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.

Provided photo

ALBION – The Albion Marching Band made its season debut on Saturday at the Lilac Festival in Rochester. The band is wearing decals in memory of Wayne Burlison, the assistant marching band director who died from colon cancer at age 36 on March 26.

Burlison taught elementary music at Albion for 12 years and also was involved with the marching band, jazz ensemble and pit orchestra.

This year the band’s show is “Love.” Burlison arrnaged the first number in the band’s routine set to “Somebody to Love” by Queen.

Saturday’s parade wasn’t a competition. It was a 3-mile parade that is a good experience to start the season, said Mike Thaine, the band director.

“It’s a huge crowd for the whole length of the parade,” he said.

The band has about 80 students. Thaine said they performed with heavy hearts on Saturday for Burlison, but also with excitement in wanting to honor him.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Scouts from Albion and West Barre put hundreds of flags on veterans graves this morning at Mount Albion Cemetery and also at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, both on Route 31. The Scouts and their leaders are pictured at the Ingersoll Fountain at Mount Albion before they put flags on the graves.

Brett Schreiner, 7, (left) and Isaac Hickman, 7, are both wolves in West Barre Pack 175. They were at Mount Albion this morning with Albion Scouts in Pack and Troop 164 and 60.

Seth Krenning, left, is a Tiger Cub in Pack 164.  He and about 30 other Scouts placed flags on veterans’ graves this morning.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Emily Shabazz calls off the numbers during a game of Bingo in the cafeteria.

ALBION – It’s an annual tradition at Albion High School: Senior Citizens are welcomed to the gym and cafeteria for food and games for “Senior Citizen Day.”

The High School Student Council today hosted about 125 senior citizens. It’s an annual tradition that goes back to the 1970s. The Student Council picks a theme for the event and decorates the gym for the occasion. Today’s theme was “Welcome to the Jungle.”

About 40 students helped put on the program, which included music, art work and many games.

“The kids love this,” said Emily Wemmer, Student Council advisor. “It’s one of their favorite events of the year.”

Dawn Parker, right, works on a craft project with students.

Albion senior Brett Zicari makes a move during a game of chess.

Students play Wii bowling with a local senior citizen.

Hoag circulation jumps 30 percent in first full year

ALBION – Voters on Monday approved eliminating two trustees positions for the Hoag Library of the Swan Library Association. The board now has nine members, down from 11.

Voters also elected three trustees – John Andrews, Karie Deegan and Carol Miller – to four-year positions. There were five candidates in the election and 123 voters. Andrews and Deegan each received 77 votes and Miller, 68. The other candidates included Sandra Walter, 62 votes, and Natalie McCue, 54.

The library added two seats about a decade ago when it was working on a new building. The board at the time thought two additional seats would help with the workload for the volunteer organization. The new library opened in July 2012.

The board has had some vacancies since then and needed to appoint people due to openings and a lack of candidates at elections, including the election a year ago.

The board now includes seven elected trustees and two who are appointed, one by the mayor of the village of Albion and the other by the president of the Board of Education. The board members on Monday re-elected Kevin Doherty to serve as board president.

The Library Association had its annual meeting on Monday. The new library led to a record-breaking year for circulation with 120,957 in 2013. That was up by 30 percent from 93,089 in 2012, when Hoag was open six months of the year. In 2011, the last full year at the former Swan Library, circulation was 77,019.

The library budget totals $685,260 in 2014, which is up 0.9 percent from the $678,978 in 2013. The library is proposing to receive $667,070 in taxes, which is a 2.0 percent increase from the $654,000 in 2013. Voters in Albion Central School will vote on $667,070 during the May 20 budget vote from noon to 8 p.m. at the elementary school conference room.

The Library Association will step up its efforts to sell the former library building, a historic site and former mansion at the corner of East State and Main streets. It plans to first work with a real estate firm specializing in historic sites. Doherty said keeping the building costs the library about $25,000 a year for maintenance, utilities and insurance.

The library also needs to fill a vacancy with its executive director. Doherty and the board said a new director should be in place this summer.

Hoag may reduce number of trustees; 5 candidates are running for board

ALBION – There is election today in Albion for trustees for the Hoag Library, and also an amendment to the library association by-laws that would reduce the number of elected positions from nine to seven.

If the amendment passes and the board shrinks, the three candidates with the most votes today will be elected to four-year terms.

If the amendment fails and the board stays at the same size, the three candidates with the most votes would get four-year terms, while the fourth-place candidate gets a three-year term and the last candidate receives a one-year term.

The following are running for the unpaid positions: Carol Miller, John Andrews, Natalie McCue, Sandra Walter and Karie Deegan. Voting is from noon to 7 p.m. at the library.

The library currently has 11 trustees. In addition to the nine elected spots, the mayor of Albion and president of the Albion Board of Education each appoint a member to the board.

Following the election today, the library will have its annual meeting at 7 p.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Friends of Scott Whittier put up a new backstop and safety fence at the St,. Mary’s Little League field today. The field is located behind the St. Mary’s Athletic Club on Moore Street. Whittier was a coach for the team. Some of the volunteers include Joe Furness, carrying the ladder, and Bob Coots, up on the ladder.

ALBION – Scott Whittier’s friends and family are working to keep his memory alive by upgrading some of the local Little League fields where Whittier was a coach.

Last year, they installed a new backstop for the Carlton Clippers at the team’s field behind the Carlton Recreation hall on Route 98.

Whittier also coached the St. Mary’s team, and today volunteers tore off an old backstop and put on a new one. They put up a safety fence in front of the dugouts and stands.

“He was always willing to help somebody, no matter how busy he was,” said his friend, Joe Furness. “He was very energetic and that would inspire you. His energy was infectious to everybody around him.”

It’s been nearly two years since Whittier, a popular youth baseball coach, died following complications from surgery. Whittier was only 44 when he died May 13, 2012.

St. Mary’s Athletic Club volunteers also helped with the upgraded backstop. Here, Scott Whittier’s friend Billy Hickman, left, works with St. Mary’s member Rick Ebbs to secure the new backstop.

Whittier’s friends and family organized a bowling tournament in January. More than 200 bowlers raised about $2,000 at the event at Oak Orchard Lanes. That money paid for the new backstop, fencing and also new metal roofs over the dugouts.

Whittier’s fiancée, Donna Hess, thanked Oak Orchard owner Randy Hanks and his family for their efforts with the bowling tournament. She said Whittier poured his heart into youth sports and enjoyed coaching the kids.

Whittier’s friends were thankful for the chance today to remember their friend and improve the ball field at St. Mary’s.

“If you had to design a friend, Scott would be the one,” said Bob Coots.

The new field will host the home opener for the St. Mary’s team on Saturday.

Joe Furness, right, drills the top section of the backstop into a row of wood. Other volunteers include Craig Wright, center, and Bob Coots.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Evelina Alexandris, 12, of Albion sprints at the beginning of a 5-kilometer race this morning. Evelina has the lead over her mother, Shelcy Plueckhahn, in this photo.

About 25 walkers and runners participated in the 5K this morning that went from Brown Street to Keitel Road and back along the towpath. This is the third annual 5K organized by The Light of Victory Church.

The congregation at 47 Brown St. uses proceeds from the race to help pay for holiday baskets distributed during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cindy Mordino, race organizer, is pictured facing the camera at right. “It’s been a blessing every year,” she said about the race. “We have never had rain.”

There is another 5K later today in Medina. The Arc of Orleans County is having the 20^th annual Terri Krieger Memorial 5K walk/run. The walk begins at 1:30 p.m. with the run at 2 p.m. It starts at the Sacred Heart Club on North Gravel Road.

Other upcoming races include the Jim Ferris 5K at 9 a.m. on June 7 in Holley and the Strawberry Festival 5K and 8K at 8 a.m. on June 14 in Albion.

Albion site will have new monthly exhibits through December

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Marti’s on Main, a fine arts gallery in Albion, kicked off its sixth season tonight.

The gallery will have new exhibits each month through December. Marti’s owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella  highlighted local youth artists for the season-opening show.

The top photo shows work by Albion High School senior Nathanael Sugar. Willow Groth, 7, also has several pieces of artwork on display. Her mother, Laura Genagon Groth, works as an artist.

“You got to catch them while they are young and nurture that love for art,” Muscarella said at the gallery, located at 227 North Main St. “It gets snuffed out by the world, which is a shame.”

Muscarella also has works from six of her grandchildren, including these creations by Maleah Knight, 9. She made these about two years ago.

Maleah also made this artwork, which was based on the famous Starry Night painting by Vincent van Gogh.

To see the line-up of exhibits for the year, click here to see Marti’s Facebook page.

Public vote hasn’t been scheduled for project on 98

Photos by Sue Cook – This rendering shows what the new fire hall could look like if Barre taxpayers approve this proposal.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

BARRE – The Barre Fire District is proposing a new fire hall that fire commissioners say will actually save money in the long run, rather than staying in the existing site on Route 98.

The new fire hall is estimated to cost $1.55 million with $1.25 million for construction and $300,000 for soft costs (planning, engineering, land purchase, etc.). A capital fund contribution would cover $150,000 of that. The remaining share would be paid by local taxpayers at $1.4 million although grants could lower that cost.

The proposed new location is farther north on Route 98 on the west side of the road, a little past the Barre Town Park. Fire District officials have already spoken to Keeler Construction, which owns the land and has given verbal approval to sell the property if the proposed fire hall is approved by taxpayers.

“The idea is to have a long-lasting building, a 50-year-plus building,” said Tom Carpenter of Clark Patterson Lee of Rochester.

Carpenter and fire commissioners discussed the project during a public meeting on Wednesday night.

The new building would be 7,300 square feet. It would have five truck bays, three on the front and two on the back. This will allow two of the lanes to be pull-through. There would also be more space for all the storage and other room that are lacking in the current building.

“It’s going to be very energy efficient and have lower life-cycle loss like some other construction types like you might have,” Carpenter said.

Tom Carpenter shows the building layout on the plot of land.

The building would be masonry construction with insulated metal siding and a standing seam metal roof. Energy efficiency has also been incorporated into the proposed structure. There would be radiant-heat flooring. The building was also designed at an angle to the road to prevent westerly winds from sucking out all of the heated air.

If grants are approved, solar panels could also be added to the structure. There would also be asphalt driveways and parking and concrete pads for truck parking in front of the bay doors. On-site utilities of septic, water, electric, gas and storm water have also been incorporated into the proposed design.

Last year the Barre Fire Company responded to 246 calls. Without their statistics in front of them, Fire Company leaders estimate that 60 percent were emergency medical services and 40 percent were fires and other incidents. The number varies from year to year depending on disasters and weather, such as ice storms.

The current hall was built in 1960 as an addition to a schoolhouse from 1910. The hall currently needs repairs and a roof replacement. It is also too small for standard-sized fire vehicles. The most recently purchased truck cost an extra $100,000 to be custom created to fit inside the small, short space available inside the current fire hall.

There is also limited space for offices, storage, equipment and HVAC. The site also has limited handicapped accessibility.

There is also no fire suppression system inside the current building, which contains old wiring, so a fire inside the current fire hall could result in a loss of all the trucks if they were unable to be removed in time.

Grants are unable to be applied for until a proposal is approved. If taxpayers say yes to a plan, the fire district can then apply for grant money that reduce the costs.

“This process is similar to doing a water district,” said Fire Company Treasurer Barry Flansburg. “All the estimates on everything are considered high so that the goal is we tell you, in theory, the worst possible scenario. This is the highest possible cost.”

Barry Flansburg explains what the monetary benefits could be to owning a new building.

The current yearly budget for paying the loans that the district would incur is $65,000. The fire company (which supplies the manpower for the district) currently gets $15,000 in rent for the use of the current hall by the district (which is responsible for providing the services), which would be moved to use for the new building’s construction and mortgage.

Taxes were also raised by the district and were already reflected in this year’s January statements that add the other $50,000 to the total. Homeowners with a $100,000 assessment saw an increase from $1.07 to $1.45 on their tax bill. Next year, that will decrease to $1.39 with no changes in assessment.

Estimates for maintaining the current building average out to nearly the same. However, the department says the maintenance would be ongoing and costly. Many of the costs would come as a lump sum requirement, such as the roof replacement, instead of a cost spread out over a 30-year loan period with the proposal for the new building.

They also say that taxpayers should consider the cost of vehicles into their decision, too, reminding them that the custom-sized vehicles are significantly more expensive and need to be replaced as the insurance company requires new standards.

While the department had considered rebuilding in the space that the hall is currently in, Fire Company leaders are not finding this to be a possibility. The driveway on the south side of the building belongs to a different property owner and the driveway on the north side has the water line from the water tower running directly underneath of it.

The current space also would not easily contain many of the new features and required standards that are being proposed with the new building, including the possibility of containing larger trucks. The trucks would also need some form of storage during the construction.

The district will own the building, opposed to the company. This means that the taxpayers will own the building. It will not have public space and is not open to the public due to laws requiring the building being for the function of firefighting only.

The fire company will retain ownership of the current building and will vote and decide what they would like to do with it later if the approval is given for new construction. Fire officials have discussed the possibility of using the space for fundraising or other events since the trucks would not require the space and the doors along the front could be sealed.

Other considered locations for the new firehall were either too expensive or not right for the fire company. The Barre Town Park was rejected because during sporting events the driveway would become clogged and the fire trucks would not be able to get out.

A second driveway would be unable to be added due to laws about driveways added to state highways. The proposed new location would have the main driveway for the fire station and Keeler Construction has agreed to share their connected driveway in the event the fire department needs it.

“It’s very important and we want to answer as many questions as we can,” Flansburg said. “We’re still available to talk to. We want to hear your feedback. The commissioners want to know. They’ll decide if they want to wait a month or two to vote.”

The fire commissioners have meetings at 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month in the current fire hall. The meetings are open to the public. They will be meeting next Tuesday and will be deciding when the vote will be for the proposal.

Once they have made a decision, they will send a notification letter to all registered Barre voters informing when the vote will be. The approval will require at least a 51 percent yes vote, regardless of the voter turn-out numbers.

If approval is given by the taxpayers, the district will begin to apply for grants and loans. They will also finalize architectural plans with Clark Patterson Lee. Public bidding would begin in the winter and if a bid is approved, the construction phase would start in spring 2015 and could be finished as early as fall 2015.

Effort raises money for Women & Children’s Hospital

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 30 employees at CRFS in Albion are out this morning selling special “Kids Day” editions of The Buffalo News. In the top photo Jill Newman of CRFS sells the newspaper at the intersection of State and Main streets, in front of the Presbyterian Church.

CRFS is trying to sell 1,000 of the papers this morning. The effort raises money for Women & Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. The Buffalo News has printed a special Kids Day edition for 32 years.

Besides selling at busy intersections, CRFS has a stash of the newspapers at its East Avenue location. This is the first year CRFS has volunteered for the effort. Previously, employees at JP Morgan Chase in Albion sold the papers.

Ryan Lasal of CRFS sells the “Kids Day” edition at the corner of routes 31 and 98.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Contractors work on installing a new playground by the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion. The new playground could be ready next week.

ALBION – The former wooden playground at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School has been removed after about 20 years of use and a new playground with slides, climbing points and several standalone sections will be added.

The new system could be ready as soon as next week if the weather is cooperative.

Contractors have added drainage to improve soil and surfacing dry times, District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell said.

Pieces are in the parking lot, soon to be installed in the playground.

The former playground with its wood structure provided a good home for bees and years of water exposure had caused its own damage, Bonnewell said. The manufacturer was no longer making spare parts and that resulted in the custom milling of some replacement parts.

The new playground is a Game Time brand unit. Titan from Gasport is doing the installation.

Elementary school students had a vote in the color schemes and design elements for the playground. State Sen. George Maziarz directed $67,800 in discretionary “bullet aid” to Albion, which the district used towards the new playground.

Joe Martillotta will remain a presence at tavern

Photos by Tom Rivers – Sue Holmes became the owner of the Crooked Door, a tavern at the corner of East State and Brown streets, on April 3. Joe Martillotta, right, and his wife Debbie did extensive renovations of the site and opened Jan. 31, 2011.

ALBION – When Joe Martillotta retired from teaching social studies at Albion in 2009, he pursued a dream of owning a restaurant and bar.

Martillotta bought the former Club 469 on East State Street. It took 16 months to renovate the building along the Erie Canal. Joe and his wife Debbie opened the Crooked Door Tavern on Jan. 31, 2011.

The business employs 17 people, and draws customers from Orleans, Monroe, Genesee, Niagara and Erie counties. Mr. Martillotta worked 110 hours a week that first year in business. The second year he was down to 90 hours a week and then 80 hours weekly the past year.

Martillotta says he has put his heart and soul in the business. He planned to own and operate it for at least five years, but a health scare in December 2012 convinced him the Crooked Door was consuming too much of his life. He has recovered and is fine now.

“It was a wake-up call,” he said.

He and his wife Debbie decided to put the business on the market. They looked for the right fit in a new owner.

Sue (Schafer) Holmes bought the Crooked Door on April 3 after several months of transition. Holmes grew up down the street from the tavern. She remembers it when it was an Italian neighborhood bar.

Sue Holmes said she likes the excitement in the restaurant business and the chance to connect with so many people. Crooked Door is located at 469 East State St.

“I remember the old 469,” she said. “I can’t believe what Joe and Debbie have done to the place. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Holmes worked as a software engineer for Xerox until the company sold its research and development, and laid her off in December 2012. A Hamlin resident, she set out looking to own a business.

A business broker mentioned the Crooked Door was for sale and Holmes was thrilled to reconnect with her hometown. She had never worked in the restaurant business after a career in a corporate setting.

“I like the excitement and the atmosphere,” she said. “It’s fun touching base with so many people.”

Martillotta also is remaining at the restaurant during a transition time. On Sunday he was the bartender. He is willing to help out where needed.

“I’m thrilled I get to stick around,” Martillotta said. “We’re thrilled to have an Albionite come home to run this. The Crooked Door is in good hands.”

Martillotta is happy to have more time for his family, including grandchildren. On Friday, he and his wife were both off and they saw a show at Shea’s in Buffalo.

Crooked Door is located along the Erie Canal. Sue Holmes bought the business from Joe Martillotta and his wife Debbie. The staff of 17 employees will remain largely unchanged.

He feels at home at the Crooked Door, and he said he has made many friends since the restaurant opened. He praised Holmes for keeping the staff of 17 largely intact. There is one new chef.

Holmes was won over by the “excellent food and service” at the Crooked Door. The staff prepares almost everything from scratch.

“It’s real food,” she said. “It’s not pre-made and frozen.”

Holmes has reconnected with many of her former classmates and friends in the past few months, while meeting many new people.

“It’s a great place and Albion needs this,” Holmes said.

For more on the Crooked Door, visit www.thecrookeddoor.com.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Babcock Construction works on the roof of a former medical center that will become the new home for the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union at the corner of Route 31 and Hamilton Street. A drive-through will be at the back of the building in Albion.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board supported the site plan and variances for the Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union to move into former medical offices at the corner of Route 31 and Hamilton Street.

Cobblestone Country will renovate the site and add a drive-through to the back end of the building. The village ordinance requires five spaces at a drive-through for cars to be in line, but the Planning Board approved a variance to have space for up to three cars in a line. That will reduce some of the “stacking” in the line, which won’t be as high volume as a fast-food restaurant, said Ron Vendetti, Albion’s code enforcement officer.

He said the lot is a tight space, but village planning officials were able to push for 15 parking spaces, and also allow for the drive-through and traffic flow, Vendetti said during the meeting tonight.

Cobblestone Country has permission to use the same driveway entrance on 31 that is owned by Oak Orchard Health. That will be better for traffic safety than having two entrances right next to each other, county planning officials said.

The building is 2,547 square feet and village ordinance requires 25 parking spaces for a building that size.  The 15 spaces for the project actually add nine from the previous use.

Cobblestone Country will move its existing sign from 239 South Main St., a building next to COVA. The sign will be in the front lawn at the site on Route 31.

“We agree it’s a tight site,” Vendetti said. “We did our best to make the best of it.”

Orleans County planners also supported the site plan for the Lake Ridge Fruit Company to build a 5,766-square-foot storage warehouse on the south side of its complex at 14234 Ridge Rd. The new building won’t be refrigerated. It will be used to store pallets, cardboard and packing supplies, said John Russell, general manager.

The building would be directly behind existing buildings owned by Lake Ridge. However, it is 25 feet from the property line. The town used to have a 25-foot setback requirement but that was changed about a decade ago to 50 feet.

Lake Ridge would need a 25-foot variance to have the new building be in line with the others. Planning Board members didn’t vote on the variance. It left it to the Town of Gaines Zoning Boards of Appeals to make the ruling.

Jim Bensley, county senior planner, said the variance should only be considered after all options have been exhausted. Lake Ridge should reach out to the neighboring property owner, Circle R Farms, to see if it could acquire a 25-foot strip of land in Circle R’s apple orchard to meet the setback request, county planners decided.

One Planning Board member, Marty Busch of Medina, said the town should give Lake Ridge the variance. The 25-foot setback wouldn’t cause an adverse impact on Circle R and its orchard, Busch said.

Lake Ridge has recently added a new building for a packing line, and a new controlled-atmosphere storage facility.

“How many businesses do you know around here that are putting up buildings?” Busch said. “Hey, God bless them if they can do that.”