Photos by Sue Cook – The starting gun fired and people burst off the starting line near the corner of East State and Main streets.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

ALBION – A record crowd of 296 runners lined up for the 24th Annual Albion Strawberry Festival 5k/8k Race. The cool, overcast weather didn’t keep away a large crowd of onlookers and supporters.

The race is organized by the Albion Running Club and proceeds from the event are shared with local charities and non-profits, including the community kitchen at Christ Church, a mission trip, Care Net of Greater Orleans and Hospice of Orleans.

The race has jumped from about 200 participants two years ago to nearly 300 today.

“We’re always surprised and excited with the support that we see from runners in the area,” said race organizer, Brian Krieger. “It’s great to see a lot of people that have worked on getting their bodies more fit. We’ve got a lot of new beginner runners and a lot of people over 70.”

Sheila Lemcke, this year’s strawberry runner, jogs backward and calls out to people to beat her to the finish. She tried to finish in the middle of the pack – about 29 minutes for the 5k – and people who finished ahead of her won a prize.

As is tradition with the race, one runner is dressed as a strawberry. Other runners are challenged to beat the strawberry’s time. This year, Sheila Lemcke was chosen to be the strawberry after race organizers read about her “Albion woman loses 100-plus pounds with lifestyle change” on the Orleans Hub. Lemcke lost more than 100 pounds through fitness and nutrition. She continues to run for health with excellent times in many races.

“I was trying to finish in half the pack to help motivate those that needed a little motivation,” Lemcke said. “I’ve always been trying to increase my speed and go faster. This time I was able to slow down and enjoy and talk to some of the runners. I hope more will join us next year.”

The race honored the memory of Wayne Burlison and Judy Christopher.

Race organizers honored two people who were influential in the Albion running community. Judy Christopher, former owner of Phoenix Fitness, organized the race for about two decades.

Christopher died from cancer at age 70 on Aug. 3, 2013. Her husband Gene volunteered at the mile 3 marker today, calling out times for the runners. Judy and Gene’s son David Cristofaro completed the course, pushing a jogger stroller.

Several runners removed their shoes for the last section of the race to honor Wayne Burlison, who helped start a running club and “Run for God” program in Albion.

Burlison enjoyed running barefoot. He died from cancer on March 26 at age 36.

Burlison’s wife Lisa ran the race in her husband’s memory today. Several runners also wore “Run for Wayne” shirts.

Wayne Burlison’s wife Lisa Burlison and her son, Adam, both remembered Wayne this morning. Lisa wrote “Wayne” on her inner arm and “Hope” on her leg. She also wore her husband’s orange compression socks.

“Wayne was a very humble person and wouldn’t have expected any of this,” Mrs. Burlison said. “He ran for his health and because he could spread the Word of God and set forth that example.”

She said that Wayne’s message was “living your life for God and taking care of your body, and spreading that love and that care for each other just being a part of a community, and that we’re in this together. Wayne was a huge encourager for everybody. It’s just a huge blessing to see all these people reach out and remember him.”

Some of the runners, including Greg Staines at left and elementary school principal Rachel Curtin, removed their shoes to honor Wayne Burlison.

Mark Hyrvniak, a physical education teacher at Albion High School, was the first to cross the finish line. Hyrvniak said he tries to encourage students to participate in the race.

“We always try to get as many runners as we can to get out here and support the community,” he said. “This is a great race. I’m glad everyone came out for Wayne. He was a teacher that passed away this past spring. I think it was motivation for a lot of runners in the community to get moving and run for him.”

Mark Hryvniak, one of the track and cross country coaches at Albion High School, finishes ahead of everyone else with a time of 16:36.

Kimberly Mills was the first female to finish in a time of 19:07. In the 8k, Chad Byler of Rochester won the men’s division with a time of 26:57. Trisha Byler of Rochester led the women in a time of 30:43.

To see the list of runners’ times from the race, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

The Albion Purple Eagles Marching Band ended its season today with a rousing performance in front of the home crowd at the Strawberry Festival.

The band has had a memorable season, winning first place in every competition it entered – in Nunda, Holley and Seneca Falls. The band also played in the Rochester Lilac Festival and traveled to Philadelphia.

The Albion band’s show, entitled “Heartbeats,” features love-themed music including songs by Queen, Bon Jovi, Phil Collins, and Elvis Presley. Effects include a 10-foot high valentine heart prop and a mass release of red, eco-friendly balloons.  In the top photo, the balloons are released on Main Street and fly high near the First Presbyterian Church.

Senior Ben Kirby plays the trumpet for the last time with the Purple Eagle Marching Band during today’s Strawberry Festival Parade.

Drum major and senior Brooke Chandler leads the band down Main Street.

The drum line plays in front of the reviewing stand.

The band makes its way down Main Street. Fifth-graders Lucas O’Connor and Annalise Steier hold the banner in front.

Joe Madejski plays the trumpet. The top of the First United Methodist Church shows in the background.

Students all wore decals “Mr. B” in honor of Wayne Burlison, the assistant marching band director. Burlison was 36 when he died from colon cancer on March 26. He helped plan the season’s show. This decal is on the hat worn by Char Olick, one of the drum majors.

Father Csizmar directs marching band to ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ by Queen

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Rev. Richard Csizmar, pastor of Holy Family Parish, directs the Albion Marching Band in a performance of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by the rock group Queen.

Father Csizmar won an “Elect the Conductor” contest, getting the most votes of five other community members. The fund-raiser generated $4,000 for the band. Members sold tickets for $1 each for people to vote for one of six guest conductors. The fund-raiser helped pay for the band’s trip to Philadelphia.

Csizmar directed the group after its performance in the parade at about noon today. He received a big round of applause and Band Director Michael Thaine said Csizmar will receiver a souvenir “golden baton” for serving as guest conductor.

Photos by Sue Cook – Children in the Albion Free Methodist Church play on the pirate ship. The kids chased each other around pretending to sword fight. The church had a float in the parade to promote its Vacation Bible School from July 28-Aug. 1.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

ALBION – Brad Shelp has the tough job lining up everyone for the Strawberry Festival Parade. It’s not a free-for-all, but instead a carefully coordinated and planned effort.

Shelp helped organize the first parade in the Strawberry Festival going back nearly three decades ago.

“I started at the beginning 28 years ago,” he said. “I took four years off, but now I’ve taken it back. It’s bigger than last year. I think it’ll be a good parade this year.”

Nine marching bands and about 50 floats were part of the 90-minute parade that starts at the elementary school on Route 31 and heads west to Route 98, turning north to the canal.

“I try to keep the music from overlapping each other,” Shelp said. “I usually go through it two or three times. You get your little dance groups that have music, too, so you want to keep them away from the bands.”

The Sandstone Park Midget League baseball team gets pumped to prepare for their place in the lineup.

Jenny McKenna, the NYS Guernsey Princess, was riding in a car for the parade. Guernseys are orange and white milking cows. She will be the princess for one year. This follows her reign as a former Niagara-Orleans Dairy Princess. She had brochures prepared to give to anyone who wanted to know more about the breed.

“We’re the only one in our area that have Guernseys,” McKenna said about her family farm in Barre. “We’re just trying to educate the public in our area about the Guernseys.”

Jeffrey Brown (strawberry) was there with his brother Harrison (the bear). They were joined by Carolyn Ricker (Waldo) of Bindings Bookstore for some chat time as people got organized.

Brown’s Berry Patch brought a 1929 Ford pickup that was restored by Bob Brown and his father Ralph.

“We’re here to celebrate the Strawberry Festival tradition,” said Margy Brown as she dressed Jeffrey in his costume.

Ricker, owner of Bindings Bookstore, dressed up in a Where’s Waldo costume to promote an event next month, when Waldo will be hiding in 25 Albion businesses. Children can earn coupons toward books and win prizes depending on the number of Waldos they find.

The Albion Marching Band led by drum major Brooke Chandler preps by marching around the high school’s loop and rehearsing. The white plumes on some of the hats mean the student is a senior this year.

Luann McMullen, who works with the banner holders and calls herself a band mom, explained the significance of today’s performance for the Albion Marching Band.

“Mr. Burlison has been a big part of the marching band,” McMullen said. “He was the Assistant Band Director.”

The students lost Mr. Wayne Burlison in March due to colon cancer. The students wore stickers that said “Mr. B” on them and some students had a teardrop painted on the corner of one eye.

“He was integral in coming up with the music, the arrangement of the music and the choreography. He’s been with a lot of these kids since they’ve been in the fourth and fifth grade.”

For their performance the students played “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Somebody to Love.” A quintet of students also had a moment in the performance where they presented roses to the drum majors. The theme revolves around love and the heart.

Jessica, Kerry and Eulalie Panek of Panek’s Pickin’ Patch watch the Pembroke Dragons Marching Band as they practice across the parking lot.

Vickie Randall, the Recreation Manager at the Arc of Orleans, was helping to arrange people in the float for the Self Advocates Program. Randall hopes the parade will raise awareness for the program because they rely on community support.

“Self advocates are independent people with disabilities who may need assistance along the way,” she said. “Because they are independent, they do their own fundraising for their own activities. They don’t receive funding from the Arc anymore because they are independent. They do car washes and they do a bottle drive at Albion Redemption Center.”

Local legend Dancing Derrick wears the Weed Man costume for another year and gets ready to dance in the parade. To prep for the festivities, he busts a move in the parking lot.

The Dansville White Sabers drum line practices in the parking lot by the Elementary School.

Jeremy Graham, assistant fire chief for Albion, dances for Rocky Sidari IV to keep him entertained. Rocky is the son of the Rocky Sidari, the fire chief.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Bill Pileggi and Triple Play perform Friday night at the food court in the Albion Strawberry Festival. Pileggi volunteers helping to book musicians for the two-day event.

Schedule of events for today (June 14, 2014)

7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Pancake Breakfast at the First Presbyterian Church
8 a.m. 24th Annual 5k/8k Race (Registration 7 – 8 a.m. at the Courthouse Square.) Sponsored by Albion Free Methodist Church
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Car Show Sponsored by Don Davis Registration 9 a.m. – noon; Judging 12 – 2 p.m.; Awards 3 p.m.
10 a.m. Parade Albion Purple Eagles, Hitmen Brass Band, Mighty St. Joes, Mark Time Marchers, Rochester Scottish Pipes & Drums, Pembroke Dragons, Kendall-Holley Marching Band, White Sabres Drum Corps

The Fauxtones played Friday night inside the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church. The event was played to be outdoors, but moved inside with the threat of rain. Sebastain Erakare plays the guitar and sings in the foreground. His father Jan-Mikael Erakare sings and plays bass, and Sebastian’s brother Ben Schell plays the drums in the rock/pop band.

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Craft Booths – Courthouse Square
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. View Abraham Lincoln’s Coffin – Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home
11 a.m. – 6 p.m. “I Got It,” Drum Circle, Dunk Tank & Kids Games Family Fun Center
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. 4H Llama – Courthouse Lawn
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Kandy Kiss the Balloon Clown – Courthouse Lawn
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. M.A.C. (acoustic band) – Courthouse Steps
12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Juggler Kevin Kelley – Courthouse Lawn
12 p.m. – 4 p.m. GCASA Youth Activities – Albion Free Methodist Church
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Caricature Artist Syd Dziewa – Courthouse Lawn

I Got It is back at the festival and always draws a crowd.

1p.m. – 3 p.m. Community Open Mic hosted by The Pratt Pack – Food Court
2 p.m. Turtle Race at the Main Street Canal Bridge
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Magic Illusions – Courthouse Lawn 5p
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Wegmans ZooMobile – Courthouse Lawn
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. DAR Open House – 249 N. Main St. 5pm-7pm The D.O.B. Artists –
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Don Newcomb Band – Courthouse Steps
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Crandall Wood and Main Band – Waterman Park
3 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. The Who Dats – Food Court 5pm-7pm The D.O.B. Artists –
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Jonsie and the Cruisers – Food Court
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Boots Tootsie (jazz band) – Courthouse Steps

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – A group of students took a hay ride to Albion’s Senior Prom tonight. They are pictured on Lynch Road, almost near their destination at Hickory Ridge Golf Resort in Holley.

Two other seniors drove their dates to the prom in tractors.

ALBION – Police have arrested the parents of a 13-year-old boy who accidentally shot his brother, 9, in the arm last night.

John H. Glena, 43, and Kelley S. Glena, 46, of 341 Caroline St. both were charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The two weren’t arrested because of the firearms incident but because of the condition of the dwelling where their children lived, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

John Glena

Kelley Glena

Police were dispatched Thursday to 110 Brown Street at 9:57 p.m. A 13-year-old appeared to be playing with the handgun in his second floor bedroom when it discharged, striking his brother lying in a nearby bed, Nenni said.

After the accidental shooting, police say the 9-year-old victim and his brother ran from their house to the next-door neighbor where their mother was located. The children’s father was inside the residence at the time the shooting occurred. Neither parent was aware that the 13-year-old had a handgun, police said.

Village of Albion Code Enforcement responded to the 341 Caroline St. and revoked the Certificate of Occupancy due to several serious code violations. The home was found to have several unsafe code violations and several other factors that jeopardized the health of the children ages 9 and 13, Nenni said.

Both parents were charged with 2 counts of endangering the welfare of child. Appearance tickets were issued for Albion Town Court on July 1.

The 9-year-old was transported by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He was in stable condition this morning, Nenni said.

Update

In an email at 8:41 p.m., Chief Nenni said the boy has been released from the hospital and will require followup care.

The 13-year-old also allegedly stole an additional .22 caliber handgun from the elderly acquaintance and had concealed the firearm in a detached garage at 341 Caroline St. The 13-year-old has been charged with Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (D Felony), Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree (E Felony) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd Degree (D Felony). He was issued appearance tickets to appear at Orleans County Probation at a later date.

Because he is a juvenile his name hasn’t been released.

Press release, Albion Police Department

ALBION – A 9-year-old boy in the village of Albion was accidently shot in the arm Thursday night with a handgun by his older brother.

The 9-year-old was transported by Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is in stable condition, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

Police were dispatched to 110 Brown Street at 9:57 p.m. Police learned the 13-year-old brother had stolen the handgun from an elderly acquaintance of the family. The 13-year-old appeared to be playing with the handgun in his second floor bedroom when it discharged, striking his brother whom was lying in a nearby bed, Nenni said.

The 9-year-old victim and his brother then ran from the house to the next-door neighbor where their mother was located. The children’s father was inside the residence at the time the shooting occurred. Neither parent was aware that the 13-year-old had a handgun.

The investigation also revealed the 13-year-old stole an additional .22 caliber handgun from the elderly acquaintance and had concealed the firearm in a detached garage at 341 Caroline St.

The 13-year-old was charged with Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (D Felony), Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree (E Felony) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd Degree (D Felony). He was issued appearance tickets to appear at Orleans County Probation at a later date.

Village of Albion Code Enforcement also responded to the 341 Caroline St. address and revoked the Certificate of Occupancy due to several serious code violations.

The case remains under investigation. The names will not be released due to the juveniles involved.

Photos by Tom Rivers

The 28th annual Strawberry Festival has opened in Albion and vendors are selling food, crafts and lots of other items in the downtown and Courthouse Square.

Albion attorney Nathan Lyman is shown cooking hot dogs at the Rotary booth. Lyman helped start the first festival with his wife Gail.

Kentucky Fried Chicken in Albion is a debut vendor in the food court. Co-owners Sandy Chappius, left, and Madeline Hsiao want to support the festival and promote the KFC.

The festival for the first time includes a farm equipment display. Bentley Brothers brought down several tractors and big pieces of agriculture equipment on the north side of the canal between the two lift bridges.

The Albion Middle School Jazz Band performs in front of the Orleans County Courthouse. Students Riley Seielstad, left, and Hailey Bader sing “Hallelujah,” a tribute to Wayne Burlison, an Albion music teacher who died from cancer on March 26.

The festival continues until Saturday night.

File photos by Tom Rivers – Don Bishop, one of the Strawberry Festival organizers, drives a car in last year’s parade with a turtle in back. The Amazing Turtle Race will be 2 p.m. on Saturday at the canal.

ALBION – The Albion community’s signature event, the two-day Strawberry Festival, is back beginning today with an agricultural theme and many new events, as well as returning favorites.

A committee of volunteers has been working with the village for many months to plan the long list of events in the Courthouse Square, the downtown and along the canal bank.

“We’ve tried to keep it a community event where you can bring the entire family,” said Michael Bonafede, chairman of the Strawberry Festival Committee.

The festival’s theme – “Flourish! Our Farms – Our Future!” – will be celebrated with an agricultural equipment display on the north side of the canal between the two lift bridges. There will also be a farmers’ market at Waterman Park and some farm floats in Saturday’s parade at 10 a.m.

The parade is one of the highlights of the festival. There will be nine marching bands and about 50 floats in the parade.

The Alexander Firemen’s Marching Band performs in the parade last June. Nine bands will be in Saturday’s parade.

The Albion Rotary Club sponsors the festival and many of the club’s members serve on committees with other community members.

“Our members are very dedicated to it,” said Cindy Perry, Rotary Club president. “They have been on the committee for years. They don’t want to see it lose momentum. They want to keep it going and see it grow.”

Bonafede was pleased to see new partners emerge for events, including GCASA, which is running youth activities at the Albion Free Methodist Church on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

The DAR will open its historic home for tours on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. The site at 249 North Main St. is on the National Register of Historic Places. Another National Register site, Mount Albion Cemetery, will be the focus of a tour after the parade on Saturday. County Historian Bill Lattin will lead that effort.

Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home, which is also on the National Register, will be open for tours during its 100^th anniversary. The funeral home will be hosting an exhibit on funereal history and will have a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin on display.

The festival has typically been focused by the courthouse and in the downtown. The festival footprint has expanded north to include the Erie Canal. Besides the farm equipment on display, the “Amazing Turtle Race” will be in the canal at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

“We’re trying to incorporate more of the canal because it’s such a significant part of the area,” Bonafede said.

There will be a full schedule of live music and family entertainment today and Saturday. Festival-goers can hear bands and see rare animals.

Other popular mainstays include a classic car show, a 5K/8K run and walk on Saturday at 8 a.m., a craft and collectibles show and the food court.

For more on the festival, click here.

The schedule of events for today includes:

11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Food Court – East Bank Street

11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Craft Booths

12 p.m. – 6 p.m. View Abraham Lincoln’s Coffin – Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Albion Middle School Jazz Band – Courthouse Steps

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Ghost Riders Band (country music) – Courthouse Steps

2 p.m. – 6 p.m Lakeshore Alpacas – Courthouse Lawn

3 p.m. – 8 p.m. “I Got It,” Drum Circle, Dunk Tank & Kids Games Family Fun Center

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Razz Jazz – Courthouse Steps

4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Chicken BBQ at the First Presbyterian Church & Strawberry Social

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dave Viterna Group – Food Court

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The Triple Play Band – Food Court

7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fauxtones (rock/pop band) – Courthouse Steps

State, Fed dollars would pay for nearly entire project

Photos by Tom Rivers – Tearing out the Clarendon Street bridge will require the removal of embankments that reach 11 feet high. Here is the view looking north past Crimson Drive.

ALBION – If the Clarendon Street bridge is taken out and blocked off, village residents and motorists can expect minimal disruption in traffic patterns and wait times, said the engineer who has been working on the project.

Kevin Miller, an engineer with Bergmann Associates, said the current wait time at Clarendon Street for turning onto Route 31 is 11 seconds during peak traffic from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

If the bridge is demolished and blocked off, most of the traffic would shift to McKinistry Street and the wait times would rise to 16 seconds, Miller said. That is well below the threshold of what the state Department of Transportation considers an unacceptable wait time: 50 seconds or longer.

The north side of the Clarendon Street bridge gently reaches its peak, but that side will also require leveling and a better turning radius for Childs Street.

The village has reached out to the community for their input about the impacts of shutting down the street by the railroad tracks. Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance sees the blocked off section causing some “confusion and delays” for motorists.

Jason Spencer, COVA director of operations, said the east end of the village already poses problems for COVA. The Brown Street bridge is closed and ambulances can’t use part of Butts Road because of a railroad bridge that has a clearance of about 7 feet.

“I’m just concerned with the delay in going to Rochester,” Spencer said after Wednesday’s Village Board meeting.

Albion police say “there would be no drastic impact on emergency services” and the school district told the village there will be “a slightly longer route for a few buses,” Miller said.

Kevin Miller, an engineer with Bergmann Associates, discusses the Clarendon Street bridge with resident Gloria Davis and concerned community members, including Jason Spencer (right), director of operations for COVA.

During a public meeting on Wednesday, some neighbors wondered how the bridge demolition would affect the neighborhood. Miller said the 40-year-old bridge rests on embankments that peak at 11 feet high. The bridge and embankments will all be removed.

Contractors will make sure Clarendon Street is leveled and allows for the proper turning radius for Crimson Drive and Childs Street. Miller said the blocked off areas should have nice landscaping with grass and possibly trees.

The village, DOT and Genesee Transportation Council wanted to remove the bridge and replace it with a new one. But the costs for the project jumped from about $2.1 million to $2.55 million. The village’s share of the project was due to rise from $106,000 to about $700,000.

Village Board members say the village doesn’t have the money for the increase. It would have to finance it at a cost of $70,000 to $100,000 a year. Village Trustee Eileen Banker said the 2 percent tax cap makes it difficult for that much of an increase. Albion would have to scale back on services or staff to accommodate the payment, Banker said.

If the village chooses to remove the bridge and close off that section of the street, the project would be about $1,338,000. State and federal aid would cover 95 percent of the project, leaving the village with about $70,000 of the total cost or 5 percent.

When the cost jumped for the bridge replacement, the state and federal governments said they wouldn’t boost their share, leaving the village to pay all of the added costs. But a bridge removal is about half the costs of replacing the bridge, and the village can maximize the 95 percent aid share from the state and federal government.

The project has been debated in Village Hall for about 15 years. The village runs the risk of losing all of the state and federal money if the Village Board doesn’t pick a plan soon. The GTC board in Rochester meets June 19 and would like Albion to settle on a project.

Residents have also suggested an at-grade crossing, but that could be years to get approved and Albion might have to take out one or two others in the village to make up for adding one, Miller said.

Miller shows a slide of the existing railroad crossings in the village. If Clarendon Street were made an at-grade crossing, Miller said at least one other crossing, and likely two, would have to be taken out from the village.

The board said by taking out the bridge and blocking off  a portion of the street, it still leaves open the option of pursuing at at-grade crossing in the future.

“We either take the $1.4 million (from the state and federal government) and do something with it or we have nothing,” Banker said.

She worries if the village stalls on the project the money could be pulled and directed to another project in the Rochester region, leaving the village to pay the full costs for whatever happens to Clarendon Street bridge.

“We’re like a cat,” she said. “We’re at our ninth life. We’re done.”

The bridge is inspected annually by the state DOT and has many structural deficiencies. Miller said the bridge is “beyond repair.” He said it’s impossible to predict how much longer the bridge will last before it would get shut down for safety reasons by the state.

“It could happen tomorrow, but I don’t think that’s likely,” he said. “But in the next five years there would be a high chance of it.”

The village would like to see the removal go forward. Miller said the project is in the final design stage. He said it could go out to bid in the fall or winter with the construction work next year.

ALBION – Downtown Albion now feels a bit like an art gallery and also a showcase of community pride.

Artists have been painting new street benches, and the first seven were put out today just in time for the Strawberry Festival on Friday and Saturday.

The village is getting 12 new benches as part of a Main Street grant that will help with other street-scape improvements in the downtown. The grant also paid seven artists for their work in creating the murals on the benches.

One of the new benches in downtown Albion is painted as a tribute to Charles Howard, founder of a Santa Claus School in Albion. Peter Loran is the artist.

Retired Albion art teacher Suzanne Wells created this scene of the Erie Canal.

Chris VerSteeg of Kendall created this painting of a tugboat at sunrise.

Arthur Barnes of Medina painted this bench with a cobblestone theme.

Three other benches are in the works and will be painted in themes featuring a piano, apples, and Grace Bedell and Abraham Lincoln. (Bedell is the Albion girl who wrote to Lincoln, urging him to grow a beard.)

I have been chairman of this art project. I’d like to see more of the benches in Albion. It a great way to promote our history and local attractions, while making downtown and Main Street a bigger attraction.

The artists did a wonderful job. These weren’t easy to paint. If anyone is interested in donating to help get more of these done, send me a message at tom@orleanshub.com.

Peter Loran of Kent painted three benches with fishing-related themes. The area is world renown for its salmon and trout fishery.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Susan Rudnicky (in black), former director of the Hoag Library in Albion, is toasted by Mary Anne Braunbach, right, and about 80 other people during a reception Sunday at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church. The event was a celebration of Rudnicky and her longtime assistant Susie Gaylard, left, who is holding her grandson Caleb Fisher.

ALBION – Two long-time library employees were showered in praise and appreciation during a reception on Sunday.

The event came three months after Susan Rudnicky, the former director at the Hoag Library in Albion, was dismissed. She worked 16 years as library director. After Rudnicky was let go by the library board of trustees, Susie Gaylard quit. She worked 28 years as administrative assistant. She helped plan programs, and also handled bookkeeping and payroll.

The Friends of Hoag Library organized the reception in honor of the two library workers on Sunday.

“They deserved it,” Mary Anne Braunbach, president of the Friends, said about the party for Rudnicky and Gaylard. “They deserved it for their long and faithful service.”

Together the two gave 44 years to the library. Rudnicky was praised for seeing through the transition from moving the library from a converted house on a Main Street to a new site in 2012 with about 2 ½ times the space.

The Friends of Hoag Library put on the appreciation event for Susan Rudnicky and Susie Gaylard. Those pictured include, from left: Friends President Mary Anne Braunbach, Rudnicky, Gaylard and Friends members Judy Manley, Cathy Moore, Grace Kent and Donna Wolcott.

Before the move to the new building, Rudnicky led the former Swan Library’s efforts to modernize, going from a card catalog to electronic organization system for tracking books. She expanded computer use for patrons and pushed for e-books at the library, said Tom Bindeman, director of the NIOGA library system.

“She was an ambassador not only for the library but for the community,” Bindeman said. “She’s a classy lady.”

NIOGA offers many support services and staff development training for libraries in Orleans, Niagara and Genesee counties. Rudnicky insisted that her staff in Albion attend many of the NIOGA programs. She wanted them to be better able to serve the public, Bindeman said.

The community gave $1.3 million in donations towards the new library. Rudnicky also wrote applications that netted about $800,000 in grants for the project.

“The community wouldn’t have supported the library without excellent library service,” Bindeman said.

Rudnicky was praised for the library’s many partnerships in the community with historical groups, literacy programs, and the community reading called A Tale for Three Counties.

Sarah Karas, a co-director at Cobblestone Society Museum, thanked Rudnicky for continuing as president of the museum board and serving as a mentor to the staff.

Rudnicky has been staying busy, preparing for a September art show in Batavia. GO ART! will feature a collection of her acrylic paintings. She said she is also job hunting.

Several speakers also praised Gaylard for her commitment to library programs, especially events for children. Gaylard’s sister Terri Miller said the two would go Black Friday shopping early the day after Thanksgiving. While most people were hunting for bargains for friends and family, Gaylard was out looking for children’s prizes for library programs throughout the year.

Gaylard is growing fruit at her home in Barre and spending more time with her business making purses, Pursenality by Susie.

Gaylard and Rudnicky both thanked the Friends and local residents for the reception on Sunday.

“It was a wonderful show of community support,” Gaylard said.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jim Salmon, right, has been host of the Home Repair Clinic on WHAM since Dec. 15, 1988.

ROCHESTER – Jim Salmon will take your questions about any kind of malady afflicting your home – from moldy carpets, disintegrating roof shingles, soggy basements, you name it.

For 25 years he had led the Home Repair Clinic on WHAM 1180 with John Carr. Salmon lives in Barre and runs a home inspection business.

He invited me on the air for his show today to talk about the Orleans Hub and on-line news sites.

Salmon is on the radio every Saturday on WHAM from 6 to 10 a.m. and Sundays from 9 to 11 a.m. Doug Bower, a plumber in Albion, is on the second Sunday each month to talk plumbing issues with callers and also to provide some witty banter with Salmon.

Doug Bower, left, is a frequent guest on the radio show with Jim Salmon.

The two make a good team. They met at the Barre Deli and Bower has been a frequent guest on the show for about 15 years.

“Doug is really good at it,” Salmon said about Bower’s radio presence. “He’s in the trades.”

Salmon has many guests on the show who talk about home repair issues. One guest today, Tony Hettinger, discussed a LawnBott, a robot that mows a lawn.

“It’s always fun,” Salmon said about the show. “We make it entertaining first with home repair second.”