BARRE – The Town Board wants to hear from residents in two proposed water districts.

Town officials have been working on the two districts for most of this year. The board has applied for federal grant and loaning funding for the two projects.

There is a final piece before the districts can be finalized: a public hearing. Barre has held several informational meetings about Water Districts 6 and 7. On Tuesday at 7 p.m. there will be a final public hearing on the projects.

Water District 6 is by far the bigger project. That district covers 39,150 feet or nearly 8 miles. It includes 127 parcels on Route 98 between West Barre and Gillette roads, Gillette Road between 98 and Eagle Harbor Road, Drake Island Road, Eagle Harbor Road between Gillette Road and the end of Water District 5, and Root Road.

The project is estimated to cost $1,731,000. The town has applied for a $337,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. The remaining costs would be financed over 38 years.

Parcel owners would pay $635 in annual debt costs, plus an average of about $300 for water usage.

District 7 would cover 11,850 feet or about 2 miles on Eagle Harbor Road between Route 31A and the townline, Route 31A between Eagle Harbor and Long Bridge roads, and Long Bridge Road from Route 31A to about 500 feet north.

That project would serve 19.5 housing units. The construction is estimated at $692,000. The town is seeking a $311,400 USDA grant.

Property owners in the district would pay $867.75 in annual debt service plus an average of $300 for water usage annually.

The majority of residents have supported the projects, saying it will solve their woes with inadequate water quantity and poor quality, town officials said.

The hearing will be at the town hall, 14317 West Barre Rd.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Village Historian Neil Johnson gives a talk today about the iron fireman that once was on top of the Hose Fire Company in Albion for three years before a Rochester Fire Company took it in 1890. Several fire companies stole the Iron Fireman from each other before it found a permanent home in Honeoye Falls.

ALBION – They have a dedicated following, drawing at least 20 “groupies” for local history lectures. But after December, Neil Johnson and Dee Robinson won’t be giving regular talks at Hoag Library.

A tight budget has prompted the library to cease some of its programs. Johnson and Robinson were almost cancelled in June but the Albion Rotary Club contributed $1,000 towards programming. That money kept the historical talks and some other programs going until December.

The library is trying to stretch its programming budget. That has resulted in some cuts.

Johnson gives a monthly lecture called “Take a Bite out of History.” He does it the third Wednesdays each month over the lunch hour. Robinson, the Gaines town historian, gives a “Tea with Dee” historical talk on the first Tuesdays each month.

They are each paid $65 for a talk, which includes their hours of research for the programs. The library has additional advertising costs for the events. The Friends of the Library pays for the refreshments for the programs.

Johnson spoke today about the saga of the 5-foot-high iron fireman that fire companies stole from each other during through 1880s until 1891, when it was finally placed in Honeoye Falls atop a building, where it still stands high in the air.

The Albion Hose Company took the fireman from Lockport in 1887 and then placed him at the top of a 75-foot-tower, where the current Perfecto Cleaners building stands at the end of Platt Street.

The iron fireman was taken in 1890 by Rochester firefighters who were in town for a firemen’s convention.

Johnson’s final scheduled lecture will be next month on Dec. 18 at 12:15 p.m. He will talk about Christmas locally during the Civil War.

Robinson likes to tell stories about women’s history. She will share about the food traditions and popular presents during Christmas 100 years ago. That lecture is scheduled for noon on Dec. 3.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Robinson said. “It’s fun to research people.”

Both said they will continue to research local history. Johnson is trying to develop a web site with Albion history. He may put 30-minute videos on a site that is under construction.

The library is feeling a financial pinch as it pays the debt for a new library. Hoag’s budget for debt payments jumped from $64,961 in 2012 to $141,000 this year.

The library eliminated one position and cut back its programming budget from $12,000 to $2,000 to try to lessen the impact on taxpayers. The library’s budget increased from $658,908 to $678,978 in 2013. The increase would have been more without the programming and staff cuts.

Besides the new library, Hoag still has the former Swan Library mansion. That site costs about $20,000 to maintain with utilities plus insurance each year.

Library President Kevin Doherty said two prospective buyers are interested in that site. County officials had talked about making the site a local museum, but the two other buyers are also showing interest in the property.

“It won’t be immediate when we sell it,” said Susan Rudnicky, library director.

She expects the building will have to be put out to bid if the county doesn’t move on the museum idea. Library officials say they will be happy when the site has a different owner.

“Right now it is a drain on the library,” Rudnicky said.

ALBION – Town property owners won’t be hit with an increase in town taxes in 2014 after the Town Board approved a $1,894,758 budget.

The town will collect $696,051 in property taxes, the same amount as in 2013. Residents will see their tax rates dip slightly. If you own property in the village, you’ll pay a $2.846 rate per $1,000 of assessed property, which is down from a $2.849 rate.

Outside village property owners will pay $4.25 per $1,000 of assessed property, down from $4.29 per $1,000. The fire protection rate will also dip from $1.171 to $1.167.

The budget was approved last week in a 3-2 vote. Town Board members Tim Neilans and Matt Passarell both voted against it, saying there were more cuts that could have been made. Town Supervisor Dennis Stirk and councilmen Jake Olles and Dan Poprawski voted for the budget.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Middle School drama program is performing “Through The Looking Glass,” a sequel to “Alice In Wonderland.”

A cast of 24 students, plus six in the stage crew, will present the show at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, plus a noon show on Saturday. Tickets are available at the door of the middle school auditorium.

Jules Hoepting plays Alice, while Matilda Erakare is the Red Queen. The flowers in the top photo are played by Alexis Maines, left, and Analys Torres.

Dalton Wilkins is the white king, Kate Krieger plays the white queen, and Evan Allen is the red king in a cast that includes sixth through eighth graders.

Hailey Bader, left, plays Tweedledum while Riley Seielstad is Tweedledee.

Here are some other scenes from the one-act show:

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Christmas and holiday decorations went up on Main and Bank streets in downtown Albion earlier today. We had some photos in the daylight earlier on Orleans Hub.

I stopped back in the evening and I think the decorations – the banners, wreaths and garlands – are looking good.

I’m glad they’re up a little early, too. I took the top photo from near a parking space on North Main. In the bottom photo, I climbed up the steps to the lift bridge. Unfortunately, there was an obstruction right in front of the bridge. I’ll try to get other pictures of the local downtowns decorated at night in the coming weeks.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The garlands, wreaths and banners went up in downtown Albion today. The Albion Department of Public Works and the Orleans County Highway Department took care of the task.

Wayne Krull (top), a OC highway worker, hangs some of the decorations on West Bank Street using the county’s bucket truck.

The village DPW plans on stringing the lights on a big evergreen tree next to the former Swan Library on Wednesday.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Leah Mead, a student with a work study job at Genesee Community College, had the unenviable task of changing the letters to the GCC sign today when the area is under a high winds advisory.

Mead changed the sign for the GCC center in Albion on Route 31. Mead put up a Thanksgiving message that asked passersby, “What are you thankful for?”

Theodorakos

ALBION – The village will have a new mayor on April 1. Dean Theodorakos isn’t seeking re-election in March.

Theodorakos has served as mayor for about five years. He also served as a village trustee and a member of the Planning Board before he was mayor.

Theodorakos and his wife Dele both grew up in Albion. After moving to Rochester for most of their adult lives, they returned to their hometown about a decade ago and both became active in community affairs.

“I’ve enjoyed it and I feel like I made a positive difference,” Theodorakos

said following a Village Board meeting this evening.

Theodorakos continues to work full-time in Rochester as a senior accountant for Kodak. He said the demands of the job, plus a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren, prompted him to not run again for mayor.

“There’s a benefit to having some new players come in and stir things up,” he said.

Theodorakos said the village has been busy with several projects the past five years. It has upgraded its sewer plant, sanitary and storm sewers, and overhauled some roads, most notably at Meadowbrook Drive, McKinistry Street, East State Street and Crimson Drive.

The mayor drives around the village and sees a lot of recent investment, including in the downtown, and along routes 31 and 98. Some local merchants have invested in the village, and some national chains – Kentucky Fried Chicken, Advance Auto Parts and soon Dunkin’ Donuts – have picked Albion for businesses.

Theodorakos is pleased that the former Chase site will soon be the home to Claims Recovery Financial Services. That company started in Albion a decade ago with founder Jodi Gaines. It now has about 600 workers and projects to grow to 750.

“There’s investment being made in the community so people must like what they’re seeing,” Theodorakos said.

The mayor was a volunteer on the campaign to build a new public library in Albion. He sees the Hoag Library as a major asset for the community.

The village had been working on housing rehab projects in a partnership with PathStone. But some of the government funding has dried up. Theodorakos said he hopes the investments in infrastructure and a more vibrant local business scene can stir housing investments.

“Going forward the focus should be on housing,” he said.

Some of the properties in the village sit in foreclosure, and it’s difficult to determine an owner who will take responsibility for the sites, Theodorakos said.

There is the potential for a lot of turnover on the board. Fred Miller will vacate his position after Dec. 31 because he was elected to the Orleans County Legislature. Two of the four other trustee seats – Kevin Sheehan and Eileen Banker – are also up for election in March.

Theodorakos said the village should be in good hands with a new election because of a dedicated team of department heads.

The board and the department heads work together to craft a village budget that will be an immediate task for the new board. The current budget totals $6.3 million. The village has about 50 employees.

Press release, Pullman Memorial Universalist Church

ALBION – The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church will have a free screening at 7 p.m. on Wednesday of a documentary about child slavery and child trafficking.

“Not My Life” is narrated by Glenn Close. Filmed on five continents and in a dozen countries, the film takes viewers into a world where millions of children are exploited every day, including here in the United States, through an astonishing array of practices, including forced labor, domestic servitude, begging, sex tourism and child soldiering.

Challenging as it may be, the film’s message is ultimately one of hope. The viewing is open to the public. A discussion will follow the film.

The church is located at 10 E. Park St.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Scouts in Albion were out this morning collecting canned and nonperishable food for the pantry at Community Action on East State Street.

After the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in Troop and Pack 164 collected food from houses in the village, they delivered it to the food pantry and then were given a tour of the site by Annie Skowneski (pictured below), a case manager and food pantry coordinator.

Skowneski said the pantry provides food for 100 families a month.

Provided photo – Charity Garrow, the library systems administrator, is pictured with, from left: Web Pearsall of the DEC Regional 8 Fisheries; and Sportsmen Federation members Neil Newton and Mike Elam.

Coming soon to be checked out at Hoag Library in Albion: fishing poles.

That may seem like an odd offering at the local library, but Hoag said the library is located in an area with abundant fishing resources. However, many residents may not have the money to pay for fishing poles and gear. Or maybe they want to try out fishing before commiting to buying their own equipment.

The library will rent out 12 poles and kits beginning Dec. 1. The state Department of Environmental Conservation donated the 12 fishing poles to Hoag Library . The Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen has volunteered to maintain the equipment and provide kits with bobbers and hooks.

The DEC has donated fishing equipment to a few other libraries in the region, including the pubic library in Le Roy, the only other one besides Albion in the three-county Nioga system with fishing poles.

The fishing poles can be checked out by anyone over age 13. Children under 13 will need a parent’s permission to borrow the fishing gear.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Karl Heuer and his son Kyle want a new sign in front of their Albion practice to indicate there are two Heuers working as dentists. They also want the address noted on the sign.

ALBION – Karl Heuer would like a new sign in front of his dental practice that notes his son Kyle has joined the practice.

The Heuers would also like the address – 313 South Main St. – listed on the sign. They have been trying since May to get up a new sign.

They had the sign designed. It’s 4.6 feet by 4.8 feet or about 22 square feet. That’s way too big, according to the zoning restrictions for businesses along South Main Street in the residential-commercial district. That area only allows for a 1 foot name plate sign.

However, the Zoning Board of Appeals has routinely approved variances for bigger signs. The ZBA said it would allow a 16 square foot sign for the Heuers.

The Heuers told the Village Board on Wednesday they want the 22 square foot sign so they can fit everything on it.

“We just want a nice-looking sign that people can read,” Karl Heuer told the board.

Kevin Allen, an attorney, told the board it should to change the sign restrictions for the residential-commercial district so the ZBA isn’t forever issuing variances, allowing certain sizes for some businesses and smaller ones for others.

Allen, who is representing the Heuers with the sign dispute, noted another dental practice in the same zoning district has a sign more than double what the Heuer’s are seeking. Plus, the All Smiles Dentistry sign is illuminated at night.

All Smiles Dentistry, at the corner of South Main Street and Allen Road, has a much bigger sign than is allowed in the residential-commercial district.

He suggested the Village Board alter the sign restrictions in the zoning district, allowing an upper level limit of perhaps 24 or 26 square feet.

“You should make it more practical and more realistic,” he said.

Other business districts in the village, without residential properties, have a top threshold of 32 square feet, although the ZBA has been giving variances for bigger signs on Route 31 and Main Street, Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti told the Village Board.

Vendetti agrees the sign regulations need to be changed, to allow for larger signs.

But with the current code, the ZBA is left to its discretion in how big of a variance it wants to approve. In Heuer’s case, a 16-foot sign was allowed.

The Village Board can’t meddle with the ZBA’s decision. The board, however, can change the restrictions for the signs. That would require a public hearing.

Mayor Dean Theodorakos said he supports an update of the sign requirements.

“We’re working on it,” he told the Heuers.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board wants the record to show the current board opposes efforts to reopen a landfill in Albion.

A new landfill would hurt the community in many ways, from heavy truck traffic that would pose safety risks to other motorists and pedestrians to the stigma of having an operating landfill in the community, village officials said.

The recently approved village and town comprehensive plan, a map for the community’s future, opposes an operating landfill in Albion, Mayor Dean Theodorakos said on Wednesday.

Theodorakos is a member of Stop Polluting Orleans County, a citizens group against the landfill.

“I’m very much in favor of preventing further landfilling in the town,” he said.

The Village Board voted to send a letter to the Albion Town Board, urging the town to resist a new landfill. The Village Board may pass a formal resolution in an upcoming meeting, opposing the landfill.

Richard Penfold, a former landfill operator in Erie County, wants to reopen the landfill. Waste Management sought to operate an 80-acre landfill in Albion. It secured a permit from the state on Nov. 20, 2003, but Waste Management never could secure local support or a permit from the Town Board.

Penfold has sought to obtain Waste Management’s permit through an application with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The agency told Penfold in June it wouldn’t transfer Waste Management’s permit. Penfold would have to apply for his own permit to operate at the site.

The Town Board in the mid-1990s passed laws against landfills in the town. Penfold believes the new landfill proposal could be considered an expansion of the existing Orleans Sanitary Landfill, and wouldn’t necessarily be a new landfill. That was how Waste Management’s plan was presented a decade ago.

Penfold would need town and DEC support for the project. All of the current Town Board members, plus the new ones elected last week, all have stated they are against reopening landfills in Albion.

Penfold has promised a host community benefits package for Albion. He also said he would care for the OSL and McKenna landfills at the site between Densmore and Transit roads, which currently aren’t being pumped of leachate.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Steve LaLonde, husband of the late Kathy LaLonde, accepts a plaque from Albion Mayor Dean Theodorakos, right, in appreciation of Mrs. LaLonde’s many years of volunteerism with Albion youth programs.

The Village Board announced tonight it will add playground equipment this spring at Pee Wee Park, which is the younger children’s section at Bullard Park. The new equipment will be in memory of LaLonde.

LaLonde was a member of the Albion Recreation Committee. She also spearheaded efforts to develop a long-term master plan for the Bullard Park. LaLonde was 54 when she died on Oct. 6 after fighting cancer.