By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2023 at 1:48 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An excavator is parked this afternoon in Albion at 118 West Ave. Site work has started at the location which will be a new 2,600-square-foot Taco Bell.
Hospitality Syracuse is the developer for the project on vacant land owned by Landsman Development of Rochester.
The new Taco Bell will go next to McDonalds and across from Freeze-Dry Foods. Hospitality Syracuse will remove the 36-foot high steel water tank from the back corner of the lot, and make about 40 percent of the 1.33-acre lot green space with grass. The company will remove the chain-link fences and replace them with ones made of wood.
Provided photos: These three dogs, from left – Dewey, Huey and Louie – recently completed an 8-week training program, learning obedience skills from incarcerated individuals at the Albion Correctional Facility.
Staff Reports Posted 19 April 2023 at 9:18 am
ALBION – Albion Correctional Facility has again partnered up with community volunteer trainer, Dawn Spencer, who has over 25 years of experience in dog training. Dawn is the owner of Eye of Oden K9 Training in Kent.
In collaboration with PAWS Animal Shelter, Albion Correctional Facility welcomed three rescue dogs – Huey, Dewey and Louie – on Feb. 1. All the puppies are 6 months old and have completed the 8-week training program.
Throughout the 8 weeks, three teams of incarcerated individuals served as handlers for the dogs. Dawn Spencer visited the facility once a week to put the puppies through the AKC S.T.A.R Puppy Program.
The S.T.A.R. stands for Socialization, Training, Activity, and Responsible owner – the pillars of getting puppies off to a good start. Dawn instructed the incarcerated individuals on what skills to work on each week.
The graduation of Huey, Dewey and Louie occurred on April 10 and the pups are currently up for adoption. If you are interested in adopting Huey, Dewey or Louie, applications are available at paws14411.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2023 at 8:13 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Almeta Whitis of Rochester portrays Harriet Tubman in a presentation on Tuesday evening at Hoag Library. Whitis has been telling the story of Tubman’s life for 50 years.
Tubman led more than 300 slaves to freedom on 22 trips on the Underground Railroad, leading many of those people to Canada. She also was a nurse, spy and was the only woman to lead troops into battle for the Union Army during the Civil War.
“She was a force to be reckoned with as most Black women are,” Whitis said.
Almeta Whitis sang several spirituals during her presentation, including “Wade Into the Water” and the “forbidden song” of “Go Down, Moses.” If Slaves sang “Go Down, Moses” they could be whipped or killed.
“Go down, Moses
’Way down in Egypt land,
Tell ole Pharaoh,
To let my people go.”
Whitis said Tubman used songs to let Slaves know she was there and was ready to lead them to freedom up north or to Canada.
Tubman was the first woman to serve as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Whitis shared how Tubman suffered a head injury from an overseer that plagued her throughout her life, causing intense migraines and often causing her to fall asleep suddenly, even when talking with people.
Tubman is revered as an iconic hero of freedom and courage and is due to be on the $20 bill beginning in 2030.
Almeta Whitis gave a high-energy, first-person narrative performance to about 25 people at the Hoag Library. The event was organized by the Community Coalition of Justice.
“We are all put on this earth to be in the human family and to live in harmony,” Whitis said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: This is one of the charging stations that was installed at Hoag Library in December 2021.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2023 at 5:36 pm
The villages of Albion and Medina have been approved for funding from the state for electric charging stations for vehicles.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $8.4 million in grants last week to 70 communities statewide.
The Village of Medina has been approved for $245,184 for two direct-current fast charger pedestals, while the Village of Albion was awarded $10,500 for two Level 2 charging ports.
Medina is in the smaller group of 28 of the fast chargers approved for funding, while Albion is in the group that includes 454 Level 2 charging ports, according to the governor’s office.
“New York has made remarkable progress advancing our transition from fossil fuels and reducing harmful vehicle emissions statewide as part of our nation-leading climate agenda,” Governor Hochul said in a news release. “Thanks to initiatives like the Municipal Zero-Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure grants, communities across New York State are taking bold action to protect the environment and tackle the climate crisis. We will continue to invest in clean energy to improve the health and quality of life of New Yorkers and ensure a safe and sustainable future.”
The locations for the charging stations in Albion and Medina haven’t been finalized. Medina village officials discussed having them at either the Canal Basin, in the municipal parking behind Main Street and East Center Street, or at the Senior Center on West Avenue.
Albion village officials discussed having the charging stations on East Bank Street in a municipal lot across from the village office.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 April 2023 at 7:33 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Tom Costa chats with Community Action’s executive director Renee Hungerford during his first week as the organization’s new chief financial officer.
ALBION – Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, has announced that Tom Costa has joined the organization as the new chief financial officer.
Costa brings a broad range of business, finance and technical experience, Hungerford said.
He grew up in Rochester until his family moved to Hamlin when he was 12. He graduated from Brockport High School and went on to earn a bachelor of science in business administration/finance and a master’s degree in business administration. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in business administration.
Costa, a Churchville resident, most recently served as CFO at Normal Communications since 2003.
“His wealth of experience will be extremely valuable as we transition into our new accounting system,” Hungerford said.
Community Action’s finance and payroll team, which includes Danielle Riches, Barb Kieffer and Debbie Schiavone, will report directly to Costa.
Costa said his relationship with Community Action goes back to when he was a child and a friend’s mother worked there. He used to come to Albion and play basketball at Bullard Park.
His decision to accept the position at Community Action came about when he realized his boss at Normal Communications was getting close to retirement.
“I always wanted to work for a non-profit,” Costa said. “I thought this might be an interesting job, so I applied.”
He said his goals in his new position are to get systems and policies in place that are more efficient.
“Tom is going to be a key player in implementing our new accounting system, which will bring us more accurate reporting and budgeting,” Hungerford said. “That will allow program managers to better manage their spending, which will give me the rudders to better steer the ship.”
She said when they strategize, then they build, stop the bleeding, heal the wound and strengthen the agency.
Costa said when he earns his PhD, he will be able to teach personal finance courses and marketing courses.
“If there are ways I can help in communication, that’s a good thing,” Costa said. “Orleans County needs more entrepreneurs in business. When people see that, they want to come and invest in our county.”
Hungerford said she was excited when Costa indicated an interest in the job at Community Action.
“I almost didn’t call him back,” she said. “I was very concerned he wouldn’t want to make the drive out here. After talking to him on the phone, we realized we have a lot in common and a lot of the same goals for this agency. We are both musicians and play saxophone and guitar. I knew pretty quickly I was going to make him an offer.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 April 2023 at 8:56 am
Other banners of veterans will go up after Strawberry Festival in June
Photo by Tom Rivers: A banner for Rick Engle is among about 100 that have been on display in Albion highlighting local veterans. Engle was 19 when he was killed in Vietnam on Feb. 2, 1968. Engle’s banner will be displayed on Route 31 near Albion Central School just before Memorial Day. Engle and other veterans who were killed in action will be featured about a month before the full group of banners goes up in downtown Albion, on Main Street and along Route 31.
ALBION – The Village of Albion will put up banners of veterans who were killed in action in mid-May, about two weeks before Memorial Day.
Village officials want to honor the sacrifices of those veterans and send a strong message about the meaning of Memorial Day.
After the Strawberry Festival from June 9-10, the banners for other veterans will be displayed. There are about 100 in all.
The village puts up about 40 banners for the Strawberry Festival in the downtown area. Last year, with the return of the festival after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021, there were some hard feelings when the Strawberry Festival banners went up and the banners for veterans didn’t go up until June, after the festival.
The village started displaying the “Hometown Hero” banners in 2020. The first two years of the Hometown Hero banners there wasn’t a Strawberry Festival. There are only so many poles to display the banners, and sponsors paid to be included on the festival banners.
The village believes it has found a good solution by highlighting the veterans who died in service first. That grouping is being finalized. The village is working with the Veterans Service Agency to check the records. The list currently includes as many as seven veterans who have been featured on the banners in the past.
It definitely includes Jason Johnson. He is the last person from Albion to be killed in the line of duty. Specialist Johnston was 24 when he was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb in the War on Terror on Dec. 26, 2009. Johnston was on his second deployment. He also was a paratrooper.
The banners for those killed in action will be on Route 31 near the school district, where the community holds a Memorial Day service and there is a Vietnam War memorial.
Mike Bonnewell, retired Albion school district superintendent, made the suggestion that the first group of banners to be displayed in time for Memorial Day include those who were killed in service to the country.
“As a Marine Corps infantry veteran myself, I am thankful and proud of each member who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Mayor Angel Javier Jr. “Without these veterans we wouldn’t be here today.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 April 2023 at 11:45 am
ALBION – The Village of Albion has a new historian who has been deeply involved in the community in many roles.
Sue Starkweather Miller
Sue Starkweather Miller retired about three years ago after a career at Albion Central School as the public information officer, school-to-career coordinator and grants manager. While at the school she was part of many heritage and service projects, including helping to organize the annual ghost walk at Mount Albion Cemetery where students portrayed residents from Albion’s past.
Starkweather Miller will succeed Dr. Neil Johnson who served with distinction for about 40 years. Johnson started as village historian in 1980. He wrote a weekly column, “Albion, Oh Albion,” in the Albion Advertiser for 26 years, compiling 1,313 columns about village history, often highlighting regular folks in the community. He has written books about the history of Swan Library and the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Johnson was honored with a lifetime achievement award and as a “Heritage Hero” by Genesee Community College and the Orleans Hub for his efforts to document and promote local history.
He teamed with historian Bill Lattin to do an inventory of all the historical markers in the county. They are included in a book in 2001. Johnson was a key force in the effort in 2000 for the establishment of a monument at Mount Albion Cemetery for at least 50 pioneer black residents in the county.
Starkweather Miller said she doesn’t plan on being such a prolific writer about Albion history, but she will put together articles about local history. Those articles are expected to be included on the village website.
Starkweather Miller would like to highlight prominent early Albion residents. Village streets bear the names of those early movers and shakers, such as Nehemiah Ingersoll. She wants people to have a deeper awareness of how the community grew in its early days, and the people who pushed that growth. She also would like to write features about key figures in Albion school history.
Starkweather Miller also is active as a master gardener with the Orleans County Cooperative Extension, as a member at Holy Family Parish in Albion, and also as a volunteer with the Brockport welcome committee along the canal.
At Brockport she has seen how heritage tourism can enliven a community, bringing economic vitality to a small canal town.
Starkweather Miller remains proud of the many service learning projects that connected students to Albion history, including many unappreciated residents.
The service learning initiative at Albion started in 1995 with a project by the late Jeff Evoy. He was a social studies teacher at Albion at the time. He later would serve as Medina district
Evoy and his students were studying the Vietnam War. He wanted students to talk with local Vietnam veterans, and get their stories. The students learned that many of those veterans felt forgotten. Evoy and the students decided there should be a memorial for the Vietnam veterans, and it would be dedicated in front of the Middle School.
Some other district-led projects included a monument to pioneer Black residents of the community that is placed prominently at Mount Albion Cemetery, and a monument at the Alms House for people in a cemetery at former “poor house” on County House Road. This was a precursor to the Orleans County Nursing Home. When residents from the Alms House died, they were often buried in a cemetery on the property with numbered tombstones, but no names.
Starkweather Miller worked in the background for many of the district’s service learning projects, connecting students to historians, and other resources in the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 April 2023 at 8:57 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: These flags on the lawn in front of the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church are up in April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
ALBION – For the ninth year, RESTORE is placing displays around the region to raise awareness for sexual violence.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which gives RESTORE and rape crisis programs nationwide a spotlight on sexual violence and the resources people can turn to for help.
In each of five counties RESTORE serves there is a display of 1,183 small orange flags, including in front of the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion.
The flags represent the national statistic that an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, or 1,271 every day. The displays also include explanatory signage and RESTORE’s 24-hour hotline number.
The flags remain on display throughout the month of April. Additional displays travel across the five-county region, hosted by the colleges where RESTORE partners for advocacy, education and support.
For assistance call the 24-hour hotline Genesee, Livingston, Orleans & Wyoming counties at 1-800-527-1757 and in Monroe County at 1-585-546-2777.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion fire hall on Platt Street is shown this morning. The department responds to about 500 calls a year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2023 at 2:24 pm
ALBION – The Village of Albion and towns of Albion and Gaines will look closely at the possibility of forming a fire district to manage fire protection for the two towns and village.
The Village Board on Wednesday voted to hire attorney Raymond DiRaddo of Rochester at $175 an hour. That cost will be shared by thirds among the two towns and village, the Village Board said.
The fire department is currently managed by the Village Board and the funding is included in the village budget with the two towns paying a fire protection contract to the village.
The village would like the two towns to pay more towards the fire department budget. With a fire district the fire department expenses would be in its own budget, rather than folded into the village budget.
The costs would be clearly identified, and the communities would likely pay a share based on their assessed value.
The fire district would be managed by a board of commissioners who would be elected. They could focus on managing the fire department.
Lyndonville just shifted to a fire district, rather than having it be part of the village budget with the town of Yates paying a fire protection contract. Holley and Murray also recently formed a joint fire district.
The issue has been brought up before in Albion. Some Village Board members are interested in exploring the district especially with the village facing the need to replace two fire trucks that together could be close to $3 million. The Albion Fire Department has been strongly urging the village in recent years to prepare for replacing a ladder truck from 1996 and a pumper from 1992.
Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said that cost is too much to be borne in the village budget. He said the expense should be spread out among the entire community served by the fire department.
In 2023 the fire protection rates for the towns includes $1.03 in Albion, $1.56 in Barre, 77 cents in Carlton, 89 cents in Clarendon, 78 cents in Gaines, $1.15 in Kendall for the Kendall fire district and $1.61 for the Hamlin-Walker-Morton combined fire district, $1.82 in Murray, $1.16 in Ridgeway, $1.55 in Shelby, and $1.05 in Yates.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in downtown Albion is shown this morning with a closed off section from Beaver Alley to the canal. The Main Street lift bridge has been removed while it is worked on by contractors.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 April 2023 at 10:54 am
ALBION – The Village Board has approved closing off part of Main Street to traffic during the Albion Strawberry Festival on June 9 and 10, a decision that needs a final OK by the state Department of Transportation.
Main Street is already closed from Beaver Alley to the canal while the lift bridge is out for an extensive rehab project.
East Bank and East State streets are closed during the festival from Main to Platt streets. But traffic could always head down Main Street and cross the bridge on the lift bridge. Organizers were concerned traffic would head down Main Street and not have anywhere to turn because West Bank is used for some festival activities.
“The main reason is for the safety of residents and patrons of the festival,” said Village Trustee Tim McMurray, who is a member of the Strawberry Festival Committee.
The plan is for Main Street to be closed off to traffic from Park Street to the canal during the festival. McMurray said there won’t be vendors allowed in the middle of the street, but people can cross Main without being worried about traffic.
The village also will have Bank Street and State Street closed to vehicles from Platt to Liberty streets.
In addition, State Street will be closed on the Saturday, June 10, from Platt to Ingersoll streets for a car show.
The Village Board also approved closing Main Street on Thursdays after 3 p.m. from Beaver Alley to Bank Street from June 22 to Sept. 28. The request was made by the Albion Merchants Association which is planning a concert series on Thursday evenings. The state DOT needs to give final approval for closing off that section of the street.
The board also approved a request to close East Bank Street to traffic from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 28 for a “Spooky Night” celebration with food vendors, Halloween costumes and other activities. Dan Conrad, owner of Toyz n Kandy, is taking the lead in planning that event.
