Western battalion will be at 3 intersections in Medina, Shelby and Ridgeway

File photo by Tom Rivers: Kyle Brakenbury, a member of the fire police for the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, collects a donation during the Make-A-Wish fill the boot drive on Sept. 21, 2025.

MEDINA – Firefighters will be out Sunday for their annual fill-the-boot drive for Make-A-Wish.

Firefighters from the East Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby fire departments will be at three intersections from 9 a.m. to noon. They will be at Route 104 and Route 63 in Ridgeway; Maple Ridge Road near the Route 63 intersection in Shelby; and downtown Medina at the main intersection.

Last year the firefighters collected $6,500 that was donated to Make-A-Wish, an organization that gives life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

‘Moving forward, we are working on a long-term erosion mitigation plan for the top sections of the cemetery’

Photos and information courtesy of Boxwood Cemetery Commission

MEDINA – If you have visited the historic hillside sections of Boxwood Cemetery recently, you are likely to notice a change; the grass is growing taller, and the mowers have grown quiet in these older, more historic areas.

To some, this might seem like neglect, but in reality, it is a deliberate, urgent rescue mission to save our community’s history at Boxwood Cemetery. Every blade of grass, wildflower, and ground plant is reaching down, weaving its roots with its neighbors and quite literally holding hands underground to save our hillsides from washing away.

For decades, the steep slopes of our oldest sections have faced a quiet crisis. Traditional lawnmowers and string trimmers, while well-intentioned, scrape away topsoil and weaken grass roots on steep inclines.  Without deep roots to hold the earth together, the hillsides are slowly washing away.  Historic headstones are shifting, tilting, and in some cases, falling and breaking as the ground gives away beneath them.

This year, the Boxwood Commission and the Department of Public Works for the Village of Medina have made a conscious, strategic decision to pause mowing on the hillside areas to preserve these irreplaceable monuments and prevent further destruction.

Moving forward, we are working on a long-term erosion mitigation plan for the top sections of the cemetery. In the meantime, we ask for your patience and your understanding to support this healing process. We are not abandoning these sacred grounds; we are giving them the time and defense they desperately need to heal.

This month, Nell Gardner – horticulturist, agronomist, flower grower and historical landscape expert – took a walk with us through Boxwood Cemetery to help us determine if our pause in mowing and string trimming has made a positive impact. She was very hopeful of us being able to stabilize the vegetation in the cemetery. Gardner states that we need to continue to work on the areas that are still bare by planting some low mow grasses and native wildflowers so we can evolve those into well stabilized sod with added value.

Our goal will be to mow roadways and paths on the hillside for accessibility, and outline steep areas to mow once or twice per year. Gardner states, her “hope is that by establishing more vegetation on all the bare areas, reducing mowing and directing drainage, the cemetery will be stabilized and improved.”

Jacob Hebdon, Boxwood Commission president, would like The Boxwood Commission to develop a maintenance plan so that in future years the cemetery grounds will remain sustainable and stable.

Thank you to our community for standing with us as we protect Boxwood Cemetery for generations to come.

Article submitted by Gloria Snyder – Member of the Boxwood Commission.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Steele, director of the Medina Reunion Jazz Band, speaks with a crowd of about 250 people on Sunday at State Street Park. Steele, a retired Medina band teacher, dedicated the final song of “God Bless the USA” to long-time Medina Band volunteer, John Ryan, who served about 40 years as a color guard and winter guard instructor. He passed away at age 85 on Aug. 17.

MEDINA – A crowd estimated at nearly 250 people attended a concert at State Street Park on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.

Sponsored by the Medina Tourism Committee, the event featured patriotic and jazz music by the Medina Reunion Jazz Band, led by retired band director Jim Steele and made up by former band students, alumni, staff members of Medina High School and others; puppetry and magic by former television personality Mike Randall; and a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Randall.

Medina music teacher Rachel Trillizio sings “God Bless the USA” during Sunday’s concert.

Medina High School music teacher Rachel Trillizio sang several songs with the band. This is first time the jazz band has had a singer, Steele said. He also recognized soloist Ric Jones of Medina and Bil Tiberio, a man with 44 years at Fairport who Steele said is so talented he finds goodness in anyone who plays an instrument.

Medina Tourism Committee chair Jim Hancock opened the program with a welcome and thanked all who made it possible. This included Sons of the American Legion, who donated money for 250 cupcakes and little flags which were handed out; Hans’s Bakery, which made the cupcakes; and Randall for his patriotic reading and for entertaining with puppets.

“For those who haven’t heard the Declaration of Independence in full, it is an amazing document,” Hancock said. “Mike’s reading was beautiful and very moving.”

Mike Randall brought along some puppet friends and entertained the crowd with their antics.

Hancock also announced Medina was preparing a time capsule, which will be buried in October in Rotary Park, and not to be opened for 50 years. People were encouraged to come up to the tourism tent and add their suggestion to a list of what to put in the capsule.

The crowd also enjoyed pizza and beverages from Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza, who was set up in the park with a food truck. Hazel and Honey also served baked goods and lemonade.

These cupcakes with red, white and blue frosted were available to the crowd, courtesy of the Sons of the American Legion.

The afternoon concluded with a salute from the American Legion and VFW Honor Guard, which Hancock said was a beautiful ending to Medina’s celebration of the nation’s Birthday Party in the Park.

In addition to Hancock, members of the Medina Tourism Committee are Jan Smith, Barb Gorham, Kelly Kiebala, Ann Fisher-Bale, Kathy Blackburn, Dawn Borchet and Debbie Padoleski.

Photos by Ginny Kropf at left: Mike Randall recited the Declaration of Independence to the crowd. Photo courtesy of Barb Gorham at right: Hans Rosentreter  from Hans’s Bakery stands with 250 cupcakes he made for Medina’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of our country.

The Bennett and Green families watch as Mike Randall performs a magic rope trick for the children.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Hancock, chairman of the Tourism Committee, thanks the band for their performance and then prompted the crowd to sing  “God Bless America” near the end of the concert.

The Honor Guard, with members from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, fired a gun salute and with echo taps.