North Point Chapel becoming Canalside Community Church

File photo by Tom Rivers: Ben Curfman is shown in July 2022 when he started as the new pastor of North Point Chapel at 19 North Platt St., Albion. Curfman and his wife Rebekah have six children. They moved to Albion from North Carolina.

Press Release, Canalside Community Church

ALBION – After approving a series of changes at a meeting of the members of North Point Chapel in February of this year, the church voted to replant entirely under a new name, Canalside Community Church.

Beginning Jan. 1, the church will officially begin displaying the new name to the community. “As we worked to make the church healthier over the last two years, several members suggested that we pursue a fresh start as a church in light of the many changes,” said Pastor Ben Curfman. “The church agreed, and Canalside Community Church was born.”

The church meets in the building formerly owned by the Albion First United Methodist Church at the intersection of North Platt Street and East State Street in Albion, across from the Orleans County Courthouse.

“We decided on the name Canalside because it says something about where we are located, one block from the Erie Canal in Albion,” Curfman said. “We discovered that people in the village did not know the former name of the church or did not realize it was located so close to them.”

In 2025, Canalside plans to address this with better outdoor signage and more interaction with the community.

“We chose to include ‘community’ in the church name because we want our neighbors to know that anyone is welcome to worship with us, whether they have a particular church background or no religious background at all,” Curfman explained.

The church’s beliefs are associated with the Baptist tradition, and it is supported by other churches and networks from across the United States including SEND Network and The Pillar Network.

“When you visit, you can expect a very simple and authentic service that includes singing, a lesson for children, and verse-by-verse Bible teaching,” he said. “We are currently going through the book of Exodus, and we cover everything – even the hard parts!”

The church pastor invites those interested to contact him with spiritual questions, thoughts, or to share their personal story. He can be reached at pastor@canalside.cc or (585) 283-4114.

Canalside Community Church is located at 19 N Platt St. Albion, NY 14411. For more information, go to their website (canalside.cc) or look up the church on Facebook.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Susan Thaine, pastor of the First presbyterian Church of Albion, lights a candle symbolizes love during last week’s “Community Service of Remembrance, Comfort and Hope.”

The Presbyterian Church hosted the service that was led by the Albion Area Ministerium with assistance from Mitchell Family Cremations & Funerals, Hospice of Orleans and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Orleans County.

Other candles were lit to symbolize hope, peace and joy.

The Rev. Dr. Don Algeo, pastor of the Gaines Congregational Church, shares a message about peace. “So often we allow the burdens of life to get in the way of experiencing true peace with God,” Algeo said. “Take some time this Christmas season to be still and to know the peace of God.”

Other participating clergy included: Rev. Susan Thaine of Albion Presbyterian Church, Rev. Marsha Rivers of Albion First Baptist Church, Rev. Susan Boring of Eagle Harbor Methodist Church, Father Mark Noonan of ONE Catholic Church and Sister Dolores O’Dowd.

Erin Moody sings “Christmas in Heaven.”

Josh Mitchell of Mitchell Family Cremations & Funerals joins a candle lighting.

Other participating leaders from organizations include Rev. Randy LeBaron, director of Spiritual Care for Hospice of Orleans, and Nola Goodrich-Kresse of the Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Myrna Martin was among the singers during the service. About 50 people attended the event.

Gary Simboli also performed, singing, “I Heard the Bells.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Statewide Aquastore Inc. from East Syracuse is nearly done with construction of a new 750,000-gallon water tank on Route 98 in the Town of Gaines.

Aquastore submitted the low bid of $1,369,000 for the project. The new tank is a glass-fused steel tank. Aquastore employees said they expect the new tank will be complete in January.

It will mostly serve the Town of Carlton. Water is kept in the tank and backflows into the Carlton waterlines.

The new system replaces the previous 1-million-gallon tank that was built in 1962.

The former tank was torn down a $1,527,000 bid from STC Construction of Springville. That bid also included installation of new piping, valves and a meter pit.

ALBION – A day after announcing the Albion Main Street lift bridge was on target to reopen on Dec. 26, the reopening has been pushed back slightly.

Village Trustee Joyce Riley said she was notified today by the state Department of Transportation the bridge won’t be ready Dec. 26, but should open very soon.

The DOT and village will wait until the reopening is certain before putting out a date.

The bridge has been closed to traffic since Nov. 14, 2022. When it closed, the DOT estimated it would reopen in 18 months or the spring of 2024.

But there have been delays in getting materials for the project, pushing the completion back.

The bridge was originally built in 1914. It is one of 16 lift bridges on the Erie Canal, and one of seven in Orleans County.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – David Thom carries a wreath to be set at a grave for a veteran on Saturday during a Wreaths Across America ceremony. Mount Albion was included in Wreaths Across America for the first time.

Thom’s daughter, Jennifer Thom, coordinated the effort at Mount Albion. She is also the leader of Operation Honor, which purchased 100 of the wreaths. Other people purchased them for $17 each.

Wreaths has grown to 4,000 communities across the country, including in medina, Lyndonville and Holley.

In the photo with David Thom, he is carrying a wreath in honor of uniformed service members in U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

Other wreaths in the opening ceremony were set for the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.

Many of the wreaths were set in the veterans’ section on the western side of the cemetery.

Richard Cox sets wreaths on veterans’ graves on a chilly Saturday. Cox also paid for 10 of the wreaths. He said he is a veteran and wanted to show appreciation for others who served in the military.

Jennifer Thom, leader of Operation Honor and coordinator of Wreaths Across America at Mount Albion, places a wreath at a veteran’s grave on Saturday. She urged the volunteers to say the veteran’s name when setting the wreath.

State Sen. Robert Ortt carries a wreath during the ceremony on Saturday. Ortt also was in Lyndonville earlier in the day for Wreaths Across America.

Mike Donahue is the bugler while Taps was played as part of the Honor Guard on Saturday during a ceremony for Wreaths Across America.

A wreath was also set at the Alms House Cemetery for Daniel Walterhouse, a Civil War veteran. Students in the Albion Middle School History Club placed that wreath at the cemetery on County House Road.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Volunteers with the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries get chicken barbecue dinners ready in take-out containers on Saturday at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.

The church prepared 2,000 of the dinners. People started lining up at 11 a.m., about an hour before the meals were advertised to be available. By 3:30, all the dinners had been served, with volunteers delivering many to shut-ins in the community.

This the third straight year the Royal Body Shop served the 2,000 dinners for free, after a debut in 2021 with 1,000 chicken barbecues.

Pastor Al Wilson of the Royal Body Shop cooks potatoes and string beans with smoked turkey in the kitchen at the Masonic Lodge. He said a dedicated group of at least 20 worked on the big dinner.

“It’s a blessing when you have all this help,” Wilson said. “We just want to share the love of Jesus.”

Nora Bell-Owens keeps up a brisk pace in the kitchen.

Pam Parker and Anthony Artis were among the volunteers getting the food ready.

The Royal Body Shop also does an Easter egg hunt in Albion. There were 12,000 Easter eggs filled with candy during the March 30 egg hunt on the courthouse lawn.

Provided photo: Students from the Iroquois Job Corps helped cook the chickens and get the meals ready.

Hearth & Home wins first place among 26 floats in parade

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade was capped with this float with Santa in a sleigh on a trailer with a band, Christmas trees and reindeer in flight.

A group of volunteers tried to create a float with the flair of the late Charles W. Howard, who ran a Santa school in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966. Howard also was the Santa for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and operated Christmas Park in Albion.

His granddaughter Jane Holland of Williamsville attended the parade and appreciated the community’s efforts to celebrate her grandfather.

The float with Santa and the reindeer pass by the Orleans County Courthouse on Main Street.

This sleigh created by Albion contractor Jim Babcock made its debut in the parade. It will be put near the bronze statue of Santa and the 24-foot-long Santa mural at Waterman Park on Main Street.

The sleigh was built in memory of Charles Bergeman, who was the grandson of Charles Howard. He passed away at age 64 on Oct. 31, 2023. His wife Carol of Lewiston attended the parade on Saturday.

Hearth & Home, a real estate business in Albion, won first place among the 26 floats in the parade.

Hearth & Home gets its float ready for the parade while in the staging area at the municipal lot by CRFS.

Bloom’s Flower Shop was picked for second place.

Wild Flour Deli was the third place winner in the parade.

The judges gave an honorable mention to the Orleans County Bicentennial Committee for its float celebrating the county’s upcoming 200^th anniversary in 2025.

The Bicentennial Committee has embraced an ox as a mascot to celebrate the 200^th. The ox on the trailer was painted by artist Stacey Kirby Steward.

Robyn Watts created this ox costume, which was worn by Cordelia Rivers in the parade. The ox gave many high fives along the parade route.

Mick Tower served as grand marshal for the parade. He rides in a truck with his son Ron. Mick worked for Charles Howard, building many of the rides and attractions at Christmas Park.

Cutaia Trucking in Fairport carried an inflatable Grinch in its lighted up truck.

Eye of Oden K9 Training from Kent brought several dogs with lighted up vests.

Sheryl Watts of Air Raising Events created a Christmas tree with ornaments all made out of balloons.

The Albion Fire Department also had a Grinch character walking in the parade and the fire truck was decorated in green lights.

The Lockstone event center had a float with a bride in a wedding dress.

A Grinch character with the Village of Albion Christmas float greets people along Main Street.

The Who Dats performed Christmas music from a trailer. From left include John Borrello, Todd Graham and Lonnie Froman.

The Hitmen Brass Band also performed in the parade.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Aubrielle Barry, a member of the U14 NY Inferno travel softball team, is shown with leaders of the Elks Lodge in Albion this morning. Mike Jenks, the Exalted Ruler of the lodge, is at left and Richard Robb Sr., the Leading Knight and President of the Elks Riders, accepted toys and gifts donated by Barry’s softball team.

Barry plays shortstop and third base for the team that includes about a dozen girls around Western New York. The team and their families all donated to the toy drive that will go to kids in Orleans County.

The Elks will work with Frosty and Friends, a bikers’ charity based in Albion, to distribute the toys to local children.

Barry’s parents, Chris and Lisa Barry, are members of the Elks Lodge. Aubrielle’s grandfather, the late John Persia, was a long-time member of the Elks.

Provided photo

The NY Inferno U14 team is shown with some of the toys they donated. From left include Savannah Durham, Kristina Rivera, Charlotte Henderson, Elise McDuffie, Gabby Bender, Aubrey Schwimmer, Lyla Morse, Arnie Sturtevant and Aubrielle Barry. Missing from photo: Gabriella Boitschenko, Ava Wilson and Olivene Infante.

The team practices two or three times a week and plays in many tournaments. The next one will be an indoor tournament in Pittsburgh Dec. 21-22.

The NY Inferno have won 10 championships the past two years, and five runner-up titles.

Barry, a ninth-grader at Albion, played varsity softball for Albion as a seventh- and eighth-grader. She wants to play softball in college after Albion.

Albion Hometown Holiday includes many events throughout the day, capped by parade at 6 p.m.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries is shown in the kitchen of the Masonic Lodge on Dec. 9, 2023 when the church served 2,000 chicken barbecue dinners for free. Christina Ruffin, left, and John Hollenbeck are in the kitchen putting the chicken and macaroni salad in the take-out containers.

ALBION – A Hometown Holiday event on Saturday includes activities throughout the day in Albion, including a church serving 2,000 chicken barbecue dinners for free beginning at noon at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.

This is the third year the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries is serving the 2,000 dinners for free to the community.

Many of the businesses, the Village Hall and Hoag Library will be hosting activities for the community.

There will be a parade with lighted floats beginning at 6 p.m. on Route 31, leaving from the CRFS parking lot and then going down Main Street, turning on East State Street and ending at the parking lot by Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street.

The parade’s name has been changed from Santa’s Hometown Parade to the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade. It honors Howard, who ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. He also operated Christmas Park beginning in the mid-1950s. That site attracted about 80,000 people a year.

The Albion Merchants Association is the lead organizer of Hometown Holiday. The schedule includes:

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Letters to Santa at Bloom’s Flower Shop
• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Shopping with Misfit Toys at the Downtown Browsery
• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Kids craft at Town and Country Quilt Shop
• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Kids craft at Village Hall with Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak
• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Coffee and donuts at Village Hall with Albion Police Department
• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Crafts, presents and cupcakes at Albion Free Methodist Church
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Cookie decorating at Pretty Sweet Bakery
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Ornament kits at Red Check
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Tea with Mrs. Claus at Hoag Library
• 12 p.m. until gone – Free chicken dinner from Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries at Masonic Lodge
• 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Christmas caroling in the downtown
• 1 to 3 p.m. – Painting Rocks with “Albion Rocks” at Dubby’s Tailgate
• 2 to 4 p.m. – Concert by Music Makers at Pratt Opera House
• 3 to 4 p.m. – Fire side with Santa and kids crafts at Hearth & Home
• 4:30 to 6 p.m. – Hot chocolate and caroling at First Baptist Church
• 4 to 6 p.m. – Chicken and biscuit dinner by Albion Rotary Club at Presbyterian Church
• 6 p.m. – Charles W. Howard Parade (with Santa and Mrs. Claus after parade until 8 p.m. at Dubby’s Tailgate)

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There are 10 Christmas trees on the Orleabs County Courthouse lawn for the second year.

It’s part of an effort by a group of volunteers in the “Bring Christmas Back to Albion” committee. That group also spearheaded having 40 lampposts decorated for the holidays the past two years.

Lori Laine, one of the group’s members, said businesses or organizations are welcome to help decorate the trees on the courthouse lawn.

The Care Net Center of Greater Orleans decorated one of the trees.

Laine said people interested in decorating the trees are welcome to call her at (585) 738-1836.