Big roadblock removed for redeveloping property

Photo by Tom Rivers – This house at 136 Liberty St., and the one next door, have been sitting mostly vacant for more than a decade. The unpaid taxes were forgiven on the property today to help spur a redevelopment of the site.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators voted today to forgive about $60,000 in back taxes for two run-down houses in Albion, a decision that removes a roadblock for getting the houses knocked down and the site redeveloped.

The two houses, at 134 and 136 Liberty St., are in a spot that could be potentially attractive for development, Mayor Dean Theodorakos said.

The land is right across from the new Hoag Library, and many businesses are within walking distance.

“It’s appealing because it’s all walkable with the library, Tim Hortons, Ace Hardware and the churches,” the mayor said this evening.

The county voted to forgive the taxes, and would like to see the houses demolished so the land could be reused. It isn’t the norm for the county to forgive the taxes. The property is owned by the county and will be transferred to the village. The county can forgive taxes if the property is owned by a municipality, the EDA or a non-profit.

The village has obtained two bids from licensed asbestos contractors for a controlled demolition. It would cost $64,975 for the demolition.

Theodorakos said the village doesn’t have that in it’s budget in the immediate future.

He would welcome a scenario where a developer would pay to remove the two houses and add a residential project. He thinks the site would be ideal for a senior citizen complex given the close access to so many businesses and other services.

He thanked the county for forgiving the taxes today. That made a redevelopment $65,000 cheaper for a developer.

“We felt like they were in a no-win situation,” Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, said about the rundown properties. “It’s difficult for the villages to decide what to do with properties that are challenged.”

Nesbitt and David Callard, the Legislature chairman, are hopeful a new building or complex is built at the Liberty Street site soon.

“We want to see it return to a productive use,” Nesbitt said.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Cole London, 10, of Albion tries to toss a bean bag through a target as part of a Children’s Carnival last July 12 at Bullard Park.

ALBION – The village of Albion has twice sought state funding to upgrade Bullard Park, but has been denied.

The Lions Club wants to see some improvements move forward, so the local service club wants to work with the village to raise funds for projects at the park along Route 31. The Lions is planning a 7 p.m. public meeting on March 11 at the Hoag Library to talk about possible projects for the park.

The village’s Recreation Committee identified about $600,000 in projects, with a walking trail, reseeded ball fields, new playground equipment, a concession stand with new bathrooms, a spray park and other amenities.

That is probably too much for the community to tackle at once. Dale Brooks, the DPW superintendent, would like to see new playground equipment at Bullard for the first project. Brooks is a member of the Lions Club.

“That equipment is older than me,” he told the Lions Club members at its meeting tonight. “It’s getting to the point where it’s difficult to keep safe.”

Brooks would like to see the community aim for a $50,000 fund-raising goal initially and work on tackling the park upgrades in stages. The Lions Club will reach out to other service organizations and community members for help in funding the improvements. Any checks would go to the Village of Albion in the “Rebuild Bullard Park” fund.

Brooks said the park has a lot of needs. He would like to see the bathrooms moved to Pee Wee Park, which is more centrally located in Bullard. The current bathrooms are on the west side of the park in a spot that isn’t very visible from the Route 31. Those bathrooms and nearby pavilions are prone to vandalism, Brooks said.

One of the ball fields also is set downward from the rest of the park and has problems with wetness. Brooks said that field would benefit from some fill.

The park is popular for many youth and adult sports leagues, a summer recreation program and many other community events, including dog shows on Labor Day weekend.

The village added new playground equipment to Pee Wee about two years ago. It will install a new swing set this spring in memory of Kathy LaLonde, who was 54 when she died on Oct. 6 after fighting cancer. LaLonde was a member of the Recreation Committee and helped to develop the master plan for the park.

Dennis Calkins

Tammy Kuhns-Calkins

ALBION An Albion couple faces charges of felony unlawful possession of meth lab materials, punishable by up to seven years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of obstruction of governmental administration and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Dennis Calkins, 34, of Hamilton Street and his wife Tammy A. Kuhns-Calkins, 44, of Elba were arrested on Feb. 13 after a vehicle stop on Route 31 near the Save-A-Lot grocery store, the Albion Police Department is reporting.

Mr. Calkins jumped from the car while it was in motion and fled to a wooded area behind the grocery store, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

The Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit helped to track down Calkins who also was charged with use of a car without an Interlock device, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlawful fleeing from a police officer and resisting arrest. He also was wanted on a parole warrant.

Mrs. Kuhns-Calkins attempted to drive away in the car but stopped by an officer, police reported.

Police searched the car and also found hypodermic needles as well as  the components for a meth lab, police reported.

The husband and wife were sent to Orleans County Jail.

Mr. Calkins served about a year in prison for a felony DWI. He was released from Gowanda Correctional Facility on July 18, 2013 and was on parole until July 2015.

Photos by Michelle Ostroski

BARRE – The melting snow and ice flooded Pine Hill Road in Barre today. Barre firefighters were on the scene pumping water so the road could be reopened.

No independent candidates step forward; London unopposed

ALBION – Dean London, Albion’s retired police chief, will be unopposed on March 18 in the election for village mayor.

London has been endorsed by both the Republican and Democratic parties. No independent candidates stepped forward by the deadline Feb. 11 to run for mayor or village trustee.

London, a Republican, worked for the Albion Police Department for 20 years before retiring in April 2011. He currently works for Baxter Healthcare in Medina in the service department.

While London is unopposed for mayor, three trustee positions have both Republican and Democratic candidates.

Republicans have backed incumbent Eileen Banker and Stan Farone for four-year terms.  The party also endorsed Gary Katsanis for a two-year term.

Democrats endorsed Terry Wilbert and Patricia Cammarata for four-year terms. Cammarata wasn’t at the Democratic caucus on Jan. 28, but she has accepted the party’s nomination to run.

Democrats also endorsed Sandra Walter to run for the two-year term that fills the vacated seat by Fred Miller. He resigned in December so he could become a county legislator.

The village election will be noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 35-37 East Bank St.

Couple dies a day apart after 60 years of marriage

Provided photos – Floreen and Edward Hale of Batavia were inseparable for 60 years. They are pictured about five years ago on one of their many social outings.

They met at a dance in the Knowlesville Hotel. For 60 years of marriage, Ed and Floreen Hale were inseparable. They were well-known in Batavia for frequenting many diners and restaurants.

Mrs. Hale, an Albion native, often wore colorful foo foos in her hair. She loved to dress up. She had a spark in her personality and she made people laugh with her sense of humor.

Mr. Hale, who worked as an engineer in Batavia, loved to dote on his wife, always bringing her a treat or present when he went to the grocery store. They took daily drives around Batavia. He was proud of the city and the residential and commercial development he helped to shape.

Mrs. Hale died on Feb. 7. Her husband died the following day. They were together, in the same room, at United Memorial Medical Center surrounded by family.

“He was a gentleman right up to the end, waiting for her to go first,” said the couple’s daughter Renee Hirsch.

Determined love

Floreen grew up in Albion on East Park Street. She married when she was 19. She and her first husband were driving in Fredonia, on their way back to Batavia from Biloxi, Miss., when they were in a serious car accident two days before Christmas.

Floreen’s husband died in that accident, just three months after they married. He was a serviceman stationed down South. Floreen was seriously injured in the crash. She wasn’t able to leave her family’s home in Albion for six months while she recovered from her injuries.

When she and Ed started dating, Floreen’s mother Sarah Papponetti was adamant Mr. Hale should not marry her daughter. She was too sick and would be too much of a burden. But Mr. Hale wouldn’t accept that answer.

His response to her has become part of Hale family lore: “I don’t care if I have to carry her in my arms everyday,” Hale responded. Mrs. Papponetti gave her blessing to the marriage.

Floreen and Edward Hale married in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion on May 12, 1953.

The Hales had two children – Renee Hirsch of San Diego and Ricky Hale of East Bethany. The couple lived in Batavia, in a house on Belvedere Lane designed by Mr. Hale. He was happy to see a community where small-town merchants and the big box stores could co-exist. When he retired from Batavia, he continued to work as an engineering consultant for Le Roy.

But his great joy was pampering his wife, his daughter Renee said. He did most of the grocery shopping, and he brought her home a flower, a cookie, or some other present or treat – every time he went to the store. When she worked as a telephone operator at the former St. Jerome Hospital in Batavia, Mr. Hale would bring her dinner and often coffee and baked goods for her co-workers.

He would warm up the car around 10:30 p.m., brush it off in the winter, and have it ready for her in the parking lot when her shift ended at 11. In the family he was known as “Saint Edward.”

He never acted like it was a burden, all the attention and care he showered on his wife, said Floreen’s sister Marlene DeCarlo of Albion. Floreen’s brother Harry Papponetti also lives in Albion.

Some of Floreen’s family and friends would tease her. They would say,”What are you ever going to do without your husband?” Mrs. Hale said he wasn’t allowed to go before her. She meant it.

“She’s been saying for years if anything happens to him, I’m going too,” said her sister Marlene DeCarlo. “She had a great sense of humor about it. She admitted to being pampered.”

Battling illness

Mr. Hale was high energy and active, all of his life. He slowed down a little about 5 ½ years ago when he needed dialysis treatments three days a week for five hours each session. Hale despised the treatments, but he soldiered on.

Doctors predicted he would live two to five years, tops, once he started the treatments, his daughter said.

Mr. Hale endured heart attacks and diabetes, in addition to his failed kidneys. He still doted on his wife, taking her for car rides and for dinner almost every day.

“His heart was so strong and so was his will to survive,” daughter Renee said. “He kept dodging illnesses because she didn’t want him to leave her.”

Mr. Hale was at Unity Hospital in Rochester when his wife became seriously ill on Feb. 4.

Mrs. Hale has battled chronic illnesses – asthma, bronchitis and other ailments – for many years. She endured open-heart surgery and took many medications to keep her body going.

She would dress up for her doctor appointments, with shoes and a hair decoration to match her outfits. Her husband was almost always with her when she went to the doctor.

She was admitted to UMMC in Batavia on Feb. 4 for what her family thought was dehydration and anemia, nothing too serious. But her body started to give out, her lungs filled with fluid and she was in a life-threatening situation.

The family was in a crisis. Floreen was dying in Batavia while her husband could die at any moment in a Rochester hospital.

“We didn’t know whose bedside we should go to,” Renee said.

“It was quite a blow to family,” Marlene said. “We were handed two death sentences.”

A husband insists on seeing his wife

Provided photo – Ed Hale and his wife Floreen comfort each other after being reunited at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia on Feb. 6.

Mr. Hale seemed incoherent at Unity, his daughter said. He mumbled and faded in and out of consciousness. Death seemed imminent.

But in the middle of the night on Feb. 6, he woke up and spoke to his daughter in a clear and controlled manner. “I need to see Floreen.”

He didn’t know she was clinging to life in Batavia. Mr. Hale, at 4 in the morning, insisted on joining her. But his family didn’t see how that could happen. He would need to be taken by ambulance, and might not be stable enough for the trip.

Unity would have to release him and he would need to be admitted at UMMC. And what were the chances of being in the same room with his wife?

Renee at 4:30 in the morning called the hospice in Monroe County and relayed the situation. A supervisor there called the hospice in Genesee County.

A hospital social worker reached out to Monroe Ambulance and then tried to reach an agreement between the two hospitals for Mr. Hale to be admitted to Batavia. That could only happen if he could show more strength to make the trip.

Mr. Hale that morning rebounded in health. He became alert and his vital signs showed significant improvement.

“In his dying hours there was a will that he had to see my mom,” Renee said.

He was cleared for the ride to Batavia. He arrived at about 1 p.m. on Feb. 6.

“I want to see my wife,” he declared at UMMC.

The Batavia hospital and the hospice in Genesee County had a room for Mr. and Mrs. Hale. Their hospital beds were pushed next to each other and the couple held hands.

About 20 to 30 family and friends were able to visit with them. They smiled as family recounted some of their adventures together.

Mrs. Hale died the following day at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 7. Her husband died on Feb. 8.

Mrs. Hale loved the color red. She had red wallpaper in her home, red floors, red appliances and many red outfits. She happened to die on National Wear Red Day. That is part of public awareness push by the American Heart Association.

The couple had a joint funeral this past Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Batavia. The Rev. Richard Csizmar, the priest from Albion, led the service. He noted it was the day before Valentine’s Day. The Hales personified love for each other, giving a powerful example for the community, Csizmar said.

Doctors and nurses attended the calling hours and service. So did many of the waitresses and restaurant owners in Batavia.

“People have told us it’s a beautiful story, a real testament of love,” said Marlene’s daughter Lisa Giattino of Albion. “We’re so thankful they were able to be together at the end. People moved mountains to make it happen. It was nothing short of divine intervention.”

ALBION – A staffing agency that worked with CRFS the past 18 months to meet the company’s exponential growth on Saturday told 50 to 60 workers in Albion their services were no longer needed.

Areotek was called “an important partner” for CRFS by Cecelia Raine, CRFS president and chief strategist.

She said CRFS and Aerotek expect to keep working together in the future.

A few of the workers let go sent messages to Orleans Hub saying that 50 to 60 people were let go on Saturday. They were told the reasons were “low sales volume.”

CRFS and Aerotek issued this joint statement today:

“Last week, Claims Recovery Financial Services, LLC and Aerotek came to a private agreement regarding staffing requirements that Aerotek was assisting with for the past 18 months. CRFS remains a growing and vital organization, and is committed to the Orleans county and San Antonio communities. CRFS appreciates Aerotek fulfilling their contract and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

CRFS has about 600 workers in Orleans County, with most of them at the former JP Morgan Chase site on Route 31 in Albion. The company also has about 80 workers in San Antonio.

The workers let go on Saturday are employed by Aerotek. CRFS officials declined to comment beyond the statement.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – I don’t think I had been back to see Mount Albion Tower in a deep snow before so I decided to go on that adventure today.

There are a lot of photos of the 68-foot-high tower during the fall with all the colorful foliage. But there aren’t too many in the dead of winter.

When I got back there today, around 5:45 p.m., a couple teen-agers were working their way down the hill leading to the tower.

The path that leads to the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.

I ventured up the incline, which took a lot of effort to fight through the snow. It was worth the trip. The tower still looks strong, even in its 138^th year.

It was built in 1876 as a memorial to the 463 residents from Orleans County killed in the Civil War.

I also stopped by the Civil War section which is near Route 31 on the west side of the cemetery.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Lucy Sackett of Batavia and her husband Scott are among the 12 vendors in the Uptown Browsery that opened today in Albion at 118 North Main St. Mr. Sackett sells one-of-kind birdfeeders, including the one his wife is holding. She sells fabric creations. They also have vintage collectibles, including the old orchard ladder to the right.

Lakeshore Alpacas in Lyndonville sells hats, gloves, scarves and other products made from alpaca hair.

ALBION – The Uptown Browsery opened today in downtown Albion with 12 vendors selling antiques, vintage collectibles, birdfeeders, old tools and other itmes.

“It’s eclectic,” said Maureen Bennett, one of the vendors and president of the group, which will continue to operate the Downtown Browsery on East Bank Street, where it has been for eight years.

That site became too crowded for more vendors. Bennett put the word out to see if there was interest in a second location, and the vendors responded. The second site is on Main Street, fulfilling a goal of Bennett’s to be on Albion’s main thoroughfare in the downtown.

A vendor sells a vintage doll at the Uptown Browsery.

The site at 118 North Main Street, a former coffee shop, also has 36 parking spaces behind the building plus a back door entrance. The site also sells coffee and will have vendors taking turns in the kitchen, selling baked goods.

Kevin Lake, the former director of the Chamber of Commerce, is heading the effort to sell coffee and baked goods. He hopes to expand that to soups and sandwiches.

He likes the model at the Browsery, where vendors share space and time in running the shop. He wants to use that concept for the baked goods and kitchen.

The shop is located at 118 North Main St., in downtown Albion.

The Uptown Browsery is next to Knight’s Pride, a custom furniture store. Uptown is also a short walk from other businesses.

“We’re trying to become a destination with similar stores,” Lake said. “This will create more traffic, and traffic creates traffic.”

The new store had its soft opening today and will have a grand opening on March 1. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays and will add Sunday hours in the summer. The site also has tourism information about the area.

Lucy and Scott Sackett of Batavia have been vendors in the Browsery for seven years. They said isn’t a site like it in Batavia. The sell vintage collectibles, and also work to have items for men, such as decoys, fishing tackle, old tools, rods and reels.

A hunting license from 1941 is for sale.

Mr. Sackett is happy to be in downtown Albion in the bottom floor of the Pratt Opera House building. Sackett said the chain stores drive a lot of commerce out of the historic downtowns.

“It’s nice to repurpose these older buildings,” he said.

The Uptown Browsery is open until 5 p.m. today.

Board backs James Bell of Brockport, a ’70 Albion grad

ALBION – The Town Board finally resolved an impasse over hiring a municipal attorney. James Bell of Brockport, a 1970 Albion graduate, was hired at a $25,000 base pay.

Bell will also bill the town $175 an hour for work involving litigation. He works as the Sweden town attorney and also for Orleans County for some legal matters.

The decision at Monday’s board meeting followed three meetings in January when the board couldn’t reach a majority decision for an attorney. The board couldn’t muster three votes to bring back Robert Roberson of Lockport, who served in the roles in 2012 and 2013 at a $36,000 annual pay. The board also considered John Gavenda of Albion and Andrew Meier of Medina.

Board members Dan Poprawski, Richard Remley, Todd Sargent and Town Supervisor Matt Passarell all voted for Bell on Monday. Town Councilman Jake Olles abstained.

The Town Board also recognized members of the Downtown Albion Neighborhood Advisory Committee which volunteered for two years helping with a downtown grant that provided more than $300,000 in matching funds for building projects and nearly $50,000 streetscape improvements that should debut in the spring.

The DANAC members include Clifford Thom Sr., Brad Shelp, Gary Katsanis, Gerald Baehr, Ron Ebbs and Neil Johnson, as well as alternates Kim Remley, Dean Theodorakos and Sue Starkweather Miller.

Passarell thanked the committee for helping to see the grant funds approved for several projects in the downtown.

Kevin Lake, president of the Albion Main Street Alliance, thanked past Town Boards for pursuing the grant and working to approve the projects. Lake said AMSA would like to work on additional community projects for the community with the current Town Board.

“This summer I saw a downtown I’d never seen before with so many lifts,” Lake told the Town Board. “People were busy working on their buildings. That was pretty cool.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 200 people attended the annual Father/Daughter Valentine Dance on Friday night at the Albion Elementary School.

The event is organized by Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion. In the top photo, Jody Neal gets a snuggle from his daughter Kasey, 4, while holding his younger daughter, Adelyn, 2.

The event included several slow dances and some faster paced numbers.

Mark Gregoire of Murray dances to “The Twist” with his daughter Sadie, 6. He was at the dance with three of his daughters.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Albion residents Clarence Winkelmann, left, and Gary Kent volunteer to pump gas for senior citizens every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Crosby’s gas station and food mart. Gary Westlund is another dedicated volunteer.

ALBION – Almost every Wednesday morning Donna Loughborough of Albion pulls into the Crosby’s gas station. Loughborough knows she will see a friendly face and she won’t have to leave her vehicle to get gas.

Every week, for 520 weeks and counting, a group of volunteers has been there to pump gas for senior citizens. The volunteers will also check car fluids, and walk the money inside the store.

“They’re a good bunch of guys,” Loughborough said about the volunteers. “They’re really dedicated.”

Before heading to a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday with her husband Allan, Loughborough stopped for gas. Clarence Winkelmann took care of it for her. He is part of a volunteer corps that typically includes Gary Kent and Gary Westlund.

“The people they really appreciate it,” said Winkelmann, a Marine and retired corrections officer. “It’s like giving a little bit back to the community.”

Winkelmann has been volunteering with the effort for more than nine years. He was bundled up for the cold on Wednesday.

“You can see it in the people’s faces,” he said. “They really love it, especially on a day like today.”

Kent, a retired Kendall social studies teacher, has been volunteering since the first Wednesday in February 2004. He wants to make the area more senior-friendly. He would like to recruit more volunteers to help seniors with small tasks around their homes, which could include changing light bulbs, installing railings, and changing smoke alarm batteries.

“We’re trying to develop a senior support system,” he said.

Kent praised Winkelmann and Westlund for their commitment to pumping gas. In good weather, about 40 seniors stop by on a Wednesday morning. On cold or rainy days, maybe 12 or 15 will pull up at the pumps.

Westlund drives to Albion from Spencerport to volunteer pumping gas. He is also a Marine. He is a retired materials manager at Delphi in Rochester. Westlund often helps the seniors figure out new electronic controls in their vehicles, technology that can be daunting for them.

“These two are freaking awesome,” Kent said about the Marines. “They are so dedicated and they take it so serious.”