Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Members of the Albion Police Department carried the torch for the Special Olympics this morning in a 2.7-mile run through the village. The top photo shows Sgt. Will Francis, right, handing the torch to officer Sean McElhinny. They are running south on Main Street.

Police Chief Dave Mogle carries the torch at the beginning of the run. Lt. Brandon Annable is at left. Nearly everyone in the Albion PD was part of the run this morning.

Mogle said he went to a Law Enforcement Torch Run last year in Niagara Falls with Village Trustee Tim McMurray to see what a run in person and the logistics involved.

Mogle wanted to host the run to offer another chance for law enforcement between Erie-Niagara counties and Monroe to be part of a torch run. (Batavia also hosts one in Genesee County.)

“We wanted one in Orleans County,” Mogle said. “We welcome more agencies to be a part of it.”

The Albion Police Department pose with students at Albion before the run.

Alex Yankevich, an Albion student, holds the torch before the police officers started on the run.

Dillon Black, a sergeant with the Albion PD, takes a turn carrying the torch. He is followed by Nathaniel Staines.

Albion police officer Justyn Haines runs on Main Street. He wears a commemorative shirt for the torch run. Matt Prawel, an Orleans County deputy and the Albion school resource officer, is at right.

Erica Raepple, senior director of development at the Special Olympics in New York, said the Law Enforcement Torch Run raised $2.4 million for the Special Olympics last year, with funding going to support unified sports and many other programs for people with disabilities.

Leslie Daum of Waterport carried an American flag for the beginning of the run. She said she has been a longtime supporter for the cause. She remembers attending the opening ceremonies in 1979 at Brockport State College when the local college hosted the International Special Olympics.

The officers head south down Main Street. They were headed to Route 31, where they then went east to the Albion school campus to Clarendon Road, back on Route 31, down McKinistry Street and then back to the village office on East Bank Street.

By Claire Squicciarini, correspondent

Photo by Claire Squicciarini: Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library, congratulates Michael Magnuson, the adult services librarian, for winning Nioga’s outreach award.

ALBION – The Nioga Library System is a non-profit system serving public libraries in Niagara, Orleans and Genesee counties. Each year at the Nioga annual meeting an outreach award is presented to a library employee in three-county library system.

Michael Magnuson, the adult services librarian at Hoag, was recognized for his tech services he provides to Hoag Library patrons.

“I do my best to try to help if I can’t I try to refer them to someone who can,” Magnuson.

He previously worked at the public library in Jamestown where that library providing some tech help to the community. Magnuson shared that initiative with Betty Sue Miller, the Hoag Library director. She backed the idea and Magnuson began to schedule individual appointments to help those in the community that aren’t too tech savvy.

“He has helped to make an atmosphere here that I am just absolutely thrilled with,” Miller said. Seeing his impact, the program coordinator Katie Leach from the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative partnered with the Hoag library and made Magnuson a tech mentor.

Now Magnuson provides tech support every Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Hoag Library. Magnuson and Leach refer people to each other to ensure the communities satisfaction. Leach saw the effect Magnuson had on the library and community and nominated him for the Outreach Award.

“I was thrilled that Nioga saw the benefit from outside our own little perimeters,” Miller said. The hard work and compassion of Magnuson was recognized from outside the community while being appreciated within.

“It’s a huge honor I am glad to be able to help people here in the community,” Magnuson said. Magnuson joined the Hoag Library staff in September 2018. He said he welcomes people of all ages to stop in if they have a tech question.

Nioga, in its nomination form, stated the outreach award goes to someone providing outstanding services to people in any of the following populations:

• Individuals with visual, physical, or developmental disabilities
• Unemployed or underemployed
• Individuals who are 65 years or older
• Ethnic minorities
• Individuals who are geographically isolated
• Individuals with and economic or educational disadvantage

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Lonnie Froman is the lead singer for “Match Box Blues” with the Pratt Music Hall Pit Band during a concert at the historic Pratt opera house on the third floor of 110-114 North Main St.

Shannon Vanderlaan and her mother Karen Conn sing “Stand By Me” during the concert at the Pratt.

About 100 people attended the concert on Sunday at the Pratt theater, in what was billed as the venue’s first musical concert in a century.

The Pratt hosted some smaller events about a decade ago, but building owner Michael Bonafede said the permit was for up to 20 people and the site only had a one-day special permit for those performances.

The Pratt secured a certificate of occupancy about a year ago and Bonafede said he hopes Sunday’s event is the beginning of the Pratt again being used regularly for performances.

“We want this to be a place known for sharing the joy of music, and sharing the joy of performance,” Bonafede told the crowd.

Michael Bonafede discusses some of the history of the Pratt theater, which was built in 1882. The original wooden floor and stairways remain.

Bonafede and his wife Judith Kohler purchased the site in 2005 and have made steady improvements to the building, which has many tenants on the first and second floors.

He was thrilled to see the stage used by musicians on Sunday for three hours, and to have a nice-size crowd.

The attendees brought their own chairs, blankets or cushions to watch the performers.

D.J. Button takes a photo of the Pratt Music Hall Pit Band before the performance on Sunday. The pit band includes: Alona Kuhns – bass; Don Mancuso – guitar; Doug Egling & Mark Ketchum – saxophone; Erin Moody – vocals; Gary Simboli – keyboard & vocals; Karen Conn –vocals; Kate Egling – vocals; Leon Corky Zak – keyboard; Lonnie Froman – percussion and vocals; Mike Bonafede – drums; Ron Albertson – vocals; Shannon Vanderlaan – vocals, Warren Jayne – guitar.

Ron Albertson was among the singers who performed on the historic stage. He sang “634-5789” by Wilson Pickett.

Leon “Corky” Zak played the keyboards. He bears a striking resemblance to his brother, Michael Bonafede.

Kate Egling sings “The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. King.

Doug Egling, left, and Mark Ketchum played their saxophones for the band. Other performers in the community were welcome to sing with the Pratt Music Hall Pit Band later in the concert.

Alona Kuhns plays Bass in the it band.

ALBION – Albion police officers will do a torch run on Monday morning in village as part of an effort to raise awareness for the Special Olympics and people with disabilities.

Albion is joining the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the first time. Many police departments support the effort in the region.

The Albion police officers will start the run at 10 a.m. at the Albion Village Hall on East Bank Street. Participants who want to be part of the effort are encouraged to be there at 9:30 a.m. Several people with disabilities and their friends and family are expected to be part of the event, which has an option for a walk instead of run.

The event will be end at about 11 a.m. back at the Albion Village Hall.

Press Release, Albion Marching Band

Provided photo: Albion drum majors Jason Anstey and Audrey Pask hold the band’s prizes following the competition at Nunda.

ALBION – The Albion Purple Eagles Marching Band continued their successful competition season with a win in Nunda on Saturday, earning 1st place with a score of 95.15.

The previous weekend the Purple Eagles were awarded the designation “Outstanding with Distinction” at the Darien Lake Music Festival. These honors followed their first place finish at the Springville Pageant of Bands earlier this month.

The band’s competition show this year is entitled, “Highlights from Jersey Boys.” The show features the music of Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons. Nicholas Andrews is the trombone soloist. The band is led in competition by senior drum majors Audrey Pask and junior Jason Anstey.

The Purple Eagles conclude the season at the hometown Albion Strawberry Festival parade on Saturday with the parade starting at 10 a.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There are 80 items up for raffle today at Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street in Albion as part of a benefit for Sean and Nicole Van Winkle Paul. They couple is known locally as the leaders of Frosty and Friends, a group that supports many community causes.

They were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident May 6 in Oakfield. Nicole recently moved out of the intensive care unit but has a long road to recovery, said Christine Nenni, one of the organziers of today’s benefit. Sean broke his ribs, an elbow and sustained other injuries in the crash.

Nenni, one of the owners of Best of Tymes Party Rentals, has teamed with the Pauls on several events to benefit local children.

Juliette takes a shot with a basketball outside Dubby’s, were there are bounce houses, temporary tattoos, face painting, balloons and other activities.

In addition to the 80 gift baskets, there are four major items up for raffle. The event goes on until 5 p.m.

A GoFundMe also has been set up by daughter Christine Wainwright to support the couple and their family.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Department of Public Works this morning installed a 6-foot bronze statue weighing about 450 pounds.

The statue bears the likeness of the late Charles W. Howard in a Santa suit.

The top photo shows sculptor Brian Porter, right, exclaiming when seeing the statue set on a concrete pad at Waterman Park, a site on Main Street a half block south of the Erie Canal.

Scott Bradshaw, in orange shirt, and Charlie Ricci of the DPW give the statue a close inspection after getting it to set securely on the concrete with some epoxy. DPW workers Shaun Stephens and Vance VanSkiver also were part of the installation this morning.

The Albion Betterment Committee raised more than $80,000 for the project over about a decade. Gary Kent, in back left, was up early to see the installation. He is one of the directors of the Betterment Committee.

Kent said he is pleased with how the statue turned out, and is happy it highlights a beloved person in Albion’s history. Kent believes the community’s history – with people, architecture and many treasured stories – should be part of moving Albion forward right now.

Howard ran a Santa School in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966. He also developed Christmas Park which attracted thousands to Albion and had live reindeer and many amusement rides.

The statue was covered up after it was installed. The Orleans Hub isn’t showing any photos of the front of the statue until after the statue is dedicated during a ceremony on June 10 after the Strawberry Festival Parade at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Porter said the statue is at ground level, and in human size so it shouldn’t intimidate children and will be easy for people to interact with and get photos. A 24-foot-long Santa mural is next to the statue on the north side providing a striking backdrop, Porter said. He worked about 18 months on creating the statue.

Bronze statue in honor of Charles W. Howard to be dedicated June 10; more parade entries sought

Photo by Tom Rivers: The concrete footer that will be the base for a new bronze statue was poured in early May at Waterman Park on North Main Street. A bronze statue looking like Santa Claus will be dedicated after  the parade on June 10 at approximately 11:30 a.m. The 24-foot-long mural of Santa in flight over downtown Albion was created by Albion native Stacey Kirby Steward in 2018.

ALBION – The upcoming 35^th anniversary Strawberry Festival has a theme “Here Comes Santa!” The festival committee wants to celebrate the dedication of a bronze statue of Santa Claus.

The Albion betterment Committee has been raising money for the statue for about a decade. It will be dedicated after the parade on June 10 at about 11:30 a.m.

The statue is in honor of the late Charles W. Howard, who ran a Santa school in Albion from 1937 to 1966 and also operated Christmas Park. Howard is revered in the Santa community and a school still bears his name in Midland, Mich. that trains people portraying Santa Claus.

The Albion Betterment Committee encourages people, especially in the parade, to wear Santa hats, elf costumes or other Christmas costumes.

Participants in the Strawberry Festival 5k/8k will be giving Santa hats for the race at 8 a.m. on June 10 and the shirt for the race has a Santa and strawberry design. Click here for more on the race.

June Persia, the festival chairperson, said the event is coming together and will include some changes due to the Main Street lift bridge being out of service for a major rehabilitation project.

The parade route will end by turning onto West Bank Street, instead of crossing the bridge. With the bridge out of commission, that has allowed organizers to use part of North Main Street for some activities.

The section from Bank Street to Beaver Alley will host a cornhole tournament on Friday evening, June 9. There also will be alcohol available in a wine and beer tent in an event organized by Dubby’s Tailgate.

Persia said the festival mainstays will be back with about 60 craft vendors signed up so far, a full food court, a classic car show and a lineup of bands and entertainment.

She welcomes more floats and entries in the parade that starts at 10 a.m. on June 10. Those floats are needed to space out the marching bands and other musicians in the parade. For more information about being in the parade, reach out to Persia at 585-704-1994.

The “amazing turtle race,” which features 1,000 rubber turtles floating on the Erie Canal, will have a different starting point. The turtles are usually launched from the Main Street lift bridge. This time they will be let go from a Sheriff’s boat.

“I’m looking to bring the community together and to welcome people from outside Albion to see what our village is really about,” Persia said. “This has been a very successful event in the village. We want to see it grow.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The drums, sound equipment and other instruments are ready for Sunday’s musical performances at the Pratt Opera House at 110-114 North Main St. in Albion.

This will be a rare musical event on the stage, one of only few in the past century. The event on Sunday starts at 2 p.m. and is expected to continue until 4:30 or 5 in an event called, “Sharing – the Joy of Music: Act 1.”

Michael Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler has been working to restore the opera house since 2005. Bonafede hopes Sunday’ performances will be the beginning of a new era of live music on the third floor stage of the Pratt Music Hall. He has welcomed many of his friends and local musicians to perform on Sunday, and also is extending an invitation for other musicians to perform a solo on the stage, or bring their own band or play with the Pratt Music Hall Pit Band.

The pit band includes: Alona Kuhns – Bass; Don Mancuso – Guitar; Doug Egling & Marj Ketchum – Horns; Erin Moody – Vocals; Gary Simboli – Keyboard & vocals; Karen Conn – Vocals; Kate Egling – Vocals; Leon Corky Zak – keyboard; Lonnie Froman – Percussion; Mike Bonafede – Drums; Ron Albertson – Vocals; Shannon Vanderlaan – Vocals, Warren Jayne – Guitar.

The sound technicians include Larry “Rose” Crozier and DJ Button, with Mark Scarborough serving as the theater tech.

People are welcome to watch the musical acts in the theater. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own folding chairs, a cushion or a blanket for the show.

The Pratt Music Hall, built in 1882, has been a long-term project for the Bonafede-Koehler family and their friends.

They will be filming a promotional video for the theater as part of Sunday’s performance.

Tickets are available for free but people need to reserve a spot by calling Michael Bonafede at 585-749-1413, Judy Koehler at 585-749-1515 or DJ Button at 585-200-2400. Musicians seeking to perform should also call Bonafede.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Al Hand of the Albion Marching Band plays Taps to start the Memorial Day Parade in Albion this morning with local veterans in the Honor Guard.

Isaac Robinson carries one of the flags as part of the Honor Guard in today’s parade that went down Main Street to East Avenue, ending at the middle school where there was a service.

Charlie Nesbitt, a former assemblyman and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, gave the keynote address during a service outside the middle school by the Vietnam War Memorial. Assemblyman Steve Hawley also gave remarks.

Mike Dalle of the Albion Fire Department mounted an American flag on a motorcycle.

Sophie Kozody carries the American flag for the Albion Marching Band today as the band lines up on East Park Street for the Memorial Day parade.

These three play the trumpet for the Albion marching band. From left include Al Hand, Dillon DiGiulio and Gabriella Dobo. This year’s theme for the marching band is Jersey Boys.

Jason Anstey leads the band as one of the drum majors.

The Boy Scouts joined the patriotic procession. Jax Gotte and Stryker Braley are carrying the flags.

Girl Scouts carried flags and waved to people along Main Street.

Camila Herzog, 2, watches the parade on Main Street with her family.

These members of the Ladies Auxiliary for the American Legion gather for a photo before the parade. They include, from left: Pam Taylor, Carolyn Gibson, Beverly Pualaski and Susan Befus. The auxiliary raised $1,626.55 through their poppy sales at Tops, Save-A-Lot and other businesses. The group will have its 5^thannual American Legion Auxiliary golf tournament on Aug. 26 at the Brown Road Golf Club in Albion.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Many Girl Scouts, Brownies and Daisies were part of the parade on May 29, 2017.

ALBION – Organizers of the Memorial Day parade in Albion are asking for participants in the May 29 parade and service to follow in front of the Albion Middle School.

The parade has typically included a procession of veterans, firefighters, the Albion Marching Band, scouts, the Knights of Columbus, and local elected officials.

The parade will form between 9 and 9:30 a.m. along North Main Street, facing south and on Park Streets on the east side of Main.

The parade will start at 10 a.m. south on Main Street to East Avenue, and then to the middle school.

The service will be held in front of the middle school at approximately 11 a.m. There is no rain date.

Those wishing to participate in the parade should contact parade co-chairmen Phil Warne and Matt Passarell by May 24, by sending an email to philwarne69@yahoo.com.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There are seven “Hometown Hero” banners up for soldiers from Albion who were killed in the line of duty, including William Barnum who was killed on July 14, 1944. (His brother Eugene Barnum also was killed in World War II.)

Albion is placing seven of the banners up before Memorial Day. They are placed on Route 31 near the middle school campus where there is a Vietnam War Memorial and also where the community’s Memorial Day service is held.

Jason Johnston is the last soldier from Albion to be killed in the line of duty. He was 24 and a specialist and paratrooper in the Army when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009.

The banner behind him shows the portrait of Rick Engle, who was killed in Vietnam when he was 19 on Feb. 2, 1968.

The Albion Department of Public Works also set up the banner in the downtown on Tuesday to promote the upcoming Strawberry Festival on June 9-10. Vance VanSkiver and Scott Bradshaw, DPW workers, put up this banner.

After the festival, the other Hometown Hero banners will be displayed and should be up until November. There are about 100 banners of soldiers in all.

Vance VanSkiver (in orange) and Scott Bradshaw work together to put up this banner in front of the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church on Main Street. The upcoming Strawberry Festival will be the 35^th time for the festival. For more on the Strawberry Fest, click here.