Paul Urquhart top firefighter in 2019-20, Jeremy Babcock for 2020-21

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Fire Department presented its awards for the past two years on Thursday because last year’s installation banquet was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The top photo shows outgoing fire chief Harry Papponetti, right, presenting the Firefighter of the Year for 2019-20 to Paul Urquhart. Papponetti praised Urquhart for responding to the majority of the department’s calls despite having one of the longest drives to get to the fire hall.

Urquhart, 23, joined the Albion FD 2½ years ago. He followed 2019-20 with another big effort in 2021-21, when he responded to 300 of the department’s 445 calls. That was second most among Albion firefighters.

Urquhart in November was hired to be a full-time firefighter/EMT for the Medina Fire Department.

“I love being a firefighter,” Urquhart said. “I love being able to provide a service for the community.”

Papponetti also presented the Chief’s Award for 2020-21 to Urquhart on Thursday during an installation meeting for the Albion Fire Department, which was held at the fire hall.

The award winners in the 2019-20 year include:

• Fire Police of the Year: Shawn Cook
• EMS member of the Year: Fred Piano
• Driver of the Year: Jeremy Babcock
• Officer of the Year: Rob Conner, Jr.
• Chief’s Award: Jeremy Babcock.
• President’s Award: Darryl Szklany
• Firefighter of the Year: Paul Urquhart

Jeremy Babcock won the “Firefighter of the Year” award for 2020-21. He accepts the award from Papponetti.

Babcock responded to 422 out of the department’s 445 calls from May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Only three firefighters were at 200 or more calls for the year. Paul Urquhart had 300 and Harry Papponetti responded to 223.

Papponetti said Babcock often was quickly to the fire hall to drive a truck and ran many of the scenes. He then would handle paperwork for the department, responding to insurance companies at many of the accidents and fires. Babcock also was “Firefighter of the Year” in 2016-17.

“He is my right-hand man,” Harry Papponetti said. “If I need something, I call Jeremy.”

The award winners in the 2019-20 year include:

• Fire Police of the Year: Shawn Cook
• EMS member of the Year: Fred Piano
• Driver of the Year: Jeremy Babcock
• Officer of the Year: John Papponetti
• Chief’s Award: Paul Urquhart
• President’s Award: Janet Cheverie
• Firefighter of the Year: Jeremy Babcock

Papponetti praised Piano for his commitment with so many EMS calls, including when he was going to assist patients with Covid.

“With all of the Covid calls, Fred really stuck his neck out,” Papponetti said. “Fred, the squad is grateful for what you do.”

John Papponetti, left, presents a keepsake to Al Cheverie in appreciation for his seven years of serving as president of the Albion Fire Department. The sign includes the president’s gavel and an image of the firefighter helmets for Cheverie, his wife Jan and their son Andrew. Joe Grube is the new president for the Albion FD.

Cheverie said the department’s finances are in good shape. He presented President’s Award in 2019-20 to Darryl Szklany for all of his “unsung” behind the scenes work, including cleaning the gravestones for many firefighters who are recognized during an annual memorial service.

Cheverie presented the award for 2020-21 to his wife Janet Cheverie, who is an active firefighter with the Albion FD.

“She is the glue holding me together the past seven years,” Cheverie said. “She keeps me sane.”

Dale Banker, the director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Officer, swears in the new officers for the Albion FD. He is shown shaking hands with Fred Piano, the EMS captain.

Other officers for 2021-22 include:

• Fire Chief: Rob Conner, Jr.
• Deputy Chief: James Peruzzini
• Assistant Chief: John Papponetti
• Captain: Steven Papponetti
• 1^st Lieutenant: empty
• 2^nd Lieutenant: Joe Grube
• 3^rd Lieutenant: Jeremy Babcock
• Chief Mechanic: Harry Papponetti

2021 Executive Committee

• President: Joe Grube
• Vice President: Jeremy Babcock
• Treasurer: Dawn Marciszewski
• Assistant Treasurer/Financial Secretary: Kelly Irwin
• Secretary: Chrissy Bloom
• Directors: Jeremy Babcock, Carol Tibbits and Nathan Bloom

Years of Service Awards

• 10 years – Fred Piano
• 15 years – Amber Conner, Marsha and Shawn Cook, Dennis Hunt
• 20 years – Rob Conner
• 40 years – Martin Stirk
• 50 years – Harry Papponetti

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Harry Papponetti, left, was presented with several citations and gifts on Thursday during the Albion Fire Department’s 2021 installation meeting. John Papponetti, Harry’s son, is also Albion’s assistant fire chief.

Harry Papponetti stepped down as fire chief on May 1 after three stints as chief over 16 years. Papponetti has been a line officer with the AFD for 49 out of his 51 years as a firefighter.

John Papponetti presented his father with a display of an American flag on burned wood that also included a family photo from 1998 of Harry with his children – Scott, Steven, John, Sarah and Jimmy. The flag includes a clock with the number 50 and the three stripes represent Harry three tenures as fire chief.

He will continue in the department’s leadership as the chief engineer, overseeing all of the apparatus, including fire trucks, air packs, hoses and equipment.

John also presented his father with an AFD jacket and a new helmet shield with Harry’s number, 121, and his new title of “Chief Engineer.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley presents a citation from the Assembly to Papponetti for his 50 years as an active firefighter. Papponetti was to receive the citation last May but the department’s banquet and installation dinner was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson, far right, also presented a citation from the county to Papponetti, who received the recognition inside the Albion fire hall.

He also received citiations from Albion Mayor Eileen Banker and her husband Dale Banker, the county’s Emergency Management Officer director. Dale Banker presented the citation from the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York.

The other firefighters stood up to commend Harry Papponetti for his 51 years of service. Papponetti thanked the group for their commitment to training and responding to motor vehicle accidents, fires and other calls for the department. Last year there were 445 calls.

He said he is grateful he joined the department 51 years ago and was fortunate to know so many mentors. The most difficult part in recent years has been going to funerals of many of his long-time friends who served with the AFD, Papponetti said.

“Everytime we have a funeral it’s hard on me because I grew up with that person,” he said.

Papponetti also thanked his family and acknowledged their sacrifice with him missing so many dinners and events due to his commitment to the fire department.

Papponetti said the fires were more frequent and more destructive when he started as a firefighter. There weren’t many smoke detectors back then to give an early detection of a fire.

He used to bolt out of class in school when the fire whistle sounded, and then go back to class when the fire was put out.

“When you heard that horn blow it was a structure fire,” he said.

Rob Conner Jr., 39, is Albion’s new fire chief. Conner has been with the Albion Fire Department since he was in the explorer post when he was 16.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Conner said about being a firefighter. “It has taken a lot of time and hard work.”

Show explores golden age of radio

Photos and article from Albion Central School

ALBION – This year has been a challenging one in many ways, but that hasn’t stopped the Middle School theatre department from bringing a musical to our community.

This year, the Middle School Drama Club chose to develop its own virtual production under the leadership of Director Carrie Kozody and Assistant Director Kevin Feder. Together, with their creative team (Kamie Feder, Samantha Flansburg, Greg Martillotta, Kevin Smith, and their Middle School students), they created a virtual time machine experience, exploring the golden age of radio entertainment.

“It is our pleasure to bring this performance to you and it is our sincere hope to be back on the stage for you in the fall,” Kozody said. “But, until then, the show must go on! We hope you enjoy our theatrical exploration.”

The title of their show is “Up and Down the Dial…A Radio Timewarp.” The show takes the listener on a virtual trip back in time to the days when radio was the main source of entertainment as, by the end of the 1930’s, nearly 83% of American homes had a radio in the living room. Through the use of the radio, parents and children alike crowded around the set to hear the latest version of their favorite show. Families could enjoy comedy acts, dramas, or “live” musical performances. Many of the programs promoted “old-fashioned” American values while the stories provided people a model to live by.

Keeping this in mind, the Middle School group chose seven scenes to share in their theatre production. These scenes range from children’s stories (It Could Always Be Worse) to comedy (Who’s on First) to family favorites (Father Knows Best) to Big Band selections played by the Middle School Jazz Band.

Through this experience, the group has learned about the programs that children and adults tuned into for entertainment, about the products that were popular at the time, and how the idea of the “sponsor” was born. The stage crew took a special interest in learning about the sound effects table and the sound engineers, who were needed to develop the sound effects necessary to help a listener to create a mental image of what is happening in the story. Such sounds could include a window opening and closing or the sound of boots walking upstairs, to name a few.

Additionally, the group learned that the use of radio was an excellent way to unite communities of people, even if only remotely, a concept that has become all too relatable as we continue to navigate challenges brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Up and Down the Dial…A Radio Timewarp” will be available for viewing on the School Youtube channel the week of May 10 and will be free of charge.

State funds will cover up to 75% of building renovations

Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in downtown Albion is shown this afternoon.

ALBION – The Village of Albion has been awarded a Main Street grant from the state that will pay up to 75 percent of building renovation costs in the downtown business area.

The village will be holding a meeting 6 p.m. on Monday at The Lockstone, 160 North Main St., for interested property owners to hear more about the program.

The target area for the grant includes both sides of North Main Street between Orchard Street and West State Street, and West Bank Street from North Main Street to North Liberty Street. Attendees should call the Village Office at (585) 589-9176 to confirm their attendance at the meeting.

The grant is for $388,192 and that includes $311,079 for building renovations, $47,613 for streetscape improvements, $25,000 for administration and $4,500 for architecture, engineering and environmental costs.

The project is expected to include 8 residential units and 24 commercial units. Property owners will need to state their interest in the grant, and submit a description of their projects with quotes for the costs. J. O’Connell and Associates in Clarence is administering the grant for the village.

The village has formed a committee that will review the proposals and select the grant awardees. The committee will also decide how to divvy up the streetscape grant. Those upgrades may include new benches, trash receptacles and trees.

Natasha Wasuck, owner of The Lockstone, was able to rally interest from several building owners in the grant application.

The meeting on Monday will provide an overview of the grant. Property owners who didn’t show interest in the initial application aren’t shut out from the process. They can now submit a project and see if it is picked by the committee, which will use a scoring system in ranking the projects.

The renovation projects can include grants up to $50,000, with the grant not to exceed 75 percent of the project cost.

Renovation projects that provide direct assistance to residential units may also award an additional $25,000 per residential unit, up to a per building maximum of $100,000 and not to exceed 75 percent of the total project cost, according to the NYS Homes and Community Renewal.

Eligible uses of funds:

• Health and safety improvements – fire alarms, sprinklers, fire escape repair, correcting code violations
• Accessibility improvements – ramps, elevators, widening entryways, automatic doors
• Energy efficiency improvements – insulation, HVAC system upgrades, water-conservation improvements
• Facade restoration – preservation projects, reopening storefronts, removing solid security gates, signs, awnings, re-pointing brick, window repair
• Residential improvements – convert vacant upper stories into apartments, correct code violations, update existing apartments
• Prepare commercial spaces for tenants – drywall, electrical, plumbing

Ineligible uses of funds include acquisition, new construction, demolition, capitalizing on a revolving loan fund, improvements to churches or religious structures, improvements to municipally-owned buildings and general maintenance.

The state also forbids using the grant for non-permanent fixtures, furnishings, appliances, electronics, security systems and business equipment. Recipients also can’t use the funds for site work or ancillary activities including septic systems or laterals, grading, parking lots, sidewalks, landscaping, fences or free-standing signs.

ALBION – A company headquartered in Geneseo is looking to fill 200 positions in Albion at 231 East Ave., the building that is also used by CRFS.

Coast Professional Inc. is hiring for up to 200 customer service jobs for call center representatives and managers. They will field inbound and outbound calls. Coast officials said the pay will be at competitive “Service Contract Act wages.”

The start date for some of the positions is as soon as May 14. Most careers at Coast include a health and wellness compensation package with medical, dental and vision benefits, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, referral bonuses, and Paid Time Off (PTO), including vacation, sick, and federal holidays, the company stated in a news release

“We are excited to bring more job opportunities to Albion and the surrounding areas and to become an integral part of this community,” said Michele Malczewski, the company’s chief human resources officer. “This achievement represents Coast’s resiliency, dedication to our overall company mission, and further solidifies our future growth trajectory.”

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate U.S. citizenship and pass a federal security clearance background check. Bilingual, Spanish-speaking candidates are encouraged to apply.

Coast’s 45,000-square-foot Albion office is designed to accommodate for future expansion. This is the company’s fifth location nationwide with other offices in Geneseo and West Monroe, La.

Those interested in a full-time customer service position with Coast can click here for more information.

About Coast Professional, Inc.

Coast Professional, Inc. is an accounts receivable management and call center company, dedicated to the respectful and ethical communication with consumers. Coast provides professional services to hundreds of campus-based colleges, universities, and government clients.

Coast is a seven-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list for America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies provided by Inc. Magazine and in 2020, was recognized for the fifth time as one of the “Best Places to Work In Collections” by insideARM.com and Best Companies Group.

Since 1976, Coast has worked closely with clients to increase recoveries by assisting consumers in resolving their financial obligations. Coast’s success is exemplified by exceptional recoveries, superior service, and dedication to the highest levels of compliance.

Circulation currently at 40 percent of pre-pandemic levels

Photos by Tom Rivers: Hoag Library Director Betty Sue Miller speaks during the library’s annual meeting on Monday evening. Joyce Riley, board president is at far left, and Dawn Squicciarini, a newly elected trustee, is at center.

ALBION – Hoag Library is reopening its three meeting rooms to the public. Those rooms have been popular since the library moved to the new building in 2012. Before the pandemic, the three rooms were often booked throughout the day, with multiple organizations using them.

They have been off limits since mid-March 2020. Hoag two weeks ago let a small quilting group use one of the rooms. They can easily social distance and spread out their sewing machines.

The library held its annual meeting last night with the dividers removed and all three meeting rooms opened into one large space.

Betty Sue Miller, the library director, said people can now reserve a room. They can stop by the library in-person or use the Hoag website to make a reservation.

Although they are reopening, they can only be at up to 50 percent capacity and only one group will be allowed per day in a room, rather than back-to-back meetings the same day.

That will allow the rooms to be cleaned only once when the library closes for the day.

The main room has a capacity for up to 60 people, while the side rooms each hold up to 30 people.

Miller said the circulation use at the library is currently at about 40 percent of the pre-pandemic levels. She expects that to bounce back more as more programming returns to the library.

This summer, Hoag will run the summer reading program. There will be a 20-by-40-foot tent outside the library for six weeks for programs. The Friends of the Library is paying for the cost of the tent.

Hoag will be hosting book discussion and other programs are in the works. Miller also said two electric charging stations, with two units, also will be added to two parking spots at the library, with a NYSERDA grant helping with the costs.

“It puts us out there on the cutting edge,” Miller said.

Joyce Riley, outgoing president of the board of trustees, said library staff were creative in serving the public during the pandemic, offering curb-side delivery and more online programming, including storybook times through Zoom.

The library also will be replacing $23,000 worth of lightbulbs, replacing them with less-energy intensive LEDs.

Hoag also will be adding a book vending machine with books available to children in the Hoag service area ages 6 to 12. That machine and the books are funded by a grant from the Xerox Corp. and secured by former library trustee Elissa Nesbitt. The program will start once the book vending machine arrives and is set up.

It expands a book-giving program currently offered for children from birth to age 5. They are all eligible for a free book on their birthdays and around Christmas.

The library director also provided an update on the restoration of a flag from an African-American unit that fought in the Civil War. The flag has 35 stars. That’s how many stars were on the flag for two years from 1863 to 1865.

A donor provided $10,000 to have the Civil War flag restored. Spicer Art Conservation, LLC in Delmar near Albany has started the delicate process of first removing the flag from being glued to cardboard in a frame.

The flag is from a Colored Troops regiment. The 26th Regiment United States Colored Troops wasn’t for a local unit. Those troops were based out of New York City, although former County Historian Matt Ballard said the group was led by a local white soldier, Charles H. Mattison of Barre.

Hoag held its annual election on Monday. There were two candidates for two seats on the board. Dawn Squicciarini was elected to a three-year term with 30 votes, and Kevin Doherty, the former board president for 11 years, is back on the board with a one-year term as trustee. He received 19 votes.

The board then elected Linda Weller to serve as the president. The other board officers will be decided during the May 13 board meeting.

Weller thanked Joyce Riley for her service as president. Riley also commended the library staff for continuing to serve the community during a difficult year with changing guidelines in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Riley noted 211 new library cards were issued in the past year with about 900 others renewed.

“The staff showed flexibility and resiliency,” Riley said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There are three or four baby birds making a lot of racket from a nest on the east side of the Orleans County Courthouse, in a crevice below the dome. This is on the side facing the Orleans County Jail.

The nest has been quite a curiosity in recent months. There are plenty of strong opinions whether these birds are crows or ravens.

The parents have been swarming around the Courthouse Square, hanging out in trees and on top of churches.

One of the parents returns to the birds and they greet the parent with wide-open beaks and loud squawks.

At least one of the parents is second from left and returns to check on the babies. The bigger beak could be an indicator that the bird is a raven – or maybe it’s a crow, I can’t say for sure. Others have told me they are too big to be a crow and have to be a raven, but others have also been quite incessant these are crows.

The harried parent takes off to get more food for the youngsters.

The parent is on top of the Albion Free Methodist Church and is either taking a break from the loud baby birds or patrolling for some worms or other food for the demanding infants.

Click here for a short video of the noisy birds.

Provided photo: This group of Albion seniors is shown after a rehearsal Friday for a Senior Showcase today. They include front row, from left: Aubrey Boyer, Emily Mergler and Annalise Steier. Back row: Hannah Brewer, Jacob Thom and Annabella Salisbury.

ALBION – The Covid-19 pandemic has curtailed fundraising efforts for the Class of 2021. A group of students and their parents have organized a Senior Showcase event today, which will raise money for the class and give some of the seniors a chance to perform.

The Senior Showcase will be live or online today at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Cabaret at Studio B on East Bank Street in Albion. There will also be a basket auction where people can bid virtually.

Click here for more information on the auction and the Senior Showcase

The performers during the event include Annalise Steier, Emily Mergler, Hannah Brewer, Aubrey Boyer, Delaney Bovenzi, Madelin Tabor, Abby Allen and Annabella Salisbury. Jacob Thom will be the emcee for the program.

“The parents are sponsoring this because the AHS class of 2021 fundraising was cut short from last year due to the pandemic,” said Deb Boyer, one of the parents helping to organize the event.

The fundraising will help close out the year with homecoming, which was this past week, and the Senior Tea, Class Night and prom.

ALBION – The Village Board approved the 2021-22 village budget on Wednesday evening that increases the tax rate from $17.80 to $17.85 per $1,000 of assessed property. That represents a 0.3 percent increase. (For a home assessed at $80,000, that would be another $4 in village taxes and a total tax bill of $1,428.)

The budget is nearly $7 million at $6,981,799. That is nearly the same as the 2020-21 budget, where overall spending was $6,972,285.

The newly adopted budget includes $3,973,560 in the general fund, $1,715,124 in the water fund, and $1,293,114 in the sewer fund.

The board set the tax levy at $2,761,524, which is up 0.5 percent from the $2,747,669 in 2020-21.

The village saw a slight increase of 0.2 percent in its tax base or $343,777, going from $154,363,452 to $154,707,229.

Canal Concert series also returning for 4 events

File photos by Tom Rivers: Kiara Smith offers some pointers to Evan Kirby, then 7, in a game of badminton on June 26, 2019 at the start of Albion’s summer parks program.

ALBION – The summer parks program will be back at Albion this year in a reduced schedule.

The program, which normally runs five or six weeks, will be for four weeks, on weekdays from July 5 to July 30.

The Village Board approved the program on Wednesday, following a push from the Village’s Recreation Committee. John Grillo will continue to serve as the program’s director. He said there will likely be seven parks supervisors working from Bullard. There could be more depending on how many children sign up for the program which is free to children in the Albion school district. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The parks program is back at Bullard after being cancelled in 2020 and being based at Veteran’s Park at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Brown Street in 2019. Bullard was off limits that year due to construction.

This year the new splash pad will be open for kids. That spray park area is expected to open in June for the first time.

Grillo said he will be meeting with the Orleans County Health Department to go over Covid-19 guidelines for running the program.

He thanked the Village Board for giving the green light to having the parks program for the four weeks.

Mayor Eileen Banker said she favors a scaled-down parks program because Covid is still spreading in the community.

“I just want to be sure the kids are safe,” she said. “I still get almost daily messages from the school that a kid is testing positive.”

Banker also said the village is looking to add security cameras at the park after recent vandalism, which included a broken bench and spray-painted obscenities on the former bathroom building, which is now used for storage.

“If we catch the people we will hold them responsible,” she said.

Doug Egling of Albion performs a solo on his saxophone with the Trellis Cooper Band, which was featured on June 27, 2019. Last year’s concert series was cancelled due to Covid.

The Village Board also announced the Canal Concert series will be back this summer. It will be for four Thursday evenings near the Platt Street gazebo area by the Albion fire hall. The tentative schedule includes the last two Thursdays in July and the first two Thursdays in August or July 22, July 29, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12.

Village Clerk Linda Babcock coordinates the concerts. She will work with the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for the events.

Ron Albertson, a member of the Rock of the Park Committee, urged the village to shift the concerts to Bullard in the future, where there is a new amphitheater.

Banker said a grant that funds the concerts requires the village to hold them by the canal.

The village will go by the governor’s guidelines for outdoor events when the concerts are held. She said there is plenty of room to space people out for the concerts by the canal.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Michael and Faith Smith thank Albion police officers Dillon Black, right, and Robert Wagner for their critical life-saving assistance of the night of March 21. They are shown outside the Village Board meeting room at the village office this evening.

Michael Smith, 58, and his wife were home on East Bank Street after a 7-mile walk.

Michael Smith presents a “lifesaver” award to officer Robert Wagner during this evening’s Albion Village Board meeting. Wagner has worked as an Albion police officer the past eight years.

The couple often walks along the village sidewalks and the canal towpath. They also are key volunteers at the Community Kitchen on Fridays at Christ Church. Mrs. Smith is the longtime coordinator at that site, and her husband is a cheerful presence and a hard worker at the kitchen.

The Smiths were home that night and Michael said he felt a warm feeling overwhelm him at about 10:30 p.m. It came out of nowhere, without any warning signs.

He tried to tell his wife he didn’t feel well, but he fell forward.

His wife came to him, and he was the color blue. The family called 911 and Mrs. Smith tried to do CPR. Her husband’s arms were in a locked position over his chest. She had to punch his arms out of the way to start compressions.

Within 2 minutes of the 911 call, Albion police officers arrived with a defibrillator. The Albion patrol vehicles all carry AEDs.

Robert Wagner and Dillon Black were able to get Smith’s heart beating again after shocking him with the defibrillator. They also did CPR until a crew from COVA ambulance arrived and took Smith to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Smith was at Strong for three days and came home on March 24, a Wednesday. Two days later he was back at the Community Kitchen.

He didn’t have a heart attack and his arteries are clear. He suffered sudden cardiac death or sudden cardiac arrest, which happens most frequently in adults in their mid-30s to mid-40s, causing 325,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Strong put in a biventricular defibrillator so if it ever happens again, Smith’s heart will be shocked back to a normal rhythm.

“I want the world to know that police officers are more than just the person who comes to arrest you if you do something bad and pull you over for a traffic violation,” Mrs. Smith said. “They are heroes to my family. Because of their quick response and determination my husband is alive and here with me today.”

Albion Mayor Eileen Banker presents commendations from the Village Board to Robert Wagner and Dillon Black. Albion PD Lt. David Mogle is at far right.

Banker credited recently retired Police Chief Roland Nenni for pushing to have each patrol vehicle outfitted with an AED and for having all of the officers trained in using them. The Albion PD responds to ambulance calls, and is often first on the scene.

Dillon Blank, a member of the Albion PD for two years, receives the “lifesaver” award from Michael Smith, who was revived with a defibrillator on March 21.

Faith Smith hugs Dillon Black during an awards presentation this evening at the Albion Village Board meeting.

“I thank you both for going above and beyond,” Mrs. Smith told the officers. “I am so thankful my husband is here today because of you.”

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – There is still time to sign your child up for PreKindergarten at Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School.

To be eligible for the 2021-22 Albion Universal Pre-K (UPK) program, a child must be 4 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2021 and reside in the Albion Central School District.

There are two sessions each day. The morning session will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. while the afternoon session will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

If you are interested in registering a child for the UPK program, you will need to fill out and return the UPK application, the UPK Transportation Information form, and meal information form.

All forms must be completed and returned to Amy Castricone at the District Office by May 1 at 4 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Castricone at acastricone@albionk12.org.

Cassandra Dash is in remission and working to get her strength back

Cassandra Dash

ALBION – An Albion woman will be leading a walk on Saturday morning to help the fight against multiple sclerosis.

Cassandra Dash, 39, and her family and friends will be among the participants who will gather at 10 a.m. at the Butts Road bridge and then walk about 2 miles along the canal east towards the village. Participants, however, can walk any length of distance they want.

Dash, an elementary school attendance secretary, encourages people to wear orange to support all of the “MS warriors.” People can sign up and donate by clicking here, which is a link to virtual MS walks in the Rochester region.

Dash is leading a team called, “NO CANE NO GAIN.” She was diagnosed with MS last month after a four-day stay at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. At that point she couldn’t feel her legs below her knees and was walking with leg braces and a cane.

“I felt like I was walking around in a fog and could fall asleep if I sat still too long,” Dash said. “But, I had recently lost over 100 pounds and was living a completely different lifestyle than I ever had. I kept telling myself all these little symptoms were just because I was exercising or may have pulled a muscle. So, the diagnosis was a complete shock.”

She is working with a neurologist with a treatment plan that includes 5 days of steroid infusions at the hospital and then 5 days of chemo injections.  Dash said she felt very sick, and her hair started falling out in clumps.

“My doctor warned me that it was going to get way worse before it got better,” she said. “But, it did get better!”

She is now on a monthly home maintenance injection. She will soon start OT/PT to start getting her strength back.

“I can walk without my leg braces and my cane,” Dash said. “I am officially in remission. This community and my co-workers have shown my family so much love throughout all of this that I wanted to give back.”

Dash is determined to cover the distance on Saturday during the MS walk.

“I can’t walk very fast or for long distances, but I will finish!” she said. “A lot of people donated to me and my family and I wanted to pay it forward, to try and bring some hope to someone that is going through this. MS changes you, it changes your family. But you can’t give up! Just put one foot in front of the other – everyday!”