Sandstone Hall of Fame took determination – like the grit of our famous bedrock

Editor:

Local organizations – ranging from the Lions Club to Rotary to Chamber of Commerce, to the Business Assoc. and a hundred others – make village life stronger with events that “light up our lives.” As president of the Medina Sandstone Society I just witnessed one of these. Three men have my long-lasting gratitude. They have created local history. I won’t forget their hard work.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Bob Waters, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, gives a rousing speech during the first Hall of Fame program on Dec. 12 at Medina City Hall. Six inaugural inductees were named to the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame that day.

I give public thanks to Jim Hancock, Dave Miller and John Slack, the committee that agreed to send Orleans County history into an adventure the size of a space walk. Acting on Tom Rivers’s suggestion, they gave birth to the Sandstone Hall of Fame. They knew it would entail a summer of hard work. They said, “We’ll do it.” They ran with the idea and scored a hit.

On Dec. 12 at a remarkable ceremony in front of key officials at Old City Hall downtown, these men unveiled the Hall of Fame. It will serve for years to come to put the story of Medina sandstone and Orleans quarries on news pages all over the east. Six fabulous historic structures were highlighted and Medina’s new growth industry, Takeform Architectural Graphics, donated stunning award plaques for dozens of out-of-town visitors that day.

Early in 2014 there will be a special program to enable the general public to view the Hall of Fame shrine at City Hall. When that time comes I hope friends and neighbors will recognize the work of Hancock, Miller and Slack. They even surprised themselves. By resurrecting some undying local history they won over thousands and thousands of hearts. This spotlight will shine for years.

Bob Waters
Medina