By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The commemorative wine glasses for the second annual “Sip & Stroll Through History” features the Citizens National Bank, which was upgraded about 15 years ago by the Chamber of Commerce and Village of Albion.
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association will have its second annual “Sip and Stroll” wine-tasting event on Saturday, and will feature 13 wineries at 14 stops.
The band, The Sophisticats, will play on East Bank Street from 3 to 7 p.m. The street will be blocked off to traffic during the “Sip and Stroll” and will also have seven farm markets selling produce and will also include Bad Ash BBQ and baked goods from Breeze Inn Again.
Debbie Grimm is the main coordinator for the event. She wants to draw people to historic downtown Abion so they can see many of the businesses and step inside the buildings that are included on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re showcasing Albion and letting people know what’s in downtown Albion,” Grimm said. “Maybe they will discover a shop they didn’t know about.”
Hazy Jade Gift Shop is promoting the upcoming wine-tasting event.
The event runs from 3 to 7 p.m. There will be catered VIP reception at the Hoag Library from 3 to 4 p.m. with Zambistros serving appetizers. Hoag is also a wine-tasting stop.
Arnold’s Auto Parts will have a cruise-in car show from 3 to 7 p.m. and Bindings Bookstore will host author Miranda Pennock. The Lyndonville native will sign copies of her novel “To Have” from 4 to 7 p.m.
Advance tickets for the wine-tasting are available at the Hazy Jade Gift Shop and Bindings Bookstore or on Saturday at Hoag Library, which is the first stop on the “Sip and Stroll.”
The following shops/businesses are participating in Sip and Stroll: Hoag Library, Pullman Church, Hazy Jade Gift Shop, Dance Reflections, Bindings Bookstore, Arnold’s Auto Parts, Xpress Fitness & Tanning, Uptown Browsery, Knight’s Pride Woodworking/Mmim, Morrison Realty, Krantz Furniture, Fischer’s, Downtown Browsery, Empire Trading and El Gallo.
Provided photos – Maurice and Courtenay Hoag are pictured with Roger Lamont (right), who helped lead the fund-raising for the new Hoag Library in Albion.
Press Release, Hoag Library
ALBION – In hockey it would be a hat trick, in baseball a triple. There is no nickname for a third donation to the Hoag library, but there should be.
Hoag Library in Albion last month received an unsolicited donation in the amount of $100,000 from Maurice and Courtenay Hoag. This is not the first time the Hoags have surprised the library with a generous donation.
In the winter of 2011 the couple was approached by Roger Lamont and Dick Remley, co-chairmen of fundraising for the new library building and the Hoags donated $25,000. In December of the same year they stunned the fundraising committee when they called about making a second donation of $225,000 for the naming rights of the new library, which was formerly called Swan Library.
The third donation arrived July 16, 2015, with a handwritten note hoping that the board would find a use for the $100,000.
Hoag Library officials are pictured with the Hoags are the couple made another $100,000 gift to the library that bears the Hoag name. The front row includes, from left: Roger Lamont, Courtenay Hoag and Ingrid Lamont. The back row includes Board of Trustee members Carol Miller, Kevin Doherty and John Andrews, Maurice Hoag, Library Director Betty Sue Miller, and Trustee Kim Pritt.
Maurice Hoag has strong personal ties to the Albion area where he graduated from Albion High School in 1961 as valedictorian, as well as class president. He continued his education at Cornell where he earned a degree in chemical engineering and met his wife, Courtenay.
The couple currently lives in Maryland, but Maurice has maintained a relationship with Albion and Cornell classmates from the Albion area.
The Hoags return to Albion yearly in August for an annual class picnic. After donating their well-appreciated gift, the couple visited with Roger Lamont, Interim Director Betty Sue Miller, and several library board members.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Hudson Magic Midway, built by Albion men, will be unveiled at Erie County Fair on Wednesday
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Sky-Flyer, a new midway ride built in 2014, is a towering attraction in the Hudson Magic Midway, a collection of 40 miniature replicas of midway rides from the 1950s to the most recent innovations in amusement park rides.
Three Albion men – Charlie Zicari, his brother Frank, and their close friend Jay Pahura – will debut the Hudson Magic Midway inside a 40-foot-long semi-truck trailer this Wednesday at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg.
The rides are illuminated and show a history of amusement park attractions, from the signature Sky Wheel at left, to popular concessions and games such as Skee Ball.
The rides are all fully operational on a small scale – but not too small. The Sky Wheel is nearly 5 feet tall at 56 inches.
The trailer that houses the miniature carnival has flags on top, panels that tell the history of the project, and a striking design.
The miniature carnival started in 1953, when the late Albion resident Harold Hudson started building miniature midway rides in the basement of his home on Caroline Street. The display eventually filled two garages from front to back and Hudson welcomed the community to see them.
Hudson used ordinary materials found around his house, plus his creative ingenuity to make the rides. He hand-built many of the rides just as they were being introduced by ride manufacturers to carnivals across the United States.
The Hudson rides were illuminated and fully operational, just on a small scale.
Charlie Zicari was a boy when he saw “Hudson’s Exposition Shows.” Zicari was hooked. He became friends with Hudson and started building rides and helping him with the set up.
The display inside the trailer includes a skyscape, giving the mini carnival a planetarium feel.
When Hudson died in 1989, he left his miniature carnival to Zicari.
Zicari has built many of his own rides, including more recent additions to carnivals. The Zicari brothers and Pahura set up the mini midway at the former Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast in Albion a few years ago. That was the first time the public had seen the rides in many years.
The bed and breakfast has since closed. The Zicaris and Pahura have been working on a home for the attraction: the long trailer that needs to be moved by a semi truck.
They have been strengthening some of Hudson’s creations to make them sturdy for trips to fairs and other festivals. The rides have been painted with five to six coats of a reflective paint to make them better illuminate in the black light.
“We’re keeping the integrity of his rides but making them stronger for travel,” Charlie Zicari said.
Harold Hudson made this Para-Trooper ride in 1981. The Hudson Midway Magic gives a snapshot of the history of carnival rides.
“There’s nothing out there like this,” said Charlie Zicari.
The two Zicari brothers and Pahura have been chipping away at this project for several years while juggling their full-time jobs. Charlie works for Wegmans in overnight operations. His brother Frank works for General Motors as a team leader. Pahura is a motor equipment operator for the Village of Albion Department of Public Works.
The Hudson Magic Midway has the big rides, but also ticket booths and other features of a carnival.
A big Gondola wheel, built in 2000, looms large from the right side of the display. These rides will all be moving at their individual speeds.
“I’ve always had a fascination with the architecture of amusement rides,” Charlie Zicari said.
Hudson made this replica of the Trabant, which has been refurbished for the new display.
The Zicaris and Pahura have worked together to create some of the newer rides, while restoring some Hudson’s original ones. They have 40 more rides that aren’t part of the current display.
Zicari said they intend to rotate other pieces in the future.
Hudson Magic Midway will be at the Erie County Fair for all 13 days, starting on Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Dance Reflections by Miss Heather has become downtown mainstay
Photos by Tom Rivers – Heather Hapeman is pictured inside the dance studio at 52 Noth Main St. in Albion. Hapeman started Dance Reflections by Miss Heather 10 years ago.
ALBION – Ten years ago Heather Hapeman started her own business, teaching dance to children and adults.
The business has grown over the years to 130 dancers, which includes people with disabilities and children as young as 2.
Hapeman and her studio, Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, has been a stable part of the Albion downtown. She had the business behind the former Pizza Hut on Hamilton Street, in the current Napa Auto Parts. She moved to 52 North Main St. in 2006, a site that has proven a good fit for the studio.
“I’m glad that I’m here,” Hapeman said in the studio on Friday. “I love being in the middle of everything.”
She and her family, including husband Jared Hapeman, worked to transform the space, repainting the interior, putting in a professional vinyl dance floor, full-length mirrors and dual level ballet bars, while preserving some of the historical features of the space, including an archway. Hapeman said her mother Theresa O’Hearn and best friend Megan Morton are key supporters at the studio.
Hapeman, 34, started dancing at age 3 in classes out of Christ Church. Rhonda Steffen was her first teacher.
“This is what I love to do,” Hapeman said.
Dance Reflections by Miss Heather won “Best use of theme” in the most recent Albion Strawberry Festival Parade in June.
She teaches all of the classes at Dance Reflections, including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop and family dance. She has a dance team and college level/adult combo classes in lyrical and jazz styles.
She caps each class at up to 14 kids. If interest exceeds 14, Hapeman will split up the class sizes to maintain a more personal experience for her students.
She marvels at the interest in dance in the community and a small county, with several studios teaching children. Hapeman sees the benefits of a dance program, with better physical fitness, balance, coordination, discipline and self-confidence.
“They can exercise and it’s a lot of fun,” Hapeman said.
She earned an associate’s degree in education and has a few classes left at Roberts Wesleyan College before she earns her bachelor’s degree for teaching. She said she uses that expertise at the studio, working with children of all ages.
Dance Reflections also gives back to the community with benefits that have supported PAWS Animal Shelter, the Arc of Orleans County, Hospice of Orleans, Community Action, and the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern.
Hapeman and the studio will be celebrating the 10th anniversary throughout this dance season, culminating with the annual recital in May.
She thanked her dancers and their parents, including some who have been with her since she started the business.
“I have wonderful, devoted and dedicated dance families,” she said.
Provided photo – Laura Allen, left, and Rachel Hicks of Albion Agencies are pictured with a display at the Albion business on Main Street, where Albion Agencies is collecting school supply donations for children.
ALBION – A local business is accepting school supply donations to help Community Action of Orleans & Genesee with its annual push for pencils, pens, crayons, notebooks and other supplies.
Albion Agencies will accept the supplies at its 30 North Main St. location. The business is promoting the event in its quarterly email newsletter as well as on social media.
The effort has resulted in many donations from employees, customers and other community members. That allowed Albion Agencies to collect a substantial donation for Community Action to distribute to local learners in early August to get them prepped for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.
Albion Agencies, with roots going back 170 years, is teaming up with Community Action, an agency celebrating its 50th year in 2015.
Community members are welcome to drop off items at Albion Agencies, or at Community Action’s site at 409 East State St. Call Community Action at (585) 589-5605 for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – She is the girl who “changed the face of the presidency.” But for several years the historical marker noted the home of Grace Bedell in Albion has suffered from flaking paint, making it difficult to read the sign.
Bedell is the girl who wrote to Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he grow a beard. Lincoln, then a presidential candidate, took her advice and was elected.
Orleans County Historian Matt Ballard took the marker’s sign down about two weeks ago and Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon historian, used a power wire brush to take off the rest of the paint. She then meticulously repainted the sign, including all of the lettering.
Ballard put the sign back on this afternoon with help from Jonathan Price, 18, of Kendall. Price is an intern this summer at the Cobblestone Society Museum, where Ballard is the director.
The sign on West State Street is next to Bedell’s home, which is now owned by Jim and Barb Passarell.
The marker was in sad shape before being repainted. (This was the good side. The other side had little paint left.)
Jonathan Price, the Cobblestone Museum intern, had heard the story of Grace Bedell. But he didn’t realize she was an Orleans County girl.
Grace spent most of her childhood in Albion. But when she was 11, she lived in Westfield in Chautauqua County. Abraham Lincoln was running for president at the time.
Bedell’s father Norman attended a country fair in the fall of 1860 and brought home a campaign poster featuring Abraham Lincoln and his vice presidential running mate Hannibal Hamlin.
Grace, 11, didn’t see how Lincoln could win, not with that face. He was too homely looking. But Bedell, who lived in a pro-abolitionist home, had an idea that would make Lincoln more appealing to the masses: Grow a beard.
One of the heritage-themed benches in Albion features Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln. Artist Peter Loran painted the bench.
On Oct. 15, 1860, Grace mailed a letter to Lincoln.
“I have got 4 brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you. You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President,” Grace wrote.
Lincoln took Bedell’s advice and was elected. He also wrote back to Grace on Oct. 19, 1860.
“I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters – I have three sons – one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of age – They, with their mother, constitute my whole family –
“As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affection if I were to begin it now?” Lincoln wrote to Grace.
The community of Westfield in Chautauqua County erected two bronze statues of Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln in 1999, commemorating Lincoln’s meeting with Bedell when a train stopped in the village in early 1861 on his way to Washington to serve as U.S. president.
The marker now proudly proclaims a beloved part of Americana.
The Bedell family had lived in Albion for 40 years before they moved to Westfield in 1859. They stayed two years before returning to Albion. After she married in 1870, Bedell left Albion to live in Kansas.
Grace is more an Albion girl than a Westfield one. Her father Norman was a partner in a stove-making company next to the canal in Albion.
Norman Bedell was a staunch abolitionist. Historians say the family attended the Albion Methodist Episcopal Church, which split into two churches in 1859 because of the turmoil over slavery. (The Albion Free Methodist Church emerged from this split. It is the first Free Methodist Church in the world.)
Bedell wanted out of the disharmony and moved to Westfield, working in a stove-making business. Railroads were spreading in the mid-1850s and started to compete with the canal for shipping goods. Westfield had a new railroad.
Mr. Bedell worked there for two years and then moved back to Albion. Grace finished school in Albion, married George Billings and then settled in Kansas. Grace lived to be 87. The couple had one son.
The community of Westfield erected these statues of Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln in 1999, commemorating Lincoln’s meeting with Bedell when a train stopped in the village in early 1861 on his way to Washington to serve as U.S. president. Bedell briefly lived in Westfield, and mailed her letter to Lincoln from that community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A new member of the Albion Police Department showed off some of his skills this evening during the National Night Out event at Bullard Park.
Rex, a K9, and his handler, police officer Robert Wagner, graduated from a 14-week K9 police academy on July 24 in Rochester. Wagner and Rex completed the training with the Rochester Police Department.
The dog is certified in tracking, obedience, building searches, area searches and criminal apprehension. In about two to three months, Rex and Wagner will complete a four-week program for narcotics detection.
Wagner and Rex did a demonstration at Bullard Park this evening. Wagner showed some of Rex’s skills with obedience and search.
Rex has a favorite toy, a black rubber ball. He would only chase the tossed ball if Wagner gave him the command.
“He has a high toy drive,” Wagner said.
He practices “PPR” with Rex, giving the K9 plenty of praise, patience and repetition.
Rex retrieves his favorite toy, a black rubber ball.
Wagner joined the Albion Police Department two years ago. He and Rex are the first K9 team for the department in about four years.
“I always liked dogs,” Wagner said. “You couldn’t have a better partner.”
Police Chief Roland Nenni said a K9 is invaluable for the department, helping to locate missing children, suspects and stolen property, while reducing officer hours and their exposure to dangerous situations.
“A K9 is an irreplaceable asset,” Nenni said.
The department bought the dog for $7,500 from a breeder in Pennsylvania. Rex started from near zero with his training when he arrived in Albion. Nenni said Wagner works well with Rex, and has been able to get the dog to follow commands and complete an array of tasks.
Donations from the community and money from a drug forfeiture account through the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force covered the dog’s purchase.
An Albion police SUV used to transport the K9 was damaged by another driver in Henrietta when Wagner was coming back from training on June 4. Insurance will cover the replacement vehicle which is due to arrive in October. In the meantime, Wagner and Rex are using an existing Albion police SUV.
The National Night Out went on despite rain this evening. Besides Wagner and Rex, Medina Sgt. Todd Draper and Orleans County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Chris Bourke did demonstrations with their K9 partners.
Mercy Flight also flew in with a helicopter and several fire departments and human service agencies were at the event, as well as the Albion Lions Club.
Contributed Story Posted 4 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Provided photos
LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville hosted the Summer Honor Music Festival concert last Thursday featuring 140 students in Albion, Lyndonville and Medina.
The Summer Honor Music Festival was started last year as Summer Honor Band. This summer a chorus was included in the festival.
Students entering grades 5 through 7 were chosen to participate by their music teachers. The students rehearsed from9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. for each group. There were about 140 students total, and many participated in both groups.
The two bands were directed by the elementary band teachers from the three districts: Jeanette Sheliga, Medina; Lindsey Fix, Albion; and John Bailey, Lyndonville. Chorus directors were Kathy Bleiler-Dick, Medina; and Jennifer Neroni-Trupo, Lyndonville.
Each band performed three different songs and the chorus performed five. The festival culminated with a combined performance with both bands and the chorus performing “America the Beautiful” together.
Lyndonville students wore orange, Medina students wore blue and Albion musicians had on purple shirts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 August 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The armored vehicle used by the Albion Police Department and the Orleans County SWAT team is parked by the pavilion at Bullard Park while rains falls at about 5 p.m.
Albion police officers, human service agencies and other first responders are gathering at the park for a “National Night Out” event. Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said he would like the event to go on as scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. unless a big downpour hits.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.
Mercy Flight won’t arrive as scheduled at 6 p.m. and the YMCA won’t be bringing its bounce house due to the wet conditions.
The National Night Out is intended to help residents connect with emergency services providers, and also give families a low-cost option with no drugs or alcohol on a weekday evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Orleans County residents can meet local police officers, firefighters and other professionals in emergency services on Tuesday when Albion hosts a National Night Out event at Bullard Park.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the park on Route 31 at the east end of the village. There will be demonstrations from K-9 teams in Albion, Medina and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, as well as demos from tactical robots.
Many of the fire departments in the county will be at the event, with Mercy Flight scheduled to land at 6 p.m.
Roland Nenni, Albion police chief, has helped organize the National Night Out, wanting to help residents connect with emergency services providers, and also give families a low-cost option with no drugs or alcohol on a weekday evening.
The event is free except for the food sold by the Albion Lions Club, and some of the food proceeds will go towards the “Rebuild Bullard” campaign.
The schedule also includes a bike rodeo and the Medina Area Association of Churches will have some bike helmets available. There will also be a child safety seat check and Nenni said the Albion Police Department used a grant to make seats available for some families.
The Orleans County YMCA is bringing its bounce house, and other local organizations, including Hoag Library and the Albion Running Club, will be promoting their programs.
The Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is helping to organize and sponsor the event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Amy Sidari has been performing dance and occasionally singing for the community for more than four decades.
Two years ago she opened a cabaret at her dance studio and has welcomed many singers, musicians, comedians and other performers to the venue at 28 West Bank St.
This Friday the site will feature a familiar face in a new role. Sidari is doing a one-person comedy show. She said the show is a bit of a family roast, with some teasing of her parents, husband and five children. She is pictured above on Monday during a rehearsal for the show.
She said her family has provided her with lots of material for her show, “Did I Say That Out Loud?”
She directs plenty of her material at her mother and father, Sandy and Ace Caldwell, and some of their struggles as they get older and wrestle with forgetfulness and have a hard time hearing.
“Aging can be fun,” Sidari said.
Amy Sidari is pictured with her parents, Ace and Sandy Caldwell, who have been married for 49 years.
Sidari may poke fun, but she said she wants to let her family know how much she loves them, and appreciates some of their quirks. She wants to share some of those family follies with the community.
“God has given me so many moments of laughter I have to share it,” Sidari said.
She has been dancing since she was a toddler, first taking classes at Christ Church and learning ballet, tap, jazz, point and other styles.
Sidari opened her own studio, Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, in 1997 and she and her staff teach dance and creative arts.
For more information on her show Friday, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Rob Podlaski, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, presents of a portrait of the Jason Johnston to his mother, Jenny Johnston, during opening ceremonies at the Orleans County 4-H Fair this evening.
Specialist Jason Johnston was 24 when he was killed in Afghanistan in the War on Terror on Dec. 26, 2009. 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. He was killed by a roadside bomb the day after Christmas.
Jenny Johnston holds the portrait of her son, Jason Johnston.
He was the first soldier from Albion killed in combat since Rick Engle was killed in Vietnam on Feb. 2, 1968.
The Patriot Guard Riders wanted Johnston’s family to know his sacrifice – their sacrifice – hasn’t been forgotten, Podlaski said.
The Patriot Guard presented a remembrance portrait to Johnston’s mother and sister, Heather Johnston, this evening. Heather accepted the portrait on behalf of Brad Johnston, her and Jason’s father.
State Sen. Rob Ortt, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, meets Jenny and Heather Johnston after the Patriot Guard presentation. State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, right, also greets the family.
Ortt said “Gold Star” families deserve the community’s utmost respect.
“We owe a debt of gratitude for what he sacrificed,” Hawley said about Johnston.
The Patriot Guard joined local veterans during opening ceremonies for the fair.
About 30 members of the Patriot Guard attended the presentation in honor of Jason Johnston.
The Patriot Guard salutes during the opening ceremony.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Nine bands performed in the second annual “Rock the Park” fund-raiser for Bullard Park on Saturday, including the band driVen. Mike “Thunder” Warren, right, and Dylan DeSmit are pictured performing with that band under the main pavilion at Bullard.
DeSmit and Zach Burgess helped line up the bands for Saturday. The event also included 53 vendors and a festival-like atmosphere.
Tyler Dixon, 5, of Barre Center has fun with a bubble gun.
Two bounce houses and a big slide were popular with kids.
Jonathan Judd, 11, gets ready to hit the target at the dunk tank. His mother, Tracy Judd-LaGalbo, was among the many volunteers who took a turn in the tank with all proceeds going to the park.
Kara Pitcher of Middleport was one of 53 vendors at the park on Saturday. She owns Legendary Dog Treats. Besides selling dog treats, she also sold dog feeders designed by her father, Danny Pitcher.
Annette Tamul of Albion organized the vendors. She has many contacts among vendors because she sells wickless waxes and warmers.
Tamul was living in South Carolina and moved back to Albion about three years ago. She noticed how much of the old playground equipment had been removed due to safety issues, without new equipment being added.
“We have all of this space to utilize,” Tamul said about the park.
The village has twice tried for state grants and been denied. It is trying again this year for park upgrades, including a new splash pad. In the meantime, Tamul said the community needs to try to raise funds to improve the popular spot on Route 31.
The band Zero closed out the music festival on Saturday with Zack Burgess, center, as the lead singer. Dylan DeSmit, left, is on lead guitar and vocals, and Brad Maxon on bass. Dan Ryan plays the drums.
The first “Rock the Park” was at the Elks Club last year. Organizers wanted to move the event to Bullard this time and add more activities.
Zero performs under the main pavilion.
Dylan DeSmit played with three bands at Rock the Park on Saturday: Delano Steele, driVen, and Zero.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 July 2015 at 12:00 am
50 vendors are also selling food, crafts and merchandise
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Gregg Albertson kicks off the “Rock the Park” music festival at Bullard Park today. Albertson, a solo musician, sings “Billie Jean.”
Albertson performed under the main pavilion at the park on Route 31 from 11 to 11:50 a.m.
Albertson and the other musicians are all performing for free today, hoping to draw a crowd and donations to upgrade Bullard with new playground equipment. The village is also seeking a grant for a spray park and other amenities for Bullard.
The lineup of musicians today includes:
Delano Steele, noon to 12:50 p.m.
Fuze, 1:05 to 1:55 p.m.
DriVen, 2:10 to 3 p.m.
Break with beer tent setup from 3 to 4 p.m.
Whiskey Rebellion, 4 to 5 p.m.
Bobby Skrzypek and the Pedestrians, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Flipside, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Justin Crossett Band, 7:45 to 9:15 p.m.
Zero, 9:30 to 11 p.m.
There are about vendors at the park selling merchandise, food and produce. There are also two bounce houses.
Ron Albertson wears a Rock the Park 2 shirt for today’s event. Albertson helped organize the event, along with other members of the Albion Lions Club and Bullard Park supporters.
Sarah Brigham, left, has plenty of baked goods and sweets available. She is the owner of S-n-L Sweet Escapes in Albion. Lisa Stratton (right), owner of the Hazy Jade Gift Shop, also has merchandise for sale at Bullard Park today.
Danielle Schmidt, left, is pictured with a llama and Alexis Bentley holds an alpacca. WARM-B Acres in Albion also brought along a miniature donkey and goats for kids to see.
John Keding works the grill for the Albion Lions Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 July 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – This house was built in 1893 at the corner of East State and Platt streets as the manse for the First Presbyterian Church in Albion.
ALBION – I have admired Phil and Harriette Greaser’s house in Albion for many years. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s part of the Courthouse Square District, which includes 34 sites on the National Register, including seven churches.
The Greasers were often out on the front porch together. I would wave, and compliment them on their house. They told me I could get a tour sometime.
I didn’t pursue a tour until Thursday. I wish I had tried harder sooner. Mr. Greaser passed away at age 88 on June 30.
The house has several oval-shaped windows that face the Courthouse and other historic sites in Albion. Mrs. Greaser says this is the half-moon window.
The Greasers bought the house from the Presbyterian Church in 1987. It had been the church manse, the home for the pastor, since the house was built in 1893.
The Greasers were downsizing after restoring a 22-room house in Eagle Harbor that they called “The Four Chimneys.”
The house in Albion was designed by acclaimed Rochester architect Andrew Jackson Warner. It was constructed in the Queen Anne style.
“To have this architecture – an Andrew Jackson Warner house in Albion – was a great privilege to take on,” Mrs. Greaser said.
Harriette Greaser is pictured with the staircase made of golden oak.
The Greasers would transform the house, scraping away paint and bringing back woodwork. They planted trees, hedges and a big garden of flowers and vegetables.
The Landmark Society of Western New York took notice and gave the couple a Historic Home award in 2002. In 2007, their house was featured in a Rochester magazine.
The reception room in the Greaser home puts the woodwork on display. The house includes red birch, golden oak and cucumber wood.
Mr. Greaser grew up in Pennsylvania, the son of a Baptist minister. He moved to Holley when he was 20 after serving in the Navy. His father was leading the Baptist church there at the time.
Phil Greaser would work 37 years for Kodak. He and his wife were married for 51 years and they raised four children.
He loved architecture, music and literature. One of the rooms in the house includes his library. He liked to read by a window while birds fluttered nearby outside.
The library at the Greaser home lets in lots of natural light from the windows.
Phil Greaser enjoyed the many birds that were in the backyard at the Greaser property in Albion. His children gave him the stained-glass artwork for his 80th birthday.
The house in the village, across from the Courthouse and next to the Presbyterian Church, proved convenient. Mrs. Greaser is the organist at the Holy Family Catholic Parish. Her husband was the organist for more than 50 years at the First Baptist Church.
They each have a piano in the house. Mr. Greaser played a Steinway and his wife a Knabe. She continues to teach piano lessons from her home.
After years in the country, the couple enjoyed the easy access to the library, Post Office, grocery store and other amenities in the village.
But the Greasers weren’t used to such a public location, especially when they were out weeding and doing other yard work.
Harriette Greaser is pictured in the backyard of the property at 31 East State St., where she and her husband created a garden with numerous types of flowers, as well as a sandstone walkway. The yard used to be all grass.
Many pedestrians pass by each day on Platt and East State streets. Mrs. Greaser is aware of the location’s prominent spot in a historic district and busy part of the community.
“This is a very public place and the grounds need to showcase the house,” Mrs. Greaser said. “It’s wrong to have a house like this and not invest it.”
She and her husband preferred to spend money on bushes, flowers and the landscape, rather than go out for dinner.
Mr. Greaser loved Daylilies, his wife said. They have Daylilies in several different colors.
About 20 years ago a man stopped by the Greasers and offered them this sandstone bench, thinking it would go nicely with their backyard. The couple gratefully accepted.
Mr. Greaser took on many of the building projects at the house himself. He and his wife did lots of scraping, and Mr. Greaser liked to pick reproduction wallpaper to give the interior a feel from a century ago.
His wife said the community is fortunate to have contractors who can skillfully work on historic houses. They hired Panek Coatings to paint the house on three different occasions. Steve Ernst has helped them with some of the bigger projects, especially with the chimneys.
The front room has windows with refracted glass that send bursts of light in different directions throughout the day.
“The light comes in and just sparkles,” Mrs. Greaser said.
Mrs. Greaser said she and her husband enjoyed the house, tending to details inside and outside.
They enjoyed sitting in the patio, chatting with their friends and family.
She was asked why she and her husband tried so hard to decorate the house and keep it up.
“It’s your home,” she replied. “It’s want you want to live in and be surrounded by.”
The Greasers preserved many of the historical features of the house, including this communication system within the home. People could talk to each other from the top to bottom floors with these phones mounted on the walls.
Builders of the house didn’t cut corners with the woodwood. The Greasers also kept many plants inside the house, including one that hangs from the top staircase.
This plaque notes the house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
