Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Two businesses opened in downtown Albion in late September. On Saturday, Janna Stirk had a grand opening celebration for “Marked. by Janna.”

Janna, center with scissors, is joined at a ribbon-cutting by Adyson Stirk, son Brody, husband Morgan, Mayor Eileen Banker and Ava Stirk.

Stirk does body-waxing and micro-blading, which puts semi-permanent tattoos on eyebrows.

“A lot of people do it in the city,” she said about microblading. “This is bringing it to the small town.”

She works out of 4 East Bank St., in a building owned by Corey and Marilyn Black.

She was a stay-at-home mother in recent years before starting her business. She previously worked 10 years for Chase’s banking operation in Albion.

Janna Stirk and joined by her son Brody at Marked. by Janna.

“I didn’t plan on opening my own business,” Stirk said. “The space became available. I opened and people started calling me and booking appointments.”

Mayor Eileen Banker presented Stirk with certificates of commendation from the village and also State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, where Banker works as Hawley’s chief of staff.

“Thank you for taking the opportunity to open this business in Albion and for giving Albion a chance,” Banker said.

Stirk also is an artist and leads painting classes for groups, often at parties.

Stirk is sharing the building space with Terri Jordan. Stirk’s entrance is on East Bank Street while Jordan’s storefront is at 63 North Main St.

Terri Jordan opened the Little Shop on Main in late September. She is at the corner of Bank and Main streets. She said it is a great location in the downtown.

She sells bath bombs, artisan soap and soy candles. She makes them all with natural ingredients.

The soy candles are here most popular item, so far.

The bath bombs, which moisture skin and have aroma therapy, also are very popular, especially with teen-age girls. “They want to feel good and smell good,” Jordan said.

The Little Shop is open on Fridays and Saturdays. Jordan works full-time at Hospice of Orleans as the finance manager.

Jordan has her own labels for bath bombs, soap and candles. She also sells glassware, cannisters, baskets and canvas signs.

Douglas Jordan holds a wood carved and painted duck he made from a block of wood. Jordan is Terri’s father. Some of his ducks are available at the Little Shop on Main.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Chase Froman stars as the Big Bad Wolf in Albion High School’s production of The Big Bad Musical. The hour-long show puts the Wolf on trial and the audience gets to decide whether he is guilty or innocent of the charges – 3 counts of huffing and puffing with intent to destroy, 2 counts of attempted murder by ingestion, 1 count of grandmother impersonation, 4 counts of attempted sheep abduction and 17 counts of lurking.

The first show was on Friday evening and the wolf was found not guilty. There are shows today at noon and 7 p.m. at the Albion Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door.

Rowan Ford is the Boy Who Cried Wolf. He is singing, “I Cried Wolf.” The defense attorney, The Evil Stepmother, asks the Boy Who Cried Wolf why he falsely accused the Wolf on at least two occasions, and if he is certain about the identification of the Wolf on the third time.

Aubrey Boyer is Sydney Grimm, a flashy reporter for a cable news channel, EFN – Enchanted Forest News. She is covering the high-profile trial.

Leah Kania is the Evil Stepmother and resents doing pro-bono work on behalf of the Wolf, but proves to be effective counsel, poking holes in the witnesses’ testimony.

Russell Kingdollar III plays Pig Three, one of three little pigs. Kingdollar is the smartest and most articulate of the pigs. He doesn’t like the derisive tone of being called a “little pig.”

Emma Tower is Pig One, which isn’t a very smart pig. (Sophia Zambito is Pig Two.) The pigs sing, “He Huffed and He Puffed.”

Casey Starkweather plays Little Red Riding Hood, a spoiled brat, who heads the stand to testify against the Wolf.

The Big Bad Wolf performs with six Wolfettes, from left: Hannah Coolbaugh, Hannah Brewer, Olivia Morrison, Sydney Mulka, Annalise Steier and Molly Wadhams. The Wolf sings, “Have Mercy On Me.”

Emily Mergler plays Fairy Godmother and is prosecuting the Wolf. She sings, “No More.”

Zachary Kilner portrays Judge Wise Old Man and seeks audience participation with the fate of the Wolf.

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Fire Safety winners get picked up in the big red trucks

Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller

ALBION – Firefighters from Albion, Barre and Carlton have been picking up elementary students since last week and giving them a ride to school. First-grader Leo Gotte is shown with his teacher, Miss Samantha Seaman, and Carlton firefighter Ryan Woolston.

One student in each grade level – prekindergarten to grade 5 – won a ride in the fire truck. The winning student had the top poster or project to promote fire safety.

PreKindergarten winner Adysyn Lamb is joined by her teacher, Mrs. Deanna Moore.

Kenneth Whitcfoft from Mrs. Debra Perry’s room won for the kindergarteners. His classmates joined him for a group photo with the Albion fire truck.

Kindergarten winner Kenneth Whitcfoft and Mrs. Debra Perry wave to the class when they arrive at school.

Second grade winner Caleb Wolfe was joined on the ride his his teacher, Mrs. Kim Mergler.

Third grade winner Annabelle Harper from Mrs. Sheryl LeBaron’s room is helped off the bus by Albion firefighter Rob Connor.

Makenzie Cook is the fourth grade winner from Mrs. Cheryl Rightmyer’s class. They rode in a Barre fire truck.

Melodee Sager, a fifth-grader in Mr. Mark Skurzewski’s class, got to ride a Barre fire truck.

Another student, Rilee Tranello, is scheduled to get a ride on an Albion fire truck on Friday morning.

The fire safety week program and contest is organized by teacher Angie Wolfe.

Some of the winning posters and projects are in display in the lobby at the elementary school, including this one by first-grader Leo Gotte.

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Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters battle a fire at a large shed in Albion on Tuesday evening at about 7 p.m. The fire was at 168 West Academy St., a house owned by Richard Nenni and rented out. The tenants were able to stay in the house because the fire was largely confined to the shed, said Albion police officer Will Francis.

The fire was caused by an a electrical heater in the shed which didn’t have enough space, said Francis, who is a fire investigator. He was assisted in determining the cause by Steve Cooley, a county fire investigator, and Jacob Crooks, a fire investigator with the Medina Fire Department. There were some combustibles inside the shed – paint and propane – that caused the fire to accelerate, Francis said.

The house is across from Auto Zone on West Avenue.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Brian Sorochty, mayor of Holley, speaks during a Waterfront Advisory Committee meeting in Albion on Tuesday. Sorochty would like to see a brand developed for the canal towns, and marinas with gas and other services for boaters.

There are widewater locations on the canal that are underutilized that might be ideal for the marina locations, Sorochty said.

He was among about 40 people at a meeting Tuesday evening at Hoag Library. They are working to develop a Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for 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 meeting included a hands-on, interactive workshop for people to identify potential projects and strategies with long-term community and economic benefits along the Canal Corridor.

The county received a state grant for $62,000 to develop the plan and hired LaBella Associates as a consultant.

Samuel Robinson, 19, is the Village of Albion representative on the committee. He said the communities need to consider people who ride bikes and uses public transportation in the community. There also needs to be more “fantastic activities for youth.”

The workshop on Tuesday was the first in a series of three public participation meetings that will be held over the next six months. Future public meeting will focus on a review of potential revitalization projects and the final recommendations for the plan.

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.

Adam Johnson (pictured), owner of the 39 Problems bar and restaurant on Main Street in Albion, said the downtown would be more pedestrian friendly if the travel lanes on Route 98 were narrower. That would encourage drivers to slow down, and give more room for pedestrians.

He also wants to see more trees in the downtown, and diagonal parking on one side of the Main Street so there is more parking.

The canal path itself would benefit from lighting, so people would feel safer walking in the evening and at night, Johnson said.

In Holley, he’d like to see the original canal bed cleaned out and promoted. There are numerous former quarries along the towpath and Johnson said they should have signs on them, so people would appreciate the area’s Medina sandstone heritage.

The group also favors having distance markers on the towpath, to inform cyclists, boaters and other users how close they are to a town.

This sign is on the west side of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion. Adam Johnson said there should be more signage in the commercial area of the village, instead of waiting until people may have passed by the community.

Johnson also 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.

Community members including Albion Village Trustee Stan Farone, right, put stickers to signify their priorities for projects in the canal communities.

The Waterfront Advisory Committee will meet again in November to review the ideas from Tuesday’s workshop. Ed Flynn, director of planning at LaBella, said community members can email him other ideas for the committee to consider. His email is eflynn@LaBellaPC.com.

The waterfront plan could be used by the canal communities to pursue state funding for projects, Flynn said.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters battle a fire at a shed behind a house in Albion on West Avenue, across from Auto Zone. They were dispatched to scene at 6:54 p.m.

The building was quickly consumed by fire and appeared to damage a structure next door. This is on the north side of the road, between West Academy Street and Empire Coating.

No additional information is available.

Click here to see a video of the fire.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard speaks during today’s dedication of a graveside marker for Charles D. Harris. He received a new headstone in the summer at Mount Albion Cemetery, following the efforts of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Medal of Honor Historical Society.

The new marker is on west side of the cemetery on Route 31.

Harris, who fought in the Civil War, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Apache Wars in 1869.

On September 23, 1869, Harris was present at Red Creek, Arizona, with Company D of the 8th U.S. Cavalry. On that date, the 8th Cavalry engaged a group of Apache Indians during the Apache Wars, which resulted in three men receiving the Medal of Honor.

Harris had a military gravestone in the cemetery, but it didn’t note he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The specifics of the engagement and the actions that warranted the awarding of the medal remain shrouded in mystery, Ballard said. After the war, Harris returned to Albion and lived a quiet life until his passing on September 6, 1895.

Harris is one of two Medal of Honor recipients to be buried in Orleans County. The other, John Butts of Medina, is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Medina.

Ray Johnston, director of the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the U.S., spent about five years trying to show that Harris was the same Charles D. Harris who served in the Civil War from Albion. There have been two occasions where a Medal of Honor was awarded to the wrong person with the same name.

Johnston traveled to Albion from Toledo, Ohio. The retired U.S. Postal Service carrier served in the Vietnam War.

The Medal of Honor Historical Society has been able to find the final resting places for 160 Medal of Honor recipients and continues to try to find 365 others.

Johnston said the organization would like to have a photo of Harris and also know the whereabouts of his Medal of Honor.

“I love looking for these lost souls,” Johnston told about 50 people at the marker dedication ceremony today.

Ray Johnston greets Betty and John Kemp of Clarendon. Mrs. Kemp is the great-niece of Charles Harris. She read about the ceremony for Harris in the Lake Country Pennysaver.

“I was a little shocked to see it in the paper,” she said. “This is like coming home.”

Tim Archer, a service learning teacher at Albion, organized today’s dedication service. One of his classes of seventh-graders attended the event.

“Bravery and courage are important virtues,” Archer said. “He (Harris) pushed through his fears and we are certainly grateful to him.”

MacKenzie Snook, an Albion seventh-grader, shares about Harris’s sister, Lydia. She was 11 when she was killed September 28, 1859, when the Main Street bridge collapsed on the Erie Canal. Her brother was 13 at the time.

Archer’s students two years ago worked with the Orleans County Historical Association to purchase a gravestone for Lydia Harris at Mount Albion.

These students – from left Kiera Zambito, Chloe Gray and Madison LeBaron – sing “God Bless America” at the ceremony.

Seventh-grader Landen Allis shares history about the Medal of Honor. About 3,500 of the medals have been awarded since the Civil War.

Another seventh-grader, Oliver Beach, spoke at the ceremony and shared a poem, “Recessional.”

County Legislator Don Allport said the community should remember and honor the sacrifices of veterans, including those from Harris’s era.

“I will always be grateful of everyone who came before me and allows me to stand here in this great republic,” Allport said.

Eileen Banker, Albion’s mayor, also spoke and thanked Archer’s class for helping to honor Harris, more than a century after his death.

“We have a solemn duty to honor the men and women like Charles Harris for what they are – heroes,” Banker said.

Members of the local Honor Guard did a 21-gun salute and then Taps was played.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Amy Sidari (left), owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, is happy one of her instructors, Adrianna Grieco, will be working as a professional dancer in Tokyo with Disney.

ALBION – Amy Sidari encourages her students and staff to follow their dreams. One of her instructors, Adrianna Grieco, took Sidari’s advice and landed a role as a professional dancer in Tokyo with Disney.

Grieco, 22, worked two full years as a dance instructor at Gotta Dance by Miss Amy in Albion. She was hired while a student at Brockport State College. Grieco in May graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dance and health sciences.

“Our small town has had the opportunity to reap her gifts and now they will see dreams come true, too,” Sidari said about Grieco.

Sidari connected with Grieco after reaching out to dancing department at Brockport State College. Grieco was the first Brockport student to work as an instructor for Gotta Dance.

Sidari said Grieco proved to be dedicated, talented and loving with about 100 students in the two years at Gotta Dance. Grieco led tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, and strength and technique classes. She worked with dancers from age 4 to teen-agers.

“I loved it here,” Grieco said about her time with Gotta Dance. “If this (Disney) doesn’t take me farther, I’ll definitely be back.”

Grieco is an Albany native. She auditioned for seven hours in Toronto for the role of an aerial dancer for the Disney show. She leaves in January for three months of training with her co-workers. Then it will be six months of performing multiple shows each day. Besides dancing, Grieco will be lip-syncing songs in Japanese.

“I’m very, very excited,” she said at Gotta Dance last week.

She stopped by the studio on East Bank Street to see Sidari and some of her students one last time before she heads out for Tokyo.

“Amy is like a second mother,” Grieco said. “She treats you like family.”

Sidari said two other Brockport dance students are currently working as instructors at Gotta Dance.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Albion teacher Dana Martin boogies on the basketball court with Road Runner, left, and Swoop, two members of the Harlem Wizards. Martin and about 20 Albion school staff members formed the Albion Hotshots and played the Harlem Wizards in a fun basketball game on Saturday. The game ended in a tie, 64-64, with some creative scoring and frequent antics on the court.

Wiz Kids – Keira Lemcke, right, and Rianne Hand – take a warmup lap around the gym just before the start of the game.

These members of the Albion Hotshots – Rachel Curtin (school principal) and teachers Shani Faraci and Joyce Monacelli – cheer on their teammates while they were introduced.

Swoop runs through a fog machine during player introductions. He is the leader of the Swoop Unit of the Harlem Wizards.

The Albion Hotshots, including teachers Tim Archer (left) and Jeff Radder, gets fired up for the game. Radder was nicknamed the “The Lumberjack” by the announcer from the Wizards.

Swoop gets the ball spinning for a young fan. Saturday’s game against the Albion Hotshots was attended by nearly 400 people. It was a fundraiser for the Albion Elementary School PTA.

Swoop has been a Wizard since 2007. Prior to that, he was a showman with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Swoop and the Wizards frequently went into the crowd with zany antics. Here Swoop has inflatables that he pretended were boxing gloves. He gave some of the fans a few friendly jabs while the Rocky theme song played.

Brayden LaMartina and his mother Danielle walk off the court after Brayden won a gold basketball. His mother guessed many of the theme songs for different television shows. Each correct answer moved her son closer to the hoop for a basketball shot.

Sarge tries to distract one of the audience members who was pulled from the crowd for a game on court.

Road Runner and the other Wizards accommodated the autograph seekers during halftime. Kids who attended the game in a costume received a free basketball.

Swoop keeps this boy entertained with some fancy ball handling.

Mattea Woolston was one of the last contestants in game where Swoop made people miss on some of his passes. Here he is doing a slow-motion pass to Woolston.

Swoop takes a selfie with Todd Graham, who had courtside seats. His daughter Julia was one of the Wiz Kids.

Sky-Walker leads an energetic crowd in dancing to the “YMCA.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Neal Muscarella, a mason from Albion, repoints mortar on the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery. Muscarella expects to be finished with the job today.

The tower is in the southeast section of Mount Albion. The structure rises 68 feet from the hill it stands on. The tower was completed in 1876 as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. It is a memorial to the 463 people from Orleans County who were killed during the Civil War.

Muscarella is up high on scaffolding for the project.

This photo was taken looking down from the top of the tower, which has an 84-step spiral staircase.

The repointing should help keep out moisture. Muscarella has done several projects recently at the cemetery, including work on the new front sign and repairs to the stone wall at the memorial pond.

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Photo courtesy of NYS Department of Transportation: The canal bridge on Densmore Road has reopened following repairs.

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

ALBION – The New York State Department of Transportation today announced that the bridge carrying Densmore Road over the Erie Canal in Albion re-opened following a six-month closure as part of an ongoing $11 million project to rehabilitate seven Erie Canal Truss Bridges across Orleans County.

Repairs included replacing the flooring system, low chords, gusset plates and truss members with high-strength galvanized steel to raise the legal weigh limit on the bridge and provide continued safe access for residents, local farms and businesses in the area.

The bridge carrying Densmore Road over the Erie Canal was the second in a series of seven canal bridges to close for repair as part of this project. The DOT has also reopened the Bennetts Corners Road bridge in Murray after repairs.

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