Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There were about 30 classic cars for the kick off of Albion’s new Canalside Cruise Night.

The event continues on Saturday evenings through Aug. 26, with the big cruise on July 22 when Main Street will be closed off for the cars.

Mayor Dean London said the event had a good start. He helped sell refreshments by the fire hall.

This 1956 Chevrolet was parked by the canal for the cruise.

A 1952 Chevy 3100 attracted some attention at the cruise in. Danny Marek owns the vehicle. Marek, right in back, talks about the old truck with Dan DeCarlo, left, and Skip Stratton.

The cruise-in schedule includes:

• June 17: late model cruisers
• June 24: custom paint and hot rod night
• July 8: jeep and truck night
• July 15: bike night (motorcycles)
• July 22: big cruise with Main Street shut down and several side streets, boaters also welcome
• July 29: rain date
• Aug. 5: classic cruisers
• Aug. 12: tuner night
• Aug. 19: boat night
• Aug. 26: finale featuring convertibles

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Downtown Browsery won the $200 prize for decorating its storefront in a Christmas and Santa theme for the Albion Strawberry Festival.

The Albion Betterment Committee sponsored the contest, and had several storefronts to pick from for the prize.

Adam Mattle (left), one of the vendors for the Browsery on East Bank Street, is pictured with Joe Gehl, one of the directors for the Betterment Committee.

Mattle also loaned some of the items for the window display. Gehl thanked the merchants that decorated their windows for the festival held on Friday and Saturday.

Gehl also praised the Village of Albion’s Department of Public Works for putting on the Christmas banners on Main Street and in the downtown for the festival.

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Provided photo: Don and Bernadine Ross are pictured with their daughter Deborah Ross during a celebration for their 75th wedding anniversary. The First Presbyterian Church in Albion treated the couple to a party after church today.

ALBION – The secret to staying happily married for 75 years: “Being able to give both ways.”

That is the advice from Bernadine Ross. She and her husband Don are celebrating their wedding anniversary on Tuesday, June 13.

“You have to give in, and he gives in,” Mrs. Ross said about her husband.

Today their church family treated Mr. and Mrs. Ross to a cake and party following the service at First Presbyterian Church of Albion. Mr. and Mrs. Ross have been attending church there for more than 50 years.

Mr. Ross, 97, was in the plumbing business for 40 years before selling Albion Plumbing and Heating to Doug Bower in 1983.

Ross graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1942 with an electrical engineering degree. He worked for a canning company in Barre and GLF, the precursor of Agway, before getting into the plumbing business. His wife worked in the office at Albion Plumbing.

The Rosses built a home in the late 1950s in Barre. They grew up in Medina and were married in a ceremony at Mrs. Ross’s parents’ house.

Mr. Ross said he was fortunate to work side by side with his wife.

The couple’s daughter, Deborah Ross of Carlton, said they have been unwavering in supporting each other.

“They are very old-fashioned,” she said. “When you get married, you stay together through thick and thin.”

Mr. Ross has been very active with the Masonic Lodge for 74 years. He also was an active member of the Cobblestone Society, the Elk’s Club and Nutri-Faire.

Tim McGee has been in the Masons with Ross for the past 18 years. The couple is admired by many.

“They’re great people, just beautiful people of the community,” McGee said.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Strawberry Festival Parade included about 70 different units during the energetic processional that lasted 1 hour, 45 minutes, starting at Albion Central School and concluding at the Main Street lift bridge.

The parade and festival featured a Santa Claus theme in honor of Charles W. Howard, who founded a school for Santas in Albion. He ran that school from 1937 until his death in 1966.

The top photo shows Santa on a sleigh on a 1937 Ford truck. The Albion Betterment Committee won one of the “Best Use of Theme” awards for its float.

The Santa in this photo is a graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. The Betterment Committee is working on a memorial for Howard in downtown Albion.

Parade judges have announced the winners of several categories:

• Best use of theme (2 winners) – In addition to the Betterment Committee, judges wanted to recognize Holy Family Parish for its float near the beginning of the parade. Parishioners dressed as elves and in Christmas outfits to set the tone for a fun parade.

• Most original – Faith Alliance Church with its float promoting its upcoming “Maker Fun Factory Vacation Bible School” from Tuesday through Sunday on July 11 to July 16.

• Best band – The Batavia High School Marching Band wowed the judges with the size of the band and the patriotic music that was part of its show. The band is led by director Jane Haggett. Batavia generally doesn’t perform in the Albion parade. Judges were also impressed by the high school bands from Albion and Pembroke.

• Best cheer/dance – Gotta Dance by Miss Amy had a big group of dancers who maintained high-energy dancing despite the heat during the parade. This is Gotta Dance’s 20^th anniversary, and 20^th year of participating in the parade.

• Best public safety agency (fire department, police, ambulance) – The Albion Fire Department had strong representation from its members marching in the parade (including Jan Cheverie in front carrying flag), and also had a lineup of very clean fire trucks – and two dalmatian dogs.

• Best classic car – 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air owned by Pat Shelp. Her husband Brad is shown driving the car during the parade. Jerome Pawlak, honorary festival chairman, rides in the passenger’s seat.

• Best wooden boat – This 1960 Penn Yan Coquette is a 14-foot boat. It has been in the Papadinoff family for 55 years. Angel Papadinoff of Medina purchased it in 1962. The boat is now owned by Joanne Shippey. The boat was recently restored and cruises local lakes, the Erie Canal and the Finger Lakes.

• Best use of humor – Ridge Road Express, which provides transportation services for Albion Central School, put a big Rudolph nose and antlers on the front of a school bus. Ridge Road Express welcomed people to apply for positions as bus drivers.

• Special recognition/community service (3 recognized)

The judges wanted to recognize the Holley-Kendall Marching Band for the band’s rebirth. Holley and Kendall both have strong marching band traditions. They have restarted the marching band program this year under the direction of Zachary Busch, Hanna Bock and Drum Major Kayla Thrower. The band presented music from the 1960 classic Western, The Magnificent Seven.

Donate Life is new to the parade. The organization promotes organ donations, and is led locally by Lori Laine, whose husband Tom received a liver transplant in July 2014.

4-H for its efforts to promote its 100^th anniversary this year.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – It may be a hot, sunny day in June, but Albion was happy to embrace a Santa Claus and Christmas theme today during the Strawberry Festival. The top photo shows the display by Holy Family Parish, a whimsical Rudolph with kids dressed as elves. It set the tone for a fun parade this morning.

The 31^st annual festival chose to have a Santa Claus and Charles W. Howard theme in honor of the Albion man who started a school for Santa Claus. Howard ran the school from 1937 until his death in 1966. The school continues today in his name at Midland, Michigan.

The Albion Betterment Committee is working to raise funds for a memorial for Charles Howard in downtown Albion. The Betterment Committee is hoping to have a bronze statue erected for “The Dean of Santas.”

The Betterment Committee gives Santa a ride in sleigh on a 1937 Ford truck owned and driven by Dan Parker. The Santa on the sleigh is a graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School.

Charles Howard’s granddaughter, Jane Holland, served as parade marshal of the parade. Holland is an interior designer. She credits her grandfather for instilling creativity, a work ethic and love of community in his family.

These classic cars head up Main Street, which was decorated with Albion’s Christmas banners for the two-day festival.

Puppy Palace owner Anita Platt drives this vehicle with a dog wearing antlers in the parade.

The Master’s Hands Puppeteers, a Christian ministry in Lyndonville, wore antlers and red Rudolph noses.

Matt and Jessica Panek spread some cheer for Panek’s Pickin’ Patch in Albion.

Emma McQuillan works on her Santa-themed chalk art.

Evan Steier appeared as “The Strawberry” in this morning’s 5K/8K race that included about 200 runners. Each year, someone dresses as a strawberry with prizes going to the runners who can beat the costumed competitor.

The inflatable Santa for Ace Hardware heads up Main Street during the parade.

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ALBION – A Bronze tablet listing the names of 24 soldiers from Orleans County who died in World War I was rededicated Friday at the County Courthouse.

Tim Archer, the service learning teacher at Albion, addresses a crowd during the dedication program at the courthouse. The marker was originally installed at the courthouse but was removed, and later was in possession of the American Legion. That veterans group formed when soldiers returned from World War I nearly 100 years ago.

The American Legion in Albion group sold its post building on Main Street to Community Action, and relocated to the former Scottish Pines golf course on Gaines Basin Road.

The Legion wanted to find a proper home for the memorial tablet, and reached out to Archer. His seventh grade students were doing research on local soldiers involved in World War I. The memorial tablet had been in storage.

The 3-by-5-foot plaque lists the names of soldiers from central Orleans – Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton – who died in the war. They include: John D. Arnett, Albert Beary, Jesse S. Brooks, John A. Butler, Leo. F. Christopher, Oliver E. Clement, Ronald F. Corey, Robert B. Densmore, Harry H. Dibley, Frederick Green, John Kurzawski, Martin Larwood, Louis Monacelli, Dewey Mott, Benjamin A. Needles, Leonard Osborne, Adolfo Passarelli, Stanley Rutkowski, James A. Sheret, Egbert Sheret, John H. Stevens, Alexander Wilson and Stanley P. Zyglarski.

“These men witnessed what no citizen, man, woman, or child, could ever imagine,” said County Historian Matthew Ballard. “A war that raged in the French countryside thousands of miles from home, exposing men to terrible disease, horrific weapons, chlorine and mustard gas, barbed wire and trenches, the list goes on.”

Seventh-grader Aurora Serafin was among the speakers during the rededication program.  The Albion students had considered having the tablet placed at Mount Albion Cemetery, but decided the best spot for it would be its original location at the courthouse.

Ballard praised the students for leading the effort to have the memorial back on public display.

“Today we commend the work of Mr. Archer and the seventh-grade service learning class, for yet again taking a significant and irreplaceable piece of history once forgotten, and returning it to the community,” Ballard said. “This project went through several iterations, with ideas of erecting a new monument on which to place this commemorative tablet. In the end, it found its way back home, to the place it was intended to rest up all along. Albion once again has a memorial to honor the lives lost during the Great War.”

American Legion Sheret Post #35 Commander Wally Skrypnik rings the bell each time student Alyson Knaak says one of the names of the fallen soldiers from central Orleans during World War I.

Students Myleigh Miller and Sydney Mulka sing “America the Beautiful.”

These American Legion members travelled from Geneva to serve as the Color Guard at the ceremony. They are wearing World War I reproduction uniforms. Most American Legion posts were started by veterans returning from World War I. The Legion is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019.

Gaines Town Historian Al Capurso sings, “Till We Meet Again,” during the ceremony.

The memorial was rededicated during opening day of the annual Albion Strawberry Festival.

One of the American Legion members from Geneva salutes while “Taps” is played at the end of the ceremony.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Ernesto Sinchico of Syracuse, center in back, sets up his display of Incan art and clothing from South America. Sinchico is one of 84 craft vendors in the Strawberry Festival, which opened today and continues through Saturday evening with music and many activities.

A 13-foot-long Chinook salmon is parked by Main Street at West Bank Street, where there is a trout pond.

Andrea Falsone, 19, of Lockport works on her chalk art creation. There will be a chalk art contest on Saturday that is open to the community. Falsone is working today and Saturday on her artwork.

This year’s Strawberry Festival has a Charles W. Howard theme in honor of the Albion man who ran a Santa Claus School from 1937 to 1966.

The food court is packed with vendors and people around lunchtime today.

Allen Lackey cooks French fries for the Masonic Lodge in Albion at about noon today. Many of the local service clubs are selling food at the festival.

Janell Thompson, co-owner of Marva’s Clothes and Beauty Supplies, cooks Jamaican jerk chicken and pork.

Cierra Lang of Medina gets her booth ready to sell her fitness apparel. She owns Fear the Horizen. She created all of the designs on the shirts.

Allison Stanley, left, and Michele Persia are making their debut as crafters at the festival. Persia makes primitive signs and Stanley sells homemade scarves and wreaths.

Jimmy Z’s brought a food truck to the festival.

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Provided photo

ALBION – The leaders of the Albion Strawberry Festival have named Jerome Pawlak and his family the honorary chair of the upcoming Strawberry Festival on Friday and Saturday.

Pawlak, second from left, is pictured with Karen Sawicz, festival co-chairwoman; Brad Shelp, parade advisor; and Michael Bonafede, coordinating co-chairman. Sawicz and Shelp are also members of the Albion Rotary Club, which sponsors the festival.

Pawlak will be in the parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. He and his family were honored for their years of running a local grocery store, and for supporting numerous community causes.

Pawlak also has been an active volunteer. He the former chairman of the Orleans Economic Development Agency, president of the Albion Main Street Alliance, and has been active in the United Way, Boy Scouts and as a Little League coach.

“We wanted to recognize Jerome and the Pawlak family for their contributions to the festival and for their community service, for their ‘service above self,’ and for their generosity,” Bonafede said.

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