By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 July 2020 at 4:22 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Gary Katsanis, a trustee on the Albion Village Board, applies stain on Albion’s new utility building at Bullard Park.
He joined Mayor Eileen Banker and Trustee Stan Farone in putting the first coat of stain on the cedar siding and wood on the building, which has bathrooms, storage, equipment and infrastructure for the spray park.
Mayor Eileen Banker spent most of Wednesday and part of today applying the stain. She said the village is doing everything it can to get the park open.
The trustees volunteered with the first coat, and will be applying another coat of stain and then polyurethane.
Banker said the Department of Public Works is busy with other projects in the village. The DPW has worked on the site last year and many months of 2020. The DPW had to work at 50 percent capacity for six weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic which put the DPW behind schedule.
There is electrical work that needs to be done before the spray park can open, and the village would like to see more grass grow by the site so mud is less likely to clog the drains. Next year sidewalks will be added leading to the spray park.
Village Trustee Stan Farone, 71, has spent several hours the past two days putting stain on the wood.
Once the utility building is done, the trustees and mayor will put the stain on the new amphitheater.
Katsanis said volunteers can’t be accepted for the projects due to liability. The board members can do it because they are covered in the village’s insurance.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 July 2020 at 10:10 am
Consultant says pool of superintendent candidates has been shrinking the past 20 years
Photos by Tom Rivers: Dr. Teresa Lawrence and her husband Dr. Thomas Ramming are both serving as consultants for the Albion school district in a superintendent’s search. They are shown leading a community forum on Tuesday in the Albion Middle School gym.
ALBION – The consultants assisting the Albion Board of Education in the search for a new district superintendent said they are impressed with the community engagement in the process.
So far 408 people have filled out a survey about the district and what they want in the next superintendent. Dr. Teresa Lawrence and Dr. Thomas Ramming, the consultants in the search, said that is the biggest response they have seen in the past five superintendent searches they’ve led, which were at districts larger and smaller than Albion.
Participants in 10 forums the past two days have been asked to list opportunities and challenges in the district, and traits they want in the next superintendent.
“That is outstanding,” said Ramming, a Gasport native and Roy-Hart graduate. “This is a very interested community in what goes on in the schools.”
Ramming and Lawrence are married. They led 10 focus groups and a community forum this week, asking students, parents, teachers and other community members to identify opportunities and challenges in the district, and the most desired characteristics they want in the district’s top administrator.
Albion wants to have the new superintendent in place by Jan. 1. Scott Bischoping is serving as Albion’s interim superintendent. Bischoping most recently served as interim superintendent at North Rose-Wolcott Central School. Previously, Bischoping was an interim superintendent at Batavia City School District. He also was the district superintendent for Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES.
Ramming and Lawrence both worked as school superintendents. Ramming said the pool of candidates has been steadily shrinking the past 20 years.
“If you are a family person, the 24-7 demands can negatively impact your family life,” he said.
Ramming said superintendents are often married and their spouse has a job, and they may have kids in school.
“That makes it harder to get up and go,” he said.
Superintendents also don’t have tenure in most districts. They can be vulnerable in the job if the Board of Education doesn’t like the job performance or wants a different leader.
Ramming said superintendents can’t be successful on their own. They need to work as a team with the Board of Education and need the support of the community.
“Good leadership is essential,” Ramming said. “Criticism comes with the job but it is important to let them know when they’re doing a good job, too.”
The district’s on-line survey will close on July 24. The survey lists about 30 qualities and skills for a superintendent. Respondents are asked to rank their five most critical skills for a superintendent to be effective at Albion. Click here to see the survey.
There were about 10 people in this community forum in the middle school gym. Other focus groups included teachers, staff, students, community leaders, alumni and Board of Education members.
‘We ask that if you feel strongly about an issue on either side that at the minimum you respect others and avoid conflict by not testing these issues by intentionally going against an order or guideline.’ – Roland Nenni, Albion and Holley Police Chief
Press Release, Albion and Holley Police Chief Roland Nenni
ALBION – Recently there have been many questions asked and posts placed on social media in regards to the wearing of masks/face coverings and other executive orders from the governor issued during the Covid-19 pandemic and how law enforcement is handling them.
Roland Nenni
As you are aware the New York State Governor has issued in excess of 50 executive orders in response to the Covid19 pandemic. Many of these orders are issued with little to no guidance on how they are to be enforced and to whom they are to be enforced by.
While many of the orders are issued with the intent to help save lives and protect citizens, they are contradictory to previous orders and confusing at best. We in law enforcement believe strongly in the protection of rights to all citizens regardless of race, color or ethnicity. We work hard to protect constitutional rights and in the same fashion protect citizen’s lives and property.
Many in our community see the Executive Orders issued during the Covid-19 pandemic as unconstitutional and illegal. We in law enforcement also see many of these orders as lacking the due process necessary to begin any type of enforcement action when we receive complaints of executive orders being violated. This places us in a very difficult position that we must navigate through each time we receive a complaint that a Covid-19 order is being violated.
As I have said, we believe strongly in due process. That process is done when the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government work together to create laws and test the constitutionality of these laws and orders. This test is done using due process over time. Constitutionality of an order issued is not determined in a parking lot during a dispute between citizens days after the order was placed into effect.
‘We as a community need to respect the fact that everyone’s actions have a bearing on the spread of the virus. Covid-19 can range from no symptoms in some people and can result in death in others.’
Every day we receive 911 calls and anonyms NY Pause Complaints from citizens that are reporting other citizens that are not wearing face masks or social distancing. We respond to these complaints with the intent to mitigate, educate and resolve any dispute that is occurring or about to occur. Locally we have seen citizens getting into physical altercations over the wearing or not wearing face coverings. Nationally these disputes have turned deadly and we hope to prevent violence at each of these calls for service.
There has been information released at the state level that if employees of a business or patrons of a business are not wearing a mask, a fine in excess of $1,000 can be levied against the violator. Many take this as a threat from government. This potential action is not coming from the police or our local government. This is being done at the state level and they are pushing the responsibility of this enforcement onto local law enforcement and health officials in the form of Health Law Violations.
I cannot speak for law enforcement agencies that are not under my control, but I can for the Albion and Holley Police Departments which operate under the same Orders. There have recently been posts on social media that have detailed police responses to face covering incidents that are inaccurate. I would like to clear up some misconceptions regarding police response. We do not keep a “list” or “registry” of mask or social distancing violators.
We do collect information from everyone an officer speaks to on every call for service we respond to, regardless of the type of incident. This is done so the officer can complete a detailed report of the response. The purpose of the report is so that police supervisors and myself can review each call for service to make sure everything is complete.
We also record this information so that the Police Command Staff can respond to complaints or inquires days and sometimes years after the call for service. I have reviewed the body camera footage from a recent police call for service regarding a “Face Covering Violation.” The officer conducted himself professionally and respectfully and simply pointed out the Executive Order and that fines can be levied for the violation.
‘We hope that all patrons will wear masks while inside a business to reduce the conflict that will undoubtedly occur because of the lack of a mask. By wearing a mask, you reduce the chance of the business owner from facing potential fines that could cause the business to close.’
The “face covering” issue is one of the biggest areas of resistance and misunderstanding. The executive orders state that a “face covering” must be worn when social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained. The Executive Order further states that a business must make all employees wear face coverings at all times and that patrons of the business must wear a mask when they cannot maintain the 6-foot social distance. If a business patron is found to be inside a business without a face covering and is within 6 feet of someone else, no matter what the circumstance, the business is susceptible to thousands of dollars in fines.
We all must realize that social distancing of 6 feet is difficult inside a building that is inhabited by others. We hope that all patrons will wear masks while inside a business to reduce the conflict that will undoubtedly occur because of the lack of a mask. By wearing a mask, you reduce the chance of the business owner from facing potential fines that could cause the business to close.
Please understand that law enforcement did not choose to be placed in these situations and the last thing we want is to be involved in a political and constitutional debate, which we have no control over. There are opinions on both sides of these issues that we in law enforcement cannot resolve. We ask that if you feel strongly about an issue on either side that at the minimum you respect others and avoid conflict by not testing these issues by intentionally going against an order or guideline.
Regardless of political views or the acceptance of scientific data, Covid-19 can and does affect everyone differently. We as a community need to respect the fact that everyone’s actions have a bearing on the spread of the virus. Covid-19 can range from no symptoms in some people and can result in death in others.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Cole and Kerri Glover are the new owners of The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road in Albion. They plan to turn the site into Maison Albion, a wedding and events venue with a French theme. Mrs. Glover has worked 22 years in the wedding industry and been part of building 13 other venues, including sites in Hawaii, Colorado, California, Texas and Montana.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 July 2020 at 5:41 pm
Site on Countyhouse Road will be known as Maison Albion, with French design
Cole and Kerri Glover – including daughter Evelyn, 1, and son Benjamin, 12 – believe the Albion location will be a draw for couples from Buffalo to Rochester.
ALBION – The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road in Albion has new owners who plan a major redesign of the site.
Cole and Kerri Glover want to develop the property into a wedding and events venue with a French design from the turn of the century.
Mrs. Glover, a native of Maui in Hawaii, has worked 22 years in the wedding industry and has been a key leader in developing 13 other wedding venues in Hawaii, Colorado, California, Texas and Montana. Her brother, Michael Bolster, also is a part owner in the Albion site.
Mr. Glover, a seventh-generation Texan, was scouting the country for a site the couple could develop into a wedding venue. They narrowed it to 10 locations, and saw the most potential with the property in Albion, which they said can draw from the Buffalo and Rochester markets.
“We feel confident this will be successful,” Mr. Glover, 36, said during an interview at the site.
There are about 3,000 counties in the United States. Glover initially looked at top 400 counties for weddings where there are at least 1,000 weddings annually. In Rochester and Buffalo, there are about 13,000 weddings each year.
The location in Albion, between the two metro areas, was a big plus for the couple. Then they saw the property and the Albion community. They were convinced the site would appeal to couples celebrating their big day.
“The property itself is gorgeous,” Mrs. Glover said. “I feel like I’m living in the Gilmore Girls.”
Albion also has a wow effect with the many historic homes in good condition, the Courthouse Square, the downtown business district and the cavernous churches. The Glovers believe the community will impress couples and others looking to celebrate a special event.
Besides a redesign of the property, the Glovers are working to connect with local vendors, florists, restaurants and other small businesses.
The ballroom currently is full of furniture, antiques, restaurant equipment and other décor that will be sold on Aug. 1 at an estate sale.
They need skilled tradespeople to help with the work on the house and the property. Mrs. Glover urged tradespeople, artists, landscapers and vendors to reach out to her if they are willing to be part of the effort. Some of the projects are less daunting like removing wallpaper and fixing furniture. Other work will be a significant effort, such as replacing the four columns in the front of the house. Mrs. Glover can be reached at KerriLynnGlover@gmail.com.
The Glovers have high praise for the previous owners, Scott Root and Tony McMurtie. They turned the site into an events center after major renovations. McMurtie in particular loved to put on an annual Titantic Ball in April.
Tony McMurtie, one of the previous owners of The Pillars, welcomes guests during the Titanic Ball in April 2015. McMurtie started the Titanic Ball on the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s fateful voyage in April 2012. The inaugural gala also launched the opening of the grand ballroom at the Pillars.
“She’s really beautiful,” Mrs. Glover, 41, said about the house. “We’re just putting our polish on.”
The Glovers won’t be running an on-location food business. They will have all the meals catered. They are selling the restaurant equipment and other furniture, antiques and décor in an estate sale on Aug. 1.
They officially closed on the property on July 6. They need to work with the town to get the needed permits for hosting weddings and events.
Mrs. Glover, who has helped plan more than 1,000 weddings, said there will also be significant landscaping at the site and she wants to expand the parking lot.
The site has a capacity for 299 inside, but the Glovers will market it for about 150 to 160 people. There is also plenty of room for tents and food trucks.
The Glovers want to make the property available for free 10 times a year to the community to host events. They would like to welcome the public in December for Albion’s annual Hometown Holiday event. The Albion Merchants Association organizes that celebration, which includes stops at many local businesses. They Glovers would like to host a Victorian themed celebration on Dec. 12.
They also would like to host an annual party with a swing band for the community around July 4th.
“We have all this space,” Mrs. Glover said. “We want it to feel like home for Albion. We want this venue to belong to the community as much as it does us.”
Cole and Kerri Glover are pictured in the top floor of the house. They plan to give the site a major redesign with a turn of the century French decor.
Mr. Glover has a sales background, as well as 15 years in event management. He and his wife met in Denver. They were engaged in Paris and married in Venice.
He also enjoys the challenge of developing a property. He will be repairing 41 doors at the house himself. But he said the couple will be hiring many skilled trades workers for the redevelopment of the property.
He believes the Albion site will be considered a premiere location in the region.
“We want to restore this place to its highest and best use,” he said.
Kerri Glover created these concept boards for the bridesmaid suite and also for the secret garden.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2020 at 12:36 pm
GoFundMe established for David Warren, who felt fine and never smoked or used drugs
Provided photos: David Warren is shown with his kids – Hailey and Charles – during a family vacation last summer.
ALBION – An Albion family is facing mounting medical bills and other healthcare costs after the 35-year-old father of two unexpectedly had heart failure.
David Warren is home after three weeks in the hospital. He had open heart surgery to implant a permanent pump called an LVAD, or left ventricular assist device.
As he builds his endurance and recovers from the surgery, he is hopeful he can return to work as an accountant for Ruby Gordon Furniture in Henrietta.
He was struggling with shortness of breath when he went to the hospital on June 9. He and his wife Evelyn were shocked when the doctors said his heart was failing rapidly.
“There was no warning,” he said on Thursday. “There was no decrease in energy level.”
Warren not long before that has remodeled one of his kid’s bedrooms.
He and Evelyn have a daughter Hailey, who is going into ninth grade, and a son, Charles, who will be a sixth-grader.
Mr. Warren said doctors haven’t determined what caused the heart failure. His arteries weren’t clogged. He has never used drugs or smoked, and isn’t a heavy drinker.
David Warren is pictured with his wife Evelyn the first day she was able to visit him at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
He is determined to get stronger and return to an active life with his family and career. Warren said the financial burden of being hospitalized with open-heart surgery, plus his ongoing medication, also is stressful for the family.
The Warrens have started a GoFundMe for people to help with the medical bills. (Click here for more information.)
“I am not one who asks for help or assistance but with this situation I need to in order to help my family,” Warren said.
The family lives at Oak Orchard Estates. Warren met his wife, an Attica native, through a mutual friend. Mrs. Warren works as a universal PreK teacher in Albion through Head Start.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 July 2020 at 1:14 pm
‘Dedicated to our courageous brothers and sisters of this community who served our country in times of peace and war’
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The new veterans’ memorial on the Courthouse lawn added the memorial stone. The Knights of Columbus in Albion has spearheaded the project that includes a flagpole with a POW/MIA flag. It stands next to a larger pole with an American flag.
The stone states the following:
“Dedicated to our courageous brothers and sisters of this community who served our country in times of peace and war. We thank them for their service. And especially to those who gave their lives in that service. May God grant them eternal rest.”
The stone includes the insignias of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Merchant Marine.
The back of the memorial stone lists sponsors for the project: Knights of Columbus in Albion, St. Mary’s Archery Club, St. Mary’s Athletic Club, Orleans Veterans Club, American Legion Sheret Post in Albion, Veterans of Foreign Wars Strickland Post in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 July 2020 at 11:22 am
‘It’s going to be real nice. It’s going to be beautiful.’ – Jay Pahura, Albion DPW superintendent
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jay Pahura, Albion’s Department of Public Works superintendent, checks on the spray park at Bullard Park on Thursday. The perimeter around the spray park needs to change from dirt to grass before the site opens. Otherwise, Pahura said mud would clog up the drains.
ALBION – Albion’s spray park is close to opening. A certain date for the debut of the water attraction isn’t set.
One missing piece in the project may seem like the simplest part of undertaking: grass. The village Department of Public Works brought in topsoil, seeded and fertilized it and has been steadily watering about an acre of land around the spray park, trying to get the grass to grow. The DPW brings tanker of 3,500 gallons of water to the site each day.
The punishing heat in recent weeks with little rain has made grass growing a challenge.
“We’ve been trying to grow an acre of grass during a drought,” said Jay Pahura, Albion’s DPW superintendent.
The spray park has 18 spray elements. It is much larger than the splash pad that opened in Medina on Thursday. That splash pad at Pine Street Park has five spray elements.
The grass is starting to sprout up so it might not be too much longer. Pahura said the grass is needed or else spray park users will bring in mud, which could clog the drains.
There is also some electrical work, and some sidewalks will be added to make the spray park handicapped accessible.
“We’re almost there,” Pahura said on Thursday. “When it’s done, it’s going to be real nice. It’s going to be beautiful.”
The spray park has been long anticipated by the community. It is part of about $800,000 in upgrades to Bullard, Albion’s most popular park on Route 31.
The new splash pad is next to the amphitheater. Construction started last year on the project.
The $800,000 upgrade at Bullard also includes an amphitheater, utility building with bathrooms and a pavilion.
The village in December 2016 was awarded a $499,605 state grant for the Bullard projects. The village also received $97,500 from the county and $45,000 from the town of Albion, money that was through a revolving-loan fund by the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The state made the EDA and other economic development agencies end their revolving-loan funds. They either had to give the money to the state or use it in the community with some stipulations. One option allowed for improving handicapped accessibility at parks.
Albion will use that EDA money for sidewalks to the amphitheater and splash pad, to make them accessible to people in a wheelchair.
The park has a new utility building with bathrooms. The building will get a log wash, two coats of stain and clear coat. The Albion DPW also is putting a new 400 amp electrical panel next to the building.
The Albion DPW is providing $166,370 of in-kind services as part of Albion’s local share for the state grant. The DPW took down a pavilion and storage building last fall to make way for the new utility building. The DPW also ran a new sewer line across Route 31 near the Bullard entrance. That sewer line will service the park.
The DPW also ran 600 feet of waterline for the splash pad and utility building, several feet of sewer line, and will be doing the electric service for the amphitheater.
Pahura said the infrastructure was put in with future expansion in mind.
A touch pad will activate the water at the splash park.
The Covid-19 pandemic pushed back the schedule on the spring construction at the park. The village needed to reduce the work crews at the DPW by 50 percent for about six weeks.
The DPW only has nine employees at full strength, and they have the other tasks with street maintenance, water line work, picking up brush and numerous other responsibilities.
“Covid-19 slowed everything down, but we’re almost there,” Pahura said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2020 at 12:41 pm
Albion resident helped push through construction of a new site which opened in 2012
Photos by Tom Rivers: Kevin Doherty speaks on Wednesday during the 120th annual meeting of the Swan Library Association. Doherty is speaking in front of a new mural in the Hoag Library painted by Stacey Kirby Steward. The annual meeting is usually the first Monday in May. It was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
ALBION – Kevin Doherty has ended a 12-year tenure as a trustee for Hoag Library, including the past 11 years as the board’s president.
Doherty has reached the time limit for a trustee on the board. He is the last trustee who was on the board when Albion opened the new Hoag Library in July 2012.
Doherty was the president during the construction and the financial planning for the 14,600-square-foot site. The building allowed the library to move out of a former 6,000-square-foot mansion that lacked adequate parking and wasn’t fully handicapped accessible.
Kevin Doherty, president of the Hoag Library board of trustees, speaks during a ribbon-cutting celebration for the new library on July 7, 2012.
Terry Wilbert, a retired school guidance counselor, is the new board president. Wilbert also is an Albion town councilman.
“This is a centerpiece of the community,” Wilbert said about the library. “The meeting rooms are constantly in use. We have the book delivery program and the internet access. This is just a fantastic community asset.”
Voters on Wednesday also elected three trustees on the board. Anitrice Bennett, 77 votes, and Dan Conrad, 62 votes, were each elected to four-year terms. Joyce Riley, 55 votes, was elected to a three-year term. Those three were incumbents on the board.
There were two other candidates: Carol Miller, 43 votes, and Allyson DeBoard, 38 votes.
Doherty thanked all the candidates for their interest in serving on the library’s board of trustees. He said many other libraries struggle to find people willing to serve in the volunteer roles.
Doherty, in a message at the annual meeting, said Hoag Library has strong community support. The library is in demand for its meeting rooms, and special events, as well as access to its collection.
Doherty said generous donors continue to support projects at the library and help Hoag to pay down the debt from the mortgage for the building. The original $1.69 million mortgage from 2012 is now down to $300,000.
The library was completely done in 2012. A new electronic sign was installed last year. Solar panels were added to the roof in 2015.
Hoag also boosted its WiFi signal this year so people can have access to high-speed internet in the parking lot when the library wasn’t open.
“We added the WiFi booster because there are so many dead areas in the community where they’re trying to do distance learning,” said Betty Sue Miller, the library director.
Hoag also expects to have two charging stations installed later this summer for electric vehicles.
Donors continue to step forward for library
Doherty and Betty Sue Miller, the library director, said the community continues to give sizable donations to the library.
The library in 2019-20 received $143,246 in donations, including another $100,000 from Maurice “Mo” Hoag and his wife Courtenay. They have now given $800,000 to the library.
Betty Sue Miller, library director, speaks during the annual meeting on Wednesday.
Bob and Ann Moore also gave $10,000 for a mural of three swans in flight over the Albion countryside. That mural is in the main meeting room of the library. Stacey Kirby Steward finished that project last month. The mural was done in honor of Marion Moore, who served as director of the Swan Library from 1961 to 1973.
An anonymous donor has also given $10,000 towards the restoration of a Civil War flag that is owned by the library.
Xerox gave Hoag a $7,768 grant to purchase a book vending machine.
Another anonymous donor gave $4,000 towards a shut-in program, where library staff takes books and materials to senior citizens once a month.
A $1,000 anonymous donation also is paying for a “Book from Birth” program where children who live in the Albion school district can receive a free book on their birthday, up to age 5.
Miller, the library director, said Hoag isn’t fully open yet. It closed on March 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It reopened on June 1 with patrons able to order materials and have them set at the front of the building.
The building has since reopened to the community, initially from 1 to 6 p.m. The hours are now 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
The special events remain cancelled and the meeting rooms aren’t available to the public yet. The Summer Reading Program doesn’t have any in-person events but there is an online program.
Miller said the library looks to add back more services. Next week the interloan library program through Nioga is expected to return. That allows patrons to borrow books and materials from all member libraries in the Nioga system, which includes sites in Niagara, Orleans and Genesee counties.
“That’s what a lot of our patrons are waiting for,” Miller said about interloan. “We get a lot and we give a lot.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Hoag Library has 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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2020 at 10:42 am
Library asks expert how to best preserve flag for the future
ALBION – An anonymous donor has given Hoag Library $10,000 to have a Civil War flag restored.
The library is having a textile conservator and flag expert do an analysis of the flag to see how it can best be preserved and what the estimated cost would be. If the cost exceeds $10,000, the library may ask the community for additional donations for the project, said Betty Sue Miller, the library director.
If the cost seems too expensive, the library might not proceed with the restoration and the $10,000 would be returned to the donor.
Miller discussed the restoration briefly during the library’s annual meeting on Wednesday evening.
The flag was driven to Delmar near Albany by Kevin Doherty, Hoag Library president. The flag is being analyzed by Spicer Art Conservation, LLC, a firm that has cleaned and restored many Civil War flags, and even one from the War of 1812, which was a half century before the Civil War.
Gwen Spicer, owner of Spicer Art Conservation, has worked on many historically significant flags and banners, including a pre-Revolutionary War “Liberty” flag and Civil War flags. She has treated flags from every American conflict from the Revolutionary War to the present, according to the Spicer Art Conservation website (click here).
The Hoag Library board of trustees on March 13, 2019 voted to have the flag sold through an auctioneer in Dallas, Texas. Heritage Auctions estimated the flag would sell for $20,000.
The library board, however, never followed through with the sale after hearing from the community and having a donor step forward, offering to fund a restoration up to $10,000.
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.
The library trustees in March 2019 felt it would be costly for the library to preserve the flag and then to properly display it. The trustees didn’t think the library should have the responsibility of caring for an artifact that didn’t originate in the local community.
Hoag officials last year reached out to African-American museums as well as the Smithsonian to see if they were interested in the flag. The African-American museums said they would accept it, but only if it was restored. The Smithsonian would accept it and put it in storage. It might be decades before it was worked on or displayed, Miller said.
The flag has been in a frame for many years. The white stripes in particular have deteriorated. The library trustees were concerned if the library keeps the flag, in the current frame, the flag would further wither away.
Spicer Art Conservation will likely have recommendations on the best course of action to preserve and display the flag.
Face-to-face meetings, telehealth appointments available
Press Release, Danielle Figura, interim director of Orleans County Mental Health Department
ALBION – The Orleans County Department of Mental Health continues to be open during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
The outpatient clinic continues to offer face-to-face appointments that meet the social distancing requirements. If accordance to the CDC guidelines, we will ask that all individuals who attend face-to-face appointments wear a face mask, and participate in a health screening protocol prior to your appointment with your provider.
Additionally we are offering both audio and video telehealth appointments for individuals already engaged in treatment or for those who wish to pursue treatment services with us. To schedule an appointment or if you would like to find out more about our available and extended services at this time, please contact the clinic at (585) 589-7066.
Health Home Care Management services continue to operate and are accepting new referrals for both children and adults through Orleans County Department of Mental Health. Please contact the department at (585) 589-7066 and ask to speak with the Coordinator of Care Management Services or the SPOA Coordinator.
Additional information on the mental health resources in Orleans County and in case of a crisis, The Care & Crisis Helpline (585) 283-5200, can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 July 2020 at 8:48 am
ALBION – The school district wants to hear from the community about what they want in a school superintendent.
The district is pushing to have a new superintendent in place by Jan. 1.
The district has an on-line survey that lists about 30 qualities and skills for a superintendent. Respondents are asked to rank their five most critical skills for a superintendent to be effective at Albion.
Scott Bischoping is Albion’s interim superintendent.
Ability to create a positive school culture, unquestioned integrity, strong presence in schools and community, strong commitment to student achievements and success, and outstanding written and oral communication skills are among the possible responses.
Survey respondents are asked to pick what they believe is the single, most important quality for the next superintendent.
The survey also asks respondents to consider the top three areas of focus for the superintendent in the next 3-5 years.
Some of those areas listed on the survey include budget and finance, communication with the community, instruction/student performance, contract negotiations/labor relations, building and sustaining strong sports and arts programs, improving technology, and building relationships and trust with stakeholders.
The survey, which takes less than 15 minutes to complete and is anonymous, will be online until July 24. The survey is available in English and Spanish.
The district also is forming focus groups of staff, students, parents and other community members. The groups will be asked to identify the following: desired traits, characteristics and behaviors of the new superintendent as well as challenges and opportunities the new superintendent will face.
Albion has hired the Western New York Educational Service Council, located at the University of Buffalo, to assist in the search. The consultants will meet with stakeholder focus groups on July 20 and 21. There will be an open session on July 21 for the community to hear from the consultants at a location to be determined.
Kathy Harling, the Board of Education president, said the board members take the responsibility of selecting the next superintendent very seriously.
“The Board feels it is critical to obtain community input about the desired characteristics of the next superintendent as well as the challenges and opportunities that they will encounter,” Harling said in a letter to the community.
Albion will be doing a closed search to provide confidentiality for people pursuing the position. Board members will consider the input from the community in hiring the next superintendent.
“The Board wants to ensure that the search draws a very strong field of successful candidates and understands that confidentiality is critically important for highly successful candidates who do not want to jeopardize their current positions,” Harling said.
The board wants to hire the new superintendent in November, with a start date on or before Jan. 1.
Scott Bischoping is serving as Albion’s interim superintendent. He started on Monday.
He takes over as superintendent for Michael Bonnewell, who will serve as evaluator of teachers in the his last year with the district before his retirement.
Bischoping most recently served as interim superintendent at North Rose-Wolcott Central School from Feb. 3 late June. Previously, Bischoping was an interim superintendent at Batavia City School District. He also was the district superintendent for Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2020 at 10:16 am
ALBION — Hoag Library will hold an election on Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m. for trustees on the board of directors. The library will also have its annual meeting at 7 p.m.
Three trustees will be elected. There are five candidates: Anitrice Bennett, Dan Conrad, Allyson DeBoard, Carol Miller and Joyce Riley. (Bennett, Conrad and Riley are currently on the board.) Click here to see candidate statements on Hoag’s YouTube page.
Voting will be at the library, which this week added extended hours and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hoag is located at 134 South Main St.
Voters must be at least 18 in live in the library’s service area – the central Orleans towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2020 at 8:35 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ed Fancher speaks during the 50th anniversary celebration of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee on Oct. 1, 2015. Fancher the executive director of the agency. He started with Community Action in 1987 as the fiscal director when he was 22.
ALBION – The school district on Monday evening honored the late Ed Fancher as a Friend of Education.
Fancher, an Albion graduate, passed away at age 54 from cancer on May 24. He was the director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. He was also very active with the Albion Alumni Foundation and the Albion Rotary Club, organizations that have assisted Albion students.
With Community Action, he welcomed a statistics class to pour over local demographic data. He welcomed interns in the district’s school-to-work program and also helped distribute tens of thousands of produce collected by the FFA each year in a food drive.
Fancher typically would help unload a tractor trailer with heavy boxes and bags of produce. This December, he was still there for the unloading, but physically wasn’t able to help move the boxes. He thanked the FFA students for their work in lining up the donations from farmers, and then packaging the food and delivering it to Community Action.
The agency would share the food with other local food pantries and churches. Community Action would store many of the boxes and bags of food.
The FFA food drive started out at 3,000 pounds in 2010 and reached a new high of 40,000 pounds in 2019.
Ed Fancher, Class of 1983, fills a bag of popcorn during the Homecoming football game on Oct. 4, 2013. He works in the booth with Jean Shervin, Class of 1953. Fancher was a proud Albion graduate.
“We were never discouraged by them or turned away even as the numbers increased exponentially,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, the district’s school-to-career coordinator and public information officer. “He always helped unload until couldn’t lift. This December he was there in rain, cheering us on and thanking us.”
Starkweather Miller is on the Alumni Foundation Board of Directors with Fancher, where he was the treasurer. The Foundation in June distributed about $90,000 in scholarships to Albion High School seniors.
With the Rotary Club, Fancher cooked the hams for the annual Rotary St. Patrick’s Ham Dinner, with the proceeds going to the Rotary-sponsored Interact Club at the school. The Rotary Club also gives three scholarships annually to Albion seniors.
“He was a true servant leader, he was a proud Purple Eagle and he is a friend of education always,” she said during the Board of Education meeting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 July 2020 at 8:14 am
File photos by Tom Rivers: Adam and Tina Johnson opened a bar and restaurant on North Main Street in Albion on March 1, 2018.
ALBION – The owner of the 39 Problems bar and restaurant in downtown Albion announced this morning the establishment is closed.
Adam Johnson said in Facebook post the business has always been a challenge to make money. But he and his wife Tina were determined to be a part of the solution to bringing traffic and renewed economic activity to historic downtown Albion. 39 Problems hosted live music and popular trivia nights.
However, the state response to Covid-19 proved too much to withstand. 39 Problems was closed to the public for about three months.
Johnson welcomed musicians and during a recent performance, someone called a state hotline to report the customers weren’t social distancing. Johnson said there were only about 10 people in the business at the time, and many of them came in as a group.
Johnson bristles that someone would report him, when it has been such a struggle to keep the business afloat.
“We are another empty storefront on Main Street,” Johnson posted on Facebook. “What’s next for me? As always, Tina and I will ‘keep going’, just like we always have. In fact, we are going to keep going right across the state border to somewhere that respects and welcomes people with a never-ending desire to accomplish something greater than themselves. NY loses another ambitious family. We are inviting our friends too, come along with us. Leave this state for the rats.”
Downtown Albion had been without a restaurant for several years. On March 1, 2018, Adam and Tina Johnson opened 39 Problems, a bar and restaurant on Main Street. The couple purchased the building, which includes three storefronts, in 2015. They worked diligently to renovate the site, while preserving its historic charm.
Adam and Tina purchased the building in 2015. He called the property an “ugly duckling” that nobody wanted. The building proved to be “a costly mistake” but the Johnsons didn’t give up. They first opened an ice cream business, the Frosty Bucket, in 2016 to generate some money for the property.
They switched to 39 Problems as a takeout/delivery in 2017 restaurant. On March 1, 2018, 39 Problems opened the dine-in restaurant and bar.
They named it 39 Problems because of the many obstacles and challenges they faced in trying to revive 39 North Main St.
“We were building a restaurant/bar where there had never been one before,” Johnson said in his post this morning. “For anyone not familiar with restaurant construction, there are a lot of moving parts to make it hum. It was a daunting task, but we kept going.”
Johnson also served as president of the Albion Merchants Association and was on the board of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Adam Johnson put this sign at 39 Problems in Albion, saying all businesses should be considered essential.
He organized classic car shows in downtown Albion, including a cruise-in where Main Street was closed to traffic.
The Johnsons also developed the Chuck Wagon food trailer that they took to special events.
“In early 2020, we were ever so slowly clawing our way forward financially,” Johnson said. “We were paying in a tremendous amount of money, week after week, because so many people loved us and were counting on us to make it. Our mission and our passion was larger than us. We wanted to be what saved Main Street, Albion. I don’t know why, I suppose it was that inner fire that drove us forward when we should have just walked away, so even still, we kept going.”
But the virus hit and the Gov. Andrew Cuomo imposed many restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19. Bars and restaurants weren’t able to have customers inside after March 16. These restrictions were in place for about three months.
Johnson didn’t think it was fair that the “mom and pop” businesses on Main Street were closed while the state allowed the big box retailers to stay open. He coordinated a May 16 event where about 200 vehicles went on a 50-mile caravan to highlight small businesses in Orleans County. The trek went through four village downtown districts and eight towns. Johnson put a sign in the 39 Problems front window to “Re-Open NY – All Business Is Essential.”
When bars and restaurants could reopen, they were limited to operating at 50 percent capacity. The governor also repeatedly stressed that bars and restaurants who don’t adhere to social distancing or allow too many people inside could lose their liquor license or be forced to temporarily shut down.
The state promoted a hotline for people to call and report violators who aren’t adhering to social distancing, mask wearing and the capacity guidelines.
“Something went wrong this year, though, really wrong,” Johnson said in his post. “It wasn’t the virus, it was the leadership from Albany. I’m not an expert in political science and don’t want to be. I am a Veteran and swore a long time ago to uphold and defend the Constitution. We have freedoms that have been paid for in blood. That is something that I don’t take lightly. Our State Legislature gave essentially unlimited power to someone that has run wild with it. In the beginning, it made sense. It doesn’t anymore.”
Adam Johnson is in the lead car in a caravan on May 16 to highlight small businesses in Orleans County. The group is headed down Main Street in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 July 2020 at 11:10 am
Omar Peterson, Damian Wilson care for their moms and give them lots of emotional support
Photo by Tom Rivers: Omar Peterson and his mother Angela English are pictured last week at their home in Albion. English is fighting stage 4 cervical cancer.
Provided photo: Damian Wilson celebrates his graduation with his parents, Chad and Lisa.
ALBION – Omar Peterson and Damian Wilson, members of Albion’s Class of 2020, say their senior year has been emotional and gut-wrenching.
But not because of the Covid-19 pandemic that has kept students out of local schools since March 13.
Omar and Damian both have mothers in serious health battles. Damian’s mom, Lisa Wilson, suffered a series of strokes. Angela English, Omar’s mom, has stage 4 cervical cancer.
Omar and Damian have both needed to do more around the house to help their families. They have cared for their mothers, maintained jobs and kept up with their school work.
Both are headed to college this fall. Damian will stay home and go to Genesee Community College. Omar will be off to Morrisville State College.
A son’s encouragement
Angela English, 36, was diagnosed with cancer on Dec. 27. She started chemotherapy in January and will finish in August.
Omar, 17, said school has often been a struggle. He wanted to give up this year, especially in the winter when his mother started chemo. But he knew that would just add to her stress.
“I told myself that I had to get through and finish,” he said.
He graduated in a personalized ceremony with his family at the school last month. Albion did individual ceremonies for all 135 members of the class.
Angela is thankful the school did it that way. She wouldn’t have wanted to be in the high school gym with 2,000 other people for graduation, like the school normally does. She worries about her compromised immune system right now. (The state set a 150-person maximum for outdoor graduation ceremonies. Social gatherings inside were limited to 25 people.)
The Covid-19 pandemic has kept Omar and his sister Olivia, 11, home from school since March 13. Olivia has been cooking many of the meals for the family. Omar said his little sister has amazed me with the meals. She recently made shrimp teriyaki that Omar raves about.
Omar and Olivia keep a close eye on their mother, making sure she takes her medications and they give her a steady stream of encouragement.
“You have to keep a positive attitude,” Omar said. “We have to push each other.”
Provided photo: Angela English celebrates with her son Omar after his personalized graduation ceremony. Angela considered wearing a wig or a fancy hat for the ceremony, but Omar told her not to. “Wear your bald head because you’re beautiful,” he told his mother.
Omar said he tries to keep his mother upbeat. When her hair started to fall out and she shaved her head in February, Omar also went bald, getting rid of his beloved dreadlocks.
Angela wept when her son cut off all of his hair.
“That was a sign that we would be going through this journey together,” she said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Omar Peterson played goalie and was a captain on the varsity soccer team.
Omar tells his mother she’s beautiful. He tells her she will get better, and there are only a few more chemo treatments to go. (During her chemo, Omar will often Facetime his mother with a positive message: “You’re almost done. You’re getting better.”)
He has come by his mother’s bedside to pray with her.
Angela has watched a transformation of her son in the past six months.
“When he came by my bedside and prayed, that’s when I realized I have a growing son,” Angela said.
Angela’s parents, Eddie and Rose English, are the leaders of The Lord’s House church in Waterport. Angela is the praise and worship leader at the church. She also works as the staffing and payroll coordinator at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing in Batavia.
“I couldn’t ask for a better support system with the community reaching out,” Angela said. “Their prayers are working.”
Omar was the goalie on the soccer team, a vocal leader with no fear on the field. He also has been on the swimming and track teams, and been involved with school musicals, the marching band and select choirs.
He currently works at Kirby Farms. He called them up asking for a job in March. He previously worked as a dishwasher for Tillman’s Village Inn. Working on a farm has been a great experience, Omar said.
It’s hard work, and it’s technical with operating a tractor and caring for the fruit trees and crops.
“I like being outside and it’s made me appreciate being on this beautiful planet,” Omar said. “But farming is way more work than you think.”
He plans to major in mechanical technology at Morrisville. He wants to run his own business and be a mentor to others when he’s older.
His mother’s illness has forced him to grow up faster.
“I definitely appreciate life more,” he said. “It’s made me open my eyes. I try to be positive and talk about the things in my future.”
Omar also wanted to thank the community for adopting members of the senior class, giving them presents and gifts during the pandemic. He received some of his favorite snacks, gift cards, cookies and a jersey from his favorite soccer team, Manchester City. One of gifts was a graphing calculator that he will need in college.
“Those gifts make me want to come back and give back to the community,” he said.
Mother’s work ethic in recovery inspires son
Chad Wilson adjusts his son Damian’s graduation cap during a ceremony at their home last month. Lisa Wilson was part of the graduation for her son.
Damian Wilson, 18, also has had more on his mind this senior year than his school work and the pandemic.
His mother suffered a serious stroke on Nov. 6. She was in the ICU for a month after that and remained hospitalized and then at a rehab center until June 3.
Because of restrictions on visitors at healthcare facilities, Damian wasn’t able to see his mother in person for nearly three months.
The two would video chat three or four times a day.
Lisa has made progress since her initial stroke. She has physical, occupational and speech therapy as she works to recover and retrain her brain and body.
Lisa, 44, has worked in banking for more than two decades years. She was at ESL in Rochester after working about 20 years in Albion at the site that has been Dime Bank, Washington Mutual, Chase and CRFS.
She was organized and a take-charge leader in the family.
Her husband Chad said Damian and his younger brother Drake have stepped up since their mother was strickened by a series of strokes. Damian makes breakfast for the family and Drake makes lunch. Drake just finished eighth grade.
Chad, who is an IT specialist, makes dinner. He has been able to work from home, turning the basement into his work space.
They all pitch in with Lisa’s care.
Damian said his mother’s courage inspires him. She pushes herself in her therapies. Her right side is the most effected by the strokes.
“She is strong-willed and stubborn,” Chad said about Lisa.
Those characteristics are helping her now, during what can be exhausting physical and speech therapy sessions.
Doctors initially weren’t optimistic she would recover. Lisa didn’t wake up from a coma for 4 ½ weeks.
Her husband brought their puppy, Nico, to the hospital. Nico is white boxer. He gave Lisa a kiss and she moved her head for the first time since her stroke.
Chad put her left hand on the dog and she started petting Nico.
The family brought their two other boxers, Rocky and Kenna, to the hospital in the weeks that followed and Lisa responded to the dogs. Chad would bring one of the three dogs to the hospital and the dog would lay in bed with Lisa.
This photo from Sept. 22, 2018 shows Lisa Wilson, left, with her son Damian. They are joined by Myleigh Miller. They volunteered at the front table of a benefit for kindergarten teacher Angie Wolfe, who was battling cancer. The spaghetti dinner benefit and basket raffle for Wolfe was at the Albion Elks Lodge. Lisa Wilson and Angie Wolfe have been friends since they were kids.
Damian, an honor roll student, has worked the past two years at Walgreens. He pursued the job on his own when he was 16.
Damian said he initially wanted some extra money when he started the position. He enjoys his co-workers at the store.
He excelled in the graphic design program at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES, and was selected for the prestigious National Technical Honor Society.
He said he missed seeing his teachers and classmates every day in person during the pandemic.
“I just like talking to them,” he said.
He will get a degree in general studies from GCC and then transfer to a four-year college.
The Wilsons appreciated the school district coming to their home for Damian’s graduation ceremony. It would have been much harder to get to the school due to Lisa’s current mobility issues. She is working hard to regain her balance and ability to walk.
Lisa said the school coming to their home to present the diploma to Damian, “was very inspirational.”
Damian Wilson accepts his diploma from Albion school officials who came to his home last month. He is pictured with, from left: Kathy Winans, the class advisor; Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent; Kathy Harling, Board of Education president; and Jennifer Ashbery, high school principal.
