Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orly the Bicentennial Ox was on the move this morning, going from the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds to Hoag Library in Albion.

Keith Ward, left, and Vincent Zona, motor equipment operators for the Orleans County DPW, move the painted fiberglass statue from a trailer into the library. The ox isn’t too heavy, approximately 60 pounds.

Orly was painted during last July’s fair by Albion native Stacey Kirby Steward. One side has an agricultural theme honoring the pioneer settlers and the other side has a 4-H and County Fair theme.

The ox was moved the library today so people could get a close look at him.

There will be an informational meeting at noon on Saturday at Hoag for artists, organizations, businesses and other sponsors to hear how they could be part of having more oxen painted around the county.

The ox was featured during the Medina Parade of Lights on Nov. 30 and then Albion Christmas parade on Dec. 14.

Library director Betty Sue Miller sizes up Orly with the DPW workers, who also include Wayne Krull, the deputy commissioner for the DPW.

Miller noted the library has several other paintings and a large mural done by Stacey Kirby Steward.

Orly will greet library patrons for maybe the next three months or so. He might be on the move again on April 15, which is the county’s official 200^th birthday. April 15, 1825 was the day the State Legislature first recognized Orleans County. Before that Orleans was part of Genesee County.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – These three friends from Lyndonville head down the sledding hill at Bullard Park today around 2 p.m. Carson Woodworth, 7, is in center next to Emma Lear, 9, with Richard Burch, 5, at the far right.

The trio zooms down the hill with Emma having a wipeout not too far into the descent.

They came from Lyndonville with their families for their favorite sledding hill. There was no school today due to the frigid cold. Even though the temperature was 12 degrees, it didn’t seem too bad because there was barely a breeze.

These three are on top of the hill and headed down together. From left to right include Nick Luft, 15; Walker Davey, 16; and Logan Kast, 16.

The trio has fun near the bottom of the hill with their sleds cutting through the cold snow. Front to back include Walker Davey, Logan Kast and Nick Luft.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – David Sidari has been appointed as an interim member of the Albion Board of Education.

On Monday, the BOE officially appointed Sidari, former Albion BOE member for 25 years, to fill the vacancy left by Ocie Bennett Jr., who stepped down in December 2024 to take a position at Albion High School.

“I look forward to filling the vacant board seat for the rest of the school year,” Sidari said. “Having retired from the board at the end of last year, I am familiar with the other members and look forward to working with them again. A lot of great things are taking place including school culture improvement and, most importantly, student achievement.”

Sidari was on the board until his fifth term expired on June 30, 2024.

Mickey Edwards, Superintendent of ACS, said he is looking forward to working with Sidari for the remainder of the academic year.

“It was an honor to have worked closely with Dave on the board and we are grateful to him for stepping up as we navigate this transition,” Edwards said.

The superintendent of schools also said he is excited that Bennett is returning to work as a teaching assistant in Albion High School.

“It’s like he never left,” Edwards joked. “We are pleased to extend a warm ACS welcome to Ocie as he returns to work at the high school.”

Previously, Bennett worked in Albion district for 20 years before resigning for another opportunity in 2021. He was elected to the Albion BOE in 2022.

“We are all excited for Ocie’s return to Albion CSD and for his continued impact upon our district as he supports our students, staff, families and community,” said Jennifer Ashbery, principal at Albion High School.

There will be three seats open in the BOE election this spring: two 5-year terms and one 2-year term.

Once the results are in, the two candidates with the most votes will be appointed to the board for full five-year terms. Whoever comes in third will take over for Sidari this July and be up for re-election in 2027.

Provided photos

ALBION – There were 78 teams competing in three brackets on Saturday during the second annual cornhole tournament for the Medina Rotary Club at Dubby’s Tailgate in Albion. There were $6,000 in prizes, up by $1,000 from last year’s tournament.

From left include the top team in the A bracket and winner of $1,750: Brady Foster and Ken McConnell; B bracket winners ($1,000 prize) – Tyler McClary and Mike Beach; C bracket winners ($500 prize) – father-daughter team of Kristen and Wayne Wright.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Some of the cornhole take warmup tosses before a game on Saturday.

The event raised $3,000 to $4,000 for the Medina Rotary to give to community causes.

The Medina Rotary $6,000 Throwdown drew teams mostly from the Buffalo and Rochester area with some from Pennsylvania and Oswego.

The payouts included: A bracket (top players) – $1,750 for first, $1,000 for second, and $500 for third.

B bracket – $1,000 for first, $500 for second, and $250 for third.

C bracket – $500 for first, $300 for second, and $200 for third.

Medina Rotary President Peter Bartula talks with some of the players at the tournament. Bartula has been a regular in the Wednesday evening cornhole league at Dubby’s. The $6,000 payout in the tournament is one of the biggest for a cornhole tournament in Upstate New York, Bartula said.

Mike Beach, who helped coordinate the tournament, shares the winning 50-50 numbers and also Airmail ticket winners. Next to him from Medina Rotary are Jennifer Hill-Young, left, and Stephanie Mason.

Beach said cornhole has become very popular, especially as an indoor winter activity.

“It’s just a fun game,” Beach said. “You can hang out with your friends and make new friends. It’s like playing horseshoes with less wear and tear on your arms.”

There were about 200 people at Dubby’s Tailgate for the tournament. The two-person teams paid $80 for a chance to win the prize money. Each team played four rounds before going into a double-elimination playoff.

Brian Alexander, owner of Dubby’s, said cornhole is a big part of Dubby’s business. He said Dubby’s has hosted more than 9,000 matches since opening in late 2021. Dubby’s has room for 14 boards to be played at once.

Some of the players donated food that will be distributed from the food pantry at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Medina.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Exempts presented a certificate of commendation to John Grillo, the Albion recreation director, on Thursday evening.

Exempts member Dan Conrad, left, and President Stritzinger, right, presented the certificate to Grillo. He also received a complimentary membership to the exempts, which serves food to the public at its headquarters on South Clinton Street. Membership in the Exempts is open to the community at $20.

The club also presented Grillo with $75 which he said he will direct to a fireworks fund at the Village of Albion. Grillo is trying to raise money for fireworks at Bullard Park on July 3. He said many donations have come in for fireworks.

“We are very close to our goal,” he said.

Grillo has led the Albion recreation program for about 50 years. The program has partnered with Foodlink and community organizations to provide many meals for children at the park during the summer rec program.

Grillo also has taken the lead in planning the summer concert series at the park.

“He’s out there doing a lot of extra stuff,” Stritzinger said.

Grillo said he has been able to do more for the recreation program since he retired as a teacher and coach at Holley.

“I’ve been able to pick up more,” Grillo said. “I do it because I love Albion.”

Provided photo: The Exempts last month also presented a certificate of commendation to Al Wilson, pastor of the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries.

Wilson was praised for leading an effort to serve 2,000 free chicken dinners the second Saturday in December, and organizing an Easter egg hunt with 12,000 plastic eggs with treats as well as other prizes, and even free haircuts.

The church has other ministries in Albion, filling backpacks with school supplies, offering a breakfast with Santa, running Bingo for adults and giving to the summer recreation program.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Frank Babcock, 89, presented more canes to Assemblyman Steve Hawley today to be given to veterans.

Pictured from left include Babcock’s sons Steve and Jim Babcock, Frank Babcock, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Legion commander Brad Rouse, and Nick Mroz, the Veterans Service Agency director in Orleans County.

Babcock last month gave Hawley about a dozen canes that Hawley said he would give to veterans, perhaps at the NYS Veterans Home in Batavia, the National Cemetery in Pembroke or through the Patriot Trip that Hawley leads each September to monuments in the Washington, D.C. area.

Babcock made about a dozen more than he presented to Hawley today at the Orleans County Veterans Service Agency. Those canes will be given to veterans through the Veterans Service Agency offices in Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties.

Babcock was in the Albion Walmart about three months when he saw a man walking with a cane. Babcock complimented the man, a fellow veteran, on the quality of the cane.

The man said the cane made a big difference for him, and he received it for free from Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Babcock got to thinking that he could make canes to be given to local veterans. Babcock served in the Army from 1955-’56 and was based at Fort Hancock, N.J. Many know him locally for his long career with NAPA Auto Parts in Albion and Medina.

Babcock made the canes from small trees in the woods. The raw materials were cut off from part of the roots with a slight angle. The handles of the canes are the roots from the trees.

Babcock sands down the small trees and puts shellack on them, as well as stickers of American flags.

Frank Babcock shares another group of canes he made in the past month to be given out to veterans for free from the Veterans Service Agency offices in Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties.

Provided photo: Pete Stritzinger (left), president of the Albion Exempts Club, and Mercy Flight EMS BLS Crew Chief David Bertsch are shown on Jan. 1 when the Exempts dropped off a brunch at the Mercy Flight base at 239 South Main St.

ALBION – Mercy Flight has started providing ambulance services for seven Orleans County towns.

The seven towns accepted Mercy Flight’s bid to be the primary ambulance provider for Albion, Barre, Carlton, Gaines, Clarendon, Murray and Kendall. Mercy Flight takes over from Monroe Ambulance which had the contract in 2023 and 2024.

Mercy Flight has two 24/7 BLS ambulances and one 24/7 paramedic fly car. One of the ambulances is posted at the former Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire hall with the other vehicles at the former COVA base in Albion. Many of the former COVA staff are back working in Orleans with Mercy Flight.

“We’ve got a crew of 5 EMS professionals dedicated to central and eastern Orleans around the clock,” said Scott Wooton, vice president and treasurer for Mercy Flight.

Mercy Flight has 20 “full-time equivalents” working that schedule. With part-timers and vacation coverages, Mercy Flight has about two dozen employees working in Orleans County.

“It’s been quite a busy start, but our employees are very excited to be back,” Wooton said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – An Albion police vehicle driven by officer Chris Glogowski was the first to cross the Main Street lift bridge after it reopened to traffic today at about 4:30 p.m.

Many of the cars and trucks that followed beeped their horns in delight that the bridge was back open after being closed since Nov. 14, 2022. When it closed, the state Department of Transportation 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 rails on the inside of the bridge, for example, didn’t arrive until a week ago. Those rails are critical to protecting the bridge’s beams.

A happy construction worker from Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport removes a sign about the bridge being out.

Crane-Hogan served as general contractor for the project. The company said there is more work today below the bridge with the lifting mechanism. The bridge may need to close briefly in the spring before the project is entirely complete.

A construction worker takes photos of a 40,000-pound crane going over the bridge as part of a final inspection to make sure the bridge didn’t shift from the weight.

The community started to get excited when the concrete barriers were removed about 2:30 this afternoon on the southside of the bridge. Several people posted on social media, hopeful today would be the day for the bridge to reopen.

The barriers on the north side were removed about 3:30 p.m. DOT staff also took down the detour signs late this afternoon.

Liz Groat, one of the vendors at Downtown Browsery, said the closed bridge has been difficult on the downtown merchants, who first endured the misery and restrictions of Covid-19 in 2020, and then saw a big reduction in traffic since the bridge closed in late 2022.

Jim Theodorakos, owner of Morrison Realty, is thrilled to have the bridge back open. He said the detour, even just a block away on Ingersoll Street, has been inconvenient for the community. His business office is two buildings from the bridge on the south side.

He is thankful people can get to the office without “going around, and around, and around.”

He was able to cross the bridge just a few minutes after it reopened today.

The project is about six months late, with still more work to be done. The east side sidewalk remains closed to pedestrians so contractors can get in and out of the north pit below ground. The stairs will go in when the work is done in the pit. That deadline is just before the reopening of the Erie Canal for the navigation season in May.

The sidewalk on the west side is open to pedestrians.

Some of the steel fabricated was off by a tiny amount, but the lift bridge has a very low tolerance for imperfections with steel, one of the contractors said. Even being off by a thickness of a hair is unacceptable for some of the parts, he said.

About 80 percent of the bridge has new steel. The top steel beams and some of the diagonal pieces remain from the original 1914 bridge.

Crane-Hogan employees remove a “Road Closed” sign. The company and other construction workers cheered after the final inspection and the bridge was reopened. Some of the workers have been driving 1 ½ hours each way to work on the project.

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from October 2021 shows a farm scene looking down from Presbyterian Road on the Erie Canal in Albion, looking north. The bridge was close to traffic on Dec. 30.

ALBION – The canal bridge on Presbyterian Road will close to traffic Dec. 30 and is expected to be closed for a repair until May 1, the Orleans County Emergency Management Office announced today.

The bridge is the last canal bridge on the west side of the Town of Albion, located between the Allens Bridge Road bridge and Knowlesville lift bridge.

Provided photo

ALBION – This group of vendors at the Downtown Browsery dressed up as Misfit Toys on Dec. 14 during Albion’s Hometown Holiday celebration.

The group includes, from left: Liz Groat, Kim Heiler, Paula Brooks, Linda Hollenbeck, Connie Ferris, Gladys Lotta, Dar Krull, Donna John and Diane Wight.

The Browsery celebrated its 20^th anniversary this past year.

Many people in the Orleans County community contributed making a memorable Christmas and holiday season, organizing and participating in parades, festivals, church services and community decorations, and by donating many gifts to others, including strangers.

We thank all of you who gave of yourselves to help make the season merrier and bright.

Money will come from cemetery funds, but not from perpetual care

File photo by Tom Rivers: Mount Albion started the Deerfield section in 2001 with space for about 1,200 grave sites. It was the last expansion at the cemetery. There are only about 300 to 400 spots left at Deerfield.

ALBION – The sale has been finalized for the Village of Albion to acquire 35.2 acres of vacant land for future expansion of Mount Albion Cemetery.

The village is paying $250,874.58 to Patricia Nelson for the land that is next to Mount Albion’s southwest corner.

The sale was finalized on Nov. 8 and the Albion Village Board on Dec. 11 stipulated the payment comes from the cemetery, but not the perpetual care fund.

The village clerk and independent auditors reviewed the cemetery funds and determined the sale price will be paid from perpetual care funds, and instead will come from “accumulation of monies over time from donations for purchase of flowers for established grave sites or from the sale of burial sites at the cemetery,” according to a Dec. 11 board resolution.

Albion could run out of grave sites at the existing cemetery in the next five to 10 years, board members said.

Mount Albion opened in 1843 and has about 20,000 gravesites on about 80 acres. The cemetery does about 75 burials a year and sells about 50 to 60 gravesites annually, cemetery superintendent Jason Zicari said in a May interview.

The village acquired the land at $7,000 per acre plus the cost of the abstract of title and a survey.

Zicari expects the 35.2 acres will be developed in phases, and may not be needed for a decade.

File photo by Tom Rivers: The Phipps Road culvert over Otter Creek has been closed to traffic since Sept. 9, 2022.

ALBION – A bridge that has been closed to traffic in Albion since Sept. 9, 2022 is expected to reopen as a new bridge next summer.

The Phipps Road bridge was closed after an inspection showed the steel high-beam supports were rotted.

The Albion Town Board and Highway Superintendent Michael Neidert successfully secured a state grant to replace the bridge, which is technically a culvert at 19.5 feet.

The new bridge will be 25 feet, which technically makes it a bridge, Neidert said. Bridges are classified as spans that are at least 20 feet.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on July 5, 2023 that the new bridge was awarded $1.038 million in Bridge NY funds. The bridge is over a tributary to Otter Creek.

Neidert said the replacement bridge is currently in design phase by Ravi Engineering and Land Surveying in Rochester. He expects the project to go out to bid in the spring with construction in the summer of 2025.