First baby of 2013 arrives at Warsaw hospital: New mother returns to roots in Silver Springs
By Julia Merulla
Lauren Wilcox, formerly of Silver Springs, had been told a couple years ago she couldn’t have children.
So imagine her surprise in April 2012 when she learned she was pregnant – while employed overseas in Kuwait, no less. Unaware of the pregnancy, the 28-year-old had been working 14-hour days in a sweltering climate as a government contractor.
Despite having no medical care at the start of her first trimester, she delivered a healthy baby. Eleanor Anne Teague was born at 2:08 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, the first baby born at the Wyoming County Community Hospital in 2013.
The baby girl, who arrived three days early, weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long.
Lauren Wilcox, the daughter of Silver Springs residents Marv and Anne Wilcox, worked abroad in Kuwait as a government contractor from January 2011 to June 2012. Her pregnancy came at a good time, she said. Just a week after she learned she was pregnant, her contract ended and she got to return to the states.
“I really didn’t want to chance anything going wrong,” said Lauren Wilcox, the oldest of three sisters.
Though mother and baby have already been on the other side of the world, things circled back home for the Wilcox family, as Eleanor marked the third generation to be born at the Wyoming County Community Hospital.
Eleanor got her middle name from her maternal grandmother, Anne, who is originally from Castile. The baby’s first name had been thought up years ago.
“You kind of pick out your kid's name when you’re a little girl, and that's one that I always liked,” Lauren Wilcox said.
Eleanor's grandmother said she is thrilled to have mom and baby home safe in Wyoming County.
“We always supported (Lauren), definitely,” Anne Wilcox said. “It was a great opportunity and she was doing very good work (in Kuwait), but it's great having her home. Even if it's for a year, we'll take it.”
But the baby has yet to meet her father in person. Lauren Wilcox’s fiancé, Otis Teague of Chicago, is overseas in Afghanistan until the end of this year. The couple met in February 2011 while working together in Kuwait. The new mother will live with her parents until Teague returns from abroad.
Teague, a first-time father, cried when he heard the news of Eleanor’s birth, his fiancé said. He has 10 days of leave time this month, so he will meet his daughter for the first time Jan. 22.
“He's not going to want to leave after he holds his baby,” Anne Wilcox said.
Though she misses her fiancé while he’s in Afghanistan, Lauren Wilcox said she is relieved she came home when she did. Her pregnancy in Kuwait was a difficult one, complicated by extreme heat, lack of rest and inadequate medical care. Even though she took vitamins, her blood work from her first doctor’s appointment in the U.S. showed she was severely anemic and deficient in vitamin B12. After a preterm labor scare at 30 weeks, the mother is thankful Eleanor made it to term.
Home from the hospital since Sunday, Jan. 6, Lauren Wilcox is adjusting to life as a mother, with her own mother's help.
“It's exactly as they say: As soon you see your child, there's just this instant love,” Lauren Wilcox said. “(You) can't really explain it.”
Anne and Marv Wilcox are grandparents for the second time. Eleanor joins her nearly 10-month-old cousin, Evelyn, the daughter of Wilcox's middle child, Lindsay McLaughlin, who lives in Florida with her husband, Michael, a captain in the Army.
Anne Wilcox said FaceTime, a video messaging service, is a saving grace for keeping in touch with a close but dispersed family. They've seen Evelyn grow up through technology, and they chat with Teague at least a few times a week.
While she waits for Teague to return, Lauren Wilcox has the undying support of her family.
Her youngest sister, Rebecca Wilcox, of Buffalo, assumed the role of birth coach and attended birthing classes, and McLaughlin, the first sister to have a child, is a phone call away as Lauren Wilcox navigates the world of motherhood.
Eleanor's maternal great-grandparents, Harold and Marian Seymour of Castile, will see the baby grow in at least her first year of life.
Once Teague gets back from Afghanistan, the new family’s future is up in the air. They anticipate having to move so Teague can find work as a government contractor.
The couple, who have been engaged since February, plan to get married as soon as possible, likely after Teague comes home for good.
Expanding the family is certainly in the plan, Lauren Wilcox said. She wants Eleanor to grow up with a close relationship to her siblings, as she did. But for now, she counts herself and her fiancé among the lucky ones to have earned the titles of Mom and Dad, respectively.
“From being told you can’t have kids to being able to hold your daughter, it's pretty surreal,” she said. “I just feel very blessed.”
Warsaw Fire Department in the market for newer ladder truck
By Julia Merulla
The time has come when the Warsaw Fire Department just can't squeeze any more life out of its ladder truck.
The 1973 truck has lasted twice as long as most do, but in light of at least $12,000 in repairs, the department is looking to purchase a newer model, Fire Chief Primo Biscaro said.
At its Monday, Jan. 7 meeting, the Warsaw Village Board agreed to provide gas money for Biscaro and a couple other members of the fire department to travel over 1,000 miles to check out a used ladder truck that is for sale online.
It's a 1993 model, priced at $66,000. New ladder trucks can cost upward of $1 million, a price tag that's not feasible for the Village of Warsaw, especially considering the county does not contribute funds toward the purchase. The ladder trucks in Warsaw and Perry are the only such vehicles in Wyoming County and are used countywide.
Biscaro said he didn't know if the used truck has other potential buyers, but he wanted to express interest before someone else does.
“At that price, I'm not sure it's gonna last long,” Biscaro told the board.
Biscaro also announced that the fire department learned on Friday, Jan. 5 that it has received a federal grant for $128,976, after being denied for the same grant last year.
The money will be used to purchase 24 airpacks, which are the harnesses firefighters wear that include their air tank and mask.
The current airpacks are 12 to 15 years old and deteriorating with age, Biscaro said. Because regulations often change, the department needed to update to new models.
The fire department will need to go out for bid for the airpacks, Biscaro said. The Village of Warsaw will pay $6,473 of the grant. The fire department paid an additional $500 in grant application fees, Biscaro said.
Also at the board meeting, Warsaw Village Mayor Joe Robinson announced that downtown Warsaw has been listed on the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation's national registry of historic places.
Robinson also announced that Highway Superintendent Gil Stearns has been appointed to a three-year term on the board of the Wyoming County Water Resources Authority.
Additionally, the Warsaw Village board passed a resolution to hold the village elections from noon to 9 p.m. March 19 at the Warsaw Fire Hall.
Justice by the youth, for the youth: Newest Youth Court class takes oath of office
By Julia Merulla
Juvenile offenders, watch out. There's a new group of people in town prepared to enforce the law.
Sure, they're kids themselves, but they've spent hours training and are prepared to hand down some real sanctions.
The four local residents – Autumn Finch of Warsaw, Joel Hulme of Warsaw, Riley Humberstone of Perry and Kristy Mell of Attica – graduated from their Wyoming County Youth Court training Dec. 18 during a ceremony at the Wyoming County Court House in Warsaw.
As part of Youth Court, they will take on different roles in the courtroom, hearing real cases involving juvenile offenders in Wyoming County. Then, they come up consequences for the transgressions.
If the offenders admit wrongdoing – such as petit larceny, fighting and bullying – and go through the youth court system, they avoid having a criminal record.
“They get that one chance to do right and to do well,” said Andrea Aldinger, director of the county's Aging and Youth bureau.
The goal is to stop youth from going down the wrong path early in life, said family court judge Hon. Michael F. Griffith.
He told the graduates, “You are kind of like the keepers of the gate, in the sense that if you can help straighten out somebody's life at an earlier stage, we find that that's the time to catch them.”
The program’s success is measurable: Those in charge of Youth Court said that over 90 percent of the offenders seen in Youth Court do not come back – and that number has been as high as 98 or 99 percent.
Following opening remarks, the new Youth Court members raised their right hand and took their oath of office, vowing to uphold the constitution of the state and nation. Then, with the help of previous graduates, they acted out a mock trial.
Darlene LaGeorgia of Perry played the role of Jane Smith, a hypothetical 16-year-old who had been charged with petit larceny. Hulme and Wyoming resident Quinn Zinkievich played Smith's attorneys, while Humberstone and Finch acted as the prosecution.
The accused testified that while she was after school, she had stolen $50 out of an open locker. As punishment, she was ordered to do 4 hours community service, and write a letter of apology and pay back the money within 30 days. Because she struggled with math, she also would be assigned a tutor.
The mock trial was a truncated version of what would happen in an actual youth court case. The members spend hours preparing for the proceedings and even more time deliberating.
The court averages nine cases a year, said Youth Court coordinator Amy Fialkowski. Training for new members is from September to December, and then they spend the other months handling cases and undergoing more training, such as how to write opening and closing statements.
At the request of area schools, Youth Court now handles bullying cases, said Fialkowski, who took over the position in September 2011 previously held by Castile Town Supervisor Steve Tarbell. With the help of a grant, a trainer from the University of Nebraska presented a 3-hour bullying intervention program in July for Youth Court administrators, who can then pass of their knowledge to the Youth Court members.
It’s a major commitment for those involved, Fialkowski said.
One of the graduates, Autumn Finch of Warsaw, finds time for Youth Court despite a schedule packed with other extracurriculars.
Finch left early from her final modified basketball game to go to the graduation ceremony. Among the eighth-grader’s other activities are National Junior Honors Society, stage crew, track and volleyball.
Finch said she plans to pursue a career in law, possibly as a politician to make changes in government.
“I feel like we're becoming more like a communist country,” she said. “I would like to make it more of a democracy, because that’s what we started off as.”
Finch is following in the footsteps of her cousin Ashley White, who had been in youth court and now attends Syracuse University with the goal of becoming a lawyer.
Finch’s mother, Cyndee Foss, praised the program for the purpose it gives her daughter and the other members.
“It helps them feel like they’re making a difference – and they are,” Foss said. “It’s just amazing.”
Spanky sniffs out danger: Gainesville dog senses deadly gas leak
By Julia Merulla
Spanky’s humans say their dog is not afraid of anything.
So it puzzled everyone when the white American pit bull suddenly became terrified of being in the house in late November.
There was a valid reason for the dog’s change in behavior: He had detected a carbon monoxide gas leak that could have killed the family.
Spanky’s owners, Carol and Ray Barlow Sr., live in Gainesville next door to their son, Ray “R.B.” Barlow Jr. R.B. lives with his girlfriend, Chena Carlin, of Nunda; his daughter Alecisa Barlow, 11; and a roommate, Craig Fuller.
The dog, whom the owners estimate is between 12 and 14 years old, travels between the two houses, but one day, he appeared to be afraid of R.B.’s house.
The brawny pit bull whined, shook as if he were freezing, and hyperventilated whenever he was in the house, family members said. He had petrified look in his eyes.
The only theory they had was that there might be a ghost in the house. R.B. and his father were reluctant to believe that, but they couldn't come up with a more plausible explanation.
So R.B. tried to work with Spanky, coaxing the dog to come inside. He used treats to get Spanky to stay on the enclosed porch, between the door leading to outside and the door leading directly into the house.
“He was tensed on the porch,” R.B. recalled. “He didn’t want to be there, but he was going to listen to you to be there.”
But no amount of treats could persuade Spanky to come inside.
“The minute I opened (the door leading directly into the house,) he refused the treats and hid,” R.B. said.
“You get a lot of different reactions for different reasons,” Purcell said of why a dog's behavior might suddenly change.
Purcell, who didn’t buy the ghost theory, arrived at the house Dec. 1. He walked with Spanky on both properties to gauge the animal’s behavior in the different locations. Spanky was fine when he was outside, and he didn’t act under duress when at Carol and Ray Barlow Sr.’s house.
The dog's reaction to being in R.B.’s house, however, was cause for alarm.
“He just wanted out,” Purcell said. “(He was) pulling me toward the door every opportunity he had.”
Because Spanky had the same terrified reaction no matter where he was inside the house, Purcell thought there might be something in the air, possibly coming from the furnace. He suggested R.B. have someone check out the furnace.
“I told him, ‘I would listen to your dog if I were you,’” Purcell said.
As a precaution, R.B. turned off the heat the following day. The weather was pleasant enough to open the doors to air out the house before National Fuel arrived Dec. 4.
They determined that carbon monoxide gas had been leaking into the house due to an error in connection between heating elements.
The hot water tank and the furnace in R.B.'s house share a pipe to the outside. When the furnace and the hot water tank were on at the same time, carbon monoxide fumes were sent back into the house. National Fuel discovered the problem when they turned on the hot water tank and the furnace at the same time.
“I was dumbfounded,” R.B. said of his reaction to the problem.
National Fuel concluded that the furnace and the hot water tank need to be connected to separate pipes. Until that is fixed, R.B. is using a pellet stove to heat the house.
Several hours after National Fuel left, Spanky walked into the house without issue.
R.B. said he’ll never know how serious the leak was because the heat had been off in the days before National Fuel arrived.
A few other things had been out of order that might have helped connect the dots.
The birds – a Quaker parrot and two cockatiels – were chirping louder than usual. Carlin and R.B. were experiencing headaches and frequent coughing – which they ascribed to cigarettes and asthma.
Purcell had picked up on the humans’ condition when he was at the home.
“He kept telling me, ‘I don’t like the way you’re coughing,’” R.B. said.
Even if he wasn't a lifesaver, Spanky still might be the perfect dog, the family says.
He generally won’t touch unattended food, though he has a weakness for peanut butter. When anyone in the family is sick, he will lay with them to comfort them.
Spanky also won’t tolerate any degree of horseplay, giving a warning bark after a mere playful slap between family members. He is protective of everyone and clearly in charge, by Carol Barlow's own admission.
“Tom said, ‘You know your dog is running the house.’ I said ‘Yep!’” she recalled.
Spanky's own troubles didn't stop him from being a hero. Carol Barlow said she believes the dog may have had a stroke about a year ago. When his mouth is closed, his jaw is crooked, causing him to have trouble keeping food in his mouth.
But that doesn't matter, because four people are alive thanks to Spanky.
The Barlow's story is a good example of the importance of heeding an animal’s intuition.
“People should learn to listen to their dogs, to pay attention,” Purcell said.
At the request of the county district attorney, local law enforcement has increased its presence at area schools this week following the Friday, Dec. 14 shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.
Later in the day on Friday, Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O'Geen sent out a letter to area school districts and law enforcement agencies in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 children and six faculty dead.
The suggested measures are merely precautionary, O'Geen indicated, to prevent a possible “copycat” from carrying out a similar act.
“I would also ask that all law enforcement officials that cover our (school districts) to consider saturating the areas with patrols in and around the schools during the school day at least until the schools let out for break,” O'Geen wrote.
Warsaw Village Police Chief Bill Blythe told the Warsaw Village Board on Monday night that he and Assistant Police Chief Pete Hoffmeister patroled Warsaw Central Schools that day.
The department does not intend to staff extra officers for school patrols. Blythe said he already patrols around Warsaw schools when students arrive in the mornings.
“I was at the elementary school this morning, and the kids were running around and laughing and giggling – and that's the way it should be,” Blythe said.
Two students assisted in raising Warsaw's flag to half staff to remember the victims.
The Wyoming County Sheriff's Department will also be increasing patrols around area schools. The department will continue to coordinate with the schools to determine what kind of law enforcement presence will be available moving forward, Capt. David Linder said.
Perry Village Police are also on board.
“We're doing patrols periodically throughout the day at both (Perry) schools,” said Patrolman Mike Grover.
O'Geen's letter also urged schools “to review their policies with their staff especially with those who are responsible for letting people gain access to the school or who are in charge of opening the doors.”
In Perry, police and school administration are scheduled to meet Jan. 8 to go over the school's emergency plan, Grover said.
Grover said he hopes administration considers reimplementing a school resource officer, which the school no longer has. One officer for both buildings would be enough, Grover said.
Blythe said he believes Hoffmeister has been in contact with Superintendent Tom Cox regarding reviewing Warsaw's policies.
It's something that needs to be done, even if it is difficult or near impossible to prepare for a potential tragedy.
“It's easy to get lax on something, and (then) unfortunately something like this happens, and it just makes you review and critique yourselves,” Blythe said.
The Town of Warsaw's budget for 2013 is finalized, and those in the sewer district are expected to see the biggest changes in their taxes.
The Warsaw Town Board voted Oct. 10 to override the 2 percent tax cap. Districts like sewer and fire are part of the town budget, so an override was needed to levy taxes in the new sewer district.
The change will affect only those in the sewer district, said Supervisor Becky Ryan.
“(Everyone else's) regular taxes are not going to go over the 2 percent,” Ryan said.
Zoning Officer Bob Martin said businesses and residents in the sewer district will see about $147 in additional taxes annually per estimated daily usage on their particular property. A public hearing had been held in 2010 to let people in those areas know how many EDUs they had.
Over the next 30 years, those in the sewer district will pay off a $900,000 bond debt that allowed for a sewer system in that area to replace septic tanks.
Additionally, taxes for the town will see an increase of just under 1 percent. Over the past two years, the town has not raised taxes because it used its surplus fund balance, Ryan said.
Salaries of the town clerk, councilmen and councilwomen are up by 2 percent. Councilmembers will make $2,040 annually.
“The councilmen have not taken an increase in pay for I believe 7 or 8 years,” Ryan said.
Ryan did not take an increase herself. Other town employees, including the court justices, court clerk and zoning officer, will see a pay increase of 1 percent.
The teamsters also got an increase in pay after a new contract was negotiated last month. The contract stipulates the teamsters will make $20 an hour for the next four years.
“Typically, they get a percentage increase every year, but what we did is we went with the (rate of $20 per hour) now so we know what we’re dealing with for the next four years,” Ryan said.
The town budget accounts for $1.82 million in appropriations and $384,000 in estimated revenues. The town anticipates raising $1.1 million in taxes, with an unexpended fund balance of $336,000.
It was a packed house at the American Legion Hall on Thursday, Nov. 29, as the Wyoming County 4-H program held its 2012 4-H Recognition Night.
At the start of the evening, those in attendance received some welcome news: Wyoming County officially has the largest 4-H program in the state of New York, with over 900 members.
4-H community educator Tanya Nickerson said, “We had always had a suspicion (that we were the largest), but when we found that out today, we were very excited.”
Town of Sheldon Supervisor John Knab praised the 4-H program in his welcoming remarks.
“The Board of Supervisors is really proud of what you're doing,” he said, adding that the board considers 4-H to be one of the most important programs it sponsors.
Dozens of youth and adults received awards throughout the evening.
The 2012 Leader of the Year Award went to Janet Berkemeier, of Wyoming and leader of the 3+2 4-H Club. Eric and Ethan Stroud nominated Berkemeier, who was presented the award by 4-H community educator Roxanne Dueppengiesser.
“Janet has been a leader for 36 years, and this really symbolizes what she means to our county,” Dueppengiesser said. “It's all about the kids for Janet.”
Eric and Ethan Stroud gave a speech about Berkemeier, recounting their experiences with her as their 4-H leader.
“Janet, thank you for all that you do for all the kids in 4-H Club,” Eric Stroud said. “We all think you are very special and really deserve this award.”
Memorial award winners were selected by the presenting family. 4-H leaders and members were also recognized for their commitment to the organization, and 4-H youth were called up to be awarded county medals for their efforts in their respective categories.
This year's male Outstanding Wyoming County 4-H Member was Corey Davis of Pavilion. Corey is an 11-year member of 4-H and has participated in the areas of home improvement, dairy, beef, and meat animal dairy and beef steers. He has also served on the Livestock Advisory Committee and the 4-H Program Committee.
This year's female Outstanding Wyoming County 4-H Member was Megan George of Strykersville. She has been part of the 4-H dairy, family and consumer sciences, and leadership programs for nine years. Her artwork has been awarded purple rosettes at the state fair. She has been on Dairy Bowl and has been part of dairy judging, among other involvements.
The following people also received awards:
Xavier Almeter of Arcade
Erika Todd Memorial Equine Achievement Award
Jamie Klein of Alden
Henrietta Romesser Memorial Award
Abigail Zielinski of Arcade
Althea Goewey Memorial Community Service Award
Olivia Sherman of Perry
Patricia J. Swartz Memorial Award
Meredith Bell of Pavilion, Colton Davis of Dalton, Adele Schenk of Delevan
Harold Upton Agriculture Achievement Award
Lauren Bertalan of Darien Center
Harold Upton Memorial Friend of 4-H Award
Business category: Friendly Acres in Attica, accepted by the Sondericker family
Individual category: Bill Price of Bliss
Leader of the Year
Janet Burkemeierof Wyoming
Oustanding 4-H Member
Corey Davis of Portageville
Megan George of Strykersville
Leader Yearly Recognition
Jodi Rudgers, President, Wyoming County 4-H Leaders Association
Member Yearly Recognition
Sue Sondericker, Chairperson, 4-H Program Committee
Garage sale restrictions may come to Warsaw: Public hearing set for Dec. 17
By Julia Merulla
Village of Warsaw residents may soon be limited on the frequency of their garage sales and yard sales, if the addition to the Village of Warsaw code is approved.
Residents will have a chance to voice their opinion before the draft becomes law at a public hearing scheduledfor 8 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Fire Hall in the Village of Warsaw. The planning board for the Town and Village of Warsaw approved the drafted changes at its November meeting.
According to Zoning Officer Danny Hurlburt, perpetual garage sales and yard sales have been a recurring problem, but the village code did not provide for any restrictions.
Under the new code, village residents would be limited to two garage sales lasting three consecutive days each, per year. Additionally, residents could participate in the Village of Warsaw sidewalk sales/community yard sales.
The new law would not apply to public auctions of two days or less, or to “any church, civic, fraternal or charitable organization” holding a sale on its property.
Consequences for non-compliance start with a $150 fine for a first offense. The fine for a second offense within five years of the first would be no less than $350. A $750 fine would be imposed for a third offense within the same five-year period as the first two offenses.
Hurlburt said he's most concerned with people having perpetual garage sales, as opposed to someone who goes slightly over their allotted time.
“What we're trying to do is get away from the guy who's having (a garage sale or yard sale) every weekend,” he said.
Signage would be allowed only on the property where the sale is taking place, Hurlburt said.
The first pertains to a proposed amendment to the code would help ensure completion of required public improvements contained within the site plan, such as sewers, sidewalks, curbs, etc. The planning board has already approved the amendment at its meeting.
Robinson also said the board is considering changing the parking restrictions from the stoplight on South Main Street just before West Buffalo Street down to Carmichael and Reed Monument Company to address the issue of people parking there for extended periods of time. Fifteen-minute parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. is being considered for that area.
The amendment to the village code and the parking sign changes will be addressed in public hearings before being put in to place. Public hearings on both topics will be scheduled at a later date.
Also at the Dec. 3 meeting:
– Blythe reported that three members of the department participated in the Shop with a Cop event at Walmart on Dec. 1.
– New members of the Warsaw Fire Department are Alexander Busse and Kenneth Walradt Jr.
– The board approved a three-year contract with the CSEA for the Warsaw Village Police Department, with a provision of a future public hearing. In the negotiations, the residency requirement was extended from the town to Wyoming County, which will require a public hearing to amend the law.
– The board entered into executive session to discuss finances.
