Provided photo – Ben Miller and the Albion Marching Band perform last Saturday at Seneca Falls.

Press release
Albion Marching Band

ALBION – Mike Thaine has been involved with the high school marching band activity for his entire teaching career, but he says that in those 23 years he’s never experienced a spring like this one.

“The wet weather has been just impossible,” said the Albion High School band director. “Typically we like to move practices outdoors in late March, but this year, because of the seemingly constant rain, we actually had just one outside practice prior to the Lilac Parade.”

The students had the book (music) learned by the beginning of March, and the staff had taught each of the individual sections of drill in the gym prior to Spring Break. Thaine said that by the middle of April, they’d pretty much tapped-out the usefulness of the indoor facilities.

“There’s only so much you can with a marching band in the band room and gym, eventually you need to practice in a regulation-sized judging area. The rain really set us back.”

Luckily for the Purple Eagles, the May 10 Rochester Lilac Festival parade was just a “straight-through” performance, meaning that bands aren’t allowed to perform any kind of drill or formation changes and must maintain forward motion. And, it was an exhibition, rather than a competition. Those factors made that performance much easier to manage given the limited outdoor practice time.

Albion marches in the Lilac Festival parade each year, and uses it mainly as conditioning for their competitions and hometown performances. The Purple Eagles’ normal marching band program utilizes the “open class” or “5-minute rule.” This competition format allows for any formation and direction changes within the judging area, the only stipulation being a 5-minute time limit between the first note of music or movement and the last.

“It’s almost like a field show on the street, except you have the added element of making an entrance 150 feet down-street, developing the show left to right, progressing toward a logical exit from the 300’ judging area,” Thaine explained. “It’s not intended to be a ‘Park and Play,’ where bands simply march into the area, stop and play a song, then march away. There’s more to it than that. Judges look for a development of the whole show, from beginning to end, with drill that complements the musical program.”

Bands are judged on music performance, visual design and execution, and general effect.

The Albion Marching Band started their competition season off on the right foot by posting a win at the Seneca Falls Pageant of Bands this past Saturday. The Purple Eagles’ score of 93 was tops in the seven-band field, earning them the first place award in Open Class by more than 8 points. Also in competition were bands from Baldwinsville, Marcus Whitman, Moravia, Dundee, Marathon, and Mexico (NY).

The band’s 2014 program is titled “Heartbeats” and features loved-themed music. It opens with Queen’s “Can Anybody Find Me Somebody to Love?” before transitioning into “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi. The ballad is Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart” from the Walt Disney motion picture “Tarzan.” This season’s closer is “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis Presley.

Apparently the crowd at Seneca Falls approved of the band’s performance as much as the judges did. Sophomore band member Zach Shaffer talked about a situation that happened to him after the competition.

“After the parade I went into the cafeteria to buy some pizza and the lady accepting money noticed my Albion Marching Band shirt and told me that we brought her to tears…so must be doing something right!”

The AHS Indoor Drumline also captured first place in their division. Albion next marches in Albion Memorial Day parade on Monday.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion DPW installed new American flags on Main Street and in the downtown today, as well as hanging banners for the Strawberry Festival on June 13-14.

Todd Sargent is pictured at right with the flag while Scott Bradshaw installs the banner.

The new flags – 50 in all – are being paid for with a fund-raiser by the Albion Main Street Alliance. The group is looking for “Friend of Flag” sponsors at $50 each. For more information contact AMSA members Kevin Lake at 331-6477 or Clifford Thom Sr. at 331-9831.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It’s an exciting day for students at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School. Today a new playground opened.

After an opening ceremony, students joyfully played on new slides, swings, climbing apparatus and other playground equipment.

Students watched Titan from Gasport work on the project for about five weeks. The previous playground was about 20 years old. It was made of wood and tended to attract bees. The site also had poor drainage, which kept students off the site after a big rain.

Titan added new drainage, wood chips and the playground, which is a Game Time brand unit.

Elementary band students were given the first shot at playing on the new equipment. They performed at the dedication ceremony.

Rachel Curtin, principal of elementary school, uses a microphone to thank the contractors, community and school employees for working to make the project a reality. State Sen. George Maziarz also directed $67,800 to the district, which was used for the new playground.

Jen Ashbery, assistant elementary school principal, and District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell line up ambassadors from grades K through 2 classrooms to cut the ribbon for the new playground.

Editorial

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Clarendon Street bridge could be demolished and the street blocked off due to the rising costs of a bridge replacement.

ALBION – It’s one of Albion’s busiest side streets, a gateway to the school campus, Bullard Park and the eastern side of the village.

But soon Clarendon Street will likely be a dead-end near the railroad tracks, according to the Village Board. The cost to replace the bridge jumped unexpectedly by about $600,000 and that increase would fall squarely on village taxpayers.

The state and federal governments have committed $1.3 million to the bridge replacement. Neither the state or federal government will give more to the project. Albion’s share has shot up from about $200,000 to $775,000.

If Albion borrowed that money it could be a $60,000 to $70,000 annual hit to villagers the next 20 years.

The Village Board says village taxpayers can’t afford that increase, especially after a new village budget raised village tax rates from $16.86 to $17.48 per $1,000 of assessed property. That tax rate is the highest of any village in the region.

The board last month also voted to raise water and sewer rates by 25 cents to $4.35 per 1,000 gallons.

The village tax rates are climbing mainly because its tax base is shrinking. The assessments dropped by another $2.7 million from a year ago. The sky is falling.

Albion has the unusual burden of owning a sizable bridge. In most counties, anything off the state highway that is bigger than a 20-foot-long culvert belongs to the county.

The Albion bridge is about 40 years old. When the village took on the bridge 40 years ago, there was still a sense of prosperity around here with Lipton’s and other food processors. The downtown was full of vibrant independent merchants.

In most other places, the Clarendon Street bridge wouldn’t be the village’s problem. It would be the county’s. The county’s tax base has been growing, despite getting dragged down by the villages, and its budget totals about $80 million annually compared to $6 million for the village. It’s in a far better position to take on the bridge expense.

Albion village officials are prepared to give up on the bridge replacement and instead use some of the $1.3 million in state and federal money to demolish the structure and block off the section by the railroad tracks. Some of the money will get turned back to the state and federal government. Knocking down the bridge and closing off a section of the street will spare the village from the $60,000 to $70,000 annually over 20 years.

(The state won’t allow the village to make Clarendon Street a railroad crossing without removing two other crossings in the village. Because Clarendon Street is fairly busy, it would take two less-travelled side streets to make up for adding a crossing on Clarendon Street.)

There may be a fat guard rail in the immediate future at Clarendon Street with wild grass, brush and weeds. It won’t just stop traffic, but it will be a psychological barrier, a sign of a community in decline.

It will also be a hassle. About 1,600 vehicles cross the bridge daily, including many school buses. A closed bridge will result in a 2/3 mile detour or about 1,000 extra miles daily.

If you factor 20 miles per gallon of gas by the 1,000 miles that will mean motorists are will buy 50 more gallons of gas a day due to the detour, spending about $200 more a day. Multiply that by 365 days and you have $73,000 in added costs to motorists, not to mention lost time and more congested village side streets.

That $73,000 in added gas can be avoided and a similar amount of money could instead be directed to getting the bridge replaced.

The detour will cost the school district. I asked school leaders yesterday if the school district could help with the local share of the bridge, but state law won’t allow the district to direct money to projects off the school campus. It would be considered a gift to the village, and that’s not allowed, Albion school officials said.

The county is the best hope for getting this done. It has a history of working with towns and villages, devoting county resources to projects that are often viewed as economic development in the village and towns.

The bridge should be viewed as economic and community development. Shutting it down will hurt commerce on the eastern side of the village, in particular DK Autobody next to the north side of the bridge and the Crooked Door Tavern. Both businesses generate sales tax that goes in county coffers.

Regarding the sales tax, the county has frozen the share to local villages and towns since 2001. If the villages and towns weren’t frozen, and experienced the increases in sales tax revenue at the same rate as the county since 2001, Albion would be in a better position to fund the local share for the bridge project.

The county should step in before it’s too late. The county could pay that annual bond payment over 20 years. Perhaps the town of Albion and Genesee Valley Transportation, owner of the railroad, could also chip in to help pay that local share.

Rick Papaj, local projects unit supervisor for the DOT, told me on Tuesday that communities can be creative in how they pay for the local share. It doesn’t have to fall on the village.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Dan Parker and other members of the Albion Lions Club are selling geraniums on Route 31 in front of Mark’s Pizzeria by Clinton Street. The flower sale is a fund-raiser for the club and the money will be used for scholarships and community projects. Parker said the flowers are for sale “until they are all gone.”

Village officials say bridge demo, blocked-off street likely outcome for Clarendon Street

Photo by Tom Rivers – Rich Perrin (right), executive director of the Genesee Transportation Council, meets with Albion and state Department of Transportation officials this afternoon at Village Hall to discuss the Clarendon Street bridge. Perrin confirmed there wouldn’t be additional state or federal dollars to help with escalating costs of the project.

ALBION – The village of Albion won’t be getting an increase in state or federal dollars to help with the escalating costs of the Clarendon Street bridge replacement, village officials were told this afternoon by Rich Perrin, executive director of the Genesee Transportation Council.

The dollars simply aren’t there, and if there was more money it would go to projects in the region with higher traffic volumes than the Clarendon bridge, which sees 1,600 vehicles a day, Perrin said.

The village was told last week that costs were up nearly $600,000 from what was budgeted for the project, and that increase would have to be paid for with local dollars. The $2 million project was supposed to be an 80 percent share federally, 15 percent share by the state and 5 percent by the village.

But now the village cost could be as high as $775,000 rather than $200,000 in what the village saw as a worst-case scenario.

The local burden has prompted Mayor Dean London and the majority of the board to look at canceling the bridge replacement and demolishing the bridge. The section of the street by the railroad tracks would be blocked off in that scenario.

That would be far cheaper than building a new bridge. State and federal dollars would more than cover those reduced costs, Perrin and DOT officials said this afternoon.

One village trustee, Stan Farone, doesn’t want to see a torn down bridge and closed off street.

“We’re trying to build up our village,” he said at an afternoon meeting today with Perrin and DOT officials. “We’re trying to make our village look presentable.”

Farone said Clarendon Street is an important artery in the village, especially for morning and afternoon school traffic. The street also runs along Bullard Park, which the village wants to see upgraded with new playground equipment. He worries about a blocked off street that would be turn unsightly at the endpoints by the railroad tracks.

“We want to bring people to the village not make it a dump,” Farone said.

The village is working with Bergmann Associates to have a rendering of how the blocked off section could look. The village would like to have that ready by a 7 p.m. meeting June 11 at Village Hall.

The community, including the school district, should weigh in on the impacts of blocking off the street. Perrin said it will create a 2/3 mile detour to McKinistry Street. With 1,600 vehicles each day that is about 1,000 extra miles daily for Albion drivers due to the detour, he said.

The village has been working on the Clarendon Street bridge replacement since 1999. That’s when the project was first on the GTC radar. Money was appropriated for the project but it didn’t get done within the 10-year window established for the projects.

The village reapplied and was awarded the funding again in 2010. But construction, which was set for this fall, now is in limbo. Village officials either need to forge ahead with construction or a demolition, said Rick Papaj, local projects unit supervisor for the DOT.

There can’t be more delays or else Albion could lose the $1.3 million set aside in state and federal money for the project, he said. The DOT and GTC want the village to pick a plan by August.

Perrin said he sympathizes with the village. Sometimes the budgeted amount is approved and then the costs jump for projects that are years in the making. The state and federal government haven’t allocated additional funding to help with those increases, he said.

He expects to see more closed off or demolished bridges due to dwindling funds.

“We’re dealing with a managed decline,” he said about the region’s infrastructure. “Bridges are being posted or closed on a regular basis. Eventually you can’t Band Aid major wounds.”

The DOT faulted the village for a series of delays with the project. The village in 1999 said it intended to have a new bridge built, but then looked at taking the bridge out and establishing an at-grade crossing at the railroad tracks.

The village abandoned that when it was told it would have to remove two other at-grade crossings in the village. It also previously looked at removing the bridge and blocking off the street.

Papaj, however, said the village was in an unusual spot. Most bridges the size of Clarendon Street are owned by counties, which are accustomed to the process of working with the DOT and GTC to move the projects along. Counties also have more cash flow to handle the financial demands of the projects.

Bigger municipalities also have a full-time manager or engineer that can keep the projects moving forward, Papaj said.

Village trustees Eileen Banker and Gary Katsanis said the village needs to move on the demolition, or risk losing the federal and state dollars. They both said the local share – at nearly $1 million – is too much for the village.

“It’s do or die,” Banker said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The new Dunkin’ Donuts building is taking shape on Main Street by the railroad tracks in Albion.

The new building will be 2,000 square feet with a 230-square-foot freezer next to the building.

Dunkin’ had a warehouse taken down to make room for the new building. There will also be 46 parking spaces and driveways on Main and Platt streets.

Historic churches showcase architecture today and Sunday

File photos by Tom Rivers – The First Presbyterian Church of Albion, with its 175-foot-high spire, is the tallest structure in Orleans County.

The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church includes this stained-glass window, an early work by the famed Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of “Christ the Consoler.” 2 Albion churches featured as Sacred Sites

ALBION – Historic churches around the state this weekend are opening their doors to showcase the architectural wonders inside the buildings.

Two Albion churches, First Presbyterian and Pullman Memorial Universalist, are participating in the fourth annual “Sacred Sites” tour in New York, an event aimed to raise public appreciation for the churches as community treasures with stained-glass windows, pipe organs, ornately carved pews, decorative paintings and murals.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy is spearheading the Sacred Sites tour. The organization provides grants to churches in New York. The two Albion churches are among the recipients of Sacred Sites awards.

Sacred Sites offers New Yorkers the chance to experience the beautiful religious art and architecture throughout the area. The event is also intended to assist religious institutions in promoting their history, cultural programming and social services.

The theme of this year’s Open House is “Sacred Sites and the Community: How Immigration and Migration Shape New York,” which will focus on the rich histories and extraordinary contributions of New York’s diverse immigrant communities.

The Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program is the only statewide program in the country providing financial and technical assistance for the restoration of culturally significant religious properties. Since 1986, the program has disbursed grants of more than $8 million to more than 700 congregations regardless of denominations.

The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church was built with Medina sandstone and includes 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows.

The First Presbyterian Church in Albion completed a $300,000 renovation and restoration of its interior about six years ago, including work on the rose window.

The churches will be open for tours from noon to 3 p.m. both today and on Sunday.

The Pullman church is located at 10 East Park St. The church was built in 1894 with money from railroad manufacturer George Pullman, who grew up in Albion. The building is an excellent example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the NY Landmarks Conservancy stated. The church has 41 Tiffany stained-glass windows including one of “Christ the Consoler” that was featured in Tiffany brochures in 1898.

The Presbyterian Church at 29 East State St. was built in 1874 and includes a 175-foot-high spire, the tallest structure in the county. About six years ago, the congregation completed a $300,000 restoration and renovation of its interior.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Don Gaines races through the aisle at Pawlak’s Save-A lot this morning, an 85-second race to fill the shopping cart.

ALBION – After he filled a shopping cart with more than $800 of food – mostly with ham and other meat – Don Gaines announced most of the bounty would be given to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

Gaines and his wife Barbara won an 85-second shopping trip at Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot this morning. The event was organized by the Lord’s House, a church in Waterport. The Lord’s House sold tickets for $5 each to give people a chance for the shopping sprint and two other gift baskets.

Don and Barbara bought one ticket and hit the grand prize.

“We’re going to donate a majority to Community Action,” Mr. Gaines said. “They helped us out when we had nothing.”

Gaines remembers one time when they went to the agency and the food giveaway included steaks. A previous Community Action food recipient donated the steaks as a payback for when he needed help.

Mr. and Mrs. Gaines remember their surprise of eating a steak dinner that day when they were expecting hot dogs.

Today, Gaines first went for canned goods with salmon. He also grabbed trays of canned corn beef. Then he hit the meat freezer.

“I want to put food in peoples’ stomachs, something besides hot dogs,” he said.

Eddie and Rose English, left, are pictured with Barbara and Don Gaines, and Jerome Pawlak, right, after today’s shopping spree.

The final bill at the checkout today was $803. Gaines was given a hearty congratulations from Eddie English, the church pastor, and his wife, Rose.

Mrs. English used to work in the Rochester City School District, and organized shopping sprees for the district.

The Lord’s House meets at the former United Methodist Church in Waterport. The shopping spree was a fund-raiser for the church as it works to make masonry repairs and paint the exterior of the building.

The Lord’s House will be back at the June 13-14 Strawberry Festival selling “Soul Burgers.” The church also is planning an event – “Women Wear Many Hats” – on June 22. Each woman wearing her favorite hat at the 3:30 p.m. event will receive a gift.

“We’re trying to think outside the box,” Mrs. English said about some of the church’s outreach efforts.

ALBION – Facing the prospect of $775,000 or more in costs to village taxpayers, the Village Board may decide not to replace the Clarendon Street bridge.

The bridge could instead be removed and the street blocked off by the railroad tracks. The Village Board will have a 2 p.m. meeting Tuesday at Village Hall to discuss the issue with the state Department of Transportation and Bergmann Associates, the village’s consultant on the project.

The board on Monday was told the costs for the replacing the bridge had jumped by about $575,000 and those increases would be fully on village taxpayers, rather than the 80 percent by the federal government, 15 percent by the state and 5 percent by the village for most of the project.

Albion had been expecting to spend no more than $200,000 on the project. The extra $575,000 is too much for village taxpayers, Mayor Dean London said tonight at the Village Board meeting. The village would have to borrow money for that $575,000, which will further increase the costs, perhaps to $1 million total for village taxpayers.

If the bridge is torn down and the street blocked off, village officials expect the decision will upset many people. Clarendon Street is especially busy in the mornings for school buses and other school traffic.

“We’re going to catch heat but we’ll catch more heat if it’s 1 million dollars,” said Trustee Peter Sidari.

The village had been told before that it couldn’t back out of the project without paying the full costs for the engineering, design and other expenses for the project, which have topped $200,000. The village also was told Albion would have to pay the full costs of the demolition, which has been estimated at about $200,000.

But DOT officials told the village that is no longer the case. It wouldn’t have to reimburse the pre-construction costs, and the village would only have to pay the 5 percent share for demolition with the federal and state governments paying the other 95 percent.

Sidari said the village will have a public hearing to get residents’ input. If Clarendon Street is blocked off, more traffic would be pushed to Butts Road and other village crossings, such as McKinistry, Platt and Main streets.

Genesee Valley Transportation, owner of the railroad, has opposed adding another grade crossing in Albion. If Clarendon Street became a grade crossing, GVT has insisted that two other village crossings be blocked off.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 100 people have already committed to giving blood today at the American Red Cross blood drive. That is the typical big turn out for the blood drives in Albion.

In the photo above, Albion Town Justice Gary Moore gives a “Double Red” donation at the Elks Club. Red Cross officials were a little worried that shifting the blood drive location from the American Legion on Main Street to the Elks Club on West State Street would result in fewer donations.

But that doesn’t appear to be the case today. Donors said they like the new location with its air-conditioning and cleaner feel.

Red Cross volunteers Jean Smith, left, and Anita McCarthy welcome donors and sign them in. The blood drive continues until 7 p.m. today. Walk-ins are welcome.

The American Red Cross moved the collection site to the Elks Club because the Legion is being purchased by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, which will turn the site into the Main Street Store, a thrift shop currently in the downtown.

Moore has been giving blood regularly for about four to five years because he said the blood “helps people.”

In this photo, Penny Brown of Albion gives blood. She is assisted by donor specialist Laura Domrzalski.

Red Cross officials said the Albion community has many long-time dedicated donors such as Brown.

Beth Schmidt has been giving about every two months for the past decade.

“I don’t have a lot money so I give blood,” said Schmidt, a former Red Cross board member.

Sue West of Waterport has been giving regularly for 40 years, starting when she worked at Kodak.

“It’s an easy thing to do and it makes you feel good,” she said.

Photos by Tom Rivers
Miguel Jimenez and his family spent Mother’s Day in Albion painting 33 North Main St. Jimenez is working to turn the site into “ El Gallo” – Spanish for “The Rooster.”

He hopes to open the Mexican restaurant soon. He also will have a food truck to take to events and other nearby locations.

The building has been mostly vacant for about two decades and has needed extensive renovations. Besides new paint, the building will also have an awning.