ALBION – The state Department of Transportation will present a plan on Thursday for extensive repairs to the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.

The DOT will answer questions about the project from 3:30 to 5:30 during a public meeting at Hoag Library.

The Main Street lift bridge is slated for $15 million in repairs and construction work beginning in 2022, with the project keeping the bridge closed for 18 months until 2023.

The bridge was originally built in 1914. It typically closes a few days each year for short-term repairs. It is one of 16 lift bridges on the Erie Canal, and one of seven in Orleans County.

The DOT said the work includes installing high-strength galvanized steel to replace the steel floor system and select truss members.

Updates will also be made to the mechanical and electrical components of the lifting mechanisms. The lift tower will also be rehabilitated.

In addition, the bridge railing and guide rail on the bridge approaches will be improved and bridge will be repainted.

DOT staff will be on hand to share project information at the open-house-style meeting, and will receive public comments and answer individual questions.

Those interested in attending may arrive at any time during the scheduled meetings to review project details, including the scope of work and planned traffic detours during construction. No formal presentation will be made.

The DOT also has a public meeting scheduled to discuss the plans for closing and repairing the lift bridge in Brockport on Route 19. The Brockport meeting will be on Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the A.D. Oliver Middle School auditorium, 40 Allen St.

For further information, or to request a sign language interpreter or assistive listening system, contact Katherine Fragale at 585-371-9245 or Katherine.Fragale@dot.ny.gov.

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ALBION – The design for a new mural inside Hoag Library will show swans flying high over the Erie Canal.

Hoag Library patrons were asked to help pick the winning design. Stacey Kirby Steward, an Albion native, proposed three options for the mural, either showing swans, eagles or hawks in flight over the canal.

The vote totals include 71 for swans, 62 for eagles, and 27 for the hawk design.

The Library’s Board of Trustees approved the swan design after the community vote. Steward will paint the mural off-site and it will be installed in the Curtis Room, the largest meeting space in the library.

Betty Sue Miller, library director, said the mural could be in place in January.

An anonymous donor is funding the project.

This is the second art project at the library by Steward. She designed the stained-glass window with swans.

Before moving into the Hoag Library in July 2012, Albion’s public library was known as the Swan Library, where it opened at 4 North Main St. in 1900 and remained the library’s site for 112 years.

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ALBION – An Albion family which received a new playground in their backyard in January 2017 has donated the setup to Bullard Park.

The Albion Village Board accepted the donation this evening. The playground will go at the Pee Wee Park section of Bullard, which is for smaller children.

Bears Playgrounds in Lima constructed the playground in January 2017. The company will relocate the playground to Bullard.

Beth and Kyle Webb are giving the village the playground. It was built for their late daughter, Elaina Webb, who was 2 ½ when she passed away from cancer on Feb. 7, 2017, less than a month after the playground was constructed.

Make-A-Wish worked with Bears Playgrounds to build the playground made of northern cider white logs. It has four slides, two bridges, swings and other equipment.

Elaina Webb, 2 ½ in January 2017, is shown with her father Kyle Webb and older brother Colin after a new playground was in the family’s backyard on Herrick Street in Albion.

Elaina fought acute myeloid leukemia for about nine months. She received three rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant.

Beth Webb said the family appreciates the support of the local small town while they were caring for their daughter.

“We would like to donate it to Bullard so the community that took care of us can have something from her,” Beth Webb told the Village Board this evening.

She said Bears Playgrounds will continue to honor the warranty on the playground.

Mayor Eileen Banker thanked the Webb family for giving the village the playground. She said a plaque will note it was given in honor of Elaina Webb.

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ALBION – The Kentucky Fried Chicken in Albion will close after 11 p.m. on Thursday, its final day of business.

KFC opened on June 27, 2012. George Hsiao is owner of the plaza where KFC is located and is the franchisee through KFC. He is battling an illness and can’t continue in the role, prompting the KFC to close.

Sandra Chappius is a managing partner of the restaurant with Hsiao. She also runs Chap’s Elba Diner and a catering business. She doesn’t want to become the franchisee for the KFC in Albion, which would require a bigger time and financial commitment.

“It’s not a failure and it’s not going bankrupt,” Chappius said today. “We have very good customers and I love the people who work there. They are a wonderful, wonderful crew.”

The KFC has 11 employees. Chappius said they are hard workers.

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ALBION – The school district has reversed a trend this year with enrollment. After steadily declining the past 20 years, the enrollment is up in 2019-2020 – by two students.

Albion has 1,865 students in prekindergarten through grades 12 this school year, compared to 1,863 in 2018-19.

School districts do an enrollment count that is reported to the State Education Department the first Wednesday in October.

There are currently 544 students in the high school, 427 in the middle school, and 894 in the elementary school, Michael Bonnewell, district superintendent, reported to the Board of Education.

“It’s the first time we haven’t had it down in many years so that’s a positive,” Bonnewell said.

There are 122 other students in the district this school year, including 55 who are home schooled, 23 in private schools, 22 at schools for students with disabilities, 10 in BOCES placements, 8 children in foster care attending other schools, and 4 students attending other nearby local public schools.

The school enrollment is down about 1,000 students in the past 20 years. The district topped 2,800 students 20 years ago

In other action at Monday’s board meeting:

• Two high school students were recognized by principal Jennifer Ashbury. Kaitlyn Ramirez received a character award, while Yeshua Robles Nunez was presented with the leadership award.

• The district highlighted School Board Recognition Week on Oct. 21-25 and acknowledged the service of the nine volunteers on the Albion Board of Education.

David Sidari is beginning his 21st year on the board. Other board members and their length of service include: Margy Brown, 12th year; Chantelle Sacco, 5th year; Kathy Harling, third year; Wayne Wadhams, third year; Elissa Nesbitt, second year; Linda Weller, first year (served a previous five-year term); Gregg Boose, Sr., first year; and Joyce Riley, first year (served previously on the board).

• Approved the Lakeshore Property Maintenance in Waterport as the contractor for snow removal and ice control at a guaranteed minimum of $41,000, which is about $20,000 less than the district paid last year for a different contractor.

• Accepted donations from the Emma Reid Webster Foundation valued at $285 for the school nurses offices, including head lice kits/shampoo, boys and girls underwear, socks and jogging pants.

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