Albion police seek public’s help after another attempted burglary

ALBION – A State Police helicopter circled over the village for more than hour last night after another attempted break-in on the night before the first day of school.

Albion police were dispatched at 8:48 p.m. to the 200 block of Chamberlain Street in the village for a suspicious condition, Police Chief Roland Nenni said. A citizen reported that a noise was heard and two males were seen running from the rear of a neighbor’s home.

Police discovered there had been another attempted burglary by cutting a window screen and opening the window.

Albion and several police agencies searched for the suspects, but were unable to locate them and make an arrest.

The investigation is ongoing, Nenni said. Anyone with information regarding this case or other burglaries that have occurred recently is asked to contact the Albion Police Department.

The Albion Police Department’s investigation was assisted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, Medina Police Department K-9 Unit, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit and the New York State Police Aviation Unit.

Police advise residents to secure all first floor windows and doors and to immediately report any suspicious activity.

“The investigations into the recent burglaries have revealed that many citizens have seen the suspects and their activity and failed to report it until the next day,” Nenni said. “It is crucial to report all suspicious activity when it is occurring or as soon as possible.”

800 dogs compete next 2 days in AKC shows

Photos by Tom Rivers – There are about 800 dogs competing today and Sunday in dog shows at Bullard Park in Albion. The all-breed shows run from about 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. They feature purebred dogs and have attracted participants from many states and Canada.

Carl Liepmann, an American Kennel Club judge, checks Sedona, an English cocker spaniel owned by Mindy Bartholomew during today’s Tonawanda Valley Kennel Club show at Bullard Park.

Jesse James, a French bull dog owned by Penny Barber of Sanborn, is all smiles after winning his event at today’s Tonawanda Valley Kennel Club dog show at Bullard Park in Albion.

Melanie Whitehair and Libby, an English bull terrier, wait for their turn in the show ring at today’s dog show in Albion. Whitehair and her husband Ty are Kendall residents. They travel to 15 to 20 dog shows a year, including two in Europe.

By Roland Nenni III, Albion Police Chief

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is investigating several burglaries that have occurred over the past two weeks. These burglaries have occurred at occupied dwellings in the late evening to early morning hours.

Entry is being made into the residences via opened or unlocked first floor windows. Screens have been cut to gain access to the windows. Force has not been used to entry locked residences.

Residents are asked to lock all first floor windows and to secure all window air conditioners. Valuables should be kept out of sight and in a location not easily accessible from windows.

Anyone who has information regarding these burglaries is asked to call the Albion Police Department. Anyone who sees suspicious activity, including suspicious persons or vehicles is asked to call 911 immediately.

ALBION –  Police are investigating a string of burglaries the past two weeks in the village of Albion. Police Chief Roland Nenni advises residents to keep their doors and first-floor windows locked.

Residents are also urged to call 911 if they see suspicious activity.

“It’s very important to call while it’s going on,” Nenni said this morning. “People have observed suspicious activity and not called until the following day.”

The burglaries are taking place late at night and in the early morning hours. Burglars have cut out screens from windows to gain entry. In one instance, burglars removed an air-conditioning unit that wasn’t secure.

Village police have stepped up surveillance in recent days.

Nenni said burglars may strike outside the village as well.

“I have no doubt the suspects will go outside the village if they see an opportunity,” Nenni said.

Sid Beaty will work for free, teaming with merchants

Photo by Tom Rivers – Sid Beaty is working the next two months for free as a program coordinator for the village of Albion. The village may turn the position into a paid role in the future.

ALBION – Sid Beaty has talked with downtown business owners and village officials. She hears a lot of good ideas about historic walking trails, a concert series, a farmers’ market, and other events to promote the community.

The merchants have tried to plan some events, but the challenge of running their own enterprises has made it difficult to devote time to outside projects.

Beaty, 23, will work to turn some of those ideas into reality. She agreed to work the next two months for free as a program coordinator for the village. The position could turn into a paid role in the future.

“We’re excited to have someone who is a direct link to the village,” said Carolyn Ricker, owner of Bindings Bookstore and president of the Albion Merchants Association. “She will be helpful to get some of these things done.”

Ricker and the downtown merchants have spent months trying to put together a map of the downtown, highlighting different businesses and attractions. That project has lagged without someone being fully committed to it. Ricker was happy to hand that off to Beaty, who isn’t a stranger to the area.

Her parents, Anne and Bruce Beaty, have a cottage at Point Breeze. Beaty typically would spend three or four months a year in Orleans County. She is the granddaughter of the late Dick Eddy, a long-time community leader in Albion. Beaty is named for Dick’s father, Sid Eddy.

She earned a degree in city and regional planning from Cornell University in May 2012. She sees a lot of potential in Albion, especially Main Street and the downtown area, which is named to the National Register of Historic Places.

“Albion has beautiful buildings, it’s pedestrian friendly and there is mixed use,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunities down here.”

During an internship about three years ago with the Albion Main Street Alliance, Beaty decided to switch her career plans, changing from a math/science major to planning.

Since graduation from Cornell, she has worked in Utica with an initiative that turns vacant city lots into green space and gardens. She also worked for an engineering firm in Ithaca, working on applications to attain energy efficiency standards for the company’s projects.

She was drawn to the chance to work for free in Albion because the job is more in line with her career goals, trying to draw commerce to a historic district.

“This is the kind of work that I love to do in a place that I love,” Beaty said this afternoon from the village office, where she will be based.

She finished up an application today for arts funding to help pay for entertainment for a downtown concert series next year. She also is helping to coordinate a Beggar’s Night event near Halloween.

She is talking with merchants about bringing in downtown speakers that would play music in the business district. The Village Board wants her to solicit feedback from the merchants.

Next month some of the businesses will start having extended hours on Thursdays, staying open until 7 p.m. Beaty will help them promote the later hours.

Some merchants would like to have a movie night in the downtown, perhaps using a building wall as the screen. Some community members have pitched the idea of a 5K race and other events.

“There are a lot of good ideas out there,” she said. “I’m going to help provide the follow-up.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

The Albion Rotary Club today presented $1,000 checks to both Hoag Library for a series of historical programs and to Community Action of Orleans and Genesee for the agency’s food pantry.

Kelly Kiebala, the club’s president in 2012-13, is pictured, center, with Bonnie Malakie, director of children and youth services for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, at left.

Susan Rudnicky, right, is director of Hoag Library in Albion. The library will use the funding for programs about local history.

ALBION – Matt Passarell will have the Republican line in the Nov. 5 election for town supervisor.

The Albion Republican Committee  may have decided in April not to endorse Passarell, Jake Olles and or any candidate for the town’s top elected official.

But Passarell was able to secure the line by submitted petitions signed by Republicans in town. Passarell also has the Conservatve Party line.

Olles on Tuesday was backed by Democrats during their party caucus.

Olles and Passarell are both currently town councilmen. Passarell was elected in November 2008 with Olles elected two years later.

Olles works as a Sergeant at Attica Correctional. Passarell is an Iraq War veteran and VFW commander. He works as quality supervisor for Baxter in Medina.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Churches around the country rang their church bells 50 times today at 3 p.m. in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech that was 50 years ago today.

The First Presbyterian Church in Albion joined the chorus of church bells this afternoon.

In the photo above, Jim Mitchell, left, and his brother John ring the church bell at the Presbyterian Church.

The brothers grew up in Detroit and their father was a biology teacher in the inner city. He also was a Civil Rights supporter, and told his young sons to drink from the “Colored” water fountains and use “Colored” public restrooms.

The family often hosted members of the African-American community for meals at their house.

“Our father was a big believer in the movement,” Jim Mitchell said.

Both Mitchell brothers and their wives now live in Orleans County.

In King’s speech, he used soaring oratory to plead with Americans to come together to stomp out racism and create a land of opportunity for all.

A view looking up the church spire at the bell tower.

ALBION – Democrats gathered for a caucus tonight and picked current Town Board member Jake Olles, a correctional officer at Attica, for town supervisor candidate.

That sets up a Nov. 5 election contest versus two current councilmen, Olles and Matt Passarell, who has been endorsed by the Conservative Party. The Republican Committee didn’t endorse a candidate for the election.

Albion Democrats also endorsed Justin Sheehan and Todd Sargent for Town Board positions. Sargent is a Republican who also has the GOP endorsement. There are three candidates running for councilmen. Richard Remley also has the Republican line. Voters will elect two to four-year terms.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It was about 2:15 this afternoon when the storm clouds burst, drenching Orleans County.

I was in the main courtroom in the Orleans County Courthouse when the room suddenly got much darker from the stormy sky outside. Then we could hear the rain pounding against the windows.

After court was over, I took a picture through one of the windows. The County Clerk’s Building is next door to the Courthouse. Both are part of the Courthouse Square, a cluster of about 35 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ALBION – Two weeks ago the village opened a new farmers market on East Bank Street in downtown Albion. It lasted two Sundays.

The Village Board voted on Friday to shut down the market due to “safety concerns.” Only one vendor, Vendetti Farms of Murray, had been at the site for the first two weeks.

Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti, the brother of the farm owner, was managing the market and was there from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. Vendetti said the market was building a customer base, and he was hopeful more farms would join.

Vendetti has some enemies in the village, including an Albion couple currently in a lawsuit with the village over a certificate of occupancy. That couple has been disruptive at the market, videotaping customers, Vendetti and the farm staff, Mayor Dean Theodorakos said.

“I worry that continuance of the market may result in escalation of bad behaviors, thus the decision to close for safety concerns,” the mayor said this morning. “I still believe the market is a great idea for downtown and hope we can bring it back next year.”

Photos courtesy of Michael Whiting of Whiting’s Village Studio – Dylan DeSmit, left, and Taylor Whittier give an enthusiastic performance during last night’s final concert for Above the Fog, a band that started seven years ago.

Chad DeSmit plays the guitar.

ALBION – Above the Fog played its final concert last night outside Hoag Library in Albion. The band includes lead singer Taylor Whittier and the DeSmit brothers – Dylan, Chad and Alex. The band has been performing together for seven years and has starred at many local venues.

The musicians still expect to make an impact on the local music scene.

Alex DeSmit, the youngest of the DeSmit brothers, plays the drums during Above the Fog’s farewell concert.

Dylan DeSmit plays the guitar and also has been a songwriter and vocalist for the band. Taylor Whittier has been the band’s high-energy lead singer.

Albion native performs cabaret show at Studio B

Photos by Michael Karcz

ALBION – Kailey Winans returned to Albion tonight for a cabaret show with her former choir teacher and musical director Gary Simboli.

They performed “Dare to Dream” at Studio B and Gotta Dance by Miss Amy. Kailey started her cabaret life nearly a year ago. The show she performs, “Dare to Dream,” was put together by Winans using songs and stories to tell about her journey through college with all of its ups and downs.

Winans went to Wagner College in Staten Island, and afterward moved to Manhattan. Simboli not only accompanied Winans, but he added some stories and songs from his own college experience.

Kailey debuted her Dare to Dream cabaret at the prestigious Don’t Tell Mama in New York City in August 2012.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Four new teachers and two principals at Albion Central School were guests today at the Albion Rotary Club. The new staff members are pictured outside the Village Inn. The group includes, front row, from left: Jennifer Lamont, elementary special education teacher; Rachel Curtin, elementary school principal; and Jennifer Ashbery, a former Albion fifth grade teacher who is now the elementary school assistant principal. Back row: Samantha Seaman, kindergarten teacher; Rachel Doberstein, second and third grade special education; and Lisa Kennedy, elementary and sixth grade art teacher.

ALBION – For the past five years, Albion would typically hire one or two teachers a year, who were hired to fill spots created by retirements.

The district could have hired more, because there were more retirements, but cuts in state aid and a shrinking enrollment resulted in net reductions in staff most years.

The district is continuing to reduce positions, but this school year will see more than one or two new faces among the teaching staff. The district has hired four new teachers, and also two new principals in the elementary school.

Rachel Curtin is replacing Jim Wood as elementary school principal. Wood is assuming many of the duties filled by Kim Houserman, who retired in June as Albion’s coordinator of secondary school programs. Wood will be responsible for many of the teacher evaluations, which require two to four observations plus a written report. The district has 180 teachers.

With Wood’s shift in a new administrative position, the principal’s job was open. Albion hired Curtin, who was a principal at Silver Creek. Prior to that she was a music teacher.

Jennifer Ashbery, a long-time fifth grade teacher at Albion, is the new assistant principal of the elementary school. Ashbery has completed her administrative certification and worked the previous two summers in an administrative internship through BOCES.

She fills a position that became vacant when Bridgitte Griffin left to work in administration at the Rush-Henrietta school district.

The new staff members joined the Albion Rotary Club for lunch today at the Village Inn.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Brian Bouchard, an engineer with CHA in Syracuse, talks with the Village of Albion Planning Board about the site plan for a new Dunkin’ Donuts in Albion.

The site plan for the new store shows 46 parking spaces and two driveway entrances for the Dunkin’, which would be 2,000 square feet plus a 230-square-foot freezer.

ALBION – Dunkin’ Donuts could have a warehouse knocked down in October and a new restaurant open in Albion in January, an engineer working on the project told the Village Planning Board on Wednesday.

Dunkin’ has submitted a site plan for a 2,000-square-foot store in Albion at 153 South Main St., between Tim Hortons and the railroad tracks. The new store would have 30 seats inside, 46 parking spaces, a 230-square-foot freezer next to the building, and a drive-through lane that could accommodate 10 vehicles.

The property would have exits on both Main and Platt streets. The project doesn’t need any sign variances from the village. Dunkin’ is seeking one sign on the building and a monument sign out in front by Main Street. There would be small directional arrows on Platt Street. Dunkin’ has tried to follow the village code to ensure the project moves forward without delays, said Brian Bouchard, assistant project engineer for the CHA firm in Syrcause.

Village officials looked at the plan the past two months and they asked CHA and the developer to try to make the store blend in with a historic district that is only a few blocks away to the north. Bouchard presented a rendering of the building last night that would have a red brick façade that will be accentuated with concrete panels and grout lines. That is a change from the initial building that was proposed to be cement board siding.

Village Planning Board members credited Dunkin’ and CHA for being sensitive to the historic fabric of Main Street.

“It fits, and everything works,” Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti told the Planning Board. “There are no variances. I don’t see any problems.”

The project will go before the Orleans County Planning Board, which next meets Sept. 26. The Village Planning Board can’t give a final vote on the project until the county reviews it. The village may call a special meeting soon after the county meets so Dunkin’ can work to demolish a warehouse, prepare the site and get up the shell of the building before winter.

The warehouse is owned by Charles Breuilly. The building occupies almost the entire property. The Dunkin’ plan would add green space to the site, improving runoff and water quality, Vendetti said.

Dunkin’ is seeking permission from the state Department of Transportation to tie into the state’s storm drain system that runs along Route 98.

Planning Board Chairman Dan Gleason said the project is good news for Albion.

“It’s always good to see new businesses coming around,” he said. “We’re not dead.”

Gleason did voice concerns about Platt Street with the visibility near the Dunkin’ entrance and some of the fast-moving traffic on Platt.

“On that street people just go nuts,” he said.

The Platt entrance will ease some of the traffic congestion on Main Street and also make it easier for delivery trucks, which won’t have to back onto Main after making a delivery.