Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Village Board on Wednesday issued a proclamation declaring September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The board presented the proclamation to Tina and Jeremy Neal, who are the parents of Byron Neal, at age 8 on April 14, 2023 after a brave battle with cancer.

From include village trustees Jami Allport, William Gabalski, Jeremy and Tina Neal, Mayor Tim McMurray, and trustees Greg Bennett and Kevin Sheehan.

“Village of Albion residents are urged to recognize the impact of pediatric cancer on families within our community and honor the children in our community whose lives have been cut short by cancer,” the proclamation states.

Tina Neal thanked the board for issuing the proclamation and showing support for the families who have lost children to cancer. The Neal family is active in C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association.

The proclamation states National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a time to honor children and families affected by this deadly disease and to rally support for ground- breaking research that can save kids’ lives.

The American Cancer Society states that in 2025 about 9,550 children in the United States under the age of 15 are expected to die from cancer.

In the Rochester region, 61 local children have been newly diagnosed with cancer, and 5 have relapsed and 5 children have died from the disease in 2025.

“Although cancer is pernicious and complex, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month challenges us to change the numbers; we must remain vigilant to improve these statistics and press forward,” the proclamation states.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Brennan Moody played the role of John the Baptist in Albion’s production of Godspell in March 2018. That musical started with Brennan singing, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” Brennan died in a car accident on June 18, 2019, about a week before he was to graduate. The Albion Village Board on Wednesday voted to name the amphitheater at Bullard Park in Brennan’s honor.

ALBION – The amphitheater at Bullard Park, which hosts numerous bands and musical performers each summer, will be named in honor of the late Brennan Moody.

Brennan was 17 when he died in a car accident on June 18, 2019, 10 days before he was going to graduate from high school.

Brennan starred in the school musicals and was very active in the band and chorus programs.

Jack Burris of Albion and former village resident Thom Jennings first suggested naming the amphitheater for Moody about seven years ago. About 3,000 people backed an online petition for the idea.

Burris attended Wednesday’s Village Board meeting and again pressed the issue. He reminded the board of the strong support for naming the amphitheater for Brennan Moody, and said Brennan’s life continues to inspire people today.

The board unanimously agreed. Mayor Tim McMurray said the village will have a plaque at the amphitheater in honor of Moody.

Brennan’s father, Erin, has been among the performers at the amphitheater as a lead singer with the band Eclipse.

In Brennan’s honor, there is an annual scholarship given to two graduating seniors who have been active in the school’s music program and also show genuine kindness to everyone they encounter.

The Class of 2019 also dedicated a memorial bench in honor of Moody at the high school near the band and chorus rooms.

The bench includes lyrics from the song, “No One Is Alone” from Into the Woods. Brennan played the role of the prince in that show on the Albion stage during the spring of 2019.

Highway 31 closes out Albion’s summer concert series on Aug. 26. The amphitheater, which was constructed in 2019, will be named in honor of Brennan Moody.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike McFarland, who writes under the name Thomas McFarland, holds a copy of his fourth book, The Quarry. The story is set in Albion in 1959.

ALBION – Mike McFarland has written a fourth novel, and this one is more of an homage to a childhood in Albion where children would roam in the neighborhoods, including exploring some of the old quarries. He would swim in the Peck’s quarry on Keitel Road, a site “that was packed on the weekends.”

McFarland, who writes under the name Thomas McFarland, has written “The Quarry.” It is set in the summer of 1959 when a 14-year-old is killed headed home from Peck’s quarry.

McFarland writes about a kid who overhears two men from West Virginia on a lunch break. The men are discussing the murder. A local police officer is able to piece together the clues and solve the crime.

McFarland names the officer Nowak. He is based on a Nowicki who McFarland knew on Knapp Street, where many Polish immigrants and their descendants lived.

McFarland, 83, is retired from a career in sales and also in managing hotels in Rochester. He wrote three historical novels previously.

The Horns of the Buffalo: A Novel of the Zulu War of 1879 highlights a tragic six-month war between the British and the Zulu in 1879.

In Rivers to Cross, McFarland’s book is set in the Civil War and features Tomas Corliss, who is wounded in battle and comes home to find his dreams shattered. He heads west to recover and somehow finds himself in post-war Texas where the great cattle drives to Abilene are just underway.

Donnybrook is a novel set in New York City during the draft riots of 1863.

With his latest novel, McFarland enjoyed reminiscing about growing up in Albion and the summer when he worked for the Kirby Brothers on their tomato farms. It was a dry summer, McFarland recalled, and he was busy moving irrigation pipes, cutting hay, and picking cherries and tomatoes. He was paid 10 cents a basket.

He picked with migrant workers and some local residents. The tomatoes were a huge crop locally back then with the tomatoes destined for the canning factories in Albion.

“They were hard to pick,” McFarland said about tomatoes. “You had to bend way over to get them. The best pickers were on their knees and then went along. It was the one year I worked all summer on a farm. I realized I didn’t want to do that again.”

McFarland now lives in Brockport. He worked about a year on the latest novel, which is about 200 pages. He includes cultural references from the 1950s.

“I do it for the fun of it,” he said about writing. “It’s a story. It’s fun remembering this stuff.”

He is working on his next novel, this time about a serial killer and the troubles in Northern Ireland during the reign of Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Firefighters stand under a giant American flag that was hoisted above Main Street by the ladder trucks from Medina and Murray on Sept. 11, 2024.

There will be Sept. 11 remembrance services on Friday in Albion and Brockport on the 25^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Orleans County will be holding a service on the courthouse lawn beginning at 6 p.m.

Scott Schmidt is the keynote speaker for the service. Schmidt, the Orleans County chief coroner and a funeral director for Mitchell Family Cremations and Funerals, spent three weeks with the federal DMORT team after 9/11 and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones.

The terrorists attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others. Terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the other into a field in rural Shanksville, Pa.

The service will include a welcome message from Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature; and opening and closing prayer from David Fish, pastor of the Barre Center Presbyterian Church; a timeline of Sept. 11 by Justin Niederhofer, the Orleans County emergency management director; and a gun salute from the Honor Guard of the American Legion and VFW.

Doug Egling will play “America the Beautiful” and the crowd will join in singing, “God Bless America.”

In Brockport, there is a Firefighters’ Memorial Monument at 237 South Main St.

That location is the setting for a day of reflection and remembrance on Sept. 11.

The schedule in Brockport incudes an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m., ringing of the bell at 8:47 a.m., and a closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

An Honor Guard will stand vigil throughout the day, paying their respects to those who were killed.

A “Ring of Gold” will replace the Honor Guard for a moment of silence prior to the closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m. The Ring of Gold includes personnel from various agencies.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Kids are full of energy this morning as they left school buses and headed to the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion.

Albion, Holley Kendall and Lyndonville all have their first day of classes today while Medina starts the school year on Wednesday.

These kids head to the Albion school this morning just after 9 a.m.

NY’s Haunted History Trail brings busload of people to sites in WNY

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Brian Cano of Staten Island led a group of 23 people on a paranormal exploration on Sunday night at the Pratt Event Center.

The group arrived by bus as part of a two-day journey around Western New York on the NYS Haunted History Trail.

Cano is shown on the stage of the former Pratt Opera House. On the walls are old play advertisements and programs from theater shows in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The wall is covered with signatures of stage hands, and advertisements from comedy and theater shows. For more than a century, they were hid behind a tin barrier in the Pratt Opera House.

Brian Cano started hosting paranormal TV shows back in 2002 with “Scared in Staten Island.” He said there has been growing interest and acceptance of the paranormal, partly through the popularity of shows such as “Ghost Hunters.”

He led people over two days to several sites in Western New York on the Haunted History Trail. Before coming to the Pratt on Sunday night, the group was at the Buffalo Naval Yard touring a WWII ship.

Cano said the Haunted History Trail highlights interesting places and communities, and isn’t just for people interested in paranormal explorations.

State tourism officials offered the bus tour for the first time, and 23 people signed up.

“Some are just curious, and others are more investigation minded,” Cano said.

Michael Bonafede gave the group some background on the three buildings they would be touring. Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler have worked more than 20 years of restoring the Pratt Event Center and turning the site from near vacancy to buildings with many tenants.

The Pratt Event Center is made up of three interconnected historic buildings, including the former Grand Opera House, the Day and Day Building and the Stone Building. The site features a preserved Grand Army of the Republic meeting room where Civil War veterans from three Orleans County brigades gathered from 1884 to 1930.

The Pratt has hosted paranormal investigations the past five years. Albion resident D.J. Button leads the groups. He has EMF readers, light balls and motion sensors.

Button leads group tours throughout the year, with October and November the busiest months. Click here for more information on the Pratt paranormal tours.

Michael Bonafede shows the group Beaver Alley, a sandstone paved street next to the Pratt Opera House.

The Gold Medal Flour mural was added to the building at 120 North Main St. The tried to replicate a Gold Medal Flour sign from the early 1900s.

The building from 1882 has an intact GAR Room used by the Grand Army of the Republic, and many programs and posters from performances at the opera house, as well as several other artifacts.

Photos courtesy of Taylor McCabe

The group on the Haunted History Trail gathered in a circle on the stage of the Pratt Opera House before their paranormal investigation on Sunday night.

The group is shown in the Grand Army of the Republic room where Civil War veterans would meet regularly.

Some of the group in the theater saw shadows moving in the rear of the opera house where John Pratt is often believed to come up the back stairs and toward the stage. Many felt energy or presence on stage during their circle around the Ghost Light. Others also heard words related to performances, one observer said.

In the GAR room, they received direct responses through paranormal equipment to questions pertaining to the time period in which the room was used by soldiers, the observer said.

For more on the Haunted History Trail, click here.

District will have 2 security staff on duty during school day

Photo courtesy of Albion Central School: from left include Kevin Parker, Joseph Fuller, Randy Hoke, Shawn O’Mara, Joe Robinson and Jeff Gifaldi.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – Albion Central School is proud to share that it will be working with COP Security to oversee districtwide safety and security operations for the 2026-27 school year.

The COP Security team is composed of both retired and current law enforcement officers, as well as U.S. military veterans, bringing extensive experience and specialized training to enhance safety at Albion schools.

With the new partnership, campus security presence will increase from one to two security team members on campus during school hours. There are a total of six security team members assigned to the Albion district. They will be present at Back-to-School Night for students and families to meet and address any questions.

“As we head into a new school year, safety is always of highest priority,” said Mickey Edwards, Albion district superintendent. “We look forward to welcoming and working closely with our new security team to maintain a space where students and staff feel protected and at ease, allowing for their focus to remain on learning, leading and growing.”

COP Security, founded in 1998, takes pride in providing comprehensive security solutions, having served private and public area schools throughout the western New York area for 15 years.

“We understand that a secure learning environment for students and staff is paramount and we are committed to ensuring that their well-being is always at the forefront of our efforts,” said Shawn O’Mara, COP Security Director. “We thank Albion Schools for trusting us and look forward to building strong relationships and a welcoming atmosphere within the school community.”

The District previously utilized the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for their School Resource Officer services, as well as Albion Police Department, and sincerely thanks them for their many years of trusted partnership.

Meet the COP Security team assigned to Albion schools:

• Kevin Parker – a U.S. Navy veteran and retired Orleans Correctional Facility employee, he is involved with several community organizations.
• Joseph Fuller – a retired Albion police officer, Fuller served as K9 handler, and Albion School Resource Officer for five years, and retired with the rank of sergeant. He holds several law enforcement certifications.
• Randy Hoke – a retired Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy, he served as community relations deputy, criminal investigator and retired with the rank of sergeant. Hoke holds several law enforcement certifications and is threat assessment certified.
• Shawn O’Mara – He has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. O’Mara is a retired Gates Police Officer and has served as Director of Security for Holley and Wheatland School Districts as well as Trinity Private Schools. He is a federal instructor for active shooter training and holds several law enforcement certifications.
• Joe Robinson – a retired Greece Police Officer, he served in the supervisor role as first line sergeant. He currently serves as a part-time officer with the Avon Police Department. He holds several certifications under the NYS Department of Justice.
• Jeff Gifaldi – a retired Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputy, he served 25 years, holding titles of undersheriff and criminal investigator. He holds several law enforcement certifications.

Community leaders from 1800s featured on annual tour

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Sue Starkweather Miller, the village of Albion historian,  speaks on Sunday at the grave of Anthony Tripp Sr., a Revolutionary War soldier who enlisted three times. He first served in Rhode Island in 1777 at age 15 as a drummer for three weeks. In 1779, he served in New York for two months and then for three more months in 1780.

He settled in Albion in 1811. Tripp died in 1846 at age 84.

The fence at Mount Albion was purchased by his wife Polly who had saved her widow’s pension funds.

He was one of four Revolutionary War soldiers highlighted on Sunday’s tour of Mount Albion Cemetery. This was the fifth and final of the local cemetery tours organized by the Orleans County Historical Association. There have been annual cemetery tours at Mount Albion since 1994.

Mount Albion was the first site from Orleans County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 27, 1976. The 50^th anniversary of that designation is less than a month away.

About 100 people attended the tour which started at the chapel, a building from 1875 which just got a new slate roof to replace the original. The project was funded by donations from the community.

People were able to check the inside of the chapel, which will see major interior restorations beginning this winter.

The drop ceiling was recently removed to reveal a plaster and lathe vaulted ceiling.

The complete chapel restoration is a $225,000 project for the roof, exterior and interior work. Once it’s complete, Starkweather Miller said the chapel could be used for funerals, historical talks and other events.

People walk through the chapel including the area in the back where up to 16 caskets could be stored during the winter.

Upcoming work inside includes replastering of the north wall; electrical upgrades (wiring, outlets, internal and external lighting); heating unit for seasonal use; removal of old floor, repair subfloor and put in a new floor; and refurbish exterior doors and window trim.

Bill Lattin, retired county historian, co-led the tour with Starkweather Miller. He is holding a head board for Joseph White, a Civil War soldier buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Kendall. Lattin acquired the head board in the 1960s. It was in a janitor’s closet at the county courthouse.

Head boards temporarily were used until a headstone could be made and set.

Starkweather Miller shares about Howland Kimball, who entered the militia as private in Rhode Island and served for about six months. He lived to be about 95, dying in 1854. He was married to Hannah and had eight children.

William Butts, another Revolutionary War soldier, lived to be 85, dying in1841. He was originally from Rhode Island, and was a private, corporal and sergeant in Massachusetts. He served in 1775 to 1777, then again in 1779 and 1782. He and his family moved to Albion in 1835. He and his wife Rachel were married for 62 years.

The tour also featured Daniel Thurston, a Revolutionary War soldier who served in the New York militia. He died in 1829 at age 92. He was a farmer and a deacon in the Presbyterian Church for over 50 years.

Bill Lattin speaks by the grave of the Honorable Sanford E. Church, who served as lieutenant governor of New York, state comptroller and chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals. He died on May 14, 1880. His grave includes an elaborate marble canopy supported by red granite pillars.

The hitching post at far left is positioned in a stomping pad for horses. The pad helped to protect the dirt from the horses, Lattin said.

The tour included a stop at the grave for Michael Hanly, the first superintendent of Mount Albion Cemetery from 1862 to 1894. He lived from Sept. 4, 1821 to Sept. 11, 1907. He is buried next to wife Catherine.

Before there was a superintendent, people had to take care of their own plots, and not everyone kept them up, Starkweather Miller said.

The community has been very fortunate to have cemetery superintendents and employees so committed to the upkeep of the cemetery, she said.

“From the very first superintendent until now, I’ve seen nothing but dedication and care for this cemetery,” Starkweather Miller said.

Mount Albion opened in 1843. It was initially 25 acres that were purchased at $40 an acre or $1,000 total.

Daniel Cady, a lawyer and father of famed women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, gave the dedicatory address on Sept. 7, 1843 from this park in the cemetery.

The speech began:

“We have met to provide a mansion for the dead! We have come out of our quiet homes and the bright sun light and the crowded streets, and all the garish show of life to this secluded spot, to set apart a last final resting place where the weary pilgrim – the wandered through life’s thorny maze, may come and lay down his burdened form – where families may gather together the forms of those, their loved and lost ones – and whose sire and son, blooming youth and any age, the beautiful and the gifted, may sleep in undisturbed repose till the morning of the Resurrection.”

The tour highlighted Ebenezer Rogers, a shoemaker and tanner who later became a farmer. His brick home on South Main Street, just north of Allen Road, is the oldest house in Albion.

Building began in 1816 and was completed in 1820 for Rogers, who helped start the Barre Center Presbyterian Church as well as the First Presbyterian Church in Albion. The Presbyterian Church in Albion had 16 members when  the society formed in 1826 and grew to 420 by 1853.

Starkweather Miller also highlighted Joseph Hart. She has lived in his house for more than 50 years on South Main Street.

That house  was constructed between 1820-23 in the federal style. It was built to replace a log cabin which Joseph Hart erected in 1811/12 as an early settler. In 1921, the home was moved to its current location at 323 South Main St.

Joseph’s Hart son, Elizur, was a banker and congressman. He left $50,0000 for the First Presbyterian Church of Albion, plus another $5,000 for its Sunday school.

He helped has the money to erect the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a Civil War memorial for the nearly 500 soldiers from the cunty killed in the war. It was dedicated on the 100^th anniversary of the USA –  July 4, 1876.

Bill Lattin highlights the monument for John Proctor, a key leader among the pioneers. He helped settle the hamlet of Childs in Gaines. Proctor first came to this area in 1810 at the age of 23 after purchasing several large parcels of land from the Holland Land Office.

He built a cabin in what is now Childs and lived modestly for his first few years in the area, surviving on a few acres of corn, wheat, and potatoes.

Perhaps John Proctor’s most famous accomplishment is his role as the “Paul Revere of Ridge Road.” In December of 1813, Proctor’s nearest neighbor woke him in the middle of the night to bring word that the British were invading from Canada and had already burned the village of Lewiston.

Proctor owned the only horse in the area, and so he rode 15 miles from Childs to Clarkson to warn other settlers that the British were coming.

Proctor had a vision for the hamlet and began to sell and rent his land to settlers, businesses, and churches that were starting to spring up in and around what is now Childs. In 1834 he paid for the construction of a cobblestone church for the Universalist Society of Gaines, and later sold a house of worship to the Free Congregationalist Church, an abolitionist congregation. Proctor was such a notable figure that before he named the hamlet Fair Haven, it was colloquially referred to as “Proctor’s Corners.”

Although he was an outstanding member of the community, Proctor’s personal life was marked by tragedy. John was married four times and had to bury three of his wives, and while he had six children, only two of them survived to adulthood.

The Proctor family obelisk memorialize Proctor’s wives and children, several of whom died in a typhoid breakout in 1828.

An Albion girl changed the face of the American presidency. Grace Bedell wrote the letter to Abraham Lincoln urging him to grow a beard to improve his chances for getting electing as president.

Her parents, Norman and Amanda, are buried at Mount Albion.

Grace Bedell grew up in Albion, but briefly lived in Westfield. She mailed the letter to Lincoln, recommending he grow whiskers, when she lived in Westfield.

Grace Bedell’s father Norman attended a country fair in the fall of 1860 and brought home a campaign poster featuring Abraham Lincoln and his vice presidential running mate Hannibal Hamlin. Grace, 11, didn’t see how Lincoln could win, not with that face. He was too homely looking. But Bedell, who lived in a pro-abolitionist home, had an idea that would make Lincoln more appealing to the masses: Grow a beard. On Oct. 15, 1860, she mailed a letter to Lincoln.

The Bedell family had lived in Albion for 40 years before they moved to Westfield in 1859. They stayed two years before returning to Albion.

Photo courtesy of Isabella Zasa: Marti’s on Main is located in the former Cornell Cooperative Extension offices at 20 South Main St. in Albion.

Press Release, Marti’s on Main

ALBION – Marti’s on Main Art Studio in Albion will host its first annual Art Auction on Saturday, September 26, featuring original artwork donated by 35 artists.

The auction will provide art lovers and collectors with an opportunity to view and bid on a variety of original works while supporting the nonprofit art gallery and its ongoing programming in the community.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the 35 artists who donated their work and made this first annual Art Auction possible,” said Kim Martillotta-Muscarella, owner and curator of Marti’s on Main. “We’re excited to showcase their artwork and create an evening that celebrates the arts while helping support the future of Marti’s on Main.”

Artwork will be available for preview beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the live auction scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Todd Jantzi, owner of Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service in Batavia, will serve as auctioneer.

RSVPs are required by September 17, and space is limited. To RSVP, call or text 585-590-9211 or complete the online registration form by clicking here. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsoring the event may email martisonmain@gmail.com for more information.

About Marti’s on Main

Marti’s on Main is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit classified under Section 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code. The studio provides a space for artists to showcase their work and for people to experience and participate in the arts through exhibitions, workshops and events. Marti’s on Main relies on donations and membership fees to support its operations and continue its mission of supporting artists and making the arts accessible.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Marti’s on Main celebrated its grand opening on July 24, 2021 at the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 20 South Main St. About 125 people attended the three-hour open house. Marti’s hosts several art shows and classes each year. The building has been turned into art showcase by Kim and Neal Muscarella.

Photos courtesy of Tim Archer

ALBION – Some Albion eighth-grade students worked on community service projects over the summer.

In the photo at left, Elizabeth Colmenero (right) and Giuliana Liuzzi painted portions of the Town of Albion sign along Clarendon Road.

In the photo at right, Gavin O’Brocta (right) and Kyler Bennett painted the poles for historic markers, including the one by the Orleans County Courthouse.

Cooper Traxler giving hair in memory of friend, Byron Neal

Photos courtesy of Jamie Traxler

BROCKPORT – Cooper Traxler, 12, of Albion is shown on Friday before he got his hair cut at Next Level Barbershop in Brockport.

Cooper had 16 inches taken off with his first haircut in five years. He is donating the hair to Wigs for Kids in memory of Byron Neal, who passed away from cancer at age 8 on April 14, 2023. Byron and his family sat in front of Cooper for church services at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion.

Cooper got a major overhaul with the haircut by Jeremy Burris at Next Level Barbershop. Many of Cooper’s friends and football coaches recommended Jeremy for the haircut.

Cooper said he was excited for the change with a new school year starting next week. He will be going into seventh grade.

Cooper’s hair will be given to Wig for Kids out of Ohio. He will be raising $500 to go with his hair which will start the wig production, said his mother, Jamie Traxler.

Many kids with cancer lose their hair while enduring chemo treatments.

“He wanted them to have his hair to make them feel more like themselves until their hair grew back,” Jamie Traxler said. “So that they could focus on feeling better and getting better while not worrying about people staring because of losing their hair and how that made them look.”

Anyone interested in donating towards the new wig can send the money by Venmo to @JamieTraxler82.

Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: New Albion teachers stopped by Panek farms on Thursday.

ALBION – The group of new Albion teachers toured sites in the community on Thursday as part of their orientation.

Tim Archer, a retired teacher who led many community services projects with students, led the new teachers on a three-hour tour of the Albion community.

They visited Doug Farley, Bill Lattin and Collin Capurso at the Cobblestone Museum and its one-room schoolhouse, Kathy Harling (associate court attorney) at the Orleans County Courthouse, the Rev. Sue Thaine at the First Presbyterian Church, Harriet Greaser in her home (former Presbyterian Church manse), the Mt. Albion Cemetery Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Civil War memorial), and Jim and Kerry Panek at Panek Farms. New school board member Kaitlyn Panek was on hand to welcome the teachers.

Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum, shows the teachers a one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1849 and served the school district until 1952.

The teachers are shown inside the County Courthouse, a building constructed in 1858 that remains as the county’s main courts facility.

Provided photos

ALBION – SUNY Brockport students were at Bullard park today sanding the pavilion and digging out weeds in the playground. They also raked up mulch and filled in sports around the park.

There were about 1,000 Brockport students working on projects around the Rochester region today for the university’s annual Saturday of Service.

 Brockport wants to see students build community connections and a strong civic responsibility.

These students are pictured with John Grillo, Albion recreation director for the past 50 years.

Some Brockport students also worked on projects at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. They helped with some painting and weeding around the church.

Students are shown in the sanctuary of the historic Albion church.

Aric Albright to take over in expanded role as superintendent of streets

File photo by Tom Rivers: Jay Pahura, Albion’s Department of Public Works superintendent, checks on the spray park at Bullard Park in June 2020. Pahura and the DPW did a lot of work on the upgrades at Bullard, in addition to their work maintaining and plowing streets, fixing water leaks, setting up and tearing down for events, and other projects in the village.

ALBION – The village’s superintendent of the Department of Public Works will be retiring on Friday. Jay Pahura has worked for the DPW the past 36 years.

Pahura has been a master problem-solver for the village, keeping the streets maintained, fixing waterlines and other aging infrastructure, village officials said in commending Pahura on Wednesday during his final Village Board as DPW superintendent.

“Over the years, you have helped keep this community moving—often behind the scenes, often without recognition, and always with a commitment to getting the job done right,” Mayor Tim McMurray said in praising Pahura on Wednesday. “From responding to major infrastructure repairs and unexpected emergencies, to preparing for public events and handling all the details that others may have forgotten to ask about, you have been someone the village could count on.”

Pahura brought a deep knowledge of the village and its infrastructure and strong work ethic to the job.

“Your work has made a real difference in the day-to-day lives of our residents,” McMurray said. “The roads, water, facilities, events, and services that people rely on do not happen by accident. They happen because of dedicated public servants like you who take pride in their work and understand that the smallest details often matter the most.”

The Village Board on Wednesday appointed Aric Albright, the chief operator of the village sewer plant (Pollution Control Facility), to an expanded role as superintendent of streets.

Albright will oversee the DPW, sewer plant, water plant and Mount Albion Cemetery. He will take on the added duties without a pay raise at his request, McMurray said.

Jason Zicari, the long-time superintendent at Mount Albion, also is retiring. Scott Bradshaw will serve as the working foreman at the cemetery.

Levi Boyer, chief operator at the water plant, will continue in that role.

McMurray said there will be cost-savings for the village with Albright in the new expanded role, and the mayor said it also makes more sense with the new position supervising all four departments.

“The village will be better off having one manager over everything,” McMurray said.

Albright and the village staff at the sewer plant as will continue to manage the sewer plants for Holley, Elba and Bergen.

The board on Wednesday voted to hire a part-time clerk to help with the paperwork and reports required at the sewer plants, and also Mount Albion. Callie Allport was hired for the job at $19 an hour.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Rich Nolan, lead singer for the Highway 31 band, belts out a song during Wednesday’s concert at Bullard Park.

The band was scheduled for Aug. 12, but a thunderstorm postponed the concert to Wednesday.

The band is shown performing a medley of “Jack & Diane” by John Mellencamp and “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen.

The band members include Rich Nolan of Gasport as lead singer, and the guitar trio of Aaron Clark of Holley, Clinton LaPorte of Le Roy, and Clinton’s dad Tim LaPorte Sr. of Batavia. Timmy LaPorte of Elba, Tim’s son and Clinton’s brother, is the drummer for the band.

There was a large crowd for the concert, including this group of dancers. Organizers said about 1,000 turned out for the event.

Food vendors were available throughout the concert series which started on June 10.

This group sat a little farther away from the amphitheater.

The concert series was funded with state arts money administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.