Ed and Loretta Pahura were married 72 years, and then died 2 days apart just before Valentine’s Day

Photo courtesy of Nicole Pahura Rappleyea: Edward and Loretta Pahura dance the polka on Aug. 29, 2015. They were at the reception for their granddaughter’s wedding at Ravenwood Golf Course in Victor.

ALBION – An Albion couple who inspired many with their devotion to each other died two days apart after 72 years of marriage.

On Thursday, a day after Valentine’s Day, Edward and Loretta Pahura were laid to rest after a double-casket funeral at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

“We have been privileged to witness a love story, one of great magnitude,” Father Richard Csizmar, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Albion, said at the funeral on Thursday.

The couple spent the first 70 years of their marriage in a blue house at 130 Liberty St. About 18 months ago they moved to The Villages of Orleans, a nursing home in Albion. They stayed together in Room 33.

They were friendly to the other residents, staff and visitors.

“They were like the official greeters,” said long-time friend Mary Ann Tillman.

The Pahuras raised three children in Albion after Mr. Pahura returned from World War II. He was a corporal and marksman with the U.S. Army and was part of the Normandy invasion on D-Day. He was haunted by the invasion, seeing so many friends drown and be shot, said his son, Steve Pahura.

His father wanted to help his fellow soldiers who didn’t know how to swim. But the soldiers were ordered to keep moving – or they would not survive.

“They were the first ones in,” Steve Pahura said about his father and his unit. “It was so hard for him to talk about. He lost a lot of his buddies.”

About a year after D-Day on June 6, 1944, Mr. Pahura married the former Loretta Long.

They met on a blind date at the Albion Hotel and had dinner and then went dancing.

They were both 22 at their wedding on July 15, 1945. They lived the “American Dream,” their son said. They were able to stay in a small town and raise their family, which includes sons Steven and Gary, and daughter Kathleen.

Mr. Pahura worked as a shop mechanic specialist at Lipton until it closed in 1980. He finished his career at Eastman Kodak. His wife worked 24 years at General Electric in Brockport, helping to produce the first electric can openers.

Photo courtesy of Pahura family: Ed and Loretta Pahura were both 22 at their wedding on July 15, 1945.

The couple was active in the local Catholic church. They enjoyed “little things,” their son. They liked to feed the birds, go fishing, spend time with their family and cheer on the New York Yankees. (At the luncheon after the funeral on Thursday, friends and family were given bags of birds seed in honor of Ed and Loretta.)

Steve Pahura said the family took vacations to Old Forge when he was a kid in the 1950s and ’60s. They went fishing and boating. A big highlight was going to the garbage dump to see bears. “That was a big thing,” Steve said.

He admired his parents for their life-long devotion.

“They had a good time together,” he said.

His father had been sicker than his mother in the past few years. But Steve believes his father held on for his wife. She recently had been battling cancer.

They both got the flu about two weeks ago. Mr. Pahura died on Feb. 7 and his wife joined him on Feb. 9. The family believes Ed wanted to go just before his wife, so she wouldn’t be scared of dying and to be there to welcome her to Heaven.

“He was comforting her and leading the way,” said the couple’s niece, Eileen Banker. “He was getting things ready for her.”

She said her aunt and uncle were very family-oriented. Her aunt “was always smiling” while her uncle was “very sweet.”

She recalled a family wedding on Aug. 29, 2015, when the Pahuras did the polka to the delight of the crowd. Ed and Loretta were at the reception for their granddaughter’s wedding at Ravenwood Golf Course in Victor. Steve Pahura asked the DJ to play a polka song. When the music came on, Mr. Pahura set down his cane and grabbed his wife’s hand, insisting on a dance.

Father Csizmar, pastor of the church, said the love story will continue in Heaven.

“We’re celebrating the wonderful Valentine’s life they lived for 72 years,” he said.

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Courtesy of Stacey Kirby

ALBION – A 24-foot-long mural of Santa in a sleigh looking over downtown Albion and Courthouse Square will be painted by Albion native Stacey Kirby.

The Albion Rotary Club is leading the project, with assistance from a grant from Rotary District 7090 as well as community donations.

The Albion Historic Preservation Commission approved a “certificate of appropriateness” for the project today. The Village Board also voted to support the project on Wednesday.

The mural honors Albion’s history as home to the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School from 1937 to 1966. Howard also ran Christmas Park in Albion. Mr. Howard passed away in 1966. The Santa School continues in his name in Midland, Michigan.

Photo by Tom Rivers

The mural will be mounted on poles and a metal frame in Waterman Park on North Main Street, about a half block south of the Erie Canal. The large painting will mounted about a foot away from this wall on the north side of the park.

The mural is expected to be installed by May 1.

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Photos by Tom Rivers: Albion firefighters battle a garage fire on Jan. 2, 2016 on South Clinton St.

ALBION – The Village Board wants to look into moving the fire department out of the village budget and into its own fire district that would also serve the towns of Albion and Gaines.

Many villages have recently moved to separating the fire department from a village service to being its own taxing jurisdiction with a board of commissioners.

Holley and Elba recently created fire districts and Oakfield is in the process of doing it, said Barry Flansburg, a fire commissioner for the Barre Fire District. He also works as an assessor for Barre, Byron, Elba and Oakfield.

Right now the fire department is part of the Albion village budget. The village also has contracts with the towns of Albion and Gaines to provide fire protection.

If there was a fire district, there would be a separate tax from the fire district that would be part of the tax bill that comes out in January.

It would also mean the village tax rate would likely go down because the fire department wouldn’t be included in the village budget. (However, there would be a new tax for village residents with a fire district.) Right now the fire department insurance is included in the village insurance. And village mechanics from the Department of Public Works spend time on fire trucks.

Barry Flansburg, a commissioner with the Barre Fire District, talks with the Albion Village Board about forming a fire district that would provide fire protection services in the village of Albion and towns of Albion and Gaines.

With a fire district, the village staff, in-kind services and other expenses would be clearly identified and the village would likely be reimbursed for those costs, which might include rent for the fire hall.

That is among the benefits of a fire district: knowing the clear costs of the fire department, Flansburg said. Right now some of the costs are absorbed in the village budget, such as the mechanic, fire hall, insurance and other costs.

“You could set this up with a focus on improving service,” Flansburg said. “Right now you can’t put your finger on how much it costs.”

Flansburg sees an asset in a board of commissioners that provide the oversight. That board would be focused on running the fire department as a business, he said.

The Village Board currently oversees the fire department, while also overseeing other aspects of the village government, including police, water, sewer, the cemetery, the village office and other services.

“From a village standpoint, it would be one less thing that you have to worry about,” Flansburg said.

The Village Board passed a resolution on Wednesday to pursue looking into a fire district. Village officials said they would reach out to town officials in Albion and Gaines. If a fire district is established, the three municipal boards – Albion Village Board, Albion Town Board and Gaines Town Board – all need to support it.

There will be several public informational meetings and public hearings if the issue moves forward. Flansburg also urged the village to have an attorney who specializes in creating fire districts lead a public informational meeting for the community, explaining the legal process in creating a fire district.

Harry Papponetti, the Albion fire chief, said the fire department supports pursuing a fire district. But he didn’t want the Village Board to feel slighted.

“We’re not saying we don’t like the Village Board,” he said. “You’ve been overwhelmingly to the fire department. We just want to make it easier for you.”

The fire commissioners are elected positions, and many commissioners in other fire districts are not firefighters. They are often business leaders looking to run the department as efficiently as possible, Flansburg said.

Village Trustee Pete Sidari works for the North Greece Fire District. He said many fire departments in Monroe County are going to fire districts.

“It’s the same firemen, the same trucks,” he said. “You’re just shifting the liability to the fire district.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Gary Kent, one of the directors of the Albion Betterment Committee, pumps gas this morning for Ronnie Scott of Albion.

Kent and a group of other volunteers pump gas for senior citizens and others who want the service every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Crosby’s in Albion.

Kent and the Betterment Committee volunteers offer a friendly face to the senior citizens. It’s also a chance to connect with seniors to see how they’re doing, Kent said.

Sometimes the volunteers will also check car fluids and walk the money inside the store so seniors don’t have to get out in the cold.

Kent has been pumping gas since the first week it started in 2004. Clarence Winkelmann has been doing it 13 years and Gary Westlund has been dedicated to the task for 12 years.

If someone can’t make it, Kent has backups, who today included Tim Tierney of Medina and Mike Wright of Albion. Wayne Wadhams and Phil Brady also help out some weeks.

Tim Tierney pumps gas for a senior citizen today at Crosby’s in Albion. Tierney said the seniors appreciate the effort from the volunteers. There aren’t very many gas stations around that provide the service.

“It’s fun,” he said. “I don’t mind doing it.”

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Photo by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Bill Downey (left), chairman of the Orleans County Fishing Derby, presents a check for $1,900 to Mike Bonnewell, president of the Albion Rotary Club.

Downey presented the money last week. He is a member of the Albion Rotary Club, which has been organizing the fishing derby for more than 30 years. The event runs for about two weeks in August and gives out more than $8,000 in prizes. The high lake waters last summer kept some fishermen away, but the event still generated a profit for Rotary, which uses the funds to support community projects.

This year’s derby is scheduled for Aug. 4-19. Click here for more information.

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Provided photo

ALBION – Patty Putnam Mitchell, an active member of the Albion NY Rocks group, joined other members of the group on Friday in delivering hand-painted rocks with Valentine’s messages to residents of The Villages of Orleans, a nursing home in Albion.

Mitchell is shown with a stroller full of Valentine’s rocks. The group previously delivered hundreds of rocks in December with Christmas designs and messages.

“Local rock painters had a blast working on these rocks, that not only carry messages of love but were painted with love,” said Lori Laine, leader of the group. “Many of the residents still had their Christmas Rocks on display in their rooms and they were more than pleased to receive the Valentine rocks to add to their collection.”

Laine said the residents were thrilled to receive painted rocks.

“A few of the residents asked how much they cost,” Laine said. “Our response was, ‘We charge a smile for them.’ I can honestly say we were overpaid as we got so many smiles. That’s what this rock project is about: community, friendship and encouragement.”

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Aria Santiago, 4, heads down the hill at Bullard Park when many kids were at the park enjoying a sledding and snowboarding competition.

The park is hosting games and competitions from 3 to 7 p.m., with a bonfire of Christmas trees at 6.

Patrick Fox of Albion, lower left, and Mason Rhoda of Albion head back up the hill for another trip.

It was ideal sledding conditions with lots of snow and temperatures in the high 20s without much wind.

Charles Santiago, 8, of Albion enjoys a fast trip down the sledding hill.

Kim Remley, one of the organizers of the event with Energize Albion, calls out for snowboarders to see how far they could go down the hill.

Lisa and Skip Stratton made this igloo out of milk jugs. There also is a food truck at the event.

Mason Rhoda and Aria Santiago help each other walk up the hill for another turn of sledding.

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Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Christmas trees are piled up at Bullard Park on Friday. Today they will be set on fire in a bonfire at the park.

Bullard is hosting sledding, snowboarding and snowman building competitions at the park today from 3 to 7 p.m. Winners for all contests will be announced immediately prior to the lighting the bonfire. All contests and games are free.

At 3:30, the contests start with sledding until 4 p.m. Judges will be measuring distance for sledders from the top of the hill. That is the same for the snowboarding contest from 4 to 4:30 p.m.

There will be a snowman building competition from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Albion has hosted winter games at Bullard twice before, but this is the first time there is lots of snow on the ground.

“We’ve never had the proper weather to do this,” said Kim Remley, one of the organizers. “Last year there was no snow.”

There will also be kiddie games at Pee Wee Park, the little kids’ section of Bullard, from 3 to 5 p.m.

At 6 p.m., the trees will be set ablaze for the bonfire.

There is also free hot chocolate and S’mores while supplies last. Other food items will be available for purchase.

The Village of Albion, the Albion Fire Department, Energize Albion, the Albion Merchant’s Association and United Structural, LLC have organized the event at Bullard.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The 20^th annual Father-Daughter Dance drew 250 people to the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School cafeteria on Friday evening. Jeremiah Knight of Albion was a first-time attendee. He is dancing with his daughter McKinley, wearing the red and black dress.

Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion organizes the annual dance held on the Friday near Valentine’s Day.

The 250 attendees just missed setting a record for the biggest crowd ever for the dance. Last year there were 260. The event has grown in popularity over the years. Prior to last year, it had only topped 200 people once. Some of the fathers and daughters have been attending the event each year for more than a decade.

Many of the girls who attended the event were happy to dance with their friends, as well as their fathers.

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Albion also will start using “less-lethal” bean bag projectiles

Press Release, Roland Nenni, chief of Albion and Holley police departments

All Albion and Holley police officers have been trained in the use of the newest form of Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan. Every officer has completed the required training and will be carrying the lifesaving drug.

Naloxone is a drug that temporarily blocks the opiate from acting on the body and allows enough time for more advanced medical treatment. Naloxone is safe and will not cause harm if it is administered to someone suffering from an overdose of a non-opiate or other medical condition. Naloxone is administered via a Nasal Atomizer and does not require a needle.

“With the rise in the use of heroin and other opiates there have been many overdoses that have caused death and other serious long term medical issues,” Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

Police officers from Albion and Holley often are the first on scene at medical emergencies. If a person has overdosed on an opiate and is in serious condition, officers will be able to administer Naloxone in an attempt to save the person’s life. The administration of Naloxone has saved many lives across the country.

“These saved lives have not been isolated to drug users but have also involved children that have accidently ingested an opiate,” Nenni said.

This is only one of the many initiatives that the Albion and Holley police departments are conducting to fight this horrible epidemic that are impacting lives of not only the persons using illegal opiates but the families and associates of users.

The Albion Police Department has recently placed into service a “Less Lethal Program” that will allow officers additional options other than lethal force in certain situations.

Less-lethal guns that fire a Drag Stabilized Bean Bag Projectile have been placed in each Albion patrol vehicle. While less-lethal is not always an option in volatile fast-moving situations, it gives officers additional tools to use when appropriate, that will hopefully reduce death and injuries, Nenni said.

While every police officer carries a Taser, this option requires close proximity, increasing the officer’s likelihood for injury. The Drag Stabilized Bean Bag Projectile allows for greater distance for deployment, reducing the risk of injury to officers and suspects.

This type of less-lethal option was only available to officers in Orleans County by the Multi Agency SWAT Team, which has an array of less-lethal options.

“The problem with only SWAT having this type of less lethal option is the time involved in getting SWAT operators on scene,” Nenni said. “Often the types of incidents that can be handled by less-lethal are quickly evolving and time is of the essence.”

The Albion Police Department being the only road patrol at this time having this option will respond anywhere they are requested to assist other agencies.

The training that Albion Police Officers went through to be certified consisted of both classroom instruction and live-fire range qualification.

The cost of the program was minimal as the guns that are used were obtained through a legal seizure process from guns that were possessed by the Police Department. The guns were seized in cases involving a crime or weapons that were turned over the department because of other situations.

“The goal of the Albion Police Department is to save lives in any way that we can,” the police chief said. “Human life regardless if a victim or suspect is precious and we must always work toward the protection of life.”

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