Students urged to focus on who they are, rather than what they will do for careers

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Arianna Tyler is decked out for graduation on Friday in Albion. She walks across the stage to accept her diploma. She is one of 136 in Albion’s Class of 2022.

Graduation was held outside on the football field for the second straight year. This time the grads sat on the field instead of in the bleachers like in 2021.

The graduates toss their caps near the end of the 90-minute ceremony.

The students were praised by High School principal Jennifer Ashbery for responding to the Covid-19 and its impact on their education. The students abruptly were forced to go from in-person classes to on-line only in mid-March of 2020 until the end of that school year. Then much of the 2020-21 school was with a hybrid model, with two days in-person and three days of remote learning.

“This class has distinguished itself by its resilience,” Ashbery said.

These students are happy after receiving their diplomas and getting ready to toss their caps.

Mickey Edwards, the school district superintendent, praised the group for their flexibility during the Covid pandemic, and for developing a level of independence in completing their schoolwork.

“Your world was flipped upside down but you adapted,” he said.

Board of Education President Linda Weller also commended the class for succeeding and meeting the standards of graduation during a challenging two-plus years of the pandemic.

These students are excited after receiving their diplomas. From left include Kemony Hamilton, Lily Zambito and Zoe Cusson.

Samuel Fry waves to a friend in a procession to the football field. In front of him is Bryce Froman and Tyler Gibson is behind him.

The Caledonian Pipe Band continued a graduation tradition with bag pipes played at the beginning of the ceremony and then during the recessional.

Class President Carson Bader gave a welcome address as a class president and then the salutatory speech. Bader will be a childhood education major at St. Bonaventure.

Bader has played in youth hockey leagues for several years. He shared how he first struggled to skate, even landing on his face. He is diminutive in stature and many of the bigger players would knock him down or ram him into the boards.

But Bader said he didn’t give up. His skating improved to where he could pass and shoot the puck. He developed an awareness on the ice to avoid some of those big hits, too.

He compared hockey to what many of his classmates have faced and will confront in life. His classmates, just like his teammates in hockey, have been an extended family.

“So for some advice in the future, lace up your skates and keep working hard towards what you are passionate about,” Bader said. “Learn to pass and shoot, developing the skills you require from yourself to do what you love. If someone hits and knocks you down, get right back up and face those challenges with determination. And most importantly have each other’s back because no matter how far our small Albion family spreads, we will all be connected by the fact that we are members of the 2022 graduating class!”

Leah Kania delivers the valedictory address. She will major in vocal performance at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio.

Leah Pritchard gives a thumbs up before heading to the stage for her diploma.

Kania said students, going back to kindergarten, have been encouraged to think about what they want to do as adults for careers. When she was in kindergarten, Kania said she wanted to be a bunny rabbit, while other classmates wanted to be rock stars, professional athletes, teachers, astronauts, even Santa Claus.

Kania said whatever she and her classmates do for jobs “are merely a piece of who we are.” She urged the grads to focus more on who they are, rather than what they will do for careers.

“We will experience bumps and unexpected turns on our paths, and at times we may feel that life is fighting against us,” she said. “But these times are chances for us to grow from our experiences. We must see the mistakes we make as opportunities to learn and exhibit our resilience. These are the moments that make us who we are.”

She said that life is unpredictable and the world is often a harsh place.

“We must always remember to spread joy and be kind, in order to lift each other up so that we can all rise together,” she said. “Love one another and don’t be afraid to show it. And most importantly, smile and be happy with your life. Our positivity will be infectious. It won’t be our material possessions that will be remembered, but who we are.”

Two of the graduates were able to receive their diplomas from their mothers because of their service on the Board of Education. Margy Brown presented her son Jeffrey with his degree. Emily Harling hugs her mother Kathy after Emily received her diploma.

These two hold up signs congratulating Alicia Allen on graduating.

File photo by Tom Rivers: The “Caring for COVA” event last June included several food and craft vendors, and other entertainment. Serenity Acres brought along several farm animals including a horse. A petting zoo will be back on Saturday.

ALBION – The second annual “Caring for COVA” event will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with many activities planned, as well as a tour of the COVA base at 239 South Main St.

There will be a basket raffle with 60 to 70 baskets, tours of COVA ambulances and fire department apparatus, a petting zoo led by the Albion FFA, rock painting, and activities from Best of Thymes Party Rental.

There will also by child car seat checks from the Albion Police Department, the State Police seat belt simulator, and food and beverages from the Albion Masonic Lodge, Blue Groove Coffee, The Coffee Joint and Twisted Treats ice cream.

“It’s learning about why COVA is here and the services we provide,” said Brandi Fisher, an EMT and chief financial officer for COVA. “At time a when ambulance providers are struggling all across the country we are very fortunate to have a community-based ambulance service like COVA.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: There is a lock at the gate by the entrance of Lafayette Park on West State Street. Neighbors have urged the Village Board not to leave the park open at night.

ALBION – The Village Board reversed a decision from two months ago when it voted to not lock Lafayette Park and St. Joseph’s Park at night.

That was a 3-2 decision on April 27. Mayor Angel Javier and Trustees Tim McMurray and Joyce Riley voted to not lock the parks at night, saying other parks in the village were always kept open.

But residents near St. Joe’s and Lafayette say those parks have had adults in them at night, who are sometimes smoking marijuana, having sex or vandalizing the sites.

Trustees Chris Barry and Zack Burgess want to lock Lafayette and St. Joe’s at night. Burgess grew up next to Lafayette. His mother Lynn Burgess has been one of the most vocal detractors of the decision to keep the park open at night.

She asked on Wednesday that the village go back to locking it at night and having the police or DPW open the locks in the morning at 8 a.m. and then have the police lock them at night.

Barry said he has listened to concerns from residents the past two months and wants to have the two parks locked at night, but he acknowledged other trustees didn’t see that as consistent with the other parks that aren’t locked.

So Barry made a motion to put gates and locks at the entrances of Carosol Park on Ingersoll Street and Vets Park on Brown Street, even though those parks have short fences.

It would be financially cost prohibitive to put a fence and gate at Bullard, a large park on Route 31, he said.

If the four smaller neighborhood parks were locked, the DPW and police would need to lock and unlock them.

That prompted Trustee Joyce Riley to change her opinion about locking Lafayette and St. Joe’s. She said the residents near those parks have shared their worries about them being open at night. The other parks are in more wide open areas and residents near those parks haven’t shared concerns about the sites being open all night, Riley said.

She also doesn’t want to see the DPW and police have their time gobbled up with locking and unlocking parks at four sites.

The village will keep locks on Lafayette and St. Joe’s with the DPW unlocking them in the morning on Monday through Friday, with the police locking the parks at night and unlocking them on Saturday and Sunday. The village will put signs at the two parks to call the police if the parks are locked in the morning.

Trustee McMurray cast the lone vote on Wednesday to have all parks be open at night. He said they can provide a refuge for some people who need a safe place.

Provided photos: Hoag Library has a display near the front entrance promoting this summer’s reading program for children and adults.

Press Release, Hoag Library

ALBION – Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading Program returns under the tent to Hoag Library next week!

Children, teens, and adults can stop in on Monday, June 27 to pick up reading logs and event calendars.

The first events will be a visit from the Aquarium of Niagara on Wednesday, June 29 (kindly register, 589-4246) and an Afternoon Movie Thursday, June 30.

Other program highlights include: Movement classes with Miss Chelsea and Miss Amy on Mondays; Teen programs on Tuesdays; Storytimes on Wednesdays; and animal visits from Know Your Rep, Serenity Acres and Poverty Hill Farms on Thursdays.

August events include juggling and spinning plates instruction by Benjamin Berry, and interactive entertainment by Defiant Monkey Improv.

Hoag Library will also hold programs offsite, including at the Orleans County 4-H Fair and Bullard Park.

Story Walks can be enjoyed outdoors all month in July at Mount Albion Cemetery (south west corner) and the Albion Elementary School.

A special Christmas event on July 25 will include a notable visitor!

We look forward to seeing you under the tent this summer!

The library has the big tent back for the summer reading program.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A rainbow emerged after rain on Aug. 16, 2020 in this photo with the First Presbyterian Church of Albion, which was inducted in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2017.

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame, seeking to recognize prominent buildings made of Medina Sandstone that are well-maintained and architecturally significant.

Since the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame was created in 2013, the society has inducted churches, public buildings, private buildings and other ornamental buildings/structures, such as the Civil War Memorial at Mount Albion Cemetery. There have now been 32 inductees.

The inductees last year included Bent’s Opera House in Medina, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Brockport, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Canandaigua.

This year’s class could include nominations from previous years not already selected, and any new nominations received by July 9.

People can nominate a site by filling out a form: www.sandstonesociety.org/hof-nominations.

Criteria for consideration shall include age, beauty, longevity, structural soundness, and architectural uniqueness. If possible nomination information should have full background and documentation, and, at the very least, should give a name and phone number to be contacted for further information or a website.

Thomas Hock sets $20,000 goal to fill truck with medical supplies

Photos by Tom Rivers: Thomas Hock of Munich, Germany left Albion this morning on the start of a two-week bike ride along the Erie Canal to Albany, then to New York City and Long Island. He has met half of his $20,000 fundraising goal to purchase medical supplies for people in Ukraine.

ALBION – Thomas Hock has set out on a mission to get medical supplies to the people in Ukraine. Hock is using a network of Rotarians to acquire the supplies a deep discount and then transport then from Germany to Poland and to the Ukraine border.

From there Rotary clubs in the Ukraine will get medical supplies, insulin and painkillers to people in need by delivering to clinics in the war-torn country.

Bruce Landis, left, hosted Thomas Hock last night. Bruce and Sue Landis live in Barre. Landis also helped Hock find a new bike after his was missing.

Hock started a bike ride in Albion this morning that will cover about 800 miles in the next two weeks. His goal is to raise $20,000 which he said will fill a truck with supplies. He already has raised about half of the $20,000.

“The people who suffer the most must bear it even though they aren’t responsible for it,” Hock said this morning by the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.

Hock, 54, assists families with financial planning in Munich, Germany. He is an avid cyclist and the trip along the Erie Canal by bike was suggested to him. He will ride to Albany then to New York City and Long Island.

He flew to Toronto but his bicycle wasn’t there waiting for him as planned. He believes it was stolen. He took Uber rides to get to the border.

Alex Krebs, president of the Albion Rotary Club, met him in Niagara Falls and brought him to Orleans County. Bruce Landis, another member of the Albion Rotary Club, helped Hock find a new bicycle at Bert’s Bike and Fitness in Buffalo. Landis and his wife Sue hosted Hock last night at their Barre home.

“I’ve already experienced love with Rotary friends who were complete strangers,” Hock said this morning. “All the help I’ve received is unbelievable.”

Hock plans to meet with other Rotarians along the way in Albany, Peeksville and New York City. His goal today is to ride about 75 miles to Newark.

For information about donating to the #ride4ukraine, click here.

Thomas Hock heads east on the Erie Canal in Albion this morning.

‘It’s definitely bright, bold and beautiful’

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Neveya Barnes, an eighth-grader at Albion Middle School, puts a finishing touch on a flower-themed mural on the back of the former bathrooms at Bullard Park.

That building is now used for storage after new bathrooms opened last year.

Neveya and 12 other middle schoolers have been painting the back side of the building since Wednesday.

The students are giving the back of the building a bold and colorful look. The wall is 36 feet long and 8 feet high. It will be visible to people using the new walking trail and also to motorists from Clarendon Street.

Mary Delamarter, the village’s deputy clerk-treasurer, reached out to the middle in late April about a mural. Village officials wanted to paint the building as part of the Day of Caring on April 27, but it was too chilly that day.

Rather than just paint it one color, Delamarter and DPW Superintendent Jay Pahura thought a mural painted by students would be a welcome addition on the west end of the park.

Shayla Higgins works on painting a flower this morning.

Students incorporated flower designs into the larger mural. They teamed with their art teachers, Kamie Feder and Tina Burgett, to block out the design on Wednesday. They have ben painting the last three days and will complete the project today.

Ayme Vallejo Morales, a sixth grader, works on the mural today. “It’s been really fun to paint and we get to hang out with our friends,” Ayme said.

Drake Schomske works on some fine lines to give the mural an added dimension.

Students who painted the mural include:

Sixth grade – Ayme Vallejo Morales, Drake Schomske, Mackenzie Cook and Sadie Money.

Seventh grade – Cerenity Johnson, John Marat, Abby Kipler, Kaiser Allport and Shayla Higgins.

Eighth grade – Neveya Barnes, Julissa Marmolejo, Jenna Barnard and Hanna Kumalac.

Kaiser Allport works on a finishing touch for the mural. The students painted the protruding pipes, blocks and a meter on the wall.

“It’s definitely bright, bold and beautiful,” said Feder, one of the art teachers.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion Rotary Club awarded $3,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors today. Pictured, from left, include Rotary Club President Alex Krebs, Leah Kania, Sawyer Braley and James Beach.

James Beach won the $1,250 Edward Archbald Memorial Scholarship, given to a senior who shares Archbald’s love of sports, recreational activities, community service and work experience. James has been an honor roll student, who has been active in the music program while playing on the tennis and golf teams. He also is in the chess and robotics clubs. He worked at Tops and volunteered over 100 hours at the Barre Presbyterian Church. He will be majoring in cybersecurity at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Leah Kania won the Dick Eddy “Service Above Self” Scholarship, a $1,250 award that is given to a student committed to community service and leadership, and who displays high potential for future accomplishment. Leah has been very active in the school chorus, band and drama programs. She has been a Student Council officer all four years of high school and is the current president. She is a member of the Rotary Interact Club, Close-Up Club and Multicultural/Diversity Club. Leah is the class valedictorian who gave more than 125 hours of community service. She will major in vocal performance at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio.

Sawyer Braley was awarded the $500 Rotary Career Advancement Prize for a senior committed to community service, school activities and work experience. Sawyer is an Eagle Scout candidate who has been active on a trapshooting team and on the school’s soccer team. He will be in an advanced welding program at the Kentucky Welding Institute.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters work to put out a fire in a truck on Wednesday outside the Albion Walmart.

The truck was picking up used tires from the Walmart. It had more than 400 tires on it when the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The truck is owned by HTI Recycling of Lockport.

Orleans County Fire Investigator Cole Hardenbrook determined the fire was caused by an electrical issue in the truck box, the Orleans County Emergency Management Agency reported today.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 5:39 p.m. The store was evacuated.

A fire-suppression foam from the Barre Volunteer Fire Company helped to smother the flames and eventually put the fire out.

The store was able to reopen about two hours after the fire at 7:30 p.m.

ALBION – The Albion Police Department will be offering a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course to the community.

The course is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend strategy developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT).

Topics include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, the role of professional guardians, civilian response options. There will be examples of things to do in case of an active shooter event.

The Albion Police Department is committed to keeping the community safe and wants to gauge the interest from the community in the class, the department said in an email.

Depending the interest there may be more than one class on different dates. Those interested should send an email to contact@albionpolice.com and mention you are interested in the CRASE training.

The Albion PD would like to offer the trainings within the next month. If a business owner is interested the Police Department would be willing to conduct a training for all of the employees if they cannot attend the training.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A fire with a truck holding 400-plus tires is out and the Albion Walmart has reopened to customers. The above photo was taken at about 7:20 p.m. Firefighters pulled out some of the tires that weren’t on fire.

Firefighters and Code Enforcement Officer Dan Strong tested the air quality and deemed it was safe for people to be in the building. The store reopened at about 7:30 p.m.

About two hours earlier a truck full of used tires was on fire. The truck was backed up to the store at the auto center on the west side. Firefighters had the driver of HTI Recycling of Lockport move the truck away from the store. That likely saved the building from significant damage.

Albion Fire Chief Rob Conner said water didn’t help put out the fire. Instead, they used a special firefighting foam to smother the fire. The Barre Volunteer Fire Company used about 110 gallons of the concentrated foam. When mixed with water that is more than 1,000 gallons that were put on the fire.

No one was injured due to the fire, Conner said.

Orleans County Emergency Management also brought its foam trailer to the scene.

The DEC Spill Team and the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control were called to the scene due to runoff from the foam.

Orleans County fire investigators are on the scene to determine a cause of the fire. An excavator from the Orleans County DPW also will be used to take off the side of the box of the truck so the other tires can more easily be removed.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Firefighters are trying to put out a fire on a truck that is loaded with more than 400 used tires next to the Albion Walmart.

The fire spewed dark smoke on the west side of Walmart. The store has been evacuated.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 5:39 p.m. Barre firefighters were also called to use a special foam to try to contain the fire.

The truck is from HTI Recycling of Lockport. A Sheriff’s deputy said the driver started the truck and felt a pop and then noticed an electrical fire up high in the truck.

Fire investigators have been called.

No additional information is available.

Barre firefighters, including Doug Bentley (lower left), are on scene, trying to put out the fire.

The fire is on the back side of Albion in a truck by the auto center.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Employees from the Iroquois Job Corps in Shelby teamed this morning with staff and volunteers at Community Action of Genesee & Orleans for a pop-up food distribution.

The distribution is at a new location starting today. Instead of the Main Street Thrift Store parking lot on Main Street, the distribution will be at 165 Platt Street in the municipal parking lot that serves CRFS and is next to Dubby’s Tailgate. It is across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Katrina Chaffee, director of Community Services and Reporting, puts packages of dates in a box. About 200 vehicles passed through the distribution with many starting to line up at 6:30 in the morning.

Organizers ask that people not start to line up before 7:30 a.m. to help with traffic issues.

At the Main Street location, the cars and trucks backed up in the side streets and even onto to Main Street, making it difficult for school buses and other vehicles.

At the municipal lot, the vehicles were able to be parked in rows, off the village streets.

Ernest Gursslin unpacks boxes of dates and also a frozen pasta meal. Gursslin is a volunteer with Community Action.

The food is delivered by Foodlink and is available for free to residents.

The dates for the distribution in Albion for the rest of the year include July 25, Aug. 8, Sept.12, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.

The Lyndonville Presbyterian Church and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County also run food distributions.

Cameron Richardson helps organize bags of onions and potatoes.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Abby Kipler plays the sousaphone for the Albion Purple Eage Marching Band on Saturday during the Strawberry Festival parade, which returned after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

There were nine bands in the parade, which started at the school at 10 a.m. and ended at 11:30 in the downtown.

Alektra Hess plays the saxophone for the Albion marching band. This year the theme for the band’s show is “For Peace, Justice, and Good,” which is a tribute to superheroes.

The Mark Time Marchers were back for the parade in Albion.

Rochester Scottish Pipes & Drums made their presence felt.

The Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps doesn’t shy away from a big drum line.

The Holley-Kendall Marching Band performed in the parade.

The Holley-Kndall band wears the colors from both schools. The band has grown in members this year.

The Hit Man from Rochester brought a big brass sound to the parade.

The White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps based in Dansville returned to Albion for the parade on Saturday.

The Pembroke Marching Dragons have been a parade mainstay for years.

These four rocked on this float to promote the upcoming Sumer Festival featuring Rock the Park on Aug. 6 at Bullard Park. Several bands will perform that day from Aug. 6. That event is dedicated in memory of Jonathan Doherty, who was an active community volunteer.

Pictured form left include Mike Whiting, Dylan DeSmit, Zack Burgess and Chad DeSmit.