Photo by Kyle Gill

ALBION – The Albion Rotary and Interact Clubs picked up trash along the railroad tracks in Albion this morning and filled 19 garbage bags with a total weight of 307 pounds. That topped the 291 pounds from a year ago.

Albion Rotary has done the cleanup the past five years with students from Albion Central School.

Pictured from left include Makenzie Cook, Lillian Fisher, Ayme Vallejo-Morales, Cordelia Rivers, Adam Burgio, Tom Rivers, Maddison Button, Tim Archer and Mike Schmackpheffer.

Photos by Tom Rivers

Adam Burgio, an Interact Club member, hunts down litter just east of Platt Street.

Mike Schmackpheffer, a prospective Rotarian, helped the garbage collection. He is getting trash near the wall by Dunkin’ Donuts.

Lillian Fisher, an Interact member, tosses a bag of litter into the dumpster at Ace Hardware. Rotary and Interact thank Ace Hardware for use of the dumpster.

Photo courtesy of Albion Elks Lodge #1006

ALBION – The Albion Elks Lodge held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser with 70 baskets up for raffle and 50/50 drawings on March 29 for Adrianna, a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy and stage 3 kidney cancer with gene deletion.

The Elks raised $4,905 for Adrianna’s family. Holding the check for the Elks include Richard Robb Sr., the Leading Knight and President of the Elks Riders (left), and Mike Jenks, the Exalted Ruler of the lodge at right. Elk Riders VP Todd Dawley is at left.

“The proceeds are going to family members that go out of their way to make this little girl as comfortable as they can,” Jenks said.

The Elks present a check to Adrianna’s friend Karen Czerniak, and her grandmother who is holding Adrianna’s picture.

“If anyone still wants to make a donation make the check out to the Albion Elks Lodge #1006 and we will make sure it gets to the right people,” Jenks said.

Amy Sidari has taught dance for 38 years, including 28 years as Gotta Dance owner

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Amy Sidari (center), owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, dances with five generations of the the Sidari family during Saturday’s evening’s dance recital at the Albion Middle School. Her daughter Gina is at left. The Sidari family danced to “Home” by Nick Jonas.

Saturday’s recital was the last one for Sidari as owner of Gotta Dance. She has led Gotta Dance the past 28 years and has been a dance teacher for 38 years. She is retiring to spend more time with her family, including three grandchildren.

Amy Sidari is presented with flowers at the start of Saturday’s recital which was attended by about 400 people. An earlier recital for younger children was attended by 320.

Next to her is dance teacher Crystal Hallenbeck-McPhall at left with Gloria Lear in back and Beth Webb at right.

Lear praised Sidari for creating a “safe haven” for dancers of all abilities and ages.

“Coming through the doors of the studio is like coming home,” Lear said. “We are truly grateful for the opportunities from the studio. We are a family and we will always be connected.”

Lear said there will be an open house for Sidari on April 18 at Gotta Dance, 28 West Bank St., Albion.

Sidari said she will remain active in the Albion community as she steps back from running the dance studio.

Saturday evening’s recital included 46 different dance numbers. Here are photos from some of the dances:

These dancers performed “Jazz Warriors Stand Up.” They include Ella Bruski, Krystal Butler, Eliana Coleman, Vanessa Coy, Millie Fisher, Piper Froman, Layla Kania, Keira Lemcke, Alana McAdoo, Aubrey McPhall, Alaina McPhall, Isabella Pahura, Isabelle Perkins, McKenzie Sample, Aubrey Stinson and Harriet Symons.

This group performed “Lyrical Ashes.”

The group performing “A Ballet Beach Baby” includes Blair Allchin, Olivia Bruski, Millie Fisher, Elady Fisher, Isabella Hafner, Keira Lemcke and Giuliana Liuzzi.

This group led off the recital with a “Mom and Me” dance to “Isn’t Going Down Like That.”

Kasey Neal performs a solo, “A Private Time Will Tell.”

This group dances to “Hip Hop Barbie Mix” and includes Aubrielle Barry, Kaitlynn Basinait, Evee Heinsler, Kendra Kaniecki, McKinley Knight, Mackenzie Lefrois, Nicole Loney, Ava Ludwick, Grace McCormick, Peyton McGuire, Semaj Miller, Chloe Mosele and Isabelle Truelson.

A group of adult dancers perform “Beautiful Things.” They are holding Lauren Thomas. Mollie Radzinski, front left, and Beth Webb, front right, are part of a group that also includes Rebecca DeBoard-Lake, Crystal Hallenbeck-McPhall, Brooke Kiefer, Tisha Loney, Kayla Osborne and Sarah Stornelli.

Jenna Uderitz did a solo dance with lots of gymnastic tumbles to “Private Dream on a Star Mix.”

Evee Heinsler, left, and her sister Thalia Heinsler perform a dance together.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Devon Albone, left, and  Rob Luff get the Albone Spray Foam booth ready this morning at the Home, Garden & Outdoor Show at Dubby’s Tailgate.

Albone, based in Medina, is one of 40 vendors at the show, which continues today until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3.

Albone usually is at similar home and garden shows in Buffalo and Rochester. He is glad to be closer to home to tout the business’s insulation products.

“It’s more home town here,” he said. “It’s more down to earth.”

These goats greet Laural Prentice at the entrance of Dubby’s. Prentice is part of the booth for Hearth and Home Real Estate Professionals, which is owned by her sister, Karen Conn.

Abby Alexander fastens balloons in an arch inside Dubby’s Tailgate.

Ray Laine, left, and his father Tom Laine of Frontier Heating and A/C Service in Albion are back at the home show after about an absence in recent years. Tom said he likes the heated atmosphere in Dubby’s with close access to their restaurant inside. The home show had been at the fairgrounds.

Frontier was picked as the Chamber of Commerce’s “Business of the Year” in 2024.

The Master Gardeners are at the home show giving out free pumpkin seeds for PumpkinPalooza during the Oct. 11 Medina Scarecrow Fest. They are also giving out seeds from a share program and dispensing other advice.

Seated include Master Gardeners Julie Granchelli, right, and Trina Lorentz. They are chatting with Doreen Wilson, left, and master gardener Nancy Walker.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A very large quilt made by local quilters in 1976 has been put in a new frame and is on display in the Orleans County Courthouse.

County Buildings and Grounds employees made the frame about a month ago for the quilt. The large 35-block quilt has been in storage in the courthouse for more than 20 years. It was taken down as part of a renovation and addition to the courthouse that was completed in 2003.

The quilt was made to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in 1976. The quilt was done in an appliqué style where one or more pieces of fabric are attached to a larger background fabric to create pictures or patterns.

It is back on display for the Orleans County bicentennial this year.

The center block highlights the train depot in Medina that has been used as a senior citizens center for more than 50 years.

These blocks shows the former Christmas Park in Albion at lower left, the county courthouse, a trolley, and in the top row: the former Swan Library, the county seal (which erroneously listed the county’s founding as 1826 instead of 1825), and the Civil War monument at Mount Albion Cemetery.

These blocks highlight the sloopers who traveled from Norway to Kendall, harness racing at the County Fair, the DAR House in Albion, swans in Lyndonville, and Swan Library in Albion.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision may release some inmates early due to a staffing crisis.

Daniel Martuscello, the DOCCS superintendent, has announced a plan to release incarcerated people with non-violent felony convictions up to 110 days early. But that is only as long as they have suitable housing and did not commit certain sex or drug-related offenses. They will remain under supervision of a parole officer.

Martuscello has asked the superintendents at state prisons to submit a list by noon Friday of inmates who could be eligible for early release. In a memo issued on Monday, he said the early release will strike “the appropriate balance between the safety and well-being of those working and residing in DOCCS correctional facilities and public safety.”

The DOCCS commissioner said eligible inmates can’t be serving a sentence for an A-1 or A-2 non-drug offense, a class B through E violent felony offense, or a sex offense. They need an approved residence, which is not a shelter or a DSS placement, upon release, he said.

State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, told reporters the staffing issue could be solved by hiring back the 2,000 corrections officers who were on strike.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, issued a statement saying the early release of inmates is an insult to the law enforcement community and a serious public safety concern.

“Gov. Hochul’s public safety strategy is beginning to sound like a late April Fools’ joke,” Hawley said. “Not only has she fired thousands of correctional officers across the state, but now she’s letting prisoners out of jail early to try to fix the problem she created. This administration has created a system of anarchy in our state prisons. This is unacceptable, and I will do everything within my power to ensure this policy is reversed and law and order is restored in our state.”

Dan Parker recognized for 35 years in local service club

Screenshot

Provided photos

ALBION – The Albion Lions Club has donated $500 to the Village of Albion Recreation Department to go towards a fireworks show on July 3 at Bullard Park.

In photo at left shows John Grillo, the village’s recreation director, accepting the donation from Lloyd Wright of the Lions. More donations are welcome with checks made out to Village of Albion with fireworks in the memo line.

Fireworks will cap a busy day at Bullard with live music and other activities and entertainment.

The Lions Club in the photo at right also recognized Dan Parker, left, for 35 years of service with the club. Past President Bill Robinson presented Parker with a letter of appreciation.