By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2019 at 2:31 pm
ALBION – The Albion Board of Education accepted a $2,500 grant from Monsanto on Monday through the company’s “America’s Farmers Grow Communities program.”
Monsanto chooses a customer for the grant, and that customer picks a local organization for the funding.
Phil Panek of Albion was picked by Monsanto for the grant, and he chose to support the Albion agriculture program at the school.
This is the second time a local Monsanto customer picked the Albion agriculture program to receive the grant. In 2014, Albion farmers Doug and Mitchell Kirby also chose the school’s agriculture program for the $2,500 grant.
This is the 10th year of the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, where farmers have the chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit of their choice. So far Monsanto has awarded more than $33 million to over 8,000 nonprofits across rural America.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2019 at 12:57 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Derek Vallese, the new business administrator for Albion Central School, goes over the school district’s proposed $35.5 million budget on Monday. Vallese succeeds Shawn Liddle, who retired last month as the school’s business administrator. Vallese previously worked as treasurer for Newfane Central School.
ALBION — The school district won’t need to increase taxes in the 2019-20 school year. The district is proposing to collect $8,449,094 in property taxes, the same as in 2018-19.
This is now the 11th time in the past 13 years the school district has either kept taxes flat or reduced them.
The $35,555,151 budget will go before district voters on May 21 from noon to 8 p.m. at the elementary school conference room A. The overall budget expenses will increase less than 1 percent (0.94 percent) or by $329,885.
The district is projecting the tax rate will decrease from $15.47 per $1,000 of assessed property to $14.70. The towns have done a reassessment that will take effect with the next school budget. The reassessment will likely increase the tax base, driving down the rate. However, some people will pay more or less in taxes than they currently are, depending on the reassessed value of their property, a value set by town assessors. Overall, the district will be collecting the same amount of taxes.
The district was able to hold off a tax increase due to about $615,000 more in state aid, and a reduction in debt service by $857,942 to $784,408. The district’s contributions to the teacher retirement system also will be down about $289,000.
Those savings and additional state aid are helping to offset transportation costs going up by $607,698 to $2,569,593; maintenance expenses increasing by $218,574 to $3,445,933; and instruction costs up $375,102 to $25,927,654.
The district will also have a full-time school resource officer for the full school year at a cost of $81,250.
Derek Vallese, the district’s new business administrator, went over the budget during Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
State aid is budgeted for $25,852,494. That represents the governor’s proposed aid, plus $30,000. The final state budget included $43,000 more for Albion than what the district has budgeted, however the aid isn’t a solid number and can still change.
Vallese recommended keeping that $43,000 as a cushion in the budget, which the Board of Education supported.
Other propositions for the May 21 vote include:
• Authorization to spend $505,000 from the School Bus Purchase Reserve Fund to buy school buses during the 2020-21 school year.
• Authorization to collect $714,920 for Hoag Library, which is the same amount as 2018-19.
• Two seats with five-year terms are up for election. They are currently filled by David Sidari and Wendy Kirby. Petitions to run for the Board of Education are due to the district office by 5 p.m. on April 22.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Hoag Library this month will display this flag from an African-American unit that fought in the Civil War. The flag has 35 stars. That’s how many stars were on the flag for two years from 1863 to 1865.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2019 at 9:42 am
Hoag is hosting several Civil War events in April
ALBION – A Civil War flag for a Colored Troops regiment will be on display this month at Hoag Library during special programs about the Civil War.
The library’s board of trustees on March 13 voted to have the flag sold through an auctioneer in Dallas, Texas. The flag hasn’t been sent away yet and will stay with the library through at least April.
The library wants to give people a chance to see the flag, which is in a deteriorated condition especially with the white stripes. Betty Sue Miller, the library director, said many people in the community have shared their opinion about whether the flag should stay or be sold.
“Many are commenting and they haven’t seen it,” she said.
The library board voted 5-0 to sell the flag, as long as it gets a minimum of $10,000. The board was concerned that restoring the flag would cost an estimated $8,000 to $10,000, and properly displaying it would cost additional expense.
The library is working with Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, which wants to make the flag a showpiece item at an upcoming auction.
The flag for the 26th Regiment United States Colored Troops isn’t for a local unit. Those troops were based out of New York City, although County Historian Matt Ballard said they were led by a local white soldier, Charles H. Mattison of Barre.
Miller said she has reached out to the New York Public Library and also the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pa. to gauge their interest in the flag.
She is concerned the flag will continue to deteriorate if the library keeps it.
Photo courtesy of GCC: Derek Maxfield, left, is General Ulysses S. Grant and Tracy Ford is General William Tecumseh Sherman in a 45-minute theatrical “conversation” between the two Civil War generals for the Union. They will present “Now we stand by each other always” on April 17 at Hoag Library.
Meanwhile, the Hoag Library Civil War series begins today at noon with Tea with Dee, a discussion led by historian Dee Robinson who will highlight some local women during the Civil War, including a doctor, a housewife and a spy.
The series is a collaboration with the Orleans County Historical Association. Other programs this month include:
• April 9 at 1 p.m. — Mark Jones discusses Civil War bands and bandsmen
• April 11 at 6:30 p.m. — Peter Turkow leads an open discussion about the Civil War
• April 16 at noon — Dr. John Daly, associate professor of History at the Brockport State, will give a presentation, “When did the Civil War end?”
• April 17 at 7 p.m. — GCC professors Derek Maxfield and Tracy Ford showcase an historic Civil War era meeting in a unique program entitled, “Now we stand by each other always; A conversation between Gens. Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.” Ford plays the role of General Sherman and Maxfield is General Grant.
• April 22 at 7 p.m. — Albion resident and author Mike McFarland will discuss the Erie Canal during the Civil War.
• April 30 at 6 p.m. — Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard will discuss Civil War era Albion and Rufus Brown Bullock, an Albion resident who served as governor of Georgia during reconstruction from 1868 to 1871.
• May 4 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. — People, Weapons & Dress of the Civil War featuring the 4th South Carolina Infantry Reenactors.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Matt Ballard, left, is congratulated by Albion teacher Tim Archer after Ballard was recognized as a “Friend of Education” during today’s Board of Education meeting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2019 at 10:59 pm
ALBION – Matt Ballard, the Orleans County historian, was recognized this evening as a “Friend of Education” by the Albion school district.
Ballard, a 2006 Albion graduate, often visits Tim Archer’s seventh-grade service learning class and helps students with research and also leads informative discussions for the class, Archer said at today’s Board of Education meeting.
Ballard also assists the district each fall for the annual Ghost Walk at Mount Albion Cemetery, where students portray residents buried at the cemetery. About 500 people attend that event each year.
Ballard graduated from Albion in 2006. He works full-time as library director at Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili. He works part-time as county historian and also is finishing a second master’s degree at Brockport State College. His first master’s was in library science. Now he is pursuing a degree in American history.
Ballard has been the county historian for about four years. He followed Bill Lattin, who also helped Archer’s students on many projects and was a frequent guest in the class.
“Matt had tough shoes to fill following Bill Lattin,” Archer said at this evening’s Board of Education meeting.
Lattin used to bring in a slide projector with images of Albion’s past. Ballard has digitized files and uses a remote to go through a presentation on a flatscreen. Like Lattin, he connects students to the the past, telling stories about people and places.
“He is a good guy and great example for our students,” Archer said.
Starkweather Miller said Ballard has pinpointed some people at the cemetery who hadn’t been included before on the Ghost Walks. He makes suggestions that have improved the annual event, she said.
Ballard has been instrumental in helping Archer’s classes with several community service projects, most recently helping research the former Orleans County Alms House on West Countyhouse Road in Albion.
The classes are researching the 250 names recorded as being buried on the grounds, most with no marker at all, or a simple stone with a number. Ballard has been helping the classes locate and study newly found primary source documents. The students hope to have an interpretive panel erected on the site this spring listing the long forgotten names.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Matt Ballard, seated at left, joins Tim Archer and the community at a rededication ceremony on June 9, 2017 for a bronze tablet listing the names of 24 soldiers from Orleans County who died in World War I. The tablet was rededicated at the County Courthouse. The marker was originally installed at the courthouse but was removed, and later was in possession of the American Legion. The Legion in Albion sold its post building on Main Street to Community Action, and relocated to the former Scottish Pines golf course on Gaines Basin Road. The Legion wanted to find a proper home for the memorial tablet, and reached out to Archer. His seventh grade students were doing research on local soldiers involved in World War I. The memorial tablet had been in storage.
Some of the other projects Ballard has helped Archer’s students with include:
• Research and design for an interpretive panel by the Erie Canal and the waterway’s impact on Albion that was unveiled last year.
• Assisted with last year’s Arbor Day ceremony at Mount Albion.
• Assisted with rededication of a World War I memorial, which was rededicated in June 2017 at the County Courthouse. The bronze marker lists the names of 24 local residents from the school district (towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines) who died in World War I.
• Assisted with historical marker for local soldier who died at Gettysburg. On Oct. 8, 2016, the historical marker was unveiled for Herbert Charles Taylor, the only Orleans County resident believed to have been killed in the Battle at Gettysburg. That marker is at Hillside Cemetery in Holley.
• Helped Albion students dedicate a new marker at the Civil War section of historic Mount Albion Cemetery, with the marker dedicated on May 26, 2016. Ballard helped students research local Civil War soldiers.
• Worked with students to secure a proper cemetery marker for one Civil War veteran at the old St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Albion. A new headstone was unveiled on April 30, 2016 for John Frost, a principal musician (chief bugler) for the 33rd New York Infantry and also the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division of 6th Corps. Frost was buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Brown Road in 1915. He finally received a marker 101 years after his death.
Frost raised five children in Orleans County and sold coal for a living. In 2015, the Holy Family Parish was going through records at the cemetery and realized that John Frost never had a headstone. Ballard, a member of the parish and also the Knights of Columbus, shared the story with Archer, who then told his students about Frost. The students wanted Frost to have a headstone.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2019 at 4:24 pm
ALBION – Hoag Library found a letter today in the files of its local history room that was written to the former Swan Library from Susan B. Anthony, the women’s rights activist who was a pivotal leader for women’s suffrage.
The Nov. 12, 1903 letter from Anthony encourages Swan Library in Albion to buy four volumes of the History of Woman Suffrage and also two volumes about the Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony.
The History of Woman Suffrage would later include six volumes from 1881 to 1922 and includes more than 5,700 pages about the women’s suffrage movement.
The first two volumes of the Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony were published in 1898 and were written by journalist Ida Husted Harper. She would write a third in 1908, after Anthony’s death.
Dee Robinson, a reference librarian at Hoag, was looking through the files in the local history today when she found the letter from Anthony.
The typed letter to “Librarian Swan Library” says the following:
My Dear Friend : —
Enclosed are the circulars for the Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony, in two volumes, and the History of Woman Suffrage in four volumes. Will not your library purchase them? These ought to be in a public place where every student of the High school or public school, as well as every person who wishes to learn anything about the Woman Suffrage movement, can have easy access to them.
I hope you will purchase them.
Sincerely yours,
(signed) Susan B. Anthony
The library last year hired two new librarians and that is freeing up Robinson to search through the old files in the history room, said Betty Sue Miller, the library’s director.
Robinson has also found an original program from the dedication of Swan Library, which opened in 1900. She also found an advertisement for a play from 1873 where community members performed Dickens’ plays to raise money for a library.
“We’re digging through the archives,” Miller said this afternoon. “Who knows what else we’ll find.”
Robinson is checking to see if the books in Anthony’s letter are still in the library’s possession. Miller said she would like to create a timeline display about the library’s history in Albion, and include a copy of the letter from Anthony. The original will be kept in a secure spot.
Anthony signed the letter when she was 83 and serving as the honorary president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Anthony had an office at 17 Madison St., Rochester.
She would die at age 86 on March 13, 1906. She was a leader at age 28 when a group of women held a convention at Seneca Falls in 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention in the United States. It began the Suffrage movement and Anthony devoted her life to the cause.
She didn’t live to see women get the right to vote. That right was secured in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2019 at 4:34 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The drama program at Albion High School will perform Into the Woods this Friday and Saturday at the Middle School Auditorium.
The top photo shows Nate Grammatico, left, as Jack; Enoch Martin (holding the baby) as the Baker; and Kate Krieger as Cinderella.
Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, noon on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are available at the door.
Brennan Moody, left, is Cinderella’s Prince and Chase Froman is Rapunzel’s Prince. The two princes are brothers. They are singing, “Agony.”
Into the Woods was written by Stephen Sondheim and intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The main characters are taken from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella and others.
The musical explores the consequences of the characters’ wishes. The storyline is connected by a childless baker and his wife, and their desire to begin a family. A witch places a curse on them after the baker’s father steals her vegetables, including magic beans.
The witch will lift the curse if she is brought four ingredients – a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold – in three days.
Zach Moore is the narrator, introducing the different characters in the show.
Myleigh Miller is Little Red Riding Hood, Emma Tower is the Baker’s Wife and Enoch Martin is the Baker.
There are 25 students in the cast, another 24 in the stage crew, and 17 in the pit orchestra.
Martin, a senior, has been performing in the Albion drama program since the middle school. He plans to work for two years after high school to save money and then head to California and Hollywood to be a professional actor.
He enjoys challenging himself to portray different characters. Into the Woods is “one of the more serious shows Albion has done,” he said.
Aubrey Boyer is the Witch, who raises Rapunzel in a tall tower accessible only by climbing Rapunzel’s long, golden hair.
Gary Simboli, the musical director, said the show features many soloists, including Boyer.
“It is a gargantuan show,” Simboli said. “It’s a huge storyline with many opportunities for soloists and individual storylines to develop.”
The set pieces are moving throughout the show, which Simboli said gives the feeling of an animated movie.
In Act 1, many of the characters see their wishes come true. Act 2 is darker and shows what happens to the characters after their wishes come true.
Kate Krieger is Cinderella who is surrounded by mythical creatures played by, from left: Olivia Morrison, April Henchen, Kaylyn Holman and Annalise Steier.
Krieger, a senior, said she has enjoyed being a part of the close-knit drama program at Albion.
“Everyone works really well together,” she said.
Cinderella shows many emotions during the show, which Krieger said she enjoys.
“It’s definitely an exciting show,” she said.
Nate Grammatico plays Jack who slays the Giant. He is shown with Laiken Ricker (Milky White), Hannah Van Epps (Jack’s mother), Emma Tower (Baker’s wife) and Jacob Ettinger (The Mysterious Man).
These characters include, from left: Sophia Zambito as Lucinda, Cinderella’s stepsister; Leah Kania as Florinda, Cinderella’s stepsister; and Hannah Brewer as Cinderella’s stepmother.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 March 2019 at 3:56 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Maia Pate performs as the Cat in the Hat during the Albion Middle School’s production of Seussical on March 15-16. The middle and high schools both do two full-length musicals each year.
ALBION – The Albion music program has made it 12 straight years of being recognized on a national list of schools with outstanding music programs.
The North American Music Merchants has its annual lists of school districts that are “Best Communities for Music Education.” Albion is one of 623 districts to be recognized nationally, and the only one in Orleans County.
The NAMM organization gives out the award to recognize districts that make music a priority, especially in an era of tight school budgets and packed student schedules.
“Congratulations to the 623 school districts that are among the Best Communities in the nation for music education,” NAMM stated on its website. “The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education.”
Other nearby school districts on the list include Akron, Brockport, Le Roy, Perry and Roy-Hart.
Albion runs an active music program in the elementary, middle and high schools. The high school puts on two full-scale musical and students also perform in several different instrumental and choral groups. In all, high school musicians perform numerous times during the school year.
The middle school puts on two musicals each year, and its students perform with the marching and jazz bands. Elementary music teachers lead students in performances throughout the year.
Research studies continue to demonstrate the physical, cognitive and social benefits of music making. Students who are involved in a school-based music program are not only more likely to graduate high school and attend college, the NAMM Foundation stated.
Students, with even only a few years of musical training early in life, also are better able to process sound, even later in life. Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills and learning how to give and receive constructive criticism, NAMM said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2019 at 8:44 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The railroad bridge on Keitel Road is pictured this evening in Albion. A section of the road will close on Monday between Route 31 and the Erie Canal. That section of the road will be closed until April 23.
Genesee Valley Transportation Company, based in Batavia, is making masonry and steel repairs to the bridge. GVT owns the Falls Road Railroad, which goes from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.
When that project is complete, GVT will work on the bridge on Butts Road. Butts Road will be closed between Route 31 and East State Street from April 23 until mid-May.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2019 at 10:22 pm
5th annual ‘Run for Wayne’ honors memory for Albion elementary music teacher
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Brian Krieger, director of the Albion Running Club, welcomes about 120 participants to the fifth annual Wayne Burlison Colon Cancer Awareness 5K.
Krieger was a close friend of Burlison, who was 36 when he passed away from colon cancer on March 26, 2014.
The race is sponsored by Oak Orchard Health, which is trying to raise awareness about colon cancer as the third-leading cause of death by cancer for men and women. Colon cancer is preventable or treatable with the proper knowledge, resources and early detection.
Proceeds from the race go towards a scholarship in Burlison’s name. The Running Club also is donating money in memory of Burlison for a walking/running trail at Bullard Park.
Bob Pastecki shares a welcome message today at the start of the race. Pastecki is Burlison’s brother in law. He is wearing orange compression socks with Burlison’s name. Burlison used to wear orange compression socks for his training runs and at races.
Pastecki shared a welcome message from Lisa Burlison, Wayne’s wife. She was at a spelling bee in Batavia with the couple’s son, Adam.
“As we approach nearly 5 years since my late husband Wayne has passed, I find the passing of days to still be surreal at times,” she wrote. “These days are filled with things to do, seemingly spelled out with to-do lists and tasks. Life seems to move on, yet the longing for how things once were remains.
“This morning my son competed in the Regional Spelling Bee Competition. It required months, weeks, days, and hours of studying and preparing. He had a goal in sight, and he took many steps to get there. Competitive runners do the same. Starting small, increasing the rigor of training, to ultimately run a race. Wayne did this time and time again – Running 5ks, ½ and full marathons, with rest in between, but always setting a future goal to maintain his running stamina, and overall health.
“Wayne was not only intentional in how he ran, but in how he did life. He spelled out his days and knew how and what he needed to do. While he often admitted it was an imperfect process at times, he knew he would and could get back up and work towards his goals. My son did the same as he prepared for the spelling bee today. He experienced frustration with strange spellings and pronunciations, along with having the energy and commitment to work on the lists, with the nerves and strain of being on stage as all watch to see if he would make a mistake or move on to the next round.
“Life can feel like it is spelled out, both intentionally of our choosing, and also unintentionally as change and events of life forces onto our paths.
“So, as I have learned imperfectly there are a few words that are spelled out for me today, words that I remind myself to hold close to my heart. One is P-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-e; persevere, and the other is H-O-P-E, hope. May these be words also be of inspiration for you today.”
Meganne Moore, a seventh-grader and one of Burlison’s former students, finishes the race.
Joel Nowatchik of Lockport won the race in a time of 18:28 and Abigail Sortore of Bolivar was the fastest woman in a time of 21:07, which was third overall.
The runners shrugged off the chill to complete a course that started near the elementary school on Clarendon Road, and then went on Route 31 to Mont Albion Cemetery with a return back on 31 to the elementary school parking lot.
A group supporting Brett Sobieraski for sheriff takes a cool-down jog together after the race. Sobieraski was the 6th finisher overall with a time of 22:52.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2019 at 8:28 pm
Photo courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller
BATAVIA – Adam Burlison is shown competing in today’s Scripps Western New York Regional Spelling Bee at Batavia High School. Adam finished 4th out of about 30 of the region’s top spellers in the grades 6 through 8.
The competition lasted about four hours and was won by Emily Mike, an eighth-grader from Mount Morris.
Adam studied more than 1,000 words to prepare the competition. He was knocked out when he missed how to spell “nadir.”
Today was also the fifth annual Run for Wayne in Albion, a run and walk in memory of Adam’s father, Wayne Burlison, who was 36 when he passed away from colon cancer on March 26, 2014. He was an elementary music teacher at Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2019 at 10:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion seventh-graders created 170 bowls in pottery class that were available for $5 each on Thursday during the 10th annual Empty Bowls event at the middle school. The $5 include a bowls of cheese and broccoli soup.
Proceeds from the sale of the bowls will go to the food pantry at Community Action. The event typically raises about $800 to $1,000 for the food pantry.
Michael Bonnewell, the Albion school district superintendent, looks on the bottom of a bowl to see which student made it.
The bowls were made in an art class led by Kamie Feder. The bowls also included origami.
Isaac Hickman, left, and Ethan Merrill help sell some of the bowls during Thursday’s event.
The event was expanded on Thursday to include a literacy night. The Albion Teachers Association, led by President Chris Keller (left), gave away books to students who attended the evening.
Hoag Library also was part of the literacy promotion, and had games for students. The middle school library also had a book fair.
There were many science, math and literacy activities at the school during the evening, including a chance to make slime and figure out an escape room set up in the gym.
Interact and exchange students get together for a group photo.
Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller, Albion Central School
Rotary exchange students at today’s panel discussion included Oline (Amsterdam) and Stephen (Australia), who are staying with families in Batavia; Jorge (Venezuela) is in Lockport; Janne (Germany) is in Holley; and Flora (Italy) is in Akron.
ALBION – The Albion High School Interact Club hosted a panel discussion this morning for area Interact groups from Holley, Akron, Lockport and Genesee County.
The panel consisted of Rotary exchange students from Italy, Australia, Germany, Venezuela and Amsterdam. They spoke about their experiences as exchange students and why they decided to participate in the program.
They also shared similarities and differences with their education system and ours, extra-curricular activities, food, shopping, entertainment, culture, and general perceptions of their experiences in the USA.
All of the exchange students felt the program is a worthwhile experience and they seem very open to trying anything and everything while here. They participate in athletics, theater, guitar lessons, and skiing. Many had never before experienced our winter weather or snow days and weren’t adequately prepared for the weather!
The panel was a way for the Interact clubs and their advisors to meet, share ideas, coordinate activities, and gain a more global perspective from the exchange students.
This event was so well received that the Interact advisors will continue to meet annually.
Tim Archer, Albion’s Interact advisor, leads the panel discussion. Albion has had an active Interact club since 2001.
Holley Interact students, including Callie Updike (standing at left), shared a list of activities that they are part of in the Holley community. The students assist with fall cleanup at Hillside Cemetery, participate in the PTSA elementary school dances, pack bags for Santa’s community visit, help with the school lunch buddy program, donate to the Evan Strong Fundraiser and the Andie Carpenter Scholarship, and collect books for Ronald McDonald House. They will also collect toiletries for the homeless in Rochester, and hold a “Soles 4 Souls” shoe drive (they have already collected 500 pairs of shoes in the last two years).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2019 at 1:03 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Ulrich Signs in Lockport works on a new sign for North Point Chapel, which owns the former United Methodist Church building at the corner of Platt and East State streets in Albion.
North Point started as a congregation about three years ago. It first met in the Hoag Library before going to the Arnold Gregory Office Complex. About two years ago North Point went to the United Methodist building after that congregation left the building and now shares space at Christ Church with the Episcopalians.
The new sign was unveiled at about 12:30 p.m. today.
“We’re now official,” Mike Outten, the church’s pastor, said about the sign and the church’s presence in the community.
He likes the sign’s style, which he said blends “the 19th Century with the 21st Century.”
Outten said North Point will add gooseneck lights above the sign to illuminate it. An electrician will be arriving next week to discuss the project.
North Point Chapel has 10:30a.m. Sunday services at the church building which was constructed in 1860, and other ministry programs during the week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2019 at 2:38 pm
ALBION – Two roads in the Town of Albion will be closed while the owner of the railroad makes steel and masonry repairs to the bridges over Butts Road and Keitel Road.
Genesee Valley Transportation Co. in Batavia is the owner of the Falls Road Railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.
Keitel Road will be closed between Route 31 and the Erie Canal from March 25 to April 23.
Butts Road will be closed between Route 31 and East State Street from April 23 to mid May.
‘We are much better today thanks to this exercise and the hard work of many involved with it.’ – Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni
Provided photos: Law enforcement officers and firefighters check the hallways and classrooms during a drill Tuesday at the Albion Middle School.
Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni
ALBION – The Albion Police Department conducted a full-scale exercise at the Albion Middle School on Tueday, beginning at 9 a.m. The exercise was conducted to evaluate the preparedness, response, and tactical and decision-making abilities of law enforcement, fire and EMS responders. The exercise was designed to simulate high-stress conditions and to incorporate as much realism as possible.
A committee of top-level responders and commanders was formed to organize the drill. The U.S. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) was utilized in the drill planning. Through the use of HSEEP, exercise program managers were able to develop, execute, and evaluate the exercise that addressed the priorities established by the committee.
Objectives were established to evaluate the response and mitigation to an active shooter at the Albion Middle School by law enforcement, Fire/EMS, command, dispatch and school staff. Several exercise controllers and evaluators were utilized to record the exercise and evaluate the response.
The controllers and evaluators used were from agencies inside and outside of Orleans County with advanced specialties in the areas they were assigned to evaluate.
The responders and school staff role players were given no previous direction or instruction to make the exercise as real as possible. In an effort to simulate realism, police, fire and EMS units were staged and were not allowed to respond to the school until they were dispatched and then held until the appropriate times had passed to simulate actual real times.
The exercise began when role players, acting as suspicious persons, were observed inside the school causing school staff to alert the 911 center which initiated a police response. As law enforcement arrived on scene, gunfire occurred inside the school prompting a full multi agency law enforcement response. (Editor’s Note: The gunfire was actually firecrackers.)
Command was established and additional police, fire and EMS resources were called to the scene to deal with multiple suspects and 18 injured persons with high and low levels of injuries.
The exercise plan called for over 24 objectives to be evaluated using the HSEEP Exercise Evaluation Guide. These evaluations along with the Feedback Forms completed by over 400 exercise participants ranging from commanders, responders, role players, controllers, facilitators and evaluators will be compiled and an Exercise After Action Report will be produced.
The After Action Report will help responders build on the skills they tested during this exercise to make an effective and efficient response even better in the future.
No matter how good we do during an exercise, there is always a need to evaluate and perform at a higher level, regardless of what discipline you are in during an incident of this magnitude. We are much better today thanks to this exercise and the hard work of many involved with it.
This exercise would not have been possible without the assistance of many individuals from many agencies. Below is a list of agencies involved in the exercise as both responders and exercise support staff that assisted as controllers, facilitators, evaluators and technical advisers.
Responding Agencies:
Albion Police Department, Albion Fire Department, Barre Fire Department, Carlton Fire Department, COVA Ambulance, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Department, Hamlin Ambulance, Holley Fire Department, Holley Police Department, Kendall Fire Department Ambulance, Medina Police Department, Medina Fire Department, Mercy Flight Ambulance, Monroe Ambulance, Orleans County Emergency Management, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County Probation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Police, US Customs and Border Protection, and Village of Albion DPW.
Exercise Support:
Albion Central School District, Albion Police, Batavia Police Department, COVA Ambulance, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Greece Volunteer Ambulance, Medina Police, Medina Fire Department, Orleans County Emergency Management, Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, US Customs and Border Protection
The Albion Police Department would like to thank all the agencies involved, as this exercise would not have been possible without the support and assistance from everyone. A special thank you to Albion School District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell, Board of Education and the school staff for allowing such a beneficial exercise to take place.
