Photos courtesy of Medina Central School: A group photo of students and staff are shown on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – From June 3-5, a group of Medina 8th grade students explored Washington, D.C. and its rich history. The trip marks the culmination of a two-year study of United States history, government, and the individuals and events that have shaped our nation.

Throughout the trip, students were able to make meaningful connections to their classroom learning in history, literature, and science while experiencing these topics firsthand. As Kaisen McEwen Miller shared after seeing the Washington Monument,

“Photographs don’t do it justice,” a sentiment echoed by many during the trip.

On Wednesday evening, students embarked on a guided night tour of the monuments and memorials, narrated by 8th grade social studies teacher Joe Byrne. Students also contributed to the experience by sharing research they had completed in their English classes with Mrs. Rosenbeck, adding depth and perspective to each stop. Evalyn Ryan was especially impressed by the Lincoln Memorial, noting, “Seeing it in person is better than pictures and videos.”

Thursday morning began with a powerful visit to the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Students observed a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., the exact time of the plane’s impact, as the flowing water beneath each of the 184 memorial benches temporarily stopped. This moving tribute left a lasting impression on the group.

Students listen to the story of Holocaust survivor Rose-Helene Spreiregen.

Later that morning, students visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where they had the rare opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivor Rose-Helene Spreiregen. Students were able to listen to her story and ask questions, making for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Avery Twitchell reflected, “It’s an experience I think everyone should go see and learn about—it’s a big part of history,” adding that her classmates “took their time to take it all in.”

Keegan Farnham noted that his favorite part was the exhibit on Daniel’s Story, which connected directly to a play the class had read earlier in the year.

In the afternoon, students explored several Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of Natural History. Despite the 92-degree heat, spirits remained high as students enjoyed some downtime with souvenir shopping, ice cream, and snow cones while taking in the atmosphere of the nation’s capital.

Lily Hungerford shared, “I really liked walking around D.C. and getting to see the city

and people.”

Thursday evening provided a chance for students to relax and celebrate their experiences with a DJ dinner cruise along the Potomac River. Lauren Allis said she “had a lot of fun dancing with friends” and capturing photos on the deck at sunset, calling it “a great way to end the day after going to four museums.”

The trip continued Friday with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where students witnessed the solemn and awe-inspiring Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In addition, from a distance, they observed a traditional military burial complete with a caisson and riderless horse, offering a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces.

Before departing for home, students visited the National Zoo, where they were able to see the giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao. Tyler Draper especially enjoyed this stop, noting that “it was great to see all the cool animals that you may not see in zoos near home.”

Overall, the trip provided an invaluable educational experience while creating lasting memories for students and staff alike. The opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences made this journey both meaningful and memorable for all involved.

The trip was made possible through the continued support of Medina parents, teachers, school board, and administrators in conjunction with First Choice Educational Tours in Batavia.

A group photo of students has fun at the Albert Einstein Memorial, a bronze statue in Washington D.C.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Mary Moffet, cheese maker, and Ella Sosik, sales and marketing, were promoting Oakfield Artisanal Cheese on June 6 as new vendors at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market.

MEDINA – The corner of West Center Street and West Avenue is again a beehive of activity with the move of the Canal Village Farmers’ Market back to its summer home. The market is on a mission to grow its vendor base and dedicated customer base, said market manager Gail Miller.

“The vendors won’t stay with the market if they do not have good sales, and attracting customers is not easy if there is not enough variety,” she said. “The market this week had a great selection, with several new vendors, and we will be adding more new vendors this season.”

This will include another vegetable farm, flowers, crafts and more. Baker Farms, in addition to their own raised beef and pork, garlic, eggs and scapes, will be selling Heartland Organics mushrooms.

“We are looking for a soap vendors, wineries and other unique items,” Miller said. ”Watch the farmers’ market Facebook and Instagram pages to see all the wonderful products available each week.”

One new vendor is Oakfield Artisanal Cheese, a farm which started making cheese three and one-half years ago. They will return to the market one day a month.

Peggy Schreck helps a young child choose a book at Kids Activity Tent at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market on June 6.

Another new vendor with a new craft is Aimee Cummings of Lyndonville. She paints watercolor greeting cards. She has also gone to the Akron Farmers’ Market. She said Gail was happy to have her at this market.

“I love doing the cards,” she said. “I’m not an artist, but rather think of myself as a crafter.”

Other crafts will include crocheted and handsewn items.

At another table, volunteer Rosann Russo sold plants which had been donated to the Canal Village Farmers’ Market.

Starting soon, Kimbrel Farm will be a regular, selling lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots, beets, basil and dill, and Rosario Farm will be here with fruits and vegetables.

They join regulars, Bower Family Farm and Greenhouse (microgreens, maple syrup and jam); Hazel and Honey Bakes (scones, cookies, sourdough); LockRidge Apiary (honey, bees wax); a variety of crafts; and Flower Fields Forever.

Melinda Cervantes arranges flowers in Human Farms and Greenhouse’s booth at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market. They also have Stone Hollow Farms bread.

The market will be participating in Medina Area Partnership’s upcoming Faery Festival this Saturday, and in July, the third annual Zucchini 500 will return.

Chef Caitlin from Shelridge Country made her first appearance last week, making a dish from local seasonal vegetables and fruit. She will return once a month throughout the summer. Miller said they are looking for additional chefs to do demonstrations.

On Aug. 15, the market will sponsor a Dog Days of Summer photo competition.

As Miller pointed out, running and participating in a farmers’ market does not come without its challenges.

“The most difficult situations for everyone to hand are when it is very windy,” Miller said about a recent Saturday. “All of us started out with tents up and a good amount of weight holding each one down. Strong winds came up and three of the market tents’ frames were bent or just totally collapsed on themselves.”

When a strong gust comes through, tents will either collapse or fly into the air. And often vendors lose some of their products, Miller said. Finally, all tents were taken down before the market closed.

The Royalton-Hartland Community Library took the opportunity to promote their summer activities at a booth at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market. At left is librarian Angelina Dimascio with Liz Winters, chair of Friends of the Library.

A state grant announced last year will result in enhanced facilities and the end of weather-related problems for the market.

“The reinvented building will allow the market to operate in the same space year round,” Miller said. “Our customers will no longer need to hunt for us during the winter, and they will be able to enjoy green space to sit and enjoy music and conversation. Artists would be more willing to attend, as their art would be protected from the elements. The farmers will have an upgraded area to sell from – warm in winter and shelter from the wind and rain in the summer. It also opens opportunities for farmers to perhaps offer their products for sale at additional times during the week.”

Unfortunately, there is no timeline when construction of that new facility will begin, as more fundraising has to take place.

The Canal Village Farners’ Market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Rep from Veterans’ Affairs will be at market on Saturday

A representative from the NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs will be at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market this Saturday with farmers’ market coupons available for veterans and eligible family members.

They are part of the FreshConnect Check Program used to buy produce and food goods at local farmers’ markets and farm stands.

Residents can get half of new sidewalks covered by grant

Photo by Ginny Kropf: A worker smooths out the cement on a new section of sidewalk on West Center Street. An anonymous donor has offered to pay half the cost for eligible homeowners to replace their sidewalks.

MEDINA – Thanks to an anonymous benefactor in Medina, residents of West Center Street will be able to have much needed repairs made to their sidewalks this year.

“This program was privately created to help homeowners to improve their sidewalks,” said Robert Sanderson, who is administering the program on behalf of Orleans Renaissance Group and the Medina Sidewalk Review Committee.

The Sidewalk Grant Program was created primarily to increase the safety of sidewalks, but it will also increase the beauty and value of homes.

Eligible homeowners on West Center Street are the first focus of this program, and work has already begun.

A total of $200,000 has been made available for the 2026 year. This grant award will be for a maximum of 50% of the project cost.

The village of Medina will take away the old, removed sidewalk at no charge to the homeowner.

If applications from West Center Street residents do not exceed funding available, the offer will be extended to residents of West Avenue.

All applications and funding are on a first-come, first-served basis, with approval of the Medina Sidewalk Review Committee. The committee reserves the right to reject any application for any reason.

Applications are available at the village clerk’s office on Park Avenue.

Completed applications should be returned to Robert Sanderson Jr., 10780D Telegraph Rd., Medina, 14103. Residents are reminded this program will end Dec. 31.