By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 March 2026 at 9:28 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: The video gaming center at Batavia Downs has been a money-maker for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., which shares its profits with 15 counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo.
Orleans County is seeing a near doubling in its share of the profits from Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
The county received $189,607 from WROTB in 2025, up from $101,097 in 2024.
WROTB is owned by 15 counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo. Batavia Downs Gaming has proven to be a money-maker for WROTB, averaging about $7.5 million in profit or “net win” a month with NYS receiving 39 percent of that total.
The WROTB revenues shared with the member municipalities increased from $6,705,049 in 2024 to $12,865,737 in 2025, a 92 percent increase.
“WROTB closed fiscal year 2025 with record-breaking results, marking the most successful year in the corporation’s history,” President and CEO Byron Brown wrote in a letter to Lynne Johnson, chairperson of the Orleans County Legislature.
WROTB paid out $251 million in winnings, up from $243 million. The organization also saw net win for the organization total $93 million, an increase of $4.7 million over 2024 and year-over-year growth of 5.4 percent, Brown said.
Orleans County was an original member when WROTB formed over 50 years ago. Since 1975, Orleans has received $3,180,777 from WROTB, Brown stated in his letter to Johnson.
Here are the revenues paid to Orleans County each year since 2020:
2020: $6,975 (Covid restrictions shut down operations for several months before reopening with restrictions.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 March 2026 at 8:57 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Albion village trustee Joyce Riley and mayor Angel Javier Jr. both are finishing four-year terms on the Village Board.
ALBION – The Albion Village Board meeting on Wednesday was the last one for Angel Javier Jr. as mayor and Joyce Riley as village trustee. They both are finishing four-year terms.
Javier, 36, didn’t seek re-election. He said he is moving outside the village and will be living in the Town of Albion. He wouldn’t have been eligible to be mayor.
Riley, 77, narrowly lost to Tim McMurray for mayor, 209 to 202, during the election on March 18.
Village residents also elected Jami Allport and Kevin Sheehan as trustees on the board with terms starting on April 1.
Riley, during Wednesday’s meeting, said she enjoyed the four years as trustee and has a deep admiration for the village employees.
“It has certainly been a learning moment,” Riley said about her time on the board. “Thank you for giving me these four years.”
With the election of McMurray, Allport and Sheehan, Riley said the village “is ready for a new look.” Her goal is the village will continue to offer all of its services, although “it may look a little different.”
The fire department, for example, now operates out of the Albion Joint Fire District rather than through the village budget with elected fire commissioners providing the oversight, not the Village Board.
Code enforcement officer Chris Kinter praised Riley for her work securing grants for the village. He also thanked Javier for his efforts as mayor.
John Grillo, the Albion recreation director, thanked both Riley and Javier for their service to the village.
After the meeting, Javier said he feels a sense of accomplishment during his four years as mayor.
“We brought in millions of dollars that is spread around through our water infrastructure and grants for the police and grants for our recreation department,” Javier said.
He also cited the land acquisition to allow for a future expansion of Mount Albion Cemetery. The village paid $250,874.58 to Patricia Nelson for the land that is next to Mount Albion’s southwest corner. That is about $7,000 an acre. The sale was finalized on Nov. 8, 2024 after about two years of effort.
A good chunk of Javier’s and Riley’s tenure involved the closing of the Main Street lift bridge. The bridge shut down to traffic on Nov. 14, 2022 for what was expected to be about 18 months for a major rehabilitation. But the project faced several delays and finally was complete on Sept.19, 2025.
The village dedicated the Erie Canal Park on Sept. 28, 2024. The new park includes a lamppost and a bench made from repurposed steel from the Main Street lift bridge when it was originally constructed in 1914. Bill Schutt, left, is the artist from Batavia who made the lamppost. A Go Art! grant paid for Schutt to make the lamppost. Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. is next to Schutt and then Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley is on the bench that was made by employees in the sewer plant, the Joint Pollution Control Facility. Village employees Ric Albright, Kyle Piccirilli and William Malone worked on the bench, which also includes a time capsule to be opened on Sept. 28, 2059. Albion students also were part of the day’s celebration which included the unveiling on a monument to the 15 people killed in the Main Street bridge collapsed on Sept. 28, 1859. A huge crowd gathered on the bridge that day to watch a tightrope walker.
Javier worries about the affordability in the village. He led a public hearing on June 11, 2025 to get a conversation started about possible dissolution of the village and consolidating many of the services in the village with the towns of Albion and Gaines. That idea has been seriously pursued at this point, but Javier said village residents might want to consider that in the future.
“I think it will be very difficult for any municipality at this time to operate,” he said after Wednesday’s meeting. “You’re really going to have to look at what your residents want. The residents are going to have to make a decision. If you want this it’s going to cost money. If you don’t want it, you’re going to have to tell the governing body.”
Javier said the village has been able to expand programs in youth recreation program through grants. He praised recreation director John Grillo for bringing in significantly more funding to expand that program. Other department heads also are being proactive pursuing grants, Javier said.
Overall, he counts many successes in Albion in the past four years.
“It was the village that did it, not necessarily me,” he said. “We all worked together to move forward.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2026 at 8:40 pm
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature voted to increase the maximum exemptions for low-income seniors from 50 percent off their property taxes to 65 percent.
The Legislature approved the change on Tuesday. While the cap is going higher, the Legislature isn’t increasing the income limits for people 65 and older to be eligible for an exemption. That will remain at a $24,700 threshold.
Here are the new exemption levels based on income:
$16,000 or less – 65 percent exemption
$16,000.01 to $16,999.99 – 60 percent exemption
$17,000 to $17,999.99 – 55 percent exemption
$18,000 to $18,999.99 – 50 percent exemption
$19,000 to $19,999.99 – 45 percent exemption
$20,000 to $20,999.99 – 40 percent exemption
$21,000 to $21,999.99 – 35 percent exemption
$22,000 to $22,899.99 – 30 percent exemption
$22,900 to $23,799.99 – 25 percent exemption
$23,800 to $24,699.99 – 20 percent exemption
Gov. Kathy Hochul in December signed legislation to allow local municipalities to increase the size of the exemptions from a maximum 50 percent to 65 percent.
“No New York senior should lose their home because they can no longer afford their property taxes,” Hochul said on Dec. 6 in announcing the higher exemption levels. “By signing this legislation, we are working to make New York more affordable for our seniors on fixed incomes and empowering them to age in place, at home, in the communities they know and love.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 25 March 2026 at 4:36 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Pastor Joe Szalay, right, of Community Fellowship Church in Johnson Creek chats with Ken Ryan and Jim McHenry about an upcoming benefit for an orphanage in Uganda. All three are also musicians and will entertain in the benefit April 18 at the church on the corner of Johnson Creek Road and Route 104.
MIDDLEPORT – The Community Fellowship Church at 3146 Johnson Creek Rd. will sponsor an afternoon of food and music on April 18 to benefit an orphanage in Uganda.
The church’s pastor, Joe Szalay, said they learned of the orphanage three years ago from Steve Giroux, owner of several pharmacies in Western New York, including Middleport Family Health Center and Rosenkrans’ Pharmacy in Medina. Giroux and his wife had visited Uganda several years ago, where they learned of the orphanage and its pastor Paul Musisi. When Musisi visited here, Giroux introduced him to Szalay.
Musisi shared his life growing up an orphan himself. As a child he was asked if he wanted to go to church and he replied he did, because he knew he would get milk there. When Musisi grew up and became successful, he built a new orphanage, which is now home to 1,200 orphans. In addition, there are 150 widows there who help care for the orphans.
While Giroux and his wife were in Uganda, they helped feed the orphans, Szalay said. He said their allowance of food for one day is a small bowl with corn meal paste, a few beans and soup over that.
“We decided to make the orphanage our mission to start a fundraiser to ensure those children get two meals a day,” Szalay said.
This year the church has raised $2,000 in January, $1,500 in February and $1,500 to date in March for the orphanage, Szalay said. Their goal for the April 18 benefit is to raise at least $5,000, and hopefully $8,000. In Uganda, $25 will feed a child for a month.
Pastor Musisi will be visiting here in April and will preach at Community Fellowship Church on April 12. He will not be able to remain for the benefit, however. The public is invited to attend worship at 10:45 a.m.
Szalay, a son of the late Joseph and Carol Szalay of Harrison Road, Medina, has been pastor of the Community Fellowship Church for 12 years and praised the congregation.
“When they get going on something, the enthusiasm is contagious,” he said.
April 18’s benefit will begin with a spaghetti dinner from noon until sold out. Cost is $12 per person.
In addition, baked goods will be available for sale throughout the afternoon until gone.
A basket raffle is also planned from noon to 4 p.m., with tickets drawn at 5 p.m.
Music will be provided throughout the afternoon by Alexander James, Creekside Classic Country, Two Guys and a Beard, McHenry and Baz and Ken Ryan and the Professionals. In addition, Pastor Szalay plays guitar and sings in his own band, in which his sister Catherine Zagmester, formerly of Medina, plays bass guitar and sings backup. They will also entertain with a few numbers, Zagmester said.
Anyone who would like to make a donation for the orphanage in Uganda can send a check payable to Community Fellowship Church, 3146 Johnson Creek Rd., Middleport, and designated for Uganda orphanage.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2026 at 3:35 pm
RIDGEWAY – The state comptroller has released an audit of the Town of Ridgeway that faults the Town Board and Town Supervisor for overpaying health insurance premiums by $236,885 over seven years.
Town Supervisor Brain Napoli said the Town Board agrees with the findings and will implement recommendations from the comptroller’s office to ensure no overpayments in the future.
“As Ridgeway taxpayers themselves, the Ridgeway Board is committed to using taxpayer funds efficiently and appropriately,” Napoli wrote in a Feb.19 letter to Melissa Myers, chief of municipal audits in Buffalo for the Office of the New York State Comptroller.
“In the future, we will be cognizant of these findings when updating, implementing, and monitoring policies,” Napoli wrote. “We appreciate the time and thorough efforts of the auditors that will assist the Town Board in the continued managing of the finances of the Town of Ridgeway.”
Napoli said the town’s work rules were updated in 2024 to begin the process of clearer and more definitive language regarding employee and elected official benefits. The state general municipal law allows towns to pay health insurance upon retirement to employees and elected officials, Napoli said. The town’s policies will be utilized in a proper way to administer those benefits, he said in his letter.
The comptroller’s office, in its report about Ridgeway, reviewed town health insurance payments since from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2024.
The report (click here to see it) was filed March 13 and faulted town officials for the following:
Finding 1 – The comptroller’s office reviewed all health insurance premium payments paid by the Town for certain former officials totaling $198,102. “We determined the Supervisor approved payments of post-employment health insurance benefits for three former officials and their spouses totaling $179,325 that they were not eligible to receive,” the report states.
Finding 2 – The comptroller’s office reviewed health insurance premiums from January 2018 through December 2024 totaling $207,911 for one current Town Board member, the current Board member’s spouse and the Supervisor, to determine whether contributions were made in accordance with the Policies. “We determined the Supervisor did not ensure the Clerk collected health insurance premiums totaling $52,659 from one Board member who was required to contribute toward their health insurance premiums,” the report states.
Finding 3 – The comptroller’s office reviewed all disbursements made to individuals for reimbursement of health insurance premiums totaling $4,901 from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2024. “We determined that the Board issued reimbursement checks totaling $4,901 to a former Clerk’s spouse for Medicare Part B health insurance premiums over 31 months, from April 2021 through November 2023, without documentation authorizing the payments,” the report states.
Audit Summary
The Town Board did not authorize or monitor health insurance benefits for current and former officials, according to the report.
“Due to the lack of controls and oversight of health insurance benefits, the Town Supervisor did not ensure officials were eligible to receive post-employment health insurance benefits or paid all required health insurance premium contributions owed to the Town, and the Board did not have support to authorize health insurance premium reimbursements to a former official’s spouse,” the report states.
As a result, the Town incurred $236,885 more for health insurance premiums than it should have during the audit period. This amount accounts for approximately 34 percent of the Town’s total health insurance premiums over the seven-year period. When health insurance benefits are not provided in a manner consistent with Board-adopted policies, it may result in unnecessary costs to taxpayers, the auditors stated.
Recommendations
The comptroller’s identified 14 recommendations for the Town Board and Town Supervisor:
Update the policy to provide clear guidance for who is eligible to receive post-employment benefits and require the Supervisor to develop procedures to help determine and verify eligibility for post-employment health insurance benefits.
Consult with the attorney for the Town to review the current post-employment health insurance benefits being provided by the Town, and, if appropriate, discontinue post-employment health insurance benefits for officials who are ineligible for such benefits.
Consult with the attorney for the Town to determine what action, if any, should be taken to recover the $179,325 in health insurance premium amounts paid by the Town that should not have been.
Review all health insurance invoices monthly to verify all officials, including former officials, are authorized and eligible to receive post-employment health insurance benefits.
Develop written procedures to ensure compliance with the Policy, including eligibility for post-employment health insurance benefits, and specify who is responsible for each part of the process.
Review and authorize post-employment health insurance benefits for eligible officials prior to enrollment.
Review the bookkeeper’s accrued sick leave conversion calculations for accuracy and verify the amounts are supported by leave records.
Update the current Policy to provide clear guidance on what contributions are required of elected officials when they choose to receive health insurance through the Town.
Consult with the attorney for the Town to determine what actions, if any, should be taken to collect the $52,659 in required health insurance premiums owed by the Board member.
Periodically review the Policy and make necessary updates to help ensure the Policy is clear and consistent with the Board’s intentions.
Review monthly health insurance invoices and payments, including officials’ health insurance premium contributions, to help ensure accuracy and compliance with the Policy.
Develop procedures to help ensure compliance with the Policy, including the collection of required health insurance premiums from officials, and specify who is responsible for each part of the process.
The Board should consult with the attorney for the Town to review the reimbursement payments made to the former Clerk’s spouse and determine what actions, if any, should be taken to recover the $4,901 in reimbursement payments.
The Supervisor should verify that all payments are adequately supported and made in accordance with the 2024 Policy before authorizing the payments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2026 at 2:24 pm
ALBION – An incarcerated man at the Orleans Correctional Facility had 2 to 4 years added to his sentence in Orleans County Court today.
Callin LeMon, 36, was sentenced for promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a weapon.
LeMon on April 29, 2025 had a black ceramic razor blade and a leafy substance. He is currently serving an 8- to 10-year sentence for criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon. He is from Ulster County.
County Court Judge Sanford Church gave LeMon the agreed upon sentence as part of a plea agreement.
In other cases in County Court today:
• Chantel Savage, a former inmate at Albion Correctional Facility, was arraigned for allegedly having a piece of iron and striking a corrections officer with it in the head on Jan. 1, 2025.
Savage was arraigned for assault in the second degree, promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a weapon.
Her attorney asked for a competency exam and Judge Church agreed to have her assessed for whether she is mentally competent to aid in her own defense.
• Elizabeth Jackson, 31, an inmate at Albion Correctional Facility, was arraigned for promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a controlled substance for allegedly having 20 pills of meth that were disguised to look like Flintstone vitamins.
Jackson is from Broome County and in prison for grand larceny in the third degree on a sentence of 3 ½ to 7 years.
• Jose Casiano, 69, of Gaines was scheduled to be sentenced to up to six months in the county jail plus probation after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and driving while ability impaired.
But Casiano has been arrested twice in the past week. A stipulation of his plea agreement on Jan. 7 was not to have any additional arrests.
Casiano on March 20 was charged with criminal possession of a controlled in the seventh degree and on March 24 was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.
Judge Church will have an Outley hearing on Friday with Casiano, a hearing for someone who is arrested after a plea agreement has been reached. Church said Casiano could be sentenced to up to 2 ½ years in state prison.
Photos courtesy of Medina Triennial: Tania Candiani, left, will lead the recording of “Two Waters” on Saturday in the auditorium of the old Medina High School on Catherine Street. Two Waters is a choral performance inspired by one of the Erie Canal’s most unusual engineering features: the aqueduct where the canal crosses directly above Oak Orchard Creek, a spot where two waterways flow past each other without ever meeting.
Press Release, Medina Triennial
MEDINA – This Saturday, in the long-abandoned auditorium of Medina High School, Mexican artist Tania Candiani will gather hundreds of local participants—many from across Western New York—for a four-hour, one-take collective vocal performance that will be filmed as part of a new installation for the Triennial.
The 25,000-square-foot building, closed as a public school since 1991, is reopening as the central exhibition site for the Medina Triennial, one of twelve locations across the village showcasing internationally recognized artist works this summer from June 6 to Sept. 7 along the Erie Canal.
Candiani, who represented Mexico at the 2015 Venice Biennale, is known for creating artworks that bring together technology, history, and community participation. Her projects often transform local stories, industrial heritage, and environmental data into immersive sound and video installations.
In Medina, she’s collaborating with composer Rogelio Sosa on Two Waters (2026), a choral performance inspired by one of the Erie Canal’s most unusual engineering features: the aqueduct where the canal crosses directly above Oak Orchard Creek—two waterways flowing past each other without ever meeting.
Participants—recruited through an open call—will perform simple vocal gestures such as breaths, hums, tones, and whispers that build into a collective soundscape inspired by the canal and the region’s history of labor and infrastructure. The filmed performance will later become one of the Triennial’s major installations.
The project reflects the Triennial’s broader focus on Western New York’s landscape, labor history, and waterways, and its theme, “All That Sustains Us,” which looks at the systems and communities that maintain and shape places like Medina.
To be part of the vocal collective, click here for more information. The deadline to register is March 26.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2026 at 8:40 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: An ambulance leaves the Medina fire station for a call on July 29, 2025.
MEDINA – The rates will be going up by 5 percent for most services and types of care from the Medina Fire Department’s ambulance.
The rate for mileage remains at $38 per mile, and the fire department kept bariatric at $850, out-of-district care at $75 and BLS treat and release at $396.78.
The following represent 5 percent increases: ALS treat and release, $564.39; BLS non-emergency, $923.35; BLS emergency, $1,172.42; ALS 1 non-emergency, $1,347.98; ALS 1 emergency, $1,661.82; ALS 2, $1,898.22; paramedic intercept, $1,220.71; and specialty care transport, $1,854.31. The new rates will be effective April 1.
The fire department ambulance typically brings in about $1.2 million in revenue a year. The revenue is on pace for $1.7 million for the fiscal year ending May 31, said Steve Cooley, the Medina fire chief.
The new rates are close to the average for the ambulance providers served by MedEx, an ambulance billing company based in LeRoy.
Cooley said he wants the rates to be fair for the people served by the Medina FD ambulance.
He said he is concerned by possible cuts through the Medicaid program. Gov. Hochul has proposed cuts that could reduce Medina’s revenue by about $70,000 a year, Cooley said.
Courtesy Medina Fire Department: Here is the new rate structure for ambulance services provided by the Medina Fire Department.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2026 at 10:45 pm
This rendering shows a redesign of the canopy at the front entrance of the middle-high school for Holley. It’s one of the projects approved by voters today for major construction work at the school district.
HOLLEY – District voters today approved a proposed $22.9 million capital project. It passed with 207 yes votes to 60 opposed.
“Thank you to our families, community and staff for your support of this project, which will improve the quality of education for all of our students!” the district posed on its Facebook page.
State aid will cover the vast majority of the costs. Holley already has $4 million set aside for the local share of the project.
The proposed project focuses on four areas: program spaces – athletics & performing arts; safety, security and technology; infrastructure improvements for comfort, reliability and function; and site & transportation improvements.
The district provided this breakdown of the project:
Program Spaces: Athletics & Performing Arts
Providing A/C to Elementary School gymnasium
Refinishing gym floors at both ES and MS/HS
Rock wall improvements at the Elementary School
Replacing the auditorium stage rigging and curtains, and providing acoustic upgrades at the High School
Library upgrades at the Elementary School including a new circulation desk
Safety, Security and Technology
Camera system upgrades and replacements district-wide
Replacing fiber lines for data systems between the campus buildings
Audio/Visual upgrades at ES gymnasiums to improve educational experiences
Replacement of the canopy at the MS/HS for improved sightlines, lighting and security for visitors
Infrastructure Improvements for Comfort, Reliability and Function
Replacement of windows and masonry restoration at both the ES and MS/HS
Renovations to restrooms at both academic buildings to improve plumbing and infrastructure and also improve ADA access for all building occupants and visitors
Replacement of water softening system at the MS/HS
Providing A/C at data closets at both academic buildings
Site & Transportation Improvements
Repaving the parking lots around the bus garage
Utility and sitework improvements at the athletic fields to allow for a toilet facility to be installed
ALBANY – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) issued the following statement after being blocked from entering the state Capitol today.
“I was physically prevented from entering the Capitol today by a group of ICE protesters this afternoon on my way to the Assembly Chamber. What I find most troubling—and frankly frustrating—is that when I asked the State Police for assistance, I was told they had been instructed to stand down and not intervene.
“I fully support our men and women in uniform and understand they are being given orders in this circumstance. But, orders to troopers to stand down and not assist a law-abiding lawmaker from entering the Capitol to attend session and represent the people who elected me are deeply concerning and difficult to understand. This incident raises serious questions about security protocols and the ability of lawmakers to safely and freely carry out their duties.
“No elected official should be denied access to the Capitol, the very place where we are elected to serve the people of New York. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right, but it cannot come at the expense of public safety or the functioning of government. I am calling for a full review of what occurred and immediate action to ensure this never happens again.”
Photo from Lollypop Farm: Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, is caring for 58 dogs that were removed from a Yates residence on Monday.
Press Release, Lollypop Farm
YATES – On Monday, Lollypop Farm, which is the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, was requested by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a welfare check on Murdock Road in the town of Yates in Orleans County.
Upon arrival, and following an initial assessment of the conditions, humane investigators determined that intervention was necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals on the property.
The Animal Emergency Response Team was activated to support the operation, including the safe removal of animals, documentation of conditions, and coordination of transport. In total, 58 dogs were humanely removed from the home and transported to Lollypop Farm, where they will receive comprehensive veterinary evaluations and ongoing care.
The investigation is ongoing, but help is needed to care for these dogs. Please visit our website at lollypop.org/alert to learn how you can provide supplies and resources, and even help us make space to care for these dogs.
Editor’s Note: Sheriff Chris Bourke said the dogs were all Chihuahuas. Two others were found deceased on scene and another was euthanized, Bourke said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2026 at 1:54 pm
Sherman gets praise and some criticism for tenure as mayor at final regular board meeting
Election inspectors count votes and verify voters’ signatures on March 18 when about 900 people voted in the village election. Mary Ann Ander is in front. In back, from left include Linda Deyle, Judy Szulis and Cynthia Kiebala.
MEDINA – The hard-fought recent village election featured many social media posts that residents say were often nasty and unfair personal attacks.
Those posts, campaign mailers and comments at public meetings often set an unpleasant tone.
“This was the ugliest election in the history of the village,” resident Mary Hare said during Monday’s Village Board meeting.
She faulted the union for Medina firefighters for dividing the village with their social media posts. That union endorsed Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Courtney Henderson as a trustee.
When the votes were counted last Wednesday night, Debbie Padoleski won as mayor, 489-405 over Marguerite Sherman, while Jeff Wagner, 491 votes, and Mark Prawel, 487 votes, were both elected trustees. Dean Bellack received 319 votes and Henderson, 212 as a write-in.
Mayor Marguerite Sherman is ending 12 years on the Village Board including the past two years as Medina mayor. She urged the board to work together for the betterment of the community.
The firefighters’ union worries about a move to declare a new ladder truck surplus, and possible reductions in staff. Padoleski has cited the example of volunteer departments nearby. Medina has 17 paid firefighters who provide an ambulance service to western Orleans County in addition to responding to fire and other emergency calls.
Hare chided the union for being so vocal in the election.
“Most people want to see them gone,” she said during Monday’s meeting.
Kayla Rosenbeck, the mayor’s daughter, also spoke during the meeting, and said she received an “extremely vile letter” during the election. She said many of the public comments crossed a line of decency.
“It was an absolutely horrendous election,” she said.
Rosenbeck is an English teacher at Medina and she said many high school students have attended village meetings and witnessed character attacks and also seen the aggressive online comments.
“We all need to do better,” Rosenbeck said. “How we communicate matters. Students watch how adults handle disagreements, stress and patience.”
Rosenbeck said she also needs to do better.
“We need to choose words that lift up and don’t tear down,” she said.
Rosenbeck thanked her mother for an “unwavering commitment” during her time as a village trustee and mayor.
Another speaker during Monday’s meeting, Ellen Goheen, said she received a message urging her to vote in the election. Goheen said she moved out of the village eight years ago and wasn’t an eligible village voter. The message came from Village Trustee Jess Marciano and wasn’t from Medina’s mass notification system, which started five years ago.
Marciano said she had a list of numbers and sent them texts from her personal phone number, urging them to vote. She apologized to Goheen for bothering her. Marciano said the message didn’t favor any particular candidates and simply said to get out and vote.
“It was nothing improper from the village,” Marciano said during Monday’s meeting. “It was 100 percent me trying to get more people out to vote in our village.”
Medina had 894 people vote out of 3,655 eligible for a turnout of 24.5 percent.
Monday was the final regular board meeting for Mayor Marguerite Sherman. She has been mayor the past two years and was a trustee for 10 years before that.
Trustee Prawel thanked her for the numerous hours she put in for the community.
“I want to thank Mayor Sherman for all of her service,” Prawel said. “It was a lot of hard work for the Village of Medina.”
Trustee Marciano and Village Clerk/Treasurer Jada Burgess also commended Sherman for her tenure on the board.
“You’ve done a lot for this village,” Burgess said.
Sherman’s husband Jon Sherman also spoke during the meeting, saying his wife listened to residents and scheduled vacations so she wouldn’t miss village meetings. Even on vacation, she answered emails and messages.
“It’s 24-7,” he said. “The Village of Medina has come a long way in the past 12 years as a destination.”
He urged the new board that takes over April 1 to keep moving the community forward.
The mayor said the village has had many successes in recent years, and other communities routinely reach out to Medina to try to model the community’s success. Sherman said the struggles with a new ladder truck and an addition that would be big enough to house it have “tarnished” the village.
That truck has been declared surplus and the village is looking to sell it, although nothing is definitive now. The truck is currently in Tonawanda for some “punch list” work by a mechanic. Once it’s back in Medina it will likely be housed in the DPW building while the board determines if and when it will be sold.
“I remain proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past 12 years,” Sherman said at Monday’s board meeting.
The state is investing millions in Medina through the Canal Corp. and the NY Forward program. Private entities also are putting their money in the village, she said.
Sherman said she wishes the new board the best, and said differences of opinion should be viewed as an asset.
Brian Hellner, a Newfane resident operating a tour boat business from the Medina Canal Basin, addressed the board and said his experience in recent years with Sherman and the board has often been “frustrating and discouraging.”
He said correspondence has been unprofessional and “unnecessary threatening.”
“We should be treated as partners, not adversaries,” he said.
Hellner said he looks forward to a different approach by the Mayor-elect Padoleski and the new board.
John Parada, a resident, responded that the board has been accommodating to Hellner in getting him a lease to operate the tour boat business. Parada said Hellner often didn’t follow the rules, which required a response from the village. When Parada spoke, Hellner and his son Rollin, owner of The Walsh, got up and walked out of the meeting room at the Shelby Town Hall.
The new mayor and the two elected trustees will be sworn in at 6 p.m. on April 6. There are two budget meetings on March 25 and March 27 before the start of the Padoleski tenure as mayor.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2026 at 11:38 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: These deer are pictured on Nov. 20, 2014 when they were close to the road on the west side of Route 279 in Gaines, just south of Route 104.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is reporting 2025 was the safest in New York’s recorded history with seven hunting-related shooting incidents.
Those incidents include five which were self-inflicted and two involved more than one person. One incident involved an unlicensed individual who was hunting illegally, the DEC said. There were no hunting-related shooting fatalities.
“The historic low number of incidents observed in 2025 demonstrates that hunting is safe and is getting safer thanks to the efforts of DEC’s Hunter Education Program, volunteer instructors, and the vigilance of New York’s hunters,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “In addition to being safe, hunting is ecologically important, helping manage wildlife populations, promoting conservation-related behaviors, and providing a local, affordable food source. I am proud of our team’s efforts to grow New York’s hunting community.”
Hunting remains one of the most popular forms of wildlife-related recreation in the state with nearly 600,000 New Yorkers participating annually, helping achieve state wildlife management objectives and safely enjoying time outdoors, the DEC said.
The DEC reported these hunting-related shooting incidents:
Small Game Hunting:
Jan. 3 in Ulster County – While rabbit hunting, a 60-year-old hunter slipped and unintentionally discharged a round of birdshot into their left forearm.
May 13 in Orange County – While turkey hunting, the 64-year-old shooter fired one round, striking the victim approximately 40 yards away with multiple pellets. The victim sustained injuries to their right eye, left ring finger and left shoulder. (The shooter was not legally hunting, and had no hunting license, but injured a legal hunter during an open hunting season.)
Sept. 27 in Livingston County – During squirrel hunting, the 28-year-old hunter was shot with one round of pellets, causing superficial penetrative injuries on the front of their body from chin to abdomen.
Big Game Hunting:
Oct. 30 in Erie County – A 59-year-old hunter sustained a self-inflicted crossbow injury to the left foot while afield hunting deer.
Nov. 15 in Sullivan County – While exiting the woods after deer hunting, a 46-year-old hunter’s holstered handgun discharged one round into the upper thigh.
Nov. 19 in Chautauqua County – While pulling a loaded firearm from a vehicle, the 14-year-old hunter unintentionally discharged one round, which entered and exited their mid-torso.
Nov. 21 in Delaware County – While tracking a deer, the 68-year-old hunter tried to remove a handgun from its holster and accidentally discharged a round into their left calf.
The seven incidents in 2025 follows 11 in 2024, and 12 in 2023. In 2020, there were 22 incidents. The 10-year average shows 12.7 incidents a year, according to the DEC.
There were no fatal incidents last year. There was one in 2024 and two in 2023.
