By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – A truck hauling apples travels on Main Street in Medina on Tuesday evening.
A flash flood watch is in effect for Orleans County and Western New York today, beginning at 8 a.m. through this evening.
The National Weather Service says a strong storm system over the upper Great Lakes will bring warm and moist gulf moisture northwards into the lower Great Lakes region in advance of a slow-moving cold front. This will result in showers and thunderstorms with torrential downpours, which may result in localized flooding, the Weather Service says.
The weather will be sunny for the weekend with highs of 74 on Friday, 75 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday, according to the Weather Service.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Brian Kent begins gasoline-free trip on Monday
Provided photo – Brian Kent is pictured with his 2013 Nissan LEAF. He is planning a 100-day cross-country trip in the vehicle, planting a tree in 48 states along the way.
ALBION – Brian Kent will embark on a cross-country trip on Monday, the beginning of a 26,000-mile trip over 100 days. He plans to plant a tree in 48 states as part of a negative carbon road trip.
Kent, 44, wants to shatter myths about electric cars, that they are unreliable for a long journey. He will charge up along the way, using those stops to talk with people and share his mission for more earth-friendly transportation.
Kent lives in Batavia. He grew up in Albion and will start his trip from the home of his parents, Gary and Grace Kent, on Allens Bridge Road.
Kent bought his 2013 Nissan LEAF in December 2013. He has logged about 28,000 miles on it. The vehicle has a range of 84 miles before it needs a charge.
“People have such misconceptions about these cars,” Kent said today. “The vast majority of households could use them. You could be driving a very economical, efficient and reliable vehicle.”
He has sponsors for the trip, including Kampgrounds of America. He will plant a tree at a KOA site in 46 states. With no KOA in Rhode Island or Delaware, Kent is working with local governments in those two states to plant a tree.
The freelance writer believes his trip will more than double the world record for the longest trip in an electric car without solar power.
“These vehicles can accomplish long road trips,” he said.
A photo from the dashboard of Kent’s car.
Kent wants to educate and show the public what is possible with an electric vehicle, including the accessibility of plug-in vehicle charging. He plans to charge his Nissan LEAF in city centers and campgrounds.
He will blog along the way, highlighting successes and some inevitable challenges. (Click here to see his blog.)
Kent said his tree-planting will remove 10 times as much carbon dioxide as he put into the atmosphere as part of the 26,000-mile trip. He said one tree sequesters about one ton of CO2 in its first 40 years. Planting 48 trees will remove about 48 tons of C02 over 40 years.
The electricity needed to drive a Nissan LEAF 26,000 miles would account for about 4.8 tons of C02 emitted.
Besides Kampgrounds of America, Kent is partnering with Michelin, Plug in America, National Drive Electric Week, EV Charge Hub, Clean Technica, Inside EVs, and The Green Optimistic for the educational trip.
Kent is planning to touch all capital cities in the lower 48 states. He will average 262 miles each day until the trip concludes on Dec. 2.
“I believe it’s incumbent upon those of us familiar with plug-in vehicles to spread the word as best we can,” he said. “Not everyone can or needs to drive across the country, but most Americans drive less than 40 miles per day, and an electric vehicle costs the equivalent of less than a dollar-per-gallon of gasoline to drive, so these cars are ideal for most Americans and we need them for our environment and our children’s future.”
Kent set a $2,500 fund-raising goal for the trip, and already has exceeded that. Click here for more information.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed New York State Police to ramp up enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on impaired driving.
The 20-day campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7 (Labor Day) and is aimed at significantly reducing deaths and injuries caused by motorists driving drunk or impaired by drugs. The New York State Police, together with the important work of local law enforcement, will be vigilant in screening for impaired drivers.
“Driving drunk is both reckless and selfish, and we have seen too far too many avoidable tragedies that occurred after someone got behind the wheel when they shouldn’t have,” Cuomo said. “I urge all New Yorkers to drive responsibly, and want everyone to know that impaired driving will not be tolerated in this state.”
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee 2014 annual report found that while the number of alcohol-related crash injuries were down in New York State by nearly 800 over a five-year period starting in 2009, 364 people were killed in such crashes in 2013 and about 30 percent of New York’s crash fatalities are alcohol-related.
Additionally, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,076 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving a driver with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher 2013.
In New York State, .08 percent BAC is the legal threshold for driving while intoxicated, but many offenders are arrested at nearly twice that level: statewide, the average BAC of those arrested for alcohol-impaired driving is more than .14.
Alcohol, however, is just one substance contributing to traffic fatalities. Drugs other than alcohol, such as marijuana and cocaine, are a factor in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Contractors have been busy at Elementary School
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
KENDALL – Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Principal Carol D’Agostino, left, and Board of Education President Nadine Hanlon see some of the improvements to the Kendall Elementary School Cafeteria, including new flooring.
Students at Kendall Central School will return to school next month to buildings that have received extensive makeovers as part of a $25 million capital project.
The project includes new roofs for both school buildings, as well as energy efficient improvements, heating and ventilation work, and updated security measures. Both sites will also see improvements to parking lots and sidewalks.
Members of the Kendall Central School District Board of Education and administrators toured both school buildings Wednesday evening following the regular school board meeting to see how the capital project is progressing just weeks before school opens. Here, Project Manager Vince Donowski shows them work being done in the District Office located in the elementary school.
An eagle on the second-story facade of Kendall Elementary School overlooks construction materials in the front yard. Part of the Capital Improvement Project includes work on the front entry steps and stone. This photo was taken from the second-story library.
Shiny new tile brightens up a hallway in the Kendall Elementary School. Work this month at the school has included ceilings, casework, painting, flooring, HVAC equipment connections, equipment placement and assembly in the basement and boiler rooms, grading and paving of the parking lot, skylights and front entry foundations.
In addition to duct cleaning, asbestos abatement, ceiling and floor replacement and painting, work in the Elementary School also included some restoration. District officials decided to keep the original wood entry doors which have been refinished.
Orleans Hub will post photos from the Junior-Senior High School later today.
That school was built in 1971 in an “open classroom” model that didn’t include contained classrooms. The school included partitions to try to reduce noise and hallway distractions. The capital project gives all the classrooms four walls and their own door.
The district will have an open house for the community on Sept. 3 to tour the renovated Junior/Senior High School.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Bower and his supporters believe they are poised to pull off upset
Photos by Tom Rivers – Randy Bower meets with about 100 of his backers and campaign team members on Wednesday night at St. Mary’s Athletic Club in Albion.
ALBION – Randy Bower’s campaign to be the next Orleans County sheriff may have appeared over on May 7.
That night, the Orleans County Republican Committee endorsed Tom Drennan to be the next sheriff, succeeding Scott Hess who is retiring on Dec. 31. About 70 members of the committee gave about 60 percent of the group’s support to Drennan.
There was speculation that Bower, a county dispatcher the past 29 years, would drop out of the race. He already had the Conservative endorsement, but many wondered if he would buck the Republican Party leaders and force a primary.
Bower refused to back off. He submitted Republican petitions signed by more than 900 people, well above the 525 threshold to force the primary.
“The energy has been phenomenal,” Bower, 50, said after a meeting with about 100 campaign supporters at St. Mary’s Athletic Club in Albion.
Bower has gained a following on the campaign, impressing his supporters with his energy in going to so many community events and talking to residents regardless of their background, from political party affiliation to socioeconomic status.
“I’ve seen him a lot more than his opponent,” said Bill Francis of Albion, who attended a rally for Bower on Wednesday night at St. Mary’s. “He’s thought this through from the get-go.”
Randy Bower speaks with his campaign supporters at St. Mary’s with about three weeks to go before the Republican Primary.
Francis chatted with Bower at the Lyndonville Fourth of July Parade. Bower had a booth after the parade and gave Francis one of the red “Bower for Sheriff” T-shirts. More than 300 people have those shirts and Francis said he is proud to wear it.
“You want my vote, you have to come talk to me,” Francis said.
Bower has been paralyzed from the waist down since a car accident at age 18. Francis has a daughter Erica, 25, who is legally blind and deaf. He sees a determination in his daughter to not let her disabilities keep her from an active life.
“Just like my daughter, Randy lets nothing bother him or hold him back,” Francis said.
Bower talks about living a “blessed life” with his wife Robin and their children: Jessica, 23; and Jacob, 20.
He is running to be sheriff to build a strong team in the Sheriff’s Department that he said will focus on service to residents, from stepping up road patrols by Lyndonville and Kendall schools, to timely delivery of civil papers to pushing for state-funded drug and alcohol addiction programs for inmates in the county jail.
Bower thanked his campaign team for their help the past few months, and then gave them more instructions before the primary on Sept. 10.
Bower has been campaigning with Chris Bourke, a 31-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, who would serve as undersheriff if Bower is elected. Bourke has been a lieutenant the past 18 years and a K-9 handler.
(Besides the primary, there is a general election on Nov. 3 and the Democratic Party has endorsed Don Organisciak, who worked 30 years in Medina, with 16 years as a patrolman, then a year as a sergeant and the final 13 years as the Medina Police Department’s first full-time criminal investigator. Both Bower and Drennan have other lines for the general election with Bower backed by the Conservative Party and Drennan picking up the Independence Party line.)
Bower has attended numerous community events, from chicken barbecues at churches to big community parades.
He has 700 campaign signs out on yards, bold red signs with the sheriff star. At least 300 people are wearing “Randy Red,” the bright red shirts that say “Bower for Sheriff.”
Randy Bower urges his supporters to keep wearing their red “Bower for Sheriff” shirts and work to get out more campaign signs.
He has the support of the Deputy Sheriffs Association, and the union for corrections officers and other civilian staff. Each of those unions has given $2,000 towards his campaign.
“They have been tireless in their efforts,” Amy Jenks, a member of the Deputy Sheriffs Association, said about Bower and Bourke. “If they are working this hard campaigning, imagine what they could do for the county if they win the election.”
Bower said the support within the department, plus the community has him optimistic he will win the Republican primary on Sept. 10.
His father, George Bower, was an Orleans County legislator for more than two decades, and won more than 10 county-wide elections.
“I’ve been very impressed,” George Bower said about his son. “He is surrounded by a lot of good people. He goes to the chicken barbecues and talks to the people. He has a great personality and he is a great kid, and he has been like that since he was 18.”
Randy Bower said voter turnout will be the key for the primary. He and his key supporters will be reaching out to Republicans to get out the vote on Sept. 10.
“This is the first time I can remember a contested sheriff’s election with this kind of energy,” Bower told his supporters.
He showed no signs of exhaustion from the pace of the campaign.
“Throughout this whole time, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed this job and being with the people of Orleans County,” he said.
Drennan has been chief deputy in the Sheriff’s Department the past nine years. He has worked in the department for 23 years. He has a campaign event on Aug. 27 at the Albion Elks Club. Orleans Hub plans to stop by and talk with Drennan and his supporters.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
CLARENDON – Before the Clarendon Town Board members held their regular August meeting at the Historical Society Museum Barn on Tuesday evening, community members enjoyed free hot dogs and drinks, and were treated to a concert by the band, Brick.
The Clarendon Historical Society served up the food provided by the Clarendon Gazebo Committee.
“It’s a very nice event for the town,” Clarendon Town Board member Allen Robinson noted during the meeting, following a comment from a resident praising the annual event as a time for the “small community to come together, sit down and relax.”
During their meeting, board members set workshop dates of Sept. 21 and 22 for budget preparation. The town must have its 2016 tentative budget in place by Sept. 30, officials said.
Grant Moy, left, and Garrett Moy, grandsons of Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy, help out at the grill Tuesday evening outside the Historical Society Museum Barn. The Historical Society served free hot dogs and drinks provided by the Clarendon Gazebo Committee from 5 to 7 p.m., preceding the monthly meeting of the Town Board which was held in the museum. Those attending enjoyed food as well as entertainment provided by the country/oldies/classic rock-n-roll band, Brick.
Brick performs outside the Clarendon Historical Society Museum Barn.
Contributed Story Posted 20 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos courtesy of Hoag Library
ALBION – Hoag Library hosted a program on Wednesday with the Buffalo Zoomobile. This year the Buffalo Zoo sent Outreach Program Specialist Robin Sanecki and volunteer docent Betsy Walls.
In the top photo, Walls explains to the children how some birds can’t fly because of their feathers. The Zoomobile showed several feathers, animal skeletons, an anaconda skin, an alligator skull and pelts.
These Brazilian cockroaches were kept in their container while Sanecki explained that they help keep places clean by eating rotten food and other waste materials, which would otherwise risk building up and polluting an environment.
Sanecki brought five animals with her to represent a broad spectrum of the animal kingdom, including mammals, birds, arthropods, and more. A rabbit, a tortoise, cockroaches, a toad and a parrot were all presented to the audience. At the end of the program, everyone was given the opportunity to touch the rabbit and the tortoise.
A young boy at the program gets up close with a rabbit.
The program drew a crowd of over 100 people during the three sessions. The morning sessions were open to very young kids and their parents to hear an animal story, then get a close look at the animals.
The afternoon session was open to anyone in the public and featured more animal education, such as species classification and how animals survive in their habitats.
Sanecki holds Abraham the toad. The children laughed when he came out and performed his two defense mechanisms: urinating and puffing up. Sanecki explains that is how frogs and toads try to get you to leave them where they live.
Contributed Story Posted 19 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photos by Marilyn Neilans
The Class of 1965 celebrated its 50th reunion on Saturday with a party at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.
The top photo shows John Dale, left, and Bob Gurzynski, right, presenting Class President Bob Rice with a plaque designating him “President For Life” of the class of 1965. His classmates say that he can never stop being in charge of the class reunions.
Classmates sort through stacks of pictures of previous reunions. The group includes, from left: Donna Bentley Brenner, Ann Moore Brown, Lenore Vick Heard, Frank Ciszek and Charlie Nesbitt.
Marcia Bannister Skinner entertains the group with her beautiful voice.
Some of the classmates gather for a photo. The group includes, front row, from left: Doreen Ritterbandt Goffe, Ann Burgoon Wood, Donna Bentley Brenner, Carol Andrews Lally, Kathy Watson Sherman, Linda Phillips Dale and Marcia Bannister Skinner.
Back row: Ken Snyder, Bob Gurzynski, John Dale, Kathy Piazza Ludwick, Roger Gibson, Bob Rice and Phillip McKenna.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Firefighters from Orleans and Genesee counties witnessed a powerful “rotator” move a school bus that was tipped within inches of a crushed car.
Rusiniak’s Service in Buffalo brought the machine with a 360-degree boom. It can grab vehicles that weigh up to 115,000 pounds and swing them out of the way so rescue personnel can work on patients or free trapped people in a vehicle.
Rusiniak’s did the demonstration at Lyons Collision in Medina, and used a mini crane to move the bus.
Jeff Lyons of Lyons Collision said the “rotator” is a great asset to help firefighters.
“You can work off the side of a scene,” Lyons said. “You don’t have to back up and be directly behind the vehicle. It’s amazing to me that you can pick up that much weight and swing it around.”
The rotator has no trouble lifting a 25,000-pound school bus.
Dave Czumaj, right, of Rusiniak’s controls the crane. It can gently and precisely move massive weight at a scene. Jeff Lyons is at center. He said Lyons Collision and Rusiniak’s work together on some calls.
Cory Vercruysse of Lyons, right, helps guide the school bus while it is moved away from the car. Rusiniak’s does many demonstrations for firefighters in Western New York, showing the “rotator” in action.
The school bus is close to being set down on the other side of the rotator.
Barre firefighters Karl Driesel (left), Pat Lamka, and his daughter Sarah Lamka were among the firefighters to see the demonstration.
After the demo, firefighters worked on extrication drills on some of the vehicles at Lyons.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The Board of Education voted on Tuesday to lop another 1 percent off school taxes for the 2015-16 year.
The Board in April approved a budget that kept the tax levy unchanged at $8,863,394 compared to 2014-15. District residents then supported the $34,802,870 budget in a May public vote.
However, the board on Tuesday noted some cost savings with personnel, giving the district some added flexibility in reducing the tax levy by $88,634 to $8,774,760.
District residents will see the tax rate fall from $23.31 to $23.01 per $1,000 of assessed property.
“This will be the third year in a row the school board has voted to reduce taxes thereby offering some relief to taxpayers,” District Superintendent Jeff Evoy said. “This will be the lowest tax rate for the MCSD since 2002-03.”
BATAVIA – The third annual golf tournament by officers from the Orleans Correctional Facility raised $6,500 for Crossroads House in Batavia.
The correctional officers had the tournament on July 20 at the Chestnut Hill Country Club.
In addition to supporting the Crossroads House, the tournament was held in memory of an officer who died suddenly earlier this year. Josef Young, who was assigned to Orleans Correctional Facility, was 49 when he died unexpectedly in January.
The Crossroads House is a comfort care house for the dying. The 24-hour care giving home serves the communities of Genesee and Wyoming counties at no cost to the patients or family.
The golf tournament had 142 golfers and numerous volunteers. Officers and civilian staff from Orleans Correctional Facility organized the tournament and were supported by local businesses in the area that donated raffle items and sponsored tee signs.
Numerous members of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association from Attica, Gowanda and Wende correctional facilities also supported and attended the tournament.
“Since Crossroads House relies 100 percent on the generosity of the community, efforts like the NYSCOPBA Orleans Sector Golf Tournament are an integral part of continuing to provide Comfort Care for the dying,” said Jeff Allen, executive director at the Crossroads House. “The proceeds from the tournament helped to fund the installation of security cameras without impact to our budget. Because of the efforts of the Orleans Correctional Facility staff and the participants of the tournament, Crossroads House is a safer place for the residents, families, and volunteers.”
Last year the tournament benefited the American Heart Association, which received $7,000 in the name of Officer Duane Catanesi, who passed away suddenly in 2014.
The golf tournament has now raised and donated over $20,000 to charities in Western New York over the past three years in honor or memory of correctional officers.
“I would like to thank each and every officer who volunteered their time in organizing and participating in this important charity event,” said Western Region Vice President Mike Dildine. “For three years now this tournament has supported great organizations who are dedicated to helping others. NYSCOPBA members raise money for a wide variety of charities throughout western New York every year. I am extremely proud of our members and the impact they have on the communities they live and work in. They work in a profession that is constantly scrutinized and criticized and they don’t get enough credit for how they serve the public.”
Assemblyman also supports new law for distilleries
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued two statements today, one about a lawsuit in favor of SCOPE and another on Gov. Cuomo signing legislation to help micro-breweries.
“On behalf of the Shooter’s Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) and Second Amendment rights activists state-wide, I am proud to announce that the New York State Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Cuomo and state officials have illegally withheld records relating to a Freedom of Information Request (FOIL) into illegal seizures during a gun rally in Albany last April. During the rally, state troopers unlawfully seized replica guns from several participants under orders from the executive branch.
“This is a positive step in ensuring that our Constitutional rights are not completely compromised by Gov. Cuomo’s illegal tactics. The SAFE-Act was passed under the cover of darkness without any public input or vetting process and remains one of the worst pieces of legislation I have ever seen during my time in the Assembly. I will continue to fight for repeal of this illegal law and support gun owners in my district and state-wide.”
The governor signed legislation to reduce regulations on wineries, distilleries and cideries.
“I am proud to announce that Gov. Cuomo has signed into law new legislation that will help our local craft breweries, wineries and distilleries streamline their manufacturer process, market new products and increase their profits. The craft beer and wine industry is booming in Western New York and I have made every effort to bolster their presence. By recognizing the value in this emerging industry we can keep profits in the hands of local families, create jobs and make New York attractive to start-up companies looking to own a piece of the pie in this growing market.
“In essence, the newly created laws will allow retail stores to conduct liquor samplings, exempt micro-breweries from the burdensome regulation of certain tax filing requirements and allow farm distilleries to sell gifts and souvenirs. I voted in favor of this legislation because New York needs to do everything in its power to ease the burden on small businesses; they are the backbone of our economy and a driving force in creating jobs.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is stepping up its efforts to bring a chain hotel to the county.
The Orleans Land Restoration Corporation, one of the EDA’s development arms, bought 5 acres of land on Maple Ridge Road for $50,000 last month. That property includes an abandoned house and overgrown yard.
The house will be razed and the land cleaned up, said Jim Whipple, EDA chief executive officer. The EDA will need to do an asbestos survey on the house before it comes down. The house was bought in a bank foreclosure sale on July 15.
The property sits between Takeform Architectural Graphics and a proposed spot for Pride Pak, a Canadian company that is looking to spend at least $10 million for a vegetable processing facility.
The abandoned house and overgrown property “looks bad” when the EDA shows potential developers the Medina Business Park and other land available for development, Whipple said.
The EDA has been working to facilitate construction of a new hotel on Maple Ridge Road in Medina. The EDA has talked with Cobblestone Inn and Suites about a project in Medina. That company has built many hotels in small towns, typically working with investors in the host community.
Whipple said an investor is interested in a Medina hotel, but first is working to finish another project. Whipple said he expects that investor will make a decision about whether to pursue a project in Medina this fall.
The EDA hired a consultant to study the market for a hotel in Medina. Interim Hospitality Consultants concluded last October that a small hotel with 41 to 49 rooms would be profitable in the community.
The EDA sees the land on Maple Ridge Road across from GCC as an ideal location because the site already has infrastructure – water, sewer and electricity – within the village.
The chain hotel would be a lift for the area, boosting bed tax for tourism, sales tax for the county and state, and other spending in the community, EDA officials said.
It would also be a plus for businesses to know they would have an option for visiting professionals, consultants and staff to stay in a local chain hotel without having to go out of county.
“Right now they’re not staying here,” Whipple said. “There’s a level of hospitality we don’t offer in Orleans County. We want to encourage a hotel and we’re investigating ways to help.”
The EDA’s Land Restoration Corporation bought the house and land in Medina with some of the funds from the $176,000 sale of an Albion warehouse to BOMET, which is based in Cambridge, Ontario. That company has upgraded the warehouse and will use it as a base for recycling electronics.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – These bright-colored flowers are pictured in front of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion on Main Street on Saturday.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for today and tonight for Orleans and several other Western New York counties.
The Weather Service says “an upper level disturbance will generate some showers and thunderstorms, some of which will be the risk for multiple slow-moving downpours.”
A slow-moving cold front will also cross WNY on Thursday, resulting in numerous showers and thunderstorms, the Weather Service said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The flowers bloom from spring to late summer. The lawn is meticulously kept. Trees offer shade and a park-like setting.
For years, Albion Agencies has worked on the landscape and its historic building at 30 North Main St.
The Albion Betterment Committee today stopped by the long-time insurance agency and presented a certificate of appreciation to the business’s owner, Chris Haines, and his wife Pat.
The Landscape Award recognizes the Haines family for their “commitment to the betterment of the community,” according to the certificate presented by Betterment directors Gary Derwick, Joe Gehl and Gary Kent.
Mrs. Haines does the gardening and tends to the flowers while her husband keeps the lawn looking like a golf course, including edging along a sandstone walkway that weaves through the property.
Pat and Chris Haines, front, are pictured with Albion Betterment Committee directors, from left in back: Gary Kent, Gary Derwick and Joe Gehl.
“They put a great face on their business and downtown Albion,” Kent said about the Haines.
Albion Agencies moved to the site in the 1960s. The building was constructed in 1835 and is one of the few original houses remaining in the downtown.
The Betterment Committee also will be presenting a Landscape Award to Burger King.
