By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 March 2019 at 1:39 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: Voters cast their ballots inside the Hoag Library in Albion on Nov. 4, 2014.
ALBION – The state has approved a number of proposals to expand voting access to boost one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country.
The state has approved early voting, consolidated federal and state primary dates, and Ok’d voter registration transfers and same-day voter registrations.
The challenge of managing these changes will fall on the Board of Election offices at the counties, and those BOE functions are nearly entirely paid for by county taxpayers.
The Orleans County Legislature last week approved a formal resolution, asking the state to direct funds to the counties to help pay for the added expenses, which includes opening polling sites 10 days prior to any primary or general election, starting with the 2019 general election.
The same-day registration proposal would allow eligible voters to register the day of the election. However, counties would like have to purchase and use electronic polling books and make other investments in their electronic systems, county legislators said.
The County Legislature wants the governor and the State Legislature to create a task force to determine the costs associated with the voting reforms – and those expenses should be paid for by the state, according to the county resolution.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 March 2019 at 12:17 pm
Cuomo wants to take county sales tax to cover village, town aid
ALBION – Orleans County legislators are objecting to a proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to have the state share for local AIM funding to come from the sales tax on internet transactions.
The governor in his budget proposal proposed cutting $290,276 in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities in Orleans County. That includes eight towns and four villages. State-wide, the governor wanted to reduce AIM funding by $59 million.
But villages and towns strongly objected to cuts, which would happen while the villages and towns are already in their fiscal years, and weren’t given notice during their budget discussions.
The state doesn’t given much in AIM to villages and towns, and Cuomo picked towns and villages for cuts where AIM is less than 2 percent of their budgets. The towns of Murray and Albion weren’t affected in the governor’s proposal because those 2 coutn on Aim for more than 2 percent of their budgets.
After an outcry from towns and villages, Cuomo last month put the AIM funding back in the budget. However, it wouldn’t be paid for by the state. The governor wants to use sales tax from internet sales, which currently often skirt the sales tax. The tax would be taken from the counties’ local share and be directed to the AIM program.
That has prompted strong opposition from county leaders across the state. Orleans County leaders said the proposal is contrary to the state acting as a good partner with local governments, and amounts to another unfunded mandate on counties.
Counties already use a lot of their sales tax to pay for state-mandated programs, such as Medicaid, Orleans County legislators said in an official resolution.
“Requiring counties to make up for the state’s cut in AIM funding to villages and towns sets an unsustainable precedent and unnecessarily shifts the state’s burden to local taxpayers who already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation,” the resolution states.
The Legislature said the state should fully restore the AIM cuts from state funding, not from the county sales tax.
These municipalities are slated to lose the following in AIM funding:
Villages: Albion, $38,811; Holley, $17,786; Lyndonville, $6,251; and Medina, $45,523.
The first seven days of March are dedicated to celebrating the world of Weights and Measures. Are you familiar with this? From March 1st to March 7th we commemorate President John Adam’s signing of the first United States weights and measures law on March 2nd, 1799.
Individuals who protect the laws of Weights and Measures have very big responsibilities. “We are responsible for enforcing all applicable laws, regulations, rules, and ordinances prescribed by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets,” stated David Diegelman, Director of Weights and Measures for the Genesee County Health Department.
Weights and Measures officials are responsible for assuring that all commercial weighing and measuring devices throughout the county are tested for compliance and accuracy so that consumers, businesses, and manufactures are protected from unfair practices.
The devices that Weights and Measures focus on includes scales, petroleum pumps, vehicle tank meters, timing devices, linear measuring devices, and calibration of farm bulk milk tanks. Weights and Measures have the jurisdiction to test at any establishment where commodities are being purchased or sold by weight. This includes pharmacies, food stores, delis, supermarkets, hardware stores, and gas stations. Weights and Measures also have the jurisdiction to test at larger industrial locations such as feed and fertilizer businesses, stone quarries, asphalt plants, scrap yards, farms, and food processing and manufacturing facilities.
Orleans and Genesee County Weights and Measures Departments were very busy in 2018. Genesee County did 170 Weights and Measures related inspections and Orleans County had 77 establishments requiring inspections. Genesee County tested and sealed about 600 devices and Orleans County tested and sealed 426 devices. These devices included various scales, petroleum pumps, and timing devices. Genesee County weighed about 500 packages and Orleans County weighed 743 packages to verify the net weight of the contents. In addition, Genesee County submitted 53 petroleum samples and Orleans County submitted 52 petroleum samples from gas stations and wholesale consumers. These were tested to verify the octane or cetane rating of the products.
“Weights and Measures is extremely important. A small weighing or measuring error can accumulate to millions of dollars,” stated Ronald Mannella, Director of Weights and Measures for Orleans County Public Health Department. “Weights and Measures assures that people are getting what they are paying for and assuring the integrity of businesses.”
During the first week of March make sure you take a moment to learn more about what Weights and Measures are, give thanks to the people who assure such accuracy, and look out for the stickers below to see what has been tested by weights and measures.
MEDINA – Pack 35 of Medina held its annual Blue & Gold banquet on Sunday. The event celebrates the scouting program.
Seven scouts who are Webelos earned their Arrow of Light, the highest rank in Cub Scouting. These Scouts include, from left: Briley Allen, Colton Smith, Jimmy Dieter, Vincent Gray, Landan Costich, Austin Beutler and Ethan Ladd.
At the cross-over ceremony the scouts were accepted as members of Boy Scout Troop 35 in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 March 2019 at 8:01 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The clock on Main Street in downtown Albion is pictured on Saturday evening.
It may be March, but the temperatures will be stuck well below freezing the next few days.
Today is forecast for a high of 21, with a high of 18 on Tuesday with some blowing snow. Tuesday night there could be 1 to 3 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Wednesday is forecast for another high of 18, followed by Thursday’s high of 22. Friday the temperature will make it to 31.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 March 2019 at 7:25 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Todd Ralph, left, was presented with the Chief’s Award by Andy Beach, chief of East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, during their annual awards dinner Saturday night.
EAST SHELBY – The East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company may be one of the smallest in the county, having responded to the fewest calls, but that doesn’t diminish their importance in the community, Fire Chief Andy Beach said at the annual firemen’s banquet Saturday night.
Lifelong member David Green was emcee for the evening, who entertained fellow firefighters and their guests with his usual banter of jokes.
Welcomes were extended by Ladies Auxiliary president Shirley Printup and Fire Company president Mike Fuller. The Auxiliary accepted three new members this year and the Fire Company two.
A moment of silence was observed three Auxiliary members and one fireman who died during the year – Mildred Green, Jeanne Rechkahn Ralph, Cathy Balcerzak and Charles Allen.
In a special presentation, the family of the late David Culver gave the fire company a plaque on which to record the names of those chosen as Firefighter of the Year.
Members of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company who are chosen Firefighters of the Year will be honored with their name on this plaque donated by the Culver family in memory of David Culver. Making the presentation to President Mike Fuller and Chief Andy Beach, right, during the fire company’s annual banquet Saturday night are David’s grandson Nicholas, widow Gail and son Dan (kneeling).
David’s widow Gail Culver, son Dan Culver and grandson Nicholas Culver wanted the fire company to have a proper place to permanently honor Firefighters of the Year. The fire company started choosing a firefighter for that honor in 1975 and David won it in 1976.
Newly elected president of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, Mike Fuller, right, recognized outgoing president Jackie Keller for her years of service during their annual banquet Saturday night.
Officers of the East Shelby Ladies Auxiliary were installed by Rosemary Pray from Shelby Ladies Auxiliary. Officers for 2019 are Shirley Printup, president; Bronwyn Green, vice president; Sawyer Green, secretary; Carol Lonnen, treasurer; Melissa Bonafede, Sharlene Pratt and Elaine Newton, trustees; and Rose Allen and Carol Lonnen, chaplains.
Printup commended Pray, 89, who has been a member of Shelby Firemen’s Ladies Auxiliary for 66 years.
Andy Benz, chief of Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, installed the East Shelby Fire Company officers. Administrative officers are Mike Fuller, president; Dan Culver, vice president; Karen Bracey, secretary; Allen Turner, treasurer; Ken Printup, Sharon Grimes, Gordon Reigle and Walter Dingman, trustees; and David Green, steward.
Line officers are Andy Beach, chief; Devin Taylor, 1st assistant chief; Deb Taylor, 2nd assistant chief; Dennis MacDonald, 3rd assistant chief; Jeff Taylor, captain; Julie Taylor, lieutenant; Laura Fields, fire police chief; and Sue Behrend and Mike Fuller, EMS officers.
Andy Benz said he was honored to be asked to install East Shelby’s officers.
“It shows how far our fire companies have come in past years,” he said, no doubt referring to the rift back in the 1950s when several Shelby members split and formed the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
Fuller and past president Jackie Keller announced Dan Culver as recipient of the President’s Award.
“It was an easy decision to choose this individual, because of his dedication to the fire company and high quality of service,” Fuller said.
Officers of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company were sworn in Saturday night by Andy Benz, chief of Shelby Fire Company, during the annual awards dinner at East Shelby Fire Hall.
Fuller also present a plaque recognizing Keller for her service as president.
When it came to the fire chief’s award, Andy Beach said there were many deserving individuals, but after a lot of thinking, he named Debbie Taylor as “Firefighter of the Year.”
East Shelby Fire Chief Andy Beach presented his Fire Chief’s Award to Debbie Taylor.
“We have an outstanding line of officers on our team, but Debbie is always on top of things,” Beach said. “She reminds me of meetings and goes above and beyond. She even cleaned my office last week. She is available for calls day or night and is often the first person on the scene. I have no doubt that in a couple of years, Debbie will be the first female chief of the East Shelby Fire Company.”
Certificates were presented to members for years of service. Several had five and 10 years, with Mike Smith, Louise Covey and Wanda Dingman being recognized for 25 years. Bronwyn Green with 30 years and Mary Zelazny with 35 years also received citations from Senator Robert Ortt, Assemblyman Mike Norris and Michael Hicks, representing Congressman Chris Collins.
Beach announced the fire company had received a $150,000 grant through Ortt and a $20,000 grant from Rural Development to help with the purchase of a new pumper/tanker. Dan and Nicholas Culver worked on the $150,000 grant and Allen Turner worked to secure the $20,000.
While the money is taxpayer dollars, Ortt said he was privileged he was able to get some of it back for the community. He praised the firefighters, saying how much more difficult it is being a volunteer firefighter today, with all the required training hours, than it was 35 or 50 years ago.
The fire company hopes to have delivery of their new truck by the Orleans County 4-H Fair the end of July.
Mike Norris weighed in on the pending legislation in Albany banning gun raffles.
Dave Green gets a big hug from Sharlene Pratt after naming her as recipient of his Steward’s Award.
“This is the type of aggressive agenda coming out in New York state,” Norris said. “The folks in New York City don’t realize how these fire departments depend on gun raffles to fund their companies.”
Todd Ralph was presented with the Fire Chief’s award for volunteering to teach the OSHA refresher class each year.
“One thing I always dreaded was having to find a location and go and take the eight-hour class,” Beach said. “Then Todd said he was certified and could teach it in-house.”
Printup and Sawyer Green recognized Debbie Green for serving as secretary of the Auxiliary and then named her as “Auxiliary Member of the Year.”
Jessie Green was acknowledged as an outgoing trustee.
It is customary for the Auxiliary to present the firemen with a gift each year, and this year they decided on new tables for the dining hall. Fifty eight-foot plastic tables have been purchased, which will be much easier to move around, Printup said.
David Green made the final presentation of the evening, giving his Steward’s Award to Sharlene Pratt.
“She is continuous here helping us,” Green said.
Debbie Green, left, was chosen Auxiliary Member of the Year by Shirley Printup, president of the East Shelby Ladies Auxiliary, and vice president Bronwyn Green.
Bronwyn Green, left, vice president of East Shelby Ladies Auxiliary, and president Shirley Printup recognized Mary Zelazny for 35 years of membership.
LANCASTER – All three of Medina Winter Guard units competed at Lancaster High School on Saturday, where 27 guard units from New York and Canada performed.
In the Novice class Medina’s Pony guard took 1st place. The Jr. Varsity guard competed in the RA class and took 2nd place with a score of 70.58, bested by Lancaster with 74.01.
Medina’s Varsity guard competed in the SA class and took 1st place with a score of 74.12. Orchard Park was second with 70.46.
Winners in the other classes were: Cadet class Victor with 69.25; A1 class Batavia with 73.26; in SR class, the Magic of Scout House with 70.14; in IA class, Gates with 82.31; in SO class, Victor with 79.10 and in IO class, Lancaster with 80.40.
Medina’s next performance will be the home show “Colorburst” on Saturday, March 9, at the high school gym. The doors open at 4 p.m. and the show starts at 5 p.m. This is a great opportunity to see these kids display their talents without having to drive far.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 March 2019 at 9:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association put on its sixth annual Sip and Stroll, a wine-tasting in downtown Albion. There were 350 people on Saturday sampling wine, the biggest turnout for the event so far.
The top photos shows Bill Koller from the Victorianbourg Wine Estate in Wilson. He is pouring wine for people at the Town and Country Quilter on East Bank Street. The quilt shop was one of a dozen stops on the wine-tasting tour.
There were also 164 people who bought VIP tickets that included food served by Roadies at the Five Star Bank. That was double the VIP tickets from last year.
These three ladies are pictured on Main Street near the end of the wine-tasting. Maureen Bennett, left, and Lori Laine, right, are joined by their friend, Courtney DePaula.
Lori Laine made the signs with balloons that looked like grapes for each of the stops.
Circle B Winery in Elba serves samples of wine at Laura Loxley Vintage Inspired Goods, which celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. Elyssa Curry, right, assists winery co-owner Ingrid Bowen in serving wine. Ingrid and Bob Bowen opened the winery a year ago.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Smith: Merchants like the tour because it brings people into their storefronts. This photo shows a crowd inside Krantz Furniture, which hosted two of the wineries.
Photo by Sue Starkweather Miller: Melissa Barnosky is pictured on Saturday in Albany with Anthony Paternostro, chairman of the American Legion’s oratorical contest. Barnosky won the competition for the second straight year.
ALBANY – Melissa Barnosky is the state champion for the American Legion’s oratorical contest for the second straight year. Barnsoky won the Legion’s 82nd annual oratorical contest in Albany on Saturday.
This was her third appearance in the finals. She competed against students from zones 1 -4. She represented zone 5 and delivered her 8-10 minute oration entitled “Civic knowledge, the key to our vigilance.”
The 3-5 minute assigned topic was drawn after students finished their initial oration. The chosen topic was on the Fourth Amendment – “The right of the people to secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Barnosky will now move on to the national contest in Indianapolis, IN. It will take place April 5-7.
As the NYS oratorical winner, she will also give her oration at the 101st American Legion department convention to be held in July 18-20 in Buffalo.
“Melissa did an outstanding job and we are so proud of her,” said Sue Starkweather Miller, public information officer for Albion Central School. “She has a solid understanding of our Constitution and has a strong stage presence. She will do a fine job of representing New York State at the national convention.”
Barnosky advanced to the state competition after winning at the school, county, district and zone levels.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2019 at 5:22 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – A group of elementary students sing during today’s All-County Music Festival. There were nearly 300 students who performed in this afternoon’s music festival at Holley. The event was organized by the Orleans County Music Educators’ Association.
Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina all had students performing in the festival, which included 111 students in the elementary chorus, 75 in the middle school band, and 103 in the high school chorus.
Michael Conte, an instrumental music teacher at Williamsville North High School, leads the middle school band.
Sophia Cardone of Medina sings a solo during “How Can I Keep From Singing,” one of four songs performed by the high school chorus during today’s All-County Music Festival.
Zach Busch, a band teacher at Holley, welcomes the crowd to the musical festival and introduces Michael Conte, the guest conductor for the middle school band.
Elementary students were led by Shana Kohler, a choral director and music teacher at Hilton. The students sang four songs, “The Tailor of Gloucester,” “Al Shlosha D’Varium,” “To Music” and “Kokoleoko.”
Shana Kohler, the guest conductor, was high energy in leading the elementary students.
Daniel Reisdorf, a music teacher at Pembroke, leads the high school chorus. The group sang “And the Glory of the Lord,” “How Can I Keep from Singing,” “Indodana” and “Swinging with the Saints.”
The high school chorus performs in the Holley school auditorium. There are two All-County Music Festivals each year in Orleans County. The concert last month included the elementary band, middle school chorus and high school band.
The middle school band performed “Rough Riders,” “Morning Reflection,” “Overture for the Winds” and “Shackelford Banks.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2019 at 11:42 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Laura Kemler and her husband Kevin are joined by friends and family for the ribbon-cutting this morning for Laura Loxley, a business at 45 North Main St., Albion.
Kemler makes baskets out of tie-dyed cotton ropes. She sells other vintage-style gift items. She had been making the products and selling them out of her house in Albion. The business has been growing and she wanted to be a part of the downtown business district.
Calvin Kemler, Laura and Kevin’s 4-year-old son, holds a confetti popper during the grand-opening celebration.
The past three months the Kemler family has worked on the storefront, creating a space with a 1930s-’40s theme.
Mrs. Kemler wants her shop to take people back to an era when products weren’t mass produced.
Albion Mayor Eileen Banker and Trustee Stan Farone look over some of the baskets at Laura Loxley. Banker presented Kemler with a citation of congratulations from the Village of Albion, as well as a certificate of recognition from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley. Banker works as his chief of staff.
She urged the community to shop at the downtown businesses.
“This is our village and we need to support it,” she said. “This is a very unique business. We need to encourage our residents to shop locally.”
Many of Kemler’s baskets have proven popular to store envelopes and stationary. Kemler makes them in a variety of colors and themes. She turned it into a business about three years ago, selling most of them online through Etsy.
Laura Loxley is one of the stops on a wine-tasting in the downtown later today from 4 to 7 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 March 2019 at 9:21 am
Orleans Hub set new records for traffic in February. We averaged 9,235 daily users during the month. That broke the record of 9,185 for a daily average in August 2017.
We topped 10,000 unique visitors for 11 of the 28 days in February. Typically we only break the 10,000-barrier a few days a month.
We also averaged 29,068 pageviews each day in February. That broke the 27,541-average from January. Last month we topped 30,000 pageviews 11 days. Normally we only reach that a few days a month.
We had 813,908 pageviews for the month. That’s the second time we’ve been over 800,000 in a month since we started Orleans Hub nearly six years ago in April 2013. January 2019 holds the record with 853,765. That was done in 31 days. February has the new record for highest daily average for pageviews.
Frozen crabapples are pictured at Mount Albion Cemetery on Feb. 7 after an ice storm hit the region.
There was lots of bad weather in February, with ice, wind and snow storms, as well as flooding. The bad weather gives us a spike in traffic, with people checking for school closings.
The most-viewed news story of the month was on Feb. 3 about an Albion mother and her son who were killed in Elba in a car accident on Route 98.
We also held our annual reception for the Orleans Hub Outstanding Citizens. We recognized Tami Ashton, Mark Bennett Sr., Penny Cole, Michael Hungerford, Jak Kohmann, Melissa Ostrom, Leonel Rosario, Tony and Laura Sidari, Brett Sobieraski and Chris Wilson.
Click here to see the awards presentation on YouTube.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 2 March 2019 at 7:54 am
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 9
“The Condition of the Laboring Man at Pullman” – Political Cartoon, circa 1894.
March 3rd marks the 188th birthday of George Mortimer Pullman, born in 1831 to James Lewis and Emily Caroline Minton Pullman. In 1845, George had reached the age of 14 and received a sufficient level of education in the common schools to enter the workforce. It was around this time that James Pullman brought his family to Albion, “where he became widely known as a useful and upright citizen,” according to W. B. Cook.
The untimely death of James in 1853 forced George to care for his mother and younger siblings. Working as a cabinetmaker, Pullman was best known locally for building furniture in a business that would eventually transition through the hands of George Ough, to the partnership of Reynolds & Flintham, to J. B. Merrill, and eventually transition to the business formerly known as Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Home.
It was during an 1853 construction project along the Erie Canal that Pullman developed a reputation for himself as a master contractor. Using a tool developed by his father, Pullman was able to move several large buildings to make way for the widening of the canal prism. Two years later he and Charles H. Moore traveled to Chicago where they performed similar work, raising buildings to prevent flooding.
In the late 1850s, Pullman entered into a partnership with Ben Field, who became one of the primary financiers of the sleeper car experiment. Field would eventually sell out his interests to Pullman in order to pursue politics and, of course, the latter “made out like a bandit.”
The story of George Pullman is often romanticized, telling the story of a great inventor with a brilliant mind for business. Instead, we should view Pullman’s career in a critical light. One defined by the treatment of his employees.
This political cartoon, entitled “The Condition of the Laboring Man at Pullman,” provides insight into the public’s perception of Pullman. In this cartoon, an employee is pressed between the weights of high rent and low wages; the upper press reads, “Capitalism, Monopoly, Plutocracy, Wage Slavery.” A hefty George Pullman is operating the t-screw on the press, his weight indicative of an exorbitant lifestyle fueled by wealth and greed.
In 1880, Pullman purchased 4,000 acres of land at Lake Calumet and employed Solon Spencer Beman to design a factory for manufacturing sleeper cars. It was Pullman’s idea to construct a company town for his employees, equipped with housing, stores, churches, and entertainment venues. The utopian-like community was void of vices that Pullman perceived to damage society, including saloons, in an effort to increase worker loyalty.
Unfortunately for Pullman’s employees, he ruled like an autocrat, prohibiting the publication of independent newspapers, town meetings, and open discussion. He was known to inspect the homes of workers for cleanliness, terminating leases on 10-days’ notice if conditions did not match his standards. Richard Ely, in an 1885 edition of Harper’s Weekly, wrote “The power of [Otto von] Bismarck in Germany is utterly insignificant when compared with the power of the ruling authority of the Pullman Palace Car Company…”
Ely later wrote, “It should be constantly borne in mind that all investments and outlays in Pullman are intended to yield financial returns satisfactory from a purely business point of view.” This was validated during the Panic of 1893 when Pullman cut wages in the face of decreasing demand for sleeper cars. His failure to adjust rent accordingly led to one of the largest strikes in the history of the United States.
Joining with the American Railway Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, Pullman workers refused to work, blocked rail tracks, and threatened strike breakers. A spike in national attention led to an injunction ordering the strikers back to work, which Debs ignored. As a result, President Grover Cleveland dispatched 12,000 federal troops to end the strike leading to the deaths of 30 workers. Pullman’s reputation was tarnished as a result and his company town labeled “un-American.” Public opinion supported the use of federal troops to end the strike while the national media labeled strikers as foreigners and anarchists.
Pullman suffered a heart attack in 1897. His family was paranoid that railroad laborers would desecrate his body and went to extreme lengths to protect his final resting place. Placed in a lead-lined coffin, he was sealed in a block of concrete and then lowered into the ground. The grave was then covered with asphalt and tar paper, covered with a layer of concrete, surrounded by steel rails, and once again covered with concrete; the entire process took two days.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2019 at 8:55 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Albion teacher David Kozar high-fives his teammates on the Albion faculty just before tipoff this evening in the high school gym. Kozar is the Albion varsity boys’ basketball coach.
Albion teachers played the state troopers in a benefit for the Middle School FFA.
Engin Okdem, No. 33, gets a warm greeting from his teammates on the state troopers.
Albion teacher Mark Skurzewski waits to be introduced just before the game.
Ocie Bennett, a teacher’s assistant and coach at Albion, was a referee for the game. Doug Rich, a state trooper, joins his teammates for a break after the first quarter.
Albion teacher and coach Mike Fahy handles the ball and looks to make his next move during the game.
ALBION – State Assemblyman Steven Hawley visited Albion first-graders today and read the book “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. Hawley read the book as part of a celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday.
The assemblyman told the students that his father read the story to him as a child, and now Hawley reads it to his own grandchild. The students really enjoyed talking with Hawley and having him read one of their favorite books.
The first seven days of March are dedicated to celebrating the world of Weights and Measures. Are you familiar with this? From March 1st to March 7th we commemorate President John Adam’s signing of the first United States weights and measures law on March 2nd, 1799.
