ALBION – Power was out in the northwest side of the village last night with about 800 National Grid customers without electricity.
The power was restored overnight. At 6:42 a.m., National Grid reported all of its Orleans County customers had service.
There was no official cause of the outage reported. An Orleans County dispatcher said weather likely was a factor.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Boy Scouts in Troop 164 in Albion served about 100 meals of spaghetti on Saturday night at the St. Mary’s Athletic Club on Moore Street.
Sawyer Braley puts salad in a to-go container. Other Scouts pictured include Cole Spierdowis, back right, and Noah Wadhams. Doyle Wadhams, a Scout volunteer and Noah’s father, helped organize the dinner.
The Scouts may try to have quarterly community dinners to help raise money for the Troop.
Mike Grabowski, a Scout volunteer, drains the hot water out of a pan of spaghetti. Freeman Lattin, a Scout in Troop 164, helps in the kitchen on Saturday night.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman
ALBION – Albion captains Kyle Smith left, and Nate Trembley hold Doc’s Rock, named in honor of former coach Larry Decker. Doc’s Rock goes to the winner of the annual Albion-Medina football game, and Albion won 27-14 at home tonight. The Albion players are pictured with Decker’s son Brett and wife Judy.
Decker is a late long-time Medina coach and teacher. He also taught and coached for a time at Albion.
Albion and Medina played for the 118th time tonight in one of New York State’s oldest high school football rivalries.
The victory gives the Purple Eagles a 65-48-5 lead in the series which dates back to 1898. Coming into the game, the Mustangs had won the last three and five of the last seven.
For more on the game, check Local Sports.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Fourth-graders harvested squash this morning, filling two big bins at the Albion FFA Land Lab along Clarendon Road.
FFA students planted the squash last June and today it was picked from the field. It will be give to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, which will use some for its food pantry and also for holiday baskets. Some squash will also be shared with other food pantries in the community, said Andy Ebbs, the facilities manager for Community Action.
Jack Kinter holds a squash he picked from a field. Students didn’t mind a little mud.
Albion FFA students planted the squash last June and helped direct the students during today’s harvest. This trio of FFA students includes, from left: Rylie Lear, FFA President Vivian Rivers, and Alexis Bentley.
Brian Postle, right, joins his fourth grade classmates in today’s squash harvest.
Another student is happy to help with the harvest.
The FFA also grew gourds that will be shared with teachers for a fall festival celebration. Students also grew pumpkins that will be sold at Panek’s Pumpkin Patch with proceeds donated for breast cancer awareness and research.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The First Presbyterian Church of Albion is lit up during lightning at about 7:30 p.m. today when thunderstorms with gusty winds and small hail hit the area.
The church, with its steeple reaching 175 feet high, is the tallest building in Orleans County. Swan Library is pictured at bottom during some of the lightning.
The courthouse has a pink tint in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This photo also shows the Orleans County Jail and the Presbyterian Church.
The National Weather Service says the temperature will take a big drop this weekend with a chance of snow.
Friday will have a high 54 and a low of 36. On Saturday, the temperature will only reach 43 with a low of 32, the Weather Service is forecasting. Sunday the high will be 41 with a low of 31 and chance for snow.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Three new granite benches were added outside Hoag Library on Tuesday. The benches are the work of Brigden Memorials in Albion and were paid for with donations.
Connie Archbald paid for this bench in memory of her parents, Ed and Jean Archbald of Carlton.
This bench lists the members of the library board of trustees in 2013, including President Kevin Doherty, and members Jan Albanese, Linda Smith, Colleen McKenna, Mary Anne Braunbach, Dele Theodorakos, Terry Wilbert and Patricia West. Susan Rudnicky, the former library director, also is listed on the bench.
The classmates of Duann J. Zicari paid for this bench. (It was raining earlier today so some of the letters have water on them, making them look less crisp.)
Ashley Wiegele is pictured in her senior photo.
ALBION – Ashley Wiegele was only a few days away from her high school graduation when she was in a boating accident on Lake Ontario on June 20, 2014.
Ashley, then 17, wasn’t able to participate in commencement. She was paralyzed from the chest down.
She is home in an 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 friends and the staff at Albion Central School want to give her more freedom to be out in the community. They have organized a benefit on Oct. 24, with a goal to raise at least $10,000 to buy a van with a wheelchair for Ashley.
“Rock ‘n Roll for Ashley” will feature live music from several local musical acts from 3 to 10 p.m. at the Albion Elk’s Lodge, 428 West State St. in Albion. The event also includes a giant basket raffle, pumpkin decorating for kids and adults, and side raffles.
“Albion and Orleans County are great. When somebody is in need they’re there to help,” said Scott Green, a guidance counselor at the high school and also the event chairman.
Ashley’s injuries have required her mom to become her full-time caregiver, resulting in a loss of income for the family.
Ashley has been mostly confined to a bed at her apartment. She only leaves the house for doctor’s appointments, which requires calling for a special van to transport her, Green said.
“This is about her mobility, to allow her to get up and go,” Green said. “Having a van will give Ashley some independence, allowing her to do things that other people take for granted, like grocery shop with her mom, or visit the library, or catch a movie with friends.”
Solo performers at the Oct. 24 “Rock ‘n Roll for Ashley” include Gregg Albertson and Shannon Vanderlaan, who will open the event. They will be followed by several local bands including Delano Steele and Atomic Swamis.
Food will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door or by calling (585) 944-0678.
There is also an on-line fund-raising page for Ashley at CrowdRise. Click here for more information.
Provided photo – Students at the Oct. 6 panel discussion at GCC in Albion include, front row, from left: Kichan Ahn(South Korea), Gyuho Jung (South Korea), Labonte Valiendia (Haiti), Baohua Wang (China, Lee Jong Hyeon, (South Korea), Ma Xin (China), Bruce Thomas (Jamaica) Yazhou Zhang (China), and director Linda Redfield Shakoor of the World Life Institute. Orleans-Niagara BOCES Adult ESL teachers from World Life Institute Education Center, in back, are Monica Beck and Harris Lieberman.
Jim Simon, dean of the Albion campus center, presents gifts to the students.
ALBION – Genesee Community College’s Albion Campus Center on Oct. 6 hosted a panel discussion of international exchange students led by Linda Redfield Shakoor, director of the World Life Institute.
The event is part of GCC’s Global Education Committee efforts to increase college students and the community on the rich diversity of education across the globe. The eight participating students were from China, South Korea, Haiti and Mexico. Linda led the panel with questions, and then GCC students and faculty were also able to ask questions.
These students are graduate-level students from their respective countries working in the United States and striving to increase their English language skills. Their academic and work-related efforts are focused on agriculture. Each of them is working at Intergrow in Albion and attending night classes administered at the World Life Institute Education Center in Waterport, and taught English by Orleans-Niagara BOCES teachers such as Monica Beck and Harris Lieberman.
The panel topics discussed ranged from the 12-hour school days the students from China and South Korea experienced preparing for their college entrance exams (the rough equivalent of the SAT). In the case of the Chinese students, they shared the striking fact that approximately 9 million Chinese students take the exam and only half of them score high enough to go to college.
The students also shared how difficult it can be to obtain higher education – either because of devastating earthquakes like what occurred in Haiti a few years ago, or because of the significant distances (sometimes up to 2-hours one way) students in Mexico have to travel to go to school.
The panel discussion was taped and will be part of the featured Global Education Day events scheduled for GCC in Batavia on Thursday, Oct, 22, 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the college forum.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This gravesite marker for a Civil War veteran at Mount Albion recently had the rust scraped off and was given a fresh protective coat of black paint as part of a service-learning project by Albion seventh-graders.
Here is how the same marker looked late last month, before the restoration efforts. Students are also cataloging locations for the markers from the Grand Army of the Republic.
Students have other Civil War initiatives planned for the school year. They are going to research the names of every Orleans County resident who died in the Civil War and compare that with the 463 names carved in marble slabs inside the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.
Provided photos
Albion Middle School seventh-grade service learning student Bailey Blanchard points to another “Blanchard” inside the tower at Mt. Albion Cemetery. The students are cataloging the names of soldiers who died during the war. To date there is no master list.
The tower includes marble slabs with the names of 463 residents who were killed during the Civil War. However, the memorial may not have included every local resident who perished in the war, said Tim Archer, teacher of the service learning class.
Bryne Dysard, an Albion seventh-grader, kneels next to the Herbert Charles Taylor grave at Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon. Taylor is the only known Orleans County soldier to fight and die at the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Dysard and her service learning classmates have been studying Orleans County Civil War soldiers and are trying to secure a historical marker for him.
SUNY Brockport archivist Charles Cowling spent a morning at Drake Library at the college teaching Albion Middle School service-learning students about the importance of primary source documentation.
The students are in the middle of a large project researching Orleans County Civil War veterans. Their research has already uncovered many interesting facts about our local heroes and includes work at several area cemeteries. The documentation is important as the students write applications for a historical marker grant and a headstone for an unmarked grave from the Veterans Administration.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The south-side roof on the Hoag Library is now covered in solar panels. The library is working with Arista Power on the renewable project. The worker pictured is running conduit through the roof today.
The state is paying half of the $256,000 costs, providing a $54,000 library construction grant and other rebates through the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority.
The library is financing $128,000, its share of the project. The anticipated electricity savings should pay off the library’s share of the project within 18 years, perhaps sooner, said Kevin Doherty, president of the library’s board.
The library was approved for state funds for the project when the new building was constructed in 2011-12, but Doherty said the board held off on the project until the cost of solar came down and the efficiency went up.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Amber Lowery, an Albion 8th-grader, holds a pillow she made for recovering breast cancer patients.
Amber and other students in Mrs. Kim Toombs’ Family and Consumer Sciences class have been making pillows and ponchos for breast cancer patients.
Toombs was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2014. After surgery, she completed chemotherapy and radiation in January 2015.
Kim Toombs gets the thread lined up so student Julie Porter can sew a poncho for a breast cancer patient.
The class will deliver the ponchos and pillows later this month when they take a field trip to the Pluta Cancer Center through Strong Memorial Hospital, the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, and Highland Hospital.
Toombs said she received help through all three organizations.
“I didn’t know there was a need until I went through it myself,” Toombs said about the pillows and ponchos.
Ella Knaak shows one of the ponchos she made in class. The students are making 70 ponchos, 50 medium-size pillows and 50 small pillows to be given to breast cancer patients.
Angel Rushing, front, Deyonci Farley and other eighth-graders work on the ponchos during class today.
Toombs wears a sticker noting she is a breast cancer survivor.
She thanked her students for working so hard on the project in class.
“They are doing a great with them,” she said.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Joey Schoeberlein, an Albion third-grader, aims the hose at targets with some help from Albion firefighter Beau Piskorowski during a program today outside the elementary school as part of Fire Prevention Week.
Piskorowski and a third-grade student spray water at targets. The house with the fake flames was built by Andrew Cheverie for his Eagle Scout project last year. This was the first time it was used for Fire Prevention Week at the school.
Andrew Cheverie, right, also built this stop that allows students to practice “Stay Low and Go” in case of a fire. Students first checked to see if the door was hot. When it wasn’t hot, they opened it and crawled under the pretend flames.
Levi Coughlin, a kindergartner, stays low under the flames.
Albion firefighters James Fisher, left, and Rob Conner gave students tours of the fire trucks.
Ryan Woolston, a Carlton firefighter, showed students the rescue boat used by the Carlton Fire Department.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Members of the Albion Police Department are wearing pink pins with silver angel wings on their uniforms this month in honor of Breast cancer Awareness Month.
“Breast cancer has in some way affected everyone in our community,” said Police Chief Roland Nenni. “The Albion Police Department hopes that by aiding in awareness we can help in a small way to find a cure.”
Pink ribbons are also being displayed on all police patrol vehicles.
“The more we can raise awareness as professionals and public servants, it may prompt women to be checked or someone to make a donation,” Nenni said.
Sgt. Gary Van Wycke, a member of the Albion PD for 21 ½ years, stands by a patrol car that has a pink ribbon on the door.
Photos by Kim Pritt – Kyle Thaine portrays his great-uncle, Eugene Barnum, who was killed during World War II after shooting down two German planes.
Alyce Miller served as one of the speaking tour guides who lead each group through the walk offering historic references.
Zach Shaffer portrays John G. Rice, the Orleans County sheriff in 1894 who organized a posse to find murderer William Lake.
Riley Seielstad portrays Emma Ingersoll, who upon her death bequeathed the monument pictured here, as well as the beautiful Ingersoll Fountain and bench located near the entrance of Mount Albion Cemetery.
Nate Trembley portrays Charles Howard as Santa with Valerie Rush as Mrs. Claus.
By Kim Pritt, Contributor
ALBION – Gray skies and a strong wind in the trees helped set the ghostly atmosphere for the seventh annual Mount Albion Ghost Walk on Saturday night. Rain threatened earlier in the day, but moved on just in time for approximately 425 people to enjoy the popular annual event.
The Ghost Walk is a Service Learning project of the Albion High School Drama and Music Departments. A total of 55 students work to put the program together by researching a variety of residents of Mt. Albion Cemetery, writing their own scripts, and performing roles as ghosts, tour guides, singers, and tech crew. This year, 13 ghosts were featured, including war heroes, prominent citizens, two nationally publicized murders, and even Santa Claus.
“I am very interested in all the people and what they’ve done for the community – all the great inventions, suggestions, and impact they have made,” said Miller during rehearsal earlier in the day.
Several war heroes were highlighted along the tour, including Eugene Barnum, 1917-1944. Barnum was killed in action during World War II after shooting down two German planes. He died just months after his brother, William, was also killed in action.
Kyle Thaine proudly portrayed Barnum and was understandably knowledgeable about his subject – Barnum is Kyle’s great uncle.
“It was an honor playing my Great Uncle Gene,” Thaine said. “I didn’t know him, but I’ve heard many stories about him from the time I was a little kid from my grandmother. I love history and I love my family and it was so cool to put them both together in one place.”
Other notable ghosts were James Sheret, war hero that Albion’s American Legion Sheret Post is named for; Orleans County District Attorney and County Judge, Isaac S. Signor; and Emma Ingersoll, daughter-in-law of Nehemiah Ingersoll, one of Albion’s founding fathers, among others.
The tour ended at the grave site of Charles W. Howard, 1896-1966. Howard was world renowned as Santa Claus. Howard opened his Santa Claus School in 1937 on Phipps Road in Albion, where he trained people from all over the world how to be a proper Santa. Howard also ran his Christmas Park and toy shop.
He was also the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa and a consultant on the movie Miracle on 34th Street. Howard’s legacy lives on with his Santa Claus School now located in Michigan.
On Oct. 1, an interpretive panel was placed near his grave site commemorating his life. The panel was designed by last year’s Ghost Walk students and paid for with proceeds from that event.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – After seven years of featuring artists from Orleans County, as well as in Rochester and Buffalo, the Marti’s on Main gallery is having its final show.
Gallery owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella has included artists in 107 different shows over seven years at 229 North Main St. Muscarella is pictured on Friday evening with her husband Neal Muscarella. They live at 229 North Main and have made half of their home available for displaying artwork to the public.
“I was trying to do a good thing for the community,” Mrs. Martillotta said. “It’s sad to see it go. It’s been a lot of fun. Hopefully I enriched some lives.”
She estimates that about 70 different artists have had shows at Marti’s, with some featured more than once. For many artists, Marti’s was there first opportunity to have a show, highlighting their work. Several of those debut artists would feature their work at other galleries after Marti’s.
Muscarella and the artist community welcomed the public for “First Friday” receptions each month to meet the artists in the latest exhibits.
Susan Rudnicky is one of the featured artists in the last show at Marti’s. Rudnicky of Waterport has 40 paintings in watercolors and acrylics in the show at Marti’s. Rudnicky has been featured twice before at the gallery.
“Besides a place to show work in Albion, this to me has been a bright place to see art in Albion,” Rudnicky said. “It’s been a place where artists can get to know each other and spark off ideas.”
Muscarella said she was on the fence about doing an eighth season, but a $2,000 increase in insurance costs was the final factor in deciding to close the gallery after this month’s last show.
Rudnicky said Marti’s will be missed.
“It’s been a real cultural mecca,” she said. “It’s been a place to see interesting stuff and see who else is doing nifty things.”
Rudnicky has very colorful paintings on display. She is in the process of moving to Holland in Erie County. Some of her paintings are big at 3 feet by 4 feet.
Judy Wenrich of Kendall also is featured at Marti’s. She has 20 paintings on display, drawings and photos of horses, barns and other animals.
“I like animals,” said Wenrich, a retired social worker. “They seem to be able to talk to you. I don’t like buildings. You have to draw a straight line and I can’t draw a straight line.”
To visit the gallery, give Martillotta Muscarella a call at (585) 589-6715.
