ALBION – Bank of America is adding a drive-through ATM in Albion. The new feature won’t be at the bank’s site. It will be across from Bank of America at Dunkin Donuts.

The Orleans County Planning Board supported the project during its meeting on Thursday. The ATM will be at the southeast corner of the Dunkin Donuts lot near the entrance by Platt Street. It will have room for three vehicles, will be lighted and will have a monument sign noting the ATM.

Bank of America doesn’t have room for a drive-through ATM at its site, said Ron Vendetti, village code enforcement officer.

The bank will continue to run a walk-up ATM at its Main Street location.

The project needs two variances, and the County Planning Board recommended Albion approve both. The village code requires room for five vehicles in a drive-through, but this proposed ATM has room for three vehicles. Planners said the ATM “is not expected to be a substantial traffic generator.” The walk-up ATM at the bank also will ease some pressure on the drive-through ATM, planners said.

The village code allows one freestanding sign per commercial property and this will have two with the Bank of America ATM and Dunkin Donuts.

Planners said the new sign noting ATM should be located in a way that doesn’t obstruct sight lines for vehicles attempting to exit the property.

ALBION – The Village Board adopted a $6,633,734 budget for 2016-17 that will reduce taxes, slightly, for village property owners.

The village’s tax rate will drop from $17.75 to $17.66 per $1,000 of assessed property. The amount of taxes to be collected will also drop 0.4 percent from $2,497,252 to $2,487,946, which is a $9,305 reduction.

Mayor Dean London and the board unanimously approved the budget on Wednesday. London said department heads deserve credit for presenting “realistic numbers” and working with the board to prevent a tax increase.

London said the village is “thinking outside the box” to try to bring down taxes. Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni, for example, also serves as Holley’s police chief in an agreement that brings in revenue for Albion. Other village personnel also work with Holley’s sewer plant, and Elba’s water and sewer.

The budget also stops a downward slide in overall assessments in the village. After several years of a declining tax base, Albion grew by $190,060 to $140,880,321. That represents only a 0.13 percent growth, but it wasn’t a decrease, village officials noted on Wednesday.

Other good news in the budget, according to Clerk/Treasurer Linda Babcock: the village is only using $193,000 from reserves or its fund balance. She thinks that is the lowest level in many years. In the 2015-16 budget, the village used $248,000 from its fund balance, which was down from the $300,000 in fund balance in 2014-15.

BARRE – Town Supervisor Mark Chamberlain said he is just learning this week about Apex Clean Energy’s new plan for a 200 Megawatt wind energy project focused in Barre and stretching into Elba, Albion and other neighboring communities.

Apex made the announcement on Wednesday. The company sent a letter to Barre town officials earlier this week, requesting a meeting to discuss the project.

Chamberlain said he hadn’t heard any talk of the project until this week.

“This is the first that the community has heard of it,” he said this afternoon. “This has all come very quickly and very fast.”

Barre was considered for a wind energy project about a decade ago, but the developer backed off after concerns turbines would be sited too close to the Pine Hill Airport.

Chamberlain said the Apex project appears to be away from the airport, with the new focus apparently in southeastern Barre.

Apex is proposing a project in Yates and Somerset that would include up to 71 turbines that would peak at 620 feet high. Those turbines are about 200 feet taller than the ones proposed in Barre a decade ago. Apex hasn’t detailed the size of Barre turbines.

There is a big change, compared to a decade ago, with the new “Heritage Wind” project proposed for Barre: the Article 10 process. That gives the majority of the siting power to state officials.

“It takes town input out of it,” Chamberlain said.

Apex said today it will have many public meetings with officials and residents in Barre, Albion and the rest of the project area.

“This is a process that has just begun, and we are reaching out to various stakeholders simultaneously, including officials with the Town of Barre, the Town and Village of Albion, Orleans County, and many others,” said Cat Mosely, Public Affairs manager for Apex.

Photos by Tom Rivers – The County Administration Building on Route 31, behind The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, could have an addition to make room for relocated county offices.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators are expected to vote this afternoon to hire a firm to look at putting on an addition to the County Administration Building.

The county may shift several offices to the addition, including the Board of Elections and Public Health Department, which is leasing space from Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services. Comprehensive purchased the former county-owned nursing home for $7.8 million in January 2014. The county has been leasing space from Comprehensive for Elections and Public Health because those offices are part of the nursing home complex.

Public Health leases space next to the former Orleans County Nursing Home on Route 31 in Albion.

The county could also shift information technology (currently in Treasurer’s Office), the legislative chambers (in County Clerk’s Building), the county’s administrative office (also in Clerk’s Building) and create large multi-use rooms to accommodate training for large groups, conference rooms and offices.

A resolution at today’s 4:30 p.m. meeting calls for paying the Wendel firm $30,000 for a feasibility study for an addition to the County Administration Building.

David Callard, the Legislature chairman, said the feasibility study will look at many options with a goal for improved efficiency in county operations.

He said moving Elections and Public Health from leased space will free up money that could go towards the addition, perhaps making the project cost neutral to county taxpayers.

Board of Elections uses part of a wing in the former county-owned nursing home.

Callard said he and county offices have looked at existing buildings, including sites in Albion’s historic downtown, but those sites wouldn’t improve efficiency of the county government operations by being “in remote locations.”

Moving out county staff from space owned by Comprehensive could allow that company to add services, Callard said, suggesting assisted adult care.

If the Legislature and its staff also move to a new addition at the Administration Building that would free up space for the Real Property Tax Services Department to move from the building’s basement to upstairs, Callard said.

If the Legislature leaves the Clerk’s Building, an iconic historic structure next to the courthouse, Callard said the community can be assured the building will remain well cared for by the county.

“We aren’t letting that building go, ever,” he said.

He said nothing is set with the addition and which offices might go there.

“There’s all sorts of variables,” he said. “We’re just exploring the possibility of consolidation.”

Apex Clean Energy – Apex has identified Barre and its surrounding area for the focus of a wind energy project.

BARRE – Apex Clean Energy announced today the company is looking at a second wind energy project in Orleans County that would be focused in Barre and spread out in surrounding towns, as far northeast as Fancher and south into Elba.

The project would be called Heritage Wind and would represent a private investment by Apex “in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Apex said it’s too early to say how many turbines would be in the project, but it said is looking at a 200 Megawatt project, the same as the proposed Lighthouse Wind in Yates and Somerset.

The company will be actively meeting with landowners, community leaders and the public in the next several months, Apex posted on a website for “Heritage Wind.”

“The Heritage Wind project would provide an opportunity to help address New York’s growing electricity demand with clean, homegrown energy, while diversifying Orleans County’s economy and supporting jobs in the local community,” the company states on the website.

Apex is working on Lighthouse Wind, a project with about 70 turbines in Yates and Somerset in those two towns along Lake Ontario. The project has faced community opposition and is going through the state Article 10 review process.

Apex Clean Energy is based in Charlottesville, Va. It sees several positives with a project in the Barre area, including: verified wind resource, existing high-voltage power lines, expansive private land, and proximity to state highways.

The existing high-voltage power lines and highways would limit the need for new infrastructure, the company said.

Apex said Heritage Wind would create hundreds of jobs and significant local spending during construction, and up to 10 full-time local jobs for operations and maintenance.

The company would pay “millions of dollars” annually over 30 years to county and local landowners.

“Apex has spent the last few years working in Orleans County, and we’ve talked to hundreds of local people who are interested in bringing more wind energy to their county,” said Mark Goodwin, president and COO of Apex Clean Energy in a news release. “Orleans County is blessed with a very strong wind resource, and we look forward to working with the people of Barre to bring the benefits of wind energy to their community as well.”

For more on Heritage Wind, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Carolyn Ricker announced today she plans to close Bindings Bookstore on April 30 after 5 ½ years of business. She is pictured today in the store at 28 West Bank St.

ALBION – The owner of Bindings Bookstore announced today she plans to close the bookstore on April 30 after 5 ½ years. Carolyn Ricker said there is a chance a new owner may step forward in the next few days.

She said the bookstore has been profitable, but it wasn’t meeting her goal for a business after 5-plus years.

“It holds its own,” she said this afternoon at the store. “It’s not failing, it’s just hasn’t been what I hoped for my family.”

Ricker and her husband Jason have two teen-age children. Mrs. Ricker opened the store following a community survey for businesses in Albion. Many people who filled out the survey about seven years ago stated they wanted to see a bookstore in Albion.

Her top sellers were children’s books and items about local history. Ricker said she appreciated a faithful clientele, but she and other downtown businesses need more customers.

File photo – Carolyn Ricker dressed as Where’s Waldo in the Strawberry Festival Parade in June 2014 to promote a contest in Albion. She is pictured Jeffrey Brown (strawberry) and his brother Harrison (the bear).

She thinks about the sign in the storefront window of a Main Street building owned by Adam Johnson, who urges people to “Be part of the solution.”

Ricker said people don’t need to open a business but if they can be part of a thriving downtown with locally owned stores by spending money with those merchants.

Ricker has been battling Big Box stores and on-line companies such as Amazon. She said she built up a loyal customer base by catering to their needs, and offering to make deliveries.

Ricker also has been active with the Albion Merchants Association, serving as the group’s president and helping to run many events, such as a wine-tasting, holiday shopping tours, stained-glass window tour, Small Business Saturday, and other community efforts such as Where’s Waldo, which offered coupons for people who visited local businesses. Ricker also ran a monthly book club, and sponsored the “Tale for Three Counties” community reading project.

“She’s been very supportive of the businesses,” said Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop.

Stratton stopped by Bindings today after Ricker announced the store’s closing on Facebook and to customers in an email. Stratton said the two are “Business Besties” who often team on projects and for moral support.

Bindings will have a sale with everything 30 percent off in its final week.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Three people were injured in accident at about 2:40 p.m. this afternoon on Route 31, just west of Long Bridge Road near the 4-H fairgrounds.

The driver of the white vehicle, a GMC Terrain SUV, was getting mail and made a 90-degree turn on 31 and was struck by an oncoming Ford Ranger pickup truck, a deputy on the scene said.

The passenger in the Terrain, the grandmother of the driver, needed to be extricated by Albion firefighters. She was taken by Mercy Flight helicopter to a hospital.

The drivers of both the SUV and pickup truck were also taken by ambulance, COVA and the Medina Fire Department, to hospitals.

No information was available about the extent of the injuries.

Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jonathan Higgins, a captain with the Medina Fire Department, interviews Meghan Hurley on Wednesday during mock interviews with Albion seniors in the school’s internship program.

Hurley has been interning at the Medina Fire Department with paramedics. She is considering a career as a nurse aesthetician.

Albion has 19 students in internships this semester and 17 were interviewed on Wednesday, with students preparing cover letters and resumes.

Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, interviews Kyle Smith, who is interning with the EDA and considering a career in business.

Mary Leto, assistant superintendent at Albion Central School, interviews Olivia Prest, who has been interning at D & K Autobody. She is interested in a welding career.

(Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub editor, interviewed Katelyn Perry, who has been interning in Hoag Library with communications and also at Bloom’s Flower Shop. She is interested in a career in journalism.)

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club presented $3,000 today to PAWS Animal Shelter, the proceeds from the first-ever Masquerade Ball at The Pillars on April 9.

Albion Rotarians Tammy Yaskulski, left, and Deb Boyer, right, were key organizers in the event. They present the check to Morgan Tinkous, manager of PAWS.

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion Betterment Committee is backing off plans to put a bronze statue of Santa Claus with a “Santa House” in a vacant spot next to the First Presbyterian Church after several merchants and past Village Board members expressed concerns that the land should be used for public parking. The Betterment Committee is looking at other sites, including Waterman Park, a spot on Main Street next to Cropsey and Cropsey.

ALBION – The Village Board was encouraged to support efforts for a bronze statue of Santa Claus in honor of Charles Howard, the Albion native who ran a Santa Claus School from 1937 until his death in 1966.

However, the Village Board was urged not to allow the Howard memorial to be erected on vacant land next to the First Presbyterian Church. The village took down a building that was considered unsafe five years ago with the goal of creating a parking lot. The spot hasn’t been turned into parking yet, but several merchants said they don’t want to see that potential go away.

Greg Schmitt of the Olde Coach Inn said he only has three parking spaces now for his business. He would like to add a sports bar, but not having access to the parking would hurt that effort.

Dean Theodorakos was mayor of Albion when the building was demolished. He spoke at the public hearing Wednesday about using the space for a Santa statue and memorial. Theodorakos favors keeping it for parking. He also urged the village to enforce existing two-hour parking in the downtown. He also shared his concern that a Santa House, which could sell merchandise and refreshments, be self-supporting and not be a drain on village finances.

The Albion Betterment Committee shared concerns about the aesthetics of a big parking lot on Main Street. Theodorakos said there were plans for green space if the village moves forward with the bigger lot.

(Editor’s note: I’m on the Santa committee and spoke during the public hearing. I suggested the village put historic-looking lights in the median of the parking lot and some small trees to be a buffer looking at the former Sneezy’s bowling alley and to help with the aesthetics of the space.)

As a committee member I favor the Waterman Park site on Main Street, a half block south of the canal. The site is owned by the village and much of the landscaping is done. The Memorial Art Company in Buffalo visited Albion twice about three years ago to look at spots for a potential quarryman memorial site.

That company, which has created and installed several bronze statues, thought Waterman was the best spot. It’s high-profile on Main Street with two intersecting sidewalks. The company didn’t like the land by the Presbyterian Church because a bronze would look so small next to a 175-foot-high building.

Waterman could be renamed the Charles W. Howard Memorial Park. Murals could added with a Santa theme and Christmas trees planted to create a Christmas feel (my opinion).

The Village Board would need to vote on making public space available for any Santa projects.

Maureen Bennett is a vendor across from Waterman in the Uptown Browsery. She thought the location with a statue would give a lift to several of the businesses that would be close by to the statue.

Community members have pitched other sites for a Santa statue and House, including this spot at the corner of Ingersoll and West Bank streets. I think it’s too far from Main Street and wouldn’t be a springboard for other businesses to piggyback off of. If the statue is on Main Street, I could see businesses opening with a Santa theme, or selling Santa-related merchandise.

The site at the former Swan Library also has been suggested for the Santa statue. The property is now privately owned by Chad Fabry. He wants to remove the large tree. Some people, including Village Trustee Pete Sidari, have suggested the statue could go there. (I don’t think the statue would “connect” well with the site. It would be harder to create a Santa theme here and I think the statue would look out of place.)

Ken McPherson is a graduate of the Charles Howard Santa Claus School, which is now in Midland, Mich. McPherson said Howard is well regarded among the Santa community. More than 200 attended a Santa conference in Albion a year ago.

The Betterment Committee would like a Santa statue to be made of bronze and placed in a prominent part of town, serving as a icon, much like the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial, which is featured in the film “A Perfect Storm” and remains a big part of the identity of this Massachusetts community.

McPherson is also on the local Santa committee. He said a statue would be a nice way to recognize Howard’s impact in the community and with the people who portray Santa around the world. McPherson would like to see a display of memorabilia of Christmas Park that tells the story of that site created by Howard on Phipps Road. However, McPherson said he wants a project that has strong support in the community.

Albion residents Lori Laine and Gary Condoluci also voiced support for the bigger project of a statue and “Santa House.” Laine said that combination would be a bigger draw to the downtown. However, she said she would support the statue at first, with the possibility of developing a Santa House later on.

Adam Johnson is working to develop a restaurant in the downtown. He submitted a letter that was read at the public hearing. Johnson didn’t want to give up parking spaces for a Santa House that he said doesn’t have a viable long-term plan. Johnson said he favors the statue at Waterman Park.

Resident Mark Parker also shared concerns about the viability of running a Santa House and the burden on the village with ongoing maintenance.

Another issue raised on Wednesday was whether Howard’s family would support a memorial project. Howard’s grandchildren attended the Santa convention a year ago and gave verbal support for the project. Village Board members said they want to see that in writing. McPherson said he knows Howard’s granddaughter, Jane Holland of Williamsville, and would see if she would state her support for the project.

Charles Howard is pictured in 1965 in one of the last times he wore the Santa suit. The 50th anniversary of his death is on May 1.

Condoluci said he remembers when he was a kid and visited Christmas Park and Howard.

Condoluci urged the Village Board to “take a leap of faith” and allow a Howard memorial to be created on village-owned land on Main Street.

“I remember Charlie Howard,” Condolucci said. He was a big deal. He is a very proud and vibrant part of Albion history.”

ALBION – Rob Conner, an Albion firefighter, sprays water on a brush fire at about 4 p.m. today. The fire was in a hedgerow in a field behind Mount Albion Cemetery.

Barre brought its brush fire truck and firefighters to assist Albion in putting out the fire. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a burn ban through  May 14. The DEC was also called to the scene.

Albion and Barre firefighters work on extinquishing the fire, which was just west of the cemetery near Route 31.

James Neal from the Barre Fire Company heads to the scene to help put out the fire.