Tammy Richardson doesn’t want anyone to go through the pain of losing a loved one to suicide.

“Suicide is preventable,” the North Rose resident said.

After Samuel, Richardson’s 15-year-old son, committed suicide in May of 2009, the retired ophthalmic assistant founded the North Rose Chapter of Yellow Ribbon, a nationwide organization dedicated to preventing teen suicides. The organization provides a host of services dedicated to that end through its local chapters, from support groups for those who have lost teens to suicide — or “suicide survivors” — to youth programs.

“The whole premise of the program is to raise suicide awareness and prevention,” she said. “We want to make sure that teens know what to do if they’re suicidal — and their friends, too.”

Suicide is the third leading cause of death amongst Americans aged 15 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control, behind accidents and homicide. Several factors might lead a teenager to take his or her own life according to the website Teen Suicide Statistics, the most common being depression. Divorce, domestic violence, the death of someone close to a teen, and other factors can also increase the risk that the teenager will contemplate or commit suicide. Signs that a teen might be at risk include talking about death or suicide — even in a joking manner — and acting recklessly. See the accompanying list.

Suicide first touched Richardson’s life in December of 2008, when her estranged husband Dale committed suicide, after a long battle with mental illness during which he medicated himself with drugs and alcohol. Sam was close to his father, but did not have a history of mental illness.

“He was just a happy-go-lucky young man,” Richardson said.

Though Sam began acting a bit erratic after his father died, Richardson assumed the changes were the result of grieving. Moreover, Sam was undergoing counseling, and Richardson decided to bring her concerns up with Sam’s counselor. About five months after Dale’s death, she came home to a scene she will never forget.

“I came home, and found my son hung in his bedroom,” she said.

In the months that followed, some of Sam’s friends told her that he had spoken of suicide, but that they had not known what to do with the information.

“They didn’t tell their parents,” she said. “They didn’t tell me.”

Richardson founded North Rose’s Yellow Ribbon chapter that August. Since then, she has traveled to local high schools and to Cayuga Community College to speak to students and those who work with them about the need to prevent teen suicide, presenting her personal perspective on the issues.

“I put our own story out there to the public,” she said.

She also passes out stacks of Yellow Ribbon Cards. The cards, which Yellow Ribbon created, carry instructions for those who might be considering suicide, or know of someone who might be doing so. Those who might be considering suicide, for example, are strongly encouraged to seek the help of a parent, counselor, friend, or similar individual.

The cards also bear instructions for parents and others who might be concerned about a teen, along with the numbers of nationwide crisis or suicide hotlines. Richardson also passes out her cell phone number and email address, and makes herself available to teenagers who may be in crisis.

“I will always, first of all, encourage them to tell their parents right then and there,” she said. “If they won’t, then I … encourage them to talk to someone at whatever school they go to.”

She always gets the teen’s address, and will call 911 when the situation warrants.

Parents, and others who might be concerned about a teen, can also call upon her for advice and support, Richardson said. She hopes to start a support group for the survivors of teen suicides in the future.

Yellow Ribbon’s North Rose chapter is still relatively small — its membership consists of a few of Richardson’s family members and friends, and some of Sam’s friends. Despite that, about 70 people turned out on May 12 for Walk for Life, a fundraiser for the nationwide organization. Richardson said her chapter brought in $2,000 in donations.

Teen Suicide Factors and Warning Signs

• Depression

• Divorce of parents

• Violence in the home

• Inability to find success at school

• Feelings of worthlessness

• Rejection by friends or peers

• Substance abuse

• Death of someone close to the teenager

• The suicide of a friend or someone he or she “knows” online

• Talks about death and/or suicide (maybe even with a joking manner)

• Plans ways to kill him or herself

• Expresses worries that nobody cares about him or her

• Has attempted suicide in the past

• Dramatic changes in personality and behavior

• Withdraws from interacting with friends and family

• Shows signs of depression

• Shows signs of a substance abuse problem

• Begins to act recklessly and engage in risk-taking behaviors

• Begins to give away sentimental possessions

• Spends time online interacting with people who glamorize suicide and maybe even form suicide pacts

To contact Tammy Richardson, head of the North Rose Chapter of Yellow Ribbon, email here4u83093@aim.com.

Early-Morning Crash Sends One to Hospital

A three-car accident in Butler left one person injured on May 14.

State Police report that at about 7:50 a.m., Cody Scoville, 19, of the Town of Sodus, was heading west on Route 104 in a pickup truck, and approaching Limekiln Road. A vehicle driven by Patricia Lomire, 56, of the Town of Wolcott, was ahead of Scoville, and preparing to turn onto Limekiln. Scoville allegedly did not see Lomire’s vehicle at first, then tried to go around it to the left, and struck it. He then struck a vehicle that Michele McCaslin, 48, of the Town of Williamson, was driving east on Route 104.

McCaslin complained of an injury to her arm, and the crashes left two of the vehicles involved seriously damaged. Wolcott and North Rose ambulance and fire department crews responded to the scene, and McCaslin was transported to Rochester General Hospital. Scoville was ticketed for Crossing Hazard Markings on Roadway and Moving from Lane Unsafely. Wayne County sheriff’s deputies also responded to the scene.

State Police arrested former Village of Wolcott Clerk-Treasurer Melanie DeBadts on May 9 in connection with the theft of close to $68,500 in village funds.

DeBadts, 35, of Countryman Road, Wolcott, has been charged with Grand Larceny in the 2nd Degree and 106 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the 1st Degree. The multiple counts of falsifying records arose from DeBadts’s alleged efforts to conceal the thefts.

An audit of the Village of Wolcott’s financial records by the office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli led to DeBadts’s arrest.
Though village officials regularly met with representatives of the Comptroller’s Office during the audit, its outcome seemed to leave them shocked.

“Everyone is quite surprised,” said Mayor Gary Baker. “It just kind of kicks people in the head.”

According to a release from DiNapoli’s office, as the Village of Wolcott’s chief fiscal officer, DeBadts had custody of all of its money from the time she took office in May of 2007. She collected and deposited the cash it received, maintained its accounting records, filed its financial reports, and signed its checks. DeBadts was also the village’s tax collector, and processed its weekly payroll.

When the story first broke back in October of last year, village officials said a routine audit that had been conducted by its private accountant in September had revealed discrepancies in some of its accounts. When the accountant couldn’t explain those discrepancies satisfactorily, he presented the matter to the Comptroller’s Office. The accountant also confronted DeBadts, who resigned on September 15.

DiNapoli, as quoted in the release, said DeBadts “had a creative imagination when it came to coming up with ways to steal taxpayer monies.” She allegedly siphoned off a total of $68,479 in village funds over the four years she held office by giving herself:

• $50,443 in extra payroll checks;

• $7,239 in excessive health insurance buyouts;

• $6,780 in unauthorized overtime;

• $2,865 in payments inappropriately charged to the village’s records management grant;

• $1,062 in unearned leave payouts; and

• $90 in overpayments of vital statistics fees.

To put the total allegedly stolen in perspective, the Village of Wolcott’s 2011-12 budget comes to $1,551,073.

Lori Tyler, who was appointed Clerk-Treasurer after DeBadts resigned, said her predecessor withdrew the funds by writing checks to herself on village accounts. DiNapoli alleged that DeBadts then altered the village’s accounting records and deleted the unauthorized disbursements in order to cover her tracks — prompting the charges for falsifying business records. The scheme went undetected for four years, according to the release, “due to the lack of the Wolcott Village Board in maintaining an effective control environment.”

In order to avoid a theft in the future, the Comptroller’s Office recommended that the village:

• Ensure that the village clerk-treasurer maintains adequate, accurate and timely records and reports on an ongoing basis;

• Require and review detailed monthly financial reports;

• Adopt and distribute a Code of Ethics, as required by law;

• Monitor cash disbursement records to ensure accuracy.

Baker said the village has already begun acting on DiNapoli’s recommendations. Checks now have to bear the signatures of two village officials in order to be cashed, he said, and the village now has an outside agency take care of its payroll. Since the Clerk-Treasurer’s position is bonded, the village expects to be reimbursed for the theft by the bonding agency.

DeBadts was arraigned in the Town of Butler Court, and released on her own recognizance. She is due to answer the charges in the Village of Wolcott court on June 7. Baker said the village plans to press charges against her.

Months after a Town of Cato official used the “n-word” at a Town Board meeting, the head of the local branch of the NAACP said his organization still hopes to resolve the issue with the town.

“The NAACP would like to take the opportunity to work with the Town of Cato so that their elected officials don’t make those kinds of mistakes,” said Eliezer Hernandez, President of the Auburn/Cayuga County Branch of the NAACP.

Town of Cato Supervisor Charles Ray, reached by telephone last week, said the matter had been dealt with, and refused to discuss it further with the LAKESHORE NEWS.

According to news reports, Gary Cole, Cato’s highway superintendent, used the n-word twice when addressing the Town Board during its Jan. 3 meeting. Hernandez said he learned of the incident from news reports, persons who were present at the meeting, and a tape recording of the meeting.

“He was upset about his health insurance,” Hernandez said of Cole. “He used it twice.”

Hernandez raised the issue with Ray by telephone, and prepared to address it more directly on Feb. 7, at the board’s next meeting. He then received a call from a mediator from the Community Relations Service of the US Department of Justice, an office tasked with helping state and local governments and private and public organizations prevent and resolve racial and ethnic tensions.

“Their goal was to come up with a reconciliation,” Hernandez said.

Cole publicly apologized for using the n-word on Jan. 26, according to news reports. With the help of the Federal mediator, Hernandez, other officers of the Auburn/Cayuga NAACP, and Ray, Cole, and the Town of Cato’s attorney met on Feb. 1. After Hernandez explained the significance of the n-word to Black people, Cole apologized for using it.

“He apologized to me, and the NAACP,” Hernandez said.

The NAACP and the town agreed to work on a memorandum of understanding to resolve the issue. Hernandez said the parties agreed upon the elements of a memorandum when they met again on Feb. 7, prior to the next meeting of the Town Board. Amongst other steps, the memorandum called upon the two parties to engage in what Hernandez described as a “community-wide dialogue.”

“It’s a program where we could work with each other about our differences,” he said.

Hernandez said they also agreed that Cato would provide a non-paid summer internship in the highway superintendent’s office for a student of color, preferably a college student.

Having agreed upon the elements of the memorandum, both parties withdrew to present the document to their individual higher-ups. The parties planned to reconvene to sign the memorandum once state and national NAACP officials had reviewed it and Ray had obtained the Town Board’s approval of it, Hernandez said.

Then, things came apart. Hernandez said Cato and the NAACP encountered difficulties after a local television station reported that the NAACP had threatened to sue the town if it did not agree to sign the memorandum. The report, he said, was untrue.

“We did not make that statement,” he said.

Hernandez said that when he pleaded with town officials to re-start the negotiation at the next board meeting, they responded that Cole had apologized for using the n-word, and refused to discuss it further. Town officials have refused to discuss the matter with the NAACP since then.

Hernandez said Cato residents have approached him to help resolve some of the issues that the controversy raised.

“We’re planning on working together,” he said. “The NAACP does not believe that the Town of Cato is racist.”

As part of their astronomy and space unit, sixth grade students at Red Creek schools visit the Rochester Challenger Learning Center, a state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education facility.

Through a simulated mission to Mars, students experience the excitement of space exploration while using their science and math skills. Students choose one of eight different teams to join, based on their own interests and specialized skill sets.

Before the actual field trip, last week students talked live with the Mission Commanders via video conferencing. They previewed students’ roles and responsibilities, viewed and discussed live demonstrations, got a “sneak peek” of the facility, and asked their most pressing space science questions. As a result of live interaction and humorous interchanges with the commanders, the students’ excitement and motivation increased. Students were able to feel at ease and settle into their mission activities more quickly, once they arrived at the facility in three different sessions, held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, May 14, 15 & 16.

The Learning Center, located at Linden Park in Rochester, includes a “Space Station”, which gives students a simulated experience of working in space, and a “Mission Control”, which is modeled after the real Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The Learning Center presents tasks and poses dilemmas to students, such as meteor showers, sand storms, and short circuits, in order to develop problem-solving, communication skills, and most importantly, teamwork inside the Space Station and Mission Control.

Before arriving at the center, students are divided into two groups. One group begins in the spacecraft, which is said to be en-route to Mars in the year 2042 to re-supply a base camp and relieve an international crew that is completing their second year on the Martian surface. This crew has been exploring Mars, looking for signs of life, and a suitable site for a future permanent Martian colony.

The second group begins in the Earth-based Mission Control, where they are gathering and analyzing information sent to them from the astronauts in the spacecraft. Half-way through the mission, the groups change places, so that all students have a chance to experience both Mission Control and spacecraft simulations.

The Challenger Learning Center, founded as an educational memorial following the Challenger shuttle disaster, is one of about 40 national centers, and the only facility in NY State.

Absolute Precision, LLC, a CNC machining business in Wolcott, is gearing up for growth.

“We added a new machine that is actually the most expensive machine we’ve ever bought,” said Bryan Brockmyre, Absolute’s production manager, who also co-owns the business with his wife, Jeannie.

Bryan said the new machine, a mammoth device with the equally supercized name of “Mazak Hyper Quadrex 100MSY,” should allow the firm to boost its output.

“Our sales this year, with the new machine, should be 60 percent better than last year,” he said.

The firm has also added two new employees in the past year — the last in April.

In “CNC,” or “computer numerical control” machining, computer-directed machine tools cut, grind, and mill metal parts so precisely that their measurements come to within thousandths of an inch of those required by their designs. On the day LAKESHORE NEWS visited Absolute’s 3,600 square-foot Lake Avenue facility, the firm was making parts for sensors that are attached to oil-drilling tools.

“The tools have sensors on them that gather different types of information from a drill string as it’s going into a hole,” Bryan said.

Though Absolute’s products are distinctly made for machines, they gleam with polished artistry. The firm has also made parts for the hydraulic and fuel systems for such military aircraft as the F/A-18 fighter jet and the C-5 Galaxy transport, and for a mockup of the Space Shuttle’s robotic arm.

“We’ve made several components for the underwater training facility of the Johnson Space Center,” Jeannie said.

Bryan said he started the company in Houston about 25 years ago, when it bore the name Brockmyre Industrial Group, Inc. After he and Jeannie married about eight years ago, she began running the firm’s office and taking care of sales, while Bryan continued to run the production floor.

“Bryan is in charge of making the parts and making sure that everybody out on the floor is making the parts properly,” Jeannie said.

The couple brought the business, including its massive milling machines, to Wolcott in 2010 so they could be close to Bryan’s family — his mother lives in Geneva. Since then, they have added one client to the list they brought with them from Houston, and two employees — bringing the firm’s workforce to four.

Absolute’s first new employee came from a non-manufacturing field. Susan Gibney was a professor in the theater department of a Rochester-area college when she began working for the firm during summers. When the Brockmyres offered her a full-time job and training in machining, she decided to take it.

“Because of the economy, they weren’t expanding my job,” she said of her academic position.

Though she called Absolute “a great place to work,” Gibney admits that the change from teaching budding actors to CNC milling presented some challenges.

“You have to have everything within a thousandth of an inch,” she said.

Absolute’s newest employee came on board last April after 17 years as a machinist. Ron Wilson said he was drawn to the firm by the idea of working for a firm with potential for expansion. But, he added, working for it had other attractions as well.

“I get to play with brand-new machines,” the Hannibal resident said, as he stood at the controls of the huge Mazak Hyper Quadrex 100MSY.

Bryan said the Mazak, which Absolute acquired in April, allows the firm to substantially boost its output.

“It’s designed so that a part that would have several operations on several machines, that part can be processed on one machine,” Bryan said. “It machines the part completely.”

Through raising their firm’s bottom line, the Brockmyres hope to boost its positive effects on the local economy.

“We want to better the environment of our community,” Jeannie said. “We hope to hire local people.”

On Thursday, May 10, North Rose-Wolcott was the host site for a Wayne-Finger Lakes track meet. Among the local schools that attended were both Red Creek and North Rose-Wolcott.

Both the Red Creek boys and girls track teams had a great turnout, placing first overall as a team. The boys had a score of 132.5 and the girls had 117 points; both teams had almost a 40-point lead over the second-place teams.

The North Rose-Wolcott boys’ team came in 4th overall, with a score of 27 points. The girls took 5th place, with a score of 23 points.

Top three places for Red Creek Boys were: Brandon Keim – 400m Hurdles, 110m Hurdles; Brandon Jones – 100m Dash, Long Jump, 200m Dash; Derek Jonza – Discus, Shot Put; Dakota Drake – 3200m, 1600m; Jon Perry – 400m, 200m; Nelson Hand – 800m, 3200m; Mike Millus – Triple Jump, High Jump; Caleb Gregg – Discus; Terry Seymour – Triple Jump; Levi Dowd – High Jump; and Taylor Crawford – High Jump, 4x100m Relay Team, 4x800m Relay Team.

Top three places for Red Creek Girls were: Micaela Doberiener – 400 Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump; Eleonore Grant – 100m Dash, 100m Hurdles, Pole Vault, Triple Jump; Raylene Wade – 1500m, 800m; Lydia Cooper – 400m, 200m Dash; Aliza Fields – Discus; Alyssa Gilmour – High Jump; Beth Burnett-3000m; and Kristen Evans – High Jump, 4x100m Relay Team, 4x800m Relay Team.

Top three places for North Rose-Wolcott Boys were: Wesley Hayes – Shot Put, Long Jump; Ryan Early – 110m Hurdles; and Eric Dean – 800m.

Top three places for North Rose-Wolcott Girls were: Laura Bliss – Long Jump, Triple Jump; and Nabraska Countryman – 200m Dash.

Congrats to all of the athletes and good luck on your upcoming Wayne-Finger Lakes Championship Meet.

In the back row, from left to right, are: Coach Emmert, Matt Dodski, Nate Wagner, Tucker Emmert, Nick Heald, Jerry Field, Coach Evan. In the front row, from left to right, are: T. J. McIntyre H. Burgdurf, Jesse Fenlon. Missing are: D. J. Humbert (injury), Trentin Reese (injury), Alex Viele

The RC United Black team completed an undefeated spring session at the Syracuse Indoor Soccer Center. After finishing league play with a 9-0-1 record, the team dominated the playoffs.

They defeated Marcellus in the semi-finals 6-1. Tucker Emmert, Jerry Field, T. J. McIntyre, and Jesse Fenlon all found the back of the net.

The team played East Syracuse-Minoa in the championship game. Once again, the boys dominated their opponent winning 6-0. T. J. McIntyre, Jesse Fenlon, Tucker Emmert, and H. Burgdurf scored for the team. Matt Dodski, Nick Heald, and Jerry Field anchored the defense while goalie Nate Wagner registered a shutout.

Coach Emmert was pleased with the team’s performance. H. Burgdurf, D. J. Humbert, and T. J. McIntyre were integral parts of a dominating offense as that scored 73 goals during the session. Matt Dodski, Jerry Field, and Alex Viele provided an impenetrable defensive front. Nate Wagner was solid in goal. The team gave up only 13 goals. Tucker Emmert and Trentin Reese controlled the midfield distributing the ball and slowing down the oppositions’ attacks. The boys not only improved their foot skills, but elevated their overall teamwork.

With the strange spring weather it seems that racing season should have started a month ago but finally last Saturday night Fulton Speedway came aline again for the 2012 season. To get it started there was a full pit of racers. The overall car count was close to eighty cars.

The first race of the season we all get to see the new cars with fancy paint job and new sponsor logos. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to instantly recognize new paint to driver name. Of course you always recognize your favorite drivers.

Billy Decker, the most senior driver for the Gypsum Wholesalers Racing Team and the 2011 Track Champion came out of the pack flying. By lap 10 Billy came past Jim Witko and Tim Sears Jr for the lead and never looked back. It was a green to checker race, 35 laps of wide open racing.

Following Decker’s #91 was Tom Sears Jr. #62, Ryan Phelps #99, Jim Witko Jr. #24, and Mike Mahaney #33 for the top five in the Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modified feature.

In the SUNY Canton Sportsman feature it looked like a father and son race to the end. Bob Bennett led Jordan Bennett for seventeen laps when Jeremy Pitcher passed Jordan then a caution came out closing up the field. On the restart with a green, white, and checker, Jeremy went high and kept his momentum up for the win by two feet at the finish line.

Larry Wight won the NAPA Late Model feature. Corey Barker, who never raced anything but a microd before Saturday night, won his first ever open wheel race taking the victory in the E & V Energy Novice Sportsman feature.

Next week the Mod Lites will join the modified, sportsman, novice and 4 cylinder stocks. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and free to kids under 18 years of age. Bring the whole family for a fun evening.

I am sad to say Weedsport Speedway at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds at present is closed. There are rumors of it opening sometime this summer but for the time being no races are held there on Sundays.

Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge is hosting the World of Outlaws Sprints on Wednesday, May 16th, at 7:00 and a Super Dirt Car Series Big Block Modifieds, Sportsman Street Stocks and Midstate Vintage Stock cars on May 27th at 6:00 p.m. Memorial Day Weekend.

See you at the races.

On Monday night, May 14, the Hannibal Lady Warriors played the Marcellus Lady Mustangs. The Lady Warriors put up a tough fight but in the end were defeated by the Lady Mustangs.

PICTURED ARE: #3 Haylie Dunsmoor is pictured mid pitch during the game on Mon. night.

ALSO PICTURED ARE: #13 Mara Halstead sprints towards first base after hitting a grounder towards third.

ALSO PICTURED ARE: #14 Senior Ashley Kimpland chases down an overthrown ball to first.