A five year veteran of the Macedon Police Department was arrested Tuesday (10/29) following an internal investigation that began with an October 5th Driving While Intoxicated arrest.

Officer Edward O’Konsky was aiding in the processing of the woman at the station. Part of the evidence was a cooler filled with jello shots in the back of the vehicle. O’Konsky reportedly kept the cooler and took it home that evening after taking pictures for the case.

On Tuesday, (10/8) when Macedon Chief John Colella was informed the cooler had not been booked in as evidence, O’Konsky was suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.

Macedon Police began unwinding a series of incidents, including a quantity of meat seized in an earlier case involving shoplifters. The frozen meat, stored in a public safety building freezer, had disappeared.
More investigation revealed the disappearance of $200 in cash which the Times had donated to the Macedon Association of Police Officers (M.A.P.O.), the union representing the Macedon officers. The money was taken in for t-shirts for a baseball tournament, a receipt was issued, but the money reportedly disappeared.

Further investigation revealed O’Konsky, the Association (Union)President, also handled the banking for his fellow officers, allegedly took approximately $2,200 over a year’s time through a series of bank withdrawals. The fellow officers discovered O’Konsky had obtained an unauthorized debit card on the Union account. He reportedly covered up the withdrawals with false entries into the union ledger.

Chief Colella indicated the cooler and $620 of the missing union monies has been returned.

Edward S. O’Konsky, age 38 of Farmington, was arrested for Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, Falsifying Business Records 1st Degree, Official Misconduct, Tampering with Physical Evidence (2 cts) and Petit Larceny.

O’Konsky was arraigned in the Macedon Town Court on the charges and was released. His return court date is November 19th at 10 am. Following his arraignment he was suspended without pay by the Macedon Town Board.
O’Konsky began his police career for the Caledonia Police Department, before moving to the Palmyra Police Department. He worked there for three years before making a move to Macedon.

Records show O’Konsky filed for chapter seven bankruptcy in 2011, showing assets of $132,551.74 and liabilities of $158,685.

When emergency personnel responded to the two vehicle crash on Route 350 in the Town of Macedon, just south of Eddy Road on Wednesday at 6:25 p.m., they knew it was bad. The vehicles plowed into each other head-on at an estimated speed of 55 miles per hour.

It took firefighter and ambulance crews almost an hour to extract the two women drivers from each of the vehicles. The northbound driver, Candace C. Aldrich, age 64, of Farmington was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Hospital and sustained serious physical injuries from the crash. She was rushed into surgery for a broken leg, broken arm, four broken bones in her back and a foot that needed to be partially reattached. She remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The southbound driver, Julynn M. Criscuolo, age 45, of Sodus, was also taken to Strong, but released with little more than bumps and bruises.

Police found an open wine bottle in Criscuolo’s vehicle and there was a strong smell of alcohol at the scene and at the hospital. On Friday, Criscuolo was arrested for Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, Driving While Ability Impaired by a Combination of Drugs and Alcohol, Reckless Driving, Failure to Keep Right, Consumption of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle. According to police, prescription drugs were also a factor in the crash and arrest.

The Times learned on Friday that, hours earlier, Criscuolo, a bus driver for the Wayne Central School District, was suspected of being intoxicated while operating the school bus after dropping off children. According to school officials, Transportation Director Fred Prince suspected Criscuolo was intoxicated, and, as per their regulations, Criscuolo was driven down to a BOCES contracted company in Canandaigua where a blood alcohol test was administered. Sources revealed to the Times that Criscuolo’s blood alcohol level was .172 % – over twice the legal limit.

The Times was told that, as per the District policy, Criscuolo was driven home, and another employee drove her vehicle home. She was suspended pending an investigation.

The Times also learned the school district did not notify the police about the incident, until the next day (Thursday 10/31), when they learned about the car accident. A call was made to Macedon Police Chief John Colella informing him that Criscuolo was an employee and they had information regarding the incident. Both Fred Prince and assistant Superintendent Greg Atseff met with Colellea to inform him of the school bus driver incident.

The Wayne Central District issued a statement on Friday after the Times inquiry:

“I can confirm that Julynn Criscuolo is a district employee that works in the Transportation Department. Yesterday evening, the Wayne Central School District administration was notified that the employee was involved in a two vehicle accident, outside of work hours. District officials have been and will continue to work in cooperation with local authorities (Town of Macedon Police Department). In following the appropriate district policy and administrative procedure, we have removed the employee from all safety sensitive functions.”

The Times pushed and requested more information, and a call from Wayne Central School Superintendent Renee Garrett. She returned the call late Friday morning and said she had called Sheriff Barry Virts’ private line to inform him of the school bus driver incident that occurred Wednesday afternoon. She said she left a message on his answering device and also called his secretary to leave a message. After that she also called the 911 center to again leave a message concerning the incident with Criscuolo. Not being able to contact the Sheriff, Garrett asked the Wayne Central Student Resource Office to reach out to Chief Colella. This all occurred on Thursday, the day after the accident and incident at the Wayne bus garage. When asked why the day delay in calling the police, Garrett said the District “followed procedures”. “This is something we have to review in our procedures,” said Garrett. “My heart goes out to the family of the injured woman.”

When more information was requested, Garrett later sent another statement:

“In response to your inquiry as to whether the employee in question was removed from her bus? I can confirm that the district employee in question was removed from her bus and the school district is conducting an internal investigation into this matter and cooperating with the authorities and their investigations into these matters. Due to the ongoing investigations the District cannot answer any further questions or provide any additional comments.”

District Attorney Rick Healy, requested that the State Police conduct a full investigation of the school bus incident and instructed Chief Colella not to wait for the results of the blood alcohol test administered at the hospital and to arrest Criscuolo. She was arraigned in Macedon Town Court and was remanded to the Wayne County Jail on $50,000 cash bail/$100,000 bond. She is due back in Macedon Town Court on November 26th.

HERE ARE UNOFFICIAL WAYNE COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS

* indicates winner (some absentee ballots to be counted to determine close races, those ballots will be opened and counted on November 18th)

COUNTY RACES

Sheriff:                       Barry Virts                             11,222*

PROP One:                  YES    6068               NO      6604* (Casino Gaming)

PROP Two:                  YES    9947*             NO      2375      (Veterans Credit)

PROP Three:                YES    6341*             NO      5396      (Debt for Sewer)

PROP Four:                 YES    8220*             NO      3594     (Forest Preserve)

PROP Five                    YES    6954*             NO      4885     (Exchange land State)

PROP Six                       YES    3848              NO      8426*   (Increase age Judges)

County Clerk
Mike Jankowski                     10,677*

TOWN OF ARCADIA

Justice
Art Williams                             1252*

Councilman

Joe Desanto                               945*

Richard VanLaeken                  916

Mike Diamond                        1016*

Receiver of Taxes
Sharon VerHeecke                  1239*

TOWN OF BUTLER

Supervisor
Dave Spickerman                       193*

Town Clerk
Robin Jeremenko                      208*

Town Justice
Scott Stone                                   206*

Councilman
Philip Wagner                              192*

Burt Everhart                                190*

Supt. Of Highways
Richard Robinson                         200*

TOWN OF GALEN

Proposition 7 (Appointed Highway Supt.)              YES 226     NO 394*

Town Justice                      Carol Heald                         578

Councilman                       Frank Sebastiano                328*

                                                 Jeff Montemorano             385*

                                                 Russell Brewer                   262

                                                  William Delperdange        263

TOWN OF HURON

Supervisor                          Laurie Crane                           269

Town Clerk                         Tammy Vezzose                     274

Town Justice                      Kathy Wachtman                  261

Councilman                        Lois Buckalew                       248*

                                                  David Buisch                          251*

Supt. Of Highways             Richard Reyn                         271

TOWN OF LYONS

Supervisor                          Brian Manktelow                     846

Town Clerk                         Sal Colatarci                              887

Town Justice                    Thomas Herendeen                 199

                                                 Richard Wunder                      737%

Town Council                  Sergei Bartishevich                   393

                                               John Paliotti                               359

                                               Philip DeSain                             503*

                                                Nancy Collins                             538*

                                                James Wedman                          92

Supt. Of Highways        Jake Emmel                                 892*

TOWN OF MACEDON     

Town Justice                    Thomas Crowley                          982*

Town Council                     Cassandra Pagano                       818*

                                               David McEwen                           799*

TOWN PROP 7   (appointed highway supt.?)                     YES  455       NO 700*

TOWN OF MARION

Supervisor                          Monica Deyo                                   2978*

Town Clerk                         Deb Smith                                       3148*

Town Justice                      Sam Bonafede                               2998*

Councilman                        Michael Fonte                                275*

Nathan Kauffman                        278*

Supt. Of Highways           Tim Boerman                                 307*

TOWN OF ONTARIO

Supervisor                          Joseph Molino                                906

John Smith                                      1253*

Town Justice                      Reginald Higgins                          1658*

Town Council

Roger Legg                                     758

Jim Switzer                                     948

Jason Ruffell                                   1324*

Frank Robusto                                1190 *

Town Council  2 year vacancy

Donna Burolla                               851

Joe Catalano                                   1247 *

TOWN OF PALMYRA

PROP 7  (Shall the terms for Supervisor be changed from 2 years to 4 years)

YES 306     NO 307*

Supervisor                          Ken Miller                                       519*

Town Justice                      Terry Rodman                               543*

Town Council                     Dave Nussbaumer                        516*

Todd Pipitone                                521*

TOWN OF ROSE

Supervisor                          Kenan Baldridge                          295*

Robert Wilson                               214

Town Clerk                         Christine Smith                            451*

Town Justice                      Gary Poole                                      409*

Councilman                        Duane Shipley                               430*

Tilton Sears                                   435*

Supt. Of Highways            Alan Barney                                   449*

TOWN OF SAVANNAH

Supervisor                          Michael Kolczynski                       288*

Town Justice                      Heath Teneyck                                201*

Jack Robinson                               125

Councilman                          Jack Sloan                                      189*

Ted Fitch                                         199*

Louise Hoffman Broach               73

Linda Wright                                 177

Supt. Of Highways             Allen Sherman                                 294*

TOWN OF SODUS

Town Justice                       Thomas Putnam                                750*

Councilman                         Dale Pickering                                    739*

David Leroy                                       698*

TOWN OF WALWORTH

Supervisor                          Dennis Landry                                      814

Patti Marini                                            939*

Town Clerk                         Susie Jacobs                                           1074*

Judy Dayton                                           700

Town Justice                      Charles Young                                       1381*

Councilman                        Lou Villanova                                         811

Suzi Hawkins-Mance                          979*

Robert Plant                                           851

Judy Markowski                                    858*

Supt. Of Highways            Mike Frederes                                       1452*

 TOWN OF WILLIAMSON

Councilman                          Michael Bixby                                  785*

Thomas Watson                              752*

TOWN OF WOLCOTT

Supervisor                             Kim Park                                         338*

Town Clerk                            Dawn Krul                                     409*

Town Justice                        Henry Krasucki                               386

Councilman                           Russell Freer                                    377*

Chris Loveless                                 339*

Supt.of Highways                    Scott Maybe                                     409

VILLAGE ELECTIONS

VILLAGE OF NEWARK

PROP 7  (Newark boundaries on particular parcel)

YES  624*    NO  181

VILLAGE OF CLYDE

Trustee/1 year vacancy                   Fran Burt                            216*
Neal Kinnetz                      127

VILLAGE of LYONS

Trustee                                                   Gene Palmer                                  169

Ben Harder                                     245

Jim Blandino                                 431*

Richard Evangelist                        319*

Trustee (2 yr. vac.)                           Sean Dobbins                               499*

Mayor                                                      John  Cinelli                                     291

Terry VanStean                               295*

VILLAGE OF PALMYRA

Trustee (1 yr. vac.)                             Virginia Luke                                    938*

VILLAGE OF SODUS

Mayor                                                      Christian Tertinek                              175*

Trustee                                                    M. Sean Kennedy                               167

William Kallusch                                   174

VILLAGE OF RED CREEK

Trustee                                Write in votes                                      104 (awaiting winner name)

 Trustee (2 yr vacancy)     write in votes                                         45 (awaiting winner name)

Mayor                                      write ins                                               56 (awaiting winner name)

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of April L. Roods, age 39, of 52 Webster Manor Dr in Webster for DWI and Driving with a BAC of 0.13%.

The Sheriffs office was dispatched to Wayne Central High School after the 911 center received a call from the district reporting that an employee arrived at work in an intoxicated condition. Upon arriving at the school, investigation revealed that Roods had driven to work and was intoxicated, After processing, Roods was released to a third party and issued an appearance ticket for Ontario Town Court.

We’ll have more information in this weekend’s edition.

At the Wayne Central School Board meeting on Thursday (11/7), parents and taxpayers filled the cafeteria of the Freewill School.

Many came to hear the school board and the administration give answers concerning two recent events involving staff who were drunk on duty.

To recap:
Last Wednesday, Julynn Criscuolo, a bus driver for the Wayne Central School District, was suspected of being intoxicated while operating the school bus after dropping off children. She was sent for processing to a facility to test her blood alcohol level, was driven home, with her vehicle returned and was suspended pending an investigation. The Times learned that the school district did not notify the police about the incident, until the next day (Thursday 10/31), when they heard about the head on car crash, in which Crisuolo was involved later that day, which severely injured another woman.

The public was also made aware earlier in the day, (on Thursday 11/7) of another incident involving a Wayne Central English teacher April Roods, who was presumed to be intoxicated during her 1st period English class. Police were called in and the teacher was removed and arrested. (see full story page C3)

It was the handling of the notification or non-notification of the bus driver incident that seemed to anger and worry the members of the community.

Speaking during the public comment portion of the school board meeting, resident Ann Vandusen said she had doubts that the public would have heard of the school bus incident if the later car crash had not occurred. “It made me wonder if a cover up was in the works. I can’t believe the district could not get a hold of someone to make a police report.” She also felt that, had they not been closely watched due to the bus incident, the teacher incident might have been covered up.

Stacy Pickering asked if she had heard a comment wrong, coming from the board in an early statement at the meeting. “Did I hear you say that the district was not aware until 5 pm on Friday that Ms. Criscoula had been delivering children while intoxicated? Did I hear you wrong? It was reported that the police were called by administration on Wednesday, the day after the incident. She questioned why it took so long to notify the parents.

Terri Schultz, a bus driver noted that she had watched the media coverage of the bus incident and car crash involving her co-worker and felt horrible for Julynn (the driver) and for the victim in the other car. “I just thought they must have got it wrong. It was not in Julynn’s character. I sat up that night and read our laws and regulations and tried to look at school policies to understand how this happened. I am a bus driver, I am in that seat and I feel scrutinized. Fred Prince (Wayne’s transportation director) takes his job very seriously. We are all upset by this.

Anna Prinsen, who said that she used to drive bus, wondered why breathalyzers could not be given before each driver went out on a run, since random testing is often done.
Following an extended time of Public Comment, the School Board went back to the agenda for the evening.

Board of Education member Carla Boerman read a prepared statement.

“It has been a very sad week at Wayne Central. For this alumni, the recent events of the past week and recent months have been very disheartening. This is not who we are as a community and a District. We are a vital, caring community that believes in their children and only want the best – myself included. Wayne Central is comprised of very talented professionals and hard working staff members who come to work every day to teach children, mentor new teachers, feed students, drive students home, coach athletes, maintain our buildings, mop classroom floors, answer phones and so much more. Unfortunately, sometimes one bad incident can put a black eye on our District. These incidents will be resolved to the satisfaction of the Board and, in time, these black eyes will heal.”

A district press release was also issued and made available to the public, stating in part… “The School District can confirm that Ms. Criscuolo, a nine year District employee with no prior discipline incidents, was removed from her bus by the Director of Transportation, who had a reasonable suspicion that she was under the influence if drugs and/or alcohol. Unfortunately, before Ms. Criscuolo was removed she had completed the high school/middle school afternoon bus run. A substitute driver replaced Ms. Criscuolo on the bus and performed the Ontario Elementary and Ontario Primary bus run. We are grateful that all students were transported home unharmed while we were working to replace her with a substitute bus driver.” Later in the School Board agenda, Ms. Crisulolo’s irrevocable letter of resignation was accepted.

The meeting did allow time for some good news within the district.

Mr. Tom Siembor gave a presentation of a trip that he and several other teachers took to Japan.

Mention was made of a Wayne Central student who was named the Channel 10 Student/Athlete of the week. Justin Morrison who is a football team running back and return kicker, has recorded over 1200 yards running and 21 touchdowns, including 6 touchdowns during sectionals, and who carries a 95 GPA at school, was honored and congratulated. He also coaches a flag football team of autistic children.

A presentation from Wayne Teachers Association president Jason Carter and vice president Kim Schultz was given to the Wayne County Literacy Volunteers in honor of the Wayne Central Board of Education. The WTA presented Literacy Volunteers Executive Director Chris Edgar with $200 in books for their program in the School Board’s name.

Ron Miller was voted in as interim member of the Board of Education, and Gerry Meiler was named to the Audit Committee. Both were sworn in at the meeting.

A board member discussed that a summary in a prior board minutes of a public comment had been misinterpreted, she wondered if the minutes should be updated to reflect the error. Board President Philip McTigue discussed the possibility of having public comments struck from the minutes, as they are not a requirement. He thought that at an upcoming meeting, it could be put on the agenda to discuss and possibly vote on.

Board member Tim Reynolds noted, with sadness, the passing of Al Gentile, at the age of 90, who worked for the district for 35 years, in Physical Education. He had recently been named to the firt class of the Soccer Hall of Fame at Wayne Central.

Carla Boerman also noted with sadness the passing of the father of District employee Mary Ann Kritall.

After a brief second public comment time, Board President McTigue made the following personal comments.

“I would like to first express my gratitude to many of those who have spent countless hours unraveling the tragic events of October 30th and assisted in gathering accurate facts. Although I cannot express the opinions of the entire Board, I do feel obligated and compelled to express my own opinions to the community that has entrusted this position to me.
I am HIGHLY disappointed with several aspects of how this critical situation at the school district has been handled. I have voiced these concerns to the appropriate officials and I would like to request patience from our community as the events that have occurred are evaluated.

I do not feel it is currently prudent to divulge the details of my personal frustrations, but I can assure the community I am listening and aware of your concerns. We need personnel trained and tested on the process for handling allegations. I am highly critical of the non-involvement of law enforcement until the next morning. Law enforcement should have been contacted earlier. Once the situation was discovered it was wrongfully addressed as a personnel issue. Although the catastrophic event is now over, the full residual effects of this day are not. I again request your patience.”

The next Wayne Central School Board meeting will be held on December 12th at 7:00 pm in the District Board meeting room.

At a special meeting held Thursday night at the Town of Macedon meeting room, crowds were on hand for a public hearing on contracts for Fire Protection with the newly formed South Macedon Fire Association.

First to speak was J.J. Phillips, President of the South Macedon Fire and Rescue.

In a prepared statement Phillips said intoduced the Board of Directors for the new fire Association. Phillips is President, Shelly Carr – secretary, and Kira Allen-Treasurer. He also intro duced Joe Lusardi and Tony Cuffe who will be serving as line officers in the department in addition to a number of our volunteers.

He felt he had to clear up a things, hoods: first, the new fire department was formed with the full knowledge of the line officers of the existing Village Fire Department. “We stand before you today as former line officers of the Village Department. For anyone to say that there is no call from the firematic community to suggest this change in contractual arrangement is a gross mischaracterization. We make this proposal voluntarily as independent minded firefighters not beholden to any politician or board. We were not solicited, talked into, or otherwise unduly influenced in our decision to be here tonight. We stand here to propose a new way forward with a new attitude and a new vision.” “We honor and respect the long history of the fire services in Macedon by striving to make it serve the residents and businesses of the Town in a more direct and responsible manner for the next 100 years. We don’t seek to tear down, we seek to build up. We ask the Town Board tonight to approve the two contracts with our Department as presented, so that we may continue our preparatory work to serve the community.”

He noted that, while it will cost more than is currently spent. “We are simply asking for the Macedon Fire Protection district to be funded on par with the Macedon Center District.”

Phillips noted that residents will get an independent self-governing fire department directly responsible to the citizens paying the taxes in the districts in question, with no unnecessary intermediate governmental layers dictating fire department policy and procedure; an end to territorialism and bickering; a new unprecedented relationship between the department and the Macedon Center Fire Department, the Macedon Town Ambulance and Macedon Police.
“We will participate in regular and ongoing inter-agency trainings with the Macedon Center Fire Department, Macedon Town Ambulance and the Macedon Police Department. This has never been the case in the past. We will coordinate all our major fire equipment purchases with Macedon Center Fire Department to ensure there is no unnecessary duplication of expensive specialized fire equipment or apparatus in the future within the Town.

4. You will get a department that builds direct equity in ownership of its equipment, apparatus, land and buildings. Every penny spent on this department will be directly owned and managed by firemen in the best interest of the community, not by politicians who profess to know what’s best for people that can’t even vote for them.”

Phillips pointed out that, after 114 years, the Village Fire Department doesn’t any land. Expansion of their existing building is extremely problematic. Expenditure of any additional money on a building that is on leased land makes no sense. The department doesn’t own or control any of its trucks or equipment. Again, expenditure of additional money on trucks and equipment not owned by the fire department is questionable at best. Although they claim a 20 year truck replacement, the reality is they have a large debt on their newest truck, and they have o more trucks already past replacement date, with no substantial money saved.”

“Let’s contrast that with the Macedon Center Fire Department, which has not been in existence as long. Macedon Center owns all their trucks outright. Macedon Center owns their building outright. They own the land they sit on. They have no significant debts. They save their money in advance for truck purchases and have paid cash for their trucks in the past. We choose to model our business plan in that light, not the prior.”

“Our short term goals are simple. Upon adoption of our contracts by the Town Board, we will immediately:

1. Acquire appropriate fire apparatus and support equipment adequate to maintain the existing ISO ratings of the district.
2. Formally bring on board, equip and train our volunteers.
3. Seek temporary housing in an appropriate location to establish our department.
4. Do the above as a team effort in a collaborative environment with Macedon Center.
5. Be ready to respond on January 1, 2014.”

“Our long term goals are to build a permanent fire hall on land that we directly own, and continue to build on our cooperative efforts with our fellow emergency responders. Another long term goal will be to improve our ISO rating by one level across both districts north and south in conjunction with Macedon Center. This is a forward looking goal that will save taxpayers money long term. In summary, We ask the Town Board to make a bold and historic decision this evening. Empower the firemen in our community to make the best decisions moving forward.”

Dave Kelly read a statement on behalf of the Macedon Fire Department:

He said that the Town Board was considering a five-year contract with a newly formed Fire Department that has never responded to a single fire.
“Traditionally, this Town Board has paid our Volunteer Fire Department about $95,000 per year under a one year contract. Tonight, this Town Board is considering a five year commitment to the new company that starts at $110,000 in 2014 and goes up to $123,806 in 2018.”

“No one in modern times has formed an effective all volunteer fire company in Upstate New York. Yet this Town Board thinks it knows better. The Village of Macedon Volunteer Fire Department has proudly protected the Village of Macedon and a large portion of the Town of Macedon south of the Erie Canal for over 114 years. It has always done so on an all-volunteer basis.

This Town Board is clearly moving to destroy the Village of Macedon Volunteer Fire Department. There is no legitimate purpose for these actions.
We ask that you abandon this course of action and renew your contract with the Village of Macedon Volunteer Fire Department under the same terms and conditions as were used last year. We will happily serve without price increase. This would be a substantial improvement over your current offer of nothing.

The Village of Macedon Volunteer Fire Department believes that the interests of our community, including the Town of Macedon, are best served by our continuing to function as we are. He noted that they see no need to establish a new fire station at a different location at this time. We are centrally located to the area we currently serve south of the Erie Canal. As members of the Village of Macedon Volunteer Fire Department, we dedicate a significant part of our lives to the service of our community. We believe that our service includes standing for what we believe is in the best interests of our community. We are aware of no calls from the firemanic community for the changes being pursued by the Town.”

“We do not believe these changes are needed. We call upon the residents of the Village and Town of Macedon to join us in resisting the continued expenditure of taxpayer dollars on these efforts. We call for the renewal of our annual fire protection agreement with the Town.

We are happy to make all of our books and records available for review by the Town and the general public.”

Following these statements and others from members of the community, the Macedon Town Board closed the hearing and put fire contracts with South Macedon to a vote. The vote for fire protection by this newly formed association was unanimous.

A budget hearing and presentation was also held at the meeting and public comment will continue through November 14 (next meeting), where the budget will be put to a vote.

It is simple mathematics combined with nature. If 35 rabbits are seized from a residence in a Wayne County animal abuse case, the chances are very good that a number of them are pregnant. Pretty soon one rabbit turns into a nightmare for Cracker Box Palace, Wayne County’s Farm Animal Haven.

Located on 600 acres off 6450 Shaker Road in Alton (Sodus), Cracker Box Palace was founded in 2000 as a unique place where farm animals of every kind come to recover from illness, neglect, or abuse.

Some of the animal residents arrive due to family deaths, or because their owners can no longer give them the care they need. Horses, cows, ducks, geese, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and the occasional llama find peace and a loving nature in this no-kill animal haven.

The recent arrival of rabbits were being bred for local pet stores under such deplorable conditions that Cracker Box Farm Manager Cheri Roloson said “This was the very definition of a bunny mill”. They multiplied faster than we could put them in crates,” added spokesperson Mary Novick.

Rabbits were not the only breeding surprise at Cracker Box Palace. Last Spring a pot belly pig arrived at the Farm and soon the sow was the proud mother of ten little piglets.

On Friday, October 25th, the staff from Cracker Box Palace assisted Wayne County authorities with the removal of nearly 100 animals. These animals had been the focus of a county investigation which resulted in the owner surrendering the animals to Cracker Box. The animals: 3 horses, 42 bunnies (some pregnant), 35 chickens, 12 ducks, 2 geese and 1 pig have received veterinary care along with proper housing and food. They are in addition to another surrender in Wayne County that occurred on July 3rd which consisted or 31 chickens, 2 geese, 1 turkey, 10 ducks, 10 goats, and 6 sheep.

At the “tail” end of the recent seizures, Cracker Box Palace had a total of 312 animals on the property. They do not conduct any cruelty investigations. They support the county when removal of the animals has been determined as the best course of action.

Cracker Box provides for all of the surrendered animals’ needs until a 30 day quarantine period is over. At that time animals, that are in good health, will be available for adoption or foster care.

Additionally, Cracker Box provides educational programs and tours for the community, camp programs for school children and nature trails for hiking and horseback riding.

Cracker Box Palace is a registered 501(c)3 not-fo-profit no-kill farm haven looking to the community for any assistance in the form of donations and volunteers to help with the increase of animals that need assistance.

If you are interested in learning more or providing assistance please call the Cracker Box office at 315-483-2493 and leave a message.

Although there was no banter back and forth at the first meeting of town supervisors with school superintendents, there was definitely an uneasiness in the air.
At stake was the possibility of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors taking back $5.4 million dollars in shared sales tax monies currently given annually to area school districts.

County Board Member/Ontario Town Supervisor Bob Kelsch laid out a detailed history behind the sales tax sharing and possible reasons why the County should take back the sales tax dollars.

At the heart of Kelsch’s argument was the fact that currently $229,185 is going outside Wayne County, to bordering school districts that jut into Wayne County. The Penfield School District receives the lion’s share, receiving $174,483 of Wayne County sales tax revenue.

Kelsch also outlined several choices of where the money would go.

I. Keep the current distribution
II. The $5.4 million goes back to the county
III. The $5.4 million goes to the towns
IV. Establish an added benefit to Economic Development & Planning
V. Or something else

Kelsch also pointed out his estimates of where the fiscal impact is highest when the sales tax revenue to the entity is a larger percentage of total appropriations for that entity.
A. Towns – Highest
B. County
C. Schools – Lowest

It was suggested that a portion of the sales tax dollars taken back from the school districts could be used to put abandoned buildings throughout the County, back on the tax rolls, thus benefitting all the tax receiving entities.

After several questions from Board members present, Red Creek School Superintendent, David Sholes, made a brief case for keeping the status quo for the sales tax dollars remaining in the school districts. He outlined what he perceived as the disastrous effect it would have upon the students and programs and reminded the Board members present that, unlike town and county budgets, voters get to approve, or turn down school district budgets. The meeting was attended by several school district superintendents and administrators.

Following the meeting, a December 4th date at 1:30 p.m. was set for the school districts to make a full presentation to the Board, including a possible slide presentation in defense of keeping the sales tax dollars.

The meeting will be held at the County Court House and is open to the public.

In Lyons, the absentee ballots were dead even. 22 Ballots for VanSteen and 22 ballots for Cinelli. Since VanSteen was ahead by 4 on Election day, he is the unofficial winner. Mayor begins term on First Monday in December.

In Palmyra there were 29 YES ballots for Prop. 7 and 19 NO votes. Prop. 7 Passes (Supervisor Term now 4 years instead of 2).

In Walworth, Judy Markowski has won the Town Board seat. Total absentee ballots were 35 for Plant and 43 for Markowski. With her original 7 vote lead, Markowski won by 15 votes.

In Arcadia, Joe DeSanto was ahead by 26 votes. On Absentee counts, DeSanto gained 61 more votes to VanLaeken’s 67. DeSanto wins the seat.

The two sides of the issue are firmly entrenched. The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NY S.A.F.E. Act, was quickly approved by the State legislature in January following the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Besides its new definitions on what constitutes a banned assault weapon, and limits on number of rounds of ammunition permitted in a weapon’s magazine, the law also targeted ammunition purchases by dealers and gun owners.

Before it was even passed, gun owners, and others opposed to the law, banded together. Rallies in Albany, letters to state legislators and the governor flooded offices. Soon, there was a movement to have the law repealed. This included the lawn signs that began popping up throughout the state, especially in the more conservative rural communities.

No sooner had the sign movement taken hold, then homeowners began complaining of sign thefts. One State Trooper, residing in Newark, had his sign disappear from his front yard on a Saturday in September.

On Thursday (11/21), a vehicle pulled up in front of a house just after 10:30 a.m. on East Townline Road in Williamson. The driver, a woman, got out of the vehicle and snatched up the “Repeal S.A.F.E. Act” lawn sign.

The homeowner, Vicki Erwin, spotted the sign thief and the car drove off, stopping at a neighbor’s yard where another “Repeal S.A.F.E. Act” sign was posted. The driver quickly got back in to her vehicle and sped off.

At this point Vicki called for her father out in the barn and told him what was happening. Chuck Steehler chased the woman down to Pearl Street in Williamson and confronted the sign thief. He asked for the sign back, but the woman told him that, since they were calling the cops, to have them come get the sign.

Police did not have to go far…it was the homeowner’s own pediatrician who works for Williamson Pediatrics at 4425 Old Ridge Road in Williamson. Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies went to the Doctor’s office and searched, finding five of the signs in the dumpster.

Police arrested Dr. Annamaria Kontor, age 46, of Valewood Run in the Town of Penfield for Petit Larceny, “after she was observed stealing a “Repeal S.A.F.E. Act” sign from a yard in Williamson.”

Calls to the Williamson Pediatrics group were met with “No comment” by the girl answering the phones. The girl also said Dr. Kontor had the day off on Friday.

The Rochester General Health System, which is assocaited with Williamson Pediatrics, issued a statement on Friday afternoon. “ Rochester General Health System has learned of the arrest of Annamaria Kontor, MD, a pediatrician who practices at Williamson Pediatrics, part of the Rochester General Medical Group in Wayne County. Dr. Kontor has been with the medical group since 2003. As is the case with any personnel matter, RGHS is unable to make any comment.”
Dr. Kontor’s biography states that before joining the Wayne Medical Group in 2003, Dr. Kontor earned her Medical Doctorate in 1993, graduating summa cum laude from Semmelweis University School of Medicine in Budapest. Her broad health care experience includes working as a midwife and a medic during medical school and as an ambulance physician prior to immigrating to the U.S. in 1994. She completed her pediatric internship and residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and since has worked as a board-certified primary care pediatrician.

Vicki Erwin said she is pulling her children from the Williamson Pediatrics immediately. “I cannot trust her with my children”, she stated. “I’m frustrated. Me, I’m a conservative, not a gun owner, not a gun-toting advocate, but I have the right to my own opinion.”

According to Dave Dentico, the owner of Custom Shop Gun Shop in Walworth, the “Repeal S.A.F.E. Act” signs are sponsored by various civic and gun-advocate groups throughout the State. The local chapter of S.C.O.P.E. (Shooters’ Committee On Political Education) has the signs for sale at $8 around Wayne County. Dentico said, in his travels around the State, he has seen the signs sponsored by church groups, fire departments and even women’s rights groups.
“I have heard from people who have had three, or four signs stolen. Some thought they had just blown away, but I guess not. People have their own agenda, but I guess freedom is not on their agenda. The left is always battering the right. It takes a lot of nerve for those who want absolute tolerance, but don’t want to offer it for anything they disapprove of,” added Dentico.

Dr. Kontor is scheduled to appear on the charge in Williamson Town Court on January 15th at 4 p.m.

The Wilbert’s U-Pull It Environmental Auto Recycling building, at 4936 Route 104 in Williamson, which had its Grand Opening in April of this year, at 4936 Route 104 in Williamson, burned to the ground on Tuesday morning (11/26/13). No cause of the fire has yet been determined. No one was apparently in the building when it caught fire.

Macedon police were just giving up pursuit of a vehicle believed to be involved in several thefts in the Macedon area, when the vehicle struck an SUV on East Main Street in Rochester, trapping all occupants.
The incident began when Cedar Liquor Storeon Route 31 in Macedon, near Walmart called Macedon Police to report that two females and a male had come into the store and had left with product, without paying. Macedon Police Officer Dave Demchuk responded and took the description of the truck, a red Ford Ranger, and searched the parking lot for the vehicle, finally decided to also look at the Walmart parking lot.
According to Macedon Police Chief John Collela, Officer Demchuk spotted the truck attempting to back out of a parking spot at Walmart and the officer flashed his lights in an attempt to get the truck to stop. It took off quickly through the parking lot heading for the southwest exit near the Lyons National Bank. Chief Colella was just making that turn when he saw the truck heading directly for him. Taking evasive action, Colella avoided the impact, but the pursuit was on. The Chief continued following the truck down Route 31, onto Route 490 and then 590, and onto East Main Street in Rochester. At that point, Chief Collela lost sight of the truck, when a tractor-trailer got between them. He stopped the pursuit, and was continuing down East Avenue near East High School, when he saw a crash scene. The red truck he was pursuing had collided with a black SUV; and the SUV was flipped over, while the truck was badly crushed.
All occupants, the three in the truck, and the occupant of the SUV had to be extricated from their respective vehicles and transported to Strong Memorial Hospital with serious, but non life- threatening injuries.
It is alleged that the truck with the shoplifters from the Liquor Store, had also shoplifted at Walmart in Macedon and had a couple of televisions in the truck. Identification of the suspects is not yet available at press time. Charges are pending for the alleged thefts and for the attempt to ram the police vehicle.

It was Saturday (11/23) around 1:20 a.m. when the car came barrelling down, headed northbound on Alderman Road in the Town of Macedon. The driver, Randy L. Cole of Rochester told police that, by the time he saw the stop sign at Alderman and Route 31, it was too late.

The vehicle crossed Route 31, travelled about 30 yards across the grass leading to the Erie Canal. The car went airborne and ended up in the canal. Cole and his passenger managed to escape the sinking vehicle through the sun roof.

Both Cole and his passenger suffered facial contusions and were transported to Strong memorial Hospital. Police believe the accident was alcohol-related. Blood was drawn from Cole to determine his blood alcohol level and charges may be pending.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report on Sunday (11/24) at 5:42 a.m. of a vehicle parked in the middle of Hanagan Road in the Town of Palmyra with the driver sleeping behind the wheel. The driver, Kristine M. Cunningham, age 27, of Monroe Avenue in the City of Rochester was subsequently arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

Palmyra Police Sergeant Jim Showman stopped at the ExpressMart for a quick soda at 9:30 p.m. on Friday (11/22). He noticed a running vehicle in the parking lot with the driver asleep behind the wheel. The driver, Rickey Ashley Jr., age 38, of Fairport was subsequently charged with Felony DWI.

Dale Dillon, age 51, of Williamson was supposed to have an interlock device installed in the vehicle he was operating last Friday (11/22), when he was stopped for Speeding. The interlock device, required for a DWI conviction, is supposed to prevent drivers from starting their vehicles after they have been consuming alcohol. He, too, was subsequently charged with Felony DWI with a previous conviction for drinking and driving.

DWI convictions, the programs and measures taken to prevent future arrests, often fall on deaf ears with chronic alcoholics. Even harsh prison terms fail to sway the drinking and vehicle habits of some drivers. One Wayne County driver has accumulated no fewer than seven alcohol-related drinking/driving arrests.

Although DWI arrests have tapered off since Wayne County was listed as #2 per capita in DWI arrests in the state (during the 1980s-1990s), DWI arrests have again been rising the last several years.

With the increase in awareness, come stiffer penalties and changes in the laws governing DWI thresholds. A DWI in New York had been set at .10% or higher, but thanks to national and state groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) the legal definition dropped to .08%. Still tougher levels now include:

• 0.08% and you’re 21 years old or older.
• 0.04% and you’re driving a commercial motor vehicle.
• 0.02% and you’re younger than 21 years old.

Depending on your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) and other factors, you could face:
DWAI/Alcohol: The specific name for Driving While Ability Impaired by alcohol;
DWAI/Drugs: The specific name for Driving While Ability Impaired by a drug other than alcohol.
DWAI/Combination: The specific name for Driving While Ability Impaired by both alcohol and other drugs.
Aggravated DWI (A-DWI): Being charged with aggravated driving by having a 0.18% BAC or higher.

Penalties for these additional drug and alcohol crimes vary, as do those for other related crimes, like chemical test refusal and breaking the Zero Tolerance Law.

Your DWI penalties depend on factors like:
• Your age.
• The substance impairing you (alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both).
• Your driver’s license (regular passenger license vs. a special license like a CDL).
• Whether you submitted to a chemical test.

First time DWI arrests net a fine of between $500 to $1000, plus a state surcharge of $400. This does not include other related costs such as possible installation of a interlock device on your vehicle and the monthly monitoring charges; Drinking/Driving programs/classes and driver assessment fees.

Then comes the real cross to bear. Attorney fees usually start at $1500 to $5000 for non-trial cases. In instances where a trial occurs, legal fees can reach up to $15,000. Vehicle insurance will either be cancelled, or doubled following a DWI conviction. If injuries to other drivers, or passengers occur, expect additional lawsuits and legal fees.

Aggravated DWI (over a .18% BAC), or a Felony DWI garner much higher court costs and legal fees.

Unlike decades past, District Attorneys throughout the state are less likely to plea bargain a DWI arrest. Wayne County has one of the state’s highest conviction rates, ranking 2nd, or 3rd for a number of years for DWI arrests.
In the first three quarters of 2013, Wayne County has posted a total of 240 DWI arrests. The majority of DWI arrests are still men, but almost one out of four is female.

Police sources cite the economy as a possible reason for the latest surge in DWI arrests.

According to a study by the national Highway Traffic safety Administration:
• A majority of DWI offenders fear arrest and many stopped drinking completely for some period of time following a DWI arrest. While the arrests and sanctions had an impact, DWI behavior often returned after some period of time. Also when police presence was certain (checkpoints, patrol cars positioned outside of bars, stepped up enforcement around holiday periods), there was evidence of a decrease in DWI behavior among their study participants.
• A majority of individuals with revoked or suspended licenses drove anyway, most very carefully so they would not be detected. Some drove only one time, but others drove regularly, even daily (e.g., to jobs). Most individuals stated they knew they would probably have to serve jail time if caught driving without licenses. A large fraction of the participants did not believe they were endangering themselves or others at the time of the offenses because they believed they were able to drive safely. Most individuals who came to realize, at some point in time, that they may have been a danger to themselves or others when driving under the influence, seemed to make the decision to alter the behavior (either stop drinking or stop driving after drinking).

The retired Sodus man, in his 60s and a Newark girl, age 23, were both lonely, and yet capable of using the internet to search of love. Both cases are uniquely different, yet similar, both resulted in different ends. One lost his life savings of $86,000, the other faces charges involving the theft of $2,200.

The Sodus man hooked up with what he thought was a Russian girl, attempting to escape the clutches of a harsh society. Long e-mails back and forth built up what the Sodus man thought was a loving relationship.

Only after a period of time, and gaining the Sodus man’s trust, did the question of money arise. The girl needed money to pay off local officials to make her exit from Russia. The love-struck Sodus man insisted he could help and the money transfers began.

No sooner did the fake Russian girl’s lengthy pay-off from Russia  reach completion, then she found herself in Spain, the victim of more corrupt government officials blocking her path to her beloved Sodus man. More money would be needed.

Of course, when U.S. government officials were detaining and threatening to hold the closer-than-ever mock girl,  the request came for more money to make a hefty bail.

The Sodus man’s bank called police after noticing the drain on his savings. Even Western Union, the primary money transfer path for most scams, refused to accept any more of the Wayne County man’s money.

The Sodus man insistently continued his drive to save and unite with the love of his life. Police met with the man, as did federal investigators, each telling him his Russian love never existed and he was a victim of a scam.

The retired Sodus man, even though already investing $86,000 chasing his elusive Russian woman, still continues to seek out his dream girl. Local police are frustrated. “He is out all that money and still lonely,” said the Investigator.

Police were able to change the man’s online account, but believe he will still try to reconnect and continue his quest. “He does not believe us that this is a nationwide scheme,’ added the Investigator last week.

The second scam involves a female victim in Jersey City, New Jersey. Frustrated, the woman called Newark Village Police Investigator Gary VerStraete back in July. Someone in the Newark area had gotten hold of a credit/debit card in the woman’s name and had been draining her account. It started with four withdrawals of $400 each, another for $200, and another again for $400. In all, $2,200 had been taken, leaving the New Jersey woman wondering how it happened.

The New Jersey woman still had her credit/debit card in her possession, so how did the six withdrawals from a ESL ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) in Newark happen.

It began when someone posing as the woman called her bank requesting a new card be issued, to a new address. Somehow the thieves obtained card information. Once the new card was issued, the next phase of the crime commenced.

Katelyn Reuter, age 23, lives with her parents on Newark Marion Road in Marion. She too told police she was searching the internet for her one true love. She met a man online and after a time, a connection was made.

The man told her he was living in Nigeria and unable to access his bank funds while overseas. He sent Rueter the New Jersey woman’s credit/debit card, instructed her to withdraw the funds and keep $250 for her efforts. The rest of the money was sent by moneygrams to an address in Nigeria.

Investigator VerStraete worked with the bank videos to finally identify  Reuter. Once in custody, Reuter fully cooperated with police, producing not only the withdrawal receipts, but two more stolen cards she had received from the mysterious Nigerian.

Reuter was charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 4th Degree and Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree.

It is unknown whether Reuter was love struck and dumb, or a willing participant in the crimes.

Wayne County 911 dispatch received a call on Friday afternoon from a brother located out-of-state, concerning a Palmyra man they had not heard from in over a week. State Trooper Jennifer VanCamp was dispatched to the Maple Avenue residence. Upon arriving  she saw nothing suspicious and got no response at the door. A package was sitting on the doorstep and mail had been piling up for over a week.

VanCamp began looking around the property and in the driveway a bright colored item peaked out from the heavy snowfall of the day. Located next to a mini-dump truck plow, the Trooper looked under the vehicle and found the body of Gary Grimes, age 54.

According to police, Grimes had apparently been working under the vehicle on ramps that a vehicle drives up upon when someone is working underneath. “The vehicle must have rolled off the ramps and crushed him,” said State Police Senior Investigator John Stubbe. “No one noticed him. He must have been there at least a week.”

Police do not suspect foul play and have deemed it an accident. Relatives out-of-state were notified of the find.

The Capital Bond Proposition voted on Tuesday at North Rose Wolcott School District failed by an “unofficial” count of

926 NO votes, and 155 YES votes.  The School District did not return calsl about the official count, but numbers were shared by several town and school employees.  Official results will be posted when available.

The Proposition read:

Shall the proposition set forth in the notice of this meeting authorizing a project, at a maximum estimated cost of $30,500,000, and prov iding to pay such sum, subject to the applicable amounts of state aid which may be received, by spending $3,600,000 from certain Reserve Funds and the levy of a tax to be collected in annual installments, and further providing for the issuance of bonds and notes of the District in the principal amount not to exceed $26,900 ,000, be approved?

In a case of “one thing led to another”, on Tuesday (12/17), the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Lyons, in a joint investigation conducted with the Village of Palmyra Police, reported the arrests of the following five women on several different dates.
The crimes involved burglaries, stolen and forged checks, a domestic situation, a mix of drugs, neighbors, boyfriends and families – all involved in the spree as some as “defendants”, and, in some cases, as “victims”

“You have no idea how complicated this thing was,” said Palmyra Police Sergeant James Showman.
The complex case also involved a welder stolen from a house on Hogback Road in Palmyra that turned up at Tom’s Bargain Shop in Newark and a diamond ring stolen from a Fayette Street apartment that was traced to a pawn shop in Rochester, and checks stolen from a family member.
On September 17, Yvonne Terwilliger, age 49, of Williamson, was arrested for eleven counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd and one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th.

On September 17th, Alicia K. Terwilliger, age 24, of Lyons, was arrested for one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd.

Both subjects were arraigned in the Village of Palmyra Court, before Justice Terry Rodman. Yvonne Terwilliger was remanded to the Wayne County Jail on $15,000 dollars bail and Alicia Terwilliger was remanded on $3,500 dollars cash bail.

On Thursday (12/12) Alexandra D. Babasidis, age 22, of Howell Street in Palmyra, was arrested on a Warrant for two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd and two counts of Petit Larceny.

Subsequent to arrest of Babasidis, she was found to possess a controlled substance and additionally charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th. Babasidis was arraigned in the Village of Palmyra Court and remanded to the Wayne County Jail on $2,500 cash bail.

On Sunday (12/15), Jamie Enright, age 48, of Fayette Street in Palmyra, was arrested on an Warrant for one count each of Criminal Solicitation 4th and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th.

On Sunday (12/15), Danielle J. Eddinger, age 28, of Fayette Street in Palmyra, was arrested on an Warrant was for Forgery 2nd, thirteen counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd and one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th.

Both Enright and Eddinger were arraigned before Justice Terry Rodman in the Village of Palmyra Court. Both were remanded to the Wayne County Jail, Enright on $1,000 dollars cash bail and Eddinger on $8,500 dollars bail.

The joint investigation involved numerous forged checks at the Community Bank, totaling $2339 in the Village of Palmyra and several burglaries in both the Town and Village of Palmyra which occurred during the summer of 2013. The investigation is continuing.

“My job is to run the village, find ways to save money and continue to do business,” said newly elected Lyons Village Mayor Terry VanStean.

A group of village citizens calling themselves “Save the Village of Lyons” recently turned in a petition to call for a new vote to reaffirm whether or not the Village of Lyons should be dissolved. According to one of the organizers, the group felt that the first vote was taken before enough information was given on any consequences.

The petition from that group, which included 615  signatures, more than the the 25% of registered voters (491) signatures needed, was presented to the Village Clerk/Treasurer Denise Darcangelis, and has been certified.

“The clerk had a certain period of time in which to certify the petition once it was delivered to her and she did that. She was also required to inform  the Mayor, the board and the petitioners of that certification. She also did that.” explained Mayor VanStean.

The Mayor noted that the clock started ticking at that point for  setting a date for the referendum (vote). He believes it is a 60-90 day window for the date of the vote. How would the question read? “It should read something to the effect of “Shall the Village of Lyons be dissolved?” Similar to the first vote, but I will check that for sure with the Consultants when we meet on Monday,” said Mayor VanStean.

The Village Clerk has notified the press of a special meeting of the Village Baord of Trustees scheduled for Thursday, January 9th at 6:30 pm at the Lyons Village Hall to act on setting the date for the referendum, asking whether  the consolidation or dissolution plan should take effect.

The Mayor was asked about the OneLyons response, contesting  the petition. After obtaining a copy of the petitions from the “Save The Village of Lyons” group, OneLyons leader Jack Bailey filed a notice of intent to dispute many of the signatures.

“I am not sure what to do with that dispute. I am following the law, and I see nothing in the law that would keep us from proceeding,” VanStean noted.

“I will continue to follow the process unless I am told otherwise, legally. Article 78 states that we follow the process set forth by law. If the vote comes out yes to dissolution, we will proceed on the same course as before, with the same plan.” he noted.

VanStean stated that the vote is a pass/fail. It either passes with a Yes and the village proceeds with the dissolition plan or the voters say No and the issue is over. The village would continue to exists and they would continue to look for sharing and cost savings.

“We have always had a Shared Services Committee between the Village, Town and School, but it was suspended during this time of proceeding with a dissolution plan. We have decided to reinstate the committee and once again have a conversation on sharing and savings on a regular basis. We will continue to search for ways to save – all options open – even looking at sharing townwide police and/or sharing of courts,” said the Mayor.

Helen Weimer of the “Save the Village of Lyons” group said they will now just wait to see what the next step is. Supervisor Brian Manktelow replied in the same light. “We have to wait and see what the voters decide. It is not up to us. We are always open to sharing and discussions of compromise,” the Supervisor stated.

As for the OneLyons group, they have stated on their website:  “Thus far, by our approximation of costs posted by the Village of Lyons, it appears that over $115,000 has been spent to prove that dissolution will save taxpayer $, promote efficiencies, and decrease the bureaucracy of our local governments. The original CGR Study of 2011 was commissioned by the Village of Lyons and showed $5-7 per $1,000 assessed savings were possible.  The Final Dissolution Plan of the Village of Lyons shows $9.21 per $1,000 savings are possible, if not more!

The Alternatives to dissolution, pushed by both the Village of Lyons Board of Trustees and the “Save Lyons” group, promise that $1.74 per $1,000 savings are achievable if we will trust the Village Board again to implement all of the potential savings possible.

OneLyons continues to believe that if dissolution fails, then none of these savings will ever be realized. We do not forsee another effort to ever dissolve again.  Thus, for Village taxpayors, it’s time to truly decide your future…”

It was a brutal week that saw at least two major fires, below freezing temperatures, snow, and high winds — resulting in downed power lines, numerous accidents, fallen trees, power outages, school closings and  various  problems throughout the area.

On Thursday (1/9) a neighbor reported seeing water coming from the second floor of a house at 1442 Hidden Pond in the Gananda Development in the Town of Walworth.

When County water employees responded, they found that the empty two-story colonial had water flowing out of one of the second story walls, flooding the upstairs and running all the way down to a flooded basement.

Water was streaming from beneath the garage door, laying a thick coat of ice down the length of the driveway. A similar flow was spotted out the front door and throughout the outside circumference of the second floor of the house. In some areas, sheets of ice completely covered the outside walls. Huge ice streams pushed out wood joints and siding.

The home belongs to George M. Vigelette, who town officials contacted after the discovery. Vigelette said the house is a rental property but had been unoccupied for some time.

Town officials declared the house “a real mess” inside. Firefighters responded and turned the water off and RG&E cut the power. Vigelette said he had the heat set at 59º, but, with the extreme cold spell it was unsure if a pipe burst, or a joint seal behind the wall let go.

The house will require extensive remodeling with both interior and exterior damage and the possibility of mold growth throughout. According to Walworth Code Enforcement Officer Phil Williamson, he informed Vigelette that, due to the extensive repairs that will undoubtedly be required, the Town building Inspector, Norm Druschel will have to do several work inspections.

Complaints of burst pipes and flooded basements peppered the County during and after some of the coldest conditions the County has seen in decades.

Nine fire companies from both Cayuga and Wayne County responded to a house fire on Duck Lake Road, Red Creek (actually located in Conquest, Cayuga County).

Firefighters were dispatched at 8:45 a.m. to a one-story rental home, occupied by Brandon Hastings and his father, Brian. The blaze started in a back bedroom and was tough to bring under control. According to Conquest Fire Chief Jim Burke, the older home had undergone remodeling. The fire was brought under control after two hours and confined to one area of the dwelling.

Brandon Hastings was taken to Syracuse Hospital for burns to his hands, following an unsuccessful attempt to save the family cats. Brian Hastings was taken to Auburn for smoke inhalation. Both men were treated and released.

On Saturday (1/4) at 4:15 p.m.,   Matt Furgeson’s dogs became agitated,  so he took them for a walk. The water pipes in the house froze, so Matt’s wife, Kerry, went to her mother’s house to shower and do laundry. Within moments, Matt discovered smoke coming out of the eves at 6391 North Huron Road in the Town of Wolcott.

Wolcott Fire Chief Ray Wellington said it took firefighters from ten area companies about an hour and 45 minutes to bring the blaze under control. The house was a total loss. Since there were no hydrants available, tanker trucks hauling water to the fire were used. Fire companies from Wolcott, North Rose, Red Creek, South Butler, Rose, Clyde, Wallington, Alton, Sodus Center and Fairhaven were called in.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Fire Investigator Kevin Kuntz said a preliminary investigation shows that the fire was possibly caused by a problem in the chimney.

No one was injured.

On Friday (1/10), at approximately 10:07 a.m., the State Police in Williamson investigated a tractor-trailer/car fatal accident on Lincoln Road and Atlantic Avenue in the Town of Walworth.

Stephen Hanna, age 59, from Pittsford, was traveling southbound on Lincoln Road when he stopped at the stop sign at Atlantic Avenue and proceeded through. Witnesses state after he proceeded through the intersection and then stopped and backed up into the path of a westbound tractor-trailer.

Hanna was taken to Strong Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The operator of the tractor-trailer, Timothy Briggs, age 51, from Ontario, was not injured.

Mr. Hanna’s dog was in the car and has been turned over to a family friend.

Mr. Briggs was ticketed for having a suspended license.

The New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit is on scene conducting an investigation. The investigation is continuing at this time.