ALBION – Adam Krenning is the new athletic director for Albion Central School, following the retirement of Randy Knaak.

Krenning was appointed to the position on Monday by the Board of Education. He has been the head varsity football coach the past two seasons, leading the team to league titles both seasons (2017 was a shared title with Dunkirk).

Krenning has been an agriculture teacher at Albion the past 19 years and the FFA advisor. That program has grown from a dozen students when he started to 118 this past school year.

“I just feel I can help the athletic program in the same way I grew the agriculture and FFA program,” he said this morning.

Krenning is meeting with school officials later today to discuss his role with the FFA and agriculture programs. He would like to continue to help with those programs.

He helped develop a 5-acre land lab for agriculture and FFA programs. FFA students also have strong connections with the agriculture community, collecting more than 30,000 pounds of produce each year in a food drive.

Krenning played tight end and defensive end for the Purple Eagles, with his last season in 1992. He has been a football coach the past 12 years, with the past two as the varsity head coach.

In his new role, he will work on scheduling games for all of the Albion sports, arranging transportation and for officials, and finding staff to run clocks and keep pitch counts.

He wants to see all of the teams excel on the field, court and in the pool, but Krenning said it’s not just about wins and losses in measuring the success of a program.

“It’s about the connections with kids,” he said. “How are we helping them to become better people in society.”

Albion NY Rocks has participated in many community events

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Children in the Little Leapers daycare in Albion paint rocks on Tuesday at Hoag Library in a program run by the Albion NY Rocks group. There were 54 people, from young kids to senior citizens, for the library program.

Zack, one of the kids at Little Leapers, paints a rock.

Albion NY Rocks formed two years ago and has been going strong, with a core group getting together most weeks to paint rocks. They leave the rocks with painted messages throughout the community. People who find them are urged to post a photo of the rock on the Albion NY Rocks Facebook page, and then rehide the rock. The group has more than 3,000 Facebook friends.

Some of the Albion NY Rocks members are shown handing out painting supplies during the Hoag program on Tuesday. From left include Debi Donahue, Lori Laine and Maureen Bennett.

Laine has been an energetic leader for the group, which has participated in many community events, including the Albion Strawberry Festival Parade.

“It’s about kindness and community,” Laine said. “It really brings the community together.”

Lori Laine painted these rocks last week while camping at the Golden Hill State Park in Barker. She invited some of the other campers at the park to paint rocks. She said she has made many close friends through Albion NY Rocks.

Albion NY Rocks will be at the upcoming National Night Out on Aug. 6 at Bullard Park with lots of rocks and paint for children and families.

The group also will be featured in its first art show, “Rock On,” from July 26 to Aug. 19 at Salih Studio at 24 East Bank St., which is a satellite gallery for GO Art! There will be an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 26.

Shirley Nigro, a local artist, has painted intricate faces of animals on many of the rocks. She likes to paint on unusually shaped rocks that give a 3D feel to the paintings.

She is pleased to see so many community members have tried painting through the rock group, often surprising themselves with their creations.

Many of the children on Tuesday painted about a dozen rocks each. Some were joined by a parent or grandparent.

“Look at these kids,” Nigro said. “They are creating and having fun.”

Carol Miller and her granddaughter Kayli Miller paint rocks together on Tuesday.

Carol Miller paints sailboats on her rock. She lives at Lake Alice in Carlton.

Maureen Bennett is recently retired from Albion Central School. She has been active with the rock group, and said the rock painting remains very popular in the community.

“There is joy – everybody is smiling,” Bennett said. “We have a blast doing it.”

Laine said the local group is fortunate to have Lake Ontario close by, producing an endless supply of smooth, round rocks. She knows some rock groups away from the lake have to buy rocks at stores.

She goes to a few spots by the lake to get the rocks, which she happily shares with others. She also enjoys painting the rocks, including one with a “Happy Camper” theme featuring an RV.

“We know when we put these out there that people are smiling,” Laine said.

Here are some of rocks painted by children and adults during the program at Hoag Library on Tuesday.

Press Release, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

ROCHESTER – The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate have issued a call for nominations for the 2020 ATHENA International Awards.

Rochester Chamber and the Women’s Council plan to present the awards, which recognize and empower women in business, at the 34th annual ATHENA Awards Dinner January 23, 2020.

The ATHENA International Award is given annually to a professional female leader who has demonstrated significant achievements in business, community service, and the professional advancement of women.

The ATHENA Young Professional Award recognizes emerging female leaders in the 30 to 45 year old range who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession and serve as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

The ATHENA Organizational Award goes to a woman-owned or woman-led business or organization that creates a culture encouraging women employees to achieve their full leadership potential and supports leadership development opportunities for women and girls in the community.

Former IBERO-American Action League President and CEO Hilda Rosario-Escher received the 33rd annual ATHENA International Award. Shaquana Divers, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Executive Program Manager, took home the fifth annual ATHENA Young Professional Award, and HCR Home Care received the second annual ATHENA Organizational Award.

To nominate a distinguished woman business leader for the ATHENA International Award, an outstanding emerging professional woman for the ATHENA Young Professional Award, or a woman-owned or woman-led organization for the ATHENA Organizational Award, click here. Only online submissions will be accepted. The nomination deadline is Sept. 27.

BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is planning an open studio tour weekend in September and seeks artists who would like to have their studio and work represented, said Gregory Hallock, GO Art! director.

Artists of all media are sought. The two-day event will feature artists from Orleans County on Sept. 21 and artists from Genesee County on Sept. 22.

“We want them to be working on something so people can see their studio and workplace,” Hallock said. “We welcome people working in all different medias.”

If artists don’t have a studio for the public to see, they could instead work out of a business location, Hallock said.

“We want the public to see the process,” he said.

Interested members of the public will be able to purchase maps to the artists’ studios on the tour from GO Art! at Seymour Place in Batavia, beginning Aug. 19, about a month before the event.

Artists will be able to meet the public, display their craft, and sell their art as part of the tour. Interested visitors will be able to meet artists, see them at work, and purchase their goods.

Information about how to become an artist listed on the GO ART! open studio tour is available at the GO Art! website at www.goart.org under the “Events” tab. The deadline for artists to register to be part of the tour event is July 15.

ALBION – The school district is buying 540 new Chromebook laptops for students. The Board of Education on Monday approved spending $119,700 for the Chromebooks, which also includes 18 charging carts.

The district is buying them from CDI Technologies of Ontario, Canada, which submitted the lowest bid.

The district currently has about 200 Chromebooks. The Chromebooks are used by classrooms, with the laptops staying at the school and not going home with students.

Teachers can sign out use of a cart of Chromebooks, with 30 of the computers in a cart.

The district also has a bank of desktop computers in most classrooms or about 1,000 of those computers total. Rather than replace some of those desktop computers, the district will upgrade the memory and processors on 250 of those computers.

The board accepted a bid for $25,002.50 for the components to upgrade those computers. CDW Government LLC of Vernon Hills, Ill., was the low bidder.

The new Chromebooks plus the desktop computers gives the district about 1,740 computers. The enrollment is about 1,800 students.

“We’re nearing the point where we have one device per kid,” said Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent.

The Board of Education also approved a bid from Connection Public Sector Solutions of Merrimack, NH, for $6,724.60 for “peripherals,” including new printers.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Custom Flags and Poles of Cheektowaga installed a new 25-foot-high flag pole at Hoag Library this morning. Paul Heyink, right, is owner of the business and Dennis Gilbert is his employee.

They are shown putting in the foundation in front of the library.

Dennis Gilbert stands by the new flag pole and checks to see if it is perfectly level.

Dennis Gilbert checks to see if the pole is at the perfect 90-degree angle.

ALBION — The Albion Board of Education observed a moment of silence at the beginning of its meeting on Monday for a retired teacher and a student who both died on June 18.

Suzanne Wells was an art teacher in the district. She was 69 when she passed away from cancer.

She worked as a teacher at Albion from 1971 until 2005.

“Mrs. Wells will be remembered for her tremendous talent and creative ability,” said board member David Sidari. “In observations, it was noted that she approached everything with optimism and enthusiasm. It was also referenced that her caring, conscientious and kind disposition endeared her with students, faculty and the greater Albion community.”

The board also observed a moment of silence for Brennan Moody, 17. Brennan was killed in a car accident 10 days before graduation.

“Brennan will be remembered by many for the soft-spoken mild manner that was his — until the music started,” Sidari said. “Brennan was a song-master, performing in chorus, the men’s select group, and numerous solo pieces during concerts, senior citizens’ day, talent shows and others. Brennan was also involved in concert band, jazz band and marching band. He will be remembered by the large audiences who enjoyed his performances in our high school drama productions.”

Sidari then asked the crowd to give Brennan one last round of applause, which they did.

Kathy Harling is new president; 2 others – Gregg Boose and Joyce Riley – appointed to board

Photos by Tom Rivers: Kathy Harling, the new president of the Albion Board of Education, raises her hand to vote yes during Monday’s board meeting.

ALBION – The Albion Board of Education has new leadership, and also moved to fill two vacancies on the board during its meeting on Monday.

Kathy Harling is the new board president and David Sidari is the vice president.

Margy Brown served as president for eight years. She announced a year ago she would step down as president after the 2018-19 school year. She continues as a board member.

Steve LaLonde was serving as vice president with the plan to take over as president. LaLonde, however, resigned from the board on May 8, citing a busy schedule that made it difficult to put in the time as a board member.

The board meetings have been tense in recent months with the Albion Teachers Association and community pressing for answers and investigation about whether there is a high incidence of cancer among teachers and staff who work in the elementary school. Some of the board members, including Harling, faulted the district’s leadership for not communicating effectively with the public about the district’s efforts to have experts check the building.

The board seemed to be at a stalemate early in the organizational meeting in picking the new president. There are nine board seats and a president needs at least five votes.

There were only seven board members after the recent resignations from Steve LaLonde and Marie Snyder.

Kathy Harling had four votes – Wayne Wadhams, Elissa Nesbitt, Linda Weller and Harling – to be president and David Sidari had three – Margy Brown, Chantelle Sacco and Brown.

Wadhams said he supported Sidari instead as vice president.

David Sidari, a member of the board for 20 years, said he would be an effective president and would have a good working relationship with Michael Bonnewell, the district superintendent. Sidari was picked to serve as the board’s vice president.

Brown said the position is demanding and requires follow-through. She questioned Harling for not completing some course work expected of board members in their first year. Harling, an attorney, just finished her second year on the board.

“Mrs. Harling I believe you would make a good president and I think your heart is in the right place,” Brown said. “I do believe you have within you what it would take.”

However, Brown said she was backing Sidari, who is the longest serving member at 20 years.

Harling said she has completed the coursework for the board members, and acknowledged it took longer than expected. However, she said she is fully committed to leading the board.

Gregg Boose Sr. speaks during the open forum and said he would welcome the chance to be on the board. He lost an election in May for a board seat by 6 votes.

“If elected I would put in 150 percent and do what needs to be done,” she said.

Sidari also made a pitch to the other board members. He said the board president needs to work closely with the district superintendent, Michael Bonnewell.

“I feel I am better to work with the superintendent at this time,” Sidari.

Elissa Nesbitt said Sidari brings a wealth of experience to the board, but Nesbitt supports Harling because she would unify the board and bring “a fresh view.”

The board voted twice and both times Harling had 4 votes and Sidari had 3. That wasn’t enough to elect a president.

Brown asked Harling if she would work closely with Sidari for the betterment of the district. Harling said she would. With that, Brown said she would vote for Harling as president, and she was then approved in a unanimous 7-0 vote with Sidari elected as vice president.

Brown said the district has to move forward and stop the dissension on the board.

The meeting started with two vacancies on the board following recent resignations from Steve LaLonde and Marie Snyder.

Gregg Boose Sr. and Joyce Riley both narrowly lost elections to the board in May. During that election Linda Weller had the most votes with 323 followed by 290 for Sidari. They were elected to five-year terms. Boose received 284 and Riley, 221.

They both spoke during the public forum of the meeting and said they would be willing to fill the vacancies on the board.

Gary Kent, a former Orleans County legislator, said the board should appoint at least one or both of them so there is needed diversity on the board.

Joyce Riley, a former board member more than two decades ago, also lost a close election in May. She said she would be willing to fill a vacancy on the board.

Boose, a retired corrections officer, said the board needs to end the divisiveness and work together. He said he is a model citizen who would be kid focused.

The Albion Teachers Association backed Boose in the May election. Boose said he isn’t “owned” by the ATA and will be an independent thinker.

“I can’t be bought,” he said. “I’m going to do the right thing.”

Riley is a former member of the Albion Board of Education. She worked as a registered nurse and later supervised an ambulatory surgical unit in Washington, D.C., overseeing 200 employees. When she retired, she moved back to Albion in 2015.

She said she has been concerned about the friction among the board members. She is willing to listen and speak her mind when needed.

The board could have called a special election to fill the two vacancies or had an interview process with a chance for more applications from the community. There would have been an interview from the board.

Brown urged the board to fill the positions right away with Riley and Boose, who narrowly lost the election in May and who both have a willingness to serve.

“I strongly believe we have so much work to do and we need to move forward,” Brown said. “I feel like we have been treading water for months and it needs to stop.”

The other board members agreed to appoint Boose and Riley.

There is one year left on Snyder’s term and two years on LaLonde’s. Boose and Riley will each serve for about a year. The remaining year of LaLonde’s term will be up for election next May.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jonah Fisher, 2 ½, plays the “mouse” during a game today at Hoag Library. He ran underneath a big parachute where there was another kid who was the “cat” trying to find him. The game was part of a field day and “Water Wars” event outside Hoag Library, which planned the activities with help from the Albion varsity girls softball team as part of the summer reading program.

Julia Graham, 8, of Albion takes a turn as the cat, trying to find someone hiding under the parachute.

These cousins – Garrett Smith, 7, (left) and Henley Miller, 5, of Albion – work together in the three-legged race.

After the field day events, the water balloons and squirt guns came out for “Water Wars.” Millie Fisher, 4, of Albion squealed when she was sprayed with a squirt gun.

June Moore, 5, of Albion looks to get someone wet with her squirt gun.

Aura Fox, 6, of Albion threw water balloons at some of the other kids.

Provided photo: David Nichols sent in this photo looking out at Lake Ontario on July 4 from his cottage on the shore of Lyndonville.

Press Release, International Joint Commission

At its meeting on July 5, the Board for the International Joint Commission reached consensus to maintain the current outflow, which is 200 m3/s (7,060 cfs) higher than regulation Plan 2014 and the maximum safe navigation limit that would normally apply at these lake levels. The Seaway Corporations have implemented mitigation measures to allow safe navigation to continue at these higher flows, which will continue to lower Lake Ontario levels and provide relief to those impacted by this year’s high water event.

The Board deliberated several outflow strategies above 10,400 m3/s and considered both the additional decline on Lake Ontario and impacts to other stakeholders. These scenarios included incremental increases all the way up to maximum outflow capacity of the St. Lawrence River. At present, any additional increase in flow would require the Seaway Corporations to shut down shipping on the St. Lawrence River between St. Lambert and Cape Vincent.

The economic costs for disrupting the supply chain of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence economy is estimated at $50 million per day. Additional impacts were also expected for recreational boating and downstream shoreline property owners, including resumed and additional flooding in areas of the lower St. Lawrence River just upstream of Montreal. Additional environmental impacts were also expected due to sustained high flows, including impacts to fish, wildlife and waterfowl habitat and breeding grounds.

Outflows at maximum system capacity for 4 weeks would hasten the recovery of Lake Ontario in the short-term; however, when compared to maintaining the current record high outflow strategy both options converge to within 1 inch by Dec. 31.

This is because the amount of water that can be physically passed down the St. Lawrence River is directly related to the level of Lake Ontario. As the lake declines, so does maximum river capacity. Maintaining the current major deviation strategy will provide comparable benefit by the end of the calendar year, without creating $1.4 billion in economic damages.

The Board has also agreed to maintain the flow at 10,400 m3/s (367,270 cfs) for a longer duration than in 2017, until water levels on Lake Ontario drop more than 30 cm (1 foot) and fall below 75.50 m (247.7 ft). Current forecasts suggest this may occur around mid-August, depending on water supplies.

In addition, the Board has notified the Seaway Corporations that it will continue to set outflows at approximately 200 m3/s (7,060 cubic feet per second) above the normal safe navigation flow limit into the fall to continue lowering Lake Ontario levels at an accelerated rate. The Seaway Corporations will maintain mitigation measures to ensure safe navigation can continue during this period.

These enhanced outflow measures will help to provide both immediate and longer-term relief to all impacted upstream shoreline residents and property owners due to the high water levels. The intent of the Board is to lower water levels as much as possible prior to winter. It should be noted that the Board can only control outflows and not the water supplies to Lake Ontario. While the higher outflows will accelerate the rate of lowering that would otherwise occur, it is not possible, this year or any other, to lower Lake Ontario to a predetermined “safe” water level by the onset of winter.

The International Joint Commission has asked the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee to expedite their ongoing review of Plan 2014. The Board will release a statement later this week describing the extents of the GLAM assessment.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The 650 cyclists on the Cycle the Erie Canal trip are passing through Orleans County today on the second day of the trip, which started Sunday in Buffalo.

The top photo shows two cyclists crossing the Main Street lift bridge in Albion after they explored the downtown.

Mike Cronin of East Greenbush, near Albany, takes a break near the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.

Cronin, 72, is a first-timer on the ride across the state. He has boated in the canal near Albany and wanted to experience it by bike with the chance to make friends.

“I’m meeting new people I’ve never met before,” he said in Albion at about 8:30 this morning.

He likes the architecture and history of the canal towns.

He said he is physically up for the challenge of pedaling about 400 miles on the towpath.

“I’m getting older,” said the owner of a flag store. “If I wait too much longer, I’ll age out.”

There is no age limit for the cyclists. One of them is 86. The youngest is 5.

Tinsel, an ice cream shop that opened last month, gave out bananas and the Albion Browsery handed out bottles of water. Holley is an official rest stop for the cyclists with refreshments at the Canal Park.

The cyclists are headed to Fairport today. They spent last night at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds in Knowlesville.

Orleans County has seven of the 16 lift bridges on the Erie Canal.

These cyclists are reflected in the Erie Canal as they approach downtown Albion.

Albion police officer Dan Baase helps with traffic control while the cyclists cross Main Street.

This photo was taken on the stairs of the Main Street lift bridge.

File photo by Tom Rivers: A long table is set up for the dinner on Main Street in Medina on Aug. 4, 2016.

MEDINA – Tickets went on sale this morning for the fourth annual Farm to Table Dinner in Medina. It took 10 minutes for the event to be a sell-out with all 235 tickets gone.

“They went extraordinarily quickly,” said Chris Busch, chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group, which organizes the event.

The tickets were available online and also at the English Rose Tea Shoppe. ORG increased the capacity to 235, which was up from 200 last year. When the dinner started in 2016 there were 100 tickets available.

“We’ve tried to accommodate more people because of the demand,” Busch said.

ORG also increased the price for the first time from $100 to $125.

ORG doesn’t want to oversell the event. In case of rain, which happened at the 2017 dinner, the meal is served at The Gallagher, a barn that is an events center on North Gravel Road.

Busch said about 235 can comfortably fit at the Gallagher.

“The number of tickets available right now is determined by the number we can fit at the rain location,” he said.

Proceeds from the dinner go to support the Canal Village Farmers’ Market, a Medina enterprise also sponsored by ORG.

The event features a six-course, gourmet meal. The dinner also provides an opportunity to experience how local chefs capitalize on Orleans County’s number one industry: agriculture.

The dinner is served at a closed-off section of Medina’s Main Street.

4-H Fairgrounds serves as overnight ‘tent city’ for group

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – These cyclists head east on Route 31 and approach the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon. They were finishing the first leg of an 8-day bike trip through Erie Canal communities.

The 21st annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour started in Buffalo on Sunday and will conclude in Albany.

Usually the first day ends at Medina with the cyclists pitching tents at the middle school campus. But with Medina schools under construction this summer, the fairgrounds is serving as tent city.

The cyclists left the towpath in Knowlesville and rode on Route 31 briefly to get to the fairgrounds.

The event is organized by Parks & Trails New York. Cyclists from 39 states, Canada, and Australia have turned out for the trip along the Erie Canal towpath. There are 159 cyclists who have participated in the trip at least five times.

Stan Farone, an Albion village trustee, is riding with the group again this year.

The cyclists pass the big grain bins across from the fairgrounds.

One of the cyclists relaxes near his tent at the fairgrounds.

There were numerous tents spread across the fairgrounds property.

After their first night on the trip, the cyclists will be back pedaling this morning, passing through Albion and then reaching Holley for an official rest stop. Today’s trip concludes in Fairport after about 50 miles on the bikes.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Who Dats perform this afternoon in the first concert at the new bandstand at State Street Park.

The band includes lead singer Lonnie Froman, John Borello on guitar, Ed Hilfiker on guitar, Marty Hobbs on guitar, and Aaron Robinson on drums.

Before the concert there was a ribbon-cutting celebration with from left: John Thomas, applied academic manager at Iroquois Job Corps; Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina Tourism Committee; Kathy Blackburn, administrator for the Orleans Renaissance Group; Medina Mayor Mike Sidari; Tim Elliott, village trustee; Diane Krenning, member of ORG; and Marguerite Sharman, village trustee.

The Orleans Renaissance Group helped spearhead the new bandstand.

Kathy Blackburn, the ORG administrator, thanked the Medina Department of Public Works prepping the site. Mayor Mike Sidari said the DPW also helped remove some decaying trees and planted new ones.

Sidari also praised employees at Baxter in Medina for repainting some of the playground equipment.

Blackburn said others helped with the project, including: the Iroquois Job Corps building crew which erected the bandstand; Orleans Concrete, which donated cement; Eric Watson Enterprises did cement work; Matt C.M. Contracting did the roofing; Tom Snyder did staining and varnishing.

Blackburn also thanked the Village Board for supporting the effort. The ORG is working to bring more concerts and improvements to the waterfront, Blackburn said.

The pavilion/bandstand was built with community donations and support of the Medina Business Association.

Photos courtesy of Tina Reed

CLARENDON – The Holley and Clarendon ladder trucks held a giant American flag high on Saturday during the memorial service for Paul Wagner at the Clarendon Fire Department Recreation Building.

Wagner was active in the local fire service for a half century, including 14 years as director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Office. He retired on July 18, 2014.

Wagner was 73 when he passed away on June 21.

A contingent of firefighters from the Kendall Fire Department pay their respects to Wagner during the service in Clarendon, where Wagner is a past fire chief. He started as a firefighter in Shelby.

Dale Banker, the current EMO director, praised Wagner for his accomplishments, including his leadership with a $7.1 million overhaul to its emergency radio communications system.

Lynne Johnson, the chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, also commended Wagner for his service as the EMO director.

Wagner handled a high-stress job with his laid-back manner. He didn’t get ruffled and his calm demeanor helped other people keep their cool in some difficult circumstances.

Wagner retired as a chemist from Kodak and then worked full-time as the director of the Emergency Management Office. He joined the Shelby Fire Department when he was 18. When he moved to Clarendon, he joined that department and eventually became Clarendon’s fire chief.

The flag stands tall at the entrance to the Clarendon Fire Department Recreation Building, where firefighters from throughout the county gathered Saturday to honor Wagner.