ALBION – Several people have been injured after a head-on collision on Holley Road at about 9:45 this morning.
Mercy Flight has been called to the scene, as well as ambulances.
The accident occurred between Tuthill and Transit roads.
No other information is available.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Brian Krieger, director of the Albion Running Club, welcomes about 120 participants to the fifth annual Wayne Burlison Colon Cancer Awareness 5K.
Krieger was a close friend of Burlison, who was 36 when he passed away from colon cancer on March 26, 2014.
The race is sponsored by Oak Orchard Health, which is trying to raise awareness about colon cancer as the third-leading cause of death by cancer for men and women. Colon cancer is preventable or treatable with the proper knowledge, resources and early detection.
Proceeds from the race go towards a scholarship in Burlison’s name. The Running Club also is donating money in memory of Burlison for a walking/running trail at Bullard Park.
Bob Pastecki shares a welcome message today at the start of the race. Pastecki is Burlison’s brother in law. He is wearing orange compression socks with Burlison’s name. Burlison used to wear orange compression socks for his training runs and at races.
Pastecki shared a welcome message from Lisa Burlison, Wayne’s wife. She was at a spelling bee in Batavia with the couple’s son, Adam.
“As we approach nearly 5 years since my late husband Wayne has passed, I find the passing of days to still be surreal at times,” she wrote. “These days are filled with things to do, seemingly spelled out with to-do lists and tasks. Life seems to move on, yet the longing for how things once were remains.
“This morning my son competed in the Regional Spelling Bee Competition. It required months, weeks, days, and hours of studying and preparing. He had a goal in sight, and he took many steps to get there. Competitive runners do the same. Starting small, increasing the rigor of training, to ultimately run a race. Wayne did this time and time again – Running 5ks, ½ and full marathons, with rest in between, but always setting a future goal to maintain his running stamina, and overall health.
“Wayne was not only intentional in how he ran, but in how he did life. He spelled out his days and knew how and what he needed to do. While he often admitted it was an imperfect process at times, he knew he would and could get back up and work towards his goals. My son did the same as he prepared for the spelling bee today. He experienced frustration with strange spellings and pronunciations, along with having the energy and commitment to work on the lists, with the nerves and strain of being on stage as all watch to see if he would make a mistake or move on to the next round.
“Life can feel like it is spelled out, both intentionally of our choosing, and also unintentionally as change and events of life forces onto our paths.
“So, as I have learned imperfectly there are a few words that are spelled out for me today, words that I remind myself to hold close to my heart. One is P-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-e; persevere, and the other is H-O-P-E, hope. May these be words also be of inspiration for you today.”
Meganne Moore, a seventh-grader and one of Burlison’s former students, finishes the race.
Joel Nowatchik of Lockport won the race in a time of 18:28 and Abigail Sortore of Bolivar was the fastest woman in a time of 21:07, which was third overall.
The runners shrugged off the chill to complete a course that started near the elementary school on Clarendon Road, and then went on Route 31 to Mont Albion Cemetery with a return back on 31 to the elementary school parking lot.
A group supporting Brett Sobieraski for sheriff takes a cool-down jog together after the race. Sobieraski was the 6th finisher overall with a time of 22:52.
Photo courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller
BATAVIA – Adam Burlison is shown competing in today’s Scripps Western New York Regional Spelling Bee at Batavia High School. Adam finished 4th out of about 30 of the region’s top spellers in the grades 6 through 8.
The competition lasted about four hours and was won by Emily Mike, an eighth-grader from Mount Morris.
Adam studied more than 1,000 words to prepare the competition. He was knocked out when he missed how to spell “nadir.”
Today was also the fifth annual Run for Wayne in Albion, a run and walk in memory of Adam’s father, Wayne Burlison, who was 36 when he passed away from colon cancer on March 26, 2014. He was an elementary music teacher at Albion.
Provided photos: This model shows the design of a war memorial proposed for the Kendall Town Park on Kendall Road. The first phase is complete on the project with the rest expected to be finished by this summer.
KENDALL – Four Boy Scouts in Kendall’s Troop 94 are working together to build a war memorial at the town park. The four Scouts are each in charge of a different phase of the memorial for their Eagle Scout projects.
Ryan Barrett, Noah Rath, Jayden Pieniaszek and Brian Shaw have joined forces in the project. This is the first joint Eagle Scout project that Scoutmaster Ken Spohr is aware of. He praised the Scouts for working together on an ambitious effort. They have already given public presentations to about a dozen groups, with more planned.
“They’re reaching out to everyone in the community,” Spohr said. “It’s a very big ask that they’ve chosen to do, but they are well on their way to getting it done.”
These Kendall Scouts are leading the effort to build the war memorial. They include, from left: Jayden Pieniaszek, Brian Shaw, Noah Rath and Ryan Barrett.
The memorial includes a brick wall that will be 4 feet tall and stretch nearly 40 feet long. There will be concrete medallions on the wall for the five branches of the military and six plaques about different wars where Kendall residents fought, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War 1, World War II, the Korean War and Persian Gulf War.
Memorial bricks will be placed along a sidewalk at the memorial. The bricks are available for $100 each.
Ryan Barrett and Jayden Pieniaszek presented the idea of the memorial to the Troop. They both have family who have served in the military and they wanted to town to recognize the community’s veterans. Noah Rath and Brian Shaw also wanted to be part of the project.
“They sketched it out,” Spohr said about the Scouts’ plans for the memorial. “It was amazing to watch. “These four are always looking for ways to help their community.”
They have divvied up the project into four phases.
Ryan Barrett is in charge of the first phase, which is complete and includes putting in the foundation for the wall, a stone memorial and three flag poles.
Jayden Pieniaszek is leading the second phase which includes construction of the brick wall, which is 36 feet long, 3 ½ feet wide and 4 feet tall.
Noah Rath is heading up phase three which includes the medallions for each five branches of military. Rath will also lead the efforts to have two 25-foot flag poles and get the electricity set up so the memorial and sidewalk can be lighted up at night.
Brian Shaw is coordinating phase four which includes final grading and planting cedar trees behind the memorial, which will provide a buffer for the neighbors and also enhance the site. Shaw will also manage getting the six plaques on the memorial for the different wars where Kendall soldiers served.
Spohr said organizations and residents have joined the effort to build the memorial with in-kind services and financial donations.
For more information about the project, check the Facebook page for the Kendall War Memorial, or email KendallWarMemorial@gmail.com.
Checks to support the project can be made out to Kendall Troop 94, and sent to c/o Ken Spohr 1928 Moscow Rd. Hamlin, NY 14464.
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 12
Maj. Marion Patterson, 22nd U.S.C.T. & 19th U.S.C.T.
The recent vote by the Hoag Library Board of Trustees to sell the 26th U.S. Colored Troops “National Color” in March has raised questions about local connections to that particular unit and other Colored Infantry regiments. U.S.C.T. regiments, established under the direction of the Bureau for Colored Troops, appointed white officers to lead black soldiers.
According to a dissertation entitled “The Selection and Preparation of White Officers for the Command of Black Troops in the American Civil War,” by Paul Renard, the government utilized various methods of electing officers to lead U.S.C.T. regiments. Early U.S.C.T. regiment officers were selected by a board of divisional officers while others were selected in a process similar to white regiments. Renard argues that the selection of officers through an examination board overseen by the Bureau for Colored Troops was the most effective method used.
Racism permeated throughout the Union Army, which refused equal pay to black soldiers and relegated segregated units to manual labor behind the front lines. Early efforts to allow freedmen and escaped slaves to enlist in the ranks of the Union Army were met with harsh opposition by political forces. Despite this, primary source evidence suggests that a large number of the commissioned officers appointed to lead these regiments held a degree of racial liberalism that was not seen in white regiments. Many white officers were abolitionists who believed in freedom and equal rights for the men they commanded. They viewed military service as a means for black soldiers to rise against their former masters; men who truly had something to fight for.
However, it is impossible to create a generalization considering that military life for men in segregated regiments was reminiscent of slavery; relegated to manual labor, and still under the command of a white master. Men within these regiments had no hope of working their way up the ranks, would never lead their own regiments, and yet their lives were at far greater risk than white enlisted soldiers. Still, it is worth calling attention to the complex relationship between white officers and the black soldiers they led. Perusing the pages of the local town clerks’ registers of Union soldiers, at least eight local men received commissions to lead black regiments; two of those men received commissions with the 26th U.S.C.T.
Charles Henry Mattison was born March 27, 1837, at Barre to Alvah Mattison and Orpha Bull. Raised on the farm in his hometown, Mattison enlisted with Company D of the 151st New York Infantry on September 9, 1861, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He received a commission as a second lieutenant with the regiment but turned it down, later receiving a commission with the 26th U.S.C.T. at the same rank. He reported for duty on January 14, 1864, and was later promoted to first lieutenant and adjutant. He was with his regiment during a skirmish at St. John’s Island on January 5, 1864, and the Battle of Bloody Bridge on July 7th when 1,000 soldiers of the 26th U.S.C.T. fought an inconsequential battle; 2,000 Confederate soldiers fended off a Union force of 8,000 men.
After the war, Mattison returned to Barre Center where he purchased a wagon and blacksmith shop. Three years later he purchased the farm of his father-in-law, Hiram Fargo. He was elected as the Barre Town Clerk after the war and was responsible for recording the names of those fellow soldiers who served in defense of the Union cause. He was elected Barre Town Supervisor and later to the NYS Assembly in 1878, serving in that position for one year. Upon his death on March 23, 1883, the Grand Army of the Republic Post in Albion held a large memorial service and for years after his death, the local post would memorialize the anniversary of his passing.
Harmon Leroy Salisbury was born around 1838 at Clarendon to George Salisbury and Amanda Annis. He enlisted with Company G of the 151st New York Infantry on August 26, 1862 at Clarendon. He remained with the regiment for just over one year, receiving a promotion to the rank of sergeant before his discharge on January 28, 1864, by reason of promotion to captain with the 26th U.S.C.T. Like Mattison, Salisbury was with the regiment at St. John’s Island and Bloody Bridge in July of 1864. After the war, Salisbury moved to Vienna, Virginia, where he purchased a large parcel of land. Valued at $16,500 in 1870, he split his land into lots and sold parcels to freedmen on easy credit and generous mortgages. He provided black workers with a fair living wage and donated a parcel of land for used as a cemetery by the black community in that area. He died in 1913 and was buried at Merrifield Cemetery in Merrifield, VA.
Marion Patterson, born May 11, 1840, at Clarendon to Calvin Patterson and Julia Ann Matson, enlisted as a private with the 13th New York Infantry at Rochester on April 30, 1861; he was discharged as a “minor” on September 7, 1861. He returned home to teach school for a year and enlisted with the 11th New York Heavy Artillery on his birthday in 1863. Unable to fill the full regimental quota, the unit was merged with the 4th New York Heavy Artillery and Patterson was promoted to the rank of sergeant. On December 9, 1863, he received an appointment as first lieutenant with the 22nd U.S.C.T. and later was appointed to fill a vacancy as captain with the 19th U.S.C.T.
According to one account, his promotion to captain came as the result of his daring rescue of the regimental colors during the Second Battle of Fair Oaks in October of 1864. At the end of the war, Patterson was placed on general court martial as a Judge Advocate, a position he held for some time. At the conclusion of his service, he returned to Western New York where he married his wife, Eliza Van Wagoner, at Lockport before relocating to Kansas in 1871. He worked a large farm there, raising livestock, and was elected to the Kansas State Legislature in 1891.
Wallace Myron Sterling, born June 26, 1840, at Gaines to Alphonso Sterling and Mary Horton, answered the call to service on May 11, 1861. He was mustered into service on May 22, 1861, with Company D of the 28th New York Infantry. On May 25, 1862, he was captured at the Battle of Winchester and paroled three days later. After his release, he was sent home on furlough for an undisclosed amount of time. According to a published account of the Sterling family genealogy, Wallace had placed his unloaded musket behind a door in the house. His older brother loaded the gun and ventured out on a woodchuck hunt in the afternoon. Upon his return and being unsuccessful in his adventure, the brother placed the gun in its place behind the door. Later that evening, Mary Jane, a 19-year-old sister, asked Wallace to demonstrate the manual of arms. He mimicked the loading of the rifle, aimed, and she gave the command to “fire!” He pulled the trigger, discharging the musket ball into her head. The accidental death of his sister plagued him with sadness for the rest of his life.
After his discharge from the 28th New York Infantry, he reenlisted with Company B of the 9th New York Heavy Artillery in July of 1863. The following month he was presented a commission as second lieutenant with the 1st U.S.C.T. from President Lincoln, an opportunity he accepted nine days later. In July of 1864, Sterling submitted his resignation with supporting documentation from an examining surgeon. Dr. Willoughby wrote, “…he is suffering from great mental depression, caused by his having, by accident, caused the death of a sister, more than a year ago, since which time he has had fits of mental disturbance, being at times partially insane.” The surgeon believed that the condition would become permanent should he remain in the service. After the war, he relocated to Elysian, Minnesota where he served as the local postmaster and justice of the peace.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature next week will name John Papponetti the county highway superintendent, according to the agenda for the meeting on Wednesday.
John Papponetti
Papponetti, a former Albion resident, works as an engineer for Labella and Associates. He will also serve as the county’s engineer.
He is to be appointed during the Legislature’s 4:30 p.m. meeting on March 27. He will succeed Jerry Gray, who retired as highway superintendent on Dec. 30.
Papponetti grew up in Albion and served on the Village Board when he was in his 20s. His father Harry is the Albion fire chief.
Papponetti has worked closely with the County Highway Department in recent years doing an inventory of the conditions of county bridges and culverts. He also worked with the department last year when it poured the concrete slabs and constructed a culvert on Culvert Road in Ridgeway. That was the first time the highway department did that kind of project by itself. It reduced the construction costs by an estimated $180,000.
“Orleans County is proud to announce an important new addition to our staff,” said Lynne Johnson, the County Legislature chairwoman. “John Papponetti has been an instrumental team member as a consultant and now joining our team as a Department director.”
Peter Houseknecht, the deputy highway superintendent, has been acting superintendent since Gray retired. Houseknecht joined the county after serving as the superintendent of the Village of Medina DPW. Johnson said Papponetti and Houseknecht will be a great team leading the department.
In 2014, Papponetti was honored by the Rochester Engineering Society as the “Young Engineer of the Year.” He has worked the past 15 years with Labella and Associates. He is the past president of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design, Western New York chapter.
Papponetti will receive an additional $20,500 stipend to serve as the county engineer. Having him on staff will save the county an estimated $70,000 in engineering expenses, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.
“Our goal is to be the best run small county in New York State and I think we will take another big step in that direction with the addition of John Papponetti,” Nesbitt said. “We are really excited about our management team going forward.”
Photo from Medina Fire Department
Two lieutenants with the Medina Fire Department have graduated from a 4-week training for at the Fire Department of the City of New York. Steve Cooley, left, and Michael Young completed the First Line Supervisors Training Program (FLSTP) at the FDNY.
The class is required for professional fire officers. They earned their qualifications for NYS Professional Fire Officer along with national certifications for Fire Service Instructor 1 and Fire Officer 1.
The two were promoted to lieutenants during the Jan. 28 Village Board meeting.
Young has worked for the Fire Department for 12 years while Cooley has been with Medina for nine years.
Provided photo: Medina students, from left, Dominic Viterna, Ryan Miller and Dan Squire are pictured with their teacher Mike Lepkyj.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – Congratulations to High School Technology teacher Mike Lepkyj and his second place champions Dominic Viterna, Dan Squire and Ryan Miller in their event from the NCCC (Niagara County Community College) Tech Wars.
There were over 400 high school and middle school students from 24 school districts that attended the one-day Technology Education event. There were 17 individual events that were all based on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concept.
The goal of the event is to allow students to take what they learn in the technology classrooms and compete in a hands-on educational, yet fun program. The hope is that the imagination of the students may go beyond the classroom where they develop such a deep interest in technology they will make a career of it.
“Essentially it was a capture the flag, but there are other ways to score points,” said Medina senior Dominic Viterna. “You have to get soccer balls off of buckets which is pretty difficult. There is a two-foot height limit. Ours was one of the few ones who could score points in that way because we could get the soccer balls off, the other ones were not tall enough or did not have the right equipment to do so.”
Teammate Dan Squire, also a senior, said the technology class has been a great experience for him.
“This was my third year at Tech Wars and the team worked hard on their robot for the challenge,” he said. “The robot was just a two motor, four wheel square with a slanted front with a little pole on the back with a piece of wood to knock the soccer ball off the buckets. It was controlled using DEX motor controllers. It felt really good how we competed. We had won every match, but the last one, which was unfortunate.”
The students get to go to three tech wars a year – at NCCC, Genesee Community College and Erie Community College. Twenty to 25 students go to NCCC and 60 students go to GCC and ECC.
“The students will do the boats and trebuchets challenges and some will do the mystery project where they use cardboard and duct tape,” says Mr. Lepkyj. “Freshmen will do the trebuchet and the upper classmen do the robots. In our Introduction to Engineering class, I let them pick what they want to compete in.”
He said he and his students look forward to the tech wars.
“I have had a team in the competitions for the past 10 years starting when I was at the Middle School,” Mr. Lepkyj said. “It was great when I got into the high school because we got to participate in events that were a little more challenging.”
He it doesn’t matter to him if the students win or lose.
“I just want them to have a good experience and get something out of this. We all have a great time every year.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Anna Migitskiy, who manages Lure’s Restaurant at Bald Eagle Marina with her husband Andre, chats with Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum. On Thursday, Lure’s donated a portion of their sales to the Cobblestone.
KENDALL – Lure’s, a new restaurant which opened late last year at Bald Eagle Marina on Lake Ontario, hosted a fundraiser Thursday to benefit the Cobblestone Museum at Childs.
Cobblestone director Doug Farley came up with the idea and approached Anna and Andre Migitskiy, managers of Lure’s.
Farley first learned about Lure’s when he went there with Leadership Orleans in 2018.
“I fell in love with the place,” Farley said. “I have done this concept of fundraising successfully at other places, and asked if Lure’s would be interested. I was eager to offer this to Cobblestone country, too.”
Farley said he saw the huge investment the ownership of Lure’s was making in this region and thought they were a rising star. He not only appreciates their willingness to donate to the Cobblestone Museum, but hopes the exposure will help the restaurant, as well.
“The museum depends on a lot of different income streams to continue its work, like memberships, grants or successful on-site events, and also, as demonstrated on Thursday, through partnering with community organizations to achieve a great result than either can achieve on its own,” Farley said. “A raising tide lifts all boats.”
Lure’s Restaurant at Bald Eagle Marina in Kendall is located in this structure overlooking Lake Ontario, where a fundraiser took place Thursday for the Cobblestone Museum at Childs.
Press Release, GCC
BATAVIA – In New York State, more than 100,000 individuals seek services from rape crisis programs, domestic violence programs, and hospitals each year. In those dire times of need, items of comfort are often left behind, destroyed or not available to the victims and survivors of violence.
On April 4, 2016, the State University of New York set out on a mission to make a difference for those individuals. SUNY’s “Got Your Back” program was launched with a goal of assembling 2,016 comfort bags.
Comfort bags provide victims and survivors of violence basic necessities including shampoo and conditioner, body wash and lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste, a comb, notebook, pen and crayons, a stress ball and valuable information on additional resources available as well as a comforting message of support.
The very next day, on April 5, 2016 SUNY campuses responded in a big way collectively pledging 5,000 comfort bags, and in August of that year they were assembled and provided. Countless volunteer hours and donations later, the 25,000th comfort bag was assembled in August of 2018. In 2019, the SUNY’s “Got Your Back” initiative expects to deliver more than 50,000 bags to individuals in need.
The Student Activities Office at Genesee Community College is honored to show its support for victims and survivors of violence by hosting a SUNY’s “Got Your Back” bag assembly event on Friday, April 5, at 5 p.m. in the Batavia Campus’s central Forum. This event is free and the public is encouraged to participate.
To help assemble GCC’s 500 comfort bags, please register at SA@genesee.edu. Additional details about the SUNY’s “Got Your Back” program are available by clicking here.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion seventh-graders created 170 bowls in pottery class that were available for $5 each on Thursday during the 10th annual Empty Bowls event at the middle school. The $5 include a bowls of cheese and broccoli soup.
Proceeds from the sale of the bowls will go to the food pantry at Community Action. The event typically raises about $800 to $1,000 for the food pantry.
Michael Bonnewell, the Albion school district superintendent, looks on the bottom of a bowl to see which student made it.
The bowls were made in an art class led by Kamie Feder. The bowls also included origami.
Isaac Hickman, left, and Ethan Merrill help sell some of the bowls during Thursday’s event.
The event was expanded on Thursday to include a literacy night. The Albion Teachers Association, led by President Chris Keller (left), gave away books to students who attended the evening.
Hoag Library also was part of the literacy promotion, and had games for students. The middle school library also had a book fair.
There were many science, math and literacy activities at the school during the evening, including a chance to make slime and figure out an escape room set up in the gym.
Provided photo: Brian Daddis leads a hands-on workshop on historic masonry last Saturday at the Cobblestone Museum’s schoolhouse. Daddis demonstrates the correct method to remove failing mortar in the cobblestone schoolhouse basement.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum doesn’t open for the season until June 1, but the museum has already had a packed schedule of events before opening day.
The museum is teaming with the Landmark Society of Western New York for a workshop on historic masonry. Brian Daddis, who specializes in repairs to historic masonry, is leading the class. The workshop was sold out last Saturday, which prompting the museum and Landmark Society to offer the program again on Saturday.
The workshop includes a class discussion, which is held in the Cobblestone Universalist Church. The students do hands-on work in the basement of the cobblestone school.
The workshop focuses on the repointing process for reconditioning mass stone composite basement walls. Daddis also discusses the different methods for removing old mortar, mixing lime mortar, placing fresh lime pointing mortar, curing the lime mortar, and finishing techniques.
• The museum for the second season is teaming with Patricia Greene, a Medina artist, for a Sunday Painters class. The fourth Sunday each month, beginning in January, Greene leads art workshops with students completing a painting at each session.
The topics include:
January 27 – Black & White & Shades of Grey: Starting a foundation for painting.
February 24 – Glass: How to create the illusion of clear.
March 31 – Metal: Seeing metal for what it is.
April 28 – Drapery: Understanding the effects.
A grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is helping to fund the program.
• The museum also will take a bus load of people on a maple syrup tour to Angelica on March 30. This is the second time the museum has led a maple bus tour. Last month, the museum also organized a bus tour on Feb. 9 to the George Eastman House in Rochester to see the Dutch Bulb
• On April 14, the museum will host an old-time fiddle music concert featuring a band called Elderberry Jam. The eight musicians will play music with fiddles, guitars, a banjo, a hammered dulcimer, a mandolin and a bass.
• The museum will have its second annual membership dinner on May 1 at the remodeled Carlton Recreation Center. This event is catered by Zambistro in Medina and includes a live and silent suction. Last year’s debut membership dinner raised more than $40,000 for the museum.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Christ Church was one of the stops last May in the Cobblestone Museum’s first progressive organ concert. Darryl Smith performed on the 1877 Steer & Turner Pipe Organ at Christ Church. The progressive organ concert returns this year on May 11, featuring three churches in Medina.
• A Progressive Organ Concert returns on May 11. Last year it featured organs at Albion churches. This time the event with include three historic churches in Medina. The concerts will be held in progressive fashion at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church. The meal, served at St. Mary’s, will be catered by Zambistro.
• The museum on May 18 will lead a bus tour of cobblestone structures in Monroe and Wayne counties, with a tour of the Alling Coverlet Museum and a lunch stop included.
For more on the Cobblestone Museum, click here.
Interact and exchange students get together for a group photo.
Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller, Albion Central School
Rotary exchange students at today’s panel discussion included Oline (Amsterdam) and Stephen (Australia), who are staying with families in Batavia; Jorge (Venezuela) is in Lockport; Janne (Germany) is in Holley; and Flora (Italy) is in Akron.
ALBION – The Albion High School Interact Club hosted a panel discussion this morning for area Interact groups from Holley, Akron, Lockport and Genesee County.
The panel consisted of Rotary exchange students from Italy, Australia, Germany, Venezuela and Amsterdam. They spoke about their experiences as exchange students and why they decided to participate in the program.
They also shared similarities and differences with their education system and ours, extra-curricular activities, food, shopping, entertainment, culture, and general perceptions of their experiences in the USA.
All of the exchange students felt the program is a worthwhile experience and they seem very open to trying anything and everything while here. They participate in athletics, theater, guitar lessons, and skiing. Many had never before experienced our winter weather or snow days and weren’t adequately prepared for the weather!
The panel was a way for the Interact clubs and their advisors to meet, share ideas, coordinate activities, and gain a more global perspective from the exchange students.
This event was so well received that the Interact advisors will continue to meet annually.
Tim Archer, Albion’s Interact advisor, leads the panel discussion. Albion has had an active Interact club since 2001.
Holley Interact students, including Callie Updike (standing at left), shared a list of activities that they are part of in the Holley community. The students assist with fall cleanup at Hillside Cemetery, participate in the PTSA elementary school dances, pack bags for Santa’s community visit, help with the school lunch buddy program, donate to the Evan Strong Fundraiser and the Andie Carpenter Scholarship, and collect books for Ronald McDonald House. They will also collect toiletries for the homeless in Rochester, and hold a “Soles 4 Souls” shoe drive (they have already collected 500 pairs of shoes in the last two years).
Photo courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – Albion student Mariah Plain is pictured with Cathy Fox, president of the American Legion Auxiliary in Orleans County President and Empire Girls State Chairperson.
Mariah, a high school junior, has been accepted to Empire Girls State. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors Girls State, which will take place at Brockport State College from June 30 to July 6.
Girls State is open to juniors in the top third of their class. It is an experiential “government-in-learning” program that helps young women develop leadership skills as they learn about ideals and principles of government. Students participate in a variety of Americanism activities including flag raising/lowering ceremonies and learning proper flag etiquette.
Mariah is hoping to get into the Air Force Academy next year.
