Press Release/Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force

YATES – The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, assisted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, executed a search warrant at 11669 Alps Rd. in the Town of Yates on Thursday.

Gregario Salinas-Guzman

The law enforcement agencies seized illegal weapons and arrested an illegal alien on numerous felony charges, the Task Force said today.

Police seized a defaced 22-caliber handgun, two shotguns, a rifle and numerous forged documents.

Gregario Salinas-Guzman, 32, of 11669 Alps Rd. has been charged with 1 count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree (class D felony), 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (class A misdemeanors), 1 count of criminal possession of a firearm (class E felony) and 2 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree (class D felonies).

Salinas-Guzman was arraigned in the Town of Ridgeway Justice Court by Town Justice Joseph Kujawa and was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. Salinas-Guzman is to appear in the Yates Town Court on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed an immigration detainer with the Orleans County Jail for Salinas-Guzman.

Press Release, Medina Police Department

MEDINA – On March 8, the Medina Police Department responded to a robbery that occurred in State St. Park. During the course of this robbery, what appeared to be a handgun was displayed.

The Medina Police Department conducted an investigation in which the following arrests were made:

• Deandre Reed, 20, of Lockport was charged with Robbery 1st, a class B felony; Conspiracy 4th, a class E felony; Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th, a class A misdemeanor; Menacing 2nd, a class A misdemeanor; and Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor.

Bail was set at $50,000 with a $100,000 bond.

• Robert Homes, 19, of Lockport was charged with Robbery 1st, a class B felony; Conspiracy 4th, a class E felony; Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th, a class A misdemeanor; and Petit Larceny, a class A Misdemeanor.

Bail was set at $50,000 with a $100,000 bond.

• Police also charged Nikki Buzzard, 21, of Medina with two counts of Hindering Prosecution 2nd, a class E felony. She was released on an appearance ticket.

The primary investigating officers on this incident were Cory Collins and Sergeant Mike Borrell.

MURRAY – The town expects construction to start in late spring for a new water district. There is one issue that needs to be resolved. Murray is trying to secure an easement from a resident for the project.

Jeff Martin, the town attorney, told the Town Board he is hopeful the issue is resolved soon. If the easement isn’t granted, the town may have to pursue eminent domain, where private property is taken for public use. That can be a drawn-out process.

Water District 3 Extension 1 will serve about 20 homes and 40 parcels. It covers about 3 miles on portions of Hindsburg, West Kendall and Center roads. The extension is off three roads on the western end of Ridge Road in Murray. The project will bring public water to some of the last remaining sections of the town without a waterline.

The federal government is providing $825,000 in assistance for the project through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, with $456,000 in a loan and $369,000 in a grant.

In other action at last week’s Town Board meeting:

• Adopted a new local law where animal control now is under the county. The town used to have its own law for animal control, but the county has pushed for all municipalities to have the same law so there is uniformity in the county, which has two full-time animal control officers.

Residents will still need to get their dog licenses at the Town Hall.

• Discussed putting “No Trespassing” signs on town property, including land behind the Town Hall and the triangle by the Town Hall. Board members said snowmobilers and all-terrain vehicles have been seen on the land.

“There has been a plethora of motorized vehicles,” said Bob Miller, the town supervisor.

Martin, the town attorney, said he will check with Murray’s insurance provider on the language for the signs.

Provided photos

ALBION – The union for employees at the county jail and dispatch center recently recognized employees, including some recent retirees, with 25 years of more of service to the county.

The following, from left, received plaques for their 25 years or more of service: Kevin Kaderli, Beverly Taylor, Nancy Daniels, John Mignano, Sheriff Randy Bower, Bill Oliver and Allen Turner. Absent from event were Charles Dingman, Sue Emerson and Wayne Litchfield.

The Orleans County Sheriff Department Local 2966 organized the celebration, which was held at the county jail on March 8.

Each of the recognized employees, including Allen Turner, received a plaque.

Sgt. Michael Christopher, a corrections officer at the county jail, is president of the union. He is pictured with Sheriff Randy Bower.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Olivia Krenning, an Albion seventh-grader, recites the FFA creed during the Orleans County Farmer to Neighbor Dinner last Saturday.

Olivia’s father, Adam, is the Albion FFA advisor and agriculture teacher. Mr. Krenning has served in the role for 18 years. When he started, he said there were only 70 FFA programs in the state and now there are nearly 200, with new chapters recently starting nearby in Barker, Roy-Hart, Warsaw, Pavilion and Attica.

Albion has started a land lab where students grow crops with some expertise from local farmers. That food is harvested and used in a field to table class, where students learn about canning, dehydration, freezing and cooking. Kenning said the program is looking to add an ag engineering class.

State Sen. Rob Ortt said five FFA students from Albion recently visited him in Albion to voice their support for agriculture and FFA programs. Alan Panek, second from right, is the Orleans County Farm Bureau president. Farm Bureau paid for the students’ expenses with the trip to the state capitol.

The three students, from left, include: Justin Robinson, Haley Black and Carli Henchen.

Ortt said agriculture is an important “economic driver” for the state, especially in the rural communities.

He said he would push in the state budget negotiations to keep funding for agriculture programs, including research and development.

Barry Flansburg served as emcee for the event, which was attended by 170 people at the White Birch Golf Course on March 10. The Farmer to Neighbor Night is now in its 20th year, an annual event before the busy spring planting season.

Flansburg is a member of the Albion FFA Alumni, which helps organize the annual Farmer to Neighbor Night and also the annual food drive where farmers donate more than 30,000 pounds of produce to Community Action.

Leaders from different agricultural agencies addressed the group. Robert Batt is executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, which has several specialists working with fruit, vegetable and other farm sectors.

Amanda Krenning-Muoio is a senior field representative for Orleans County. She said Farm Bureau continues to advocate for farmers at the local, state and national levels. Mike Southcott of the Southcott Agency, in back, is a long-time sponsor of Farmer to Neighbor Night.

Photo from Office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo – Kevin P. Coughlin photographer: Governor Cuomo walks out with students from several Lower Manhattan high schools and participates in a 17-minute protest against gun violence in Zuccotti Park on March 14, one month after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL. The Governor layed down with students and AFT President Randi Weingarten for a one-minute “die-in” and observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the 17 victims killed in that shooting.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that wants to strengthen the SAFE Act, by extending the background check waiting time up to 10 days and banning people with a history of domestic violence from owning and purchasing guns.

“Earlier this week I stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with students who participated in the National Walkout Day as they demanded gun reform,” Cuomo said in a statement today. “We have heard these students loud and clear and cannot let them down. It is time for politicians to stand up and create real action and policy change.”

The SAFE Act was passed in January 2013 and has been formally opposed by every elected village, town and county board in Orleans County, which say the law infringes on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

The governor said the law has reduced gun violence in New York.

“This change starts with doing everything in our power to keep guns out of the hands of people too dangerous to have them,” he said today. “Therefore, I am seeking to make the SAFE Act, which is already the strongest gun safety law in the country, even stronger. This year I have proposed a number of reforms, including preventing individuals with a history of domestic violence from purchasing or owning guns. Today I am proposing that New York extend the background check waiting period to up to 10 days, in order to keep our schools and our communities safe.”

Cuomo also has launched of the “New York Students Against Gun Violence” website (click here), where students can mobilize and communicate to Congress members and state legislatures about the need for gun safety regulation.

MURRAY – The Town Board has approved keeping a tax exemption for Cold War veterans.

The exemption was set to expire. The board unanimously voted to continue it, this time without a sunset.

The exemption is good for eligible veterans who served in the military from Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991. The exemption is good for up to 10 percent or a maximum of $4,000 off the assessed value of a property.

Murray has a tax rate of $4.83 per $1,000 of assessed property outside the village and $3.05 inside the village of Holley. At a $4,000 maximum for assessed value, the exemption would save a Cold War vet $19.32 outside the village and $12.20 inside the village.

Lynn Wood, the town assessor, urged Cold War vets to stop by the Town Hall and apply for the exemption, which also includes up to $20,000 off the assessment value for property owned by disabled veterans.

The Orleans County Legislature also recently voted to continue a tax exemption for Cold War veterans.

With a county tax rate of about $10 per $1,000 of assessed property, the maximum exemption would save a Cold War veteran about $40 in county taxes.

There are about 100 veterans in the county currently receiving the exemption, said Dawn Allen, the county’s director of Real Property Tax Services Department.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Leadership Orleans, which is in its first year in Orleans County, held its arts and culture program on Thursday. The day started at the St. Joseph’s Lyceum where the Rosario family, owner of Mariachi De Oro Mexican Grill, made Mexican food for breakfast and then taught the class some Mexican folk dances.

R.J. Linder, a loan officer or credit representative with Farm Credit East, dances with Galilea Rosario.

Leonel Rosario, one of the owners of Mariachi, shared how the family opened the restaurant in Medina 6 ½ years ago, serving authentic Mexican food. Mariachi last year was honored as the “Business of the Year” by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

Leonel, his wife Dolores and their children Leonel and Galilea introduced the 25 members of the class to Mexican dance and food. Leonel’s mother Lucha also helped with the breakfast.

Bill Lattin, the retired Orleans County historian, also shared early county history. Albion and other canal villages were jumpstarted with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. That is also the year Orleans split from Genesee and was recognized as its own county.

Lattin said the Medina sandstone quarries were a dominant industry. The stone was readily available to build the impressive churches, government buildings and residences in Albion and the canal towns.

Medina sandstone, however, was most commonly used for streets, sidewalks and curbs. While its known as Medina sandstone, the rock was more plentiful in quarries east of Medina in Eagle Harbor, Albion, Hulberton and Holley, Lattin said.

Lattin, shown speaking inside the Lyceum, gave the group tours of Pullman Memorial Universalist Church and the First Presbyterian Church. Those sites, as well as the Lyceum, were built of Medina sandstone. Lattin said the residents and community leaders in the 1800s were full of optimism and confidence as the community took shape.

“They wanted to make a statement,” he said, talking about the soaring structures in the Courthouse Square. “This was a community of wealth in the 19^th Century. They wanted to show it off.”

The churches, downtown business district, Courthouse and ornate residences were built in a variety of different architectural styles. Lattin said that diversity “is really one of the cultural assets that we have.”

At the Pullman Church, Lattin shared how George Pullman, an Albion native who made a fortune with well-furnished sleeping cars for the railroad industry, offered to match $5,000 to build the Universalist Church. The scale of the project grew and Pullman would pay $67,000 to build the new church, which included a Johnson pipe organ and 41 stained glass windows from the Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company.

Pullman worked in the furniture and cabinet business in Albion before heading to Chicago, where he became a leading industrialist with his success with the sleeping cars. (He also worked at moving buildings in Chicago.) The Pullman church is a memorial to his parents, James and Emily. Two of the sofas made by Pullman are still used at the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home in Albion.

The Christ the Consoler window in the church was slightly delayed which pushed back the dedication of the church to Jan. 31, 1895. The window is signed by the Tiffany company. Its leader, Louis Tiffany, traveled to Albion to oversee the window’s installation. The church wanted a window with the outstretched arms of Christ to fit the denomination’s welcoming tradition.

Lattin said the window cost $5,000 in 1895.

“This window is one of the great we have here in Orleans County,” Lattin said.

The arts and cultural day for Leadership Orleans included lunch at the Shirt Factory Café, a tour of the Hart House Hotel by owner Andrew Meier, a stop at 8:10 Meadworks and other Medina businesses, a group activity at Brushstrokes Studios and a diversity training program led by Betty Garcia Mathewson at The Colonade.

The year-long Leadership Orleans includes 25 people. Each month they focus on a different aspect of the county. Last month they learned about local government, meeting with officials at the village, town, county and state level.

Photos from Orchard Manor Rehabilitation & Nursing Center

MEDINA – Residents at Orchard Manor Rehabilitation & Nursing Center celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on Friday with an afternoon of music by “Tony Krew” (Krupski) of Cheektowaga.

Tony played Irish music and other familiar tunes as residents & staff sang and danced and enjoyed their favorite snack of chicken wings.

Two residents smile as they join in the fun. The Orchard Manor activity staff provided hats, glasses and other decorations for the special occasion.

Provided photos

HOLLEY – Holley teachers and law enforcement officers in Orleans County played a charity basketball game on Tuesday that was part of a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House. Spectators paid a $2 admission for adults and $1 for students. There were also about 80 baskets up for raffle. The event raised $4,444, a new record for Holley.

The Holley teachers were the victors, 60-32. The teachers and law enforcement have played several basketball games in recent years for fun and to raise funds for a good cause.

The team from the school includes: front row, from left: Mike Crissman, Jen Boerner, Emily Harms, Mark Thomas, Brooke Sherburne and Jeff Cumpston. Back row: Coach Wil Prince, Andrew Grillo, Matt Hennard, Bill Silpoch, Nick D’Amuro, Sheena Hamiter, Tim Artessa, Jason Kinem and Jason Cole.

The law enforcement team included several graduates from Holley Central School. Front row: Deputy Jeff Cole (Kendall grad), Holley Police Officer Chris Glogowski (2007 Holley grad), Sheriff Randy Bower (1983 Holley grad), Chief Deputy Mike Mele (1995 Holley grad), and Gates Police Officer Shawn O’Mara (1990 Holley grad).

Top row: OC Sheriff’s Office Corrections Sgt. Mike Christopher (1987 Holley grad), Gates Police Officer Eddie Bower (2010 Holley grad), Greece Police Office Ryan O’Mara (2011 Holley grad), Deputy Jason Barnum (Lyndonville grad), Albion Corrections Officer Mike Sheppard (1997 Holley grad), Greece Police Officer Eric Sheffer (Holley grad) and OCSO Corrections Sgt. Chris Caufield (1996 Holley grad).

Photos by Tom Rivers: Eddie Bower waits to go in the game on Tuesday. Penny Cole, a cheerleader coach and secretary at the high school, is the lead organizer for the games. She will receive a community service award from the Ronald McDonald House next week for her support of the House.

Posters encourage teachers in their game against the law enforcement officers.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 4, No. 11

ALBION – Over 200 years ago, Caroline Phipps was born near Rome, New York on March 2, 1812 to Joseph and Mary Eames Phipps. Arad Thomas writes in the Pioneer History of Orleans County that her “early education was superintended by her father with more than ordinary care at home, though she had the advantages of the best private schools and of the district schools in the vicinity.”

After her father relocated the family to Barre, Caroline attended school at Eagle Harbor before starting her career in teaching at the young age of 14 in a one-room schoolhouse at Gaines Basin. It is presumed, based on available information, that Phipps was the school teacher while Charles Anderson Dana was attending the log schoolhouse (Overlooked Orleans: v.1, no.13).

A passionate educator even at a young age, Phipps enrolled in the Gaines Academy at the age of 20 and eventually attended the Nichols Ladies’ School at Whitesboro, New York. It was approximately a year after her enrollment at the Gaines Academy that she proposed the idea of an all-female educational institution by circulating a letter around Albion. The notice stated her intention to build a female seminary and sought support from prominent citizens to assist with the funding of the school. The proposal was met with opposition from the area’s leading residents, many who favored a school for boys and girls.

Photo by Tom Rivers: This historical marker was dedicated more than 100 years ago in May 1913. It is on the County Clerk’s Building. The alumni of the Phipps Union Seminary had the marker put on a sandstone wall next to the front steps of the building.

Caroline Phipps remained committed to the idea of an all-female institution of higher learning, as stated by Arad Thomas, “acting on a favorite theory…that it is better to teach boys and girls in separate schools…” She set forth a plan and sought support in raising the necessary funds to erect an edifice in which to house this new educational endeavor.

In Landmarks of Orleans County, Isaac Signor published a list of those who generously gave in support of the institution, the largest donors including Roswell S. Burrows, Alexis Ward, and Freeman Clarke, each committing $200 to the cause. Other donors included Elizur Hart, Orson Nichoson, and Norman Bedell, the father of Grace Bedell.

Totaling nearly $4,500, the amount was put towards the construction of a four-story brick building approximately 40 feet by 60 feet and costing a total of $14,000. The institution opened in January of 1837 with 100 boarders and 100 day scholars, according to Signor. Young women from across the country traveled to Albion to attend Phipps’ Female Union Seminary, the second institution of its kind in the United States (after the Willard Seminary in Troy, NY). In 1839, Caroline married Henry L. Achilles of Rochester (Overlooked Orleans: v.2, no.20) and the responsibility of leading the institution was passed to her younger sister, Sophronia, who remained as principal until her marriage in 1847 to Dr. J. L. Hodge of Brooklyn, New York.

The following year the seminary was sold to Rev. Frederick James, who remained the head of the institution for a very brief period. Almost immediately after the sale was finalized, the seminary’s enrollment dropped from 100 students to less than 40. The board of directors, frustrated and dismayed, pleaded for Henry and Caroline to return to Albion from Boston to retake control of the operation. With reluctance the couple agreed to take the reins of the institution and Caroline made quick work of rebuilding the seminary’s reputation. The following year was marked by a spike in enrollment, which led to the construction of a wood-frame addition on the north end of the building in 1851.

A small booklet entitled Sketches of the Village of Albion reads, “standing on the highest land in the village, the Seminary buildings, and the numerous trees around them, are among the first objects noted by the traveler on entering Albion in any direction…The course of instruction in this school comprises all branches of useful and ornamental education usually taught in the best Female Seminaries in this country. An average number of ten teachers are employed, besides the services of Mr. and Mrs. Achilles.”

Their oversight of the seminary was only temporary, as Thomas writes, “Tired and worn down by the harassing cares, anxieties and labor of superintending so large an establishment and school, so many years, in 1866 Mrs. Achilles reluctantly consented to transfer her dearly cherished Seminary again to strangers.” Rev. George A. Starkweather assumed control of the institution after purchasing it at a price of $20,000 (approx. $325,000 today).

Once again, the school suffered a similar fate as the first sale and the reputation of the institution was ruined by its new owner. The board pleaded for Henry and Caroline to retake control of the Seminary, to which Henry was fervently opposed. It was thanks to the encouragement of his wife that the seminary was yet again brought under the control of the Achilles family and provided with the opportunity to thrive. The vibrant and renowned school remained in operation until a series of fires occurred in the autumn of 1874 and the spring of 1875, which forced the Seminary to cease operation. The parcel of land was eventually purchased by the county, the original lot now occupied by the County Clerk’s Office.

Henry died on January 16, 1881 from an abscess and was interred with his first two wives at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester; Caroline was buried with her family at Mt. Albion after her death ten days later on January 26, 1881.

Provided photo from Corning Museum of Glass: A barge with mobile glassmaking equipment will be in Medina on Aug. 11-12.

MEDINA – The Corning Museum of Glass announced that the 2018 GlassBarge tour will visit Medina, docking at Medina Canal Basin on August 11-12.

As the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial, GlassBarge will offer free public glassmaking demonstrations at each scheduled stop during its four-month tour.

GlassBarge commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company – now known as Corning Incorporated – relocating to Corning via the New York Waterways by canal barge.

In celebration of this pivotal journey, the Corning Museum is recreating the voyage with GlassBarge – a 30′ x 80′ canal barge equipped with Corning’s patented all-electric glassmaking equipment. In addition to sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning, the GlassBarge tour emphasizes the continued role of New York’s waterways in shaping the state’s industry, culture, and community.

“We are thrilled to visit Medina to bring to life the historic waterway in their community,” said Rob Cassetti, senior director, creative strategy and audience engagement at the Corning Museum. “The Corning Museum of Glass has taken mobile glassmaking around the world, and we can’t wait to share the beauty of this endlessly versatile material with our closest neighbors across New York State.”

GlassBarge begins it tour in Brooklyn on May 17 and will travel north on the Hudson River, then westward along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo before making its way to the Finger Lakes. A ceremonial last leg of the trip will take place by land, concluding in Corning with a community-wide celebration on Sept. 22. (Besides stopping in Medina, GlassBarge will also be in Brockport from Aug. 17-19.)

“The Village of Medina is excited to host the Corning GlassBarge along with the Lois McClure as they travel the Historic Erie Canal commemorating not only the bicentennial of the Canal but the 150th anniversary of the glass company move through the waterway from New York City to Corning,” said Mike Sidari, mayor of the Village of Medina. “I encourage area residents to bring their family and friends to historic Medina and enjoy the only port of call for the GlassBarge and the Lois McClure in Orleans County. While visiting please feel free to walk around our beautiful canal side business district and enjoy all the locally owned stores and restaurants.”

A flotilla of historic ships will accompany GlassBarge, including the Lois McClure, a replica of an 1862 canal barge, and the C.L. Churchill, a 1964 tugboat, both part of the permanent collection of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The museum will share the story of 19th-century canal life and how materials were shipped on New York’s waterways. On the Erie Canal, GlassBarge will be moved by an historic tug from the fleet of the South Street Seaport Museum, connecting upstate and downstate by water.

GlassBarge will provide daily demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on August 11-12 at the Medina Canal Basin. All demos are approximately 30 minutes long, and reservations are strongly encouraged through free timed tickets that will be available at www.cmog.org/GlassBarge. Reservations will open 4-6 weeks prior to each stop. Demos can also be viewed from shore without a reservation.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower

Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower, who is also the county’s Stop DWI coordinator, announced local law enforcement will participate in the STOP- DWI St. Patrick’s Day Crackdown from today through Sunday.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and Medina, Albion and Holley Police Departments will all be part of the DWI crackdown this weekend.

This crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation.

Every year an increase in drinking and driving occur around the holidays, with deadly results. In 2015, 311 people died on New York State highways due to Alcohol Impaired Driving. In New York State it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher.

The key to keeping yourself and others safe on the highway is to “Have A Plan” for a safe way to get home. Call for a ride from a sober friend, family member, taxi, public transportation or Uber.

Press Release, Medina Police Department

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department on Dec. 10, 2017 responded to a report of a weapon being discharged at O’Brien’s Tavern on Main Street. Witness accounts stated that the individual responsible was not targeting anyone, and the gun was fired into the ceiling.

Officers from the Medina Police Department recovered a discharged round that was lodged in the ceiling. Information obtained during the investigation developed a suspect in this incident. On Dec. 20 this suspect was arrested in Niagara County, and found in possession of a firearm.  The discharged round and the recovered gun were sent for lab analysis, which confirmed that the round had been fired from the gun recovered.

As a result of this investigation, on March 13, the Medina Police Department charged Patrick Casanova, 24, of Buffalo with the following: Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd, a class C felony; Reckless Endangerment 1st, a class D felony; and Criminal Mischief 4th, a class A misdemeanor.

Casanova was arraigned in the Town of Ridgeway Court and bail was set at $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond.  As a result of his arrest, there are additional felony charges pending.

Multiple Medina Police Officers assisted in this investigation with the primary officers being Officer Cory Collins and Officer Joe Frentz. Several other agencies assisted in this investigation and arrest including the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshall’s Office.

Her district used to include a section of Orleans County

Louise Slaughter

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

Slaughter represented part of Orleans County in Congress from 2002 to 2012 after redistricting pitted her against John LaFalce. Slaughter lived in Fairport and used to have a Rochester-focused district while LaFalce of Tonawanda had a district near Buffalo that stretched into Orleans.

The redistricting plan from Republicans was intended to eliminate one of the powerful Democrats. LaFalce chose to retire rather than run against a long-time friend. The new gerrymandered district included the three Orleans towns of Yates, Carlton and Kendall.

During her decade representing part of Orleans County in Congress, Slaughter secured federal funding for the Lyndonville sewer plant, Albion water plant and other local water districts. She also pushed for federal funds for dredging the Oak Orchard Harbor and worked with local farmers to help them bring in farmworkers through the H2A program, allowing them to work short-term on fruit and vegetable farms before going back to their home countries.

“I am very saddened,” Jeanne Crane, chairwoman of the Orleans County Democratic Party, said about Slaughter’s death. “She was a very kind person. She really did a lot for Orleans County when she was in Congress.”

The 28th Congressional District was redrawn in an “earmuff district” to include both Louise Slaughter and John LaFalce, who were long-time members of Congress who were Democrats. LaFalce opted to retire rather than run against Slaughter.

Crane said Slaughter was very hospitable to Crane during a visit to the nation’s capital and showed her around DC.

Crane was most impressed with Slaughter’s willingness to speak out on issues and work behind the scenes on legislation.

“She was very tough,” Crane said. “She took on a lot of major topics and stuck to them and fought for it.”

Slaughter fell last week at her home in Washington, DC. She suffered a concussion and had been hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital.

Slaughter’s chief of staff Liam Fitzsimmons released a statement Friday morning on his boss’s death.

“To have met Louise Slaughter is to have known a force of nature,” he said. “She was a relentless advocate for Western New York whose visionary leadership brought infrastructure upgrades, technology and research investments, and two federal manufacturing institutes to Rochester that will transform the local economy for generations to come.”

Slaughter was first elected to Congress in 1987.

“As the first chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, Louise blazed a path that many women continue to follow,” Fitzsimmons said. “It is difficult to find a segment of society that Louise didn’t help shape over the course of more than 30 years in Congress, from health care to genetic nondiscrimination to historic ethics reforms.”

Bob Duffy, the former Rochester mayor and lieutenant governor, is now CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. He released this statement about Slaughter:

“Louise was a friend and a colleague for years and I am shocked by her passing. Words cannot express how saddened I am by her death. She was such a tireless advocate and great public servant for our community and region throughout her tenure in Congress. Whether people agreed or disagreed with her positions, I can assure you that they were established with the utmost integrity because Louise always took stands that she firmly believed in. To me, that is the essence of great public service. I express my deepest condolences to her family.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued this statement about the congresswoman:

“Louise Slaughter was a champion for New York who had a larger than life presence in Rochester area politics. For more than 30 years, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives with unmatched charm, sharp wit and an insatiable passion to improve the lives of everyone in her community.

“As Dean of our Congressional Delegation, she made all New Yorkers proud. With her training as a scientist, Louise fought for fairness and led the way on the major issues of our time, from environmental preservation to women’s rights to attracting 21st century jobs in cutting edge industries like photonics.

“She was trailblazer, a partner and friend ever since we worked together for my father more than four decades ago. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her, but she will not be forgotten anytime soon by all those she served.”

Ryan orders flags lowered for ‘a giant in the people’s House’

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement this morning after learning of the passing of Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York:

“This is just jarring. My first thoughts go out to Louise’s family, friends, and her staff. Louise was a giant in the people’s House, the first woman ever to chair the Rules Committee. That said, Louise did not need a gavel to make a dent in history. She was unrelenting in fighting for her ideas and the people back home in Western New York. But really, the thing that I keep coming back to is how she was tough, but unfailingly gracious. She was simply great.

“In memory of Louise, I have ordered that the flags above the Capitol be lowered to half-staff. The coming days of mourning will bring many tributes to this wonderful public servant. For now, let us pray that God brings comfort to those closest to Louise.”

Gillibrand: ‘Louise will be remembered as one of the great, pioneering women in our country’s history’

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter:

“I am deeply saddened that my dear friend and colleague Louise Slaughter has passed away. As a long-serving leader of the House Rules Committee, she tirelessly fought for Democratic principles and gave a voice to those who needed it. Louise devoted her life to serving the Rochester community, she never wavered in her fierce defense of our shared values as Americans, and she was one of the kindest and most compassionate colleagues I’ve ever had.

“She was a brilliant microbiologist who worked tirelessly to make our food supply safer, she was a moral leader who passed the Stock Act to prevent corruption in Congress, and she was a proud New Yorker who fought to bring high-speed rail to our state. Louise will be remembered as one of the great, pioneering women in our country’s history, and it was an honor to serve alongside her in Congress. I offer my heartfelt prayers and condolences to her entire family.”