Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni

ALBION – The Albion Police Department and the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse are co-organizers of the Orleans County National Night Out and are proud to give an update on this year’s event on Aug. 1.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at Bullard Park on East Avenue in the Village of Albion. This is the third annual event and is going to be largest so far.

The event includes car seat inspections, armored truck and fire trucks, canine demonstrations, face painting, inflatable obstacle course, a tactical robot, information booths from local agencies, and other games and prizes. There will also be a school supply and bike helmet giveaway while supplies last. Mercy Flight will also be arriving at 6 p.m. for tours of the aircraft.

National Night Out started in the 1980s as a way to bring law enforcement and citizens together on the same night each year. We have expanded on that principal and put together an event that focuses on bringing many agencies and organizations together on the annual National Night Out date each year.

Participant in the event will include Law Enforcement, Fire Agencies, EMS Responders, Civic Organizations and other groups that will be providing activities and giveaways.

Our mission is simple. We want an event where families can come for a night and be entertained at no cost and eat for free in an environment that is free of violence, alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

This year we have been very fortunate to have had many organizations not only willing to participate in the event but we have received donations and support from many local organizations and businesses. Included with this news release is a list of sponsors for this year’s event along with the activities and other things occurring during the event.

We are very excited to doing a “Battle of Belts” competition again this year to promote passenger safety. The competition entails teams of four who compete to see who is the fastest getting into car and fastening their seatbelts. Each contestant then must switch seats and again fasten their seat belts. The time ends when each person has sat in each seat in the car.

This event is fun to participate in and even more fun to watch. There is still time to enter and details can be found on the event Facebook Page (Click here).

You can find out more on the event by clicking here to be directed to the National Night Out in Orleans County.

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Senior Citizens’ Day Picnic set for Tuesday

ALBION – The Village of Albion summer parks program has been a fun place for kids since school let out in late June. The parks program continues until Friday next week. There are paid staff at Bullard Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

Tuesday (July 25) will be the annual Senior Citizens’ Day Picnic from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the east end pavilion at Bullard. All senior citizens are welcome to attend. Senior citizens are urged to bring a dish to pass and optional place setting. The menu will include hot dogs, hamburgers, pop, chicken wings, pizza, and treats. There will be some fun games and activities provided. The picnic is sponsored by the Village of Albion Recreation Department.

Sophia Burton, 9, tries to get her brother Dominic wet during a water war game.

Autumn Flugel plays dodgeball at Pee Wee Park at Bullard.

Ryan Dunn throws the ball, trying to get someone out in dodgeball.

Lily Eggleston plays on the climbing wall at Pee Wee Park.

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ALBION – The Village Board voted to change the zoning for several parcels on Liberty, South Clinton and Beaver streets, making the way for multiple-family housing.

The zoning change was needed for DePaul to push forward with its proposal for a 50-unit housing project on Liberty Street, between Beaver Street and the railroad tracks.

The Village Board held a public hearing Wednesday on the zoning change and voted later in the meeting to make the change for land that was either zoned two-family residential, limited business or residential. It is now zoned for R-3.

DePaul is working on the project and needs local approvals such as the zoning change, and additional state funding for it to become a reality.

DePaul is designing the project to support people with disabilities, including senior citizens and veterans. The organization will do extensive background checks for credit, criminal and sex offender history and evictions, Gillian J. Conde, Vice President for DePaul Properties in Rochester, said recently in Albion.

The organization is proposing 46 one-unit apartments and four that would be two-bedroom. Conde said only a few children would likely live at the site.

The apartments aren’t a public housing project. Conde told the Albion Rotary Club in March the apartments are “middle market housing” with one-bedroom apartment rent at $600 a month and two bedrooms at $700. That includes utilities, basic cable, WiFi and laundry.

The Liberty Street project would be a big lift to that neighborhood and the village, Conde said.

The project would be similar to a DePaul site in Batavia that serves low-income residents, including people with mental health issues. Conde said DePaul would like to partner with local agencies, such as the Orleans County Mental Health Department, to connect tenants to services in the community.

DePaul would have some services on site, and staff will be there 24 hours a day. DePaul would have a van on site to transport tenants to medical appointments. Half of the apartments would be ADA-compliant and the other half would be adaptable for people who may need the apartment to be handicapped accessible.

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ALBION – A church that started 30 years in Albion has broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot addition, allowing it to more than double its space.

Harvest Christian Fellowship will use the addition for a sanctuary with room for up to 250 people. The church at 560 East Ave. plans to use the existing sanctuary, which seats about 140, for a fellowship hall, and programs for youth and community life, said Tim Lindsay, the church’s pastor since it started in 1987.

When Harvest Christian Fellowship began three decades ago, it held services at the current Elk’s Club. The church rented space when that building was the Albion Firemen’s Recreation Hill. In 1991, Harvest Christian Fellowship purchased the building at 560 East Ave., a site that had been used as a Kingdom Hall by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Lindsay said the existing building is cramped for the church. The addition will be 60-by-80 feet with a connecting structure.

Tim Lindsay is pictured in the current sanctuary at Harvest Christian Fellowship. The space will be reconfigured for a fellowship hall.

To make way for the new sanctuary, the current driveway will no longer be usable. A new driveway will be constructed on the west side of existing church building. A house is currently west of the church and will be removed as part of the project.

Lindsay is hopeful the shell of the new building will be up before winter. Church members are doing most of the construction work.

Lindsay said the church is continuing to raise money for the interior work in the new building, as well as for the reconfiguring that will be needed in the current building.

“Our goal is to have the shell of the new building up and enclosed this year,” Lindsay said. “It will be money-driven on how soon we finish the entire project. It could be 1 to 3 years.”

Members of the church’s board of directors pose for a ground-breaking photo. They include, from left: Rick Huntington, Tim Lindsay, John Gerhardt and Tim Archer.

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Devin Ware wanted to brighten mornings for high schoolers

ALBION – High schoolers at Albion could always count on a friendly greeting each morning from Devin Ware. He would open the front door for them at the school, and sometimes hand out candy canes and treats.

Ware for 3 ½ years made giving a warm welcome to his classmates a mission. He would stand at the front doors for about 45 minutes every school day, sometimes in bitter cold.

Ware, 18, graduated on Friday. Twice he won the district’s Character Award – as a sophomore and senior – for his commitment to being at school early to help give his classmates a good start to their day.

“I wanted to help people have a good morning because mornings aren’t the best time for some people,” Devin said.

He started showing up early at school midway through his freshman year, getting a ride with his grandfather, Rob Seymour, who started his workday just before 7 at CRFS in Albion.

Devin preferred riding with his grandfather and getting to school early over riding the school bus.

When Devin arrived at the school campus, he had some time to kill before classes started. He noticed teachers were there early, sometimes with both arms full of papers and books.

Devin opened the door for them. Then classmates started arriving. He opened the door for them, too, staying by the door just before the homeroom bell.

“I got to know a bunch of people by doing it,” he said about the morning routine at the front door.

He became more outgoing, greeting his classmates by name. During holidays he added an extra touch, giving away candy canes before Christmas, treats at Halloween, and Tootsie pops with coffee filters that had holes poked through to resemble flowers. Devin and his grandmother included ribbons with Albion’s color of purple, gold and white with the Tootsie pop flower creation.

Devin said he struggled at one time with anger issues in school and some shyness. But his role as morning greeter helped him become more outgoing and to connect with his classmates.

“I wasn’t really noticed that much in school,” he said. “With opening the door, it made me feel like I was doing something. I kept doing it. Every person I would open the door for, I would say ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning.’”

Some of his classmates called him “Devin the Doorman.” They appreciated him being there.

Devin said he didn’t just open the door and give a warm greeting to “preferred friends.” He gave everyone the same treatment.

“No matter who you are, I opened the door,” he said.

Devin plans to work the next two years to save up money for college. He would like to study art and work in animation.

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ALBION – The Albion High School Purple Eagles Marching Band persisted through 90 degree temperatures on Saturday to close-out the 2017 season in winning style at the Nunda Fun Days Grand Parade, with a 1st place score of 95.7.

Earlier in the season, the band captured 1st place in Open Class at the Seneca Falls Pageant of Bands, and earned the designation “Gold, with Distinction” at the Darien Lake Music Festival.

In addition to the three competitions, the band participated in the Rochester Lilac Festival Parade and the hometown Memorial Day and Strawberry Festival parades this spring.

The band’s show this year was comprised of music from the James Bond movie series, and included soloists Nate Grammatico on alto sax, and Joe Madejski on trumpet.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Taylor Walczak and the Color Guard perform with the band during the Strawberry Festival Parade on June 10 in Albion.

Color Guard Captains were Julie Ives and Mykailah Roberts, and Sierra Chudy was the drum line HP. Leading the marching band this season were Drum Majors Shannon Broda, a senior, and junior Riley Seielstad.

Numerous individual marching band awards were presented at the annual AHS Bands Awards Evening on June 12.  Among them, “Rookie of the Year” went to bass player Victor Benovsky, while 8th grader Alexa Grandy received the plaque for “Most Improved”.

Color guard MVP went to Julie Ives, Matilda Erakare received the MVP award for the drum line, and the winds MVP was Enoch Martin. Sophomore Arella Ives was named overall “Most Outstanding” member, and trombonist Saleya Williams was the recipient of the coveted Director’s Award for marching band.  It was also announced that Arella Ives will join Riley Seielstad as drum majors for the 2018 season.

“It’s been an excellent season,” said Band Director Michael Thaine. “It was a young group, but the kids worked hard, and the entire staff is extremely pleased with their development and progress, from the beginning of winter practices all the way to Nunda.”

The band does its closing formation during the Strawberry Festival.

Five of the seniors in the band also received scholarships during the Class Night awards presentation on Friday.

Evan Steier: AHS Alumni Foundation’s Golden Performance Award, Wayne A. Burlison Memorial Scholarship

Shannon Broda: AHS Alumni Foundation’s Performing Arts Award, Daniel Long Memorial Award

Joe Madejski: Moses Sherman Music Award

Jillian Doyle: Patronski Memorial Award

Freeman Lattin: Wayne A. Burlison Memorial Scholarship

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ALBION – The Village of Albion is launching a new rental assistance program for new businesses that set up in the downtown.

The village will offer $100 a month with the funds coming through the Albion Housing and Economic Development Corporation, a village local development agency focused on housing and economic development.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency also expects to offer a rental subsidy in conjunction with Albion. The EDA also will encourage the new businesses to pursue grants for equipment for their businesses.

“We certainly welcome any partnership to help incentivize people to open businesses in the downtown,” said Jim Whipple, EDA chief executive officer.

The EDA board of directors need to give final approval on the subsidy from the EDA through its LDC. The EDA was focused on grants for up to $15,000 for small businesses, but is open to the rental subsidies after the village offered money to help bring new businesses downtown, Whipple said.

If other municipalities start similar programs, Whipple said the EDA would be interested in offering short-term subsidies as well.

Albion will have a public meeting at 6 p.m. on June 27 to discuss the downtown revitalization effort, done in conjunction with the village, the Albion Housing and Economic Development Corporation (LDC), the Orleans Economic Development Agency and the Albion Merchants Association.

The meeting will focus on rental assistance and technical assistance, and also will give entrepreneurs a chance to discuss barriers to opening a business in downtown.

Building owners, prospective business owners and others are welcome to the meeting.

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