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St. Mary’s upgrades backstop, dugouts in memory of Scott Whittier

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Friends of Scott Whittier put up a new backstop and safety fence at the St,. Mary’s Little League field today. The field is located behind the St. Mary’s Athletic Club on Moore Street. Whittier was a coach for the team. Some of the volunteers include Joe Furness, carrying the ladder, and Bob Coots, up on the ladder.

ALBION – Scott Whittier’s friends and family are working to keep his memory alive by upgrading some of the local Little League fields where Whittier was a coach.

Last year, they installed a new backstop for the Carlton Clippers at the team’s field behind the Carlton Recreation hall on Route 98.

Whittier also coached the St. Mary’s team, and today volunteers tore off an old backstop and put on a new one. They put up a safety fence in front of the dugouts and stands.

“He was always willing to help somebody, no matter how busy he was,” said his friend, Joe Furness. “He was very energetic and that would inspire you. His energy was infectious to everybody around him.”

It’s been nearly two years since Whittier, a popular youth baseball coach, died following complications from surgery. Whittier was only 44 when he died May 13, 2012.

St. Mary’s Athletic Club volunteers also helped with the upgraded backstop. Here, Scott Whittier’s friend Billy Hickman, left, works with St. Mary’s member Rick Ebbs to secure the new backstop.

Whittier’s friends and family organized a bowling tournament in January. More than 200 bowlers raised about $2,000 at the event at Oak Orchard Lanes. That money paid for the new backstop, fencing and also new metal roofs over the dugouts.

Whittier’s fiancée, Donna Hess, thanked Oak Orchard owner Randy Hanks and his family for their efforts with the bowling tournament. She said Whittier poured his heart into youth sports and enjoyed coaching the kids.

Whittier’s friends were thankful for the chance today to remember their friend and improve the ball field at St. Mary’s.

“If you had to design a friend, Scott would be the one,” said Bob Coots.

The new field will host the home opener for the St. Mary’s team on Saturday.

Joe Furness, right, drills the top section of the backstop into a row of wood. Other volunteers include Craig Wright, center, and Bob Coots.

Local hardcore rockers get record deal

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Kyle Hapeman of Albion and bandmates sign with InVogue Records and start tour later this month

Photos by Tom Rivers – Band members of Until We Are Ghosts are pictured by their van which they will take on a three-month tour beginning later this month. The group includes, from left: Kevin Dickes on bass, Jordan Blankenberg on drums, Kyle Hapeman on guitar, James Blackenberg on guitar and Rob Anders on vocals. They are pictured outside the St. Mary’s Athletic Club in Albion, where they performed on Sunday.

ALBION – By day he is a mild-mannered employee at Baxter Healthcare in Medina, training workers to make medical pumps and devices.

For 4 ½ years Kyle Hapeman has worked that job. His last day at Baxter is May 21. Hapeman and his fellow band members have been signed by a record company and they are going on tour. The debut CD for Until We Are Ghosts will be out on May 27.

“We never expected a record deal or a tour,” Hapeman, 22, said today before the band played at St. Mary’s Athletic Club. “We just like to play music.”

Hapeman plays guitar and provides some vocals for the band, a five-piece melodic hardcore band. Hapeman is from Albion while the other band members are from the Rochester area.

The band’s music is intense, and some might say lead singer Rob Anders of Greece is a screamer.

“It’s a mixture of screaming and yelling,” Anders said. “You’re letting yourself go.”

Kyle Hapeman, right, and Kevin Dickes perform with Until We Are Ghosts during a concert at St. Mary’s. The band’s debut album, “Bitterseed,” is out on May 27.

The band members made their first music video, “Hourglass,” and Hapeman thinks that got the attention of InVogue Records, which has signed Until We Are Ghosts to three records.

Despite the intensity of Anders’s singing, Hapeman said the band’s songs strike an emotional cord with the audience. In one song, Anders sings about losing his grandmother. In another song, he sings about strained father-son relationships.

“When we play, you feel every word,” Hapeman said. “We’re really personal about our lyrics.”

Hapeman likes to move around the performance area while he plays guitar. He strums away even while doing jump kicks during a concert.

Hapeman didn’t sing in the school chorus or play in Albion’s marching band. He taught himself to play guitar.

His mother, Denise London, said her son is shy. But during a concert, he lets out a different side.

Kyle Hapeman, in back, jumps and kicks while playing the guitar at the same time.

Hapeman put together the band, reaching out to hardcore musicians through Facebook.

“Kyle is the leader of the pack,” Anders said. “He is someone you can work with. You can feel his determination.”

Anders is giving up a job as assistant manager at Taco Bell to go on tour. Anders said Hapeman came up with the band’s name.

“It fits us because you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Anders said. “With the band Metallica, you know you can expect heavy metal.”

The band is eager for the chance to play full-time and see the country. Hapeman said he willing to give up his job to follow his passion.

“I’m only 22 and I figure I have to work until I’m 65 or 70,” he said. “I may not have another opportunity like this.”

For more on Until We Are Ghosts, click here.

Rob Anders, lead singer for Until We Are Ghosts, lets it rip during a concert in Albion today.

Bikers urge safety, public awareness with start of motorcycle season

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 75 bikers gathered by the Orleans County Courthouse this afternoon and then left on a 50-mile motorcycle safety and awareness ride. The event was orgranized by the Orleans County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.

Chuck Persons, president of ABATE in Orleans County, urges bikers to be safe on the roadways. He is speaking from the top of the courthouse steps.

Murray Highway Superintendent Ed Morgan, one of the speakers at the rally, said local roads are in “deplorable shape” after a brutal winter. Morgan was representing State Assemblyman Steve Hawley at the rally. Morgan credited Hawley and State Sen. George Maziarz for a state funding boost to help fill potholes.

Chuck Persons addresses a crowd of about 75 bikers before their 50-mile ride through the county today. The ride ends at the VFW in Medina.

Adam Tabelski, a representative for State Sen. George Maziarz, spoke at the rally and praised the ABATE chapter for its push for safety. Tabelski urged other motorists to take extra care for the motorcycles on the highway. “Look twice, save a life,” Tabelski said, quoting a popular ABATE sign.

Motorcyclists listen to speakers in front of the courthouse.

Flags line street in downtown Albion in the 1940s

Posted 3 May 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – Perchance this photo was taken on Flag Day during the 1940s in downtown Albion.

Walter’s dress shop shows to the left before it moved up the street. This is now Fischer’s Newsroom.

In the middle we see Harris Freemans Drug Store, which later was owned by Marvin and Alice Sayles. On the corner is the Charles Tibbits Jewelry Store. We also note DeLuca’s Shoe Repair sign above Walter’s dress shop.

5K season is off and running

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Evelina Alexandris, 12, of Albion sprints at the beginning of a 5-kilometer race this morning. Evelina has the lead over her mother, Shelcy Plueckhahn, in this photo.

About 25 walkers and runners participated in the 5K this morning that went from Brown Street to Keitel Road and back along the towpath. This is the third annual 5K organized by The Light of Victory Church.

The congregation at 47 Brown St. uses proceeds from the race to help pay for holiday baskets distributed during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cindy Mordino, race organizer, is pictured facing the camera at right. “It’s been a blessing every year,” she said about the race. “We have never had rain.”

There is another 5K later today in Medina. The Arc of Orleans County is having the 20^th annual Terri Krieger Memorial 5K walk/run. The walk begins at 1:30 p.m. with the run at 2 p.m. It starts at the Sacred Heart Club on North Gravel Road.

Other upcoming races include the Jim Ferris 5K at 9 a.m. on June 7 in Holley and the Strawberry Festival 5K and 8K at 8 a.m. on June 14 in Albion.

New Cobblestone Museum directors ready for season

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Site, a National Historic Landmark, opens on Mother’s Day

Photo by Tom Rivers – Matt Ballard and Sarah Karas, the co-directors of the Cobblestone Society Museum, are pictured in front of the Ward House (built in 1836) with the Cobblestone Universalist Church (built in 1834) in back. The museum has eight historic structures. It opens on Mother’s Day, about six weeks earlier than its usual schedule.

CHILDS – Since they started as co-directors in February, Matt Ballard and Sarah Karas have been busy at the Cobblestone Society Museum, revamping the museum web site, booking weddings in the historic church from 1834, and getting ready for the season.

The museum includes eight historic structures near the intersection of routes 98 and 104. It is in the only site in the county that has been declared a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior. The museum opens next Sunday on Mother’s Day, about six weeks earlier than in a typical year.

The extended season will make the museum eligible for more grants to help maintain the historic buildings and add programming, said Ballard.

“There is a lot of potential here, we just have to think outside the box,” said Ballard, 26. “There’s a lot of good ideas out there. We want to try some new things.”

Ballard and Karas both graduated in the Class of 2006 at Albion, and they both have master’s degrees in library science at the University of Buffalo. They commuted together for classes. They are friends and both have a love of local history.

They have different strengths and interests, and they said that is benefitting the museum.

Karas, 25, is organizing the weddings, training volunteers and docents, redesigning the gift shop and working on the museum’s social media with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

“Matt and I are constantly organizing,” Karas said.

She volunteered at the museum for over four years, making an inventory of the books at the one-room cobblestone school house. She also organized the materials in the used book sale.

“I really love getting my hands on the old artifacts,” she said. “I really see the potential in this museum. There is such a variety of buildings. There is something here for everyone.”

Karas works part-time as a reference librarian at Genesee Community College in Batavia. Ballard is a part-time library supervisor for Hilbert College in Hamburg.

They are sharing the workload at the museum, which is open every day but Monday and Tuesday from May 12 to Oct. 12.

The cobblestone school house is part of a museum complex that has been declared a National Historic Landmark.

Ballard brings a passion for genealogy and research to the position. But there are plenty of maintenance tasks to tend to, including a recent leak that had to be fixed in the bathrooms.

The two have been connecting with businesses in the county to offer deals as part of a museum pass. They are pushing for more memberships, whether at the individual, family or corporate levels.

Ballard sees the collection of buildings and the artifacts inside as a tremendous showcase of local and regional history. The museum’s designation as a National Historic Landmark will be part of the museum’s branding strategy.

“We want to sell that message to the larger community that this is an important site,” Ballard said. “It is a unique style of construction. We have a wide variety of things. There is something for everybody.”

The museum has a one-room school house built in 1849, a cobblestone house with furnishings from the 1880s, and the church from 1834 – the oldest cobblestone church in North America.

There are several historic buildings on Route 98, just south of Route 104. Those structures include a blacksmith shop, print shop, harness shop, farmer’s hall and even a fancy outhouse. Together the sites provide a snapshot into life in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Many local students used to tour the sites as part of local history programs, but Ballard said those tours dwindled in recent years. He wants to reach out to schools and welcome them to the museum.

He also sees potential in a “Cobblestone Corridor” or Cobblestone Trail along Route 104. The cobblestone homes could all be highlighted with a map that would appeal to tourists.

“The museum would be the centerpiece,” he said.

For more on the Cobblestone Society Museum, click here.

Marti’s gallery opens for sixth season

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Albion site will have new monthly exhibits through December

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Marti’s on Main, a fine arts gallery in Albion, kicked off its sixth season tonight.

The gallery will have new exhibits each month through December. Marti’s owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella highlighted local youth artists for the season-opening show.

The top photo shows work by Albion High School senior Nathanael Sugar. Willow Groth, 7, also has several pieces of artwork on display. Her mother, Laura Genagon Groth, works as an artist.

“You got to catch them while they are young and nurture that love for art,” Muscarella said at the gallery, located at 227 North Main St. “It gets snuffed out by the world, which is a shame.”

Muscarella also has works from six of her grandchildren, including these creations by Maleah Knight, 9. She made these about two years ago.

Maleah also made this artwork, which was based on the famous Starry Night painting by Vincent van Gogh.

To see the line-up of exhibits for the year, click here to see Marti’s Facebook page.

Chamber will elect new president on Wednesday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Palette project, $200K grant program on agenda for 2014

File photo by Tom Rivers – Stacey Kirby created this palette, which was on display in Bindings Bookstore in Albion, during last year’s Palettes of Orleans. The Chamber of Commerce plans to do the effort again this year.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce will elect a new board president on Wednesday, and at least two new members are expected to join the board.

The Chamber will have its annual meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday at its office, 102 North Main St., Suite No. 1. The meeting is open to the community, but the Chamber would appreciate an RSVP by calling 589-7727.

After two years of leading the Chamber, Cindy Robinson of Medina is expected to step down as president and be replaced by Brooke Pontillo of Toshiba, the current VP. Mark Merithew of Apple Blossom Florist is expected to become the vice president. Brett Hill of Albone & Hill Plumbing and Joseph OrganiÅ›ciak of Sandbox Union have agreed to join the board.

“We have a younger generation stepping up that believes in Orleans County, that wants to come back and raise their families here,” said Kathy Blackburn, Chamber executive director.

The Chamber plans to announce it will continue the Palettes of Orleans public art project this year. The program debuted last year with 73 palettes on display in businesses throughout the county.

The Chamber also is administering a $200,000 grant program from an anonymous donor that provides matching grants in Medina for building improvements at homes and businesses.

Lyndonville students win regional Envirothon

Posted 2 May 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photo – Lyndonville Envirothon Team members include, from left: Lily Boyd, Heather Mufford, Zachery Karp, Jeremy Foss and Kenneth Kalson.

Press release
Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Central School District team of Lily Boyd, Jeremy Foss, Kenneth Kalson, Zachery Karp and Heather Mufford won first place at the 2014 Niagara-Orleans Regional Envirothon. The team advisor is teacher Kathy Wronski.

They beat out 13 other teams at a competition at Bond Lake in Lewiston. The event is celebrating its 25^th year and tests high school students’ knowledge in five areas: soil, aquatics, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues.

Not only did the teams have to prepare a 10-minute presentation on sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on local farms, they had to take exams administered by professionals in the soil, aquatics, forestry and wildlife fields.

It is a combination of classroom study, research and hands-on field experience. The Lyndonville team will be moving on to the New York State competition May 21-22 at SUNY Morrisville.

The local event was sponsored by the Niagara and Orleans Soil and Water Conservation Districts, State Sen. George Maziarz, U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, M&T Bank, Albion Sports and Graphics, Sanborn Lions Club, Orleans Poverty Hill Farm and Newroyal Orchards.

Catholic Daughters join priest at new K of C in Albion

Posted 2 May 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – Officers of the Catholic Daughters are shown here with Father Eugene Slomba, assistant priest of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, back in the mid-1960s.

Front row, from left: Florence Pilato, Cecelia Leigh, Grace Monacelli and Dorothy Murray.

Back row: Lena Manella, Catherine DiLaura, Jean Shervin, Father Slomba, Elizabeth Eckert and Corinne Pahura.

This picture was taken at what was then the new K of C hall on East Avenue in Albion.