By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2018 at 7:45 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion High School drama program kicks off a new season today and Saturday with the performance of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical.”
Emma Tower portrays Grace Bradley, who is tasked with leading a church Christmas pageant. It is a daunting challenge due to the presence of six unruly children from the Herdman family.
Show times are 7 p.m. today at the Albion Middle School, and noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are available at the door.
Enoch Martin, center, plays Ralph Herdman, the oldest of the Herdsman kids. They enter the church looking for dessert and decide to try out for the Christmas pageant, wanting all of the lead roles.
The church kids aren’t too happy about sharing the stage with the Herdmans.
Emma Tower is frazzled trying to put together the Christmas pageant.
Kate Krieger plays Alice Wendleken, a know-it-all who is upset the Herdmans are in the pageant.
Sophia Zambito, Arella Ives and Emily Mergler play three sassy ladies in the show.
Aubrey Boyer is Helen Armstrong, who usually leads the pageants but is sidelined due to a broken leg. That forces Grace to step in to direct the show.
Nick Rodriguez (center) is Teddi Shoemaker, a kid who asks too many questions, and Zach Kilner (right) is Elmer Hopkins, a preacher’s kid who needs to behave and be nice.
Hannah VanEpps (center) plays Imogene Herdman, the leader of the siblings. She is loud, bossy and crafty. She is shown with Kaylyn Holman (left) who is Luella McKlusky, and Annalise Steier, who is Betsy Cathcart.
The Herdmans rejuvenate the Christmas story with their energy and unexpected sincerity.
Gary Simboli and Kathy Winans are directors of the show. Simboli said the musical has a message of not judging people based on how they look or their circumstances.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 October 2018 at 8:08 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans Community Health facility at the corner of Butts Road and Route 31 is the only building in the Albion Business Park. The land east of the medical center is available for development.
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is seeking proposals to purchase and develop the 32 remaining vacant acres of the Albion Business Park.
Orleans Community Health has a medical center at the corner of the Business Park at Butts Road and Route 31. There is more land at the park going east and north that is available for development, although wetlands could make a project more challenging.
Mixed-use developments would be suitable for the site, EDA officials said. Projects could include lodging and event space, residential, commercial or light industrial. The site could also accommodate cultural, agricultural or other seasonal uses.
The Orleans EDA encourages teams and partnerships to jointly respond to the Request for Proposals, which is available to download at OnlyinOrleans.com or on the OEDA’s website.
There will be a site tour on Nov. 8, with Nov. 16 the deadline for submitting questions. Proposals are due on Dec. 1, with the anticipated date for picking a developer or team of developers on Jan. 11.
The EDA was looking for prime vacant land with access to water and sewer infrastructure in Albion about 15 years ago. The agency acquired about 20 acres at the corner of Butts Road and Route 31 for $75,000.
Six years ago, Orleans Community Health (Medina Memorial Hospital) built a new health care site on the corner lot with OCH paying the EDA $36,000 for the land.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2018 at 9:14 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Gregory Hallock, GO Art! executive director, is pictured Friday evening during the opening reception for a new gallery in downtown Albion.
There are 14 artists and 35 pieces featured in the group exhibit of Orleans County artists. The Salih Studio is serving as the exhibit space at 24 East Bank St.
Hallock said GO Art! formed in 1992, merging the arts councils in Genesee and Orleans counties. There has been dedicated space for artists to show their work in Batavia, Genesee County. Hallock and GO Art! wanted a gallery in Orleans County as well.
Suzanne Wells, one of the artists in the opening exhibit, looks at some of the paintings and other artwork in the show.
Other artists in the exhibit include Janet O. Root, Rich Della Costa, Connie Mosher, E. Pearls, Rosie Patronski, Walter Jakubowski, Rebeccah Demaray, Chris VerSteeg, Judy Wenrich, Arthur Barnes, Shirley Nigro, Idris Salih and Kim Martillotta Muscarella.
Kim Martillotta Muscarella and Judy Wenrich check out the art at the gallery during the opening exhibit. Martillotta Muscarella also has a gallery, Marti’s on Main, in Albion. She is pleased to see GO Art! open the site in Albion.
“The more the merrier,” she said. “I wish 10 more people would open galleries.”
This painting by Rebeccah Demaray was picked as the judge’s choice. Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper served as the guest judge.
There will be new shows at the gallery monthly from April through December, with opening receptions the fourth Friday, from late March to late November.
Gallery hours are Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Pennywise, which was created by the Hand family in Albion, won first place for “scariest” in the scarecrow contest. Pennywise moved to different locations in the downtown, and needed a new mask after some vandalism.
ALBION – Energize Albion has announced the winners of the three different contests during the Halloween season.
The awards for the Scarecrow Contest include:
Scariest – First place to the Hand family for Pennywise. Second place to Albion Agencies for Darth Vader.
Funniest – First place to the Crawford and Requa families, plus friends Breanna and Hannah, for Cousin Itt. Second place to the Pollock and Himes families for Gru.
Most Original – First place to Albion Agencies for Darth Vader. Second place to First Presbyterian Church of Albion for Polly Pray & Play.
Awards for Storefront Decoration Contest:
First Place – 365 Fitness on East Bank Street
Second Place – Xpress Fitness at Main Street
Awards for Yard Decoration Contest:
Most Artistic – First place to the Pate family on West Academy Street. Second place to the Nigro-Hill residence on East Avenue.
Brightest – First place to the Francis family on Platt Street. Second place to the Kelly-Schicker residence on West Academy Street.
Honorable mentions were also awarded to Gary and Laura Simboli of West Academy Street and the Avino family on Caroline Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2018 at 9:07 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association organized the Beggar’s Night event in downtown Albion on Friday. Many businesses and local organizations handed out lots of candy.
This photo shows staff of Roots Hair Salon on east Bank Street. They include from left: Jenna O’Connor as the Queen of Hearts, Amber Mogle as Cruella de Vil, Katie Pahura as Captain Hook and Gretta Smith as Maleficent.
Albion teachers Julie and Chris Keller hand out treats. The Teachers Association has been a regular stop at Beggar’s Night for several years. The two kids include Rhett Ernst as a cowboy and Lainah Fisher as Minnie Mouse.
The First Presbyterian Church welcomed trick-or-treaters.
This group from the church was happy to hand out candy. From left includes Joanne Johnson, Linda Garrison, Annette Pearl and Kim Remley.
There was also a witches’ dance on Main Street, which was closed to traffic from State Street to the Erie Canal.
About a dozen people dressed up as witches for the dance.
Provided photo: Kylie Hughson, owner of Tease on East Bank Street, was a wicked witch and created an elaborate display.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2018 at 10:32 am
ALBION – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council will have the opening reception today for a new gallery in downtown Albion.
Salih Studio is now serving as a satellite location for GO Art! to display artwork. Today’s reception will be the unveiling of a group show by artists in Orleans County. The reception will go from 6 to 8 p.m.
There will be new shows at the gallery monthly from April through December, with opening receptions the fourth Friday, from late March to late November, said Gregory Hallock, Go Art! executive director.
Gallery hours are Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2018 at 1:20 pm
Provided photo
ALBION – Last night was the first time new LED lights were on in the front windows at the Albion Middle School to promote Purple Eagle pride.
The windows had a purple outline this morning when students arrived to the school. Many have speculated the purple glow was to celebrate the Albion girls’ varsity soccer win on Tuesday, 2-0 over East Aurora, to advance to the Sectional finals on Saturday.
“It was a happy coincidence that they appeared the same night as the one we celebrate the girls’ win!” Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent, said in an email.
The lights can be either purple or white. They will be on each night to highlight the front of the Middle School building, an Art Deco structure built in the 1930s.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2018 at 10:55 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Pennywise the clown created lots of buzz in the Albion community when he appeared on Main Street on oct. 8, two days after the Fall Festival in downtown Albion.
Matt Hand made the scarecrow with his wife Crystal and their daughters. Matt is a member of Energize Albion, which has sponsored a scarecrow contest the past three years. He tries to make an elaborate scarecrow each year. In 2016, it was a witch that was hanging sideways from a downtown light pole. Last year it was Jack the Pumpkin King.
“Bennywise” appeared on Main Street with a new mask on Sunday after Pennywise was vandalized.
“We wanted to go big to inspire people to do their best scarecrow,” Hand said.
This time, he wanted to top his previous efforts. He decided to do Pennywise, a scary clown from the horror movie, It. Hand decided to mount the scarecrow in an 80-pound bucket of concrete that he could move around Main Street, so Pennywise was in a different spot each day.
“I thought it would add to the creepy factor to move it around,” Hand said.
He even gave the clown a red balloon, just like Pennywise in the movie.
Pennywise has proven popular in Albion. Many people have posted on social media they appreciated the creativity with the scarecrow.
However, Pennywise hasn’t been universally adored. Vandals have struck several times. They have popped balloons, broken Pennywise’s wooden leg, ripped off his mask and smashed his head.
It’s all discouraging to Hand, who estimates he spent $150 making the scarecrow.
He was going to take Pennywise off the street, a victim of the vandals.
However, he had another clown mask and a determined spirit. He gave the scarecrow a new look, and Hand’s wife gave it a new name: Bennywise. He also now has a blue balloon. The color could change leading up to the finale, Beggars’ Night this Friday evening in the downtown.
He has been inundated with comments from the community, thanking him for keeping the scarecrow up.
“I didn’t think that many people cared,” Hand said today. “But there has been an outcry of anger over the vandalism.”
He also hopes the attention will get people planning for next year – and to not let the vandalism discourage them from trying projects in Albion.
After Halloween last year, Hand and his wife went to Walmart and bought many of the pirate outfits, wigs, princess masks and feather boas so they could be used for this year’s scarecrows. The Hands donated the supplies which were used to make scarecrows on Oct. 6.
He is impressed by many of the scarecrows on Main Street.
“I’m definitely thinking about next year and hoping more people will step it up,” he said.
Matt Hand and his business, United Structural LLC, won first place in 2016 for this scarecrow of a witch hanging sideways from a light pole on Main Street.
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ALBION – Thanks to the Albion Music Boosters and the Rust-Oleum corporation, 130 music stands from the high school and elementary band rooms recently got a fresh look, replacing years of scratches, graffiti, and other bumps and bruises caused by long-time heavy use.
Volunteers are shown painting the stands on Oct. 13.
In addition to painting, boosters made sure the stands were in safe and solid working condition by tightening bolts, straightening bent corners, and sanding sharp edges, when necessary. Rust-Oleum donated all of the paint, shipping the boosters seven cases of their premium Ultra-Cover flat black paint and primer.
Michael Thaine, High School band director, said that while some of the stands are decades old, and showed their age cosmetically, most were still in fine working order.
“We even have a few stands that came from the old Waterport school,” said Thaine about the school that closed in the 1980s. “All they needed was a fresh coat of paint to look brand new again.”
Thaine added that at a replacement cost of approximately $60 each, painting and repairing old stands, when reasonable to do so, is more fiscally responsible than purchasing new.
Mrs. Lindsey Almeter, the elementary band director, expressed her appreciation to the boosters.
“We’re so grateful to the Albion Music Boosters for tackling this project,” she said. “They completed, in 3 1/2 hours, what would have taken the band teachers weeks to do on our own, working one stand at a time in the few free moments we have each day.”
The Albion Music Boosters is a group of dedicated parents, friends, and community supporters of the vocal and instrumental music program at Albion Central School. They are always looking for new members, and people can be as involved as their desire and schedule allows. More information is available by emailing albionmusicboosters@gmail.com, or on Facebook at Albion Music Boosters.
Photo courtesy of Albion Central School: Seventh-graders Jack Kinter and Lucy Rivers sign a petition to save Tug Urger.
Posted 18 October 2018 at 9:07 am
Courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – As part of a bicentennial celebration of the Erie Canal, Albion students in 6th grade Citizenship classes and 7th grade Service Learning classes have been learning about the canal and its important role in New York State history.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Urger is pictured in Albion in October 2015.
Students also learned about Tug Urger. Built in 1901, it is the oldest tug on the Erie Canal and one of the oldest in the Country. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since 1991 the Urger has been a floating museum making its way along the Erie Canal. lt would stop in villages, cities and towns welcoming thousands of school children to come aboard and learn more about the Canal’s history.
In 2017, the Urger was removed from active service. Plans are being discussed to make it a dry land exhibit on the NYS Thruway.
The Preservation League of NYS is spearheading a campaign to #SaveTheUrger.
The students read about the campaign. They signed and sent petitions to the New York State Canal Corporation and New York Power Authority.
This is a way for students to explore the many roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Aaron and Jim Preston, brothers and co-owners of Preston’s Lawncare & Landscaping, have built a growing business since it started in 2015. They are pictured today at Zig Zag Road in Albion, where the business is based by Jim Preston's home.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2018 at 6:29 pm
ALBION – Two brothers who were mowing lawns together as teen-agers decided to form a new business, Preston’s Lawncare & Landscaping, three years ago.
The two spent about 15 years doing other jobs before coming back to a business they enjoyed as children.
Jim Preston, 38, and his brother Aaron, 35, are the winners of the “Small Business of the Year,” given by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
Their business has grown to five seasonal workers, along with the two brothers and other family. They do lawncare and landscaping from cutting grass to the increasingly popular hardscape – patio pavers, fireplaces, walkways and retaining walls. They also trim bushes, put in mulch and tackle over lawncare and landscaping issues.
“We’re able to work in Orleans County and meet great people,” said Jim Preston.
The two Prestons are Kendall graduates who spent many hours of their youth pushing mowers to Countyline Road to take care of customers. They also worked with their father, the late James Preston Sr. on many lawncare jobs.
The elder Preston was 56 when he died on Sept. 23, 2015, following a career at Kodak. He helped get the lawncare and landscaping business off the ground for his sons.
The Preston brothers put in this memorial to their father, James Preston Sr., who encouraged them to mow lawns when they were teen-agers in Kendall. Their father also was an active force in the startup of the business in 2015.
Jim and Aaron are both grateful to have returned to their roots, doing a career that gives them both a great sense of accomplishment.
Jim previously worked as a truck driver, electrician and was in sales.
“The office work wasn’t my thing,” he said today in a greenhouse at Preston’s, where he and his brother grown nursery stock.
Growing their own plants and buying some from wholesale helps them give their customers a better deal, the brothers said.
Jim asked his brother if he would be interested in joining the operation in 2015. Aaron had been working nine years as an electrician.
Jim Preston gives a tour of one of the hoop greenhouses where there are blackberries and other nursery stock.
Aaron welcomed the chance to work with his brother, while being closer to home. (Both of them live in Albion.)
They are so busy with their Orleans County customers they seldom leave the county for a job. When they started the business they assumed they would be on the road, outside Orleans for jobs.
“It’s a great feeling because we rarely have to go outside Orleans County,” Aaron said.
Preston’s Lawncare & Landscaping won “most original” in the June 2015 Strawberry Festival parade for creating a lush landscape on a float.
He said he is grateful to have met so many people locally, especially after several years of driving into Rochester and outside the area for his work as an electrician, and a warehouse manager prior to that.
Many of their customers are older people, and the Prestons say their work maintaining the lawns and property has given those customers peace of mind and helped them to stay in their homes.
“We meet a lot of wonderful people in this town,” Aaron said.
His brother followed that by saying, “They are friends. We’ve built great relationships.”
The Prestons don’t want the business to get too big. They want to have at least one Preston at each job site. They also like to physically do the work, and plan the beautification projects for the customers.
They will be presented with their award on Thursday during the Chamber of Commerce dinner at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2018 at 1:56 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo shows Orchard Street in the Village of Albion including part of the back parking area for the Lake Country Pennysaver. A property owner next door would like to see sidewalks on the street.
ALBION – A property owner working to establish a wedding venue and also a store that sells candy and ice cream has asked the Albion Village Board to add sidewalks on Orchard Street to make the street safer for pedestrians.
Natasha Wasuck of Spencerport next spring expects to open “The Lockstone” at 160 North Main St. The building was the longtime site of Burgio Tire and then a carpet store.
Natasha and her husband John Wasuck bought a site on Orchard Street as an overflow parking lot. They would like to have a sidewalk on the street.
Sidewalks are generally the responsibility of the property owner, Village Attorney John Gavenda told Wasuck during last week’s board meeting.
The village has received grants before to add sidewalks and there is some money in the village budget for sidewalk work.
Gavenda questioned if Orchard Street was the best place for the village to spend public money for a sidewalk. He said Orchard is a low-volume street, and there are other streets with more foot and car traffic in need of sidewalks and sidewalk repairs.
He noted Linwood Avenue, and sections of Ingersoll and East State streets, for example.
Wasuck said she was bringing up the issue to see if there was interest from the village with the project.
The board didn’t take any action, but praised Wasuck for working on the buiding just north of the Erie Canal.
Village officials will see what funds are set aside for sidewalks in the budget and determine a priority system for spending the money.
In other action at last week’s meeting:
• The board approved closing a section of West Bank Street, from Liberty to Main streets on Saturday, Nov. 24. It will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to noon. so Gotta Dance by Miss Amy can shoot a dance video that studio owner Amy Sidari said will be a celebration of Albion.
“The community is welcome to be part of the visual,” she said. “Let’s let Albion be happy.”
• The following were accepted as members of the Albion Fire Department: Christine Bloom, Paul Urquhart and Scott Warney.
• Adam Johnson, owner of 39 Problems on Main Street, asked the board for help in getting state approval to allow new trees to be planted in front of his store. Johnson said he would pay for the trees and install them.
But he said he needs help doing the paperwork to get the state Department of Transportation permission. The board said it would assist with the effort. If the DOT allows the trees, Johnson needs to work with Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent, in picking the types of trees.
• The board approved spending up to $100 for ads on the Orleans Hub and Lake Country Pennysaver to promote Beggars’ Night on Oct. 26. The event starts at 6 p.m. at the fire hall. Last year there were 687 kids in costume for the event, going to merchants in the downtown for candy and treats, said Lisa Stratton, president of the Albion Merchants Association.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2018 at 10:22 pm
ALBION – There are about 40 scarecrows on Main Street this month, including this one of Pennywise, a character in the horror movie It. Pennywise has been moving to different spots on Main Street.
Energize Albion organized the scarecrow event, with many constructed on Oct. 6 during a fall festival in downtown Albion.
There are prizes for scariest, funniest and most original scarecrows. Ballots to vote are available at Krantz Furniture and the Uptown and Downtown Browsery. Winners will be announced during Beggars’ Night on Friday, Oct. 26
Photo by Tom Rivers: The runners in the 10-mile Metro 10 race gather at the starting line on Main Street on Aug. 18. The start and finish of the race shifted from Bullard Park to downtown Albion this year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 October 2018 at 2:23 pm
Last-second change proved to be better for start and post-race party
ALBION – The Metro 10, a race that pits runners from Rochester and Buffalo, has had three different courses in its first four years.
This past race on Aug. 18 was stressful for organizers because the course had to be changed on short notice. The state Department of Transportation wouldn’t approve a permit to use Route 31 because that road was getting milled.
Route 31 covered the first 2 miles of the race and the last half-mile from Butts Road to Bullard Park. Not having access to 31 also meant Bullard Park couldn’t be used for the start and finish, with a post-race party to follow.
Rather than cancel the event, organizers shifted to the downtown for the start and finale of the race. A survey of runners showed they overwhelmingly preferred the downtown site over Bullard, said Thom Jennings, the race organizer.
“I thought it looked beautiful having everybody lined up on Main Street,” he told the Village Board on Wednesday.
He met with the board and asked for a three-year commitment to have the race on the third Saturday of August, and have the start and finish in the downtown businesses district.
The race just finished its fourth year and has now had three different 10-mile courses. Jennings is looking to have continuity in the course.
He also thinks having the race in the downtown gives the merchants and community a better chance to piggyback on the presence of about 400 runners. (The runners also have the option of doing a 5-mile course. A 10-mike bike event was added this year.)
Board members voted to support having the race in the downtown the next three years. Four of the five board members also participated in the bike race on Aug. 18.
Jennings said the race was able to raise about $3,000 for the Warrior House, which offers a hunting retreat in Shelby for wounded veterans.
“We’re just hoping to grow the event and do something good for the community,” Jennings said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: R. Monroe, an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, works with Serena, a pit bull that has been at the prison the past 13 weeks. Monroe has been a handler for the dog, teaching Serena obedience and socialization. The dog is now available to be adopted.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2018 at 10:28 pm
T. Jones and Richie formed a tight bond through the canine training program.
ALBION – Officials at the Orleans Correctional Facility celebrated the first class of a canine training program where inmates served as handlers for rescue dogs.
The debut class lasted 13 weeks. The three dogs that were taught obedience and socialization are now available to be adopted to a “forever family.”
One of the dogs, Richie, already has been adopted by a family. Richie will join them on Thursday.
T. Jones, Richie’s handler, said he lost 10 pounds through the program, by walking the dog and leading it through the obedience training. Jones said his blood pressure also went down.
More importantly, he said, he welcomed the chance to be responsible and care for an animal.
“I’ve learned to be patient and caring,” Jones told a crowd during today’s graduation ceremony. “I hope all of the dogs find their forever home.”
He thanked the prison administration for adding the program.
“The program means a lot to me,” Jones said. “I hope Richie got as much out of it as I did.”
Karen Crowley, the OCF superintendent, pushed to have the program in the local men’s prison. She visited other prisons with similar programs and found the dogs improved the culture in a prison, with better-behaved inmates. The inmates also proved to be attentive and dedicated to helping train the dogs.
“It changes the inmate,” she said. “It teaches them responsibility and compassion, and we save the dogs.”
Inmates painted murals in a classroom that is used for training the dogs. This mural has a large paw print and says, “Saving Lives, One Dog at a Time.”
Crowley visited prisons in Georgia, North Dakota and South Dakota to see the programs. The program is uncommon in New York State. Crowley said Groveland Correctional Facility also has one, and the Albion Correctional Facility expects to have its program going by the end of the year.
The three dogs at the OCF come from either a shelter in Tennessee or the Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia. The Albion Correctional Facility expects to have a partnership with the Orleans County Animal Shelter in Albion, said Susan Squires, the prison superintendent.
Squires and leaders from other prisons and the state Department of Corrections attended the graduation today and toured the training area.
Tom Ryan, a dog trainer from Batavia, stopped by the Orleans prison once or twice a week to teach obedience classes. He praised the three main handlers and eight secondary handlers for their commitment to the animals. Two other inmates also helped walk the dogs.
The three dogs wait for direction from their handlers. Tom Ryan, second from right, led the obedience classes.
Ryan said the dogs in the program are often “problem dogs with big issues.” The dogs need a lot of attention. He worked with the inmates to teach the dogs impulse control. They wanted the dogs to stay on their mats, even when their handlers walked away.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with these guys and these dogs,” Ryan said during the graduation ceremony. “These dogs are well on their way to being dogs you can totally trust in a home.”
Karen Crowley, superintendent of the Orleans Correctional Facility, said the canine training program is good for inmates and the dogs. An inmate created the chalk art of the dogs that are displayed behind Crowley.
The three animals stayed in one of the dorms that has about 50 inmates. The first weekend at the prison, the dogs barked a lot. But then they calmed down. The dogs slept on a mat and stayed overnight with their handlers.
Krista Vasile, deputy superintendent of programs, said the dogs had a noticeable impact on the dorm and the prison as a whole.
“It changed the atmosphere of E-1 (the dorm),” she said. “It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to the dogs because we’ve fallen in love with them.”
Crowley said six more dogs will be in the next canine training class, which starts in about two weeks.
The program will also be expanded to include more inmates, who are all interviewed by a committee and must have exemplary discipline records and be committed to educational programs.
She is hoping the program has a long future at the facility.
Inmates in the Painting & Decorating class painted a dog theme inside one of the buildings which is serving as an indoor dog park. The large painted mural transformed what was an ordinary-looking classroom into a relaxed environment for the handlers and the dogs, said Crowley, the prison superintendent.
