By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2020 at 9:18 am
MEDINA – Honoring veterans has been a tradition for the American Legion and VFW posts in Medina for decades.
Each Veterans Day, several dozen members of the local posts visit all the memorials in Medina, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the American Legion, the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (now the YMCA), the Korean War Memorial on Park Avenue, the tank in front of Oak Orchard Elementary School and the Butts-Clark Memorial in Butts Park on South Main Street.
This is the first year the veterans haven’t visited the veterans’ plot at Boxwood Cemetery. Also, for the first time this year, the veterans fired a tribute at the historic cannon in State Street Park, which was restored a year ago.
The ceremony at each memorial included a reading by David Kusmierczak, playing of Taps by Don Hinman, and a three-gun salute.
Typically, Veterans’ Day would begin with breakfast at the VFW, but because of Covid, that was discontinued this year.
Jim Freas, front, addresses the Honor Guard as they prepare to fire at the Vietnam Memorial at the American Legion in Medina. The Legion and VFW have fired at all the memorials in Medina on every Veterans Day for years.
Dave Kusmierczak salutes after reading a tribute to veterans in front of the Company F Memorial on Wednesday morning.
Don Hinman plays Taps for ceremonies at the veterans’ memorials in Medina on Memorial Day. He plays here at the cannon in State Street Park.
Members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina fire a tribute at the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (Orleans County YMCA) on Wednesday morning.
Preservation group says Main Street losing stores to Big Box
Photo by Tom Rivers: Fred Miller, owner of Family Hardware in Albion, is shown at his store on Sept. 13, 2019. He closed the store that month after owning it for 33 years. Miller once had 8 to 10 employees, but was running the operation by himself at the end. Miller said then there are far fewer do-it-yourselfers these days. Many local residents either hire out work around the house or neglect home improvement projects. “People used to do more projects,” he said. “We used to have people lined up here at 8 in the morning. They knew how to do things with their hands. They could do projects – faucets, toilets, outlets, plumbing and electrical.”
Press Release, Landmark Society of Western New York
The heart of preservation is community revitalization. In 2013, we launched the Five to Revive program, a list that calls attention to five properties in Western New York that are in need of investment. Whether buildings, landscapes, or structures, they are significant historic properties whose rehabilitations can become catalytic projects for the neighborhoods and communities that surround them.
Each year, these five properties become priority projects for Landmark Society staff and programs as we work collaboratively with owners, municipal officials, and developers to facilitate investment and foster rehabilitation. The ultimate goal is to return these important historic resources to a place of prominence in their respective communities, as economic and social assets that spark even more investment and revitalization.
The Neighborhood Hardware Store
It’s where you go for your old-house DIY supplies, an obscure refrigerator part, or a friendly bit of advice. The neighborhood hardware store provides more than just hammers and nails or paint chips and dropcloths; it’s a resource for homeowners, weekend warriors, and contractors alike.
Knowledgeable, attentive, and helpful staff are on-hand to find you just the right nail or to help walk you through your DIY project. Like the neighborhood bakery, coffee shop, or butcher, the small, locally owned hardware store distinguishes itself from the big box stores with its customer service and personalized care for you, the customer. Whether located in an urban neighborhood or rural village, the local hardware store is a convenient, easy to access, part of the urban fabric.
Unfortunately, like other locally owned businesses, the neighborhood hardware store has become an increasingly rare resource. Stiff competition from corporate-owned stores has forced many out of business. Demographic and cultural shifts back to urban cores and reinvestment in rural villages could help reverse this trend.
With this listing, we seek to highlight the locally-owned, often family-run, neighborhood hardware stores that continue to provide quality service to our western New York communities and to encourage historic homeowners to shop local.
Photos courtesy of Landmark Society of WNY
Williams Opera House – Village of Attica, Wyoming County
Built in 1879, the former Williams Opera House is a distinctive example of the Romanesque style. Located in the Exchange Street Historic District, it is one of the largest and most impressive buildings in Attica’s downtown commercial core.
The building has had several uses over the years; most recently it was used as a racquetball court, resulting in the complete enclosure of the historic, two-story opera hall space. Plans for a re-imagined Opera House, prompted by a new owner in 2018, were delayed when the building suffered a partial collapse of its rear wall during a windstorm in early 2020.
Today, the building has been stabilized but requires additional structural investigation as well as an extensive rehabilitation. With several successful historic tax credit projects completed in downtown Attica and a motivated owner, there is still potential to revive this community icon.
692 Joseph Avenue – Future home of the Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance / Former Congregation B’Nai Israel City of Rochester, Monroe County
Located in Rochester’s northeast quadrant, 692 Joseph Avenue was built in 1928 as the Congregation B’Nai Israel synagogue. The congregation left the building in 1961 and it has been vacant since.
The Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance acquired the property in 2015, with plans to convert the former synagogue into a community center. The Arts and Culture Alliance has been actively fundraising and successfully providing quality arts programming to the community for years. However, the organization still faces significant (and mounting) rehabilitation expenses, especially during an economic crisis.
67-89 Canal Street – City of Rochester, Monroe County
This large, brick industrial building in the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood was built in two stages—in the late 19th century for the James Cunningham & Son Company and between 1900-10 to house a shoe manufacturing facility.
With open floor plans, large windows, its location adjacent to Main Street and downtown, and its listing in the National Register of Historic Places, this property is an ideal candidate for adaptive reuse.
Other former industrial buildings in the neighborhood have been converted to new uses, such as the Carriage Factory Apartments, which provides affordable housing and supportive services for income-eligible tenants. East House and MM Development Advisors are currently partnering on a proposed redevelopment project that would adapt the building into a mix of supportive and affordable housing units and tackle needed environmental remediation. The success of such a large- scale project requires, however, significant financial investment, particularly challenging during difficult economic times.
Clarissa Street Corridor – City of Rochester, Monroe County
Located in Rochester’s Third Ward neighborhood (today known as Corn Hill), Clarissa Street has long been a focal point of African American culture and history. As early as the 1830s, Reverend Thomas James established the A.M.E. Zion Church in the Third Ward, a building that would become a stop on the Underground Railroad and where, in 1847, Frederick Douglass would publish the first editions of his abolitionist newspaper, The North Star. In the 1970s, A.M.E. Zion relocated to Clarissa Street. In 1922 the African American YWCA was founded at 192 Clarissa Street.
By the mid-20th century, as a result of the Great Migration, the African American population in Rochester had more than tripled. Racist housing policies such as red-lining confined most Black residents to one of two neighborhoods—the Third or Seventh Wards. This led to overcrowding, concentrated poverty, and sub-standard housing conditions in the Third Ward.
At the same time, Clarissa Street became a hub of commercial activity for the neighborhood. As elder resident, Howard Griffin, recounts in Clarissa Uprooted, a documentary produced in 2020 by Teen Empowerment and the Clarissa Street Reunion Committee, “You really didn’t have to go downtown to shop for anything. Everything you needed was in the neighborhood.”
The corridor functioned as a self- contained village with restaurants, grocery stores, barber shops, jazz clubs, and a family-like sense of community. By the 1950s, Clarissa Street had also become a center of Rochester’s vibrant jazz scene. Clubs like the Pythodd (1953-1973) and Shep’s Paradise (1968-2002) became iconic gathering spaces. In Clarissa Uprooted, historian Dr. David Anderson explains that, “Clarissa Street is the foundation of Afro Rochester.”
In the decade following the July 1964 uprising, however, government-sponsored urban renewal cleared large swaths of the Third Ward, decimating much of Clarissa Street. The Pythodd Club was demolished in the 1970s. Today, the streetscape along Clarissa bears almost no resemblance to the once-thriving corridor that held a vibrant community of businesses and residents. The site of the Pythodd Club at the corner Clarissa and Troup St remains a parking lot. The former home of Shep’s Paradise is one of only two commercial buildings that remain standing.
But current and former residents—elders who experienced Clarissa Street and the jazz scene in their mid-century heyday—have been working to revive the corridor and preserve its stories. The Clarissa Street Reunion Committee has organized the annual Clarissa Street Reunion since 1996. This past year, they teamed up with Youth History Ambassadors from Teen Empowerment to produce the documentary, Clarissa Uprooted, that tells the story of this corridor’s cultural legacy.
With this listing, we support the ongoing work of the Clarissa Street Reunion Committee and Teen Empowerment as they share Clarissa Street’s past and chart a course for its future.
When it comes to commitment and dedication to battling opioid addiction in rural areas, the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force shines brightly.
That’s the viewpoint of the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, which has awarded the local collaborative organization with a 2020 Community Star.
The award is given to only one rural entity in New York State.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized by the NOSORH,” said Christen Ferraro, GOW Opioid Task Force project coordinator. “It is a tribute to the efforts of the hundreds of people in the tri-county area who volunteer their time and work together to help end opioid addiction and overdose.”
The honor is being presented in conjunction with National Rural Health Day on Nov. 19, according to the NOSORH.
Ferraro said an e-book publication featuring the GOW Opioid Task Force’s story, along with the other winners, will be released on that date on the NRHD website. The link to the story also will be posted on the GOW Opioid Task Force website – www.gowopioidtaskforce.org – and on its Facebook page.
The NOSORH singled out the local outreach for its flexibility in delivering key services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the pandemic hit Western New York, the task force shifted its education efforts online. Virtual Narcan trainings were held and kits were mailed to participants. Since these online trainings began, more than 150 community members have been trained, and for 2020, more than 300 have received this training.
“We knew we had to make adjustments so our community could continue to have access to these needed resources,” Ferraro said. “The positive response we received from the community was overwhelming, and we definitely plan to utilize this new way of education to help continue supporting our rural community in these difficult times.”
The task force, which is supported by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, currently has more than 400 members from across the tri-county region.
Members represent various sectors of the community, including public health, mental health, human services, local government, substance use disorder treatment and recovery agencies, law enforcement, EMS, faith-based groups, health systems and medical practitioners, education, businesses, concerned individuals, families, and individuals in recovery.
The NOSORH founded National Rural Health Day as a way to showcase rural America, increase awareness of rural health-related challenges and promote the efforts of NOSORH, State Offices of Rural Health and others in addressing those challenges, said Teryl Eisinger, the agency’s chief executive officer.
An estimated 57 million people – nearly one in five Americans – live in rural and frontier communities throughout the United States.
“These small towns, farming communities and frontier areas are wonderful places to live and work; they are places where neighbors know each other and work together,” Eisinger said. “The hospitals and providers serving these rural communities not only provide quality patient care, but they also help keep good jobs in rural America.”
These communities also face unique healthcare needs.
“Today more than ever, rural communities must tackle accessibility issues, a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens,” she said. “Meanwhile, rural hospitals are threatened with declining reimbursement rates and disproportionate funding levels that makes it challenging to serve their residents.”
All 50 states maintain a State Office of Rural Health, each of which shares a similar mission to foster relationships, disseminate information and provide technical assistance that improves access to, and the quality of, health care for its rural citizens.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2020 at 5:08 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Members of the Honor Guard were present today for a dedication service at 1 p.m. for a new veterans’ memorial at Courthouse Square.
The Knights of Columbus, Albion Council #1330, took the lead in the project.
The headstone for the monument includes the inscription: “Dedicated to our courageous brothers and sisters of this community who served our country in times of peace and war. We thank them for their service. And especially to those who gave their lives in that service. May God grant them eternal rest.”
The stone includes the insignias of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Merchant Marine.
Greg Dugan, the grand knight for the Knights of Columbus in Albion, speaks to a crowd of about 50 at the dedication ceremony.
The new flag pole includes a flag that recognizes the different branches of the military.
Dugan, a local barber since 1991, said many of his customers over the years have been veterans. He mentioned the late Albion Town Justice Bill Larimer, who was a POW in World War II. Dugan noted the late Rocco Sidari and Charles Shervin. Other current customers, including Ben Jones, currently serve in the military. Jones just returned from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I’ve had contact with so many veterans, young and old, since 1991,” Dugan said before today’s ceremony.
Once they are in the barber chair, Dugan said many veterans open up and share about their experiences, including in combat.
Dugan thanked Orleans County officials for supporting the project and allowing it to be in a prominent place in the community.
“It’s been a heart-warming and amazing experience,” he said.
This group salutes and stands at attention while Taps is played. Pictured from left include Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Vietnam War veteran Charlie Nesbitt, County Legislator Don Allport, Medina veteran Dave Kusmierczak, Orleans County Veterans Service Agency Director Nancy Traxler and Greg Dugan, grand knight of the K of C in Albion.
The memorial includes two granite benches. One bench has an inscription, “To Commemorate.” The other has the words, “To Heal.”
“Thank you for taking the time to remember our veterans,” Dugan told the crowd today. “They never gave up on us and we can’t give up on them.”
Rebecca (Hucknall) Platt of Medina was part of the Honor Guard today. She is nearing 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.
Charlie Nesbitt, a decorated helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, addresses the crowd at the Courthouse Square. He urged the group to take in deep breaths of air and take in their surroundings, with several churches on the Square. In the U.S. people have freedom to attend whatever church they want and to enjoy their surroundings.
“Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for taking the initiative,” Nesbitt said about the new monument. “What a wonderful example to give honor to those who served.”
County Legislator Don Allport said the United States has had brave citizens step forward to defend the country for nearly 250 years.
“I thank God every day for you,” he said about veterans. “Memorials are a reminder of the sacrifices made by those standing in the line and from their families back home.”
Nancy Traxler, director of the Orleans County Veterans Service Agency, said Americans continue to serve the country all over the world.
“It’s not the powerful and sophisticated weapons that make us the greatest military in the world,” she said. “It’s your bravery and skill.”
Nick Fitzak of Medina, a Marine, joined other veterans in the Honor Guard for the ceremony.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the freedoms of Americans have come at a great cost, borne by veterans since the Revolutionary War.
He urged people to honor veterans every day. That could be through volunteering at the VA and donating to causes that benefit veterans.
“Or you could look a veteran in the eye and say, ‘Thank you.’”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2020 at 3:12 pm
Private gatherings also will be limited to 10 people
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, concerned with the spiking number of Covid-19 cases in the state, announced new restrictions that take effect on Friday at 10 p.m.
The governor said bars and restaurants licensed by the State Liquor Authority must close by 10 p.m. and can reopen at 5 a.m. Restaurants will be limited to curbside, food-only pickup after 10 p.m., beginning Friday. The State Liquor Authority will issue further guidance for licensees as to what sales are continued to be permitted.
Cuomo also said gyms must close at 10 p.m. each night beginning Friday and private gatherings in homes will be limited to no more than 10 people.
The 10-person limit will be implemented due to the recent prevalence of Covid spread resulting from small indoor gatherings including Halloween parties, Cuomo said. These gatherings have become a major cause of cluster activity across the state, he said.
“I need the local governments to enforce this,” Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters today. “We went through this with bars and restaurants once before if you remember. We put rules in place. There was widespread lack of compliance and local governments – some did a good job, some really did not. We then had to put together a state task force to do the enforcement. This is statewide. I don’t have the resources to do it, so I need the local governments to do it.”
The governor said this public health measure brings New York State in line with neighboring states including Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The governor said the statistics show Covid is on the rise in the state.
• On Tuesday there were 4,820 new positive cases (2.93 percent positive rate) in the state, 1,628 hospitalizations and 21 Covid deaths.
• On Monday there were 3,925 new positive cases (3.09 percent), 1,548 hospitalizations and 32 Covid deaths.
• On Sunday there were 3,144 new positive cases (2.82 percent positive rate), 1,444 hospitalizations and 26 Covid deaths.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 November 2020 at 12:18 pm
MEDINA – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial next to the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina has recently undergone an updating, with the addition of a flower bed and sandstone edging.
The work was done by Vietnam veteran David Walker and his friend Tom Beach, who have been friends since before the Vietnam War era.
“When I returned from Vietnam, Tom was the first one to recognize my service,” Walker said.
Walker lives across the road from the American Legion and didn’t like the way the memorial was looking.
“I got tired of sitting on my porch and watching the grass grow up around the monument,” Walker said. “I asked the Legion why they didn’t take better care of it, and they said it belonged to the village.”
The monument consists of a large stone with a plaque of the names of the seven soldiers from Medina who were killed in Vietnam. They are Rolland Shubbuck, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Roger Cook, Charles Seefeldt Jr., LeRoy Keller, Nicholas Natale, John Albanese and George Underdown.
“I went to school with all of them except Shubbuck,” Walker said. “I came home alive and intact and these guys didn’t. People don’t realize the brotherhood of those in the military. “
For that reason, Walker wanted to see their memorial taken care of.
The memorial sits at the north end of the Legion on the bank of the Erie Canal. It is backed by a large American flag and bullets from a cannon stand on either side.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2020 at 11:48 am
More dates have been set for food distributions in Orleans County. There will be about 300 boxes of food, weighing 30 to 40 pounds, given away at each event. Each box has a mixture of produce, dairy and meat.
Friday, November 13th – Community Action Main Street Store at 131 S. Main Street, Albion.
Friday, November 20th – Ridgeway Fire Department at 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – line up on Horan Road.
Friday, December 4th – Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Fairgrounds at 126900 NYS Route 31, Albion – enter off Route 31-new location for Friday morning distribution.
Friday, December 11th – Community Action Main Street Store at 131 S. Main Street, Albion.
All events start at approximately 8:30 a.m., if delivery trucks are there by 8 a.m.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide through the end of December.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 November 2020 at 10:58 am
Chelsey Sanders sent in these photos she took Monday while out for a walk along the Holley canal towpath, when temperatures topped 70 degrees.
The temperatures are dropping from the record-breaking highs in the 70s in recent days. Today will still be in the mid-60s with an overnight low of 40, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Thursday is forecast to be mostly sunny with a high near 49, followed by a mostly sunny Friday with a high near 50.
It will be partly sunny with a high near 46 on Saturday in Orleans County, followed by a mostly cloudy Sunday, with a high near 60.
Catholic Charities needs volunteers for its Covid phone visitation program. An adaptation of its home visitation program for seniors (age 60+) in Genesee and Orleans counties, this safe social connection is an opportunity for homebound seniors to maintain a connection with the outside world they otherwise would not have due to their shrinking social circles as a result of the pandemic.
Interested volunteers would call weekly, from their own homes and on their own schedules, to check in on the homebound seniors. Training and a background check are required. For more information on becoming a volunteer, please call Peg at 585-343-0614, ext. 18.
“This unique opportunity allows volunteers from surrounding communities and counties to be matched with waiting seniors,” said Linda Chadderdon, program manager for home visitation program in Genesee and Orleans counties, Catholic Charities. “In addition to brightening our seniors’ days, volunteers often find a rich sense of fulfillment with the knowledge they are reaching out to someone in friendship.”
Since the start of the pandemic in March, Catholic Charities has continued to provide services to WNY individuals and families in need through many programs, including counseling, basic emergency assistance and food pantries. Additional information about Catholic Charities’ services can be found at ccwny.org/services.
Program last year introduced 800 students to jobs in building trades, agriculture and manufacturing
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jay Helker, vice president of operations for Swan Equipment & Trucking in Avon, discusses some of the tools used to fix big trucks and other equipment during the inaugural “GLOW With Your Hands” event on September 24, 2019. Helker told students he enjoys his job. “There is a lot of hands-on work. The days go by fast.”
Press Release, Genesee County Economic Development Center
BATAVIA – The successful GLOW With Your Hands career exploration project hit a major milestone in November with the launch of a new virtual platform to benefit all students in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming County (GLOW) Region.
A year after engaging with more than 800 students in hands-on experiences, GLOW With Your Hands Virtual (glowwithyourhandsvirtual.com) expands the experience with innovative, on-demand exploration of 34 careers across 4 growing sections of the regional economy.
“After seeing the direct impact GLOW With Your Hands produced in a single-day event in 2019, we are excited to bring careers in agriculture, food processing, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades directly to even more students,” said Karyn Winters, Director of the Genesee County BEA, who led the project with Angela Grouse, Director of Education to Employment Initiatives at the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Students who swung a hammer, laid a concrete walkway, practiced welding and dozens of other activities at GLOW With Your Hands 2019 can now have an even deeper connection to explore these careers,” Grouse said. “GLOW With Your Hands Virtual takes those experiences into the production facilities, job sites and farms, with meaningful results.”
Schools received early access to the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual website starting Nov. 2, 2020. The full website has launched to the public, and students, parents and educators are encouraged to immerse themselves in the platform.
Careers highlighted include assembly and fabrication, welding, concrete and masonry, project manager, food packaging, veterinary technician, animal nutritionist, and CDL driver.
“Each career page includes an extensive ‘day in the life’ profile of professionals at great companies in the GLOW region, and an outline of the general duties, earnings and educational requirements,” Grouse said. “Most importantly, students are shown a pathway of classes, clubs, volunteer opportunities and local training programs that they can pursue during middle and high school and beyond with training programs and post-secondary opportunities.”
In addition to the Genesee County BEA and Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteers from ACCESS-VR, Iroquois Job Corps, Livingston Associates, Livingston County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Wyoming County BEC, GCEDC, Genesee Valley BOCES, GLOW Workforce Development Board, Genesee County Job Development Bureau, Livingston County Office of Workforce Development, Orleans County Job Development Agency, Wyoming County Community Action, and Tobacco-Free GOW all participated in generating career information, filming and editing of videos with companies across all four counties, and preparing the website.
“We are already planning how to grow GLOW With Your Hands for the future,” Winters said. “In addition to continuing to expand the Virtual platform, all of our organizations are ready to assist our students, educators and businesses.”
GLOW With Your Hands Virtual was made possible by generous 2020 Sponsors, led by Platinum Sponsor Genesee Construction; Gold Sponsors Clark Patterson Lee, O-AT-KA Milk Products, National Grid and Livingston Associates; Silver Sponsor USG Oakfield; Bronze Sponsors Batavia Rotary, Cargill, CY Farms, Koike Aronson, Pfisterer Lapp, Torrey Farms and the Workforce Development Institute; and General Sponsors Ed Hulme General Contracting and Stein Farms.
“The support that our volunteers, businesses, schools and sponsors all brought to our inaugural event continued throughout the past year and throughout the development of the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual project under Karyn and Angela’s leadership,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chairs Jay Lazarony and Chris Suozzi. “The entire GLOW With Your Hands team invites you to explore glowwithyourhandsvirtual.com, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person very soon for the next hands-on event.”
Click the links for videos on the following careers:
Sgt. James Sheret and his brother Pvt. Egbert Sheret were both killed in action on Sept. 29, 1918
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans, No. 1
Photo courtesy of Catherine Cooper: The Mack Flag Pole is located on the front lawn of Central Hall (East Park and Platt Streets, Albion). The memorial was dedicated in 1977 to the memory of Frank Joseph Mack Sr., a past commander of Sheret Post #35 American Legion and a medical corpsman who served on the island of Guam with the U.S. Army Medical Corps during WWII.
ALBION – This first column of Illuminating Orleans appropriately enough focuses on Central Hall, East Park Street in Albion, as its varied incarnations over the years dovetail with Veterans Day.
This solid red-brick building was the Central School from 1882-1934. Purchased by Orleans County in 1980, it has since accommodated the Treasurer’s Dept., the Probation Dept. and the Historian’s Office.
Having outgrown its quarters, the Historian’s Office and Orleans County History Dept. will soon be moved to the second floor, recently vacated by Probation.
From 1935-1980 the building was home to Sheret Post #35 American Legion which was named in honor of Sgt. James A. Sheret whom General Pershing considered “one of the hundred heroes of WW1”. A member of Co. F. 108th Reg., NY Volunteer Infantry, Sgt. Sheret was killed in action on September 29, 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the bravery of his actions during the attack on the Hindenburg Line.
Sept. 29, 1918 was a dark day indeed for the Sheret family, as their son Pvt. Egbert Sheret, a machine gunner was also killed in action on that same day. Yet another son, Andrew, was wounded at that battle, but survived. A fourth son, John G. served in the Navy and mercifully survived the war as well.
The Sheret brothers were the sons of John Galashan Sheret Sr. who immigrated from Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1886. He married Anna Wickizer of South Ausman, Susquehanna County, Pa. in 1891. Described as a block breaker by profession in the 1915 NY Census, John Sheret Sr. became secretary of the International Union of Paving Cutters. John and Anna had ten children: James, Egbert, John Jr., Andrew, Elsie, Marion, Virginia, Donald and Bernard, with quite a range in age as James was born in 1892 and Bernard in 1916.
John Sheret Sr. maintained his ties with Scotland and visited family in 1911, sailing on the ship Caledonia, according to Ellis Island records. Naturally, the Scottish branch of the family was also saddened by the loss of the two young men. The Aberdeen Evening Express of November 26, 1918 carried a notice of James and Egbert’s deaths:
“Two brothers, James and Egbert Sheret, of the U.S.A. Infantry, were killed in action on 29th September last. They were the eldest and second sons of Mr. John Sheret, late of Bucksburn, and grandsons of Mrs. Sheret, Kirkvale, Ashgrove Road, Aberdeen. A third brother was wounded on the same day, and a fourth brother is in training.”
The Sheret brothers of Albion are also included in the Aberdeen and District Roll of Honour which is housed at the National Library of Scotland:
This family who sacrificed so much is buried in the Fairview section of Mount Albion Cemetery. Their memory is honored in the buildings and organizations named for them. Their story is part of the collection maintained by the History Dept. at Central Hall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 November 2020 at 9:55 pm
Trump, Jacobs had overwhelmingly support at ballot box with in-person voting
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Administration Building is pictured on election night, Nov. 3. The Board of Elections is located in the building, which also hosted a polling site for nine days of early voting.
Joe Biden and Nate McMurray both received a small fraction of in-person votes in Orleans County. But the two Democratic candidates fared much better with absentee ballots that were counted today.
Biden received 1,424 of the 2,391 ballots for president or 59.6 percent. Donald Trump, who received 71.4 percent of the in-person votes for president, saw the absentee percentage drop to 37.7 percent or 902 total.
Trump was still the overwhelming choice in Orleans County for president when all the ballots were counted. He received 12,075 votes to 5,506 for Biden.
Third party candidates also picked up votes with Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian) receiving 311 votes, Brock Pierce (Independence) 71 votes and Howie Hawkins (Green Party) at 49 votes.
• 27th Congressional District: On election night on Nov. 3, when the in-person votes were counted, Chris Jacobs received 10,687 votes to 3,843 for Nate McMurray and 234 for Duane Whitmer. Jacobs ran under the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, with McMurray on the Democratic and Working Families parties. Whitmer ran as a Libertarian.
McMurray did much better with the absentees, receiving 56.0 percent or 1,275, to 961 for Jacobs (42.2 percent). Whitmer picked up 40 more.
3 state legislators
• Robert Ortt was re-elected to a fourth term as state senator in a district that includes Orleans, Niagara and a portion of Monroe counties. Ortt was unopposed. He received 12,630 in-person votes in Orleans County and added 1,525 more absentees out of 2,413 ballots. That means 888 of the absentee voters didn’t give Ortt a vote.
• Steve Hawley of Batavia was re-elected to another term in the State Assembly, where he was first elected in 2006. Hawley received 11,097 in-person votes in nine of the 10 towns in Orleans. The 139th District includes all of Genesee County and a portion of Monroe County. He received 1,309 absentee votes and Mark Glogowski, a Libertarian candidate, picked up 213 votes through absentees.
• Michael Norris was unopposed for a third term as assemblyman for the 144th District which includes portions of Niagara and Erie counties, and also Shelby in Orleans County. Norris received 1,342 in-person votes in Shelby and added 178 more with absentees, out of 300 ballots.
Contested county and town races
• County Clerk: Nadine Hanlon increased her lead over Diane Shampine. Hanlon received 1,131 of the absentees or 66.6 percent to 564 for Shampine. Hanlon, who won a close Republican primary over Shampine in June, had 8,900 in-person votes to 4,474 for Shampine, who stayed on the ballot with the Conservative Party.
• Murray highway superintendent: Dirk Lammes had a big lead over James DeFilipps after election night with 1,076 votes under the Republican and Conservative lines, while DeFilipps has 674 under the Independence line and the independent “Jimmy D for Highway” party. DeFilipps narrowed the gap slightly in absentees, 126 to 118. Lammes will be the winner, 1,194 to 800.
• Shelby Town Councilman: Ryan Wilkins received 1,102 in-person votes under the Republican line. Craig Stalker also mounted a write-in campaign and there were 229 write-in votes with in-person voting. Wilkins received 165 absentees while there were eight more write-in votes through absentees.
The other local positions were unopposed:
District Attorney: Joe Cardone received 11,794 in-person votes, plus 1,502 absentees.
Coroner (elect 3 who are all unopposed): Scott Schmidt – 10,980 in-person votes, plus 1,429 absentees; Charles Smith – 9,594 in-person votes, plus 1,270 absentees; and Rocco Sidari – 10,262 in-person votes, plus 1,322 absentees.
Murray Town Justice: Theodore R. Spada, Jr. – 1,441 in-person votes, plus 186 absentees.
Murray Town Councilman: Randy Bower – 1,433 in-person votes, plus 193 absentees.
Shelby Town Supervisor: Jeff Smith – 1,264 in-person votes, plus 176 absentees.
Building sees dramatic renovation with 41 apartments, Holley village offices
Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the completion of a $17 million substantial rehabilitation of the historic former Holley High School in the village of Holley in Orleans County. Now known as Holley Gardens, the building offers 41 affordable homes for seniors with public meeting space and offices for use by the village of Holley.
“As New York builds back better, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing safe and affordable housing to our vulnerable populations,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Holley Gardens housing builds upon our strategic investments in communities across the state and in the Finger Lakes region and will provide 41 affordable homes for New York’s seniors. We have a responsibility to protect and support our seniors and new developments like Holley Gardens will provide crucial housing opportunities to those who need it most.”
“Every New Yorker deserves the warmth and security of a roof over their heads and supportive services they need,” Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This $17 million project included a significant rehabilitation of a vacant high school that will provide over 41 affordable homes for our older New Yorkers, including supportive services for individuals with physical disabilities. New York is committed to investing in projects like these to help ensure fairness and enhanced quality of life while continuing to build back better, stronger and more inclusive for the future.”
Governor Cuomo’s commitment to strengthening communities and growing the Finger Lakes economy is reflected in “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. Since 2011, HCR has invested over $639 million in the Finger Lakes Region that has created or preserved nearly 7,700 homes.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, front center, cut the ribbon for the project at a celebration this afternoon. Front row, from left, include Ed Morgan, representing Satte Sen. Rob Ortt; Nelson Leenhouts, Chairman of Home Leasing and Home Leasing Construction; Wayne Goodman, executive director of the Landmark Society of WNY; State Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul; County Legislator John DeFilipps ( a member of the Holley Class of 1975, the last to graduate from the old school); former Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty; and current Mayor Kevin Lynch, also a member of Holley’s Class of 1975. Back row: Charlie Oster, development manager for Edgemere Development; George DeRue, Home Leasing’s vice president of historical preservation and construction manager for the project; Bret Garwood, CEO of Home Leasing; Connie Nenni, Holley village trustee; John Kenney, former Holley mayor; Kim Russell, Home Leasing attorney.
Originally constructed in 1931, the three-story Neo-Classical brick building served as the village’s high school until the mid-1970s. It sat unused in the decades since closing. After careful rehabilitation, including the preservation of original architectural details, Holley Gardens now offers 41 affordable apartments for New Yorkers aged 55 and up.
The school’s original auditorium was kept largely intact to be used as a public meeting space for the village’s board meetings and other public forums. The area beneath the balcony was renovated to house the village’s administrative offices.
Building amenities for residents include a community room, Energy Star appliances, air conditioning, and laundry facilities, along with outdoor space. Located in the heart of the Holley’s downtown, Holley Gardens is within walking distance to the village’s library, restaurants, churches, and retail.
Seven of the apartments will be available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services provided by Independent Living of Genesee Region. The developer is Home Leasing in partnership with Edgemere Development.
State financing for the $17 million development includes federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated a total of $6.8 million in equity and $4.1 million in subsidy from HCR. The project received federal and state Historic Tax Credits that generated $6.4 million in equity allocated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Empire State Development provided $1 million through the Restore NY program and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority provided $41,000.
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Holley Gardens serves a dual purpose of providing 41 much-needed affordable homes for older New Yorkers and rehabilitating a historic building in the heart of the village. The state’s investment to carefully preserve the historic architecture will breathe new life into Holley’s historic district, create a more walkable and active streetscape for the building’s residents, and show that the Finger Lakes economy is reopen for business and moving forward.”
State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “It is rewarding to see a historic landmark in the village get new life as affordable housing for senior citizens. The project is the first time the Historic Tax Credit program has been used in the village of Holley, which now joins communities across the state in successfully transforming underutilized buildings to create much-needed housing and business opportunities, and preserve local heritage.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul attended today’s ribbon-cutting celebration. She said the project shows the state is committed to bringing resources to small towns.
Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and CEO & Commissioner-designate Eric Gertler said, “Holley Gardens is a prime example of New York State’s creative approach to community development through our Restore NY program. By transforming a long-vacant school into a vibrant residential development for seniors, this public-private partnership revitalized an underutilized local facility to serve the current needs of the Holley community.”
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said, “Holley Gardens will be a wonderful addition to the Village of Holley and for our senior residents who are seeking a new, yet affordable, place to call home. By renovating the already existing Holley High School, New York State and private partners have found a way to reutilize the Village of Holley’s landmarks for community residents. I am proud to have worked with tremendous local officials to secure state funding and make this project a reality.”
Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “Holley Gardens is another example of the creativity, hard work, and dedication that the people of Western New York have. With this development, the opportunity to give more of our senior citizens comfortable, affordable housing in the village of Holley shows yet another way our communities continue to give back and support each other. I look forward to seeing the complex be filled, and seeing the wonderful life our neighbors can bring to it.”
Mayor Kevin Lynch said, “In a five-year period, the old high school has been transformed into senior housing and new space for the village offices and public meetings. This is a great change for the village of Holley. Thanks to Home Leasing, Edgemere Development and everyone who worked to make this project a reality.”
Chairperson Orleans County Legislature Lynne M. Johnson said, “Thanks to the hard work and commitment of so many, Holley Gardens is the first adaptive reuse to offer affordable senior homes, municipal offices and communal space for the benefit of all who live and work in Orleans County. The spectacular redevelopment of the former high school is the finest example of public and private partners working together to sustainably preserve and enhance smaller communities with historical assets.”
CEO of Home Leasing Bret Garwood said, “We are thrilled to be part of the transformation of the long abandoned historic Holley High School into Holley Gardens. With this project, we are helping to address the critical need for affordable housing for seniors and are part of creating a vibrant village. I am grateful to all our partners including New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the Village of Holley, and Edgemere Development, who have offered their expertise and dedication throughout the entire process.”
Founder of Edgemere Development John Oster said, “Many thought there was no hope or use for this beautiful former school. The completion of this successful project was due to the willpower and collaboration of Edgemere, Home Leasing, the Village of Holley and County of Orleans, NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Key Bank, and our other public and private partners. Holley Gardens is now a welcoming home for our seniors and critical Village offices.”
Executive Director of The Landmark Society of Western New York Wayne Goodman said, “This impressive and collaborative project converted a problematic liability into a true community asset, and by doing so, saved an irreplaceable historic building that has played such a formative role in Holley’s past. With the end result providing quality housing and enhancing Holley’s commercial district, this project is a prime example of how historic preservation elevates our communities across New York.”
Students have also written nearly 200 letters to local veterans
Press Release from Albion Central School
ALBION – Despite the changes and challenges Covid-19 has brought this year, students across the Albion school district are celebrating veterans.
Throughout the elementary school, students have been learning about what it means to be a veteran and writing letters to our local heroes, thanking them for their service.
Adelaide, an elementary student, plays her clarinet.
Third grade teacher Danielle Cammarata is spearheading the letter-writing effort.
“Many of our students have family members in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force right now, so this project is extra meaningful to them,” Cammarata said. “The letters will warm many hearts.”
It’s not only the students who have family members serving but many of the faculty as well. Sixth grade teacher Cathy Schmitt has put together a slideshow to honor staff member who served in the military or who have family members who are veterans.
“We usually play it in classes so the students can make connections with their teachers,” Schmitt said. “It includes the family member’s name, their branch of service and some other information they sent to me.”
While traditionally the middle school has honored local veterans in an assembly, the presentation will be shared virtually this year with students and staff.
Cammarata says it is important to keep these traditions alive.
“It’s really important to give thanks for the time, energy and dedication veterans have given to our country,” Cammarata said. “I want the children to know and understand the sacrifices that they made to make it possible for all of us to live in this country and embrace the freedoms they fought for us.”
This year, they received 192 letters.
Normally, the letters are sent out around the holidays, this is the first year they’ll be sent out on Veterans Day.
“I think the performance and letters will let the community members know how much we appreciate and respect all that they have done for us,” Cammarata said. “It’s a small gesture, but hopefully it will bring a smile to those who have served.”
Students practice in smaller groups for the concert.
Elementary band teacher Lindsey Almeter agrees, saying that while this will be her students’ first Veterans Day performance, it is the perfect time to celebrate and connect with the school community.
“We were just looking for opportunities for students to still get to celebrate, perform on their instruments and connect with the community during a time where that connection is harder to make,” Almeter said. “[We] decided that Veterans Day would be a wonderful chance to encompass all of those goals and the students have been very excited about sharing the work they’ve been doing.”
The elementary school’s performance will be pre-recorded and played over the morning announcements.
According to high school band director Michael Thaine, the High School Music Department has held a concert in early November for over four decades.
“For several years in the ’90s and early 2000’s it was held on the evening of Election Day,” Thaine said. “In 2009, we moved the annual concert to the evening prior to Veterans Day, where it’s been ever since.”
The event is a celebration of our nation’s veterans through American music, by American composers.
“Music has played such an important role in this country’s history,” Thaine said. “ It only makes sense for us to honor our veterans through music.”
These cards will be displayed at some restaurants and stores in Albion.
While the pandemic has caused some limitations, including very limited rehearsal time, partial ensembles, and restrictions on public gatherings, the High School Music Department came up with an abbreviated virtual presentation. The program will still include some music, but also interviews with several veterans connected to our high school community.
“It’s become a loved community tradition over the years, and our veterans deserve to know that, despite the necessary focus on pandemic precautions and those logical complexities, their service and sacrifices are still appreciated and not overlooked,” Thaine said.
Make sure you look for the letters around Albion. They will be posted in Dunkin’, The Village House, Save-A-Lot and Tops.
The 2020 High School Virtual Veterans Day Program will be posted to the district’s YouTube channel (click here) on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
