Antique and vintage shop opens on East Center Street in Medina
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Michael Prezioso, left, and Mario Campana stand among some of the antique furnishings in their new store on East Center Street in Medina.
MEDINA – Two local businessmen have combined their talents to open a new store, located on East Center Street and aptly named Just East of Main.
Michael Prezioso and Mario Campana are owners of the store, which offers an eclectic mix of furniture, art, home décor and clothing, with the anticipation of adding a larger selection of items when they open up the space next door which formerly housed Corky’s Bakery.
Prezioso, formerly of Buffalo, and Campana, formerly of Niagara Falls, each have a background in business – Prezioso in big box marketing and advertising and Campana in big box retail. Campana also does estate sales.
The couple first became familiar with Medina in 2015 when a friend came to shop at a lily & a sparrow and fell in love with the village, Prezioso said.
“We had lunch and just loved this quaint little village,” he said.
They first purchased the former Corky’s building on East Center Street in 2019, and started renovating the building, Campana said.
Next, they bought the building at 116 East Center St., which housed Ashlee’s Place until it closed in 2024 after 33 years.
“When Angie (Waldriff) decided to retire, we started renovating this building,” Campana said.
(Left) This is just a sampling of the one-of-a-kind furniture, elegant china and artwork for sale at Just East of Main Street, located in the store which housed Ashlee’s Place. (Right) The latest business to open in Medina is an antique and vintage shop featuring furniture, collectibles, artwork, clothing and home décor. It is aptly named Just East of Main Street, being located on East Center Street in the space formerly occupied by Ashlee’s Place.
Prezioso and Campana brought back the original floor and ceiling and exposed an original brick wall. The building was built in 1890, but a new façade was built after a fire in 1902. At the time, the building was owned by Mahar Furniture. Prezioso and Campana are interested in the history of the building and if anyone has newspaper clippings or pictures from the olden days, they would love to see them.
“We really believe in rebuilding and restoring architecturally significant homes and buildings,” Prezioso said.
“We have also purchased the former Houseman Funeral Home on Park Avenue and started renovating that,” Campana said.
“As we expand into Corky’s building, a larger selection of antique furnishings and vintage clothing, toys and primitives will become available,” Prezioso said.
Their current store, which opened Nov. 29, 2025, has exceptional brands of furniture, such as Ethan Allen, Kittenger, Henkel-Harris and other American made brands.
“For us, it has been really nice here,” Campana said. “Medina is a community of shops that support each other’s business efforts. We have been very well received by the community and a lot of repeat buyers.”
Collectibles, antiques and more are on display at Just East of Main Street, where renovation exposed the original brick wall.
Both Prezioso and Campana commended the Village Board for being so helpful when they were planning their renovations, especially retired code enforcement officer Marty Busch and current officer Dan Gardner.
In addition to their new venture in owning a retail store, Prezioso teaches art in his studio on the third floor of the furniture building and at Carnegie Library in North Tonawanda.
Just East of Main Street is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from January through March; from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays in March through December; and by appointment all year-round by calling (716) 566-8032.
2 facing felony drug charges in Village of Albion
Donevan Harrison, left, and Marshella Johnson
ALBION – Two people are facing felony drug charges after cocaine, cash, scales and drug paraphernalia were seized after a search warrant at 431 West State St., Lot 29, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported today.
The Task Force executed the search warrant with assistance from the Orleans County Special Response Team, Albion Police Department and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
Donevan Harrison, 39, and Marshella Johnson, 42, both of the above address each have been charged with 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (B felony), 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (D felony) and 1 count of criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree (A misdemeanor).
Harrison and Johnson were both released on their own recognizance and issued appearance tickets to return to Albion Town Court on Feb. 10. No bail could be set due to the state’s bail reform laws, the Task Force said.
The Task Force, in a news release, said District Attorney Susan Howard and the Orleans County K9 unit assisted in the investigation. Joe Sacco, supervising investigator for the Task Force, said more arrests and charges are pending.
Alexander romps to win over Lyndonville
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Lane Woodworth grabs a rebound away from Alexander’s Mason Snyder during the Tigers home court loss to the Trojans this evening.
Steadily pulling away, Alexander romped to a 74-43 win over host Lyndonville in a Genesee Region League boys basketball game this evening.
Austin Wakefield scored 24, Kingston Woods 21 and Isaiah Wright 11 to spark Alexander which led by 10 (19-9) at the end of the first period, by 22 (37-15) at the half and by 36 (66-30) at the end of the third quarter. The Trojans made a total of 11 threes.
For Lyndonville, which was plagued by a rash of turnovers, Lane Woodworth scored 14, Colton Smith 10, Atticus Mank 9, Lyric Raduns 6 and Devon Babcock 4.
The Holley vs. Oakfield-Alabama and Attica vs. Kendall G-R games were postponed.
Lady Rams win to improve N-O record to 4-2
Improving to 4-2, Roy-Hart downed host Barker 71-50 in a Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball game this evening.
Adella Dukes scored 21, Courtney Aquilina 19 and Brooke Corser 13 to lead the way for the Lady Rams as Kylie McOmber added 6 and Millie Owens 5.
Elise Monaco took game high honors with 23 for Barker as Kaylee Stoll added 7, Hailey Dodge 6, Charlotte Haag 5, Villete Jary 4 and Cheyanne Rouse 3.
Roy-Hart led 34-28 at the half and 51-37 at the end of the third quarter.
Barker is now 0-6 in N-O action.
Medina swimmers score sweep over Albion
Medina swept to a pair of victories over host Albion in a Niagara-Orleans League swim meet this evening.
The Seahorses won the boys’ meet 49-44 and the girls’ competition 60-33.
Bryson Ford was a double winner in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Freestyle for the Medina boys squad which also had Timothy Zeiner win the 200 Free, Jonathan Dix the 100 Butterfly and Bradley Goyette the 500 Free.
Justin Kania won the 50 Free, Nathan Wehling the 100 Backstroke and Logan Kast the 100 Breaststroke for Albion.
Medina improves to 4-2 and Albion slips to 2-5.
Lily Hungerford was a double winner in the 200 Free and Butterfly for the Medina girls as Madeline Mark won the 500 Free and Maya Anderson the 100 Backstroke.
Albion had a pair of double winners as Keira Sidari took the IM and 100 Free and Anna Grillo the 50 Free and 100 Breaststroke.
Medina is now 2-4 and Albion 0-7.
Hamlin out to early lead in euchre tournament with Kendall
84 card players on first night, with 2 more days in 71st annual tourney
HAMLIN – There was a big turnout on Wednesday for the opening day of the 71st annual Kendall-Hamlin euchre tournament.
There were 84 players, which John Becker of Kendall believes is a record.
The Hamlin team is in a slight 184-point lead after the first day of card playing. Hamlin hosted the opener at Merritt Hall and the action shifts to the Kendall Fire Hall on Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. and then it’s back to Hamlin the following Wednesday.
The town with the most points after three days will be declared the winner. There is no trophy, just camaraderie and fun (and possibly a free fish fry paid for by the losing team).
Kendall won last year’s tournament by 158 points – 4,437 to 4,279. Last year there were at least 70 card players each if the three nights, but never got into the 80s. In 2024, the participants were in the 50s and 60s.
The two towns have kept up the tradition for generations. The tournament is open to residents in both towns. If one town has more players than the other, some of those players might play for the rival town to even out the players.
The tournament started in 1954 when a group of farmers from Kendall and Hamlin stopped to play cards after attending a farm show in Rochester.
They had so much fun playing cards and drinking beer that the euchre tournament became an annual event. It remains popular and has expanded from a one-evening tournament to being spread over three Wednesdays in the dead of winter.
Albion Elks Lodge gave out cleaning supplies and hygiene items
Press Release, Albion Elks Lodge
ALBION – In an effort to help Orleans County residents who needed help obtaining necessary items to stay clean and healthy, the Albion Elks Lodge purchased $4,000 worth of cleaning supplies and hygiene items. These items were given to families on January 4, 2026.
A grant from the Elks National Foundation was used to purchase items like shampoos, soap, razors, paper towels, cleaning solutions, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, etc.
“It’s such a great feeling to assist our residents that truly need it,” said Mike Jenks, Exalter Ruler of the Albion Elks Lodge.
The Albion Elks Lodge received over $11,000 worth of grants in 2025, and are anxious to help the community again in 2026.
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Attorney specializing in elder law shares advice with senior citizens
Senior Center in Medina offers many activities, chances for residents to stay connected
Provided photo: Medina attorney Andrew Meier, who specializes in elder law, spoke to members of Medina Senior Center at their January luncheon meeting.
MEDINA – Members of the Medina Senior Center meet regularly on the second Monday of the month, with a business meeting at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch and a speaker or program.
Meetings alternate between pot luck and a prepared meal for $8. The Feb. 9 meeting will be ham and scalloped potatoes, followed by speaker Brittany Dix from Hospice of Orleans County.
At the January meeting, guest speaker was local attorney Andrew Meier, who specializes in elder law. Meier shared a wealth of information for seniors on financial planning, such as the benefits of a trust, having a will and avoiding probate.
A will does not avoid probate, Meier said. He explained how complex and time-consuming probate can be.
He also stressed the need for every senior to have a power of attorney, regardless of their health. In the event of an unexpected illness in which a senior cannot act on his own, without a power of attorney the courts will appoint a guardianship and will likely go to probate. This can be costly and time-consuming, Meier said.
Another topic of interest was protecting a senior’s investments in the event a senior has to enter a nursing home or assisted living. Meier said it is never too late to protect one’s assets.
Another interesting note was the fact that a person in a nursing home is allowed $50 of their money to spend monthly. That figure hasn’t changed in 30 years, Meier said.
Anyone wishing more information on financial planning for their senior years may contact Meier at either of his offices in Medina or Lockport.
The Medina Senior Center is open from 9 a.m. to noon Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday. Day-old baked goods from Tops are available to members every day.
A coffee and crafts session is led by Robin Wehling at 10 a.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month. January’s project will be making Valentine cards, and February’s will be St. Patrick’s Day shadow boxes.
The Orleans County Office for the Aging conducts a popular exercise class at 11 a.m. the first Wednesday of the month and at 10 a.m. the other three Wednesdays.
Euchre games have become very popular, with a full house nearly every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. Games begin at 1 p.m. and the cost is $2.
Any senior is welcome to join the Senior Center for $10 a year. A raffle for awesome prizes takes place at the monthly dinner meeting, and only members may participate.
The community is reminded the Senior Center accepts donations of cans and bottles and they may be dropped off at the Center, and at Medina Bottles & Cans on East Center Street or JCo Returns on South Main Street and designated for the Senior Center.
Several students from Orleans named to University at Buffalo’s dean’s list
BUFFALO – The following local students were named to the University at Buffalo’s fall 2025 dean’s list.
- Daniel Barry of Lyndonville
- Adriana Botello of Kendall
- Sawyer Brigham of Albion
- Caiden Class of Medina
- Dan De Vera of Medina
- Autumn Flugel of Albion
- Kevin He of Albion
- Gwen Ingro of Lyndonville
- Emma Jacobs of Medina
- Jordan Marshall of Albion
- Brookelyn Nawotka of Medina
- Anna Oakley of Medina
- Jaxon Phillips of Medina
- Cole Quiter of Holley
- S’koi Sanders of Albion
- Hilda Santiago Bautista of Medina
- Carson Uderitz of Albion
UB is New York State’s flagship university and the largest and most comprehensive institution in the State University of New York system.
To qualify for the dean’s list, full-time undergraduate students must demonstrate academic excellence by earning a grade point average of at least 3.600 while completing a minimum of 12 or more UB letter graded (A-F) credit hours.
“Each term, we are inspired by the determination and drive of our students,” says Ann Bisantz, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education. “Those named to this semester’s undergraduate dean’s list have distinguished themselves through their commitment to academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and personal integrity. Their success reflects not only hard work, but also a steadfast dedication to their goals. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to the impact they will continue to make at UB and beyond.”
All school districts in Orleans see state aid increases under governor’s budget
Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her executive budget on Tuesday and it shows increases for all five school districts in Orleans County.
Collectively the five districts in the county were budgeted for $121.45 million in state funding for the 2025-26 school year. That is projected to increase by $2,327,334 to $123.78 million in 2026-27, as part of the governor’s executive budget.
Here are the totals for each district:
- Albion – $37,980,717 in 2025-26 to $38,801,718, up by $821,001 or 2.16 percent
- Holley – $21,595,359 in 2025-26 to $22,204,243, up by $608,884 or 2.82 percent
- Kendall – $14,984,382 in 2025-26 to $15,195,968, up by $211,586 or 1.41 percent
- Lyndonville – $12,944,009 in 2025-26 to $13,195,388, up by $251,379 or 1.94 percent
- Medina – $33,948,527 in 2025-26 to $34,383,011, up by $434,484 or 1.28 percent
Hochul’s $260 billion budget provides $39.3 billion in total school aid, a $1.6 billion increase over the previous year, or 4.3 percent.
That includes $779 million more in Foundation Aid, the state’s primary school funding formula. Each district will receive at least a 1 percent year-to-year increase, bringing Foundation Aid to a total of $27.1 billion.
Hochul is proposing a major increase, 52.5 percent or $561 million more, for universal prekindergarten. She wants to make full-day Pre-K universal for all 4-year-olds in the state by the start of the 2029 school year.
The New York State United Teachers issued this statement in response to Hochul’s budget:
“Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal underscores the critical role that public education, from early childhood through higher education, plays in strengthening New York’s families, economy and future,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.
“NYSUT welcomes the governor’s proposal to increase school aid, including a 3 percent increase in Foundation Aid overall, providing districts with stability while building on the state’s long-standing commitment to public schools. We look forward to additional updates to ensure the formula best serves all of New York’s students. We also strongly support the continued investment in universal school meals, ensuring students are ready to learn and families can count on this essential support.
“The proposal’s investments in early childhood education are an important step forward. By supporting truly universal pre-K, the state is giving districts resources to expand and to bring these programs into public schools and ensure they are delivered by certified teachers.”
Day kicks off with more snow in Orleans County
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – An Orleans County Highway Department employee clears the sidewalk of snow this morning on East State Street in front of county jail and courthouse.
Fast-falling snow made the morning commute more challenging today.
There is a winter weather advisory in effect until 10 a.m. today for Orleans County with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Winds gusting as high as 35 miles per hour will produce blowing and drifting snow in open areas, the National Weather Service said.
The falling snow is in stark contrast to the First Presbyterian Church, which was built of Medina Sandstone in 1874-1875.
Mustangs rally late to edge past Panthers
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Preston Woodworth goes up for a shot ahead of Newfane defender Mac Capen during the Mustangs come-from-behind win over the visiting Panthers this evening.
Coming from WAY, WAY back, Medina rallied down the stretch to nip visiting Newfane 50-48 in a Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball game.
Trailing by as many as 17 midway though the second period and by 11 heading into the final quarter, the Mustangs came battling back in the final stanza to outscore the Panthers 19-6 and claim the narrow win.
Jerrell Nealy spearheaded the Mustangs big rally by scoring 14 points down the stretch. He opened his big quarter with a three and capped it off with another clutch three with 25 seconds remaining for what proved to be the winning tally and a 49-48 Medina lead.
Kolton Fletcher then came up with a huge steal to get the ball back for Medina with nine seconds remaining and Christian Moss capped off the win with a free throw with three seconds to go making the final 50-48.
Nealy finished with 18, all in the second half, to lead the Mustangs as Preston Woodworth added 12, Avion Johnson 9, Moss 5, Jayzon Wills 4 and Fletcher 2.
Mac Capen poured in s game high 32 to lead the way for Newfane.
Capen scored 11 in both the first and second quarters to help the Panthers build up as much as a 17 point, 28-11 lead midway through the second period.
Medina though got back into the game by closing the period with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 9, 30-21, at the break. Woodworth and Johnson both scored 6 during that rally.
The Panthers increased their lead a bit to 11, 42-31, at the end of the third period. Capen scored 7 during that strecth which saw the Panthers go 8 of 12 from the free throw line.
That set the stage for the Mustangs big Nealy led fourth quarter 19-6 scoring surge to claim the win.
Medina improves to 4-2 in N-O action as Newfane slips to 3-3.
Wilson 65, Akron 58
Front-running Wilson bested visiting runner-up Akron 65-58 to open up a two game lead atop the N-O League standings.
Aidan Neumann scored 22, Ryan Hough 19 , Brock Lepsch 10 and Shamus George 9 to lead Wilson.
Ben Gerstung tallied 16, Derren Brooks 14 and Blake Gerstung and Brodie Hill 12 each to pace Akron.
N-O Standings: Wilson 6-0, Akron 4-2, Medina 4-2, Newfane 3-3, Albion 2-4, Barker 1-4, Roy-Hart 0-5.
Medina’s Jerrell Nealy goes high for a rebound between the Newfane duo of Mac Capen, left, and Isaiah Gerstung (3).
Albion and Lyndonville score mat wins
Albion defeated Holley-Kendall 52-30 and Lyndonville downed Akron 43-32 in non league wrestling matches this evening.
Justin Mengs (110), Stryker Sanders (118), Drake Schomske (126), Corbin Piccirilli (132), Jaxon Lynch (150), Hoyt Aina (165) and Jackson Snook (285) all registered pins for Albion which also got technical falls victories by Parker Roberts (144) and Kaiser Allport (157).
Holley-Kendall got pins by Jeremy Lutes (103), Michael Williams (138), Aiden Robins (175), Tyler Davenport (190) and Aiden McGrain (215).
Pins by Dom Hargrave (132), Michael Alexander (144) and Brody Hazel (150) led the way for Lyndonville.
The Tigers also got technical fall wins by Bryson Hazel (103) and Greyson Romano (190) and a decision win by Iziah Rodriquez (126).
Roy-Hart/Barker 48, Lake Shore 35
Roy-Hart/Barker downed Lake Shore 48-35 in a non league wrestling match at Barker this evening as pins by Remy Marohn, Luke Fay and Max Hickman led the way.
Medina girls romp to win at Newfane
Building up a commanding 20 point (36-16) half-time advantage, Medina went on to down host Newfane 60-31 in a Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball game.
Caliyah St. Louis scored 25 and Sam Heschke 18 to lead the way for Medina which snapped a six game losing streak.
Ah-Leena Golden led Newfane with 10.
Kendall 49, Lyndonville 36
Teagan Shaw and Sophia Picardo both scored 11 and Stella Kwiatek and Mia Price with 10 each to lead Kendall to a 49-36 win over Lyndonville in a Genesee Region League game.
Alexa Robinson scored 14 and Isabella Groves 8 for Lyndonville.
Kendall led 27-26 at the half and 39-30 at the end of the third period.
Notre Dame 79, Holley 22
Alexis VanAmeron had 6 points and 7 rebounds, Brynn Thomas 5 points and Hanna Ostrom 3 for Holley in the 79-22 G-R loss to Notre Dame.
