ALBION – Town Supervisor Matt Passarell said he isn’t in a rush to fill a vacancy on the Town Board, created in February when Town Councilman Todd Sargent resigned after being appointed superintendent of the Department of Public Works in the Village of Albion.

Sargent served just over two years of a four-year term as councilman. The position pays $3,704 annually. The spot on the five-member board will likely stay unfilled for the rest of 2016, with the remaining year of the term up for election this November with the election winner to start on Jan. 1.

“The team we have right now is appropriate,” Passarell said after Monday’s board meeting. Passarell serves on the board with Jake Olles, Richard Remley and Darlene Benton.

In other action on Monday:

The board approved paying $3,000 towards the Albion Strawberry Festival. Festival organizers attended last month’s meeting and requested town assistance in paying for the annual two-day festival. The 30th annual Strawberry Festival will be June 10-11 and includes an Erie Canal theme this year. The event costs about $20,000 to put on with all of the entertainment, including marching bands.

The Albion Town Board gave $3,000 toward the festival for the first time last year. The board said it would ask to be recognized as one of the sponsors, and to have its donation specifically tied to some of the marching bands.

The board extended an agreement with the Town of Gaines that was started last year. Gaines is paying 25 percent of the Albion code enforcement officer’s salary and benefits in exchange for Dan Strong working 10 hours a week as code officer for Gaines. The Town of Albion pays about $76,000 in salary and benefits for Strong. Gaines will pay $19,000 of the cost in the shared services deal.

Press Release, Roland Nenni, Albion Police Chief

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is currently investigating several fraud complaints involving telephone contact being made to mostly elderly victims.

Phone calls are being received from a person posing to be an agent of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The caller is advising that the person receiving the call owes several thousand dollars in back taxes. The fake agent then tells the victim that they can settle by paying the money owed, in a reduced settlement amount or that they can purchase several $500 I Tunes Cards from a retailer and then send them to an address that will be provided after the cards are purchased.

The Albion Police Department would like to make residents aware that the IRS does not contact persons over the phone for tax related issues and that only the US Postal Service is used to communicate via written correspondence bearing the official makings of the United States Internal Revenue Service.

This scam is not unique to the Albion area and is occurring throughout the country.

Investigating these types of crimes are very difficult and if the scam is successful there is very little chance of making an arrest or obtaining restitution for the victims.

If a suspicious call is received and you have doubts as to if it is valid you should contact law enforcement before proceeding.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 80 people attended the first Masquerade Ball at The Pillars on Saturday, an event organized by the Albion Rotary Club. The event was also a fund-raiser for PAWS Animal Shelter on Gaines Basin Road and included a silent auction.

Michelle Hughson of Albion won first prize for best mask.

Ally Olles of Albion and Jarrett Bailey of Newfane got engaged on Saturday and received a big round of applause at the Masquerade Ball.

Couples welcomed a chance for fun after the cold weather last week.

Skip and Lisa Stratton of Albion were among the attendees at the first Masquerade Ball.

This group welcomed the chance to dress up and socialize on Saturday.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Actives, a fraternal organization of the Albion Fire Department, held its annual chicken barbecue on Saturday to benefit the Albion Midget League, a youth baseball program.

Bill Basinait, left, and Francis Dibley check the potatoes. The Actives prepared and served the meals at the Elks Club on West State Street.

Chiavetta’s prepared the chicken. Chris Mecca, left, and Alex Kujawinski flip the chickens on Saturday.

Bill Applegate, left, joins Bert Mathes, orange hat, and other Actives members in putting the dinners in take-out containers.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Kyle Thaine portrays Joseph in the Albion High School production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday (April 8) and noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The show is directed by Gary Simboli. He has led Albion High School musicals for more than 30 years. This is the fourth time in his career Albion has performed Joseph, which Simboli said is his favorite musical.

The show is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, found in the Book of Genesis. His 12 brothers are jealous of his coat of many colors, his ability to interpret dreams, and his father’s preferential love.

Nate Trembley, right, plays Judah, Stephen Williams (center) is Levi and Connor Zicari plays Issachar, who are all Joseph’s brothers. They are plotting to sell him into slavery and fool their father into thinking Joseph was killed.

Freeman Lattin, center sitting, plays Jacob, father of Joseph.

Carly Fox, center, is one of the lead dancers in the show. This group is excited to be rid of Joseph. They are singing and dancing to the song, “One More Angel in Heaven.”

Kate Krieger is one the dancers. The cast and crew includes 86 students.

Cheyenna Eagle, left, and Angela Tarricone are both narrators in the show. The cast includes 13 elementary students who are the children of former cast members in past Joseph shows at Albion.

Joseph (Kyle Thaine) was falsely accused and imprisoned. In his despair he sings, “Close Every Door.”

Shelby Restivo, front, and Catherine Thom, right, and the cast dance to “Go, Go, Go Joseph.”

Hailey Bader is part of the cast in performing “Go, Go, Go Joseph.”

Zach Shaffer plays the Pharaoh, who performs in the style of Elvis. Pharaoh needs Joseph’s help in interpreting dreams.

Angela Tarricone, one of the narrators, sings near the finale of the show.

Tickets for the shows at the Albion Middle School are available at the door.

Contributed photos – Bruce Wojick and Jamie Holka will play an acoustic guitar concert on April 16 at the Cabaret at Studio B, 28 West Bank St. in Albion.

ALBION – In 2013, Amy Sidari had a dream of using space in her dance studio on West Bank Street for a performance venue.

She added professional lighting, sound equipment, tables and chairs for 84 people. She also started booking acts – local and regional musicians, comedians and other entertainers. The venue has proved popular with the performers and also the local community who welcome the chance to experience live entertainment in a cozy setting.

The Cabaret at Studio B is back for a fourth season. Sidari said many favorites will return including Marcy Downey, Josie Waverly and Phyl Contestable, a comedian better known as “Reverend Mother.”

Ace Caldwell works this morning on the new cappuccino bar for the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Jim Babcock portrays Sonny and Sandra Monacelli-McNall is Cher in a performance of “I Got You Babe” during a Cabaret Variety Show on Aug. 15, 2014. More variety shows featuring local talent are planned for this year.

Sidari also is working with concert promoter Thom Jennings of Albion to bring in some new acts. Jennings has arranged for Bruce Wojick and Jamie Holka to perform at the Cabaret on April 16 at 7 p.m. Jennings lined up many of the performers for the Beegarten, the former Boiler 54, in Medina last year.

Wojick and Holka are full-time musicians doing 250 gigs a year. The April 16 concert will be their first in Orleans County.

Sidari said the venue will see other changes this year, including a new cappuccino bar. Her father, Ace Caldwell, has been busy working wth contractors to get that new setup ready.

Sidari said she is pleased to shine a light on so many talented people in the area. She includes other local talent in variety shows, which will be back again this year.

She expects to have 25 to 30 different shows this year. After Wojick and Holka on April 16, the Albion Jazz Band will perform twice on April 23 at 6 and 8 p.m.

For more information on tickets and prices for the shows, call 585-354-2320 or click here.

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.

Fourth grade classroom relocated in building

Photo by Tom Rivers – An engineer today inspected the wall that was hit by an SUV on Monday and deemed the wall is structurally sound, although most of the brick may need to be replaced.

ALBION – The elementary school will reopen on Wednesday for students in grades prekindergarten through 5 following an inspection of the school today.

An engineer from King & King Architects in Syracuse inspected the wall that was struck by an SUV on Monday afternoon. The engineer found the wall is structurally sound. The steel supports weren’t affected by the crash on Monday, said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent.

The district relocated a fourth grade classroom led by Lee Sheehan to the second floor on the opposite side of the building. District custodial staff, as well as teachers and teacher aides, moved Sheehan’s class to another room and recreated the scene before the car crash to exacting detail, including the desk arrangements, Sheehan’s New York Yankees decorations, a tabletop hockey game and the “Dugout.” Students’ lockers were also moved by the new second floor classroom.

Although school was closed today, students in Sheehan’s class returned to school to see the new classroom and meet with Sheehan and other teachers.

“They walked into a new room, but in many ways it was the same classroom,” Bonnewell said.

The class has 21 students. Bonnewell said he is most thankful none of the students were seriously injured when the SUV crashed into the wall, sending bricks and debris flying in the classroom. Five students were treated for injuries on Monday.

Today was a chance for the students to talk through their experiences from Monday, when the SUV hit the school at about 3 p.m. The district made counselors available to students.

“All of the kids supported each other,” Bonnewell said.

The class will now meet in a room that was used for small group instruction. The room overlooks the playground. Bonnewell said some of the students remarked they like the view in the new classroom, and they also like being on the top floor of the school in a section mostly used by fifth graders.

Besides Sheehan’s damaged classroom, the district is also closing a second floor computer lab for the remainder of the year. That computer lab is directly above Sheehan’s room.

The district also has moved back the start date for the ELA (English Language Arts) state assessments to Thursday. The three-day exams will continue Friday and Monday for students in grades 3 through 5 with Tuesday as a make-up date.

Bonnewell and the district want to allow a one-day transition back to school before the tests start on Thursday.

The SUV left a gaping hole in the back wall of the elementary school. The two-story brick wall may have to be rebricked. The extent of the repairs will be resolved by engineers and contractors. Bonnewell also said the project will likely be paid for by insurance from the SUV driver and perhaps some of the cost from the district’s insurance provider. Bonnewell said that will all be worked out in the coming weeks and months.

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.