By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 November 2024 at 10:00 am
Faith Smith, shown in top row in center photo with her husband Michael Smith, has been named one of six “Hometown Heroes” by Save A Lot.
ALBION – The director of the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen has been named one of six “Hometown Heroes” by Save A Lot.
Faith Smith has served as volunteer director of the OK Kitchen since it opened in June 2022 at Harvest Christian Fellowship. She also led the community kitchen for more than a decade when it was based at Christ Episcopal Church.
The OK Kitchen serves several hundred meals every Thursday, and has expanded to frozen soups for people to take home.
“Faith’s contributions go far beyond providing a hot meal,” Save A Lot stated. “She is deeply compassionate, offering birthday goodie bags, distributing gifts to needy children at Christmas, and delivering meals to shut-ins while performing wellness checks. She supports other community organizations, provides free items to those in need when there is a surplus, and assembles essential items like blankets, hats, and toiletries for the homeless. Tirelessly, she recruits volunteers to help with OKK’s mission.
“Her work is entirely unpaid, driven solely by her passion for helping others. Faith Smith is selfless, hardworking, compassionate, resourceful, and deeply committed to her cause. Her efforts ensure that no one in her community goes hungry, and she makes the most of every resource and donation she receives.”
Save A Lot, a large discount grocery chain with about 800 stores in 32 states, accepted nominations for Hometown Heroes and to showcase the people and organizations making a difference in the communities Save A Lot stores serve.
The six winners will receive $500 gift cards for Save A Lot. The Hometown Heroes include:
Tammy Amburgey, President, Middle Creek Community Development & Food Pantry, Prestonsburg, KY
Doug Ducheney, Owner, Children Without A Gift Ministry, Bronston, KY
Grant & Gina Hasty, Founders, Lord’s Café, Whitley City, KY
Jessica Lee, Founder, Help the Homeless, Somerset, KY
Faith Smith, Director, Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, Albion, NY
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 November 2024 at 8:54 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Construction crews gave a worn-down section of Ingersoll Street new pavement today, after the old pavement was removed on Tuesday.
Ingersoll has faced much more traffic than usual in the past two years with the Main Street lift bridge closed for major repairs and an overhaul. That lift bridge could reopen next month.
The state Department of Transportation had a section of Ingersoll milled and repaved between Bank and Caroline streets, the sections closest to the lift bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 November 2024 at 10:37 am
‘It won’t be perfect this year, but it’s going to be pretty cool’
Photos by Tom Rivers: Michael Bonafede, right, and a team of volunteers work on a float last week at Bonafede’s property. Mick Tower, in back, worked for the late Charles Howard with many of the floats and attractions he had at Christmas Park in Albion and also at the State Fair. Howard was founder and director of a Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966. The committee organizing the lighted Christmas parade on Dec. 14 has named the parade in his honor. It is now the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.
ALBION – A committee working on Albion’s Christmas parade on Dec. 14 has changed the name from Santa’s Hometown Parade to the Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade.
The committee wants to pay tribute to 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.
Howard turned part of his farm on Phipps Road into Christmas Park with amusement park rides, a petting zoo and other attractions.
The parade on Dec. 14 already has 20 floats committed as well as bands. It will honor Howard with more than the parade name.
A group of volunteers is building a float in Howard’s style. They are putting Santa in an older sleigh, and it will appear to be ready to take flight with a group of reindeer.
“New generations of people don’t know Charles Howard,” said Michael Bonafede, one of the volunteers building the float. “He is an excellent role and a unique asset for this area. His character and integrity were the keys to his success.”
The float design team includes, in front from left: Ron, Mick and Mike Tower. In back, Michael Bonafede, Frank Jenks and David Valente.
The volunteers last week made a 20-by-10 foot deck for the float. It has room for an 8-piece band on the back of the float with the sleigh in the middle and the reindeer up front.
Michael Bonafede said the sleigh was acquired in Connecticut and the sleigh will usher in Santa for the parade. The sleigh has a classic look. Its curved in the front which matches some of the photos from when Charles Howard portrayed Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parades in the 1950s and early 1960s.
The group wants to build an iconic float to cap the parade. Howard was known for his creative mind in building floats. The Albion group building the new float will create a display where it will look like nine reindeer are taking off.
Bonafede found two long pieces of metal that used to be part of a soccer goal on his property. For many years, Bonafede hosted the youth soccer program in Albion.
Frank Jenks and Ron Tower brainstorm how to best position the sleigh on steel railings that used to be the top of a soccer goal. Mick Tower, in back, offers some insights. He urged the group to not “bite off more than they can chew” with the first float.
Howard, too, would repurpose pieces of wood and other materials to make his displays. One of his employees, Mick Tower, is helping with the new float. Tower, 89, was tasked by Howard to turn his visions into reality. (Tower will serve as grand marshal of the upcoming parade.)
Tower was part of a team that built the track for a train at Christmas Park, a tunnel, wooden snowflakes, wooden icicles hanging down from the roof, the fire place, and many other projects. There was never a slow moment. Howard had short- and long-term projects. Tower recalled the effort in turning a pond on the property into Snowflake Lake.
Bonafede said the volunteers eventually would like to have the reindeer in motion and some other special effects. For this year, the reindeer may just be lawn ornaments.
“It won’t be perfect this year, but it’s going to be pretty cool,” Bonafede said.
Tower’s son, Ron and Mike, also are part of the team building the new float. Like their father they work in construction.
Frank Jenks also is part of the team, and so is David Valente who has put in a steel railing on the float and is working on other touches to give it strength and some seasonal flare.
David Valente of Hamlin has repurposed steel for railings on the float. Bonafede secured the steel and Valente said he is pleased to lend his talents to the project.
The group is seeking donated artificial Christmas trees to fill out the float this year. Anyone willing to donate can contact the parade chairwoman, Susan Oschmann, at (585) 202-0594 or susanoschmann@gmail.com.
She welcomes more entries for the fourth annual parade. Participants can sign up by Dec. 13. Click here for more information about registering to be in the parade.
Oschmann said several sponsors are backing the parade, which is allowing the committee to double the prize money. First place gets $600, with $400 for second and $200 for third.
The group working on the Santa float also said they would welcome a spot to store it in the offseason if someone has space in a barn, Quonset hut or garage. For more information, contact Bonafede at (585) 749-1413.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Warren Harding, homeless outreach coordinator of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, and director Jami Allport display some of the backpacks available to the homeless. They were purchased with a grant Allport applied for from Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 November 2024 at 10:03 am
ALBION – When Jami Allport accepted the position as director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern in August 2023, one problem soon caught her attention – the homeless population in Orleans County.
“People say homelessness is not a problem in rural counties like Orleans, it is a city problem,” Allport said. “It’s not. And we have to educate the public that homelessness is here and it’s not going anywhere.”
The mission of Ministry of Concern has always been to help those in need, and Allport wanted to further that mission any way she could.
“I jumped in with both feet, and started attending any meeting I could,” she said.
When she heard about Point in Time count by the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, she knew that was something Ministry of Concern had to be involved with. When she met Aeddon Cayea, grant writer at United Way of Orleans County, he offered and was successful in applying for a grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
“The grant is for two years and allowed us to hire Warren Harding, a retired cop, as Homeless Outreach coordinator,” Allport said. “Our goal is to seek out and interact with the homeless community.”
Jami Allport, director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, shows what is in the new backpacks being given to the homeless.
Harding was looking for something to do which was more fulfilling than the odd jobs he had been doing. His first day was spent walking through woods, along railroad tracks, around abandoned buildings and even under tractor trailers to seek out the homeless.
“I came back to the office and started to digest what I’d seen,” Harding said.
Point in Time had devised a survey which homeless are asked to complete, asking very simple questions as to why they are homeless and where they have been sleeping. The surveys were only being conducted by Point in Time once a year, and Allport wondered why they couldn’t do it more often.
“I realized we weren’t going to get answers if we only sought them once a year,” she said. “With the grant we received the end of August, we can conduct the surveys all year.”
Allport met with Nyla Gaylord, director of United Way of Orleans County, who urged her into the warming center in Albion. Independent Living reached out and said they were getting ready to do the annual Point in Time count.
Information acquired goes into the system for New York state.
“The more we show great need, the more money we can get for Orleans County,” Allport said.
In order to seek out the homeless and encourage them to make out a survey, they need volunteers 18 or older. Allport will arrange training. She is also planning a series of informational workshops for the community to share what homelessness looks like in Orleans County.
One big benefit from the grant is allowing Ministry of Concern to purchase waterproof backpacks filled with essentials for a homeless person to survive, if only for a short time. One room at GOMOC’s new headquarters in the First Presbyterian Church in Albion is filled with the backpacks, which contain a blanket, two bottles of water, two MREs with a fork, a hat, scarf, gloves, two pair of socks, a shower cap treated with shampoo that doesn’t need to be rinsed out, baby wipes, sunscreen, waterless toothbrush, sunscreen and a self-inflating air mattress.
At the turn of a dial, the air mattress rolls back up. Also included is a $10 gift card to McDonalds or Burger King and pamphlets with information on services a homeless person might need.
Since implementing their mission a week ago to serve the homeless, Ministry of Concern has seen an average of one person per day.
“Unfortunately, this won’t end their homelessness,” Allport said. “There is no place to put them right now with the severe housing crisis in Orleans County. We want them to know this is a safe place for them to come to. We will not advocate for them, but with them. We will walk alongside them in their journey.”
Allport also announced her office has funds available for rental assistance and is ready for children to be signed up for free Christmas gifts.
For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, call (585) 589-9210.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2024 at 3:55 pm
About 100 people seek winter clothes during event in Albion
Photo courtesy of Jack Burris: Hands 4 Hope made jackets, boots, gloves and other winter clothing available on Sunday in a Red Jacket Rally after a Spanish-speaking Mass at Holy Family Parish in Albion.
ALBION – The Hands 4 Hope ministry has been offering prayers and food for nine years now, making Saturday morning stops in Albion, Holley and Medina.
Hands 4 Hope has added winter coats, boots, hats and gloves to that effort with monthly Red Jacket rallies.
Jack Burris, the Hands 4 Hope founder and leader, decided to focus a Red Jacket Rally on the Spanish-speaking population of the community. The rally was held this past Sunday after a Spanish-speaking Mass at Holy Family Parish. Burris and a team of volunteers set up outside the church with the clothes on racks and tables.
About 100 people were able to take clothing with the cold weather around the corner.
Hands 4 Hope typically does a Red Jacket Rally the third Thursday in September, October and November. There is another one planned for Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at Evans Ace Hardware, 342 East Center St., Medina.
Hands 4 Hope welcomes donated jackets, from children to adult sizes, as well as boots, hats and gloves. They can be dropped off inside the Arnold Gregory Office Complex in Suite 174 at 243 S Main St., Albion.
Photos by Tom Rivers: These tables have kid-size boots and other winter clothing. This photo was taken after about 100 people went through, picking out coats and other winter apparel.
Hands 4 Hope has already given away 459 coats since Sept. 1, passing the 407 distributed last year from September through the end of December.
Emily Kwiatkowski, the director of discipleship and mission at ONE Catholic, said the parish welcomed the chance to partner with Hands 4 Hope for the Red Jacket Rally.
“There is a very widespread need among the Hispanic community for a wide variety of things,” Kwiatkowski said.
Father Mark Noonan, pastor at ONE Catholic, did a promo of the Red Jacket Rally, speaking in Spanish in a Facebook post, encouraging people to stop by for the winter clothing.
Burris said he was thrilled to see the donated clothing be put to good use, and to send a message to the immigrants and others that the local community values them.
Hands 4 Hope typically sets up away from churches. But this time was stationed outside Holy Family Parish.
“Many people steer clear of churches for a variety of reasons,” he said.
Through the food, clothes and prayers offered by Hands 4 Hope, “they know God loves them through the community,” Burris said.
Jack Burris, right, founded Hands 4 Hope nine years ago. He appreciates the community’s continued donations towards the ministry.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2024 at 9:37 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Ingersoll Street is shown north of the canal late this afternoon.
The State Department of Transportation on Tuesday will mill a section of Ingersoll between Caroline and Bank streets, and then pave that section on Wednesday.
Ingersoll has seen increased traffic the past two years with the Main Street lift bridge closed and much of the traffic diverted to the Ingersoll lift bridge.
The section of Ingersoll will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the two days.
From 9 a.m. to 2:30 traffic will need to use alternate routes to cross the Erie Canal: Butts Road on the east side and Gaines Basin Road on the west side.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 November 2024 at 8:02 pm
Seaver helped foster a new generation of local rock and rollers
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A photo of the late Mike Seaver, owner of the Shay’s bar on Main Street in Albion, is on display today at the Carlton Rec Hall for a big party in honor of Seaver.
He was 69 when he passed away on Sept. 20. Seaver didn’t have an obit or a funeral. He preferred to stay out of the limelight.
But a longtime friend Mike Whiting organized the big party today. Whiting organized open mic nights at Shay’s for a decade. He said Seaver helped launch some of the local bands by giving them their first chance to play in public and build their confidence,
The celebration for Seaver included many mementos from Shay’s included this restored guitar by Mike Whiting. White, shown here at right, joined in the open mic music. Here he is playing with the band, Lonesome Road.
Whiting said when he turned 21, he went to Say’s for a beer. Seaver was the bartender and the two struck up a good conversation. They became good friends.
Seaver had a karaoke machine in the bar, and welcomed the chance for musicians to perform in open mic nights and also in concerts.
“He was a big proponent of the local music scene,” Whiting said at today’s party for Seaver. “Many local bands were birched at Shay’s. He helped create the Orleans County collective. We didn’t realize the talent we had right here.”
Whiting also became close with Jessi Snyder, a bartender at Shay’s, and the two are now married.
Jessi worked with Seaver for 11 years.
“He had a heart of gold,” she said. “He looked intimidating but after talking to him a few minutes, you really liked him.”
The band Lonesome Road performs during the open mic at the Carlton Rec hall this afternoon. From left in front include Robert Williams on bass/vocals, Alex Fitzak from the band Vette, Todd Colegrove on guitar/lead vocals and Mike Whiting on guitar/vocals.
The big interior sign from Shay’s was on display at today’s benefit, as well as other Shay’s flags and banners.
Tom Irwin and Seaver have been close friends for about 50 years. They were the best man in each other’s weddings.
Seaver worked as a bartender at Shay’s for about 30 years before taking over the business from Bill Shay. The business was hurt by Covid and restrictions on crowd sizes. It hasn’t open to the public for about four years.
Many of the shot glasses and mementos were for sale at today’s party.
Irwin said Seaver was the heart and soul of the place.
“He was a very talkative person, just like his mother,” Irwin said. “People came in to see him.”
Seaver enjoyed seeing the younger adults come in for karaoke and the live music in the last 20 years.
“He kept rock and roll alive in Albion,” Irwin said.
There were 52 gift baskets up for raffle during the party and celebration of Seaver. Lori Laine collected the baskets for the event. She said Seaver opened up Shay’s to a rock painting group led by Laine. They would meet there from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Seaver liked chatting with the group and appreciated that they brought him home-cooked food, Laine said.
Proceeds from today’s event go to Seaver’s wife Ange to help with expenses.
These musicians in front include Dylan DeSmit, Mike “Thunder” Warren and John Borello. They were among the people rocking out in tribute today for Mike Seaver, owner of Shay’s in Albion.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Seaver and Jessi Whiting are shown in this photo from Aug. 13, 2016 during a “Sip N Stroll” when Shay’s joined 13 other locations in a wine-tasting. Shay’s served ice pops from Lake Effect Ice Cream at The Shamrock (Shay’s).
Whiting said she was thrilled to see a big crowd, at least 150 people in the first two hours of today’s party.
“He didn’t want a funeral but this is our way of saying thank you and good bye,” she said.
Many of Seaver’s family attended the celebration and they were serving food in the kitchen.
Seaver’s sister Donna Halladay came from California with her daughter Samantha. Halladay provided pizza and hot dogs, and headed up the kitchen staff made up of Seaver’s family. Many of them also were part of putting on events and holidays at Shay’s over the years, Mike Whiting said.
“Donna used to make some homemade salsa and chips that were famous at the bar!” Whiting said. “Whenever she was in town visiting, you could always count on those being on hand at the bar, always at no charge!”
Other family members from Orleans County who helped in the kitchen include Vicki Juckett, sister; Melissa Hope, niece; Barry Hope, nephew; Eileen Manning, cousin; and George Manning, cousin.
“Vicki and George were very active with Mike’s life at the bar,” Whiting said. “George even used to help host a video game night called ‘Halo Night’ where we would all play the game Halo 2 on Xbox with Mike for hours! Mike loved that game!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 November 2024 at 8:55 am
ALBION – Pete Stritzinger (right), president of the Albion Exempts, presents a certificate of commendation to Geno Allport, left, for his years of dedication to the youth football program in Albion.
Stritzinger and the Exempts have been recognizing people in the community each month and donating $75 to the organization they are a part of. Allport received $75 towards the youth football program.
He is also leading an effort to have a new concessions stand at Bullard Park, where the youth football teams practice and play their home games.
Membership in the Exempts is open to the community at $20.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2024 at 4:25 pm
ALBION – The state Department of Transportation will close a section of Ingersoll Street for two days next week to allow for milling of paving on a street that has had more wear and tear the past two years due to the closure of the Main Street lift bridge.
An article on Wednesday said the DOT would do one lane at a time and keep traffic open on Ingersoll. But today the DOT said there would be full roadway closure from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for milling on Tuesday and paving on Wednesday.
The closure is limited to 9 a.ml. to 2:30 p.m. to allow for school buses to cross the canal.
From 9 a.m. to 2:30 traffic will need to use alternate routes to cross the Erie Canal: Butts Road on the east side and Gaines Basin Road on the west side.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2024 at 9:37 am
$300,000 set aside towards new fire truck, fire hall repair or replacement
Photo by Tom Rivers: Members of the newly formed Albion Joint Fire District met on Thursday at Hoag Library to discuss fire district business, including an upcoming election on Dec. 10 for five commissioners and the treasurer. Pictured from left include commissioner Craig Lane, secretary Rachel Hicks, commissioner Chris Kinter, commissioner and chairman Al Cheverie, commissioner Joe Martillotta, commissioner Dave Buczek, and treasurer Victoria Tabor.
ALBION – The Albion Joint Fire District has a budget for 2025, the first year for the entity which will oversee fire protection in the towns of Albion and Gaines, which includes the Village of Albion.
The budget approved by the commissioners totals $872,222, which more than doubles the budget for the fire department when it was under the village budget with contracts from the two towns.
Fire department leaders say the department has long been underfunded, with no reserves for new fire trucks or upgrades to the fire hall.
The new budget for 2025 puts $250,000 into a “Apparatus Repair & Replacement Reserve” and $50,000 into a “Building Repair & Replacement Reserve.”
Al Cheverie, the chairman of the commissioners, said the district needs to replace two fire trucks fairly soon. A new ladder truck to replace one that is 27 years old is expected to cost $2.2 million. A new fire engine to replace one 32 years old would likely have a purchase price of $1.1 million.
The commissioners expect to start working on securing a new ladder truck in 2025, a process that could take four to five years before the new truck is in Albion. Setting aside money ahead of time will reduce the bond payments needed in the future, Cheverie said.
A $2.2 million bond at a 7 percent rate would result in an annual bond payment of about $208,000 a year over 20 years, fire department officials said in June when discussing the budget needs for the department.
A new fire engine at $1.1 million and bonded over 20 years would have an annual payment of $104,000 a year. However, those payments would be significantly less if the fire district has money in its reserves.
The district also has $50,000 set aside for the fire hall for either repairs or a potential replacement. Cheverie said there are no plans to leave the building on Platt Street anytime soon.
Some of the fire department’s expenses were previously absorbed in the village budget and now those costs are clearly defined in the fire district budget plan. That includes $17,000 in utilities and $100,000 for insurance.
Cheverie said the first-year budget for the district includes $70,000 in startup expenses for the district that won’t be a reoccurring expense.
The budget includes $15,000 to pay a treasurer and $15,000 for a secretary, plus $10,400 for janitorial services. With Social Security, Medicare and unemployment added, the three positions will total $47,647 in the budget, and those were costs that weren’t factored into the fire department budget when it was part of the village.
The budget categories include $47,647 for personnel services; $17,000 for contractual service (utilities); $100,000 for insurance; $38,950 for operational expenses; $42,500 for apparatus maintenance; $104,715 for equipment expenses (ger for firefighters and trucks); $61,000 for buildings and grounds maintenance; $160,410 for administrative expenses (fire district formation costs, accountant, attorney, medical exams, recruitment efforts); and $300,000 for the new reserve funds.
Craig Lane, one of the five commissioners, said the district budget initially was $1.3 million and the commissioners pared down some of those costs.
Dave Buczek, one of the commissioners, said the budget puts the fire department on a course for a good future for equipment and recruitment.
“We’re building something for generations to come,” Buczek said at Thursday’s meeting.
Commissioners, treasurer up for election on Dec. 10
The five commissioners started meeting on Aug. 20. Voters in the towns of Albion and Gaines approved forming the Albion Joint Fire District in an Aug. 6 referendum. Albion voted 125 yes, 61 no, while the results in Gaines were 70 yes, 43 no.
Five commissioners were then appointed to help establish the district, and create the budget for the first year in 2025. The Albion Town Board appointed Chris Kinter, the code enforcement officer, and Joe Martillotta, a retired school teacher and business owner. Gaines appointed Al Cheverie, a former Albion Fire Department president, and Craig Lane, the deputy highway superintendent for Orleans County. The Village Board appointed Dave Buczek, a former village trustee, to be the village representative.
Voters will soon pick the commissioners with new terms starting in 2025. There will be an election at Hoag Library on Dec. 10 from 4 to 9 p.m. Candidates for the election can submit a letter to the Albion Joint Fire District, P.O. Box 2, Albion NY 14411. The letter should state the candidate’s desire to run for commissioner. It needs to be received by Nov. 20. The treasurer’s position also will be up for election.
The commissioners’ terms will be for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. The highest vote-getter gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes. After the December election, the commissioner election should have one position up for election each year.
Photo and information courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – National Junior Honor Society students at Albion Middle wrapped up their annual food drive this week.
On Wednesday, NJHS students and their advisor, Lisa Castricone, finished counting and sorting the donations before they were delivered to Community Action. Pictured from left include NJHS members Kendall Peruzzini, Kamryn Peruzzini and Stryker Braley.
The group is built on promoting scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. The NJHS hosts this annual event to help ease the stress of the holiday season.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Weston Burgio, 5, of Albion stepped up to meet Santa Claus on Dec. 2, 2019 at Hoag Library in Albion. Santa returns to Hoag on Dec. 2.
ALBION – Hoag Library invites the community to a wonderful variety of programs this November and December, featuring literary events, historical talks, and festive gatherings to celebrate the season.
Local Author Book Signing with Daniel Southcott
Saturday, Nov. 16, at noon – Join author Daniel Southcott for a book signing of Oh, Danny Boy. Meet the author, gain insights into his writing process, and purchase a signed copy.
Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario: A Journey of Discovery with Jim Kennard
Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. – Join the most successful shipwreck hunter in Lake Ontario on a personal and historic exploration of some of the most important shipwrecks discovered in Lake Ontario by his team and shipwreck peers.
Visions: Confessions of a Ghost Writer with Eric Weatherbee (The Humble Bard)
Saturday, Nov. 23, at 6 p.m. – Join us for an evening of wonder as Eric Weatherbee reads aloud some of his latest works.
A Tale of Two Disasters: The Buffalo Blizzards of 1977 & 2022 with Dr. Timothy Kneeland
Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 6 p.m. – This program will offer an in-depth look at two historic blizzards that swept through Buffalo.
Santa visits the Library
Monday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. – Santa is coming to Hoag Library! Children and families are invited for a festive evening with Santa, spreading holiday cheer and joy.
Friends of the Library: Tasty Treats
Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. – The Friends of the Library invite everyone for a delightful evening of seasonal treats and goodies. Join us for a sweet celebration of the holidays featuring Confection Connection. Call 589-4246 to register.
Hoag Music Series: Rochester Ukulele Orchestra
Saturday, Dec. 7, at noon – Enjoy a lively performance by the Rochester Ukulele Orchestra, bringing a unique and cheerful sound to the library. This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, administered by GO ART!
Friends of the Library: Holiday Sing-Along with Gary Simboli
Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. – Gather with friends and family for a sing-along led by Gary Simboli. This joyous event is sure to fill the library with holiday spirit.
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Saturday, Dec. 28. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Help save lives this holiday season by donating blood at Hoag Library. The American Red Cross will be on-site, and all eligible donors are encouraged to participate in this life-saving event.
Celebrate the season with Hoag Library’s exciting lineup of events!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2024 at 9:19 pm
Provided photo: Albion eighth-graders Mary McCormick (left) and Kendall Peruzzini (right) are shown with Craig Lane of the Orleans County Department of Public Works after a headstone was delivered for a Civil War soldier buried in an unmarked grave at the Alms House Cemetery on West Countyhouse Road. The public is invited to a dedication ceremony this spring on May 17 at the cemetery.
ALBION – For more than a century, Daniel Walterhouse has been buried in an unmarked grave at the Alms House Cemetery on West Countyhouse Road.
That will change in the spring when a headstone is placed by at the cemetery for Walterhouse, who served with 4th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War.
Two Albion eighth-graders, Kendall Peruzzini and Mary McCormick, spent part of their summer vacation, researching Walterhouse and preparing the application for a headstone.
Tim Archer, the student’s service learning teacher, was tipped off that Walterhouse served in the Civil War by researcher in Michigan, George Wilkinson. He includes many documents about the 4th Michigan Infantry on a website. Wilkinson came across a news clipping that Walterhouse was living in Western New York after serving in the war.
Walterhouse was wounded in 1862 after being was stabbed with a sword in a battle.
Walterhouse and about 200 other residents were buried in a cemetery not far from the Alms House, which was a home for penniless, destitute, sick and others with infirmities and challenges.
Walterhouse lived there for about a decade. He was 87 when he died in 1910.
Peruzzini and McCormick scoured records from more than a century ago, working with Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper and Albion Town Historian Sarah Basinait.
They were able to prove Union soldier Daniel Walterhouse was buried in an unmarked grave at the cemetery about 114 years ago. They found a death record and a 1902 ledger from the Orleans County Alms House listing him as a resident.
The Alms House or “Poor House” was open from 1833 to 1960. It closed in 1960 when the county nursing home opened on Route 31 in Albion.
Peruzzini, McCormick and their teacher Tim Archer submitted an application to the National Cemetery Administration, seeking a headstone for Walterhouse. That headstone has arrived and will be set in the spring by the Orleans County Department of Public Works.
There will be a dedication ceremony for the public to attend on May 17, Archer said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2024 at 9:48 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: McKinstry Street is a popular route for school kids in the mornings and afternoons.
ALBION – The Albion Village Board agreed on Wednesday to reduce the speed limit on McKinistry Street from 30 to 25 miles per hour. That limit will go on McKinstry from East Avenue to East State Street, and will be in effect the same time as the school zone, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days.
Trustee Greg Bennett led the effort to lower the speed limit. He said McKinstry is a popular route for students walking to school in the morning and at home in the afternoon.
He wanted the speed to drop to 20 miles per hour but village attorney John Gavenda advised against that, saying the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law suggests keeping a village speed limit at no lower than 25 miles per hour. A school zone limit can be lower but a school zone needs to be right in front of a school building. McKinstry is a side street near the school.
Bennett said signs about the lower speed limit and enforcement should bring down the speeds and keep pedestrians safer.
Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent for the village, said pedestrians often walk in the street with earbuds and don’t try to get out of the way of traffic, including village snow plow trucks.
“A lot of the kids don’t get out of the road,” Pahura said during the Village Board meeting.
Bennett said parents and the kids need to do their part with safety on the street. He said the village is doing right by reducing the speed limit.
“We’re trying to slow down the traffic on a busy road,” he said. “It sends a message as a village because there is a lot of foot traffic there.”
