Summer release expected for ‘A Wonderful Way With Dragons’

Press Release, Leighthouse Obedience

Photo courtesy of Leighthouse Obedience: Cosmo makes his debut in film in the upcoming ‘A Wonderful Way With Dragons.’ He is shown on the set of an abandoned farmhouse used in the film.

ALBION – Cosmo, a Siberian Husky trained by Ron and Pat Leight of Albion, will have a starring role in an upcoming movie, “A Wonderful Way With Dragons.”

The film is written and produced by Delfine Paolini, and stars Violet McGraw, most recently known for her work on “M3gan”.

This drama/fantasy takes us to a pandemic world where six children and their wild dog remain abandoned on an enigmatic island. Their struggle to survive becomes paled by individual desires for each other and for power. Click here to view trailer. A summer 2024 release date is expected.

Ron and Pat, owners of Leighthouse Obedience training, have been training, showing and competing with their Siberian Huskies for over 30 years. They were a little leery about committing Cosmo to the film.

“We have always had Siberians and they are a breed known for not excelling in the obedience arena,” Ron said.

Siberians are very much about wanting to have fun. They are mischievous, highly predatorial and not a breed that can be allowed off lead as they will run.

So when the Leights received a phone call from a movie producer who wanted a well-behaved, highly trained Siberian who could do off lead work, along with specific tricks, the Leights were hesitant.

“We had only done photo shoots in the past,” Pat said.

On one particular photo shoot they were hired by a pet catalog company for a cover photo shoot of one of their Siberians off lead in the Tug Hill wilderness. According to Pat, “I told Ron ‘never again’. Even though the event went off without a hitch and our dog did her down stay, it was very stressful and we were uncomfortable with off lead work because of the peculiarities of the breed.”

Once the Leights found out they had a year to train for the movie, they decided they were up to the challenge and yet again they found themselves doing off-lead work in the wilderness, this time specifically in a small town called Jeffersonville, in the foothills of the Catskills.

They took time off from training classes and dog shows to spend all of 2023 working on specific tricks for the movie. They feel so blessed that their dog, Cosmo, is sweet, gentle and highly trainable.

“He was a big hit during the 4 weeks we were on set and the cast consisted of mainly children, who all fell in love with him,” Pat said. “To Cosmo filming the movie consisted of daily treats and belly rubs from fellow cast members and back to the Airbnb each night to a big comfy bed.”

Cosmo has multiple AKC titles, including a championship, and was up for the daily set challenges, the heat and the “stop and start” schedule.

ALBION – The Village Board has been asked by the Albion Betterment Committee and Orleans County Chamber of Commerce to try again at developing a local law addressing vacant buildings in the community.

The Betterment Committee and Chamber on Feb. 6 sent a letter to the Village Board.

“For several years, there have been a number of buildings within the village that are left vacant and in various stages of deterioration,” the letter states. “There are entrepreneurs who are seeking space in which to conduct their business either through purchase, or renting, and are willing to make the investment in the community. Albion’s downtown has the structure and appeal of a thriving, quaint village, but our development is stalled because storefronts sit vacant and unused instead of opening their doors to new businesses.”

The Betterment Committee and Chamber say they have a vision for a bustling downtown with “great potential for growth of the local economy through small, family-owned businesses.”

The letter was discussed briefly at Thursday’s Village Board meeting. Trustee Tim McMurray said he doesn’t disagree with the sentiment of the letter. He and Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley have been discussing the issue with the Albion code enforcement. The board is asking the Planning Board to look at local laws in other communities for vacant buildings.

McMurray cited the example of the Village of Montour Falls as one example.

Montour Falls charges $125 when buildings are vacant or abandoned and are put on the village registry. If the site stays vacant for a year, the owner is charged $500 for a residential structure for the first unit, and then $100 more for each additional unit. Commercial building owners are charged a $1,000 fee if the building is vacant a year or 15 cents per square foot, whichever is greater.

Owners of the properties also need to submit a plan to Montour Falls to rehabilitate or reoccupy the buildings, or to stabilize and maintain them. A third option would be a plan for demolition.

Albion considered a vacant building registry but it was roundly criticized during a public hearing on Aug. 11, 2021 and the initiative has been stalled. Several building owners said proposed fines in that ordinance would punish property owners who are already struggling.

The Albion proposal in 2021 would have assessed a $250 fee if a commercial site went vacant for more than 30 days, with $1,000 tacked on if the site was empty for a year, $2,000 if it went a second year, $3,000 for a third year and $4,000 for each subsequent year.

The Betterment Committee and Chamber are asking the village to take up the issue again, and come up with a proposal that is amenable to the property owners and facilitates a more vibrant downtown.

“There are many similar municipalities who have created ordinances that inspire the kind of change we would like to see, many of these are available as a matter of public record,” according to the letter from the Betterment Committee and Chamber. “We would like to see our local leaders follow their lead, and implement codes that have been proven to work.”

Buffalo State University and Hamilton College have announced students from Orleans County made the Dean’s List for the fall semester.

The following had GPAs of at least 3.5 and were full-time students, making the Dean’s List at Buff State:

• Alexis Creasey of Albion, majoring in Psychology
• Nicolina Creasey of Albion, majoring in Speech-Language Pathology
• Hannah Heil of Medina, majoring in Fashion and Textile Technology
• Isabel Ramsey of Medina, majoring in Graphic Design
• Emily Schoolcraft of Medina, majoring in Childhood Education

Hamilton College in Clinton, NY announced that Jonathan Pietrafesa of Medina made the Dean’s List with a GPA between 3.5 and 4.0. Pietrafesa is a senior majoring in cinema and media studies.

Provided photo: Jim Hancock, left, with Medina Lions is presented with a collection of eyeglasses and cases from Joe Byrne, an eighth-grade teacher and president of the Medina Teachers’ Association. More than 70 pairs were collected from faculty and staff to show their appreciation for what the Lions Club does to provide vision care to Medina students.

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club was recently presented with a donation of more than 70 pairs of eyeglasses by the Medina Central School district.

Lions Club president Jim Hancock accepted the donation and thanked the school for its act of kindness.

The donation was initiated by Joe Byrne, an eighth-grade social studies teacher. He sent an e-mail to staff, urging them to start the new year with a vision of giving.

Throughout the month of January, donation boxes were placed in the main offices of Oak Orchard Primary, Wise Intermediate and Medina Junior-Senior High School.

The donations benefit the Lions Club Eyeglasses Recycling Program, which accepts used eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, hearing aids and eyeglass cases.

“Let’s make a difference in someone’s life by providing the gift of clear sight,” Byrne urged in his e-mail.

School Superintendent Mark Kruzynski added his approval of the project.

“The Lions Club has been very active in improving vision for anyone who needs help,” Kruzynski said. “For many years now, members of the Lions Club have been providing free vision screenings to all our kindergarten students so that any vision issues can be identified while they are still young. I am proud that our faculty and staff have been able to donate over 70 pairs of eyeglasses to the Lions Club, so that those in need will not have to worry about vision care. Thank you to the Medina Teachers’ Association for organizing this eyeglass donation.”

Hancock said the Lions are very thankful for the donation. He said of 85 to 95 students

who annually have their vision screened by Medina Lions, typically 10 percent are found with some problem. In the case where a family may not be able to pay for an eye exam or eyeglasses, the Lions Club will step in and help.

He added his appreciation for the school’s donation, and said they will be turned over to the district Lions, which then recycles them. Last year, Medina Lions turned in almost 600 pairs of eyeglasses to the district.

Event will be timed with special events leading up to solar eclipse on April 8

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Home, Garden & Outdoor Show on April 6-7 at the 4-H Fairgrounds at a time when the community should see an influx of visitors due to the solar eclipse on April 8.

The Chamber is seeking vendors for the annual Home, Garden & Outdoor Show, which this year will include food trucks, a chicken barbecue, family activities, camping, a bonfire, fireworks and music, said Darlene Hartway, Chamber executive director.

“We are looking forward to combining this historic event with our showcase of the many wonderful businesses available in our area,” Hartway said in a letter to prospective vendors. “We are expanding our show to include a multitude of programs, workshops, events, and fun activities for all ages. We will be utilizing more buildings and outdoor space to accommodate the increase in vendors and attendees. Camping for the weekend event is also available.”

Hartway said the Chamber has boosted the advertising budget and purchased new signage to promote the entire weekend of events.

For more information about being a vendor, contact Hartway at director@orleanschamber.com or at (585) 301-8464.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension is teaming with the Chamber, the Albion Merchants Association and Orleans County Tourism Department for many events at the fairgrounds.

The solar eclipse path of totality will pass through Western New York and Orleans County with the duration of the totality about four minutes beginning at approximately 3:18 p.m. on April 8, a Monday. The partial eclipse starts at 2:04 p.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.

Events at the Fairgrounds for Eclipse Over Orleans include:

• April 5 (Friday) – Camp sites available. Visitors will receive Orleans County gift bag with discounts to local businesses.
• April 6 (Saturday) – Chamber Home, Garden & Outdoor Show with food vendors and kids’ activities, and a chicken barbecue by Elks. The day is capped off with fireworks at Fairgrounds at 8 p.m.
• April 7 (Sunday) – Chamber Home, Garden & Outdoor Show with food vendors and kids’ activities. There will also be an Orleans County scavenger hunt with prizes for top three teams and one unique hidden prize. There will be a campfire sing-along with s’mores by the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen from 7 to 9 p.m. The Albion Free Methodist Church will lead a Glow Party at 8:30 p.m. at the pavilion with a DJ.
• April 8 (Monday) – There will be food vendors and kids’ activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be kids’ activity from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring the Orleans County 4-H nutritional program leading a session on astronaut food, including hands-on cooking.

ALBION – The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern made a plea for the Albion Village Board to back off a 35-percent increase or a hike of about $400 in the monthly rent for the local not-for-profit.

Jami Allport, the GOMOC director, told the Village Board on Thursday the increase is “unsustainable” and will force them to seek another location.

She asked instead for the board to impose a 4 percent increase.

The board raised the rent starting back in Oct. 1 from $1,146.67 to $1,550.96 a month. That amount also includes utilities.

Allport attended a September board meeting and asked that the increase only be 2 percent, the same rate for the other tenants at the Albion Visitor’s Center, a village-owned building at 121 North Main St.

Allport said she asked the board then to let her know if the 35-percent increase would be imposed. She said during the Thursday meeting she didn’t hear back from the board so she assumed GOMOC wouldn’t be charged the higher rent.

But she recently received a delinquency letter from the village, saying GOMOC owes four months at the higher rate, or about $1,600.

Allport said GOMOC is funded through donations and some grants. The higher rent takes away funds for the GOMOC to help people in need, she said.

“We are the agency of last resort,” she said. “We are their last hope.”

The Ministry of Concern uses 2,386 square feet on the third floor of the building. It was previously paying 48 cents a square foot. With the new rate at $1,550.96, the square footage is 65 cents a month.

That is below the $1.65 a foot paid by Assemblyman Steve Hawley for 860 square feet on the first floor ($1,416.77 total); $1.30 by the Orleans Economic Development Agency for 1,686 square feet on the second floor ($2,196.06 total).

Joyce Riley, the deputy mayor, said all of the rates are below market.

“We’re not good landlords because we’re not charging enough,” she said.

The village needs to bring up the GOMOC rate “to respond responsibly to everyone,” she said.

Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said the village is trying to be fair with the rental charges.

“We can’t give it away for free,” he said.

Allport responded that GOMOC isn’t looking for free rent, and is amenable to paying more, perhaps a 2 to 4 percent increase.

Village Trustee Tim McMurray suggested the rate increase just be 5 percent, which would still be $57.33 more a month and keep GOMOC as a tenant. Pushing them out with a big increase would leave the village with no rental income from that space, McMurray said. He also said GOMOC as a non-profit shouldn’t be assessed such a big increase.

The board discussed the issue more in executive session and decided to keep the 35 percent increase intact.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Vol. 4,  No. 8

CARLTON – At this time one hundred years ago, New Yorkers were reeling from the effects of a record-breaking cold spell.

Bitter cold, which lasted from Feb. 6-10, 1934, brought temperatures of -20 degrees to the region, 36 degrees below normal for the date. A temperature of  -50 below was recorded in Arcade.

Remarkably, Lake Ontario, which rarely freezes over entirely because of its depth, froze that year.

In Buffalo, the axles of trolley street cars cracked and rendered them immobile, adding to the misery of freezing passengers. Many people suffered from frostbite and several cold-related deaths were recorded. In Orleans County, fruit trees were severely damaged, and many farmers lost their peach and apple orchards.

What brave soul ventured out on the disintegrating pier that once led to the lighthouse at Point Breeze to take this photograph?

We can all agree that recent winters have been milder.  An Oral History interview conducted in 1997 by Lysbeth Hoffman, Town of Carlton Historian with Ed Archbald, a longtime Waterport resident, illustrates this change.

Mr. Archbald recalled harvesting ice from the Oak Orchard Creek. He built an icehouse on his property in 1919 and for many years placed about 40 tons of ice in it, sufficient to last through the summer.

The process began when the ice had formed to about 6 to 8 inches thick. Since ice is hard to cut through, a horse drawn ice plow would make the first grooves, about 3 inches deep. Workmen would mark off a block of ice and saw the markings with an ice saw. They would then hit the cuts and the block would break right off.

To get the ice to the icehouse, they built a slide and had a horse stationed near the creek and the icehouse. They set up a rope through the window of the icehouse down onto the creek.  They would drop two chunks of ice on it and the horse would haul them up and they could then be dropped into the icehouse. Workers inside the icehouse positioned the ice chunks and placed sawdust around them for insulation.

Mr. Archbald observed that the creek no longer formed ice over three inches in depth. When asked what he thought was the reason for that, he replied:

“I suppose nature figured out we didn’t need it.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Alison Gibson, left, of Albion and Emma Brady of Holley battle for the ball during a girls varsity game on Saturday in the Albion High School gym.

It was part of the annual Ben Kirby Memorial Tournament, an event organized by the Albion Soccer Club. Holley won this girls varsity game.

There were 60 teams in Albion for the two-day tournament, from sixth grade up to adults in an open division. Each team can have up to eight players. Games were also held in the elementary school gym.

There were 122 games played in the two days.

Natalie McCue, one of the tournament organizers, thanked the school district for use of the facilities for the tournament and the volunteers who ran the event.

The two-day indoor tournament honors Ben Kirby of Albion. He was a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology when he died in a car accident on Nov. 6, 2017. He was 21 at the time, in his senior year majoring in software development. Kirby played youth soccer for Albion and also on the school teams.

In addition to team championship honors, there will be Ben Kirby sportsmanship awards given out to some of the players.

Some of the proceeds go towards a $500 Ben Kirby scholarship given to a student nominated by one or more of the teachers in the Albion High School. Three of the scholarships are awarded each year.

Those scholarships are intended for someone who is a “good kid” who best exemplifies the characteristics of the Scout Law that Ben lived by: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

Ben’s mother Wendy spent several hours at the tournament and baked 500 of her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that were available at the concessions stand.

“We are so grateful that everyone remembers Ben,” Mrs. Kirby said.

Photo by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Ron Lasal, second from right, looks over a tractor that caught on fire today when it was inside Lasal’s garage.

A Good Samaritan helped prevent the fire from spreading in the garage.

Firefighters were dispatched to 1556 Kendall Rd. at 12:22 p.m. for a structure fire in a garage.

Lasal had been out snowblowing with a John Deere tractor. When he was done he put the tractor back in the garage.

When he was inside he smelled smoke and thought something might be burning in the kitchen. But the smoke was coming from the garage.

A driver who was out snowplowing noticed the dark smoke coming from the garage. Nate Loescher pulled into the driveway and met Lasal in the driveway. Lasal asked if Loescher if he had a chain on the truck. Loescher did, and they were able to hook it to the tractor that was on fire and pull it out before the flames spread to the garage, said Jeff Cole, a deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Cole said the fire was likely caused by an electrical or mechanical malfunction with the tractor.

Lasal said he is thankful Loescher stopped to help him. There was no damage to Lasal’s car, and only some smoke damage inside.

Kendall firefighters ventilated the house and garage. Lasal and his wife will be able to stay because the damage was minimized.

Editor’s Note: The original article stated the Albion Recreation Committee was pushing for the grant and lodge, but it is the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events Inc., a not-for-profit organization, that would be seeking the grant. This group includes many Recreation Committee members.

ALBION – The Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events Inc., a not-for-profit organization, wants to seek a $600,000 state grant for a new lodge at Bullard Park.

An application is due to the state in July, said Kim Remley, who has been part of the “Rebuild Bullard” effort for more than a decade.

Rebuild Bullard helped the village secure grant funding for a splash pad, new playground equipment, a new bathroom and pavilion, an amphitheater and other upgrades.

Bullard last year also put in new basketball courts, in another citizen-led effort.

Now park advocates would like to see a lodge in the park that would be available year-round and could be rented out by community members. The lodge would have space for up to 90 people, Remley told the Village Board on Thursday.

Village Board members thanked the group for pushing through several successful improvements at Bullard. But the board would like to see a survey done to see if there is strong interest in a lodge from the community, and how much would people be willing to pay to rent it out.

Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley said there should be a master plan for Bullard, rather than tackling projects in a staggered approach.

The lodge was in the original plan to rebuild Bullard more than a decade ago, Remley responded. The committee would like to see it on the west end of the park, behind the old bathrooms.

Riley said there could be a significant cost to run water and sewer to the lodge. She is more concerned about aging pipes in residential areas of the village.

She would also like to see the Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events Inc. propose improvements to some of the smaller neighborhood parks in the village.

Trustee Tim McMurray also expressed concern that the lodge would be an extra burden on the short-staffed village Department of Public Works, especially with ongoing cleaning and maintenance of a lodge.

Susan Oschmann, a member of the non-profit working on the parks, said a rental charge could go towards hiring a cleaner so the task doesn’t fall on the DPW.

But how much would people be willing to pay to rent out the facility? That is what Riley would like to see be determined. She also said a lodge could take away from other sites in the community that are rented out for events, such as the QWL building.

John Grillo, the village’s recreation director, said lodges are assets for other communities. He noted the Town of Sweden and Town of Chili have lodges that are widely used.

“Don’t we want Albion to grow?” Grillo asked the board. “Don’t we want Albion to be better?

Riley said she doesn’t oppose the project. She just wants the short-term and long-term costs to be clearly identified.

“This could be a great thing for our community if it’s done well,” Grillo said.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Laura Gardner, owner of a lily & a sparrow and a member of the Medina Area Partnership, introduces Chet Fery of Brockport, known as the “Bread Man,” at MAP’s February get-together at the Coffee Pot Café in Medina. Everyone in attendance went home with one of Fery’s home-baked loaves of bread.

MEDINA – If there is one thing Chet Fery values in life, it’s kindness, and the Brockport resident has spent the last 22 years spreading kindness all over the country, one loaf at a time.

This week, he brought his message of kindness, along with several loaves of bread, to the Medina Area Partnership’s February get-together at the Coffee Pot Café.

A retired special ed teacher, Fery founded Bread Time Stories and More to promote random acts of kindness. He is also an amateur baker, storyteller, motivational speaker and kindness coach, who has baked and given away more than 130,000 loaves of bread.

“There’s something about baking bread that stays with us,” Fery said. “I started baking every Sunday for my children.”

Then on Mondays, he would take the extra loaves to work and put them on a table with a sign, “Free bread.”

“That seemed to change things,” Fery said. “People would come to work early, walk quickly to the bread table, pick up a loaf and smile.”

He said that changed his life, when he realized it was more than the bread – it was the act of kindness. He said kindness has the power to change things.

“We are happier, smarter, friendlier, work harder, heal faster and life longer,” he said. “Kindness is a choice that benefits the giver and the receiver.”

Fery also shared his admiration and respect for Medina.

“I bring my wife here every week in the summer for ice cream at Double Dips,” he said. “She won’t go anywhere else. I’ve been to Harvest and I love the book store and the chocolate shop.”

He invited by principal Brad Pritchard to spread the mission of kindness at the Albion middle school after the pandemic, to help the kids get back to normal, Fery said.

“Kids want kindness, too,” he added.

Fery can bake 44 loaves of bread at a time in his oven. He also makes pizzas and will do presentations at a house party, business meeting or any gathering.

Along the way, Fery got the idea to make a “Kindness” sign to accompany his loaves of bread. They have proven almost as popular as the bread. He has made and given away 200 of them.

MAP has a calendar of events planned for the spring and summer, including the annual Easter Bunny and Golden Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt on March 23 and a Murder Mystery on May 4. Complete information on those events will follow soon.

MAP has a new slate of officers for 2024-25. They are Cindy Robinson, president; Marc Shurtz, vice president; Jessica Rockcastle, secretary; Amy Crandall, treasurer; and Bill Bixler, Jesse Cudzilo and Michael Snyder, directors.

Snow is back in Orleans County, and more is headed our way.

A winter weather advisory started last night and continues through 4 p.m. with 3 to 5 inches of snow, and then another winter weather advisory is in effect from 10 tonight until 1 p.m. on Sunday with 2 to 4 more inches expected.

Winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour will create blowing and drifting snow, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.

“Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands,” the Weather Service said. “If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.”

ROCHESTER – A Holley man pleaded guilty in Monroe County Court on Wednesday to third-degree burglary as a sexually-motivated felony.

Daniel Seeler, 66, admitted in court that he broke into a daycare center in Brockport three times in an attempt to be a baby girl, WHAM Channel 13 reported.

Seeler is currently completing treatment and will spend a year being supervised by the court. He will be sentenced after his treatment is complete, WHAM reported.

Seeler was indicted in August in Monroe County Court  following an investigation of break-ins at the Inspire! Learning and Child Care Center in Clarkson in January and February 2023.

He  allegedly left money and a note requesting adult-size diapers at the daycare center on Jan. 30, 2023. The center’s director contacted police and a security camera was installed, according to WHAM.

Seeler then allegedly left a similar note and $200 a few days later. The new security system alerted the director on Feb. 11 to the break-in. The director received another security alert and saw surveillance video of a man playing with diapers, WHAM reported.

Seeler has been a real estate developer in Holley area, including making major renovations to the former Tagg’s Tavern, turning that site into the Holley Falls Bar & Grill. He is no longer involved in managing that site which is currently closed.

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – Nick Hollenbeck dances to “Twist and Shout” with his daughter Emma, age 7, during the Father-Daughter Dance this evening at the Carlton Rec Hall.

“We have fun dancing together,” Hollenbeck said. “”It’s something that is fun to do that is just for us.”

About 125 people attended the dance. Here the dads and daughters enjoy a slow dance together.

The event returned after a four-year absence. It was held at the Albion elementary school for nearly 20 years and always was held near Valentine’s Day.

Organizers from the Harvest Christian Fellowship church wanted to try the Carlton Rec Hall because it has a kitchen to cook pizzas and also offered a chance to decorate the day before the big dance.

Sharon and Matt Sugar have been the lead organizers for the dance since it started in 1998. Matt started the event when his daughters were young. This evening he was able to dance with his granddaughters.

Sharon Sugar said the church wants to make the event open to the community.

When the dance was at the school, more than 250 attended. Sugar said she expects the crowds will be bigger in the future.

“This is a rebuilding year,” she said. “So many of the dads said they are so excited to be back.”

People take a short break from dancing and try some of the pizza and snacks. The Rev. Tim Lindsay, center, is pastor of the Harvest Christian Fellowship. Tom Yockel of the Carlton Fire Department, right, helped serve the refreshments. He also attends Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Bert Mathes of Barre dances with his daughter Shania, age 16. Mathes also attended the dance with his daughter Adele, 12. Bert said he was happy to dress formally with his daughters for a fancy night out.

Photos by Bruce took portraits of the dads and daughters. Here, Jordan O’Connor of Spencerport poses with his daughters, Maeve, age 5, and Shea, age 3.

ALBION – The towns of Albion and Gaines, and the Village of Albion are working towards creating a new fire district that would have its own budget and a board of commissioners to oversee the district.

Right now fire protection for the village and two towns is provided by the Albion Fire Department. The Albion FD’s budget is part of the village budget, with the two towns each paying the village a fire protection contract. In 2024, Gaines will pay $116,390 and the Town of Albion will pay $115,362.

The Albion Village Board believes the costs for the department would be more fairly paid in a fire district where property owners all pay the same fire protection tax rate. That would take the fire department out of the village budget.

Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said the two towns would have a greater say in the fire department budget through the election of fire commissioners who can be more focused on the needs of the fire department, while also answering to taxpayers.

The two Town Boards and the Village Board will meet March 27 at Gaines Town Hall with their attorneys in a closed-door session to go over the details and legalities of the district. A public hearing is expected to be scheduled in the spring to present the details of the district to the community.

If all three boards approve the district, it would then be subject to a permissive referendum before being finalized. Residents could petition to have the issue go to a public vote.

Javier said the town and village officials would like to have the new fire district in place for Jan. 1. Albion and Gaines would follow the example of Lyndonville and Yates which created a district in 2023, and Holley and Fancher-Hulberton-Murray which formed a joint fire district in 2021.

Javier said the new district will provide a fair distribution over the entire tax base of the two towns and village as Albion looks to purchase a new ladder truck and make other equipment upgrades in the near future.