ALBION – Voters elected five commissioners and a treasurer for the Albion Joint Fire District on Tuesday, and also gave approval to establish reserve funds for equipment, fire trucks and building repairs.

The district was formed in a public referendum in August with approval from voters in both the towns of Albion and Gaines. The fire district will be its own taxing entity. The fire department budget will move out of the village budget. The towns of Albion and Gaines also paid the village for fire protection but now will pay in separate taxes for the fire district starting in January.

The elected commissioners include Albert Cheverie, 104 votes; David Buczek, 103 votes; Kevin Sheehan, 93 votes; Craig Lane, 89 votes; and Chris Kinter, 81 votes.

The commissioners’ terms will be for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. Cheverie, the highest vote-getter, gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes with Buczek at 4 years, Sheehan at 3 years, Lane at 2 years and Kinter at 1 year.

In the future, there should be just one position commissioner up for election each year.

Two people sought to be treasurer. Victoria Tabor, who is currently in the role, was elected with 91 votes to 46 for Kristen Marciszewski.

Cheverie has served as chairman of the commissioners since the group first met on Aug. 20. Buczek, Lane and Kinter also are commissioners, along with Joe Martillotta who didn’t seek election on Tuesday.

The commissioners have approved a $872,222 budget for the joint fire district, which  provides fire protection in Albion and Gaines. That more than doubles the previous budget for the fire department.

The department hasn’t had any reserves for new equipment and trucks. Residents approved establishing reserve accounts in a 112-24 vote.

The budget for 2025 puts $250,000 into a “Apparatus Repair & Replacement Reserve” and $50,000 into a “Building Repair & Replacement Reserve.”

Cheverie, the chairman of the commissioners, previously said the district needs to replace two fire trucks fairly soon. A new ladder truck to replace one that is 27 years old is expected to cost $2.2 million. A new fire engine to replace one 32 years old would likely have a purchase price of $1.1 million.

The commissioners expect to start working on securing a new ladder truck in 2025, a process that could take four to five years before the new truck is in Albion. Setting aside money ahead of time will reduce the bond payments needed in the future, Cheverie said.

The district also has $50,000 set aside for the fire hall for either repairs or a potential replacement. Cheverie said there are no plans to leave the building on Platt Street anytime soon.

Band and lead singer Lou Gramm performed in Albion this past June

Lou Gramm performs with some of his Black Sheep band mates in Albion during a concert at the Pratt Event Center in Albion in the former Pratt Opera House. Michael Bonafede, drummer for the band in the mid 1970s, played the drums again for the reunion concert in a venue he owns with his wife, Judith Koehler. Black Sheep will be inducted in the 2025 Class of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame on April 13. After Black Sheep, Gramm went on to international stardom as lead singer of Foreigner, selling more than 80 million albums.

ROCHESTER – A band that featured Michael Bonafede on drums about 50 years ago is going into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

That band also included Lou Grammatico as lead singer. After Black Sheep stopped performing in 1976, Grammatico became Lou Gramm in his new band, Foreigner. That band launched Gramm into stardom, selling more than 80 million albums.

Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Oct. 19 in Cleveland.

Gramm hasn’t forgotten his hometown on Rochester. And he hasn’t forgotten his Black Sheep bandmates. The group has performed in reunion concerts, including two concerts on June 23 in Albion at the Pratt Event Center.

The Rochester Music Hall of Fame on Monday announced Black Sheep as one of three inductees of the 2025 Class. The others include the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Record Archive.

Black Sheep was a popular Rochester band in the 1970s, playing in high school gymnasiums for school dances and the Penny Arcade. The band was on a rapid trajectory, with two albums out by major record labels in 1975.

The band toured with Hall and Oates, Aerosmith and Kiss, and played with other big names. The band opened for Kiss in Boston, and was coming home and was in an accident on an icy road. The crash destroyed the band’s equipment, and they weren’t able to find a replacement in time to keep touring. That prematurely put an end to the band in 1976. Gramm would join Foreigner not long after with the support of his Black Sheep band mates.

Tony Gross, a board member for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, noted Gramm was inducted in the local Hall of Fame in 2013. He will be the first two-time selection.

“We applaud Lou, we applaud the band and what they’ve done for the community,” Gross said during a news conference on Monday at the Record Archive, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2025.

Bonafede has been a champion of the arts in Albion. He served many years on the Albion Board of Education, including as president. The district has perennially been recognized with national awards for its music program.

He also has diligently brought back the opera house on the third floor of the Pratt building on Main Street, opening the stage to performers in the community and beyond. For many years he also served as chairman of the Strawberry Festival, which features many bands in the parade and at venues in the festival.

Black Sheep will get back together again. This time on April 13 during the Hall of Fame induction at the Eastman Theatre.

For more on the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, click here.

Some of the performers take a bow after the performance on June 23, featuring some of the Black Sheep band members. From left include Michael Bonafede, Alona Kuhns, Lou Gramm, Don Mancuso, Larry “Rose” Crozier and Luke Crozier.

Group has raised $31K so far for project

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion Betterment Committee would like to have a Santa House on this vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. The group has been given permission from the Village Board to work on the project, with the design needing approval from village officials.

ALBION – The Albion Betterment Committee is trying to finalize a design for a 600 square foot Santa House on Main Street.

The building is tentatively eyed to be 20 by 30 feet with a peaked roof. It would host visits by Santa and be used for other community events, said Natasha Wasuck, a member of the Betterment Committee. She is also president of the Albion Merchants Association and owner of the Lockstone events venue.

The Albion Betterment Committee showed photos of these Santa Houses during a meeting on Saturday at Hoag Library, looking for ideas and feedback from the public.

The house is planned for a vacant lot next to the First Presbyterian Church, on the north side. The site could include other amenities, possibly benches or Adirondack chairs, as well as a gazebo.

A plan will be presented to the Village Board for its approval. The board gave the ABC permission to work on the project.

The Betterment Committee has $22,000 in donations, plus a $9,000 grant, putting the total at $31,000. Wasusk said the entire project could be about $50,000, depending on how many amenities are included with the site.

The ABC welcomes donations to the project. For information on how to donate, contact ABC director Joe Gehl at jgehl@rochester.rr.com or mail the Albion Betterment Committee c/o Joe Gehl at 14487 Baker Road, Kent, NY 14477. Or the ABC can be contacted through Facebook messenger. Click here to be directed to the ABC Facebook page.

The Betterment Committee held an open house on Saturday at Hoag Library to get feedback and ideas on how the building and site should look.

The inside of the building will include space to meet Santa, and also will house a Santa’s sleigh and an original Charles Howard Santa suit.

Wasuck said the group would like to have the new Santa House up in time for the Strawberry Festival in June.

The Betterment Committee has worked for several years trying to celebrate the community’s Santa legacy. Last year the ABC completed a bronze statue resembling Charles Howard in a Santa suit. Howard ran a Santa School in the community from 1937 until 1966, and also operated Christmas Park. The school continues in his name, now in Midland, Mich.

The Betterment Committee also led the effort to have part of Route 31 in Albion named in honor of Howard, who was the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and also was featured in many prominent publications for his role teaching people to portray Santa.

The ABC also has put up “Believe” signs and welcome sign on Route 98 highlighting Albion as the home of Howard and the Santa School.

The Albion Betterment Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Formed in 2004, its mission is to utilize Albion’s historic, environmental and human assets to improve the quality of life for residents of the area.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Frank Babcock holds about a dozen canes he made and gave to Assemblyman Steve Hawley to distribute to local veterans.

ALBION – Frank Babcock was in the Albion Walmart about two months when he saw a man walking with a cane. Babcock, 89, complimented the man, a fellow veteran, on the quality of the cane.

The man said the cane made a big difference for him, and he received it for free from Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Babcock got to thinking that he could make canes to be given to local veterans. Babcock served in the Army from 1955-’56 and was based at Fort Hancock, N.J. Many know him locally for his long career with NAPA Auto Parts in Albion and Medina.

Babcock has made 24 canes since meeting the man in Walmart. On Saturday he handed off a dozen to Assemblyman Hawley, who met him at the American Legion in Albion. Hawley said he will make sure they get to veterans, perhaps at the NYS Veterans Home in Batavia, the National Cemetery in Pembroke or through the Patriot Trip that Hawley leads each September to monuments in the Washington, D.C. area.

Babcock made the canes from small trees in his son’s woods. The raw materials were cut off from part of the roots with a slight angle. The handles of the canes are the roots from the trees.

Babcock would sand down the small trees and put shellack on them, as well as stickers of American flags.

“Now I have to get some more blanks so I can make some more,” he said on Saturday.

Frank Babcock was joined by friends and family at the American Legion on Saturday. From left include son Steve Babcock, son Jim Babcock, Frank Babcock, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, grandson Jeremy Babcock, and Legion Commander Brad Rouse.

Larger monitors designed for patrons with visual impairments

Provided photos: from left include Albion Lions Club member Kevin Howard, Hoag Library Director Betty Sue Miller, and Albion Lions Club member Lloyd Wright.

Press Release, Hoag Library

ALBION – The Albion Lions Club has generously donated $500 to Hoag Library to support the purchase of three large computer monitors designed for patrons with visual impairments.

This donation, inspired by the overwhelming success of a large curved monitor purchased in 2023, will expand the library’s accessible technology offerings and improve access to digital content for individuals with limited vision, enhancing their overall experience with library resources. With this contribution, Hoag Library continues its commitment to offering equitable access to technology for all patrons.

The donation aligns with the mission of the MD20 Lions SEE (Screening Eyes Early) program, which focuses on vision screening and eye health awareness. The Lions SEE program works to ensure early detection of vision issues, and the Albion Lions Club’s contribution to Hoag Library continues their commitment to supporting local efforts that promote vision care and accessibility.

“We are deeply grateful to the Albion Lions Club for this thoughtful donation,” said Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library. “The success of the first large monitor showed us just how important this kind of technology is for our patrons with vision challenges, and these new monitors will help even more people stay connected and continue learning.”

The Albion Lions Club has a long-standing history of supporting initiatives that benefit the community, particularly in the areas of vision, hearing, and health services. This donation is a testament to their ongoing dedication to making Albion a more accessible and caring community.

ALBION – The first election for the Albion Joint Fire District will be Dec. 10 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Hoag Library.

There have been five appointed commissioners and an appointed treasurer serving since August, with their first meeting on Aug. 20.

Of the current five commissioners, four will be on the ballot in the Dec. 10 election. Joe Martillotta opted against running to be an elected commissioner.

Albert Cheverie, Craig Lane, Chris Kinter and David Buczek all were appointed and are running for election. Kevin Sheehan, a former village trustee, also is seeking an elected position.

The commissioners’ terms will be for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. The highest vote-getter gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes. After the December election, the commissioner election should have one position up for election each year.

Two people are running for treasurer. Victoria Tabor has been in the position since August. She is running for election along with Kristen Marciszewski.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Alec Sherman leads the crowds in a Christmas sing-along to “Sleigh Ride” on Sunday during the “Christmas in the Neighborhood” concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

He was accompanied by Gary Simboli at left. Albion alumni and current students performed more than 20 songs for the annual concert at the First Presbyterian Church.

The church has been hosting the concerts since 2009, first as part of the Eastman at Albion series and then since 2015 as part of an Albion alumni concert event.

Charlie Nesbitt read “The Night Before Christmas” sharing segments of the story after musical performances throughout the concert.

Albion Alumni Association leaders welcome the crowd to the concert. Susan Starkweather Miller is at the microphone. Charlie Nesbitt is at left next to Susan Thaine, the church’s pastor, and Tony Wynn, one of the board members for the Alumni Foundation.

Ethan Ferchen sings, “It Feels Like Christmas.”

Kae Wilbert on bassoon and Susan Walders on flute perform “Deck the Halls.”

Jennifer Trupo sings, “A Baby Changes Everything.”

The concert had a theme of “Believe.”

Other performers included Gary Simboli, Shannon Vanderlaan, Janet Miller, Mike Thaine, Albion High School Select Choir, Evan Steer, Susan Thaine, Matthew Mooney Galantowicz and Keith Galantowicz, Albion High School Percussion Ensemble, AHS Clarinet Choir, Albion Presbyterian Choir, Shannon Broda, Trellis Pore, Zyann Pore, and the Community Christmas Choir.

ALBION – The Albion school district was notified of a potential threat targeting a school bus this morning and that threat has been deemed unfounded.

“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately and acted before any of our students or drivers could potentially be placed in harm’s way,” district superintendent Mickey Edwards stated on the district website. “The Sheriff’s Office has deemed there is no threat to ACS transportation or the District itself.”

The safety of students and staff are the district’s “number one priority,” Edwrads said.

“We would like to thank our greater Albion community for being diligent in helping to keep our Purple Eagles safe,” he said.

Provided photo

ALBION – Two more dogs have completed a 12-week obedience training program working with incarcerated women at the Albion Correctional Facility.

The two dogs, Bob and Lola, were celebrated during a Nov. 4 canine graduation at Albion Correctional. The handlers also were praised for their dedication and patience assisting the dogs in learning their skills.

Bob has already been adopted and Lola is waiting for her forever home. She is available through the PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion. Click here for more information.

Dawn Spencer of Eye of Oden K9 Training in Kent leads the 12-week program. Spencer has over 25 years of experience in dog training.

Throughout the 12 weeks, the teams of incarcerated individuals serve as handlers for the dogs.  Spencer visits the facility once a week to put the dogs through the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program.

This training program consists of 10 skills that the dogs must be able to master and aims to train dogs the basics of good manners and obedience. Spencer instructed the incarcerated individuals on what skills to work on each week.

The program is in collaboration with PAWS Animal Shelter and Albion Correctional Facility. The facility has allowed dogs and trainers since 2019.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Lee Tisdale, owner of Romyn’s Smoked BBQ at 26 East Bank St. in Albion, has 100 Thanksgiving dinners ready. This is the fourth Thanksgiving he has prepared the meals and is giving them away for free beginning at 1 p.m.

They are available until he runs out of food.

Tisdale has been preparing the meal since Tuesday.

“It’s a blessing for me to connect with people,” Tisdale said.

He has prepared turkey, stuffing, potatoes, corn, collard greens, cabbage, macaroni and cheese, ham, beans, pulled pork and brownies.

Tisdale gave away 40 of the meals last year and he expects a bigger crowd today. Many of the people are homeless, or living in low-income housing without family nearby or the means to prepare a full-course Thanksgiving meal, Tisdale said.

Many of the people are happy to have a place to come on Thanksgivign where they can talk with other people, Tisdale said.

He also prepares a meal on Christmas that he gives away.

OK Kitchen has 600-plus dinners ready

The Orleans Koinonia Kitchen at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion has 600 to 800 Thanksgiving meals ready for people. They will be served for free from 3:30 to 5:30 at Harvest Christian Fellowship, 560 East Ave., Albion.

People can eat in, do take-outs, or OK Kitchen volunteers will make deliveries.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club recently presented a $2,300 check to the Job Development Agency with the funds to be used to help people prepare for job interviews and employment, going towards new clothes and other supplies.

Pictured form left include Becky Karls, golf tournament committee member; Kiebala, Job Development director; and Cindy Perry, golf tournament committee chair.

The tournament was held on July 18, and some of the proceeds also went to the Office for the Aging to support a transportation program for senior citizens.