SYRACUSE – Governor Kathy Hochul, last week at the Great New York State Fair, signed three pieces of legislation expanding resources and protections for the State’s agricultural industry.
Legislation S.6320/A.6821 allows the leasing of State land to be used for sap production and tree tapping for ten years to increase the return on investment for producers, including maple producers. The legislation authorizes the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation to enter into contracts for the lease or use of State lands for the purpose of tree tapping and sap production for a term of up to, but not more than, ten years.
Legislation S.9232/A.10199 would allow licensed farm wineries to use apples grown outside of New York State to manufacture or sell State labeled cider, in certain circumstances. This legislation provides crop loss determination for farm wineries to authorize the use of apples grown outside of New York State to be used for state-labeled cider when needed due to a loss of crops.
Legislation S.9248/A.7020A establishes the Beginning Farmer Advisory Board on Agriculture. The legislation establishes the Beginning Farmer Advisory Board on Agriculture with the goal of implementing a plan that moves forward the State’s efforts to bring new entrants to the farm.
“As we celebrate the State Fair, we recognize that New York’s agriculture is a central component to our State’s economy,” Governor Hochul said. “With the signing of this legislation, we continue our mission to uplift this community and prove we are here to support them every step of the way.”
BATAVIA – GLOW With Your Hands organizers are seeking 15 additional volunteers to support the coordination of 1,000 students from across the GLOW region for the 6th annual career exploration event being held on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia.
“The success of GLOW With Your Hands is made possible through the generosity of volunteers in a variety of event-day roles, including tour guides for individual schools, and support at the entrance at the fairgrounds, parking and lunch areas,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair Karyn Winters said. “We are fortunate to have so many volunteers already registered but we need more to cover all our bases.”
The annual GLOW With Your Hands event provides students with hands-on career exploration in high-growth and high-demand careers. Activities such as welding, bricklaying and heavy equipment operation, and interactions with employers provide students with the insight to explore career opportunities with companies across the region.
“We’re tremendously excited to once again welcome so many companies and students to GLOW With Your Hands. The commitment and dedication of so many volunteers is what makes this amazing event possible,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair.
Provided photos: The Niagara Regional Police Pipes and Drums will be performing at the upcoming Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 September 2024 at 7:06 am
LOCKPORT – The Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival will celebrate its 23rd year on Sept. 14 and 15 at Niagara County Fairgrounds.
Founded by Philip Banks of Burt, the event has proven increasingly popular every year and annually features more than 2,500 participants from throughout Western New York, including Orleans County. These include clans, musicians, pipers, dancers, vendors and artisans.
Banks said he and his wife Beth started the event in 2001 as a grassroots economic development project, after reading about something similar in Readers Digest, done in a small town in Texas.
“We had been long time attendees of the now defunct Amherst Scottish Festival and Ontario, near Lake Huron, several times and saw people celebrating their Celtic heritage,” Banks said. “We were from the Olcott area and knew that could be a good venue for an event. Beth is Scottish/German and I am Irish/German. We could have never known this festival would become so big we’d have to relocate to the Niagara County Fairgrounds in 2019.”
Banks said volunteers have been recruited from Orleans County since the festival’s founding, and at least several dozen volunteers annually come from Orleans County. In addition, several hundred Orleans County residents buy tickets for the event, he said.
The Niagara County Celtic Heritage Festival this year will welcome an impressive lineup of massed pipe bands, in addition to as many as 30 Scottish groups to the Clan Village, making it the largest gathering of family reps in New York State, according to Banks.
A total of eight pipe bands and one brass band from across the local region will perform in ceremonies, individual concerts and massed bands on both days.
Banks invites everyone to join the thousands of people who attend each year, when “everyone is Celtic for the weekend.”
On Saturday, the Gordon Highlanders Pipes & Drums, 96th Highlanders Pipes & Drums, MacKenzie Highlanders Pipes & Drums and the Celtic Spirit Pipe Band will entertain. The D Company Gordon Highlanders were formed in 1837 and is the oldest continuing organization in the city of Buffalo. The 96th Highlanders of Jamestown are proud to represent their region in and around Chautauqua County.
The MacKenzie Highlanders from Youngstown have roots dating back to 1913. Their tradition continues as they offer free lessons to all interested in becoming a member. Celtic Spirit is also from Niagara County and mixes traditional pipe music with various modern instruments in unique arrangements.
The Glengary Bhoys also will be featured during the festival.
On Sunday, visitors can enjoy the Niagara Regional Police Pipes & Drums, the Rochester Scottish Pipes & Drums, the Buffalo Niagara Scotia Pipes & Drums and the Feadan Or Pipe Band. The Niagara Regional Police are from Niagara Falls, Ontario, and perform across Canada and the United States, both as a concert and a competition band. The Rochester Scottish are the City’s Celtic Ambassadors to the world. The band has a broad repertoire playing both traditional martial and modern tunes.
One of Western New York’s newer pipe bands is Buffalo Niagara Scotia from Tonawanda, and is dedicated to strengthening Scottish pride in the region. They welcome newcomers of all ages. Feadan Or from the Finger Lakes promotes traditional Scottish bagpiping, drumming and dancing, in performances and through teaching.
Also on Sunday, to give the feel of a “military tattoo,” the festival will welcome the Mt. St. Mary’s Academy Marching Band from Kenmore. Wearing kilts, they are the only fully instrumented all-girls’ marching band in New York state.
The clan group practice dates back to the 1700s when so many people in Scotland were forced to leave their homeland for other countries. Each clan can trace its lineage to ancestors from Scotland, dating back many centuries. In fact, Banks said most clans still have a hereditary chief in Scotland.
The clans display all sorts of materials related to their families, including their tartans, and answer questions about their generations of ancestors. During the weekend, visitors can experience the sight of them marching in the opening ceremonies, see the “Calling of the Clans,” when torches light the ceremonial bonfire, and take part in the Memorial Service to honor their members who have passed since the last festival.
Each group was formed for charitable, religious, educational and/or scientific purposes to support the family name, with all the sub-group names and variations. Typically, their mission is to protect cultural, artistic and historic endeavors and acquire, preserve, restore and act as custodians for historical records, relics and heirlooms.
They encourage the preservation of historical buildings and landmarks related to the family in countries throughout the world. The individual societies are divided into regions, with hundreds or thousands of members active throughout North America, Australia and other countries. Any person who is of the clan lineage or the dozens of associated family names can join to learn about and celebrate their traditions and genealogy.
Clan representatives will come from New York, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada. The names include Baird, Blair, Barclay, Bruce, Buchanan, Claus, Cumming, Donnachaidh, Douglas, Ferguson, Forsyth, Grant, Gregor, Gordon, Hall, Hannay, Hay, Henderson, Hunter, Home, Keith, Kerr, Lindsay, Little, MacBean, MacFarlane, MacGillivray, MacNachtan, MacNeil, Masonic, Morrison, O’Keefe, Thompson and Wallace, as well as the Daughters of Scotia, the Rochester Scottish Society, the Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada and the Scottish Military Society.
In addition to the nine bands, the cultural celebration will include Highland athletics, dancers, national and regional musicians, merchandise vendors, artisans, food and beverage vendors, a kid’s area, clans, reenactors, seminars and local community groups.
The festival will also showcase a wide variety of food vendors at the event.
“Food and beverages rank very high among the reasons people attend cultural celebrations, because traditional dishes maintain ethnic heritage through the generations,” Banks said. “The event will have 30 vendors offering 150 menu items of all types, including entrees, finger foods, sweets, snacks and vegetarian options.”
“Many events don’t put a priority on food and beverages, but the fact is that most visitors consider it a high priority,” said Beth Banks, festival director. “This isn’t just boring fair food. We have something for every taste. We have a team dedicated to finding vendors that fit our festival priorities. You don’t wait in long lines and there is plenty of seating.”
The director explained vendors come from as far as North Carolina to serve Celtic specialties, such as a full Scottish breakfast, Guinness meat pies, Scottish dragon eggs, colcannon, cranchen, potato pancakes, potato soup, salt potatoes, shepherds’ pie, vegetarian shepherd’s pie, Guinness meatballs, Irish beef stew, Irish lamb stew, Jameson braised beef and chicken wings, Scottish barbecue and banger sausages. There are several kinds of haggis and even a haggis eating contest Saturday night.
Celtic sweets include Irish bread pudding, Irish oat cookies, Scottish shortbread, sticky toffee pudding, Welsh cookies and several Celtic-themed ice creams. An assortment of adult beverages includes Ginness, harp, Smithwicks, hard cider, mead, wine, wine slushies and gourmet coffees.
Many visitors, according to Beth Banks, attend just for the variety of food and beverages.
The Niagara Celtic Heritage Society is a 501c3 not-for-profit educational organization, founded in 2001 and focused on preserving the culture of the seven Celtic nations in this region. The annual festival is its primary fundraising activity.
Parking is free, as is the Festival Guidebook. A detailed schedule and ticket information can be found at www.niagaraceltic.com.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 September 2024 at 6:30 am
LYNDONVILLE – Orleans Community Health has announced the annual For Women Only will take place this year on Oct. 3 at White Birch Golf Course.
The event will again kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, while providing an evening with keynote speakers, cancer survivors sharing inspirational stories, honoring loved ones, socializing and participating in various raffles.
“While there is a traditional focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to recognize those who have battled any form of the disease,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Orleans Community Health. “There are plenty of individuals to honor, as well. In addition to basket raffles and other returning highlights, we’re continuing with last year’s opportunity to have loved ones included in a slide show that honors those we’ve lost, current fighters and survivors.”
Anyone wishing to honor their loved one – with or without a picture – should submit their name, photograph and information on whether or not the individual is still surviving, or date of death to Robinson at srobinson@medinamemorial.org.
For Women Only has been an annual event for many years, except during a hiatus from the Covid pandemic, Robinson said.
The event has often been a sellout, and women are encouraged to get their tickets as soon as possible by calling Lori Condo at (585) 798-8422 or online at FWO 2024 (auctria.com). Sponsorships are also available for purchase.
“We’ve all known someone who has had their lives affected by cancer,” Robinson said. “FWO allows us to bring these individuals together for an evening of strength through numbers. Everyone in the room has a story to tell, and we’re lucky enough to hear many of them.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark Tillman, long-time owner of the former Tillman’s Village Inn, accepts a lifetime achievement award during last year’s Orleans County Chamber of Commerce awards dinner. It was the 25th anniversary for the Chamber following the merger of the Albion and Medina chambers into a county-ide organization.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2024 at 9:25 pm
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 26th annual business awards.
Nominations are due by Sept. 9 and can be emailed to director@orleanschamber.com or mailed to OCCC, PO Box 501, Medina NY, 14103.
The categories include:
Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year. (Last year’s winner: Art Hill Excavating in Medina.)
Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements. (Mark Tillman received the award in 2023.)
Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility. (Robert Smith, owner of the Webber Hotel in Lyndonville, won the award last year.)
New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year. (Chris and McKenna Delorme of The Grove 1848 Bistro and Bar in Kendall won last year.)
Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres. (Mary Lou Tuohey, owner of Case-Nic Cookies in Medina received the honor in 2023.)
Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year. (Orleans Poverty Hill Farms, a dairy farm in Albion owned by the Neal family, won the award in 2023.)
Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year. (Sourced Market & Eatery in Millville won last year.)
Hidden Gem –This award is presented to a business that has made a positive contribution to tourism in Orleans County. (The Downtown Browsery in Albion and Medina won the honor in 2023.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2024 at 9:20 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Vance VanSkiver, a motor equipment operator with the Village of Albion Department of Public Works, paints the gazebo by the Erie Canal in Albion on Friday.
The structure was gray but is now a red-brown color to fit in better with the other buildings close by, as well as the benches along the canal.
The DPW also will soon replace the shingles on the gazebo. It’s part of an upgrade of the park that will include a bench and lamppost from old steel from the Main Street lift bridge. A monument to the 15 victims of the Sept. 28, 1859 bridge collapse also will be installed in the park.
The site was never officially designated as a park until the Village Board on Aug. 14 formally named it the “Erie Canal Park.” It will be dedicated during a noon ceremony on Sept. 28. That will include the unveiling of the park improvements.
Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent, paints the interior of the gazebo on Friday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2024 at 8:12 am
Grounds could be sold by Diocese; Volunteers hope festival will continue for many more years
Photos by Tom Rivers
HULBERTON – Joe Morlino was among many volunteers cooking food at St. Rocco’s Italian Festival on Sunday in Hulberton. The event has been a big fundraiser for the St. Mark’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish.
Morlino has been volunteering at the festival for 20 years. He is cooking French fries, ravioli and mozzarella sticks.
The festival included a bocce tournament, arts and craft vendors, food, a beer tent, and other activities.
Sunday was the 49th St. Rocco’s Italian Festival.
The property has been listed to be sold by the Buffalo Diocese, but church members have advocated that the property be kept by the local church and continued to be used for the Italian Festival, which volunteers say is a community event, bringing many former Holley residents back for a homecoming.
Bishop Michel W. Fisher said the Diocese will announce its final recommendations this week or early next week on what churches and properties will be closed and sold in the Diocese.
Kevin Lynch, a former Holley mayor, eyes where to toss the ball in the bocce tournament. Lynch and three of his high school friends – Charlie Smith, Bernie Ruggeri and Paul Gifaldi – have been playing as a team for about 30 years. They were 1-1 in the early going of the tournament on Sunday.
The bocce tournament had 10 teams on Sunday, up from eight last year. Another tournament was held on Sunday at the courts at Hickory Ridge Golf Course. The goal is to be the closest to the small ball. The first team to 16 wins, and the team has to win by at least 2 points.
Dan Mawn prepares waffles to be deep fried and then covered in confectionary sugar. He has been volunteering at St. Rocco’s since 2009, when Holley ended its firemen’s carnival.
I hadn’t noticed the plaques on the festival grounds until Sunday. This monument sign is concealed in bushes.
One side facing the road declares: “In gratitude to the J. Walter Koessler Family (Greater Buffalo Press) for the gift of this land and building.”
The other side is in memory of the Rev. James D. Walker, who served St. Mary’s, St. Rocco’s and St. Mark’s.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2024 at 4:26 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Steven Long, a firefighter in the Medina Fire Department, collects money this morning during a boot drive to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Western New York, which grants wishes to children battling critical illnesses.
Firefighters were at three intersections – Route 63 and Maple Ridge Road, Route 104 and South Lyndonville Road, and Main Street and Center Street – and collected $6,500 for Make-A-Wish.
Medina firefighters were at the Main and Center Street intersection, while Shelby and East Shelby firefighters were at Route 63 and Maple Ridge Road. Ridgeway and Lyndonville firefighters collected funds at Route 104 and South Lyndonville Road.
The boot drive was planned for Saturday but was pushed back a day to the rainy morning yesterday.
Traffic was a little slower today than on a Saturday, but firefighters said many people were generous, giving 10- and 20-dollar bills.
Caleb Fisher, 11, is the son of Medina firefighter Adam Fisher. Caleb is on East Center Street leading up to the Main Street intersection.
From left include Medina firefighters Adam Fisher and Dylan Schrader and Fisher’s son Caleb.
The west battalion firefighters have teamed on the boot drive in recent years. Firefighters said at least two children in the community have benefitted from Make-A-Wish recently.
Captain Mike Young of the Medina FD collects money in the boot drive today on Main Street.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2024 at 8:55 am
Contractors rebuilt roads, tackled other projects
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The main campus road at Medina Central School was closed off to traffic on Aug. 2 in front of Clifford H. Wise Intermediate School. The road was rebuilt and repaved this summer.
It’s part of a $34.3 million project that was approved by school district voters on Feb. 14, 2023. State aid is covering $29.9 million.
The project includes $17.3 million at Junior-Senior High School, $9.8 million at Clifford H. Wise Intermediate, $6.2 million at Oak Orchard Primary School, and $1.1 million at the bus garage.
Work will continue on the project, including next summer.
Here is the repaved road in front of the district office on Saturday morning.
The road is freshly paved here in front of the junior/senior high school.
“We’ve had a real busy summer in terms of construction,” said Dr. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
He listed the main projects at the district this summer:
The main roads were completely rebuilt, and the parking lots at the Junior-Senior High School were milled and repaved.
A new dehumidification system is in the process of being installed in the pool, which will be ready for swim season. Next summer, the pool itself will be completely rebuilt.
Foundation work for our new band, tech and ag rooms has been ongoing all summer, and construction will continue throughout the year.
New bathrooms are being added to the second floor of the junior/senior high school and near the cafeteria at Oak Orchard. Those will be completed by November.
Work on the new library at Oak Orchard started this summer and will also be completed by November. (Once the library is completed, the old library at Oak will be converted to district offices. Once those new offices are finished, the current district offices will be converted to classrooms.)
“Next summer, all of the entrances and main offices will be reconstructed with enhanced security for all entrances,” Kruzynski said.
The parking lot by the Junior-Senior High School has construction equipment and materials on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2024 at 6:18 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans County Historical Association today served 305 chicken barbcue dinners from the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road.
Pi tured from left include Jean Shervin, Chris Capurso and Coleen Cliff. Capurso’s late husband Al was instrumental in the rehabilitation of the former schoolhouse.
A kiosk was installed across the road from the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse, a cobblestone building that served students from 1832 to 1944. The schoolhouse now serves as a museum, meeting place and headquarters for the Orleans County Historical Association. It is the oldest documented cobblestone building in the region.
The building was in rough shape before volunteers saved it from ruin. Beginning in 2015, Capurso led a team that put on a new roof, replaced windows and cleaned out junk and debris from the site. They put in new electric, a new subfloor, restored the trim and repaired the facade. They added a historic marker and flag pole. A log cabin from 1930 also has been relocated from an Albion backyard to behind the schoolhouse.
Frank Berger, right, and Rick Ebbs are part of the crew serving up the meals.
Proceeds from the dinner go to OCHA programming, including lectures and cemetery tours. The tours ended last Sunday for this year. OCHA led tours at West Ridgeway Cemetery, the “Poorhouse Cemetery” in Albion, St. Mary’s in Medina and Mount Albion.
The group has two lectures left this year. Those upcoming presentations at the schoolhouse include 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 by Delia Robinson, “FDR Slept Here” and 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 by Jim Friday on Medina Sandstone.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2024 at 11:22 am
MEDINA – A boot drive to benefit Make-A-Wish has been pushed back from today to Sunday due to the rainy weather this morning.
Firefighters from five companies and departments in western Orleans County will team on Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon in an annual boot drive to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Western New York, which grants wishes to children battling critical illnesses.
Firefighters from Shelby, East Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Lyndonville will be near the intersections at Route 63 and Maple Ridge Road, Route 104 and South Lyndonville Road, and Main Street and Center Street.
The firefighters have raised about $8,000 in the recent boot drives for Make-A-Wish.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2024 at 9:52 am
Village also expects to try again for Restore NY funding
File photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is pictured last winter. The Main Street lift bridge has been closed for nearly two years, reducing traffic for some of the Main Street businesses.
ALBION – The Village of Albion submitted applications last year for the $4.5 million Forward NY program and for up to $10 million in a Restore NY grant.
Albion was denied in both applications in what grant writer Jay Grasso said are very competitive programs among municipalities looking to help their downtown business districts, and tackle other housing and tourism initiatives.
Grasso, owner of G & G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, was encouraged by the strength of Albion’s applications and he wants to try again for the state funding. He said municipalities that receive those larger grants often miss the cut the first time.
The Village Board has scheduled a tentative 6 p.m. public meeting on Sept. 12 at the Village Hall to hear from building owners and residents about the programs.
“There was good feedback to the applications,” Grasso said during Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. “I think the village is primed for it.”
Grasso said the state wants to see bigger “transformational” projects that can be a catalyst for other investment in the community. The projects don’t have to be in the downtown.
The applications last year included a trail that extended from the downtown to Mount Albion Cemetery where the village sought funding to replace the roof on the chapel.
Albion’s Restore NY grant application last year totaled $11 million in projects. That list has Grasso convinced Albion should pursue the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, rather than the $4.5 million Forward NY grant.
Once he hears from business owners, non-profit organizations and village officials about potential projects, Grasso said he expects to submit a letter of intent in October to apply for either the Forward NY or larger DRI. He also said he will go after the Restore NY grant.
The Restore NY program could bring up to $10 million to revitalize distressed commercial and residential sites, providing 90 percent of the costs. The program funds reconstruction, structural repairs, repair and replacement of mechanical systems, energy efficiency upgrades, and demolition.
Forward NY or the DRI provides matching funds for building owners to create residential space or upgrade facades and make other improvements. The village could receive 100 percent funding towards public-benefit projects, such as upgraded parking lots.
Potential projects for building owners could include:
new construction (residential, mixed use, hotel, etc.)
renovation of existing buildings
facade improvements
renovation of new retail, office, co-working, commercial, industrial, recreational or cultural use
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 August 2024 at 7:29 am
ALABAMA – A section of Route 63 near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will remain closed to traffic until Sept. 13, the state Department of Transportation said.
The road was closed to motorists on July 1 and was anticipated to reopen on Sept. 1. But that has been pushed back about two weeks for a federal culvert replacement project.
Motorists are encouraged to follow the posted detour that utilizes State Route 77, Gasport Road and Route 31. Local traffic will be able to access Route 63 up to the immediate work zone. The refuge remains open.
ALBION – With the 2024-25 school year quickly approaching, the Albion Central School District continues to be deeply concerned regarding the Village of Albion’s decision to eliminate its crossing guard.
The village budget was passed on Thursday, April 25, and the district was notified of the change in early June, not by Village of Albion trustees, but by the Albion Police Department. According to Mickey Edwards, Superintendent of ACS, it was Lt. Brandon Annable, the position’s previous supervisor, who called to notify the district of the change.
As they were notified in June, and Albion school district had already passed its budget that May, the District and its Board of Education were shocked.
“No one wants to see any of our students injured while crossing the road,” said ACS Board of Education President Wayne Wadhams.
“The safety of our students has to come first,” ACS Board of Education Vice President Linda Weller said. “All students get bussed, except those closest to the school and those are village students who need a crossing guard.”
As soon as they were made aware the village had not included a crossing guard in its annual budget, Edwards said the district looked into hiring for the position directly.
“We have always prioritized the safety and security of our students,” Edwards stated. “Putting students at risk is never an option.”
“I understand that money is tight but I don’t think that our children’s safety is a place to cut funding,” BOE member Kurt Schmitt said. “These are village children that are walking home and we need to keep them safe. If the school was legally allowed to hire the crossing guard, we would.”
It was during this time Bond, Schoeneck & King, the District’s law firm, advised that, due to section 208-A of the NYS General Municipal Law (click here), the school district is not legally allowed to directly employ the primary crossing guard.
Bond, Schoeneck & King also advised the district that the only time in which it is allowed to enter an agreement with a village or police department, with the purpose of directly hiring a crossing guard, is to increase the number of school crossing guards already employed by the respective village or police department.
Consequently, for this to be possible, the village or police department would already need to have a crossing guard on their payroll.
For at least the last decade, the Village of Albion has employed the crossing guard that has been supervised by Albion PD. In the absence of an employed guard, Albion Police Chief David Mogle has said that his officers will help to provide coverage.
“We are going to do the best we can,” Chief Mogle said. “We will do what we have to do to protect the kids.”
The Albion PD has two officers on duty at a time, meeting the department’s minimum staffing requirement, to help ensure the officers’ safety when attending calls. According to Chief Mogle, while the department tends to be busier in the afternoon there is still the potential for the officer filling in as the crossing guard to be called away, no matter the time of day.
“We hope that the school and the village are able to hash it out and find a dedicated guard to fill the position,” Chief Mogle said.
This is not the first time the Albion BOE has discussed this issue, according to Weller.
“The first time was in 2017 when the village first tried to get rid of the crossing guard and the district tried to work with the village to find a solution,” Weller explained. “As a Board, we thought this matter had been solved as it has been a village budgeted item since before I was on the board. This isn’t a new law, why they (the village trustees) chose to cut it out of the budget this year, only the village can answer that.”
“This is the second time, since I’ve been on the school board, that this issue has come up,” Wadhams added. “We need to find a long-lasting solution to prevent this from becoming an annual problem.”
ACS’s School Resource Officer Deputy Matthew Prawel agreed and emphasized that drop-off and pick-up times are an especially important part of his day.
“It should come as no surprise that our students’ most vulnerable moments are when they are outside our buildings during arrival and dismissal times,” Prawel said. “My presence is most needed when students are getting on and off buses to ensure the safety of our students as they enter and leave our buildings.”
His job isn’t over once students have boarded or unloaded from the buses, he is also in charge of ensuring transportation on and off campus runs smoothly.
“My focus is on making sure our students, staff and visitors are all safe while they are at Albion Central Schools,” Prawel said. “I strap on the yellow traffic vest twice a day for both our Middle School and High School dismissal times. For me to cover the crosswalk, in addition to the district’s driveways, would not be possible and leave people at risk.”
Morning arrival isn’t any easier, according to the District’s SRO.
“Drop-off time is especially difficult as the avenue is used heavily for people commuting to work at that time,” Prawel said.
“Whether the school was on the avenue or not, that would be a high-risk area for someone crossing Route 31 in the mornings.”
The school district and Prawel emphasize the importance of the work and dedication of the Albion Police Department and its ongoing assistance in keeping our school and village community safe.
“We are incredibly grateful to Chief Mogle and the rest of the Albion Police Department, for continuing to be great partners in prioritizing the safety of our students, staff, and greater Albion community,” Edwards said.
“I couldn’t do it without their support,” Prawel agreed. “The Albion Police Department is integral in ensuring our school and village community remain safe.”
ALBION – With the 2024-25 school year quickly approaching, the Albion Central School District continues to be deeply concerned regarding the Village of Albion’s decision to eliminate its crossing guard.
