Matching funds would help with building projects

Photo by Tom Rivers – This photo shows East Bank Street in downtown Albion, an area the village is targeting for a Main Street revitalization grant though the state.

ALBION – The village is working on an application to the state for a Main Street revitalization grant for the downtown business district.

The village is looking at a bigger target area than its previous Main Street grant in 2013-14 which was limited to a three-block area.

The village is reaching out to building owners on Main Street from the former Cornell Cooperative Extension building (now an outreach center owned by Christ Church) to the Yellow Goose and former Nayman’s just north of the canal.

The village also is eyeing Bank Street near Ingersoll Street to Liberty Street (from Greg’s Barbershop to Arnold’s Auto Parts).

The village has sent letters about the grant to more than 40 building owners and 21 have already sent in preliminary applications, said Ron Vendetti, the village’s code enforcement officer who is managing the grant. Vendetti administered a Main Street grant in Holley about two years ago.

Building owners can seek up to $50,000 in matching funds for each commercial unit and up to $10,000 for each residential unit.

The program supports building renovations including renovation of residential units, projects that are visually prominent on Main Street, projects with historic value or historic properties in danger of disrepair, and projects that reduce blight blight and contribute to the economic recovery of the area, Vendetti said.

Albion has set a 5 p.m. meeting for April 27 at the Village Hall to share more information on the project. The Village Hall is located at 35 East Bank St.

Vendetti said he is excited about a new partnership with PathStone to help building owners with financing the projects. PathStone has created a loan product to fund up to 100 percent of a project for successful applicants in the program. PathStone’s loan would be 75 percent reimbursed when the state funds come in. PathStone will convert the balance of the loan on permanent financing to the building owners.

PathStone says it is willing to provide the short-term gap financing to make projects doable for the building owners.

“This makes the process more reachable,” Vendetti said.

He also is reaching out to NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) to help with energy and conservation projects.

For more information, call Vendetti at the Village office at 589-9176.

ELA tests for grades 3-5 will shift to makeup date

Photos by Tom Rivers – The spot where an SUV crashed into the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School is boarded up Monday evening.

ALBION – An engineer from King & King Architects will inspect the elementary school for structural soundness today.

King & King is the Syracuse firm that designed the addition to the elementary school that was hit by an SUV on Monday. The vehicle left a gaping hole in a fourth-grade classroom and several cracks in the back wall of the school by the community entrance.

Albion school leaders decided to close school today, and Superintendent Michael Bonnewell said it could be closed longer depending on the engineer’s report.

Bonnewell and the Board of Education said the safety of students is the top priority. Bonnewell said he is thankful no students were seriously injured when debris was propelled into a classroom. He also said an initial assessment from King & King shows no damage to the steel supports. A structural engineer will do a more detailed analysis of the damage today.

The elementary school is closed on the first day of the state’s ELA (English Language Arts) assessments for grades 3 through 8. The three-day tests go from Tuesday through Thursday. Albion will use a makeup day for Friday. Bonnewell said the district will work with the state if the school is closed for more than today.

The math assessments for grades 3 to 8 are scheduled for April 13-15.

The state has modified the controversial tests where 20 percent of students opted out last year state-wide. In Albion, the opt out rate was 18 percent.

Bonnewell said the percentage is “significantly lower” this time. Last year about 130 students opted out of the ELA tests, and so far 50 won’t be taking them, he said.

The state, in response to the protests over the tests, reduced the number of questions this year and also are giving students an unlimited amount of time to finish the tests.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Albion Middle School is pictured last month. The school district for the ninth time in the past 10 years won’t be raising taxes in 2016-17.

ALBION – A boost in state aid helped Albion Central School close a budget gap, allowing the district to hold the line on taxes.

The Board of Education approved a $33,890,990 budget on Monday. It increases spending by 1.96 percent or about $650,000.

Albion was able to stave off a tax increase and preserve its existing programs after the state came through with a $728,369 increase in funding for the school district. In the governor’s budget proposal in January, Albion was looking at about $319,000 more in state aid. The final budget boosted the governor’s number by more than $400,000 for Albion.

“We’re grateful for all the state aid we receive,” said Shawn Liddle, the district’s assistant superintendent for business.

He presented the budget on Monday to the Board of Education. Liddle noted the budget marks the ninth time in the past decade that Albion will either reduce taxes or keep them at the same amount.

The spending plan for 2016-17 keeps all staff, except for a clerical position at the district office, a job that was eliminated by attrition.

The district’s student enrollment is projected to drop 2 percent next school year, down from 1,872 students to 1,834.

The district will have a hearing on the budget on May 10 at 7 p.m. at the LGI in the high school. The budget vote will be May 17 from noon to 8 p.m. at the elementary school conference room.

The May 17 vote includes one five-year seat on the Board of Education. Petitions from district residents to run for the position are due at the district office by April 18

Other propositions on the May ballot will include:

Authorization to spend up to $460,000 for buses;

Approval to collect $687,211 for Hoag Library. That is up 1 percent from the $680,411 for 2015-16.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Tom Marano, an Orleans County deputy sheriff, checks the scene of a car accident on Oak Orchard Road.

A driver heading southbound on Route 98, just north of the Village of Albion, left the road at about 8:30 p.m., crossing one residential front yard before banging into a home.

The driver of the vehicle and the occupants of the house were not injured, deputies said on scene. The driver will be ticketed for unsafe speed and could face additional charges, a deputy said.

Debbie Restivo lives in the house with her mother Jessica Matson. The driver also damaged the front lawn of property owned by Michael and Susan Thaine.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Albion firefighter Beau Piskorowski stands outside the back of the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School after a vehicle crashed into the building at about 3 p.m. today.

Press Release, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni

ALBION – On April 4, 2016 at 3:02 p.m. the Albion Police Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in the driveway of the Albion High School located at 302 East Avenue in the Village of Albion.

Responding Albion Police units were advised that one of the vehicles involved in the accident had left the scene and continued southbound on the school driveway. Moments later additional calls were received indicating that a vehicle had struck the Primary School.

Albion Police units arrived on scene and determined that a vehicle rear-ended another vehicle in the school campus driveway, that vehicle then continued southbound and struck the Primary School. The Albion Fire Department and COVA Ambulance were dispatched to the scene.

Albion police officer Karol Hughes takes a photo of the damage at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School. The SUV that hit the school was pulled away by Waters Auto Body & Paint in Albion.

As a result of the vehicle impacting the wall, the vehicle entered into the building approximately 2 feet. Debris from the vehicle and the wall itself then struck several students that were in a classroom that was located on other side of the impacted wall.

Five students received injuries that appear to be minor as a result of being struck by debris. The injured students were taken to area hospitals by ambulance. The other students in the classroom were evaluated by school medical staff.

The preliminary cause of the accident is believed to be attributed to a medical condition involving the driver of the vehicle. The accident remains under investigation. No charges have been filed against the driver at this time.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A driver suffering an apparent medical emergency crashed into the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School at about 3 p.m. today. Five students in a fourth grade classroom suffered minor injuries, including a student with a leg injury who was taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital..

All students in teacher Lee Sheehan’s class were checked by school nursing staff as a precaution.

Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni says the driver wasn’t injured in the accident. Nenni didn’t release the driver’s name, but the police chief said the adult male wasn’t using alcohol or drugs prior to the incident.

The driver also hit another car near the speed bumps on the driveway by the high school.

The vehicle hit a fourth grade classroom at the back of the elementary school near the community entrance.

Structural engineers were on the way to determine the extent of damage and how many classrooms may need to be relocated.

The vehicle hit a wall and sent debris flying in Sheehan’s classroom. Some of the bricks hit students, causing minor injuries.

Nenni said an investigation is continuing, including what caused the driver to be so erratic.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – An SUV that crashed into the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School this afternoon not only left a gaping hole in a fourth grade classroom, but damaged the back wall of the school, leaving several cracks.

The school district announced that it is closing the school on Tuesdays for grades prekindergarten through 5 so the building can be fully inspected and prepared for use again.

The district has also cancelled all evening activities today and Tuesday.

“Thank you to all our students, staff, and emergency folks for your work today!” the district said in a message to the community at 5:58 p.m.

Albion Central School Superintendent Michael Bonnewell takes pictures of an SUV that hit the elementary school at about 3 p.m. this afternoon. He is standing next to Albion firefighter Jim Peruzzini.

The accident caused several cracks in the wall in the back of the elementary school near the community entrance.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Josie Waverly, a popular local singer, is also a children’s book author. She visited Albion on Thursday evening to share the story of “Josie the Singing Butterfly” and also to promote early childhood literacy.

The Albion school district, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and the Albion Rotary Club partnered to run literacy workshops on four recent Thursdays. March 31 was the conclusion of the series.

In Josie the Singing Butterfly, the main character Josie meets a different animal in every story and Josie helps them resolve problems. Waverly has written four stories in the series and each book has a life lesson.

Visit http://josiethesingingbutterfly.com/ for more on Waverly and her books.

ALBION – The Orleans Correctional Facility, a medium-security men’s prison on Gaines Basin Road, was on lockdown March 12 after live ammunition was found.

The union representing corrections officers say inmates and their families are getting bolder with contraband in the state prisons.

On Friday, two live ammunition rounds were found on walkways inside of the Gowanda Correctional Facility, a medium security prison. At Gowanda an officer, who was escorting inmates to the main mess hall, observed an inmate bend down and pick up something off the main walkway outside of the South Tower at 5:45 p.m. The inmate immediately turned to the officer and handed him a live .32 caliber ammunition round.

The officer reported the incident to the watch commander. A search was ordered of all walkways and surrounding areas. During the search, another officer located a .9mm caliber live round on the facility walkway, not far from where the first round was located.

The search, which was limited in nature, turned up no other ammunition, according to a news release from the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc.

NYSCOPBA representatives, once notified of the incident, requested that the facility be locked down so that a complete search of the facility, including inmates and their dorms, could be conducted. That request was denied by administration in Albany, even though approximately two weeks prior, Orleans Correctional Facility was locked down after a live .44 caliber round was found in the recreation yard.

“For everyone’s safety, the entire facility should have been locked down and searched,” said Joe Miano, Western Region Vice President for the union. “There are approximately 1,500 inmates at this facility and there is no way to determine if there is any other live ammunition in the possession of an inmate without having every inmate and their living quarters searched. Since this ammunition was live, it could easily be discharged with a make-shift weapon in the hands of an inmate. It could be used against staff or inmate, and have deadly consequences.”

The Elmira Correctional Facility and Auburn Correctional Facility earlier this month were locked down. Elmira was locked down following a series of violent incidents that left both inmates and officers injured.

Auburn was placed on lockdown recently “to frisk and search one cellblock of the facility following the discovery of a large number of weapons,” the union said.

Sets April 20 meeting to hear from community if village-owned land should be used for Santa site or parking

Charles Howard is pictured in 1965 in one of the last times he wore the Santa suit. Howard died at age 69 on May 1, 1966. The Albion Betterment Committee would like to see a bronze statue of Howard, perhaps in this pose with his hands on hips.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board said it supports the idea of a Santa Claus heritage site, but wants more information about the project and more input from the community whether village-owned land on Main Street should be used for a statue and a “Santa House.”

Board members would like to recognize Charles W. Howard, the creator of a Santa Claus School in 1937. The school was run in Albion until Howard’s death in 1966. It now is operated in Midland, Mich., and still bears Howard’s name.

Howard was an influential Santa who established standards for how Santa should dress and act. He was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade as Santa for nearly 20 years, one of the most high-profile assignments for a Santa.

The Albion Betterment Committee would like a bronze statue of Howard on Main Street on vacant land next to the Presbyterian Church. Adding a building that would resemble Howard’s Christmas Park and Santa Claus School would create an attraction on Main Street, said Gary Kent, one of the directors of the Betterment Committee.

“We could put the village on the map all over the place big time,” Kent told the Village Board during a meeting this evening.

The Betterment Committee sees a building at about 1,000 square feet as a year-round operation, selling Santa-themed merchandise and perhaps baked goods, coffee and other drinks. The village would ultimately own the site and could lease it out to a business.

Mayor Dean London supports the idea but would like more specifics of the proposal. London and board members say they worry about the downtown business district and would welcome an attraction that would boost foot traffic for other businesses.

Santa visits with children at the former Christmas Park in Albion. The Betterment Committee would like a building on Main Street, resembling a site from Christmas Park.

Vinny Navarra owns a downtown building with a liquor store, fitness center, and barber shop. He has additional space for tenants. He said the village-owned land should be used for public parking. That was the stated purpose when the village took down a deteriorating building five years ago, Navarra said.

The land next the church could be used for 14 parking spaces at a cost of about $15,000 to pave the space and have the same grade as a neighboring parking lot, said Todd Sargent, the Department of Public Works superintendent.

Although parking currently isn’t an issue, downtown can run out of parking fast, especially with plans for a new restaurant by Adam Johnson, Navarra said. He said the statue could go elsewhere on Main Street without a Santa House. The statue might be best at Waterman Park, a half block south of the canal, Navarra suggested.

Kent and the Betterment Committee want the new building so it could be made to look like the former Santa Claus School in Albion. The site would appeal to a vendor and could also function as a visitor center with a public bathroom for the downtown.

Village Trustee Stan Farone stated his support for the statue and “Santa House,” saying the look of the building is important for the project to be a draw for the entire downtown.

Trustee Eileen Banker also voiced support for the project, saying it would be a boost for the downtown.

Trustee Pete Sidari said it is a difficult decision. He wants to play up on the Santa theme for Albion, but he also thinks downtown merchants could be out of parking with more businesses. He also wondered what would come of the “Santa House” if no vendor comes forward. He doesn’t want the village saddled with an empty structure.

Maureen Bennett, a vendor with Uptown Browsery, said she would support the Santa statue and house. She said existing merchants are struggling to get people into their stores.

“We don’t need more parking,” she said. “We need more people coming into our shops.”

The board decided it wanted more feedback from the community. It set a 7 p.m. public hearing for April 20 with a vote from the board at 7 p.m. on April 27.

ALBION – Ryan Brodesser, right, of Clarendon and Thad Maxwell of Hamlin play music on Saturday night at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church for the third annual “Pullman Pours” wine-tasting event.

Several local wineries and food vendors were part of the event, which aims to raise money for the church’s restoration efforts, including a new roof and foundation repairs.

Pullman Memorial this year is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the congregation’s formation. Pullman Memorial was officially chartered in August 1891.

Railroad magnate George Pullman, who grew up Albion, challenged the new congregation to raise $5,000 towards a new building and he would cover the remaining cost.

The local community met the $5,000 challenge and Pullman spared no expense in the building, including more than 40 Tiffany stained-glass windows. The church opened in January 1895.

Pullman Memorial would like to have several renovation and restoration projects done by 2020, the 125th anniversary of the church building.

For more on the “Pullman125project,” click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A stone bed for flowers in Albion’s Waterman Park was dismantled today over safety concerns.

The stone structure was added to the park about a decade ago. It had some pointy rocks edges on top that were seen as a liability concern, a DPW worker said today.

The stone had also sunk and shifted a little. It was built on a site without a solid foundation.

The village plans to makes a small garden at the site.

This photo from Aug. 28, 2014 shows the flower bed during the summer. A historical marker, noting downtown Albion is on the National Register of Historic Places, was placed in Waterman Park in 2014.