Photos by Ginny Kropf: Ed Grabowski and his wife Lori of Medina chat with Officer Branden Brown at Medina Senior Center, where they signed in for Murder on the Orleans Express on Saturday. The Medina police officer was on the scene to provide photo opportunities for potential crime solvers.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 May 2025 at 3:09 pm
MEDINA – Medina Area Partnership’s third annual murder mystery event went off without a hitch, (unless you count a murder) in spite of rain and a dreary day.
The event has grown in popularity every year, said Ann Fisher-Bale, event coordinator for MAP.
One couple who took part was Ed and Lori Grabowski of Medina.
Ed said they have done it before and it was a lot of fun. They enjoyed visiting all the shops, he said.
The first year’s mystery was set in the 1920s, last year’s in the early 1900s and this year’s in the 1940s. Mystery solvers were encouraged to dress in the era.
Participants in the event signed in at Medina Senior Center, where they received a goodie bag with a detective’s notebook filled with coupons, a map of 13 participating businesses and the character located there. They also got a pen, a piece of Bazooka gum and a tube of Smarties, both of which originated in the 1940s, a train cookie, small bottle of water, tea bag and a chocolate-covered Oreo cookie from Della’s Chocolates.
“We thought they needed some ‘smarties’ to solve the crime,” Fisher-Bale said.
Fisher-Bale explained they tried to incorporate some of Medina’s history in the events of the day, such as Heinz Pickle Factory, which was the scene of the murder. Ten characters were located among the businesses and participants had to visit all 13 stores to get all the clues they needed to solve the murder.
When they thought they had the answer, “detectives” had until 11:59 p.m. Saturday to e-mail their guess to MAP. The correct guesses were then put in a drawing, where one name was picked to win a giant basket of prizes.
When all was said and done, Bale announced almost one-third of the attendees correctly guessed the murderer was Wanda Land, the waitress, who intended to poison Mona Lott. Events took a new twist when Mona passed her wine glass off to Mary because she didn’t like red wine.
The winner whose name was drawn from the collection of correct answers was Joshua Lacombe of Silver Springs. He won a prize basket valued at more than $200, containing gift certificates from participating businesses, a canvas tote bag from Canal Village Farmers’ Market, the novel Murder on the Orient Express and a gift basket from Della’s Chocolates.
MEDINA – Orleans County is partnering with SUNY GCC, Niagara County and paint-recycling company GreenSheen to host a paint recycling event on Saturday, May 31 at the GCC Medina Campus Center.
Orleans and Niagara County residents and businesses are welcome to bring oil-based, acrylic and latex paint, urethanes, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, primers and clear coatings to be recycled at no cost.
“Our recycling event last year was a tremendous success and we are excited to collaborate with our partners to host another event for Orleans County residents,” said Corey Winters, Orleans County Director of Planning and Development. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to get those old paint cans out of your basement, garage and shed, and ensure they are properly recycled.”
The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at GCC, 11470 Maple Ridge Rd. Medina, NY 14103.
Registration for this event can be done at https://circular.eco/event/MedinaGCC. Staff will be on hand to unload vehicles so drivers can stay in their vehicles. Those with any questions about the event should call the Orleans County Planning and Development Department at (585) 589-3198.
Photos and information courtesy of John Dieter, Scoutmaster of Troop 35: Scouts and friends from Troop 35 picked up litter at the Canal Culvert on Sunday. The photo at right shows Cole Herman next to some of the trash he picked up.
MEDINA – Scouts from Troop 35 in Medina held a campout Saturday evening and performed garbage pickup on Sunday morning as part of the Clean Sweep Canal Cleanup Program that is held each spring.
The scouts picked up garbage and debris in and around the culvert under the canal and also removed garbage on both sides of the towpath to the Beals Road bridge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2025 at 2:52 pm
Provided photos
MEDINA – Medina firefighters spent part of Tuesday morning at Tim Hortons in Medina decorating Smile Cookies in a fundraiser for the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester. From left include firefighter Dustin Pahura, Fire Chief Matt Jackson and Lt. Steve Cooley.
Screenshot
(Left) Silas Filippelli, son of Tim Hortons co-owner Joey Filippelli, taste tested some of the cookies. The Filippelli family owns the two Tim Hortons in Orleans County and three in the Rochester area. All five of those stores are directing their Smile Cookie proceeds to Golisano Children’s Hospital.
(Right) Brandon Clouser, a Medina police officer, assists at the window. Firefighters and other volunteers helped decorate cookies and assist with sales from 7 to 1o a.m.
The cookies are available until May 4 at $2 each with all of the proceeds going to Children’s Hospital.
The “Smile Cookie Bakery” Team included many Tim Hortons staff and volunteers from the community.
Mayor Marguerite Sherman, center, joined the cookie brigade. She is joined by Riezel Carino, Mary Jo Polick (Medina Tim Hortons manager) and Jeni Simpson (Albion Tim Hortons manager).
This group includes Medina Police Chef Todd Draper, Orleans County Undersheriff Don Draper, Sheriff’s Investigator Devon Pahuta, Sheriff Chris Bourke, and Medina officers Miles Erickson and Brandon Clouser.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina police officer Dustin Meredith assists Gabriella Burtwell, 5, of Medina in completing the bike rodeo course during National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022. Meredith works as a school resource officer in Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2025 at 11:47 am
MEDINA – Dr. Mark Kruzynski, Medina’s school district superintendent, issued a statement today saying the district remains committed to a school resource officer presence at the district.
The Medina Village Board on Monday approved the village budget for 2025-26 which takes two Medina officers out of the district as school resource officers and the end of June.
The board said the $82,500 for each officer didn’t fully cover the officer’s expense to the village, which village officials put at $125,000 to $130,000 for the whole calendar year.
Medina will have the SROs, Dustin Meredith and Brandon Clouser, return to work out of the Police Department full-time. That will help the department which is currently down two officers in the regular rotation, with another in the academy and another doing the field training.
Kruzynski said Chad Kenward, the retired Medina police chief and a former school resource officer, will continue as a school security officer next school year as a Medina district employee. Kruzynski said the district will reach out to other law enforcement agencies about other officers as SROs at Medina.
Here is Kruzynski’s statement:
The Medina Central School District remains unwavering in its commitment to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for all students.
Recently, the Village of Medina Board adopted a budget that discontinues the provision of Medina Police Department staff for the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. While this decision means that the District will not have Medina police officers serving as SROs next school year, we want to reassure families and the broader community that student safety continues to be our highest priority.
We are pleased to share that our School Security Officer, Chad Kenward, will remain in place for the 2025-26 school year. Officer Kenward plays a vital role in maintaining a safe school environment and supporting the needs of our students and staff.
In light of the Village’s decision, the District is actively exploring a range of options of fill the gap left by the absence of SROs.
We value our past partnership with the Medina Police Department and are grateful for the work their officers have done in our schools. The District is committed to transparency and will continue to keep our families informed as we move forward with safety planning for the upcoming school year.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Sincerely,
Mark B. Kruzynski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools Medina Central School District
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2025 at 4:31 pm
Village officials were determined to try to bring down tax increase; Hike dropped from 23.5% to 0.2%
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina firefighter Steve Miller, president of a union representing Medina’s firefighters who also run the ambulance, shares his concerns about the village’s budget for 2025-26 that won’t fill many vacancies in departments, which could lead to a drop in services for the community, including slower response times. Miller did commend the Village Board for their work with the budget. He said the cash-strapped village needs more outside revenue through the local sales tax as well as higher Medicaid reimbursement rates.
MEDINA – The Village Board approved a $7.7 million budget for the general fund on Monday that will cut the two school resource officers at the Medina school district and also end the K9 program at the police department.
The board also won’t be filling any vacant positions in the 2025-26 budget year.
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said the board heard from residents that taxes have become unbearable, and another increase could be tipping point, where many are forced the leave.
“We don’t want to cut any necessities,” Sherman said at the meeting, which was attended by about 50 people. “It is a very tight budget. It will be very difficult to work within.”
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman, second from left, said the board was forced to make difficult choices to prevent a steep take increase. She speaks during Monday’s board meeting at the Senior Center. She is joined by Village Trustees Jess Marciano, left, and Mark Prawel, right.
The budget keeps the taxes nearly the same – a 0.2 percent increase or up by $7,144 from $3,903,200 to $3,910,344. During a public hearing two weeks earlier, the tax increase was at 23.5 percent.
Overall spending in the finalized budget is up 0.5 percent or by $37,040, from $7,678,256 to $7,715,296.
The village’s tax rate is up 3 cents from $13.965 to $13.995 per $1,000 of assessed property.
A year ago, Medina’s tax base increased by $100.5 million, going from $178,984,667 to $279,494,874. That was a 56.2 percent increase following town-wide reassessments in both Shelby and Ridgeway. That huge boost in the tax base allowed the tax rate to plunge by more than $7 – from $21.16 to $13.97 per $1,000 of assessed properties in 2024-25.
But this time the tax base is showing a slight decline of $87,963 – from $279,494,874 to $279,406,911.
Village Trustee James “Scott” Bieliski said the Medina school district contribution of $82,500 towards each school resource officer doesn’t cover the full costs of each officer, which Bieliski said is about $125,000 to $130,000.
Debbie Tompkins urged the board to keep the Medina officers as SROs because they already have relationships with many of the students and staff. New SROs if the school district hires them from the Sheriff’s Office would have to start all over with connecting with students and Medina employees.
“They provide a valuable service,” Tompkins said about the SROs from the Medina Police Department. “They know the kids. They have diffused many situations in the community.”
Village Trustee Scott Bieliski said the village has been offering a “premium service” from village employees, including the SRO and K9. He said more outside revenue is needed so the village taxpayers aren’t unfairly burdened with so many costs.
Bieliski said he wished the $82,500 from the school district towards each school resource officer was closer to covering the full cost to the village of about $125,000 to $130,000 for each one.
“I wish it was $82,500,” he said. “The we would could hire five more.”
The total cost includes salaries, overtime, health insurance and other benefits and training expenses. The two SROs will return to the Medina PD in road patrol, bringing the department to near full strength. One other officer is currently in the academy and another is doing field training.
Bieliski said he has deep appreciation for the village employees, and didn’t want them to feel the budget was a sign they weren’t valued and respected by the board and community.
“This community does appreciate you,” he said.
Resident Tim Zeiner said taxes have climbed in the Medina community over the past decade. He worries about paying for all of the needs in the village, including infrastructure, sidewalks, police, fire protection and other services. He said putting more of the costs on village taxpayers isn’t the answer.
The budget was approved by the board in a 5-0 vote. Trustee Jess Marciano said the budget was the most difficult of the five she has been part of on the board.
“We understand what we have to do,” she said. “The taxes are high but the services are important, too. Some of these cuts are close to the bone.”
Mayor Sherman said the board was able to avoid layoffs in the budget. She said the board spent 45 hours in meetings working on the spending plan – “hammering out this budget.”
She acknowledged there were “heated discussions” to work out a plan that would keep services without taxes taking a big increase.
“We’re doing this for the taxpayers,” Sherman said.
Trustee Deborah Padoleski said she values the village services, but ultimately Medina needs more outside funds to make the budget work for village taxpayers. She said Medina’s “hands are tied” by union contracts.
Village resident David Berry praises the Village Board for a budget with a very small tax increase. Berry said rising taxes in the community are putting pressure on residents, especially seniors on fixed incomes. “This board deserves a big round of applause for what they did for us,” Berry said.
Steve Miller, a Medina firefighter and president of the union, said a higher Medicaid reimbursement rate would make a big difference for the village. The fire department bills out about $4 million for ambulance calls, but only receives about $1.3 to $1.4 million. Miller said very low Medicaid reimbursement rates is the biggest culprit.
He urged Village Board members to press state officials to raise those rates.
Miller also said the village receives far too little in the local sales tax. The state gets 4 cents on the dollar while the county gets the other 4 cents. The local share added up to $23.4 million in 2024.
The County Legislature shares $1,366,671 with the 10 towns and four villages – the same amount they have received since 2001. Since then the total sales tax has more than doubled.
“Right now we get a small amount (of the sales tax),” Miller said during the village meeting. “Even a fraction more would make a big difference for the Village of Medina. I think it’s imperative that you continue to push.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 29 April 2025 at 9:17 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Hans Rosentrater puts a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls in the case as his husband Dan looks on. The couple recently purchased the former Case-Nic Cookies at 439 Main St. in Medina and opened Hans’ Bakery. (Right) Hans Rosentrater holds a basket of French bread in the new bakery he recently opened in Medina.
MEDINA – Going to work every morning is like a dream come true for Hans Rosentrater, who recently realized his lifelong goal of owning a bakery.
Rosentrater grew up in Medina, where he said his mom loved to bake and he and his sister were always in the kitchen with her.
His dream of owning his own bakery took several detours during the years, beginning with his food service classes at BOCES.
“That was a phenomenal thing, and anyone who has an opportunity to go to BOCES should do so,” he said.
He next attended Alfred State College where he earned an associate’s degree in baking, production and management and a second associate’s degree in the culinary arts program.
“When I was at BOCES I quickly identified I liked to cook, but I really loved baking,” Rosentrater said. “Nobody in our class focused on baking, so when they had competitions I always won.”
Out of college, Rosentrater baked special cakes for family and friends, while working at different jobs to pay the bills. He worked at a bank, in the hospitality industry and for a florist for 10 years.
Hans and his husband Dan were married when the owner of a former coffee shop on East Center Street decided to close.
“Dan wanted to make sure Medina had a coffee shop, and in 2022, we opened the Coffee Pot Cafe,” Hans said. “With my background in baking, we knew we could furnish pastries and baked goods for a café. Dan handled the front and I had the kitchen.”
The business was an immediate success. People were placing orders, customers lined up out the door and walk-in business was thriving.
They soon realized the kitchen was not big enough and Dan set out to enlarge and remodel it.
“It had always been in the back of my mind to have my own bakery,” Hans said. “Then we learned Mary Lou Tuohey was retiring and her building would be available for purchase. We jumped on it.”
Leaving Dan to run the Coffee Pot Café, Hans’ Bakery opened on Valentine’s Day. Since then, on many Saturdays, customers have been lined up out the door.
One customer this week said the smell brought him in.
Hans has kept some of Tuohey’s cookie recipes, while adding his own for homemade breads, giant cinnamon rolls, puff pastry turnovers, tarts, Danishes, muffins, croissants and even bread pudding.
Corky’s Bakery used to sell a variety of things, but that closed in 2005.
“It has been 20 years since Medina had a full service bakery,” Hans said.
He is working to finalize a menu and hopes to have it ready in the near future.
The bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Orders may be placed ahead by calling (585) 798-1617.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Todd Bensley of Medina waits for his signed copy of Will Bardenwerper’s book Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 April 2025 at 9:16 am
MEDINA – Three visiting authors brought a slew of customers to Author’s Note on Saturday for celebration of Independent Book Store Day.
Customers lined up for signed copies of the latest books by Doogie Horner of Alfred, Mylisa Larsen of Sennett and Will Bardenwerper of Pittsburgh.
Since moving home from California with her husband Phil to purchase the book store, New York Times Best-Selling author Julie Berry has touted the benefits of an “indie” (independently-owned) book store.
“If you can’t visit one, order online from one,” Berry urges. “Post a photo or a graphic to your social media about your love for indie bookstores and why you choose them over more corporate options. Help people to understand, as you do, the true value we bring and why independent options are vital to a healthy book world and to healthy communities everywhere.”
(Left) Donald Fernberg of North Chili receives his copy of a book on the Batavia Muckdogs by author Will Bardenwerper. (Right) Carson Bale, 5, left, and his brother Mason, 8, hold autographed books by author Doogie Horner during Independent Bookstore Day Saturday at Author’s Note in Medina.
One of the families who came to visit the authors was Andy and Ann-Fisher Bale of Medina with their sons, Mason, 8, and Carson, 5.
Both of her boys like to read, Ann said, and each went home with signed copies Horner’s Invisible Boy series.
Horner said this was his first visit to Medina and he was enjoying it. An artist, illustrator, graphic novelist and stand-up comedian from America’s Got Talent, Horner took part in an assembly on Friday at Wise Intermediate School, where he showed the students how to make comics.
Alina Patterson of Middleport, a fourth-grade teacher at Wise Intermediate School, was so impressed with Horner’s presentation Friday she brought her son Lee, 9, a third-grader at Roy-Hart Elementary School to meet the author.
Horner shared he is working on book number three in The Invisible Boy series about a young boy who has to move to a new school and is afraid.
Mylisa Larsen signs copies of her book, Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better, for Sophia Prahm, 11, of Medina and her friend Avery, 12, during a celebration of Independent Bookstore Day at Author’s Note.
Mylisa Larsen is a nationally-acclaimed author of middle grade and children’s fiction who is an especial local favorite, Berry said.
“Her visits a few years ago presenting Playing Through the Turnaround to local schools left her with a large fan base in the area,” Berry said. “So we are thrilled to welcome her back to sing copies of the acclaimed sequel Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better, along with her other titles.”
Sophia Prahn of Medina, 11, and her friend Avery T., 12, both said it was really exciting to read Larsen’s books.
“I feel audiences my age will really relate to her books,” Avery said.
Sophia added when she reads Larsen’s books she has a mix of feelings, but always something she can relate to.
Larsen, who has been writing since she was in fifth grade, said she loves Author’s Note Bookstore. She explained her contemporary fiction novels are for middle school grade readers. She said Playing Through the Turnaround is about six kids trying to save their jazz band, while Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better is about a kid whose mom is dealing with mental illness, and the trip they take across the United States to visit an uncle they’ve never seen before.
Author Doogie Horner presents an autographed copy of his latest book, The Invisible Boy, to Lee Patterson, while his mother Alina holds the first book in the series.
Will Bardenwerper’s book Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America is a nationally published title based on the story of the Batavia Muckdogs.
The book stems from an article Bardenwerper wrote about the elimination of a Minor League Appalachian League for Harper’s Magazine.
“Local author Bill Kauffman contacted me and reminded me of the situation here with the Muckdogs and invited me to come and talk baseball,” Bardenwerper said. “I came and he introduced me to the new team they started to replace a major team.”
One of the first customers in line for Bardenwerper’s book was Don Feinberg of Lyndonville. Fernberg graduated from Medina High School in 1962 and said no matter where you grew up, whether it was Batavia or some other small town, most of the communities had a baseball team.
His first connection to the Batavia Muckdogs was a number of years ago when he was living in the city and came to Lyndonville for the Fourth of July parade. He met two ladies there, one whose daughter had been invited to sing the National Anthem at a Muckdog’s game.
“I thought in 30 minutes I can be in Batavia,” Fernberg said. “I can see the Muckdog’s game and hear her sing.”
Next to meet Bardenwerper were Todd Bensley and his wife Nicole of Medina.
“I’ve always been a baseball fan,” Bensley said. “Every kid I knew growing up would get out of school and walk to the local drug store to buy a 10-cent pack of baseball cards with gum in it. It was exciting to see a book about the Muckdogs. I have always been interested in baseball and small towns.”
In addition to the visit of the three authors, Author’s Note had special activities, giveaways, drawings, indie exclusives and goodies.
Books ordered online are always shipped free from Author’s Note.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2025 at 11:42 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – These students at the Oak Orchard Primary School helped plant a sugar maple tree at State Street Park thus morning.
The Village of Medina held its annual Arbor Day celebration this morning, and students from oak Orchard again were part of the planting process, shoveling dirt where the new trees are planted.
Medina will plant 49 trees in the village this spring. The locations include James Street and Main Street, Ann Street and West Center Street, West Avenue from James Street to Maple Street, State Street along the park and in State Street Park. Several of the trees are memorial ones that will have plaques.
Chris Dix, an employee with the Medina Department of Public Works, sets a sugar maple in the park this morning.
Medina has been designated a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation for the village’s commitment to planting trees every year. For the past 20 years, Medina has planted about 50 trees every year.
Even with those new trees, the village tends to be at a net negative each year, typically taken down more than 60 a year, including many ash trees in recent years, said Jason Watts, the DPW superintendent.
Mary Lewis, the Tree Board chairwoman, thanks the Oak Orchard Glee Club for performing at today’s celebration. Lewis is joined by Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman. They announced the Glee Club is this year’s recipient of the “Friends of our Urban Forest” Award.
The Glee Club, led by teacher Andrea Busch, has been performing at Arbor Day the past three years.
Nick Reese, a Medina senior, wrote a new song, “Oscillating Futures,” that was performed by the Glee Club. Reese is headed to Fredonia State College in the fall to major in music composition.
“I will be the future, the trees taller than me. I will be the future. We are the water, the earth and seed. It’s up to me. I will be the future, no fighting, no regret.
“I will be the future, would you believe in me? I will be the future, the trees taller than me. I will be the future. We are the water, the earth and seed. The future’s up to me.”
Serenity Chin, close to center with microphone, and other members of the Glee Club sang at this morning’s celebration.
These third-graders in Mrs. Zambito’s class help plant a sugar maple. The two with the shovels include Emma McGrath, left, and Alana Hoffmeister.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 April 2025 at 10:21 am
Provided photos
MEDINA – The Sacred Heart Club delivered canned food and boxes of food to the St. Peter’s Food Pantry on Tuesday. Sacred Heart also gave $50, following a $250 donation last month.
Pictured in photo at left are Sacred Heart President JT Thomas, right and Sacred Heart member Cheryl Gavenda, left, presenting a check and food to pantry volunteer Robin Dubai. In the photo at right, Sacred Heart member Matt Backlas joins Thomas in presenting the check and food.
The Food Pantry welcomes donations, especially with rising food prices making it harder on local residents. The Food Pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sacred Heart gives to other local organizations including LOYAL, Wreaths Across America, the Orleans County 4-H Fair, National Night Out and also allows use of its hall on North Gravel Road for many community organizations and fundraisers.
Sacred Heart President JT Thomas and member Cheryl Gavenda bring the food into the pantry at St. Peter’s.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2025 at 7:16 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Sacred Heart Club celebrated Dyngus Day today with lots of Polish food and also crowned the king and queen of Dyngus Day. Eli Howard was picked as king and Eileen Pettit is the queen. Both are very active volunteers at the Sacred Heart Club.
Dyngus Day is a Polish-American tradition that celebrates the end of Lent and the start of Easter festivities.
Pettit said she has been a member of Sacred Heart the past 14 years, helping with fish fries and other events, and donating prizes. She especially likes the tailgating parties at Sacred Heart during the Buffalo Bills season.
“It is a family,” Pettit said about the Sacred Heart Club which has about 400 members. “Every single person, whether Polish or not, we back each other.”
Jim Pinckney, left, last year’s Dyngus Day king, puts the crown and robe on Eli Howard, this year’s king.
Howard joined Sacred Heart in 1996 and is the current events co-chairman. He donates to many of the events and is an active volunteer.
Howard said he remains very grateful the Sacred Heart Club hosted a benefit in his honor on Sept. 21 where 500 chicken barbecue dinners sold out and hundreds of others came for a basket raffle. He is battling stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, and Howard said it is manageable.
“This organization does a lot of good for the community,” he said.
Howard helps organize many of the events on the weekends that bring in crowds of people.
“It means a lot to be recognized by my peers in the club,” Howard said about being crowned king. “I am totally shocked.”
JT Thomas, the Sacred Heart president, also served as DJ, playing Polish music, including “Please Love Me Forever” by Bobby Vinton.
About 75 people are expected at the Dyngus Day celebration which continues until 9 p.m. There is lots of Polish food served including Golumpkis – Polish cabbage rolls that are stuffed with a mixture of beef, pork, rice and seasoning. There are also pierogis, sweet and sour cabbage, smoked kielbasa and other Polish food.
There also is a display of pussy willows. In the Dyngus Day tradition, boys sprinkle water on the girls who then tap the boys with pussy willows as a way of flirting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2025 at 9:36 am
MEDINA – The Medina Village Board is working on the village’s budget for 2025-26, with three more meetings scheduled this week to try to bring down a tax increase that stood at 23.5 percent during last week’s public hearing.
Total spending in the general was at $8,438,681 for 2025-26, which is up 9.9 percent from the $7,679,256 in the current budget.
The tax levy would increase by 23.5 percent or by $916,631 – from $3,903,200 to $4,819,831. That would result in the tax rate going up from $13.97 to $17.25 per $1,000 of assessed property.
However, Village Board members said they are determined to bring down that increase, hopefully under the state tax cap, which generally is about a 2 percent increase.
“This budget is still in its infancy stage,” Mayor Marguerite Sherman said during the public hearing. “There is still a lot of work to do on the budget.”
The board has budget sessions scheduled for today, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The budget needs to be adopted by April 30.
Board members said they would discuss the budget in more detail at the 6 p.m. April 28 meeting. The board also is looking at the possibility of creating a fire district which would move the fire department out of the village budget and into its own taxing entity.
Deb Padoleski, a village trustee, said the numbers will come down before the budget is passed.
“I’m committed to keeping the increase as low as possible,” she said.
Residents in recent meetings have told the board they are concerned that the villages taxes are too high, and could push some residents out of the village.
“We hear you and share your pain because we are village taxpayers, too,” Sherman said.
When the board worked on the budget a year ago, Medina’s tax base increased by $100.5 million, going from $178,984,667 to $279,494,874. That is a 56.2 percent increase following town-wide reassessments in both Shelby and Ridgeway.
That huge boost in the tax base allowed the tax rate to plunge by more than $7 – from $21.16 to $13.97 per $1,000 of assessed properties.
But this time the tax base is showing a slight decline of $87,963 – from $279,494,874 to $279,406,911.
The village budget will include a new revenue: Medina will be collecting a 2 percent bed tax on hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodging establishments. The board is budgeting $10,000 in revenue from the new tax.
The tentative budget presented last week at the hearing also includes $2,287,949 for the Water Fund, up 8.8 percent from the $2,102,947 in 2024-25; and $1,486,921 for the Sewer Fund, up 18.4 percent from the $1,256,195 in 2024-25.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2025 at 10:16 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Mike Zaidel, a leader at Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship, carries the cross from City Hall to the next stop of the “Cross Walk” on Good Friday in Medina. Zaidel and Kevin Lawson, pastor of The Vine Church, carried the cross to Rotary Park.
Neil Samborski, a member at Glad Tidings Missionary Baptist Church, is dressed as a centurion, a Roman soldier.
About 35 people were part of the Cross Walk, an annual tradition in Medina organized by the Medina Area Association of Churches and the Medina Clergy Fellowship.
The churches will have a sunrise service at 7 a.m. Sunday at Boxwood Cemetery.
The Rev. Dan Thurber, retired pastor at Oak Orchard Assembly of God, gives an opening prayer outside City Hall. At each stop the group read passages from the Bible and sang a hymn.
John Weaver, front, and Jarred Saj carry the cross down East Center Street.
Mike Zaidel holds the cross steady during a stop at the Canal Basin.
The Rev. Randy LeBaron, pastor of the New Hope Community Church (First Baptist Church in Medina), and the Rev. Dan Thurber carry the cross from the Canal Basin to the next stop outside the Medina Historical Society on West Avenue.
Photos courtesy of Cody Catlin: A group of 26 Medina teachers volunteered to scrub graffiti off vandalized rail cars at the Medina Railroad Museum.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2025 at 2:30 pm
MEDINA – A group of Medina teachers showed up at the Medina Railroad Museum on Wednesday, ready to scrub graffiti off vandalized rail cars.
The rail cars were targeted last week with red paint. A social media post and letter to the editor from a museum volunteer made the public aware of the problem, and a stretched-thin group at the museum that now had to deal with it.
Medina schools are off this week due to spring break right before Easter. One of the graffiti messages referenced a Medina staff member. Teachers value the work from that staff member and wanted to get that message off the rail car, as well as help the museum with the cleanup of the other cars, said Joe Byrne, Medina Teachers’ Association president.
The 26 teachers spent about an hour wiping off the paint on a chilly day with temperatures in the 30s.
“This was something that was senseless and not derserved,” Byrne said about the graffiti. “It was cool to turn a negative thing into a positive.”
He said Medina teachers are committed to service.
“We’re not just people in the classroom,” he said. “”We’re people in the community.”
A train from Genesee Valley Transportation passes by the volunteers while they work on getting rid of the graffiti. Jeff Lewis, Medina Railroad Museum executive director at left, thanks Medina teachers for getting rid of graffiti off railcars on Wednesday afternoon.
AE Washing in Lyndonville provided water and hoses for the cleanup, while the museum had sponges and soft Brillo pads. The teachers showed up with buckets and a gusto to tackle the challenge.
“They did a bang-up job,” said museum executive director Jeff Lewis. “That is the kind of community support we appreciate.”
The museum is often plagued with graffiti and vandalism, including people breaking windows and sometimes sneaking into railcars to spend the night.
“It is an ongoing problem that hopefully will improve,” Lewis said.
Byrne said the experience has better connected teachers to the museum. He envisions having experts from the museum in the schools to discuss the impact of railroads on the local community.
“This could lead to a better partnership at the school,” Byrne said.
Teachers spent about an hour on a cold day cleaning the graffiti off the rail cars.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 April 2025 at 7:49 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Three crosses on the front lawn of the First Presbyterian Church welcome worshipers on Easter weekend. A Cross Walk will begin at noon today for Good Friday.
MEDINA – A re-enactment of Jesus carrying the cross has been a tradition in Medina for at least 25 years, according to the Rev. Vincent Iorio, retired pastor of Calvary Assembly of God and vice president of Medina Area Association of Churches.
Residents are welcome to participate in the walk which will begin at noon at City Hall with readings at several stops along the way.
From City Hall, the walk heads to the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street, then Rotary Park, the Canal Basin, Medina Historical Society on West Avenue, Cooper Funeral Home on West Center Street, First Baptist Church at West Center and West Avenue and back to the Presbyterian Church.
The Rev. Iorio said everyone is welcome to participate in the Cross Walk, and if they are unable to walk, they may follow in their vehicle. Some have even taken part using their walkers, he said.
Also on Good Friday, Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation (PACT) will sponsor a service at 6:30 p.m. at Harvest Christian Fellowship on East Main Street in Albion, with Kevin Lawson, pastor of The Vine Church in Medina, as speaker.
The public is also reminded of a sunrise service at 7 a.m. Sunday in Boxwood Cemetery.
Ed said they have done it before and it was a lot of fun. They enjoyed visiting all the shops, he said.
