Largest crowd in about a century fills the third floor of historic venue in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Musicians performed at the Pratt Opera House to a full house for the first time in likely a century on Sunday.

There were 22 musicians on stage in the “Live at the Pratt” event in an opera house built in 1882 at 118 North Main St.

Erin Moody closes out a 2 1/2-hour show with “American Pie” by Don McLean. Moody and 21 other musicians played to a capacity crowd.

The 300 people at the performance on Sunday was biggest crowd to attend an event at the Pratt since at least 1930, when the theater closed, a victim of the Great Depression and emergence of movie theaters. The Pratt building was built in 1882.

Michael Bonafede, co-owner of the Pratt with his wife Judith Koehler, welcomes the crowd to Sunday’s performance. Bonafede also played the drums for more than two hours on Sunday.

The husband and wife purchased the Pratt and Day building in 2005. They have put on a new roof and made a series of other interior and exterior improvements to the building, which has several tenants on the first and second floors.

Just in the past few weeks they added 235 chairs that they bought at an auction from Holley Central School, and last week purchased 43 sets of double-auditorium chairs from Wells College. Those seats date back to the 1800s, Koehler said.

The Pratt was sold out on Sunday for the concert in the historic opera house. This photo shows people waiting to enter the building on Main Street.

There was a concert last June in a “test run” to see how the musicians liked the acoustics. They loved them and most of that group was back performing on Sunday, offering their services for free.

“It’s a nice place to play,” said trumpeter Brian Wilkins. “The acoustics are great.”

Bonafede said the Pratt performance venue can be used to promote Albion and the many other historic resources in the community, form the downtown business district, Courthouse Square, Mount Albion Cemetery, Cobblestone Museum and Erie Canal – all of which are either on the National Register of Historic Places. (The Erie Canal and Cobblestone Museum also are designated National Historic Landmarks.)

“We want to create a sense of vibrancy here,” Bonafede said. “We have a lot of unique assets to offer folks.”

The musicians played rhythm and blues, and many rock and roll classics.

From left in front include Brian Wilkins on trumpet, Michael Bonafede on drums, John Borello on Stratocaster guitar and Rich Simbari on Fender P bass guitar.

Bonafede also played with two of his bandmates from Black Sheep. Larry (Rose) Crozier played the piano and Don Mancuso is on the guitar.

Black Sheep, with also included legendary lead singer Lou Gramm before he went to Foreigner. Black Sheep broke up in 1976. But before that they performed in front of tens of thousands of people.

Black Sheep recorded two albums for Capital Records and shared the stage with Kiss, Aerosmith, REO Speedwagon, and Hall and Oates.

Ron Albertson gets a turn at the mic and sings, “Shake.”

Don Mancuso, a Rochester guitar legend, welcomed the chance to perform in Albion on Sunday with his Black Sheep band mate Michael Bonafede.

The Pratt is working on hosting another concert on June 23.

Provided photo: A student from the New York State School for the Blind in Batavia models the prom dress she chose Wednesday from the selection provided by Community Action. Similar sessions are scheduled for any teen in the area on Tuesday at the Main Street store and on April 25 for Albion students at Albion High School.

ALBION – Soon after taking over as manager of Community Action’s Main Street Thrifts, Gifts and More Store last year, Cassie Healy got the idea to collect prom dresses and give them away free to students who couldn’t otherwise afford one.

The program was so successful, Healy wants to make it an annual event.

“Last year we were able to provide many dresses to girls who were unable to get one,” Healy said. “I remember one girl in particular last year who was able to get a dress, shoes, accessories and have her makeup and hair done through us. She told me she had won tickets to her prom but due to her family’s financial situation she did not think she would be able to go. She expressed her appreciation many times and was very excited she would be able to experience her prom.”

She also sent the store some photos of her prom with her friends.

“This is truly one of those ‘This is why I do this’ moments,” Healy said.

This year Healy hopes to reach out to more students, including any in surrounding counties. On Wednesday, she and her helpers took dresses to the New York State School for the Blind for girls to choose from. Eighteen found a dress they could wear to their prom, Healy said.

On April 16 at the Main Street store, Healy expects to have several hundred dresses, suits, makeup and other accessories available for students to choose from, regardless of where they go to school, even outside Orleans County.

There will also be a drawing for free prom tickets, thanks to the Ministry of Concern, who has set out jars for “Pennies for Prom” in local shops. Julia Alt, development director for Hospice, will be on hand to provide students with tips on how to do their makeup on prom night.

The prom giveaway will be repeated at 1 p.m. on April 25 at Albion High School for Albion students only.

“No student should miss their prom because they can’t afford a dress,” Healy said.

The Main Street Thrifts, Gifts and More store is always accepting dresses, suits, shoes, makeup, hair supplies and other accessories for these events. Healy encourages the community to check their closets for prom-appropriate attire and accessories and bring them to the store to help these youth make lasting memories.

For more information, stop in or call the Main Street store at (585) 589-1430.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Cassie Healy, manager of Community Action’s Main Street Thrifts, Gifts and More Store in Albion shows off some of the prom dresses which were available last year during the first free prom giveaway. The store is again offering free prom dresses and accessories to teens who can’t afford them.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Albion Village Trustee Tim McMurray presents a “Community Service Award” to Faith Smith at Wednesday’s board meeting for her efforts leading the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen.

Smith has built many partnerships in the community to serve several hundred meals each week from the kitchen at the Harvest Christian Fellowship church on Route 31.

The past six weeks the kitchen has averaged about 600 meals each week. The kitchen serves dine-in and take-outs on Thursdays at the church, and also has meals for people over the weekend.

“These aren’t peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” McMurray said. “These are meals.”

Smith said many volunteers, including her husband Mike, are key contributors in the OK Kitchen serving so many people each week.

“I don’t do this for any recognition,” she said. “It’s because the community needs it.”

The Albion Village Board and employees have twice helped serve meals from the kitchen. Smith said more community organizations are always welcome to help prepare and serve food, or make donations.

Smith is the second village resident to receive a Community Service Award. The board is trying to do them quarterly. Susan Oschmann was the first recipient for her efforts spearheading new basketball courts at Bullard Park.

Board doesn’t see many options to whittle down tax rate

ALBION – The Albion Village Board is close to finalizing the village budget for 2024-25, a spending plan that will surely raise taxes.

As it stands, the $8,194,537 budget would increase taxes by 6.83 percent — raising the tax levy from $2,923,473 in 2023-24 to $3,123,167. The tax rate would go from $19.13 per $1,000 of assessed property to $20.43 with the budget that was presented during a public hearing on Wednesday evening.

Board members said they have been over the budget in detail for about two months, working with department heads. Board members don’t see options to bring the taxes down significantly.

They could reduce employee raises from 3.0 to 2.5 percent. They could pull another $6,000 from the village’s fund balance. They could also try to invest some village funds that are in accounts but haven’t yet been spent, perhaps securing a few thousand dollars in interest.

None of the moves would provide much relief for taxpayers. The budget will almost certainly be over the village’s allowable tax increase to stay within the tax cap, said Tracy Van Skiver, the village clerk/treasurer. Albion would have to chop about $111,000 to get under the tax cap, she said. (The board can override the tax cap of about a 2 percent increase with a super-majority vote from the board.)

Board members said rising costs for materials and equipment are driving some of the tax increase.

Mayor Angel Javier Jr. would like to try to bring down the tax increase, especially when the village will also be raising water and sewer rates later this year. Village property owners also saw a big increase in their Albion town taxes this year.

“Let’s give them a break because their costs are going up,” Javier said.

Buy Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley asked just where the village should make a cut.

Javier said the rising taxes will be difficult on residents, and may have them asking if it would make sense to dissolve the village government.

“There will be a point when people will say, ‘Let’s not have a village,’” he said.

The total budget is at $8,194,537, up $651,162 from the $7,543,375 in 2022-23. The budget includes $4,702,052 in the general fund ($4,307,602 in 2023-24); $2,068,150 in the water fund ($1,880,984 in 2023-24); and $1,424,335 in the sewer fund ($1,354,788 in 2023-24).

The budget needs to be adopted by April 30. The board could make changes to the budget before then.

Trustee Tim McMurray said the budget is down to “bone marrow” and he doesn’t expect any significant changes in the current numbers.

New trustee William Gabalski said he has been through the budget line item by line item twice. The only way to bring down the costs significantly would be to scale back services, Gabalski said.

“There’s not a lot left to cut unless there are conversations about services delivered,” he said.

Riley and McMurray said the budget represents the costs to run the village. She doesn’t want to tap more into the fund balance, jeopardizing the future for the village. Van Skiver said in recent budgets the village has taken about $250,000 a year from the fund. There is currently about $800,000 in there. The proposed budget would take $255,000 from that fund balance.

Taken too much could drain that fund, and result in an even bigger tax increase in the future, Javier said.

Riley said she would like to go back to department heads and staff to see if there is any more reductions possible.

There is some relief possible on the horizon. The village is discussing a fire protection district with the towns of Albion and Gaines. That would move the fire department out of the village budget, likely lowering the village tax rate if the district gains voter approval. However, village residents would pay a separate fire protection tax that would be in the town and county tax bill in January.

The village also hasn’t gone through a town-wide reassessment for about five years but that is expected in May. Many of the assessed values are expected to up significantly. That should give the village a much-higher tax base in 2025-26.

The village’s tax base has been shrinking. It went down 1.08 percent or by $1,663,794 –from $154,457,302 in 2022-23 to $152,723,508 in 2023-24. Most of the loss in tax base was from the assessed value be lowered at the plaza at 318 West Ave. That plaza includes Save-A-Lot, Pro Hardware, Dollar Tree and the vacant spot formerly for Gordman’s.

The new budget shows another decrease by $74,424 – from $152,867,932 to $152,793,508.

A bigger tax base should bring the tax rate down, but property owners would likely still see their taxes rise if the tax levy, what the village collects in taxes, continues to go up.

Press Release, Albion H.S. Student Council

ALBION – Albion Central School District invites senior citizens, 55 and older, for our annual Senior Citizen Day on Wednesday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Albion High School Cafeteria.

The school district would like to thank the senior citizens in our community for all they have done to support our students, teachers, and staff throughout the years.

We have a limited number of seats available. Kindly RSVP by Monday, April 22, to the High School Student Council Advisor, Mrs. Sawyer Green, at (585) 589-2040, ext. 8414.

You can also email sgreen1@albionk12.org to secure your reservation. Please leave a message with your name, phone number, and the number of seats you’d like to reserve. Mrs. Green will call you to confirm your participation.

We look forward to having you join us for this wonderful event hosted by our High School Student Council!