By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2019 at 10:07 pm
Photo courtesy of Phil Haight
KENDALL – A big Army tandem rotor helicopter landed in a field in Kendall tonight. The helicopter didn’t crash but onlookers suspected there was a problem with the aircraft. Another helicopter briefly stopped by to transport some of the men from the scene.
It is at a field off Kenmore Road just east of Norway Road. The above photo was taken at 9:42 p.m.
Phil Haight, who took the photo, said he spoke with one of the men in the helicopter who was from Kendall. He knew there was a field nearby where the helicopter could land. A crew is expected in the morning to fix it.
Kendra Butler shared this photo of the helicopter.
Provided photos from Orleans County Sheriff’s Office: The Albion Correctional Facility held a graduation program on Wednesday for two dogs that completed a 14-week obedience and socialization program with inmates serving as the dogs’ handlers. Pictured, front row, from left: Princess, one of the dogs; Paula Werenczak, Team Princess handler; Susan Squires, Albion Correctional Facility superintendent; Penny, the other dog; Barbara Walker, Team Penny handler; and Carrie Reichenbach, Team Princess handler. Standing, from left: Jeff McKoy, NYS Department of Corrections of Community Supervision deputy commissioner; Christopher Bourke, Orleans County undersheriff; Kathleen Smith, Orleans County animal control officer; Dustin Meredith, Orleans County animal control officer; Daniel Martuscello, NYSDOCCS executive deputy commissioner; Patricia Ciulla, Albion Correctional Facility deputy superintendent for program services; Joseph Clem, Albion Correctional Facility psychologist II; Katie Kifner, Albion Correctional Facility offender rehabilitation coordinator; Yamisha Alamedaguzman, Team Penny handler; and Gloria Rodriguez, Team Penny handler.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
Penny
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce that on April 17, two dogs from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Animal Shelter graduated from the Canine Training Program at the Albion Correctional Facility.
Undersheriff Christopher Bourke reports that the partnership between agencies has had a positive effect on everyone involved. Two teams, consisting of three handlers each, work as a team to live with, train and care for each of the dogs in the facility program for approximately 14 weeks.
Princess
One of the results of this amazing program is the benefit to the shelter dog. Penny and Princess have learned through obedience training and living in the facility to socialize with people and other dogs along with receiving love and attention.
This program allows them to become excellent candidates for adoption from our shelter. The second benefit of the program is the positive effect on the inmates participating. The handlers learn new skills in handling and caring for animals. As they work through the program, they can see the results of their hard work, love and dedication as the dog makes progress.
After meeting the handlers, you can see the positive effect this program has had on them. Many of the handlers and staff were teary eyed as the dogs were preparing to return to the shelter for adoption.
“We feel this is a win-win situation,” Undersheriff Bourke said. “The handlers and the dogs are getting a second chance in life and we at the Sheriff’s Office are proud to be a part of his program.”
Photo and information courtesy of Albion Central School
ALBION – The elementary school band room today was filled with students, teachers and family members as they watched the top fourth grade spellers compete in the annual spelling bee.
The bee lasted for almost an hour as spellers went several rounds before whittling down to the final four.
The top spellers were, from left: Ava Woolston, Meadow Smith, Lily Brigham and Erika Hess (alternate).
They received a dictionary compliments of the Albion Elementary School PTA. The winners will move on to the Niagara Region PTA Spelling Bee. It will take place at 10 a.m. on May 18 at the Lyndonville Central School District. The community is invited to attend.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2019 at 3:17 pm
ALBION – A former Orleans Correctional Facility inmate was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years in state prison today for attempted assault in the second degree.
Freddy Rosario, 23, has been moved to Midstate Correctional Facility in Marcy. He admitted in a previous court appearance to punching a corrections officer in the face and causing other injuries.
Rosario was in the visiting area at Orleans Correctional on Jan. 21, 2018. He said “one thing led to another” and he punched an officer in the face.
As part of a plea deal he was given a reduced sentence from would could have been a maximum of 2 to 4 years in prison if he went to trial and was convicted by a jury.
In other cases in Orleans County Court today:
• Jeremy Hodge, 33, of Albion pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and could face a maximum of 1 to 3 years in state prison when he is sentenced on June 27.
He was charged in Clarendon on Jan. 1 and registered a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.30 percent, nearly four times the legal limit. He has a previous misdemeanor DWI in 2014.
Hodge said in court today he drank a 12-pack of beer during the day before his arrest on Jan. 1.
• Stacy Moss Jr., 29, appeared in court after being wanted on a warrant since November. Moss is a diversion program where a felony charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor if he successfully completes the program.
District Attorney Joe Cardone asked that Moss be terminated from the program because he hasn’t been going to a drug treatment program or showing up for court appearances.
Moss said he was aware there was a warrant issued for him. He said he didn’t want to turn himself in because he didn’t want to miss his son’s birth in December.
Judge Sanford Church asked why Moss didn’t come in since then.
“I don’t know,” Moss responded.
The judge is holding Moss without bail until another court appearance next Thursday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2019 at 9:16 am
Photos by Cheryl Wertman
LYNDONVILLE – Construction has started on expanding the parking lot behind Lyndonville Central School. This work is part of a $10.7 million capitol project which includes a new roof, air-conditioning in 95 percent of the school campus, upgraded kitchen and dining area, major improvements to the locker rooms, and conversion of the elementary school library into two classrooms.
The parking lot will be expanded and the soccer field will also get new drainage and other improvements.
The expanded parking lot will allow for more efficient pickup and drop off of students.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2019 at 8:13 am
Hoag Library posted this copy of the letter written in May 1784 from George Washington to Jacob Morris, who delivered a package for the general to Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who fought with Washington in the American Revolutionary War.
ALBION – Hoag Library continues to sift through historical files, finding treasures. On Tuesday, local history librarian Dee Robinson found a letter from George Washington.
It was written in May 1784, about five years before he started serving as the first president of the United States. The letter from Washington was written to Jacob Morris, thanking him for taking care of a gift package sent to Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He led American troops in several battles, including Yorktown.
The letter acknowledges correspondence from Morris in regard to the package of Lafayette, and Washington offers to pay the cost of the delivery, and also extends his compliments to Mrs. Morris. Jacob Morris was the son of Lewis Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The Journal-Register in Medina on April 19, 1967 wrote about the letter from Washington, which was being put on display briefly at Swan Library. The Journal-Register reported then that a family in Westchester County owned the letter for about 90 years. Thomas Bell then owned it and presented it to Noah Davis, a justice for the State Supreme Court who was from Albion. (Davis was the judge in the trial that brought down New York City Tammany Hall ringmaster William M. “Boss” Tweed. Judge Davis presided over Tweed’s trials on charges of conspiracy, perjury and larceny.)
After his death, Davis’s wife sent the letter to Emma Swan, the founder of the library with her husband William. Mrs. Swan gave the letter to the library. According the JR article, the letter’s authenticity was established by the Historical Society of New York City and by the Astor Library.
The article from 1967 reports the Washington letter is ordinarily kept in bank vault and only seen by a few people.
Robinson last month was searching through library files and found a 1903 letter from Susan B. Anthony, written to the then Swan Library. (The new Hoag Library opened in July 2012.) Anthony, the women’s rights activist, was a pivotal leader for women’s suffrage. She wrote to the library to encourage Swan to buy four volumes of the History of Woman Suffrage and also two volumes about the Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony.
The library has been in the news recently for a public discussion about what to do with a Civil War flag for a Colored Troops regiment. That flag had largely been kept out of public view for a century. The flag is deteriorating. The library’s board voted on March 13 to have the flag sold through an auctioneer in Dallas, Texas. The flag hasn’t been sent away yet and will stay with the library through at least April. It has been brought out for Civil War programs this month.
Public domain: This painting from 1906 by John Ward Dunmore shows George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette during winter at Valley Forge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2019 at 11:05 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The bronze statue of a soldier, resembling a doughboy from pre-World War II, was mounted atop a monument today in front of the Orleans County YMCA. Cody Dix of the Medina DPW is at right.
That building has been a Y for more than three decades. But for 76 years it was the Medina Armory, a site used to train soldiers for battle.
The new statue looks to be right at home by the former Armory.
The statue is taken out of the YMCA, where it spent the winter inside. The statue was finished in November and made its public debut in the Parade of Lights on Nov. 24.
The Armory opened in 1901. In 1977, it was closed by the National Guard.
Bill Menz trained at the building in 1953, when he joined Company C of the 174th Armored Infantry. He was promoted to corporal before transferring to active duty in 1956 to the US Army National Guard. He would come back to Medina and work about 40 years in construction as a plasterer/mason.
The Menz family is pictured with the statue and monument after the installation today. Pictured include Menz’s wife Betty, second from left, and their four children, from left: Timothy Menz, Mary Beth Germano, granddaughter Alyssa Germano, Lynne Menz (in back) and Tam Menz.
When the Armory closed, Bill Menz was on the committee that helped it find a new use as a YMCA. Menz, who died at age 86 on July 16 last year, wanted the community to know the building’s historical role in preparing soldiers to fight on behalf of the country. He teamed with his friend John Fuller to create a sandstone monument in front of the Y that listed 550 soldiers who trained at the Armory and were then deployed in wars. Menz and Fuller cut the stone and built the monument.
But it wasn’t done. Menz wanted a bronze statue of a soldier on top. He pushed for nearly a decade to raise the $65,000 for the statue. He was able to see it in pieces at the foundry before his death. His daughter, Lynne Menz, included some of her father’s ashes underneath the statue’s base, just before it was mounted today.
Mary Beth Germano, center, is one of Menz’s four children. She takes a photo of the statue being moved out of the former Armory, down Pearl Street and to the front lawn of the building.
Germano thanked the local residents and many veterans’ organizations for supporting the project with donations.
“It’s emotional seeing it,” she said after the installation this morning. “It’s a great community effort.”
Her father was unwavering in pushing the project in the community.
“When he had his mind set on something, it was full-speed ahead,” Germano said.
Ben Lacy, right, of the Medina DPW was off from work today but wanted to help with the statue installation. Lacy grew up next door to Menz. Lacy said he admired Menz’s determination in working on the monument and memorial for the local soldiers.
“Bill was dedicated to get this done and I wanted to help today to get this up and done,” Lacy said.
The statue was created by sculptor Brian Porter and the University of Buffalo’s foundry director Chris Serano.
Mayor Michael Sidari was among the onlookers watching the statue installation today. He said the statue is great addition to Medina.
“It’s a great tribute to the members that served our country out of the Armory,” Sidari said. “Many came back and many did not. Those that did continued to serve their community.”
Medina next month will also welcome the return of a World War I cannon. It had been a fixture at State Street Park for about 80 years. It has been gone since March 2018 while the cannon has been refurbished in Altoona, Pa. at Seed Artillery Reproduction and Restoration. It is coming back to Medina on May 1 and will be rededicated on Memorial Day.
The statue is expected to be formally dedicated during a ceremony in September. That will give time for landscaping work and some changes to be made to the plaques on the monument. Some lights may also be added to the site.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2019 at 5:12 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Orleans Correctional Facility celebrated the third graduation today for a canine training program. Five dogs – Danielle, Jared, Champ, Conrad and Spot – completed the 12-week program. Nine inmates served as handlers for the dogs, which stayed in one of the dorms.
The top photo shows Conrad, one of the dogs, showing his skills. The dogs and inmates are all screened to participate in the program.
The animals are rescue dogs from a shelter in Tennessee, which then sends them to the Genesee County Animal Shelter in Batavia.
Tom Ryan, a dog trainer from Batavia, visited the Orleans prison once or twice a week to teach obedience classes. He praised the handlers for their commitment to the animals, teaching the dogs socialization and obedience.
R. Monroe (center), an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, worked with Champ during the program. Champ is a friendly dog that greets the corrections officers and other staff. Three of the five dogs at today’s graduation have already been adopted by their “forever families.”
One of the dogs settles on an inmate’s lap during the graduation program this afternoon at the prison. R. Allen, left, spoke during the ceremony.
“We’ve put everything we have into it,” Allen told the crowd. “We’ve given it our all every day.”
Allen said the program taught the inmates “humility.”
“It makes you feel great to give back,” he said. “Over the years I’ve just taken, taken and taken.”
He said the dogs filled a void in the dorm for the inmates.
“Waking up in the morning that dog is there for you,” he said.
R. Paro tries to get Danielle to sit and stay while demonstrating some of the skills the dog has learned.
The first canine class graduated on Oct. 10 with three dogs. The second class had six dogs and five completed the program today. A new group of dogs is expected in early May.
The Albion Correctional Facility, a women’s prison, also had a graduation today for two dogs that were the first to complete the program at that facility. The Albion Correctional Facility has a partnership with the Orleans County Animal Shelter for training dogs.
Karen Crowley, the OCF superintendent, pushed to have the program in the local men’s prison. She visited other prisons with similar programs and found the dogs improved the culture in a prison, with better-behaved inmates. The inmates also proved to be attentive and dedicated to helping train the dogs.
She praised the inmates for their dedication.
“You’ve all grown so much,” she said during the graduation program.
The dogs stay under control during today’s canine graduation program at the Orleans Correctional Facility.
Photo from Gov. Cuomo's Office: Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today in New York City that college aid would immediately be available to families of veterans who died or were severely injured in the line of duty. He is joined at right by Mecca Nelson, whose husband Mario Nelson was killed in Iraq in 2006 when he was 26. The couple has a daughter, Mia.
Staff Reports Posted 17 April 2019 at 3:17 pm
Cuomo: “We can never replace the loved one lost, but we can lessen the hardship and make it a little easier to deal with the loss. And it is our honor, our obligation and our pleasure to do just that.”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed the Higher Education Services Corporation to broaden the interpretation of eligibility for New York’s Military Enhanced Recognition Incentive and Tribute (MERIT) Scholarship.
Under the new interpretation, college tuition and related costs will be covered for all children, spouses, and financial dependents of members of the United States Armed Forces who die or become severely and permanently disabled, or missing in action while performing their military duties.
Under the previous interpretation of the statute, only children, spouses, and financial dependents of veterans killed in a combat zone were eligible for the scholarship. The announcement, made during the Month of the Military Child, honors the sacrifices made by military families every day.
“Military service is more than just the active military member – I believe the entire family is in service, and we will honor that sacrifice and respect that service not just in words, not just with symbols, but with deeds,” Cuomo said. “That is why New York is taking immediate action to extend benefits to all those lost or disabled while on active duty, period. We can never replace the loved one lost, but we can lessen the hardship and make it a little easier to deal with the loss, and it is our honor, our obligation and our pleasure to do just that. We hope this gesture helps bring some comfort, peace, relief and justice to those grieving their loss.”
The governor’s announcement comes eight days after legislation to expand the scholarships failed to get out of a committee in the State Assembly. Steve Hawley, the local assemblyman from Batavia, sponsored the bill that was rejected in a committee on April 9 by a 15-11 vote.
Hawley and other state legislators spoke out against the legislation’s defeat, citing the state’s push to provide $27 million in college aid to children of undocumented immigrants. Hawley also said the state supports college programs in prisons for inmates.
Hawley issued this statement this afternoon:
“Gold Star Families and disabled veterans have been neglected for far too long and today we are finally righting an injustice and fulfilling our obligation to them,” he said. “We will never be able to fully repay our veterans and servicemembers for their role in protecting our nation but I am proud to have led the statewide bipartisan effort to see that the MERIT Scholarship is expanded. It is paramount to cover all of our nation’s heroes and their families under this program, and I thank Gov. Cuomo for doing the right thing.”
Assemblyman Mike Norris (R-Lockport) issued this statement:
“The outrage New Yorkers have felt at the Assembly Democrats’ decision to block legislation I sponsored to give college scholarships to the children of fallen or disabled military stems from the fact that all too often it seems our government does not do the right thing,” Norris said. “Today, I am proud to say it has and the children of our Gold Star heroes will be able to attend SUNY and CUNY college for free. It’s about time our government did the right thing, and I am so proud to have helped make this scholarship program a reality.”
Created in 2003 just after the start of the War in Iraq in an effort to provide greater support to New York’s military service members, the MERIT Scholarship covers up to four years of full-time undergraduate study (or five years in an approved five-year bachelor’s degree program) and includes the following components:
• Tuition: An amount equal to the actual tuition or the State University of New York’s (SUNY) in-state tuition, whichever is less.
• Non-tuition Costs: Includes room and board and allowances for books, supplies and transportation up to the average cost at SUNY Colleges.
• Residence: Students living on campus are awarded a higher room and board allowance than a commuter student. If housing is not available for students on campus they will receive the same allowance as students living on campus. For the current academic year, recipients will receive a maximum of $24,250 if living on campus and a maximum of $15,750 if commuting to college.
In 2018, an estimated 111 students received this award, totaling $1.8 million. Since its implementation in 2003, MERIT scholarships have helped 387 veterans’ family members pay their college tuition, Cuomo’s Office said today.
State Sen. Robert Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) is the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. He issued this statement: “This issue has always been about doing whatever it takes to ensure that our Gold Star families are treated with the honor and dignity that they deserve. While Gov. Cuomo and I disagree on many issues, in this case, we both recognize that helping the families of our severely injured and deceased service members is something everyone should support.”
An excerpt of Cuomo’s remarks today includes the following:
“Many issues that we deal with today are complicated, there are competing factors, there are plusses and minuses, there are economic calculations. But some issues are more straightforward. There are issues that we judge with our heart and our conscious, our morals and our values. These issues raise a simple, but a profound question. What is the right thing to do? Today’s issues dealing with military families and their benefactors ask us that question: what is the right thing to do? To our military families, we express our gratitude, our respect and our admiration. We owe them everything because they pay the price for our freedom. Military service is about more than just the active service member. I believe the entire family is in service – children who miss their parents, mothers and fathers who worry every night whether their son or daughter is safe, spouses who carry the day-to-day burden and sense of trepidation every time the phone rings, wondering, could this be that dreaded call? We thank you and we applaud you and we are all in your debt.
“I’m sure the service members who have put themselves in harm’s way always have one question just before they embark on a mission: what if something happens to me? Who will take care of my loved ones? Who will help my children? How will my spouse or significant other handle all the obligations? The piece that we can offer when that questions arises is the firm belief that their country, their government, the American people will do “the right thing.” That, we will honor, the sacrifice, that we will respect the service and we will do it not just in words, not just with symbols, but with deeds. As Governor of New York I can tell you that all New Yorkers honor that obligation.
“The state in the past has offered the MERIT scholarship program to provide free college to spouses and dependents for those disabled or lost in combat or in training for combat. There is now a new question as to whether those benefits should be expanded to cover those lost or disabled in performing their military duties, whether in a combat zone or not. My answer is of course, yes they should. New Yorkers want to extend benefits to all those lost or disabled while on active duty, period.
“There is also a question of when the budget should start to fund this program and whether it should wait for next April’s budget. My position is clear: we support an extension of the benefits and we support doing it now. The state will manage the finances to accomplish these goals and today I direct the Higher Education Services Corporation to make those changes immediately. We’re not going to wait until next April to make sure we honor our obligation. This is truly the least that we can do. Our support and commitment to Mecca Nelson and Mia is absolute. It is as absolute as their husband and father’s commitment was to us.
“A major parental concern is being able to help their child afford a college education and New York will make that promise. We will fulfill that commitment. Tuition, room and board at our great SUNY and CUNY universities. We can never replace the loved one lost, but we can lessen the hardship and make it a little easier to deal with the loss. And it is our honor, our obligation and our pleasure to do just that. And we do that today. We hope this gesture helps bring some comfort, peace, relief and justice to those grieving their loss. It is a loss that we all feel. We will do all we can to lessen your burden and we will remember you in our thoughts and in our prayers.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2019 at 12:47 pm
Dedication celebration expected in September after site improvements
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A 7-foot-high bronze statue of a soldier was installed this morning on a Medina sandstone base that is a memorial to the soldiers who trained at the former Medina Armory.
The memorial has been more than a decade in the making.
The statue was complete in November and made its first public appearance during Medina’s Parade of Lights on Nov. 24. The statue was placed inside the former Armory on Dec. 20. The building is now used as a YMCA.
Medina DPW workers helped move the statue today. They include Joe Perry, the DPW superintendent (back to camera), and employees Ben Lacy (right) and Cody Dix (left).
The statue was moved out of the YMCA, where it spent the winter.
The Medina Armory opened in 1901 for Company F, which formed in 1891. In 1977, the National Guard left the Medina Armory. The site has been used as a YMCA for more than three decades.
The statue, which weighs 1,400 pounds, is moved down Pearl Street to go on the monument in front of the Y.
A crowd of people, including many local veterans, gathered to watch the installation.
The statue was created by sculptor Brian Porter and the University of Buffalo’s foundry director Chris Serano.
The late Medina resident Bill Menz was influential in building the sandstone monument and raising more than $65,000 for the statue.
A dedication is expected in September for the statue. That will give time for landscaping and additional work on the plaques on the monument.
The monument currently includes 550 names of local soldiers who fought in wars on behalf of the United States. The soldiers enlisted and trained at the Medina Armory for conflicts from 1898 to 1945 including the Spanish-American War, Mexican-American, World War I and World War II.
The statue stands prominently outside the Orleans County YMCA.
Orleans Hub will have another article later today on the statue installation.
ALBION – The Main Street lift bridge in Albion will closed on Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for repairs, the Canal Corporation has told local officials.
A posted detour using the Ingersoll Street lift bridge will be posted, the Orleans County Emergency Management Office said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2019 at 9:07 am
HOLLEY – A tree limb fell and knocked out a primary feeder line for the Village of Holley’s Electric Department this morning, causing a big power outage in the village. The electric line is owned by National Grid and feeds Holley’s electric system.
The outage briefly knocked out power this morning in Albion but electricity was restored in Albion after about 15 minutes.
It could be several hours to make the repair and restore power to Holley, the Orleans County Emergency Management Office is reporting.
Holley has the only municipal electric department in Orleans County.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 April 2019 at 8:20 am
State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, has launched a petition for the state to cover the costs of college for children and dependents of soldiers who were severely disabled or killed in the line of duty.
Hawley is the lead sponsor of legislation in the Assembly for college assistance for Gold Star families. The bill didn’t get out of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee, with Hawley faulting Democrats for blocking the legislation.
The issue has garnered lots of media attention in the state and nationally, with President Donald Trump also tweeting about it and Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying he would support the legislation.
The legislation now has bipartisan support in the State Senate.
The legislation (A.2991, Hawley) would pay the costs of tuition, room & board, and fees at a public New York State or City College to the dependent family members of New York service men and women who died, are missing in action, or became disabled while performing official military duties.
“Gold Star families have heard the herald of bipartisan support from state lawmakers in both parties, along with Gov. Cuomo and even President Trump, following the defeat of my bill in committee last week,” Hawley said. “I will continue leading the effort to see that our military receive the benefits they deserve as they carry the tremendous sacrifice of losing a loved one in the line of duty. I am confident we can get this legislation passed this year and hopeful that this is the beginning of an era where veterans’ issues transcend political divides and we all can play a part in honoring our brave service members and veterans.”
The petition declares, “Support The Children of America’s Military Heroes.” To see the petition, click here.
The petition states that Democrats in the Assembly didn’t support the college aid for Gold Star families despite approving a $27 million package giving free college aid to the children of illegal immigrants. The Democrats also support free college courses to inmates in state prisons, according to the petition.
State Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, also is rallying support for the legislation.
“The Majority’s move to block this legislation which helps Gold Star families – one week after approving $27 million in tuition assistance for the children of illegal immigrants – has been rightly the subject of extensive media coverage,” Norris said on his Facebook page. “Now, we need to keep the pressure on to pass this important legislation.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 April 2019 at 9:28 pm
District expanding Chromebook computers for more students
MEDINA – The Medina Board of Education has approved a $40,274,056 budget for the 2019-20 school year which won’t increase taxes for the 8th straight year.
The budget will go before residents on May 21, with the vote from noon to 8 p.m. The district will go over the budget during a public hearing at the annual meeting, 6:30 p.m. on May 14 at the district office.
The overall spending is up about $2.7 million from the $37,565,842, with a capital project driving some of the increase.
The district’s overall instruction costs are up about $1 million with more money for teacher salaries, special education programs, and computer-based instruction programs based on the 1:1 rollout of Chromebooks for about 900 students.
The district currently provides the Chromebook computers to about 500 students in grades 4 to 7. That will expand to grades 3 through 8, and 11th grade next school year. The following school year, 2020-2021, Medina wants to have the computers available to students in grades 3 through 12, about 1,150 total. The computers, with a warranty and software, cost about $330 to $340 each. The district’s BOCES aid through the state is covering about 80 percent of those costs, said Mark Kruzynski, district superintendent.
The district will maintain all current programs and staff in the proposed budget, and is restoring foreign language at Wise Middle School, adding a 2/3 full-time music choral teacher at Wise, and combining the .5 ELA with a .5 reading teacher at the high school.
The tax levy will remain the same at $8,641,861. This is the eighth consecutive year Medina has either reduced taxes or held them in check, and the 11th out of the past 12 years.
