Provided photos: Three students prepare to hula hoop at the Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart event at Holley Elementary.
Press Release, Holley Central School
HOLLEY –Holley Elementary School participated in their 33rd Annual Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart event on Feb. 10. There were 67 students who participated in the event, and over 100 elementary students collected donations. To date, Holley elementary students have collected $6,300 in donations, exceeding the school’s target goal of $6,000 this year for the American Heart Association.
Students rotated through various stations where they could make cards, sign a large valentine heart and play games. Food Services Director Vickie Scroger provided participants with healthy snack options. Activities were supervised by current and retired elementary staff, and parent volunteers. Everyone enjoyed participating in this worthwhile cause and earning a variety of prizes.
A student is busy jumping rope during the event.
This year’s Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart event was held in honor of the late Jim Campbell, husband of recently retired Holley Elementary Physical Education Teacher Lisa Campbell. Lisa successfully organized this annual event at Holley Elementary for many years. Holley Elementary staff and retirees donated $543.50 to the event in honor of Mr. Campbell and presented a check to Mrs. Campbell for the American Heart Association. Special thanks to Lisa Campbell, her sons, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, who came from out of state, to help support this worthy cause in memory of Jim Campbell.
ALBION – A couple from the Village of Albion has been charged with sexually abusing children between the ages of 12 and 16.
Renee Koch, 54, and her boyfriend, Richard Hering Jr., 45, have been arrested and charged with forcible touching, sex abuse and act in manner injurious to a child less than 17 years of age.
Renee Koch
Police are declining to say how many children are involved or their relationship to Koch and Hering.
Hering Jr., 45, has been charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, four counts of forcible touching and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was previously on the sex offender registry as a level one offender after being convicted of attempted sexual abuse in the 2nd degree in Clarendon in 1995.
Koch has been charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Both were arraigned in Albion Town Court and committed to Orleans County Jail.
The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement this morning for Orleans, Monroe and northern Genesee counties.
Visibilities will drop to a half mile until about 8:30 this morning due to snow.
“Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations,” the Weather Service said. “Be prepared for snow or ice-covered roads. Slow down and allow extra time when traveling.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2018 at 4:24 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches is working with the Student Association to bring back baccalaureate, a religious service for impending high school graduates.
The service is scheduled for June 10 at a site to be determined. The service will be largely student led, said Vince Iorio, pastor of the Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God.
Iorio has been with Calvary for 11 years and Medina hasn’t had baccalaureate during that time. Some communities have the service, which are optional for students and often located in a church or off campus, but sometimes the services are at school auditoriums.
Dan Doctor, Medina Central School’s director of community outreach, is the speaker for baccalaureate.
The MAAC is calling the event a “moving forward” service, Iorio said.
“We want the graduates to know they aren’t going out alone, that God is going with them and God has a plan for their lives,” he said. “We want them to take that with them.”
MEDINA – A local physician, Thomas J. Madejski, will be appointed president of the Medical Society of the State of New York at its upcoming meeting on March 24 in Buffalo.
Madejski, an Albion resident, works in Medina with General Physician, P.C., on Ohio Street. He is also president of the medical staff at Medina Memorial Hospital, as well as medical director of the Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center in Albion, Absolut Care in Gasport, and Hospice of Orleans County.
As president of the Medical Society, Dr. Madejski will oversee all the public health and legislative activities of the state’s principal professional organization for physicians and will work to protect and defend the rights of all patients in New York state.
“Dr. Madejski has been a tireless supporter of MSSNY’s legislative priorities and has been a champion of both physicians’ and patients’ rights during challenging times,” said Dr. Paul Hamlin, chairman of MSSNY’s Board of Trustees. “We look forward to his leadership as he takes office as president of MSSNY.”
Dr. Madejski is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo School of Pharmacy and The School of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Hospice Palliative Care.
“I am honored to have been elected to lead the Medical Society of the State of New York for the upcoming year,” Madejski said. “MSSNY is the leading voice for physicians in New York State, working for patients, and our physician members and their healthcare teams, to improve the health of our patients and the delivery of healthcare in New York State.”
“During my 25+ years with MSSNY I am proud to have worked on a wide range of issues including: advocacy for HIV testing and treatment for newborns, electronic interchange of health data with privacy protections, reducing social ethnic and other healthcare disparities, and the opioid crisis in WNY, and throughout the state, among many others. MSSNY will continue to work to advocate for improved access and the betterment of health for our patients at both the state and federal levels.
“I am also thankful and honored to be a part of General Physicians, and Kaleida, which have been supportive of my involvement and also committed to improving the health and lives of our patients, friends and families.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2018 at 11:19 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Lyndonville is pictured in late November when the downtown was decorated for the holiday season.
LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Legislature and Lyndonville Village Board have both approved tax exemptions for building projects in the downtown business district.
Both governing boards passed new local laws where property owners who invest in the historic commercial buildings would not see the assessments increase for five years, and would then see 20 percent increases over the next five years for the improvements, until the sites are at full assessment after a decade.
The County Legislature passed the exemptions last week and the Lyndonville Village Board approved the incentives on Monday. The Yates Town Board is expected to discuss the issue at its meeting this evening, and the Lyndonville Board of Education may also consider it.
John Belson, mayor of Lyndonville, said the exemptions will spare building owners from a big tax increase if they upgrade their buildings. Properties on Main Street, from Eagle Street to Riverside Drive, are eligible for the exemptions.
The village tax rate is $13.86 per $1,000 of assessed property while the county rate is $10.06. Together they are $23.92. If someone did a $50,000 upgrade to a building in the downtown, raising the assessment by $50,000, the tax bill would increase $1,196 without the tax exemption.
The school tax rate is $16.31 and the town rate inside the village is $2.57.
Belson, the village mayor, is hopeful the town and school will join in offering the exemptions for the buildings in the downtown to help attract more businesses and investment to Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2018 at 10:00 am
ALBION – Village of Albion residents can hear directly from the candidates who are running for the Village Board in the upcoming March 20 election.
The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub are sponsoring a candidate forum 6 p.m. today at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School cafeteria.
The event is set up as a forum and not a debate. Candidates will give opening and closing statements, and will respond to questions submitted by the audience.
There are seven candidates seeking three positions on the board. Republicans have endorsed Eileen Banker for mayor and Gary Katsanis and Stan Farone for village trustee. Democrats are backing Joyce Riley for mayor and Sandra Walter and Jason Dragon for village trustees. Kevin Doherty made it a three-way battle for mayor when he submitted petitions to run under the independent “Spark Some Action” party line.
The March 20 has voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2018 at 9:02 am
ALBION – Orleans County will hold its annual tax auction on May 23 for properties with several years of delinquent taxes.
The auction will be held at the Albion Elk Lodge, 428 West State St. The sales start at 10 a.m.
The county hired Absolute Auctions and Realty to run the auction for the next three years. At the auction, buyers agree to a sale price and also have to pay a year of the back taxes. The buyer also agrees to an 11 percent buyer’s premium which goes to the auctioneer.
In other action at last week’s Legislature meeting:
• Approved spending $74,863 for new carpet in the Mental Health Department building with the Federal Medicaid Salary Sharing funds covering the cost. Greenfield Flooring in Henrietta is the contractor.
• Approved spending $19,526 for furniture and furnishings for the mental Health Department with $10,350 from Krantz Furniture in Albion and $9,176 from Staples in Orlando, Fla. There is no county cost with Finger Lakes Participating Provider System paying the bill.
• The sale price was increased for county-owned land at 106 Beaver St., Albion. The county increased the price from $12,501 to $14,337 for DePaul Acquisitions LLC, which is looking to put a housing development at Liberty and Beaver streets. The added price reflects the addition of the 2018 county/town real property tax bill.
• Appointed Tracy VanSkiver to a two-year term as the Village of Albion’s representative on the County Planning Board, with Matthew Hand serving as the alternate.
• Renewed a $25,000 annual contract with Heath & Martin Law Firm in Holley to administer the assigned counsel program.
• Accepted a $1,500 donation for a new hanging ceiling gas heater for the Orleans County Animal Shelter.
• Reappointed the following to four-year terms on the Orleans County Youth Board: Scott Green of Medina, Cynthia Lonnen of Albion and Barbara Flow of Kendall.
• Approved a $5,000 payment to Mercy Flight for air medical transfers.
(Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued the following open letter to President Trump.)
Dear Mr. President,
The old adage is right: “go with your first instinct.” Your White House meeting with bipartisan federal legislators right after the Florida massacre appeared and was unscripted and productive. You essentially had one question that summed up what every American was feeling: “why?” Why sell guns to young people who can’t yet buy a beer? Why sell assault weapons that are designed to kill so many people so quickly? Why not take guns from the mentally ill before they hurt someone or themselves? Why not make sure every gun purchaser goes through a background check?
There was no answer from the electeds assembled, because there is no answer – except the one you suggested – they are afraid of the NRA.
Major political change comes when a window of opportunity opens and a leader seizes the moment. There are brief moments in history where attention, passion and drive combine to unite the American people and overwhelm the forces preserving the status quo and create change.
The American gun crisis has long been a plague and scourge on our country. You can do something about it and the American people would support it. This is the moment. The Republicans will follow your lead. Yes, they fear the NRA, but they fear the enraged citizen majority more.
In New York, after the Sandy Hook massacre, the nation had a similar moment. It was a moment of grief and pain and anger. Sandy Hook touched the hearts and minds of every day Americans. It was anyone’s child – it was everyone’s child. In the immediate aftermath of Sandy Hook we passed the New York Safe Act – common sense gun safety. It has made a dramatic difference, it didn’t negatively affect any legal gun owners, and I believe it has saved lives.
Mentally ill and dangerous people shouldn’t have guns so we need universal background checks. When a person shows signs of mental distress or violence, there should be a provision for police to investigate and determine the facts – a “red flag bill.” Domestic violence offenders should not have guns. Assault weapons are too dangerous in the wrong hands and not worth the risk. In 1938 we outlawed machine guns in this Country precisely for the same reason: they were too dangerous if obtained by the wrong person. Does anyone miss not owning machine guns?
For those of us who serve in government, if we are lucky, we may have a few moments that present a real opportunity to make a lasting difference. There are brief openings where transformational progress is possible and you have that opportunity now. The moments are rare and fleeting. They are leadership moments: don’t squander it.
The political advisors are wrong. NRA members will be nervous about any government change and intervention but they will ultimately realize a functioning system vindicates legitimate gun owners rather than demonizing all. If you lose this moment, I am sad to say there will probably be another shooting and the Country will be in the same place, and it will once again pose the question that you posed – “why?” “Why didn’t we do anything about this after Florida?” You have the responsibility to stop that from happening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 March 2018 at 9:58 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – It’s high school spring musical season and Holley High School’s Theatre Department will be performing three shows of The Wizard of Oz on Friday and Saturday.
The top photo is from this afternoon’s rehearsal and includes Matt DeSimone as the Tin Man, Sonya Kordovich as the Cowardly Lion, Hannah Bailey as Dorothy and Nina DiLella as the Scarecrow.
Dan Burke has been directing the Holley shows for 27 years. This is the first time he has directed The Wizard of Oz. He said Holley has the students with the zany personalities and talent to put on the show.
The Holley cast includes 60 students, 25 more in stage crew, and four helping with makeup, and six others that painted some of the set pieces.
Hanna Waterman portrays Glinda, the Good Witch. She is shown in Munchkinland.
Hannah Bailey is Dorothy and Toto is Oscar Harrington. Holley has a different student playing Dorothy for each of the three shows. Hannah is Dorothy for the 7 p.m. show on Saturday, while Abrianna Kruger is Dorothy on Friday and Jocelyn Cervone has the part on Saturday for the 2 p.m. show.
Holley rotates the lead roles and some other parts, so it isn’t the same students in those key roles for all three productions.
“It’s important to be inclusive and make sure every kid has a visible presence on the stage,” Burke said. “For a small school to put out three casts and put on the shows we do, it says a lot about the kids we have.”
Burke is the high school biology teacher and also coaches varsity baseball. He said the musical draws together students from different backgrounds and interests.
“The kids get to know each other,” he said. “They are working on a common goal.”
Jessica Sedore is the Wicked Witch of the West on the Saturday night show. Cheyan Palmer and Callie Updike also perform in the role.
Cory Spychalski is the mayor of Munchkinland. She makes her entrance after realizing Dorothy’s house landed on one of the Wicked Witches.
The munchkins are happy to see a nemesis, the Wicked Witch of the East, is dead.
Nina DiLella plays the Scarecrow on Saturday night. Matt Skehan plays the part as well.
Matt DeSimone is the Tin Man on Friday and Saturday nights. Dalton Thurley plays in the role on Saturday afternoon.
Holley has shows on Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. For more information about tickets, click here.
Press Release, Department of Environmental Conservation
The 2017 hunting seasons in New York saw the second-lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents on record, 19, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.
Also in 2017, at Commissioner Seggos’ direction, the DEC started tracking tree stand injuries for the first time. DEC recorded 12 incidents statewide.
“The tradition of hunting is enjoyed by more than 500,000 New Yorkers each year, and the declining number of incidents show that today’s generation of hunters may be the most safety conscious,” Seggos said. “Thanks to the efforts of 2,600 DEC staff and volunteer hunter education program instructors that teach nearly 50,000 students each year, New York’s hunting safety statistics continue to improve.”
Of the 19 hunting-related shooting incidents that occurred last year, 14 were two-party firearm incidents, five were self-inflicted, and one resulted in a fatality that DEC believes could have been prevented if hunting laws and common sense were followed.
Of the two-party HRSIs, 11 of the victims (79 percent) were not wearing hunter orange. Incidents involving two or more individuals stress the importance of identifying the target and what lies beyond, a major tenet of DEC’s hunter safety courses.
In 11 of the 19 incidents (59 percent), a violation of hunting laws or regulations occurred.
“Although we’ve seen the lowest number of hunting-related incidents on record over the last five years, we continue to urge hunters to follow the laws and basic rules of hunting safety,” Seggos said. “We encourage hunters to wear hunter orange and be sure, beyond a doubt, of their target.”
New York’s lowest HRSI rate was in 2016, with just 13 incidents; 2013 experienced 19. In 1991, there were 98 incidents. In 1979, 110. In 1966, there were 166, 13 of which were fatal.
The hunting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) continues to decline. Since the 1960s, the incident rate has plunged more than 70 percent. The current five-year average is 3.2 incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 in the 1960s.
Trained volunteer instructors certified by DEC teach safe, responsible, and ethical hunting and trapping practices and the important role of hunters and trappers in wildlife conservation. New York has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters and trappers, thanks largely to more than 60 years of dedicated efforts of volunteer Hunter Education Program instructors. All first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers must successfully complete a hunter or trapper safety course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license. All courses are offered free of charge.
While hunting is safer than ever, DEC encourages hunters to remember that every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable. Many, if not all of these incidents could have been prevented if the people involved had followed the primary rules of hunter safety:
• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded
• Control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction
• Identify your target and what lies beyond
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire
• Wear hunter orange
In 2017, DEC Commissioner Seggos requested the agency’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) to track and investigate tree stand injuries for the first time. While figures are from preliminary reports, they may not capture all tree stand incidents that occurred statewide in New York.
Of the 12 incidents reported and investigated, six proved to be fatal, a number commensurate with other states that track these statistics.
“Tree stand incidents are becoming a major cause of hunting-related injuries across the country,” Seggos said. “In New York, tree stand safety has become a regular part of the hunter education course required of first time hunters and we stress for hunters to follow specific tree stand rules to avoid life-threatening injuries.”
Investigations revealed that in 75 percent of the incidents, hunters were not wearing any kind of full-body harness to secure them in their stand. Used correctly, a harness keeps the hunter connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down.
Many, if not all incidents could be prevented if hunters follow a few basic tips:
• Use and properly adjust a full-body harness
• Use a safety belt or lifeline when climbing
• Check your stand every year and replace any worn parts
• Have a plan and let others know where you will be hunting
• Use a haul line to raise and lower your equipment (unloaded firearm, bow, or crossbow)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 March 2018 at 1:57 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse is pictured on Saturday, a day after several inches of snow fell in Albion.
Orleans County could get 3 to 6 inches of snow Thursday night and Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. That is less than Albany and eastern New York, which could get 2 feet of snow.
The forecast for the county the next few days includes a high near 33 on Thursday with less than a half inch of snow during the day. More snow will fall Thursday night and Friday.
Friday is forecast for a high of 35, followed by a high of 35 on Saturday with a chance of snow showers. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 39.
Photo courtesy of Dena Bradshaw-Scribner: Colton Durow enjoyed the snow day last Friday and played in a snow fort in Lyndonville while visiting his grandmother.
WILLIAMSVILLE – Congressman Chris Collins released the following statement announcing this year’s Congressional Art Competition. He encourages local high school students in New York’s 27th District to participate.
“Each year I am impressed by the talent of the hardworking students across the 27th District as I review their submissions to the Congressional Art Competition,” said Congressman Collins. “This is a unique opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and an exciting chance to have a piece of artwork hanging in the United States Capitol. One of the events I look forward to the most each spring is the reception celebrating the artists and their work.”
Now in its 36th year, the Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students who reside in New York’s 27th Congressional District. Last year there were over 70 submissions. The winning artist will receive a round trip flight to Washington, D.C. to see their artwork in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be on display for one year.
Submissions are due to either of Congressman Collins’ two district offices no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11. A reception and award ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 14, at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, located on the Genesee Community College campus in Batavia. Local high schools have been notified regarding contest rules and submission guidelines.
Interested students should see their art teacher for details or contact Patrick McKinney from Congressman Collins’ office at (585) 519-4002.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 March 2018 at 8:27 am
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is seeking state funding for drug treatment services and a transition program in the county jail.
Those services would reduce the likelihood of people committing new crimes when they are released, county legislators said last week when they sought funding from the State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Many of the inmates in the county jail are addicted to drugs, and those addictions lead to other criminal behavior, including larcenies, burglaries, domestic violence, driving while intoxicated and other crimes. Legislators said about 80 percent of the crimes for people in jails state-wide can be linked to drug use.
The state is funding community-based treatment programs for individuals and their families in recovery. However, county legislators said there “remains a significant gap in the treatment and support of continuum care” in the local jails.
Providing services in the jail is a “unique opportunity” when inmates are clean and sober, legislators said.
In addition to having services in the jail, the county wants to develop a comprehensive re-entry plan and transition program for inmates with addictions. That would greatly reduce the possibility of those people from reusing drugs, overdosing or committing new crimes, legislators said.
Counties in New York are asking the state to approve $12.8 million annually for the programs in jails.
The resolution approved by the Legislature is being sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, State Sen. Robert Ortt, and Assembly members Steve Hawley and Michael Norris.
Sheriff Randy Bower also said he has a team of trained recovery coaches who will also help inmates as they transition from the jail back to the community. Those coaches will help people with addictions attend their treatment programs and spend time “with the right people,” Bower said.
Save Ontario Shores is firmly committed to continuing its opposition to Lighthouse Wind, an industrial wind project proposed by the Virginia corporation, Apex Clean Energy.
Stipulations for the Article 10 Lighthouse Wind electrical generation project were filed on March 5, 2018. This is the last step before the company can file the application for this project that has proposed up to 70, 600-foot industrial turbines to be placed along 12 miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline. This corporation has been unmoved by the three-year steadily growing chorus of opposition to the project.
Residents in the beautiful rural lakeside towns of Somerset and Yates, located in the project area, were surveyed in 2015 and voiced overwhelming opposition to the project. This did not dissuade the developer, Apex. Since then the two Town Boards passed well-reasoned laws to protect the towns’ environment, residents and economy.
Several diverse national, statewide and regional environmental and birding groups, along with SOS and organizations representing tourism, economic development, and hunting and fishing interests, have formed the POWER Coalition (Protecting {Lake} Ontario’s Waterfront, Environment & Resources) to jointly raise concerns.
County legislatures in Erie, Niagara, and Orleans counties have all voiced their opposition to Lighthouse Wind. The project location includes a major migratory flyway for songbirds and raptors, a lakeside tourist region, and proximity to a US Air Base and thousands of residences and small businesses.
Apex’s reluctance to engage with citizens regarding their concerns has left the company isolated from local leaders. But New York State’s Department of Public Service has indicated that developers need to go through local laws and not around them.
The SOS signs have been up for years and support many in the local community who say: We’ll Keep Fighting! and APEX Go Home!
