Photos by Tom Rivers – Jessica Condes and The Sophisticats performs on East Bank Street in Albion on Thursday evening. The crowd got bigger later in the evening.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board is declaring a new downtown concert series a success and will extend it by three more events this summer.

The board on Wednesday made the decision, following good feedback from concert goers and downtown merchants. The concerts have been attracting about 200 people to East Bank Street, which is blocked off to traffic for the concerts.

“It’s a way to give back to the community,” said Eileen Banker, a village trustee.

She was at Thursday’s concert, volunteering with the Albion Fire Department by selling hot dogs and other refreshments.

Leon and Peggy Randall drove from Holley for the concert, setting up lawn chairs on the Bank Street sidewalk. The couple says they go to several of the concert series in the area.

“This is very good common sense to get the community involved and see the businesses in the downtown and on the side streets,” Mr. Randall said. “There is a lot more here than what people see on Main Street.”

Bobby Skrzypek And The Pedestrians opened for the Sophisticats on Thursday.

The series started with five concert dates and that has been extended to eight with new dates added for July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.

The board said it would spend up to $1,500 for the additional concerts, but Banker is optimistic sponsors could reduce that expense to the village. The first five concerts were funded by the village with support from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and the Albion Rotary Club.

Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade and a member of the Albion Merchants Association, said the business owners appreciate the village working hard to promote the downtown.

“I only hear good things about the concerts,” she said. “Everyone is excited the village is doing this.”

Gary Deiboldt of Albion plays the keyboards for the Sophisticats.

ALBION – A big rally is planned for Saturday to register people to vote and support the Constitution. Several prominent people will speak at the event outside the St. Mary’s Athletic Club on 536 Moore St.

Several big names, including Lt. Gov. candidate Chris Moss, will address the crowd. Moss is sheriff of Chemung County, and the running mate for Rob Astorino. Moss will follow Conservative talk show host Bob Lonsberry, who will be the first speaker at 12:30 p.m.

Orleans County SCOPE (Shooters Committee on Political Education) took the lead in the planning the “Our Constitution & Voter Registration” rally.

SCOPE says it has a diverse lineup of speakers. In addition to Moss and Lonsberry, the following are scheduled to speak: Radio talk show host Melody Burns from Albany County, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, SCOPE President Steve Aldstadt, State Supreme Court Justice Donna Siwek, State Sen. George Maziarz, SCOPE Chairman of the Board “Budd” Schroeder, Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, Iraq War veteran and political advocate David Bellavia, New York Revolution leader Gia Arnold, NY Revolution representative Shawn Lembke, and Gary Berntsen, a Fox News contributor and director of Concerned Veterans for America.

SCOPE wants to see more people register to vote and be involved in the political process. Speakers are expected to address the importance of voting, while sharing their views on Common Core, Second Amendment rights and the SAFE Act.

The Band Dr. Moxy will perform several patriotic pieces beginning at 11:45. The speakers are scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. The rally will last until 4 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Bullard Park in Albion is abuzz this morning and early afternoon with lots of children playing games in a carnival-like setting.

In the top photo, Chris Porter, left, tosses a rubber chicken into a basket while his friend Scotty McMullen watches. There are many other games set up, as well as a bonce house, cotton candy, hot dogs, a fire truck and other activities.

Josue Serafin, one of the park supervisors, juggles while waiting for a participant in the milk can toss competition.

Al Sorochty, a member of the Albion Masonic Lodge, cooks some hot dogs while Charlie Daniels serves up French fries with help from Jean Shervin.

Ethan Ashton, front, gives the chicken toss a try while his brother Jayce watches. Sebastian Piedmont, one of the park supervisors, is running that game.

ALBION – A new brochure creates a map of downtown Albion businesses, churches and government buildings, sites that are included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The new Albion Business Directory also lists businesses outside the historic district. Merchants are included on Route 31 and Route 98.

The Albion Merchants Association created the directory and had 1,000 copies printed. The directory was ready in time for the Strawberry Festival and is available at many Albion businesses.

“We wanted to help visitors and townspeople know what is here,” said Carolyn Ricker, owner of Bindings Bookstore and the Merchants Association president. “It is part of our effort to let people know what is available in Albion and to shop local.”

The directory highlights the historic Courthouse Square. Orleans Hub provided the photos for the brochure.

A new map and brochure also was created for the Route 98 corridor, sites from Albion to Point Breeze. For more information on that, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Four new bike racks, with a tugboat theme, were added to downtown Albion today.

The DPW installed two hitching posts and the foundation for an interpretive panel that explains the relics from the horse and buggy era.

ALBION – It was an interesting day for the Albion Department of Public Works. The DPW installed new bike racks with a tugboat theme in the downtown, just in time for the 500 cyclists who will be passing through Albion on Monday morning as part of the “Cycling the Erie Canal” event.

The bike racks are shiny and new. They were paid for with a Main Street grant for street-scape improvements.

The DPW also installed two hitching posts. Those sandstone relics were actually property markers from more than a century ago. A local blacksmith, George Borrelli, made rings and metal pins for the hitching posts.

Tony Russo, a stone mason from Medina, drilled holes in the posts and poured in lead to secure the rings. There are four altogether with one planned for the courthouse lawn and another headed for the sidewalk in front of Krantz Furniture.

Albion Main Street Alliance facilitated the hitching post project, raising the money and finding the specialists skilled in blacksmith and stone work.

The two hitching posts put in today are next to the Presbyterian Church by the village parking lot. That setup will also include a carriage step and interpretive panel.

ALBION – The school district continues to sock away money for one of its biggest financial liabilities – health insurance for retired employees.

Teachers and school workers often retire with many unused sick days. Those days can then be used to earn paid health insurance – long after people retire from the district. For every 25 days of unused sick days, employees can earn a year of health insurance coverage.

Albion says that cost is $12.3 million as a potential liability. That is up about $600,000 from a year ago.

The Board of Education wants to commit to having about two-thirds of that liability in the bank. The board on Monday voted to shift $821,000 in unexpended funds to an account for post retirement health costs.

“The $12.3 million is a large number, it’s a significant number,” Shawn Liddle, the district’s assistant superintendent for business, told the Board of Education on Monday.

Districts since about 2006 have had to list the potential expense as a liability on their books. Some districts have set aside little money for the cost, Liddle said.

Margy Brown, the board president, said Albion is fortunate to have been stashing away funds each year so the district isn’t hit with a huge expense with not enough in reserves.

Albion would like to limit its liability with the post retirement costs in the future through employee contracts. The district wants to cap the post retirement health benefits at a 10-year maximum. Liddle said some districts allow the benefit after 10 years of retirement.

The district also is trying to negotiate a higher employee cost share with health insurance. Right now, employees pay 15 percent towards the costs of their health insurance, the same rate followed by retirees who earn post-retirement health coverage.

The district would like to push that cost share even higher. It’s been an issue in employee contract negotiations. The union representing support staff – aides, building secretaries, physical therapists and registered nurses in the schools – is now two years without a contract.

The CSEA union for custodians and maintenance workers also had its contract expire on June 30.

“Health insurance is always an issue,” Liddle said. “How much does the employee pay?”

Photo by Tom Rivers – Mike Whiting is pictured with his 2014 Subaru WRX, one of the cars that will be displayed today during a car show at Arnold’s from 6 to 9 p.m. at the corner of Liberty and West Bank streets.

ALBION – Most local car show typically showcase automobiles from a different era, Thunderbirds and Mustangs from a generation or two ago.

But this evening more modern vehicles, some with souped up stereos and other electronic features, will be on display outside Arnold’s Auto Parts.

The show is open to imports, sports compacts and mini trucks. For the past five years, Arnold’s has organized a car show at Bullard Park that draws about 200 to 300. That show is typically in September. This year’s event is tentatively planned for Sept. 20.

Mike Whiting, one of the show organizers and an Arnold’s employee, wanted to bring a smaller car show to the downtown. The vehicles will be on display from 6 to 9 p.m.

“It’s another event for during the week that gets people downtown in the local business district,” Whiting said.