By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2019 at 4:29 pm
ALBION – Three members of the high school clay target shooting team in Albion will be competing in the national competition on Saturday in Michigan.
Patrick Brien, Alex Rustay and Shane Hastings will be among 1,800 participants in the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship in Mason, Michigan.
They will compete in the individuals competition on Saturday. To advance to the finals on Sunday, they need to shoot at least 94 out of 100 targets on Saturday, said Jeff Atwell, one of the Albion coaches.
At the state competition, Brien hit 94 out of 100 and Rustay shot 96 out of 100. Those two just graduated from Albion, which fielded a clay shooting team for the first time this spring. That team finished ninth in the state out of 65 teams in the state competition.
“I think it will grow in popularity,” Atwell said about the program. “It’s a good program overall. It teaches them safety and responsibility.”
Holley also has a team and had six qualify for nationals – Brad Kingdollar, Ethan Waldron, Noah St. John, Evan Press, Jake Silpoch and Kyle Surowy.
The team isn’t making the trip to Michigan this year but expects to be back in 2020, said Troy Kingdollar, one of the coaches.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2019 at 1:06 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: This plaque at Hoag Library in Albion shows Maurice “Mo” Hoag and his wife, Courtenay. The couple has given $800,000 to the public library in Albion.
ALBION – Maurice “Mo” Hoag and his wife Courtenay have donated another $100,000 to the Hoag Library, bringing their total contributions to $800,000.
A check for $100,000 arrived at the library on July 5, addressed to Kevin Doherty, the board president. Doherty then drove the check to Warsaw to the library’s bank, Steuben Trust Company.
“It’s stunning,” Doherty said today about the donations from the Hoags. “Their original gift was stunning. The fact that they continue to do it is unbelievably generous.”
The Hoags initially gave $25,000 in the capital campaign for the new library. They gave another $225,000, bringing it to $250,000 for the naming rights to the building that opened in July 2012.
In July 2015, they sent another $100,000 check and then another $100,000 arrived on April 14, 2017. Last year they sent a check for $250,000.
The Hoags have never requested a photo opportunity or press release.
Their latest donation was noted in the agenda for this evening’s board meeting for the library.
The library has used continued donations to reduce the mortgage for the building. The mortgage started at $2.1 million and is now down to about $390,000 with the latest donation from the Hoags. That has drastically sped up the timetable for paying off the mortgage.
The Hoag Library opened in July 2012 on South Main Street in Albion.
Maurice Hoag has strong personal ties to the Albion area where he graduated from Albion High School in 1961 as valedictorian, as well as class president. He continued his education at Cornell where he earned a degree in chemical engineering and met his wife, Courtenay.
The couple currently lives in the Baltimore area. Maurice has maintained a relationship with Albion and Cornell classmates from the Albion area. The Hoags return to Albion yearly in August for an annual class picnic.
The couple also pays for generous scholarships for Albion college students pursuing engineering. They are funding two $12,500 scholarships that were approved last month for Class of 2019 graduates Zachary Moore and Jessy Cruz.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Adam Krenning speaks to the Albion varsity football team on Sept. 1, 2017 before his first game as the head football coach. Albion came from behind to beat Springville, 40-34, in that game. The team shared the league title with Dunkirk that year and then won it outright in 2018.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2019 at 11:07 am
ALBION – Adam Krenning is the new athletic director for Albion Central School, following the retirement of Randy Knaak.
Krenning was appointed to the position on Monday by the Board of Education. He has been the head varsity football coach the past two seasons, leading the team to league titles both seasons (2017 was a shared title with Dunkirk).
Krenning has been an agriculture teacher at Albion the past 19 years and the FFA advisor. That program has grown from a dozen students when he started to 118 this past school year.
“I just feel I can help the athletic program in the same way I grew the agriculture and FFA program,” he said this morning.
Krenning is meeting with school officials later today to discuss his role with the FFA and agriculture programs. He would like to continue to help with those programs.
He helped develop a 5-acre land lab for agriculture and FFA programs. FFA students also have strong connections with the agriculture community, collecting more than 30,000 pounds of produce each year in a food drive.
Krenning played tight end and defensive end for the Purple Eagles, with his last season in 1992. He has been a football coach the past 12 years, with the past two as the varsity head coach.
In his new role, he will work on scheduling games for all of the Albion sports, arranging transportation and for officials, and finding staff to run clocks and keep pitch counts.
He wants to see all of the teams excel on the field, court and in the pool, but Krenning said it’s not just about wins and losses in measuring the success of a program.
“It’s about the connections with kids,” he said. “How are we helping them to become better people in society.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 July 2019 at 8:35 am
Albion NY Rocks has participated in many community events
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Children in the Little Leapers daycare in Albion paint rocks on Tuesday at Hoag Library in a program run by the Albion NY Rocks group. There were 54 people, from young kids to senior citizens, for the library program.
Zack, one of the kids at Little Leapers, paints a rock.
Albion NY Rocks formed two years ago and has been going strong, with a core group getting together most weeks to paint rocks. They leave the rocks with painted messages throughout the community. People who find them are urged to post a photo of the rock on the Albion NY Rocks Facebook page, and then rehide the rock. The group has more than 3,000 Facebook friends.
Some of the Albion NY Rocks members are shown handing out painting supplies during the Hoag program on Tuesday. From left include Debi Donahue, Lori Laine and Maureen Bennett.
Laine has been an energetic leader for the group, which has participated in many community events, including the Albion Strawberry Festival Parade.
“It’s about kindness and community,” Laine said. “It really brings the community together.”
Lori Laine painted these rocks last week while camping at the Golden Hill State Park in Barker. She invited some of the other campers at the park to paint rocks. She said she has made many close friends through Albion NY Rocks.
Albion NY Rocks will be at the upcoming National Night Out on Aug. 6 at Bullard Park with lots of rocks and paint for children and families.
The group also will be featured in its first art show, “Rock On,” from July 26 to Aug. 19 at Salih Studio at 24 East Bank St., which is a satellite gallery for GO Art! There will be an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 26.
Shirley Nigro, a local artist, has painted intricate faces of animals on many of the rocks. She likes to paint on unusually shaped rocks that give a 3D feel to the paintings.
She is pleased to see so many community members have tried painting through the rock group, often surprising themselves with their creations.
Many of the children on Tuesday painted about a dozen rocks each. Some were joined by a parent or grandparent.
“Look at these kids,” Nigro said. “They are creating and having fun.”
Carol Miller and her granddaughter Kayli Miller paint rocks together on Tuesday.
Carol Miller paints sailboats on her rock. She lives at Lake Alice in Carlton.
Maureen Bennett is recently retired from Albion Central School. She has been active with the rock group, and said the rock painting remains very popular in the community.
“There is joy – everybody is smiling,” Bennett said. “We have a blast doing it.”
Laine said the local group is fortunate to have Lake Ontario close by, producing an endless supply of smooth, round rocks. She knows some rock groups away from the lake have to buy rocks at stores.
She goes to a few spots by the lake to get the rocks, which she happily shares with others. She also enjoys painting the rocks, including one with a “Happy Camper” theme featuring an RV.
“We know when we put these out there that people are smiling,” Laine said.
Here are some of rocks painted by children and adults during the program at Hoag Library on Tuesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2019 at 5:19 pm
ALBION – The school district is buying 540 new Chromebook laptops for students. The Board of Education on Monday approved spending $119,700 for the Chromebooks, which also includes 18 charging carts.
The district is buying them from CDI Technologies of Ontario, Canada, which submitted the lowest bid.
The district currently has about 200 Chromebooks. The Chromebooks are used by classrooms, with the laptops staying at the school and not going home with students.
Teachers can sign out use of a cart of Chromebooks, with 30 of the computers in a cart.
The district also has a bank of desktop computers in most classrooms or about 1,000 of those computers total. Rather than replace some of those desktop computers, the district will upgrade the memory and processors on 250 of those computers.
The board accepted a bid for $25,002.50 for the components to upgrade those computers. CDW Government LLC of Vernon Hills, Ill., was the low bidder.
The new Chromebooks plus the desktop computers gives the district about 1,740 computers. The enrollment is about 1,800 students.
“We’re nearing the point where we have one device per kid,” said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent.
The Board of Education also approved a bid from Connection Public Sector Solutions of Merrimack, NH, for $6,724.60 for “peripherals,” including new printers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2019 at 1:39 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Custom Flags and Poles of Cheektowaga installed a new 25-foot-high flag pole at Hoag Library this morning. Paul Heyink, right, is owner of the business and Dennis Gilbert is his employee.
They are shown putting in the foundation in front of the library.
Dennis Gilbert stands by the new flag pole and checks to see if it is perfectly level.
Dennis Gilbert checks to see if the pole is at the perfect 90-degree angle.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2019 at 10:44 am
ALBION — The Albion Board of Education observed a moment of silence at the beginning of its meeting on Monday for a retired teacher and a student who both died on June 18.
Suzanne Wells was an art teacher in the district. She was 69 when she passed away from cancer.
She worked as a teacher at Albion from 1971 until 2005.
“Mrs. Wells will be remembered for her tremendous talent and creative ability,” said board member David Sidari. “In observations, it was noted that she approached everything with optimism and enthusiasm. It was also referenced that her caring, conscientious and kind disposition endeared her with students, faculty and the greater Albion community.”
The board also observed a moment of silence for Brennan Moody, 17. Brennan was killed in a car accident 10 days before graduation.
“Brennan will be remembered by many for the soft-spoken mild manner that was his — until the music started,” Sidari said. “Brennan was a song-master, performing in chorus, the men’s select group, and numerous solo pieces during concerts, senior citizens’ day, talent shows and others. Brennan was also involved in concert band, jazz band and marching band. He will be remembered by the large audiences who enjoyed his performances in our high school drama productions.”
Sidari then asked the crowd to give Brennan one last round of applause, which they did.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 July 2019 at 9:23 am
Kathy Harling is new president; 2 others – Gregg Boose and Joyce Riley – appointed to board
Photos by Tom Rivers: Kathy Harling, the new president of the Albion Board of Education, raises her hand to vote yes during Monday’s board meeting.
ALBION – The Albion Board of Education has new leadership, and also moved to fill two vacancies on the board during its meeting on Monday.
Kathy Harling is the new board president and David Sidari is the vice president.
Margy Brown served as president for eight years. She announced a year ago she would step down as president after the 2018-19 school year. She continues as a board member.
Steve LaLonde was serving as vice president with the plan to take over as president. LaLonde, however, resigned from the board on May 8, citing a busy schedule that made it difficult to put in the time as a board member.
The board meetings have been tense in recent months with the Albion Teachers Association and community pressing for answers and investigation about whether there is a high incidence of cancer among teachers and staff who work in the elementary school. Some of the board members, including Harling, faulted the district’s leadership for not communicating effectively with the public about the district’s efforts to have experts check the building.
The board seemed to be at a stalemate early in the organizational meeting in picking the new president. There are nine board seats and a president needs at least five votes.
There were only seven board members after the recent resignations from Steve LaLonde and Marie Snyder.
Kathy Harling had four votes – Wayne Wadhams, Elissa Nesbitt, Linda Weller and Harling – to be president and David Sidari had three – Margy Brown, Chantelle Sacco and Brown.
Wadhams said he supported Sidari instead as vice president.
David Sidari, a member of the board for 20 years, said he would be an effective president and would have a good working relationship with Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent. Sidari was picked to serve as the board’s vice president.
Brown said the position is demanding and requires follow-through. She questioned Harling for not completing some course work expected of board members in their first year. Harling, an attorney, just finished her second year on the board.
“Mrs. Harling I believe you would make a good president and I think your heart is in the right place,” Brown said. “I do believe you have within you what it would take.”
However, Brown said she was backing Sidari, who is the longest serving member at 20 years.
Harling said she has completed the coursework for the board members, and acknowledged it took longer than expected. However, she said she is fully committed to leading the board.
Gregg Boose Sr. speaks during the open forum and said he would welcome the chance to be on the board. He lost an election in May for a board seat by 6 votes.
“If elected I would put in 150 percent and do what needs to be done,” she said.
Sidari also made a pitch to the other board members. He said the board president needs to work closely with the district superintendent, Michael Bonnewell.
“I feel I am better to work with the superintendent at this time,” Sidari.
Elissa Nesbitt said Sidari brings a wealth of experience to the board, but Nesbitt supports Harling because she would unify the board and bring “a fresh view.”
The board voted twice and both times Harling had 4 votes and Sidari had 3. That wasn’t enough to elect a president.
Brown asked Harling if she would work closely with Sidari for the betterment of the district. Harling said she would. With that, Brown said she would vote for Harling as president, and she was then approved in a unanimous 7-0 vote with Sidari elected as vice president.
Brown said the district has to move forward and stop the dissension on the board.
The meeting started with two vacancies on the board following recent resignations from Steve LaLonde and Marie Snyder.
Gregg Boose Sr. and Joyce Riley both narrowly lost elections to the board in May. During that election Linda Weller had the most votes with 323 followed by 290 for Sidari. They were elected to five-year terms. Boose received 284 and Riley, 221.
They both spoke during the public forum of the meeting and said they would be willing to fill the vacancies on the board.
Gary Kent, a former Orleans County legislator, said the board should appoint at least one or both of them so there is needed diversity on the board.
Joyce Riley, a former board member more than two decades ago, also lost a close election in May. She said she would be willing to fill a vacancy on the board.
Boose, a retired corrections officer, said the board needs to end the divisiveness and work together. He said he is a model citizen who would be kid focused.
The Albion Teachers Association backed Boose in the May election. Boose said he isn’t “owned” by the ATA and will be an independent thinker.
“I can’t be bought,” he said. “I’m going to do the right thing.”
Riley is a former member of the Albion Board of Education. She worked as a registered nurse and later supervised an ambulatory surgical unit in Washington, D.C., overseeing 200 employees. When she retired, she moved back to Albion in 2015.
She said she has been concerned about the friction among the board members. She is willing to listen and speak her mind when needed.
The board could have called a special election to fill the two vacancies or had an interview process with a chance for more applications from the community. There would have been an interview from the board.
Brown urged the board to fill the positions right away with Riley and Boose, who narrowly lost the election in May and who both have a willingness to serve.
“I strongly believe we have so much work to do and we need to move forward,” Brown said. “I feel like we have been treading water for months and it needs to stop.”
The other board members agreed to appoint Boose and Riley.
There is one year left on Snyder’s term and two years on LaLonde’s. Boose and Riley will each serve for about a year. The remaining year of LaLonde’s term will be up for election next May.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 July 2019 at 6:20 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jonah Fisher, 2 ½, plays the “mouse” during a game today at Hoag Library. He ran underneath a big parachute where there was another kid who was the “cat” trying to find him. The game was part of a field day and “Water Wars” event outside Hoag Library, which planned the activities with help from the Albion varsity girls softball team as part of the summer reading program.
Julia Graham, 8, of Albion takes a turn as the cat, trying to find someone hiding under the parachute.
These cousins – Garrett Smith, 7, (left) and Henley Miller, 5, of Albion – work together in the three-legged race.
After the field day events, the water balloons and squirt guns came out for “Water Wars.” Millie Fisher, 4, of Albion squealed when she was sprayed with a squirt gun.
June Moore, 5, of Albion looks to get someone wet with her squirt gun.
Aura Fox, 6, of Albion threw water balloons at some of the other kids.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 July 2019 at 2:27 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The 650 cyclists on the Cycle the Erie Canal trip are passing through Orleans County today on the second day of the trip, which started Sunday in Buffalo.
The top photo shows two cyclists crossing the Main Street lift bridge in Albion after they explored the downtown.
Mike Cronin of East Greenbush, near Albany, takes a break near the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.
Cronin, 72, is a first-timer on the ride across the state. He has boated in the canal near Albany and wanted to experience it by bike with the chance to make friends.
“I’m meeting new people I’ve never met before,” he said in Albion at about 8:30 this morning.
He likes the architecture and history of the canal towns.
He said he is physically up for the challenge of pedaling about 400 miles on the towpath.
“I’m getting older,” said the owner of a flag store. “If I wait too much longer, I’ll age out.”
There is no age limit for the cyclists. One of them is 86. The youngest is 5.
Tinsel, an ice cream shop that opened last month, gave out bananas and the Albion Browsery handed out bottles of water. Holley is an official rest stop for the cyclists with refreshments at the Canal Park.
The cyclists are headed to Fairport today. They spent last night at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville.
Orleans County has seven of the 16 lift bridges on the Erie Canal.
These cyclists are reflected in the Erie Canal as they approach downtown Albion.
Albion police officer Dan Baase helps with traffic control while the cyclists cross Main Street.
This photo was taken on the stairs of the Main Street lift bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 July 2019 at 1:28 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bob and Shirley Gouger of Waterport were out Saturday morning watering the flowers in downtown Albion.
The Gougers were volunteering for the task for the first time on Saturday. They used the water truck from Village of Albion Department of Public Work.
Gary Kent pours water into one of the flower planters near the Five Star bank. Flowers are also watered at the routes 98 and 31 intersection, at Bullard Park and by some of the gateway signs in the village.
Kent is a retired social studies teacher in Kendall. Mr. Gouger is a former student of Kent’s. He volunteered when Kent said volunteers are needed on the weekends.
(Skip Stratton, one of the dedicated volunteers for the flower watering in recent years, is doing the job today.)
Shirley Gouger and her husband Bob water the flowers on Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 July 2019 at 10:46 am
Photos courtesy of Thom Jennings
BUFFALO – Albion native Erica Jennings led the brain cancer group during the June 21 Ride for Roswell. Erica, a teacher in Buffalo, was joined by her husband Thom Jr. and their daughter Elle in leading the group. Erica was diagnosed with brain cancer in December. She has had two brain surgeries.
“Erica is a thriver, not a survivor,” said her father-in-law, Thom Jennings of Albion. “Faith, hope and love, she has all three, and she is stronger than the largest army.”
Erica, the daughter of Tom and Angie Graham of Albion, has completed radiation and is undergoing chemo treatments at Roswell Park in Buffalo.
She works as a Spanish and French teacher at City Honors in Buffalo.
Erica is carrying the flag for people diagnosed with brain cancer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 July 2019 at 9:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Karen Conn, an Albion music teacher, leads children in a singalong at the Hoag Library on Tuesday as part of the Summer Reading Program.
In this song, Conn and the kids are singing, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
Hoag Library has many different programs scheduled throughout the summer, with most at 11 a.m. on weekdays. On Monday, the program was making Galaxy Slime.
Next week, there will be Waters Wars on Monday with Albion football and softball teams. Click here to see some of the programs planned for the summer.
The Albion NY Rocks group has a display of rocks that have been painted, including some that look like a box of chocolates. They are in the front case at Hoag. The Albion NY Rocks group will be at the library on Tuesday at 11 a.m., helping children paint rocks.
Provided photos: The Albion High School Clay Target Club includes, from left: Ben Hickman, Zac Albright, Mike Donahue (coach) Patrick Brien, Jordan Boccacci-Phillips, Max Hapeman, James Hapeman, Alex Rustay, Jeff Atwell (coach) Nick Sacco, Tim Brien (coach) Shane Hastings, Austin Aman, Lacey Standish, and Ryan Uderitz (coach). Missing from the photo are Chris Rice (coach), Eli Pask and Cole London.
Alex Rustay, left, and Nick Sacco were the top scorers for Albion in the state competition.
ALBION – The Albion High School Clay Target Club participated in the Clay Target Leagues New York State Championship in Cicero on Sunday.
There were 76 schools (950 student athletes) from across the state represented at the event. Albion’s varsity team of Alex Rustay, Patrick Brien, Nick Sacco, Zac Albright and Shane Hastings finished 9th overall out of 65 teams.
Patrick Brien and Alex Rustay both received All-State honors for finishing in the top 100 in the entire league (1,700 student athletes).
Alex Rustay was tied for 5th with a score of 96 out of 100. Nick Sacco was tied for 13th with a 94 out of 100. Patrick Brien was tied for 30th with a 92 out of 100. They are all seniors this year.
Alex Rustay shot a perfect round at the event 25 out of 25 (25 straight) and Nick shot back-to-back perfect rounds for 50 out of 50 (50 straight) at the event.
This was the first year Albion High School participated in the New York State Clay Target League.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 June 2019 at 5:44 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Westside Market, a new farmers’ market in Albion, was open for the second week today at the former Billy’s Pub location at 438 West Ave.
The top photo shows Stymus Farms and Kirby’s Cider Mill with some of their early season offerings. They will both have more available later this summer and fall.
The market is open on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will continue through Oct. 27.
Brian Alexander, co-owner of Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza, pulls a pizza out of the oven. Dubby’s debuted at the Albion Strawberry Festival earlier this month.
Brian and his wife Rebecca Alexander live in Carlton. They have a special breakfast pizza – sausage, gravy, potatoes, eggs and cheese (with a drizzle of maple syrup) – they serve at the Albion market.
Steve Culmo of Dubby’s cuts the slices of the breakfast pizza.
Heather Allchin, co-owner of The Hot Spot, grills hot dogs and hamburgers. Her daughter Leah Pawlak also made cookies that were for sale. The Hot Spot debuted on May 1 and has been based at the parking lot for Ace Hardware in Albion.
Allchin said the new farmers’ market is very visible on Route 31 with good parking.
Other vendors today included OG Primitive with crafts and farmhouse décor and Johnny Bee Good Honey from Albion.
Dorothy Daniels is the market manager. Her late father, Ralph Dollinger, owned the site, which previously was used as the office space for GCASA.
Daniels said she wanted to see the space be put to good use.
“This town didn’t have a farm market,” she said. “It’s something for the community.”
