Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Some of the worship participants for the First Presbyterian Church of Albion’s 200th anniversary service on Sunday are pictured just before the start of the service at 11 a.m.

From left include Leigh Hamilton; Amanda Krenning-Muoio; elder Mindy Shaffer, moderator with the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley; Jim Vanbrederode, a bagpiper; The Rev. Susan Thaine, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Mary Jane and Gary Saunders, pastors emeritus.

The church celebrated the bicentennial on Sunday and was happy to welcome back former long-time pastors, Gary and Mary Saunders. They have since retired after serving a church in Bowling Green, Ohio.

From left in front include Amanda Krenning-Muoio, Leigh Hamilton, Mary Jane Saunders, Gary Saunders, Kaylin Gannon and Sue Thaine. Elder Mindy Shaffer, moderator with the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley, is in back at podium and brought greetings and congratulations from the Presbytery.

The Rev. Susan Thaine and her husband Mike Thaine dance while the Batavia Swings Band performs on Saturday during a celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

The Rev. Thaine, an Albion native, has led the church the past six years.

Dan Klinczar and the Batavia Swing Band played for two hours, despite some drizzly weather and cool temperatures. They started with music by Gerswin, then “New York, New York,” and “Moonlight Serenade.”

The community was welcome to enjoy the music and a dance floor outside the church. East State Street was closed to traffic from Main to Park streets for the celebration.

The church wanted to have a catered dinner on the street, but the meal was moved inside due to the weather.

39 Problems catered a meal inside the church in the fellowship hall. The church choir often goes to the 39 Problems restaurant after rehearsals on Wednesday evening.

The dessert on Saturday included a cupcake with two candles. There were 100 cupcakes and the 200 candles represented the church’s first two centuries. The cupcakes were made by Andrea Muoio.

The Rev. Susan Thaine, center, presents Gary and Mary Jane Saunders with certificates and the honorary titles of pastors emeritus. The Saunders were leaders in the church for 24 years and raised their three sons in Albion. They moved to Albion in 1985.

“It’s a profound privilege to have a little recognition and be with you all tonight,” the Rev. Gary Saunders told the group.

Kevin Gardner, an elder in the church, shared about the first 200 years of the church. The congregation started with 16 people and they built a church that has served the community for two centuries and counting.

Initially the congregation met in homes in 1824. Those 16 people were part of the Congregational Church in Barre and withdrew to start the new church in Albion.

The Presbyterians built a church on Main Street in 1830, a building they quickly outgrew. Christ Episcopal Church has used that structure for more than 150 years.

The Presbyterians built a brick church on East State, and then an even bigger building made of Medina Sandstone that opened in 1874. That church, with a 175-foot-high spire, is the tallest building in Orleans County.

Jim Vanbrederode plays the bagpipes during a procession into the church on Sunday.

The Rev. Susan Thaine shared a sermon, “God is Not Done Yet.” She said the church is celebrating the first 200 years of the Presbyterian congregation in Albion, with eyes on the future.

The Albion and Medina school districts said today there is no credible threat to the schools of a shooting.

Albion said that rumor was investigated by the district’s school resource officer and other area law enforcement agencies, the district posted on social media and its website at about noon.

Albion and multiple area schools were informed of a potential threat, but it proved to be unfounded.

“Safety is always our main concern, and we will update you with any information if necessary,” district officials stated in a post to the community.

The Medina Police Department said it would have an increased presence at the Medina school campus today “out of an abundance of caution.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Two members of the federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team pause and reflect in front of the Sept. 11 memorial on the courthouse lawn.

They attended a 9-11 memorial service on Wednesday evening, which was the 23^rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed – with two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the other into a field in rural Shanksville, Pa.

Firefighters stand under a giant American flag that was hoisted above Main Street by the ladder trucks from Medina and Murray.

Scott Schmidt, Orleans County chief coroner and a local funeral director, served as the keynote speaker at the observance which was attended by about 100 people.

Schmidt spent three weeks with the federal DMORT team and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones.

He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was there for 20 days, including a week at Ground Zero. Two of his colleagues on DMORT attended the service in Albion on Monday.

Schmidt said Americans showed “strength and resilience” following the attack, and showed a great spirit of patriotism and unity following the attack.

He urged people to remember the victims in the attack and he praised the service of first responders and those in the military.

Brad Nudd served as the bugler for the playing of Taps near the end of the service.

Local law enforcement officers, including Sheriff Chris Bourke, stand next to the Honor Guard, which includes Jim Wells at left in white uniform of the Honor Guard.

Brandon Carmichael, a chaplain with the Sheriff’s Office and pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Albion, shares a prayer and later the benediction at the service. Carmichael said many families remain in mourning from that day.

About 20 firefighters from fire departments and companies in Orleans County stand during the service.

In New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, there were 343 firefighters killed responding to assist people in the World Trade Center.

There were 60 police officers killed in New York City that day.

Doug Egling plays, “America the Beautiful.”

Board will discuss with school district whether ACS can help with expense in future

Photo by Tom Rivers: Sgt. Will Francis of the Albion Police Department stops traffic on East Avenue this morning so a student could get across the street. The Albion PD has been filling the role of crossing guard since the school year started last week.

ALBION – The Village Board agreed on Wednesday to fund a crossing guard after the position was cut from the village budget for 2024-25.

The school year started last week with no one as a crossing guard. Some of the board members wanted the school district to assume the responsibility but the district said state law requires the local village, town or city to fund the position. A school district can pay for a second crossing guard, but not the first one.

John Gavenda, the village attorney, said he has discussed the issue with the school attorney and the district is willing to negotiate helping to fund the position, but it is a question of how to do it legally or if it can direct any money to cost. Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley said there may a “legal loophole” where the district could help with the exepense.

Trustees Tim McMurray and Greg Bennett for the Village Board said it is a small price to pay for making East Avenue safer for kids to cross in the morning.

Having a crossing guard for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon would cost about $6,200 for the school year at $17 an hour, spread over 182 days.

Trustee William Gabalski didn’t want to commit to the cost for the full school year yet. He made a motion that the village pay the expense for the first semester, and try to get some help from the school district for the second semester, which begins Jan. 27.

District officials told the village the crossing guard may only be needed for a half hour in the morning and then the afternoon, from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m., and 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. That would reduce the cost to about $3,100 a year.

The board will have the police department reach out to the crossing guard from last year to see if she is still willing to serve in the role, and if she would do it in the half hour increments. The board, however, said it would pay for the one-hour shifts in the morning and afternoon if that is needed.

McMurray said he can understand why the burden falls on the village for funding the position.

“It’s village residents who are walking to school,” he said.

Bennett said the law clearly states it’s a village responsibility, so he doesn’t want to see any more instances where the position is cut by the village in the future.

“The law says it should be on us,” Bennett said about the village responsibility. “I don’t know why we’re compromising over something that is a law.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION –  The Elks Lodge on Thursday evening gave the Albion Fire Department an old sign from back when the AFD held a carnival.

Pictured from left include former fire chief Harry Papponetti; AFD President Nathan Bloom; Carl Phillips, chairman of the trustees for the Elks; Lynda Standish, secretary for the Elks; Jim Peruzzini, assistant chief for AFD; Mike Jenks, exalted ruler for the Elks; Jen Stephenson, riders chaplain for the Elks; Richard Robb Sr., leading knight for the Elks; Al Cheverie, past AFD president and current chairman for the Albion-Gaines Joint Fire District; and Scott Papponetti, vice president of the AFD.

The fire department used to own the Elks Lodge at 428 West State St. It was sold to the Elks about 20 years ago.

The Elks were cleaning out a building it refers to as the “doghouse” in July behind the bathrooms when it found the old sign highlighting the refreshment stand for the Albion Emergency Squad. Hot dogs and hamburgers were 50 cents, and pop was 25 cents.

One mystery with the sign, who made it? The AFD and Elks wonder who “CN’s” represents.

The doghouse building had been storage for the Elks, but the lodge is going to use it as a garage to keep lawn mowers, weedwackers and other maintenance equipment.

Mike Jenks, the exalted ruler for the Elks, said the sign was facing backwards and for many years the Elks didn’t realize it was from when the AFD operated the carnival. The fire department ran that event until about 1990. The carnival used to be near the fire hall on Platt Street and moved to the West State Street in the early 1960s.

Harry Papponetti, a member of the AFD for 54 years, said the department not only sold hamburgers, hot dogs and pop, but also served French fries and Italian sausage. Many of the local fire departments used to have carnivals, but only Kendall still does it, although this year it was a field days because a company couldn’t be secured for the amusement rides.

The Albion Fire Department hung up the sign inside the fire hall after the Elks presented it on Thursday evening. The sign is near other memorabilia in the department, including photos of older fire trucks and parade banners from the former Dye Hose, Active and Hart companies.

The Active Hose Company No. 2, Hart Protective Hose Company No. 3 and Dye Hose Company No. 5 consolidated in 1976 into the Albion Fire Department.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Chuck Persons, center, presented a $500 check to the Albion Fire Department this evening on behalf of the Orleans County chapter of ABATE (Americans Bikers Aimed Toward Education).

Accepting on behalf of the AFD includes Al Cheverie, left, the chairman of the newly formed Albion Joint Fire District and a past president of the AFD, and Nathan Bloom, current president of the Albion Fire Department.

ABATE also donated $500 to the Barre Volunteer Fire Company and the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company. Albion, Barre and Carlton represent the central battalion. Last year ABATE donated to the departments in the west battalion and next year plans to give to the east battalion.

“If God forbid something happens to one of us on our bikes, they’re the first ones there for us,” Persons said about the local firefighters.

The donations are the result of a fundraising ride and a basket raffle last month.

Photos courtesy of Becky Persons

Chuck Persons, left, presents a $500 check on Aug. 27 for the Carlton Volunteer Fire Company to long-time Carlton firefighter Andrew Niederhofer.

Chuck Persons presented the $500 to Barre firefighters on Aug. 20.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The school starts today in Albion and there is a redesigned middle school loop. Contractors removed the island of grass that was in between the driveway and the school.

The district said the goal of reconstructing the Middle School’s front loop was three-fold: to improve the overall flow of traffic, to move more cars off of Route 31 and onto campus (especially during the busy morning drop off when a line of cars would often back up on East Avenue), and to help improve the drop off and pick-up process.

Here is a photo from Aug. 4 that shows the building of the new driveway and loop at the middle school.

The school district posted this map of the loop, which school leaders say should help with traffic flow.

The district reminded motorists to be especially vigilant of students on foot with the start of the school year. Pedestrians will be crossing streets, and buses frequently stopping when school begins.

“It can be easy to be distracted, especially if you’re in a rush,” said Mickey Edwards, the district superintendent. “But please take an extra second and check your surroundings.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Vance VanSkiver, a motor equipment operator with the Village of Albion Department of Public Works, paints the gazebo by the Erie Canal in Albion on Friday.

The structure was gray but is now a red-brown color to fit in better with the other buildings close by, as well as the benches along the canal.

The DPW also will soon replace the shingles on the gazebo. It’s part of an upgrade of the park that will include a bench and lamppost from old steel from the Main Street lift bridge. A monument to the 15 victims of the Sept. 28, 1859 bridge collapse also will be installed in the park.

The site was never officially designated as a park until the Village Board on Aug. 14 formally named it the “Erie Canal Park.” It will be dedicated during a noon ceremony on Sept. 28. That will include the unveiling of the park improvements.

Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent, paints the interior of the gazebo on Friday.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Historical Association today served 305 chicken barbcue dinners from the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road.

Pi tured from left include Jean Shervin, Chris Capurso and Coleen Cliff. Capurso’s late husband Al was instrumental in the rehabilitation of the former schoolhouse.

A kiosk was installed across the road from the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse, a cobblestone building that served students from 1832 to 1944. The schoolhouse now serves as a museum, meeting place and headquarters for the Orleans County Historical Association. It is the oldest documented cobblestone building in the region.

The building was in rough shape before volunteers saved it from ruin. Beginning in 2015, Capurso led a team that put on a new roof, replaced windows and cleaned out junk and debris from the site. They put in new electric, a new subfloor, restored the trim and repaired the facade. They added a historic marker and flag pole. A log cabin from 1930 also has been relocated from an Albion backyard to behind the schoolhouse.

Frank Berger, right, and Rick Ebbs are part of the crew serving up the meals.

Proceeds from the dinner go to OCHA programming, including lectures and cemetery tours. The tours ended last Sunday for this year. OCHA led tours at West Ridgeway Cemetery, the “Poorhouse Cemetery” in Albion, St. Mary’s in Medina and Mount Albion.

The group has two lectures left this year. Those upcoming presentations at the schoolhouse include 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 by Delia Robinson, “FDR Slept Here” and 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 by Jim Friday on Medina Sandstone.

Village also expects to try again for Restore NY funding

File photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is pictured last winter. The Main Street lift bridge has been closed for nearly two years, reducing traffic for some of the Main Street businesses.

ALBION – The Village of Albion submitted applications last year for the $4.5 million Forward NY program and for up to $10 million in a Restore NY grant.

Albion was denied in both applications in what grant writer Jay Grasso said are very competitive programs among municipalities looking to help their downtown business districts, and tackle other housing and tourism initiatives.

Grasso, owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, was encouraged by the strength of Albion’s applications and he wants to try again for the state funding. He said municipalities that receive those larger grants often miss the cut the first time.

The Village Board has scheduled a tentative 6 p.m. public meeting on Sept. 12 at the Village Hall to hear from building owners and residents about the programs.

“There was good feedback to the applications,” Grasso said during Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. “I think the village is primed for it.”

Grasso said the state wants to see bigger “transformational” projects that can be a catalyst for other investment in the community. The projects don’t have to be in the downtown.

The applications last year included a trail that extended from the downtown to Mount Albion Cemetery where the village sought funding to replace the roof on the chapel.

Albion’s Restore NY grant application last year totaled $11 million in projects. That list has Grasso convinced Albion should pursue the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, rather than the $4.5 million Forward NY grant.

Once he hears from business owners, non-profit organizations and village officials about potential projects, Grasso said he expects to submit a letter of intent in October to apply for either the Forward NY or larger DRI. He also said he will go after the Restore NY grant.

The Restore NY program could bring up to $10 million to revitalize distressed commercial and residential sites, providing 90 percent of the costs. The program funds reconstruction, structural repairs, repair and replacement of mechanical systems, energy efficiency upgrades, and demolition.

Forward NY or the DRI provides matching funds for building owners to create residential space or upgrade facades and make other improvements. The village could receive 100 percent funding towards public-benefit projects, such as upgraded parking lots.

Potential projects for building owners could include:

• new construction (residential, mixed use, hotel, etc.)
• renovation of existing buildings
• facade improvements
• renovation of new retail, office, co-working, commercial, industrial, recreational or cultural use

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – With the 2024-25 school year quickly approaching, the Albion Central School District continues to be deeply concerned regarding the Village of Albion’s decision to eliminate its crossing guard.

The village budget was passed on Thursday, April 25, and the district was notified of the change in early June, not by Village of Albion trustees, but by the Albion Police Department. According to Mickey Edwards, Superintendent of ACS, it was Lt. Brandon Annable, the position’s previous supervisor, who called to notify the district of the change.

As they were notified in June, and Albion school district had already passed its budget that May, the District and its Board of Education were shocked.

“No one wants to see any of our students injured while crossing the road,” said ACS Board of Education President Wayne Wadhams.

“The safety of our students has to come first,” ACS Board of Education Vice President Linda Weller said. “All students get bussed, except those closest to the school and those are village students who need a crossing guard.”

As soon as they were made aware the village had not included a crossing guard in its annual budget, Edwards said the district looked into hiring for the position directly.

“We have always prioritized the safety and security of our students,” Edwards stated. “Putting students at risk is never an option.”

“I understand that money is tight but I don’t think that our children’s safety is a place to cut funding,” BOE member Kurt Schmitt said. “These are village children that are walking home and we need to keep them safe. If the school was legally allowed to hire the crossing guard, we would.”

It was during this time Bond, Schoeneck & King, the District’s law firm, advised that, due to section 208-A of the NYS General Municipal Law (click here), the school district is not legally allowed to directly employ the primary crossing guard.

Bond, Schoeneck & King also advised the district that the only time in which it is allowed to enter an agreement with a village or police department, with the purpose of directly hiring a crossing guard, is to increase the number of school crossing guards already employed by the respective village or police department.

Consequently, for this to be possible, the village or police department would already need to have a crossing guard on their payroll.

For at least the last decade, the Village of Albion has employed the crossing guard that has been supervised by Albion PD. In the absence of an employed guard, Albion Police Chief David Mogle has said that his officers will help to provide coverage.

“We are going to do the best we can,” Chief Mogle said. “We will do what we have to do to protect the kids.”

The Albion PD has two officers on duty at a time, meeting the department’s minimum staffing requirement, to help ensure the officers’ safety when attending calls. According to Chief Mogle, while the department tends to be busier in the afternoon there is still the potential for the officer filling in as the crossing guard to be called away, no matter the time of day.

“We hope that the school and the village are able to hash it out and find a dedicated guard to fill the position,” Chief Mogle said.

This is not the first time the Albion BOE has discussed this issue, according to Weller.

“The first time was in 2017 when the village first tried to get rid of the crossing guard and the district tried to work with the village to find a solution,” Weller explained. “As a Board, we thought this matter had been solved as it has been a village budgeted item since before I was on the board. This isn’t a new law, why they (the village trustees) chose to cut it out of the budget this year, only the village can answer that.”

“This is the second time, since I’ve been on the school board, that this issue has come up,” Wadhams added. “We need to find a long-lasting solution to prevent this from becoming an annual problem.”

ACS’s School Resource Officer Deputy Matthew Prawel agreed and emphasized that drop-off and pick-up times are an especially important part of his day.

“It should come as no surprise that our students’ most vulnerable moments are when they are outside our buildings during arrival and dismissal times,” Prawel said. “My presence is most needed when students are getting on and off buses to ensure the safety of our students as they enter and leave our buildings.”

His job isn’t over once students have boarded or unloaded from the buses, he is also in charge of ensuring transportation on and off campus runs smoothly.

“My focus is on making sure our students, staff and visitors are all safe while they are at Albion Central Schools,” Prawel said. “I strap on the yellow traffic vest twice a day for both our Middle School and High School dismissal times. For me to cover the crosswalk, in addition to the district’s driveways, would not be possible and leave people at risk.”

Morning arrival isn’t any easier, according to the District’s SRO.

“Drop-off time is especially difficult as the avenue is used heavily for people commuting to work at that time,” Prawel said.

“Whether the school was on the avenue or not, that would be a high-risk area for someone crossing Route 31 in the mornings.”

The school district and Prawel emphasize the importance of the work and dedication of the Albion Police Department and its ongoing assistance in keeping our school and village community safe.

“We are incredibly grateful to Chief Mogle and the rest of the Albion Police Department, for continuing to be great partners in prioritizing the safety of our students, staff, and greater Albion community,” Edwards said.

“I couldn’t do it without their support,” Prawel agreed. “The Albion Police Department is integral in ensuring our school and village community remain safe.”