By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – A monument is framed by frozen branches.
Mount Albion Tower, a 68-foot-high Civil War Memorial, looms in the background.
Mount Albion Cemetery is one of the most glorious places in Orleans County. The cemetery has terraced hills, tree-lined roads and many impressive monuments. It’s also been well cared for by the village of Albion.
Mount Albion was the first site from Orleans County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That was in 1976, on the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Civil War Memorial, the big tower in the cemetery.
Here are some images of the ice-coated cemetery this morning:
One of the front gates on the east side of the cemetery is dripping with icicles.
A ring is covered in ice on an old hitching post in the old section. The cemetery has many hitching posts and carriage steps.
The Civil War section in the cemetery includes a cannon from the war.
A Grand Army of the Republic marker is next to the grave for Noah Green.
The front gates to Mount Albion Tower weren’t spared from the ice storm. The spiral staircase, in back, leads to the top of the tower.
The cemetery has a lot of mature trees and many of their branches were hanging close to the ground from the weight of the ice.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The ice storm overnight coated trees and their branches with ice. It’s a striking sight, but some of the weighed down branches have snapped off, including this one on East State Street in front of the Orleans County Courthouse.
The courthouse looms in the background of this photo.
A big hunk of a tree on the courthouse lawn fell after being stressed from the storm. The County Clerks Building is in the background.
The First United Methodist Church in Albion is in the background of this photo.
There are a lot of limbs down, including this one on East Park Street. Power is out in some spots.
Today is a good day to wander around with your camera. You don’t have to go far. This is a tree in my backyard.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Mount Albion Cemetery is littered with fallen tree limbs. It’s a sad sight.
I think it could have been worse because I didn’t see any trees fully uprooted. But there are broken branches just about everywhere, especially in the older section of the historic cemetery.
But even a lot of the smaller trees gave out under the stress of the ice load.
Whenever we get a high wind warning or an ice storm, I usually think of Mount Albion and big trees planted more than a century ago. Despite all of the snapped off branches, I think the trees held up well with the latest assault from Mother Nature.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Christine Versteeg of Kendall painted this 6-foot-long bench into a mural featuring a tugboat at sunrise. There will be at least 11 benches painted with local scenes or historical themes in Albion. They will be installed on Main Street and East bank Street in the spring.
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The plain backs and seats for a 6-foot-long benches are being turned into works of art.
Christine Versteeg of Kendall painted a bench into a mural of a tugboat. It’s one of at least 11 planned for downtown Albion.
The benches and the artwork are a portion of a $50,000 streetscape grant awarded for the downtown about two years ago. The Albion Main Street Alliance has shepherded this project through all the local and state government agencies.
It’s been a long journey and I was thrilled to see the first bench today. Other artists are working on their benches.
The grant will also fund potted trees, flowers, bike racks, a memorial, two interpretive panels about Albion history and other improvements.
I’ve been helping come up with a plan for how to spend the grant. I think the benches will draw people to the downtown. The benches will highlight our local history and showcase one of the county’s assets: the artists.
The benches should be out on the sidewalk and at Waterman Park in the spring.
I’m hoping we can work out an arrangement to have the benches stored inside at local businesses during the winter months so they can be enjoyed year-round.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2013 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Village Historian Neil Johnson gives a talk on Nov. 20 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 – Village Historian Neil Johnson will continue to give local history talks at the Hoag Library after a donor stepped up to fund the program.
The library planned to cut Johnson from the programming budget after 2013 due to budget constraints. Debbie and Scott Dragon agreed to sponsor Johnson’s “Take a Bite Out Of History” talks for 2014.
Johnson gives 10 of the talks a year on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. He takes July and August off.
Johnson has given the talks for the past seven years and he draws a loyal following.
Johnson, an archaeologist with a doctoral degree, has been the village historian for about 30 years. He is paid $65 for each presentation at the library.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2013 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Hoag Library in Albion in April honored three local historians for leading programs at the library for many years. The group includes, from left, Gaines historian Dee Robinson, Albion historian Neil Johnson and Bill Lattin, the Orleans County historian.
ALBION – Just when it looked like Hoag Library would have to shelve its local history lecture series due to budget constraints, donors have stepped forward in the past day to keep two local historians as regularly scheduled speakers at the library.
An anonymous donor has committed to paying Dee Robinson, the Gaines town historian, to prepare 10 lectures as part of a “Tea with Dee” series the first Tuesdays each month at noon.
Robinson, a reference librarian at Hoag, is a past president of a state association of historians. She often speaks about trail-blazing women in the community from more than a century ago. That includes Jennie Curtis of Albion, the first woman spy for the Union during the Civil War.
Robinson has researched women who worked as lawyers, doctors and nurses in the community in the 1800s. She has compiled many of those stories in a book, “Historical Amnesia,” about women’s role in local history.
The donor will cover the $650 expense for 10 presentations. Robinson and Neil Johnson, who also gives 10 lectures about local history each year, take the summers off when the library is busy with a summer reading program.
Johnson, the Albion village historian since 1982, will stay on the library schedule thanks to Debbie and Scott Dragon who are sponsors of Johnson’s “Take a Bite Out Of History” talks for 2014.
Johnson gives his talks on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., except in July and August.
Both Johnson and Robinson have developed a loyal following in recent years with the history discussions. The two historians, along with County Historian Bill Lattin, were honored by the library in April for leading many programs over the years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Claims Recovery Financial Services could spend up to $4,430,000 for new equipment, machinery and furnishings as part of its relocation and expansion into the JP Morgan Chase call center on East Avenue.
The company won’t have to pay sales tax on any of those purchases, a benefit that could save the company up to $354,400 because of the sales tax exemption.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency approved the tax exemption on Friday. That followed a public hearing on Dec. 10. No one spoke against the tax savings benefit for CRFS.
The EDA has the authority to lift the 8 percent sales tax for companies in an expansion project. CRFS won’t have to pay the 4 percent county and 4 percent state sales tax rates. Both the county and state would have received $172,200 in sales tax if CRFS spends $4.43 million for equipment and furnishings in its expansion and relocation.
The company is expected to start moving into Chase next month. It is consolidating Albion and Medina work sites into the former Chase building, and adding 150 employees. It projects there will be 750 workers out of the building.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Knight’s Pride at 120 North Main St. had the second most votes in the contest.
ALBION – The downtown merchants in Albion stepped up their decorating efforts this holiday season, with many of the storefronts full of holiday displays.
“I think the downtown looks nice and festive,” said Carolyn Ricker, president of the Albion Merchants Association and owner of Bindings Bookstore. “A lot of people have commented that there is a sense of pride in the downtown.”
The Merchants Association held a contest for the best window decorations and the public cast ballots for their favorites.
The Main Street Store at 49 North Main St. garnered the most votes.
Burgio Salon at 117 North Main St. came in third, according to the public votes.
Lisa Stratton, owner of the Hazy Jade at 50 North Main St., sent letters to all the downtown building owners and convinced many to decorate for the holidays. Stratton’s shop in shown above.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The stained-glass window tour on Saturday included a stop at the First United Methodist Church. The Good Shepherd window was created in the Tiffany style but not by Tiffany. The large window was gift to the congregation by the church’s pastor in 1914, the Rev. Henry Clay Woods.
ALBION – They drove through a storm to see works of art by famed masters of the craft.
Anne and Ed Engel of Oakfield weren’t disappointed on Saturday with the first ever stained-glass window tour of Albion’s seven churches in the historic Courthouse Square.
The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church has more than 40 windows created by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, perhaps the most esteemed stained glass artist.
Bill Lattin, Orleans County historian, talks about the Christ the Consoler window in the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church. The church in 1895 wanted a window with outstretched arms of Christ to fit the denomination’s welcoming tradition.
One of the windows of Christ the Consoler shows Jesus with his outstretched arms. George Pullman paid $5,000 for that window, which was installed in January 1895.
Tiffany highlighted that window as example of the firm’s work in an 1898 brochure.
Engel gazed at the glass, and ran her finger along the bottom of the window.
“I touched a Tiffany stained-glass window,” she said, breaking into a smile.
Tiffany revolutionized the stained-glass world. Stained-glass windows, prior to Tiffany, tended to have clear glass with a stencil pattern painted on the glass.
The Free Methodist Church in Albion was built in 1860, the first church in a denomination that now has more than 1,000 churches. The church still has the original stained-glass windows from the building. Those windows from 1860 were fairly plain compared to the style that emerged in the 1890s.
Tiffany developed opalescent glass, putting color directly in glass. His windows became very popular in the 1890s. His windows at the Pullman church were installed in 1895.
Other stained-glass artists turned to opalescent glass, and many churches, including several in Albion, swapped out their older, plainer windows with Tiffany-style windows, Lattin said on the tour. (Lattin wrote a book about Orleans County’s stained-glass windows: Luminaries in the Firmament.)
The windows in the seven churches range in age from the 1860s to the 1960s. Many of the masters of the craft, both at the regional and national level, created windows for churches in Albion.
Lattin concluded the tour of the seven churches inside St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which includes many narrative windows that depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. Leo Frohe, a popular stained-glass artist from Buffalo, designed and created many of the windows at St. Joseph’s. The Frohe studio also has several windows at the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Albion.
Lattin said Albion is blessed to have so many exquisite examples of stained glass.
“There is really some extraordinary artwork here,” Lattin said after leading the tour. “There is really something here that can be marketed.”
Saturday’s tour drew about 40 participants on a bitterly cold morning. Tony and Cathy Mancuso of Elba have driven through Albion for years. They have long admired the churches, and wondered what they were like inside.
They took lots of pictures of the windows, the pipe organs and architectural features. Mr. Mancuso works in the real estate business.
“This place is absolutely gorgeous,” Mancuso said while on a tour of the First Presbyterian Church. “I love the woodwork in here.”
Lattin stands in the Presbyterian Church by a window created by Henry Keck, an apprentice at the Tiffany studio until 1933, when he started his own company in Syarcuse. This is an early work by Keck, created in 1934 as memorial to Ella Beckwith Kenney, a Sunday School teacher at the Presbyterian Church. Lattin said it’s one of his favorite windows in Orleans because of theme and striking colors. It shows a teacher and her two students.
Connie Mosher is a long-time local resident and an artist. She praised Lattin for his recall of the dates of the windows, who made them, and the stories behind them often as memorials for local residents. Lattin led the nearly two-hour tour without notes.
Mosher said the tour was an eye-opener and made her admire the community’s residents from a century ago even more. The seven churches showcase a variety of architectural features. The buildings are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The churches have added meaning after learning about their windows, Mosher said.
“What a heritage we have,” she said. “Until you get inside, you don’t realize the richness of it.”
Tony Mancuso of Elba took a lot of photos on the stained-glass window tour. He is shown inside the sanctuary at Christ (Episcopal) Church.
Many of the stained-glass windows, including this one in the First Baptist Church, were paid for as memorials to prominent Albion residents.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Catherine Thom and other dancers in Gotta Dance by Miss Amy perform Snowflakes, an excerpt from the Nutcracker during Saturday’s fourth annual Nicholas Kovaleski Hometown Christmas. The row in the back includes, from left: Laiken Ricker, Rylie Lear and Lauren Thomas.
Marcy Downey sings “Over the Rainbow” during the Hometown Christmas show on Saturday at the Holy Family Parish Lyceum.
A cast of about 50 performed songs and dances in memory of Nicholas, who died at age 15 on June 29, 2011. He was a popular student at Albion, excelling at football, swimming and tennis. He would have been a senior this year.
A video at the beginning of the program featured Nick’s classmates and school staff holding signs with inspirational messages. During his fight with leukemia, Nick urged the community to “Live with Purpose.” His classmates and the school staff and teachers continue to keep Nick’s memory and his message alive.
Lydia Erakare, one of Nick’s classmates, holds a sign that says, “Be Brave! Take Chances! Challenge Yourself!”
The Gotta Dance studio performed three shows on Saturday that drew more than 300 people. Proceeds are used to a fund a scholarship in Nick’s memory. So far, five scholarships have been awarded to graduating Albion students.
Nick’s mother Kelly Kovaleski , left, sings “The Shape of You,” a song she used to sing with her son at bedtime. She is joined by Albion music teacher Karen Conn.
Nick’s brother Matt Kovaleski introduces his band, “The Chick Magnets,” which also includes Noah Duvall, Connor McQuillan, Nick Sacco and Bryce Pritchard.
The Rev. Richard Csizmar, pastor of the Holy Family Parish, shares a reflection during the one of the shows on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin, right, discusses some of the stained-glass windows in Christ Church, an Episcopal congregation that was included in a stained-glass window tour today.
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association has a series of events planned today for the second annual Hometown Holiday celebration.
I just returned from the first ever stained-glass windows tour at all seven churches in the historic Courthouse Square.
County Historian Bill Lattin led about 40 people on the tour, which included some out-of-towners. I’ll have more on the tour later.
The tour ended at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where a hand bell choir played a concert. Matt Ballard, right, is a member of the group.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion FFA members Brian Bentley, front left, and Riley Kelly, unload a tractor trailer full of produce this morning at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
The Albion FFA worked with several local farmers to give 19,000 pounds of produce to Community Action. The agency in Albion then shared the produce with food pantries in Albion, Medina, Lyndonville and Holley.
FFA member Kyle Smith hauls a box of eggs to van for PathStone, which has a food pantry in Albion.
This is the fourth year the FFA has teamed with farmers for the food collection and distribution. The output has grown from 3,000 pounds in 2010 to 9,000, 17,000 and now 19,000.
Orleans Hub will have more on this year’s effort later today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Members of the Albion FFA pause briefly for a group photo by a tractor trailer loaded with 19,000 poinds of food donated by farmers in Genesee, Monroe and Orleans counties.
ALBION – Sara Millspaugh and Kellie O’Hearn, both Albion FFA members, made the phone calls, asking local farmers if they wanted to donate produce to Community Action and local food pantries.
The farmers eagerly accepted, and gave 19,000 pounds of produce – apples, onions, cabbage, potatoes and other fruits and vegetables. The farmers also gave beef, eggs and juice, and the Orleans County Farm Bureau chipped in with $1,000 to buy ham at a discount from Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot.
“They were willing to help,” Millspaugh, the FFA president, said about the food donations.
This is the fourth year the FFA has collected food for Community Action. This year’s effort topped the 17,000 pounds last year, 9,000 pounds in 2011 and 3,000 pounds the first year.
Riley Kelly reaches for a bag of potatoes from Brian Bentley. The two FFA members were busy this morning loading and then unpacking a tractor trailer of food.
Many of the farmers have donated since the first food drive. They set aside some of their harvest for the local food pantries. The FFA connected with some new donors this food drive, and is trying harder to get a variety of fruits and vegetables, Millspaugh said.
This morning the big bounty was dropped off at Community Action on East State Street. The agency will use a lot of the food for its pantry that assists needy families. Many other churches and organizations with food pantries also collected food from the FFA harvest.
“It’s very, very helpful,” said Bonnie Eaton, who works with the food pantry at Calvary Tabernacle Church in Medina. “A lot of people can’t afford to buy apples and fresh produce because it’s expensive.”
Two other churches in Medina – Glad Tidings and St. Peters Lutheran Church – also picked up food for their pantries. Three churches in Lyndonville, the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley, two other pantries in Albion and the Lord’s House in Waterport all stopped by this morning to bolster their pantries.
Community Action volunteers and representatives from local food pantries worked with the FFA to unload the truck.
“It will help us to get more fresh food to the community,” said Antonio Duenas, a placement and career services developer for PathStone in Albion. “When the food is fresh, it’s always better.”
The following farms contributed food: Bannisters (Excelsior Farms), Brown’s Berry Patch, CY Farms, Kludt Brothers, Jim Kirby, Kreher’s, Martin Farms, Panek, Patryka Farms, Root Brothers, Steve Nesbitt, Steve Starowitz, Torrey Farms, Triple G and Poverty Hill (the Neal family.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 December 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Carson Bader gets ready to fire the puck in the net at the ice rink at Albion Central School late this afternoon. He was playing with his brother Dylan Bader, 15, and their friends Owen Foos, 14; Aleah Foos, 16; and Elliott Foos, 20. More players were expected for a scrimmage.
ALBION – The deep freeze, snow and ice has been eagerly awaited by some local residents. A group of hockey players were out this evening at the ice skating rink at Albion Central School.
The rink is behind the varsity soccer field. It can be reached by following the driveway past the elementary school. The rink froze and hockey players were out today for the first time this winter at the site.
The district lights the rink in the evening and more players were expected for a scrimmage later today.
Aleah Foos is a blur while approaching the net for a shot on goal.
Owen Foos looks for an open player while his sister Aleah provides some pressure.
Hockey players skate and get ready for a scrimmage at the ice rink at Albion Central School.
