A group of friends from Medina High School with a passion for biking have added another prestigious ride to their repertoire.

Jeff and Bronwyn Green, Dave Maiorana and his companion Pam Brown Muscato, Kate Dydo Eaton and a family friend Amy Forbush of Indiana just completed a seven-day ride in the 51st Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Tom Walders of Medina accompanied the cyclists driving a support vehicle – Maiorana’s RV he named “Lola.”

Maiorana, Jeff and Walders graduated in 1981; Bronwyn and Eaton in 1982; and Muscato in 1983.

Jeff and Bronwyn started cycling during the first year of Covid in 2020, she said. Jeff had just had a total knee replacement in 2018 and his surgeon said cycling was a safe sport for him to try.

“He’s never looked back,” Bronwyn said.

They have cycled across America, including twice on the Cycle the Erie Canal ride from Buffalo to Albany; the Gravel Grinder, a 38.4 mile ride in the Adirondacks. They are in the Adirondacks riding this week, and plan to ride the Sun Road in Glacier National Park and the Gap Trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md.

Friends from Medina High School and a friend from Indiana pose with a Medina Mustang banner near the Mississippi River, after completing a seven-day ride across Iowa. Standing from left are Tom Walders, who was the riders’ support person; Jeff Green; Dave Maiorana; Kate Dydo Eaton and Amy Forbush. Kneeling are Bronwyn Green and Pam Brown Muscato.

The recent RAGBRAI, as the Iowa race is known, was one of the most challenging, Bronwyn said. It was also the first time they have ridden with Maiorana, who has a reputation as a world traveler since his retirement. He and the Greens planned for the RAGBRAI for a year.

The ride is the hilliest they have ever done, encompassing almost 20,000 feet of elevation, Bronwyn said. Where the Cycle the Erie Canal ride has 650 to 750 riders, RAGBRI had more than 18,000, making it the largest bike ride in the world.

“There was a river of bikes,” Bronwyn said. “The weather was perfect – in the 80s, and we were on the road most mornings between 5:30 and 6 a.m. “

The shortest day was 40 miles and the longest was 84 with an option to do 100. Jeff, Bronwyn and Forbush did the 100 miles.

The towns they passed through were all ready to welcome the riders with drinks, port-a-johns, snacks and bike repairs.

One van who followed the riders was pink and called “Pork Chop.” They cooked pork chops along the way and at a stop, each rider was handed a pork chop.

Maiorana and Muscato are next heading to Europe at the end of August to tour Italy and Spain for a month.

Bronwyn said they owe credit to Maiorana and Eaton for starting the wheel turning for the RAGBRAI trip to Iowa.

“We had all kept in contact after a Celebration of Champions get-together a couple of years ago,” Bronwyn said. “We all had cycling in common, and the trip, thanks to Dave as team leader, became a reality.”

The Greens plan to do the Virginia Creeper ride in September and may join Eaton and Forbush in Indiana to ride the Hilly Hundred in October.

Medina man says he intends to file lawsuit against county

ALBION – A higher court has dismissed the charges against a Medina man, siding with his claims that a special prosecutor was improperly appointed.

Dino Callara, 56, of Medina was convicted of a jury of grand larceny in the fourth degree and two counts of petit larceny on Feb. 22, 2022.

He served 24 months of incarceration in the county jail and state prison.

However, he contended the special prosecutor, Anthony Bruce, did not have jurisdiction in the case because Bruce does not live in the county or have an office in an adjacent county.

The Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department issued a decision on July 26, agreeing with Callara and his attorney, Kerry A. Conner, that the case should be dismissed.

Callara was in Orleans County Court this morning before Judge Sanford Church, who held off on dismissing the case today but said he would likely do so on Friday.

Conner said it is “routine” for county court judges to dismiss cases after decisions from the Fourth Judicial Department in favor of a dismissal.

Bruce spoke at court today and said he doesn’t agree with the Fourth Judicial Department decision. He asked Church to hold off on dismissing the indictment, with Bruce saying the decision was made “with prejudice.”

Church said it would be “double jeopardy” to bring the charges again after Callara’s case already went before a jury.

Bruce said he wanted more time to state his argument for objecting to the decision. Bruce, a long-time federal prosecutor, lives in Orchard Park and lists 39 Ellicott St. in Batavia as an office in Genesee County, which is contiguous to Orleans.

Callara said after court that he intends to sue the District Attorney’s Office and County Court for its handling of his case. His attorney tried to argue Bruce didn’t have jurisdiction because his office in Batavia wasn’t set up or being used at the time of Callara’s court case.

Conner, an attorney with the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, said the defense should be the one to seek a stay to argue an appeal, not the prosecution.

“The Fourth Department’s decision is equivalent to an acquittal,” Conner said in court. “There is no reason not to dismiss.”

Judge Church acknowledged he hasn’t faced this issue yet as a judge, with a decision from the Fourth Judicial Department to dismiss the indictment. He said he will do more research and expects to dismiss the case in a written decision on Friday.

Senator says I-90 Thruway corridor strategically positioned for semiconductor industry

Photos by Tom Rivers

BASOM – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer holds a photo of a finished factory for Edwards Vacuum during a celebration Tuesday in front of the company’s manufacturing facility that has been under construction since April.

Edwards Vacuum will be making a $319 million investment in the site and will hire 280 workers in 2025 and 2026, with expectations of 600 employees when the facility is at full capacity.

“What a historic day,” Schumer said Tuesday at the STAMP manufacturing site, where Edwards is building a new facility. “There is a four-letter word that makes us so happy with this project: J-O-B-S.”

Edwards leaders said the new facility at the STAMP will produce about 10,000 dry pumps a year for the semiconductor industry as part of phase one of the site. Edwards plans to eventually double the capacity to 20,000 dry pumps and have 600 employees at the site.

“Today we are not just breaking ground,” said Geert Follens, president of the Vacuum Technique Business Area for Edwards Vacuum’s parent company, Atlas Copco Group, which is headquartered in Sweden. “We are building the future.”

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer joins Genesee County leaders, officials from Edwards Vacuum and economic development leaders in a grand breaking celebration Tuesday at Edwards Vacuum in Basom.

Follens noted the facility will be emission free and carbon neutral, powered by hydroelectricity and certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Follens said Schumer called him about 18 months ago, pitching STAMP as a site for Edwards to manufacture the dry pumps for the semiconductor industry. Schumer gave him his personal phone number and touted the site’s proximity to hydro-power, water, a skilled workforce and the incentives through the CHIPS and Science Law. Follens also said Schumer promised his clout as the Senate Majority leader in supporting the project and the semiconductor industry, especially for the I-90 corridor.

Schumer said upstate communities have witnessed the pain of seeing many factories and businesses close in recent decades.

“Now the reverse will be true,” he said. “Parents will be moving their kids in other parts of the country as their kids come to upstate New York.”

He proclaimed a new era for Upstate New York. “We’re back! We’re back!”

Schumer hailed the CHIPS and Science Law, which he pushed in the Senate to become law for providing critical incentives for companies in semiconductor manufacturing. The incentives from the federal government have resulted in companies making major investments in the semiconductor industry, including Micron’s more than $100 billion megafab project in Central New York, and GlobalFoundries’ $11.6 billion expansion in Malta, Saratoga County.

Schumer said the investments are in upstate New York, and he expects more to follow. The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region received a Tech Hub designation through his CHIPS & Science Law and last month secured a $40 million investment to implement the Tech Hub’s work with companies like Edwards. Schumer said 25 percent of microchips will be produced in the U.S. in the I-90 corridor, providing a huge boost to the upstate economy and protecting national security.

The shortage of microchips was a crisis in the automobile industry and other sectors during the manufacturing slowdown during the Covid pandemic, Schumer said. Baxter in Medina struggled to get chips for manufacturing medical infusion pumps, just one of many businesses that were disrupted due to the chip shortage.

Shelley Stein, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature, welcomed Edwards Vacuum to the STAMP site. She praised the many partners locally and at the state and federal levels for working with Edwards and to develop STAMP off Route 63 in the Town of Alabama.

She said economic development is a marathon and communities need to “stay the course.” Stein praised Schumer for a “laser-like focus” in advocating for STAMP and upstate.

Rob Crossen, the Alabama town supervisor, said STAMP brings much-needed jobs to a community where many family farms have gone out of business over the years.

“This is about jobs, and it’s good-paying jobs,” Crossen said. “We’re going to see license plates from other states coming here.”

Crossen said Edwards has an outstanding reputation in the communities where it has facilities. That includes seven in the United States. STAMP is the fifth new site developed by Edwards.

“They pay very well,” Crossen said. “These are middle-class jobs that people can rely on and raise a family on.”

Hope Knight, president and CEO of Empire State Development, addressed the crowd, including Sen. Schumer under a tent during the celebration on Tuesday.

“New York is the future of America’s semiconductor resurgence,” she said.

Other economic development officials also spoke, including Mark Masse, president of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, and Matt Hurlbutt, president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Enterprise.

STAMP is a regional and state-wide asset as a mega-site with access to hydroelectricity and the workforce in Buffalo and Rochester and communities in the middle, the officials said.

“STAMP is a strategic site that can compete with any mega-site in the nation and world,” Masse said.

He stressed that attracting a company and project like the new site for Edwards Vacuum is very competitive. The CHIPS & Science Law and the new Tech Hub designation “have put upstate on the map,” Masse said.

“It takes cooperation at all levels to make economic development a reality,” he said.

Hurlbutt said the Rochester economic development officials are behind STAMP as an important asset for the region. The Edwards Vacuum project was known as “King Fisher” in a code while the officials tried to sway the company to come to STAMP.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Schumer’s support of the semiconductor industry bodes well for upstate, Western New York and STAMP, Hurlbutt said.

“We look forward to filling up the STAMP site,” he said.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer shakes hands with Kent Stobbart, vice president of operations for the semiconductor division of Edwards Vacuum and its parent company, Atlas Copco Group.

The STAMP sewer discharge has been controversial with Orleans County suing to block a pipeline from bringing treated sewer water from STAMP to the Oak Orchard Creek. A lawsuit from Orleans County was dismissed in court, but project has been blocked after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service terminated the permit for horizontal drilling.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center is proposing a different open-construction method and is seeking a permit to continue the pipeline along Route 63 to the Oak Orchard. With that unsettled, GCEDC is working to have STAMP sewer go to the Village of Oakfield. Sewer water also could be hauled by truck in the short term.

GCEDC said it will be working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Tonawanda Seneca Nation on the Route 63 pipeline, which is needed for a larger buildout of STAMP, a 1,250-acre manufacturing mega-site.

Volunteers reset stones at historic cemetery as part of event

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jonathan Appell, owner of Atlas Preservation, helps prepare the site for resetting a broken stone in Boxwood Cemetery. Appell’s visit to Boxwood Cemetery is one of only two in New York state and is part of his “48 States Tour: Saving America’s Graveyards.”

MEDINA – Boxwood Cemetery was a beehive of activity on Tuesday, thanks to a visit by Jonathan Appell with his company, Atlas Preservation. His visit was part of a “48 States Tour: Saving America’s Graveyards,” and was one of only two stops in New York state.

The visit was arranged by Medina historian and member of Friends of Boxwood, Todd Bensley.

“We buy products from Atlas and I saw the tour and applied to be one of the sites they stopped at,” Bensley said.

An unexpected 61 volunteers and interested onlookers showed up to watch the resetting of stones in the section of Boxwood Cemetery with the graves which were dug up from Gwinn Street and relocated to Boxwood in the 1890s, Bensley said.

Bensley said resetting broken stones is an unending job.

“I work with Dale Short and we’ve done 33 this year,” he said.

Rob Klino, president of Friends of Boxwood, said the attendance far exceeded their expectations.

“This event has put Boxwood Cemetery on the map,” he said.

Volunteers came from all over, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Wolf Island, Ontario, Canada.

One volunteer was Steve Hayes from Bemus Point, a stone preservation volunteer.

“I clean stones mostly for graves of veterans, and also family and friends,” he said. “I saw this event online and decided to follow along. I’m excited to learn how to reset a stone. And I love what I’ve seen of Medina.”

This was his first visit to Medina, and he marveled over the sandstone buildings and how well kept they were.

(Left) Teri Strait, a DAR member from Lancaster, cleans a headstone which will be reset during a graveyard preservation event at Boxwood Cemetery on Tuesday, led by Atlas Preservation. (Right) Two volunteers dig dirt and pieces of stones away from a broken headstone at Boxwood Cemetery, to make way for a new base. Sixty-one people showed up to watch or volunteer at the event.

ALBION – Voters in both the towns of Albion and Gaines approved a joint fire district in a referendum today.

The turnout was low, and both towns passed the district by about a 2-to-1 margin. Albion voted 125 yes, 61 no, while the results in Gaines were 70 yes, 43 no.

In Albion, 186 voted out of 3,798 registered voters or 4.9 percent. In Gaines, 5.4 percent voted or 113 out of 2,083 eligible.

The new fire district should become official on Jan. 1, with the Albion Fire Department moving out of the village budget and into its own governing structure with five commissioners. The district will also have its own tax rate that will be in the town and county tax bills.

Five commissioners will be appointed to the district until there is an election in December. The Albion Village Board has one commissioner to appoint, while the Town Boards in Albion and Gianes each have two appointments.

The Village Board has appointed Dave Buczek, a former village trustee, to be the village representative. The Albion and Gaines tow boards are expected to discuss their appointments for commissioner during their board meetings on Monday.

Albion and Gaines follow Lyndonville and Yates, and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray and Holley which have moved their fire protection to fire districts.

Albion and Gaines officials say the district will allow commissioners to be focused on the needs for fire protection while also being directly responsible to taxpayers. Right now the Village Board sets the fire department budget as part of the village budget, with the two towns paying a fire protection contract to the village.

MEDINA – A bike helmet safety event held at the YMCA on Friday was considered a success by sponsors, in spite of a rainy day.

The event, sponsored by Orleans Community Health in collaboration with the Orleans County YMCA and Medina Area Partnership had to be canceled in early July because of weather and was rescheduled for Aug. 2 at the YMCA. In spite of rain that day also, 15 children did show up for the event which took place inside.

“It wasn’t what we were hoping for, but it was well worth it,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Orleans Community Health. “It’s something we intend to do again in the spring.”

All the children were provided with information on bike and helmet safety, Robinson said. These safety tips included hand signals, what to wear, the importance of riding with others and a variety of other useful pieces of information.”

The event was designed to promote bicycle safety and the overall importance of wearing helmets during certain activities. Members of the community donated bicycle, skateboarding and even snowboarding helmets to the effort, Robinson said.

“A large thank you goes out to members of the community, supporting organizations and the YMCA for hosting this event,” Robinson said. “Any time we can come together to promote health and safety activities, we’re helping to create positive change. Thanks also goes to the Medina Police Department for stopping by and speaking with the children.”

The event included an indoor course, bicycle décor, helmets and safety tips for young riders. Helmets not handed out that day will be donated to the Medina Police Department for National Night Out this evening and future bike safety activities.

Due to the weather and very wet field conditions, the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association (OONA) Concert Committee has decided to reschedule the “Who Dats” concert yet again to next week, Aug 13 – same time and place.

OONA Concert Committee
Frank Panczyszyn

Residents have a chance to meet local law enforcement, first responders and agencies today at National Night Out events in Medina and Middleport.

Medina’s Clifford Wise Intermediate School at 1016 Gwinn St. will host the Orleans County National Night Out from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Middleport will host National Night Out in the center of the village from 5 to 8:45 p.m.

At Medina, residents can meet law enforcement from throughout the county, fire agencies, EMS responders, civic organizations and other groups that will be providing activities and giveaways. Some of the big hits from past events will be back including the “Battle of the Belts,” K-9 demonstrations and the bike rodeo.

Middleport will welcome two bands, Stanton at 5 p.m. and Doc’s Pocket Change at 7:15 p.m. The public can meet firefighters and law enforcement officers, and enjoy outdoor games, face painting, the dunk tank, country line dancing, and meet representatives from community groups and agencies. Greenlief’s and Parker’s Pit BBQ will have their food trucks with food available for purchase.

MEDINA – Various members of the tourism industry in Orleans County met Monday afternoon to finalize plans for a visit of the historic Seneca Chief in Medina on Aug. 12 and 16.

The Seneca Chief is an exact replica of the boat carrying Governor Dewitt Clinton, which opened the Erie Canal in 1825. This year’s trip is a trial run from Buffalo to Brockport. Next year the boat will go from Buffalo to New York City as part of a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Erie Canal.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Barb Gorham and Jim Hancock hold up a banner provided by the Canal Corporation which will be placed in the canal basin during the visit of the replica Seneca Chief to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the canal next year.

At Monday’s meeting were Jim Hancock, chair of Medina Tourism Committee; Tourism Committee members Kathy Blackburn, Barb Gorham and Jan Smith; Dawn Borchert, director of Orleans County Tourism; Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group; Justin Bruce, manager of Harvest Restaurant; Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman; and Brian Hellner, operator of Medina’s Canal Tours and a former vice president of the Buffalo Maritime Center board.

The Buffalo Maritime Center built the full-sized replica of the Seneca Chief from 2019 to 2024 with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Hancock learned about the project this past January and contacted Brian Trzeciak, executive director of the Buffalo Maritime Center, asking if the boat could make a stop in Medina. In March, Trzeciak visited Medina, and scoped it out, Sherman said.

“This year’s trip is a precursor to what is going to happen next year,” Hancock said. “They will spend a full day here on Sept. 25 enroute to New York City, and we will have a full schedule of events planned.”

On Monday, and again on the return trip on Friday, the Seneca Chief will be docked in the canal basin and will be open for free tours from 4 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to visit for a couple of hours or make a day of it.

Other features include a Buffalo Maritime Center tent filled with merchandise; opening remarks by Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Brian Trzeciak from Buffalo Maritime Center at 4 p.m. musical entertainment by local busker Rob Robinson at 4:15 p.m.; and a series of speakers at 5:30 p.m., including Roger Allen and Greg Dudley, BMC boatbuilders, Tonawanda Reservation historian Terry Adams and Medina historian Todd Bensley.

At 7 p.m. on Monday and Friday, the crew and volunteers with the Seneca Chief will be treated to a complimentary dinner at Harvest Restaurant and lodging at Bent’s Hotel, if rooms are available.

The schedule for both days the Seneca Chief is in the canal basin are the same, with the exception of Aug. 16, when an additional speaker at 5:30 p.m. will be John Montague, founder of the BMC.

Members of various segments of the tourism industry met Monday afternoon to finalize plans for the arrival of the historic Erie Canal boat in Medina on Aug. 12 and 16. Clockwise from left front are Brian Hellner, operator of Medina’s Canal Boat tours and former board member of the Buffalo Maritime Center; Barb Gorham from Medina’s Tourism Committee; Justin Bruce, manager of Harvest Restaurant; Dawn Borchert, director of Orleans County Tourism; Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group; Marguerite Sherman, mayor of Medina; Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee; and Kathy Blackburn and Jan Smith, both members of Medina’s Tourism Committee.

“The village is very excited to welcome the Seneca Chief, a traditionally built, full-sized replica of the boat that opened the Erie Canal in 1825,” Sherman said in a memo from her office. “This 73-foot boat will be doing a sea trial in preparation for next year’s bicentennial canal celebration, where it will complete a Bicentennial Voyage from Buffalo to New York City in September and October of 2025.”

In order to make this the best experience possible, Sherman said traffic will be limited in the canal basin. On Sunday and Thursday evenings, the roadway between the Napa building and Hemp House will be blocked off and re-opened once the boat departs on the 13th and 17th.

In addition, the parking area between the canal and the grassy area closer to the buildings will be blocked off so tents and a staging area can be set up. The parking area directly behind the buildings will be accessible, but will be limited to one-way traffic so business owners can get in and out.

Those planning to visit the Seneca Chief in Medina’s canal basin are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, as there will be no seating provided.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Orleans County and northeastern Niagara.

The Weather Service put out the warning at 5:47 p.m. The storm could bring 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts and penny-size hail, said the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

The storm could damage roofs, siding and trees.

1,100 students mostly from 4 rural counties attended last year

Photo by Tom Rivers: Edwin, a ninth-grader at Cal-Mum, uses the backhoe attachment on a John Deere tractor during last year’s GLOW With Your Hands on Sept. 26. Scott Holmes, the general manager of LandPro’s Batavia store, provides guidance.

Press Release, GLOW With Your Hands

BATAVIA – Workforce, business, education, and economic development officials from across the GLOW region unveiled details today for the 6th Annual GLOW With Your Hands career exploration festival.

The event will take place at the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Since it started in 2019, more than 5,000 students have been part of GLOW With Your Hands.

“On September 24th at the Genesee County Fairgrounds will once again showcase the exciting and diverse career opportunities in agriculture, food processing, skilled trades, and advanced manufacturing that are thriving right here in our communities,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair.

Officials associated with the 2024 GLOW With Your Hands once again anticipate that over 1,000 students will be in attendance from 30 school districts across the GLOW region.

“GLOW With Your Hands highlights the diverse pathways to success, we showcase careers that are accessible right out of high school, as well as those that require trade training, two-year degrees, or four-year degrees through active local programs,” Grouse said. “We empower students to make informed decisions about their futures, maximizing their return on investment and minimizing student loan debt.”

More than 60 vendors have already committed to participate in the annual event which will feature hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military.

Each year’s event features new companies, and Sept. 24 will include Lakeland Concrete Products, a construction company based in Lima; IK Systems, a leading supplier of integrated surveillance & security systems out of Victor; Davis Fetch, a drywall contractor from Rochester; and Zoldaz, a trucking contractor in Alden.

“The participation and response by the private sector in this annual event reaffirm that making students aware of careers right in their own backyard is paying dividends not only for these companies but the region’s economy,” added Jay Lazarony, GLOW With Your Hands co-chairman. “Students need to know that they can find jobs where they grew up and want to stay and be with family because these jobs are right here.”

One of the participating companies that is experiencing the benefits of making students aware of career opportunities is Genesee Construction in Dansville, which hosted the kickoff event. Through the years, Genesee Construction has provided students with hands-on experiences at the annual event through simulated construction projects.

“Through collaboration with students at GLOW With Your Hands, we are able to identify and interact with the next generation of workforce candidates who possess the skills and passion to explore career opportunities in the construction sector,” said Mary Ellyn Merle Calabrese, project manager with Genesee Construction. “The construction industry, in particular, relies on the local workforce pool in our region to fill these good paying and strongly in-demand jobs.”

GLOW With Your Hands still has room for vendors, sponsors, and volunteers. For more information please, click here.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Albion fire hall on North Platt Street is shown in April during an open house and recruitment effort for the Albion Fire Department.

ALBION – Voters in the towns of Albion and Gaines will decide on Tuesday whether a joint fire district will be created to oversee fire protection in the two towns, which also include the village of Albion.

The Village Board and the town Town Boards voted to create the fire district, but a referendum was forced after enough petitions were turned in to bring the issue to a public vote.

Both Albion and Gaines will vote from noon to 8 p.m. at Hoag Library, 134 South Main St.

Voters will be asked whether a joint fire district encompassing the village and the two towns shall be approved.

The elected officials for the two towns and village support the joint fire district, which would take the fire department out of the village budget. The two towns currently pay the village a fire protection contract.

With the current $350,000 budget, the village pays $113,456 (32 percent), the Town of Gaines contributes $120,422 (35 percent) and the Town of Albion pays $116,122 (33 percent).

The fire district would have its own commissioners to oversee and manage fire protection, and set the budget.

Albion Fire Department officials say the fire department’s current budget of $350,000 is far too short. The department has advised the budget will need to be increased to about $750,000.

The culprit for a bigger budget is the need to soon replace two fire trucks: a ladder truck and an engine.

A new ladder truck (to replace one that is 27 years old) is expected to cost $2.2 million. It would likely be bonded over 20 years at a 7 percent interest rate with an annual payment of $208,000.

A new fire engine (to replace one 32 years old) would likely have a purchase price of $1.1 million. It would be bonded over 20 years with an annual payment of $104,000 a year.

Albion Fire Department officials said the budget needs to increase for the new trucks and equipment whether there is a fire district or if the department remains in the village budget with the towns paying the village in a fire protection contract.

The local officials favor having the board of commissioners to focus solely on the fire protection needs, and also spread out the budget fairly over the tax base in the municipalities.

Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray have formed a joint fire district, and Lyndonville also recently moved to a fire district, taking the fire department out of the village budget.

LYNDONVILLE – This evening’s scheduled concert at the Yates Community Library has been cancelled due to rain in the forecast. The Barker Community Band was going to perform on the library lawn this evening but the concert will be rescheduled with a new date to be set.

The series continues the rest of August at 6:30 p.m. Next week on Aug. 12 features Mystic Sisters, a vocal trio featuring  Lyndonville’s Ruby Hoffee. She’ll be joining Rose Briody and M’Lou Speranza (who also perform with Blue Sky Band).

The lineup in August also includes Puck Daddies on Aug. 19 and Celtic Spirit Pipe Band on Aug. 26.