Photo by Tom Rivers – Dan Shuler served as buildings and ground superintendent at Albion for more than three decades. He is pictured inside the elementary school, which was renovated and expanded during his tenure.

ALBION – When visiting teams and their fans come to Albion Central School, they often remark about the well-kept campus, the lush lawns and clean buildings.

District Superintendent Michael Bonnewell said a lot of the credit should go to Dan Shuler, the district’s buildings and grounds superintendent for more than three decades.

Shuler retired last week after 36 years with the district. He worked in buildings and grounds for Albion since he was 19, beginning as a laborer.

Shuler played a key role in the overhaul and upkeep of the district’s 480,000 square feet of buildings. Albion has tackled several multi-million-dollar renovations in recent years as well as an expansion of the elementary school. Some districts will hire a clerk of the works to coordinate construction crews. Shuler handled the job when Albion took on the big projects.

“I’ve got awesome people,” Shuler said about the 27 employees in the B and G department. “The board has been supportive and we’ve had stable superintendents.”

During Shuler’s long career, Albion has only had four superintendents – Doug Houck, Ron Sodoma, Ada Grabowski and now Mike Bonnewell.

Many of Shuler’s counterparts in Niagara and Orleans counties see a lot of turnover at the top, which can be unsettling at a district.

“The stability at Albion has been huge because we’ve been able to keep those key people,” Shuler said.

The district has become more energy efficient behind Shuler’s lead, swapping out incandescent lights and their fixtures with new high-efficient ones. Albion installed motion sensors in the gyms and other spots, so the lights are only on whether there are people in the rooms.

“The lighting is where you get your savings,” he said. “The payback has been huge. You need to look to save every penny you can.”

That includes the exterior lights – the pole lights, shoe boxes and wall packs on the building. They all have energy-efficient lights, reducing the wattage from 450 to 72.

Albion has tackled several building projects in recent years, replacing roofs, improving classroom spaces, upgrading athletic fields and adding safety measures to its buildings. Shuler said the district also keeps up an aggressive plan every year, spending about $300,000 on various projects. That has staved off some of the bigger and more costly capitol initiatives.

Shuler remembers his early days on the job, back when the district had the Waterport Elementary School and the Grammar School on East Academy Street. There wasn’t a maintenance garage for the department in those days. There base of operations was a maintenance shed in the boiler room of the Grammar School.

A much smaller maintenance crew with far fewer tools and equipment tried to keep old boilers going. The heating system at the middle school was only 45 percent energy efficient. Some of the buildings weren’t insulated.

“The middle school was horrible,” Shuler said. “We spent more heating the middle school than we do on the whole campus now.”

Albion had a cinder track that was labor intensive to maintain, requiring 400 gallons of paint a year. That was replaced with an all-weather, rubber synthetic track that is far less time-consuming to keep up.

Shuler spent a lot of time when he started his career on small lawn mowers. He used a 1940s tractor to pull a mower early in his career. Now the district has a mower with a 16-foot cut, plus two 11-footers. That helps the crew mow 80 acres of grass on the campus.

Shuler is Albion’s third Buildings and Grounds superintendent since the district created the position in 1960, following Herb Dawson and Kevin Doherty.

Shuler was the first person Doherty hired when he led the department. Doherty, who now serves on the Board of Education, said Shuler served the district well over his career.

“He has been very good at integrating the hands-on and people skills with the business office requirements,” Doherty said.

Shuler and his department keep the buildings clean and grounds safe. The staff works hard behind Shuler, Doherty said.

“He has their respect because he has done every job,” Doherty said.

Shuler said he typically juggled 150 work orders as the B and G superintendent. His staff, many long-term employees, deserve the credit for working on a variety of projects.

“It’s a lot of work and I think my guys do awesome,” he said.

Shuler’s four children graduated from Albion. He has 12 grandchildren. A past Scout leader, Shuler said he looks forward to more time for camping. He would like to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail.

Customer helps police locate suspects from Rochester

Rothmund

Hoffer

ALBION – A masked robber took off with about $18,000 from the Bank of America shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, but was arrested not long after in Holley thanks to a drive-through bank customer, who provided vehicle identification information to police.

The customer watched the suspect get into a car. The customer then provided a description of the getaway vehicle.

Albion police then alerted surrounding agencies to the vehicle, which was stopped at a Holley apartment complex by Holley police.

Police arrested Jeremy J. Rothmund, 29, and Elyse A. Hoffer, 22, both of 66 Wood Run Commons, Rochester. Albion police said Rothmund was involved in two bank robberies in the town of Greece and another robbery in Monroe County in the past three weeks.

At about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Rothmund was allegedly masked when he entered the bank at 156 South Main St. He demanded money and threatened a clerk with what appeared to be an explosive device.

During the robbery, a bank employee signaled to a customer in the drive-thru that a robbery was in progress. The suspect left the bank with about $18,000 in cash. The customer who was alerted of the robbery exited his vehicle and approached the bank main entrance. The suspect confronted the customer outside the bank and threatened the customer with the device, Albion police reported.

Reader provided photo – Albion police descended upon the Bank of America after a robbery Tuesday afternoon.

The customer followed the suspect and witnessed Rothmund enter a vehicle driven by Hoffer, police said.

Albion police then alerted surrounding police agencies of the suspect and suspect vehicle information. After Holley police took the two suspects into custody, they were turned over to Albion police.

The money was recovered and the device was found to be false.

Both suspects were charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree grand larceny, and first-degree placing a false bomb or hazardous substance.

Both Rothmund and Hoffer were arraigned in the Town of Albion Court and sent to the Orleans County Jail with each on $250,000 bail. They are scheduled to re-appear at 10 a.m. on July 10.

The Albion Police were assisted by the Holley Police Department, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office, New York State Police and the Greece Police.

Two poetry readings scheduled for North Main St. site

Photos by Tom Rivers – Paintings by the late Polly King of Niagara Falls will be on display and for sale the next two months at the Marti’s on Main Art Gallery in Albion. King traveled to numerous countries and created thousands of paintings, many in vibrant colors. She painted portraits and abstracts, and did oil and watercolor paintings.

Kim Martillotta Muscarella, owner of the Marti’s on Main Art Gallery, holds a self portrait created by the late Polly King of Niagara Falls. Her work is featured at Marti’s, where there will be an opening reception Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

ALBION – There were works from many artists on exhibit, but Kim Martillotta Muscarella said one artist seemed to really stand out at a recent show at the Kenan Center in Lockport.

Polly King painted in vibrant colors, and had a wide selection of work, using different styles and themes.

“You would have thought it was eight different artists,” Muscarella said.

King was a prolific artist who travelled the world. She died in 1993 at age 91, but her work continues to live on.

Many of her paintings are on display at Marti’s on Main At Gallery at 229 North Main St. Muscarella started the gallery five years ago. She features many local artists, but also wants to include some from outside the county.

She reached out to a gallery run by King’s family in Niagara Falls, which agreed to show some of King’s work at Marti’s. Muscarella has paintings that King made from flowers in her house, her adopted city of Niagara Falls, the construction of the power plant in Lewiston, and numerous landscapes and portraits of places and people from around the world.

There will be an opening reception for King’s work this Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. King’s paintings will be on exhibit for about two months.

“She painted thousands of paintings from all over the world,” Muscarella said at Marti’s today. “She was always painting.”

King’s paintings are part of more than 250 private collections. Robert Kennedy and Mario Cuomo both had her art hanging in their offices. Muscarella said she is proud to showcase the artist.

Marti’s also features paintings and artwork from 16 members of The Art Circle, a group of artists from Orleans County.

Muscarella will have her gallery open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on most Fridays during the summer, except Aug. 6. She also will host two poetry readings. Albion native Peter Monacelli is featured 7 p.m. on July 16 and Muscarella’s sister Nicki McFarland will share her poetry 7 p.m. on Aug. 13.

Admission to the gallery is free, but donations are accepted.

Photos courtesy of Ron Mathes

ALBION – In 2000, a contractor was hired to climb to the top of the 175-foot-high spire at the Albion First Presbyterian Church, part of an inspection and repointing of the steeple.

Ron Mathes of Holley asked one of the workers to take up a camera and get some shots from up high.

Mathes, a retired Postal Service worker in Albion, unearthed these photos and shared them with The Orleans Hub.

“I watched the man climb the steeple using a long rope which he would throw around the steeple and work his way up like a lumberjack,” Mathes wrote in an email. “After the first day, he used a chair-platform that was suspended from a pulley. I was talking with him one day, and he offered to take my camera up and snap some photos for me.”

Mathes saved the photos on floppy discs. The images were recently moved to his PC.

“I especially like the close up of the top of the steeple,” Mathes said. “From the ground you have no idea how big it really is.”

The last picture shows the very top of the steeple.

Governor says companies want to fill 900 positions in region

Press release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 21 companies in Albion and the Finger Lakes area will be gathering today to bring 902 job opportunities to employees of JPMorgan Chase as the facility prepares for closure in September.

Following the announcement of the Albion facility’s impending closure the governor deployed the state’s Rapid Response Reemployment Team to help impacted workers find new jobs.

“As we continue to strengthen regional economies across the state, it is critical that those who face layoffs receive help in finding new employment to stay in New York,” Cuomo said. “The fact that so many businesses are stepping up for the good of their neighbors and the larger community is a testament to the haven that the Finger Lakes region truly is for the private sector. I commend the businesses participating in this effort from around the Finger Lakes region for coming together to aid their fellow New Yorkers in the pursuit of new employment.”

Chase announced on June 7 it would be closing its Albion Call Center in early September and laying off more than 400 employees in the process. In response to the announcement, Cuomo dispatched the Department of Labor Finger Lakes Rapid Response Unit to assist affected workers with reemployment services.

The Department of Labor’s regional Rapid Response Units work with impacted workers to help them obtain unemployment benefits, establish connections to new jobs in their field and area, and also assemble career fairs like the one being held today.

Representatives from telecommunications, sales, customer service, marketing, financial services and banking will be on hand on and ready to hire. Additionally, Genesee Community College will participate in the event to provide customers with further detailed information on their education programs.

The job fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the JPMorgan Chase facility and is only open to Chase employees. Approximately 300 employees are expected to attend the fair.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Cindy Perry, left, was sworn in tonight as the new president for the Albion Rotary Club for the next year. She succeeds Kelly Kiebala, right.

GAINES – The Albion Rotary Club, now in its 91^st year, marked the “changing of the guard” tonight with a new president and other leaders sworn in.

Cindy Perry is the new president, succeeding Kelly Kiebala. Perry works as the director of health education, wellness and outreach for Orleans Community Health. The Waterport resident has been a member of Rotary since 1999 and spearheads the club’s annual golf tournament, which is scheduled for July 18 this year.

Kiebala joined the club in 2007, back when she was president of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. The Medina resident is the executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, based in Batavia.

She was praised for her continued commitment to the Albion Club. The Rotary Club uses money raised from the golf tournament, a fishing derby, St. Patrick’s ham dinner, hot dog booth and other fund-raisers to give scholarships and support other community causes.

Kelly Kiebala is presented with a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition for her year of service as Albion Rotary Club president. Ed Fancher, a past president, presents the award to Kiebala during a meeting tonight at The Village Inn.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Ryan Lubba was the “Strawberry” during the June 8 race in Albion.

ALBION – A record field of runners, 274 in all, is allowing Strawberry Festival race organizers to share more money with three local missions.

The 5-kilometer and 8-kilometer races on June 8 drew the biggest field of runners since the race started more than two decades ago. The race features a runner dressed as a strawberry. If runners can beat the strawberry – this year 2007 Albion grad Ryan Lubba wore the outfit – they win a prize.

This year’s race included 100 “day-of” registrations that pushed the number of runners to a record high.

The race is organized by the recently formed “Albion Running Club,” which is headed by local runner and businessman Brian Krieger. (He was the Strawberry two years ago.) The club includes many members of the Albion Free Methodist Church.

The 5k and 8k course started at the Orleans County Courthouse, and wound through the canal neighborhoods, with the last stretch of the race following the Erie Canal towpath and ending at the Courthouse Square.

With the record number of runners, the proceeds from this year’s race outweighed the committee’s expectations. The group shared $2,100 in proceeds with Care Net of Greater Orleans and the Community Kitchen at Christ Episcopal Church, plus funding to help a local group from the Free Methodist churches in Albion and Brockport go on a missions trip to Haiti.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Carolyn Ricker, owner of Bindings Bookstore in Albion, has organized a “Where’s Waldo” event for July that highlights 23 Albion businesses.

ALBION – A fictional character will write a chapter for Albion businesses next month, when shoppers are urged to visit merchants to find Waldo.

The elusive character, with black-rimmed glasses and striped shirts, will be at 23 Albion businesses from July 1-31. If shoppers can find him in 10 spots, they will be eligible for prizes and coupons.

Each participating shopper will receive a passport with addresses of businesses in the game. If shoppers can find Waldo in 20 spots, they will be eligible for the grand prize. Mayor Dean Theodorakos will pull the name from a basket on July 31. The winner receives a six-volume deluxe set of Waldo books.

Carolyn Ricker, owner of Bindings Bookstore, organized the event. The passport with a list of participating businesses is at her store at 28 West Bank St. She said the promotion is a great summer vacation activity, and a way to support local businesses.

Waldo’s American publisher, Candlewick Press, is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and 265 independent bookstores all across the country, including Bindings Bookstore, for some hide-and-seek fun while promoting local businesses.

For more information, call Bindings Bookstore  at 585-283-4498.

John Robinson, a quad-amputee, is riding the Erie Canal

Photos by Tom Rivers – John Robinson of Albion leads caravan of bike riders, including his son Owen, front left, to a reception outside the former Albion Grammar School, which is now used for senior apartments and services for The Arc of Orleans County and senior citizens.

John Robinson addresses about 50 people at a reception organized by The Arc of Orleans County. Robinson was presented proclamations by Orleans County Legislator Bill Eick, a representative for State Sen. George Maziarz and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

ALBION – John Robinson pushed a 3-wheeled adaptive hand cycle 27 miles today in the hot sun.

Robinson doesn’t have any arms or legs. But he kept the recombinant hand cycle moving.

He is on a journey for 16 days across the 363-mile Erie Canal, a trip he is doing to raise awareness for people with disabilities and promote adaptive  sports for amputees.

“No matter what your age, no matter what your ability, no matter how tired or how discouraged you may feel, we can all do it,” Robinson told about 50 people during a reception in his honor at Albion. “We can get up and get moving and achieve.”

Robinson is joined on the trip by his wife of 19 years Andrea, their 15-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son. Robinson’s son suggested the canal trip for his father, CEO of “Our Ability,” an organization that strives to connect people with disabilities to job and educational opportunities.

John Robinson and his wife Andrea were presented this quilt featuring local historical sites by Nicole Tuohey, second from right, and Erica Francis, who participate in the day rehabilitation program at The Arc.

Robinson believes the canal is a great symbol of determination and bold risk-taking by the state and U.S. officials nearly two centuries ago.

“The canal is an absolute hidden gem in New York State,” said Robinson, who lives in Albany. “It’s a symbol for economic development. But why not use it today for education and employment?”

Robinson trained the past four months for his trek across the canal. He was greeted by many consumers in The Arc of Orleans County today outside the former grammar school. He also was presented gifts from the Arc, including a quilt made by people in the day rehabilitation program. The quilt features historical scenes from the Albion area.

Local political leaders also presented Robinson with proclamations. State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, State Sen. George Maziarz and the Orleans County Legislature praised Robinson for his “extraordinary ability to connect, inspire and achieve.”

The Arc of Orleans was pleased to host Robinson, said Kellie Spychalski, The Arc executive director.

“He is very inspiring to a lot of people, whether they are people we serve or a member of our staff,” Spychalski said.

Robinson traveled with family and friends from Lockport to Albion today. He starts day three of trip tomorrow in Albion, beginning at about 8:30 a.m. at the Main Street lift bridge and heading east to Spencerport.

For more information, check Robinson’s web site by clicking here.

John Robinson will stop in Albion today for ‘Our Ability’ journey

John Robinson

ALBION – John Robinson is traveling the 363-mile-long Erie Canal. He started yesterday and the journey is expected to take 16 days.

Robinson will make his trip without arms or legs. He is traveling with a film crew in an effort to raise awareness for people with disabilities. He also wants to promote adaptive sports for amputees.

Robinson will visit the former Albion grammar school today from 1 to 2 p.m. The public is welcome to hear his inspirational message. The former school on East Academy Street is now used for senior apartments as well as the Nutri-Faire site run by The Arc of Orleans County.

Robinson is CEO of “Our Ability,” an organization that links people with disabilities to jobs and educational opportunities.

For more information about Robinson’s journey, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – I have quite a stock of photos of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the First Baptist Church, pictured together in Albion. They’re side by side on West Park Street.

But this morning, while walking on Main Street in front of the courthouse lawn, I noticed a new angle that shows three of Albion’s historic churches in the same photo.

The Episcopal Church is in front in the center. It’s the oldest church in Albion, dating back to 1830. In the back right is the spire for the Baptist Church, a building that went up in 1860. St. Joseph’s at the left was constructed in 1896.

The three churches are part of the Courthouse Square Historic District, which includes 33 buildings, seven churches in all, that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.