Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

ALBION – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists of closures expected to take place next week along Allens Bridge Road in Albion for bridge maintenance.

Daytime closures will be in effect Monday, October 19, through Wednesday, October 21, to perform steel repairs on the structure carrying Allens Bridge Road over the Erie Canal.

While there will not be a signed detour, motorists are advised to use nearby canal bridges at Presbyterian Road and Eagle Harbor Road while work is being performed.

All construction activities at this location are weather dependent and subject to change.

Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.  Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.

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File photos: A sign in the Riley family’s garden notes the homestead was established in 1960.

ALBION – The Village Board this evening approved changing the name of Braley Street to Riley Place after a request from the Riley family.

The Rileys have the lone house on the dead-end street that is off Moore Street near Butts Road. Their property borders the Erie Canal.

The new name of the road is believed to be a first in Albion where a street is named for a Black family.

Alma and Henry Riley moved there in 1960. They raised nine children at the house. Two of them served as local elected officials with Jeannette Riley on the Albion Village Board and Joyce Riley on the Albion Board of Education (for two different stints).

The Rileys made the request and the Village Board held a public hearing this evening on the matter. No one spoke against the change.

The family was praised for maintaining an elaborate garden that has been featured on local garden tours.

“It is very pretty,” said Mayor Eileen Banker. “You’ve done a beautiful job in that area.”

Jeannette Riley attended the public hearing and her brother Xavier also was available through her phone, Facetiming during the hearing.

Jeannette continues to live at the house with her mother. Jeannette’s father passed away in 1996.

The family has offered to pay any village expenses for replacing the street signs and updating the village code.

The board also approved changing the address for the Riley property from 40 Braley Street to 1960 Riley Place.

Jeannette Riley gives a tour of the property in this file photo from July 2017. The Rileys have hosted garden events through the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener program.

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Site hopes to open at 25 percent in-person capacity soon

File photo by Tom Rivers: Gary Simboli will be performing on Saturday at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

ALBION – The Covid pandemic has really affected the world, including the performing arts, said Amy Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance Studio and the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

She has a schedule of performers booked for 2020.

“By early 2020, Gary Simboli and I had already secured six tour buses for our matinee shows,” Sidari said. “I know in my heart we would have doubled, if not surpassed that had the pandemic not occurred. Our Judy Garland Show, Jazz Cabaret shows, Marcy Downey’s shows, our Variety Show, nationally acclaimed singer Erin Boheme and the Mancini Trio, as well as a Junior Class Variety Fundraiser Show and many more were put to a halt.”

Now Sidari said they are almost ready to open their doors for 25 percent seating for live performances, while streaming the show to the remaining patrons.

“You can imagine the loss of income the performers will experience with only 25 percent of the theater filled,” Sidari said. “Then factor in the added cost of technicians to create a virtual show.”

Once open in the future, the Cabaret at Studio B has come up with some new ideas to sweeten the deal for their live audiences, Sidari said. For guests fortunate enough to secure seats in the theater, they have created a VIP program.

Guests will be able to pull up to the curb at Studio C, and enter the building while staff parks their vehicle. This is not only convenient for guests, but safer, Sidari said. No one will have to stand in line. They will enter the studio, one car at a time, making social distancing easy.

Coat check is an option once inside the building.

A meet and greet with the performer will take place in the new Crossroads Studio, where all can socially distance.

Guests will then be escorted to their socially distant seats.

“Keep in mind we are speaking of an audience of only 22 people, making great visibility of the show,” Sidari said.

For those unable to attend, a ticket to a live stream or prerecorded show is a safe option. The show can be enjoyed in the privacy of the viewer’s own home, where they will see exactly what the in-person guests are viewing.

In the meantime, Gary Simboli is launching his new full-length show, “All you Need is Love.” This 90-minute show will make guests laugh, reflect on the world with love and leave them once again amazed at the gifts he possesses, Sidari said.

For those who want to know how this new format will work, they will purchase their tickets and on Oct. 10 a link will be e-mailed to them. Once they click on the link, they can watch the show any time, as many times as they like on the 10th. The next day, the link will disappear. The show has been professionally filmed by Joram Bierdeman with sound by Jan Erakare.

“Truly, when you view this performance, you will feel like you are in the Cabaret watching it live,” Sidari said.

Tickets are on sale now online (click here) or by calling the Ticket Team at (585) 354-2320.

“Gary and I are thrilled to bring entertainment back to you, one step at a time,” Sidari said. “Proceeds from this show will go our renovation fund to put the finishing touches on the new Crossroads Studio, which will lead to many new ideas, programs and events for the community we love.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The new mural celebrating Albion as home of the original Santa School is progressing on the north wall of the Lake Country Pennysaver building at 170 North Main St.

Justin Suarez of Rochester last week started work on the project, which has been coordinated by Natasha Wasuck, owner of Tinsel and the Lockstone. She solicited donations in the community for the project and reached out to Suarez through Instagram.

Justin Suarez uses spray paint as an artist. On Thursday he was painting an open palm of Santa’s hand on the west side of the building. That hand will be a white glove. Suarez will have a reindeer, owl, trees and snowflakes as part of the scene that will greet motorists heading south into Albion near the Erie Canal.

Justin Suarez has an array of spray paint cans ready for the job.

The late Charles Howard opened the first Santa School in the world. It was in Albion from 1937 to 1966. The school continues in his name today and is located in Midland, Mich.

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ALBION — The school has more home schoolers this year and more students at out-of-district placements, according to an enrollment report reviewed by the Boar doc Education on Monday.

Albion has 81 home schoolers this school year, and that doesn’t count students who are doing remote-only instruction where they are home but still educated through the school district.

Those 81 home schoolers are up from 55 in 2019-20.

This year there are also 70 out-of-district placements. That includes 25 students in private school placements, up from 23 last year.

The placements this year include 7 at Notre Dame in Batavia, 6 at St. Joseph’s in Batavia, 4 at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Holley, 2 at Orleans County Christian School in Medina, 2 at St. Paul Lutheran School in Batavia, 2 at Lake Ontario Baptist Academy in Hamlin, and 1 each at Genesee Christian Academy in Batavia and Pinnacle Lutheran School in Rochester.

Albion also has two students attending other public schools, 12 in BOCES placements, 29 in CSE placements at schools for students with disabilities, and 2 in foster care placements at other schools.

Albion’s enrollment to start the 2020-21 school year is listed at 1,792, which is down 73 students from a year ago. The 1,792 students include 539 in the high school, 420 in the middle school and 833 in the elementary school.

The district is doing a hybrid schedule to start the year with students in-person for school two days a week and the other three days remotely. Students also have the option to do remote only.

Albion’s enrollment in 2019-20 included 1,865 students with 544 in the high school, 427 in middle school and 894 in elementary school.

The district last year had 122 out-of-district placements, which includes the 55 homeschoolers, 23 in private schools, 22 in schools for children with disabilities, 8 foster care placements in other schools, 10 BOCES placements, and four at other public schools.

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ALBION – There are about half the students in the school district’s fall athletic program this year with Covid-19 restrictions pushing football, volleyball and competitive cheerleading to March.

The district also doesn’t have modified sports for seventh- and eighth-graders who counted in the total for last fall.

The district is offering an intramural program with soccer and cross country for seventh- and eighth-graders. Those students will compete against each other instead of students from other schools, Adam Krenning, the district’s athletic director, told the Board of Education on Monday.

The district’s fall season has started with golf, cross country and JV and varsity soccer. Each athlete is limited to two spectators per contest. Krenning said some schools and leagues aren’t allowing spectators.

He told the board he worries crowds of spectators could jeopardize the season for the athletes.

“We’re asking everyone to adhere to the two spectators,” he said. “We have to keep the attendance down and try to social distance.”

The district has set up a YouTube channel and will videotape some of the games.

Krenning was asked about athletes wearing masks. He said athletes turn in their masks and practice pinnies after each practice and they are washed by the district.

Krenning was also asked about winter sports, which are to begin on Nov. 30. Wrestling and basketball are both considered high-risk sports by the state with Covid-19.

“If I was a betting man I’d say swimming will happen,” he said. “I don’t know about the other ones.”

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ALBION – The Albion Board of Education filled a vacancy on the Board of Education on Monday, turning to a former board member.

Marlene Seielstad was nearly elected this past June when there were seven candidates for three spots on the board. Seielstad came in fourth in the election, behind John Kast, Chris Kinter and Kurt Schmitt.

Margy Brown, a board member, said it makes sense and follows past practice in filling a vacancy to pick Seielstad. She had the most votes among those who weren’t elected in June. Seielstad also expressed interest in filling the vacancy and is familiar with the issues and interworkings of being on the board.

Seielstad, a real estate agent for 28 years, also served on the board for the Niagara-Orleans BOCES. She said in an email to the board that her career has given her experience in negotiations which will be needed as the board picks the district’s next superintendent.

She can start right away once she takes the oath of office. The board has a special meeting this evening to discuss the next steps in picking a new superintendent with its consultants.

Seielstad will fill the seat vacated by Elissa Nesbitt. Seielstad will be in the role until the next board election in May. The final two years of Nesbitt’s term will be then filled in the election in May.

Two board members, Board President Kathy Harling and Linda Weller, didn’t vote for Seielstad. They instead favored Joyce Riley, who had 12 fewer votes than Seielstad, 614 to 626, during the June election.

Riley was on the board up until June whereas Seielstad was last on the board in June 2017. Riley is also black and would bring needed diversity to the board, Harling said.

Victoria Elsenheimer also sent in a message to board for public comment. She urged the board to have more diversity. The nine members on the board are all white. They don’t reflect the diversity of the student body, Elsenheimer said.

Nesbitt resigned following public pressure when three families were upset she called 911 on three 10-year-old boys, saying they refused to get off a wall at Hazard Parkway. The families saw it as racial profiling.

Nesbitt has disputed that but didn’t want the issue to be a distraction for the board. She has apologized in letters to the families for misjudging the situation.

Harling said the district’s lawyer continues to investigate the situation and is expected to give the board a report soon.

Elsenheimer asked that the report be shared with the community. She urged the board to have training on being culturally competent.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Justin Suarez of Rochester works on painting a reindeer on the north side of the building for the Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub at 170 North Main Street.

Suarez and his friend Jon Finlayson worked on the mural today. The project is led by Natasha Wasuck, owner of Tinsel and the Lockstone, next to the Pennysaver. She solicited donations in the community for the project and reached out to Suarez through Instagram.

Jon Finlayson, left, and Justin Suarez worked on the mural today that proclaims Albion as home of the original Santa School. The late Charles Howard ran the school from 1937 to 1966. The school continues in his name today and is located in Midland, Mich.

Jon Finlayson works of the lettering for the Santa School.

Justin Suarez, 36, specializes in wildlife. He has completed many murals in the Rochester area in the past 10 years.

“It’s a great thing for towns,” Suarez said about murals. “This will be a very welcoming sight coming into town. For not much money you can have a big visual impact.”

Besides a large reindeer and an owl, Suarez said he will be painting many trees and snowflakes as part of the scene. He expects to complete the project next week after several days of more work.

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‘Law enforcement never solicits bail money and never requests money or funds to be sent via mail or other means of delivery.’ – Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni

Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni III

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is investigating several phone scams that have been attempted and completed within the Village of Albion.

The scam involves the victim receiving a phone call from an unknown out-of-state phone number and the caller advising the victim that one of their family members has been arrested and taken into custody by “the Drug Task Force.” The caller then advises that bail money is needed to get the family member released from custody.

The caller, identifying themselves as law enforcement, then instructs the victim to send cash inside a random book that is placed into a box and shipped via UPS to an out-of-state address. The victim is advised to send the package with the money via next-day delivery and to call back with the tracking number provided with the shipment.

The caller informs the victim that they and their family member are in danger if they tell anyone about the arrest. On one occasion the victim was allowed to talk to the “family member in custody.” The victim stated that the voice was muffled and hard to hear, thus making a recognition of the voice impossible.

On one occasion the caller requested more money on a second call and gave a different out-of-state address to ship to. The money was sent to addresses that were vacant homes that were for sale or otherwise unoccupied.

One of these cases involved the loss of $15,000 from the victim.

Law enforcement never solicits bail money and never requests money or funds to be sent via mail or other means of delivery.

The Albion Police Department is working with our Federal partners in this investigation. These types of phone scams are almost impossible to trace and are very common.

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Albion may shift next distribution to Bullard Park to ease congestion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Andrew Dreschel, a senior at Holley, volunteered this morning in Albion with a food distribution at the Main Street Store parking lot.

Today the number of boxes per vehicle was reduced from three to 1, with each vehicle also given additional bags of peppers and romaine lettuce.

The boxes contained about 30-40 pounds with 10-12 pounds of produce, 5-6 pounds of dairy, 5-6 pounds of meat and a gallon of milk.

There was a long line of vehicles down Main Street. The line started on Chamberlain Street, went down McKinstry Street, East Park and then on Main Street. The next distribution in Albion on Oct. 30 may be moved to Bullard Park to help with the traffic congestion on Main Street.

The schedule for the rest of October includes:

• Friday, October 9th – no delivery this week
• Friday, October 16th – New location at Clarendon Fire Hall, behind the Fire Hall at 16169 E. Lee Road (Route 31A). No lines before 8 a.m., line up to the east on 31A-north side of 31, if needed, north on Hulberton Road.
• Friday, October 23rd – Ridgeway Fire Department, 11392 Ridge Road, Medina – no lines before 8 a.m. The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north towards Ridge Road. Exit will be on to Ridge Road
• Friday, October 30th – May be at Bullard Park on Route 31 or Community Action Main Street Store, 131 S. Main Street.

Danielle Figura, interim mental health director in Orleans County, volunteered this morning.

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Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: Service Learning teacher Tim Archer and student Brynn Dugan put the finishing touches on the First Academy historic marker.

Press Release, Albion Central School

Renzo Tomasi paints the First Church historic marker.

ALBION – Field trips and class visitors may be on hold for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped Albion Middle School’s Service Learning teacher Tim Archer from finding ways for his students to get hands-on experience with local history.

Working with Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan, Archer brought three historical markers to the school this week.

On Wednesday, two of Archer’s 7th grade Service Learning students, Brynn Dugan and Renzo Tomasi, came to the school to help paint the markers that Ierlan had previously restored and primed.

The three markers are from the Town of Gaines, denoting the history of First Church, First Academy and Union Cemetery.

“These projects help kids learn history and engage in their community in a lasting way,” said Archer, who loves working with people like Ierlan who have a passion for local history.

These are the 23rd, 24th, and 25th signs in the area that Ierlan has restored.

“It’s fun,” said Ierlan when asked why she continues to work with the markers. “And you get to see some pride in town history restored.”

Dugan and Tomasi helped Archer and Ierlan get the base blue layer onto all three signs. Once they’re dry, Ierlan will do the detail work of painting the lettering in yellow, and then the markers will be remounted, bringing a fresh face to local history.

Melissa Ierlan paints the First Church historic marker.

Brynn Dugan works on the Union Cemetery historic marker.

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ALBION — The school district is reporting that an elementary school student has tested positive for Covid-19.

The student was last in school on Friday, Scott Bischoping, interim superintendent, said in a letter to the community.

The Orleans County Health Department will do contact tracing and determine if there is a public health risk. The Health Department will go back 48 hours from the onset of symptoms or from when the student had the Covid test with the contact tracing to determine if anyone needs to be quarantined.

“Our cleaning, social distancing and face covering does a great deal in preventing the spread of any virus on campus,” Bischoping said. “Students and staff have done a wonderful job up to this point of adhering to the protocol that we have put in place.”

The district will work closely with the Health Department on whether any Covid cases rise to the level of closure for students and staff on site. This Covid case doesn’t warrant a closure, Bischoping said.

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Advice: Don’t flush wipes or put instant mashed potatoes in garbage disposal

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Tony Sanders, owner of Albion Bower’s Plumbing, tells how the pandemic has affected his business. He is shown here ready to unplug a drain in a customer’s basement.

ALBION – An Albion plumber has words of advice for homeowners during this pandemic.

Tony Sanders, owner of Albion Bower’s Plumbing, has encountered some very unusual problems during the past six months, most of them attributed to the pandemic.

First, many residents have been stuck at home and not able to work, so many have decided to tackle odd jobs around the house.

One call he got was from a lady whose garbage disposal wouldn’t work. It seems like she decided to clean out her cupboards in her spare time and throw out some outdated foods. This included packages of dry instant mashed potatoes, which she dumped down the drain, right out of the bag. When the moisture got to them, they set up and caused the disposal to explode.

Talking about garbage disposals, Sanders thought he would remind homeowners of other things one should never put down a garbage disposal, such as egg shells and coffee grounds. He said one thing homeowners should do regularly is fill their drain with ice and turn on the garbage disposal. It cleans it and helps with the smell, he said.

Another big problem has been caused by the toilet paper shortage. Customers were buying whatever they could get, which often turned out to be generic brands, some of which were thick, almost like paper towels. As a result they plugged toilets.

Sanders said it was almost impossible to believe the women who still try to flush their personal products down the toilet.

“I could send my kids to college on the money I’ve made from those calls,” he said.

With college kids home more, appliances are being used overtime. This also applies to septic systems.

Sanders and his stepfather Jim Arnold purchased Bailey’s Septic three years ago.

“You take an average 500 gallon septic system now being used twice as much or more, and it can’t handle it,” Sanders said.

Talking about toilets, Sanders warned homeowners who want to install those jet flush toilets in an older home.

“Those high-efficiency toilets use as little as .28 gallons of water, instead of the three and one-half gallons used by a traditional toilet,” Sanders said. “Now you have the old cast iron plumbing and not enough water to carry the waste through.”

Flushable wipes which everyone has been purchasing during the pandemic are really not flushable, Sanders said.

“Use all of them you want, but throw them in the trash,” he said. “People have to realize their toilet is not a magic portal to nowhere.”

In an average year, Sanders said his plumbing business would average five to seven normal calls a day. For three months straight during the pandemic, he has averaged eight to 12 calls a day, of which four to six were emergencies.

“I’ve been in business since 2007 and I’ve never seen a season like this,” he said.

For a while, Sanders said it seemed like firefighters, police and his crew were the only people out there.

He said it has started to level off, but with cold weather just around the corner, calls will begin to come in about frozen lines.

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