Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Sheryl Watts is a Minion from the Despicable Me movie was a popular character in Albion’s Strawberry Festival parade on Saturday morning. The Minion was made of balloons from Air Raising Events. Watts is the owner and designer for that business.

She was one of 46 floats in the parade that started at 10 a.m. and ended at 11:30 a.m. The parade returned after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Dancing Derrick Bradley dressed in the Weed Man costume with a caravan of Weed Man trucks.

A big crowd lined Main Street for the parade. The procession started at the school district on Route 31 and then went north on Main Street to the Erie Canal.

Burger King’s mascot, the Burger King, waves to the crowd from a trailer during the parade.

Subway also had a costumed character in the parade.

Jeffrey Brown and Faith Bennett, both Albion High School seniors, wave to the spectators as the fair king and queen.

Colton Chappius tosses while sitting up high on some of his construction equipment.

Christine Nenni is dressed as a friendly bear in this display from Party Tyme Rentals.

The Barre Cubs acknowledge the crowd. The Cubs are back for another season in the Albion Midget League. The Cubs are one of five teams in the league this year. Barre also is an original team from when the league started in 1956.

The Girl Scouts joined the parade and encouraged local youth to be part of the organization.

U.S. veterans Ron Ayrault, left, and Mike Donahue march in the parade as the honor guard which also included Joe Gehl.

Erica Wanecski of Medina promotes the master gardener program at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.

Lori Laine tosses candy from a float for Frontier Heating & A/C Service. She is joined by her son Mike Laine, front left, and son-in-law Rex Harvey.

Kerry Panek gives some of her granddaughters a ride in style in a classic pickup truck.

This dachshund enjoys a breeze and all the action in the parade.

Judith Koehler and her husband Michael Bonafede were the honorary chairs of the parade. They have both volunteered for many years in the annual event.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The return of the Albion Strawberry Festival also meant the Amazing Turtle Race is back.

There were 1,000 rubber turtles unleashed (at a very slow speed) into the Erie Canal today just after 2 p.m.

The turtles are dumped from bins into the canal and the first five finishers earn cash prizes for people who hold the tickets to those turtles’ numbers. The turtles are numbered 1 to 1,000. The tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Proceeds go towards the Strawberry Festival.

Aubrey Kennedy wore the hot turtle costume during the parade and then at the turtle race. Mickey Edwards, the Albion school district superintendent, stands next to the Turtle. Edwards was picked to dump a bin of turtles into the canal.

Jarred Saj is recognized for being the top turtle ticket seller with 315 tickets sold.

Of the five winning tickets, Saj sold four of them.

Some of the honorary turtle bin dumpers included, from right, County Legislator Skip Draper, Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. and Albion Village Trustee Zack Burgess, Jarred Saj, Police Chief David Mogle, and Mickey Edwards, school district superintendent.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley again served as emcee for the race and called the action as the turtles trekked down the canal.

Jay Kovaelski collects the turtles from the chute in the canal.

The top five prizes went to:

• $500 – Donna Moore
• $300 – Jen Watts
• $100 – Maxine Gray
• $50 – Dan Conrad
• $50 – Dan Thurber

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jessica Sardina wears the Strawberry costume during today’s Albion Strawberry Festival 5K/8K race.

Sardina lives in California and is visiting family in Medina. She is a third-grade teacher who relished the role as The Strawberry, waving to spectators and encouraging the runners during the race.

About 200 people completed the race this morning, an event organized by Bert Gallman and Wolfpack Multisport.

Adam Grillo and his daughter Lena, 10, of Albion round the corner at Ingersoll Street and East State Street in the home stretch of the race.

Steve LaLonde, center, of Albion ran the race with his daughter Joyce and her fiancé Nate Birnbaun of Washington, D.C.

Jason Smith, the former Lyndonville school superintendent, finishes the 8-kilometer race. Smith is a regular at the local races. He now is superintendent of Batavia schools.

Alden Cayea of Medina, third from right in blue shorts won the 5K.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Bill Pileggi and The Triple Play Band performed in the food court this evening at the Albion Strawberry Festival.

There are four different spots for musicians during the festival, which continues on Saturday.

Pileggi and his group perform pop, rock, country and blues music spanning four decades with music from Johnny Cash to Jimmy Buffett to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The Albion Music Boosters served up strawberry shortcakes and sundaes in a booth outside the First Presbyterian Church of Albion. Pictured form left include Roseanne Allen, Annalise Steier and Audrey Pask.

The Kendall Community Band performed by the courthouse.

The festival returned after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions and concerns. This is the 34^th time for the festival in Albion.

Train rides are offered down Main Street and around the festival grounds.

The action resumes on Saturday until 8 p.m. The parade will be at 10 a.m.

Simulation of crash at Albion school intended to help students make choices to stay safe

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Hannah Coolbaugh, an Albion High School senior, portrays an injured student during a crash simulation this morning at the Albion High School parking lot.

The Albion Police Department, Albion Fire Department, COVA Ambulance, County Coroner Scott Schmidt and the District Attorney’s Office worked together to send a message about the dangers of driving drunk or impaired by drugs.

Albion has its prom tonight at Hickory Ridge Country Club with many graduation parties planned this summer.

Albion firefighters removed the top of a car to extricate injured students in the crash. Gallo’s Performance Auto in Brockport donated the cars for the crash simulation.

Myles Miller portrayed the drunk driver. After some field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer, she was led into an Albion patrol car by officers Dillon Black and Nathaniel Staines.

Leah Kania is on a stretcher and led to a COVA Ambulance.

Tracy Ford is overcome after seeing his son Rowan in a body bag. Ford said after that he was “wobbly” trying to walk after seeing his son and hearing the other students screaming.

He said it has been an emotional few days since his son told him he would be portraying the student who dies in the simulation.

The school set up bleachers for members of the senior class to see the simulation in the parking lot this morning.

After the crash simulation, students were in the LGI were the saw a mock arraignment. District Attorney Joe Cardone, center, is joined by Assistant DA Susan Howard and Albion Town Justice Joe Fuller.

Myles Miller is led into the “courtroom” and is wearing jail-issued clothing. She was charged with DWI and aggravated vehicular homicide. Cardone said the vehicular homicide charge carries a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Fuller, the town judge, set bail at $50,000 in cash or $75,000 bond. Fuller also issued orders of protection for the surviving victims.

Cardone said the seniors have worked very hard in their lives to get to the point of being so close to graduation.

“You can often be defined in your life by a bad decision, something that happens over 5 minutes in your life,” he said.

He cautioned the students from using alcohol and marijuana, which is illegal at their age. It can affect their judgement, and could lead to reckless actions out of their character.

Albion Police Chief David Mogle addressed the group and urged them to call 911 if they need a safe ride home.

“We’re not there to get people in trouble,” Mogle said about the police. “We’re there to save a life.”

Mary Wright, a prevention educator for GCASA, holds a Red Watch banner. That encourages the students to watch out for each and help someone who has had too much to drink or if they are incapacitated from drugs or other substances.

Wright said students are entering a season of celebrations – prom, graduation, grad parties – and many people tend to drink too much at those events.

“We want you to have a good time at the prom but we want you to be safe and responsible,” she said.

Students should pay close attention if a friend looks pale, blue-ish or losing consciousness. If that happens, they should get that person help and call 911.

“You need to respect their life and step up for them,” she said.

Jeffrey Brown portrays one of the students today who was injured in the drunken driving crash.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Fred Nesbitt cooks hot dogs in a booth run by the Albion Rotary Club and Cobblestone Museum. They are in the food court on East Bank Street. The food court opened at 11 a.m. and continues until 9 p.m. today, and then again on Saturday as part of the 34^th Albion Strawberry Festival.

The festival is back this year after being derailed by Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021.

There are many arts and craft vendors at the courthouse lawn, and service organizations and businesses selling food and beverages in the food court.

There also will be several groups performing live music during the two days at the courthouse, and at the east and west end of the food court.

Today’s music schedule includes Warren Paul from 1 to 3 p.m., Mike McCauley from 3 to 5 p.m., MAC from 5 to 7 p.m., the Kendall Community Band from 5 to 7 p.m., Triple Play from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Ryan and Scott Acoustic Duo from 7 to 9 p.m.

Saturday includes more live music, a 5K/8K at 8 a.m., car cruise-in from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., parade at 10 a.m., basketball tournament beginning at 12:30 p.m., and turtle race at 2 p.m.

Some of the other activities include a “Pie in the Face,” I Got It, bounce houses, trackless train rides, magician, face painting and balloon clown.

Scott Daniels is shown with some of the T-shirts being sold from the Towpath Trading Post, which runs the Ormemes Post on Facebook and Instagram.

Daniels and his friends, Freeman Lattin and Kyle Thaine, have been creating satirical posts about Orleans County and Western New York for five years. He is wearing a shirt for the Lake Alice Bridge Diving Team. They are also selling stickers.

They are many other vendors at the courthouse lawn selling merchandise.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – About 1,000 rubber turtles will “race” on Saturday in the return of the Albion Strawberry Festival.

Volunteers have been selling tickets, and organizing the turtles, which are numbered from 1 to 1,000, for the big race.

Becky Karls, right, is the chairwoman of the event. She is joined on Thursday evening by volunteers Kathleen Bates and Mike Bonnewell.

They are sorting the turtles in the conference room of the Arnold Gregory Office Building.

The sale of the tickets – $5 each or 5 for $20 – is a fundraiser that goes back to helping pay for the festival.

Jarred Saj is the top turtle ticket seller, setting a new personal record with 315 tickets sold.

Mike Bonnewell, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, checks the turtles. Many of the tickets have already been sold. Those turtles with those ticket numbers are being setting aside in bins.

Other turtles that haven’t had their numbers sold yet will be set aside and still be available to be sold.

Tickets can be purchased from Karls today on the courthouse lawn and also at a spot in the downtown. Karls will be there up until 7 p.m. today. The tickets can still be purchased on Saturday until 12:30 p.m.

The race is at 2 p.m. with the turtles tossed into the Ere Canal from the Main Street lift bridge.

The top five turtles to finish a trek down the canal earn prize money with $500 for first place, $300 for second, $100 for third, and $50 for both fourth and fifth.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kim Remley and Robert Golden are members of the Community Coalition for Justice, which is sponsoring a talk on “Our Democracy/Republic, Where Does it Stand?” June 14 at Hoag Library.

ALBION – A professor at Brockport State College will be the featured speaker at an evening on democracy June 14 at Hoag Library, sponsored by the Community Coalition for Justice.

Steven Jurek, chair of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Brockport, will address “U.S. Democracy/Republic” appropriately on Flag Day, said Robert Golden, chair of the Community Coalition for Justice. The discussion, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will address the state of our democracy and the challenges it currently faces.

Included in his talk will be the definition of democracy, its strengths and weaknesses and how they are measured; American democracy in a comparative context; 21st century technology’s impact on democracy (24/7 news, the Internet and social media); the challenges of information literacy; and the road ahead.

Jurek has a masters and PhD in political science from the University of Buffalo.

A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Light refreshments will be served. For more information Golden may be contacted at (585) 682-4821 or goldenjazz59@gmail.com.

The Community Coalition for Justice includes members from Hoag Library, Albion Betterment Committee, Pullman Universalist Church, People Embracing Diversity (a joint committee of local church members) and the Social Justice Committee.

Provided photos: Chrissy, left, and Janet both were trained over eight weeks at the Albion Correctional Facility.

ALBION – Two more dogs are being trained by incarcerated women at the Albion Correctional Facility. That brings the total to 14 dogs who have been trained to be adopted out by families.

Albion Correctional partnered with a new community volunteer trainer, Dawn Spencer, who has over 25 years of experience in dog training.  She is the owner of Eye of Oden K9 Training in Kent.

The program is in collaboration with PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion. Janet and Chrissy, 5-month-old border collie sisters, started in the program on April 21. Janet and Chrissy will go through an 8-week training program.

This team is training two border collies through a partnership at Albion Correctional, PAWS Animal Shelter and Dawn Spencer, a dog trainer.

During the eight weeks, two teams of three incarcerated individuals will serve as handlers for the dogs. Spencer will visit the facility once a week to put the puppies through the AKC S.T.A.R Puppy Program.

S.T.A.R. stands for Socialization, Training, Activity, and Responsible owner – the pillars of getting puppies off to a good start. Spencer will instruct the incarcerated individuals on what skills to work on each week.

The graduation of Janet and Chrissy is tentatively scheduled for June 13 and the dogs will be ready to go to their forever homes.

For information on adopting Janet or Chrissy, applications are available at paws14411.com.

Provided photo

ALBION – Albion students in Albion’s AP biology and chemistry classes continued an annual tradition where students fill planters with flowers. They are shown outside at the DPW. The AP students have been providing this community service for several years. The flowers will be in Albion’s downtown.

Students study the importance of plants as well as structure and biological properties.

Pictured in front include Samantha Hand, Shelby Hagen, Audrey Pask, Ashton Preston, Aidan Smith, Ulises Ledesma, Belen Rosario Soto,  and Mrs. Borner, the AP chemistry teacher.

This may be the last time the classes do this with no AP science classes planned for next school year.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Pastor Trellis Pore of the Shiloh Church prays over Albion graduate Sawyer Braley during the annual Baccalaureate service on Sunday evening at the First Presbyterian Church in Albion. The service is optional for seniors and half of the class attended the event organized by the Albion Ministerium.

The Rev. Susan Thaine speaks during the Baccalaurate service on Sunday evening.

ALBION – The soon-to-be graduates in Albion’s Class of 2022 were prayed over on Sunday evening by local church pastors, given a blessing and asked to be “counter cultural” by bringing love and kindness in a world that is quick to anger, quick to judgement and slow to forgive.

The Rev. Susan Thaine, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Albion, gave the keynote message and told the seniors they live in very “important and interesting times” where they are critically needed.

“Do not lose heart – the times are hard and dangerous, but trust me God has placed within you the power for you to choose to live God’s way and change the world for good,” said Thaine, an Albion graduate.

She urged they to act for justice and “live in life-honoring mutuality.” She encouraged them to follow the example of Jesus with mercy and compassion at a time “when division, hatred and intolerance is everywhere.”

“No matter what the next chapter of your life looks like, what matters most is the kind of person you choose to be in the world,” she said. “In the grand scheme of things, who you are is far more important than what you do to make a living, what status symbols or accolades you achieve or what your financial portfolio looks like.”

Russell Kingdollar lights a candle with some assistance from Rose English of The Lord’s House in Waterport. Each graduate lit a candle to signify God’s love and light.

Aurora Serafin reads the Scripture from Colossians 3:12-14.

About 50 students or half the Class of 2022 attended the service, which is optional and organized by pastors in the Albion Ministerium. The 2020 Baccalaurate was cancelled due to Covid. Last year the service was limited to the students and up to two guests per senior.

This year everyone was welcome and Thaine said she was pleased to see a bigger crowd in the sanctuary.

Participating pastors in the service included David Beach of the Gaines Carlton Community Church, Tim Lindsay of Harvest Christian Fellowship, Jim Heiler of the West Barre United Methodist Church, Susan Boring of the Eagle Harbor United Methodist Church, Trellis Pore of the Shiloh Church, Eddie English of The Lord’s House, Susan Thaine of the First Presbyterian Church of Albion, Randy LeBaron of Go Scatter Ministries and Jason Tarnowski of the Albion Free Methodist Church.

The pastors presented each graduate with a cross necklace and prayed with them individually.

Pastor Eddie English of The Lord’s House gives the invocation. He asked God for “powerful protection” over the graduates and asked God “to guard them from all evil.”

Faith Bennett sings “Memory” during the service inside the First Presbyterian Church. Other students sang solos including “You Say” by Zoe Cusson and “Standchen” by Leah Kania.

The High School Clarinet Choir also performed “St. Anthony Chorale” and the High School Choir sang “O Love.”

The seniors are lined up outside on the sidewalk before the service in this photo taken looking though one of the stained-glass windows.

David Beach, pastor of the Gaines Carlton Community Church on Route 104, prays with his grandson, James Beach.