Albion

Albion village trying to go without crossing guard by school

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2017 at 3:50 pm

ALBION – The village has notified the school district that there will no longer be a paid crossing guard in front of the middle school on Route 31.

Mayor Dean London said eliminating the part-time position will save $4,500 for the village. David Nayman was the crossing guard for many years, working an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.

Village Police Chief Roland Nenni will study traffic flow and pedestrian safety this week without a crossing guard. If there is a need for a crossing guard, London said the village may pursue a partnership with the school district to help pay a part-time person or the village could try to recruit trained volunteers in the role.

“We certainly don’t want to put anyone’s safety in jeopardy,” London said today. “If it makes the most sense to have someone there then that’s the direction we will probably go.”

The mayor said the village is feeling budget constraints and is looking to trim costs wherever possible.

The Albion School District notified parents in a district-wide message at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday that there wouldn’t be a crossing guard in front of the school. London apologized for giving late notice to the school district about the change. (Albion police officers served as crossing guards for the two days of school last week.)

Today was the first day without a crossing guard. London said there was a clear bottleneck at the intersection of McKinistry Street and Route 31. It was difficult for motorists on McKinistry to make a left turn onto Route 31, he said.

The former Clarendon Street bridge used to absorb some of the school traffic, but since the bridge was removed about three years, more traffic now is on McKinistry.

London said students cross Route 31 at other spots and do fine without a crossing guard. The spot by McKinistry is clearly marked as a cross walk and drivers need to give pedestrians the right of way, London said.

Albion police will be closely watching this week to make sure pedestrians are safe and the traffic flows.

“If a crossing guard is needed we will find a way to do it,” he said.

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EDA approves $200K loan to Albion business for expansion

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2017 at 9:59 am

ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency approved a $200,000 loan for an Albion business that is doing a $750,000 expansion on Washington Street.

ARG Services of WNY is building a new 8,000-square-foot recycling center that will be a construction and demolition debris processing facility.

ARG, which is owned by Anthony Gramuglia, is projecting it will add eight employees with the expansion.

The business moved its headquarters to 366 Washington St., the former New York State Electric and Gas building. The new building will be next door and will process building materials in an enclosed space.

The $200,000 loan was approved on Friday by the EDA’s board of directors. The money comes out of the EDA’s revolving loan fund, which is used to facilitate business creation and expansion in the county.

The $200,000 will help ARG with the purchase of equipment and machinery, and working capital with the expansion.

The loan is to be paid back over 90 months at 75 percent of the prime interest rate.

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Orleans EDA may put Albion Business Park on market

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 business park has several wetlands that make the site tricky to develop.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 September 2017 at 5:12 pm

Wetlands at site are a challenge for development

ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency 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.

Five years ago, Orleans Community Health (Medina Memorial Hospital) built a new health care site on the corner lot. OCH paid the EDA $36,000 for the land.

The rest of the site has proven a challenge to develop. The site has several wetlands. Some of the land that is a designated wetland would have to be relocated to make room for more projects at the site, Jim Whipple, the Orleans EDA chief executive officer, said during Friday’s board meeting.

Relocating wetlands becomes costly and time consuming. That has the EDA thinking it might be better to put the land up for sale. Whipple said the land might appeal to someone for a new house.

Otherwise, it might be a tough sell to entice a business or manufacturer.

“It’s a lot wetter than we thought,” said Ken DeRoller, an EDA board member.

Another board member, Carol D’Agostino, said the site hasn’t been fruitless for the agency or community.

“You were able to put in urgent care which has been a great asset to the community,” D’Agostino said.

Paul Hendel, the EDA board chairman, urged the board members to think about the land with the discussion to resume at next month’s meeting.

There might be other options for business development in Albion, including the Route 98 corridor, just south of the village, EDA officials said.

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Albion Classmates Meet for 70th High School Reunion

Contributed Story Posted 29 August 2017 at 1:38 pm

Contributed Photo

The Albion High School Class of 1947 met for its 70th reunion at Tillman’s Village Inn on Aug. 12. The group includes, seated from left, Beverly Reeves and Glenn Woolston; standing from left, Joe Saeva, Janice Mann-Beech, Margaret Joy and Marilyn Filer.

Albion puts up banners for new drop-off spots at elementary school

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 August 2017 at 9:59 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Kevin Hazel, left, and Jeff Mitchell, Buildings and Grounds employees for Albion Central School, put up banners this morning to highlight the new drop-off spots for the elementary school. Today is an open house for the district. The first day of school is next Thursday, Sept. 7. They are shown at the north entrance, where parents can park and walk a child to the school.

The district is directing parents to two locations on Clarendon Road, one on the south side of the playground and the other on the north side.

The north entrance is a spot where parents can park and walk their child to the school. (This photo shows the banner at the south entrance.)

At the south entrance, parents can drive through and let their child out to go to school.

The elementary school doesn’t want people to use the main driveway by the tennis courts. Using Clarendon Road will ease congestion for both the elementary and high schools, and keep more traffic and children away from school buses that park in front of the elementary school in the morning and afternoon.

The elementary school also isn’t going to allow parents to enter the school in the morning to walk their child to their classroom. Parents instead can walk a student to the lobby at the east gym by the Clarendon Road drop-offs. That change will start on Sept. 11, the start of the second week of school this year.

Students who are picked up in the afternoon also will meet their parents at the east gym lobby, instead of their classrooms.

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Albion classmates happy to see each other at reunions

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2017 at 11:10 am

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Class of 1959 from Albion held a gathering on Thursday when they heard classmate Kay Zatine was visiting from Seattle. The class met for lunch at Tillman’s Village Inn. The group includes, front row, from left: Doris Antinore, Sandy O’Mara, Kay Zatine, Carol Gassler, Betty Hales and Kay Walter. Second row: John and Grace Denniston, Roger Eibl, Skip Gassler, Sharon Howard and Marlon Walter. Back row: Butch Daniels, Jim Graham, Gene Christopher and Paul “Poof” Acri.

Albion’s Class of 1962 met last weekend for their 55th reunion. Diana Dragan Reed sent in this photo taken by Kristina Erath, who is the daughter of John Hucknall, front on right.

Photos by Bruce took this photo of the Class of 1957 who met for their 60th reunion on Aug. 19.

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1 person killed in Barre accident this morning

Staff Reports Posted 23 August 2017 at 11:36 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – One person is dead after a two-vehicle collision in Barre this morning at about 10:15. The top photo shows some pieces of a car that was struck by a tractor trailer at the intersection of Eagle Harbor Road and Route 31A. A Mercy Flight helicopter waits in a field by the intersection.

A passenger in the car, an elderly woman, was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver, an elderly man, was taken to a nearby hospital by Mercy Flight.

Both roads are blocked off near the intersection while the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office completes an investigation of the crash.

An officer at the scene said the driver of a car was headed north on Eagle Harbor Road and attempted a left hand turn. The driver failed to yield to a tractor trailer that was eastbound on Route 31A. The truck then hit the car in front, and pushed it across a yard into a tree.

The truck driver wasn’t injured.

Orleans Hub will have more on the story when details become available.

Mercy Flight takes the driver of the car to a hospital. The driver suffered serious injuries.

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Albion approves first rental assistance recipient

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 August 2017 at 10:18 am

ALBION – The village has approved the first recipient of a new downtown rental assistance program.

Terri Jordan opened a new business at 6 East Bank Street last month. She has been approved for $200 a month in assistance the next six months. The village’s local development corporation will chip in $100 a month and the Orleans Economic Development Agency also will contribute $100 monthly to help promote businesses in the downtown.

Jordan opened Bird & Matilda’s Gift Boutique, which sells organic and non-organic baby clothes, toys and blankets. She also has a small selection of home décor products, and handcrafted skin care products, including soap, lotion and sugar scrub.

The village’s rental assistance program provides a maximum of $300 a month over six months. The program won’t pay the entire rent, but will cover a percentage of the costs.

Village officials will have a 4 p.m. public meeting on Sept. 6 to discuss the rental subsidy program with the downtown business community. The meeting will be at the Village Hall, 35 East Bank St.

For more information on the program, contact Ron Vendetti, the village’s code enforcement officer, at (585) 589-7229, by email at rvendetti@villageofalbionny.com or by mail at 35 E. Bank St., Albion, NY 14411.

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Inspirational rocks have become very popular locally

Photos by Tom Rivers: Lori Laine holds a rock she painted of fairies today with a group of friends at Shay's in Albion. She is thinking of a message to go with the rock. She started the Albion rock-painting effort and “Albion Rocks” Facebook page about a month ago. Many people have posted on the page when they find painted rocks around town.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2017 at 10:43 pm

ALBION – A month ago Lori Laine placed five rocks she painted around town. She left one at the Courthouse, another by Hoag Library. She set one by the mailbox outside the Post Office. They were all in plain sight.

She made whimsical rocks with uplifting messages. On the back she urged the finder to post a picture on a new Facebook page, “Albion Rocks.”

Three of the rocks were found right away and the finders posted pictures on Facebook. Laine put out more rocks, and others did, too.

Evie Meadows of Oakfield painted this rock today with the message to “Shine Your Light,” which she took from Matthew 5:16 in The Bible.

The “Kindness Rocks” phenomenon has spread in many communities, including Albion, Kendall, Lyndonville and other nearby towns. Laine found a painted rock in Brockport a month ago and decided to start a similar effort in Albion.

Many local parents, their children and even Albion business owners have embraced the cause.

“It’s great to see parents and their kids walking around looking for the rocks. They’re having fun with it,” Laine said.

She organized a rock-painting group today from 4 to 7 p.m. at Shay’s. Laine painted the base coat on many rocks so people wouldn’t have to wait for the base to dry.

Patty Coffee paints this rock urging people to adopt a pet.

The “Albion Rocks” Facebook page shows people with rocks at Mount Albion Cemetery, on main Street, at the gas station, in a Wal-Mart shopping cart, on the button at an Albion cross walk, at the school and numerous other spots.

Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop and president of the Albion Merchants Association, said the rock project has more people coming downtown.

She enjoys seeing so many people having fun, looking for the rocks and posting on Facebook.

These rocks are painted (some with stickers) and will be put out in Albion for people to find.

When people find a rock, they are encouraged to take a picture and post on Facebook. They also are urged to re-hide the rock in Albion, although Laine said some of the messages really resonate with the finder and want to keep the rock, and that is OK.

The rock include many upbeat messages, such as “Believe in yourself”, “Keep Life Simple”, and “Be Calm, Be Strong, Be Grateful!”

Evie Meadows came from Oakfield today to join the rock-painting party at Shay’s.

“I thought it was a really neat idea to leave something inspiring,” she said. “Someone might need that message that day.”

She painted a rock with a lighthouse and the message, “Shine your light.”

Kimberly Zambito-Dutton painted this rock with Minion stickers. The Kent resident said painting the rocks is fun, especially with other people.

“It’s a good feeling whether you’re a kid or adult,” she said. “Whoever finds it, it will put a smile on your face.”

She is friends with Laine, and is pleased to see the project develop a following in Albion.

“Lori is a blessing to this community,” Zambito-Dutton said.

Katie Harvey, Lori Laine’s daughter, works on a rock with a beach scene. The rock painters said they have more intricate designs from their first few rocks.

A group gathered at Shay’s to paint rocks from 4 to 7 p.m. today.

Lisa Hickein works on some rocks. She painted one with a message, “Scatter Kindness Like Wildflowers.”

Lori Laine painted the base colors on many rocks so people wouldn’t have to wait for the base to dry before doing their main design.

Laine works on a rock with a house theme.

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Pink balloons released at race honored memory of Baylee McClary

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2017 at 11:37 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Saturday’s Metro 10 race at Albion included a Micro 10 race for kids in memory of Baylee McClary, a newborn baby who died shortly after birth on March 20.

Her father, Steven McClary of Waterport, handed out pink balloons in Baylee’s memory at the kids’ race.

Community members also created cards in honor of Baylee.

Baylee’s parents, Steven and Jessica McClary, would like to start a chldren’s memory garden at Bullard Park in honor of Baylee and other children in the community who have passed away.

The Village Board is open to the idea and wants to hear input from the Rebuild Bullard Committee, which is working on improvements for the park.

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Bikers raise funds for Jason Johnston memorial scholarship

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2017 at 7:00 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – More than 100 bikers were out today on a ride to raise money for a scholarship in memory of Jason Johnston. The top photo shows the front fender of a motorcycle parked at the Elks Club on West State Street, where 106 bikers gathered after the ride.

Each biker paid $20 to be in the event, with passengers paying $10. The proceeds go towards a scholarship in memory of Specialist Jason Johnston, who was 24 when he was killed in Afghanistan in the War on Terror on Dec. 26, 2009. Johnston was on his second deployment. He was also a paratrooper.

He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009. He was killed by a roadside bomb the day after Christmas.

The Elks Club is serving hamburgers and other food as part of the benefit that continues until 11 p.m. tonight with the Who Dats playing at the Elks. There is a $5 cover charge to get into the event.

Many items were available to bid on through a Chinese auction.

The Albion Elks Riders took the lead in organizing the benefit for the Johnston scholarship. Each rider received one of these koozies.

The $1,000 scholarship goes to a graduating senior who exemplifies the “Golden Rule,” of treating others as you want to be treated. Johnston’s family looks for a student who is pursuing a career in a service profession, such as nursing or law enforcement.

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Rochester wins its third straight Metro 10 cup versus Buffalo

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2017 at 1:14 pm

ALBION – Rochester continued to dominant the Metro 10 running race today, taking the third straight title versus runners from Buffalo.

Vickey Beaver, the Rochester team captain, accepts the Metro 10 Cup from race volunteer JT Thomas at Bullard Park today. Marissa Pace, the Buffalo captain, is in blue.

There were 400 runners in the race, the cap for the event, which included 5- or 10-mile options. There were 201 runners for Rochester and 199 for Buffalo.

Members of the Rochester team each got a victory glass after Rochester won nine of the 10 categories to determine which metro was the winner.

Runners watch an awards celebration where the top 3 in age groups were recognized before the Metro 10 Cup was awarded to culminate the event, which has experienced steady growth, about 30 percent each year since 2015.

Each finisher received a medal.

Jim Salmon of WHAM 1180 in Rochester, left, joined race director Thom Jennings in announcing the award winners at the post-race party.

Preach Freedom provided the music during the party at Bullard Park.

Tracy Jennings, center, serves up tacos to the runners. She is married to Thom Jennings.

There was also a “Micro 10” race at Bullard for kids.

Orleans Hub will have more on the race later.

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Which metro has fastest runners? Rochester or Buffalo?

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2017 at 9:04 pm

Third annual race starts 8 a.m. Saturday in Albion

The winning metro, either Rochester or Buffalo, gets bragging rights for the Metro 10 trophy. The trophy was created by welder and metal artist Matt Kistner of Albion. He made a cup that includes famous buildings in the skyline from each city.

ALBION – The running communities in Rochester and Buffalo will each be represented in Albion on Saturday morning during the third annual Metro 10 race.

The start time has been moved up to 8 a.m. and the course covers 5 and 10 miles. Visit metro10race.com/the-course/ to see a map of the course. (The 5-mile race starts at 8:19 a.m.)

Race organizer Thom Jennings urges the community to be out on the course cheering on the runners, including setting up sprinklers near the road, displaying lawn decorations, and giving hearty encouragement.

There will be about 400 runners in the race, with Buffalo and Rochester each having about 200. Rochester has claimed the Metro 10 cup the first two years.

The race committee has simplified the scoring system for determining the fastest metro.

There are 10 possible points with the categories as follows:

• 10 Mile Male Winner

• 10 Mile Female Winner

• 5 Mile Male Winner

• 5 Mile Female Winner

• 10 Mile Male Average

• 10 Mile Female Average

• 5 Mile Male Average

• 5 Mile Female Average

• 5 Mile Walk Winner (Not Gender Specific)*

• 5 Mile Walk Average*

The tiebreakers are as follows:

Most course records broken
Total average of each team

The metro that wins 6 or more categories takes the overall title. Every runner and walker’s time counts towards determining the winner.

Jared Ziegler, Ron Ziegler and Ed Martin.

Rochester has claimed the Metro 10 Cup in 2015 and 2016. Many of the runners pose for photos with the trophy afterwards, including this group from Rochester in 2015, from left: Jared Ziegler, Ron Ziegler and Ed Martin.

The race concludes at Bullard Park. There will be a viewing standing at the finish for the public.

A post-race party also starts at 9 a.m. with music by Preach Freedom and Connect. The general public is welcome to come to the post-race party to listen to the band. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be for sale for the general public.

Course records:

Male 10 mile: Kenny Goodfellow, 56:44 (2016)

Male 5 mile: Kevin Laley, 39:29 (2016)

Female 10 mile: Amy Konopka, 1:10:38 (2016

Female 5 mile: Sherry Czechowski, 39:39 (2016)

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Albion welcomes new teachers

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2017 at 4:08 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Six new teachers are having their orientation this week. They stopped by the Albion Rotary Club for lunch at Tillman’s Village Inn today. The first day of school is Sept.7.

The group includes, from left, front: Jessica Rushlow, pre-kindergarten teacher; and Melody Vanacore, long-term sub as elementary school librarian.

Second and third row, from left: Sawyer Green, high school English; Dave Skrip (2008 Albion graduate), high school social studies; Josh Green, middle and high school social studies; and Matt Coniff, Latin.

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Albion approves school tax warrant with 9-cent tax rate increase

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 August 2017 at 10:18 am

ALBION – The Board of Education has approved a tax warrant that will raise the tax rate 9 cents, from $15.43 to $15.52 per $1,000 of assessed property.

That is 5 cents less than the school district was projecting in May when the community approved the school district’s $34,796,676 budget, with a 526 to 123 vote.

The district was then projecting a 14-cent increase in the tax rate.

The school budget includes a 1.4 percent increase in the tax levy, only the second time school taxes have gone up in last 11 years. The tax rate is up by 0.6 percent.

Albion’s $15.52 tax rate remains the lowest in the four-counties of Orleans, Genesee, Monroe and Niagara counties.

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