File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from March 25, 2023 shows Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Department, presenting a president’s award to Kevin Dann for all of his assistance, including helping to organize the department’s roster on the computer. Gaylord has retired East Battalion Deputy Fire Coordinator and Dann has been appointed to the part-time position.

HOLLEY – With the retirement of Fran Gaylord as the deputy fire coordinator for the east battalion, a long-time leader of the Holley Fire Department/Murray Joint Fire District will be stepping into the position at the county level.

Kevin Dann, a past Holley fire chief, starts today as the deputy fire coordinator in the position at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

Dann of Holley has more than 25 years of experience in the fire service. He is currently the assistant fire chief for the Murray Fire District and works full-time as a firefighter/EMT in the Town of Greece. He also works part-time as a public safety dispatcher for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputy Coordinator Dann will be a great addition and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team,” the Orleans EMO announced on its Facebook page.

“I would also like to congratulate Fran Gaylord on his well deserved retirement after over 25 years of service and dedication to residents of Orleans County,” Justin Niederhofer, EMO director, said. “You will surely be missed but I’m sure we will still see you running a pump at the next fire.”

CLARENDON – Fred Seeman is due to take the oath of office for a new term as Clarendon town councilman on Friday.

Cecelia Pacheco Stevens

Seeman’s wife, Melissa Ierlan, serves as the town’s code enforcement officer. She is also administrator of the Hillside Cemetery, and a leader of the Clarendon Historical Society.

She was charged by State Police on Tuesday with two felonies – falsifying business records in the first degree and second-degree grand larceny with property value exceeding $50,000.

State Police haven’t released more information about the case and Clarendon Town Supervisor Marc Major has declined any comment.

Cecelia Pacheco Stevens ran for the Clarendon Town Board in November and lost to Seeman and Chris Caufield. Stevens, a Democrat, received 125 votes to 311 for Caufield and 310 for Seeman.

Stevens issued a statement on Wednesday evening asking Seeman to resign and not be sworn in for a new term.

This is the statement released by the campaign of Cecelia Pacheco Stevens:

The campaign of Cecelia Pacheco Stevens wishes to address recent developments affecting the Town Board with care, respect, and a continued focus on the best interests of our community.

Recent news reports have indicated that Melissa Ierlan, a valued and longtime member of our community, has been arrested by New York State Police on felony theft charges. As with all legal matters, it is essential to state clearly and unequivocally that Melissa is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. We recognize the many contributions she has made to our town and hope that due process proceeds fairly and justly.

Fred Seeman, her husband and a current member of the Town Board, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. There is no allegation that he was involved in or aware of the matters currently before the courts. However, the Town Board is entrusted with significant responsibility, including oversight of public funds and financial decision-making on behalf of residents.

At moments like this, community trust is paramount. While difficult, residents reasonably expect their elected officials to consider whether their continued service supports that trust. With this in mind, we respectfully urge Fred Seeman to consider resigning from the Town Board in the interest of transparency and public confidence.

The upcoming organizational meeting on January 2 at 9:00 a.m., when Fred is scheduled to be sworn into a new term, presents an appropriate opportunity for him to do so.

Should a vacancy occur, we strongly encourage the Town Board to appoint Cecelia Pacheco Stevens to serve our community. Ms. Stevens ran a positive, Clarendon-focused campaign, conducted herself with integrity, and continued to advocate for residents even after the November election. Appointing her would bring a new voice to the Board. A voice grounded in civic engagement, accountability, and respect for the public trust.

Our town deserves leadership that reflects both competence and confidence from the community it serves. We believe Cecelia Pacheco Stevens embodies those values and stands ready to serve.

Respectfully,

The Campaign of Cecelia Pacheco Stevens

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse is shown on New Year’s Eve when snow made traveling difficult.

It’s going to be a frigid beginning to 2026. The morning has started in the teens and the forecast calls for a high of 20 today with an overnight low of 14, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The forecast for Orleans County then calls for a high of 24 on Friday with an overnight low of 16, then 26 on Saturday with overnight low of 18.

Then it will be up to 28 on Sunday, 28 on Monday and 37 on Tuesday.

Construction will start soon on wind turbines, large solar project

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Barre Town Board held a year-end meeting on Tuesday that closed out the tenures for three of the five board members including Town Supervisor Sean Pogue and councilmen Dave Waters and George McKenna. Pictured from left include Dave Waters, Councilwoman Margaret Swan, Sean Pogue and George McKenna. Kirk Mathes, not shown, also is on the Town Board.

BARRE – The Barre Town Board closed out 2025 with a year-end meeting on Tuesday which was the last meeting for three of the five board members.

Town Supervisor Sean Pogue and councilmen George McKenna and Dave Waters all attended the final meetings of their terms. They will be replaced on the board on Jan. 1 by Steve Coville as town supervisor and David Allen and Wes Miller as councilmen.

McKenna and Waters were elected four years ago partly over their concerns about the siting of wind turbines in Barre.

That project is moving forward after being approved by a state agency – Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission. ORES needs to review all renewable energy projects more than 25 megawatts.

Pogue noted the Heritage Wind project by Apex Clean Energy should see the start of construction in early 2026 with 28 wind turbines with a capacity to generate 126 megawatts of electricity.

A second large-scale renewable energy project also will begin construction early in 2026. Hemlock Ridge Solar/AES is constructing a $400 million solar project that will be 82 percent in Barre and 18 percent in Shelby. That project will have a capacity to generate 200 megawatts of power.

The wind turbine project has divided many in the community. McKenna during his last meeting on Tuesday urged the Town Board to send a letter to ORES, asking for Apex to use a turbine model that would generate 6.0 megawatts per turbine, rather than 4.5 megawatts. McKenna said that would increase the power significantly for the project and result in more money for the town.

McKenna reiterated his concerns about the turbines’ placements and their impact on nearby residents with shadow flicker, sound, visibility and impacts on property values.

But the board was deadlocked 2-2 to send the letter to ORES. Mckenna and Waters voted to send along the letter and Pogue and councilwoman Margaret Swan opposed it. Kirk Mathes, the other board member, abstained because he is a landowner receiving money from Apex. A resolution needs at least three votes to advance.

Pogue said the issue with the size and siting of the turbines has be decided by ORES. Asking for a change to the project at the last moment could incur more expense for the town if the attorney needed to get involved. Pogue said the issues are settled and funds to town and other municipalities were agreed to as part of a host community agreement.

Pogue said the two projects will significantly cut the town taxes for property owners but that likely won’t happen for another two years when the projects are expected to be operational.

Pogue has been the town supervisor for eight years. He saw the construction of one water district, and the struggle to get another one built – Water District No. 10. Barre didn’t receive a grant in the latest effort for Water District No. 10 but was approved for funding for a new water tower in the Pine Hill area.

Barre has completed upgrades to its town hall and town park, and the town celebrated its bicentennial in 2018. Pogue said that bicentennial spurned community pride, and helped launch the Barre Betterment Committee which has continued community events, with a square dance in June, a lighted tractor parade in December and other activities.

“It’s been a roller-coaster,” Pogue said about the eight years as town supervisor. “I wouldn’t trade it at all. Yeah, there’s been sleepless nights. I lived the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He commended the board members he worked with over the years, including George McKenna and former councilwoman Kerri Richardson, who often questioned Pogue’s positions on the issues. Pogue also highlighted the efforts by board members Kirk Mathes, Dave Waters and Margaret Swan, and former members Richard Bennett, Tom McCabe and Lynn Hill.

“There are a lot of projects on the table that will improve things immensely for the town,” Pogue said. “Hopefully things will settle down and things will move along a lot smoother.”

McKenna, in his remarks at the meeting, said he felt compelled to serve on the board to be a voice for residents, especially with such large-scale renewable energy projects.

McKenna urged more community members to serve on town committees, the Zonings Board of Appeals, Planning Board, Board of Assessment Review and the Town Board.

“People need to be more involved,” McKenna said.

Waters thanked the town employees and board members for their service to the community.

He welcomed the three new members to the board and wished them well.

“I’m sure the new board members will keep us moving forward,” he said.

Bridget O’Toole, the town attorney, spoke during the meeting and said all of the board members have a love for Barre and have tried to do right for the town.

“You may have disagreed but I never questioned your focus on the residents,” O’Toole said. “I’ve seen that all of you deeply care about and love the Town of Barre.”

Because Coville and Allen are both starting on the Town Board on Jan. 1, they both are resigning from their positions on the Zoning Board and Board of Assessment Review. Those resignations were accepted by the Town Board during Tuesday’s year-end meeting.

Photo by Tom Rivers: These utility trucks are parked outside Dunkin’ Donuts in Albion today at 11 a.m. while crews were taking a brief break. National Grid brought in extra crews to get the power restored in the region.

National Grid has now restored electricity to all of its customers in Orleans County.

Orleans had about 4,000 customers without power on Monday afternoon after strong winds knocked down wires, branches and trees. That represented about 20 percent of National Grid’s 19,724 customers in Orleans County.

That total customers without power was down to 2,000 on Tuesday morning and 90 this morning.

Today, after 3 p.m., the last property had power restored. That site is on Marsh Creek Road in Carlton between Sawyer and Kent roads.

Melissa Ierlan

CLARENDON – Melissa Ierlan, the Town of Clarendon’s code enforcement officer and building inspector, was charged with two felonies by state police on Tuesday for falsifying business records in the first degree and second-degree grand larceny with property value exceeding $50,000.

Ierlan, 54, was arraigned by central arraignment in Albion. State Police haven’t released any additional information and Clarendon Town Supervisor Marc Major said he had no comment at this time. Ierlan’s husband, Fred Seeman, is a member of the Town Board.

Ierlan is well regarded in the community for her years leading the Clarendon Historical Society and efforts to improve Hillside Cemetery. She also leads the town’s annual Christmas celebration at the Historical Society.

She has repainted and refurbished more than 50 historical markers in the past decade in the community and is a past member of the Holley Board of Education.

Photo by Tom Rivers

BARRE – During the Barre Town Board’s year-end meeting on Tuesday, Tom Bentley submitted a retirement letter that was accepted by the Town Board.

Bentley will be ending his career on March 20 after 30 years as a motor equipment operator.

He was praised by Dale Brooks, the highway superintendent, and Sean Pogue, the town supervisor, who both said Bentley will be very difficult to replace in the highway department.

After his letter was accepted, Bentley dashed out of the town hall to go plow snow.

National Grid has the power back on for nearly all of its customers.

As of 8:18 a.m. today, there were still 90 National Grid customers without electricity, and 89 of those were in Carlton. The power is expected to be restored by noon today.

The powerful winds on Monday at one point had nearly 4,000 customers without electricity in Orleans County. National Grid has 19,724 customers in the county.

National Grid had 150,100 customers affected by an outage in Upstate New York from the wind. As of this morning, there are 482 customers left to be restored with power.

The company deployed nearly 3,400 line, tree, public safety and damage assessment specialists beginning Sunday to remove broken tree limbs and uprooted trees, and repair downed lines, broken poles, and other infrastructure damaged by the storm.

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

OSWEGO – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released her 2025 Annual Report, showcasing how her office delivered for working families, farmers, small businesses, veterans and seniors across the district.

The report (click here) highlights expanded constituent services, strong legislative action, and a continued commitment to transparency and accountability.

“Serving NY-24 in 2025 has been a privilege, and this year delivered meaningful progress for families and small businesses,” Tenney said. “My office returned $27.5 million to constituents who were owed benefits, resolved 2,600 constituent cases, and responded to tens of thousands of calls and messages from those seeking help.

“On the legislative front, I supported the Trump Tax Cuts to deliver permanent relief for working families, seniors, farmers, and small businesses, and backed dozens of bills that advanced through the House. This annual report outlines how these efforts delivered real results for Upstate New York and where the focus remains as we head into the new year.”

Constituent Services

• Returned over $27.5 million in benefits or back pay to residents of NY-24.
• Completed 2,600 constituent cases, helping people cut through federal red tape.
• Answered more than 16,000 constituent calls and messages.
• Provided over 850 commendations and proclamations to veterans, first responders, students, and community leaders.
• Wrote 110 grant letters to support local community projects and economic growth.
• Attended over 130 community events across the district.

Accessibility and Transparency

• Explained every vote cast in Congress, surpassing 1,000 detailed vote explanations on the website.
• Responded to more than 78,000 constituent messages seeking answers and accountability.
• Continued to provide clear breakdowns of Washington actions that affect costs, security, and local priorities.

Delivering Results for NY-24

• Introduced 67 bills and cosponsored 472 bills on critical issues like economic growth, national security, and election integrity.
• Supported 45 bills that passed the House of Representatives.
• Helped advance 11 bills that became law, including measures enacted in the Trump Tax Cuts that deliver permanent relief.
• Secured wins that support local priorities: tax credits for advanced manufacturing, stronger protections for family farms, and rural hospital support.
• Advocated for energy affordability and reliability, including preserving nuclear credits important to Upstate New York.

Highlights for the District

• Backed efforts that helped secure the release of an American held abroad.
• Passed H.R. 323, Renaming a Post Office to Honor Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz
• Pressed for stronger border security and enforcement to protect public safety and stop illegal trafficking.
• Supported workforce development initiatives and small business outreach efforts across NY-24.

Photo courtesy of Marsha Rivers: A fallen tree lies on a road at the Carlton Town Park this morning. Many trees were knocked down from the powerful winds.

ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke rescinded a travel advisory, effective at 3 p.m. today. That advisory had been in place more than 24 hours since early Monday afternoon.

An advisory isn’t a ban but discourages from unnecessary driving.

“We continue to experience some wind and snow creating winter driving conditions,” Bourke said. “National Grid would like residents to know that they continue to restore power in treacherous conditions and to stay safe and avoid any downed wires. Please report an outage to National Grid.”

The sheriff said the 911 center has been very busy with storm-related calls since Monday morning.

From 5 a.m. Monday to 12:30 p.m. today, dispatchers handled 159 weather-related calls included 62 for trees down; 23 for wires down; 4 for wires arcing; 1 for pole down; 13 for water problems; 32 to notify highway departments for tree removal; and 24 to utility companies when a fire department wasn’t needed.

There were 19 additional medical calls during this time, Bourke said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: These electric utility vehicles are at the Save-A-Lot parking lot around 1:30 p.m. There were about 15 of the vehicles staging there. National Grid has brought in reinforcements to try to get the power back on for customers in Orleans County.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a winter weather advisory for Orleans County from today through 1 a.m. on Thursday.

The Weather Service said Orleans County can expect 3 to 5 inches of snow today and another 2 to 4 inches on Wednesday. Winds will also be gusting as high as 45 miles per hour.

The advisory also includes Niagara, Monroe and Genesee counties.

“During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away,” The Weather Service said. “Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility and road conditions.”

About 800 National Grid customers in Orleans County also remain without electricity as of 2:25 p.m.

Site has seen increase so far this winter

Photo by Tom Rivers: Julie Carasone, warming center coordinator for Oak Orchard Health, is shown this morning inside Christ Episcopal Church in Albion, where five people stayed last night.  Three were people without a place to stay and two others didn’t have electricity.

ALBION – The warming center at Christ Episcopal Church welcomed five people last night, another bitter cold day.

Three of those people are unhoused without a place to stay and two others lost their electricity from the powerful winds yesterday and wanted a warm place for the night.

The Clarendon fire station also opened as a warming center, but no one chose to stay there overnight, said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director.

Oak Orchard Health is now in its third season of running the warming center at Christ Church, 26 S. Main St., Albion.

The site has 12 cots, coffee, tea, soup and hygiene kits when the temperature drops below 32 degrees at night. Oak Orchard also has the ability through the Emergency Management Office to have up to 90 cots set up.

Oak Orchard was ready with additional supplies and cots if needed last night, said Julie Carasone, warming center coordinator for Oak Orchard Health.

The site typically had 1 or 2 people each night the first winter it opened in 2023-’24, and then 2 or 3 on most days last winter.

This year there are more people, usually 3 to 8 each night, Carasone said.

“This year we have a significant increase in the number of people who are un-homed or unhoused,” she said. “We’ve been very busy this season.”

The warming center is activated on “Cold Blue” nights when the temperature falls to 32 degrees or below. That started early this year – on Nov. 3, Carasone said.

She said some of the people who stay at the warming center are only there for a couple weeks and they are able to get housing and a job. Others struggle to come up with the money for a security deposit and down payment and are there more long-term.

“In Orleans County there is a limited housing supply,” Carasone said. “And rent has become expensive.”

She praised the collaboration among Oak Orchard Health, the Orleans County DSS, Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern and Community Action in trying to keep people safe from the cold and headed towards more secure housing.

The warming center is paid for through a state grant to operate the “Code Blue” centers. Oak Orchard Health has two staff that work at the site, one in a six-hour shift from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., and then another coming in from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m.

When the temperature is above 32 degrees, the warming center is not available. Carasone said she hears from the people that they will stay in tents, or by the canal park in Albion, or with family and friends.

They often stay in public libraries, fast food restaurants, laundromats and other businesses during the day, Carasone said.

She also thanked other agencies and the community for helping keep the warming center stocked with supplies for the people staying overnight. The Medina Area Association of Churches, Hands 4 Hope, Community Action and Zonta Club all have helped with materials at the site.

The warming center will likely be available into April when the temperature usually gets over 32 degrees at night.

Provided photo: A big tree fell across Route 31 in Albion on Monday evening. This tree was on the north side of Route 31 and fell near Mount Albion Cemetery.

About 10 percent of the National Grid customers in Orleans County are without electricity this morning.

National Grid reports that as of 7:35 this morning 1,973 of its customers in Orleans County (out of 19,724) are without electricity. The power was knocked out on Monday from the high winds taking down wires, trees and branches.

In Western New York, Orleans is one of the hardest hit by outages.

Other counties with outages served by National Grid include:

• Cattaraugus: 830 without power out of 32,268 customers
• Chautauqua: 73 out of 41,420
• Erie: 2,248 out of 288,213
• Genesee: 628 out of 27,513
• Monroe: 399 out of 21,809
• Niagara: 1,573 out of 83,683
• Wyoming: 114 out of 3,608

Travel advisories are in effect for Orleans, Genesee, Erie and Wyoming counties with the sheriffs in those counties recommending no unnecessary travel.

More than 2,600 still without power in Orleans County

The Clarendon fire station on Route 31A has opened as a warming center for people to stay and warm up and charge their devices. The fire station at 16169 East Lee Rd. will be open all night for people to stay or stop by.

Christ Episcopal Church in Albion at 26 S. Main St. will also be available as a warming center. Anyone that needs access to the warming center at Christ Church is asked to call (585) 340-1355 to make arrangements prior to going.

UPDATE at 7:50 p.m.: The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church at 10 East Park St. in Albion also announced it will be open as a warming center until 10 tonight.

There will be snacks and beverages available, as well as the chance to charge phones.

National Grid is reporting at 7:06 p.m. that 2,683 of its customers are currently without electricity.

Those totals by municipality include:

• Albion – 183
• Albion village – 539
• Barre – 367
• Carlton – 178
• Clarendon – 524
• Gaines – 157
• Holley village – 1
• Kendall – 82
• Lyndonville village – 2
• Medina village – 7
• Murray – 259
• Ridgeway – 173
• Shelby – 166
• Yates – 45