By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2013 at 12:00 am
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.
ALBION – BoMET Holding Inc. – headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada – is making its first expansion into the U.S. marketplace with a site in Albion.
The international non-ferrous scrap metal recycling corporation – with holdings in Canada and China – will diversify its business model into electronics recycling at a 60,000-square-foot facility on McKinistry Street.
BoMET purchased a warehouse for $176,000 from the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The company plans to add 30 jobs at 152 McKinistry St. The Albion operation will be known as BoMET Recovery LLC.
The EDA worked with the company on a tax incentive plan.
“The OEDA offered 152 McKinstry to BoMET at a very competitive price, along with a property tax abatement package and a loan package for the facility’s manufacturing equipment,” said Jim Whipple, Orleans EDA chief executive officer. “The addition of BoMET Recovery in Albion is another example of how we welcome new industry, cut through the red tape and get projects up and running in Orleans County. We have an active local incentive program and excellent relationships with our economic partners at the state level.”
BoMET Recovery will be the main electronics-recycling center for BoMET Holding Inc.
“BoMET’s business model fits perfectly into our industrial setting and we are certainly not new to Canadian businesses,” Whipple said. “Orleans County is already home to four Canadian manufacturers. BoMET will be the fifth and we have another Canadian firm preparing to locate here.”
BoMET CEO Zhan Bo Zhang said the company wanted to diversify into the United States. Albion was attractive because of its close proximity to Cambridge. The company looked at other states and regions of New York.
“It was my dealings with the OEDA that cemented my decision to locate in Orleans County,” he said. “From start to finish, their knowledge, expertise and guidance gave me the confidence that BoMET Recovery would be successful there. Orleans is manufacturing friendly, known for its workforce and how welcoming they are to new business. We are excited about this new operation and, I believe, this is only the start of great relations between us.”
Orleans County is working on other manufacturing and light industrial projects. The EDA recently submitted an application to Empire State Development Corp. for a new shovel-ready site to be named Sandstone Industrial Properties.
The first planned site is the 150-acre Keppler property in the southeast section of Medina. When completed, the EDA’s Sandstone Industrial Properties will be the largest shovel-ready site in Western and Central New York.
The second EDA shovel-ready site will be the nearby Medina Business Park.
Orleans Hub first reported about the BoMET project on April 12. (Click here to see that article.)
U.S. Rep. Chris Collins issued this statement with the news about BoMET this afternoon:
“The announcement of a new electronics recycling operation in Albion is another positive sign for job creation and business development in Orleans County,” Collins said. “The OEDA continues to successfully work with its partners in government to recruit new businesses into existing facilities.I look forward to welcoming BoMET Recovery to Orleans County.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2013 at 10:43 am
BARRE — Richard DeCarlo is the winner of a very close race for Barre town justice.
DeCarlo, the Republican, saw his Election Day vote edge narrow from nine to six votes after the absentees were counted today. But he still prevailed over Rick Root, 213-207.
DeCarlo gained 8 absentees and Root, the Democrat, picked up 11. Sean Pogue, a Conservative, also gained 5 absentees for a final tally of 122.
“We had three quality candidates and we all worked very hard,” DeCarlo said. “We just went out and presented ourselves. There was no mudslinging.”
DeCarlo works as a project superintendent for Wegmans in the company’s construction division. He will replace Al Jones, who is retiring.
“It’s something I always wanted to do,” DeCarlo said. “I never try to rush to judgement or prejudge people. As a judge, I know I can make a difference in somebody’s life.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Absentee ballots were counted this morning to determine the winner of last week’s election for Albion Town Supervisor. After polling finished on Nov. 5, Jake Olles was ahead of Matt Passarell by 1 vote, 476-475. There were 48 absentee ballots still to be opened to determine the winner.
Twenty-eight of the absentee ballots went to Passarell and 19 to Olles. The final count stands at Matt Passarell with 503 votes; Jake Olles with 495 votes.
Both candidates are town councilmen who were vying to replace Dennis Stirk, who did not seek another two-year term. Stirk backed Deputy Town Supervisor Jake Olles, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party. Olles also ran under the independent “No Bull” party. Town Councilman Matt Passarell, campaigned with endorsements from the Republican and Conservative parties.
Passarell will take over as town supervisor on Jan. 1. Olles will be on the board as a Town Councilman. The two are on the town board together and often cast opposing votes. Passarell says he hopes the two can work together to do good for the town and its taxpayers.
“I’ll extend the olive branch out there and go from there,” Passarell said after the final votes were counted. “We’ll always be professional.”
Passarell, at 34, will be the youngest Town Supervisor in the county by about two decades. An Iraq War veteran, Passarell works in the quality department for Baxter International in Medina.
Olles is a sergeant at Attica Correctional Facility.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Albion Legion and Medina VFW serving free meals to vets
Photo by Tom Rivers – This memorial site at the State Street Park in Medina was dedicated in honor of Medina area residents who served in World War I in 1917-18.
ALBION – Orleans County officials and veterans will gather for a ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday in Albion at the Veterans Service Agency at 13996 Route 31 West.
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley also is scheduled to speak at the service.
Veterans are welcome to have a free meal to two posts on Monday. The American Legion in Albion is serving a soup luncheon for veterans. The VFW in Medina will also serve lunch to veterans beginning at 1 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion High School Student Council organized a benefit walk this morning for the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester. The Student Council expected to raise about $300.
Student Council President Audra Hessler, left, is pictured on the 1.5-mile walk around the Albion school campus with Emily Shabazz, Student Council secretary, and Emily’s mother Cheryl. Emily’s sister Yazmeen is in the back.
About 15 Student Council members worked on the event. The council wanted to have a local walk for the Children’s Hospital after Albion students last June participated in a “Stroll for Strong Kids” at Riverside Park in Rochester.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
Two Albion Boy Scouts, Jacob Thom, left, and Aaliah Knickerbocker went door to door this morning placing door hangers about a food drive.
The hangers are reminders for Albion residents to leave canned food and other nonperishables out next Saturday for Scouts to pick up for the local food pantry.
Jacob and Aaliah are both 10 and members of Troop 164 in Albion. Scouts throughout the county have out been out reminding residents of the annual “Scouting for Food” campaign.
Provided photo
In this provided photo, Medina Scouts in Pack and Troop 28 are pictured with some of the food they collected. Troop 35 also participated in the food collection efforts.
The Scouts hung door hangers throughout Medina last week and then collected the food today and donated it to the local food pantry to help local residents in need.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jean Smith stands in front of the Hardie-Blake House, where she has lived since 1957 on West State Street in Albion.
The carriage step with the inscription “1875” used to be in front of the house but was moved back by a carriage barn before Jean and her husband Ed moved in more than a half century ago.
ALBION – When Jean and Ed Smith moved to a Victorian house on West State Street in 1957, the couple quickly fell in love with the historic features of the property, including a carriage step in the back yard.
The house was originally built in 1830 as a much smaller home. It was expanded in 1875 and turned into a home of Victorian splendor.
It was in the Hardie-Blake family until 1962, when the Smiths bought it from Francis Blake. (For five years prior the Smiths rented the house.)
When they bought the property there was an apartment as part of the house. The Smiths took that out and worked for decades to restore the site. A finishing touch came 12 years ago when the Smiths put a sign on the front of the home, “The Hardie-Blake House.”
When the Smiths bought the house, Mr. Smith told Francis Blake the Smiths would honor the Hardie and Blake families with the house. The Smiths lovingly cared for the home, raising three daughters and welcoming seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren to explore the grand old house. The sign was Mr. Smith’s idea.
“We kept our promise to Francis to name the house after him,” Mrs. Smith told me on Thursday when I stopped by. “Francis grew up here and he loved this house.”
I visited Jean because I heard about the carriage step she had in back. I like old hitching posts and carriage steps. I saw Jean at the polls on Tuesday. She works as an election commissioner. We made a date for Thursday to talk about the house and the carriage step.
The step is next to a carriage house in a herringbone style, which Mrs. Smith said is unusual. When she and her husband moved to the site it still had the buggies in the barn. The previous owner took them out when the Smiths bought the property.
When Ed and Jean moved in in 1957, the carriage step was already moved out back. It originally was next to the street. It bears the inscription “1875.” These old steps are heavy and this one has sunk into the ground a few inches, covering the bottom part of the letters.
Jean said the her children and other kids in the neighborhood often gravitated to the carriage step.
“Little kids loved to play on that in the way that little kids do,” she said. “They like to step up and step down.”
The Smiths put a bird feeder on the top of the stone. The base is still there. The carriage step is next to barn that was once used as a carriage house for buggies and horses.
Smith displays a blue star in her window to signify she has family serving in the military.
Jean and Ed were hoping to get the house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But Mr. Smith was killed in an accident, crossing Main Street on the way to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Mr. Smith loved local history. He led tours of the Catholic Church and served as parish’s unofficial historian.
“We really enjoyed putting this house back together,” Mrs. Smith said.
She lives down the street from where Grace Bedell grew up in Albion She’s the girl who wrote Abraham Lincoln, urging him to grow a beard. He took her advice.
Smith believes many of the old houses in Albion have interesting stories and architectural features. She would like to see a walking guide developed that give people a glimpse into the history of the community.
She has visited other places, communities with less historical assets as Albion. But many of these other towns proclaim their heritage, she said.
“There is so much in this town that we should be proud of and that we could include on a walking tour,” she said. “I think we’re really missing out.”
The carriage step is heavy and has sunk into the ground over the years. When her children were growing up, Smith said they loved to play on the step, going up and down.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Doug Burdick, right, is the store manager of the new Advance Auto Parts that opened today at routes 98 and 31 intersection. Burdick is pictured with Ray Emerson, a retired chief deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. Emerson is one of 10 employees working for Advance in Albion.
ALBION – A new auto parts store opened in Albion today at a prominent spot in the community.
Advance Auto Parts say the location at the routes 98 and 31 intersection is “perfect.” The site in a former Rite Aid is also bigger than most Advance stores and the extra room allows the store to be well stocked, said Doug Burdick, manager of the site.
The deep inventory means people shouldn’t have to wait for a part, whether they are buying it themselves or an auto repair shop that needs a part for a repair, Burdick said.
The store remodeled the former Rite Aid at the northeast corner of routes 98 and 31. The inflatable truck out front is part of the celebration on opening day.
Burdick has more than 20 years in the auto parts business. He was working as the assistant manager of Advance’s store in Lockport.
Advance has 10 employees working at Albion. Burdick said more than 60 people filled out applications for jobs at the store.
While the 10 employees stocked the store in the previous eight days, Burdick said five or six people stopped by daily, inquiring about a job.
When the company sought a building permit for the changes on the building it told the village it expected to spend $140,000 on interior changes and improvements at the former Rite Aid.
Advance has nearby sites in Brockport, Batavia and Lockport.
The Albion store will be open everyday. For more information, call the store at 589-2101.
Advance enters an Albion market that already had three auto parts stores with Arnold’s, Napa and Auto Zone.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2013 at 12:00 am
2 boys visit Albion school before heading home on Friday
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jahan Zib, a 10-year-old from Afghanistan, joins Albion fifth-graders in a friendship circle today at the school.
Albion students give Nasratullah, wearing hat, a group hug today.
ALBION – Today they ran in the elementary school gym, smiling and kicking a soccer ball. When it was time for two boys from Afghanistan to go, a group of fifth-graders gave them a group hug.
Nasratullah, 10, and Jahan Zib, 9, have spent the past two months in Orleans County through the Project Life program at the World Life Institute in Waterport.
Both boys have lost parents in the war in Afghanistan. Project Life started in 1997 and has now hosted 128 children who are orphans from the troubled lands of Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Project Life Director Linda Redfield visited Albion Elementary School today with Jahan Zib and Nasratullah.
Four children from Chechnya spent this past summer in Waterport through the program. Project Life had not hosted an Afghan child since 2006. One Afghan boy, who spent the summer of 2002 in Waterport, is now in medical school. He connected with the Project Life program earlier this year and recommended Nasratullah and Jahan Zib.
Today they joined Project Life Director Linda Redfield in a visit to Albion Elementary School’s Multicultural Club. Redfield showed the students a power point with photos from Afghanistan and Chechnya.
She included pictures of Nasratullah and Jahan Zib when they first arrived two months ago. They appeared sad and lethargic.
“They had been drinking contaminated water and they arrived here sick,” Redfield said.
Jahan Zib kicks the soccer ball during a game with Albion fifth-graders today in the elementary school gym.
Project Life is sending water filters home with them so they don’t have to drink bad water. Nasratullah also had an eye condition that nearly blocked his vision. But with a visit to the eye doctor and medication, he doesn’t have any sight problems. He will go home well-stocked with the eye medication.
The boys were wearing their Afghan clothes today, which are made of very thin material because Redfield said it can be so oppressively hot in the country.
The boys have been staying with host families. They have been taking English classes and enjoying the fresh air, as well as good food, exercise and “careful attention,” Redfield said.
The Albion Multicultural Club said it will try to send care packages to the boys when they return to Afghanistan and try to maintain a friendship for the future.
The Afghan boys posed for a picture with the Albion Multicultural Club, which is led by ESL teacher CarmenRose Brittan, back row near center.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Singers from Episcopal parishes in three rural counties joined together for an “All Saints Sunday” service today at Christ Church in Albion. The multi-church choir was part of an annual memorial service for patients that were served by Hospice of Orleans.
The agency remembered 110 patients that died between Sept. 16, 2012 and Sept. 16, 2013. The Genesee Deanery Episcopal Choir includes members from Episcopal congregations in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Free Methodist Church, which is undergoing a remodeling project in its sanctuary, held its service inside the main meeting room at the Hoag Library this morning.
The church will be back at the library next Sunday at 9 a.m. before returning to the church building at the corner of the Platt and East State streets for Nov. 17. The church is removing its pews and adding cushioned seats, which will increase the seating capacity at the site. New carpeting, paint and other changes are part of the project.
Kevin Eccles, one of the church pastors, delivers the sermon today. A portrait of Emma Swan, one of the founders of Albion public library more than a century ago, is on the wall to the right.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – I missed these projects when they were happening, but three initiatives have changed the looks of the Albion landscape.
Roger Hungerford, owner of the former JPMorgan Chase site on Route 31, already has the building repainted. It will become the home of CRFS, which is consolidating its Albion and Medina locations into the Chase site.
CRFS is adding 150 workers to its current 600 employees in Orleans County as part of the shift to Chase, which is expected to happen by March.
Two other projects aren’t as dramatic, but make an impact nonetheless. Freeze-Dry Foods on West Avenue put up a new stone sign last week. Freeze-Dry operates out of the former Lipton’s building across from McDonalds.
The Holy Family Parish on South Main Street has been around for more than a century, but it didn’t have a sign along Main Street for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church until last week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
The high winds that are whipping through the area are knocking down some trees. I drove around Albion and saw one tree down in Mount Albion Cemetery and another one on West Academy Street near the grain facility by the railroad tracks.
There are lots of fallen limbs. But, for the most part, the trees are holding their ground against the gusts that have are up to 60 miles per hour.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2013 at 12:00 am
Organization insists it owns decorations, and wanted to spruce them up for holidays
Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify a comment attributed to AMSA President Maarit Vaga, who says the village did not request to have the decorations returned.)
ALBION – The decorations are back at the village, but a dispute continues over which entity actually owns the wreaths, garland and lights.
The Albion Main Street Alliance believes it owns the decorations, and took them from the Village Hall on Tuesday morning to make an inventory of what needed to be fixed before they were hung up in the downtown later in November.
Some village officials saw the removal of the decorations as possible theft of village property.
AMSA says it has paid insurance on the decorations and has operated on the understanding for several years that they owned them. Even Mayor Dean Theodorakos said during an emergency meeting this morning that he thought AMSA owned the decorations.
AMSA representatives handed the decorations to village officials this morning. This after AMSA said it was threatened with criminal and civil litigation.
“This has been very upsetting because it’s so stupid,” Katelin Olson, the organization’s interim director, said. “It’s been a lot of wasted energy that could have gone into bettering the community.”
Village officials accused the organization of wrongdoing Tuesday when the decorations were removed. The village thought AMSA was doing an on-site inspection. But when the decorations were taken off-site, the village worried the decorations might not be available to display for the holiday season.
Village representatives said they tried to reach out to AMSA about the decorations. AMSA President Maarit Vaga said she heard from the village, but the village didn’t make a request to have the items returned.
Olson said AMSA never would have hidden the decorations or prevented them from being displayed out of spite, as was insinuated.
“There’s nothing to ever suggest we’ve done that kind of behavior,” she said. “We proceeded from a good-faith understanding that these were ours.”
Olson believes AMSA owns the decorations. Its predecessor, the Albion Business Association, rallied the community for donations and also secured a member-item grant from former State Assemblyman Charles Nesbitt to buy the decorations in 2005. The village today said the ABA was a pass through for the money and the village owns the decorations.
AMSA and the ABA stored the decorations from 2005 until the village agreed to store them in 2010, Olson said.
