By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2020 at 8:50 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Ron Ayrault of Holley dances with his great-granddaughters – Kamryn and Kendall Peruzzini, and Emma Ayrault – during the 22nd annual Father-Daughter Dance on Friday at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion. About 250 people attended the event, which was organized by Harvest Christian Fellowship.
This group of girls has fun at the dance.
Brennan Blowers of Batavia dances with his daughter, Eleanora
The Rev. Tim Lindsay, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, dances with his granddaughter, Alexis Eckerd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2020 at 4:48 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The former Peebles location at the Route 31 plaza in Albion will have its grand opening on Tuesday as a Gordmans store.
ALBION – Gordmans will celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday at the former Peebles store at the Route 31 plaza in Albion.
The Peebles store is changing over to a Gordmans, a retailer with designer name brand apparel, home decor, gifts, fragrances, clothing and other items.
Gordmans and Peebles are both owned by Stage Stores, with Stage buying Gordmans in April 2017. Peebles opened in the Albion plaza in 2007.
Gordmans has switched over 13 former Peebles stores in New York. They will all have their grand opening on Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m.
Those New York locations include Albion, Geneseo, Geneva, Gouverneur, Hornell, Hudson, Johnstown, Malone, Newark, Ogdensburg, Oneida, Penn Yan and Sidney.
At the ribbon cutting ceremonies, Gordmans will donate $1,000 to a local school at each of the 13 stores.
Photo by Elliott Neidert: This photo was taken with a drone in February 2017 and shows the historic downtown business district in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2020 at 3:45 pm
ALBION – Two downtown business owners, Amber Mogle and Courtney Henderson, have led an effort to have Albion be considered for the “Hometown Takeover” by HGTV.
They have submitted a 2-minute, 12-second video showing the downtown and historic sites in Albion, highlighting some of the deterioration and the potential. The video starts with a drone image showing the Courthouse Square. (Click here to see the video.)
“They did a great job highlighting the positives in the village,” said Mayor Eileen Banker.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Courtney Henderson, left, and Amber Mogle pushed to enter Albion in Hometown Takeover, an HGTV series. They both run businesses on East Bank Street.
She is one of three community leaders who make an on-air pitch in the video. Banker said she is proud to have grown up and stayed in Albion.
“We are a home-grown hometown,” Banker said in the video, while standing on an East Bank Street sidewalk. “People grow up and raise their families here.”
Dan Monacelli, a retired Albion school principal, speaks in the Pratt Opera House on the third floor in downtown Albion.
“What we’re looking for is someone to come on back in this town and give us the spark that we need so we continue to grow and stay close,” he said in the video.
Amy Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy and the Cabaret at Studio B, is shown outside her business on Bank Street.
“Things are alive here in Albion, New York and they can even get better,” she said. “HGTV we need your help, looking for you.”
Henderson and Mogle narrate the video, which shows many scenes from the community’s business district, neighborhoods, the Erie Canal and popular sites, such as the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.
“Albion is Friday Night Lights, Albion is family dinners, Albion is Sunday morning church. We are a small but mighty town, filled with love, history and diversity.
“Our community comes together in times of joy and celebration. More importantly our town comes together in times of heartache and loss.”
They highlight famous residents – Charles Howard who started a Santa Claus School, George Pullman who lived in Albion before striking it rich with the railroad industry, and Grace Bedell, the girl who wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln, encouraging him to grow a beard.
“Albion is the home of the Santa Claus School which reminds us every day to believe, to believe in magic, believe in ourselves and believe in our little town and all of its potential,” the video states.
Henderson and Mogle said the downtown business owners are committed to the community, and keeping their historic buildings alive.
“As individuals we are doing our best with revitalization efforts but our historical buildings on Main Street need and deserve more of a facelift than we are capable of doing alone,” they state in the video. “A Hometown Takeover in Albion, New York would improve our community and make lasting impact on the quality of life for our residents.”
Henderson and Mogle a week ago decided to push to enter the contest after seeing people post about it on Facebook. People wanted to see Albion enter, but no one seemed willing to take the lead.
Mogle set up an on-line fundraising page, seeking $1,000 to hire a videographer. That fundraising pitch went live at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. The next morning it was halfway there. It’s at $1,350 as of 3:30 p.m. today.
Albion graduate Joram Bierdeman was hired to make the video. Henderson wrote the script on Saturday morning. Bierdeman arrived that morning for filming and completed the video by Sunday. It has more than 2,000 views on YouTube.
Henderson and Mogle both said they’re happy to see such positive feedback on social media to the video.
“I feel like it summarizes Albion,” Henderson said today from her women and children’s clothing shop, Milk and Honey. “It was fun to put together and see it come alive.”
Henderson, 31, and Mogle, 30, have become big Albion boosters. Henderson is president of the Albion Merchants Association. They are optimistic about the community.
“I love this place,” said Mogle, who turned a former pizza shop into a hair salon, Roots. “I see the potential. I feel like our town is so beautiful and I don’t think people realize it.”
HGTV is looking for towns with a population less than 40,000, communities with great architecture longing to be revealed, and a Main Street that needs a facelift.
“If they choose us they will be blown away by the beauty of this town,” Mogle said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School, shown on Tuesday, was found to not have any significant indoor air quality issues.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2020 at 4:52 pm
ALBION – An expert did an indoor air investigation of the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School and found no significant issues that would account for a high rate of breast cancer.
The Albion Teachers Association has been pushing for an environmental assessment of the building. The ATA said there is a high breast cancer rate among the teachers and staff.
The ATA in May told the Board of Education that the ATA counted 25 teachers and staff who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. That includes cafeteria workers, clerical staff and teacher aides, as well as teachers.
Nellie Brown speaks during a community meeting in Albion on Jan. 31, 2019.
The district reached out to Nellie Brown, director of the Workplace Health and Safety Program for Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, for the indoor air study.
Brown was at the district on Sept. 23 and Sept. 30 for an indoor air investigation of the school building, which is 179,300 square feet. The original school was built in 1957 with remodeling in 1965, 1985, 2000-2002, and 2004. The building occupancy includes 850 students and 98 staff.
Brown’s report was given to the school on Jan. 17. The Board of Education discussed it during its meeting on Monday.
“In general, our building was well built, has been well cared for and well maintained,” said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent.
The district will give the report to James Bowers, an epidemiologist who studies diseases for the state Department of Health.
Kathy Harling, the Board of Education president, said she was pleased with the findings in the report.
Brown in her investigation focused on five areas:
1. Insufficient ventilation: The carbon dioxide measurements showed there is sufficient ventilation, and temperature and humidity meet requirements by the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).
Brown did suggest that the district’s buildings and grounds staff mow grass away from uninvent air intakes. (There were some grass clippings on the air intakes at courtyard A and B.)
Brown also made other observations: no HVAC at the band office, room G7 has an air-conditioner but no ventilation; An AccuTemp oven should be moved further down the range hood for better exhaust; Room J11 restroom exhaust vent draws poorly – the vent screen is covered in lint and needs regular cleaning; Both the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms exhaust have little to no flow – the system needs to be evaluated for operation; Restroom exhausts for J1 and J2 had slow flow – all other restroom exhausts worked well.
2. Inside sources of air contaminants: Consider upgrading vacuum cleaners to HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) if not already using. Recommendations were made to discontinue products/dispensers of perfumes and fragrances, and to discourage the use of products not purchased through the school district’s purchasing program. (The district buys environmentally products from the “green list” but some teachers and staff were bringing in their own cleaning products.)
3. Outside sources of air contaminants: No significant issues.
4. Biological sources of air contaminants: There have been historical water problems. Carpeted classrooms have carpet right up to the sinks/water fountains. The infrared moisture meter indicated numerous rooms with drips and splashes of water on the carpet. As moist areas can lead to mold or bacterial growth, it is desirable to have hard flooring in front of sinks/water fountains.
Removable, cleanable floor mats could be located at exterior doors; this is very useful to stop dirt and moisture being tracked into the building where they can provide habitat for fungal growth in carpets.
Water stains were observed on the ceiling in several rooms. While these were found to be nonactive as per the infrared moisture meter, potential sources of the moisture should be identified and resolved. Care should be taken to make sure that moisture from watering plants does not wet carpet so as to prevent fungal growth in carpet. Plants should not be allowed to drop debris into the univents.
5. Building fabric sources of air contaminants: No significant issues.
(Click here to see Brown’s more detailed report from her investigation. You have to scroll through the information from Monday’s Board of Education meeting to get to the report.)
Bonnewell said the district has already addressed many of Brown’s findings. The district hasn’t yet replaced carpeting with tile by sinks in classrooms. Bonnewell said there is some concern that tile could be slippery if it gets wet.
Brown also met previously with the cleaners and buildings and grounds staff to over the materials they use for cleaning the school. She provided an indoor environment training program to staff on April 12 and June 10.
Brown also spoke for an hour during a community meeting on Jan. 31, 2019, outlining numerous chemicals that can be potential causes of breast cancer or endocrine disrupters.
Brown, during that meeting last January, said determining the causes of elevated breast cancer rates is challenging due to the complexity of the disease and many risk factors involved. It also takes a long time for breast tumors to develop, at least a decade after an exposure to a carcinogen.
(Click here to see an Orleans Hub article from Feb. 1, 2019, headlined, “No easy answers in determining if Albion teachers have elevated cancer rate.”)
Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: The top 3 in the Albion Middle School Spelling Bee include, from left: second place winner, Ben O’Conner; first place winner, Adam Burlison; 2nd place (tie) winner, Finn McCue.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – Adam Burlison is the Albion Middle School Spelling Bee winner. This is the second year in a row that Adam has won the local spelling bee and will compete at the regional level.
He competed against 24 other students in grades 6 through 8 in the Albion competition.
It took 13 rounds to weed the spellers down to just three finalists. Finn McCue and Benjamin O’Conner were tough spellers and lasted until the 15th round when Finn misspelled the word “solace” and Ben misspelled the word “proximal.”
Adam spelled “misdemeanor” correctly in the 15thround. To win the contest, Adam had to spell the round 16 final word correctly, or Finn and Ben would have a chance to correctly spell the word and continue in the contest.
Adam’s winning word was “hymnal.”
The audience erupted into applause when Adam spelled the word correctly.
Adam received a certificate from Middle School Principal Brad Pritchard and now moves on to the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee on Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. in the Le Roy High School Auditorium. He will compete against other local winners in the GLOW region.
Mrs. Bonnie Baldwin registers the spellers for the bee. Baldwin coordinated this year’s event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 February 2020 at 12:43 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Kahleb Dozier portrays Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, during this morning’s Wax Museum at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion. Kahleb shared how Elvis was a big star, but would die at age 42 in 1977 from an overdose of prescription drugs.
This is the second year students in Cheryl Rightmyer’s and Shani Farce’s fourth-grade classes researched and dressed up as famous people. The 42 students in the two classes helped make their costumes and brought along props to highlight their characters.
The students would sit still almost like statues. After someone pressed a sticker to represent a button, the students came to life and portrayed an influential person, either in the past or present.
Besides learning about the notable people portrayed at the wax museum, the students also built their confidence in delivering a public presentation.
Kasia Robinson portrays Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks. She is best known for her instrumental role in the Montgomery bus boycott. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks rejected an order from a bus driver to give up her seat and move to the “colored section” in the back of the bus. She was arrested. Her defiance inspired the black community to boycott the Montgomery buses for over a year.
Jonathan Soule is Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, politician, inventor, civic activist and statesman. As a scientist, he made many discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin stove.
Tyriek Johnson portrays Harry Houdini, a master illusionist and stunt performer.
Maci Manicki presents Jane Goodall, who is considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Goodall has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues for more than a half century.
Makenzie Cook is Anne Frank, a victim of the Holocaust who wrote about her family’s two years in hiding from 1942 to 1944. Her diary is one of the world’s best known books.
Adelaide Pettit highlights Rachel Carson, an American marine biologist, author and conservationist whose book Silent Spring helped advance the environmental movement. That book led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. Carson inspired an environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 January 2020 at 8:21 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Nicholas Olate performs with the Olate Dogs during Thursday’s Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star Circus at Albion High School. About 700 people attended the show.
The Olate Dogs, previous winners of America’s Got Talent, were the headliners in the show. The dogs amazed the crowd with high-energy, fast-paced pet tricks.
Nicholas Olate gives one of the dogs a hug after it delighted the crowd.
At intermission, people could get their picture taken with the dogs. Lux and Harrison Froman of Albion pose with the famous canines.
The circus performed two shows in Medina on Jan. 17, and also was in Holley on Wednesday. They will be in Kendall today at 7 p.m.
Jose Ayala, the “master of balance,” stands precariously high on a tower of cylinders and blocks.
Hannah Ebbs, 3, of Albion gets her face painted by Ivan Arestov, one of the circus performers.
The Ayala Duo shows of a feat of strength and balance.
Elena impressed the crowd with a series of quick costume changes that seemed like magic. She switched into many different outfits. Alex, in back, also made a lightning-fast switch into a white suit.
Elena appears with another different outfit after briefly being covered in a cape.
Press Release, Roland Nenni, police chief for Albion and Holley police departments
ALBION/HOLLEY – The Albion and Holley Police Departments have received numerous complaints recently involving phone, mail and internet fraud. These complaints vary in how they are orchestrated but the result is always the transfer of funds that are nearly impossible to trace.
Some of the scams we have received are as follows, but these are only a few of the many fraudulent incidents reported:
• Victims receiving text messages stating that a clergy member of their parish is ill and funds are needed and to send the funds to various locations in the form of cash, gift cards and electronically.
• Victims receiving an item in the mail from Publishers Clearing House advising that they had won and needed to send funds electronically and in cash to various locations to cover the tax before they received their grand prize of over $100,000.
• Victim receiving a text message advising that they had been selected to be an undercover shopper to evaluate retail locations. The victim was instructed to call a specific phone number and to provide a mailing address to receive mail correspondence. After providing their mailing address the victim received items in the mail and instructions to purchase several Walmart gift cards in various amounts over $200 and to send the card numbers to various locations. They also needed to provide their bank account information so the funds could be placed back in their account to verify the account and information, and then additional funds will be provided for “Undercover Shopping.” The victim’s entire bank account was then emptied electronically.
These fraudulent incidents have resulted in thousands of dollars being stolen from the victims.
The Albion Police and Holley Police are working with our federal partners and financial institutions to investigate these crimes. However, there is little that can be done to find the persons responsible or to get the money back. The addresses used are ghost addresses and the electronic accounts where the funds are sent are fraudulently obtained with fake identification’s being used by the perpetrators.
The statement that “If it sounds too good to be true, means it usually is not true” is one of the best ways to determine if something is a scam. The other basic way of determining if something is fraud is to do a simple Google search of the phone number or other information given. The fraud complaints contained in this release will appear with a Google search.
Many of the scams involve fake websites, so use caution going directly to a website provided to verify the validity of the request or offer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 January 2020 at 9:29 pm
ALBION – Three candidates for the Albion Village Board were backed this evening at party caucuses for the Republicans and Democrats. The village election is March 18.
Kevin Sheehan
There are two seats open and the incumbents – Peter Sidari and Mattea Navarra-Molisani – aren’t seeking re-election to new four-year terms.
Republicans have backed Kevin Sheehan, a former village trustee, and Christopher Barry. The Democratic Party nominated Maurice Taylor.
Kevin Sheehan, 57, was on the Village Board for eight years and was interested in running for mayor in March 2014. But the Hatch Act derailed those plans and prompted him to step away from the Village Board. (The Hatch Act prevents a federal employee from running in a partisan election.)
Sheehan worked as a union plumber for 27 years before getting a job with the federal VA in Batavia. He was the maintenance mechanic work lead and retired on Sept. 21 after about six years.
“I was upset I had to leave (the Village Board),” Sheehan said this evening after the caucus at the LGI at Albion High School. “There were things I wanted to see finished.”
Sheehan said the village government has moved along some key projects the past six years he has been away from the board, including the solar ray installation by the sewer plant on Densmore Road and the upgrades to Bullard Park.
The South Clinton Street resident said he enjoys getting involved with the inner-workings of the village government.
“I like getting the projects going and figuring things out,” he said.
Sheehan has a new job as a safety compliance consultant for Safety York Solutions. The job gives him lots of flexibility, he said.
Christopher Barry
As a village trustee, he said he would push for grants to help the Police Department. He would consider adding police cameras on utility poles if there was grant funding for the projects.
Sheehan said the new bail reform and discovery laws from the state are straining the Police Department. He said he will be an advocate for the department.
“I think we should pursue grants and give the police the tools they need to give us a better quality of life,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan and his wife Carole have four grown sons.
Christopher Barry, 47, works as sergeant at the Orleans Correctional Facility. He started his career as a corrections officer 16 years ago.
Barry, a South Main Street resident, said he looks forward to knowing more about how the village government works. He wants to ensure there are programs for youth.
Maurice Taylor
He and his wife Lisa have two children, ages 5 and 9.
“I want to be part of the solution and not just sit on the couch and complain,” Barry said. “There was a lot going on in town when I was growing up.”
The Democrats endorsed Maurice Taylor, 53, of McKinstry Street. He retired in 2016 after 27 years as a corrections officer.
Taylor and his wife Ethel raised four children in Albion. They have five grandchildren.
He said he wants to take in active role in the community. He sees himself as a candidate for the people.
“I want people to be more cohesive and to get along,” he said.
The Democrats had their caucus at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 January 2020 at 5:46 pm
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated to state the repaving will be on Route 31A and not Route 98.)
The state Department of Transportation plans to spend $1.9 million to repave Route 31A from Route 98 to Route 31 in Medina, about a 10-mile stretch of the road.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the project today as part of $151 million in paving work for 95 projects in the state. The governor said the projects are in response to extreme weather events.
This new funding, provided through the PAVE NY Initiative, complements $743 million in direct State aid provided for local road and bridge projects that helped renew approximately 3,700 lane miles of road across New York State.
“New York continues to make nation-leading investments in the renewal and modernization of the State’s roads, bridges, transit systems and airports,” Governor Cuomo said. “These investments are laying the foundation to ensure sustained growth throughout the 21st century in tourism, business and workforce development, and economic opportunities.”
This sustained infrastructure investment will enhance the safety of the State’s highways and reduce roadway roughness, making these pavements more fuel efficient. The projects announced today will begin this spring and will be completed during the winter of 2020.
“The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather has had devastating impacts on the State’s transportation network,” said State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “Through the renewal and hardening of our State’s infrastructure, New York continues to support the rejuvenation of our local communities and regional economic growth.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 January 2020 at 4:27 pm
Provided photo: Saint-Gobain ADFORS in Albion recently presented a check for $9,215 to United Way. From left are facilities manager Dave Fink, senior staff accountant Melanie Adams and United Way director Dean Bellack.
ALBION – A local company has come forward for the first time to support United Way of Orleans County. United Way got a big boost to its 2020 campaign with a generous donation from Saint-Gobain ADFORS.
Dave Fink, facilities manager, and senior staff accountant Melanie Adams recently presented United Way’s director Dean Bellack with a check for $9,215.
The check represents employee pledges of $6,715 and a corporate donation of $2,500.
For their support, Saint-Gobain ADFORS received an award at United Way’s event in November at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville, featuring guest speaker and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia.
Fink said he has long been a supporter of United Way and was eager to become involved when he was contacted by Bellack last fall. The company took advantage of their annual safety celebration in October to also make it a day for United Way.
Saint-Gobain ADFORS sponsored a chicken barbecue for employees and invited Bellack to come and make presentations to employees. All in all, Bellack said he did six different presentations.
To encourage employees to pledge to United Way, Saint-Gobain ADFORS purchased a 55-inch television, and anyone who made a pledge got a chance in a drawing for the TV. The winner was Ryan Uderitz.
Saint-Gobain ADFORS employs more than 200 people at the Albion plant, which opened in 1975. The company makes reinforcements for sails for America’s Cup, dry wall tape, cement board reinforcements, fiberglass reinforcement material, laid scrim and geotextile for road repairs.
Fink said there are two reasons why Saint-Gobain ADFORS supports the local community.
“First, our corporation encourages community involvement, and second, it requires community involvement,” Fink said. “They give us money for investment in our community.”
Even though the money comes from the corporate level, it is local management which decides how it will be used, Fink said.
“It’s a great philosophy,” Bellack said. “It not only benefits the community, it benefits your company.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: A banner for Frank Berger hangs in the gymnasium at the Orleans County YMCA on May 19, during a reception before the banners were put out in Medina before Memorial Day. Banners for Bruce Burns, left, and Kenneth Edward Baehr are next to the one for Berger. Medina displayed 38 banners last year of veterans, with 63 more to be added this year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 January 2020 at 12:24 pm
ALBION – The village is working to add Hometown Heroes banners this year in the downtown with a goal to have up to 40 in place by July. The banners would stay up until after Veterans’ Day in November.
Albion is following the example of Holley, Medina and Brockport in honoring veterans from the community. Albion is working to finalize the details for the program. The banners would be a maximum of $200, to be paid for by family or friends of a veteran. The cost may be less if the village can use existing hardware to secure the banners. That expense may drop to $150, said Mayor Eileen Banker, who is managing the program for Albion.
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.”
Banker wants to know if there is interest from the Albion community in honoring veterans with the banners. People interested could send her an email at ebanker@villageofalbionny.com or call or text her at (585) 356-0686. She is aiming for late February to early March to submit an order for the banners. They would by 2 ½ feet by 5 feet, the same size as the ones in Medina.
Albion is capped at 40 spots for the banners on Main Street between Beaver Street to just past the Erie Canal, as well as on Bank Street, between Platt and Liberty streets.
There will be a form at the Village Office beginning on Jan. 22 for people interested in the program. Banker said they will go to people “on a first come, first served basis.”
In Medina, the banners go up just before Memorial Day. Albion has banners up promoting the Strawberry Festival until after that event the second Friday and Saturday in June. After the Strawberry Festival, the banners of veterans will be displayed. This year it likely won’t be until July.
Medina will add 63 more banners this year
The banners have been very popular in Medina. Last year, there were 38 displayed in the first year, with 63 more coming in May. The program is organized by Mary Woodruff, a Ridgeway town councilwoman.
The banners last year included current and previous soldiers from the community, with some going back to World War II.
The new group of banners this year includes one veteran from the Civil War. The banners will continue in the downtown on Main Street, and East and West Center streets, and on Park Avenue. New locations will be added this year farther down on East and West Center streets, Park Avenue, Pearl Street, West Avenue and South Main Street.
Woodruff said there likely will be a reception in May at the YMCA with the banners hung in the gymnasium.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 January 2020 at 7:56 am
Parties will pick candidates for March 18 election
ALBION – The Republican and Democratic parties will both have their caucuses at 7 p.m. on Jan. 28 to pick trustee candidates for the March 18 election.
There are two four-year terms for trustee up for election. They are currently filled by Peter Sidari and Mattea Navarra-Molisani.
The Democrats will have their caucus at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church at 10 East Park St. Only registered Democrats who live in the village can participate and vote at the caucus.
Republicans will have their caucus in the LGI room at the Charles D’Amico High School, 302 East Ave. Only registered Republicans can participate in the caucus.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 January 2020 at 8:18 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: A boater makes a stop in Albion near the Ingersoll Street lift bridge this past July.
ALBION – The second community meeting to gather public input on the Orleans County Canal Corridor Waterfront Revitalization Plan will be at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21 at Hoag Library.
Those in attendance will be provided with updated information on the Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Plan followed by an open house to review potential projects along the Canal Corridor.
Participants will be able to provide their input on the potential projects that will be provided to the Waterfront Advisory Committee for consideration for inclusion in the final LWRP Plan.
The committee members are representatives from the villages of Albion and Holley, and the towns of Albion, Murray, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby. The Village of Medina has developed its own waterfront plan. (The county received a state grant for $62,000 to develop the plan and hired LaBella Associates as a consultant for the project.)
The Jan. 21 meeting at the library on South Main Street is another opportunity for residents and businesses in the community to provide feedback and help plan the future of the Canal Corridor.
About 40 people attended the first open house on Oct. 29, seeking ideas to capitalize on the canal. During that open house, LaBella handed out stickers and asked people to rank their highest priorities along the canal. Red-colored stickers signified the highest priority, with green the second highest, yellow the third highest and blue the fourth highest priority.
Many of the red stickers went by economic development, with a goal to boost investment and job opportunities in the canal communities. That includes a better environment for small businesses in the downtowns, as well as commercial, industrial and agriculture growth.
The farming sector would benefit from continued use of siphoning canal water for irrigation. The canal bridges also need to be strong enough to handle farm equipment, the group said.
Top priorities also went to more programs – community events, concerts, races, competitions and historical event celebrations – along the canal.
Some people wanted to see an improved streetscape, with more trees in the downtown, safer cross walks, and signage directing people to services and attractions. The canal towns should also have interpretive panels to better explain local history and the canal’s role in developing the towns.
The group also favors having distance markers on the towpath, to inform cyclists, boaters and other users how close they are to a town.
Adam Johnson, owner of 39 Problems in Albion, sees opportunities to use the canal in the winter, because there is some water that remains. Johnson said it could be used for ice skating and other winter sports. There also should be more launches along the canal for people with kayaks, he said.
The committee members are trying to prioritize projects and develop an action plan.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2020 at 3:31 pm
ALBION – A third boy in an alleged plot against the Albion Middle School pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the sixth degree in Orleans County Family Court on Tuesday.
His guilty plea came a week after two other boys pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the second degree. One of those boys also pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment for sending a “disturbing image” to a female classmate, said Joe Cardone, the district attorney.
The three were charged on Nov. 7 after an alleged plot to bring weapons to the middle school and harm classmates.
The boys will be sentenced next month by Judge Sanford Church. There are no sentencing promises as part of the plea agreements. The judge could decide the boys need to be detained at a juvenile detention facility, or he could give them a lesser punishment of perhaps probation.
The boys are currently not allowed back in school. They are being tutored off site.
Because the three boys are all juveniles age 13 their names aren’t to be publicized by the media.
Cardone said the boys remain suspended from school and are under adult supervision. They also need to continue their mental health appointments, and are not to communicate with each other or use electronic media devices.
The students allegedly used Discord, a social media platform for gamers, to make grave physical threats to at least one other student. The threats spread to other social media platforms as the threads were shared, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said during a Nov. 8 press conference.
The school district this evening will host a social media and safe networking program for parents and community. That session begins at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium.
New York State Trooper John Campanella will be the guest speaker. He is the Troop A (Batavia) School and Community Outreach Coordinator and a former School Resource Officer.
He will discuss various social media sites often used by teens; how businesses target teens through social media; how metadata and geo coding are used and misused; and will discuss the legalities and consequences of sexting and cyber bullying.
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an earlier version that said the third boy pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the sixth degree, which is a misdemeanor.)
