Provided photo: The Yohe Family Farm in Albion will be offering wagon rides on Wednesday at Hoag Library.

Press Release, Hoag Library

ALBION – Hoag Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program is winding down, but the fun isn’t over yet! We have a week full of activities for all ages as we celebrate the end of another great summer of reading.

There is an ongoing Story Walk at Mount Albion Cemetery. Take a stroll and enjoy a children’s story displayed page-by-page along the path.

Upcoming Events:

• Today at noon – Free concert with Andrew Flory, a Lutenist, Classical guitarist, educator
• Monday, Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m. – Wildlife Rockstars, an educational program using birds, amphibians, and reptile animal ambassadors.
• Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 3 p.m. – Teen Faux Stained Glass
• Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. – Summer Reading Finale with Yohe Wagon Rides & Serenity Acres Farm. Celebrate with horses, wagon rides, and farm animals.
• Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Red Cross Blood Drive

Join us to close out summer with music, art, animals, and community fun. All events are free.

Hoag Library is proud to support literacy, creativity, and community connection year-round. For more information, visit us at 134 S. Main St., Albion, call (585) 589-4246, or follow us on Facebook.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Walmart officials and leaders of the store in Albion, including store manager Cherry Hodge with scissors, cut the ribbon to mark the completion of a store remodeling.

ALBION – The employees at the Albion Walmart were in a  celebratory mood this morning as the store completed a remodeling that began in March.

The store has completed its first major revamping since it opened in June 2006 at 13858 State Route 31.

The Walmart put in new freezers and coolers, replaced every shelf, put in new registers, fixture and did a new layout for the store. Walmart also expanded with a new building dedicated to its online shoppers. That side of the business has grown since the Covid pandemic hit about five years ago.

The store also was repainted and rebranded. Most of the work happened at night.

“It’s beautiful,” said Cherry Hodge, the store manager since 2010. “It needed it. The customers deserve it.”

Cherry Hodge, store manager, is pleased with the bright new look inside the Albion Walmart.

The Albion Walmart has 180 employees. Hodge and Walmart leaders recognized 16 of those employees who have been with the store since it opened more than 19 years ago.

“This is a good store with good associates,” Hodge said. “We work together as a team. Walmart is a great company to work for. They’re good to their people.”

John Emery, market manager for Walmart, praised the employees and customers for their patience during the remodeling.

He presented a certificate of appreciation to Hodge, who he said was often at the store at 3 or 4 a.m. during the remodeling process.

Nicole Wilson, a coach at the Albion Walmart, highlighted many of the employees for their extra efforts during the remodeling.

Walmart presented a $5,000 check to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office. Cherry Hodge and John Emery, right, of Walmart present a ceremonial check to Don Draper, the undersheriff.

Walmart also is giving $1,500 to the Albion Fire Department. The AFD was represented by, from left: Dawn Marciszewski, Robert Toman, Allyson Irwin and Catrina Bias.

Chis Lazarou, store manager of the Lockport Walmart, attended the celebration today and led the group in the Walmart cheer, which puts customers first. Lazarou said some of the Lockport employees helped in Albion during the remodel.

“We all support each other,” he said about the Walmart stores and employees.

Many of the Albion Walmart employees gathered for a group photo after the ceremony this morning inside the store.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The current Albion ladder truck is shown inside the fire hall on Platt Street on Thursday evening. This truck is from 1994 and will need to last another four years.

ALBION – The Albion Joint Fire District voted Thursday to buy a new ladder truck at a cost of $2,480,698 from Pierce Manufacturing.

The new truck won’t be ready for about four years due to a significant back order.

Albion’s new truck will be a quint with a dual purpose. Not only will it have a 100-foot-long ladder, but the truck will carry 300 gallons of water and also will function like a fire engine with the ability to pump water.

The current ladder truck from 1994 doesn’t pump or carry water, and has a 103-foot-long ladder.

Pierce was the only fire truck manufacturer to submit a bid. Two others picked up bid packets – Bulldog Fire Apparatus and Empire Fire Emergency – but they didn’t submit a bid for the new truck.

Al Cheverie, chairman of the Albion Joint Fire District, said he has full confidence in Pierce building a very reliable fire truck for Albion that will be in use for many years.

By the time the truck arrives in 2029, the fire district expects it will have half of the cost already set aside in a reserve fund with the rest to be financed unless the district can secure a grant to help cover some of the costs.

The fire district, as part of its 2025 budget, created a reserve fund that has $250,000 towards fire apparatus. If that continues each year at that level, the district should have $1,250,000 set aside towards the truck in 2029.

Cheverie said the costs of fire apparatus has steadily risen in recent years. The Village of Medina, for example, agreed to pay $1,698,995 to Pierce in Appleton, Wisc. for a new fire truck with a 100-foot-long ladder. That was June 26, 2023. Medina’s truck is expected this December, about a 2 ½ year wait.

The fire district needs to wait 30 days as part of a permissive referendum process. If enough people signa  petition in the fire district, which includes the towns of Albion and Gaines, there would be a public vote on whether the district can purchase the new truck.

Albion Joint Fire District officials discuss issues on Thursday evening during the district’s monthly meeting. From left include commissioners Kevin Sheehan, Craig Lane, Chairman Al Cheverie and Dave Buczek, as well as Treasurer Victoria Tabor and Assistant Fire Chief Steven Papponetti.

District commissioners agreed to not hold Pierce to a solid date for the truck delivery given the uncertainties with supply-chain issues.

“It’s unrealistic to lock them down on a certain date with the market being what it is with supply and materials,” said David Buczek, one of the commissioners.

Holding Pierce to precise date and assessing fines for going past that could prompt the company to walk away from the project, Buczek said.

Craig Lane, the Orleans County DPW superintendent, also is a fire commissioner. In his job with the county, he said contractors and suppliers have some leeway for final delivery of their product.

Pierce is working on a custom-built fire truck and there could be factors outside their control that potential delay the shipment of the apparatus, Lane said.

This site rendering from Fagan Engineers in Elmira shows how trucks would turn and enter the site to make deliveries. This plan was presented to the Village Planning Board and Orleans County Planning Board in May 2024.

ALBION – A plan to build a new Dollar General in Albion is back before village officials in Albion.

Dollar General in the spring of 2024 presented a plan to build a new 10,640-square-foot store in the village on Route 31 across from the high school.

The store would be next to the Cone Zone ice cream business, next door to the east. The Broadway Group LLC from Huntsville, Ala. would demolish an existing building, which has been used for selling cars, and put up the new store.

Dollar General needs a variance for the project to go forward. It is seeking to have 35 parking spaces instead of the required 53.

The Village Zoning Board of Appeals today set a public hearing for 4 p.m. on Sept. 9 for the variance.

The Orleans County Planning Board in May 2024 recommended the Village of Albion approve a variance request for the parking spaces for the store.

The village code requires one spot for every 200 square feet for a retail store. The Dollar General would need 53 parking spots under the village code, but The Broadway Group is seeking a variance to allow for 35 spaces.

The site is already tight for space and many of the customers come and go fairly quickly, Dan Strong, a member of the County Planning Board, said during the May 2024 county meeting.

Strong, a Town of Albion code enforcement officer, is handling the code enforcement duties for the project because the village code officer, Chris Kinter, is the owner of the site for the proposed store at 327 East Ave.

Dollar General previously said the store size proposed for Albion typically have 32 parking spaces. The company could add more, but that would result in more pavement and less green space, the Broadway Group wrote in its request for a variance.

The Broadway Group will provide a more detailed description of the store’s appearance and parking lot lighting when it seeks site plan review and a special use permit. First the company wants to make sure it will have a variance to have fewer parking spaces required in the code.

Dollar General sells general merchandise and food. It used to have a store in Albion on Route 31 across from the former GCC campus. The former Dollar General building is now used by a bottle redemption business.

Dollar General has several stores in Orleans County: 11273 Maple Ridge Rd., Medina; 11349 Ridge Rd. in Ridgeway; 30 North Main St. in Lyndonville; 16684 Route 31 in Holley; and 16669 Roosevelt Highway in Kendall.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Holy Family Lawn Fete was a busy place on Sunday afternoon, with many activities for people of all ages. New to the event: a dunk tank.

The top photo shows Bernard Melucci, 9, of Lyndonville throwing a ball at the dunk tank target.

Behind him are tents for people to eat burgers, hot dogs, pasta and other food.

Bernard Melucci keeps his eye on the target – the bull’s eye on the dunk.

There were about 100 baskets up for raffle at the Lyceum.

Mary Louise DiGirolamo, right, makes a purchase from Deb Zicari, president of the Ladies of Charity. There were baked goods, fruit and vegetables for sale by the Ladies of Charity.

Eileen Banker and Jim Passarell ran the raffles for a 65-inch TV and for gas cards.

Issac Robinson is soaked and cold sitting in the dunk tank. He worked out getting the dunk tank for the Lawn Fete. Next time he hopes more people will sit in the booth.

Ava Ludwick, 17, of Albion throws a ball at the dunk tank target and hit it, sending Robinson into the chilly water.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jovannie Canales, lead pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship, holds a flat-screen television that was given away at the end of the Family Fun Day at Bullard park on Saturday.

There were 90 volunteers from 11 churches that put on the event that included many activities, free food, the chance to win prizes and also get baptized. Canales said 24 people chose to be baptized during the event.

Anita Garcia, a deacon at Harvest Christian Fellowship, announces that many prizes would be given away.

There were 900 people registered for Family Fun Day but the heat and a Buffalo Bills game likely kept some people from going to the park. There were still at least 500 people for the three-hour event on Saturday afternoon. In addition to the church representatives, there were about 35 community organizations at Family Fun Day.

Sarah Ferguson, right, of Risen Café and Riley Angelucci served hot dogs for free. They had 1,000 ready and had go through at least 500 with about 45 minutes to go on Saturday.

Albion firefighter Fred Piano assists Christopher Bergeron, 7, of Albion in spraying water from a fire house at targets.

Tim Bourke, a balloon artist from Albion, works on an animal for Jessica Woodhams and her daughter Davina, 4, during Family Fun Day.

Melisa Canales, left, and her husband Jovannie serve as lead pastors at Harvest Christian Fellowship. The couple used to be the pastors at the Oasis Church in Medina, which started Family Fun Day. That church last year  merged with Harvest Christian Fellowship.

There were six Family Fun Days in Medina at Butts Park before the change to Bullard Park last year.

Lodge in Albion hosts event with bands, raffle baskets and food

Photo by Tom Rivers: This banner welcomes the public to the Veterans Memorial Run, a 110-mile bike ride on Saturday that started and ended at the lodge at 428 West State St.

ALBION – The Albion Elks Lodge held a 110-mile ride on Saturday and they hosted an event at the lodge in a fundraiser for local veterans.

This was a first-time event and the lodge wants to do it the second Saturday every year. There were 17 bikes and three cars on the 110-mile trip.

Richard Robb, president of the Elks Riders in Albion, said the group will ensure the money goes to local veterans.

Photo courtesy of Richard Robb: The riders made three stops on the 110-mile trip on Saturday. Here they are shown at the Holley VFW. They also stopped at Maxwell Station in Olcott and The Grove 1848 in Kendall.

For many years the Elks Riders did a dice run as a fundraiser for the Jason Johnston scholarship. Johnson was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009. Johnston was a specialist and paratrooper in the Army. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009.

His scholarship has more than $50,000 raised, Robb said. The $1,000 annual memorial scholarship that goes to a student pursuing a career in a helping profession, such as a nurse, doctor, firefighter, counselor or other social services.

With the scholarship well funded for many years to come, the Elk Riders decided they wanted to use the annual ride and fundraising event to go towards veterans in the community.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Todd Dawley, left, and Jeff Mosher worked the grill on a very hot day with temperatures near 90. The Elks recently upgraded that grill area making it enclosed in the back. The lodge also added a new fence and made other landscaping improvements to the property.

Nick Salvatore, lead singer of Salvatore, sings “Hard to Handle” by the Black Crowes. Salvatore followed the band, Bad Luck.

There were about 30 baskets and 25 gift cards up for raffle at the pavilion of the lodge.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – These kids are delighted to be catching fish in today’s 29th Annual Danny Spierdowis Memorial Kids’ Fishing Derby will be from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 9 at Albion Sportsmen’s Association on Keitel Road.

There were 67 kids 16 and under signed up for the annual derby. Prizes go to kids who catch the most fish by cumulative weight and also for the longest fish. There are different age divisions.

Lily Miller, 8, of Lyndonville holds a bluegill she caught in the old quarry. Lily caught seven fish in the first half hour.

Connor Jurs, 13, of Kent holds one of the fish he caught this morning. The fish were biting and the kids were reeling them in.

Many kids and some dads tried fished from the shore of the former Peck’s quarry today. Many sunfish, bluegills and bass were caught.

The fishing derby is named in honor of Danny Spierdowis, who loved the outdoors, especially fishing in the former Peck quarries at the Sportsmen’s Association. Spierdowis was killed in a car accident at age 19 on Jan. 20, 1990. His mother Linda and sister Karen were at the derby today.

Marcus Coville of Waterport helps his grandson Eli Schutz, 9, after Eli caught a fish.

Jeff Casillo measures the length of a largemouth bass caught by Blake Morrison, 13, of Middleport.

“I caught one bigger but he got away,” Blake said.

Adam Burgio, left, is on the prowl for fish in today’s derby. Adam has fished in the derby for several years. This is the last year he can do it because he is 16.

Loren DuBois helps his daughter Aurora, 6, after she caught a fish. Aurora was prolific in catching fish today. The fish were put in buckets of water and then weighed. After they were weighed they were let back in the quarry.

Kristy Webber of Albion, right, watches her daughter Charley, 11, try to catch a fish in today’s derby.

Christopher Pirro of Albion puts a worm on the hook for his daughter Vayda, 5, while his son Benjamin, 10, waits for a fish to bite his line.

2 historical markers to be placed in Murray next year, the 250^th anniversary of the country

Photos and information courtesy of Tim Archer: Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper shares insights about the Revolutionary War with Albion eighth-graders Sutton Sanders, left, and Luci Borrello.

ALBION – Albion Middle School eighth graders Luci Borello and Sutton Sanders have been busy this summer researching Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Orleans County.

At the behest of the county, and leading up to the country’s 250th anniversary, they hope to compile a more accurate updated list of War of Independence veteran burials.

The girls have already applied for two Pomeroy Foundation roadside markers for placement in Murray and a new veteran’s headstone in Barre. Likewise, they have met with historians, town clerks, cemetery supervisors, DAR and SAR members, and more.

The headstone site is that of Revolutionary War veteran Robinson Smith in Murray, who was a “Life Guard” for Gen. George Washington.

The students met with Patrice Birner, a member of the DAR chapter in Orleans County.

Press Release, Village of Albion

ALBION – Landlords with vacant rental units in the Albion area are invited to attend an upcoming informational session for the New York State Vacant Rental Rehabilitation Program.

The session will be hosted by the Village of Albion in partnership with G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing. The meeting will be Wednesday, August 13, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Village of Albion offices, 35 E. Bank St.

This state-funded program is designed to assist property owners in bringing vacant rental units back into active use through eligible rehabilitation work, supporting the broader goal of increasing access to quality rental housing in the community. During the session, attendees will learn about program eligibility requirements, available funding, the application process, and how disbursements are handled.

“This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for landlords to invest in their properties while contributing to Albion’s housing stability,” said Jay Grasso of G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing. “We’re excited to help local property owners understand how to take full advantage of the program.”

All property owners with vacant rental units in the Village of Albion are encouraged to attend. No registration is required.

For questions or additional information, please contact G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing at Nichola@ggprocess.com or (585) 368-8866.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Thrive Foods about three years ago acquired the Freeze-Dry facility in Albion at 111 West Ave. Thrive had big plans for the site, but laid off 29 workers in December and today told the remaining staff of 40 the site would be closing. Many of the workers were sent home today.

ALBION – Three years ago the new owner of the Freeze-Dry facility had grand plans for the site, with planned capital investments and more workers.

But this morning, many of the employees were told the site is closing and today was their last day on the job.

There has been no official notice that Thrive Foods is closing the Albion site. There hasn’t been a WARN notification from the Department of Labor. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act helps ensure advance notice if there is a plant closing or mass layoff. The WARN Act applies to layoffs of at least 50 people. Thrive had about 40 employees in Albion.

Thrive already had reduced the Albion workforce by about 30 in December. Back then Thrive had about 75 workers in Albion.

In September 2022, Thrive Foods announced it acquired Freeze-Dry, which at the time had 60 employees. Freeze-Dry had operated for about 20 years out of a 240,000-square-foot facility, which previously was used by Lipton’s and then Ontario Foods at 111 West Ave.

Freeze-Dry Foods specialized in freeze-dried products, including pet treats, proteins and ingredients. It was honored in 2016 as the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year.

The products have a shelf life of up to 25 years because Freeze-Dry eliminates moisture and oxygen, while preserving nutrients, flavor, taste, color and aroma.

Freeze-Dry was one of the few freeze dry companies in the United States. (The technique dehydrates frozen foods so the moisture content changes directly from a solid to a gaseous form. The product maintains its original size and shape with a minimum of cell rupture. Removing moisture prevents a product from deteriorating at room temperature.)

Thrive Foods also manufactures freeze-dried products, including fruits and vegetables, proteins, pet treats, probiotics, enzymes and prepared meals. When Thrive bought the Albion site, it then also had facilities in Modesto, California and American Fork, Utah.

Steve Palmer, CEO of Thrive Foods, met with the Albion workforce on Aug. 26, 2022. He told the staff there would be more jobs, and investment in the Albion facility.

Thrive was eligible for a state grant but the company never met the employment obligations and the application was withdrawn, according to the December minutes of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

Orleans Hub reached out to Thrive officials for a comment but didn’t get a response yet today.

7^th Heaven closes out annual Albion music festival

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The band 7^th Heaven fired up the crowd to close out the 10^th Rock the Park music festival at Bullard Park.

This was the third year the event expanded to two days. There were 10 musical groups that played over the two days.

The crowd was rocking for the concert. The organizers gave away 500 glow sticks to the attendees.

Performers at the festival included three band son Friday – Triple Play, V3 and Bad Sign.

On Saturday, the performers included Carson and Sam, Shotgun Pauly, Stanton, Mixed Experience, driven, BeatleMagic and 7th Heaven.

7th Heaven opened its set with “There’s Never Been Any Reason” by Head East, followed by Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” “Surrender” by Cheap Trick, and “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.

The band includes from left: Albion native Michael Giarrizzo, guitarist and singer for the band; Terry K., lead singer; Phil LaTona, the drummer; Dave Quick, the bass player from Kendall; and Eddie Krysinski on keyboards.

BeatleMagic made its debut at Rock the Park. The band had the crowd dancing to “Twist and Shout.”

BeatleMagic has been performing popular Beatles songs since 1999. The band includes Russ Thomas as John Lennon, Nelson Starr as Paul McCartney, Mike Kiel as George Harrison and Chris Mattioli as Ringo Starr.

Dylan DeSmit sings “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. DeSmit and driVen performed for nearly two hours. The drummer is Travis Mackie. DeSmit has been part of Rock the Park since its earliest days.

Mike “Thunder” Warren, guitarist for driVen, enjoys getting the crowd going at concerts. DriVen played a four-hour concert the day earlier at Back Porch 585 Tavern in Brockport, a concert that included a lengthy tribute of music by Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy, the frontman for Black Sabbath, died at age 76 on July 22.

Warren, who plays in the band Savage Cabbage, said Osbourne has long been a musical inspiration for him.

Jake Stinson of the Albion Lions Club works the grill and gets a hot dog ready for June Persia of the Lions. There were several food vendors at the event.

Jim Doyle attended Rock the Park for the first time on Saturday. He was pleased to see several hundred people enjoying the music under the main tent, with many others on the main grounds near the amphitheater.

Doyle is a music teacher and coordinates a concert series at Hoag Library. The next concert there is Aug. 16.

Doyle said the Albion community has embraced musicians of all types. A Wednesday concert series in the summer has been drawing several hundred people, too.

“Music has the power to bring people together of all ages,” Doyle said. “There is something magical about music.”

Dave Quick, 7^th Heaven’s bass player, gave a high-energy performance during the band’s two-hour concert to close out the music festival.

Rock the Park has been a fundraiser for Bullard with proceeds helping to push for many improvements at the park in the past decade, including the amphitheater.

7^th Heaven has performed at Rock the Park before, including as the closer of the 2019 event back when there wasn’t an amphitheater and a stage needed to be set up for the concerts. Saturday, the band got the prime slot on the new stage. The amphitheater has been steadily used since its first concert on June 19, 2021.

Photo by Natalie Baron: Heather Hapeman, owner of Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, poses with some of her dance families in front of her studio in downtown Albion.

By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern

ALBION – This September, Heather Hapeman celebrates 20 years of Dance Reflections by Miss Heather, of which she is the owner and sole instructor. Dance Reflections is located at 52 North Main Street in Albion.

Photo by Erin Townsend: Pictured, from left: Theresa O’Hearn (Heather’s mother), Miss Heather Hapeman, Megan Morton (Heather’s friend) and Coraline Hapeman (Heather’s daughter). They, along with Heather’s father Tom and her husband Jared help out with the office duties for Dance Reflections. Coraline also helps out with the baby classes.

Dance Reflections’ success is a testament to strong bonds in a small town. Regarding how the studio has reached so many people in a location like Albion, Heather explained that she believes it is due to “the relationships I’ve had for so long with friends I’ve gone to school here with, graduated from Albion. I was born and raised here, so I’ve known a lot of people for many years. I’ve had a lot of friends and family in this town, and then there’s word of mouth. One thing led to another, and now I have over 125 dance families and 140 dancers.”

Provided photos: Heather Hapeman with daughter Coraline after this year’s recital.

Also contributing to the studio’s longevity is the ability to adapt to a shifting dance world while continuing to run the studio with consistency. “The world is has changed so much,” Heather stated, “so I make sure that I stay up-to-date with the world changing and dance styles changing. I make sure I go to dance conventions and that kind of stuff, ’cause styles of dance change a lot. Really nothing much else has changed. I’m a creature of habit! Parents appreciate that, too, because there’s so much going on in everybody’s lives, that to have something stay constant, it’s just easier for the parents, as well.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Heather looked for ways to keep her dancers involved. She launched “Project Dance Reflections from Home,” where 141 dancers were featured in a video tribute. She decorated the front of the studio with hearts for the kids. In 2021, dance photos were taken outside, and the recital was held at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

At the end of this year’s recital, the seniors, including Al Hand (front left), take their final bow. Heather said the hardest part of her job is saying goodbye to graduating seniors, who have, often, danced with her from a young age.

Last year, Heather taught 132 dancers, which is around the studio’s average. “I would say last year was probably one of our biggest years. We had over 750 people attend our dance recital, and that’s been the biggest crowd we’ve had. Usually, we teeter around 600 for our recital.”

Photos by Natalie Baron: Heather Hapeman with students from dance families.

Heather runs her business with a genuine passion for dance and care toward every dancer. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old, learning from Spotlight Studio’s owner, Rhonda Steffen. Heather has gone on to be a dance instructor for 26 years. She teaches all dances at Dance Reflections and limits class sizes in order to provide personal attention to her students. Some of her former students now bring their own children to dance at her studio. Her dance families are incredibly important to her and keep her loving what she does.

Pictured, from left: Matt, Crystal, Al, and Rianne Hand.

Al and Rianne Hand have been dancing at Miss Heather’s since elementary school. Rianne started when she was 3 years old and Al at 7. Their sister, Sam, used to do hip hop before she graduated, beginning at 9 years of age.

Dance mom Crystal Hand said her family chose Miss Heather’s because friends of the family were dancing there. “They were friends all through elementary school, so we were like, let’s dance with our friends! When we came here, we were like, we’re not leaving. We’re very happy here.”

Al, who graduated this year, did soft shoe ballet, point ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical. In high school, Al partook in a dance team and as a senior, danced in the senior dance and performed a solo. Rianne does jazz, hip hop, soft shoe ballet, point, lyrical and tap. Now that she is in high school, Rianne hopes to join a dance team. The Hand family also did family dance for a couple of years.

Al and Rianne shared their favorite memories of dancing at Miss Heather’s. Al gushed, “I remember, two years ago, it was a hip hop class. It had four people in it, and we mixed so well! I loved that we made little catchphrases about our dance moves, and we worked with Miss Heather to add some stuff, like ‘moonwalking’ and ‘getting jiggy with it.’ It was such a good dance, and I loved it!” Rianne expressed, “I think it was this year that we were doing a tap dance, and we got to do so much more stuff. It was very exciting! We were all in a circle next to each other, and we just had a really great time.”

Dance mom Rebecca Francis with daughter Evelynn.

“We’ve known Heather a long time,” said Rebecca Francis, mom of Evelynn. “My husband worked with her father. We’ve had a long family-friend connection, there. This past year was Evelynn’s first year dancing, and she just loves Heather. She’s wonderful with her.” This year, Evelynn did ballet, tap and hip hop. Evelynn’s favorite memory is the big stage and recital.

Dance mom Joliene Pritchard stands beside daughters Daniella (left) and Gabriella.

“We heard very good things about her from around town,” Joliene Pritchard, dance mom to Danielle and Gabriella, stated about Heather. “We were new to the area, so we heard about her through people in the community.” Daniella currently does hip hop and ballet, and she used to do tap. Gabriella has done hip hop and ballet, and she is starting tap this year. Daniella’s favorite memory is her first dance recital. Gabriella’s is learning from, and spending time with, Miss Heather.

Dance mom Mindy Warne smiles with Leah, her daughter.

Mindy Warne brought her daughter, Leah, to Dance Reflections when Leah was three years old. “From there, she fell in love with Miss Heather,” Mindy said. “Even though I’d never danced with another studio my whole life, there was no changing. She just absolutely loved Miss Heather. She’s been going here for eight years now.” Leah does hip hop, ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical. Leah’s favorite memory is “Making my best friends from here, because this is the place I met all my friends!”

Pictured are dance mom Lisa Russell and her daughter, Brynlee.

Like Mindy Warne, Lisa Russell also used to dance at Miss Heather’s. Now Lisa’s daughter, Brynlee, goes there. “Before I started dancing with her, I just thought she was so talented, just as a dancer, herself,” Lisa recalled, “and then when I started coming, it was so peaceful in here and so relaxing. I was in sports, too, but coming to dance felt like a nice break to get away and stretch and be active. Then we moved to Florida, and, coming back, Brynlee was really interested in dance. Of course I was gonna come back to Miss Heather, just ’cause I knew she would be so good with the little ones.”

Lisa continued, “And she honestly is just so organized. It’s so easy for the moms. You’re not ever unsure of what you should be doing or where you should be going. It’s fun.”

Brynlee does ballet and hip hop, and next year, she is going to do tap. Brynlee’s favorite memory is loving dancing and having freedom up onstage. From a mom but former dancer’s perspective, Lisa relayed her favorite memory, that being “the dance team when I was a senior, and she gave us the creative freedom to make our own dance, which was really, really fun, and she would guide us along and give us that space for creativity.”

Dance Reflections focuses its efforts on giving back, not on monetary gain. Over the years, the studio has supported many community causes, including Hospice of Orleans, PAWS Animal Shelter, Community Action, Albion School District PTA and Drama Departments, Lyndonville School District Drama Department and CURE for Childhood Cancer, as well as donations to basket raffles, fundraisers and community events.

In 2023, Dance Reflections was named “Organization of the Year” by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council for artistic excellence and community involvement. Heather was nominated by a dance family and was selected out of 18 nominees from Genesee and Orleans County.

Open House for Dance Reflections by Miss Heather will take place Wednesday, August 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors will get to see the studio and meet Miss Heather.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The band, V3, performed Friday evening at Bullard Park for the 10^th Rock the Park/Summer Music Festival at Bullard. From left in photo include Jesse Neely on bass, lead singer Kole Moore and Alex Fitzak on guitar.

The band plays classic and modern 2000s. Friday was the band’s first performance in about two years after their drummer, Shelby Starr, had a baby. V3 used to be known as Vette.

Kole Moore of Albion was thrilled to be back on stage performing with his friends in V3. He said he enjoys entertaining the crowd as lead singer in the band.

The amphitheater at Bullard Park has been turned into a rock stage. V3 includes Jesse Neely of Henrietta, Kole Moore of Albion, Shelby Starr of Rochester and Alex Fitzak of Albion.

The lineup of musicians for today includes:

• 11 a.m. – Carson and Sam (acoustic stage)
• 1:30 p.m. – Shotgun Pauly
• 2:30 p.m. – Stanton
• 3:30 p.m. – Mixed Experience
• 4:30 p.m. – driVen
• 6:30 p.m. – BeatleMagic
• 9 p.m. – 7th Heaven

The band Bad Sign closed out Friday’s lineup of performers. Triple Play was the first group on the stage.

Bad Sign plays blues, rock and southern rock. The band includes lead singer Erika Horning of Batavia, guitarist Erick Horning of Batavia, bass player Clint Worthington of Holley, drummer Joe Maino of Pembroke, and keyboardist Ron Bordinaro of Batavia.

Erika Horning sings “Born in the Bayou” during Friday’s concert. Her husband, Erick Horning, plays the guitar.

The music continues today with admission $5. There are several food vendors on site. Rock the Park is a fundraiser to support Bullard Park and the village parks.

Event helped spearhead transformation of Albion’s main park

Photo by Tom Rivers: The band 7th Heaven capped a day of music at Bullard Park on Aug. 3, 2019 during the Albion Summer Festival featuring Rock the Park. The band will close out this year’s festival with a concert starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday. This time they will be performing on the outdoor amphitheater at Bullard, instead of the stage shown in this photo. Michael Giarrizzo, left, plays guitar and sings for the band, while Terry K. is the lead singer and Dave Quick is the bass player from Kendall.

ALBION – It was about a decade ago when a group of music lovers in Albion dreamed up a way to combine their passion of music with a desire to upgrade Bullard Park.

They started Rock the Park, a music festival. The bands first played at the Elks Lodge in Albion before shifting to Bullard the following year, performing at a dilapidated pavilion.

People showed up to hear a lineup of bands, and the profit from the festival was used to hire a grantwriter to go after big state grants to help with Bullard’s improvements.

It took a a few tries, but Albion got the grant – nearly $500,000. That dilapidated pavilion is long gone. The park now has a splash pad, new playground equipment, two new pavilions, new bathrooms, an amphitheater/performance stage, new basketball courts and other upgrades with more in the works.

Rock the Park returns for its 10^th music festival on Friday and Saturday. Ron Albertson, chairman of the event, has been there since the first one.

He is grateful and very happy Rock the Park helped build momentum for the Bullard transformation, while providing a showcase for musicians and fun times for the community.

“We’re hoping for a big turnout,” Albertson said about Rock the Park. “We’re thrilled with the acceptance the community has given us.”

The 2-day performance schedule includes:

Friday

• 6 p.m. – Triple Play
• 7:30 p.m. – V3
• 9 p.m. – Bad Sign

Saturday

• 11 a.m. – Carson and Sam (acoustic stage)
• 1:30 p.m. – Shotgun Pauly
• 2:30 p.m. – Stanton
• 3:30 p.m. – Mixed Experience
• 4:30 p.m. – driVen
• 6:30 p.m. – BeatleMagic
• 9 p.m. – 7th Heaven

Albertson sees big crowds at Bullard for the Wednesday concert series throughout the summer. A July 3^rd day-long celebration capped by fireworks attracted big crowds of people for several hours at the park.

Bullard also is being rented for weddings, birthday partis and other gatherings.

“We were able to get us started on grants for the park upgrades,” Albertson said. “It was a good idea with like-minded people. And then things started rolling.”

The Albion Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Village of Albion DPW and government have been partners in the improvements. Albertson is part of a non-profit, the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events, Inc. that helps drive many of the projects at Bullard.

New pickleball courts went in next to the basketball courts at Bullard this week. A fundraiser for a beer and wine basket at Rock the Park will raise funds for the pickleball courts.

Albertson said G-ACRE also wants to have a new concessions stand at Bullard, and revamp the baseball field in the northwest corner.

G-ACRE also wants to help upgrade some of the neighborhood parks in the village.

Rock the Park will continue to direct its revenue to Bullard. The event raised about $4,000 last year. Admission is $5 for each day of music.

“We’re trying to keep it a community event, a family event,” Albertson said. “We want to keep it inexpensive for the people in our village.”