MEDINA – The Medina Village Board has given its blessing for the Medina Triennial to have art installations at State Street Park and Rotary Park, but the board is holding off approval for sculptures at Gulf Street Park.

Those sculptures would be close to the playground equipment at Gulf Street, and might be taking away too much of the play area for kids, two of the park’s neighbors told the board recently.

The board has asked leaders of the Triennial to see if other areas of the park farther away from the playground, or perhaps even a different site would work for the sculpture.

Two nearby residents, Jim Hibbard and Ron Stork, both spoke during a recent board meeting, saying they didn’t think the sculptures should be so close to the playground.

Stork said there would be several tall sculptures that would take up a big footprint at the park. He suggested the Triennial put the art installation at State Street Park. He also wondered inf the installation would stay after the Triennial, which runs from June 6 to Sept. 7 and is expected to bring 50,000 visitors to Medina.

Organizers have said some of the installations could stay long-term, but that is up to the village or the host property.

The debut of the Medina Triennial will feature works from 35 different artists at 12 sites in the community. Organizers are trying to keep the locations within a 15-minute walk of each other.

At State Street Park, the Village Board approved a project that will have barnacles resting on top of four slate boulders. Barnacles are strong indicators of water quality and the sculpture symbolizes the power of natural materials to filter and purify water. The sculpture will be created in Buffalo and transported into Medina.

The artist making this sculpture created a similar piece for a biennial in the United Kingdom, said Triennial co-artistic director Karin Laansoo. She spoke at the Jan. 15 board meeting.

The artists’ names haven’t been officially announced yet. The Triennial expects to announce the artists and their projects in March and April.

At Rotary Park, the Triennial wants to feature a shed-like sculpture filled with handmade objects for birds, including nesting materials and perches.

The shed is 7 feet tall and about 4 ½ feet wide. The sculpture will have a protective plexiglass screen attached to the front to protect the contents inside. Laansoo said this sculpture is whimsical and shows the artists’ sense of humor.

At Gulf Street Park, an artist wants to create a sculpture stacked with stone pillars. The artist is working with students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. They want to locate unused Medina Sandstone, scan that in 3D and assemble the stone into precise sculptures through computational processes.

Mark Prawel, a Medina village trustee, said the sculpture will result in extra work for the DPW to mow around the objects.

Matt Hollenback, the Triennial’s head producer, said the Triennial is looking at sites to showcase this art installation and others.

“We want to do something that makes sense for Medina,” he told the board. “We want something that people can interact and connect with.”

Photo from Medina FD: Medina firefighters evacuated more than 20 homes after a natural gas meter was damaged by falling ice.

MEDINA – A residential gas meter that was damaged by falling ice from a roof resulted in an uncontrolled gas leak at Applewood Mobile Home Estates on Sunday afternoon.

Medina firefighters were dispatched at 4:48 p.m. for a reported natural gas leak at 1 Pebbleridge Drive, with the caller noting a strong smell and sound of gas outside.

Upon arrival Medina firefighters detected a strong odor of natural gas. Medina firefighters notified Orleans County dispatchers and requested an expedited response from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG).

At the same time, firefighters conducted door-to-door notifications and safely evacuated more than 20 nearby homes as a precaution, ensuring the immediate area was cleared until the hazard could be mitigated, said Steve Cooley, the Medina fire chief.

Due to the extent of the damage to the meter, firefighters were unable to shut off the gas supply and were required to await NYSEG personnel to secure the leak, Cooley said.

Medina firefighters kept Engine 11 and Engine 12 strategically positioned on either side of the incident scene and supplied by a nearby fire hydrant as a precautionary measure to ensure immediate fire suppression capability if needed, Cooley said.

NYSEG representatives arrived on scene and worked to safely stop the flow of natural gas, he said.

Board may vote Feb. 23 on whether to put it as a referendum on March 18

MEDINA – Will the public get a say in whether the village moves its elections from March to June?

The Village Board is expected to vote on Feb. 23 whether the issue will be a referendum in the March 18 election.

During Monday’s board meeting, Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Trustee Jess Marciano said they favor putting it to a public vote.

Trustees Deb Padoleski, Mark Prawel and Scott Bieliski all said they favor keeping the election in March.

Marciano has led the effort to move the village elections back three months. She said the timing would be better for incoming board members who could ease into their roles of the running the village government.

With the election the third week in March, the elected board members start their terms on April 1 and then are tasked with putting together the village’s budget by April 30.

Marciano said that isn’t a good fit to have inexperienced people developing the village’s budget and setting the tax rate.

Other forms of local government – town boards, county legislature, fire districts and school boards – all have their elected officials start terms after the budgets have been developed.

Padoleski, a retired Medina village-clerk treasurer, said she is “hesitant” to put the issue to a public vote on March 18. She said the election would add more work to the clerk’s office in June during what is already a very busy time in the office.

Padoleski said it is beneficial for the new board members to have a say in the budget process. If the election was the third Tuesday in June – after the village fiscal year starts on June 1 – the newly elected board members “work with a budget you had nothing to do with.”

Prawel also said new board members gain a deeper understanding of the village government by being part of the budget process and working with the department heads on the spending plan for the village.

“I think you should be part of the budget process,” Prawel said. “It certainly helped me.”

Mayor Sherman said the public sits in many of the budget discussions and often offers feedback. But Prawel said that is different than having a seat at the table and making budget decisions.

Moving the election back would also mean warmer weather for the vote, and when candidates are out securing signatures for their petitions and campaigning. The candidate petitions – signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village – currently are due in early February.

Bieliski acknowledged the winter season is tough on candidates for getting signatures and going door to door. But he said he wouldn’t want to take office and have to work with a budget put together by the prior board.

“I’d rather work with a budget I created than one handed to me,” he said.

Marciano said she believes village residents ultimately get a better budget product with experienced board members working on the budget.

She said she will introduce the resolution on Feb. 23 to move the elections to June. If at least three of the five board members back that resolution, it would be on the March 18 ballot and would take effect in 2027.

“Let’s see how the residents feel and put it on the ballot,” Sherman said.

MEDINA – Medina’s Lenten luncheon series hosted by the Medina Area Association of Churches will begin Feb. 19 and take place at noon every Thursday for six weeks at the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street.

Participating churches will provide lunch on a rotating basis, followed by a meaningful reflection.

The first lunch Feb. 19 will be soup and sandwich provided by the First Presbyterian Church, followed by pasta on March 6 by Holy Trinity, quiche by One Church on March 6, pulled pork by Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship on March 12, beef on weck March 19 by New Hope Community Church and scalloped potatoes and ham March 26, prepared by the Grove United Methodist Church.

Everyone is welcome to stop in to share in the meal and fellowship, said Barb Hancock, organizer of the Lenten lunches.

Meals begin at noon and the program ends at 1 p.m. Takeouts are available, beginning at noon. There is a suggested donation of $5 for lunch, with all the proceeds going to the Meals on Wheels orogram and the Orleans Koinonia Kitchen in Albion.

Comfortable seating for guests is available in the Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

Internationally recognized Mexican artist and composer will premiere work during Triennial arts initiative

Press Release, Medina Triennial and Go Art!

MEDINA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) is pleased to partner with the Medina Triennial to announce a casting call for community participants in a collaborative performance artwork premiering during the Triennial’s inaugural event in 2026.

This unique opportunity invites individuals of all ages and backgrounds to take part in a filmed performance created by a renowned Mexican artist in collaboration with a composer and sound artist. The work will explore the history and hydrology of the Erie Canal through simple, guided vocal actions that together form an immersive soundscape.

Casting Call Details

• The Medina Triennial will run from June through September 2026, highlighting contemporary art and community engagement throughout Medina and the Erie Canal corridor.
• Participants are needed for a filmed performance directed by an internationally recognized artist.
• The performance will feature accessible vocal actions, requiring no prior training.
• Filming will take place on March 28 at 324 Catherine St., Medina (the former Medina High School) with optional rehearsals on March 25 and 26.

Participant Requirements

• Open to singers, vocal enthusiasts, movers, and community members of all ages; no experience necessary.
• Participants must provide their own transportation to Medina.
• Individuals under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and submit a signed photo release.

Application Process

• Interested individuals or groups should complete the participation form by February 20.
• All participants will be credited and must consent to being filmed for promotional and archival purposes.
• The casting call and application form are available on the Medina Triennial website.

Or click here to apply online.

Hard copy applications are also available at GO Art!

Contact: Federico Rosario, Community Engagement & Programs Coordinator for the Medina Triennial, at info@medinatriennial.org.