Provided photo: The DeClerk family in Albion is missing their wallaby, which escaped during a storm four nights ago.

ALBION – A wallaby named Woody is a local a social media sensation, causing a stir and many double-takes by hopping around the northern part of Albion and the Five Corners in Gaines.

Woody is like a kangaroo. He escaped from his enclosure at the DeClerk family on Route 279 during a thunder and lightning storm about four nights ago. Woody is about three feet tall and weighs 40 pounds, said Cary DeClerk, Woody’s owner.

Woody must have been startled during the storm. He hopped above the feeder in his enclosure and squeezed through a 14-by-14-inch opening. He was then in the barn with other animals. DeClerk said a grandchild left the barn door open. There was some added excitement after baby piglets were born. Woody saw an opening and hopped off.

He has been spotted many times near the five corners intersection and in peoples’ backyards along Route 98, just north of the village.

DeClerk said Woody seems to be enjoying his freedom.

“He’s not aggressive,” DeClerk said. “He’s a very friendly animal. He’s carefree. He doesn’t cause any problems.”

If anyone sees the wallaby, DeClerk asked that they give him a call at 585-590-6566. If the animal sneaks into a backyard with a fence or into a garage or barn with a door, people could close the fence or door to hold him until DeClerk gets there.

Otherwise, Woody is difficult to corral.

 DeClerk worries Woody could eat a toxin, get hit by a vehicle or get attacked by a coyote. During winter, he might struggle to find food if he stays out in the cold.

DeClerk has two other albino wallabies, and two red kangaroos. He brought a wallaby to the Albion Fall Festival in 2025 as well as some of his other animals.

“I’m losing sleep over this guy being gone,” DeClerk said. “He is a personal friend of mine.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Cary DeClerk brough an albino wallaby to Albion’s Fall Festival on Oct. 4, 2025.

Jeff Radder takes over at microphone in new era of Rivals football

Photo by Cheryl Wertman: Alec Sherman is presented a plaque in appreciation for his 46 years at the microphone of Albion football games. Mickey Edwards, a former Albion player and now the district superintendent, presents the plaque to Sherman before Friday’s game versus West Seneca East. Sherman performed the honorary coin toss before the game.

ALBION – After 46 seasons as the voice of the Purple Eagles, Alec Sherman has retired from the position.

Hundreds of times over his tenure he called out, “The Eagle has landed!” when Albion scored a touchdown.

But it’s a new era of football with Albion and Medina fielding a merged team – the OC Rivals.

Sherman thought the timing was right to hand off the reins. Jeff Radder, a middle school science teacher and a DJ, is the new announcer at home games in Albion.

Radder introduced his own catchphrase for when the team scores a touchdown: “In for the paydirt!” The Rivals have two shovels as part of their logo to signify the building of the Erie Canal. Radder thought paydirt was a nice tie-in with the logo.

Radder was able to call out five touchdowns in Friday’s game for the Rivals. They lost a close one, 35-34, to West Seneca East.

Sherman said the crowd is in good hands with Radder.

“He knows the kids,” Sherman said. “He has the voice for it and the knowledge.”

Sherman was able to call many monumental games in his tenure, especially the hard-fought contests between Albion and Medina. Four times he was the announcer for Albion in games at the Buffalo Bills stadium. In those games, each team’s announcer called a half.

Sherman, an Albion grad, said he was always pulling for the Purple Eagles to win.

“The emphasis was on our side, but I tried to be fair,” he said.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jeff Radder, right in press box, calls out the action in Friday’s football game in Albion.

Sherman was honored before Friday’s game, the first home game in Albion for the new Rivals team. He performed the coin toss and was presented with a plaque from Mickey Edwards, the Albion district superintendent and a former Albion player.

Sherman graduated from Albion on 1968 and started working at the district as a teacher in 1977. He spent most of his career teaching U.S. history. In 1979, he called his first JV game for Albion and started doing the varsity games in the mid-’80s.

He also coached JV softball, and boys and girls basketball. Two of his girls varsity basketball teams won Niagara-Orleans titles.

Alec Sherman served performed the honorary coin toss before Friday’s game, which was homecoming in Albion.

Sherman is pleased to see the merged team off to a strong start, and to see a big crowd at Friday’s football game.

“It has always been a joy,” Sherman said about the role of announcer. “It meant a lot to be able to do it for my hometown, for the kids and the community. I never did it for myself, I did it for them. Now that we are entering into a new era with the new merger, it’s time to give somebody else a turn.”

Jeff Radder called Friday’s game from the press box and introduced his catchphrase for Rivals’ touchdowns: “In for the paydirt!”

Bruce Pritchett, a middle school social studies teacher, holds a sign demanding a fair contract for Albion teachers. About 30 teachers attended Monday’s board meeting, with several holding signs and most wearing T-shirts in support of the teachers’ union.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Two members of the negotiating team for the Albion Teachers Association, Josh Green at left at podium and Chris Keller, address the Board of Education during Monday’s board meeting.

The teachers have been without a contract since June 30, 2025. An impasse has been declared and a mediator will have his first session on Oct. 20 with the negotiating team of the ATA and district officials.

Green and Keller were limited to a 3-minute comment period during the board meeting. They said the district has been underspending its budget by about 25 percent the last three years or by about $10 million a year.

They said the teachers’ request for higher pay could easily be accommodated by the district if it spent the budgeted amounts for teachers.

Keller is a middle school English teacher and Green works in the high school as a social studies teacher. Green noted a 2022 report from the state comptroller that said the district had amassed reserves that were too high. AT that time the district’s reserves were about $17 million. Green and Keller said the reserves now top $50 million.

The two sides are $1.4 million apart in a five-year contract or about $300,000 a year.

Albion teachers are seeking raises that the ATA said reflects the cost-of-living increases and also the extra workload as the district demands more time each day for teachers to be in the classroom. (The first year of the contract would be an extra 10 minutes, and then 20 minutes from years 2 to 5.)

Mickey Edwards, the district superintendent, told the Orleans Hub in a  recent interview that the needs to allow the district to stay within the state-imposed tax cap of about 2 percent annually. The new contract will set the floor for future contracts and the commitment from local taxpayers, Edwards said.

“My hope is we reach a conclusion that is fair and fiscally responsible for both parties and the community,” he said. “It’s about sustainability and being fair to the community.”

Bruce Pritchett, a middle school social studies teacher, holds a sign demanding a fair contract for Albion teachers. About 30 teachers attended Monday’s board meeting, with several holding signs and most wearing T-shirts in support of the teachers’ union.

Albion hasn’t increased what it collects in property taxes in 18 of the last 20 years. The district has benefitted from steady increases in state aid, but Edwards said there is no guarantee that will continue in the future with the state.

The teachers have been without a contract for over a year. They still get their regular step increases and all other benefits while there isn’t a contract except teachers on the highest step of 24 because there isn’t a step increase for them. The district said the steps are an average of 3.8 percent (ranging from 2.6 to 10.6 percent).

The district is proposing in the new contract the regular pay hikes with step increases, plus additional raises of 6.9 percent in the first year, 3.3 percent in the second year, 3.5 percent the third year, 3.3 percent the fourth year and 3.4 percent in the fifth year. The total increase over the 5 years would be 22.1 percent or $2,742,032.

The ATA is seeking a contract that would be about $1.4 million over what the district is offering. The ATA is seeking the usual salary steps plus a 4.8 percent increase the first year, and then 10 percent the second year, 5.7 percent the third year, 4.7 percent the fourth year and 4.7 percent the fifth year.

The district wants teachers to work more instructional time because the district currently is close to the 990-hour minimum for the elementary school and 900-hour minimum for secondary levels, Edwards said. If there is a snow day or other emergency, Albion is cutting it very close to meet the minimum standard, Edwards said.

That added time represents 4.7 percent more time in the classroom for teachers. The ATA said the contract should reflect that additional workload, as well as the cost-of-living increases that the ATA is putting at 3.5 percent annually.

Board of Education will decide on scope of project on Oct. 26 with 3 options ranging from $33.4 million to $47.3 million

Photos by Tom Rivers: This slide presented at the Albion Board of Education meeting on Monday shows a conceptual rendering of a new greenhouse and renovated ag shop at the high school. Rick Recckio II, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance, is at lower right in the photo.

ALBION – The school district plans to put a capital project to a public referendum in mid-December, with the project ranging from $33.4 million to $47.3 million.

The Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 to determine the scope of the project. It could go to a public vote on either Dec. 15 or Dec. 17.

During Monday’s board meeting, four representatives from Campus Construction Management Group went over options for the project after meeting with district stakeholders in recent months. The Campus Construction team included Jason Benfante, vice president; Kevin Donoghue, executive vice president; Kory Hunsinger, principal; Michael Ferreri, senior project manager.

Campus Construction assisted Albion with the recent $26.7 million capital project that was approved by voters December 2021, with construction starting in 2023. Part of that project included the new turf fields for the football field, softball and soccer. That project also included work on all three schools, as well as the bus garage.

The new project also includes work at all three school buildings as well as the bus garage. The price varies depending on the scope of work in the elementary school.

School districts in New York State are required to do a Building Condition Survey every five years for all normally occupied student buildings. The survey identified areas for a new capital project with state aid covering the majority of the expense. The local share from Albion already would be covered in the district’s capital reserve fund, Board of Education member John Kast said during Monday’s meeting.

“Throughout our meetings with stakeholders, these are the things that rose to top,” said Kory Hunsinger, a principal with Campus Construction.

The new project includes some elements that were considered for the previous project, but were removed, Hunsinger said.

The project could include the following:

High School

This slide was presented during the Board of Education meeting and shows the concept of turning the art foyer at the high school int a fitness center.

• Renovate Ag, IT and wood shop – $6.1 million
• Greenhouse addition – $1 million
• Renovate LGI – $3 million
• Renovate counseling suite – $1.2 million
• Renovate art foyer into fitness center – $1.6 million
• Digital athletics/arts wall of fame – $200,000
• Replace areas of damaged roofing – $100,000
• Remediate sewer odor in athletics vestibule – $100,000

Middle School

The auditorium in the middle school would be renovated while preserving its Art Deco character.

• Renovate auditorium, including seating, lighting, rigging and sound – $7.5 million
• Replace areas of damaged roofing – $600,000
• Replace exterior window sills – $300,000
• Provide security film on at-grade windows – $200,000

Elementary School

The scope of work for new ventilation systems, cabinets and windows would vary in the elementary school, ranging from $6.2 million to $20.1 million

• Replace east playground at $2 million
• Replace west playground surfacing at $800,000
• Renovate main entrance courtyard at $300,000, with $200,000 to add snow melt
• Provide security film on at-grade windows at $200,000
• Replace classroom ventilation system, adjacent cabinets and windows; replace classroom flooring, ceilings, caseworks, lighting and upgrade classroom toilet rooms wings A, B, D, G, I, J. This option would be $20.1 million.

Limiting the work to wings A, B, I, and J would reduce the cost to an estimated $12.1 million for Option 2.

Option 3 would be $6.2 million to replace classroom ventilation system, adjacent cabinets and windows in wings A, B, D, G, I and J.

Transportation building

• Replace trench drain in storage and service bays at $200,000
• Replace areas of damaged roofing, $30,000

If the project is approved by voters, Campus Construction would need to finalize the design and get State Department of Education approval. Once State Ed gives the final OK for the project, bid specifications would be prepared with bids likely to be sought in the winter of 2028.

Construction could start in the summer of 2028, and it could take three summers to get all the work done, Campus Construction officials told the Board of Education.

The cost estimates represent about a 21 percent increase from the current construction prices. Campus Construction is estimating a 7 percent price increase in construction each year. If the work is done in two to three years, the company is estimating a 21 percent escalation in construction costs.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The band, Yacht Club, gave a high-energy performance on Saturday night at the Elks Lodge for “Rocktoberfest.”

The Albion Recreation Committee welcomed the band with proceeds from the event going to Albion’s July 3rd celebration with music, fireworks and other activities at Bullard Park. There was a $5 admission charge and the Elks served food and refreshments.

Yacht Club touts itself as “Western NY’s Premier Yacht Rock party band covering all your favorite Yacht Rock Classics from the ’70s and ’80s.”

The Elks hosted the concert that filled the lodge on West State Street.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A 36-foot-long wall on the bathroom building at Veterans Park has a dramatic new look. Albion art teacher Kamie Feder and 11 of her students turned the white wall into a mural with a bald eagle, poppies, an American flag, and a soldier saluting.

Students worked on the mural from Monday through Wednesday.

Photos courtesy of Kamie Feder: The students are shown on Monday at the beginning of first day working on the large painting at the park, which is located at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street.

Here they are at the end of the first day on Monday.

Avah Tatu and Isabella Negron-Ortiz stencil the stars on the flag on the second day of work.

Students embraced the task of painting the mural. From the top to bottom shows Avah Tatu, Lillian Pike and Eli Patten.

Viktor Healy helped transform the wall into a patriotic display.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Albion 8^th-grade students in Kamie Feder’s enrichment art class have been painting a patriotic mural the past three school days at Veterans Park in Albion at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street.

Aleeah Vallejo is shown working on the silhouette of a soldier saluting. The mural is on the south side of the bathrooms at the park. Before Monday, this wall was bland and all white.

Nikko Russo is on a step ladder working on a bald eagle while Blair Daggett paints poppies for the mural.

Blair Daggett gives the poppies different shades of red. Blair also had the main design for the mural, which is 9 feet high and 36 feet long.

The mural shows a bald eagle, a silhouette of a soldier saluting, red poppy flowers, the American flag, and the message “Lest We Forget.”

This is the third mural in the community that has been painted by Feder and her students. In recent years, Feder and her students worked on a flower-themed mural at the former bathrooms at Bullard Park and also revamped a canal-themed mural on the Albion fire hall. Feder’s classes also have done many murals inside the middle school.

There are five students working on the mural today. During the three days, 11 different students have worked on the project.

The students and their teacher are shown by the mural after they had lunch and were getting ready to complete the large painting. From left include Blair Daggett, Nikko Russo, teacher Kamie Feder, Adalynn Saeva, Julianna Grier and Aleeah Vallejo.

Press Release, Christ Episcopal Church

ALBION – Christ Episcopal Church is proud to announce the opening of Noah’s Bowl, its new community pet food pantry, designed to provide free supplemental dog and cat food to local pet owners experiencing financial hardship.

The new pantry aims to help reduce economic strain on pet owners and prevent animal surrenders by ensuring that families do not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their beloved companion animal.

“Times are tough for many in our community, and pets are cherished members of the family,” said Nicole Spohr, director of the pet project at Christ Church. “We want to offer a safety net, so families facing temporary hardship don’t have to part with their animals.”

The pantry will be open on the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The pet pantry is a walk-up pantry and will be dispensed from our West Park Street entrance.  We ask everyone to be kind, courteous, and have “pawtience.”

To kick off our pet food pantry opening, we will be having a Pet Blessing this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 26 South Main St., Albion.

All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier and under the owner’s control.  A small distribution of pet food will be available while supplies last on this day.

Grand Opening & Distribution Details

Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2026

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: West Park Street (side parking lot of Christ Church)

Requirements: limit of one pickup per household

Distribution: Cat – 3 lb. bag

Dog – Small dog – 2 bags of 3-lb. bags; Large dog – 3 bags of 3-lb. bags

How the Community can help

The pet food pantry operates on community support and donations. Noah’s Bowl is currently accepting donations of unopened, unexpired dry and canned dog and cat food.

If anyone would like to make a pet food donation, please call 585-589-5314. Monetary donations can be sent to Christ Church at 26 South Main Street, Albion, New York 14411, with “Noah’s Bowl” noted on the memo line. For more information, please call 585-589-5314.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Todd Jantzi, an auctioneer and owner of Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, looks for bids during an art auction on Saturday at Marti’s on Main, an art gallery in Albion run by Kim Martillotta Muscarella.

He is shown with a painting by Richard Hart, one of 35 pieces of art work in the auction.

The first-ever art auction raised $8,000 for Marti’s, a non-profit art gallery that features many artists during the year and also hosts art classes and other special events.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, leader of Marti’s on Main, welcomes the group for the auction. She thanked the artists for donating their work. She gave three on her paintings for the auction.

Martillotta Muscarella first ran Marti’s from her home on North Main Street in Albion, and then for a year at the Cobblestone Museum. In 2019, she started to transform the former Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County into an art gallery. The site opened as Marti’s on Main in 2021. It hosts several art shows a year, as well as concerts and art classes.

Martillotta Muscarella said 180 different artists have been featured at Marti’s since her first show in 2008, including about 120 who had their first show at a gallery.

Martillotta Muscarella established a non-profit organization about a year ago to help with fundraising to make the site more sustainable.

Todd Jantzi scans the crowd for bids. Jantzi bought one of the pieces himself. He thanked the group for their generosity and efforts to strengthen Marti’s, which he called a community asset.

A painting by Roseanne Mascari goes up for bid. Marrit Vaga, left, helped run the auction. Judy Wenrich, front right, bid on several of the pieces and donated one her works, showing two horses.

The auction included art work from Arthur Barnes, Tony Barry, Rebecca Barry-Kent, Jeanne Borrelli, David Burke, Rich Della Costa, Bradeen Erakare, Paul Facklam, George Graham, Pat Greene, Richard Hart, Sarah Hyatt, Laura Kemler, Jappie King Black, Arlene London, Chris Manaseri, Diana August Martin, Kim Martillotta Muscarella, Nikki Martillotta McFarland, Roseanne Mascari, Rebecca Maynard, Cindy Meal, Peter Monacelli, Connie Mosher, Michael O’Keefe, Nancy Radzik, Harvey Rayner, Ester Rolick, Brian Seekins, Sharon Stewart, Suzanne Wells, Mark Weld, Judy Wenrich, Bob Wisner and Tom Zangerle.

Some of the artwork in the auction is shown in this photo.

Marti’s on Main has transferred the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. This building is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.