By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership presents a check for $842 to Hospice of Orleans on Monday evening during the season finale of the classic car cruise-in. Joe DiBella, left, organized the series. He works as the assistant service manager at the dealerhsip. Matt Davis, second from left, owns the dealerhship. He presents a check to Marsha Rivers, Hospice development director. David Green, right, is coordinator for the cruise-in participants. He suggested they donate proceeds from a 50/50 raffle to Hospice.
ALBION – A debut classic car cruise-in series at the Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership not only attracted owners of classic cars, but raised $842 for Hospice of Orleans.
The dealership on Route 98 in Albion started a cruise-in the first Monday in June and continued it each week until last night. About 20 cars typically participated in the cruise-ins, with a high of 42. It will continue next year, said Joe DiBella, who coordinated the event each week for the dealership.
The car cruise-in participants had a 50/50 raffle and decided to donate the proceeds to Hospice. That $421 was matched by Matt Davis, owner of the dealership, for $842 total.
David Green coordinates the cruisers, and he suggested they share the proceeds with Hospice.
“It’s a great organization,” he said. “It does so much for a lot of people and they do it quietly.”
DiBella, the assistant service manager at Don Davis, said the cruise-in series proved popular. He thanked his father Russell DiBella for helping set up each week and volunteer Elizabeth Gallo for helping line up door prizes. Nineteen businesses donated prizes for the cruise in.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Small town shows signs of a comeback
Photos by Tom Rivers – A Shurfine grocery store is one of the many small-town merchants in Albion, Pa.
ALBION, PA. – Imagine Albion without the grand old homes down South Main Street, no soaring spires on churches, no Erie Canal and no cluster of chain stores.
Welcome to Albion, Pa. My wife and I stopped in this town on Friday afternoon on the way to see friends and family in Michigan. We thought the little detour off I-90 was worth it to see another Albion.
The Albion in Pennsylvania bears some similarities. It is losing population. The 2010 Census counted 1,516 in Albion, down from 1,818 in 1980 and 1,607 in 2000. The village of Albion had 6,056 residents in 2010, but is down 2.4 percent to 5,908, according to the July 2013 Census estimate.
The Albion Pub is part of downtown Albion, Pa.
Albion, Pa. has a medium-security state prison with about 1,000 inmates. Albion in NY has a similar-size men’s prison and also a women’s prison with about 1,000 inmates.
This town was crushed by a devastating tornado in 1985. (Click here to see some footage.)
Albion, Pa. is a little too small to attract the droves of chain stores like Albion, NY. I was encouraged by all the independent merchants in Albion, Pa., working to serve their town, providing goods and services. This town still has a lot of spark. I’d encourage you to stop in if you’re heading west on Thruway, passing through Pennsylvania.
This pharmacy operates on East State Street in Albion, Pa.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Brad and Pat Shelp stand by a car that played a key role in getting the couple together about 58 years ago when she was a teacher in Albion and he was selling cars at the Albion Motor Company.
ALBION – Pat Shelp used a bus and found other rides back and forth from Medina to Albion in 1956. But her father finally gave his blessing for her to get a car.
Shelp went to the Albion Motor Company and immediately liked a blue Chevy Convertible. She drove the 1954 car from Medina to her job as a speech teacher in Albion.
She loved the car, but the zipper for the back window didn’t work. She took it to the Albion Motor Company, which sent it to Spencerport for a repair.
When it was time to get her car, Brad Shelp offered to give her a ride. Mr. Shelp worked in sales at the Albion Motor Company.
That drive led to a date and in 1957 the couple married. They still own the car, which has about 58,000 miles on it.
“She has been a very good, reliable car,” Mrs. Shelp said during a classic car cruise-in this evening at the Don Davis Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership, where her husband still works in sales.
She joked that marrying her husband resulted in long-term care for her car.
“The service has been good,” she said. “I have no complaints.”
Photos by Sue Cook – Jeff Liddell’s RC Edge 540T propeller plane performed all sorts of aerial acrobatics during the air show.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
BARRE – Remote-controlled aircraft flew over the Pine Hill Airport on Saturday to impress the crowd. The jet rally featured many RC fliers including helicopters and planes, some of which were powered by jet turbines allowing them to reach speeds up to 250 miles per hour.
Mike Burg brought an unfinished plane made from fiberglass and balsa wood.
This is the second year in a row that the event, run by the Pine Hill Raiders R/C Flying Club, has taken over the airport for the weekend. The regular full-size planes are put in the hangar for the duration of the event and the miniature aircraft are given the runway.
The hangar is open to allow the public to view full-size aircraft. There are also ultralights and vintage aircraft on display.
Christopher Gitzelmann, club president of the Raiders and contest director, explained, “We really want to show the public what RC flying is really about. This is also a lot for the younger generation to get them into the sport. Most people think it’s more like toy planes.”
“Once you get into turbine jets, which are real jets, there’s a real turbine like you find on any jet liner, but it’s a small size,” Gitzelmann continued. “It uses jet fuel and it’s real fast, like 250 miles per hour. ”
Mike Burg is assisted by Gitzelmann during the start up of his jet turbine. The plane is capable of speeds over 200 miles per hour.
The club has 25 members who bring one or two aircraft each. Some members come from as far as White Plains, N.Y. for the jet rally. The airport is the club’s regular base of operation. They also share the building with the Vintage Aircraft Group that holds fly-in breakfasts. The clubs work together to promote each others events.
Liddell has his gas-powered plane float in the air held up by the propeller. The tricks that his plane performed seemed to defy physics. Many of the stunts can’t be performed in a real full-size plane because the G-forces would kill a live pilot.
Mike Burg, a jet pilot, explained how advanced his RC controller for his jets are compared to an average controller for a basic RC car.
“This has telemetry, the voltage for the transmitter, the voltage of the receiver, the battery of the plane and I can add on controls for air speed, how much fuel I’ve got and altitude,” Burg said.
Burg added that in his 55 years piloting model planes and 50 years of RC flying “the stuff I see today wasn’t even in my wildest dreams as a kid.”
The Vintage Aircraft Group has some of planes on display in the hangar including this work-in-progress from World War II.
The RC jet rally continues on Sunday at the airport. The event is free to the public and runs from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., weather permitting. The airport is located at 4906 Pine Hill Road in Albion.
Photos by Sue Cook – The Bad Hands rocks the house as the sun sets.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
ALBION – Nearly 200 people came out to the Rock the Park event put on in a collaboration between the Albion Lions Club and the Elks Lodge. The concert proceeds will be used to benefit rebuilding and renovating Bullard Park in Albion.
Several people dance to The Who Dats.
Albion Lions Club member and event organizer, Ron Albertson, said the club extends their gratitude to everyone that made the event possible. Volunteers worked the event and sold concessions and 50/50 raffle tickets. The Albion Elks Lodge donated proceeds from the beer stand. To further increase earnings, all of the bands for the evening played free of charge.
The nine bands that donated their time and talents included Whiskey Rebellion, Painted Silence, Route 98, Delano Steele, Rock of Love, The Who Dats, The Bad Hands, Terrible Ideas and Zero.
“It shows you what you can do when you get two civic-minded organizations together. You can really pull off something nice and this has gone off without a hitch,” said Albertson.
Jill Albertson added, “We’re hoping that this event spearheads more community involvement in trying to renovate the park through local businesses and individuals.”
The Who Dats are a popular local band that donated their talents with other musicians.
Terrible Ideas treats the crowd to “Use Somebody” by the Kings of Leon.
Jim Benedetti brought his band, The Bad Hands, back from New Jersey to help with the park-rebuilding fundraiser. Benedetti is a former Waterport resident and heard about the event through his friendship with Ron Albertson.
“I hit my first home run in Bullard Park. Probably my only one to be quite accurate,” he laughed. He wanted to come back and support the town and their attempts to improve the park.
The Bad Hands invited blues musician J.B. Lawson (left) from Georgia and former Albion resident Steven Collichio (far right) from Rockwall, Texas, to come play with them. Pictured between them, John Meola plays bass.
Terrible Ideas featuring lead singer Taylor Whittier played later in the evening. At the end of July, Whittier’s mother, Deborah, passed away due to pancreatic cancer. He also lost his father, Scott Whittier, two years ago when he fell from a roof and had complications during surgery. His entire family has offered extensive support, including his brother Shawn.
“It’s been overwhelming to me because my band mates are like brothers to me,” said Whittier. “They’re always there when I’m down to get me back to the place I need to be and moving forward. They always let me know she’s still around. A lot of people at Community Action have helped me out with getting housing sorted out and things like that. I’ve had a lot of support and it’s very meaningful to me.”
Whittier continued, “My mom was the whole reason that I started singing. She got me into chorus in second grade. I sang ever since. She’s definitely the reason I got into music and kept going all these years. My dad is another reason I got into music and stayed with it. I definitely appreciate both of my parents being there for me and supporting me through everything.”
Taylor Whittier (left) leans against Rodney Staats during an energetic AC/DC number.
The Lions Club estimated that they surpassed their goal of $1,500, though a final total has not been made yet.
Because of the successful turnout, they plan to hold the event again next year and are hoping even more people attend to bolster the proceeds and also to foster a closer community through a fun public event.
Photos by Sue Cook – Jeffrey Davignon (left) and Kevin Doherty
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
ALBION – The Hoag Library trustees recently chose their new library director. The library held a meet-and-greet event today to allow the public to welcome Jeffrey Davignon and ask questions before his official start next Saturday.
Davignon was recently the director of the Walworth-Seely Public Library in Wayne County, and was also a former children’s library directory at the Seymour Library in Brockport. Davignon will now be the sixth director in 115 years in Albion.
Davignon said, “I’m really excited about this opportunity and there’s a lot to celebrate and a lot to look forward to. We had a reception the other night and it was overwhelmingly positive. I’m an optimistic person by nature, but it gave me more optimism about what we can do here.”
Kevin Doherty, President of the Board of Trustees, explained what the board was looking for.
“We have a beautiful facility that was supported by the community,” he said. “Now we want to fulfill its potential. I think we can go to the next level and touch parts of the population in our service area that we haven’t before.”
He believes that Davignon will expand the library’s user base by including Spanish language and different youth programming. Doherty said that especially among children they would like to see older elementary- and middle-school students implement the library more.
“I bring a lot of myself to this position,” said Davignon. “I think it’s important to listen, ask questions of the people we serve and then to deliver on promises. Our excellence in library services is defined locally and we really want to start a conversation about what this community wants and deserves.”
He continued, “A good library is plugged into the needs of the community and responds to those needs. Libraries are learning places and that means we need to be open to trying new things and we need to be open to growing our patron base. My goal has always been to create a warm and welcoming environment, a place where people want to come.”
Davignon was welcomed with a cake reading “Welcome to the Library’s Next Chapter.”
The trustees chose their final three options out of a pool of 20 applicants. After individually interviewing those three, who were all fully qualified, the decision among the board was unanimous in choosing Davignon.
Doherty explained, “I think it’s fair to say that he has energy and experience. He has focus on what he wants to accomplish in the future. There are the stock answers people give in interviews, but it wasn’t that way. He was genuine. It looked like he would be a great fit based on the staff we have and the community we have.”
As director, Davignon will be responsible for managing staff, carrying out strategic plans of the board and serving the community with patron-focused library services. He also would like to have the library work closer with merchants, the school district and elected officials to get the community more involved.
“I think the library can be a catalyst for good and positive change,” said Davignon. “We have an opportunity to change lives. If we do this correctly, the library will be an important component in the success of many people. I want to be sure that we organize our resources in such a way that we can show the people who fund us that we’re good stewards of public funds and can get the most value out of every dollar we’re given.”
ALBION – This morning, the Dunkin’ Donuts store in Albion opened its doors to customers for the first time. Once the cones on the ends of the driveways were removed, the first customer went through the drive-through as others lined up inside.
File photo by Tom Rivers – The building was purchased by the company in December 2013 and demolition of the old warehouse on the lot started in March this year.
The store is planning its official grand-opening celebration to take place in the next couple of days. Dunkin’ Donuts is located 153 South Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Villages of Orleans, a county-owned nursing home on Route 31, hosted its first outdoor concert on Thursday for residents and their families. The band Sophisticats entertained.
In the top photo, Jessica Condes and Gary Deiboldt perform for the crowd.
Residents attended the concert in a garden and patio area by The Villages of Orleans.
Brittaney Anderson, an activities aide at the nursing home, fills a bag of popcorn, which was served for free. Residents were also treated to ice tea.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Hoag Library capped its summer reading program this evening with an ice cream social on the front lawn.
Local clergy members and Friends of the Library scooped out ice cream and served up toppings to 225 people. Father Richard Csizmar, pastor of Holy Family Parish, is pictured serving ice cream at front left with Ken Braunbach, a Friend of the Library, next to him. The Rev. Jack Laskowski, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, is in back putting on a rubber glove and getting ready to take a turn in the lineup.
The library had 400 people participate in the summer reading program. Collectively they read about 1,300 books.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2014 at 12:00 am
‘Rock the Park’ will showcase musicians
Provided photo – Albion native Jim Benedetti plays the drums and sings for The Bad Hands in New Jersey. The band is coming to Albion to perform in Saturday’s event.
ALBION – Organizers of a first-ever music jamboree in Albion this Saturday hope the power of music generates money to rebuild the community’s largest park.
Nine bands will perform at the Elks Lodge at 428 West State St. The bands start rocking at noon with Whiskey Rebellion and continue to 11 p.m. with Zero the last act.
The lineup includes new local bands and well-established ones, such as The Who Dats. An Albion native, Jim Benedetti, is returning home to perform with his blues band, The Bad Hands, from New Jersey. They will perform from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“This isn’t a battle of the bands,” said Ron Albertson, one of the event’s coordinators. “It’s a music festival for a good cause.”
Albertson is a member of the Albion Lions Club. The service organization is leading an effort to raise money for Bullard Park upgrades. The Lions have already pledged $10,000 to park improvements. It would like to raise significantly more. Saturday’s event is jointly sponsored by the Lions and the Elks Club.
The music fest won’t lose money because all of the bands are playing for free. Tickets are $5 and proceeds from the food and beverages will go towards Bullard.
“Every nickel will go to Bullard Park,” Albertson said.
Provided photo – Zack Burgess of Albion and the band Zero are scheduled to perform in the final slot on Saturday from 9:45 to 11 p.m. at the Elks Club on West State State Street. Burgess helped coordinate Saturday’s music festival.
Two local musicians also helped plan the “Rock the Park” event. Zack Burgess and Dylan DeSmit are both members of the band Zero.
“I’ve been in Albion all of my life,” Burgess said. “I have a niece and nephew and I’d like to have nice things for them to play on that are safe.”
He expects a big crowd to watch the entertainment Saturday. He thanked Mark’s Pizzeria and Uncle Sal’s Pizzeria for putting flyers on their pizza boxes this week, helping to promote the music fest.
The Village of Albion twice applied for state funding to upgrade Bullard but was denied.
A committee identified about $600,000 in possible improvements, including a spray park, new playground equipment, a walking trail, reseeded ball fields, a concession stand with new bathrooms, and other improvements.
The lineup of musicians on Saturday includes:
12:00-12:30: Whiskey Rebellion
12:45-1:15: Painted Silence
1:30-2:30: Route 98.
2:45-3:45: Delano Steele
4:00-5:00: Rock Of Love
5:15-6:15: The Who Dats
6:30-8:00: The Bad Hands
8:15-9:30: Terrible Ideas
9:45-11:00: Zero
File photo courtesy of Michael Whiting – This photo from August 2013 shows the final concert for the band Above the Fog. Dylan DeSmit, left, and Taylor Whittier gave an enthusiastic performance during the band’s final concert. DeSmit will perform with three different bands Saturday during the Bullard Park benefit while Whittier will perform as lead singer for the band Terrible Ideas.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The former Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast at 43 Brown St. will soon be open as an assisted living site with an adult daycare. There will be open houses from Aug. 29-31 before the site opens in early September.
ALBION – A former Catholic school that found new life as a bed and breakfast now has been changed into an assisted living home for senior citizens.
The former Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast also will provide an adult daycare. The site, “Canal View,” will open in early September.
“This is not an institutional-type setting,” said Gail Kendig, marketing and community liaison for Tender Loving Family Care.
Canal View will keep rooms that celebrate local heritage, including “The Albion Room.”
Jeri and Lou Becker sold the former school to Annika D’Andrea. She has refinished some of the hardwood floors and is adding an elevator. For the most part, the building will remain as the Beckers had it with rooms decorated to highlight local history. There are bigger rooms for group activities, including the upstairs auditorium.
D’Andrea has taken down some small trees to better showcase the property next to the Erie Canal. She believes residents will benefit from the peaceful location by the canal.
“It’s so much better to have this kind of atmosphere for them,” Kendig said. “People can see the natural beauty that’s around here.”
Tender Loving also owns an assisted living site in Le Roy. The business has offices in Brockport and Rochester. Tender Loving also provides home health care services in the Rochester region. The business has about 100 employees.
Kendig said it will add five or six employees who will provide a 24-hour presence at the site in Albion.
The Erie Canal Room includes a border celebrating the song, “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal.”
D’Andrea and Tender Loving will have opens houses at Canal View on Aug. 29 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Aug. 30-31 from 2 to 4 p.m.
The site was a school before being turned into an apartment house. The Beckers bought it in 2004 and made many upgrades while preserving and celebrating the building’s heritage.
“This is a true landmark,” D’Andrea said. “From a school where children played and learned, a B&B that beautifully restored the rich history of the school, now the perfect place for our loved ones. Our seniors will live a well dignified life in a comfortable, safe and professional home environment. Our residents and adult day care visitors will enjoy maximum independence, freedom and comfort while receiving the quality assistance they need.”
Canal View isn’t a nursing home, although some medical services are provided for wound care, medication administration, glucose monitoring and other services. The adult daycare allows some seniors to spend part of the day in structured activities, including social programs, fitness and wellness, and meals.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 August 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – The Village Board accepted 50 new American flags and unfurlers, poles and finials from the Albion Main Street Alliance. The organization raised about $2,500 for the project, which should keep Main Street and the downtown looking patriotic for at least the next three years.
Community members donated to buy the flags and hardware for the poles through a “Friend of the Flag” campaign.
“We were honored to help,” AMSA President Kevin Lake told the Village Board on Wednesday. “It was a great project for the community.”
In other action at Wednesday’s Board meeting:
The board declared 4,000 tons of recycled asphalt as surplus. DPW Superintendent Dale Brooks said a company already is interested in the asphalt for $3 a ton. He asked the board to designate proceeds of the sale, at $12,000 or more, for the DPW budget.
National Grid is taking down several trees in the village on Clinton Street and one on Hazard Parkway, Brooks said. The company cuts them down below the power wires with the village taking them down from there, Brooks said. Most of the trees are towering silver or sugar maples.
“They are huge,” Brooks said. “We’ve got their useful life out of them. Now they’re a hazard.”
Kelly Irwin was accepted as a new member of the Albion Fire Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Nature is on the move at the closed Brown Street bridge in Albion. Woodchucks hang out on the approaches to the bridge and weeds have sprouted up through the pavement.
The bridge was closed on July 18, 2012 by the state Department of Transportation after an inspection showed serious deterioration of major elements of the steel truss floor system.
There is no timetable for repairing the bridge over the Erie Canal.
This photo is on the north side of the bridge, looking south.
This photo is closer to the bridge, looking north towards the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Bill Pileggi and the Triple Play Band closed out an eight-week concert series last night in downtown Albion. The Village of Albion coordinated the series for Thursday evenings.
About 1,000 people attended concerts over the two months, said Sid Beaty, program coordinator for the village. Besides the village, the series was sponsored by the Albion Rotary Club and the Albion Merchants Association.
Pileggi plays on East Bank Street with the band, which also includes Jim Booden and Tim Hess.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Jim Babcock portrays Sonny and Sandra Monacelli-McNall is Cher in a performance of “I Got You Babe” during tonight’s Cabaret Variety Show.
Amy Sidari and her cast of performers put on their second variety show at the Cabaret at Studio B in Albion. Sidari performed in many of the comedic routines. She also danced, sang and was hostess for the two-hour show.
Marcy Downey also played a big role in the show. In this photo she is Marge, the Red Hat Lady. Downey also did a singing and dancing duet with Sidari. Downey also sang with Gary Simboli and performed with her 95-year-old father, Clyde Downey.
A full house attended the show at 28 West Bank St.
