By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club is preparing for its annual St. Patrick’s Ham Dinner today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion (corner of East State and Main streets).
In the top photo, Rotary members Ed Fancher and Becky Dillenbeck prepare the ham dinners.
Carol Murphy gets potatoes ready for the dinner.
Albion teacher Tim Archer, advisor to the Rotary Interact Club at the high school, gets desserts ready in the dining hall.
Proceeds from today’s dinner go to the Interact Club, which is working on funding a well project in Guatemala so a community has public water.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Village residents will go to the polls today and will elect new mayors in Medina and Lyndonville.
In Medina, incumbent Andrew Meier isn’t seeking re-election. In Lyndonville, Steve McAvoy resigned as mayor on Oct. 31 due to the demands of his full-time job.
James Tuk, the current deputy mayor, has been leading the village government since McAvoy stepped down. Tuk faces an election today from John Belson, the Yates town supervisor until he lost an election to James Simon last November.
Belson wants to continue in public service. He is running under the Lyndonville Party while Tuk picked “The Lake Party.” The mayor’s post is a four-year term.
Three people are running for two seats on the Village Board, including incumbents Ellen Tuohey (Independent Party) and Danny Woodward (Peoples Party). Andrew Cousins (Sustainable Futures) also is running for village trustee.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 2 South Main St.
In Medina, Michael Sidari, a current village trustee, is the only candidate for a two-year term as mayor. Sidari is running under The Village Party, along with incumbent Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott, who are seeking two-year terms on the Village Board.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center, 615 West Ave.
In Lyndonville and Medina, candidates run under independent parties without the official backing of either Republicans or Democrats.
In Albion, three candidates are running for two four-year seats on the Village Board. The Republican Party is backing incumbent Gary Katsanis, and the Democrats endorsed Mattea Navarra-Molisani and incumbent Peter Sidari.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 35-37 East Bank St.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Residents return Peter Sidari, welcome newcomer Mattea Navarra-Molisani to Village Board
Peter Sidari
ALBION – Village residents re-elected Peter Sidari to a four-year term on the Village Board today, and also picked a political newcomer, Mattea Navarra-Molisani, for the board.
The two were endorsed by the Democratic Party. Gary Katsanis was the lone Republican candidate. He has served on the board for two years. He received 109 votes and wasn’t re-elected. Sidari had the most votes, 174, followed by Navarra-Molisani, 133.
The new terms start on April 1.
Sidari, 55, works as a fire safety educator for the North Greece Fire District. He said the current board has been a good team moving along projects, including a solar installation at the sewer and water plants.
“There will be huge savings for us,” he said. “We need to think about long-term.”
He praised village department heads for pushing shared services with the Village of Holley and Village of Elba. Albion personnel run Holley and Elba’s sewer plants, and Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni also leads Holley’s Police Department.
Sidari said the board needs to back projects that will bring in revenue for the village and ones that will reduce costs.
“We’re revenue stricken,” he said at the Village Hall tonight after the votes were counted.
Sidari praised Katsanis for his dedication the past two years on the board.
Navarra-Molisani
“He is a workhorse,” Sidari said. “He took on a lot of the problems during the day.”
Katsanis, 57, is retired after working in medical data analysis for Strong and then Blue Cross. He managed a staff that stretched from Buffalo to Utica. He said he brought an analytical approach to village business.
He was the village liaison to the Albion Town Board, a local development corporation, the Albion Merchants Association, and the Energize Albion group. Katsanis said he will stay active in the community, but will hand off his village capacities.
Navarra-Molisani, 40, has worked 11 years for Claims Recovery Financial Services. She is currently a claims operation manager. She is familiar with Housing and Urban Development regulations and thinks that federal department could bring resources into the village.
She said she would bring an attention to detail and a new perspective to the board.
Sidari has known her since she was a young child.
“I think she is up for the challenge,” Sidari said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Anya Groth, an Albion seventh-grader, holds a bowl of pottery she created in her art class led by Kamie Feder. The bowl was created and sold for $5 Tuesday evening as part of the seventh annual Empty Bowls project by Albion seventh-graders.
About 140 students created bowls that were sold on Tuesday evening. The project was expected to raise $700 to $800, which will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
The funding will help the agency stock its food pantry during a season when donations are down, said Annette Finch, community services director for Community Action.
Some of the bowls created by students are displayed on a table in the middle school cafeteria.
Students were also invited to write a message about local hunger. Finch bought this bowl. She liked the robin eggs
Students learned about hunger locally and in the world. Locally, one in four people struggle to have enough food to eat. World-wide, about 3 billion people go hungry.
“I would hate to be in that situation,” said Anya Groth, one of the students who worked on the project.
A student named Mason created this bowl and message.
Leeanna Montanarella, a seventh-grader, shared information about hunger with people who attended the event at the middle school. Leeanna said the community should step up awareness and fund-raising to fight hunger.
“I think it’s important that people in the community are fed,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Albion town asked to help fund festival June 10-11
File photo by Tom Rivers – A clown entertains in the Strawberry Festival Parade in this photo from June 2013.
ALBION – The bands, musicians and other entertainment don’t come cheap at the annual Strawberry Festival.
The two-day event in June, held the second Friday and Saturday, costs nearly $23,000 to put on. None of that goes for salaries. The festival is organized by an all-volunteer planning committee.
The Strawberry Festival Committee raises most of money for the festival through sponsorships and vendor fees. But the committee is facing about a $4,000 funding gap.
Michael Bonafede, chairman of the committee, asked the Albion Town Board on Monday to meet that financial challenge. The Town Board budgeted $3,000 towards the festival in 2015, and expects to at least meet that level again in 2016. The board will discuss whether it should go above budget for the festival. It should make a decision at its April meeting.
Town Councilman Jake Olles said the board wants to know specifically what the money will be used for. Bonafede said the money from the town can go towards bringing in some of the bands. The high school bands play for free, but the committee makes a donation to each participating school band.
The adult bands typically cost $800 to $1,200. This year’s parade on June 11 will include a newcomer to the Albion festival: the Stampede Drumline, the official drum line for the Buffalo Bills.
Michael Bonafede, chairman of the Strawberry Festival Committee, addresses Albion Town Board members on Monday evening. The board includes, from left: Darlene Benton, Richard Remley, Town Supervisor Matt Passarell, and Jake Olles.
The festival is also adding wooden boats to the parade, a wine-tasting event at Waterman Park this year on Main Street near the canal, food trucks on a limited basis, and the possibility of a chalk art display and competition. Nels Ross, a comic and popular children’s entertainer, will also make his debut at the festival as part of the return of the Teddy Bear picnic for children.
Festival organizers estimate the two-day event brings 12,500 to 20,000 people to the downtown and Courthouse Square.
“We see the festival as economic development, as well as showing off our community,” Bonafede told the Town Board.
The festival is sponsored by the Albion Rotary Club, and includes lots of in-kind support from the Village of Albion, said Karen Sawicz, the Rotary Club president.
The event this year will feature an Erie Canal theme. Returning attractions include a car show, 5K/8K race, turtle race with plastic toys in the canal, student poster and essay contest, fish pond, farmers’ market, food booths, a craft show, five entertainment venues, a Family Fun Center with games, and other displays.
Town Councilman Richard Remley thanked Bonafede and the many dedicated volunteers for organizing the event.
Provided photo – Albion student Brooklyn Moore and Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, show off the display that features her photography.
Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, has decided to use the walls of his office waiting room as a gallery for students’ artwork in the BOCES program.
He recently put out a call to his administrators that he wants to show off the creativity of the various classes at both the career and technical education centers and the special education sites.
For the next couple of months a student in Crystal Hall-Cirillo’s Graphic Arts class at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center will submit photography to grace the walls.
Brooklyn Moore, a senior from Albion, said she was proud that her artwork was chosen.
“Photography is a real passion of mine and something I would like to have as a sideline business as I work my way through college,” she said.
Brooklyn will be going to Genesee Community College for general studies then complete her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Robert Wesleyan College in Rochester.
Lily Strickland, a former student, also contributed a photo to balance out the display.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – This metal sculpture of a battlefield cross was added in front of the Albion Town Hall last May. It is pictured at about 8 p.m. today after the Town Board meeting on Clarendon Road.
ALBION – Town officials are looking to add a small wall of Medina sandstone by a war memorial, along with a new flagpole with a POW/MIA flag.
The Town Board this evening authorized spending up to $400 for a new 25-foot-high flagpole with a POW/MIA flag. The memorial – a metal sculpture of a battlefield cross – was added last May.
Jeff Benfer, a local welder and artist, created the sculpture as a donation to the community. The pieces were all cut and shaped by hand.
Town Board member Jake Olles and other board members want to add to the site. The town has secured sandstone blocks for the wall that should be added this summer.
The Town Highway Department will put in the foundation for the wall.
Estimates for the flagpole are $315, with a flag costing $35. The POW/MIA flag will be lower in height than an existing flag pole with an American flag.
Highway Superintendent Michael Neidert said the second pole will “tie the memorial together.”
The American flag by the Town Hall is pictured at 7 p.m. this evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Richard Flanagan plays basketball star Troy Bolton, shown here with his Wildcats teammates during a performance of Disney’s High School Musical Jr.
Albion Middle School performed the show on Friday, and twice today. The show has a message of unity among the student body, and supporting each other in trying other interests. Troy, one of the basketball stars, also enjoys singing and performing on stage, despite the initial ridicule of his teammates.
Olivia Morrison plays Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher at the school. She initially is skeptical of Troy’s interest in the drama program. This photo shows Mr. Darbus in her homeroom.
The opening scene includes the “Wildcat Cheer.” The musical shows some of the divisions among different cliques at the school, including cheerleaders, thespians, the basketball team, brainiacs, and skaters.
Jeffrey Brown portrays Jack Scott, who shares the school announcements.
Leah Kania plays Gabriella Montez and Richard Flanagan is Troy Bolton. The two first connect singing karaoke together and later earn the lead roles in the school musical. Sophia Zambito, in back, plays Kelsi Nielson.
Emma Tower plays Sharpay, an egotistical drama star, and Zachary Kilner plays her brother Ryan Evans. They are used to getting the lead roles in the school production and feel threatened by Gabriella and Troy.
There are several high-energy songs and dances in the musical. Katelyn Spierdowis plays the brainy Taylor, Chase Froman is Coach Bolton (center), and Omar Peterson plays Zeke Baylor, a basketball player who enjoys cooking.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Betterment Committee wants statue, ‘Christmas Park’ on Main Street
Clark Patterson Lee has put together this conceptual plan for a memorial site for Charles Howard, the Albion native who developed an influential Santa Claus School. This spot is on Main Street between the Presbyterian Church and a parking lot next to El Gallo.
ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee has been working more than a year on a memorial site in honor of Charles Howard, the Albion native who developed the first Santa Claus School. Howard started the school in 1937 and operated it until his death on May 1, 1966.
The school has since been relocated to Michigan, but still bears Howard’s name. Howard is a revered figure in the Santa Claus community. More than 200 men who portray Santa Claus came to a conference in Albion last April. Many of those visitors were surprised there wasn’t a site commemorating Howard’s importance in shaping how Santa should act and look.
The Albion Betterment Committee last December had a welcome sign installed on Route 98, south of the village, noting Albion is home of Charles Howard. An interpretive panel about Howard’s legacy was also put up at Mount Albion Cemetery by Albion Central School students.
Bronze sculptor Bill Koch has submitted this design for a statue of Charles Howard as Santa. Brigden Memorials in Albion also is interested in the project.
The Betterment Committee wants a bronze statue of Howard on Main Street. The group also wants a new building on Main Street that would function as a year-round visitor center and could also be leased out to a business for a coffee shop/bakery/ice cream stand/merchandise.
“This community would come together for the Santa House, the statue and history in general,” Gary Kent, a director for the Betterment Committee, told the Village Board on Wednesday.
Kent said the Betterment Committee has an appeal letter ready, and plans to follow up with phone calls to about 270 people already identified as potential donors.
Kent noted that May 1 is the 50th anniversary of Howard’s death and the Betterment Committee wants to push this year for the projects to honor one of Albion’s most famous native sons. For more on Howard, click here.
Kent asked the Village Board to make a decision soon about the village-owned land by the Presbyterian Church. The Betterment Committee is eyeing the spot where a building, last used by DaLisa’s Pizzeria, stood before the structure was knocked down about five years ago.
The board at the time say the site as a spot for more downtown parking. The land hasn’t been paved or turned into additional parking.
This spot next to the Presbyterian Church is considered by the Albion Betterment Committee as the preferential location for a Santa statue and building resembling Charles Howard’s Christmas Park in Albion. (If the project moves forward, the hitching posts and carriage step would be relocated.)
Kent said the site looks big enough for a 1,200-square-foot building that could be a Santa House, resembling Howard’s famed Christmas Park on Phipps Road in Albion.
The Betterment Committee has looked at other sites in the community for the project, but wants it downtown “for the maximum impact in the village,” Kent said.
Kent has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for 24 years. He said volunteers would likely help build a Santa House. He also has reached out to electricians and contractors, who are interested in donating their time.
“We could get this done for zero dollars,” Kent told the board.
This historic photo shows one of the buildings from Charles Howard’s Christmas Park and Santa Claus School. The Betterment Committee wants to replicate some of the looks from Christmas Park in a new site on Main Street.
The Santa statue, however, could cost $80,000 to $100,000. State grants and money from the Santa community, who hold Howard in high regard, could help fund the project.
Village Board members said they want to check with downtown merchants to gauge their opinion of the project, whether it would be worth sacrificing parking for a statue and Santa House. Mayor Dean London said the board would make a decision at its March 23 meeting.
Trustee Gary Katsanis said he favors the statue and Santa House in the downtown, where it would be a draw and likely boost business for other merchants.
Trustee Stan Farone said there could be other spots for the project, perhaps on Liberty Street.
Trustee Pete Sidari said the Santa site should be on Main Street. He just wants to make sure the village doesn’t have a parking shortage in the downtown for other businesses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Matt Davis, center, presented a check for $1,100 today towards the Edward Archbald Memorial Scholarship. Davis owns the Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership in Albion.
The scholarship is awarded annually by the Albion Rotary Club, where Archbald was a 70-year member. The scholarship is presented to a graduating senior pursuing a college education who shares a love for sports, recreational activities, community service and work experience.
Davis, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, is joined today by Albion Rotarians Ed Fancher, left, and Charlie Nesbitt, who are also on the board for the Albion Alumni Foundation, which manages the scholarship for the Rotary Club. Nesbitt has taken the fund-raising lead in endowing the Archbald scholarship.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 March 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The fellowship hall at Christ Church in Albion was packed today for the weekly Lenten luncheon. Churches in the Albion area take turns preparing meals and messages every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.
The top photo shows Carole Patterson, a member of the Gaines Congregational Church, going through the line for lunch.
The West Barre United Methodist Church prepared soup and sandwiches and the Barre Presbyterian Church made the desserts.
This group from the West Barre served up several different soups. They include, from left: Lee Preston, Cheryl Maxon, Eileen Collins, Carolyn Unger and Roberta Call.
Jack Richardson, retired pastor at the West Barre church, leads the group in singing, “To God Be The Glory.” There were about 60 people at the luncheon today.
Don Snyder, a retired prison chaplain who is now an associate minister at Oak Orchard Assembly of God in Medina, gave a message after lunch today.
“Hope is the bright star on a dark night,” Snyder said. “Jesus became our example and put hope in our lives.”
The Lenten luncheon series continues next Wednesday at Christ Church. It is open to the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2016 at 12:00 am
District has high graduation, Advanced Regents rates
ALBION – In the Albion school district, 63 percent of the 1,874 students are eligible for free or reduce lunch. That puts Albion among the 100 poorest school districts in the state.
Poorer school districts tend to have lower graduation rates, and lower percentages of students earning Advanced Regents diplomas.
Albion, despite its high poverty rate, is attaining academic success close to the levels of the 100 wealthiest school districts, Albion school leaders said on Monday during the monthly Board of Education meeting.
“This speaks to our students, our parents and our staff and the hard work they do everyday,” said Michael Bonnewell, school district superintendent. “It’s an incredible number that we as a community should be very proud of.”
The 100 poorest school districts have a graduation rate of 66 percent. That’s the percentage of students who graduate with their freshman cohort four years later. In the 100 wealthiest districts, the graduation rate is 92 percent. Albion, at 90 percent, nearly matches the wealthiest schools’ grad rate.
In terms of Advanced Regents, 18 percent of the graduates in the poorest schools earn the advanced diplomas, while 49 percent of the graduates in the wealthiest districts are at the level. In Albion, 44 percent of grads earn the advanced levels.
Albion does it despite being underfunded by the state of New York by about $3.5 million a year, said Shawn Liddle, the district’s assistant superintendent of business.
He used a formula from the Alliance for Quality Education to show how the state has been short-changing Albion and many other poorer school districts with Foundation Aid.
Liddle said the district has a culture that pushes student achievement.
“We’re fortunate to have the staff, the community and the students that we have who rise above it,” Liddle said about the poverty in the community.
Albion last year was recognized as one of 17 school districts in the country where students reach their potential despite issues with poverty and other challenges.
The National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado recognized Albion with a “School of Opportunity” designation. These outstanding schools demonstrate a range of practices that ensure that all students have rich opportunities to succeed, the center said in a news release last May.
For more on the “School of Opportunity,” click here.
Provided photo – Dakota Purvee of Albion holds the banner with the logo he created in his graphic design class at BOCES.
Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was looking for some artwork to represent their 9th District Eastern Region.
The group asked Orleans Career and Technical Education Graphic Arts teacher Crystal Hall-Cirillo if she had anyone in class who would be willing to take on the project.
“I thought one of my seniors, Dakota Purvee, would be a great person to tackle it,” she said.
Dakota, who is from the Albion Central School, was excited to see what he could come up with.
“They wanted a logo to put on their banner that would represent Buffalo, Cleveland, Massena and Niagara Falls,” Dakota said.
He submitted designs to the 50-person board and waited for feedback.
“They chose one and asked me to add more color and make some other changes,” he said. “When it was done they said they loved it.”
When Dakota saw his finished product on the Coast Guard banner he said, “It’s awesome. It was a good experience for me because I saw what it was like to work with a real client and have to keep making changes to please them. I really enjoyed the process.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 March 2016 at 12:00 am
Provided photo
ALBION – Peggy Thomas, a children’s book author from Middleport, reads “Snow Dance” during a recent visit to Albion to meet with parents of children ages 0 to pre-kindergarten. Thomas shared tips about telling engaging stories to children.
Her visit was part of a four-part session organized by the Albion Rotary Club, the Albion school district and Head Start through Community Action.
The next session will be Thursday at 5:45 p.m. and will focus on prekindergarten and kindergarten readiness with the parents’ role. That workshop will include classroom visits.
Parents should enter at about 5:45 p.m. through the community entrance in the back of the elementary school. Child care is available for the sessions.
The program concludes on March 31 with a family fun night that includes children’s author Josie Waverly, professional storyteller Gretchen Murray Sepik, and other games, stories, prizes, refreshments and a book fair.
For more information, contact Community Action at 589-5683.
Provided photo – Members of the Albion mastermind Team include, from left: Meredith Patterson, Kyle Thaine, Scott Daniels, Joe Madejski, Dan Beam and Matt Flanagan.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – The Albion Varsity Masterminds Club is in the final weeks of wrapping up an outstanding season. They are currently first in their league with 8 wins and only 1 loss, accumulating a total of 1,875 points.
Kyle Thaine is currently top scorer for the league with a total of 410 points this season. Along with Kyle, Joe Madejski, Matt Flanagan and Meredith Patterson are currently in the top 17 of the scoring leaderboard in the league.
MasterMinds is a quiz bowl-style academic competition for high school students. Matches are played in eight-minute halves with each school playing four students at a time. Students must ring-in and must be recognized before answering. Correct answers earn that player’s team 10 or 15 points and the opportunity for the team for answer a 30-point bonus question.
Each team plays a 12-game regular season with the top schools advancing to double elimination playoffs.
“We will play our last match of the regular season in early March and then it is off to the playoffs,” said Mrs. Newton, coach. “I have great expectations for our post season play.”
