By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 January 2023 at 9:40 pm
Provided photo
ALBION – Ron Albertson (center), president of the Albion Lions Club, this evening presented awards to two long-time members, Dennis Smith (left) and Lloyd Wright. Smith has been an active member for 35 years and Wright for 25 years.
The Lions Club also will recognize the Rev. Wilfred Moss for 30 years of service to the club.
Albertson said all three of the long-time members remain active with the Lions, all three “are great community people.”
Wright is the treasurer. He also hauls the trailer carrying the club’s signs, grills and tables.
Smith organizes and oversees the annual geranium sale.
Moss leads the group in prayer at most of their meetings, which are held at the Masonic Lodge on Platt Street.
“He is a wonderful human being,” Albertson said about Moss. “He is very revered among the Lions.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 January 2023 at 8:57 am
Albion man was tasked with bringing Howard’s ideas to reality
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mickey Tower, 87, looks over a newspaper section that detailed Christmas Park and the Santa School in Albion. Tower was in his early 20s when Howard hired him as an electrician and carpenter, tasking him with bringing Howard’s ideas into reality.
ALBION – Mickey Tower remains thankful for Charles Howard, the founder and visionary behind a Santa School in Albion and later a Christmas Park.
Tower was 20 when Howard hired him as a carpenter and electrician to be part of a team in building rides and other attractions at Christmas Park at the corner of Phipps Road and Gaines Basin Road in Albion.
Tower, now 87, said Howard was amazingly creative. He cast a vision for how a ride should look, and he told Tower, his brother Arnold Tower and Norman Starkweather to make it happen with no blueprints to go by.
“He had a very big imagination,” Tower recalled. “He wanted to build the world’s biggest apple pie and he did.”
The trio worked there about two months a year for about a decade. Working for Howard helped the three young men gain a reputation locally for challenging construction projects.
Photos courtesy of Orleans County Department of History: Charles Howard in the mid-1950s converted part of his farm into Christmas Park with amusement park rides, a petting zoo and other attractions.
They helped build the track for a train at Christmas Park, a tunnel, wooden snowflakes, wooden icicles hanging down from the roof, the fire place, and many other projects. There was never a slow moment. Howard had short- and long-term projects. Tower recalled the effort in turning a pond on the property into Snowflake Lake.
The fire place is one of the few remaining pieces of Christmas Park. Tower remembers filling Charlie Howard’s car and trailer with stones from Howard’s fields for the fire place.
Tower and his two colleagues would make the pieces for the attractions and exhibits, and set up gears and wires to make many of the parts move and light up.
This photo shows Charles W. Howard with a Santa at Christmas Park in Albion. Howard operated the Park and a school for Santa Claus in Albion until his death on May 1, 1966. He wanted wooden icicles on the school and barn.
He remembered “Santa’s Castle” where Howard told the trio to put a cloth on the ceiling to resemble clouds, and then he wanted flickering lights to look like stars. Howard told them what he wanted, and left them to work out the details.
Tower also remembered Howard buying a “Christmas tree ride” and telling his construction crew he wanted a large metal Christmas tree in the center. The carpenters and electricians were tasked with getting elements of the rides have a magical element – to go up and down with lights. Howard created the park in Albion before Darien Lake and when Disneyland was in its infancy.
Howard opened the Christmas Park at his farm on Sept. 2, 1956. The Santa-themed amusement park welcomed about 80,000 visitors annually.
“People came from all over the world, but the Albion people didn’t patronize like they should have,” Tower said. “It was very entertaining. It was something for your imagination.”
Howard ran the park as executive director until 1964. He died of a heart attack on May 1, 1966.
Tower said the crew was kept busy by Howard. Now, at 87, he regrets he never took photos of the crew in action. This was long before social media when now so much of life, even the mundane, is photographed and shared with others.
“At that time it wasn’t important,” Tower said about taking photos.
Tower recalled when Howard wanted reindeer antlers to be mounted and moving slightly as part of a sleigh for a float in a parade. He left it to Tower and his two buddies to figure out how to make that happen.
“He didn’t like anything fake,” Tower said. “He wanted it to be nice and to look like Santa.”
He remembers going with Howard to Watertown and filling two tractor trailers with amusement rides. Tower and his co-workers needed to get them into shape, and add some of the Christmas features envisioned by Howard.
“He was pleased with what we did,” Tower said. “He told us what he wanted, but didn’t tell us how to do it.”
The crew would transport rides and displays to the State Fair for Howard, and set them up. They did the same for Howard in building exhibits for fruit and muck farms. Howard was respected for telling a story, even about growing onions and apples, in a captivating way.
When Tower, Starkweather and Tower weren’t working for Howard, they built and remodeled houses.
Tower in the mid-1960s got out of the construction business and went to work for 10 years at Wolcott Dairy, and then worked 8 years in maintenance for Bayex in Albion,. He ended his career with Tower Electric.
He said Howard was a one-of-kind visionary whose mind was always racing.
Photos by Tom Rivers: many of the parts of the Albion Main Street lift bridge have been removed. The trusses are scheduled to be removed to the north side of the canal on Wednesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 January 2023 at 9:51 am
ALBION – The much-anticipated removal of the trusses on the Main Street lift bridge is now scheduled for Wednesday.
That historic moment was set initially expected last week, and then was shifted to Tuesday (tomorrow). But the state Department of Transportation said the removal is now scheduled for Wednesday.
The trusses will be moved by a giant crane to just north of the canal on land owned by the State Canal Corp. Soon there won’t be a bridge over the canal for the first time since 1914. The historic span will get a major rehabilitation.
The bridge closed to traffic on Nov. 14 and isn’t expected to reopen for 18 months. Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport is general contractor for the project.
In rebuilding the Albion bridge, Crane-Hogan will replace bridge decks and portions of the truss system with high-strength, galvanized steel; modernize mechanical and electrical components within the bridge’s lifting system; rehabilitate the bridge tower; install new bridge rails; and repaint the bridge in the current shade of green.
Sections of the walkway and railing are stacked up on a trailer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2023 at 1:13 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion has 17 properties included in a Restore NY application, including 28 East Bank St. (left).
ALBION – The Albion Village Board has set a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Village Hall for residents to comment on an application to state for Restore NY funding.
Albion has qualified as a severely distressed community and is eligible for Restore NY funding. That state program seeks to revitalize the heart of community centers, bringing funding for residential and commercial projects.
The Restore NY program could bring up to $10 million to revitalize distressed commercial and residential sites, providing 90 percent of the costs, said Jay Grasso, the village’s grantwriter and owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing.
The Restore NY program funds reconstruction, structural repairs, repair and replacement of mechanical systems, energy efficiency upgrades, and demolition.
Restore NY can be used for vacant, abandoned, condemned or surplus buildings. These properties can be demolished, deconstructed, rehabilitated or reconstructed. The grant allows up to $70,000 per residential unit.
Albion has made it past the first round of the application and needs to submit a more detailed application by Jan. 27.
There are 17 properties in the downtown business district identified for the village’s application.
The properties identified for the village application include:
117 North Liberty St., 6,960 square feet
124 South Clinton St., 7,692 square feet
132 North Main St., 5,984 square feet
18 North Main St., 19,600 square feet
165 South Platt St., 34,344 square feet
52 North Main St., 9,996 square feet
102 East Bank St., 1,530 square feet
10-12 North Main St., 6,270 square feet
138-140 North Main St., 6,932 square feet
116 North Liberty St. (Beaver Alley), 14,250 square feet
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2023 at 9:34 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Caleb Lambert, 6, of Albion balances three plates with assistance from Franko Bui, a clown. Caleb was picked out of the crowd to assist Franko with the act at the elementary school gym in Albion, which hosted two performances on Thursday of Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus.
The circus has started its annual swing in the region. The other upcoming local performances include Medina today at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. in the Wise Middle School gym; Holley Elementary Gym at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26, and Kendall High School Gym with a 6:30 p.m. show on Jan. 27. Tickets are available at the door. Click here for more information on the schedule.
Ivan Arestov displays his skill with Cyr Wheel acrobatics. He has been performing with Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus for several years now. Last summer he also spent a week at the Orleans County 4-H Fair as a performer, including balancing on a stack of chairs that were 25 feet high.
Slinko has long been one of the popular acts at the circus. The character is like a dancing slinky.
Lilly Otis, 7, of Albion gets a cat painted on her face during intermission.
Alex Arestov balances an umbrella on his forehead. Alex and Elena performed with many umbrellas on Thursday. In the past their performance included a series of quick costume changes that seemed like magic.
Franko sells merchandise, including lighted swords and super-hero inflatables. There was also cotton candy, popcorn and other goodies available.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 January 2023 at 3:57 pm
This photo is from a screen shot of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion at 3:45 p.m. A YouTube page shows a livestream of the bridge. Click here to see it.
ALBION – Next Tuesday will be a historic day for Albion, if everything goes as planned.
The trusses from the Main Street lift bridge will be moved by a giant crane to just north of the canal on land owned by the State Canal Corp.
The trusses were expected to be moved this week, but that has been pushed back to Jan. 24, the state Department of Transportation said today.
The bridge closed to traffic on Nov. 14 and isn’t expected to reopen for 18 months as part of a major rehabilitation.
Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport is general contractor for the project on the bridge that was originally constructed in 1914.
It also will be doing a similar effort in Brockport. The state approved a $28.3 million construction bid for the two bridge projects.
In rebuilding the Albion bridge, Crane-Hogan will be:
Replacing bridge decks and portions of the truss system with high-strength, galvanized steel.
Modernizing mechanical and electrical components within the bridge’s lifting system.
Rehabilitating the bridge tower.
Installing new bridge rails.
Repainting the bridge, maintaining its current shade of green.
When the work on the bridge is complete, the span will be moved back into place over the Canal, the state Department of Transportation said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 January 2023 at 9:28 am
ALBION – This screen shot was taken at about 9:20 a.m. today, showing a real time view of the Albion Main Street lift bridge.
A camera has been mounted up high on the Pratt and Day building on Main Street, with a live stream available on YouTube (click here).
The “Bridging Albion” group pushed to have the camera installed so people can watch the progress of an extensive rehabilitation of the historic bridge.
The group wanted the camera in place before a large crane arrives and removes the trusses of the bridge next week. That is expected to happen on Tuesday.
The bridge closed to traffic on Nov. 14 and isn’t expected to reopen for 18 months.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 January 2023 at 8:53 pm
Mayor Angel Javier Jr. is at left, Trustee Tim McMurray is at right.
ALBION – Three of the trustees on the Albion Village Board voted “no confidence” in Mayor Angel Javier Jr., saying he acted unilaterally in breaching a union contract with Albion police officers.
Trustees Tim McMurray, Zachary Burgess and Chris Barry this evening voted for a “vote of no confidence” and that the mayor be censured. They asked village attorney John Gavenda to see if there are any legal steps that can be taken for the mayor’s removal from office.
Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley didn’t vote with the other three. Mayor Javier, after the meeting, called the vote of no confidence ‘bull s—.”
The three trustees said Javier acted in conduct unbecoming of a mayor by acting on his own accord and breaching the union contract.
Javier reduced officers’ salary by 5 percent after a firm looked over officers’ pay and determined they had received $236,000 in overpayments over five years based on a miscalculation by the village. The officers switched from 40-hour weeks with five 8-hour shifts to 84-hour pay periods every two weeks, with seven 12-hour shifts. That change was intended to help reduce overtime in the police department.
Javier contends the village made a mistake in the officers’ pay rate, dividing the annual salaries by 2,080 hours instead of 2,184 when the new agreement started with the 84-hour pay periods. Using the smaller number of 2,080 hours resulted in higher hourly pay rates.
McMurray doesn’t believe an error was ever made by the village. He faulted Javier for not sitting down with police union leaders and discussing the issue at length before lowering their pay. If the issue had gone to arbitration, McMurray said the village would have lost.
He also faulted Javier for promoting “false narratives” in the media about the issue which created “a hesitant working relationship with the PBA and unwarranted public scrutiny.”
McMurray also said the report from Bonadio Group has been wrongly characterized as an audit when it was “merely a confirmation of information.” But McMurray said the report used the 2,184 hours to determine the hourly rate when the PBA insists it should have been 2,080 hours. A settlement agreement in November between the board and the Police Benevolent Association says the hourly rate will be based on dividing the annual pay by 2,080 hours.
“The mayor has damaged the reputation of the Village Board of Trustees with the public, PBA and other departments within the village resulting in decreased morale and several employees attempting to and or actually leaving their positions as result,” McMurray said in introducing the resolution.
Javier was elected to a four-year term as mayor last March at age 32. He ran under the Republican line and independent “Better Together Albion Strong.” He was the top vote-getter among three candidates.
He said this after the meeting that he was right to raise the issue of overpayments. The Village Board in November settled with the union when it raised other issues that the union said would cost $714,000 for Fair Labor and Standards Act violations.
Javier said he remains committed to the job as mayor and being a good steward of the village tax dollars.
The PBA said the issue cost the village at least $38,000 with $16,000 for the Bonadio Group, $15,000 to make police officers whole and $7,500 to pay for the police officers’ attorneys. McMurray citing those costs as an unnecessary expense.
Ron Vendetti, a former village code enforcement officer, spoke at the meeting and told the board members they should try to get along and work together for the community.
“Everyone needs to settle down a little bit,” Vendetti said. “You look like the federal government with all the infighting.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Adam Rush, chief operator of the Albion water plant since 2019, is being recognized by the American Public Works Association for leading improvements at the water plant.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 January 2023 at 12:30 pm
ALBION – The chief operator of the village’s water treatment plant will be recognized by the local chapter of the American Public Works Association.
Adam Rush is receiving the Charles Walter Nichols Award for environmental excellence. It will be presented Jan. 26 during the annual awards banquet for the Genesee Valley chapter of the American Public Works Association.
Rush started working at the village water plant in 2015. He was named provisional chief operator in 2019, with the appointment becoming permanent in October 2020. The water plant treats an average of 1.5 million gallons a day and has a capacity for 3 million gallons. Besides the village, the water goes to the towns of Carlton, Gaines, Murray, Barre and Albion.
The plant completed a biomass boiler system last year that uses wood pellets. The plant will soon have a new fluoride building to keep fluoride separate from the main plant.
Rush and water plant workers also have undertaken a rigorous paint and preservation plan to help preserve and update the aesthetics of the plant.
“I enjoy working in the water industry as it involves many facets of science and business to maintain a quality product at an affordable cost,” Rush said. “I find myself working with the lab director one day staying vigilant with the many ‘emerging contaminants’ in source water to identify and adequately treat the water. The next day I am working with our IT team and CISA to ensure adequate cybersecurity measures are in place to prevent attacks.”
The plant is preparing for another big project with upgrades and expansion of the filtration system, new pumps and other equipment. That should bring the capacity up to 4 million gallons. That excess capacity would be a big asset for the village in recruiting new businesses to the community.
“These many projects require ample knowledge of engineering to review plans and construction projects to ensure we are receiving an acceptable final product that we have the know-how to operate and maintain,” Rush said. “Most importantly, providing water that is potable and of good aesthetic quality at a reasonable price to our friends and family throughout our distribution system is probably the most satisfaction you can get from any career.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Workers are on top of the deck of the Main Street lift bridge in Albion this afternoon, slowly removing pieces of the bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2023 at 5:00 pm
ALBION – The Main Street lift bridge has slowly been taken apart the past month with the stringers, beams and other pieces moved by crane to the north side of the Canal on land owned by the Canal Corp.
A bigger crane is expected on site later this week or early next week, with the trusses of the bridge to be moved for rehabilitation work. After next week there won’t be a bridge over the canal for the first time in more than a century.
The bridge closed to traffic on Nov. 14 and is getting a major overhaul over 18 months. Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport is general contractor for the project on the bridge that was originally constructed in 1914.
The project includes:
Replacing bridge decks and portions of the truss system with high-strength, galvanized steel.
Modernizing mechanical and electrical components within the bridge’s lifting system.
Rehabilitating the bridge towers.
Installing new bridge rails.
Repainting the bridge, maintaining its current shade of green.
When the work on the bridge is complete, the span will be moved back into place over the Canal, the state Department of Transportation said.
Crane-Hogan also will be doing a similar upgrade of the Main Street lift bridge in Brockport, with that one closing in early April. The company was awarded a contract for $28.3 million to rebuild the two bridges.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2023 at 2:21 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jason Tarnowski, pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, stands by an outdoor cabinet that has food for the community. People are welcome to take and leave food.
ALBION – The Albion Free Methodist Church started a new ministry last month where people are welcome to take or leave food in an outdoor cabinet by the entrance of the church at 25 South Platt St.
Church members Rick and Kim Holz came up with the idea to have the cabinet outside, and Mr. Holz constructed the wooden frame for the display.
Jason Tarnowski, pastor of the church since October 2021, said the food is available to anyone in the community. The church calls the cabinet the “Community of Hope Food Ministry.”
He said people from outside the church have been contributed food to the cabinet, including the Royal Body Shop Outreach Ministries. That church partnered with Arnold’s Auto Parts to stock an outdoor refrigerator with food at Arnold’s on West Bank Street. That refrigerator has been supplied with food since last March.
Tarnowski asks the attendees at the Free Methodist Church to bring non-perishable food on Sundays for the cabinet, or when they attend meetings mid-week.
The Free Methodist Church was founded in Albion in 1859 and is the oldest church in the denomination. Tarnowski said the congregation is committed to being relevant and serving the community.
Press Release, Albion Police Benevolent Association
ALBION – Now that the dust has settled there is one thing that is apparent to the Village of Albion taxpayers. Mayor Angel Javier Jr.’s ill-conceived escapade of attacking the Village of Albion police officers has needlessly cost the Village taxpayers over $38,000!
More than $16,000 for the report from the Bonadio Group.
More than $15,000 to make the members of the Albion Police Department whole.
$7,500 for the police officers’ attorneys.
And who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars the Village wasted on its outside counsel?
When the Mayor first took office in April 2022, he set off on an ill-fated attack on the Albion police officers. The Mayor’s actions were based upon ignorance which was subsequently compounded by incompetence.
Completely unaware of the laws that govern labor relations between the Village and the Police Union, Mayor Javier breached the contract between the Village and the Police Union.
Luckily, back in June 2022, a majority of the Village Board voted to reinstate the correct pay rate. Unfortunately, that was only a temporary stay, which forced the Police Union to file a grievance against the Village.
Following the Village’s breach, the Police Union met with the Village and presented a 28-page Power Point Presentation detailing why the Village was wrong and that the correct pay rate needed to be reinstated. That presentation contained the contract language, the parties’ unequivocal practice of over 160 payroll periods evidencing the correct pay rate used by the parties; Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) decisions, a New York State Comptroller opinion, New York State case law and reasons why the Bonadio report was based upon the wrong assumption.
The Village did not listen.
Following that meeting, the Village compounded its ignorance by incompetence. Rather than swiftly settling the grievance the Village dragged its feet. The Village’s incompetence forced the Police Union to file an Improper Practice charge before PERB.
One has to question if the Village’s delay was an intentional tactic of its representatives as it only increased legal fees the Village had to pay its attorney and the Police Union had to pay to defend against the Village’s breach of contract.
The Mayor’s actions also raised issues the Police Union would never have brought up. Further investigation resulted in the Police Union asserting Fair Labor and Standards Act violations. The Police Union’s investigation revealed that its members were owed over $714,000!
However, rather than pressing ahead with litigation, the Police Union sought to reduce the Village’s liability and started settlement discussions with the Village. Rather than quickly resolving the issues, the Village delayed, delayed, and delayed. The Village had to capitulate on every issue. With no other avenue but settlement, the Village vindictively added to the police officers’ frustration by delaying the settlement.
This was a story of ignorance, compounded by incompetence. The Mayor’s ignorance of the police officer’s correct pay rate was compounded by the incompetence in the manner in which the Village handled this dispute.
On a daily basis Village of Albion police officers serve and protect village residents.
Now, in the end, it is as it always was. The police officers looked out for the village residents. When presented with a possible cost to the village residents of almost three quarters of a million dollars, the Police Union resolved the issues just to make sure they were paid correctly. Unfortunately, there was nothing the Police Union could do to save village residents from the Mayor wasting over $38,000 due to his own ignorance.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 December 2022 at 1:28 pm
Photos courtesy of Albion Police Department
ALBION – The Albion Police Department’s armored vehicle was used to make several rescues during the blizzard from Friday night through Sunday.
The Albion PD acquired the vehicle for free in 2020. It is primarily utilized by the SWAT team, but can be deployed in other emergencies. This was the first time it was brought out in a massive snowstorm.
“It’s intent is for anything we need it for,” said Albion Police Chief David Mogle. “It went through snow that no other vehicle could have gone through.”
Mogle drove the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) all night Friday. It took 2 ½ hours to go down Route 98 through Elba, and then west on Route 262 in Elba. The MRAP was able to pick up 5 people on 262, and bring them to a warming station in Oakfield, and then joined a convoy rescuing about 15 to 20 more stranded people in the Oakfield.
Mogle said the heavy vehicle with thick tires wouldn’t be stopped from the deep snow, except when the visibility was so poor the drivers couldn’t see anything from the whiteout conditions.
The drivers kept the MRAP on the road, using mailboxes and telephone poles as guides.
Saturday morning the armored vehicles was deployed to the Iroquois Job Corps in Shelby was brought back 8 people who had been without electricity for a day in sub-freezing temperatures. The Shelby and East Shelby volunteer fire departments also transported students and staff to the Comfort Inn and Suites in Medina, with the Town of Shelby helping to plow a path for the vehicles.
The MRAP is equipped with different modes and settings that allow it to navigate through large amounts of snow and different terrain, allowing officers to travel through the low visibility snow conditions and reach those in need of help, Mogle said.
“This is the first time it went through snow like this,” he said today. “We knew it could pretty much go through anything.”
The police chief was advised the officers in the vehicle might find people who perished in their vehicles from the cold. But Mogle said law enforcement isn’t aware of any deaths from the blizzard in Genesee or Orleans. There are 27 deaths in Erie and Niagara counties from the blizzard, including 20 in Buffalo.
“The Albion Police Department would like to commend all law enforcement agencies, fire departments, highway departments and the Orleans County Dispatch Center for their involvement and tireless efforts performed throughout the recent snow storm,” Mogle said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 December 2022 at 11:27 am
Provided photos
ALBION – The Orleans Koinonia Kitchen at Harvest Christian Fellowship served 247 meals on Thursday in an early Christmas celebration that included a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The top photo shows Faith Smith, director of the OK Kitchen, speaking to the group in the fellowship hall of the church.
Eladio Beltran, left, prepared Mexican chicken tacos with a side of black beans and red rice.
In addition to the 247 meals, 57 children received gifts from Santa. There were also 25 families given 25 holiday boxes.
“We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all the help, support, donations and time that this community took part in to make this night a success,” Smith said.
Harvest Christian Fellowship started hosting the kitchen on June 1. It is open Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and has served nearly 7,000 meals in seven months. There is one meal left for 2022. Volunteers from the West Barre United Methodist Church are preparing and serving that meal this Thursday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 December 2022 at 2:48 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion firefighters hose down a car that burst into flames at about 1:30 p.m. today at 8 West Academy St. in Albion.
Aurora Andres said she started her car, a 2003 Dodge Neon, and it started smoking and then caught on fire.
She praised the first responders for a quick response that kept the fire from spreading.
Albion police officers Chris Glogowski and Nathanial Staines, and State Trooper Steven Papponetti were the first on the scene and used fire extinguishers to initially knock down the fire.
“It could have been much worse for sure,” Staines said.
Animals were safely removed from the house including four cats, two dogs and three ferrets.
Albion firefighters John Papponetti and Jeremy Babcock were on the scene.
Will Francis, a fire investigator, is on the scene to determine the cause.
Mogle drove the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) all night Friday. It took 2 ½ hours to go down Route 98 through Elba, and then west on Route 262 in Elba. The MRAP was able to pick up 5 people on 262, and bring them to a warming station in Oakfield, and then joined a convoy rescuing about 15 to 20 more stranded people in the Oakfield.
