By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2023 at 9:56 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion eighth-grade students in Kamie Feder’s art class completed a revamp of the canal mural on the north side of the Albion fire hall.
The students and their teacher finished the job on Thursday after several days of painting in 80-degree weather.
The mural was 25 years old and was originally painted by Corinne Toenniessen for her Girl Scout Gold Award in 1998. She received some design help from local artist Terri Wood.
The paint became faded over the years and was given a fresh coat in the same design. The new project added “Welcome to Albion” above the 36-foot-long painting.
Feder and the students added a cat on the boat in appreciation for a neighborhood cat that seemed to be watching their work this week.
The students and Mrs. Feder paid tribute to Toenniessen and Wood for the original mural.
The other lower corner notes the students stepped up to give the mural a facelift in 2023.
Toenniessen, now Corinne Upcraft, is a teacher at the Mexico Academy and school district, north of Syracuse. She posted this message today on the Orleans Hub Facebook page:
“I cannot begin to express how beautiful this turned out and how much it means to me that Albion teachers and students have worked on this project.
“It feels like a lifetime ago when I completed this project, and as a teacher now myself I love that current students are still learning about the history of our town and actively participating in that history.
“As a 17-year-old kid, I didn’t even think about whether that mural would still be there 25 years later, but I’m so glad it is and that it continues to be a beautiful welcome point for people coming in to my wonderful hometown.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2023 at 4:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion Middle School students spent several hours during the school day on Tuesday and today giving the canal mural on the back of the fire hall a fresh look. Here they are shown nearing the end of the project at about 1 p.m. today.
The mural is 25 years old and was originally painted by Corinne Toenniessen for her Girl Scout Gold Award in 1998. She received some design help from local artist Terri Wood.
Kamie Feder, an Albion art teacher, had eighth-grade enrichment students work on touching up the mural in the same style the past two days. Feder expects there will be a little more work on Thursday to finish the effort.
“It beautifies the community,” Feder said. “There are tons of foot traffic down here.”
She said several passing boaters waved and beep their horns to encourage the students.
Tra’Monie Walker works the mural. The theme is in the canal’s early days when boats and barges were pulled by mules. The canal was completed in 1825 and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025.
Students painted over the mural on Tuesday in the same style as the original, and today added highlights and shadows.
Lillian Fisher works on the mural which is 36 feet long and 12 feet tall. Feder, the art teacher, painted the “Welcome to Albion” message on Sunday. Students weren’t able to paint the letters due to liability concerns about the height. They were able to paint most of the mural by standing, with some help in spots from stools and a lift.
Here is how the mural looked before the recent upgrade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2023 at 10:40 am
Holley also urged to look at zoning to allow expanded small engine repair at former Danny’s Equipment
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board was asked to give an opinion about a special use permit and the site plan to convert the vacant Clover Hill assisted living complex into multi-family apartments in Albion.
But before making a decision, the Planning Board wants to see the handicapped parking spots clearly delineated, and wants to know if a new parking lot will be asphalt and whether the Albion Fire Department and County Emergency Management Office have given their input for a fire lane at the property on 355 South Main St.
Clover Hill closed in March 2022 as an assisted living site. Realtegic LP in Amherst, led by president Ravi Prasher, wants to the turn the site into 18 apartments – four would be studio apartments and 14 would be single-bedroom.
Realtegic would work with Buildmore Corporation to convert the facility into apartments. Bilal Huzair of Carlton is CEO of Buildmore.
The current site has 19 parking spaces with two designated as handicapped parking. Village Planning Board members are considering requiring two more plus another one that would be van-size, said Janet Navarra-Salvatore, an Albion Planning Board member who is also on the County Planning Board.
Realtegic wants to add another parking lot but wants it to be gravel initially to see how the drainage works at the site, she said. The village code requires two off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit so there would need to be at least 36 parking spaces.
The County Planning Board said the village should consider a deadline next spring for deciding whether the gravel lot would be paved.
The county recommended the village try to get clarity on those issues with the developer and then bring the referral back to the County Planning Board.
Planners also wondered if more detailed drawings could be developed about the interior of the property, how the offices and other empty spaces at the former Clover Hill will be utilized and what is the plan for renting out the units if there aren’t enough tenants willing to pay the asking price.
In another referral last Thursday, the County Planning Board also sent it back, this time to the Village of Holley.
Nathan Merle wants to utilize the former Danny’s Equipment at 122 West Albion St. (Route 31) for small engine repair. The village code allows small engine repair of lawn and garden equipment at the site, but doesn’t specify for ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles. Merle has told the village the site is only viable as a small engine repair business if he can do more than lawn and garden equipment.
The county said Holley needs to either expand the definition of what small engine repair is allowed or make the property zoned commercial. The zoning change could be feasible because part of a parking area for Stockham Lumber touches the back of 122 West Albion St., so it wouldn’t be spot zoning. However, that can be time consuming to change the zoning, County Planning Board members said.
Bruce Kirby, a County Planning Board member, said there would be very little change in how the property is being used compared to the repairs done when it was operated for 45 years by Daniel Dill, who retired a few months ago from the business. Merle, in a letter, said there will be less impact on the neighborhood because there won’t be tractor trailer deliveries, and the drop off and pick up of most equipment will be done by appointment.
However, the village needs to make a change in the zoning definition or extend the commercial zone to make the expanded small engine repairs allowable, board members said.
Merle has lived next door to the site for 19 years. He urged the village and county to approve his proposed use of the site.
“We would like to see this property maintained and not fall into disrepair,” he wrote in a letter to the Holley Zoning Board of Appeals. “It also provides me the opportunity to run a business that can draw other people into the village limits to help sustain our community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2023 at 8:27 pm
Photos courtesy of Tim Archer
ALBION – Albion Middle School art teacher Kamie Feder added “Welcome to Albion” above the canal mural on the Albion Fire Hall this weekend.
Middle school students this week will work on freshening up the 25-year-old mural of a canal boat pulled by mules.
The artwork originally was the Girl Scout Gold Award project for Corinne Toenniessen, who received some help in the design from Terri Wood.
Feder, the art teacher, used a lift to get above the mural to add the welcome message. Students won’t have to get so high up to work on the mural this week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2023 at 8:28 pm
Provided photos from Mrs. Kasha Davis Crew
ALBION – A sold-out show brought 175 people to The Lockstone today for “Drag Me to Brunch.” The event prompted some controversy in Albion when a group of about two dozen pastors asked that it be cancelled in a Sept. 15 Letter to the Editor posted on the Orleans Hub. That letter drew more than 1,600 comments on the Orleans Hub Facebook page with most of the comments in support of the drag show and LGBTQ+ community.
The pastors said they didn’t want to normalize drag queen events and have them become a precursor to drag queen story hours with children.
The letter to the editor and the response resulted in news coverage from Rochester and Buffalo new stations, and fueled ticket sales to the event.
The show today featured music, dancing and comedy by the performers Mrs. Kasha Davis, Darienne Lake, Aggy Dune and Ambrosia Salad, said Dr. Rebekah Greene, an Albion native who attended the show and now lives in Irondequoit.
She said there were attendees from as far away as Hamilton, Ontario, and many in the audience wore apparel signaled their welcoming acceptance and support of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Attendees enjoyed a cash bar, photo stations, a tasty buffet catered by Chap’s of Elba, and a prize drawing,” Greene said. “Multiple attendees noted that they were excited to visit Albion for the first time, observing that the event and the surrounding controversy had drawn their attention to the town and its potential as a future tourism destination.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2023 at 11:04 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Marti’s on Main is in the final days of an art show featuring two artists, with the gallery’s final show of the season coming up in October.
The top photo shows Carrie Boyer of Albion with some of her acrylic paintings on display at Marti’s, 20 South Main St.
Boyer works as a manager of about 50 people in the commercial mortgage servicing business. She tried painting after seeing some examples of other people’s work on facebook.
She has been doing it for about 2 ½ years. The display at Marti’s is her first show as a featured artist.
Boyer has about 35 pieces of artwork on display with many ocean and water themes, especially jellyfish.
“This is the first hobby I’ve ever had in my life,” Boyer said recently at Marti’s.
She also makes coasters and jewelry.
Sarah Hyatt also is featured at Marti’s. A school nurse at Brockport, Hyatt has 22 oil paintings on display at Marti’s, featuring animals, nature and flowers.
Hyatt is a member of the Brockport Artists Guild, where she connected with Kim Martillotta-Muscarella, owner of Marti’s.
The gallery is open by appointment. Contact Martillotta-Muscarella at (585) 590-9211 for more information.
Boyer and Hyatt’s work will be taken down on Saturday to make way for the next exhibit featuring sculptures by Richard bannister of Barre.
There will be an opening reception for Bannister from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 6.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2023 at 12:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Eddie Quatro (left), 7, of Albion and his brother Danny, 9, have the binoculars out to watch a condenser from the Graham Corp. in Batavia be loaded onto a barge at about 10 a.m. today.
Eddie and Danny are home-schooled. Their mother Ellie Quatro wanted the boys to see the cranes moving the big piece of equipment onto the barge.
“This is the perfect field trip that came to us today,” she said.
The condenser is about 200,000 pounds. It left Batavia early this morning around 4 a.m. and headed down 98.
Stephanie DiGiulio took this photo and the one below of the condenser going down Route 31A in Barre. A caravan helped move the equipment on the slow journey.
The route included Route 98, to 31A in Barre, then down Gaines Basin Road before turning right on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road.
There were people to raise the wires so the equipment could pass through without taking down utilities.
Graham did a similar effort on May 25, 2022, when a condenser was taken from Batavia to Albion by truck, and then loaded onto a barge. That condenser was used for a nuclear submarine. Graham officials declined to discuss the condenser this morning.
The Tug Edna A with Barge 82 is taking the condenser east along the canal. The shipment’s final destination is in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The condenser will be used by the Navy.
The Tug Edna A is owned by the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Company of Troy. It picked up the oversize load along the canal just east of the Gaines Basin Road bridge.
There were several onlookers to see the huge cranes move the 200,000-pound package.
The condenser is on site by the canal and a worker checks it before being lifted onto the barge.
These cyclists ride on the towpath and get closer to the heavy equipment moving the package onto the barge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 September 2023 at 1:21 pm
Hayes, 33, currently part of cast in The Color Purple at Shea’s 710 Theatre
Provided photos: Jake Hayes has starred in the Western New York theater for the past decade, doing a variety of characters, from silly to serious. In the top photos he is the Beast, left, in Beauty and the Beast, and Sebastian in Little Mermaid.
BUFFALO – Jake Hayes is one of the hardest working people in Buffalo show business.
The Albion native performs in four or five different productions a year. He is currently in the cast for The Color Purple at Shea’s 710 Theatre. The show started Sept. 14 and runs until Oct. 1. Click here for ticket information.
“Jake is a dynamic force both off and onstage,” said Kristin Bentley, executive director for The Color Purple for Second Generation Theatre. “He’s able to bring a smile to your face with his charm and charisma then seamlessly move you to the edge of your seat with his powerful commitment.”
Hayes, 33, works a full-time job during the day as activities director for a nursing home in Buffalo. In the evening, he is often rehearsing for a show or performing for a live audience.
Jake Hayes, back right, is currently in the cast of The Color Purple at Shea’s 710 Theatre in Buffalo. He is in the ensemble and also plays Buster and a prison guard in the production. The show runs until Oct. 1. (Photo by Stephen Gabris)
Hayes said he is a people-person and feels energized on stage in front of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people. He also is thrilled to be running programs for the senior citizens at the nursing home.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work a full schedule,” Hayes said in a recent interview in Albion. “I’m always in shows.”
He has performed at The Place Theatre in Lockport, Shakespeare at Delaware Park, Shea’s Smith Theatre in Buffalo, Shea’s 710 Theatre in Buffalo and other venues.
“This is a total artform for me,” Hayes said. “I love telling stories.”
Hayes was a star in the Albion High School musicals. He pursued theater after being encouraged to give it a try by his friends. Hayes wasn’t in a show until he was a sophomore. He played baseball and that schedule didn’t allow him to be in the spring musicals.
But after being injured and unable to play as a 10th grader, Hayes tried out for the musical. He had a small part as a servant in the ensemble of Into the Woods. He felt an immediate connection with the theater. He loved being on stage and among the cast and crew.
The Albion crowd in the middle school auditorium gave a thunderous applause for the students on stage. Hayes said it was overwhelming.
“To get that from peers and the community was just amazing,” he said.
Jake Hayes has performed in Little Shop of Horrors. He is shown at right with a nomination for best character performance for Little Shop of Horrors.
As a junior he played a lead role, the character Laurie in Little Woman and was recognized at The Stars of Tomorrow, honoring the top high school theater talent among high schools in the Rochester area. As a senior he played the lead role of Harold Hill in The Music Man. (Hayes twice has played Laurie as in adult in other productions of Little Women.)
Hayes felt his confidence grow on stage. He credited Gary Simboli, the musical director at the time, for helping him to read music and to refine a stage presence.
Simboli also was the high school choir director, and Hayes served as the group’s president. He said that experience helped him to grow as a leader.
“I owe a huge portion of my talent and abilities to him,” Hayes said about Simboli. “I got brave and audacity from being in the choir. Gary showed me that I’m valuable.”
Hayes made his debut singing in public before he was in the school musicals. He was 9 years old when he did his first solo at the Shiloh Baptist Church (where his cousin Trellis Pore is now pastor). Jake’s mother, Dolores Patterson, was the choir director. Hayes still has a strong recollection of singing the gospel song, “Have You Heard of The City Paved With Gold.” He was so nervous to sing in front of the crowd.
“I was absolutely terrified,” he said.
The church made the youth speak publicly, sharing a highlight of the week. They were urged to be part of the choir.
After graduated from Albion, Hayes earned a degree in communication/mass media at Pace University in New York City, with a minor in acting. He graduated in 2013. He didn’t stay in NYC. He came close to home to be near family. His grandmother passed away less than a month after he graduated.
Hayes still wanted to be in theater and tried the local community group, Lake Plains Players. The group in the fall 2013 was performing an ambitious show, Les Misérables. Hayes tried out and landed one of the big roles, Marius, the lover of Cosette and a revolutionary.
From there Hayes performed at the Palace Theatre, including as Donkey in Shrek, and now is a sought after performer in Buffalo, earning money for the roles. He saves the money he earns at theater to travel. He and his girlfriend recently went to Thailand. Hayes is planning to take his mom on his next trip to Puerto Rico.
Jake Hayes performs in about four or five different productions a year. He was recently on the cover of the Buffalo Spree magazine in an issue promoting the upcoming theater season in Buffalo.
Hayes said he is so grateful to be in a different show about every 10 weeks, while still doing a full-time job in the day and being close to family. For many of the shows it’s a demanding month of rehearsals, typically from 6 p.m. to 10-10:30. Then the productions often have a three-week run.
In one play, Once in a Lifetime, the Buffalo-focused show had the Bills winning the Super Bowl. Hayes is currently part of The Color Purple, a musical where hundreds auditioned to be in the cast of 17. It is a powerful African American story from the early 20th century to mid 20th century.
Hayes works with many actors and directors who have Broadway experience. He encouraged people from Orleans County to attend a show in Buffalo or Lockport and see the talent on stage, and be moved by the story being presented.
He said he is living his dream by working with so many talented people in the Buffalo theater community. New York City is viewed as a the ultimate destination for theater, but Hayes said Buffalo has given him so many opportunities. It’s similar in many smaller large cities.
“You can have a strong variety-filled career working in cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Wichita, Kansas,” Hayes said. “For someone like me you want to be able to perform and express your artform. In Buffalo I get to splurge on life because I get to do my hobby almost full-time.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 23 September 2023 at 8:36 am
Provided photos: Community Acton of Orleans and Genesee was presented with donations of cash and toys from ABATE as a result of their annual toy run. Holding some of the donations are, from left, CAOG’s facility manager Ricky Standish, Eastern Orleans Community Center coordinator Deborah Rothmund, director of community services Katrina Chaffee and Head Start’s janitor/maintenance man in Batavia, Marc Malaniak.
MEDINA – A toy run to benefit Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is an annual event for the Orleans County Chapter of ABATE.
This year’s run took place Sept. 17 and kicks off the holiday season for Community Action, according to Katrina Chaffee, director of community services.
Chuck Persons, president of the local chapter of ABATE, said they have been hosting this run for 40 years.
Lineup is always at Ridgeway Fire Hall and travels around Orleans County, and back to the VFW in Medina, where chapter members prepare lunch for the riders. Community Action always provides dessert as a “thank you.”
The toys and cash donations will be used by Community Action to help the hundreds of families who apply for assistance at holiday time. This includes toys and gifts for each child in a family and a box containing all the food necessary for Christmas dinner.
This year’s run resulted in a donation of $661 in cash and $100 worth of toys.
The toys and cash donations will be used by Community Action to help the hundreds of families who apply for assistance at holiday time. This includes toys and gifts for each child in a family and a box containing all the food necessary for Christmas dinner.
(Left) Chuck Persons, president of the Orleans Chapter of ABATE, poses with Katrina Chaffee, director of community service at Community Action, after the annual toy run. (Right) ABATE member Al Schumacher rode his bike as Santa Claus.
