Provided photo: Matt Grammatico is pictured with his wife, Rhonda.

CARLTON – A dinner with more than 100 gift baskets and other items up for auction on Saturday will raise money for an Albion man who needs a heart and liver transplant.

Volunteers are prepared to make 1,000 spaghetti dinners on Saturday during a benefit from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Carlton Rec Hall.

Matt Grammatico, 44, is awaiting a heart and liver transplant. He owns an auto repair shop in Hamlin. He opened MPG Automotive last year. His wife Rhonda is a long-time lunchroom monitor at Albion Central School. Their son, Nate, is a junior at Albion and is heavily involved in the music and theater programs.

Many of Nate’s classmates will be performing during the benefit on Saturday.

“The kids have really stepped forward to support Nate and his family,” Seielstad said. “It’s amazing. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.”

Seielstad said the Grammatico family is very giving, always quick to respond to help others.

“They have touched the lives of people far and wide,” Seielstad said. “They’re the kind of people that when somebody needs something they’re the first to say, ‘How can I help you?’”

Matt is the son of Mike Grammatico, a retired Albion music teacher. Matt grew up in the Barker school district.

Matt was born with a serious heart condition called Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome. He underwent his first operation at 6 weeks old, followed by an open-heart reconstructive surgery when he was 11. Matt also needed multiple procedures and surgeries throughout the next 30 years of his life.

During one of the surgeries as a child, Matt was unknowingly given a Hepatitis C tainted blood transfusion. The virus attacked his liver, undiscovered, for more than 20 years, further complicating his health. He has been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Retired Albion instrumental teacher Mike Grammatico plays in a saxophone duet with his grandson Nate Grammatico during a concert on Jan. 30, 2015. Nate and many of his classmates, as well as music teachers, will be performing during Saturday’s benefit for Nate’s father.

Matt and his doctors in Rochester and at the Cleveland Clinic are working to keep him stable and prepare him for a heart and liver transplant. While Matt waits for the transplant, he is struggling to perform everyday activities and to keep the auto business going. The family faces significant medical expenses as well as the loss of income while Matt is unable to work.

Event organizers are hoping the fundraiser will help sustain the family until Matt receives his transplant.

“We are giving it all we have – the rest is up to a higher power,” Seielstad said.

The benefit on Saturday will give the family funding for trips to Cleveland Clinic for extended stays; costly medicines and medical bills; and some current living expenses because Matt sometimes can’t work due to health issues.

Seielstad said many in the Albion community will be volunteering at the dinner. Matt Moore is heading the cooking effort and Karen Krieger is organizing the team of volunteers.

There are about 100 baskets to be auctioned off, and 10 other items will go to the highest bidder in a silent auction. Some of those items include an iPad Mini, Sabres tickets, golf packages, custom end tables, a kayak and a quilt.

Dinner tickets are available at the door or at Bloom’s Flower Shop and Snell Realtors. Donations can dropped off at Seielstad’s home at 302 W. Park St., Albion, or through Pay Pal (click here).

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Abigail Leverenz, 6, of Albion gets her photo taken with Roscoe, a pig that weighs 1,002 pounds during intermission at Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star Circus.

The circus returned to Albion with the cast performing many daring feats inside the high school gym.

The circus was in Holley on Wednesday. After being in Albion today, Billy Martin’s has two shows (5 and 7:15 p.m.) in Medina on Friday at the middle school, and will be at Kendall 7 p.m. on Jan. 26. Click here to see the full schedule.

Unicycle star Wesley Williams rides a 20-foot-tall unicycle. He is new to the cast this year.

Colleen shows her skills with Hula Hoops. She was able to twirl 20 at once.

Roger Vaila, a long-time performer with Billy Martin’s, does his funny routine on the trampoline. In this scene he thinks he lost one of his legs when he tried to get on the trampoline.

The Diggity Dog Revue was popular with the crowd as many dogs performed feats of balance. Hans and Colleen are holding the rope while one of the dogs balances on its hind legs.

Slinko is back as a crowd favorite.

Cody Smith, left, and his friend Garon Thompson, both sixth-graders at Albion, hold a snake during intermission.

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Facebook: Lorne Adrain of Rhode Island is pictured on Nov. 8 at Shay’s Shamrock in Albion, when he met many of the people who paint rocks with inspirational messages that placed around the community. Adrain rode his bike from Providence to Seattle.

ALBION – The Albion NY Rocks group, which has placed thousands of painted rocks with inspirational messages around the community, was notified on Thursday it won $1,000 for Albion’s Canal Concert series.

Lori Laine, leader of Albion NY Rocks, posted a video on the Community Across America Facebook page on Nov. 28. That video was included in Community Across America’s “Video Clip Competition,” which offered $5,000 in prizes, with $2,000 the top award. Albion NY Rocks won the $1,000 second place prize. (There were also three $500 prizes and five for $100 each.)

Lorne Adrain started the competition. He launched the Community Across America as part of a bike ride from Seattle to Providence. Adrain was riding along the canal towpath when he stopped in Albion on Nov. 8 and met Laine and other volunteers who were painting rocks inside Shay’s Shamrock.

Adrain’s goal with the bike trip was to meet people who are making their communities better.

Laine said the $1,000 will give the village some additional funds for the concert series. She is hoping to have rock-painting parties during the concert series.

“Let’s rock the downtown,” she said.

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ALBION – The Albion Village Board has been asked to approve two tax exemptions for veterans that would reduce property taxes for veterans.

If the exemptions were passed by the Village Board, other residents would see their taxes increase by 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed property, or $18 for a house assessed at $60,000.

Earl Schmidt, director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County, presented the data to the Village Board on Wednesday. Schmidt said all other villages and towns in the county provide tax exemptions for veterans. The Village of Albion is the only one that doesn’t Schmidt said.

He asked that the village pass a veterans’ exemption that would provide about 15 percent off village taxes. Schmidt said there are 179 veterans in the village that would be eligible for the exemption.

He also asked that the village pass an exemption for Cold War era veterans that provides about 10 percent off taxes. There are 13 veterans in the village that would be eligible for that benefit.

With both exemptions, municipalities have the option of deciding maximum exemption levels so the amount of the exemptions can vary.

Schmidt said the exemptions are a way of showing appreciation to veterans for their service and also could be used in marketing the community to attract more veterans as residents.

The village’s $17.76 tax rate is currently the highest in the county. Approving the exemptions would add another 30 cents to the tax rate.

Schmidt said another 30 cents for a $60,000 house is $18. “That’s the price of a large pizza,” he said.

The Village Board didn’t comment publicly on the request.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Morgan Bedford of Newfane rolls in a pitch for the Toe Jammers, which won last year’s Kick Cancer’s Ballz tournament.

ALBION – A kickball tournament will be back at Bullard Park this year. The date is set for July 14.

Last year there were seven teams in the debut “Kicking Cancer’s Ballz” tournament. The event raised just over $1,000 and was given to two families with children fighting leukemia.

The local FLED Foundation planned the tournament last year in less than five weeks. Beth Webb, one of the FLED leaders and organizers for the tournament, expects more teams and a more festive atmosphere this year.

She discussed the tournament on Wednesday with the Village Board, which said it supports the tournament.

FLED – Fight Like Elaina Dixie – is a non-profit organization established by Beth and Kyle Webb, and other close friends and supporters.

Beth and Kyle Webb lost their daughter, Elaina, to leukemia on Feb. 7. She fought the disease for nine months before passing away at age 2 ½.

FLED aims to help families with out-of-pocket expenses, offering gas cards, and funds for babysitters, meals and help with household expenses. They want to connect families with counseling services, and support research into fighting childhood leukemia.

The Webbs wanted a kickball tournament to highlight one of Elaina’s favorite games.

For more on the Fled Foundation, click here.

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ALBION – An Albion Boy Scout working on his Eagle project has proposed building a flag retirement pit at Mount Albion Cemetery.

Harrison Brown, a member of Troop 164, said the stone pit would have masonry and be permanent. He would like it to be in the veterans’ section of the historic cemetery.

Harrison has attended flag retirement ceremonies and often the flags are burned in a 55-gallon barrel.

“I don’t think that is the best way to honor the flag,” he told Village Board members on Wednesday.

Mayor Dean London said the Village Board is open to the idea and wants to consult with Jason Zicari, the cemetery superintendent. Zicari may have a location in mind for the flag retirement pit.

Harrison said the pit would be available for use by Scouts, veterans’ organizations and others in the community.

Freeman Lattin completed an Eagle Scout project at the cemetery last year, repainting all of the street signs and replacing some of nuts and bolts.

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Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – David Mogle was sworn in as a lieutenant for the Albion Police Department on Wednesday evening. His mother Karen holds the Bible and his father David joins them at the Village Board meeting.

Mogle’s wife Amber and their three children also attended the swearing-in on Wednesday. Village Trustee Stan Farone is in back left and Mayor Dean London is in back center.

Mogle has been an Albion police officer for about 10 years. He was promoted to sergeant and took the oath on July 9, 2014.

He has been lieutenant on a provisional basis following the retirement of Tom O’Hearn in June 2016.

Mogle no longer is in a provisional role as the department’s number two in command.

Mogle was working as a mechanic with his father at D & K Autobody when he decided to make a career change. In addition to working with the Albion Police Department, Mogle has been assigned to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.

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Dean London

ALBION – Dean London said he won’t be seeking re-election to another four-year term as Albion mayor during the March 20 village election.

London, the retired Albion police chief, said he doesn’t have enough time to commit to the position. He works at Baxter Healthcare in Medina as a supervisor in the service department. The job keeps him busier than he expected.

London, 52, told the Village Board members today he wouldn’t be pursuing another term. Trustees Eileen Banker and Stan Farone, who are Republicans – like London, have been trying to get him to run for another term.

The Republican and Democratic parties will hold caucuses later this month to nominate candidates for the March 20 election.

Besides the mayor’s position, two trustees are up for election. Farone and Banker want to run again for four-year terms.

When London ran four years ago, he had the backing of both the Republicans and Democrats.

One project London has worked on over several years is expected to become a reality this year. Bullard Park will get a major upgrade.

The state two years ago approved a $499,605 grant for Bullard improvements with the village providing $166,370 with in-kind services or funding.

The overall $665,975 project includes a spray park, an amphitheater/performance stage, a walking/hiking trail with signage, infrastructure (water and sewer) for the spray park, a utility building, and parking lot and lighting improvements.

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Photo courtesy of Andrew Remley

ALBION – Richard Remley takes the oath of office as Albion town supervisor on Thursday while his wife Kim holds the Bible in a light-hearted moment at the Town Hall.

Remley, former owner of a printing company in Albion, just completed a four-year term at town councilman. He moved up to town supervisor and was elected to a two-year term in November. He succeeds Matt Passarell, who decided not to seek re-election to town supervisor but is staying on the board as a councilman.

Remley has been in the community with the Albion Rotary Club and Cobblestone Museum. He also was co-leader of the fundraising campaign for the new Hoag Library.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 15 Christmas trees have been dropped by the backstop at Bullard Park for a Feb. 10 bonfire. Residents are welcome to drop off their trees at the park.

The Village of Albion, the Albion Fire Department, Energize Albion, Albion Merchant’s Association and United Structural, LLC are planning an event from 3 to 7 p.m. at Bullard on Feb. 10. There will be sledding, snowboarding and snowman building contests. Free hot chocolate and s’mores will be available while supplies last.

Winners for all three contests will be announced immediately prior to the lighting the bonfire. All contests and games are free.

A crowd watches the bonfire at Bullard last Feb. 18.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Bradley Pierce, 8, of Albion went sledding today for the first time in his life. Bradley and his family moved to Albion about a year ago after living in Oklahoma. As he started down the hill, Bradley yelled out to his mother: “This is going to be awesome.”

There will be plenty of more sledding opportunities.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo is forecasting another 3-5 inches of snow for Orleans County on Wednesday.

This man was out snowboarding with a parachute. The gusts of winds pulled him around Bullard Park.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Members of the Albion High School Select Chorus are making many stops in the community today, singing Christmas carols. This photo shows part of the group in the Orleans County legislative office in the second floor of the County Clerks’ Building. The singers include, from left: Miranda Smith, Alanna Holman, Annalise Steier, Emily Merger, Brennan Moody, Casey Starkweather and Camry Raymond.

The carolers stopped in the Orleans County Real Property Tax Services office and sang to Dawn Allen, director of the that county department.

The chorus visited businesses and county government offices on Main Street before heading to Hoag Library and later at The Village House. The chorus also sang at Rainbow Preschool, Clover Hill, The Villages of Orleans and the Nutrifare site.

Here are some of the carolers singing at the County Clerk’s Office. Alanna Holman, second from left, and Miranda Smith are up front with Santa hats.

County Clerk Karen Lake-Maynard and her staff give the singers a round of applause.

The singers joined together in a larger group to sing at Hoag Library.

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From 3,000 pounds in 2010, food drive has grown each year

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – FFA students including Natalie DiCureia, a senior, were at the school at 7 this morning to load 50-pound bags of cabbage and other heavy boxes of produce on to a tractor trailer.

The FFA collected 35,000 pounds of food that was delivered to Community Action on East State Street in Albion.

The 35,000 pounds is a new record for the FFA, passing the 33,000 pounds in 2016.

Since the first drive in 2010 with 3,000, the food drive has grown each year to 9,000 pounds in 2011, 17,000 the following year and 19,000 in December 2013. The FFA reached 27,000 pounds in 2014 and reached 30,000 for the first time in 2015.

Squash awaits being packed in smaller boxes during this morning’s food drive. FFA students reached out to farmers and they responded with donations.

FFA members Harrison Brown and Rylie Lear took the lead in contacting farmers.

Barry Flansburg, a member of the FFA Alumni, was among several graduates to pitch in this morning.

FFA students Bryce Pritchard, left, and Justin Robinson stack the produce on the tractor trailer outside the ag shop at Charles D’Amico High School.

FFA students Alexis Bentley and Melissa Robinson sort apples into crates.

These Albion graduates from 2017 – Emilie Barleben, left, and Emily Blanchard – returned to help with the big effort this morning.

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