By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2020 at 11:17 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Flags throughout Orleans County and New York State have been lowered in honor people who have died from Covid-19 in the state.
The top photo shows the flag on the Courthouse lawn with the First Presbyterian Church of Albion in the background.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday ordered that flags be lowered for the Covid-19 victims. The deaths in the state from the virus totaled 7,067 deaths as of Thursday.
“That is so shocking and painful and breathtaking, I don’t even have the words for it,” Gov. Cuomo said on Thursday. “We’ve lost so many New Yorkers to this silent killer. It has been a silent explosion that just ripples through society.”
The flags will be lowered while the state is on “Pause,” with schools and nonessential businesses closed until at least April 29.
The state has about 160,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, more than any country besides the United States.
The flag is at half-staff in front of Hoag Library in Albion.
The American flag and POW/MIA flag are lowered at the Canal Corporation’s maintenance facility in Albion.
Ace Hardware in Albion has its American flag lowered out of respect to the victims of Covid-19.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 April 2020 at 9:01 am
ALBION — The Albion Village Board has put together a $6,872,286 budget that keeps the tax rate at $17.80 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The budget would increase the tax levy, what the village collects in taxes, by $17,252, or by less than 1 percent (0.6 percent). The tax levy would go from $2,730,417 in 2019-2020 to $2,747,669 in 2020-21.
The board held a public hearing on the budget Wednesday. Residents could only comment through the Zoom online option because the village hall is currently closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic. No one commented on the budget during the hearing.
The board is scheduled to adopt the budget at 6 p.m. on April 22. The fiscal year starts June 1 and runs to May 31, 2021.
Mayor Eileen Banker is pleased the budget doesn’t increase the tax rate. She is concerned state and county revenues that are in the budget may not come through at the budgeted amounts. That includes road paving and maintenance funding from the state (CHIPS) and some of the local sales tax revenue distributed by the county.
If those revenues don’t meet expectations, the village will likely have to make some adjustments.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Gary Simboli leads the high school choir during its year-end concert last June. The choir has more than 150 students and performs at many community events throughout the year. Albion has earned national recognition for its school music program for the 13thstraight year. It is one of 754 districts across the nation named a “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation.
Posted 8 April 2020 at 5:21 pm
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – The Albion Central School District has been named a Best Community for Music Education for 13 years in a row!
This designation comes from The NAMM Foundation for Albion’s outstanding commitment to music education.
Now in its 21st year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Albion answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for the music programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
This award recognizes that Albion is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing-while leaving behind subjects such as music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children.
“Making music is the artistic synthesis of all academics,” said High School Choral Director Gary Simboli. “When presented in a public forum, not only does it allow students to demonstrate their skills in real world settings, but it also enriches the lives of those giving and receiving the performances.”
The pep band enlivens the crowd during the homecoming football game on Oct. 5. Albion runs an active music program in the elementary, middle and high schools. The high school puts on two full-scale musical and students also perform in several different instrumental and choral groups. In all, high school musicians perform numerous times during the school year.
Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores that their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well.
Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children that in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.
A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking A Chord,” also outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
The High School performed The Big Bad Musical in November, one of two musicals scheduled for the high school drama program. The middle school also typically does two musicals. In this photo Chase Froman, sitting, stars as the Big Bad Wolf and Aubrey Boyer is Sydney Grimm, a flashy reporter for a cable news channel, EFN – Enchanted Forest News. In back from left are the Wolfettes, from left: Olivia Morrison, Hannah Coolbaugh, Hannah Brewer and Sydney Mulka.
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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2020 at 8:33 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Caden Crosby, a senior at Albion High School in 2018, helps a plant a bur oak tree on Nov. 1, 2017 as part of his community service requirement for all students at Albion.
ALBION – The school district requires all graduates of Albion Central School to complete at least 30 hours of documented community service.
Some students complete the community service during their freshmen or sophomore years, and often exceed 100 hours of service. But many students also tend to wait until late in their senior year to complete the 30 hours.
There are some students to graduate in June who haven’t reached the 30 hours of community service yet. The Albion Board of Education on Monday decided to give them a waiver on reaching that threshold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many organizations where students could do their community service are currently closed to the public.
Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent, said the district values service learning and isn’t making the decision lightly about the service requirement. Students who met the requirement and also reached 100 hours will be noted in the commencement program.
In other action at Monday’s meeting:
• The board accepted a bid from P-A-Z Masonry of Albion to construct two dugouts each for softball and soccer. P-A-Z submitted the low bid of $66,100. Thompson Builds of Churchill submitted a bid for $81,531. The project includes a concrete pad for the dugouts which will be cinder blocks with a roof. One of the soccer dugouts also includes a small room for a sound system.
• The board agreed to allow online view of tax bills, where property owners could also print the
school tax bills and receipts. Derek Vallese, the district’s business administrator, said Albion receives many requests from individuals, attorneys, and tax preparers for public access to tax bills and receipts.
Vallese said Albion is the only school district in the county that does not have this service available. Currently an individual has to call the tax collector and request a copy of the tax bill or the receipt.
Vallese said the tax bills are public information. Albion won’t charge to view the bills. The district will grant “view only” access to the tax bills.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2020 at 10:47 am
Packets of school work, on-line learning while school buildings off limits to students
Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: Cafeteria workers at Albion prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for students. From left include Leslie Merrill, Jenn Gonzalez and Kelly Rosato.
ALBION – The school district has served more than 13,000 meals since March 18, and also is doing weekly packets of school work or on-line assignments for students who are home from school.
This is the start of the fourth week of students being out of the school buildings due to health concerns over the coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has closed schools in the state until at least April 29.
The cafeteria staff at Albion prepare the meals which can be picked up outside the elementary school or taken to drop site at the Barre Center Presbyterian Church parking lot, Elk’s Club parking lot, Oak Orchard Estates, Lydun Drive Extension – Canal Town Commons and the Carlton Rec Hall.
Two school bus drivers deliver the meals with staff helping at the drop sites.
Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent, praised the efforts of the district staff to prepare and distribute so many meals to students. The meals are available free of charge to all students in the district.
The district is providing a bagged lunch with sandwich, fruit, vegetable and milk as well as a breakfast for the next day.
(For more on the program or to sign up, click here. There won’t be any meals distributed next week.)
Albion police officer Chris Goglowski and Kevin Beaumont, assistant elementary school principal, greet students and families picking up meals at the school.
The district has also been keeping students engaged with remote learning. Bonnewell said packets are prepared each week for students in elementary and middle schools. Older students receive assignments on-line.
The district has sent 150 Chromebooks or laptops for students without computers at home. Some students don’t have high-speed internet at home. In that case, students are sent homework. They are also encouraged to use public WiFi outside the school or Hoag Library, or maybe piggyback with permission off a neighbor’s WiFi.
“I certainly want to thank our teachers, our teacher assistants, teacher aides, secretaries and administrators who are making all of that work,” Bonnewell said about the packets prepared at the elementary and middle schools.
ALBION – The school district is accepting applications until May 1 for universal prekindergarten during the 2020-21 school year.
Applications are available by calling the District Office Registrar at 589-2051 or the Elementary School’s main office at 589-2030 to request an application be mailed. Or click here to be directed to the three parts to the application that can be filled out online.
Children are eligible for the Albion UPK program if they are 4 years old on or before December 1, 2020 and if they reside in the Albion Central School District.
There are two sessions each day: AM session (9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) and the PM session (1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Parents may not choose which session (AM or PM) the child attends.
Parents will be notified by mail in early May of their child’s status for the UPK program.
There are 80 available slots for students. If there are more than 80 applicants, a random lottery will take place. In the event of the need for a lottery, students not “drawn” will be added to a wait list and will be contacted if openings occur during the school year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 April 2020 at 10:24 pm
Tonight’s Albion Board of Education was done online through the Zoom. The district also presented the meeting for the public live through YouTube. Top row from left include Mary Leto, assistant superintendent for instruction; Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent, Derek Vallese, district business administrator; Second row from top: Board of Education members Chantelle Sacco, Elissa Nesbitt, Margy Brown and David Sidari. Third row from top: Board members Kathy Harling (president), Wayne Wadhams, Greg Boose and Linda Weller. Bottom row: Board member Joyce Riley.
District anticipates some mid-year state aid reductions
ALBION — The Albion Board of Education tonight adopted a $36,841,032 school budget, up 3.62 percent or $1,285,522 from the $35,555,510 in 2019-20. The budget keeps the tax levy at $8,449,094 in property taxes, the same as in 2019-20.
This is now the 12th time in the past 14 years the school district has either kept taxes flat or reduced them.
“It’s best at this time to try not to hit up the taxpayers for any more money if we don’t have to,” said Derek Vallese, the district’s business administrator.
The budget is usually voted on by the public the third Tuesday in May, but the election has been pushed back to at least June 1. The governor hasn’t given a directive yet on the specific date for the school elections or the village and library elections except to say they will be later than in May. He moved them back due to concerns about the coronavirus.
The school district’s fiscal year starts July 1. That is also when the new terms start for members of the Board of Education. Three spots are up for election.
The district was able to prevent a tax increase after the state was able to maintain its aid (using $650,000 from the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act).
Albion also will use money from its fund balance and may dip into some reserves to help stave off a tax increase.
The budget comes with some uncertainty in the state aid. Gov. Cuomo said the state will be forced to look at its revenue during the state’s fiscal year and if revenues are off target the state will likely have to reduce its funding to local governments, including school districts. The first revenue review for the state will be on April 30.
“He is certainly in a difficult position, one we can all understand,” said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent. “We know the numbers, but the governor has been very clear that he will continually to watch the budget and make adjustments as necessary.”
Bonnewell said the district could absorb some drop in state aid because Albion has “a history of putting money away for a rainy day.”
The state aid also includes $250,000 for a Covid response. With students out of school until at least April 29, some students are expected to need academic intervention services next school year to help catch up. The district is expecting it will need to hire more staff to help students after this prolonged time out of school. (The district has been sending home packets of schoolwork and offering other assignments online.)
“We know coming back from this is going to require some extra energy, which means extra resources,” Bonnewell said during the meeting tonight.
The budget also includes funding for a superintendent’s search with Bonnewell to retire on June 30, 2021.
Albion also is budgeting $85,200 for its share of a grant program to replace school doors and add more security cameras. That expense depends on Albion receiving a COPS grant that covers 75 percent of the cost. The Albion Police Department is applying for the grant with the school district paying the local share.
The grant for a maximum project cost of $500,000, which would be a local share of $125,000. The estimated cost for the work would put the Albion share at $85,200.
• BUS PROPOSITION — The budget vote (when it happens) also will include a proposition to spend up to $525,000 from a bus purchase reserve fund for five new busses. That is a $20,000 increase from last year. Vallese said the cost of steel has gone up, increasing the expense for busses.
• HOAG LIBRARY — Voters also will decide a proposition for Hoag Library to receive $713,000 to be collected by the school district. That is down from the $714,920 in 2019-20.
• BOARD OF EDUCATION — The Board of Education election isn’t a simple matter. The district sought advice from its attorney and the New York State School Boards Association. There are two expired terms that are currently filled by Greg Boose and Joyce Riley who were appointed in July and took the oath of office on Aug. 5. They are filling less than a year of the terms vacated by Steve LaLonde and Marie Snyder.
The election includes those two seats as well as a full five-year term for a seat currently filled by Chantelle Sacco.
The candidate with the most votes will serve immediately following the election until June 30, 2025. The candidate with the second most votes will serve from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025. The candidate with the third most votes will serve immediately following the election until June 30, 2022.
Petitions for candidates will be available at the district office.
ALBION – Hoag Library is still working diligently to serve its community during this COVID-19 closure.
With the growing number of community members needing reliable internet, Hoag Library recently installed a signal booster to increase WiFi access. Residents can use the WiFi from the library parking lot, green space, and garden area (west side of the building) with plenty of room to maintain social distancing. A library card or password is not required – simply join the network named “Hoag- Guest.”
Hoag Library also encourages patrons to take advantage of the free digital services included with a library card, such as ebooks, audiobooks, emagazines, research databases, and more!
Explore your family history with AncestryNY, NYS Historic Newspapers, and HeritageQuest; answer home improvement or gardening questions with the GaleOnefille database; keep the kids busy with TumbleBooksLibrary and Kids InfoBits; and find reading recommendations with NovelListPlus. All these resources, and more, can be found at www.nioga.org.
Those wishing to explore all of Hoag Library’s digital services, but do not have a library card, can email hoag_library@yahoo.com. Reference questions and all other inquiries can also be sent to this email.
Hoag Library continues to share relevant information on the website www.hoaglibrary.org and Facebook, including video storytimes with Children’s Librarian Teresa Gaylard. Librarians can be contacted to provide limited remote services using the email above.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 April 2020 at 1:33 pm
Provided photo
ALBION – The Easter Bunny has been out waving to people in Albion today. Here the bunny is riding in the back of a truck down South Main Street in Albion.
Malachi and Tèa Merrill greet the Easter Bunny from their driveway.
Photo courtesy of Lori Laine: The Easter Bunny and Sandra Sanders are shown this afternoon headed down Ingersoll Street in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 April 2020 at 9:34 am
ALBION — The school district will celebrate a virtual spirit week from April 6-10, which will be the fourth week students are out of school due health concerns with the coronavirus.
Albion students are encouraged to show their school spirit and dress up for the different theme days Monday through Friday. The photos should be posted each day by 5 p.m. to the High School Student Council’s Instagram account – @albionstuco. The Student Council will then post the photos by 6 p.m.
“All entries must be school-appropriate,” according to a flyer from the Student Council. “Have fun and show us your ACS spirit!”
The schedule for virtual spirit week includes:
• Monday – Creativity Day: Show your creative outlets by sending in a picture or a video of your own innovative work, which could anything music, art or literature-oriented.
• Tuesday – Self-Care Day: How do you like to spend your free time? How do you choose to de-stress? Send us a picture of your preferred method of self-care.
• Wednesday – Wacky Socks Wednesday: Send us a picture of you wearing your wackiest pair of socks.
• Thursday – Pet Appreciation Day: It’s always a good time to appreciate your furry friends. Send us a picture of your pet(s).
• Friday – Generosity Day: It’s an important time to be kind to others. While you are at home, do something generous for another or others, and tell us about it!
