The Gananda Community Youth Theatre is proud to announce their upcoming production of the musical Willy Wonka Jr., directed by John Barthelmes and choreographed by Kaitlyn Zorn Barthelmes. The cast of 37 area 5^th & 6^th graders will take you on adventure through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory based on the story by Roald Dahl.

 

Support this great community program at the Gananda Middle School Auditorium on Saturday March 15^th at 7:00pm and Sunday March 16^th at 1:00pm. Tickets are $6 reserved seating and can be purchased at the door before performances.  For more information contact Gananda Community Youth Theatre at gcytinc@gmail.com or visit the website www.GCYT.org.

 

 

 

 

State Police knew what the two women were doing on a regular basis. A trip to the nearby Indian reservation to purchase cartons of cigarettes would net the pair a hefty profit. Buy the cartons at stores on the reservation without paying the state surcharges and state and local sales taxes charged in off-reservation locations, then resell them to regular customers. Police believe the every two week trips netted the tax evaders about $10 per carton.

Arrested were Amber Jo Mullin, age 22, of 12378 Furnace Road in Wolcott and Amanda Houghtaling, age 29, of 12531 Old Ridge Road in Wolcott. Mullin was charged with Possession to Sell Unauthorized Cigarettes and Criminal Tax Fraud in the 5th Degree. Houghtaling was charged with Evading the Tobacco tax, Possession  and Transporting Unstamped Cigarettes. Unauthorized Cigarettes, Criminal Tax Fraud in the 5th Degree. Both were arraigned on the felony charges and released to reappear in Newark Court on March 26th.

Both women, in statements to police, deny they made the regular trips for a profit motive, rather buying them for “friends” and family. They gave police several names of those they were reportedly buying the cigarettes for. Police were skeptical because the 153 cartons translates to 30,600 cigarettes every two weeks for a very small group of friends and family.

State Police sources received a lead that the two women would appear in a vehicle in the parking lot of Newark-Wayne Hospital. Newark Police were notified and on Tuesday (3/11) the vehicle was spotted and stopped. Inside, were various brands Indian  brands of cigarettes, 153 cartons in total. They admitted to buying about $2000 worth of cigarettes.

Currently, New York State imposes an excise tax on cigarettes at the rate of $4.35 per package of twenty cigarettes. New York City imposes a local excise tax at the rate of $1.50 per package of twenty cigarettes, bringing the combined tax rate in New York City to $5.85.

A tax stamp affixed to the bottom of each pack of cigarettes sold in the State provides evidence that the taxes were paid. A state tax stamp is evidence that the state excise tax was paid. A joint state/city tax stamp is evidence that both the state and city taxes were paid.

New York State also imposes an excise tax on tobacco products at the following rates:

75% of the wholesale price on cigars and tobacco products (other than little cigars and snuff)

$4.35 per twenty little cigars

$2 per container of snuff one ounce or less, and $2 per ounce and a proportionate rate on any fractional amount thereof for containers with more than one ounce.

Licensing requirements for cigarette agents and wholesalers

You must be licensed as a cigarette agent to purchase and affix New York State cigarette tax stamps. Cigarette agent licenses may be issued to: dealers (wholesalers or retailers) who: maintain separate warehousing facilities for receiving and distributing cigarettes and conducting their business, and who have received commitments from at least two cigarette manufacturers whose aggregate market share is at least 40% of the New York State market importers, exporters, or manufacturers of cigarettes certain other businesses dealing in unstamped cigarettes.

You must be licensed as a wholesale dealer of cigarettes if you intend to sell to a retail dealer or other persons for the purpose of resale.

A buyer of Indian Reservation cigarettes is allowed to purchase two cartons per visit. “Possession of untaxed cigarettes is punishable by law, including fines up to $600 per carton. The New York State Tax Department will investigate and continue to work with law enforcement to prosecute those who violate the law,” said Geoff Gloak, Spokesperson for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. That could work out to a state fine of $91,800. Gloak said there are not too many wide spread cases of mass transporting of cigarettes off the reservations since most people know the stiff penalties.

Gloak stated that 80% of the money collected on the sales of cigarettes goes in to health programs.

The Indian brands of cigarettes that were confiscated run between $20 to $40 per carton on average, far below national brands.

Wayne County District Attorney Rick Healy said he would be contacting the Director of Enforcement for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The case against Mullin and Houghtaling will be turned over for Wayne County Grand Jury action.

Family, Friends, Macedon Town and Wayne County officials showed up for the official groundbreaking of a long awaited project. Kevin and Barb Heald, owners of Twilight on the Erie RV Resort in Macedon. 

celebrated the true beginning of their dream, on Saturday, March 8th.   Angelo Affronti  will clear the land, run the culvert pipes and prepare the  sites to be ready for campers in July 2014.

Cornell Cooperative Extension organized three days of seminars on Business, Enology, and Viticulture (BEV NY). Formerly known as the Wine Industry Workshop, the annual gathering of the Finger Lakes Grape Growers Conference and the New York Wine Industry as worries about how the harsh winter have and continue to damage the buds and grapevines.  BEV NY separately addresses each of these critical subject areas providing expertise by an array of Wine Industry professionals. “I’ve seen many familiar faces everyday throughout the conference”, said Donna Gridley – Gridley Vineyards Bluff Point, NY.

Paul Brock, Associate Professor acknowledge the many new faces of FLCC Enology and Viticulture students who would be seeking internships over the summer growing season and fall harvest. The New York Wine Association attended to muster support in attempting to convince NY Lawmakers to serve New York produced wines at government funded and sponsored events.

The primary focus of BEV NY was to help support the vineyards and wineries of New York State with an agenda covering Social Media, Marketing Challenges and Networking Wine Consumers along with the technical aspects of winemaking and growing grapes.

Dr. David Manns, Cornell University explained the chemistry behind winemaking.  “Deacidification of wine involves transforming the Tartaric Acid and Malic Acid naturally found in grapes, but the actual process is much more selective,” explained Manns.  Other topics included proper SO2, and tannin management as well as selection of yeast strains and importance of YAN (yeast –available nitrogen) required in successful transformation of sugars to alcohol. Cornell University’s Dr. Gavin Sachs was quoted saying that “Wine is 100% chemical ± 0 %.” The basis of his meaning was illustrated by the numerous examples of the various chemical compounds that makeup the wonderful aromas and flavors exhibited in wine. “The problem of perception is sensory communication,” mentioned Cornell’s Dr. Anna Katherine Mansfield.  The many sensory receptors of the face and mouth activate at the threshold sensation level found in wine something definitely appreciated by wine consumers.

The concerns of climate and vine survival are more of challenge in New York as temperatures drop into the negative double digits or during time of drought.  “The vines need to struggle, but also need a healthy nutrient level to counter the stresses in unusual years,” said Luck Haggerty – Viticulture Educator.  Over the past few years, an early spring lead to premature bud burst followed by unexpected snowfall and colder weather.  “Despite the dramatic differences in climate, the Finger Lakes wine grapes have ripened into superior vintages,” commented Chris Stamp – Lakewood Vineyards.

The Wayne girl’s varsity soccer team has worked hard throughout the year raising money for Face 2 Face. Face 2 Face is a local organization that provides emotional support and resources to those who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss. The girls on the team were able to raise over $1400 by selling T-Shirts and wristbands.

For more information on Face 2 Face visit their Facebook page at www.Face2FaceRochesterNY.

With a steady stream of voters on Tuesday in  Lyons, and a few voting machine  snafus, voters, in the end,  chose to continue with the Dissolution Plan for the Village. The votes was 474 Yes, and 309 No.

Nearly 800 Village voters appeared at the Lyons VFW. One of three voting machines stopped working early on, and had to be taken back to the Wayne County Board of Elections, where votes from that machine were run back through a working machine and electronically counted,

Having previously voted to Dissolve the Village in an election held in November of 2012, voters were asked to decide if the Dissolution Plan should continue.

This Tuesday’s Special Election ballot simply  asked: Shall the elector-initiated dissolution plan take effect?

Even, with 78 absentee ballots still to be counted, and 9 ballots to be-hand counted (on Thursday at 10 am), the votes could not override the outcome of Tuesday’s balloting, even if they were all No votes.

A total of over 1200 voters showed up for the first vote in 2012.  At that time, 619 voted to dissolve the Village of Lyons, and 585 said no. It was, however, a Presidential election year, and many voters were already at the polling sites to cast their votes.

In other voting on Tuesday, Macedon Village voters reelected Village Trustees: David Kelly and Dave Nelson as Trustees and John Reid as Village Justice. The races were uncontested and just 25 voters cast ballots.

With a steady stream of voters on Tuesday in  Lyons, and a few voting machine  snafus, voters, in the end,  chose to continue with the Dissolution Plan for the Village. The votes was 474 Yes, and 309 No.

Nearly 800 Village voters appeared at the Lyons VFW. Having previously voted to Dissolve the Village in an election held in November of 2012, voters were asked to decide if the Dissolution Plan should continue.

This Tuesday’s Special Election ballot simply  asked: Shall the elector-initiated dissolution plan take effect?

Even, with 78 absentee ballots still to be counted, and 9 ballots to be-hand counted, the outstanding  votes could not override the outcome of Tuesday’s balloting.

A total of over 1200 voters showed up for the first vote in 2012. At that time, 619 voted to dissolve the Village of Lyons, and 585 said no. It was, however, a Presidential election year, and many voters were already at the polling sites to cast their votes.

So, what happens now?

Lyons Town Supervisor Brian  Manketelow stated that he would not start the momentum with “guns blazing”. “We want to be respectful of the Dissolution Committee’s plan. The people who did all the work deserve to be heard. We will take baby steps and use the plan as a starting point,” he said.

“We need to digest all of this. It just happened,” Manketlow acknowledged on Wednesday morning.

He indicated that the Governor’s office had called that morning (Wednesday) to offer any assistance. The Supervisor told the governor’s aide that the Town is working hard on consolidations, but is stuck with bad infractures, unfunded state mandates and a Tax Cap that make it very difficult for municipalities. He asked the State to “ante up” with funds to help the town progress forward.

Manktelow indicated that he had not yet spoken to Mayor VanSteen, but planned to sit down with him soon. “There are still some tough feelings all around, and we may need to just let everything settle down and move carefully and mindfully. The dissolution will not be final until December 31, 2015,” said Brian.

Mayor Terry Vansteen was similarly careful. “We were obviously disappointed with the vote. Everyone knows my feelings. My real concerns now are two-fold. The morale and well being of my employees. It has been particularly brutal on them with the uncertainty, explained VanSteen,

“Our plan now is to work on “going out of business”. I have angst and concern for the people of the Town of Lyons. They had no say in  the decision and it affects them negatively. The decision is a travesty for them.”

Vansteen spoke of concern for all village employees also. “This long discussion has reflected on them. The village is not bad or evil. Our staff and trustees are the most answerable of all government agencies. They all do a good job. They are hard working, dedicated and tireless individuals who serve the citizens. It is unknown if some will be hired by the town. There is a lot of uncertainly.

“The voters were promised savings, and that is now up to someone else to deliver that savings,” said the Mayor.

“This year we had to operate as if we were still going to be a village. We set up a one year budget for 2014-2015. We had to be business-as-usual. We could not do any long range planning. We had to have a narrower vision.”

Several items still have to be handled by the Village as it goes forward to  dissolution. They must work to move the Fire Department from a Department to a District. “We want it to be  a smooth transition,” Terry noted.

The Village of Lyons also has to work on some loose ends with a previously funded project in the works for the summer on the Canal Trail. The work completing the trail from the west end of Newark to the Village of Lyons  must be completed so the grant can be closed out.

Both the Mayor and Supervisor indicated that they must now hire consultants to  aid them through the process of dissolution. The State will fund the process, but an RFP (request for proposals) must be made to find a consultants to do this. Manktelow also wanted to reach out to Seneca Falls, who has been through a dissolution – although each village and their services are unique. Assets have to be transferred, and property. There are many layers.

“You can’t just wait until October of 2015 and begin the process. Many transitions will occur starting this year,” VanSteen explained. He indicated that Sewer and Water can probably be transitioned first, as their budget are separate and not part of the village budget,  by law.

“We will also have a decision to make on what to do with unappropriated fund balances paid by the village taxpayers. We need to find the best way to use that to their benefit, as it was their money collected for emergency use,” said VanSteen.

“My long range focus now has changed. I am in the business of shutting down the business of the village,” said the man who will become the last Mayor of the Village of Lyons.

Nine high school students at Ruben A. Cirillo High School in Gananda pitched their business ideas before a panel of five real-life investors to compete for funding at the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Investor Panel Presentation Event in Gananda. The students presented before representatives from some of the area’s biggest companies as well as an audience filled with family, friends and members of the community, for the opportunity to gain funding for their original ideas – that could be the next big thing!

The event was held in the auditorium at Ruben A. Cirillo High School in Gananda Central School District. This year’s YEA! class is comprised of nine freshman and sophomore students. The Investor Panel Event is one of the program’s three “big events” that take place over the duration of the nine-month program.

On Thursday night, the Investor Panel donated monetary contributions and in-kind donations, as well as their support and encouragement in their belief that they too can make a job – not take a job – at any age!

The investor panel consisted of the following business professionals: Herb Besaw-President and CEO of Spoon Events,  Mike Faulkner-VP of Europe & the Americas at Garlock Sealing Technologies, Donna Figel-CFO & IT Director at Alpco Recycling, Patti Holdraker-Co-owner and Director of Advertising at The Times of Wayne County newspaper, Terri Nichols- Treasurer and member of the Gananda Rotary Club.

The funds were divided and allocated to the businesses that the investors felt had a well-thought out plan, and an idea that had a good chance at success.

The investments were as follows:          Char-B-Q, a gas grill attachment that gives meats a smoky, charcoal-grilled flavor, received $1,000. Owner Daniel Mochan is a sophomore.

• Cosmo’s Cupcakes, a retail business which produces and sells cupcakes in unique, mason jar packaging, received $500. Owner Evan Donaldson is a freshman.

• M&O Technologies, a company that manufactures and sells The Lap Tray, an all-in-one TV tray, cup holder, and cell phone caddy optimized for the serious video game enthusiast, received $600. Owners Marty LaFica and Owen Howard are sophomores.

• Pet a Pup, a pet therapy service for college students and the elderly, received $450. Owners Erich Wolf and Demetria Woodard are sophomores.

• SPORT PRO INC., an innovative sports company that creates and sells fog-proof ski goggles called The Flip, received $1,600. Owner Jonathan Liebert, a freshman, was selected by the Investor Panel to advance to the Saunders Scholars Bright Ideas Business Plan Competition this spring.

• Storm’s Stick On, an adhesive for mobile phones designed to stick to the inside of pants pockets, received $850. Owner Nick Bergstrom is a sophomore.

• Whoa-Glow, a custom apparel design company specializing in fluorescent printing and school spirit, received $500. Owner Justin Rooney is a sophomore.

Students will now begin marketing and selling their products and services, and preparing for the YEA! Trade Show to showcase their goods to the general public. The Trade Show will be held on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Eastview Mall. This event is free and open to the public.

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The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!  is a groundbreaking educational program that takes students in grades six through twelve through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year. Students work in close cooperation with local leaders of industry, community members, and educators to develop ideas and objectives, write business plans, pitch potential investors, obtain funding, register with governmental agencies, develop their brand identity and much more! By the end of the class, students own and operate fully functioning businesses that can be carried on after graduation.

When Fletcher Streeter went out to  warm up his 2002 Cadillac DeVille on Friday (3/28) morning, he had no idea what would transpire. He went back inside to his 111 Driving Park Circle home in Newark for a brief moment.

The running car was too much of an invitation for  well-known thief and predicate felon, Sean T. Mykins, age 36, of 210 Hoffman Street in Newark. Mykins jumped into the Cadillac and took off.

The car was reported stolen and spotted by a State Trooper as it sped through the Village of Palmyra. As the Trooper exited his vehicle and approached the stolen car, Mykins did what he has done in the past – he hit the gas and the chase began.

It continued west on Route 31, speeding through the Village of Macedon. As the vehicle approached the Walmart store on Route 31, Mykins veered into the entrance, striking a car driven by Michelle Danesi of Perinton. Her six year-old child received a bump on the head when Mykins smashed into the rear passenger panel of the Danesi vehicle.

The stolen Cadillac came to a stop and Mykins turned the purusit into a foot chase, ending with his capture at the entrance to  Walmart. Mykins was taken into custody and brought to the hospital where blood was drawn to determine his blood alcohol level. According to sources, Mykins was “huffing” propane while driving the stolen car, something he has reportedly been doing for years.

Mykins was charged with Resisting Arrest, Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, Reckless Driving, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the 2nd Degree, Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident, Failure to Comply with a Police Officer, Failure to Keep Right, Speeding and numerous other vehicle and traffic violations. More charges are pending. Mykins, a predicate felon, has three past instances where he has lead police on high speed chases. He has been convicted of Rape in the 3rd Degree and several Reckless Endangerment charges in both Wayne and Monroe County. Mykins was arraigned on the charges in Newark Village Court and remanded to jail on No Bail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 2nd at 8:00 a.m. in the Village of Newark Court. State Police were assisted by the Village of Newark, Village of Palmyra and Town of Macedon Police Departments.

Fire destroyed a large building at Wayside Garden Center in Macedon, around 1:30 a.m on Tuesday. A second building was also badly damaged and a hazmat situation was declared because of pesticides located in the vicinity.

Wayside’s owner, Leo Sorbella,  said the main retail part of the business remains open, and was not affected by the incident.

The fire mainly impacted storage and maintenance equipment, as well as electrical connections that feed power to the greenhouses. He added most of their spring crops appear to be unaffected.

The fire is under investigation, though police and the center’s owner don’t believe there was any foul play.

The question of equal pay between elected Town of Ontario Justices Paul Sucher and Reginald Higgins is not in question. Both men receive the same salary of $18,249 annually.

Sucher, a retired State Trooper, receives health benefits in his retirement package from New York State. Higgins receives his health benefits from the Town of Ontario.

That is what is at the crux of a lawsuit brought by Sucher, who served papers on not only the current Town Supervisor, John Smith and current Board members at last Tuesday’s board meeting, but former Town Supervisor Bob Kelsch and former board members as well.

According to the suit, Sucher feels that salary, as defined by law, is compensation for services and should include monies spent on health and other non-salaried benefits. He feels he should receive an additional $14,127.60 annually, the amount Higgins will receive in health coverage costs. He is asking to be reimbursed a total of $83,409.75 for the years he has been a town justice since his election in 2008.

Town Attorney Alan Knauf, in a  memorandum in April of 2013 addressed Sucher’s requests by citing  various legal decisions. He wrote that insurance benefits are not considered “salary” according to town law. According to the New York State Comptroller, “salary” is defined to “mean simply the fixed cash consideration periodically paid, or the per hour, per diem or per week remuneration to which an officer or employee is entitled,” and not “fringe benefits.” Accordingly, the State Comptroller has opined that hospitalization insurance premiums and other fringe benefits are not normally considered as a part of an officer or employee’s annual compensation or salary.

Sucher contends that both he and Higgins perform essentially the same job and devote approximately the same amount of time to their elected positions and that while the paychecks are equal, their compensation is not.

Town officials could not comment on the lawsuit, except to say it was in the hands of their attorney. Sucher’s attorney, Charles Steinman, Esq. of Rochester, could not be reached prior to press time.

Schumer bring news about federal aid to local Fruit Farmers

On Freday (March 28th) at Van Acker Farms in Williamson, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Wayne County fruit farmers that experienced an extreme and damaging Spring freeze in 2012 have federal aid on the way, and urged that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expedite the roll-out of this recently passed retroactive disaster relief program. Schumer visited the Van Acker Farm following that devastating thaw-freeze and vowed to fight for retroactive aid in upcoming Farm Bills.

The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which helps farmers recover from loss of income due to weather-related or other disasters will be able to provide growers with much needed assistance. Schumer will say that he fought for NAP to be both strengthened and include retroactive assistance as part of the recently passed Farm Bill. The provision allows NAP to cover farmers’ losses retroactively, which frees up millions of dollars in federal disaster relief money for farmers in Upstate New York who lost more than half of their expected yield from tree and bush fruit crops in 2012.

The retroactive NAP program, however, is not scheduled to get underway until late fall, which is not ideal for fruit farmers who need the cash flow more now, as they ramp up during the spring, than when the season winds down in the fall. Schumer will therefore urge the USDA to expedite and prioritize the implementation of the program to get disaster relief funds flowing sooner and when farmers need it most.

Schumer was  joined by owner of Dan Van Acker of Van Acker Farms, Gary Orbaker of Orbaker Fruit Farms, other Wayne County cherry, peach, pear growers, and local officials.

PALMYRA: Passed away on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the age of 44.  Sam was born on August 12, 1969 in Rochester, NY. He is survived by his fiancee’, Tracey VanHout; daughter Abigail VanHout; sons, Samuel J. Jr., Michael and Anthony Pergolizzi; niece, Leah VanHout; dad and mom, Gerald and Charlotte VanHout; mother, Josephine Pergolizzi; many sisters, brothers, cousins and friends. Prior to Sam’s health concerns, he had worked in the lumber yard at the Home DePot in Irondequoit. He enjoyed fishing and was a fan of Nascar and Jeff Gordon.  Jimmy Fallon Late Nite was a favorite and he enjoyed The Roots, an alternative hip-hop band out of Philadelphia, that plays on Jimmy Fallon’s Late show.  The Walking Dead was a favorite TV show.  Each year, he and Tracey would take a vacation to the Tampa/Clearwater area of Florida. Sam will be missed by his family. There is no scheduled visitation. Services and Interment will take place at a later date.

The case against that Dr. Anna Marie Kontor, accused of taking ‘Repeal  NY’S S.A.F.E. Act’ signs from a front yard in the Town of Williamson back on November 21st, 2013, has been moved to the Marion Town Court.

Lawyers for the 47 year-old pediatrician, who works for Williamson Pediatrics, asked for the change of venue, citing  the Town of Williamson is represented by the Villani Law firm, who is also representing Kantor.

Wayne County District Attorney Rick Healy said the case has dragged on long enough. He had offered to plea the case down from a misdemeanor Petit Larceny to a violation of Disorderly Conduct. Katie Villani of the Villani Law firm wanted the charge reduced to a ACD (Adjourned Contemplating Dismissal), since the doctor did not want any conviction on her record, but Healy refused saying Kantor either had to take the plea deal, or go to trial.

Gun owners, opposed to the NY SAFE ACT have rallied against the law banning certain types of assault weapon and  also targeting ammunition purchases by dealers and gun owners.

Signs began appearing on lawns throughout the State urging the repeal  of the rapidly passed legislation. No sooner had the sign movement taken hold, when homeowners began complaining of sign thefts.

The case will come before Marion Justice Samuel Bonefede  on Wednesday, April 23rd.

The local chapter of S.C.O.P.E. (Shooters’ Committee On Political Education) has the signs for sale at $8 around Wayne County. S.C.O.P.E. representatives, said they will be attending the court hearing and any resulting trial in the case.

ams were honored for their strong performance at this past weekend’s Carnegie Mellon Mini-Invite, as three Gators have been named North Coast Athletic Conference Track & Field Athletes of the Week.

The conference announced that junior throwers Michael Petro and Lexi Mochan have been named the league’s Field Athletes of the Week, while sophomore Ben Plohr was tabbed men’s Distance Runner of the Week for action between Mar. 24-30th.

Petro (Bolivar, Pa./Ligonier Valley) took first in the hammer throw at the CMU Invite, with a toss of 54.60 meters.  The longest throw by an NCAC athlete this season, and seventh-longest in NCAA Division III, it broke a seven-year old program record, while it was also the longest throw in the event’s history.  Petro, who was previously a Second Team All-NCAC performer in the weight throw at the 2014 conference indoor championships, now owns three of the top five performances in the hammer in Allegheny program history.

Mochan (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda) won the women’s hammer throw at CMU, with a career-best toss of 46.94 meters.  It broke her own CMU Mini-Invite record, previously set in 2013, while it was also the second longest throw in team history.  Like Petro, Mochan has had an impressive junior campaign for the Blue and Gold, finishing second at the NCAC Indoor Championships in the weight throw, and now holds two of the top four hammer throw performances in team history.

Plohr (Penobscot, Maine/George Stevens Academy) had a hand in two victories for the Gators at Carnegie Mellon, as he finished first in the 800 meter run before teaming with Nelson Hansen, Tom DeAscentis, and Mack Price to finish first in the 4×400 relay.  The defending NCAC indoor and outdoor champion in the 800, Plohr crossed the finish line in a career-best time of 1:53.77, the fastest performance by a conference runner this season, and the fifth best time recorded in by an NCAA Division III runner in 2014.

The Times has learned that Palmyra Village Police Chief, David Dalton, is being forced to retire as of May 6th.

Dalton, has been the police chief since October of 1981, but hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 last August. Under Dalton’s retirement level, unless the Village agreed to a two-year waiver (request for continuation of service), with a medical approval, he must retire.

The Village has decided not to grant a waiver. Village Mayor Chris Piccola refused to say why the Village would not grant the waiver in Dalton’s case, but added, “The Village will not employ anyone past the mandatory retirement age.”

Piccola, along with Village trustee, Pat Nolan, informed Dalton on Tuesday afternoon that the Village would not hire another Sergeant to fill the position of retiring Sergeant James Showman. Showman, the number two man at the department, is retiring as of April 25th. Piccola  also informed Dalton that the Village would  be looking to find a new police chief.

Piccola would not comment on any other reasons for replacing the Chief, but area villages have been in a budget crunch with local police department budgets. Police budgets are the highest department budgetary cost to village taxpayers. Dalton’s gross pay last year was $87,500 plus benefits.

Dalton has been with the Palmyra Police for a total of 33 years and will be two weeks shy of a 45 year career  in law enforcement.

The move by the Village will leave the five-man department with three officers, David Smith, Adam Husk (son of Village Trustee David Husk) and Brian Parkison. Smith will be asked to take over the duties of the Sergeant, while remaining as a patrolman. The Times has learned Smith has already interviewed for the  Chief’s position.

Mayor Piccola refused to elaborate as to what steps the Board will take concerning the police department’s future. “We have lots of things to discuss.”

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest on Saturday (3/29) at 7:31 p.m.of a Florida woman for Prostitution. Elizabeth “Liz” Baker, age 25, agreed to sexual conduct in exchange for money, with an Under Cover Officer while at an address on Bennett Street in the Town of Williamson.

For years, owners of the former Walworth Academy building, also the former Walworth High School, have had high hopes for resurrecting the structure. Chipping paint, a crumbling roof, and absestos abatement issues have caused these owners to back down from their dreams.

The building that now stands was the third incarnation of the school. According to Dorothy French from the Walworth Historical Society, the first Academy building was erected in 1841. The school was constructed of lake stone at a cost of $4,000 on Academy Street in Walworth. (Postal address was 3655 High Street, cornerv of Academy St).

The Academy was similar to a high school; entry requirement was a preliminary certificate, which was equivalent to an eighth grade education. Many of the Academy students boarded at the school or with families in town. Students who lived nearby walked, rode horseback, or drove a carriage – depending on the time of year and distance. Many students walked 5 or 6 miles one way to attend school.

In 1857 a larger building was needed and a three-story brick structure was erected to the east of the first Academy. The new “Walworth Academy and Wayne County Female Academy” cost about $8,000. The older building was then used as a boarding home and residence for the principal.

In 1877, the original Academy was sold to the Walworth Grange and used as a Grange Hall. The second floor was remodeled into meeting rooms and a few years later the first floor was made into a dining room and kitchen.

The Academy continued with little change until 1929, when voters in District No. 1 approved a bond issue of $80,000 for the purpose of erecting a new school building. On March 1, 1930, demolition of both buildings began to make way for the “Walworth High School” building.

When the Walworth High School opened on September 8, 1930, the enrollment was 182 students.  The building ceased to be a school in 1949 with their last graduating class.

The building at one point in the late 1980s was purchased by C.A.S.H.  (Community Action in Self Help, Inc. -  A housing advocacy group) to be used as  apartments. The building began to fall into disarray, with asbestos and buckling walls. In about 2004, C.A.S.H. was out of the picture and the

Town of Walworth had been considering the now vacant building for use as a recreation center. That plan was defeated and eventually the building went to the County for back taxes. In 2004 or 2005, local businessman Bruce Carey bought the Academy Street Apartments (as it was then known) at a County tax auction for about $25,000 and after holding it for a few years, sold it at a profit to some Rochester businessmen.

Current owner, Alex Tamoutselis, approached the Walworth Planning board just last Spring (2013) with hopes of razing the building, keeping the lower floor and constructing a 39 unit 3-story apartment building on the site. Although the Planning Board agreed that tearing down the crumbling building would be a good move, no formal plan was brought back to them.

This week, after receiving word from his insurance company that the building was in such bad shape, they would be pulling their coverage, Tamoutselis began  demolition of the building on Friday (4/11). By late afternoon the building was all but down. Plans to keep the lower level were scratched. Tamoutselis told the Times that he wasn’t sure now if he would sell the site or build on it.

Neighbors have long been nervous about the run down and vacant building and were out in force to watch the demolition on Friday.

Two notable events occurred on April 13th, 1914 in our local area:  Buffalo lost to the Baltimore Terrapins in the first Federal League baseball game in the United States and Helen Paige Stanton was born in Greece, New York.

One hundred years later, the Federal League is as extinct as the passenger pigeon, but Helen is still going strong at Parkwood Manor in Macedon.

This lively, sociable centenarian has lived all of her adult life in Wayne County, arriving as the bride of Lester Stanton in 1938. The couple raised three sons and bought and worked farms in and around Marion, New York.

“I was the highest paid woman at Mobil in Macedon, as executive secretary to Howard Samuelson, who stayed on at Mobil after his run for governor of New York,” Helen says. “My pay scale was six dollars an hour Which is not a rate you could get away with nowadays!”

Until her retirement to Parkwood Manor three years ago, Helen was active in her church and in social groups both here and at her retirement home in Florida. She had interests in landscape painting, wood carving, and miniature doll house building.

“This woman is talented!,” says longtime friend and health aide Sharon Peets, “She used to sew all of her kids’ clothes — including their suits! Her doll-making skills are legendary. She’s one of those people who is incredibly creative.”

After her retirement from Mobil, Helen and Les moved to a home in Florida, where they maintained their active lifestyle. They golfed (Helen was famous for their golf club’s only hole in one) and travelled the world, from Alaska to Europe.

Helen has slowed down just a bit, now that  husband Lester and youngest son David have passed on. She is comfortably living her apartment in Macedon. She is surrounded by her loving family: sons Bob and Paige Stanton; their wives Helen and Mary; seven grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.

The family will host her one hundredth birthday party on the big day, “and then,” Helen says, “I’ll look forward to my hundredth and first!”