By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 January 2026 at 8:58 am
Provided photo: Baltimore Album Quilts, such as this example here, will be the topic of a virtual lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday to benefit the Cobblestone Society and Museum.
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society and Museum will host its first fundraising event of 2026 on Wednesday. A virtual lecture will be presented at 7 p.m. on the topic of Baltimore Album Quilts, by quilt historian and collector Deborah “Debby” Cooney of Maryland, one of today’s leading experts on these historical quilts.
She and Ronda McAllen published “Baltimore Album Quilts: New Research,” in the journal of the American Quilt Study Group in 2017, in addition to other articles and essays, according to Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum.
Cooney’s talk is titled “Baltimore Album Quilts: Their History and Major Styles.” Cooney shares that Baltimore Album Quilts, produced largely between 1842 and 1862, are among the most elaborate and accomplished examples of American quilt making.
Her presentation will explain the context of their development and the various design styles, largely in floral applique, that emerged from Baltimore’s talented needlewomen and its religious groups. Many images of the genre’s lavish creations will be discussed.
Registrations for the virtual lecture will be accepted at the Museum’s event’s page at Cobblestonemuseum.org or click here for more information.
Donations are accepted in exchange for the Zoom link to attend the program. Donors may choose their level of support on a sliding scale basis, beginning at just $5. Donations of $25 or greater allow individuals or businesses to claim the title of sponsor or support of the program. Town & Country Quilt Shop in Albion and Country Treasures Quilt Shop in Brockport are current sponsors of this event, as well as a few anonymous donors who offered additional financial support.
The Cobblestone Society owns a small collection of antique quilts and 19th century coverlets in their textiles collection. An exhibit of more than 20 coverlets is currently displayed at the Museum’s Thompson-Kast Visitors Center.
A full color catalog details each coverlet, used as a reference guide or for purchase by donation. Interested individuals can call (585) 589-9013 for an appointment to view this exhibit or for more information regarding Wednesday’s virtual lecture.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 December 2025 at 9:56 pm
Charlie Monacelli
ALBION – A long-time volunteer firefighter has been elected fire commissioner in the Albion Joint Fire District.
Charlie Monacelli was elected to a five-year term today. He received 77 votes to the 58 for Derek Howes.
Monacelli will take the place of Chris Kinter on the board of commissioners. This was the second election for the Albion Joint Fire District. A year ago, the five commissioners were elected for the first time. Kinter didn’t seek re-election to the unpaid position. Monacelli’s term starts on Jan. 1.
The turnout was steady for the election which lasted three hours from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hoag Library.
Monacelli has been a volunteer firefighter for 36 years. He said he is running to bring more transparency in the joint fire district.
Howes is an Albion native who recently moved back to the community after being very involved with the Town of Niagara Active Hose fire company. He served on the Executive Board and as a lieutenant with that fire company. He works full-time as a project manager/estimator for a fire protection company.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 December 2025 at 8:52 am
Charlie Monacelli, left, and Derek Howes are both seeking a five-year term as fire commissioner for the Albion Joint Fire District.
ALBION – Two people are running for fire commissioner today in an election for the Albion Joint Fire District.
Charlie Monacelli and Derek Howes both are seeking the five-year term. One of them will take the spot of Chris Kinter, who isn’t seeking re-election.
The election is from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hoag Library, 134 South Main St. in Albion. Registered voters in the towns of Albion and Gaines (as well as the Village of Albion) can vote.
The Albion Joint Fire District is concluding its first year after the joint fire district was formed to serve the towns of Albion and Gaines. Before, fire protection was under the oversight of the Albion Village Board with the two towns in a fire protection contract with the village.
Monacelli has been a volunteer firefighter for 36 years. He said he is running to bring more transparency in the joint fire district.
“Every resident deserves clear, honest communication and open decision-making,” he said.
Howes is an Albion native who recently moved back to the community after being very involved with the Town of Niagara Active Hose fire company. He served on the Executive Board and as a lieutenant with that fire company. He works full-time as a project manager/estimator for a fire protection company.
He said those experiences will would make him an asset to the board of commissioners at the Albion Joint Fire District.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 15 November 2025 at 6:42 pm
Provided photos: This quilt, hand-made by Brenda Radzinski, will be on display as part of the Cobblestone Museum’s holiday program Dec. 6 to usher in the Christmas season. The program, “Simply Christmas: A Community Musical Quilt,” will feature talented individuals from the local area, accompanied by a display of quilts.
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum will welcome the Christmas season with special events on Dec. 6. These include the opening of the Museum’s Holiday Shoppe from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with a special program arranged by Cobblestone board member and treasurer Maarit Vaga, titled “Simply Christmas: A Community Musical Quilt.”
The Cobblestone Museum’s Holiday Shoppe is filled with unique items for its Open House on Dec. 6.
Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum, urges community members to consider checking out the Holiday Shoppe for their Christmas shopping needs.
“Whether you’re looking for a string of lights, wrapping paper, a tree ornament, Christmas books, mugs, wreaths, snowmen or assorted Santa and angel items, consider stopping by to check out our brand new or gently used holiday merchandise,” Bonafini said. “We’ve already got plenty to choose from, but because we anticipate many shoppers, why not donate your unwanted holiday decorations to us. We’ll take anything you’re ready to retire that would enhance our displays so we can get them into a new home for the holiday season.”
All sales benefit the Cobblestone Society and Museum.
In addition to the Holiday Shoppe items, Susan Walders will be selling handmade knitted and crocheted items to enhance the shopping experience, perfect for gift giving to or keep winter’s chill away, Bonafini said.
Anyone wishing to donate items to the Holiday Shoppe can call (585) 589-9013 or email volunteers@cobblestonemuseum.org to arrange a drop-off time.
The name “Simply Christmas: A Community Musical Quilt,” was chosen for this year’s holiday program to usher in the Christmas season, Bonafini said. Vaga is working on this patchwork of instrumental music, vocals and more to entertain the audience at 11 a.m. Dec. 6 at the Cobblestone Church. A 45-minute performance will include at least one sing-along and a quartet of Susan Walders, Aaron Grabowski and Bradeen and Sebastian Erakare singing Riu, Riu, Chiu, a Spanish Renaissance Christmas madrigal.
Jan-Mikael Erakare will present Christmas readings. In addition, three former interns will entertain: John Patt of Holley will play a violin solo, Casey Starkweather of Carlton will sing and Eliya Cooper of Rochester will join Walders for a clarinet and flute duet.
The entire program will be enhanced by a display of quilts by talented quilter Brenda Radzinski. A free-will offering will be accepted. Light refreshments will follow at the lower level of the church.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 November 2025 at 12:04 pm
Many of the meetings only have 12-15 attendees among more than 70 elected officials at village, town and county levels
Photo by Tom Rivers: Orleans County legislator John Fitzak speaks during the Oct. 28 meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities. Debbie Yokel, Carlton town clerk, is at left and Margaret Swan, Barre town councilwoman, is at right.
GAINES – An association of local elected officials has experienced very light turnouts in recent years. That is frustrating to the association’s leaders, who want to see more participation.
Some of the meetings have been cancelled because too few people sent in an RSVP. Other meetings only have 12 to 15 people.
The Orleans County Association of Municipalities is currently co-led by County Legislator John Fitzak and Carlton Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery. They try to brainstorm relevant topics each month in meetings for leaders of the four villages, 10 towns and the county government.
The association has discussed topics this year on local land planning issues, using aerial imagery in the assessment process, and heard presentations from the County’s Special Response Team and also the county’s personnel director. The group in the past has discussed EMS services, sales tax sharing, infrastructure needs and changes in state and federal laws and their impact locally.
The next meeting on Nov. 18 at Tavern on the Ridge will feature Holli Nenni, the Orleans County commissioner of social services. She will discuss impacts of the federal government shutdown. The Orleans County Board of Elections representatives will also share information.
The association was started more than 40 years ago after the county government changed from being run by the 10-member Board of Supervisors to the seven-member County Legislature. The association is intended to give the county legislators, and the town and village officials a frequent and easy way to share information and discuss common concerns.
“The more information we gather, the better the product will be,” Fitzak said at the Oct. 28 meeting.
The towns and county used to be rotation where they would pick the speaker. Fitzak said he is open to having the towns do the schedule, or submit ideas to him and Ashbery.
The Special Response Team, which includes members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and Albion Police Department, did a demonstration on Oct. 28 for the local officials and showed some of their equipment, including drone technology.
Fitzak welcomed input from the group on what needs to be done to get more involvement from all the towns and villages.
“We want to keep the lines of communication open,” Fitzak said. “Let us know but do your part and get people to show up.”
The Albion Village Board discussed the issue on Wednesday. Trustee Tim McMurray attended the Oct. 28 meeting. He urged other Village Board members to attend. He said it’s a venue for airing concerns and hearing from other local leaders.
McMurray said he would like to have a fresh discussion on sales tax sharing. The amount to the 10 towns and four villages hasn’t changed since 2001 despite sizable increases in what the county collects.
“This is a time where we can show up and ask them questions,” McMurray said about the association of local elected officials.
John Belson, the Lyndonville mayor, is a regular at the meetings. He said Orleans County is unusual in having an association where the local officials can get together regularly to discuss issues.
Each of the 10 towns have five board members, and the four villages also have five elected officials on their boards. The County Legislature has seven members. That is 77 officials among the towns, villages and county, and that doesn’t include clerks and highway superintendents.
But only a few of them attend the association meetings.
Fitzak urged more officials to be there.
“They don’t know the information,” he said. “They’re missing out.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2025 at 10:11 am
Construction to start in spring on new visitor center
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Cobblestone Society held its annual meeting on Nov. 1 and presented awards including, from left: Jeannette Riley representing the Riley family received the Donna Rodden Hospitality Award; Chris Capurso was named Volunteer of the Year; and Marie Bell, owner of Country Treasures Quilt Shop in Brockport, received the Business Partner of the Year award.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Society & Museum held its annual meeting on Nov. 1 and honored several key supporters of the Cobblestone Museum. The attendees also heard about an effort to save the last remaining cobblestone house in Rochester.
Museum President Matt Holland announced the organization expects to break ground on a new visitor center this spring. The museum has $1.6 million in place for the project. That includes a $716,000 state grant for the visitor’s center at the corner of routes 98 and 104 in Gaines. The new Thompson-Kast Visitors Center will go next to a brick house from 1830.
The Cobblestone Society formed in 1960 initially to save the Cobblestone Church from 1834 and the then the cobblestone schoolhouse down the road on Route 104. The school was built in 1849. The museum has grown to about 15 structures.
This rendering shows the new Thompson-Kast Visitors Center for the Cobblestone Museum, left, which would be next to a historic brick home from the 1830s.
The Cobblestone Museum & Society held the annual meeting at the Gaines Carlton Community Church and presented awards for people who have made significant contributions to the organziation.
Business Partner of the Year – Marie Bell, owner of Country Treasures Quilt Shop in Brockport, was named Business Partner of the Year. Since 2016 she has extended financial support toward programming connected to quilts, whether live or virtual events. In 2025 she was the exclusive sponsor of a virtual program featuring a remarkable textile held by the Kentucky Historical Society, the Elizabeth Roseberry Mitchell Graveyard Quilt, c. 1843, said Sue Bonafini, the museum’s assistant director.
Provided photo: Pat’s Auto Repair of Albion owned by Patrick & Marissa Olles received the Community Partner Award for sponsoring several events at the Cobblestone Museum.
Donna Rodden Hospitality Award – The Riley family of Albion graciously allowed members and friends of the Society to visit their magnificent gardens on the north bank of the Erie Canal for our midsummer celebration in July.
“They received the Donna Rodden Hospitality Award, which recognizes the hosting of events on behalf of the museum,” Bonafini said. “This special event has become an ideal fundraiser for the Museum, and we greatly appreciate the family’s efforts to prepare and share their beautiful location with all of us.”
Community Partner Award – Patrick & Marissa Olles, owners of Pat’s Auto Repair of Albion, received the Community Partner Award. Museum members at the Bronze Membership level, the Olles have sponsored several events when funding was needed, including sponsorship of two virtual programs during the 2025 off-season, and they were the exclusive sponsor of last year’s Solar Eclipse celebration in April.
“They have provided more than one gift basket for our events,” Bonafini said. “They’ve donated some merchandise with their company logo for our use, and they went home with more than one item from our Membership Dinner auction this past May, which equates to additional financial support for our organization.”
Volunteer of the Year – Chris Capurso was named Volunteer of the Year. She is a trustee of the Cobblestone Society and a volunteer since 2021. Capurso has demonstrated a willingness to take on a variety of roles to assist staff with daily operations, special events or other projects. She also recently became a docent and is now sharing the history of the museum buildings with the public. This past season she tackled several special activities, including the sorting of 110 boxes of donated books for our Used Books building.
Tim Keller and his wife Debbi shared about a community effort to prevent the last cobblestone house in Rochester from being demolished to make way for a dollar store.
The Lockwood-Alhart Cobblestone House & Retail Plaza is at 1090 Culver Rd. After the community rallied to save the building from 1835, the owner opted to donate it to Rochester Land Bank Corporation. The Kellers and community members are now optimistic the site will be a satellite city office for people to meet with city staff.
Don Alhart, a legendary Rochester television broadcaster, shared about his family’s connection to the house. The Alhart family owned it until 1988.
“Losing a structure like the Lockwood-Alhart House for a dollar store, that’s quite a slap in the face to the residents of the City of Rochester,” Mrs. Keller said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2025 at 9:14 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
EAGLE HARBOR – The Rev. Susan Boring greets people on Sunday after a special service at the Eagle Harbor Methodist Church celebrating Boring’s 25 years at the church.
Boring said serving the Eagle Harbor church has been an honor. She praised the congregation for their commitment to bringing’s Christ’s love to each other and the community.
“The greatest gift in my life has been serving this church as pastor,” she told about 75 people at the service on Sunday.
The Albion resident for many years served as pastor while also working as a music teacher in Brockport, including 29 years with the fifth grade band.
She is now retired from that career but continues to reach out to her many friends in music to perform at the Eagle Harbor church.
Boring sings and plays the guitar, piano and the trombone at church.
“I’ve really been able to embrace God’s call on my life, which I was really resistant to in the beginning,” she said. “I enjoy leading worship, I enjoy the people and I enjoy working together with the congregation to reach out to the community.”
Boring plays the guitar with Mike Vick, which a regular feature every Sunday at Eagle Harbor. They are singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
Terry Vick, a lay leader in the church, leads an installation for Boring which is now an independent Wesleyan Methodist Church. The church was affiliated with the United Methodist denomination until last year.
Vick, after the service, said the congregation is thankful to have Boring as their pastor.
“She’s real,” Vick said. “She’s not above us. She learns with us. She is a good friend who is available day or night.”
The Rev. Susan Boring holds her robe and stole as a visible representation of her responsibilities as the church’s shepherd and pastor.
The Rev. Linda Haight grew up in Eagle Harbor as Linda DeBoard. She delivered the sermon on Sunday. Haight said she felt the call to be a minister when she was a child attending Eagle Harbor.
She now serves as a pastor at the North Ontario Methodist Church in Wayne County. Haight said the Eagle Harbor congregation has long been welcoming and a place to grow in the Christian faith.
The Eagle Harbor church’s brick building was constructed 150 years ago in 1875. It replaced an earlier wooden structure. The church is located along the Erie Canal in the town of Gaines.
The first church in Eagle Harbor was built in 1826. Before that, circuit riding preachers established a preaching station in Eagle Harbor in 1818. As more people moved to the community, Baptist and Presbyterian groups were founded and met in homes or the school house.
The Rev. Boring said the church has changed over time but it’s heart-warming Christian hospitality continues to be a vital part of the ministry. She a stuffed animal ministry where Teddy Bears and other stuffed animals are given to people from the church as a tangible reminder that the Eagle Harbor Methodist Church loves them and is praying for them.
After the service, the congregation went to the Elks Lodge in Albion for a brunch.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2025 at 8:28 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: “Big E” in front and Bowie are two of the alpacas at Velvet Ridge Farm & Market on Ridge Road in Albion. The farm will be open to the public this weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for National Alpaca Farm Days.
ALBION – It’s a big weekend for local alpaca farms. Five of those farms will be open to the public for National Alpaca Farm Days.
The farms are open today and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farms on the tour include:
• Lake Alice Alpacas – 2125 Oak Orchard River Rd., Waterport
Toni and Tom Starks have opened a new alpaca farm, Velvet Ridge Farm & Market, LLC. They have seven alpacas and a store with alpaca products, hats and other fiber products.
Mrs. Starks is recently retired as a health educator and mentor teacher coordinator at Albion. Her husband is retired from a career in the defense industry.
The two wanted to stay busy in retirement, but not have intense pressure.
Alpacas are a low-maintenance animal, that are easy to take care of, Mrs. Starks said.
“After teaching I wanted to do something more peaceful but I also stay in teaching and sustainability,” she said.
Velvet Ridge has seven alpacas who are all named and adored by their owners: Snoop, Big E, Bowie, Tiny Tim, Bruce, Willie and Elvis.
The farm is named “Velvet” for the soft fleece from the alpacas.
A market at Velvet Ridge includes sock, hats and other products made from alpaca fiber.
There is also pottery from Magpie, Kathleen’s Crochet Creations, local honey and maple syrup, homemade fudge and baked goods, vintage goods, pumpkins and mums.
The market also sells Albanese’s Finest Gourmet Sauces, organically cultivated mushrooms and other local products.
Toni Stark has enjoyed creating the alpaca farm with her husband. They are at the former Poelma Farm on Ridge Road. The Velvet Ridge Farm & Market is new to National Alpaca Farm Days.
Visitors to all five local farms this weekend will be entered in a raffle with a chance to win a basket raffle over $300.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 September 2025 at 1:12 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – A garage was destroyed by a fast-moving fire late Tuesday night at 2806 Lattin Rd. in Gaines.
The fire melted some siding and the soffits on the house next to the garage, but the house was spared from serious damage.
There were no injuries to the three people and their two dogs at the house.
The fire badly damaged a pickup truck and also melted part of the front of a SUV.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 11:42 p.m. Firefighters from Albion, Carlton, Medina and Murray responded as well as Orleans County Emergency Management and fire investigators.
