Photos by Ginny Kropf: Approximately 30 people showed up at Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday morning to learn about cleaning headstones.

MEDINA – Cleaning headstones is an ongoing task, as Friends of Boxwood Cemetery learned this morning.

Todd Bensley, a member of Friends of Boxwood Cemetery and Village of Medina historian, led a seminar for approximately 30 people, in which he demonstrated the proper technique and materials to clean a headstone.

The first headstone cleaning event took place in 2022, after a professional came and demonstrated how it should be done, Bensley said.

“I’ve been leading a seminar annually since then,” he said.

He explained why it is important to clean headstones, especially old ones.

“When lichens accumulate on the headstones, it eats away on the stone,” Bensley said. “Cleaning them preserves their history. For some people, their gravestone is the only way we know they existed. If the lettering is illegible, we have no way of knowing who they are. As village historian I wrote several books on Boxwood Cemetery. I tried to find information on some of the burials by going through archives, but the information on their gravestone was all I could find. If there is growth on them, it will eventually eat them away.”

Bensley’s wife Nicole this morning checked in participants, including several new members who signed up for Friends of Boxwood Cemetery. Copies of Todd’s book on Boxwood Cemetery were also available for sale.

Bensley explained there are 5,000 burials in Boxwood Cemetery, and even with two burials in a plot, that still adds up to a lot of headstones. He said it typically takes 20 to 30 minutes to clean the average headstone. He demonstrated the equipment needed, which included a pad to kneel on, plastic scraper, a pail, D-2 cleaner and a popsicle stick or skewer.

He also advised rubbing one’s hand over a headstone to see if it feels sandy. If so, cleaning should not aggressive. He recommended spraying on D-2, which has been diluted 50% with water, and letting it stand for 10 minutes before attempting to scrape it off.

“Use a scrub brush which you would use on your car,” he said. “If it is too harsh for your car, it is too harsh for a headstone.”

Bensley said a headstone won’t look like new after it has been cleaned, but it will look a lot better than it did.

Nicole Bensley checks in visitors who came for Todd Bensley’s presentation Saturday morning on cleaning headstones at Boxwood Cemetery.

One of the attendees was Anna Buckner, who said she spends nearly every day at the cemetery, walking her two dogs. She said she loves the cemetery and intends to join Friends of Boxwood Cemetery.

Barbara Sidher of Medina said she has attended the events put on by the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, and came to Saturday’s seminar to learn how to clean her parents’ gravestone in Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Bensley said they are always looking for new members and volunteers. Anyone interested may contact them on their Facebook page.

Todd Bensley explains the correct technique for cleaning headstones to approximately 30 people who attended a seminar at Boxwood Cemetery Saturday morning. He holds a bottle of D-2, the proper cleaner to use on headstones. Anyone who signed up to become a member of Friends of Boxwood Cemetery received a free bottle.

File photos by Ginny Kropf: Here is a sampling of some of the creative zucchini race cars youth made at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market  last summer. The event returns the next two Saturdays.

MEDINA – With the Canal Village Farmers’ Market now open at its original home at West Center Street and West Avenue, market manager Gail Miller has announced the return of the popular zucchini races for the next three Saturdays.

On July 19, 26 and Aug. 2 the races will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 1:20 p.m. The races included categories for children and adults.

Inspired by a story from the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York, Miller hatched the creative idea last year.

“We really didn’t know what to expect last year, but we had more fun than we imagined,” Miller said. “This year, we’ve made some improvements, including a better track. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Last year, 15 youth participated in the event. Components of the races, including zucchini, are provided by the market.

(Left) Dave Miller gives two zucchini race cars a trial run to check out the track he built, before the competition starts at Medina’s Canal Village Farmer’s Market last year. (Right) Bishop Stanton, 9, checks out a zucchini race car last summer before beginning to build his own.

Children and adults who register for the races will each have access to all sorts of stickers, flags and fun stuff with which to decorate their racers, Miller said.

“Both kids and parents had a lot of fun creating their customized racers and sending them down the track,” she said. “Since the parents and by-standers all had so much fun, the market is encouraging the ‘young at heart’ to compete also. How about challenging your friends, neighbors or your siblings to compete for a zucchini race throwdown. And, of course, we’ll again have the Outlaw Class, which is great fun.”

Certificates and prize vouchers from Confection Connection and NOLA Snowballs will be awarded for the fastest, weirdest, coolest and best crash.

Racing classes will be:

• Sprout – under 8.
• Tenderfoot – 8 – 16.
• Young-at-Heart – 16+
• Outlaw Class – Open to all ages and any vegetable. Entrants can use their imagination to create a racing vegetable, keeping to the vehicle specs in the rules.

Participants can get additional information and register at the market in age-group categories, starting today (Saturday) at the manager’s tent.

Press Release, Author’s Note

Provided photo: Mark Ferrara will be at Author’s Note at 4 p.m. on Saturday to discuss his new book, The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal.

MEDINA –  On Saturday, July 12th at 4 p.m., Mark Ferrara, professor of English at the State University of New York, will visit Author’s Note in Medina to discuss and sign his book, The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal.

In this groundbreaking book, Ferrara tells the stories of the ordinary people who lived, worked, and died along the banks of the canal, emphasizing the forgotten role of the poor and working class in its construction. He chronicles the fates of the Native Americans whose land was appropriated for the canal, the European immigrants who bored its route through the wilderness, and the orphan children who drove draft animals that pulled boats around the clock.

Ferrara shows how the canal served as a conduit for the movement of new ideas and religions, a corridor for enslaved people seeking freedom via the Underground Railroad, and a spur for social reform movements that emerged in response to the poverty and suffering along its path.

Brimming with vivid characters drawn from the underbelly of antebellum life, The Raging Erie explores the social dislocation and untold hardships at the heart of a major engineering feat, shedding light on the lives of the canallers who toiled on behalf of American expansion.

Currently a professor at SUNY Oneonta, Mark Ferrara is the author of two previous books, American Community: Radical Experiments in Intentional Living (2020) and Living the Food Allergic Life (2023).

Ferrara will sign copies of his book and answer questions during his visit to the bookstore on July 12. Copies of The Raging Erie are available at Author’s Note, 519 Main Street, Medina or online at authorsnote.com/Events.

For those unable to attend, signed books can be ordered for pickup or free shipping at the store’s website. Contact Author’s Note for more information at (585) 798-3642.

Photos from Friends of Boxwood Cemetery: These photos show the before and after of the Rastrick headstone after a cleaning.

Press Release, Friends of Boxwood Cemetery

MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery will be conducting a Headstone Cleaning Seminar at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, at Boxwood Cemetery on North Gravel Road in Medina.

Participants are asked to park at the back of the cemetery. A sign-in table will be set up near the location of the seminar.

“This event is always well-attended,” according to Robby Klino, the president of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery. “People will enjoy hearing a bit of the history of Boxwood Cemetery as well.”

Todd Bensley, who will be leading the seminar, said, “We hope that participants will use the information to properly clean the headstones of family members, whether they are in Boxwood or another cemetery.”

Those interested may simply observe the seminar, or be active participants in cleaning headstones. If you plan to observe you can bring a lawn chair. The demonstration should last about thirty minutes.

If you are going to actively participate, tools and safety equipment will be provided.

There is no fee for the seminar, but donations are always gratefully accepted.

Members who attend the event, and those signing up to be members of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery on that day, will receive a spray bottle of the proper cleaner used in the seminar. Individual memberships are $25.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Cassandra Harden of Medina reads a train story to young children in a new event every Saturday at Medina Railroad Museum.

MEDINA – Medina Railroad Museum is starting off the summer with a new event coordinator and a series of new events.

Renee Hemby, who joined the Museum earlier this spring, has developed several ideas to bring more people to the world-class train museum.

First is Reading at the Rails, an opportunity for young children up to the age of 8 to come and learn about trains from picture story books, read by Cassandra Harden of Medina. Any age, however, is welcome to come, Hemby said. Sessions start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and are free. Youth who attend three sessions will receive a souvenir badge. Anyone who joins the museum will also receive a souvenir badge.

The next feature, a historic speaker series, was suggested by museum volunteer and history buff Erica Wanecski. She will be the first speaker on July 9, talking about steel plants and how they related to the railroad.

On July 16, Medina native and news writer Ginny Kropf will share the history of the railroad museum and its founding by the late Martin Phelps.

On Aug. 6, the Cobblestone Society will discuss “Written in Stone.”

Speaker for Aug. 20 will be Craig Lacy, former owner of a sandstone building on North Main, which houses a jail in the basement, where the late Grover Cleveland was held when arrested during a visit to Medina. Lacy, who is also past president of the Medina Historical Society,  will also discuss other facts of historic interest in Medina.

On Sept. 3 the discussion will focus on Bill Lattin’s book, “Architecture Destroyed.”

On Sept. 17, Ryan Duffy from the Holland Land Office in Batavia will talk about the life of Dean Richmond.

Sessions will start at 6 p.m. each week and light refreshments will be provided. There is no charge, but donations to the museum are always appreciated.

“We are trying to bring more people to the museum,” Hemby said.

She remembers going to the late Beverly Mitchell’s house in Albion and listening to all her stories about the past.

“Hearing about history is cool,” Hemby said.

Provided photo: Medina firefighters Adam Fisher, left, and Paul Urquhart are pictured by a Medina ambulance. The two delivered twins early this morning while in an ambulance was headed to the United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

MEDINA – Two Medina firefighters – Adam Fisher and Paul Urquhart – delivered twins very early this morning while the ambulance was headed to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

The two delivered a baby boy delivered at 2:49 a.m. while the Medina ambulance was in Orleans County, followed by a baby girl born at 2:56 a.m. in Genesee County.

The girl was born breech. Both babies and their mother are doing well, the Medina Fire Department stated this morning.

Medina firefighters are also trained to respond to ambulance calls. Fisher is a paramedic. These were his third and fourth field deliveries, while Urquhart, an EMT, made his first and second deliveries in the field.

The ambulance was dispatched at 2:08 a.m. for a call in the village. They then headed to the Batavia hospital with the mother in labor.

“Thanks to our partners at Orleans County Sheriff’s Dispatch and United Memorial Hospital for making this morning go super smooth!” the fire department posted on its social media today. “What a way to start of Independence Day!”

Jason Watts named ‘Water Operations Specialist of the Year’

Provided photo: Jason Watts, right, receives the “Water Specialist of the Year” from Kevin Miller, a state technical assistance provider with the New York Rural Water Association. Watts was recognized during the organization’s annual workshop last month at Verona.

MEDINA – The superintendent of the Village of Medina Department of Public Works has been recognized by the New York Rural Water Association as the “Water Specialist of the Year.”

Jason Watts, the Medina DPW superintendent the past four years, was presented the honor during Rural Water’s annual workshop last month in Verona.

Watts was praised for finding and fixing several big leaks in the village’s water system. That has cut the water loss rate from about 30 percent to about half of that, saving the village significant money in unaccounted for water.

Watts said the DPW’s team of 10 other employees are all dedicated to their jobs, and have been successful hunting down many leaks.

“It’s all my guys that do all of the work,” Watts told the Village Board recently. “I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

The award from Rural Water goes to someone showing  “outstanding dedication to his profession and duty.”

Watts said the Rural Water Association has been a great resource for Medina, helping to pinpoint some of the leaks.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Fireworks reflect in the Erie Canal on Tuesday after a performance by the Albany Symphony in Medina.

MEDINA – Wednesday was a historic day for Medina with a performance by the Albany Symphony in the Canal Basin followed by fireworks over the Erie Canal.

The concert included the debut of a composition written specifically for the concert in Medina celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the Erie Canal.

The stage was set top next to the Erie Canal in Medina.

David Alan Miller conducts the symphony during Tuesday’s concert. The Grammy award-winning Miller has led the group since 1992.

The opening piece of the concert included 18 minutes of George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music.”

World-renowned, Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad wrote “Medina: A Portrait in Sound” for the event. The composition included taped remarks from Medina residents she met while visiting the community in March. They shared about their love for their hometown, the historic downtown, nature and wildlife, the Christmas decorations on Main Street, Medina Sandstone and cobblestone buildings, and the joy of seeing old friends when out for a walk.

Assad also shared sounds she recorded and were crowdsourced from the community. Some of those included church bells and wildlife, including a rooster crowing.

Assad’s world premiere piece was in seven parts: Home & Nature, Animals, Summer Nostalgia, Winter, Community Heritage, Cultural Diversity and Home & Nature.

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman welcomes the Albany Symphony. She thanked the NYS Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority for including Medina as one of five communities along the canal to host the concerts celebrating the bicentennial of the historic waterway.

The rest of the schedule includes: Utica on July 3, Seneca Falls on July 4, Fort Plain on July 5, and Schuylerville on July 6.

Each concert includes a world premiere of a new composition. The themes for the original compositions include environmental justice on July 2, immigrant communities on July 3, women’s rights on July 4, Indigenous stories on July 5, and Black experience on July 6.

Angelyn Chandler, vice president of NYPA, is next to Sherman. Chandler said the new commissioned music is an attempt to tell an “expanded narrative of the canal.”

“We think telling these stories is very important for all of us,” she said.

Chandler thanked Medina for hosting the concert and being part of the bicentennial celebration.

“Thank you for showing us what a canal community can look like and sound like,” she said.

Photo by Cindy Eibl: Two of the performers in the Albany Symphony have local connections. Dana Oakes is a trumpet player with the orchestra. He is the brother of Wendy Oakes Wilson and Darrel Oakes of Lyndonville.

Paula Oakes (center), wife of Dana Oakes, has been a member of the Albany Symphony’s first violin section since 1986.

Britt Hewitt, a soprano at left, and Devony Smith, a mezzo-soprano, sang an arrangement of pop hits, including “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars during the concert.

The two singers led off the concert by singing the national anthem, “Star Spangled Banner.”

About 1,000 people attended the concert, a rare event with a symphony performing in Orleans County.

A crowd filled the basin to see the symphony, which performed from a stage on the northside of the parking lot.

The calm water of the Erie Canal acted like mirror reflecting the fireworks on Tuesday night. The fireworks were let off with the threat of rain looming.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A stage has been set up on the north side of the Canal Basin’s parking lot for a concert today by the Albany Symphony.

The orchestra will begin its performance at 8 p.m. The group is shown during a rehearsal this afternoon.

Fireworks will follow after tonight’s concert. People are encouraged to bring their own chair for the concert and fireworks.

The Albany Symphony is in town as part of a celebration of the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. The New York Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp. have set five concerts for the symphony from July 2-6, events that will feature the debut of commissioned compositions.

At Medina, the symphony will perform a new composition by world-renowned, Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad. Her composition is on a “Sound Capture Journey,” as she began crafting a new orchestral work on the theme of the sound of nature and the environment and along the Erie Canal.

Assad visited Medina in March, and she and others recorded sound snippets from around Orleans County, collecting personal stories about local connections to nature, the environment, and individual sense of place.

Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina’s Tourism Committee, welcomes the symphony to Medina today. Hancock organized a day of events with other musicians and historical presentations.

McHenry and Baz performed from noon to about 2 p.m., playing music from the ’60s, ’70s ’80s and ’90s.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kay VanNostrand of Medina, left, and her pen pal of 70 years, Kay Reid of Australia, are all smiles as they met for coffee Saturday at the Coffee Pot Café, during Reid’s visit.

MEDINA – Kay VanNostrand of Medina and Kay Reid, who lives in a suburb of Sydney, Australia, could never have imagined as little girls forming a close friendship with someone half-way across the world.

But that is just what they did.

Last week, Reid arrived in Medina to spend some time visiting VanNostrand.

The girls were both 10 when VanNostrand joined Girl Scouts and Reid joined the Australian equivalent – the Girl Guides.

“I got Kay’s name and wrote my first letter to her on July 1, 1955,” Reid said.

“And I wrote right back,” VanNostrand said. “We wrote back and forth all summer.”

But their friendship didn’t end there, although they drifted apart for a few years. Life got in the way, they said.

VanNostrand went to college and became a teacher, while Reid married and raised four children.

“We always sent Christmas cards and gifts,” VanNostrand said. “When we realized we could talk on the phone, that was how we corresponded.”

“When we got computers, we could correspond with Skype,” Reid said.

When VanNostrand retired in 1997, Reid and her sister Margaret came here to visit.

“I asked if we could come visit, and Kay answered, ‘Yes, yes, yes,’” Reid said.

“It took two weeks for me to get her letter and another two weeks for her to get my reply,” VanNostrand said.

In 2002, VanNostrand’s friend Barb Filipiak went to Australia to visit a fellow teacher and extended her stay to visit Reid.

VanNostrand’s first trip to Australia was in 2004.

In 2006 and again in 2008, the Kays met in Hawaii with Filipiak and spent a week together. In 2011 they all met in Alaska, then spent three days after that in Seattle. Reid flew back to Australia and VanNostrand and Filipiak took the train back to Buffalo.

In 2017 Filipiak and VanNostrand went to New Zealand on a tour, and then flew to Australia and spent a week with Reid.

Reid described her flight here this time as a real challenge. She left Sydney on Quantis Airlines and arrived in Dallas to find long lines and only two employees working. She had a two-hour layover to check in, go through Customs and make the long walk to get to the next gate for her flight to Buffalo.

When it became evident the line wasn’t moving fast enough for her to make connections, she found a security person and relayed her concern. He took her where she had to go and she had a 15-minute wait there. In the end, she missed her flight to Buffalo and had a six-hour wait before she could get another flight.

This week, VanNostrand, who turns 83 today, and Reid, who turns 83 on Sept. 12, shared some of their old memories.

“If it wasn’t for Kay, I’d have never done international travel,” Reid said. “It is remarkable because neither of us liked writing letters.”

In previous years, the Kays would open their Christmas gifts together on Skype, but recently they have decided instead of buying each other gifts, they will send something to a charity in the other’s name.

During Reid’s week-long visit, they have done a lot of catching up, they said. They visited Sarah’s Greenhouse and friends in Brockport. They still want to go to Holley Falls and the Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke.

Reid will leave July 4 to return home to Australia.

Concerts, including Albany Symphony, with day capped by fireworks over the water

File photo by Tom Rivers: Fireworks are reflected in the Erie Canal on November 25, 2023 just before the Parade of Lights in Medina. On July 2, there will be fireworks again and they will be directed closer to the canal.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina is teaming with the State Canal Corp. for a big party on Wednesday to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the Erie Canal.

The big highlights include a concert by the Albany Symphony in the Canal Basin from 8 to 9:30 p.m. with fireworks to follow at about 9:35.

There will be many vendors throughout the day and other concerts and presentations.

The fireworks will be shot in the air towards the canal. It gives a rare chance to see them reflected in the water during the summer.

“We have a nice variety of activities for adults and kids,” said Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina’s Tourism Committee.

The lineup of events includes:

• Noon to 2 p.m. – McHenry & Baz perform at the Medina Harbor Mainstage
• 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. – Medina Sandstone & Erie Canal Talk by Tom Rivers at Medina Harbor Mainstage
• 3 to 5:30 p.m. – Albany Symphony Open Rehearsal at Medina Harbor Mainstage
• 5:50 to 6:20 p.m. – Orleans Bicentennial Presentation and Meet the Pioneers/settlers skit Medina Harbor Mainstage
• 6:35 to 7:10 p.m. – Medina Alumni Jazz Band at Medina Harbor Mainstage
• 8 to 9:30 p.m. – Albany Symphony Orchestra Concert at Medina Harbor Mainstage with Fireworks Finale at 9:35 p.m.

The events are all free to attend. There are also other free daytime activities from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. including Barbara’s Bags and Bonnets, Between the Vines: Wooden Crafts, County Tourism Booth, Downtown Merchants Discounts / Specials, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library: Kids Activity Center, Medina Area Partnership, Medina Historical Society, Orleans Bluebird Trails, Orly the Ox Meet and Greet: County’s Bicentennial Mascot, Village Tourism Booth, Visual Arts show in open galleries on Main Street, and Walking Tours of Downtown Historic Panels.

There will also be several food and beverage vendors: Polish Korner, Dubby’s Pizza, The Coffee Pot, Wild Flour Deli and Bakery and Hans’s Bakery.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: State Sen. Rob Ortt chats with residents of The Willows. In front are Arden Dick, left, Joan Roberts and Charlie Ralph. At rear, from left, are Laura Ianni, Dave Nixon and Residents’ Council president Beverly Schultz.

MEDINA – The Willows, an assisted living facility for seniors, welcomed a visit from State Sen. Robert Ortt last week.

The Willows administrator Jacquie Morgante and administrative assistant Jordan Banaszak greeted the senator and his district director Andrew Dugan. Ortt then met the residents, answered questions and toured the facility.

Banaszak said the visit was precipitated by the New York State Health Facilities Association and New York State Center for Assisted Living, who encourage lawmakers to visit these organizations in their district to learn more about adult care facilities and the different levels of care available in the area.

“The Willows is on the lowest level of adult care, meaning we provide supervision and medication management, but no nursing,” Morgante said. “We have a nurse who checks medications, orders meds and communicates with doctors.”

(Left) State Sen. Rob Ortt shakes hands with Sue Luxon, who last year was named “New York State’s Noble Caregiver of the Year.” (Right) Ortt is joined at The Willows by administrative assistant Jordan Banaszak, left, and administrator Jacquie Morgante as he greets residents during a visit last week.

Morgante said The Willows was just recently licensed as a respite care facility, meaning they have four beds designated for respite care for up to 120 days.

“It is private pay only, but we work with families to make it happen,” Banaszak said.

Since purchasing The Willows in November 2023, Morgante said they are trying to do more events for residents. They have purchased a trishaw bike (with seating in the front for a passenger).

Cycling Without Age Through Orleans County comes and takes residents for rides. Other Events include having magic shows and visiting animals, ordering out from local restaurants, ordering Polish food from a Clarence restaurant on Dyngus Day, visiting McDonalds, ordering treats from Hans’s Bakery and on Veterans’ Day giving out menus for Zambistro’s. A local minister comes once a week to do Bible study, which is popular, Banaszak said.

Ortt said getting out to see what’s available in his district helps him to learn what’s going on and make the right decisions when he has to vote on issues that come up in Albany.

“I’d rather be here than in Albany any day of the week,” he said. “I enjoy outreach, and it helps me out.”

Staff of The Willows posed with State Sen. Rob Ortt in front of the facility during his visit last week. From left are administrative assistant Jordan Banaszak, caregivers Mary Schaal and Sue Luxon, administrator Jacquie Morgante and caregivers Tanya Adams and Caren Eckerd.

Ortt toured the rooms, met the staff and chatted with residents, who had a myriad of questions. He was introduced to Sue Luxon, who last year was named New York State’s “Noble Caregiver of the Year.” Luxon is an original employee, who has been with The Willows for 28 years.

Resident Charlie Ralph shared his desire to see a tour boat on the canal, prompting Ortt to stress the benefits the Erie Canal provides.

“Any community which is not utilizing the canal for growth is missing the boat,” Ortt said.

The Willows is a 24-bed facility, of which 16 are now filled, Morgante shared.

Honorary pitch goes to leader of the 136th Attack Squadron at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

Provided photo

BUFFALO – Justin Cecchini was picked to throw out the honorary first pitch before the Buffalo Bisons game. He threw a fastball for the first pitch on Friday, a strike right down the middle.

Pictured from left include Joseph Cecchini (son), Olivia Henning, Buster Bison, Julie (wife), Jenna (daughter), Justin and Jack Cecchini (son).

Lt. Col. Cecchini has been the squadron commander of the 136^th Attack Squadron since Jan. 20, 2024. The 136th Attack Squadron (Air National Guard) is based at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. In this role Cecchini plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective planning, coordination, and execution of all training and combat flying operations.

He is responsible for overseeing the operational readiness and leading 97 personnel while providing strategic guidance to the 136th Squadron and 107th Operations Group Commanders that ensures the alignment of operational activities with the Combatant Commanders’ objectives.

Lt. Col. Cecchini began his journey with the 107th Attack Wing back in March 2001 as an aircraft mechanic. His career progressed through significant roles within the 107th Operations Group, holding key positions such as Flight Training Officer, Assistant Chief of Tactics and Assistant Director of  Operations.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Taylor Schrader, president of the senior class at Medina, leads her excited classmates on Friday evening in moving their tassels from the right side to the left to signify their graduation.

There are 93 grads in the Class of 2025. The ceremony was held outside at Vets Park just after a downpour.

The graduates toss their caps and celebrate near the end of the ceremony on Friday.

Medina used to have graduation in the auditorium but moved it outdoors in the Covid pandemic in 2020. That location has been the preference for the district and the senior class since then. The bleachers at Vets Park can accommodate more people than the auditorium.

Medina school officials kept a close eye on the weather and could see the rain would stop at about 6:30 p.m. That gave the district about a half hour to set up for the ceremony and try to get the bleachers dry.

Kevin Czaja, director of facilities for the district, wipes down some of the bleachers after a heavy rain. Czaja said Friday wasn’t the first time rain hit right before the outdoor commencement.

Medina school employees Steve Miller, front, and Dylan Weese, up high on bleachers, used leaf blowers to dry the bleachers.

Sofia Gagliardi accepts her diploma and is congratulated by Mollie Mark, junior-senior high school assistant principal, and Michael Cavanagh, the school principal.

Makenzie McGrath, center, and her classmates received their diplomas on the field at Vets Park.

Matthew Kennedy Jr. shows his joy after getting his diploma.

Dan Owen DeVera, the valedictorian at left in front, and Cameron Kenward, the salutatorian, both gave prerecorded speeches to their classmates.

DeVera and Kenward both thanked their families, friends and teachers for all the love and support during their 13 years in school.

DeVera said he has already changed his career plans several times since he was a little kid, from initially wanting to be a doctor to then shifting to aspiring to be a writer. Now he is focused on studying computer science at the University at Buffalo. He said he may ultimately pick a different career path.

“Things will change in the future,” he said. “The real question is can you, too, and by how much?”

DeVera was in the school’s marching band and he referenced a line from “New York, New York,” which was part of the band’s fall show. “If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.” DeVera said the graduates have made it through Medina, and are ready for their next challenge.

“This is not the end because we are not done,” he said.

Kenward shared about three famous people – basketball star Michael Jordan, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and entertainment mogul Walt Disney – who didn’t let initial rejection derail their dreams.

“Failure is not the end, hut a step,” Kenward said. “Will you learn from it, and strive and succeed?”

He said he appreciates people helping him through his failures and mistakes. He urged his classmates to follow that example of offering kindness and mentorship to others.

“Whatever path you pursue there is one thing we will all encounter – failure,” Kenward said. “These failures don’t make us unsuccessful or losers.” They opportunities to learn and grow, he said.

Roberta Culver, a retiring kindergarten teacher, also gave a keynote address, “Big and Small, We’ll Celebrate Them All.”

Culver had several of the graduates as kindergartners about a 12 years ago. She recalled their exuberance in celebrating holidays, even in making their hand=print turkeys around Thanksgiving and helping to plant trees at Arbor Day.

The class celebrating birthdays, losing a tooth, coloring contests, reaching reading milestones, and remembering their take-home folders.

Culver urged them to celebrate achievements in life – getting their first apartment, bringing home a pet for the first time as an adult, and reaching other goals.

“Life is full of the joy of the little things,” she said. “Celebrate with the joy of a kindergartner.”

Honesty Hill smiles after getting her diploma.

Konner Smith is pleased to celebrate commencement.

The daisy chain tradition continued on Friday. The top 16 girls in the junior class and the top 2 boys made the chain of daisies, which has been part of Medina’s graduation since 1922.

Daisy chain members include Emiliana Batista, Darlene Beach, Ava Blount, Lilah Class, Molly Cook, Madison Farley, Allie Frentz, Bellaflor Gomez-Hernandez, Mahri Harmer-Owen, Natalie Herbert, Caden Kingsbury, Maggie Lonnen, Rhoswyn Oakes, Aleeyah Martinez, Paisley Pasnik, Penelope Schalck, Allie Smith and Hunter Walczak.

Brady Christiaansen walks in the processional at the start of the program.

Mason Eick, left, helps Brennan Hinckley look spiffy just after a deluge of rain fell.

These five graduates include, from left: Brooke Stewart, Josephene Pollock, Makenzie Alvarez, Evelyn Phillips and Cameron Davis.

Class Vice President Kylee Howard, in front at right, and Addison Paul, the class secretary at left, lead the group in walking off the field at Vets Park following the ceremony.

Chris Hughes taking different job in district as the director of wellness and community engagement

Provided photos

MEDINA – Wednesday was a special last day of the school year at the Clifford Wise Intermediate School.

Many of the teachers dressed up as inflatable characters, and the students and staff signed a giant card for principal Chris Hughes.

He is taking a different job in administration with the school district. Hughes will be Medina’s director of district wellness and community engagement.

He will succeed Dan Doctor, who is retiring from the position.

Many of the students spoke on the school announcements thanking the principal for greeting them every morning  regardless of the weather, his frequent high fives, encouragement, empathy and his joy in celebrating their milestones and achievements.

On Wednesday, the students from each grade level held up signs, saying “Thank You Mr. Hughes” for being such an outstanding leader at Wise.

Hughes is shown with his wife Anita, who is a school nurse.