

We wants to be part of the solution. That’s why he favored the tax exemption in the downtown. He wants to do more to assist business owners with projects.

“I’m willing to do the hands-on with these owners and help them jump through hoops,” he said.

Holland said Wilson is “an excellent candidate” for the board. Wilson also praised Holland’s skills and commitment.

“We both have a vested interest in the community and we’re probably both running for much of the same reasons,” Wilson said.

The election on Tuesday will be from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall. Holland is running under the “Lyndonville Party” while Wilson is under the “Main Street Party.”

Provided photo: Albion FFA students joined Farm Bureau members from Genesee and Erie counties at meeting with State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer at Lobby Days. Pictured, from left, front row: Bailey Nesbitt, Haley Black, Alex Rustay and Karli Henchen. Pictured in back row: Christian Yunker (Genesee CFB), Adam Krenning (Albion FFA Advisor), Justin Robinson (Albion FFA), Natasha Sutherland (Genesee CFB), Senator Ranzenhofer, James Kingston (Genesee CFB), Hal Kreher and Daren Phillips (both from Erie CFB).

Press Release, Orleans County Farm Bureau

ALBANY – Representatives from the Orleans County Farm Bureau spent two days in Albany visiting with lawmakers on March 5-6 to highlight the organization’s state public policy priorities for the year.

The Orleans County farm Bureau also sponsored five students from the Albion FFA to attend. They kicked things off with the popular Taste of New York Reception for state lawmakers, commissioners and staff. Following the evening event, members participated in the annual Lobby Day on Tuesday, March 6, where they met with both their local state senators and Assembly members as well as New York City lawmakers that the Orleans County Farm Bureau adopted.

Orleans County Farm Bureau advocated for a number of priorities this year. The organization supports doubling of the minimum wage tax credit from $30 million to $60 million. The minimum wage tax credit, while only covering a fraction of the mandated increased labor costs, would be especially important in light of the down farm economy.

Farmers also advocated for important budget funding for a myriad of agricultural research, promotion and marketing programs. They also asked for funding to support Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences capital and faculty seed funds to maintain facilities and keep and attract much needed faculty and research. Farm Bureau also supports increasing the state’s lunch reimbursement rate for school districts that purchase 30 percent of New York grown, produced and processed food. In addition, Farm Bureau is supporting the Environmental Protection Fund program that provide cost sharing for critical water quality and farmland protection projects.

Finally, New York Farm Bureau’s priorities include allowing for the registration of UTV’s for legal travel on roads from farm to field, opposing unworkable farm labor mandates and supporting the removal of an acreage requirement for farms in the agricultural assessment program as long as they meet income eligibility requirements.

These priorities are based on member-approved public policies that originate every year at the county Farm Bureau level and are passed by the full delegate body at New York Farm Bureau’s State Annual Meeting in December.

In addition to advocating for priorities with lawmakers, Orleans County Farm Bureau members also participated in a special panel discussion with the Commissioners from the Departments of Agriculture and Markets and Labor as well as the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Chief of Staff. Members were able to ask questions about a number of issues facing the state’s family farms.

Orleans County Farm Bureau members took time away from their farms to travel to the State Capitol to visit with their lawmakers about many important issues facing agriculture. It is imperative for famers to share their stories with every level of government. The better our representatives understand the impact of their decisions on agriculture, the better it will be for local farmers and our rural communities.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff in honor of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter on Friday, the day of her funeral.

Louise Slaughter

Louise Slaughter, the senior member of the New York Congressional delegation, died on Friday at age 88.

Slaughter represented part of Orleans County in Congress from 2002 to 2012 after redistricting pitted her against John LaFalce. She served in Congress for more than 30 years.

“The New York family continues to mourn the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter,” Governor Cuomo said today. “She was a champion for our state who fought tirelessly for the Rochester area, and her remarkable legacy will carry on for generations to come. I ask all New Yorkers to join me in honoring the memory of a trailblazer who set an example for others to follow.”

CSEA President Danny Donohue also issued a statement today about the late congresswoman.

“On behalf of the 300,000 members of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), I send my deepest condolences to the family of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter,” Donohue said. “Congresswoman Slaughter was a longtime friend to CSEA and steadfast advocate for working men and women in New York and across the country. She truly understood the vital role labor unions serve in strengthening our economy, and worked hand in hand with us to improve workplace protections, increase wages for America’s working poor and middle class, and protect workers’ health and retirement benefits. I truly admired her integrity and fierce commitment to improving the lives of all working Americans. Congresswoman Slaughter was a champion and will be sorely missed.”

D’Angelo leaves with praise from school leaders

Photos by Tom Rivers: Holley Central School Superintendent Robert D’Angelo and Susan Cory, the middle-high school principal, greet graduates at commencement on June 27, 2015.

HOLLEY – Robert D’Angelo, the school district superintendent for the past decade, is retiring on June 30. He leaves a transformed school district that tackled $40 million in capital improvements, and pushed to raise student achievement in the classroom, athletics and in extracurricular programs.

D’Angelo has been out on extended medical leave for nearly three months. On March 7, he notified the district he will retire on June 30. The district will be led by an interim superintendent the rest of the year. John Carlevatti, a retired Penfield superintendent, is Holley’s current interim leader.

D’Angelo leaves with deep appreciation from staff and the Board of Education for raising the bar for the district, including securing the community’s support for a major capitol project. D’Angelo attended numerous community meetings to convince residents to back the project.

“He was very instrumental getting the capitol projects going and changing the whole face of the district,” said Susan Cory, the middle-high school principal.

Robert D’Angelo served about a decade as Holley’s school superintendent.

The building was radically changed and upgraded with a capital project about five years ago. The building had been largely unchanged for 40 years.

“The students say we now have a real school,” Cory said.

D’Angelo was also promoting excellence in the classroom and with school programs, Cory said.

“He pushed high standards,” she said. “He had high expectations for instruction.”

The superintendent also backed an alternative education program for at-risk students in the high school. They take their classes at a wing in the elementary school.

He was willing to try new programs to give students opportunities, whether supporting the football program or a new geometry and construction class.

“He was student-focused first,” Cory said. “We try to think of what we can do to offer the best opportunity.”

Brenda Swanger, president of the Board of Education, said D’Angelo had an open door policy for students and community members. He worked hard to meet community leaders and was happy to have breakfast with students periodically. He also pushed to welcome senior citizens in the school for different events, including a senior citizen breakfast.

“The capital projects were his biggest accomplishment,” Swanger said today. “He was right on top of all the projects. He was very fussy how everything looked.”

She was impressed that D’Angelo welcomed feedback from parents and students, and also pushed to improve the safety of the school campus.

Even during a tight budget, D’Angelo was reluctant to eliminate programs.

“Bob was always in favor of offering the students opportunities,” Swanger said. “He didn’t want to abolish anything.”

The Holley Board of Education meets this evening and will discuss how it plans to pursue filling the vacancy. The district expects to work with the Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES for a superintendent’s search that will include community feedback, Swanger said.

Robert D’Angelo, the district superintendent, is pictured on Dec. 1, 2014 while children try new exercise equipment in the fitness center, which includes four large flat screen televisions. The new fitness room was part of a series of capital improvements at the district.