By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 June 2016 at 4:22 pm
SHELBY – A fire this afternoon in a garage damaged a house owned by Kasmier “Mike” Szulis. This photo shows Shelby firefighters Jason Watts, top left, and Andy Watts.
The 1979 house, built by Mr. Szulis, may have suffered smoke damage inside, in addition to the more extensive damage in the garage, family members said.
Medina firefighter Steve Cooley uses a chain saw to cut through the garage door. Jonathan Higgins of the Medina Fire Department also assisted at the scene.
Mr. Szulis was out watering berries when he noticed smoke in the garage of the house at 12335 Maple Ridge Rd. Family members say they are grateful no one was injured in the fire and that the fire was mostly contained to the garage.
KENDALL – This line of Kendall female grads gets ready for commencement on Friday at the David J. Doyle Junior/Senior High School. Kendall graduated 67 members of the Class of 2016.
Zachary Rohr is recognized during the commencement ceremony. Julie Christensen, the Kendall Central School superintendent, watches from the stage with other members of the Class of 2016.
Abby Rice delivers the salutatorian address. She told her classmates to, “Fake it until you make it.”
In her valedictory address, Julia Smith noted that, “life is messy,” from “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Kendall male graduates are lined up for the ceremony.
Kendall Principal Carol D’Agostino presents Caitlyn Bonifield with her diploma.
Creagan Maclaren, Brooke Andrus, Keri Furness and Julia Smith pose for a photo.
Members of the soccer team are pictured with their coach, Pam Beres.
Kris Johnston, a 1995 Kendall graduate who now works at Constellations Brands, gave the Commencement Address. Johnston obtained her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting from St. Bonaventure University and is a CPA. The theme of her speech was “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” from Dr. Seuss.
Kendall graduates move their tassels near the end of commencement on Friday.
ROCHESTER – Jim DeFilipps, an Orleans County deputy, addresses 1,100 law enforcement officers on June 18 during the Policeman’s Ball in Rochester.
DeFillipps, the 2015 New York State Deputy of the Year, was one of three law enforcement officers involved in critical incidents who were recognized by the Badge of Honor Association. DeFilipps was honored for going “above and beyond the call of duty.”
DeFilipps was shot twice in a shootout at 3 a.m. on March 21 following a high-speed chase with James Ellis of Wyoming County. DeFilipps was the first police officer on scene when Ellis wrecked his vehicle in Clarendon on Route 31A.
Police were pursuing Ellis after a 911 call when he threatened an ex-girlfriend in Shelby with a gun. Ellis had fled to a nearby wooded area in Clarendon and opened fire on DeFilipps and other deputies and police to arrive on the scene.
DeFilipps, despite getting hit twice by gunfire, shot Ellis, killing him and ending his threat. For his acts of valor, DeFilipps was named Deputy of the Year for 2015 by the New York State Sheriff’s Association.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New Yorkers can report vacant and abandoned properties in their communities through a hotline at the New York State Department of Financial Services.
As part of groundbreaking legislation signed by Governor Cuomo last week (click here) to prevent foreclosures and curb the threat posed to communities by “zombie properties” across the state, DFS will maintain an electronic registry of vacant and abandoned properties.
New Yorkers are encouraged to call for information about unoccupied and ill-maintained properties in their neighborhoods. If a property is not already in the statewide registry, DFS will identify the mortgage servicer to facilitate appropriate remedial actions as outlined in the legislation.
“Abandoned homes drag down surrounding property values, and the longer they languish, the more severe the ripple effects are that affect entire communities,” Governor Cuomo said. “This hotline empowers New Yorkers to preserve their American Dream, take back their neighborhoods and ensure that these properties are renovated, restored and occupied.”
The new registry and hotline are part of several provisions that will help to prevent people from losing their homes and address the scope of unoccupied and ill-maintained properties, which based on voluntary reporting, is estimated to be over 6,000. Under the new law, reporting is now mandatory, and the number of abandoned homes is anticipated to be even higher. New Yorkers can contact the Department of Financial Services (DFS) at (800) 342-3736 or online at www.dfs.ny.gov.
ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES TO COMBAT ZOMBIE PROPERTIES
The “zombie properties” legislation also includes measures to assist homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure, improve the efficiency and integrity of the mandatory settlement conferences, and establishes a pre-foreclosure duty to maintain on mortgagees, create an expedited foreclosure process for vacant and abandoned properties, create an electronic vacant property registry, and establish a Consumer Bill of Rights.
Additionally, the FY 2017 Budget invests nearly $20 billion for comprehensive statewide housing and homelessness action plans. Over the next five years, the $10 billion housing initiative will create and preserve 100,000 affordable housing units across the State, and the $10 billion homelessness action plan will create 6,000 new supportive housing beds, 1,000 emergency beds, and a variety of expanded homelessness services.
As part of the Governor’s ongoing efforts to assist future homebuyers and existing homeowners, this investment includes more than $100 million in available funds to help new homebuyers purchase and renovate “Zombie” properties and support existing low- and middle-income homeowners with major repairs and renovations.
Funding is available through the New York State Homes and Community Renewal to establish the new Neighborhood Revitalization Program and provide grants for not-for-profit organizations and municipalities throughout the state to rehabilitate, repair and improve homes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Four people were taken by ambulance after an accident involving three vehicles late this afternoon on Route 31, just west of the village line near Frank’s Auto.
The driver of this red vehicle, a Ford Windstar, was headed west when she crossed the center line and hit a Chevy Equinox, said Chris Bourke, the county’s undersheriff. Bourke was on the scene along with Orleans County deputies, the Albion Fire Department, COVA and an ambulance from the Medina Fire Department.
Albion firefighters needed to extricate people from the Windstar, including a grandmother. The three people in the vehicle were taken by ambulance to Medina Memorial Hospital.
The Windstar hit this Equinox head-on. The driver of the Equinox had lacerations and was taken by ambulance to Medina Memorial Hospital. The truck at left also was damaged. It was following the Equinox. The driver wasn’t injured, Bourke said.
Provided photo – State Sen. Rob Ortt presents a plan to make college more affordable during a news conference Monday at Brockport State College. He was joined by Dr. Heidi Macpherson, president of the college.
Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt
BROCKPORT – Recent graduates will soon be heading off to college, and Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) unveiled a plan on Monday to help students statewide better afford a college education.
Ortt, a member of the State Senate’s Higher Education Committee, outlined his 2017 legislative package of bills to help make college debt less burdensome for thousands of students and families. The bills deal with community college scholarships, establishing an apprenticeship program for career readiness, requiring public disclosure of financial statistics to current and potential college students, and reforming New York’s Tuition Assistance Program.
“The rising cost of college tuition over the years has burdened families and left students drowning in debt even before they graduate and start a career in their chosen field,” Ortt said. “We’ve reached a critical mass as graduates push important life decisions into their 30s and 40s, because they’re overwhelmed with debt and parents delay retirement to help their kids pay for college. By expanding financial and career opportunities for students and increasing accountability among higher education institutions, we can improve higher education and help restore the American dream.”
Ortt met with Dr. Heidi Macpherson, president of Brockport State College, in unveiling the legislative package at Brockport on Monday.
“While SUNY provides one of the best college values in the Northeast, college affordability remains an important issue in this country,” Macpherson said. “Senator Ortt understands that many families across New York State struggle with college debt, and I’m grateful for his efforts to improve how we fund and support higher education.”
The exponential increase in the cost of tuition and the amount of money students have to borrow go hand in hand. A 2015 report from the Project on Student Debt showed that the average debt of a Class of 2014 borrower graduating from a four-year college in New York State was $27,822. That debt level increased from a decade ago when the average student loan debt was $18,857 in 2004.
The average debt of 2014 graduates at Buffalo State SUNY was $24,290. Student debt data for Niagara University, a private institution, showed an average debt of $30,289 for 2014 graduates.
The Buffalo public and charter schools have the Say Yes to Education scholarship program for eligible graduates allowing them to attend any SUNY or CUNY school and more than 90 private colleges with the full cost of tuition covered. While this is a great program, there are many more students throughout the state who deserve similar opportunities. Senator Ortt’s proposed legislation will help tens of thousands of individuals achieve the dream of attending college.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Ortt and supported by the Senate Majority to help reduce unsustainable student debt includes:
(S6838) Launching the “Learning for Work Program” that establishes a Youth Apprenticeship Program for high school juniors or seniors. The apprenticeship program would combine academic work in the classroom with mentored on-the-job training to advance career readiness. This legislation would also offer an Enhanced Regents Professional Diploma in the specified occupation, and create a tax credit of $1,500 for each apprentice the participating employer sponsors.
(S6839) Increasing transparency to help students and families make informed decisions about college and borrowing. Higher education institutions would be required to collect data and provide more detailed information on student retention and graduation rates, average amounts of federal and private student loan debt after graduation, and average earnings and employment metrics broken down by program of study.
(S6841) Awarding a Community College Merit and Mobility Scholarship to high school students across the state who graduate within the top 20 percent of their class. Eligible students must attend a New York State community college and would receive $1,000 per year for up to two years. Up to 1,000 scholarships would be awarded to new students every year.
Also, legislation co-sponsored by Senator Ortt would:
(S2129) Restore New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for graduate students. In 2010, the state legislature eliminated TAP for all graduate degree programs. Many of today’s jobs now require a Master’s degree, but without the help of financial aid, the cost of graduate school is too expensive for many. Since the program’s elimination, it’s been increasingly difficult for students to further their education and obtain a graduate degree. This bill would provide students with access to tuition assistance and make them more competitive in today’s job market.
Additionally, during the last week of the legislative session, the Senate Majority passed a bill (S7573), co-sponsored by Senator Ortt, that would raise the net taxable income eligible for TAP awards from $80,000 to $100,000, raise the minimum TAP award to $1,000 and adjust the formula for awards. Other bills that recently passed the Senate include the Help Individuals Reach Employment (HIRE) program (S7646), and the NY-ELECTS program that would provide loan forgiveness or scholarship awards to eligible students.
Niagara University Junior and Turning Point USA Field Director Christian Lemke said, “Too often politicians jump to conclusions before identifying the problem. The solution to the college debt problem isn’t dealing with this dilemma post graduation, it’s about preventing it. It’s time we as a state and a country, start being proactive about the debt problem rather than reactive. Transparency is the key.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 June 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – John Robinson and Doug Hamlin are riding the Erie Canal Towpath today through Orleans County, part of a 350-mile-plus journey along the Erie Canal Towpath.
The two men are using adaptive use bicycles to make the trip for the fourth straight year. Robinson and Hamlin make the long ride to highlight inclusivity, showing that people with disabilities are capable of big accomplishments.
“People with disabilities want to work, they want a family, they have hopes and dreams just like everybody,” Robinson said at about noon today while taking a short break by the canal bridge on Keitel Road.
Robinson is a congenital amputee without full arms and legs. He overcame countless obstacles to become a successful businessman, husband, father and inspirational speaker.
He is pictured with his wife Andrea today on the canal in the Town of Albion.
Robinson was inspired to undertake the first Journey Along the Erie Canal in 2013 by his wife and two children after receiving a three-wheeled, hand-operated cycle as a donation. His family helped him learn how to ride and then train for the statewide journey.
Doug Hamlin and his wife Pam are making the ride together. Hamlin uses a specialized hand cycle for the ride.
“If we can inspire one person to ride an extra mile it will have been worth it,” Hamlin said.
Robinson and Hamlin are partners in Glenmont-based Our Ability, a network of consulting, public speaking, recruitment and professional services that champions the inclusivity of people with disabilities in the workplace.
They are using the trip from Buffalo to Albany to celebrate launch of New York Business Leadership Network, a coalition among businesses in New York State interested in both hiring and building supplier diversity of businesses owned by individuals with disabilities.
Today is day 3 of the ride. The cyclists started in Medina at the Prospect Avenue Lift Bridge this morning and are going 32 miles east to Spencerport. To see the schedule, click here.
Hamlin, Robinson and the group of cyclists are off after a short break by the Keitel Road canal bridge. The trip ends on July 8 in Albany.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 June 2016 at 5:44 pm
GAINES – The driver of this Lancer was injured and taken by Mercy Flight helicopter after an accident at the 5 Corners in Gaines at 4:51 p.m. today.
The driver was headed west on East Bacon Road when she entered the intersection because her brakes failed, she told deputies on scene.
The driver of the white car struck the Lancer after it passed into the intersection where routes 98, 279 and Bacon Road all converge. The driver of white car was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
There was another vehicle involved in the accident that had minor damage. The 5 Corners is the site of numerous accidents every year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Marlee Diehl will lead 2,300 Rotarians in 69 clubs
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Marlee Diehl, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, was installed as the new District Governor for Rotary on Sunday, leading 69 clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario.
About 100 people from the two countries attended the District Governor changeover celebration on Sunday at Tillman’s Village Inn. Diehl succeeds Kevin Crosby, a Lockport resident and member of the Buffalo Sunrise Club.
There are about 2,300 Rotarians in the district known as the “Best of Friends” District, the first district that included Rotary clubs in two countries.
Crosby said membership in the district held steady overall in 2015-16. The district is losing the Rotary Club in the Tonawandas after 99 years but is adding one in Hamliton.
Diehl said all of the clubs are different with their own strengths. She and Crosby unveiled the theme for Rotary in 2016-17: “Serving Humanity.”
Diehl addresses the crowd Sunday at the Village Inn, where the Albion Rotary Club has its regular weekly meetings on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m.
Diehl and her husband attended the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, Korea, on May 27 to June 1. She said she is honored to be District Governor on the centennial of the Rotary Foundation, which directs money to international aid efforts.
Diehl, a Waterport resident, has been active in many district events and committees, helping to plan and lead district conferences and training sessions. She served as assistant district governor for three years.
She has been active in Rotary since 1994, when she joined a club in Hamilton, Ontario. Diehl’s husband Bill is twice a past president of the Albion Rotary Club. They met at a Rotary conference in Toronto in 2009, when they were both at a training session for incoming Rotary presidents.
As district governor, Diehl said her focus will be celebrating Rotarians, especially those with a long commitment to helping their communities.
For about 35 years she worked as a recruiter, helping companies find executives and leaders in management. While connecting with business leaders, she noticed many wore Rotary pins or had Rotary posters on their walls.
When she was looking for an outlet for community service, she turned to Rotary and joined the Hamilton club in 1994. She is also active at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion and the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos courtesy of Marlene Seielstad
ALBION – Josh Metzler accepts his high school diploma on Friday from Margy Brown, president of the Albion Board of Education. Metzler was one of 140 members of the Class of 2016 to graduate during the ceremony at the high school gym.
Meredith Patterson delivers the valedictory address. She spoke about a phoenix, a bird that is cyclically reborn after bursting into flames.
“Associated with the sun and deep wisdom, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor,” Patterson said. “At the conclusion of our educational career at Charles D’Amico High School, our former selves are falling away and bursting into flames, leaving in their wake new, fresh, refined selves with lives full of possibility and hope.”
She urged her classmates to “smolder brightly wherever your flames are carried- whether that be college, the military, or the workforce.”
Family and friends have been the tinder, the initial kindling, that provided a strong base for the graduates. “Without these people and their influence, without our initial kindling, we would be nothing, and even our strongest sparks would not catch,” she said.
Teachers, mentors and coaches fanned the oxygen and graduates provided the heat by pulling from within themselves. “And finally, our education here at Charles D’Amico High School has provided us with the fuel, the schooling that we need to maintain our blaze and the knowledge to recognize when it is time to add more to the fire,” Patterson said.
The graduates may be small sparks now, but their collective blaze can make a big difference in the community and world.
“You are the torchbearers in a world that craves light,” Patterson said. “Other generations were matches, they were flashlights and flickers of candlelight, but we must be the roaring flames that this world needs.”
Daniel Beam, the class salutatorian, delivers his speech as a rap with help from Scott Daniels, left, and Kyle Thaine. Beam went through the alphabet in describing the school experience. Here is the last part of the rap.
understanding being a undergraduate underdog
vortex of violent votes
variety of various vacations
working for a wage for a wallet
who what where when why
x marks the spot
xylophone tones hotter than a boiling pot
yesterday you were in the prime of your youth
yet today be proud of yourself
zero regrets as you zig zag to the zenith
be zealous in your work and proud of your achievements
Albion school officials on stage include, from left: Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent; Kathy Winans, special education teacher; Margy Brown, BOE president; and Matthew Peterson, high school principal.
Katelyn Perry accepts her diploma from Margy Brown.
Juniors who rank high in their class served as escorts. The front students include Mackenzie Luft and Donato Rosario.
The new graduates toss their caps at the end of the ceremony.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The State Canal Corporation lowered the guard gates in Brockport and Middleport at 6 p.m. on Sunday to begin draining a section of the canal. This photo was taken at about 10 a.m. this morning, showing the Main Street lift bridge in Albion. There was still a lot of water in the canal, but that will soon change.
The canal needs to be drained so emergency repairs can be made to a culvert in Hulberton. The Canal Corporation has hired contractor C.P. Ward of Scottsville. The construction has mobilized and is on site, said Shane Mahar, spokesman for the Canal Corporation.
“We’ll know the schedule of refilling between Middleport and Albion later this week,” Mahar said in an email. “Also, overall project timeline is still TBD – won’t know 100-percent until the contractor actually starts doing the repair.”
The problems with the culvert, about 500 yards west of the lift bridge, were discovered during a routine inspection. The Canal Corporation’s team of experts determined the repairs couldn’t be put off until after the canal boating season, Mahar said.
After the canal is drained between Brockport and Middleport and preliminary construction work is started, the canal between Middleport and Albion will be refilled with water.
However, a 15-mile section of the canal between the Albion Guard Gate (just west of the Village of Albion) and the Brockport Guard Gate (just west of the Village of Brockport) will remain de-watered until repairs are complete.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2016 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – Albion firefighters Matt Francis and Nathan Bloom are at the top, 103 feet, of the Albion Fire Department ladder truck today spraying water. Albion was one of four fire departments with ladder trucks – Brockport, Clarendon and Holley were the others.
They were part of a big drill in Holley at Precision Packaging Products where firefighters could practice water flows. If Precision or other larger manufacturing sites ever caught on fire, “we’d need an enormous amount of water,” said Harris Reed, Holley’s deputy fire chief.
The drill helped Holley and other departments determine how quickly they could have access and use lots of water for a fire.
Tanker fire trucks hauled water to the scene, and the water was then released into dump tanks. This photo shows volunteer crews from the Kendall and Barre fire companies.
Brockport firefighters spray water at the Holley Business Park, which includes Precision Packaging Products and other companies.
Firefighters also went inside Precision and practiced four scenarios of assisting employees. Firefighters also simulated two mayday scenarios where there was a missing firefighter. In those practice exercises, members of Fast Teams went in to find the firefighter pretending to be missing.
Clarendon and Holley both brought their ladder trucks for the drill, one of the biggest training exercises in Holley in about a dozen years.
Brian Bentley, left, and Jesse Babcock from the Barre Volunteer Fire Company help fill the dump tanks with water.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Nearly 100 Medina teachers wore ribbons with Notre Dame blue and gold and a green ribbon as well in honor of Jeff Evoy on Friday during graduation ceremonies.
MEDINA – There were nearly 100 Medina teachers at graduation on Friday night and they were wearing ribbons in tribute to Jeff Evoy, the district’s superintendent who died the day before.
Evoy was a big Notre Dame fan and he loved his Irish ancestry. Teachers made ribbons in Notre Dame blue and gold, with a green ribbon for Evoy’s Irish roots. It was a way for teachers to show respect for a man who was loved by the staff, said Joe Byrne, a Medina teacher and president of the Medina Teachers’ Association.
“He was truly a dream superintendent, who cared genuinely about people,” Byrne said today.
Evoy served as superintendent for nearly five years. Byrne has been the teachers’ union president for six years. They met every Monday to discuss district business, and soon became friends as Evoy asked about Byrne’s family and insisted on seeing his son’s hockey schedule. Evoy surprised the family by showing up at a practice one day.
One of Evoy’s goals, he told Byrne, was to have a big showing of teachers at graduation. Evoy attended college commencement ceremonies where many professors where their academic robes adding more grandeur and importance to the event.
Many Medina teachers wore ribbons in memory of Jeff Evoy on Friday. They are pictured in the cafeteria before commencement.
Byrne said only about 15 to 20 teachers attended graduation before Evoy started as superintendent. Friday was the biggest turnout yet with nearly 100 teachers from the elementary, middle and high schools. They were there to support the graduates, but also to show respect for Evoy, Byrne said.
Friday, the day of graduation, tends to be superintendent’s day when teachers meet with the superintendent of schools earlier in the day. It’s also a day when retiring teachers are recognized at a luncheon.
“Jeff always loved the luncheon,” Byrne said. “He enjoyed sending off his colleagues. He would always give a great end-of-the-year speech thanking the teachers for working hard and getting the students across the stage at graduation.”
Teachers were in mourning on Friday during the luncheon. They resolved to make the ribbons and wear them during commencement. Evoy’s death at age 50 after a serious illness has hit the staff hard, Byrne said.
Jeff Evoy addresses teachers during a luncheon last June at the Ridgeway Fire Hall. Evoy always made sure to thank the staff for working hard to help students meet graduation requirements.
The Medina district raises student test scores, boosted the graduation rate and partnered with Lyndonville with some athletic and extracurricular programs. The district did that while reducing the tax burden.
Byrne said Evoy was a focused person, pushing for excellence. But he also wanted to connect personally with teachers.
Byrne wrote a short speech for the Teachers’ Association luncheon on Friday. He shared it with the Orleans Hub.
“Humble, genuine, putting others first,” Byrne said. “For anyone who knew Jeff Evoy, you know that this was who Jeff Evoy was. This is a man who tried his utmost every single day to do the right thing. Five years with Medina isn’t a long time, but his impact was great, and we know his legacy will live on for a very long time. You would never know that Jeff Evoy wasn’t born and raised here in Medina, because he loved us as if he were. Medina and this community were his second family.
“Jeff and I met on Monday mornings, almost weekly for the past five years, and yes, we discussed the business of the Medina Central School District. His door was always open. And behind that door, we worked together to make his vision come alive for this school and this community. That was our job. It wasn’t our job, however, to get to know each other on the personal level that we did.
“Jeff and I came from similar blue collar backgrounds and we shared our lives with one another. And as our lives joined in that office every Monday, I realize now how lucky we are to have worked with a dream superintendent: one who cares about kids, about us, about Medina. Not every school gets the privilege of having a superintendent like ours. Because he was a teacher, he understood us. He was not one of those aloof superintendents that other districts have to deal with.
Jeff Evoy joined Medina teachers in running the Chase Corporate Challenge in Buffalo in June 2014.
“Tonight is one of the most special days of the year for our seniors. This day was special every year for Jeff Evoy. He looked forward to graduation like nobody’s business. When Jeff came onboard here, he talked about how impressive it was at college graduations to see professors walk down the aisles. Because of him, we have an incredible number of teachers from all three buildings who walk down the aisles before our graduation, and I know we’ll see a great turnout tonight, not just for our seniors, but for Mr. Evoy as well. We have that special memory of Jeff when he handed diplomas to his own children, Sean and Kelsey.
“If you were lucky enough to have his children in class, then it goes without saying that Jeff Evoy was beyond a great dad. And it didn’t take knowing Jeff on a personal level to recognize and appreciate the solid, unbreakable love between Jeff and Maureen. You knew they had each other’s backs. It is a rare thing in life in this day and age for two people to respect one another in love the way they did. Best friends doesn’t begin to cover it.”
In closing, you know how much Jeff enjoyed sports. He coached students and he cherished being involved with his own children’s athletic lives. Jeff asked me for my six-year-old son’s hockey schedule back in October when he first learned of his illness. He said he might stop by to watch a practice or game. And, you know what, he did. That meant the world to me and Aiden. How many superintendents would have done that? I know only one, Jeff Evoy.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Chuck Baker of Medina tries to make contact with a ham radio operator outside the area on Saturday. Baker is president of the Orleans County Amateur Radio Club, which has 42 members.
The club is joining ham operators from throughout the country in the annual Field Days event, where ham radio operators try to make contact with other operators. The Orleans club has won awards in the past for making contacts from operators in all 50 states.
The event started at 2 p.m. Saturday and continues until 4 p.m. today. Within the first five hours on Saturday, the Orleans operators had made 300 contacts.
The Orleans County Amateur Radio Club is holding the event at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, 14064 West County House Rd., Albion. This photo shows ham radio operators, from left: Mike Moriarty of Medina, Ed Weider of Medina and Chuck Baker of Medina.
The Field Days are also a chance to introduce the public the amateur radio. The ham radio operators have a license to operate a ham radio from the FCC. Each operator has a call sign, and must take a test.
The Orleans club meets the second Mondays each month at 7:30 p.m. at Emergency Management Office. The club welcomes more members. It currently has several members outside Orleans in Niagara, Genesee and Monroe counties.
George Lloyd of Brockport, left, takes a turn at the radio. The operators will give visitors a chance to be on the air during Field Days.
The Orleans County Club is about 65 years old. For more information about the club, click here to see its web site.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 26 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Volume 2, Issue 26
ALBION – Over two hundred years ago as the pioneer settlers first established themselves in the wilderness that was once Genesee County, education and religion became fundamental pieces in daily life.
It’s no surprise that the first church constructed in this region was situated along the heavily traveled Ridge Road in the town of Gaines. A partnership between Baptists and Congregationalists led to the erection of a church edifice to the west of the old Gaines Road.
Upon the opening of the Erie Canal, traffic, industry, and eventually wealth transitioned southward into the Village of Albion and of course so did the demand for schools and churches.
The Baptists, once practicing their faith in their shared sanctuary at Gaines, pushed to split the congregation in order to establish themselves within the village. With pressure from many prominent citizens, the First Baptist Church of Albion was organized on April 17, 1830 at the Court House; Phineas Briggs and Barnuel Farr were selected as deacons.
After the succession of Rev. Hervey Blood to the pastorate of the congregation at Gaines, the Rev. Arab Irons was petitioned to serve in Albion as the first pastor of the newly formed congregation. With no place to meet, the churchgoers worshiped in the Court House for nearly two years before the group was able to purchase a parcel of land on North Main Street from Sydney Barrell at a cost of $400.
In 1832, the beautiful edifice pictured here was built adjacent to the Burrows Mansion (the old Swan Library) at a cost of $7,000. Constructed in the Federal style, the building is representative of an iconic architectural style that places emphasis on balance, symmetry, and elegance. For nearly 28 years the structure served the faithful worshippers until the congregation outgrew its physical space.
Under the pastorate of Rev. Almond C. Barrell the congregation purchased a lot on the corner of Liberty and West Park Street from the Presbyterian Church and erected a new building at the cost of $22,107 in 1860; approximately $588,000 today.
Upon relocation of the congregation, the old church was transferred to Roswell S. Burrows who used the space as a concert hall. The building continued to serve in that capacity until it was left vacant and razed in the early 1890s.
The “Concert Hall Lot,” as it was called, remained under the ownership of the Burrows Estate until the remaining real property was liquidated in 1906. The Albion Lodge Independent Order of Odd Fellows purchased the lot and constructed a meeting house, which remains today with some additions and modifications added over the last 109 years.
