Albion students get taste of the workplace

Photo by Tom Rivers – Janie Schutz, second from left, shows a display she made about her internship with Shari Berg, a middle school special education teacher at Albion. About 50 students participated in internships in the community. They all celebrated the program on Thursday at the high school cafeteria.

ALBION – Nearly 50 Albion High School students got a taste of the workplace this school year through internships with 30 businesses and organizations in the community, including some multi-million dollar companies.

The internship program is growing and school officials believe it gives students an advantage as they plan and pursue a career.

“The students have worked hard in a variety of locations this year,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, the district’s internship coordinator. “I think they will have a step above the other students because of it.”

The district celebrated the interns and their host partners on Thursday in the high school cafeteria. Students created display boards about their internships. They spent about 90 minutes four days each week over 20 weeks with the internships.

Josh Girvin interned at Allied Builders in Brockport, working closely with Jeff Baron of Albion, the estimator for the company. He prepares bid for major construction projects, including school additions.

Josh Girvin did an internship with Allied Builders in Brockport, working closely with Jeff Baron, the estimator for the company.

Girvin wants to be a civil engineer. He said the experience with Allied Builders has him more excited about that career. He will attend Widener University near Philadelphia to major in civil engineering and compete in track.

At Allied, he read blueprints, learned about construction materials, saw how the company works with subcontractors and has so much research as it goes through the bidding process.

“It was a lot of fun,” Girvin said. “I saw how much goes into a project.”

Alise Pangrazio split her internship between United Way of Orleans County based in Medina and GCASA, which is across the street from the school in Albion.

Pangrazio is interested in working in human services. She said the internships were eye-opening. She helped track donations at United Way and was impressed by the giving spirit of the community.

The organization is working to raise $325,000 for 22 member agencies. Pangrazio was able to learn about all of those agencies. She also saw how many businesses are in the community. She created a 60-plus page list of the businesses by combining records from the eastern and western Orleans United Way organizations. They recently merged into a single county United Way.

“I didn’t think there was so much here,” Pangrazio said about all of the companies and also the agencies in the community. “It’s great to see we have so many businesses.”

Alise Pangrazio split an internship with Lisa Ireland, left, from the United Way of Orleans County and Patricia Crowley of the GCASA.

Lisa Ireland, the executive director of the United Way, said Pangrazio’s work was helpful to the United Way, which only has two employees.

“She is absolutely a part of our team,” Ireland said.

Pangrazio also spent two days a week with the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, working with prevention educator Patricia Crowley. They planned a town-wide meeting on underage drinking in Medina, teamed with the High School Honor Society for a food giveaway at GCASA, and placed stickers warning about underage tobacco use at retailers in Albion and Holley.

“We try to make it hands-on,” Crowley said about the internship program. “It’s all about getting them out into the community.”

Pangrazio will major in general studies at Genesee Community College. At first she was considering a major in psychology, but wants to work in human services.

“I just like to help people, anything I can do to make their life a little better,” she said.

Albion senior Ben Kirby interned with the school’s tech support department. He was tasked with developing a computer program that would scan student ID cards.

Kirby said the experience was confirmation he wants to pursue computer programming in college and as a career. He will attend Monroe Community College and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Renee Ebbs interned with the Olde Dogge Inn. She answered phones, fed animals and worked with customers. She wants to be a vet tech.

Students with internships include Connor Barleben, Vjosa Bela, Jarod Biemans, Kayla Breeze, Dylan Burkhardt, Brooke Chandler, Rachel Corke, Julissa Curcie, Mitchell DeSmit, Bradlee Driesel, Renee Ebbs, Lydia Erakare, Sabrina Finzer, Kyle Frasier, Mark Gibson, Joshua Girvin, Yasmin Gutierrez Apaez, Justyn Haines, Tierra Hastings, Emily Joslyn, Benjamin Kirby, Johnathan Krieger, Ashley Leis, Taylor Mager, Johaneliz Martinez Tinoco, Michelle Maxwell, Summer Moore, Sierra Morgan, Zachary Neilans, Alise Pangrazio, Kendall Piccirilli, Rebekkah Piedmont, Joshua Raymond, Jenna Reigle, Janie Schutz, Jasmine Scurry, Becca Sills, Arrianna Smith, Jasmyn Smith, Martha Smith, Steven Stauss, Nathanael Sugar, Christopher Taber, Garrett Van Lieshout, Johnathan Warne, Ashley Weigele and Shannan Wells.

The following businesses and organizations hosted interns:

Agape Physical Therapy in Brockport, Advanced Imaging in Batavia, Albion Central School staff, Albion Police Department, Allied Builders in Brockport, Avanti Pizza, Bentley Brothers, CRFS (IT Department), Country Lane Veterinary Services, D & K Auto Body Repair, GCASA, Dr. Karl Heuer DDS, Hoag Library, Keeler Construction Company, LaBella Associates, Little Leapers, Mark’s Pizzeria, Medina Fire Department, Medina Memorial Hospital (Imaging Department), Monroe Tractor in Batavia, Olde Dogge Inn, Orleans Community Health (Physical Therapy Department), Orleans County DSS (Welfare Fraud Department), Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Relco Systems in Lockport, Sodexho, Saint-Gobain Adfors, Villages of Orleans (social work, dietary and laundry departments), United Way of Orleans County and YMCA Eagle’s Pride Daycare.

ALBION – Two people have been jailed after being arrested for selling drugs in Albion and Lockport, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force is reporting today.

The arrests came on Wednesday after an investigation into the possession, sale and distribution of crack cocaine, prescription narcotics and marijuana from the city of Lockport to the village of Albion.

The Major Felony Crime Task Force, along the Albion Police Department, arrested a Buffalo man and Lockport woman in the parking lot of the Family Dollar in Albion at 162 South Main St.

A search warrant was executed on a vehicle at the Family Dollar and two people were arrested for sale and possession. Police seized crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription narcotics from the vehicle search.

With assistance from the Lockport Police Department, a secondary search was conducted in Lockport at 165 Erie St. The Task Force said nearly an ounce of crack cocaine, a quantity of marijuana and numerous prescription pills were seized.

The following were arrested:

Cobb

Brosius

Timothy J. Cobb, 30, of 1015 Lafayette Ave., Buffalo. He was charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (a class B felony), three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (a class B felony), two counts of CPCS in the fifth degree, one count of CSCS in the fifth degree, one count of criminal sale of marijuana in the fourth degree and one count of unlawful possession of marihuana.

Cobb was arraigned in the Town of Barre Justice Court by Judge Richard A. DeCarlo Jr. and committed to the Orleans County Jail without bail due to his previous criminal history, the Task Force reported.

Amanda K. Brosius, 33, of 165 Erie St., Lockport. She was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, five counts of CPCS in the fifth degree, four counts of CSCS in the fifth degree, two counts of criminal diversion of a prescription in the fourth degree, one count of criminal sale of marijuana in the fourth degree, and one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree.

Brosius was arraigned in the Town of Albion Justice Court by Judge Kevin J. Howard and was committed to the county jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Both are to appear at Albion Town Court on June 10 at 9 a.m.

Replica of Lincoln’s coffin will be on display in Albion

Photos by Sue Cook – Funeral Director Rebekah Karls stands outside the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home, formerly the residence of Sanford Church, the New York State Lieutenant Governor in 1842.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

ALBION – This year the Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home celebrates its 100th year in the funeral business with special events planned for the Strawberry Festival on June 13-14.

In 1914, J.B. Merrill established his funeral business and later merged and formed J.B. Merrill & Son with Leon Grinnell’s business.

Rebekah Karls has served as Merrill-Grinnell’s manager and a funeral director since 2002. She times the funeral home’s 100^th anniversary with the Albion Strawberry Festival next weekend. She welcomes the community to learn, explore and get a taste of history.

“Sometimes after a funeral, when everything’s done and everyone’s leaving, the most frequent thing I hear is ‘I hope we don’t meet like this again’ or ‘I hope we meet somewhere else,’” Karls said. “So this is kind of a nice occasion for people to come where they don’t have the lingering grief following them.”

Before its current location, located at the corner of East State and Ingersoll in Albion, the funeral home used to be in the building across State Street. It was purchased by Merrill-Grinnell during the 1930s. Merrill’s original location was in Kendall.

This ad states the date for grand opening in the current location on Sept. 17-18, 1955.

The funeral home will be open to the public during the festival. Exhibits will be set up with death and funeral related items, old advertisements, antique equipment, funeral furniture, a glass trike hearse, the rosewood ice chest coffin from the Cobblestone museum and more. Tours will also be available.

“It’s basically a community event,” Karls explained. “Come on down and meet me. I want to meet you. I want to talk to you. I want you to see what we’re about. I don’t want anybody to feel pressured about anything.”

Karls expects the big draw for the weekend to be Abraham Lincoln’s coffin provided by Batesville Casket Company.

It is authentic to Lincoln’s original custom-built coffin (except for an internal lead lining and silver plate).

The original coffin spent three weeks in 1865 making several stops on its way from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ill. Lincoln had the largest funeral ever until the death of President Kennedy.

A replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin will be on display during the Strawberry Festival.

The Batesville Company’s four replica coffins have been to over 100 cities and are on a waiting list into 2016.

On June 14, the funeral home will also host several vendors who are available to answer questions. Karls wants the vendors there to make people more comfortable without feeling overwhelmed.

“I don’t want people to be afraid of this place,” she said. “Everybody’s got questions, but they don’t want to ask. I figure if I have different people there to answer the questions, they’ll feel more at ease to ask and learn.”

“A lot of the older generation is going to have a traditional service, but a lot of people are going modern now and personalizing a lot more,” Karls said. “It’s all about what that person would have wanted. When I get to know the person that’s passed through their family, through stories, then I can say ‘let’s do this to memorialize dad or mom.’”

Karls stands among the casket and vault options that the funeral home offers. She welcomes curious visitors to ask questions in a comfortable atmosphere.

“It takes a little bit of edge off the family,” she said. “It’s not such a sad, solemn thing. It’s going to be a celebration of their life and that’s what we like to do.”

She hopes the weekend of the Strawberry Festival will open people’s minds about funeral services, but also as an opportunity to meet her under enjoyable circumstances.

“I felt this was a good weekend. People were already going to be out here, so come on a couple steps farther and visit us,” said Karls.

The funeral home will be open Friday June 13 from noon until 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The vendors will be there mostly during the afternoon.

Editorial

Photo by Tom Rivers – The current fire hall for the Barre Volunteer Fire Company was built as an addition to a schoolhouse in 1961. Firefighters say the site is cramped and many modern fire trucks are too long or tall to fit inside and have to be retrofitted to squeeze into the Barre hall.

BARRE – Look around Orleans County in the past decade and consider how some towns have worked to put new assets in play for the betterment of town residents.

I think the Town of Barre has done a lot. The new town park is the envy of the county. The town hall has been renovated and expanded. New waterlines have gone in.

Barre is Orleans County’s least populous town with 2,025 residents, but it is doing big things, and it wants to do more.

Today town residents will vote on whether the Barre Fire District has permission to borrow up to $1.4 million for a new fire hall on Route 98, north of the existing site by the Barre water tower.

Firefighters tell me the vote is controversial. Many residents want them to “make do.” The firefighters say it’s about 50-50 whether it will pass. Residents should support the project, should support their volunteer firefighters and should vote yes to make their community stronger – and safer.

Barre fire officials say the new 7,300-square-foot building will require about $50,000 more in taxes each year. That amount was already added to the taxes for 2014. With that increase Barre residents this year are paying a fire protection tax rate of $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed property.

That seems about the going rate in Orleans County for volunteer fire companies. In Kendall, property owners pay a $1.38 rate for the Kendall Fire Department and $1.55 for the Morton Fire Department. In Murray, the rate is $1.61 for the Holley Fire District and $1.59 for Fancher-Hulberton-Murray.

Other rates includes $1.44 for Shelby, $1.26 for Ridgeway, $1.00 for Clarendon and 65 cents for Carlton.

A proposed new Barre fire hall would be 7,300 square feet with five bays and rooms for meeting and training.

Barre, with the new firehall, would be cheaper than several fire districts. The $1.4 million represents a worst-case scenario. The Barre Fire District expects it will be able to secure some grants for the project, especially for the energy efficiency features.

Doing nothing and staying in the existing building may prove more costly in the long run. The fire trucks are squeezed tight in the building. The building is too small for many modern fire trucks.

The new building could accommodate five fire vehicles, a meeting/training room and radio room. There would be three front bays and two drive-through bays out the back entrance doors.

The existing firehall was built in 1961 as an expansion to an old schoolhouse. The Barre Fire Company has made the building work for 53 years.

But firefighters say the new building would be much more user-friendly, and would meet their needs for at least the next half century.

It would also be another sign of a community moving forward. It would be an asset to the Route 98 corridor.

Today’s vote is from 3 to 9 p.m. at the fire hall.

File photo by Tom Rivers – In this photo from the Memorial Day parade in Albion, drum majors Brooke Chandler, left, and Char Olick lead the band down Main Street.

Press release
Albion Marching Band

The Albion Purple Eagles Marching Band earned another first place award Saturday with a championship showing at the parade competition in Nunda.

The Purple Eagles’ performance scored 97.8, which garnered first place in Open Class, the overall high parade score (among all classes), and the high color guard award.  Addison was the second place band with an 85.5, and Canaseraga came in third with a score of 85.4.

The Albion band’s show, entitled “Heartbeats”, features love-themed music including songs by Queen, Bon Jovi, Phil Collins, and Elvis Presley. Effects include a 10-foot high valentine heart prop and a mass release of red, eco-friendly balloons.

The Purple Eagles have two more performances this season: Saturday in the Holley June Fest parade, and at Albion’s Strawberry Festival parade on June 14.