By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
BARRE – Three people were taken to the hospital after a head-on collision at about 4:30 p.m. today on Route 31A in Barre, near the Clarendon town line.
The driver of the Chevrolet Malibu LT at right crossed the center line and side-swiped one vehicle and hit the Chrysler Town and Country head-on, Deputy Tom Marano said at the scene.
Dyllan Adamo, 25, of Albion was driving the Malibu. He was taken by Mercy Flight helicopter for medical treatment as a precaution. Marano said Adamo had bruising in the abdomen.
Elizabeth Baker of Holley was driving the Town and Country and appears to have suffered a broken ankle. She was taken by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance to Strong West.
Marano said the crash is under investigation.
This Chevrolet Impala was also hit on the side by Adamo. The driver, Preston Stone of Albion, didn’t appear to suffer any injuries but was taken by ambulance to Strong West as a precaution.
Barre firefighter James Neal watches Mercy Flight take off from a field along Route 31A.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 June 2016 at 12:40 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An 18-year-old man from Albion wasn’t injured in an accident at about 11:20 this morning when he struck and took down this telephone pole.
A deputy at the scene said the driver was likely going too fast on the winding road. The driver, whose name wasn’t released, was going eastbound on West Countyhouse Road near the Wood Road intersection.
Albion firefighter Rob Conner picks up some pieces of the car that were scattered on the road and in a nearby field.
The Albion Fire Department, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance and Orleans County deputies responded to the scene, as well as National Grid.
Jeffrey Brown, left, and his brother Harrison are pictured with Dave Mogle, owner of DK Autobody in Albion. Mogle refurbished and painted the trailer for the Boy Scouts, Troop 164 in Albion.
The brothers have been collecting pop cans and water bottles for two years at the Orleans County Marine Park. Those proceeds were used to have new lettering and designs put on the trailer by Stanton Signs in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Carol Miller, a volunteer during Pioneer Day for Albion fourth-graders, showed students, including Jordan Brooks how to use a washboard to do laundry.
Students learning old-time skills at several stations today, including stencil work, churning butter, tin punching, candle making and other activities.
Cathy Hryhorenko, an Albion teacher, works with students to churn butter. Fourth-graders have been studying New York history this year and today’s Pioneer Day was one of the highlights.
Xavier Byrd makes a yard doll during one of today’s Pioneer Day activities.
Sara Moore, a volunteer for the day, showed students how to iron.
Teacher Mary Jane Klips showed students how to punch tin.
Pioneer Day has been a tradition for Albion fourth-graders for about 30 years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – No one was injured in a two-car accident this morning after 9 a.m. at the 5 corners on Route 98, north of the Village of Albion.
The driver of the car pictured above drove from East Bacon Road onto Route 98, and was struck by a car headed north, an Albion police officer said at the scene.
The air bags in this car deployed in the accident. The police officer said a boy in this car bit his tongue in the accident, but was doing fine.
Albion firefighters, Albion police and Orleans County deputies were at the scene, as well as Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance, although COVA wasn’t needed for transport.
Dan Morrow, a member of the Albion Fire Department, directs traffic near the accident. Debris was strewn onto 98 on the east bound lane near Bacon Road.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The 30th anniversary of the Albion Strawberry Festival, set for next week on June 10-11, will again have royalty. The festival committee picked student ambassadors to represent the festival.
The group includes, from left: Prince Garric Winterkorn, King DeClan McCue, Queen Melissa Barnosky, and Princess Ashleigh Mowatt.
To be considered for the royalty, Albion students had to write an essay about this year’s festival theme which celebrates the historic Erie Canal. The students wrote how the canal gave birth to many canal towns, including Albion, which was originally called Newport. The canal was built from 1817-1825 in one of the country’s biggest public works projects ever. The ease of transporting goods turned New York into the Empire State, Barnosky wrote in her essay.
The royalty will be included in the parade at 10 a.m. on June 11. They will also help drop the plastic turtles into the canal during the Turtle Race at 2 p.m. on June 11.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Paula Shipe is the first in line this afternoon to try out the Frosty Bucket at 43 North Main St. Hilary Clark is the second customer.
ALBION – Downtown Albion has new place for a cool dessert. The Frosty Bucket opened today at 2 p.m. at 43 North Main St.
The business is owned by Adam and Tina Johnson. They are also working to renovate a site next door, hoping to turn that space into a restaurant and bar. Mr. Johnson said the family is working to have that open in the fall.
The Frosty Bucket was more do-able, and should provide revenue to help the Johnsons tackle some of the other projects in the building. Johnson is also president of the Albion Merchants Association. He expects The Frosty Bucket will draw people to the downtown business district.
“We want to make use of the building, and get more people downtown and on the sidewalk,” Johnson said just before the business opened this afternoon.
Adam and Tina Johnson are pictured with their son Tyler when The Frosty Bucket opened this afternoon.
Johnson and his employees worked a month to gut the building and put in new floors, walls, a front window, and all the kitchen equipment, which required new electrical work. He also added outdoor tables and chairs. The tables should have umbrellas soon.
Johnson pushed to have the business open in time for the Strawberry Festival, which is June 10-11.
The Frosty Bucket will have a full-time employee and a team of part-timers. The business will initially be open 2 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Johnson said a take-out menu will be added soon and lunch hours will then be included.
For now, the Frosty Bucket has several flavors of ice cream cones, milk shakes and sundaes, as well as cold beverages.
“We just want to make an impact in the downtown,” Johnson said.
Paula Shipe placed the first order, an ice cream cone with a scoop each of Cannoli and Deep Sea Treasure. Employee Kim Fisher, left, hands the cone to Shipe.
Shipe’s son Phil works for Johnson and has been busy for several months on renovations inside the building, with the past month focused on the ice cream shop.
“They’ve worked so hard on this,” Shipe said. “It’s beautiful. They did a great job.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Della Morales, library media specialist at Albion High School, helps first-grader Drayson Shonerd put on a hat he made in the Popcorn and Paperbacks program at Hoag Library.
Morales and students in the middle and high school multicultural clubs have been reading and doing craft projects on Wednesday afternoons the past eight weeks. The program concluded its first series today, but Morales said it will return in the fall with a Popcorn, Paperbacks and Pumpkins theme.
There were about 15 regular elementary student attendees in the program. Students in the multicultural clubs would read books to the younger kids and help them with weekly craft projects.
Morales said the idea for the program popped into her head. She thanked Hoag Library and the school district for backing the effort. Tina Burgett, multicultural club advisor in the middle school and an art teacher, also was a big help, Morales said.
“It’s been a real cool program,” she said.
Participants in the program hold a banner they created that says Popcorn and Paperbacks. They are pictured by a garden outside the children’s library, where students planted flowers this afternoon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photos
BARRE – A Barre family on Burns Road is still looking for their beloved dog, Pepper, after a devastating fire on Saturday night destroyed their home.
One of their dogs has been found, but the other German Shephard hasn’t been located.
The property at 5581 Burns Rd. is owned by Allen Whipple. Family members have been looking in Barre and north Oakfield for the dog. Mathew Pribek, son of Mr. Whipple’s late wife Connie, said the family is willing to pay a reward to anyone who finds the dog, which has a reddish color.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” Pribek said. “We believe Pepper is out there.”
Anyone with information about the dog should call Pribek at 585-861-0211.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Beau Piskorowski, a member of the Albion Fire Department, joins other firefighters in today’s Memorial Day parade down Main Street in Albion.
The parade concluded at the Albion Middle School, where there was a service to honor veterans.
Matt Passarell carries the American flag with other veterans in the Color Guard in this morning’s parade. Passarell is also the Albion town supervisor.
The group of veterans head south on Main Street. It was about 80 degrees out with bright sunshine during the parade.
The Albion High School Marching Band has been a parade mainstay for decades.
The band performs on Main Street before heading to the Middle School, where it played more music on the school lawn.
Katlin Pieniaszek holds the American flag in leading Girl Scouts in the parade.
These younger Girl Scouts carry a banner down Main Street.
Scouts from Troop 175 in West Barre are part of the parade procession.
These Scouts are part of Pack and Troop 164 in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 May 2016 at 11:30 pm
BARRE – Firefighters, including a member of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company in front, work to put out a fire Friday night at 5581 Burns Rd.
The location is in southern Barre near the Genesee County line.
The initial dispatch call went out at 9:13 p.m. Firefighters from several departments in Orleans and Genesee counties responded to the scene. The house is owned by Allen and Constance Whipple and located at the end of a long driveway.
The house was fully engulfed in flames and bystanders said they could see the orange flames from the road.
No one was injured in the fire, and the Whipples’ dogs were able to get out.
These Barre firefighters work to put out hot spots at the back of the house.
In addition to Barre, firefighters responded from Albion, Elba, East Shelby, Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Oakfield.
The fire happened on a section of the road without fire hydrants. Firefighters went to a hydrant on Johnson Road to fill fire trucks with water, which then hauled it to dump tanks to be pumped to the scene.
Water is hauled and then put in the dump tanks. Several fire companies brought tankers and pumpers to fight the fire in a remote part of Barre.
Jason Watts, a past chief for the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, is at the smoky scene after a house was destroyed by a fire.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jennifer Gray, a chalk artist and director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, works on a chalk art creation of the Statue of Liberty and an American flag today outside the Albion Middle School.
Christopher Mitchell Funeral Home sponsored the display which will be on the grounds for the Memorial Day ceremony following a 10 a.m. parade on Monday.
Jennifer Gray, left, and Go-Art! intern Alexis Krinki of Brockport work on the chalk art creation today. Krinki is also a GCC student. This is her first time doing chalk art.
Go Art! and the Albion Merchants Association are organizing a chalk art display and contest on June 11 as part of the Strawberry Festival. For more on that event, click here.
Alexis Krinki works on the stars in the flag for the chalk art display by the Middle School.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Hayden London is pictured today at Frank’s Auto in Albion, where he has a part-time job.
BARKER – A Waterport teen went fishing with three friends at Golden State Park in Barker on Thursday and likely saved the life of a man who drove into the lake.
Hayden London, 17, and his friends – Alex Plummer, Josh Tombari and Matt Scroger – were fishing by the inlet at the state park. They heard an engine roar and then a big splash in the water.
They ran to the lake and saw a green van pointed down in the water. The front was submerged. Another man was standing near the shore and told the teens a man was inside the van.
London and Plummer each grabbed big rocks. London took off his shirt and dove in the water. He saw a man who appeared to be elderly inside, hitting at the window trying to get out.
London smashed the driver’s window with a rock. Water came rushing inside the van, London recounted today. London put his shirt on the window, to protect the man from the broken glass. London and Plummer then pulled the man out of the van.
“He did a damn fine job,” Lt. Patrick Rindsleisch of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department said about London.
The rescued man seemed to be OK at the scene but was taken by ambulance for observation. Rindsleisch declined to release the man’s name, citing privacy concerns.
But he said London “helped the guy immensely” in a remote area of the Niagara County.
London is a junior a Lyndonville Central School. He said he is grateful the man was saved from the sinking vehicle.
“At first we were froze because we didn’t know what to do,” he said. “We could see he was trying to get out. I didn’t want to watch someone die.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club awarded three scholarships to graduating seniors for $2,750 total. Rotarians Bonnie Malakie, left, and Club President Karen Sawicz, right, are pictured with the scholarship winners Kyle Smith and Elizabeth Goff. Nathaniel Tremblay, not pictured, also was awarded a scholarship.
Elizabeth Goff received the A. B. “Dick” Eddy Rotary “Service Above Self” Scholarship. This scholarship for $1,250 is awarded in memory of Dick Eddy, a community leader, businessman, and Rotarian, who committed his life to the principle of service above self. The award goes to a senior who has demonstrated a personal commitment to community service and leadership, and displays high potential for future accomplishment.
Goff has been on the high honor roll, and has run sprints in track, while also being active in the school music program. She also serves as president of Rotary Interact, a Rotary program in the school. She wants to study physical therapy in college, with plans to go to Genesee Community College for two years before finishing at Daemen College in Buffalo.
Kyle Smith received the Edward B. Archbald Memorial Scholarship for $1,200. Archbald was a farmer, philanthropist, outdoorsman and a 70-year member of Rotary. This scholarship is presented to a graduating senior pursuing a college education who shares a love for sports, recreational activities, community service and work experience. The scholarship was raised from $500 to $1,250 this year by Rotary.
Smith has been a key player for Albion football and baseball. He will play football at Ithaca College where he will major in business and marketing. He has worked part-time at Mark’s Pizzeria and Panek Farms also also interned with the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Tremblay received the Rotary Career Advancement Prize for $250. The award goes to a graduating senior entering a field that doesn’t require a traditional college education, such as a technical field, agriculture, law enforcement, or business. Key factors in selecting the recipient include community service, school activities, and work experience. Tremblay wants to become a police officer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photos
ALBION – This pickup truck flipped over when it was struck this morning by another driver who allegedly ran the Stop Sign at the intersection of Liberty and West State streets in Albion.
The driver of the truck and his passenger were fine, although one may have sustained a minor head injury, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
Alberto Mendoza-Gonzalez, 42, of Marshall Road, Medina, was the driver of the other vehicle that went through the Stop Sign. He was issued vehicle and traffic violations for failure to stop, speed not reasonable, failure to yield, and driving without a New York State license. The Border Patrol was called due to Mendoza-Gonzalez’s questionable immigration statue, Nenni said.
The police chief said this intersection has been the scene of many accidents over the years.
