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.