Larger monitors designed for patrons with visual impairments

Provided photos: from left include Albion Lions Club member Kevin Howard, Hoag Library Director Betty Sue Miller, and Albion Lions Club member Lloyd Wright.

Press Release, Hoag Library

ALBION – The Albion Lions Club has generously donated $500 to Hoag Library to support the purchase of three large computer monitors designed for patrons with visual impairments.

This donation, inspired by the overwhelming success of a large curved monitor purchased in 2023, will expand the library’s accessible technology offerings and improve access to digital content for individuals with limited vision, enhancing their overall experience with library resources. With this contribution, Hoag Library continues its commitment to offering equitable access to technology for all patrons.

The donation aligns with the mission of the MD20 Lions SEE (Screening Eyes Early) program, which focuses on vision screening and eye health awareness. The Lions SEE program works to ensure early detection of vision issues, and the Albion Lions Club’s contribution to Hoag Library continues their commitment to supporting local efforts that promote vision care and accessibility.

“We are deeply grateful to the Albion Lions Club for this thoughtful donation,” said Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library. “The success of the first large monitor showed us just how important this kind of technology is for our patrons with vision challenges, and these new monitors will help even more people stay connected and continue learning.”

The Albion Lions Club has a long-standing history of supporting initiatives that benefit the community, particularly in the areas of vision, hearing, and health services. This donation is a testament to their ongoing dedication to making Albion a more accessible and caring community.

ALBION – The first election for the Albion Joint Fire District will be Dec. 10 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Hoag Library.

There have been five appointed commissioners and an appointed treasurer serving since August, with their first meeting on Aug. 20.

Of the current five commissioners, four will be on the ballot in the Dec. 10 election. Joe Martillotta opted against running to be an elected commissioner.

Albert Cheverie, Craig Lane, Chris Kinter and David Buczek all were appointed and are running for election. Kevin Sheehan, a former village trustee, also is seeking an elected position.

The commissioners’ terms will be for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, depending on the vote totals for each. The highest vote-getter gets the 5-year term and then the term length goes in descending order of votes. After the December election, the commissioner election should have one position up for election each year.

Two people are running for treasurer. Victoria Tabor has been in the position since August. She is running for election along with Kristen Marciszewski.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Alec Sherman leads the crowds in a Christmas sing-along to “Sleigh Ride” on Sunday during the “Christmas in the Neighborhood” concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Albion.

He was accompanied by Gary Simboli at left. Albion alumni and current students performed more than 20 songs for the annual concert at the First Presbyterian Church.

The church has been hosting the concerts since 2009, first as part of the Eastman at Albion series and then since 2015 as part of an Albion alumni concert event.

Charlie Nesbitt read “The Night Before Christmas” sharing segments of the story after musical performances throughout the concert.

Albion Alumni Association leaders welcome the crowd to the concert. Susan Starkweather Miller is at the microphone. Charlie Nesbitt is at left next to Susan Thaine, the church’s pastor, and Tony Wynn, one of the board members for the Alumni Foundation.

Ethan Ferchen sings, “It Feels Like Christmas.”

Kae Wilbert on bassoon and Susan Walders on flute perform “Deck the Halls.”

Jennifer Trupo sings, “A Baby Changes Everything.”

The concert had a theme of “Believe.”

Other performers included Gary Simboli, Shannon Vanderlaan, Janet Miller, Mike Thaine, Albion High School Select Choir, Evan Steer, Susan Thaine, Matthew Mooney Galantowicz and Keith Galantowicz, Albion High School Percussion Ensemble, AHS Clarinet Choir, Albion Presbyterian Choir, Shannon Broda, Trellis Pore, Zyann Pore, and the Community Christmas Choir.

ALBION – The Albion school district was notified of a potential threat targeting a school bus this morning and that threat has been deemed unfounded.

“The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately and acted before any of our students or drivers could potentially be placed in harm’s way,” district superintendent Mickey Edwards stated on the district website. “The Sheriff’s Office has deemed there is no threat to ACS transportation or the District itself.”

The safety of students and staff are the district’s “number one priority,” Edwrads said.

“We would like to thank our greater Albion community for being diligent in helping to keep our Purple Eagles safe,” he said.

Provided photo

ALBION – Two more dogs have completed a 12-week obedience training program working with incarcerated women at the Albion Correctional Facility.

The two dogs, Bob and Lola, were celebrated during a Nov. 4 canine graduation at Albion Correctional. The handlers also were praised for their dedication and patience assisting the dogs in learning their skills.

Bob has already been adopted and Lola is waiting for her forever home. She is available through the PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion. Click here for more information.

Dawn Spencer of Eye of Oden K9 Training in Kent leads the 12-week program. Spencer has over 25 years of experience in dog training.

Throughout the 12 weeks, the teams of incarcerated individuals serve as handlers for the dogs.  Spencer visits the facility once a week to put the dogs through the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program.

This training program consists of 10 skills that the dogs must be able to master and aims to train dogs the basics of good manners and obedience. Spencer instructed the incarcerated individuals on what skills to work on each week.

The program is in collaboration with PAWS Animal Shelter and Albion Correctional Facility. The facility has allowed dogs and trainers since 2019.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Lee Tisdale, owner of Romyn’s Smoked BBQ at 26 East Bank St. in Albion, has 100 Thanksgiving dinners ready. This is the fourth Thanksgiving he has prepared the meals and is giving them away for free beginning at 1 p.m.

They are available until he runs out of food.

Tisdale has been preparing the meal since Tuesday.

“It’s a blessing for me to connect with people,” Tisdale said.

He has prepared turkey, stuffing, potatoes, corn, collard greens, cabbage, macaroni and cheese, ham, beans, pulled pork and brownies.

Tisdale gave away 40 of the meals last year and he expects a bigger crowd today. Many of the people are homeless, or living in low-income housing without family nearby or the means to prepare a full-course Thanksgiving meal, Tisdale said.

Many of the people are happy to have a place to come on Thanksgivign where they can talk with other people, Tisdale said.

He also prepares a meal on Christmas that he gives away.

OK Kitchen has 600-plus dinners ready

The Orleans Koinonia Kitchen at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion has 600 to 800 Thanksgiving meals ready for people. They will be served for free from 3:30 to 5:30 at Harvest Christian Fellowship, 560 East Ave., Albion.

People can eat in, do take-outs, or OK Kitchen volunteers will make deliveries.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club recently presented a $2,300 check to the Job Development Agency with the funds to be used to help people prepare for job interviews and employment, going towards new clothes and other supplies.

Pictured form left include Becky Karls, golf tournament committee member; Kiebala, Job Development director; and Cindy Perry, golf tournament committee chair.

The tournament was held on July 18, and some of the proceeds also went to the Office for the Aging to support a transportation program for senior citizens.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Faith Smith, center, today accepted a $500 gift card from Save A Lot that will be used to purchase meat for the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, which Smith has directed since it opened in June 2022 at Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Smith was nominated for the “Hometown Hero” award through Save A Lot by Dee Huntington, left, one of the OK Kitchen volunteers. They are joined at the Albion store by manager Dora Leader-Shuler.

Smith is one of six Hometown Heroes recognized by Save A Lot in the country. They nominees were listed on the Save A Lot social media and the top six with the most likes are receiving $500 gift cards.

Smith has served as volunteer director of the OK Kitchen since it opened in June 2022. She also led the community kitchen for more than a decade when it was based at Christ Episcopal Church.

The OK Kitchen serves several hundred meals every Thursday, and has expanded to frozen soups for people to take home.

The kitchen is gearing up to serve 600 to 800 Thanksgiving meals on Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. with many of those meals to be delivered to senior citizens and shut-ins, including more than 100 meals to Medina.

Huntington and her husband Rick volunteer almost every Thursday at the kitchen. They see how Smith and her husband Mike build up a team of volunteers and donors, and treat people with compassion.

The OK Kitchen has grown from serving about 100 meals a week in June 2022 to more than 600 now.

“Businesses, churches, civic organizations and individuals all come together to ‘love thy neighbor’ in so many tangible ways,” Mrs. Huntington said. “Resources arrive in many shapes and forms. The hours, the smiles, the kind words spoken, the resources shared bring a warm feeling of being cared for.”

Save A Lot also is frequent donor to the kitchen, bringing two car loads of food each month. Those food items are on a table for people to take with them after having a meal at Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The lamp post on Main Street, right in front of the Courthouse Square, is decorated with a glowing Christmas tree.

About 40 of the lamp posts will be decorated for Christmas and the holiday season.

Maureen Bennett is coordinating the effort for the second year. It’s part of the “Bring Christmas Back to Albion” initiative that started last year to pump up the holiday spirit in Albion.

The group also will soon have Christmas trees decorated on the Courthouse lawn.

This angel is at the corner of Main and West Park streets near the Bethlehem scene for the Holy Family Parish.

This lamp posts has lots of Santas on Main Street next to Gurney’s.

This lamp post in on East Bank Street near the Roots Hair Salon. Many businesses, families and organizations have adopted the posts.

Hearth & Home Real Estate Professionals decorated this lamp post with the courthouse and First Presbyterian Church in the backyard.

Growing congregation on Crandall Road eyes expansion

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Trellis Pore, pastor of Shiloh Church on Crandall Road, Albion, and his wife Caleia are shown with some of the more than 50 blankets they recently collected and donated for the homeless.

ALBION – When Trellis Pore started to lead the Shiloh Church, only a few people showed up for his first sermons. That was Nov. 17, 2021, and last Sunday Pastor Pore celebrated his third anniversary with guest speaker the Rev. Wayne Lewis and a full congregation.

Pore has a full-time job as weapons trainer with the New York State Department of Corrections, but his passion is preaching. He first became licensed to speak at the age of 19 at Shiloh Church and was ordained at 21.

Since that time, he and his wife Caleia have seen Shiloh grow, along with their desire to make a difference in their community.

They are aware of rising number of homeless in Orleans County.

“Growing up here, I didn’t see that as a kid,” the Rev. Pore said. “We saw that was where we could make a difference.”

They put the word out for donations of blankets for the homeless, and the support was absolutely amazing, the pastor said. Just recently, they delivered more than 50 blankets to warming shelters at Hoag Library in Albion, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina and Community Action’s Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley.

They plan to continue collecting blankets for the homeless, and then branch out to see what else they can do to help out in their community.

Going forward, the Rev. Pore knows they are going to have to expand at the church on Crandall Road. Their congregation averages 130 people and continues to grow. The building is outgrowing their needs and they need more space to accommodate the things they want to do, such as mentoring, tutoring and youth activities.

They have formed Shiloh Angels, which is compiling a prayer book filled with prayers from youth. Artist Pat Standish is doing the illustrations and the book will be handed out to anyone in need, especially kids who are facing tough times.

“We want them to know their prayers will be answered,” the Rev. Pore said. “When we come together in unity, all things are possible.”

Shiloh Church is also planning a Shiloh family Christmas giveaway at 3 p.m. Dec. 21 at Albion Elks Lodge.

A Christmas Eve service is scheduled at 6:30 p.m., with a New Year’s Eve service, also at 6:30 p.m.

The Pores welcome anyone to join them in Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and worship at 11 a.m. Sundays.

Faith Smith, shown in top row in center photo with her husband Michael Smith, has been named one of six “Hometown Heroes” by Save A Lot.

ALBION – The director of the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen has been named one of six “Hometown Heroes” by Save A Lot.

Faith Smith has served as volunteer director of the OK Kitchen since it opened in June 2022 at Harvest Christian Fellowship. She also led the community kitchen for more than a decade when it was based at Christ Episcopal Church.

The OK Kitchen serves several hundred meals every Thursday, and has expanded to frozen soups for people to take home.

“Faith’s contributions go far beyond providing a hot meal,” Save A Lot stated. “She is deeply compassionate, offering birthday goodie bags, distributing gifts to needy children at Christmas, and delivering meals to shut-ins while performing wellness checks. She supports other community organizations, provides free items to those in need when there is a surplus, and assembles essential items like blankets, hats, and toiletries for the homeless. Tirelessly, she recruits volunteers to help with OKK’s mission.

“Her work is entirely unpaid, driven solely by her passion for helping others. Faith Smith is selfless, hardworking, compassionate, resourceful, and deeply committed to her cause. Her efforts ensure that no one in her community goes hungry, and she makes the most of every resource and donation she receives.”

Save A Lot, a large discount grocery chain with about 800 stores in 32 states, accepted nominations for Hometown Heroes and to showcase the people and organizations making a difference in the communities Save A Lot stores serve.

The six winners will receive $500 gift cards for Save A Lot. The Hometown Heroes include:

• Tammy Amburgey, President, Middle Creek Community Development & Food Pantry, Prestonsburg, KY
• Doug Ducheney, Owner, Children Without A Gift Ministry, Bronston, KY
• Grant & Gina Hasty, Founders, Lord’s Café, Whitley City, KY
• Jessica Lee, Founder, Help the Homeless, Somerset, KY
• Faith Smith, Director, Orleans Koinonia Kitchen, Albion, NY
• Rita Wood, Barbourville, KY

Albion bowling alley has now raised $35K for PAWS in 10 years

Photos courtesy of Oak Orchard Bowl

ALBION – Oak Orchard Bowl hosted its 10^th annual PAWS Triples No-Tap Tournament on November 9-10 and raised $4,000 for the animal shelter in Albion.

Oak Orchard Bowl has now raised $35,000 for PAWS in the past 10 years.

The tournament had 84 teams from all over Western New York, said Randy Hanks, owner of Oak Orchard Bowl.

PAWS had more than 60 baskets for raffle, as well as cupcakes, 50/50 drawings and donations that brought the total to $5,000.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Construction crews gave a worn-down section of Ingersoll Street new pavement today, after the old pavement was removed on Tuesday.

Ingersoll has faced much more traffic than usual in the past two years with the Main Street lift bridge closed for major repairs and an overhaul. That lift bridge could reopen next month.

The state Department of Transportation had a section of Ingersoll milled and repaved between Bank and Caroline streets, the sections closest to the lift bridge.