By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 January 2019 at 9:58 am
GoFundMe: Sarah Fowler started a GoFundMe to assist her grandparents, Vince and Felicia Spampanato, after a fire at their Albion home last week.
ALBION – A GoFundMe has been started to help an Albion couple who injured in a fire last Wednesday at their home on Elmwood Avenue.
Sarah Fowler said her grandparents, Vincenzo and Felicia Spampanato, are being treated at the burn unit at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
“It’s a true miracle they made it out of there alive,” Fowler writes on GoFundMe. “Some of you may know my grandpa as ‘Vince in the deli’ at Albion Walmart. My grandpa loved what he did.”
Fowler said her grandfather used to own his own deli. “It was always my favorite place to be when I was younger.”
Her grandma also has a love for cooking.
“They have always done so much for me, I put this together with hopes to try to help them,” Fowler writes. “It’s been a devastating few days and anything is more than helpful and appreciated as my grandparents have lost everything and have a long way to go before they can begin to heal and hopefully rebuild a place they can call ‘home’ again.”
The Spampanatos were able to get out of their house at about 6:21 p.m. on Wednesday after an explosion in the basement, which resulted in the house becoming heavily involved in fire.
Mr. Spampanato was performing maintenance on a gas heating appliance in the basement of the residence when an explosion occurred, Albion Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 January 2019 at 9:19 am
MEDNA – The Medina Theatre will be open today as a warming center for people who want to stop in on a brutally cold day.
Amy Herman, the manager and event coordinator at the Theatre, noted the public library and other public buildings are closed due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
With those sites closed, she said people have fewer places to go if they need a respite from the harsh weather.
“It’s too cold,” she said. “It is freezing out there. I know there are people out there who are homeless, who don’t have power.”
She welcomed people to stop by the Theatre at 601 Main St. She will have food and beverages available for free for people who need a break from the cold.
“We’ll be here for as long as people need it,” she said.
The temperature is currently 1 below zero and is forecast to reach a high of 8 degrees today.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 21 January 2019 at 8:19 am
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Brian Fry and his league leading Mustangs teammates will begin the second half of the Niagara-Orleans League season on Friday.
Currently holding a one game lead, three-time defending champion Medina will begin the second half of the Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball season by hosting Barker at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The Mustangs, who are 6-0 in the league and 11-1 overall, took over sole possession of first place by downing Wilson (5-1) 70-50 Friday night. The Mustangs also host former N-O member CSAT in a non league game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Undefeated N-O girls basketball leader Wilson (8-0) will host Akron on Thursday while runner-up Albion (5-1) hosts Roy-Hart.
In Genesee Region League boys basketball action, Lyndonville, which is currently tied for the Division II lead with Elba at 8-1, faces a good challenge on Thursday as the Tigers visit Division I runner-up Attica (5-3). The Tigers, who are 12-1 overall, also host Akron in a non league contest at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Weekly Schedule Tuesday Boys Basketball: CSAT at Medina, 6:30 p.m.; Akron at Lyndonville, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball: Medina at CSAT, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Boys Basketball: Barker at Oakfield-Alabama, 7 p.m. Swimming: N-O Boys All-League meet at Akron, 5:30 p.m. Wrestling: Holley-Kendall at Brighton, Lyndonville at Pavilion, 6 p.m.
Thursday Boys Basketball: Lyndonville at Attica, Kendall at Alexander, Holley at Wheatland-Chili, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball: Akron at Wilson, 6:30 p.m.; Medina at Barker, Roy-Hart at Albion, 7 p.m.
Friday Boys Basketball: Barker at Medina, Wilson at Akron, 6:30 p.m.; Albion at Roy-Hart, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball: Attica at Lyndonville, Wheatland-Chili at Holley, 7 p.m. Swimming: N-O Girls All-League meet at Newfane, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday Girls Basketball: Medina at Tapestry, 1 p.m. Wrestling: Medina’s Gary Gross Memorial Tournament, 9 a.m.
BARKER – The Barker public library/village hall, which share the same building at 8706 Main St., was destroyed by fire last night.
The Niagara County Emergency Communication Center received several 911 calls at about 11;55 p.m. Sunday from nearby residents who reported seeing flames coming from the building.
Town of Somerset Police and Sheriff’s Deputies responding confirmed a working structure fire upon arrival, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The Barker Fire Company responded with assistance from Olcott Fire Company, Gasport Fire Company and Lyndonville Fire Company to extinguish the fire.
The entire building is a complete loss. Niagara County Origin and Cause responded to investigate the cause of the fire which is yet to be determined. There were no injuries reported.
(UPDATED 10:02 a.m.) The Barker Library posted this message on its Facebook page:
“Thank you everyone for all your thoughts and prayers!! The board and I and the NIOGA Library System are working on making sense of this awful situation and will keep you informed by our Facebook page and our website. As of right now we have no answers but are working on getting a temporary book drop in the village. You can also return any of the library items checked out to any other NIOGA library in Niagara, Orleans and Genesee county. Thanks again! Barker Public Library where the story never ends!
(UPDATED at 9:35 a.m. on Jan. 21: The travel advisory has been lifted.)
LOCKPORT –Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour issued a winter travel advisory at 4 p.m. today, urging people not to have unnecessary travel due to high winds, which are causing snow drifts in roadways and areas with low visibility.
The travel advisory includes all of Niagara County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2019 at 3:16 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Snow is stuck to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Albion this morning after about a foot of snow fell since Saturday. While most local churches cancelled services this morning, Holy Family Parish had Mass at St. Joseph’s.
A winter storm warning that was in effect until 6 p.m. today has been cancelled by the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
However, a winter weather advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. on Monday when an additional 3 to 5 inches of snow could fall in Orleans, Niagara, Monroe and northern Cayuga counties.
A wind chill advisory also is in effect for Orleans from 6 p.m. today until 7 p.m. Monday. Winds will gust as high as 35 miles per hour and wind chills are expected as low as 25 below zero.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 January 2019 at 10:40 am
HOLLEY – Orleans County sheriff’s deputies have a new weapon in their arsenal – prayer shawls.
Recently Sheriff Randy Bower was put in touch with a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church who told him of a prayer shawl ministry there.
Although they have no official name, the group of eight to 10 ladies who meet monthly to crochet make more than 1,000 items a year, said Buffie Edick, who founded the group about 10 years ago.
“We are always looking for a new project,” Edick said.
The ladies have provided a dozen crocheted prayer shawls so each deputy, as well as investigators, can have one in their car. The ladies have also committed to keeping the Sheriff’s Office supplied with shawls in the future.
“In case of inclement weather when we respond to an accident or incident, or someone needs comforting, we can provide a warm prayer shawl,” Bower said.
They also have stuffed animals to comfort a child.
These women from the Holley area have crocheted prayer shawls for Orleans County sheriff’s deputies to carry in their patrol cars to comfort anyone in distress when they answer a call. Seated are Marge Kruger, left, and Cathy Renko. At rear, from left, are Kat Tsoukatos, Marcia Crosier, Dianne Colucci and Buffie Edick. Members not pictured are Linda Rossi, Lynn Szozda and Jeanne Sheffer.
Before the shawls were delivered to the Sheriff’s Ofice, they were blessed at St. Mary’s Church.
Edick was taught to crochet when she was 7 by her grandmother. After back surgery about 10 years ago, Edick said she had time on her hands and wanted something to do.
The group now meets once a month at St. Mark’s in Kendall. They have donated items to more than 50 local organizations.
New members are always welcome, even if they can’t crochet. They are looking for someone to make prayer cards and deliver them.
One member now takes donated yarn and washes and re-spins it so that all finished items are clean and sanitary. Most of the women in the group buy their own yarn.
They donate a lot of items to migrant workers.
“Every month we have a new project,” Edick said. “We like to keep our donations local.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2019 at 9:14 am
Wind chill advisory today from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. Monday
Orleans County woke up to about a foot of snow this morning after heavy snowfall Saturday evening and overnight. Many residents are out this morning trying to clear their driveway from the snow.
The county and Western New York remain under a winter storm warning until 6 p.m.
The National Weather Service has also issued a wind chill advisory for Orleans and WNY beginning at 6 p.m. today until 7 p.m. on Monday when the wind chill could be as low as 20 below zero.
The Weather Service said there will be heavy and blowing snow with an additional 4 to 8 inches of snow.
Today is forecast for a high of 12 degrees but will fall to minus-2 overnight. Monday it will reach a high of 8 degrees.
Dean Shingleton was out at about 8:30 this morning clearing his sidewalk on East Park Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 January 2019 at 5:59 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The driveway in front of the Main Street Store and Helpee Selfee Laundromat on Main Street in Albion is plowed at about 11 a.m. today.
Sheriff Randy Bower has issued a travel advisory as of 5:30 p.m., urging people to not have any unnecessary travel.
Orleans County and Western New York are under a winter weather storm warning until 6 p.m. on Sunday and could get at least a foot of snow.
There were two accidents this afternoon on Ridge Road due to slippery road conditions, and in both cases the drivers were OK, a county dispatcher said.
A driver went off Route 104 in Ridgeway and sheered off a utility pole, taking down wires.
There also was an accident at about 2:49 p.m. when a driver went off Route 104 in Murray, and hit the porch of a house. That damage will require the roof of the porch to be stabilized.
Holley Fire Department used rescue jacks to lift up roof and apply support beams for the time being, Fire Chief Harris Reed said. A contractor will need to make repairs.
The rescue jacks were recently purchased with money from a fund-raiser.
The Holly Fire Department is going to be on standby for a while at the firehall in case there are more emergency calls.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A manhole cover at the intersection of East Park and Temperance streets in Albion is pictured this morning at about 9 a.m. during light snowfall. Orleans County and Western New York is under a winter weather storm until 6 p.m. on Sunday with 10 to 16 inches of snow expected, and wind chills as low as 30-below zero.
Press Release, New York State Police
The New York State Police is advising motorists to avoid any unnecessary driving during the winter storm that is forecast to bring a significant amount of snow to many areas across the state today into Sunday.
Troopers will be out in force during the storm to provide assistance, will be working closely and coordinating with local Emergency Operations Centers as needed, and are prepared for the potential increase in storm-related service calls.
Motorists who must travel in the areas impacted by the snow are asked to leave with extra time to make a slow and careful drive to your destination. Take into consideration snow accumulation on the roads, the current snowfall rate, the wind, and visibility. Use your best judgment to determine if driving is prudent.
Remember bridge and exit and entrance ramps can be icy when other road surfaces are not. Clean all snow and ice from the entire vehicle and ensure the windshield is clear of frost. If you do become stranded, stay with your vehicle and in an emergency dial 911.
If you must travel- keep the following tips in mind:
• Get the latest weather forecast and road conditions before leaving via your local weather apps, radio or TV stations.
• Always clean your windows and mirrors FULLY of any snow and ice before driving.
• Keep a full tank of gas
• Make sure fluid levels are topped off (windshield washer fluid, anti-freeze)
• Make sure your spare tire is in working condition, and you have a jack and lug wrench
• Use headlights at all times to increase your visibility to others. Remember, if your windshield wipers are in use due to weather, then your headlights must be on.
• Drive prudently. If the conditions are adverse, you should decrease your speed accordingly.
• Brake early
• Do NOT use cruise control. This decreases your reaction time to apply braking.
• Look out for events farther down the road. Creating more time to react can make a difference.
• Be aware of maintenance vehicles and emergency vehicles. Give them room to work.
• Stock your trunk to help you to be safe in case you are stopped or stranded in an area without assistance readily available:
• Gloves, blankets, warmers, tool kit, first-aid kit, non-perishable foods, water, working flashlight and batteries, cell phone charger, etc.
• Shovel, ice scraper, de-icer, snow brush, rock salt or cat litter, tow chain or cable, jumper cables or battery charger, etc.
If you are involved in a collision or leave the roadway:
• If you drive off the roadway and are stuck in a snow bank or ditch, stay in your vehicle and call 911. DO NOT exit your vehicle unless it is an absolute emergency. You put yourself at risk of being struck by another vehicle.
• Roll your windows down a few inches or turn your vehicle off if you are stranded in snow for a period of time with your vehicle running. Covered mufflers can cause serious physical injury or death due to inhalation of carbon monoxide.
• If you should become stranded on the Thruway or any roadway, know your location by being aware of your direction and mile post marker. This will help emergency personnel reach your location as quickly as possible.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 19 January 2019 at 8:53 am
A scene from Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights,” showing Tony Stabenau (back left), a Buffalo boxer with roots in Albion.
“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 3
ALBION – The pages of the sacramental register at St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Albion contain an entry for the marriage of Antoni Stabenau of Buffalo to Marianna Gminska of Albion. The couple was married by Ks. Piotr Basinski on January 24, 1899 and removed to Buffalo soon after. Marianna’s father, Simon Gminski, remained in Albion where he worked as a quarry laborer until his death in 1920.
On July 23, 1901, Marianna gave birth to her first son, Anthony, in Buffalo. The young Stabenau’s early life remains somewhat of a mystery until May 14, 1923, when he made his debut as a boxer. That evening, Stabenau started his amateur heavyweight career facing Dixie Kid at the Broadway Auditorium in Buffalo. Although his first match ended in a draw, he went on to win eight straight fights; some newspaper articles claimed his win-streak extended to 17 with 15 knockouts.
His first major fight came on January 7, 1924 against the Senegalese-born Amadou M’Barick Fall, known professionally as Battling Siki. Stabenau later recalled that he was “scared silly,” telling the Buffalo Courier-Express that “I was only 21 years old with a string of knockouts. There had been so much in the papers about this wild Senegelease [sic]…that when I climbed into the ring my knees were knocking so loud I could hear them…Because I was so tense, the rabbit punches he clubbed me with on the back of the neck paralyzed me, and I was stiffened.”
“Three-Ton Tony,” as he was known in these parts, experienced his most notable fight on March 2, 1925, at Elmwood Music Hall in Buffalo against Homer Smith, a nationally ranked heavyweight fighter. In a later interview with the Buffalo Courier-Express, Stabenau recalled this hard-fought battle. The reporter wrote, “Smith belabored Stabenau soundly in the early rounds, and it appeared as though the local lad wouldn’t last, as he made several trips to the canvas.” As Smith prepared to finish the fight, “Tony lashed out with a wild right, and it connected with Smith’s chin. Down he went!” Stabenau claimed he won the fight, but it appears as though he took a whooping at the hands of Smith, who took the fight by a slim margin.
Although Stabenau’s boxing career is rather interesting, it was his professional pursuits after leaving Buffalo that raises eyebrows. Based on his fighting record, he appears to have left Western New York sometime in 1928, boxing in Chicago, San Diego, and San Francisco, before facing several fighters at Legion Stadium in Hollywood. Stabenau was living with his family, including his mother, in Los Angeles, California; he listed his occupation as a boxer in motion pictures and prize fights.
In 1930, Tony was asked by Georges Carpentier to take a role in the Warner Brothers film entitled “Hold Everything,” an early motion picture shot in Technicolor. That same year, he played a boxer in the black and white silent film entitled “The Big Fight.” It was the following year that he would play his most notable, yet uncredited role in motion pictures.
Released in 1931, Stabenau played the role of a victorious boxer in Charlie Chaplin’s film “City Lights.” The rather unique film was shot as a silent production despite the availability of sound recordings and is regarded as one of Chaplin’s best films. This photograph shows Stabenau standing in the background lacing up his gloves while Chaplin sits on a table, front and center.
After his short stint as an actor, Stabenau became a detective with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, visiting Western New York regularly. Buffalo writer Frank Wakefield interviewed Stabenau in 1956, writing “A ponderous 6-foot-3-inch man in horn-rim glasses who resembled an elderly heavyweight wrestler, laboriously plodded up the four flights of stairs leading to Jack Singer’s gymnasium,” where Stabenau trained as a young fighter. An athlete later asked him to jump in the ring to work out, to which Stabenau responded “Are you kidding? I weighed 190 in my prime. Now I’m around 260…I’m eligible for a retirement pension now and I want to enjoy it.”
Stabenau died February 14, 1983, and is buried in San Jacinto, California.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed the New York State Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority to ban tractor trailers and buses on the entire Thruway system, with the exception of I-95 in Westchester and Bronx counties, and most interstate highways out of an abundance of caution as winter storm Harper will impact travel across the entire state this weekend.
The ban will be in effect beginning 3 p.m. on Saturday and will last for the duration of the storm.
“Safety is our number one priority and with the anticipated storm impacting most of New York State, we are implementing this ban on tractor trailers and buses so our plow operators, fire, law enforcement and emergency personnel can keep roads clean and respond to emergencies as quickly as possible,” Governor Cuomo said. “I am also urging drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”
Tractor trailers and buses will be banned from the following interstate highways:
DOT Highways:
I-88 from Binghamton to Albany
I-86/Rt 17 from PA border to I-87 (entire length)
I-81 from PA Border to Canadian Border
I-84 from PA Border to CT Border
I-684 from I-287 to I-84
I-87 from Albany to Canadian Border
I-390 from I-86 to I-90
I-99 from PA Border to I-86
I-90 from Thruway Exit 24 to Berkshire Spur Exit B2 (through Cap Dist)
Rt 219 from Peters Rd to I-90 (expressway section)
I-190 – full length (both Thruway and DOT sections)
I-290 – full length
Rt 5 Skyway – I-190 to NY179 (Milestrip Rd)
Rt 400 – NY16 to I-90
I-390, I-490, I-590 around Rochester
Alternate Route 7 in Albany County
Thruway highways:
I-90 from PA line to Albany (Int. 24)
I-87 from Albany (Int. 24) to NYC line
I-287 (from Suffern to I-95)
Berkshire Spur from the Thruway Mainline to the Mass line
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 January 2019 at 7:55 pm
2 long-time leaders in Genesee will serve as grand marshals
BATAVIA – The GLOW Women’s March is still planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday despite a forecast for a winter storm, beginning at 1 p.m.
The march will begin at 10 a.m. in Jackson Square with music provided by the Women’s Resistance Choir from the GLOW region. The march route has been shortened due to the weather and will go to City Centre where there will be eight speakers.
Participants will include Diana Kastenbaum, a Congressional candidate in 2016 and owner of a Batavia manufacturing company; members of Woke GCC; Debora McDell-Hernandez with Planned Parenthood of Batavia; Michelle Schoneman of East Aurora, founder of Citizens Against Collins; ChaRon Sattler-Leblanc with Moms Demand Action from Rochester and the Genesee region; Lauren Jimerson of Fairport, project manager of Iroquois White Corn Project; Tamara Leigh with Out Alliance of Rochester; Carly Fox with Worker Justice Center of New York; and Vanessa Glushefski, deputy comptroller for the City of Buffalo.
There will also be 21 organizations set up with tables at the Community Fair. There is plenty free parking in the Save-A-Lot parking lot which is across from Valle Jewelers at 21 Jackson Street, and space at the City Centre parking lot between Bank Street and Alva Place.
The march includes two grand marshals from Genesee County, Esther Leadley and Betsy Dexheimer.
“Both women are beloved in the community and role models for all of us,” Avery said.
Dexheimer has worked tirelessly to better the lives of so many people in the local community, Avery said.
Dexheimer was a special education teacher for students with multiple disabilities. She was a strong advocate for the children and their parents. She has served on the Office of the Aging’s advisory council for the Livable Community Vision Team. She also has volunteered for Meals on Wheels the past 10 years. She also volunteers with Friends of the Library at Richmond Memorial Library in Batavia.
She also helps at Saint James Episcopal Church, the Rape Crisis division of Planned Parenthood of Rochester, and Hospice. She also is an usher at UB and the Harvester Theater.
Leadley, a former Genesee County legislator for 15 years, graduated from Pavilion High School. Always focused on children and families, Leadley has volunteered with numerous organizations throughout the area including the Pavilion Library (where she served as director at one time), and the YWCA of Genesee County, where she helped start the Fabulous Females Committee and helped that effort to recognize local women leaders for 14 years.
After a bout with cancer, Leadley turned her experience into a positive. She became a chemo coach with the American Cancer Society, helping countless others deal with their treatment. Currently, she has been busy with Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, which runs a Head Start program.
