By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 June 2020 at 8:07 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The home of the Pate family on West Academy Street was badly damaged by a fire this morning.
The fire started in the cupola of the house, said Ondrea Pate, who lives in the home with her husband Angelo, their three daughters and grandchildren.
Mrs. Pate said she her loud noises and assumed it was her grandchildren. When she outside she saw what she initially thought was fog. But then realized it was smoke and the upstairs was on fire.
Everyone got out of the house safely.
Flames shoot high from the roof of the house at 19 West Academy St.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 7:01 a.m. Albion, Medina, Barre, Clarendon and Shelby firefighters responded to the scene.
Firefighters check the upstairs of the house. The heat from the fire melted some of the siding.
The home is a grand house across from the former grammar school.
Summer Reading Program will be online and meeting rooms aren’t available
Press Release, Hoag Library
ALBION – Hoag Library is open to the public as of Monday, June 15, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Patrons are asked to wear a face covering, sanitize hands upon entering the building, and maintain proper social distance. Special accommodations for those unable to wear a face covering can be made by contacting Betty Sue Miller, Library Director at bmiller@nioga.org or (585) 589-4246.
Patrons who do not want to enter the library can utilize “Library-To-Go” to request Hoag Library materials – we are unable to borrow books from other NIOGA libraries. All returned items are quarantined for 72 hours and checked-in fine-free.
At this time all programming, including this year’s Summer Reading Program “Imagine Your Story,” is moved online and meeting rooms are unavailable to the public. Those wishing to participate in Summer Reading can visit www.hoaglibrary.org/summer-reading or join the Facebook group “HLSRP2020.”
Those interested in filling one of the three open Trustee positions are asked to submit a name and address to hoag_library@yahoo.com by 5 p.m. on June 24. Residents in the Hoag Library service area of central Orleans County is required. A special Trustee meeting will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m. on June 24 to review submitted interested forms.
Library services will be unavailable Tuesday, June 23, during the Primary Elections.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2020 at 11:02 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION –Albion teachers went on a two-hour parade through the school district today, starting at 7 p.m. They wanted students to know they have been missed during the past three months of at-home learning.
Some of the prekindergarten team include from left: Peggy Lemcke (who is retiring as an aide) and teachers Jennifer Waters and Deanna Moore. They are shown on King Street, near the start of the parade. The teachers decorated their vehicles in the parking lot at Save-A-Lot.
Music teachers Karen Conn, left, and Megan Zambito give an enthusiastic greeting to students who were on Main Street.
A group of fifth grade teachers are part of the group of about 25 vehicles that started from the Save-A-Lot parking lot on Route 31.
Casey Flynn, a foreign language teacher, greets students on the route.
Bruce Blanchard, a middle school social studies teachers, drives a vehicle celebrating history. His wife Jennifer is a special education teacher. She is on the back of the truck with Rich Gannon, a high school social studies teacher.
High school math teachers Amber Sidari, front, and Suzanne Newton dressed as “Pi-rates.”
Megan McDonald is a computer teacher for the district.
The teachers head down Main Street in Albion to Barre. The parade route went through Albion, Barre, Gaines and Carlton.
Some of the Albion Athletics float members include social studies teacher David Skrip and physical education teacher Melody Beecher, who both coach multiple sports for Albion.
Matthew and Crystal Hand and their kids let the teachers know they were missed and appreciated during the past three months of learning at home.
Art teachers Tina Burgett, driving, and Melissa Prince had fun in the parade.
The Seibert family set up in the parking lot at Save-A-Lot to take in the parade and to thank teachers for their work this year. Pictured from left include Tim and Mia Seibert and their son Thailer.
Fifth grade teachers in the parade include from left: Meghan Kania, Dana Martin and Robin Bower. They are shown headed down East Park Street.
The procession of about 25 vehicles moves down East Park Street, and then would turn on McKinstry Street. It concluded at Save-A-Lot parking lot.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 June 2020 at 9:59 pm
District had 3 times as many voters as last year
ALBION – The school district’s $36,841,032 million budget passed overwhelmingly, 1,327 to 321, and district voters elected John Kast, Chris Kinter and Kurt Schmitt to the Board of Education.
The district counted absentee ballots today and announced the results tonight. The 1,648 votes for the budget was about three times as many as the 562 who voted for the budget during the last election on May 21, 2019.
This year’s election was done with absentee ballots due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The $36,841,032 school budget is up 3.62 percent or $1,285,522 from the $35,555,510 in 2019-20. However, the budget keeps the tax levy at $8,449,094 in property taxes, the same as in 2019-20. This is the 12th time in the past 14 years the school district has either kept taxes flat or reduced them.
The district’s state aid includes $250,000 for a Covid response. With students out of in-person school since mid-March, some students are expected to need academic intervention services next school year to help catch up. The district is expecting it will need to hire more staff to help students after this prolonged time out of school.
The budget also includes funding for a superintendent’s search with Bonnewell to retire on June 30, 2021. The Board of Education would like to have an interim superintendent to start the school year with Bonnewell switching to a different administrative role in evaluating teachers.
Albion also is budgeting $85,200 for its share of a grant program to replace school doors and add more security cameras. That expense depends on Albion receiving a COPS grant that covers 75 percent of the cost.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2020 at 3:02 pm
Residents in the villages of Albion and Medina are annoyed about fireworks being set off in recent days and weeks.
It’s a problem in other communities, too, Medina Mayor Mike Sidari posted on Facebook today.
He said the Medina Police Department has arrested one person so far due to the fireworks displays.
Sidari urges people to call the police at 585-798-5602 if they know who is setting off the fireworks, where they are being set off or where they are being sold.
Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said fireworks are becoming a problem. The ony legal fireworks in the state are “sparkling devices that are ground-based or handheld devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and or a colored flame, audible crackling or whistling noise and smoke.”
Firecrackers, aerial fireworks and those that make noise from an explosion are not legal to use or possess, Nenni said.
“We usually allow for a not as strict enforcement approach around the 4th of July, but there have been excessive uses of them for the past several weeks,” he said. “The main issue that we are seeing is that certain people are not just using loud illegal fireworks for a one time ‘show,’ they are doing them days on end and causing annoyance to neighbors and others.”
Albion police officers have been instructed to charge persons who are creating a nuisance with them. Charges can range from violation noise level charges to misdemeanor unlawful possession of fireworks.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 June 2020 at 10:32 am
ALBION – The school district will count the absentee ballots for the budget, propositions and the candidates for the Board of Education on Thursday.
That differs from most local school districts, which counted the ballots on Tuesday.
Albion is giving the public a chance to review a list of people and their addresses who submitted more than 1,700 ballots. The district website has information about the list and the election.
To be an eligible voter, a person needs to be at least 18 and a resident of the district for at least 30 days at the time of the vote.
People who want to challenge a ballot must do so in person at the district office today.
The district plans to start counting the ballots at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with a special Board of Education meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to accept the results of the election and vote.
The 1,700-plus ballots is about three times more than the 558 who voted in person in the last election on May 21, 2019.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2020 at 9:12 pm
ALBION – The members of Albion Teachers Association want to see their students one last time before the school year ends.
Teachers will be in a parade of vehicles on Thursday, departing the Save-A-Lot parking lot on Route 31 at 7 p.m.
About 25 vehicles are expected in the parade, with each vehicles expected to have two or three teachers. The route will go through Albion, Barre, Gaines and Carlton.
The parade route includes:
Start at Save-A-Lot parking lot
Left on West Avenue
Right on King Street
Right on Washington Street
Left on S. Clinton Street
Left on West Park Street
Right on King Street
Right on West State Street
Right on Main Street to Barre
Right on West Barre Road
Straight onto Allis Road
Right on Eagle Harbor Road through Eagle Harbor area to Waterport
Right on Waterport-Carlton
Left on Park Ave.
Right on Rt. 98
Left on Rt. 104
Right on Brown Road
Right on Lydun Drive North
Right on Lydun Drive, go back to apartments
Turn around at Beechwood Apartments
Go back to Brown Road
Right on Brown Road
Right on Linwood Avenue
Right on Rt. 98
The next three streets are at Oak Orchard Estates Park
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 June 2020 at 11:11 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Stacey Kirby Steward works on a mural Saturday morning inside Hoag Library. Steward, an Albion native who lives in Spencerport, is creating a large mural of swans flying over the Albion countryside.
“I’m very excited about this painting,” Steward said Saturday. “It contains a lot of what I love about Orleans County.”
Her mural will show three swans flying over the Erie Canal, showing the Gaines Basin Road bridge. The painting also highlights the farm fields, Lake Ontario and some of the cobblestone houses.
This is the second art project at the library by Steward. She designed the stained-glass window with swans.
An anonymous donor is covering the cost for Steward to create the painting. The library surveyed patrons last fall to get their votes on three designs for the mural, which will go in the Curtis Room, the largest meeting space in the library.
Steward submitted sketches showing swans, eagles or hawks in flight over the canal.
The vote totals include 71 for swans, 62 for eagles, and 27 for the hawk design.
Before Hoag Library opened in July 2012, Albion’s public library was known as the Swan Library. That site opened in 1900 in a former mansion at 4 North Main St. in 1900 and remained the library’s site for 112 years.
Steward will add three swans to the mural. She will paint them next Saturday. The library is pushing to have the mural in place by June 23, when the library will serve as a polling place for a special election and primary.
Jim Babcock’s construction business will handle installing the mural to the wall.
Steward hired a drone photographer to get photos of the countryside in early fall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2020 at 10:22 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Erin Smith was “The Strawberry” during the June 10, 2018 race. She is battling near the finish with Jeff Casillo. The two are now married.
ALBION – This Saturday would have been the 30th anniversary of the 5K and 8K races at the Albion Strawberry Festival.
But with the festival cancelled, and a current ban on most social gatherings to no more than 10 people, the race isn’t happening.
The race typically attracts about 200 runners, making it one of the better attended races in the GLOW counties. It hit a high of 320 runners in 2015.
Brian Krieger has served as the race director the past 11 years, following 19 years by the late Judy Christopher. She started the race as a motivator for people in the community to work on their fitness goals. Christopher used to own the Phoenix Fitness gym.
Krieger also saw the race as fun community event, in addition to serving as a motivator for people to get out walking and running. The race in recent years had someone dress up in a strawberry costume, and prizes were given to runners who beat “The Strawberry.”
Krieger and his friend, the late Wayne Burlison, also organized a “Run for God” program through the Albion Free Methodist Church. That was like a “Couch for 5K” program designed to take people who haven’t been too active with running to finishing a 5K after three months of training. The Strawberry Fest would be the culminating event in the program.
A race in March honoring the memory of Burlison – the sixth annual Wayne Burlison Colon Cancer Awareness 5K – also was cancelled due to Covid-19. The Burlison race and Strawberry Festival run are both organized by the Albion Running Club.
This Saturday’s Strawberry Festival race would have been Krieger’s last time as the race director. He is handing off the reins to Bert Gallmon for 2021.
“I’m disappointed for the first time in 30 years it won’t be happening,” Krieger said about the race. “It was just fun.”
Besides given out medals to age groups winners, the race organizers gave out jars of strawberry jam to leading runners in each age group.
Photos by Tom Rivers: This sign on the door leading to the sanctuary urges people to not give hugs or hand shakes for now.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2020 at 9:17 am
‘We should just get together. It doesn’t have to be perfect.’
Albert Alexander delivers the sermon on Sunday, the first time North Point held in-person services since mid-March.
ALBION – North Point Chapel in Albion was open for services for the first time in nearly three months on Sunday.
It was a smaller group than usual. About 20 people attended the service in person. The church usually draws about 50 for Sundays – before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Church buildings have been closed since mid-March. Gov. Cuomo and the state allowed up to 10 people inside buildings on May 21, as well as drive-in and parking lot services.
On Saturday, the governor announced churches, mosques and temples could have services with crowds up to 25 percent of the building’s capacity – as long as several safety precautions were in place.
North Point elders Albert Alexander and Jim Baker sent out a text message to church members, telling them the building on Platt Street would be open on Sunday.
Church leaders had a safety plan ready for holding services during a pandemic. They have sanitizer stations, signs telling people there won’t be any handshakes or hugs, and people who aren’t in the same households are spaced around the sanctuary. People also need to wear masks, except when they are sitting as long as there is six feet of space from the next person. Alexander said the governor’s announcement on Saturday was appreciated, but didn’t leave church leaders much time to be ready on Sunday.
“We should just get together,” Alexander said from the pulpit on Sunday. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Pastor Mike Outten speaks to the church during Sunday’s service. People were spread out for the service.
Mike Outten, the church pastor since North Point started five years ago, has been giving weekly sermons through Facebook live from his home study. His children have provided the music for those services.
Outten said the church worked on a reopening plan to be ready for when the governor started to ease restrictions on the gathering size.
The church seats 275 people. At 25 percent capacity, about 70 people could attend an in-person service.
Jennifer Mateo, the children’s ministry leader for North Point, attended the service on Sunday with her daughter Eva, a kindergartener. They were happy to see people, face to face, again.
Photo courtesy of Marsha Rivers: North Point put out a welcome flag on Sunday for people to attend church inside the building.
She said the church leaders have worked hard to keep the congregation connected during the pandemic, with the Sunday services broadcast through Facebook live and a weekly Bible study on Wednesdays through Zoom.
Alexander said this era of social distancing doesn’t mean people have to stay apart.
“We shouldn’t distance ourselves totally,” he said.
Some of the state guidelines for religious organizations for services include:
A distance of at least 6 feet must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety or the core activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. pallbearing) or the individuals are members of the same household. However, any singing activity must provide for a distance between individuals of 12 feet, subject to additional protective measures.
Prohibit the use of small spaces (e.g. elevators, vehicles) by more than one individual at time, unless all individuals are wearing face coverings. If occupied by more than one person, keep occupancy under 50% of maximum capacity.
Prohibit holding or shaking hands of members in different households during services or prayers.
Provide workers with an acceptable face covering at no cost to the worker and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of replacement.
Faith leaders, officiants, volunteers, and/or attendees must be prepared to don a face covering if another person unexpectedly comes within 6 feet.
Limit the sharing of objects (e.g. religious texts, collection plates) as well as the touching of shared surfaces (e.g. pews, instruments, doors, railings); or, require individuals to wear gloves when in contact with shared objects or frequently touched surfaces; or, require individuals to sanitize or wash their hands before and after contact.
Cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as shared objects, must be performed at least after each service, using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against Covid-19.
Provide and maintain hand hygiene stations on site, including handwashing with soap, water, and paper towels, as well as an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing 60% or more alcohol for areas where handwashing is not feasible. Hand sanitizer must be placed throughout the location for use by all attending or working.
Post signage throughout the facility to remind individuals to adhere to proper hygiene, social distancing rules, appropriate use of PPE, and cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Conspicuously post completed safety plans on site.
Implement mandatory health screening assessment (e.g. questionnaire, temperature check) for employees, faith leaders, and volunteers (but not attendees), asking about (1) Covid-19 symptoms in past 14 days, (2) positive Covid-19 test in past 14 days, and/or (3) close contact with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 case in past 14 days. Responses must be reviewed daily and documented.
If an employee or faith leader tests positive for Covid- 19, immediately notify state and local health departments and cooperate with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts who had close contact with the worker, while maintaining confidentiality as required by state and federal law and regulations.
For more on the guidelines from the state for religious organizations, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 June 2020 at 2:19 pm
Bonnewell will stay as administrator, evaluating teachers
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Bonnewell speaks during a district-wide concert on March 3 in the high school gym. This was one of the last big district-wide events before Covid-19 closed the campus to the community.
ALBION — The school district announced today that an interim superintendent will likely be hired before the start of the school year in September, while current superintendent, Michael Bonnewell, will transition to an administrator in charge of evaluating teachers.
In March, Bonnewell and the district announced he would work one more year for Albion and then retire. That would give the district time to hire his successor.
The Board of Education and Bonnewell decided to modify that timeline after a meeting on June 4. At a BOE meeting three days earlier on June 1, BOE meetings said Bonnewell hadn’t been effective communicating with the board and community about how the school was serving students during the pandemic and preparing for graduation and reopening the schools next year.
Bonnewell responded that the administration team has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes. But board members said they weren’t aware of that work and communication has been continuing shortcoming for the superintendent.
Kathy Harling, Board of Education president, said in a letter to the community that Bonnewell has shown a commitment and love of students at Albion.
“Please know that this decision was made collectively between Mr. Bonnewell and the Board, and was done with the best interest of the District and its student sin mind,” Harling said in a letter posted on the district website. “The Board commends Mr. Bonnewell for his service and dedication to the District.”
Bonnewell is in his 10th year as Albion superintendent of schools. He came to Albion after working as superintendent of the Schroon Lake school district in the Adirondacks. That district only has about 200 students. Bonnewell was the district’s superintendent, K-12 principal and also served as the business administrator. Before Schroon Lake, he was principal of Honeoye Middle-High School.
Bonnewell has been highly visible at Albion, attending numerous events after school. He was a chaperone with the high school chorus to New York City last year. He also stepped in as interim high school principal last school year for three months.
Bonnewell, in a letter to the community, said he accept the position as independent evaluator of teachers. He urged the community to not “choose sides” in the situation and asked that everyone stay focused on serving students.
“There will be a natural inclination for people to judge, question, and challenge this,” he said. “Some will even be inclined to choose sides. Please don’t. There is only one side that matters … It is time as the Albion Central School District Community, the ACSD family, that we come together with one focus—that focus needs to be and to do the very best we can do for our students. I will commit my full energy and my complete love to the service of our students as I always have through June 2021 and will do so beyond that if the Board chooses to exercise their option to ask me to continue further.”
“Our students need and deserve nothing less,” Bonnewell continued in his letter. “Not because of COVID, not because of the current social and financial and other troubles in our country and world, not for any reason other than they have always needed and deserved our singular focus—doing all that we can together, for their growth and well-being. They needed that yesterday, they need it today, tomorrow, next week, next year, and forever.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 June 2020 at 4:32 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Black Lives Matter demonstrators carry signs in a walk from the intersection of routes 98 and 31 down Main Street to the Orleans County Courthouse lawn.
They were responding to the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery which have spurred nation-wide protests.
About 75 people participated in the demonstration in Albion, and they said racism exists in other ways in Orleans County, from fewer job opportunities for minorities to hearing racial slurs that start in the elementary school.
(Click here to see the demonstrators walking on a sidewalk down Main Street, chanting, “No Justice, No Peace.”)
Marquise Riddick, left, and Eboni Taylor, center, both graduated in the Class of 2013. They are college educated and both want to be teachers.
The two friends said they felt compelled to have a Black Lives Matter event in Albion. They were encouraged to see 75 people attend, and have numerous people beep their horns in support.
Taylor said Orleans County should push for more diversity in the police departments and Sheriff’s Office. She would like to see more black teachers and minorities “in official positions.”
Taylor, 25, graduated from Syracuse University. She works at a childcare center in Albion.
Riddick earned a degree at Brockport State College. He wants to be a physical education teacher.
He attended a protest on May 30 in Rochester and he said it was an empowering event.
“It was really inspiring how everyone came together in Rochester,” he said. “I wanted there to be one in the community where I grew up in.”
Marquise Riddick, who organized today’s Black Lives Matter demonstration, holds a sign – “Remember Their Names” – that highlights the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
Floyd died in custody of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. Floyd was on the ground and died after being held down for nearly nine minutes while an officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Breonna Taylor was 26 when she was fatally shot on March 13 by Louisville Metro Police Department, who forced entry into her apartment on a no-knock search warrant. Her boyfriend fired at the officers, who he thought were intruders. Taylor was shot eight times. She worked as an EMT and would have been 27 on Friday.
Ahmaud Arbery was unarmed on a jog in Georgia when he was confronted by two white residents, Travis McMichael and his father Gregory, who were armed and driving a pickup truck. Arbery was shot and killed.
Eboni Taylor holds up a sign and other demonstrators can be seen across the street.
Ray Paull, 18, of Medina attended the demonstration and held up a Black Lives Matter sign. Paull, a white student at Oswego State College, said he hears from his black friends in Medina and Oswego how terrified they feel if they are ever stopped by police.
Paull said he wants to support the Black Lives Matters movement. “It’s not acceptable for injustices to keep happening,” he said.
Dennis Seekins of Lyndonville joined the demonstration in Albion. He thanked the organizers for giving the local residents a chance to express their support for Black Lives Matter.
A young demonstrator holds a sign near Albion’s busiest intersection.
Chanyce Powell, a 2017 Albion graduate, holds a Black Lives Matter sign during the demonstration.
After a walk from the intersection to the Courthouse Square, the group laid down for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That’s how long George Floyd was on the ground on May 25, while the officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Marquise Riddick shared Floyd’s words and pleas for help before his death. A video of Floyd in anguish and then becoming unresponsive has resulted in nationwide protests.
(Click here to see Riddick recount Floyd’s last words.)
Pastor Aleka Schmidt of the First Baptist Church attended the demonstration and holds the “I’m Listening” sign. The participants are lying face down for 8 minutes, 46 seconds as a tribute to George Floyd. The pizzas near Schmidt were donated by Crosby’s.
White people were urged to speak out if they see or hear racist comments among their friends and family, and to work against institutional racism.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 June 2020 at 9:57 am
ALBION – A peaceful protest for Black Lives Matter is planned for noon today in Albion. Participants are urged to gather at the intersection of routes 98 and 31.
“We hope to bring awareness to the community and demonstrate our support of Black Lives Matter,” Marquise Riddick, the organizer, posted on Facebook. “We want Justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and for every black person, past and present, that has had their lives taken unjustly.”
After the demonstration at the intersection, some of the group members then plans to walk down Main Street to the Orleans County Courthouse in honor of George Floyd.
Riddick urges people to maintain social distancing, wear a mask and bring a bottle to water to stay hydrated.
“If you do not feel comfortable protesting, drive by, honk, or wave in support,” he said. “We understand that there are more than one way to show support for the movement.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2020 at 12:52 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Staff and volunteers from the Orleans County Office for the Aging helped run a food distribution this morning at the parking lot for the Main Street Thrift Store at the corner of Main and Chamberlain streets.
The OFA staff are shown on Chamberlain Street. The vehicles stretched down Chamberlain for several blocks to McKinistry Street. The cars were lined down McKinistry and then down East Park Street.
Volunteers and staff from Community Action of Orleans & Genesee helped with the distribution today.
This was the first food distribution that was expanded from one box to three. Foodlink had been providing a box for 300 people at the food distributions.
The schedule for June includes:
• Friday, June 12 – Medina Calvary Cupboard, Medina, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Friday, June 19 – Community Action, Main Street Store, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Friday, June 26 – Holley Community Center, former Save-A-Lot grocery store parking lot, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
This new round of food distributions introduces a new state-funded program called Nourish New York. This funding allows Foodlink to purchase local product.
Some of the Foodlink product also is from the federal USDA’s new initiative called CFAP (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program). In this program, distributors who would normally serve schools, restaurants, and municipal programs are able to pre-pack boxes of perishable product and deliver to distributions being done all over the country, said Melissa Blanar, OFA director in Orleans County.
Three different trucks delivered the food this morning. The boxes were in three groups: mixed dairy, cooked meat and produce. Each box was about 25 pounds.
Jo Canale, left, and Carolyn Flansburg carry boxes to a truck of an elderly resident.
The expanded distributions are expected to continue through August.
Cars are lined up East Park Street, then down McKinistry and Chamberlain streets for the distribution.
The distribution started at 9:30 and by 11 all 900 boxes were gone with 300 people each getting three boxes. There were some extra boxes and some other people were able to get one box. Altogether, 326 vehicles received at least one box.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2020 at 10:56 am
ALBION – Banners honoring soldiers from Albion are expected to be in place on Main Street and downtown Albion by the July 4th holiday.
Raleigh’s Outdoor Decor in Bethlehem Pa. is manufacturing the banners. The top image shows the design for 14 of the 33 banners in the debut of the program.
Albion Mayor Eileen Banker has coordinated the effort. Her father, the late John Pahura, is one of the soldiers who will be recognized with a banner, which will be 2 ½ feet by 5 feet.
“I’m some excited,” Banker said this morning. “They look wonderful.”
Families or loved ones of the soldiers paid the cost for the banners. Banker expects delivery of the banners later this month, in time for them to be up before July 4.
She has seen the banners in Holley, Medina and Brockport and said the display of portraits sends a powerful message.
“We should honor our veterans, the ones who are serving now and who come before us,” she said. “They made this country.”
