By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Workers from the Elmer Davis roofing company in Rochester are up high on Village Hall in Albion at 35-37 East Bank St. The company is working to do a complete tear off and roof replacement for Village Hall before winter.
It will also replace the roofs on the next-door fire hall and the Department of Public Works on King Street. The company will make some temporary fixes on those roofs before completing the projects next spring.
The Village Board in June decided to borrow $550,000 in a bond to pay for the three new roofs. The double-layered roofs have been leaking and they at the end of their useful lives, said Jason Foote, an engineer with Clark Patterson Lee, which inspected the roofs and helped prepare cost estimates.
The projects include the 3,500 square foot roof on the Village Hall, the 2,200 square foot roof on the Fire Hall, and two roofs at the DPW building – one that is 10,900 square feet over the truck bays and shop, and another that is 3,500 square feet over the offices.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Joe Sacco puts out Christmas album to benefit parish
File photos by Tom Rivers – Joe Sacco sings the National Anthem during opening day ceremonies for the Little League program in Albion in May 2014. Sacco has two grandsons, Nicholas and Christopher Sacco, who played for the Sandstone Park team.
ALBION – He has sung at hundreds of weddings and funerals, and performed in jazz bands since he was a kid. Joe Sacco has used his powerful tenor voice to sing the National Anthem before Little League and professional baseball games, and many community events.
The life-long Albion resident earned a vocal performance degree at the Eastman School of Music in 1956 after 12 years of taking lessons at the school.
“Music has been very good for me,” Sacco said at his home on Ingersoll Street this afternoon. “I’m very lucky and fortunate I can still do this.”
Sacco, a former Albion mayor, decided to make the recording at age 79. In August he sang seven Christmas and religious songs for his debut CD, “A Christmas Gift For You.”
“People have asked me, ‘Joe, when are you going to make a CD?'” he said. “I figure if I don’t do it, I’ll lose it.”
The CD goes on sale tomorrow (Nov. 7) at Dance Reflections and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Most of the proceeds from the CD will be given to the Holy Family Parish.
Joe Sacco is pictured on Dec. 25, 2013, singing Christmas carols from the choir loft at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. He has made that a holiday traidtion for more than 20 years. Harriette Greaser is shown playing the organ.
Sacco’s granddaughter Heather Hapeman owns Dance Reflections and the CD will be available Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. He also will sell it before Christmas in the lobby of St. Joseph’s on Saturdays after 5 p.m. Mass, and on Sundays after the 8 and 10:30 a.m. Masses.
Sacco has 500 of the CDs made. Frank Zicari of Albion did the recording, and Harriette Greaser, organist at St. Joseph’s, accompanied Sacco while he sang “Alleluia For Christmas Day,” “Mary’s Boy Child,” “Ave Maria,” “Gesu Bambino,” “The Lord’s Prayer,” “O Holy Night,” and “The Birthday Of A King.”
Sacco didn’t pursued music as a career, although it has been a passion. He worked 10 years as an Albion police officer, and then 10 years as transportation director for Albion Central School. When the district decided to contract out transportation services, Sacco was out of a job until he was hired by the Genesee County ARC. He worked there 22 years as director of transportation until finally retiring last year at age 78.
He played saxophone and sang in the house bands at the former Apple Grove Inn in Medina for 15 years, and the Moose Club for 10 years.
Sacco is shown singing “Birthday of the King” when he was the featured soloist during a Christmas Mass at the church on Dec. 25, 2013.
Sacco said his older brother Peter was a big influence in developing his musical skills. Peter Sacco earned a doctorate in music and taught in college in San Diego.
Joe tagged along at his brother’s band gigs, playing clarinet when he was 9 and 10 with his brother, who performed at many local taverns.
Joe has stayed in Albion and these days does most of his singing at church and for community events. He said he quit smoking 40 years ago and credited that decision for giving him longevity as a public performer.
He will be part of a Dec. 6 Eastman at Albion concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. His CD will be for sale at the event, and Sacco will perform with other community members during the 3 p.m. concert.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Audrey II, a giant plant in “Little Shop of Horrors,” tells Seymour, Elijah Van Epps, to feed him.
Connor Zicari plays the plant and Zach Shaffer provides the voice for Audrey II, which is a crossbred from a butterwort and a Venus flytrap.
Albion students will perform “Little Shop” today at 7 p.m., and Saturday at noon and 7 p.m. at the Middle School Auditorium.
There are 12 students in the cast and another 20 are in the stage crew and pit orchestra.
Elijah Van Epps (Seymour) holds the Audrey II when it’s in its second stage of growth. The plant would grow radically throughout the show through five stages.
Seymour accidently pricks his finger and discovers the plant needs human blood to grow and thrive.
Van Epps is on stage with Riley Seielstad (Crystal) and Angela Tarricone (Chiffon).
Seymour works in Mushnik’s Flower Shop in the slums of New York City in 1963. The struggling neighborhood is known as “Skid Row.”
Nick Arieno plays Mr. Mushnik and worries about the lack of customers to his flower shop. The Audrey II would become a phenomenon, bringing lots of publicity and customers to the store.
Cheya-Rain Eagle plays Audrey, Seymour’s love interest. She works at the flower shop but has an abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello, who is a sadistic dentist.
Eagle is joined on stage by Bethany Bowman, Angela Tarricone and Riley Seielstad.
Enoch Martin plays Orin, the violent dentist. He is performing with Hailey Bader, who is Taffetta, a member of the chorus.
Cheya-Rain Eagle (Audrey) is in a bad relationship with Enoch Martin (Orin).
Nick Arieno (Mr. Mushnik) frets that Elijah Van Epps (Seymour) will leave the shop due to his newfound fame.
As Audrey II gets bigger and more dangerous, Seymour needs to find a way to destroy it, or else the human race will be threatened.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2015 at 7:17 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A tractor trailer hauling milk and an SUV were in a violent collision on Route 98 near the Allen Road intersection at about 6 p.m. today.
The milk truck’s tanker detached from the truck and hit the former Five Star Fabrication company, just south of Allen Road. The milk truck is owned by Stahl Brothers in Lockport. The driver of the truck wasn’t injured.
Many gallons of milk spilled on the road and in front of the former Five Star, which is now used by a car dealership.
The driver of this vehicle, a woman, needed to be freed by firefighters. She was taken by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance to a nearby Mercy Flight landing area. Firefighters said the woman was conscious and talking.
It was a big effort by Albion firefighters who used extrication tools to get the woman out of her vehicle.
The tanker ended up on its side after hitting the building on Route 98. Onlookers at the scene said there was a loud boom with the accident.
Firefighters worked to clean up the scene, and all of the milk and debris in the road.
No additional information was available, including the cause of the accident.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The proposed 2016 Albion town budget would keep the tax rates the same – $4.25 per $1,000 of assessed property outside the village and $2.85 for property inside the village.
The Town Board had a public hearing Monday evening on the budget, which includes 2 percent raises for town employees except for the five Town Board members and the highway superintendent. The pay for those positions will stay the same.
The budget includes a wild card with The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, the former county nursing home. That is on the tax rolls for the first time with a $6,618,900 assessment. However the owners, Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC, are seeking to reduce the assessment to $2.5 million with a legal challenge.
If the assessment stays at $6,618,900, the town stands to gain another $28,130 in tax revenue. If the assessment is $2.5 million, the town would collect $10,625 in taxes.
Town Supervisor Matt Passarell said the budget includes conservative numbers for the nursing home. However the assessment challenge ends up, Passarell said the facility will give the town’s tax base a nice increase.
Passarell and the Town Board said the town will continue to chip in with programs inside the village, with $8,000 set aside for the village parks program. The town also expects to continue with $1,000 towards flowers in the downtown business district.
“This board has been very proactive in reaching out to the village,” said Richard Remley, a Town Board member.
Passarell and the board said they would like to continue meeting regularly with the Village Board to discuss ways to share services and other cooperation.
The preliminary budget includes $919,081 for the general and highway funds, which is a tiny increase over the $918,277 in 2015.
The fire protection portion of the budget is its own line item and shows a decrease for 2016, down from $113,189 to $105,000. That will also result in a drop in the fire protection rate, which was $1.23 in 2015.
The Town Board plans to adopt the budget on Monday at 7 p.m. during a meeting at Town Hall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association put on its biggest Beggar’s Night to date on Friday with 30 businesses and organizations treating nearly 500 kids to candy.
The top photo shows Amanda Wolford, a Bindings Bookstore employee, dressed as Elsa from the movie, Frozen.
Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop on Main Street, hands out treats to the kids in costume.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley is dressed as a gorilla while handing out candy. His district office is located at 121 North Main St.
Kids line up for candy from Marsha Rivers, director of the Orleans County United Way. She is dressed as a swan. The United Way office is located in the former Swan Library.
Members of the Albion Teachers Association also set up a table and handed out candy in front of the First Presbyterian Church. The teachers include, from right to left: Janet Husung, Stephanie Schepis, Mary Jane Klips, Juie Keller and Dawn Squicciarini (in purple). Lee Sheehan also helped with the effort.
Ken Bieber, owner of the Weed Man in Albion, dressed up as a pirate.
Contributed Story Posted 30 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Submitted photos
ALBION – Many of the employees at The Villages of Orleans dressed up today. These four were winners of the costme contest at the nursing home on Route 31.
The group includes, from left: Dylan Miller with Eleanore; winner of “Just Plain Awesome” Costume; Rachael Steen; winner of “Ugliest” Costume; Morgan Haak; winner of “Cutest” Costume; and Dee Marks; winner of “Scariest” Costume.
Many of the staff members dressed up today for Halloween. The judges are pictured in front, from left: Lucille Bloom, Virginia McMurray and Mary Driesel, who are all residents of The Villages.
Staff members include, from left: Dylan Miller with Eleanore, Tanya Adams, Kay Sheffer, Rachael Steen, Betsey Wheeler, Kim Brueckner, Annette Barone, Matthew Blanar, Dee Marks, Sue Williams, Elissa Hyde, Sandy Money, Morgan Haak, Michelle Neal, and Deb Donnelly with Buddy.
Some CRFS employees dressed up with a “Price is Right” theme. They include, front row: Inda MacFarland, Allie Morris, Pam Allen and Judy Kennedy. Back row: Felicia Cunningham, Jose Strussenberg, Kristin Gross, Ashleigh Soule and Monica Seniuk.
Five Star Bank in Albion continued its tradition of dressing up for Halloween. The group this year had a “Spice Girls” theme. Pictured include, from left: Dean Marconi, Deb Yockel, Jamie Bennett, Becky Dillenbeck, Susan Plummer, Bethany Hodgins and Amy Bigley.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 29 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Kristina Gabalski
ALBION – Classical guitar teacher Jim Doyle of Albion performs a duet with student Hattie Starr of Lyndonville as part of the Rochester Guitar Club outreach program Tuesday evening in Albion at the Hoag Library.
Members of the Rochester Guitar Club performed at the library as part of the club’s Round Robin Outreach program, which provides an opportunity for members
to perform alone or together and to encourage new members.
The club is for lovers of acoustic guitar and music performed included several different styles – from Scott Joplin to Bach. The event drew a large crowd to the community room area of the library.
Members of the Rochester Guitar Club perform “Maid Colleen” together as part of their program Tuesday evening in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Roland Nenni is Holley resident, who started career with Holley 23 years ago
ALBION – The chief of the Albion Police Department will also serve as leader of the Holley PD in a new inter-municipal agreement between the two villages.
Roland Nenni grew up in Holley and continues to live there. He also is a past Holley fire chief. He started his law enforcement career as a Holley police officer 23 years ago.
“I know what the community wants from its police force and will make sure the citizens of both communities are provided with the best possible police departments,” Nenni said.
He has worked with the Albion PD for about 22 years, including the past 4 ½ as police chief.
Holley has been without a police chief since William Murphy resigned, effective Sept. 1. Murphy led the department of 10 part-time officers for 7 ½ years.
Nenni will continue to lead Albion’s department with 11 full-time officers. Albion and Holley both also have a civilian clerk for the police departments.
Nenni said there is no set time commitment for him each day or week for each department.
“The time spent on each department will vary from day to day and week to week,” he said. “Initially time will be spent making the agencies run similar to each other. After the initial set up I will manage the agencies the same as a larger department manages two precincts or two section offices.”
The one-year agreement with Holley was effective on Monday and will be re-evaluated every year.
Nenni said it will save both villages money. Holley is paying Albion $35,000 to have Nenni serve as its leader. Murphy was paid $42,000 as police chief.
The two departments have a long history of working together and with training exercises.
“The joint venture formalizes the relationship,” Nenni said.
Albion has other inter-municipal agreements with villages. Albion village personnel currently run Holley’s sewer plant, and Albion staff also manage Elba’s water and sewer plants.
Albion Mayor Dean London said the agreements save Albion and the other villages money, and also allow them to share talented staff at Albion.
(Editor’s Note: Michelle Restivo of Albion joined her grandfather, Richard “Dick” Heard, on the Honor Flight this past weekend from Rochester to Washington, D.C. Heard, 91, is a life-long Albion resident who lives in his childhood home. He enlisted during World War II and was a radar mechanic. In February of 1943, he was called to active service from reserve status. He was stationed in six states throughout his time serving. Restivo is a kindergarten teacher in Batavia.)
By Michelle Restivo
ROCHESTER – “Folks, we’ve got a slight problem, but nothing we can’t handle.”
Steve, our Honor Flight trip leader, addressed the 54 American Veterans and their guardians at the airport gate early this past Saturday morning.
My Grandpa Dick and I were among the group waiting to board a plane to begin our Honor Flight trip to Washington DC. Our pilot had called in sick! The backup pilot was completing his FAA mandated 10-hour crew rest, and would be unable to fly our plane until 10 a.m., 4 hours later than our scheduled departure time.
The 4 other local Southwest pilots were already out on flights for the morning. So, we settled in for a bit of a wait.
Michelle Restivo and Richard Heard pose for a “selfie” from their seats on the plane.
The Rochester Honor Flight Organization is amazing. Now that I’ve seen it in action, I am in total awe. These people bend over backwards while standing on their heads, to accommodate and please our Veterans.
Soon after the delay was announced, HFO volunteers started coming around offering decks of playing cards and newspapers they had bought at the airport newsstand. Then, came the start of the continuous passing of snacks, candy, and water.
“What would you like? Can I get you anything? Please, have another.” My grandpa was in his glory. He never passed up an opportunity to dip his hand into the snack or candy bag, and at one point in the trip he had a stockpile of various snacks, four water bottles, and a Gatorade.
About halfway into our delay, Steve came back onto the PA system and told us, “Alright, we usually do this on the bus ride in to DC, but since we’re getting a late start and we’ll be here a while, we’re doing it now. Time for something you haven’t heard in a while. Mail call, guys.”
Just like in the service, he called out each service man or woman’s name, and a volunteer brought over a pack of letters. My grandpa received 8 letters, addressed to Corporal Heard.
The letters were written by Monroe County students of varying ages. He received letters from kids in 3rd, 8th, and 11th grade, as well as one teacher. Each letter was unique in its own way, but all had the same theme: gratitude for his service and his sacrifice.
The letter writers had been given information about the Vet they were writing to, including the branch of service and in which war they served. Grandpa Dick was in the Army Air Corp in World War II. Many letters included personal connections.
“This boy is interesting,” Grandpa said about one letter. “His family was from the Ukraine, and his great grandfather died while fighting on the Eastern Front.”
I took a closer look at this letter, which opened with, “I am merely a high school student,” and continued later, “I consider anybody who was in the military a war hero, whether they were in Europe, the Pacific, or stateside. People tend to forget there were people back at home helping the soldiers at the fronts get through the Imperial and Nazi empires.”
My Grandpa spent his 4 years in the service stateside, and this young man made sure to recognize the importance of that.
As promised, the pilot arrived promptly at the end of his crew rest, and our short flight to Baltimore was smooth. Hot cocoa was Grandpa’s drink of choice when the beverage service came around, and of course, he enjoyed another snack.
We de-boarded the plane and walked off the jet way, to be greeted by thunderous applause and a line of people waving American Flags. The first person in line was a young naval cadet. He reached out to shake my grandpa’s hand, “Thank you for your service, sir.” It was a phrase we would hear over and over again during the next 24 hours.
We continued down the line, Grandpa shaking hands with many thankful people along the way. After leaving our gate, we proceeded through the airport, past gates filled with people. All were on their feet, applauding the Vets with a standing ovation.
Many called out, “Thank you for your service!” as we wheeled by. It was an amazing sight, one that brought out some very raw emotion from Vets and guardians alike.
My grandpa is a man of few words, when it comes to feelings. He would love to tell you all about the latest news story he read, or information about a rare species of bird in East Africa. But, he rarely talks about himself.
Once we were situated on the bus moving on our way to Washington DC, I asked him what he thought about the airport arrival. “That was nice. It was so nice.” Indeed it was.
The bus ride included a box lunch for each of us. We were attempting to make up time, so we omitted our 1-hour stop for lunch. Grandpa was surprised to find a ham wrap inside his box.
“Oh, this is wrap. I’ve never had one of these before.” Earlier in the day, Honor Flight served us an airport breakfast of McDonald’s breakfast meals, and Grandpa had his first ever Egg McMuffin. He deemed both items, “good.” It was a day of firsts for him, that’s for sure.
As you can imagine, traveling with 54 WWII and Korean War Vets is not an easy task. The youngest Vet in our group was 81, and the oldest, 98. Each Vet was provided with a wheelchair, though I noticed some never used it. Good for them!
But, that means everywhere we went, we were loading and unloading these chairs, and transporting many of the guys in and out of them. My grandpa is ambulatory and still drives around town, does his own grocery shopping, and ventures out to his great-grand kid’s sporting contests.
However, he agreed to use a wheelchair for much of the trip, as we were often covering longer distances than he was used to. Usually, once we reached our destination, we would park the wheelchair and he would use his handy collapsible cane to motor around the historical monuments.
Noticing the similarity of when my family and I visited Disney World where each amusement ride had a large area denoted for “stroller parking” and our line of wheelchairs parked at stops all over DC, I chuckled to myself at one point.
Our first stop was Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where we watched the very respectful changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Our trip leaders told us to look for the Sergeant and the guards to scuff their foot as they passed by our Veteran group.
Apparently, it is how they acknowledge the former servicemen, even though they are not supposed to ever scuff their feet during the ceremony. We looked and listened, and sure enough, we saw it. The inspection and changing of the guard ceremony was incredibly precise and showed the utmost respect. “That was really something,” my grandpa said after we had moved on.
Our next stop was the Women’s Memorial. We had 5 women veterans in our group, and all had asked to add this stop to our trip. Even with the lengthy delay, our HFO trip leaders made sure to honor their request.
This stop is where my grandpa was surprised when getting off the bus was another granddaughter of his, her husband, and 2 of their 3 children. They live just outside of DC, and I had been coordinating with her all morning arranging the meet up. They followed our bus for the rest of the day and toured many of the memorials with us. “Wow!” my grandpa said upon seeing our family.
Back on our bus, we circled the Marine Corp memorial, Iwo Jima, and saw the Air Force memorial from afar. Due to our altered schedule, we did not get off at those as planned.
The next stop was a big one and we covered the Lincoln Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Wall, in that order per my grandpa’s request. After seeing all three, he said the Lincoln was his favorite.
Although when I asked him later in the day on Sunday, he said he liked all of the memorials for different reasons, and that he really liked the way the Korean War Memorial was depicted.
It was at this memorial that he explained to us about the very long antennae on the radios that the soldiers carried. Since he went to radio school, he shared with us that, “low frequency antenna was used so as not to be detected.”
Grandpa also talked about Korea as being the “forgotten war” and told us that it never really ended. “That war is still being fought now,” he said.
It was here at the Korean War Memorial, that I saw one of my most memorable moments, my grandpa sitting near a wall inscribed with the words,” Freedom is not free.”
It was a poignant picture, one that really brought tears to my eyes. Squeezing all three of these memorials in during just the 45 minutes we had at this stop was tight (most people only saw two out of the three). It was a bit of a race back to our bus, but we made it thanks to speed walking/pushing skills of my cousin’s husband.
“Hurry up and wait” was something I heard many of the Vets and guardians say during our trip. Through listening to their comments and conversations, I deduced that this was a common phrase heard in the military.
One serviceman told a story about moving out, sitting in the heat all afternoon, waiting, then retreating, moving out again, and then retreating back for the night. Many of them said “hurry up and wait” originated in the military, and that they were all very good at following those orders.
Fortunately for us, it wasn’t too long of a wait before we arrived at our final stop for the day, the World War II Memorial. Our most anticipated stop, and one that exceeded anything we could have imagined.
(Michelle Restivo will have more on the Honor Flight.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jay Pahura, a motor equipment operator for the Albion Department of Public Works, runs a roller over fresh pavement on Friday on Hamilton Street.
The DPW has been busy with paving projects just before winter hits. The DPW on Monday put new pavement around manhole covers on East Avenue.
The village this year also paved portions of Caroline Street, Brown Street (from canal going north to village line, Lyndon Drive, East State Street and West Bank Street.
Bryan Hazel, an employee with the Orleans County Highway Department, operates the paver while Tim Banker of the DPW works behind the big machine. The county shares the paver and some of its personnel for the paving projects.
Dale Brooks, the DPW superintendent, oversees the project on Hamilton Street. Brooks will likely become the new Barre highway superintendent on Jan. 1, replacing the retiring Dale Ostroski. Brooks is unoppsed on the Nov. 3 election after winning a Republican Primary.
Local dentist shares how polio took his mother’s life when he was a young boy
Photos by Kim Pritt – Albion Rotary Club member Don Bishop, a dentist, speaks about Rotary’s efforts to defeat polio during Thursday’s meeting at Tillman’s Village Inn. Bishop shared his family’s difficult experiences with the disease.
By Kim Pritt, Correspondent
ALBION – Rotary Club International joined the fight to eradicate polio in 1985 with their Polio Plus Program – a world-wide commitment to raise funds and awareness to combat this devastating disease.
Poliovirus is a highly contagious virus that affects humans with no known cure. At one time 350,000 children were diagnosed with polio each year world-wide. Through research and vaccines made available in the early 1950s, polio has been nearly wiped out in most of the world.
This past year, only two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan – have reported new cases of polio and Africa has not seen a new case in over a year. However, as long as there continue to be new cases reported, Rotary Club International’s Polio Plus Program will continue its work to raise awareness and funds.
Locally, Albion Rotary Club has been a strong supporter of the Polio Plus Program since its inception in 1985. To commemorate World Polio Day, the Albion club devoted its regular Thursday meeting to raising awareness and funds for this disease and the program committed to eradicating it.
The eradication of polio is not only a priority for the Albion Rotary Club, but it is also very personal for Albion Rotary member, Don Bishop.
Bishop spoke at the Thursday meeting about his personal experience with polio. When he was a child, his family was exposed to the poliovirus, resulting in two of his family members contracting the disease. Bishop’s mother was severely afflicted with the disease, causing her to be completely paralyzed from the neck down and confined to an iron lung.
Bishop talked about visiting his mother in a clinic in New York City where she was isolated with other polio victims in an effort to control the spread of the disease. They were eventually able to bring their mother home with her iron lung after they converted their living room into a hospital room for her, but she soon had to return to the hospital and succumbed to the disease in 1957.
Albion Rotary Club President Karen Sawicz, right, presents Don Bishop with a certificate for 25 polio vaccinations to be donated in his name.
He went on to say that at the age of 7, he and his sister, aged 4, were placed in a vaccine trial because of the unknown risk of them passing the disease on to others. They discovered that he did receive the vaccine, but his sister had received a placebo. Shortly after that, his sister began to exhibit symptoms of the disease.
Bishop’s sister developed a much milder case and responded to various therapies over the years, including painting therapy. She earned an art scholarship to Nazareth College and went on to a career as an art teacher.
Bishop talked about seeing images of clinics with rows and rows of thousands of iron lungs and stated those images were not an exaggeration, as he witnessed similar scenes while visiting his mother. As further research and the success of the vaccine helped to reduce the numbers of people diagnosed with polio, the use of the iron lungs has also reduced.
Bishop shared that he recently read that in 1959 there were 1,200 people confined to an iron lung and in 2004 there were only 39 such people. Others in the group commented about knowing children here in our community during the 1950s and 1960s, who had polio and how terrifying it was during the height of the epidemic.
During the Albion Rotary Club’s meeting two sets of Sabres hockey tickets were donated and auctioned off for the purpose of donating the funds raised to the Polio Plus Program. The Gates Foundation has teamed up with Rotary Club International and will do a two-to-one match of any funds raised for the Polio Plus Program. So, thanks to the Gates Foundation, the $120 raised in the auction will be tripled to make a $360 donation to the Polio Plus Program.
In addition to raising awareness and funds for the Polio Plus Program, it is Albion Rotary Club’s practice to present a certificate to their guest speakers indicating a pledge to vaccinate 25 children in countries still reporting new polio cases in the name of the guest speaker. Don Bishop was presented with a certificate for sharing his family’s story at the Thursday meeting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2015 at 12:00 am
$20,000 given by West Herr, $5K by Lions Club
Photos by Tom Rivers – Ashley Wiegele’s mother Danielle Shulenburg is overcome with emotion while holding a ceremonial check for $20,000 given by the West Herr Automotive Group. She is pictured with Scott Green, left, a guidance counselor at Albion High School and Rich Wilkinson, general manager for West Herr.
ALBION – Organizers of a benefit today for Ashley Wiegele, a paralyzed Albion teen-ager, hoped to raise $10,000 to go towards a van with modifications that would allow her to travel to the grocery store, the movies, her doctor’s visits and other places in the community.
That $10,000 was seen as a good start towards the van. It might not be enough to buy it outright.
When a benefit for Ashley started a 3 p.m. today, the general manager for West Herr Automotive Group in Rochester showed up with a check for $20,000. No one expected that.
Ashley Wiegele is pictured in her senior photo.
Rich Wilkinson, general manager for West Herr, said one of the company’s owners called him at 10 a.m. this morning and wanted to help Ashley, who was injured in June 2014 in a boating accident, just days before she was to walk the stage at graduation.
“We heard about it,” Wilkinson said about the fund-raising event for Ashley. “We’ve been blessed, and community is a big part of what we do.”
West Herr isn’t alone in supporting Ashley. The Albion Lions Club announced a $5,000 donation towards the van.
Ron Albertson, a Lions member, made the annoucement during the benefit today at the Elks Club.
Ron Albertson
“The Lions Club is very community oriented,” he said. “Albion is a great place to live.”
Ashley’s mother, Danielle Shulenburg, accpeted the donations with tears in her eyes.
“I am overhwelmed,” she said. “This is unbelievable. It is amazing how the community comes together to help someone in need.”
Staff at Albion High School, led by guidance counselor Scott Green, worked to organize the benefit, which includes bands and live music from 3 to 9 p.m. There are also 100 baskets to be raffled off.
Green said the community was generous in donating the baskets.
Sandy Linberg looks over some of the baskets at the raffle to benefit Ashley Wiegele.
Ashley has been paralzyed from the chest down since the accident on June 20, 2014.
She is home in an Albion apartment with her mother, and receives physical and occupational therapy. Ashley is hopeful she will one day walk again.
For right now, she is mostly limited to her apartment, which isn’t handicapped accessible.
Her mother said the van will make it easier for Ashley to receive outpatient therapy.
She said the community support will give her daughter a big boost and lift her spirits.
“Hopefully she can be an inspiration to other people,” Shulenburg said.
Today’s event continues until 10 p.m.
Shannon Vanderlaan is among the performers at the benefit today for Ashley Wiegele.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The First United Methodist Church in Albion is having its annual bazaar today with lots of baked goods, fruit and other items for sale.
This photo shows three generations, with Leslee Lockwood, left, joined by her daughter Melanie Norton and Melanie’s daughter Callee in selling cookies, fudge and other treats.
For years the bazaar was at the United Methodist building at the corner of Platt and East State streets. But the church on April 5 moved its services and office to Christ Episcopal Church on Main Street. The United Methodist building needs significant roof repairs, which were unaffordable to the congregation.
Today is the first time the bazaar is at Christ Church. The event continues until 3 p.m.
Meredith Minier, left, looks over some of the produce sold by JoAnne Fisher, right. Minier is the church secretary.
Al Capurso sings and plays his guitar in the church’s fellowship hall.
Elli Lockwood, left, and Kim Pritt sell cookies, pies and other baked goods.
Provided photos – Student Mykaela Hill presents one of the pillows the class made to Dr. Supriya Mohile at UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute at Highland Hospital in Rochester.
Press Release, Wilmot Cancer Institute at University of Rochester Medical Center
ROCHESTER – During a reception today at Pluta Cancer Center, eighth-graders from Carl I. Bergerson Middle School in Albion presented 70 ponchos they made in their Family and Consumer Science class for women who are facing breast cancer.
The students today also presented 50 pillows to both the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester and UR Medicine’s Highland Hospital.
Seventeen students from Albion Middle School presented – and modeled – ponchos for patients undergoing radiation therapy at Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Pluta Cancer Institute in Henrietta.
The ponchos are more comfortable than a hospital gown and help women feel more secure and cozy while undergoing radiation therapy that breast cancer patients often receive daily for five to seven weeks.
The pillows help provide underarm support where lymph nodes have been removed and also help increase comfort for patients in other ways.
Kimberly Toombs, the class’s teacher, gratefully received a poncho from Pluta and pillows from BCCR and Highland Hospital during her treatment, which began after she was diagnosed in 2014.
Judy Zeeman-Golden (left), social worker and poncho project organizer at Pluta Cancer Center, poses with Kimberly Toombs, family and consumer science teacher at Albion Middle School and breast cancer survivor.
Having sewing skills as a family and consumer science teacher, she wanted to give back to the projects that had helped her. This was music to the ears of Judy Zeeman-Golden, a social worker at Pluta who manages the Poncho Project.
“The Pluta Cancer Foundation buys the fabric for the ponchos but what’s hard is making sure I have enough sewers to keep the project going. Until Kim came along, I was constantly scratching my head,” Zeeman-Golden said. “Kim has been this gift from the poncho gods. She kept busy while recovering by making ponchos, then got her class involved. She knew how wonderful it was to have because she’d been given one.”
Toombs says getting her class involved in this project not only helps those affected by breast cancer but also provides a valuable service learning opportunity for the students.
“Service learning engages the students in that it allows them to become actively involved in projects,” Toombs said. “When they have the ability to make something that will help someone else, it becomes personal to them.”
The tag that will be attached to each poncho to inform the recipient who created them.
