By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2022 at 12:51 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jessica Sardina wears the Strawberry costume during today’s Albion Strawberry Festival 5K/8K race.
Sardina lives in California and is visiting family in Medina. She is a third-grade teacher who relished the role as The Strawberry, waving to spectators and encouraging the runners during the race.
About 200 people completed the race this morning, an event organized by Bert Gallman and Wolfpack Multisport.
Adam Grillo and his daughter Lena, 10, of Albion round the corner at Ingersoll Street and East State Street in the home stretch of the race.
Steve LaLonde, center, of Albion ran the race with his daughter Joyce and her fiancé Nate Birnbaun of Washington, D.C.
Jason Smith, the former Lyndonville school superintendent, finishes the 8-kilometer race. Smith is a regular at the local races. He now is superintendent of Batavia schools.
Alden Cayea of Medina, third from right in blue shorts won the 5K.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2022 at 10:54 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bill Pileggi and The Triple Play Band performed in the food court this evening at the Albion Strawberry Festival.
There are four different spots for musicians during the festival, which continues on Saturday.
Pileggi and his group perform pop, rock, country and blues music spanning four decades with music from Johnny Cash to Jimmy Buffett to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The Albion Music Boosters served up strawberry shortcakes and sundaes in a booth outside the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. Pictured form left include Roseanne Allen, Annalise Steier and Audrey Pask.
The Kendall Community Band performed by the courthouse.
The festival returned after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions and concerns. This is the 34th time for the festival in Albion.
Train rides are offered down Main Street and around the festival grounds.
The action resumes on Saturday until 8 p.m. The parade will be at 10 a.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2022 at 12:57 pm
Simulation of crash at Albion school intended to help students make choices to stay safe
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Hannah Coolbaugh, an Albion High School senior, portrays an injured student during a crash simulation this morning at the Albion High School parking lot.
The Albion Police Department, Albion Fire Department, COVA Ambulance, County Coroner Scott Schmidt and the District Attorney’s Office worked together to send a message about the dangers of driving drunk or impaired by drugs.
Albion has its prom tonight at Hickory Ridge Country Club with many graduation parties planned this summer.
Albion firefighters removed the top of a car to extricate injured students in the crash. Gallo’s Performance Auto in Brockport donated the cars for the crash simulation.
Myles Miller portrayed the drunk driver. After some field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer, she was led into an Albion patrol car by officers Dillon Black and Nathaniel Staines.
Leah Kania is on a stretcher and led to a COVA Ambulance.
Tracy Ford is overcome after seeing his son Rowan in a body bag. Ford said after that he was “wobbly” trying to walk after seeing his son and hearing the other students screaming.
He said it has been an emotional few days since his son told him he would be portraying the student who dies in the simulation.
The school set up bleachers for members of the senior class to see the simulation in the parking lot this morning.
After the crash simulation, students were in the LGI were the saw a mock arraignment. District Attorney Joe Cardone, center, is joined by Assistant DA Susan Howard and Albion Town Justice Joe Fuller.
Myles Miller is led into the “courtroom” and is wearing jail-issued clothing. She was charged with DWI and aggravated vehicular homicide. Cardone said the vehicular homicide charge carries a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Fuller, the town judge, set bail at $50,000 in cash or $75,000 bond. Fuller also issued orders of protection for the surviving victims.
Cardone said the seniors have worked very hard in their lives to get to the point of being so close to graduation.
“You can often be defined in your life by a bad decision, something that happens over 5 minutes in your life,” he said.
He cautioned the students from using alcohol and marijuana, which is illegal at their age. It can affect their judgement, and could lead to reckless actions out of their character.
Albion Police Chief David Mogle addressed the group and urged them to call 911 if they need a safe ride home.
“We’re not there to get people in trouble,” Mogle said about the police. “We’re there to save a life.”
Mary Wright, a prevention educator for GCASA, holds a Red Watch banner. That encourages the students to watch out for each and help someone who has had too much to drink or if they are incapacitated from drugs or other substances.
Wright said students are entering a season of celebrations – prom, graduation, grad parties – and many people tend to drink too much at those events.
“We want you to have a good time at the prom but we want you to be safe and responsible,” she said.
Students should pay close attention if a friend looks pale, blue-ish or losing consciousness. If that happens, they should get that person help and call 911.
“You need to respect their life and step up for them,” she said.
Jeffrey Brown portrays one of the students today who was injured in the drunken driving crash.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2022 at 11:41 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Fred Nesbitt cooks hot dogs in a booth run by the Albion Rotary Club and Cobblestone Museum. They are in the food court on East Bank Street. The food court opened at 11 a.m. and continues until 9 p.m. today, and then again on Saturday as part of the 34th Albion Strawberry Festival.
The festival is back this year after being derailed by Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021.
There are many arts and craft vendors at the courthouse lawn, and service organizations and businesses selling food and beverages in the food court.
There also will be several groups performing live music during the two days at the courthouse, and at the east and west end of the food court.
Today’s music schedule includes Warren Paul from 1 to 3 p.m., Mike McCauley from 3 to 5 p.m., MAC from 5 to 7 p.m., the Kendall Community Band from 5 to 7 p.m., Triple Play from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Ryan and Scott Acoustic Duo from 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday includes more live music, a 5K/8K at 8 a.m., car cruise-in from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., parade at 10 a.m., basketball tournament beginning at 12:30 p.m., and turtle race at 2 p.m.
Some of the other activities include a “Pie in the Face,” I Got It, bounce houses, trackless train rides, magician, face painting and balloon clown.
Scott Daniels is shown with some of the T-shirts being sold from the Towpath Trading Post, which runs the Ormemes Post on Facebook and Instagram.
Daniels and his friends, Freeman Lattin and Kyle Thaine, have been creating satirical posts about Orleans County and Western New York for five years. He is wearing a shirt for the Lake Alice Bridge Diving Team. They are also selling stickers.
They are many other vendors at the courthouse lawn selling merchandise.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 June 2022 at 7:34 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – About 1,000 rubber turtles will “race” on Saturday in the return of the Albion Strawberry Festival.
Volunteers have been selling tickets, and organizing the turtles, which are numbered from 1 to 1,000, for the big race.
Becky Karls, right, is the chairwoman of the event. She is joined on Thursday evening by volunteers Kathleen Bates and Mike Bonnewell.
They are sorting the turtles in the conference room of the Arnold Gregory Office Building.
The sale of the tickets – $5 each or 5 for $20 – is a fundraiser that goes back to helping pay for the festival.
Jarred Saj is the top turtle ticket seller, setting a new personal record with 315 tickets sold.
Mike Bonnewell, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, checks the turtles. Many of the tickets have already been sold. Those turtles with those ticket numbers are being setting aside in bins.
Other turtles that haven’t had their numbers sold yet will be set aside and still be available to be sold.
Tickets can be purchased from Karls today on the courthouse lawn and also at a spot in the downtown. Karls will be there up until 7 p.m. today. The tickets can still be purchased on Saturday until 12:30 p.m.
The race is at 2 p.m. with the turtles tossed into the Ere Canal from the Main Street lift bridge.
The top five turtles to finish a trek down the canal earn prize money with $500 for first place, $300 for second, $100 for third, and $50 for both fourth and fifth.
Provided photos: Participants gather for a photo in the debut “Bounce for Bullard” basketball tournament on May 28 and May 29.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2022 at 11:32 am
ALBION – The return of the Albion Strawberry Festival will include a new 3-on-3 basketball tournament. That event will be a fundraiser towards new basketball courts at Bullard Park.
A committee working on the courts held their first 3-on-3 “Bounce for Bullard” tournament on May 28-29 on Platt Street outside Dubby’s Tailgate. That tourney raised $1,500 for the new courts and included a guest appearance from Roosevelt Bouie, a Hall of Fame basketball player at Kendall High School and then Syracuse University. He played professionally in Italy for a dozen years averaging over 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Teams are encouraged to register by Friday for Saturday’s tournament but can still sign up after the parade on Saturday. The action starts 12:30 on Saturday. The tournament is limited to junior and senior high players. Cost is $20 per team. Each team can have three or four players and is open to girls and boys.
For more information about registering, email Susan Oschmann, the tournament coordinator, at susanoschmann@gmail.com. Entry fees can be paid through Venmo @Susan-Oschmann or work out the details with her through email or in person at the tournament location. Oschmann said she will be there at Friday after 5 p.m. setting up for the tournament and the free throw area.
Bouie will serve as host of the event with courts on West Bank Street. There will be bleachers set up too to watch.
The group also is doing a free-throw shooting fundraiser near the courts. For $1 donation, people will receive a T-shirt from Syracuse University. The Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation donated thousands of shirts to the Bullard Basketball court cause. Those shirts also are available for a donation to the new courts at the village park.
Kyle Radder drives to the basket during a 3-on-3 basketball tournament on May 28-29 outside Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street in Albion.
Photos courtesy of Mollie Radzinski/Albion Central School – Some of the school district retirees include, from left: Dawn Brower, Dawn Arnold, Eileen Whiting, Joan Adduci, Brad Nickerson, Julie Norman, Jodi Shaffer and Kim Nesbitt.
Posted 8 June 2022 at 4:38 pm
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – Albion Central School District recognized its retiring employees and announced the 2021-2022 Educator of the Year at its annual reception held prior to the Board of Education meeting on Monday.
The ceremony started with recognition of board president Kathy Harling. She resigned effective on Tuesday. (Linda Weller will serve as acting president until June 30. The new board terms start on July 1.)
Brad Nickerson was honored as the district’s “Educator of the Year.”
Twelve district employees were then honored for their dedication to the school district. Serving all three schools and countless events, Kevin Smith Jr. is retiring as AV Equipment Technician after 22 years of service.
From the elementary school, five retirees combined for 105 years of service. Those employees include Dawn Arnold (kindergarten teacher, 30 years), Patricia Levandowski (first grade teacher, 17 years), Joan Adduci (monitor, 25 years), Eileen Whiting (monitor, 12 years) and Tracy Barrile (monitor, 21 years).
The middle school says goodbye to Jodi Shaffer (library media specialist, 31 years), Julie Norman (typist, 30 years) and Dawn Brower (teacher aide, 17 years).
High school retirees for this year are Bradford Nickerson, Jr. (Spanish teacher, 31 years), Kim Nesbitt (art teacher, 18 years) and Linda Lewis (secretary, 30 years).
All twelve retirees filled the building halls with kindness, compassion and care and will be sorely missed. The district wishes all a long and happy retirement.
The Educator of the Year also was recognized at the June reception. Retiree Nickerson, commonly referred to as señor, was honored with the distinction. He wrote in his application to teach in Albion that, “I strive to keep learning Spanish fun. My classes are creative and well-organized.”
Anyone who has had the privilege to see his classes in action knows that he fills students with creative lessons and he deeply cares for all. In addition to his regular classes, Nickerson advises the high school Spanish Club, has served as Language Department Chair and has chaperoned numerous trips around the globe.
The annual reception was held in-person with honorees, families, friends, administrators and board members. All retirees received a gift and a book to be dedicated in their name to one of the school’s libraries.
Mickey Edwards, the district superintendent, congratulates Kathy Harling on her service to the district, including the past three years as board president.
Margy Brown, a member of the Albion Board of Education, hugs retiring art teacher Kim Nesbitt. Other board members in the photo include John Kast and Linda Weller.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 June 2022 at 12:11 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kim Remley and Robert Golden are members of the Community Coalition for Justice, which is sponsoring a talk on “Our Democracy/Republic, Where Does it Stand?” June 14 at Hoag Library.
ALBION – A professor at Brockport State College will be the featured speaker at an evening on democracy June 14 at Hoag Library, sponsored by the Community Coalition for Justice.
Steven Jurek, chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Brockport, will address “U.S. Democracy/Republic” appropriately on Flag Day, said Robert Golden, chair of the Community Coalition for Justice. The discussion, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will address the state of our democracy and the challenges it currently faces.
Included in his talk will be the definition of democracy, its strengths and weaknesses and how they are measured; American democracy in a comparative context; 21st century technology’s impact on democracy (24/7 news, the Internet and social media); the challenges of information literacy; and the road ahead.
Jurek has a masters and PhD in political science from the University of Buffalo.
A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Light refreshments will be served. For more information Golden may be contacted at (585) 682-4821 or goldenjazz59@gmail.com.
The Community Coalition for Justice includes members from Hoag Library, Albion Betterment Committee, Pullman Universalist Church, People Embracing Diversity (a joint committee of local church members) and the Social Justice Committee.
Provided photos: Chrissy, left, and Janet both were trained over eight weeks at the Albion Correctional Facility.
ALBION – Two more dogs are being trained by incarcerated women at the Albion Correctional Facility. That brings the total to 14 dogs who have been trained to be adopted out by families.
Albion Correctional partnered with a new community volunteer trainer, Dawn Spencer, who has over 25 years of experience in dog training. She is the owner of Eye of Oden K9 Training in Kent.
The program is in collaboration with PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion. Janet and Chrissy, 5-month-old border collie sisters, started in the program on April 21. Janet and Chrissy will go through an 8-week training program.
This team is training two border collies through a partnership at Albion Correctional, PAWS Animal Shelter and Dawn Spencer, a dog trainer.
During the eight weeks, two teams of three incarcerated individuals will serve as handlers for the dogs. Spencer will visit the facility once a week to put the puppies through the AKC S.T.A.R Puppy Program.
S.T.A.R. stands for Socialization, Training, Activity, and Responsible owner – the pillars of getting puppies off to a good start. Spencer will instruct the incarcerated individuals on what skills to work on each week.
The graduation of Janet and Chrissy is tentatively scheduled for June 13 and the dogs will be ready to go to their forever homes.
For information on adopting Janet or Chrissy, applications are available at paws14411.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 June 2022 at 8:05 am
Provided photo
ALBION – Albion students in Albion’s AP biology and chemistry classes continued an annual tradition where students fill planters with flowers. They are shown outside at the DPW. The AP students have been providing this community service for several years. The flowers will be in Albion’s downtown.
Students study the importance of plants as well as structure and biological properties.
Pictured in front include Samantha Hand, Shelby Hagen, Audrey Pask, Ashton Preston, Aidan Smith, Ulises Ledesma, Belen Rosario Soto, and Mrs. Borner, the AP chemistry teacher.
This may be the last time the classes do this with no AP science classes planned for next school year.
