By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2019 at 9:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association put on its sixth annual Sip and Stroll, a wine-tasting in downtown Albion. There were 350 people on Saturday sampling wine, the biggest turnout for the event so far.
The top photos shows Bill Koller from the Victorianbourg Wine Estate in Wilson. He is pouring wine for people at the Town and Country Quilter on East Bank Street. The quilt shop was one of a dozen stops on the wine-tasting tour.
There were also 164 people who bought VIP tickets that included food served by Roadies at the Five Star Bank. That was double the VIP tickets from last year.
These three ladies are pictured on Main Street near the end of the wine-tasting. Maureen Bennett, left, and Lori Laine, right, are joined by their friend, Courtney DePaula.
Lori Laine made the signs with balloons that looked like grapes for each of the stops.
Circle B Winery in Elba serves samples of wine at Laura Loxley Vintage Inspired Goods, which celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. Elyssa Curry, right, assists winery co-owner Ingrid Bowen in serving wine. Ingrid and Bob Bowen opened the winery a year ago.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Smith: Merchants like the tour because it brings people into their storefronts. This photo shows a crowd inside Krantz Furniture, which hosted two of the wineries.
Photo by Sue Starkweather Miller: Melissa Barnosky is pictured on Saturday in Albany with Anthony Paternostro, chairman of the American Legion’s oratorical contest. Barnosky won the competition for the second straight year.
ALBANY – Melissa Barnosky is the state champion for the American Legion’s oratorical contest for the second straight year. Barnsoky won the Legion’s 82nd annual oratorical contest in Albany on Saturday.
This was her third appearance in the finals. She competed against students from zones 1 -4. She represented zone 5 and delivered her 8-10 minute oration entitled “Civic knowledge, the key to our vigilance.”
The 3-5 minute assigned topic was drawn after students finished their initial oration. The chosen topic was on the Fourth Amendment – “The right of the people to secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Barnosky will now move on to the national contest in Indianapolis, IN. It will take place April 5-7.
As the NYS oratorical winner, she will also give her oration at the 101st American Legion department convention to be held in July 18-20 in Buffalo.
“Melissa did an outstanding job and we are so proud of her,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, public information officer for Albion Central School. “She has a solid understanding of our Constitution and has a strong stage presence. She will do a fine job of representing New York State at the national convention.”
Barnosky advanced to the state competition after winning at the school, county, district and zone levels.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2019 at 11:42 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Laura Kemler and her husband Kevin are joined by friends and family for the ribbon-cutting this morning for Laura Loxley, a business at 45 North Main St., Albion.
Kemler makes baskets out of tie-dyed cotton ropes. She sells other vintage-style gift items. She had been making the products and selling them out of her house in Albion. The business has been growing and she wanted to be a part of the downtown business district.
Calvin Kemler, Laura and Kevin’s 4-year-old son, holds a confetti popper during the grand-opening celebration.
The past three months the Kemler family has worked on the storefront, creating a space with a 1930s-’40s theme.
Mrs. Kemler wants her shop to take people back to an era when products weren’t mass produced.
Albion Mayor Eileen Banker and Trustee Stan Farone look over some of the baskets at Laura Loxley. Banker presented Kemler with a citation of congratulations from the Village of Albion, as well as a certificate of recognition from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley. Banker works as his chief of staff.
She urged the community to shop at the downtown businesses.
“This is our village and we need to support it,” she said. “This is a very unique business. We need to encourage our residents to shop locally.”
Many of Kemler’s baskets have proven popular to store envelopes and stationary. Kemler makes them in a variety of colors and themes. She turned it into a business about three years ago, selling most of them online through Etsy.
Laura Loxley is one of the stops on a wine-tasting in the downtown later today from 4 to 7 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2019 at 8:55 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion teacher David Kozar high-fives his teammates on the Albion faculty just before tipoff this evening in the high school gym. Kozar is the Albion varsity boys’ basketball coach.
Albion teachers played the state troopers in a benefit for the Middle School FFA.
Engin Okdem, No. 33, gets a warm greeting from his teammates on the state troopers.
Albion teacher Mark Skurzewski waits to be introduced just before the game.
Ocie Bennett, a teacher’s assistant and coach at Albion, was a referee for the game. Doug Rich, a state trooper, joins his teammates for a break after the first quarter.
Albion teacher and coach Mike Fahy handles the ball and looks to make his next move during the game.
Photo courtesy of Albion Police Department: Albion Police Officer Christopher Glogowski is pictured with elementary school students. He is now working out of the district as a school resource officer.
Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni
ALBION – The Albion Police Department is pleased to announce the recent advancement in the relationship between the Albion Central School District and the Albion Police Department, with the official installment of an on-duty School Resource Officer.
Albion Police Officer Christopher Glogowski was officially appointed to the School Resource Officer position after officials from the Albion Central School District and the Albion Police Department came to an agreement regarding the funding and normal everyday duties for the officer.
Officer Glogowski has been a law enforcement officer for about three years after graduating from the Rural Police Training Academy in 2016, and was appointed to the School Resource Officer position after an interview process involving Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni, School Superintendent Michael Bonnewell as well as other Police Department and School staff.
At any given time, Officer Glogowski will be present in and around all of the Albion Central School campus, Monday through Friday, as well as a number of after school events and activities.
The Albion Police Department looks forward to the growing relationship with students, parents and school staff. The addition of Officer Glogowski is expected to be an expansion of positive police presence in the Albion schools as well as an overall asset to the Albion community.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Laura Kemler on Saturday will celebrate the grand opening of Laura Loxley, a business at 45 North Main St., Albion. She makes baskets out of tie-dyed cotton ropes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2019 at 3:51 pm
‘I have an absolute fascination for when things were made with quality and love.’ – Laura Kemler, owner of Laura Loxley
ALBION – A business that has grown too big for an Albion woman’s home will celebrate its grand opening Saturday at a downtown storefront.
Laura Kemler is owner of Laura Loxley. She makes vintage style baskets and other gift items.
The past three months Kemler and her husband Kevin have worked on the storefront at 45 North Main St. They wanted to create a space with a 1930s-’40s theme.
Mrs. Kemler wants her shop to take people back to an era when products weren’t mass produced.
“I have an absolute fascination for when things were made with quality and love,” Kemler said today at her business.
This basket was made in pink with a theme of breast cancer awareness.
She will open the doors to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday. That day she is one of the host sites for the Sip & Stroll by the Albion Merchants Association. Laura Loxleys will host Circle B Winery from Elba.
Kemler didn’t plan to run a business creating rope baskets and vintage goods. She was teaching an art class over a summer a few years ago at Forrestel Farm in Medina. She dabbled with tie-dye and fabric manipulation. Kemler wanted to do more than the typical tie-dyed T-shirts for the students.
She started experimenting with different fabrics. She found she enjoyed tie-dying cotton ropes, and turning them into colorful baskets.
The baskets have proven popular to store envelopes and stationary. Kemler makes them in a variety of colors and themes. She turned it into a business about three years ago and made the products out of her home, selling most of them online through Etsy.
Kemler also makes magnets. This one has an anchor that she tried to make look like it had been submerged for years in a lake. These magnets are mostly made of egg shells.
Her baskets were featured in a national magazine in October, the 45th anniversary issue of Old House Journal. The magazine did a spread on “clever” American-made items used for storage. That writeup gave her business a boost.
Kemler named her business, Laura Loxley, because she likes the English-sounding name of Loxley. She has visited the country several times.
Kemler believes Albion’s downtown is headed in the right director. Her friend Tara Thom opened a quilt business, Town and Country Quilter, on East Bank Street in October 2017. Earlier this month Kylie Hughson opened Adara Fashion at 101 North Main St.
Kemler also thinks her business will benefit by its location next to the 39 Problems restaurant, which opened last year.
She would like to see more awnings and projecting signs in the downtown. She is a fan of the show, Small Business Revolution, which highlights flourishing small towns. She thinks Albion could be one of those towns with a business district full of energy and entrepreneurs.
“As more shops open Albion will start to flourish again,” she said. “The shops will create a destination, but we need to keep the ball rolling.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Nick Schwartz, a landscape architect with CHA Consulting, discusses the plan to have shrubs near the top of the towpath, grass on the slope and trees at the bottom of the embankments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2019 at 9:18 am
Vegetative screening next phase of project which took out many big trees on canal embankment
Tree stumps were removed last week from this section near the towpath in Albion, between Brown Street and Ingersoll Street.
ALBION – The State Canal Corp. said the towpath will look much better later this year, following a tree-clearing last year and the current removal of the tree stumps.
The Canal Corp. will be planting shrubs near the top of the towpath, grass and wildflowers on the slope of the embankments and small trees about 25 feet from the slope of the towpath.
After a tree clearing started in late 2017 through early 2018, many residents and elected officials in Orleans and Monroe counties complained about the loss of shade from the trees and privacy for the homeowners. The canal also looked unsightly with the tree stumps remaining for about a year. Two contractors have been hired and have been taking out the stumps this winter.
“It is quite shocking,” Eileen Banker, Albion mayor, said during a meeting about the next phase of the project at Hoag Library on Monday evening. “It looks like a war zone in some places.”
She urged residents to connect with the Canal Corp. and express what they want for shrubs and trees near their property line. She thanked the Canal Corp. for bringing a team to Albion to update the community on the project and next phase.
The Canal Corp. wants to hear from property owners along the canal about their preferences for trees, shrubs and grass as a screen for their property. The Canal Corp. also will consider input from elected officials for other screening on the canal where a property owner doesn’t make a request, said John Callaghan, deputy director of the Canal Corp.
Property owners can request a meeting with Canal Corp. officials about the landscaping by calling 518-449-6061 or sending an email to embankment.restoration@canals.ny.gov.
The Canal Corp. wants to develop the vegetative screening plans in March, working with arborists to determine trees that would thrive at the bottom of the embankments, as well as a variety of grasses and wildflowers for the slope.
The Canal Corp. presented some options for trees and shrubs, including red osier dogwoods, sugar maples, winterberry shrubs and green junipers. The Canal Corp. is open to other species as long as they have the potential to thrive.
Callaghan said the slope will be maintained for appearance and also so canal inspectors can easily check the embankments for leaks or other problems. The Canal Corp. and its landscape consultant will meet with property owners in April and May to develop specific plans near those sites.
The vegetative screening – shrubs, grasses and trees – are scheduled to be planted from June through October this year.
Doug Kucmerowski of Brockport, a member of Erie Canal Neighbors Association, initially opposed the tree-clearing but said he is very appreciative of the Canal Corp. for removing the trees and making the canal safer for residents who were at risk of a flood if the embankments leaked.
The Canal Corp. hired a contractor to take down numerous trees on the canal embankments in Orleans and Monroe. In October 2017, Mohawk Valley Materials from Utica started to remove trees on 146 acres of canal-owned land from Medina to Fairport.
The tree clearing made it to Spencerport until being halted in early February 2018 after a lawsuit from the towns of Brighton, Pittsford and Perinton.
The Canal Corp. pushed to have trees removed from the embankments because the root systems can cause seepage and potentially lead to erosion and potential embankment failure that can cause catastrophic damage and loss of life, the Canal Corp. said.
Some residents at the meeting Monday said the project has diminished the beauty of the canal and towpath, making it less of an attraction. Cyclists, walkers and joggers miss the shade and the view of a tree-lined towpath, residents said.
“I’m still appalled you cut down all of the trees,” said Anita McCarthy of Albion. “This is just ridiculous.”
Doug Kucmerowski of Brockport, a member of Erie Canal Neighbors Association, said he initially opposed the tree-clearing, and then did some research on why the project was needed. He said homeowners along the canal have been vulnerable to an embankment blowout due to the trees.
If an embankment failed, millions of gallons of water would be unleashed on properties, he said.
“I for one want to be safe,” he said. “These people are helping us. This is a safety project.”
The Canal Corp. will discuss the project today in Brockport during a meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the A.D. Oliver Middle School, 40 Allen St.
Local residents and officials met with State Canal Corp. employees and their consultants to see renderings of vegetative screening along the canal where trees have been taken down.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Aric Albright, chief operator for the Albion sewer plant, also oversees the facilities for Holley and Elba. Albright was honored last year by the Genesee Valley branch of the American Public Works Association.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 February 2019 at 10:43 am
Facility on Densmore Street will be state-of-art after upcoming project
ALBION – A sewer plant that is four decades old soon will be tackling another significant upgrade, following a series of other improvements in recent years.
The Village of Albion in December was approved for a $600,000 state grant to install an ultraviolet disinfection system. The outcome will be to fully treat the effluent, which will kill bacteria.
“It will basically be like refined water when it is released into Sandy Creek,” said Aric Albright, the sewer plant’s chief operator. “I could hold up a glass of water and our effluent and you wouldn’t notice the difference.”
The disinfectant project will slow down how fast the water flows through the plant. The water will be slowed down with a weir and exposed to ultraviolent light.
Albion doesn’t do the ultraviolent system right now. The village will retrofit a chamber at the sewer plant, a part of the facility on Densmore Street that hasn’t been used since the 1980s.
That project follows several other significant upgrades in the past three years. The village has spent about $3.2 million to upgrade the controls, replace blowers and repair tanks and drives.
The improvements have the plant well positioned for the future to meet the village’s current needs and also if there are new sewer districts and industry. The plant currently treats about 2 million gallons a day, and that can increase to 3 million if there is a heavy rain or snow melt.
The sewer plant, known as the Village of Albion Pollution Control Facility, was built about 40 years ago. Albright said the recent improvements ensure the plant will continue as an important asset for the community.
“This is a good plant,” he said. “It will be in good shape for many years to come.”
Albright, 51, grew up in Albion. He joined the sewer plant after working 18 years for two local quarries. He started at the plant in 2001, working in maintenance. He became the chief operator in 2006.
“I was born and raised in Albion and I love the village,” he said. “I feel this is one way I can help keep the village thriving.”
Mayor Eileen Banker praises Albright for being a hard-worker who looks out for the best interests of the village.
Albright in the past five years also pushed the village to run the sewer plants for Holley and Elba, and Elba’s water plant. The agreements generate money for the village, and provide the trained personnel for the neighboring municipalities for their facilities.
Albright does the paperwork for discharge monitoring, reports that go to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Albion has a sewer employee at the Holley and Elba sites daily.
Albright said the village is fortunate to have dedicated employees at the sewer plant with Kyle Piccirilli, an operator in training; Brad Rouse, who works in maintenance; and Kevin Kelly, a part-time truck driver. (The village has a tanker that spreads some of the sewage sludge on farm fields, which provides fertilizer for local crops.)
“I would put my guys against anyone,” Albright said. “These three guys put the village first.”
Piccirrilli joined the sewer plant about a 1 ½ years ago after 8 years at St. Gobain in Albion. Piccirrilli likes the quietness of the plant and the challenges of the job.
“There’s a lot more to it than I realized,” he said.
One main goal is to create an atmosphere where bugs can thrive and eat the bacteria, a natural biologic breakdown of the sewage sludge.
Much of the upgrades at the sewer plant haven’t been visible to the general public because the upgrades have been inside the facility or the tanks behind the building.
There has been a much more visible project this winter at the plant. Nearly 4,000 solar panels are being installed.
The solar panels will generate 1.3 megawatts of electricity. It will be sold to National Grid, and is expected raise at least $80,000 a year for the village.
Contractors are expected to have the system constructed in March with it going online in May.
Russell Brilhart, an employee with Sole Contracting in Delaware, carries a solar panel on Feb. 4 that was installed by the Albion sewer plant on Densmore Street.
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated after the initial report had the the wrong date for the drill.)
ALBION – The Albion Police Department will be holding an active shooter/emergency response drill on Tuesday, March 12, at the Albion school district campus.
The drill will involve multiple local law enforcement, EMS and fire service agencies, as well as participation and assistance from state and federal agencies.
The drill will begin around 9 a.m. and is scheduled to last until approximately 2 p.m. During the drill, Route 31 will be closed from Route 98 to Clarendon Street. Residents who live in the area will be allowed to access residences on Route 31 during the drill if necessary.
School operations will be cancelled in each Albion school, however, about 200 school district staff members will be participating in the drill, simulating various roles within the school to allow for a realistic emergency response environment.
An active shooter is an individual actively engaging in life-threatening violence to persons in a confined and populated area. This drill will be one of the largest drills ever conducted in Orleans County and will allow the Albion Police Department and participating agencies to test and evaluate response times, organization and overall readiness for an emergency situation.
The Albion Police Department requests that the area of the Albion school district campuses be avoided during the drill so that it can be conducted as safely and effectively as possible.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2019 at 4:10 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A contractor this afternoon removes tree stumps and packs in dirt on the embankment alogn the Erie Canal Towpath. This spot is in Albion on the west side on the Brown Street bridge.
The NYS Canal Corporation will hold informational meetings next week about next steps for the Erie Canal embankment restoration project.
A landscape architect will be on hand to talk about potential options available to residents and land owners for aesthetic improvements and privacy screening following the removal of tree stumps and other safety upgrades.
The meetings are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Monday, Feb. 25 – Hoag Library, 134 South Main St., Albion
• Tuesday, Feb . 26 – A.D. Oliver Middle School, 40 Allen St., Brockport
Tree stumps are piled near a pathway by the Brown Street bridge in Albion.
The Canal Corp. is working on phase 2 of the project, removing tree stumps and packing and grading of the embankments where trees were cut down about a year ago.
The state Canal Corp. has hired Hohl Industrial of Tonawanda and Tioga Construction of Herkimer for phase 2, which started in December near Marshall Road in Medina, and has headed east.
Phase 1 work including cutting down and removing trees and mowing brush off the canal embankments in Orleans and part of Monroe counties. The embankment maintenance program will enhance the canal’s safety and security, the Canal Corp. said.
The Canal Corp. said that trees shouldn’t be on embankments because their root systems can cause seepage and potentially lead to erosion and potential embankment failure that can cause catastrophic damage.
ALBION – A group of fourth-graders participated in an after-school Art History Club with Mrs. Pritchard and Mrs. Prince. The club was sponsored by the Community Schools grant, which provides extended day and week programs and opportunities for students and families.
The top photo includes, from left: Abigail Kipler, Brown’s Berry Patch; Drayson Shonerd, Hoag Library, Alyssa Adkins, Carl I. Bergerson Middle School, and Drew Pritchard, Santa Claus School.
The Art History Club was a fun way to learn about local history and create an art piece. The students researched various local landmarks. Each student then had an opportunity to choose a favorite landmark and design his/her own 16″ x 20″ rendition of their landmark.
Several different mediums were offered (markers, paint, pastels, oils, etc.) that allowed each student to create unique and creative pieces. Mrs. Prince framed each landmark piece. The artwork will soon be displayed in the elementary school hallway. The pieces are very colorful and a beautiful representation of our historic landmarks.
Brianna Lewis, Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School; Gloria Cabic, Charles C. D’Amico High School, and Makayla Fidanza, Swan Library.
Erika Hess, Cobblestone School House; Gracie Tardibone, Erie Canal; Rilee Taylor, Cone Zone; and Aliyah Pollock, Downtown Albion Main Street View.
Melia Prince, Cobblestone Church; and Kailyn Smith Holder, Civil War Memorial at Mount Albion Cemetery.
Dulce Sanchez, Oak Orchard River; Analiah Figueroa-Fuentes, Orleans County Courthouse; and Yaritza Fernandez-Perez, Oak Orchard Lighthouse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2019 at 2:48 pm
Photo courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – Adam Burlison, an Albion sixth-grader, is congratulated by Middle School Principal Brad Pritchard after Adam won the Albion Middle School spelling bee on Wednesday.
Adam topped 20 students in grades 6 through 8 in the Albion competition. He correctly spelled the word “writhing” for his final word to win the spelling bee.
He advances to the regional contest on March 23 at 10 a.m. at Batavia High School.
Adam in 2017 won the Western New York spelling bee in Grand Island, which featured 46 of the top spellers in WNY from grades 4 and 5.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 February 2019 at 9:15 am
1,800 cookies, 30 cakes and 500 cupcakes among the items
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Gotta Dance by Miss Amy on Saturday hosted a cookie and dessert stroll, and nine “pop up shop” vendors, all selling Valentine’s Day-themed items. Proceeds from the event will go to Pat Levandowski, an Albion elementary teacher recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
This group is pictured at a table with merchandise to raise awareness about breast cancer. They are from left: Tina Page, Amy Zaccaglino, Stephanie Rustay, Katie Rustay and Amy Luft.
Amy Luft puts some of the desserts in a box for Andrea Neal and her daughters, Kasey and Adelynn.
Amy Luft and her friend Amy Zaccaglino baked and decorated 1,800 cookies, 500 cupcakes and 30 cakes, with the proceeds going to Levandowski.
There was also many baskets to be raffled off in one of the dance studio rooms.
Cole Schmitt was one of the nine pop up vendors. He makes frames, shadow boxes and other items out of repurposed wood.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 February 2019 at 9:18 pm
Upcoming 2-day tourney is named for Kirby, an RIT student who was killed in a car accident
The Albion Soccer Club is using this logo to promote the Ben Kirby Memorial Tournament.
ALBION – A two-day indoor soccer tournament later this month will honor Ben Kirby, a long-time Albion soccer player whose family has been dedicated to the program at Albion.
Ben Kirby
Kirby was a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology when he died in a car accident on Nov. 6, 2017, on Route 531 in the Town of Gates. He was 21 at the time, in his senior year majoring in software development.
The Ben Kirby Memorial Soccer Tournament will be Feb. 22-23. There will be 72 teams competing in nine different divisions.
Cole Schmitt, the tournament director, expects about 600 players, from elementary, middle and high school levels, as well as an open division for adults.
The tournament will be at the school district using the gyms. The Albion Soccer Club organizes the event. The Soccer Club wanted to name the tournament in honor of Kirby, who played youth soccer for Albion and also on the school teams.
His older brother Aaron also was a key defensive player for Albion many years. Ben and Aaron’s parents, Dennis and Wendy Kirby, also have been active volunteers for the Soccer Club, working in concessions, even after their kids graduated. Mrs. Kirby always could be counted on to have homemade cookies for the players after a game, Schmitt said.
“The family has been so prevalent in the soccer community,” Schmitt said. “They have given so much to the program and we wanted to recognize that.”
