ALBION – For more than four decades Albion High School has been performing full-length musicals, and the shows earn the school honors from the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.

Photo courtesy of Tom Smith: Mary Martin is shown in March 2012 when she portrayed Maria in the Sound of Music. Martin will return to the Albion stage on Saturday to sing a song from that musical.

Albion has done Disney, westerns, and many Broadway classics. The shows have been directed by Gary Simboli since 1985. The musical program started at Albion in 1978 with the high school English teacher Hasha Ring directing Cinderella.

Simboli and his musical production team met over the summer when they started talking about the idea of alumni reunion concert, where some of the stars of the past would come back and sing a song from a musical. Simboli remains friends with many of those performers and he received an enthusiastic response from them.

“It has turned out to be really wonderful,” Simboli said. “To be in touch with these people who performed 30 years ago has been really nice.”

This Saturday about 30 alumni will perform in a concert at the middle school auditorium. Many of those performers live in town, while others are flying in from Texas, Minnesota, New York City and other distant locales.

The show starts at 2 p.m. It is a fundraiser for the drama program with tickets $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students.

Simboli is excited for the alumni to see an upgraded sound and lighting system, as well as renovated auditorium.

It will be an entertaining concert, and a showcase of the Albion performers, he said.

“We’ve always been blessed with incredibly talented students at Albion,” Simboli said.

He will be accompanying the performers, and often will be singing the backup vocals.

Simboli, when he was a senior in high school, had the lead role in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” In his debut as director, three current Albion teachers had roles in “Snoopy.” Mike Thaine was Charlie Brown, and Karen Conn was Peppermint Patty and Carrie Kozody starred as Sally Brown in that show.

Kathy Winans has been the assistant director since 1987. She will have costumes from each featured show on view during Saturday’s celebration.

Nancy (Williams) Lowery, who performed as Cinderella in 1978, will appear on stage as a representative from that first musical.

The scheduled performers include:

Gary Simboli – Happiness (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown)

Lance Anderson – On the Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady)

Photo by Tom Rivers: William Grimble performed as the Beast in Albion’s production of Beauty and the Beast in March 2013.

Matt Mooney Galantowicz – Stranded at the Drive-In (Grease)

Gwen (Martillotta) Ferchen – There are Worse Things I Could Do (Grease)

Megan (Neal) Zambito – Freddy My Love (Grease)

William Grimble – If I Can’t Love Her (Beauty and the Beast)

Joshua Smith/Justin Barleben – No More (Into the Woods)

Kailey Winans – Days of Plenty (Little Women)

Katie Tabor – Home (Beauty and the Beast)

Eric Deiboldt – Now I’ve Seen You (Honk!)

Kyle Thaine – Gary Indiana/Any Dream Will Do

Susan (Collins) Thaine – Ribbons Down My Back (Hello Dolly)

Tina (Coville) Bauder & Gloria (Coville) Lear – Wall Flower (2 by 5)

Calvin Smith – Close Every Door (Joseph adn the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

Rebekah (Degnan) Smith / Kathleen (Adduci) Barleben – Some Things are Meant to Be (Little Women)

Matt Pettit – It Takes a Woman (Hello Dolly)

Mary Martin – The Sound of Music (The Sound of Music)

Shannon Vanderlaan – Memory (Cats)

Mike Plain – When a Felon’s Not Engaged in His Employment (Pirates of Penzance)

Erin Moody – Oh is There Not One Maiden Here (Pirates of Penzance)

Alaina Albertson – I Know Things Now

Marsha (Bolton) Rivers – Cain’t Say No (Oklahoma)

Jackie Madejski – Neverland (Peter Pan)

Ondeya (Egling) Campbell – More I Cannot Wish You (Guys and Dolls)

Lydia Erakare – Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)

Lisa Berray – Hello Dolly (Hello Dolly)

Justin Barleben – No MoreMary

Kathleen Barleben – Some Things are Meant to Be

Karen (Kenney) Conn – Poor Sweet Baby (Snoopy)

Carrie (Miller) Kozody – New York, New York (2 by 5)

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Photo courtesy of Tim Archer, Albion Rotary Interact Club advisor

ROCHESTER – Albion High School Rotary Interact Club members recently spent part of the day at Foodlink in Rochester, helping the organization sort and stack food items for families in the local five-county region.

Pictured from left include: Annalise Steier, Aubrey Boyer, Ally Mathes, Cody Wilson, Samantha Basinait, Emily Mergler and Alanna Holman.

Foodlink helps supply Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. Interact students perform numerous community service activities throughout the school year.

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Photo courtesy of Albion Central School

ALBION – This morning five Albion High School students participated in the annual Oratorical Contest. They include, from left: Molly Wadhams, Ashlyn LeBaron, William Barnosky, Quinn McCue and Declan McCue.

Students wrote and presented a speech that pertained to some aspect of the U.S. Constitution.  They had to research a topic of interest to them and use supporting documents to state their case.  Social Studies teacher Rich Gannon is the organizer of this event and if requested, offers assistance and feedback to students as they research information and prepare their 8-10 minute speech.

Molly Wadhams took first place with her oration entitled “Freedom of Speech – Stand Up.”

Ashlyn LeBaron was the second place winner. She delivered an oration about “Religious Freedom.”

William Barnosky spoke about the “Multiple Purposes of the U.S. Constitution.”

Quinn McCue’s speech was “The Rights, Duties and Obligations of Citizens,” while her brother, Declan McCue, delivered an oration about the “Rights of Americans.”

The school contest is sponsored by the American Legion Sheret Post #35. Gary Befus (Adjutant), Wally Skrypnik (Commander), Phil Warne (Finance Officer), Joe Gehl (Board Member) and Bob Gilsinan (Vice-Commander) were judges for the contest. Students received a monetary prize from the Legion.

The first and second place winners will now move on to the County level competition.  It will take place on Dec. 7 at noon in Medina.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club today presented a check for $5,311 to Leadership Orleans, which is part of the proceeds from the club’s golf tournament in July.

Skip Helfrich (left), Leadership Orleans director, accepts the check from Richard Remley, Rotary Club president.

Leadership Orleans is in its second year. There have been about 25 members in each class for the first two years. The year-long program meets monthly and the members comes from a cross section of the community, including government department heads, farm leaders, agency directors and other business officials. The program picked residents who have demonstrated leadership abilities, interest in community affairs, and a commitment to Orleans County’s future.

Each month the group learned about a different sector of the community, including government, arts and culture, volunteerism and non-profit organizations, community health, tourism and recreation, agribusiness, economic & workforce development, and education.

The Rotary Club also presented a Paul Harris Fellow to Alex Krebs, left. She is a past president of the club. This is her second Paul Harris award, which is given in honor of Rotary’s founder. Krebs, who works in graphic design, accepts the award from Donna Saskowski, executive director of the Arc of Genesee Orleans. She is also Rotary assistance district governor.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Danielle Wyant is Miss Viola Swamp, a scary substitute teacher, in Miss Nelson Is Missing, which will be performed by Albion Middle School students at 7 p.m. Friday, and noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Middle School School Auditorium.

Viola Swamp is brought in as a substitute after Miss Nelson, the class’s regular teacher, doesn’t show up for school. Swamp is mean and scares these students played by Mallory Kozody, center, and Lucy Rivers.

Miss Nelson’s class is the worst behaved in the whole school with uncontrollable students sending spitballs and paper airplanes flying. Miss Nelson is desperate to improve the bad behavior of the students. Cassie Brown is the student standing on a chair.

Mallory Ashbery plays, Mrs. Blandsworth, a nerdy principal who laments about her boring life and sings, “Carried Away.” She also shares with the students they will be having a substitute teacher.

Viola Swamp demands respect from the students and explains the consequences of disobedience in class. “Woe to those who misbehave,” she tells the students, which include Emma Shay, center, and Ella Trupo, right. Swamp also piles on the homework, and bangs her cane on the floor and desks.

The musical is based on a children’s book. The Albion production has 16 students in the cast and 18 in stage crew. The show is directed by Carrie Kozody with Kevin Feder the assistant director.

The students miss their teacher and go to Detective McSmogg (Isabella Gray) for help in finding Miss Nelson. The detective isn’t very helpful, but devises a plan to search the entire globe. Here she holds her magnifying glass that impresses the students.

Miss Nelson (Danielle Wyant) returns after the students send her letters, asking her to come back. Miss Nelson finds the students are much better behaved and more appreciative of her after their time with Miss Viola Swamp.

Adam Burlison plays Pop Hanson, a janitor who serves as a narrator.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Gertie Montulli goes over the rules for the first Orleans Ladies Night Out Vendor Bingo on Monday at the Elks Lodge in Albion.

Montulli organized the event which raised $814 for the Jason Johnston Memorial Scholarship. Each year, the Elks give a $1,000 scholarship in memory of Johnston, who was 24 when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Arghandab, Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009.

Specialist Johnston, an Albion native, was on his second deployment. He was also a paratrooper. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009.

Beth Kibbe was one of the vendors at the bingo event. She sells Tupperware products.

Montulli was expecting about 40-50 people on Monday. There were 135 there to play bingo for the chance to win baskets of prizes donated by vendors – Pure Romance, Chalk Couture, Tupperware, Perfectly Posh, Osbourne Books and Color Street.

Montulli said she wanted to put on a fun event and raise money for important causes in the community.

Montulli, a resident of Kuckville, created a Facebook page and Monday’s event was shared by many people. She organized the first event. It will become a monthly program to be organized through the Elks Lodge. Each month a different beneficiary will be picked for the proceeds.

Next month the bingo will be on the third Tuesday with PAWS Animal Shelter to be the recipient of the proceeds. The money is raised through a $5 admission charge and a 50/50 raffle.

In January, Montulli said the dog park to be built in Medina will receive the funding.

Jenny Nowicki of Usborne Books & More sells books as a vendor on Monday. It was her first event with Usborne. Each month, Montulli said she will try to bring in different vendors.

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Photos by Tom Rivers: Maureen Bennett on Friday opened The Backroom – Pretty Sweet Bakery & A Lil’ Cottage Chic at 117 North Liberty St. One of her friends, Lisa Stratton (in back at counter), helped on a busy opening day.

ALBION – A new shop opened in downtown Albion on Friday. The Backroom – Pretty Sweet Bakery & A Lil’ Cottage Chic is owned by Maureen Bennett, who was a vendor at the next-door Downtown Browsery for nine years.

Bennett retired about a year ago after working 25 years at Albion High School as a secretary in attendance and the guidance department.

Owning her own shop has been a goal. Her business includes an “eclectic mix of vintage,” handcrafted gifts, baked goods, gourmet dips, candles and seasonal décor.

“This has been my passion to have a little shop like this,” she said Friday, on a busy opening day for the business. “I was able to get my experience at the Browsery.”

Maureen Bennett was a vendor at Downtown Browsery for nine years and decided to venture out with her own storefront.

The Backroom is located at 117 North Liberty St. It is the backroom of the former Landauers department store in Albion, at the spot in the store where people would try on jeans.

The building was recently purchased and upgraded by Michael Bonafede and Judith Koehler. They also own the Pratt and Day buildings next door that include the Downtown Browsery.

The Backroom will have a commercial kitchen for onsite baking and food preparation. Right now, an assortment of baked goods are prepared offsite and sold on location by Pamela Jenks.

Bennett also is selling homemade soaps made by Navarra’s Farm Market, Friday night candle by Lisa Christiaansen, Macramé by Bennett’s daughter Sarah, car-seat covers by Monica Clark, and other locally made products, including bohemian style clothing such as bloomers.

The Backroom is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Backroom is part of the former Landauer’s store in Albion. This is the part of Landauers known as the “back room” where people would try on jeans. The store is behind the Main Street storefronts, and is next to Five Star Bank.

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ALBION — The school district is holding a public meeting for parents at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Middle School Auditorium to discuss how parents can help their children feel safe at school.

Last week three middle school students were charged with conspiracy for an alleged plot to kill other students and staff at the school.

The students have been suspended, and their cases are being handled in Family Court and by Probation.

Police, mental health personnel and school officials will be at the meeting on Tuesday evening, Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent, said in a letter posted on the district website and that also went home with students today.

“I know that this situation has been unnerving for everyone in our school community,” Bonnewell writes in the letter today. “We at school recognize the concerns that have been expressed and appreciate your ongoing patience and understanding. As we have noted before, the legal and disciplinary processes, as well as student privacy laws, prohibit us from sharing certain information.”

The school superintendent said safety remains the district’s first priority. At this point, the district can share the following:

• The code of conduct for suspensions requires a disciplinary hearing process dictated by the state and the three hearings are forthcoming.

• The district will continue having a school resource officer on campus from the Albion Police Department, with additional patrols from the Albion PD.

• The school resource officer and middle school principal met with middle school students to discuss their safety.

• The district will continue to pursue the best available safety and security, reviewing safety practices and procedures with staff, local law enforcement, State Police, architects and safety design specialists.

Bonnewell said “misinformation” by rumor, social media and the in the press “makes the situation even more difficult.”

He urged any students or parents to share any possible safety concerns with school building principals or the superintendent’s office.

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ALBION – The Albion Town Board has approved a local law establishing a 15-ton weight limit on Gaines Basin Road from the south entrance of Walmart, going south to the Barre townline, which is between West County House Road and Route 31A (West Lee Road).

Delivery trucks should use alternative routes such as routes 98 and 31, said Michael Neidert, the Albion town highway superintendent.

The town previously didn’t have a weight limit for the road. Neidert said heavy trucks, such as tractor trailers and loaded dump trucks, have avoided going through the village on 31 and 98. Those heavy vehicles have taken a toll on the road, Neidert said.

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‘This is a wake-up call that these dangers are very real, and tomorrow we may be faced with a different outcome.’ – Assemblyman Hawley

Press Release, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Following the stifled plot of three middle school students in Albion who intended to conduct a violent attack inside their school, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is reiterating a call for armed school resource officers (SROs) to be present inside every school in New York state.

The school resource officer assigned to Albion Central School helped thwart the planned attack after receiving information from school officials about a threatening message posted on the app Discord.

Hawley’s legislation, A.3732, supported by both Republicans and Democrats, would mandate that all school resource officers are properly trained veterans or retired law enforcement and provides $50,000 in state grants to each school district that hires a SRO. Hawley wrote Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie during 2018 budget negotiations asking for funding for each school statewide to hire more armed security following the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“I applaud the work of local law enforcement and teachers in Albion for stopping this plan and thank them for their vigilance. The situation at Albion Middle School proves that increased security measures are absolutely necessary in schools across the state. This is a wake-up call that these dangers are very real, and tomorrow we may be faced with a different outcome,” Hawley said. “I will continue pushing for each school around the state to be given grant funding to hire at least one armed School Resource Officer. We cannot place a cost on the safety of our children and our teachers.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ORCHARD PARK – The Albion pep band was out in force to support the Albion football team during Friday’s game at New Era Field. These drummers in the pep band get ready to head inside the stadium.

They include, from left: Aubrey Boyer, Emma Tower, Abby Tucker, Olivia Morrison, Sophie Zambito, Molly Wadhams, Andrew Uderitz and Nick Perry.

These sousaphone players include Rowan Ford, Dyllan Roath and Jacob Coolbaugh.

The pep band makes its way through the security check leading into New Era, the home of the Buffalo Bills.

Angela LaGalbo and the Albion cheerleaders help fire up a large contingent from Albion.

An Albion fan is excited after a big play from the Purple Eagles. Albion lost the game, 34-20, to WNY Maritime in the Section VI Class B championship game.

The game was Albion’s first appearance in the title contest since 2002. Albion finishes the season at 8-2.

High school band teacher Michael Thaine, right, and the pep band were high energy throughout the game.

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ALBION — The school district and law enforcement are investigating threatening and inappropriate messages shared among a small group of middle school students through an on-line gaming app, the school district said in a letter to the Albion community on Wednesday.

Students who were involved in the original messages have been removed from school pending completion of the investigation and completion of disciplinary action by the school, Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent, wrote in the letter.

The district’s Threat Assessment Team – with assistance from the Albion Police Department, Orleans County Mental Health Department, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and a specialist from the FBI – are working on the situation.

“The safety of our students remains our highest priority,” Bonnewell said in the letter. “This case has been the sole activity of many of our school staff as well as of partners on the Threat Assessment Team,” he wrote. “We are grateful to those students and parents who have shared information they have regarding this or any other possible safety issue.”

The school superintendent said the district welcomes anyone in the community to share information about safety concerns by contacting the appropriate school building or his office.

The district can’t share more details about the situation at this time, he said.

“We will continue to share information as the law permits, recognize your frustration that we can’t share more, but appreciate your understanding that, as we address the problem, what we are able to say is governed by federal and state laws,” he said.

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