Photo courtesy of Dawn Allen: The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road is pictured during the holiday season in 2014.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2019 at 11:17 am
ALBION – The popular Ghost Hunters television series tonight will feature The Pillars in Albion. The episode on the A & E network is called, “Lady in the Window.”
The paranormal detectors will focus on the estate on West Countyhouse Road in Albion, as they try to find evidence of “the lady in the window” who seems to appear in some photographs, looking out from the attic.
A crew of about 25 spent two weeks at The Pillars and in the Albion community in May.
Tony McMurtie, owner of The Pillars, said he had lots of questions for the Ghost Hunters. He was stunned by their discoveries, although he said he can’t discuss it publicly.
The Ghost Hunters initially ran for 11 seasons on SyFy from 2004 to 2016. It is now on A&E. Tonight’s show starts at 9 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2019 at 8:49 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A group of volunteers spent a few hours this morning at Bullard Park, working on the field that has been off limits for home games so far this season for the youth football teams.
Mark and Tom Keeler of Barre Stone Products donated about 20 tons of topsoil had it delivered it for free to the park. Today, a group of coaches and parents of the players put the dirt on some of the uneven spots on the field and also filled in ruts.
The Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program had to move its home games about two weeks ago, but should be able to play the rest of their home games this season at Bullard, starting on Saturday versus Holley.
The group of volunteers raked the dirt in low spots on the field. Jeff Gifaldi came later and used a roller to smooth it out and compact the soil.
The volunteers were at the field starting at 8 a.m. and worked until about noon.
Some of the volunteers include Tim Monaghan, Eric Jones, Joe Fuller, Rocky Sidari, Geno Allport, Tim McMurray, Bryden McMurray, Ron Croft, John Livingston, Scott Snook, Brian Schomske and Matthew Schomske. Ralph Messura and Lewis Turner also brought over equipment to move the dirt from a pile on the side of the field. Otherwise, it would have been many wheelbarrow loads and might have taken all day.
Lewis Turner uses a Kubota to haul the dirt. Tim McMurray, right center, was among the group of volunteers helping to get the field ready for the youth football teams.
The AYSAP program includes about 100 kids, ages 6 to 14, in four teams of football and cheerleading.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2019 at 4:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Albion Lions Club celebrated its 95th anniversary with a dinner on Saturday evening at Hickory Ridge Golf Resort.
Ron Albertson, a past president of the club and current vice president, is shown speaking during the dinner.
Other people at the head table include, from left: Lloyd Wright, club treasurer; Kevin Howard, the club’s tail twister; Howard’s wife, Vicki; Dee Robinson; Bill Robinson, club president and Dee’s husband; District Governor Rick Whitney; Whitney’s wife, Lois; Ron Albertson; and Ron’s wife, Jill.
Albertson said the Lions Club has many long-term dedicated members and also recently has welcomed several new ones.
District Governor Rick Whitney, right, congratulates Bill Robinson, Albion Lions Club president, on the club’s 95th anniversary.
The club currently has 22 members. They are active in the annual Rock the Park music fest, which raises funds for Bullard Park. The Albion Lions also gives out scholarships to graduating seniors, sponsors a youth baseball team and works on other community projects, raising money with a sausage booth at the Strawberry Festival, and by selling roses on Mother’s Day and geraniums during Memorial Day.
Rick Whitney, the district governor, is also the Allegany County sheriff. He has been a Lions Club member for 36 years. He urged people to volunteer in some way through community service.
“There are so many people out there who need our help,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be the Lions Club. It can be any community service.”
The club in Albion is the second oldest in the region between Niagara Falls and Rochester. Only the Lions Club in Rochester predates the club in Albion.
The Lions organization started in 1917 and has grown to 1.4 million members in 48,000 clubs in more than 200 countries.
Sarah Gardner, a member of the Hickory Ridge staff, cuts the celebratory cake for the Lions Club. Jill Albertson is at left.
What About Jane provided the musical entertainment during the celebration. The band includes, from left: Tom Smith, Ronda Smith, Jan Erakare and Gary Smith. Tom and Gary are brothers and Ronda is married to Gary Smith.
The Rev. Wilfred Moss, a past president of the Lions Club and a member since 1997, leads the group in a closing prayer during the Club’s 95th anniversary celebration.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2019 at 9:13 am
Event raises $1K for Warrior House in Shelby
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Canalside Super Cruise drew a crowd to downtown Albion on Saturday. A section of the street was blocked off to traffic for a car show that included about 75 vehicles.
The event was also a fundraiser for the Warrior House and raised $1,000 for the organization that provides a hunting retreat in Shelby to veterans and their families.
Three members of a Pin Ups for a Cause attended the event and sold 50/50 raffle tickets and met members of the public. Kimmy-Sue (Kim Cich) of Cowlesville in Wyoming County, right, is the national founder of Pin Ups for a Cause. She is pictured with Baloo, the group’s popular bulldog mascot. Catherine Fox of Albion, center, and Jessica Carlson of Arcade also are members of the group which has about 50 members in Western New York. They attend about 200 events a year to help raise money for veterans’ causes.
Anthony Disanferdinando, left, and Thomas Harrington perform with the band, Veterans of Bad Presidents.
A 1951 Mercury Convertible owned by Lorrie and Kevin Hafner was among the cars on display in the Super Cruise.
What About Jane also performed from a trailer in front of the Main Street and State Street intersection. The band includes, from left: Tom Smith, Jan Erakare, Ronda Smith and Gary Smith.
The 1952 Chevrolet is owned by Eleni Dudley.
Pin Ups for a Cause members Catherine Fox, right, and Jessica Carlson said they like the vintage clothing styles from the 1940s and ’50s, and also are happy to volunteer with the organization that assists veterans.
Baloo, a rescue dog with a back leg amputated, was a friendly greeter at the Super Cruise. Baloo has his own Facebook page.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 August 2019 at 6:58 am
Medina hosts ‘Super Cruise’ on Wednesday
File photo by Tom Rivers: There were many cars in downtown Albion for a car show on July 22, 2017.
ALBION – There will be big cars show today in Albion and Wednesday in Medina with Main Street block off for the events.
Albion will host its car show today from 4 to 8 p.m. with Main Street blocked off between State Street and Caroline Street, beginning at 3 p.m.
There is a $10 registration fee for cars, trucks, Jeeps and motorcycles to be in the show, with the proceeds from the event to be donated to the Warrior House, a retreat site for veterans in Shelby. The public is welcome to attend the car show for free.
There will be an opening ceremony with the Honor Guard from the American Legion at 4 p.m.
What About Jane will perform from 4 to 5 p.m., with Veterans of Bad Presidents, a blues band, playing from 5 to 7 p.m.
The group, Pin Ups for a Cause, also will be at the car show. They are dressed in 1940’s/1950’s outfits. They will bring their popular bulldog mascot, “Baloo.”
Medina will host its Super Cruise on Wednesday, when a section of Main Street is closed for the cars and there is lots of entertainment. Terry Buchwald, an Elvis Presley impersonator, will be back to perform on a stage in the downtown for that event.
The street will be blocked off beginning at 3 p.m. with the show going from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2019 at 3:01 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road in Albion is the focus of the Aug. 28 episode of the Ghost Hunters.
ALBION – The popular Ghost Hunters television series on Aug. 28 will feature The Pillars in Albion. Orleans Hub last week reported the season premiere of Ghost Hunters tonight would focus on The Pillars.
The episode tonight will highlight Pocatello High School in Idaho.
The paranormal detectors the following week will feature the estate on West Countyhouse Road in Albion, as they try to find evidence of “the lady in the window” who seems to appear in some photographs, looking out from the attic.
A crew of about 25 spent two weeks at The Pillars and in the Albion community in May.
Tony McMurtie, owner of The Pillars, said he had lots of questions for the Ghost Hunters. He was stunned by their discoveries, although he said he can’t discuss it publicly.
“When you see this episode it will blow your mind away,” he said.
The Ghost Hunters initially ran for 11 seasons on SyFy from 2004 to 2016. It is now on A&E.
Photos courtesy of Jenny Johnston: Some of Jason Johnston’s family members are pictured Saturday morning when the Albion Elks Club unveiled a memorial for Johnson at the Elks on East State Street. Jason’s mother Jenny Johnston is in back with Jason’s sisters Carrie Riley and Heather Johnston. Jason’s niece and nephews include, from left: Skye Tranello, Kwame Riley, Raekwon Riley, Rilee Tranello and Chase Tranello (being held by Heather).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2019 at 11:57 am
Johnston is only soldier from Orleans County killed in Afghanistan
ALBION – The Elks Lodge in Albion on Saturday morning unveiled a memorial in honor of Jason Johnston of Albion, who was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009.
He is the only soldier from Orleans County who died in action in either Afghanistan or Iraq.
Johnston was 24 when he was killed by a roadside bomb the day after Christmas in Arghandab, Afghanistan.
Specialist Johnston was on his second deployment. He was also a paratrooper. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009.
The Elks do a motorcycle ride each year to raise funds for a memorial scholarship for Johnston. The Elks give a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior pursuing a helping profession.
Jenny Johnston, Jason’s mother, said she appreciates the memorial for the son.
“It is absolutely beautiful,” she said today. “It’s amazing that they would do that and keep his memory alive.”
The monument states: “In honor of Spc. Jason M. Johnston, 82nd Airborne U.S. Army. Orleans County’s only soldier killed in action since Vietnam. May his spirit keep this country and county safe. A truly honored soldier. One man in one unselfish act to save us all.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2019 at 8:17 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Karol Hughes, president of the Albion Police Benevolent Association, on Monday evening presented a check for $500 to the Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program. Geno Allport, right, is commissioner of AYSAP, which includes about 100 kids, ages 6 to 14 in four teams of football and cheerleading. Johnathan Eibl, second from left, and Mason Lynch are both 8th-graders on the varsity football team in AYSAP.
Hughes said the Albion PBA wanted to donate to a local organization that works with youth. The PBA has a dozen members in the Albion Police Department.
Allport said the donation would likely be used for equipment. He said new helmets are $150 each. AYSAP charges families $125 to be on a team. The program also is looking to refurbish the pads on the blocking sleds.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2019 at 7:50 pm
Photo courtesy of Hoag Library
ALBION – Buffalo and Brandy performed on Thursday at Hoag Library to wrap up the summer reading program at the library, which had a theme, A Universe of Stories.
The total attendance for the summer reading programs was 1,868, including 84 at the wrap-up party on Thursday.
There were 266 participants in the summer reading program, from young children to adults, said Teresa Gaylard, Hoag’s children’s librarian.
The young children completed 503 literacy activities, while kids read for 1,499 hours and adults finished 276 books.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 August 2019 at 11:59 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An inspector stands in a culvert and watches the Orleans County Highway Department and the Town of Albion Highway Department put in and compact fill material this morning.
The inspector is making sure the material is properly compacted and done at the same time on each side of the culvert on Clarendon Road.
A section of Clarendon Road was closed on July 8 and should reopen in late August in time for the new school year.
Andy Morrison of the Orleans County Highway Department operates a Vibratory Roller to compact a crusher run material for the new culvert on Clarendon Road.
The town was awarded a $174,000 Bridge NY grant to cover 100 percent of the project’s costs. However, the construction bids for the project were way over that cost, with the low bid $130,000 over budget.
The town was looking to replace the culvert with a 3-sided precast concrete culvert. The County Highway Department, now led by John Papponetti, re-evaluated the project to see if the costs could be lowered. Papponetti is an engineer.
Papponetti and the Labella Associates engineering firm determined an arch pipe would work for the culvert. That was significantly less money.
The town and county highway employees do the labor-intensive work of compacting the fill material. It needs to be compacting at the same rate at each side of the culvert. If not, there is a chance the arch pipe could be distorted.
The town was awarded the Bridge NY grant back in January 2017. Mike Neidert, the town highway superintendent, said he appreciates the assistance from the county in getting the project done under budget.
“The county highway has been great,” Neidert.
The state grant will pay the county’s personnel and equipment costs, and also for the town’s material costs. The county has had three people assigned to the project, with the compaction today requiring a bigger crew from the county as well as three town highway workers. All of the labor costs for the town and county will be reimbursed through the Bridge NY grant.
The arch pipe is 128 inches wide at its peak and 83 inches high at the peak. It moves water from the west branch of Sandy Creek.
“There are times when you get a lot of flow through there,” Neidert said.
The section of Clarendon Road will be reopened in time for school in early September.
This is the second big culvert project the County Highway Department has completed. Last year, the Highway Department put in a new concrete culvert on Culvert Road in Ridgeway. Click here for more information on that project.
Papponetti said the county would like to work with local municipalities to put in one of two culverts each year. That way the infrastructure work continues to go forward, especially when it can be difficult to secure state and federal funding for projects.
A successful Albion project, getting done on time and under budget, should help the local communities stand out in applying for bridge and culvert grants, Papponetti said.
“These projects are graded on your ability to deliver them on budget, and on schedule,” he said.
He is the only soldier from Orleans County who died in action in either Afghanistan or Iraq.
