North Point Chapel will have grand re-opening of closed off sanctuary on Dec. 3

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Mike Outten, pastor of North Point Chapel, is pictured giving a tour of the sanctuary of the former United Methodist Church on Sunday after the North Point church service.

North Point has been holding services in former Sunday school classrooms in the building since April.

The church at 19 North Platt was the long-time home of the United Methodist Church, which now shares a building at Christ Church with the Episcopalians.

The United Methodists left their building when it faced a $1 million expense with its roof. Engineers and architects had inspected the roof and believed it needed significant structural repairs and supports.

The church was built in 1861 with an addition put on in 1914. When the addition was included, the sanctuary was reoriented. The experts who looked at the building didn’t think the trusses were properly supporting the roof. They feared the roof, without the proper supports, was causing the walls to push outward and threatening the viability of the structure.

A group from the North Point Chapel looks over the sanctuary on Sunday. The floors have been refinished and the walls painted

The building was for sale but drew little interest due to the structural issues with the roof and walls. North Point Chapel, a new church that was meeting in the Arnold Gregory Memorial Complex, bought the church site for $38,000, with the deal closing in January. North Point also agreed to assume the $22,000 contract for having wooden supports to hold up the roof, in case the walls weakened.

Mike Outten, pastor of North Point, has 35 years in the construction business. He believed he had a solution for keeping the building structurally safe for years to come. Outten was planning to run steel rods from one side of the sanctuary to the other. The rods would be up high near the roof and a turnbuckle would be used to tie them together.

In September, Outten and his son Adam were investigating the best spot to place the steel support.

Adam now runs the family construction business, Northern Exteriors. Adam removed ceiling tiles near a truss in the sanctuary. On Sept. 26, he found two steel rods were already there above the truss.

This is the spot in the ceiling where North Point made a hole, looking for a location to run steel rods to prevent the exterior walls from pushing outwards. New rods aren’t needed because two rods are already in place.

Outten called the architect who had inspected the building when the United Methodists owned it. The architect inspected the roof again and deemed it safe once the steel rods had been found. The firm had missed the steel rods in previous inspections. Those rods were obscured in thick insulation.

The congregation, in 1914, “knew exactly what they were doing,” when they reoriented the sanctuary and put on the addition, Outten said.

The architect has declared the roof safe, Outten said, and Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti has given North Point a certificate of occupancy for the sanctuary. Vendetti had condemned the space.

The wooden support beams were removed about two weeks ago, and Outten has been working overtime to refinish the wooden floors, and paint the sanctuary interior. The off-white paint interior is now the color chrome, which is gray, blue and purple.

Outten has also met with one of the United Methodist Church leaders, to share the news. He has welcomed the congregation to return to the building and be part of the church with North Point Chapel.

Mike Outten is pictured in the sanctuary in late March. The wooden beams were in place to help support the roof. Those beams were removed about two weeks ago.

Outten said North Point bought the church as a leap of faith. North Point started two years ago with two people in a Bible study. On Sunday about 40 attended services in the Sunday school room.

This Sunday they will move from classrooms for holding their church service to the main sanctuary. Outten said they will be there for two Sundays before a grand opening service on Dec. 3. He wants the two Sundays to test the sound boards, and get the worship band ready on the new stage.

In addition to painting the inside, Outten and church volunteers have changed the sanctuary stage, adding space for the band. The organ will still be used because North Point is striving to blend traditional hymns and contemporary worship.

Outten also had to climb 26 feet high on scaffolding to replace 84 lightbulbs in the ceiling.

His son, Adam, repointed mortar for bricks on the exterior of the building.

“This is a building that was condemned,” Mike Outten said. “We are going to have a grand reopening on Dec. 3 because we want people to know that God is very much alive. This building is just a tool that God will use for a very long time to come.”

Adam Outten last month is shown putting new mortar between bricks on the exterior of the North Point Chapel in Albion.

Return to top

Photos courtesy of Sue Starkweather Miller: Haden Button enters the assembly on Thursday to a cheering crowd.

Alanna Holman, left, and Lily Allison are buddies.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – The Albion Central School District’s annual Empire Games for the Physically Challenged Awards Ceremony took place on Thursday The middle school band played musical selections as student athletes entered the elementary school gym to a cheering audience of over 1,000 students, staff, and family members.

The elementary school chorus sang several musical selections.  Students watched to a video presentation of the athletes participating in the Games at SUNY Brockport. Principals distributed ribbons and medals to each student athlete. After the ceremony, the athletes and their families celebrated with cookies and milk.

The Empire Games for the Physically Challenged takes place in October at SUNY Brockport. School districts from all across the region participate in many events on the Brockport campus.

Albion student athletes participated in: long jump, club throw, precision throw, distance kick, 40 meter race, 60 meter race, 100 meter race, slalom and the soft discus. Each athlete had a high school “buddy” who attended the Games and assisted them through the day as they moved through events.

Student athletes included: Lily Allison, Asad Bacht, Morgan Brower, Hayden Button, Dejeanna Conner, Brook Drake, Ethan Ferchen, Analiah Figueroa-Fuentes, Kaitlynn Figueroa-Fuentes, Rebecca Fugate, Nick Garcia, Taneisha Jackson, Keira Lemcke, Tatiana Morales, Misty Dawn Mullins, Gabrielle Payne, Adriana Pellegrino, Emily Richardson, Shaekwon Robinson, Alannah Snitzel and Jacob Sunday

Adriana Pelligrino receives medals from Elementary School Principal Rachel Curtin.

Varsity cheerleaders and Eagle lead a cheer for the audience.

Nick Garcia receives his medals from High School Assistant Principal Katharine Waite.

The Middle School Band performs during the assembly.

Emily Richardson receives her medals from Middle School Principal Bradley Pritchard.

Return to top

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Wendy Jacobson (left), CEO of Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital, accepts the “Friend of Education Award” on Monday from Margy Brown, president of the Albion Board of Education.

The healthcare organization was recognized for its participation the past three years in the district’s internship program. Albion High School students have been doing internships and observations with doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants and other staff at Medina Memorial Hospital and Orleans Community Health’s Albion healthcare site.

Those experiences convinced many students to pursue careers in healthcare, said Susan Starkweather Miller, the internship coordinator.

Jacobson has embraced the program, and given students access to professionals who work in surgeries, ultrasound, phlebotomy and other programs.

The staff finds the students invigorating, Jacobson said.

“It’s a way to pay back the educators who saw something in us all,” she said.

The district also presented monthly student recognition awards. In the elementary school, Joshua Zayac received the Leadership Award and Bryan Hillman was presented the Character Award.

Tyler Kast, a senior, was also presented with the Leadership Award at the high school. He was unable to attend last month’s board meeting and received the award last evening.

Return to top

Ballot includes 3 state-wide propositions, including Constitutional Convention

There are three state-wide propositions on the ballot today, and there is also one specific to the Town of Albion, which is asking voters if a local law should be enacted to allow games of chance.

Albion is seeking voters’ approval for games of chance so the American Legion can provide games of chance, including Bell Jar games, where people draw a card from a jar, vending machine or other suitable device or container. The winning Bell Jar ticket is turned in for a monetary prize. Bell Jars are typically sold for 25¢, 50¢, $1 and $2 and have prizes as high as $500.

The Legion used to be located in the village on Main Street and needed a permit for games of chance from the village. Now that the Legion moved outside the village to the former Pap Pap’s Par 3 golf course on Gaines Basin Road, it needs to get a local permit from the town.

The state-wide propositions include:

• Proposal 1: would call for a constitutional convention to explore proposals for changes to the state constitution.

• Proposal 2: would allow judges to reduce or revoke the state pension of a public officer convicted of a felony related to his or her duties.

• Proposal 3: would create a 250-acre land bank, which would allow local governments to request forest preserve land for projects in exchange for the state acquiring 250 acres for the forest preserves. The amendment would allow bicycle trails and certain public utility lines to be located within the width of specified highways that cross a forest preserve while minimizing removal of trees and vegetation.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club presented a check for $2,868 to PAWS Animal Shelter on Thursday. Morgan Tinkous, center, is director of the shelter on Gaines Basin Road.

She is joined by Albion Rotarians Tammy Yaskulski, left, and Deb Boyer, who organized  the 2^nd Annual Albion Rotary Club Masquerade Ball on Oct. 14.

Tammy Yaskulski, second from right, announces some of the finalists for best costume and Deb Boyer. The Masquerade Ball had a Roaring ’20s theme. The Albion Rotary Club started in 1922 and is marking its 95^th anniversary this year.

The event was held at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

Lori Laine won an award for her costume.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The high school drama program at Albion will be performing “Getting to Know…Once Upon a Mattress” today at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at noon and 7 p.m. Shows are at the Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door.

Riley Seielstad, left, plays Princess Winnifred and Victor Benjovsky is Prince Dauntless in the show that touches on the story of “The Princess and the Pea.”

The show “is a great farce,” said Gary Simboli, the director. There is a cast of 30 students with many catchy songs and funny moments.

“Your sides will hurt from laughing,” Simboli said.

Enoch Martin plays Sir Harry and Kate Krieger is Lady Larken.

The set includes a bed with 20 mattresses. Queen Aggravain (Hannah Van Epps) puts a pea under a mattress and that pea keeps Princess Winnifred up all night.

Chase Froman is Sir Harold and Sophia Zambito is Lady Beatrice.

The show is set in a medieval kingdom ruled by the devious Queen Aggravain.

Zach Moore plays the mute King Sextimus the Silent. King Sextimus suffers from a curse that can only be reversed “when the mouse devours the hawk.” The King would later discover his voice. Emma Tower is the Jester, center, and Molly Wadhams is the Minstrel.

Kate Krieger is Lady Larken, right, and Riley Seielstad has fun as the zany Princess Winnifred.

Victor Benjovsky is Prince Dauntless who professes his love for “Fred” – Princess Winnifred.

Riley Seielstad is high energy as Princess Winnifred.

Return to top

ALBION – Many Albion residents reacted with shock on social media today as trees along the Erie Canal were cut down. The top photo shows a section of the canal by the Bowman’s bridge, west of Main Street, where trees were taken down.

The New York State Canal Corp. has hired Mohawk Valley Materials from Utica to remove vegetation on the Canal Corp. right of way.

The company started in Medina last month and is working its way east with a goal to make it to Fairport in December.

Flint Zigler and his daughter Scarlett are the two cyclists in the photo. They are from York, Pa. Mr. Zigler home schools his daughter. They have been studying the Erie Canal. They wanted to see it in person.

Flint and Scarlett Zigler ride their bikes past stacks of trees on the towpath in Albion.

They started riding their bikes from Lockport today and were disappointed to see so many big trees cut down along the towpath.

“It’s kind of sad,” Mr. Zigler said this afternoon. “These are massive trees they are taking out.”

The Canal Corp. discussed the tree-clearing plan on Sept. 25 during a meeting in Medina at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. The Canal Corp. will be taking down trees on 140 acres between Medina and Fairport. The contractor hired for the job won’t be touching any trees on privately owned land.

The trees have roots that can burrow into the soil, going under the towpath and reaching the canal walls. That can make the canal vulnerable to leaks and weaken the walls, Canal Corp. officials said.

Orleans Hub has received two letters to the editor about the tree-clearing.

“Tearing down trees along the towpath of the Erie Canal is an absolute disgrace and should have been the last option, not the first option because it’s the cheapest!” Stephanie Thurston of Albion write today. “We live right on the canal and the beauty of the trees across from our house is now gone. Devastated!”

Elizabeth and Michael Leone sent in a letter on Oct. 25, after seeing numerous trees cut down in Medina.

“The Erie Canal towpath has always been a place of beauty and tranquility,” they wrote. “It is a place to escape, walk, ride bicycles and enjoy nature. We have lost something with the rapid execution of the tree line and foliage along the towpath, which gave home to wildlife, and a break from the harsh winds of fall and winter.”

The couple said they understood the rationale for removing the trees. However, “the ruthless nature that the Canal Corp. has used in clearing this scenic walkway is unforgivable. It has been particularly harsh for residents living on the north side of the canal, where all privacy is lost.”

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Caden Crosby, a senior at Albion High School, helps the Albion Betterment Committee plant a bur oak tree at the Rite Aid front lawn this afternoon.

The Betterment Committee supplied two bur oaks and had them planted by Rite Aid. ABC Director Gary Kent, in back, has been nurturing the trees the past few years at his home.

Provided photo: The Betterment Committee also hired Greg Rosato and his son Brett last month to trim the beech tree on Main Street by the former Bank of America. Brett Rosato is shown high in the tree. He cut the dead section and some of the decayed limbs out of the tree. The Betterment Committee said the trimming improves the looks of the tree and should extend its life.

Return to top