ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association has announced the winners of its scarecrow contest.

Scariest:  “Jack Skellington” by Carly & Cassidy Dix

Cutest:  “Jem” by Jesika Cramer

Funniest:  “Bobby” by Hazel Bringenberg

Wackiest:  “Funky Party Princess Pickle Toes” by Amber Stinson

“Thank you to all of you who came out for the Albion Fall Fest ’25 and built scarecrows,” the Merchants Association stated. “The Scarecrow Contest ’25 winners will receive gift certificate cards. Also, a hearty thank you to the Albion Lion’s Club for supplying this year’s judges for the Scarecrow Contest.”

Business offers wide selection of firearms, ammunition, apparel and accessories

Photos by Tom Rivers: Shawn Malark, owner of North Star Ammo & Defense, is shown inside the business with two of the employees, Corey Black and Eric Harling, who are both recently retired after careers as investigators with the Orleans County Major Crime Felony Task Force.

ALBION – A new business celebrated its opening today, and many of the customers and local officials marveled at the transformation of an old sandstone warehouse into the new North Star Ammo & Defense.

Shawn Malark worked for three years to create North Star, which offers firearms, ammunition, apparel and other accessories at 227 West Ave. To get to the store enter from the side of the building along Hamilton Street.

Malark is a Kendall graduate who has been running Orleans Pallet at the Medina sandstone warehouse in Albion since 2006. Part of the 1901 warehouse burned in a  dramatic fire on Oct. 17, 2013. Malark was able to keep the pallet business going despite the devastating fire.

Malark has been wanting to branch out in a business to help people with self protection, to help them feel safer.

“We are committed to upholding the highest standards of safety, compliance and customer service,” he said. “Our team is dedicated to promoting safety, education and responsible gun ownership. We believe our business will be a positive addition to the area by serving the needs of local hunters, sporting club members, outdoorsmen and responsible citizens.”

Shawn Malark, his wife Kelly and their daughter Montana cut the ribbon outside North Star Ammo & Defense this morning during a ribbon-cutting celebration.

Several local officials attended the ribbon-cutting. Malark received commendations from the Orleans County Legislature, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and the offices of State Sen. Rob Ortt and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

The grand opening celebration continues on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with giveaways and raffles, and a meet-and-greet with the team of experts.

The transformation of the warehouse for North Star shocked many of the local officials who attended the ribbon-cutting today. The warehouse was being used for storage but Malark has turned it into a retail store that also has computers for people to shop online at other vendors and distributors, giving them access to more than 144,000 items. Click here to see the North Star website.

North Star has three employees who are well known in the community for their long careers in law enforcement. Corey Black and Eric Harling are both recently retired from the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force. Black also worked for the Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and investigator. Harling worked 20 years with the Medina Police Department before joining the Task Force the past 11 years.

Dave Meyer also joined North Star after 31 years as a state parole officer.

David Meyer works with a customer today at North Star.

Black, Harling and Meyer worked together for many years, and they are happy to be together again on the job. North Star is far less stressful with only positive interactions, they said.

“This is a breath of fresh air coming from the career I was in,” Harling said. “Every engagement here is a positive one.”

Harling has been hunting since he was a kid. He and Black both bring extensive knowledge of firearms. Black for many years was the firearms instructor for the local law enforcement and taught the pistol permit class.

Black said he is eager to share his knowledge about firearms. He said there are many different types of guns that have different purposes.

He is grateful for the opportunity to work at North Star.

“This is a team environment,” he said. “The people that come in here are happy and they’re excited.”

He is impressed by Malark and his attention to detail and vision for the new business.

“Shawn is an amazing guy,” Black said. “He is go, go, go.”

Kelly Malark aims this 12-gauge Weatherby rifle that she won at a raffle at the St. Paul Boulevard Exempts Association in Rochester. The rifle had just been delivered to North Star, which has a Federal Firearms License. Eric Harling, left, and Shawn Malark are at the counter.

North Star would like to work with many fire departments and non-profits on gun raffles. If someone wins a gun and can’t pick it up at North Star in Albion, the gun can be shipped to another FFL closer to that person’s residence.

A group gathers at North Star today for a ribbon-cutting celebration. They stayed under a covered area by the loading dock due to the heavy rain.

Shawn Malark said he and his family were considering other names for the business until his daughter spoke her first words. Kendall was 5 ½ and watching a Peppa Pig video with a nursery rhyme called “North Star.”

She repeated “North Star” and her family burst into tears. Kendall is autistic and those first words were very powerful for her father and gave him even more drive to see the new business become a reality.

Malark said he is very confident in the North Star team of six employees. He wants the site to be of service to the community. He believes there is strong potential to build the North Star brand and have it become a bigger business beyond Orleans County.

“We want to do something special here and bring people together who want to feel safe,” Malark said at today’s ceremony. “That’s our commitment to the community.”

North Star has developed several of its own apparel items and other merchandise. The shirt of the left recognizes many first responders and those in law enforcement and the military. Shawn and Kelly Malark wanted to highlight the role of nurses, too, as first responders and people providing critical services to the public.

A North Star shirt is at right. The business has other shirts, hats, gun mats, frisbees and other products with its brand. Some of that merchandise will be given away on Friday during the grand opening celebration.

Paul Fulcomer

ALBION – Paul Fulcomer, who was retired as Orleans County’s Veterans Service Agency director, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Wednesday afternoon.

Fulcomer was riding a motorcycle west on East County House Road when he entered the intersection at Route 98, failing to stop at the stop sign and then colliding with a northbound vehicle, according to a news release from Sheriff Chris Bourke.

Fulcomer, 78, was ejected from his motorcycle. Emergency life-saving measures were administered at the scene by Mercy Ambulance, Mercy Flight, and the Albion Fire Department, Bourke said. Fulcomer was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Orleans County Coroner’s Office.

The resulting collision caused both vehicles to leave the roadway, coming to rest on the lawn of a residence located on the northwest corner of the intersection.

The investigation is ongoing by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the New York State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit.

Fulcomer served as director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County for 13 years, retiring in November 2015. He helped veterans and their families receive benefits through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

In his retirement, he continued to be active in veterans’ causes.

Press Release, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee

Sherrie Carter and Louise Mana donated several bags of food to a pantry at Community Action.

ALBION  – The Emergency Services Pantry at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee recently received a generous donation from Sherrie Carter and her mother Louise Mana.

The donation included a variety of non-perishable food items that will greatly assist the agency in its ongoing mission to combat food insecurity throughout the community.

As the organization works diligently to ensure pantry shelves remain stocked, this contribution comes at a critical time. With a potential reduction in food stamp benefits anticipated on Nov. 1, the need for community support has never been greater.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc. extends heartfelt thanks to Sherri Carter and Louise Mana for their generosity and community spirit.

The agency encourages additional donations to help meet the growing needs of local families facing food insecurity. Every contribution—large or small—makes a difference.

For more information or to make a donation, please contact: Community Action of Orleans and Genesee at 585-589-5605 x101 or email kettinger@caoginc.org.

To donate online visit: caoginc.org/donations.

Hanks family has led the bowling center to several upgrades past 20 years

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Randy Hanks, owner of Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, received a citation from the Orleans County Legislature on Tuesday in honor of his 20 years of owning the bowling alley in Albion, which is also celebrating its 65^th anniversary this year.

County Legislator Ed Morgan, right, presented the certificate to Hanks who was joined during the presentation by Corey Winters, the county’s planning director and also an avid bowler.

Legislators commended Hanks for several improvements to the bowling alley in the past 20 years and also a commitment to host events that raise money for PAWS Animal Shelter, a scholarship and other youth sports programs.

Randy Hanks said he enjoys being at the bowling alley with the bowlers and hosting the many special events including birthday parties. He is glad to support the community fundraisers, too.

The Hanks family owns the 18-lane bowling center on Route 98 at 3291 Oak Orchard Rd. The family has tackled numerous improvements to the bowling center during their two decades at the helm, including a new oil machine, synthetic lanes, flooring, carpeting and remodeled bathrooms.

Hanks was named “Proprietor of the Year” in New York state in 2014 by the United States Bowling Congress.

Provided image

ALBION – Mary Jo Whitman of Batavia has created a new welcome sign for Albion that village officials are aiming to have installed on the east side of Albion along Route 31.

The village would like to have the new sign up with a dedication celebration on Nov. 21.

The village received a grant through the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) to fund the project.

The sign includes a Santa to highlight Albion as a home for a Santa School that was run by the late Charles W. Howard from 1937 until his death in 1966. The Santa will be mounted on top in the middle of the sign.

Whitman created Albion scenes within the large letters of “ALBION.” Those scenes include a boat on the Erie Canal with a lift bridge, the Civil War memorial tower at Mount Albion Cemetery and the Orleans County Courthouse.

8 students and bus driver checked out by EMS after incident

ALBION – An elementary student released pepper spray on the morning school bus run, which resulted in eight students and the bus driver to be examined on scene by Mercy Flight EMS.

There wasn’t a fight on the bus that led to the student using the pepper spray, said Sgt. Robert Wagner of the Albion Police Department.

A young student had a key-chained pepper spray and sprayed it on the floor of the bus, he said.

“The vapor from the spray caused some students on the bus to be affected by it,” Wagner said.

The Albion School District sent an update to parents about the situation. The school said a student on bus U (274) deployed pepper spray. EMS personnel were immediately called to the scene, parents were contacted and another bus was sent.

“All eight students and the driver on board were examined by emergency personnel, some of which were experiencing eye irritation and coughing,” the school district said. “Parents were given the option to pick up their children from the scene, and the secondary school bus was able to transport the remaining students to school.”

The district said the incident is being investigated and the next steps will be determined in accordance with our Code of Conduct.

“We thank our transportation department, local law enforcement and EMS for their quick response,” the district stated.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Harlem Wizards brought a highly entertaining brand of basketball to a packed high school gym in Albion on Monday. The Wizards played Albion teachers in a game won by the Wizards, 79-89. The top photo shows Talek “Show Out” Williams pumping up an enthusiastic crowd. About 700 people attended the event.

But much of the fun was in the stands, and games involving audience participation. The Wizards had many slam dunks, no-look passes, long jump shots and other acrobatic moves on the court. But they connected most with the fans through dancing, high fives and other antics.

The Wizards were in town as part of a fundraiser for the Albion boys basketball program.

After the game, the Wizards invited all the kids on the court for some dancing.

Tom O’Donnell, a counselor in the middle school, is introduced as one of the players for the Albion teachers. About 20 people from the school played in the game.

Vinnie Strollo, a physical education teacher at elementary school, reacts after making the first basket in the game to give the teachers the lead.

The teams are on court for the opening tip off. Jeff Radder for the teachers won the tip off and Albion scored the first basket.

The game often stopped for crowd participation. Mark Kuntz of Albion was brought out for a dance challenge.

Caleb Wolfe, 13, was blindfolded and tried to find some of the prizes on the court. The crowd yelled to try to steer him in the right direction.

Jonathan “Top Flight” Hevalow delivered a powerful dunk that amazed the crowd.

Talek “Show Out” Williams signs autographs during halftime.

These Wizards players celebrate with two Albion youth football teams that won the league championship on Saturday.

The crowd was often in a frenzy rooting on the teachers and reacting to some of the dunks from the Wizards.

These Wizards paused the game to give Ashleigh Stornelli, the school’s resource officer, a chance to make an easy shot which she did after getting some advice from Lloyd “Loonatik” Clinton.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Residents at Northwood Apartments were evacuated after a fire in one of the apartments just before 6 p.m.

The initial call to first responders said multiple people were trapped inside the apartment. When law enforcement responded soon after the call at 5:54 p.m., the people were already outside the apartment, said Lt. Adam Hazel of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement from the Sheriff’s Office and Village of Albion Police then went door to door to evacuate the building. Some of the residents also helped get people out of the building, including some who needed wheelchairs due to mobility issues.

Firefighters from multiple departments responded and are ventilating the one apartment and making sure it is isolated to the one unit. Firefighters said the smokey apartment was caused by a stove fire.

Mercy Flight EMS also is on scene checking people. Some people are being evaluated on scene for smoke inhalation.

No other information is available at this time.

Provided photo

ALBION – The Albion Lions Club recognized two of its members, June Persia and Ben Lennox, with an award named in honor of the late John Keding, a very dedicated member.

The “Pride of the Pride” award was presented to Persia and Lennox for their outstanding service to the club, and active participation at many of the clubs fundraisers and community service projects.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – This scary character is at the beginning of the Haunted Hallway at The Villages of Orleans, a nursing home on Route 31 in Albion.

For the second year, the activities staff at The Villages has created a “Haunted Hallway” where the community can get a scare, and at the end receive candy and treats from residents of The Villages.

Orly the Ox, the county’s bicentennial mascot, ventured through the creepy hallway. Orly dressed as a nurse. He wanted to support the effort, and meet some of the residents who were passing out candy at the end of the hallway.

The dimly lit indoor hallway has several scary spots. Some Albion students are volunteering during the event which continues today from 6 to 8 p.m. (Watch out for the Silly String from these students.)

The activities department dressed up as characters for the event. From left includes Rhiannon Farrell, Meghan Clark, Orly the Ox and Nancy Donahue.

There is no charge to go through the Haunted Hallway but donations are accepted for the activities department.

Some of the residents passing out candy said they hope to see more kids today going through the hallway.

ALBION – Harry Papponetti has seen a lot of things from local wildlife in his 33 years as animal control officer for the village of Albion.

But Papponetti has never seen squirrels working so furiously to stack pine cones for the upcoming winter. Papponetti has pine trees at his house and he said squirrels are scampering about his property amassing piles of pine cones. He sees it at other residences too in Albion.

He also has received calls from residents about squirrels getting in their attics, and bringing in pine cones.

Papponetti thinks the squirrels know something about the winter, and they are gearing up for extended harsh conditions.

“You’re looking at cold, hard winter coming up,” he told the Village Board during its meeting this evening.

Papponetti said he received many calls about squirrels and skunks on the move recently. He said the wildlife has been active as they get ready for winter.

File photos by Tom Rivers: A hallway at The Villages of Orleans was decorated last Oct. 26 for the first “Haunted Hallway” where residents and staff dressed up and passed out treats. The community is welcome to Haunted Hallway on Oct. 24-25.

ALBION – The “Haunted Hallway” will be back at The Villages of Orleans. Staff and residents will be decorating a hallway and welcoming the community to pass through and be scared.

The second annual Haunted Hallway returns Oct. 24-25 from 6 to 8 p.m. The community is welcome to dress up, too, as they venture down a scary hallway. There will treats waiting at the end.

Donations are accepted but not required for those who head down the Haunted Hallway. Those donations will go towards the Activities Department at The Villages, a nursing home at 14012 Route 31 in Albion.

Residents pass out candy to some of the children and their families who made it through last year’s Haunted Hallway. The residents said they enjoyed seeing kids dressed in their costumes.