By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2024 at 8:54 am
M.A.D. Rescue first recipient of award which includes a donation
Provided photo
ALBION – The Albion Exempts are starting a new initiative to honor a local non-profit or service organization with a community service award.
The Exempts last week presented the first award to M.A.D. Rescue, which is led by Jennifer Stillwell. The organization rescues abandoned street dogs in Puerto Rico.
Pictured from left include Pete Stritzinger, president of the Exempts; Jennifer Stillwell of M.A.D. Rescue; and Dan Conrad, director of community relations for the Exempts.
The Exempts also made a $75 donation to M.A.D. The Exempts plan to pick a different organization each month with the award. The honoree also will receive a membership to the exempts.
“We are selecting a member of the community that does wonderful service in the community,” Conrad said.
The Exempts welcome new members at a $20membership. The non-profit organization has a bar and kitchen at 143 South Clinton St., where there are also pool and dart leagues.
ALBION – Muriel Anderson performed on Saturday at Hoag Library during the Hoag Library Music Series.
About 60 people attended the noon concert. The series is funded partly by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!).
Anderson plays the 20-string harp-guitar. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship.
Anderson has released more than a dozen solo albums, instructional CDs and DVDs. Her album Heartstrings accompanied astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mount Albion Cemetery is on pace to run out of room in about 10-15 years for new burials. The Albion Village Board wants to acquire 35 acres to expand the cemetery.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 October 2024 at 8:36 am
ALBION – The Village of Albion is looking to spend up to $250,000 to acquire 35 acres next to Mount Albion Cemetery.
The Village Board wants to spend $7,000 per acre to Patricia Ann Nelson, which would be $245,000 total. The village also needs to pay $2,375 to Terra Pointe Land Surveying for that company’s services. The expense up to $250,000 would allow for other possible closing costs and expenses.
The village would pay for the land acquisition from its cemetery funds and wouldn’t affect the general budget. Albion has set a 6 p.m. public hearing on Oct. 23 in the Village Hall for the people to comment on using cemetery funds to expand Mount Albion by acquiring the farmland.
The cemetery opened in 1843 and has about 20,000 gravesites on about 80 acres. The cemetery does about 75 burials a year and sells about 50 to 60 gravesites annually.
The village was looking to buy 30 acres in the spring, when there was a vote by the board to pursue the land. The acquisition now will be 35 acres.
Mount Albion is on pace to run out of room in about 10-15 years for new burials, said Jason Zicari, Mount Albion’s superintendent the past 28 years.
He expects the 35 acres would be developed in phases, and may not be needed for at least a decade.
When Mount Albion was nearing capacity in 2001, it opened the new Deerfield section with about 1,200 gravesites. There are about 300 to 400 left there. Zicari also said there are undeveloped areas in the Mapleview section in the southwest corner and near the pump house in the front of the cemetery on the west side.
There are also many unclaimed graves sprinkled throughout the cemetery including in the older sections on the east side. Zicari said some families from many decades ago would buy many plots but didn’t always need all of them. Some people have preferred a plot in the older section where the spot may be high on a terrace or near a tree.
The land to be purchased is next to the southwest corner of the cemetery. Zicari said it should be fairly easy to expand, running paved paths by clearing out some of the hedges.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion Village Board is considering lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour on McKinstry Street in between East State Street and East Avenue. McKinstry is a popular route for students walking to school in the morning and then back home in the afternoon.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 October 2024 at 3:15 pm
ALBION – The Albion Village Board will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Oct. 23 to hear from the community about reducing the speed limit on McKinstry Street from 30 to 25 miles per hour.
Village Trustee Greg Bennett suggested lowering the speed limit. He said McKinstry Street is a popular street in the village for students walking to school in the morning and then back home in the afternoon.
The village is considering whether to have the lowered speed limit from State Street or Park Street to East Avenue on McKinstry.
Bennett wanted the limit to be lower to 20 mph to match the school zone speed limit. But village attorney John Gavenda said the state doesn’t want villages to drop the speed limit below 25 mph.
Bennett said that is enough to slow down traffic, especially if there are signs on McKinstry noting the slower speeds. Village officials will do more work before the public hearing to determine if there will be designated times for the lower speed. Bennett said it could just be for an hour in the mornings and afternoons when students are on foot.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2024 at 1:04 pm
ALBION – A music video shoot planned for this Saturday at Bullard Park has been moved to the spring.
Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. wants to create a video celebrating the recent upgrades to the park, including the splash pad, new pavilions, amphitheater, walking trail, disc golf course, basketball courts, a scoreboard for the football field, a murals painted on a utility building.
The Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. “G-ACRE” has a mission to create and provide for recreational activities, support volunteerism, and improve the quality of life in the greater Albion community.
Photos courtesy of Albion Central School: The PTA, Albion school officials and students celebrated a new book vending machine at the elementary school.
Press Release, Albion Central School
ALBION – The Albion Parent Teachers Association (PTA) donated a brand-new book vending machine to the elementary school this fall.
For the past couple of weeks, the Albion PTA has stocked the vending machine with age-appropriate books and, on Monday a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held before the monthly Board of Education meeting.
Albion PTA Vice President Jessica Estela says the goal of the book vending machine is to help promote literacy and provide an opportunity for positive reinforcement.
According to Estela, the plan is to provide each elementary teacher with enough awards so every student can be recognized for their “good” behavior at some point during the school year. Students will be given the opportunity to use either the school’s book vending machine or the book vending machine at the Hoag Library as their reward.
“We want this to be an opportunity that is inclusive of everyone,” Estela said. “Even the children with significant behavioral struggles will have a ‘good’ day at some point throughout the year. The goal is to really emphasize the good behavior and hopefully create a cascade of better behavior.”
Students in kindergarten, first, and second grades will be introduced to the vending machine by reading the book that came with it: “The Dream” by Jason Blumberg. The story follows Inchy the Bookworm’s adventure as he finds through reading and wants to share those feelings with his friends.
Albion Elementary School Principal Angela Conway said it was important to both the school and the PTA that this be a character-driven award rather than an academic highlight.
“Our goal is always to foster good, well-rounded learners,” Conway said. “It is equally important that we encourage our students to be good citizens as well.”
Principal Conway hopes that this program will reinforce the school’s motto: SOAR, which stands for safety, showing ownership, acting responsibly and respectfulness toward others.
Estela also explains that this process will encourage a positive office experience for students.
“The [principal’s] office is often thought to be a place where students are sent just when they have done something wrong, and I really wanted to change that,” Estela said. “I think it’s important that students see administration and office staff as supports.”
“We are happy to partner with the Albion PTA and Hoag Library to promote literacy, inclusivity, and positive behavior incentives,” Principal Conway said. “This is a continued goal at the Elementary School and we are grateful for the community’s support in educating all of our SOARing Purple Eagles.”
The Albion PTA will continue to purchase, donate, and stock books for the vending machine, providing the students with plenty of new options throughout the year. For more information on the Albion PTA, please contact PTA President Beth Stanley at purple.eagles.pta@gmail.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2024 at 12:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Andrea Wilston, 7, of Albion enjoys a pony ride today during the Albion Fall Fest. KTJ Saddle Up Pony Rides had the ponies in Waterman Park on Main Street.
Albion and Kendall both have festivals today featuring scarecrows.
Kendall’s Scarecrow Festival is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with this year’s theme for the scarecrows, “Enchanted Garden.”
There will also be music by Rebels Posse, face painting, balloons by Air Raising Events, chain saw carving by Jeffrey Cook 3-D Critters and wagon rides.
Star Grosskopf, left, makes a scarecrow with assistance from Karen Conn, center, and Lynn DiBella.
Albion Merchants Association’s annual Fall Fest is today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food and craft vendors, bounce houses and games, pumpkin painting, scarecrow decorating, face painting and music by the Who Dats (from noon to 2 p.m.).
Shamel Thomas of Medina helps his daughter Vivian Thomas make a scarecrow in Albion.
Sam Conde, 6, and his brother Shane, 4, paint pumpkins on a table on a closed off section of Main Street.
Kay Ecker, right, helps these kids at the pumpkin painting station.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion is working to apply for both a $10 million state grant through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and a $4.5 million grant through the NY Forward program that would help with building renovations for upper floor housing, façade improvements and other projects to spur economic, recreational and housing in the downtown area. This photo shows buildings at the south east and south west intersection of Bank and Main streets.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2024 at 9:21 am
ALBION – The Village of Albion is working to submit applications that could bring millions of dollars in state funding to bolster the downtown and community.
Jay Grasso, owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, said there could the $15 million in potential projects from private building owners and the village.
Jay Grasso, owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, said Albion is a strong contender for the state programs bringing millions in funding to the downtown area. He spoke during a public meeting last week in the Village Hall.
Albion had $11 million in Restore NY projects for a grant application last year that was not approved. Grasso said those projects, plus new proposals, could be part of new applications for $10 million in funding through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative or $4.5 million through the NY Forward program.
Grasso met with property owners and village officials last week. Businesses, industry groups, cultural organizations, developers, non-profit organizations and property owners can submit a project for consideration.
Grasso said G & G will submit the application to the state for the two grants, which are both due by 4 p.m. on Oct. 18.
Potential projects could include new construction (residential, mixed use, hotel, etc.), renovation of existing buildings, facade improvements, renovation of new retail, office, co-working, commercial, industrial, recreational or cultural uses.
The state wants projects that will transform the downtown and support a vibrant and year-round economy.
“If you have a project or a building, dream big,” Grasso said.
Anchor projects that can be a catalyst for other development in the downtown area will be viewed favorable by the state, Grasso said.
He urged building owners and officials from the village and non-profits to reach out to G & G at contact@ggprocess.com to discuss potential projects, sharing a vision for the properties and cost estimates. He said he and his staff can discuss the projects by email, Zoom videoconferencing, a phone call or in person.
Nearby, Batavia has received the $10 million DRI and Medina was awarded the $4.5 million NY Forward grant last year.
Grasso said Albion is “ripe” to receive the funding through one of the programs.
Projects that stir economic activity, add upper-floor housing and show “skin in the game” with investment from the property owners will strengthen Albion’s overall application, Grasso said.
Some of the projects could also be smaller, with façade improvements, window restoration or fresh paint.
“There is no maximum or minimum for this program,” Grasso said.
This photo shows Main Street, north of the Bank Street intersection. Village officials would like to boost occupancy rates in the buildings, including the upper floors.
File photos: Ricky Standish, facilities manager a Community Action employee, opens up boxes with frozen chickens during a food distribution on a chilly morning on Jan. 22, 2024. Community Action has managed food distributions four more than years since the Covid pandemic hit.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 October 2024 at 9:27 am
ALBION – An organization which exists to help people in challenging situations is being honored by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce with their Community Service Award.
Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is under the leadership of Renee Hungerford, who the organization appreciates being recognized.
Renee Hungerford serves as executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
“I feel privileged to lead an agency that makes such a positive difference for our community,” Hungerford said. “Our dedicated staff truly care about the people we assist and are focused on giving people the hope, support and services they need to become self-sufficient and overcome the ravages of poverty. We are grateful to the volunteers and donors who support our agency and make what we do possible. I am thrilled that our agency is being recognized by the Orleans Chamber of Commerce and has given us the opportunity to inform the community about the important work we do.”
Community Action began 60 years ago, and has continued to grow and add programs and services to help needy families, while focusing on helping them become independent and self-sufficient.
Programs include ACT (helping youth ACT responsibly), Stone Soup Success/Food Rx (educating to prepare healthy meals), Child Care Resource and Referral, Early Head Start and Head Start, Weatherization and Energy Services, Main Street Thrifts, Gifts and More store, a Credit Recovery Program for Albion seniors, Emergency Services, holiday meals and gifts and the Eastern Orleans Community Center, which provides daily meals, a clothing depot and food giveaway.
At the agency’s annual in-service day this summer, officials reported that during the previous year Community Action served 4,021 individuals, a 28% increase over the previous year and 75% more than 2021. In their goal to fight hunger, 1,541 individuals utilized one of their three food pantries, 914 individuals utilized a pop-up pantry distribution, 314 individuals received 5,405 prepared meals at the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley and 657 households received holiday meals.
In housing, another 311 individuals received assistance to avoid eviction and 129 individuals received assistance to avoid utility shut-off.
Head Start had 149 children enrolled, while 81 were in Early Head Start.
During the in-service event, Hungerford shared their goals looking ahead. She said their agency will make major improvements in many areas going forward, while continuing to focus on helping people become self-sufficient.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: A new digital sign in front of the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union at 299 West Ave., Albion, informs passersby of the services available.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 October 2024 at 8:52 am
ALBION – Two financial institutions in Orleans County have announced a merger to better serve the community.
The Albion School Employees Federal Credit Union’s merger with Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union became effective Tuesday, according to CCFCU’s manager Christine Ranallo.
Christine Ranallo is manager of the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union.
She explained the reason for the merger was because the school’s credit union was very small, with 380 members and very limited services, while the CCFCU is much larger with 2,400 members and more services.
“We’re small, but we have most all the services the big banks have,” Ranallo said.
She said her credit union had discussed a merger with the credit union at school over the years, but the school employees weren’t ready at the time.
“Then about a year ago we approached them again and they thought it was a good idea,” Ranallo said.
The idea for a merger was first came up at the beginning of 2023 at CCFCU’s strategic planning session.
“The facilitator suggested a way to grow was to merge with another credit union, and the only logical choice was the Albion School Employees FCU,” Ranallo said.
The CCFCU exists because of a series of mergers throughout the years. Ranallo has compiled a timeline of events leading up to the current day.
The first to form was the Albion School Employees FCU on Jan. 1, 1963.
On May 10, 1965, the CCFCU had its beginning with the first meeting of the Lipton Federal Credit Union.
Then followed the Albion Correctional Facility Federal Credit Union on Oct. 17, 1974.
Next, the Orleans Municipal FCU was formed Sept. 11, 1979. A year later, on Oct. 14, 1980, the National Credit Union Association approved a name change to Central Orleans Federal Credit Union.
On Nov. 30, 1982, Albion Correctional Facility FCU merged with Central Orleans FCU.
The NCUA on Dec. 14, 1990 approved the merger of Orleans Municipal FCU with Central Orleans FCU.
The name was changed to Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union in 2002 in anticipation of a change in the charter, Ranallo said.
In June 2005 a charter was applied for and received to change from a Central Orleans-focused FCU to one which included all of Orleans County, hence, the name Cobblestone Country FCU. Today, membership is open to anyone living, working, going to school or worshiping in Orleans County.
CCFCU operated next to COVA in the Arnold Gregory complex until June 2014, when it moved to 299 West Ave.
Like Ranallo, CCFCU employees are loyal and dedicated to serving their customers. Ranallo has been there for 25 years, having started as an accountant and moving up to manager in 2020. Audrey Christopher recently retired after 31 years, while Teresa Radka has been a loan officer for 30 years and three others have worked there five years each.
“When you come in here, you’re going to do business with the same person you did business with last month,” Ranallo said.
CCFCU offers savings and checking accounts, teen checking, Visa ATM cards, Share certificates and Christmas, Tax and Vacation Club accounts; a variety of loan products, including home equity loans; overdraft protection; direct deposit/payroll deduction; mobile deposit; 24/7 ATM; a drive-thru and much more.
There is access to a night deposit box and customers can buy stamps and money orders at the credit union.
CCFCU is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. They are closed Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2024 at 9:52 pm
Stormsong Hollow Minerals celebrates opening day on Main Street in Albion
Photos by Tom Rivers: Chris Atwell and Trish Marciszewski celebrate the opening of their business, Stormsong Hollow Minerals, in downtown Albion today. Marciszewski has been collecting minerals since she was a kid when she won a chance to go to the Herkimer Diamond Mines and found a diamond. She has turned her passion for minerals into a new business.
ALBION – Trish Marciszewski jokingly blames her earth science teacher Steve McKenna for her passion for minerals.
When she was a student at Albion, she won a contest and a chance to go to the Herkimer Mines. She went and was the only one to find a diamond that day.
It kicked off a passion and deep appreciation for minerals, and their many colors and textures.
“I’ve been on fire for it ever since,” Marciszewski said today at her business, Stormsong Hollow Minerals.
Stormsong has many different minerals available, including Chalcopyrite “Peacock Ore” from Zacatecas, Mexico at left, and Amethyst from Veracruz, Mexico at right.
She celebrated opening day today for the business at 49 North Main St. Marciszewski, a former public safety dispatcher for the county for 10 years, outgrew the space at her garage and home. The business has grown since she started a TikTok page last November. She has 2,100 followers on TikTok for stormhollowminerals with live shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Marciszewski runs the business with Chris Atwell, who worked as a local EMT for 16 years. The TikTok customers will order some of the minerals in the videos and they are packaged and shipped by Marciszewski and Atwell.
They also have attended many local shows to build up the business. The demand has grown, overwhelming their home. They welcomed the chance to move the business to Main Street in Albion, where there is more space and gives them a chance to give the downtown district a boost.
“There’s a lot of really good businesses down here working hard to make it work,” she said.
Village of Albion Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley, right, presents a certificate of recognition to Chris Atwell and Trish Marciszewski during opening day for Stormsong Hollow Minerals.
Marciszewski said McKenna, her former earth science teacher, shared a love for minerals. He said each crystal or mineral is born in a storm within the earth.
Marciszewski said she has been passionate about minerals for the past 34 years.
“I’m just fascinated by science and that the earth makes these things,” she said.
None of the Crystal Buddies are exactly alike.
Marciszewski has amassed her own collection, and loves to help other people discover minerals. She said the popularity has grown as people embrace minerals for healing properties, energy, good luck or simply to beautify a mantel.
Stormsong Hollow sells crystals and minerals in raw and polished forms. They are available in necklaces, pendants and bracelets, and as “Crystal Buddies.” Those buddies have faces, with eyes of Obsidian volcanic glass.
Storm Hollow has relationships with suppliers all over the world. The minerals have cards telling where they are from. Marciszewski and Atwell work with suppliers and miners all over the United States, and from China, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, France, Peru, Russia, Bolivia, India, South Africa, Egypt and other countries.
Marciszewski said mineral collecting used to be primarily for science buffs, but it has become far more mainstream. The internet has helped people learn about minerals. Storm Hollow is happy to help connect them to their favorites.
Storm Hollow is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Furious Robinson, Trish Marciszewski’s son, holds some of the Crystal Buddies for $10 that are very popular with customers.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 October 2024 at 8:06 pm
Chamber’s Business of the Year moved to bigger location, maintains focus on customer service
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Tom Laine, owner of Frontier Heating and AC Service, stands by one of their trucks at the base at 14530 East Lee Rd. The business has been named “Business of the Year” by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. Frontier will be recognized at the awards dinner Oct. 17 at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.
ALBION – The owner of Frontier Heating and Air Conditioning Service is honored to be named Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
“I was elated with the news,” said Tom Laine. “It’s nice to be recognized for the good work we’ve done over the years.”
Laine founded Frontier Heating and A/C Service in 1991 in his garage in Albion, after working for 11 years for other contractors, he said.
“We did business there until 1995, when my wife Lora (Lori) and I purchased 115 East Bank St., where we did business for 27 years,” Laine said.
In March 2023, Laine moved his business to a new, bigger location at 14530 East Lee Rd. The new 12,000 square foot facility is more convenient for them to better serve their customers, he said. They have ample parking with a showroom to display the products they sell.
It’s a challenge to keep on the cutting edge of technology, Laine said.
The worst part of his business is “around the clock” service, but Laine knows it is important to his customers to have emergency service available at any time.
This facility at 14530 East Lee Rd. is the home of Frontier Heating and AC Service, the Orleans County Chamber’s Business of the Year.
They service all brands and sell Amana and Mitsubishi equipment, as well as boilers, water heaters, air conditioning units and heat pumps. In addition they install Generac and Honeywell generators, and deal with all types of fuel, including natural gas, fuel oil, electricity and propane.
Laine, who will be 67 this year, is gradually letting his son Raymond and son-in-law Rex Harvey have more responsibility.
“I keep going, because I know the day will come when I can’t,” he said.
Frontier Heating employs 15 to 20 people at any given time, nearly all Orleans County residents. Over the years, their service area has expanded to include Orleans, Monroe, Genesee, Niagara and Erie counties.
Laine is proud of how his business has grown over the years.
“When I started, my wife delivered mail and would speak to her customers daily, giving out my business card,” Laine said. “That’s where I got my first lead for a furnace.”
Today Laine boasts a customer base of 7,000.
“I’m happy to say we still have that first client,” he said.
He says his job is making sure each and every customer has a good experience and is 100 percent satisfied.
“We’re looking for customers for life, and we’re not happy until you’re happy,” he said.
Press Release, Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc.
ALBION – Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc., is putting a call out to all members of the community to participate in a music video on Oct. 12 to help promote Bullard Park.
Anyone and everyone is invited – the more the merrier! People should meet at noon at the base of the sledding hill.
Participants are encouraged to dress in accordance with their interests and/or hobbies – jerseys, costumes, etc. are encouraged. We ask that no political or religious items be brought to the shoot.
A simple dance (the original Santa dance taught to Charles Howard for the Macy’s parade) will be taught that participants will perform, then a fun, freestyle moment will allow all to have some fun.
We ask all participants to fill out a waiver for video usage. Participants under the age of 18 must have the waiver completed by a consenting adult. Waivers are available online and will be available the day of the event.
The Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. “G-ACRE” has a mission to create and provide for recreational activities, support volunteerism, and improve the quality of life in the greater Albion community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2024 at 9:19 pm
Site also includes bench and lamppost made from repurposed steel from lift bridge
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion eighth-graders sing “Low Bridge, Everybody Down” as part of today’s dedication ceremony for the Erie Canal Park, a site across from the Albion fire hall on Platt Street. The students are joined by a miniature donkey and mule.
The village Department of Public Works cleared part of the land in the spring and has made other improvements to the park by the Erie Canal, between to the two lift bridges.
Today’s dedication also included the unveiling of a monument to the 15 people killed in the Sept. 28, 1859 bridge collapse. There was a crowd of 250 people, plus five horses, on the bridge that day 165 years ago. The people gathered to see a wirewalker on a tight rope over the canal.
The bridge would tumble into the canal, killing 15 people.
The park includes a lamppost and a bench made from repurposed steel from the Main Street lift bridge when it was originally constructed in 1913. The bridge is getting a major overhaul and is expected to reopen to traffic on Dec. 19 following just over two years of construction.
Bill Schutt, left, is the artist from Batavia who made the lamppost, which will be solar powered. A Go Art! grant paid for Schutt to make the lamppost. Schutt said the lamppost was made in an art deco style from the 1930s and ’40s. He said he enjoys making art from recycled materials.
Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. is next to Schutt and Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley is on the bench that was made by employees in the sewer plant, the Joint Pollution Control Facility. Village employees Ric Albright, Kyle Piccirilli and William Malone worked on the bench, which also includes a time capsule to be opened on Sept. 28, 2059.
Albion students who were part of today’s celebration join in the photo.
The village worked with community volunteers to make the Erie Canal Park more enticing to boaters and residents.
Tim Archer, an Albion teacher, served as the emcee for today’s program. Albion students have painted a mural about the canal on the Albion fire hall, put in an interpretive panel about the Erie Canal and its impact on Albion, and also helped secure a historical marker noting Marquis de LaFayette’s tour along the Erie Canal which included a stop in Albion on June 6-7, 1825.
David Oakley (left), owner of Bridgen Memorials, and Dave Strickland, the stone cutter at Bridgen, were instrumental in creating the monument.
They are shown on a side with 15 handprints from local community members to represent the 15 people who died in the bridge collapse.
The side includes a silhouette of Charles Blondin, the famous wire walker who crossed Niagara Falls and who inspired George Williams to try walking on a tightrope in Albion.
The outline of the bridge shows the Squire Whipple bowstring iron truss bridge that crashed into the canal 165 years ago. The bridge was 60 feet long, about half the length of the current lift bridge over the canal.
Those who perished in the bridge collapse include:
Perry G. Cole, 19, of Barre
Augusta Martin, 18, of Carlton
Ann Viele, 36, of Gaines
Edwin Stillson, 16, of Barre
Joseph Code, 18, of Albion
Lydia Harris, 11, of Albion
Thomas Handy, 66, of Yates
Sarah Thomas, 10, of Carlton
William Henry, 22, of Saratoga County
Ransom S. Murdock, 17, of Carlton
Adelbert Wilcox, 17, of West Kendall
Sophia Pratt, 18, of Toledo, Ohio
Thomas Aulchin, 50, of Paris (Canada)
Jane Lavery, 16, of Albion
Charles Rosevelt, 21, of Sandy Creek
The handprints used in the memorial are from people close in age to the victims. Those handprints include Dr. Tom Madejski, 64; Tom Rivers, 50; Aaron Flanagan, 17; Gideon Pask, 16; Nick Andrews, 19; Zack Baron, 16; Mollie Radzinski, 35; Cameron Ecker, 21; Nicholas Baxter, 16; Reuben Rivers, 19; Rosemary Kirby, 9; Phoebe Kirby, 14; Graham Kirby, 10; Cordelia Rivers, 13; and Al Hand, 17.
The Albion Rotary Club led the effort to have the monument erected, and received financial contributions from the Albion Betterment Committee, Albion Merchants Association, the local DAR chapter, Mitchell Family Cremations & Funerals, and an anonymous donor.
Tim Archer, right, interviews middle school students Thailer Seibert, left, and Blake Doty who portrayed hoggees, who were kids who worked with canal boats. Hoggees typically led mule teams that pulled the canal boats.
The miniature donkey and mule that were part of today’s festivities came from Painted Sky Ranch in Brockport.
Sophie Kozody and Hailey Styer portray two of the bridge collapse victims, Jane Lavery and Lydia Harris. In recent years, Albion students worked with Mount Albion Cemetery to have headstones in the cemetery for the two girls. Harris didn’t have a head stone and Lavery’s had broken into pieces.
The site by the canal was never formally named a park until Aug. 14, when the Village Board gave it the name, “Erie Canal Park.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2024 at 5:12 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion village trustee Greg Bennett, right, was among a group of about 50 people this morning at the dedication of four memorial benches at the new basketball courts at Bullard Park.
The courts opened last October. Today the four coated steel sport benches were dedicated with memorial plaques. The flowers were donated by Homestead Wildflowers in Albion.
One of the benches is in memory of Craig Anderson, who was a three-sport standout athlete at Albion. A 1972 graduate, he led Albion to its first Section 6 basketball title. He passed away from cancer at age 18 in 1973. The high school gym is named in his honor.
Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church paid the $750 cost to have the bench dedicated for Anderson. Church is good friends with Craig’s younger brother Tom Anderson. Church and Tom Anderson were managers for the Sectional winning team in 1972, back when the two were eighth-graders.
Meghan Doherty speaks about her brother Jonathan. One of the benches is in his honor and was paid for by the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events. Jonathan was an active promoter of Bullard Park and other causes in the community. He was 38 when he passed away on May 5, 2022.
“His focus was his community, his family and his church,” Meghan said. “He did everything for other people.”
Ron Albertson, a member of the G-ACRE organization and a Lions Club member with Jonathan, said Doherty was well known in the community, by his first name only.
“He is the best team player I’ve ever known,” he said.
Torin Swartout places the plaque on the bench in memory of his son, Jesse Swartout, who passed away at age 21 in 2002 when he was a senior at Skidmore College. He has family in the local area.
Jesse was a gifted athlete and scholar, and a left-handed pitcher. He loved socializing with his friends by playing sports.
“We hope Jesse’s spirit will help make these courts safe haven for Albin athletes,” his family said.
Alyssa Swanger and her daughter Vivi put the plaque on the bench for Alyssa’s brother, Justin Swanger. He was a basketball star and three-point specialist for Albion. He passed away at age 21 on Nov. 28, 2014.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to make Justin proud and carry on his basketball legacy in this community that would live on for many years to come,” his mother Paula Canne said.
The benches are the latest upgrade to the park. The village would like to add two pickleball courts next to the basketball courts.
