MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery are proud to announce that we will be partnering with Atlas Preservation as part of their 48 States Tour: Saving America’s Graveyards.
“It is such an honor to be chosen as one of two cemeteries in New York State to be visited by Atlas Preservation this year,” said Robby Klino, president of the Friends of Boxwood. “Our small-town cemetery is finally getting the recognition it deserves, and the help to preserve it for future generations.”
The 48 States Tour will be at Boxwood Cemetery on North Gravel Road on Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
The event will be led by Jonathan Appell, owner of Atlas Preservation and has decades of experience in cemetery restoration. The morning session will focus on headstone cleaning and the afternoon will focus on headstone resetting and repair.
Appell will be joined by Alicia Williams who is better known as Lady Taphos on TikTok. Williams has over 2.6 million followers on TikTok. Her motto is, “Finding peace in my life one stone at a time.” In addition, Jeremy La Zelle, a world-renown professional cinematographer, will be there as part of a documentary he his making about the 48 States Tour.
We recommend participants bring a chair, cooler, water and snacks. A pizza lunch will be provided.
We also recommend wearing old clothes that you do not mind getting dirty, especially if you will be participating in the cleaning segment. A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also a good idea to have on hand.
While there is no cost for the event, we would appreciate knowing how many people are attending and where they are from. If interested, please send an email to friendsofboxwoodcemetery@gmail.com with the names of those attending and where they are from.
“I cannot thank enough the members of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery and the Medina community for supporting this little gem of a cemetery,” Klino said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 July 2024 at 9:02 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Maria Aurigema and Sal Iannello perform Thursday evening at State Street Park in medina for the Blue Thursdays concert series.
Aurigema is the headliner for the band that Thursday also included Michael Haggerty on drums.
The series received strong backing and promotion from Ken Daluisio of The Print Shop in Medina. Daluisio had a fatal heart attack at age 59 on July 11, just before he was going to head out of shop to go to the concert.
Micheal Fuller and Dameon Holtfoth are now running The Print Shop. They attended Thursday’s concert and said The Print Shop will continue as a big backer of the events.
Maria Aurigema, Sal Iannello and Michael Haggerty perform before a big crowd on Thursday at State Street Park. Aurigema is a school instrumental teacher in the Ken-Ton School district in her day job, and she rocks in concerts around Western New York and Canada, especially during the summer.
The blues concerts have been drawing 800 to 1,250 people to State Street Park. Thursday was another big crowd.
Gertie Montulli is among the many food vendors at Blue Thursdays. Sweet Treats by Gertie sells popcorn in 10 different flavors. She said caramel is her top seller.
Maria Aurigema has been in the concert lineup all three seasons of the Blue Thursdays in Medina.
Dave Berry sells 50/50 raffle tickets with the proceeds going to the EMS services provided by Medina Fire Department.
Provided photo: The board of the Medina Railroad Museum accepted a check for $4,000 from Apex Wind Energy on Monday. From left are board members Rick Henn and Ginny Kropf, executive director Jeff Lewis, president George Bidleman, Anna Mathes from Heritage Wind and board members Joe Kujawa and Hank Olegniczak.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 July 2024 at 7:10 am
MEDINA – A grant from Apex Wind Energy will help the Medina Railroad Museum move forward with its efforts to upgrade the museum’s display to make it more interesting to children.
“We haven’t had much in the way of interactive displays,” said longtime board member Rick Henn. “The addition of a train simulator will allow kids to sit down and run a locomotive.”
On Monday prior to the Museum’s board meeting, Anna Mathes of Barre, field organizer for Apex Wind Energy, presented a check for $4,000 to board members and museum director Jeff Lewis.
Mathes explained Apex Wind Energy has been presenting grants in the amount of $400 to $4,000 since 2020.
While the total cost of the simulator is in the neighborhood of $10,000, Lewis said this check is a great start.
Photos by Tom Rivers: These people take photos and watch a tugboat pushing a 195-foot-long barge on Monday through the Erie Canal in Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 July 2024 at 8:09 am
Orleans County should get a second chance today to see a tugboat pushing an enormous barge carrying two sections of a pedestrian bridge.
Carver Companies from near Albany has spent two weeks directing two 195-foot-long barges along the canal. The barges are carrying four sections of a 266-foot-long pedestrian bridge for the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy in Buffalo. The bridge was made in Italy.
Carver was able to get the first barge from near Rochester all the way through Orleans County and to Gasport on Monday. The barge reached its destination in Buffalo on Tuesday.
Carver had to send the tugboat back Wednesday to get the second barge. It made it to Adams Basin near Spencerport. The tugboat was scheduled to start the day at 6 a.m. and go to Rochester to get the second barge. Then it will head west from Rochester around 9 to 9:15 a.m., according to a Facebook post from Carver.
The company hasn’t posted an estimated time when it will be in Orleans County. Carver posts updates on its Facebook page for the ETAs.
The trek for the barges has been widely publicized in the media since the trip started in Albany. Many people have lined up along the canal or on bridges to get a glimpse of the tugboat and barge.
The tugboat “CMT Otter” has been getting a workout the past two weeks pushing barges carrying a pedestrian bridge that will be installed in Buffalo.
Canalside Tattoo is moving from Main Street to 627 West Ave., a site that will become the Fantasy Factory. Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, wants to move into the space in early August.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2024 at 4:30 pm
MEDINA – Canalside Tattoo has been a big fundraiser for the Cat by Cat, Inc. organization in Medina.
Canalside raised $10,000 for the group in 2022, and then $18,000 last year.
Shannon Blount leads the local Cat by Cat efforts.
This year’s event on Aug. 18 already is off to a big start. There are 12 tattoo artists offering to do tattoos on Aug. 18 at $100 each. All of the slots have been claimed already. They sold out fast once the online portal opened on July 11.
Canalside has 12 artists volunteering their services on Aug. 18, up from nine last year. The tattoo team includes Shawn Ramsey, Tyler VerCruysse, Andrew London, James Christian, Matt Rolfe, CJ Cruickshank, David Jednat, Christopher Coronado, Bree Sunshine, Melissa Freeborn, Jade Ellen and Derrick Buyea.
There will also be a basket raffle and body piercings available, with all proceeds going to Cat by Cat. This year’s Caturday also will feature face painting by Lainey Freebern and caricatures by Isabel Ramsey.
Cat by Cat seeks to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Cat by Cat focuses on a TNVR model – Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return.
The Medina team cares for about 150 cats a year. Feral or community cats remains in “overwhelming” problem in Medina and Orleans County, said Shannon Blount, leader of the Medina team.
The money from “Caturday” goes towards neutering, medications, vaccinations, food and cat litter, and other supplies.
The Caturday event also will give the public a chance to see Canalside Tattoo’s new home in what owner Shawn Ramey is calling the “Fantasy Factory.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Shawn Ramsey, shown last month, said the former AJ’s Play Date site will give the tattoo artists and their customers much more space and privacy.
Ramsey opened Canaside in 2015 in a small storefront on East Center Street. In 2017, he moved to Main Street at the former Curvin’s News, tripling his space from the first location. He then expanded next door in 2020, giving him 3,500 square feet.
Ramsey said he would have been content to stay put. But the former AJ’s Play Date building became available at 627 West Ave. It offered Ramsey even more room and a chance to create the “Fantasy Factory.”
Ramsey said Tom and Nancy Mack were excellent landlords of his Main Street location.
“But the opportunity presented itself to own my own building,” Ramsey said. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Medina contractor Tim Miller has been doing the bulk of the construction work, putting in partitions, an office space, a gaming room for Ramsey and staff, and making other changes.
File photos: These are some of the cat-themed tattoos done by Canalside Tattoo during the Caturday fundraiser in 2022.
The interior space will have partitioned space for tattoo artists, giving them their own work area and providing more privacy.
“Each station will have its own unique vibe,” Ramsey said.
There will be more display room for Canalside merchandise and to showcase local work from artists and crafters. The Fantasy Factory also will a gym/workout room for Canalside staff, as well as a kitchen and break room.
Canalside is the drop site for the toy drive during Medina’s Parade of Lights. It is a serving stop during Ale in Autumn and Wien About Winter.
But “Caturday” is Canalside’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Even though all the tattoo slots are taken, Ramsey and Blount said people can donate baskets for the raffle, or just make a donation towards the cause.
For more on Cat by Cat, click here. For more on the Caturday fundraiser, click here.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 July 2024 at 3:09 pm
Richard Sarrero, who helped start Shirt Factory Café, leads new venture in downtown
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Staff of Factory Espresso at Hart, which opened in the Newell Building at 113 West Center St., include from left: owner/general manager Richard Sarrero and baristas Riley Tompkins, Katie Hilobuk and Tatianna Mason.
MEDINA – The building formerly known as Newell Shirt Factory has a new tenant brewing up business under its roof.
Richard Sarrero, who owns the building with local attorney Andrew Meier, has opened Factory Espresso at Hart, serving espresso, breakfast and lunch.
Factory Espresso opened for business on June 1 and is slowly growing. The business added a breakfast and lunch menu this week and plans to release a full menu next week.
The current menu includes some old favorites from the Shirt Factory Café, such as the Bob Hope and Rich Little sandwiches.
The espresso menu features the basic flavors, along with specialty drinks, such as Ube latte (a sweet and nutty root vegetable, also known as a purple yam), blackberry lavender white mocha and muddled mint and pistachio.
Factory Espresso also offers online ordering as well as curb service.
“If you call in your order, you can pull up in front, put on your four-way flashers and we will run it out to you,” Sarrero said.
A lot has evolved at the Shirt Factory in the last few years, but Sarrreo is quick to mention more is in the works.
Richard Sarrero, owner/general manager of Factory Espresso at Hart, watches barista Katie Hilobuk prepare a drink.
The Newell building has undergone a number of major changes since Meier purchased it in 2005. His first step was to open the Shirt Factory Café in 2007.
He would later remodel the entire building, creating offices on the second floor for the law firm of Webster, Schubel and Meier and two hotel rooms, and hotel rooms on the third floor.
The hotel rooms are known as Hart House Hotel, after the hotel which existed there from 1876. The Hart House Hotel served guests until 1918, when Robert H. Newell established his high-end shirt business there. The business would exist in some form until 2004.
Sarrero entered the picture in 2013.
“I needed something fresh in my life, and was looking for a career change,” Sarrero said.
He purchased the Shirt Factory from Meier and had started a wine bar in back, which they closed and then opened the Boiler Room in space that actually was the boiler room for the shirt factory.
In 2015, 810 Meadworks opened where Factory Espresso is now and leased space for the Beegarten in back as a performance venue. Sarrero at that time added a juice and smoothie bar to the Shirt Factory Cafe.
In 2018, Medina natives Scott Robinson and his wife Alix Gilman decided to return home from Washington, D.C. and were looking for a place to open a craft cocktail lounge in town.
“It all happened at the right time,” Gilman said. “Rich needed a change and Scott and I were looking for a spot to open a cocktail bar.”
At that time, a barber and a knitting store once occupied two spaces in the building.
Covid raised havoc with the Shirt Factory (Café had been dropped) and business became strictly takeout. 810 Meadworks moved from the downtown site to Leonard Oakes Estate Winery on Ridge Road in Medina. The knitting store moved out in 2020, while the barber had left some time before. Sarrero and Baillie McPherson had a beauty salon in the Shirt Factory, before moving to a larger space on Main Street. They were the last business to occupy the space which is now Factory Espresso.
The Shirt Factory is still in business as a cocktail lounge, operated by Gilman’s brother, Christopher Kozody. It is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, serving craft cocktails and a variety of elevated bar food and small plates. They are also open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, serving brunch.
Gilman called it a “Boozy Brunch,” featuring mimosas and Bloody Mary’s.
She is happy to see Sarrero has opened Factory Espresso at Hart.
“It’s exciting to see Rich back doing what he loves,” Gilman said. “It completes the building and serves as an amenity to the hotel.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 14 July 2024 at 7:52 pm
‘Zucchini 500’ returns July 20, July 27
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Here is a sampling of some of the creative zucchini race cars youth made at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market Saturday. The event returns the next two Saturdays.
MEDINA – The Canal Village Farmer’s Market debuted a new event Saturday morning, aimed at attracting more children to the market, while entertaining the crowd.
Market manager Gail Miller got the idea for zucchini races at a meeting of the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York.
“I thought it sounded like fun, and checked it out on YouTube,” Miller said.
(Left) Dave Miller gives two zucchini race cars a trial run to check out the track he built, before the competition starts at Medina’s Canal Village Farmer’s Market Saturday. Fifteen youth participated in the first-time event. (Right) Bishop Stanton, 9, checks out a zucchini race car before beginning to build his own.
Miller’s husband Dave likes to design things and volunteered to make the race track. It ended up being quite an intricate project, with a finish gate and electronic switch. He spent a month working on it, Gail said. He ordered the wheels and metal axles.
Then the Millers canvassed the stores for accessories for the race cars. Children who registered for the race Saturday had a container full of feathers, stickers, flags, flowers and assorted vegetables from which to choose to decorate their cars.
“The turnout for the first Zucchini 500 was more than I expected,” Gail said of the 15 entrants. “I am so pleased. The great thing was that both children and parents had a lot of fun making their zucchini racers and then racing them.”
Axel Godfrey, 10, and his sister Mazie hold their completed zucchini race cars before entering them in the race.
Also helping with registration of racers and putting a race car together was Barb Jantzi, who is a regular volunteer at the market.
The zucchini races will continue at the Canal Village Farmer’s Market on July 20 and 27.
One entrant, Axel Godfrey, 10, said it was fun making the race car and he will do it again.
Certificates were awarded for the fastest car, best looking and the best crash.
Gail said she still hasn’t figured out the prizes, but children who enter all three weeks may get special recognition.
The races begin at 10 a.m. each Saturday and last until 1:30 p.m.
(Left) Brae Dilorenzo, 10, and Bishop Stanton, 9, are ready for the zucchini race to begin. (Right) Dave Miller’s brother-in-law Bon Bargiel, who was visiting from Westminster, S.C., got roped into weighing the zucchini race cars.
Ken Daluisio hailed for championing community, small businesses
File photo by Tom Rivers: Ken Daluisio is pictured inside The Print Shop in September 2016, when the expanded to the former Bernie’s Laundry at 124-126 E. Center St., Medina. Daluisio won the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Phoenix Award for the ambitious renovation in Medina’s downtown.
By Ginny Kropf and Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Ken Daluisio had just finished another busy day at The Print Shop on Thursday when he turned off his computer at 4:30 p.m. and was eager to head over to State Street Park for a blue’s concert.
Daluisio and his business are the main sponsors of the concerts, which typically bring at least 800 people to Medina.
But Daluisio collapsed from an apparent heart attack. Medina firefighters attempted to revive him, but were unsuccessful.
News spread of Daluisio’s death at age 59, leaving many saddened and in shock. Daluisio worked with many business owners, organizations and authors, producing signs, books and other materials.
He dispensed advice and encouragement, as well as providing a product.
“He was one of my best friends, and this is very hard, not only on me, but the entire community,” said Cindy Robinson, owner of The English Rose Tea Shoppe. “Ken was with us from the beginning of Medina’s comeback. Our sound system downtown was Ken’s idea and he spearheaded its installation. He was always there when you needed things done. He was full of ideas. He was an all-around wonderful man, devoted to his community, and I will miss him.”
It was Daluisio, along with Chris Busch, who came up with the idea of Blue Thursday concerts in State Street Park. The Print Shop was and will continue to be the major sponsor.
“Over many years, Ken and I have collaborated on so many projects, I couldn’t name them all,” Busch said. “He was generous to a fault, inspired and creative in his thinking, and a constant force for good in his community. Many a great project was hatched during one of our many afternoon conversations at his shop. His energy for the community was infectious, and I totally shared his desire to create projects that were meaningful, credible and done with professional perfection. He was one of the best of collaborators. Ken didn’t seek the spotlight. His satisfaction came from seeing the fruits of his labors benefit the community he loved.”
Provided photo: The Print Shop owner Ken Daluisio, center, poses with his right-hand men, Micheal Fuller and Dameon Holtfoth.
“Blue Thursdays was one such collaboration,” Busch continued. “Each week, he was so immensely grateful to see huge crowds of people we managed to attract – often many new to Medina – traveling here and enjoying the community. With everything Ken did, he wanted to showcase Medina in the best possible way. And he did just that, every week with Blue Thursdays and with so many other ventures. He wanted people to come away from their visit to Medina thinking, ‘Wow! What a great town. I’ll be coming back.’ Nothing made him happier.”
Darlene Hartway, Chamber director, posted this message on Facebook: “It is with a heavy heart that the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce announces the passing of Kenny Daluisio of the Print Shop in Medina. He was a long-time member of the Chamber and a beloved person in our community. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
Jim Hancock, chairman of Medina’s Tourism Committee and the Parade of Lights, said Daluisio was a big supporter of the Tourism Committee and efforts to promote Medina.
“He really got behind us and supported our events,” Hancock said. “He was very good at his craft. He made all the banners, posters and flyers for Medina’s events. He had a wonderful business sense. He was a great community member.”
Daluisio first opened The Print Shop in 2004, and in March 2015 he acquired the building which housed Bernie’s Laundry on East Center Street. He then led an ambitious renovation of the site that earned him the Chamber of Commerce’s Phoenix Award in 2016.
When doing renovations for the expansion, Daluisio needed 13 dumpsters to haul out laundry machines and dryers, as well as the old floor, ceiling, partition walls and other debris.
The building was stripped down to four bare walls and then rebuilt with new floor, a roof, electrical system and other upgrades.
The overhauled space allowed Daluisio to add the latest state-of-the art equipment. He was a perfectionist in his field, and dedicated to providing the best and most affordable service to his customers.
Daluisio suffered a heart attack about two weeks before his death and was hospitalized to have stents put in. He was discharged with orders to go home and rest. However, he couldn’t stay from The Print Shop.
Two of Daluisio’s top employees, Micheal Fuller and Dameon Holtfoth, are expected to continue The Print Shop.
The men are in shock, but committed to continuing the business as Daluisio would have wanted.
Ken Daluisio holds a T-shirt with a four-color design that was printed in the basement of The Print Shop. Contractors needed seven dump truck loads to remove all of the debris from the basement before it was turned into usable work space.
Fuller has worked there just shy of 10 years, having started when he was a junior in high school.
“My father took me down there and asked Ken if he would give me a job,” Fuller said. “I swept floors and carried out the garbage, but soon I was answering phone, taking orders and offering to cut paper for customers. The start of my senior year, I missed a week because I wanted to quit and work in The Print Shop. Ken said if I didn’t finish school, he would let me go. I owe him a lot. I knew this was what I wanted to do.
“Ken wasn’t a boss,” Fuller added. “He was more like a dad. At times I wished he was more of a boss, but then I appreciated when he was like a dad, because it showed how much he cared. To him, this wasn’t a business. It was one of his kids.”
Holtfoth has worked there four years and shares the same respect for Daluisio.
“I came from a career in customer service and wanted a change,” Holtfoth said. “Ken drew me right in and taught me along the way. We also became friends outside of work. Mike and I thank the community for their support right now. Ken’s main goal was giving back to his community, and we will do our best to honor that.”
“As this business lives on, it will help to keep Ken living on,” Fuller said. “We will do our best to make him proud for everything he worked for.”
Funeral arrangements are being completed by Bogan and Tuttle Funeral Home.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: A memorial to Ken Daluisio is growing on the counter of The Print Shop on East Center Street, the business Daluisio founded. Flowers, a message from the Hellner family and a portrait painted by local artist Pat Greene of Daluisio looking at something on a wall pay a tribute to a beloved Medina citizen.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brody Hoffmeiser and his wife Jenna Pangrazio are revamping the menu at Rudy’s Diner to help the long-time restaurant meet changes in the industry, and also better compete in a crowded local food scene.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 July 2024 at 10:41 am
MEDINA – Brody Hoffmeister is proud of a family legacy with Rudy’s Soda Bar & Café, a Medina mainstay since it opened in 1988 by his grandparents, Joseph and Debra Russo.
Hoffmeister’s mother Kelly Duffield also was a key force in making Rudy’s such a welcoming establishment.
Hoffmeister’s mother passed away from cancer at age 49 on Oct. 21, 2019. His grandmother died at age 70 on March 26, 2023.
Hoffmeister, 30, said the losses were painful, and they thrust him into running the popular diner much sooner than he expected. He has been the owner since Jan. 1, 2020, about 2 1/2 months before Covid hit and the restaurant had to close to eat-in customers for a few months.
Hoffmeister and Rudy’s have worked through those challenges. Hoffmeister and his wife Jenna Pangrazio want to go take Rudy’s from surviving to thriving. Hoffmeister works in the kitchen while his wife handles the front. He said Pangrazio has been critical in seeing Rudy’s through the recent challenges.
“Rudy’s has been an everything day for me my whole life,” Hoffmeister said. “But if you don’t change with the times, you’re going to be lost to the times.”
In the past year he has sought to gain more control in his life, and the future of Rudy’s. He has lost 90 pounds. And now he has revamped the menu at Rudy’s, looking to streamline the business and not discard so much food.
Hoffmeister is looking to make some interior renovations to maintain a 1950s’ diner look throughout the eating area. Hoffmeister said the soda bar side is currently in a ’50s’ décor with the dining room more of a country style in the 1980s and ’90s. (Rudy’s is partnering with Manna Made, LLC to reignite the brand and marketing, bringing it back to their roots and classic diner feel.)
Rudy’s has recently introduced a new type of hamburger patty that is juicier than what they were offering the past 25 years. Hoffmeister wants honest customer feedback and so far the reviews of six different burgers has been very favorable.
He also has teamed up with Jimmy Z’s of Brockport using that establishment’s meat sauce and mac salad.
“People love it,” Hoffmeister said about the Jimmy Z’s fare combined with Rudy’s. “We’ve done over 2,000 plates since January.”
Rudy’s is serving up gourmet milkshakes, including a caramel brownie milkshake. Hoffmeister said it is part of a push to return to a 1950s classic diner experience.
For now, that means a leaner menu. Hoffmeister said more specials will added in the fall.
He is trying to adapt to a restaurant industry that has suffered since the Covid pandemic, where at least 10 percent of the establishments have closed since 2020.
Rudy’s used to have primarily eat-in customers. But since Covid, takeouts have gone from 20 percent of the business to 65 percent. Hoffmeister wants to see more long-time customers, and new ones, came back and enjoy a meal in the diner at 118 West Center St. Rudy’s also has utilized the Door Dash delivery service since 2021.
Rudy’s is in a competitive food scene in Medina. When Rudy’s opened 36 years ago, there were four restaurants. Now Hoffmeister counts at least 17 options.
Rudy’s offered so many items on the menu, 30 to 35 different specials, that it was difficult to maintain consistency in the food, especially when many long-time employees didn’t come back after Rudy’s was forced to scale down during the early days of Covid.
Hoffmeister is going to a smaller menu with the focus on quality and presentation, and then will look to expand the menu in the fall. The core menu will stay with burgers, melts and wraps.
Rudy’s currently has 10-12 employees, which is down from the 25 before Covid.
“With Covid the restaurant industry changed,” he said. “We’re going to make our focus quality over quantity. There will be much more consistency.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Members of the Buffalo Maritime Center met with tourism personnel in Medina’s canal basin this morning to discuss the visit of the 1825 replica of the canal boat Seneca Chief. Clockwise from left front are Dawn Borchet, Orleans County Tourist director; Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee partially hidden); Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Brian Trzeciak, executive director of the Buffalo Maritime Center; Medina mayor Marguerite Sherman with her grandson Henry; Katie Osborn, development officer of the Maritime Center; and Brian Hellner, former vice president of the Maritime Center and operator of a tour boat on the canal in Medina.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 July 2024 at 8:01 pm
Replica boat will travel full Erie Canal next year to celebrate bicentennial
MEDINA – A traditionally-built, full-sized replica of the Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief will be visiting towns along the Erie Canal on a sea trial in preparation for a trip from Buffalo to New York City during the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal in 2025.
The boat was constructed by the Buffalo Maritime Center, whose president and development officer met with officials in Medina this morning to discuss upcoming visits. Executive director Brian Trzeciak and development officer Katie Osborn were greeted by Medina mayor Marguerite Sherman; Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee; Dawn Borquet, Orleans County tourism director; Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Heather Farnsworth Hungerford from Bent’s Opera House; and Brian Hellner, former vice president of the Buffalo Maritime Center and operator of cruises on the canal in Medina.
On its trial run this summer, the Seneca Chief will spend the afternoon and night in Medina on Aug. 12, en route to Brockport, and again on Aug. 16 on their way back to Buffalo.
Tentative plans call for the boat to be open to the public from 4 to 7 p.m. both days. There will be no charge, but donations will be appreciated.
Tourism personnel meet on Brian Hellner’s tour boat to discuss the August visit of the replica canal boat Seneca Chief. Clockwise from left are Dawn Borchet, director of Orleans County Tourism; Kelly Kiebala, director of Orleans County Job Development; Brian Trzeciak, executive director of the Buffalo Maritime Center; Katie Osborn, development officer of the Maritime Center; and Jim Hancock, chair of Medina Tourism Committee.
The Seneca Chief has a crew of 18 to 20 people, who usually sleep on the boat or camp nearby. In Medina, Hungerford has tentatively invited them to use the rooms at the Opera House, where plans include having food there for the crew and the public.
Sherman volunteered to have the village set up a tent in the canal basin for an exhibit and displays of the Erie Canal and informative talks.
Local musician and busker Rob Robinson has agreed to play guitar for a sing-along of canal songs. He used to sing and play on the tour boat run by the former Apple Grove Inn, so he very familiar with songs of the canal.
During tours of the boat and possibly after supper at the Opera House, there will be historic presentations.
The idea to build a replica of the Seneca Chief was that of John Montague, founder and director emeritus of the Buffalo Maritime Center, and a retired professor in the Design Department at Buffalo State College.
Mongague grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he learned to love boats and water. One of the first things he did in Buffalo was to start a boat program at Buffalo State, with the goal of reviving interest in Buffalo as a harbor.
He said people had spent a lot of time trying to redevelop Buffalo’s waterfront, and Montague said, “Why don’t we build a canal boat?”
When he retired from teaching in 2006, he took the boat program with him and started his own non-profit organization. He knew he had to get people to realize Buffalo was not just a rust-belt city, but a maritime city. He built several boats, but kept going back to the idea of a canal boat.
In 2017 Buffalo re-dug the canal and created Canalside.
“Now it is a serious site,” Montague said. “Let’s build a couple of canal boats, and create the ambiance of what this place used to look like.”
He not only wanted to build ambiance of what the area originally looked like, but he wanted to bring focus to the area.
“I wanted it to be an educational project, to bring people in and build a boat in public,” he said. “We wanted people to see it and ask questions.”
They finally got permission to build it in the Longshed at Canalside by the Naval Park.
Brian Hellner, left, welcomed tourism personnel on his boat Monday to discuss plans for the trial visit in August of the replica Seneca Chief. With him are Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman with her grandson Henry and Heather Farnsworth Hungerford from Bent’s Opera House.
Montague wrote an article in 2018 about the bi-centennial of the canal coming up, and how everybody along the canal was thinking of what they could do. That led to a meeting with the Buffalo Evening News editorial board.
A man in Clarence saw the article and came to the boat shop in Buffalo, where Montague took him on a tour.
He asked how they were going to pay for the boat, and Montague started to explain their ideas for fundraising.
Then the man said, “I’ll pay for it.”
“Our jaws dropped,” Montague said. “The following Wednesday, $800,000 was in our account.”
The project was one of the largest community boat-building projects anywhere in the world at the time, and one of very few being built on public display, Montague said. From the beginning, the public was encouraged to become part of the project by helping to build and acting as public greeters.
The boat’s keel, frames and other structural timbers are built of white oak. The keelson is a single 60-foot long piece of reclaimed Douglas Fir, which their website says was previously used in the early 1900s as a gin pole crane.
Planking is two layers of one-inch thick cypress with a waterproof dynel cloth set in epoxy between the layers. The outler layer of planking is caulked with cotton. This combination of modern and traditional planking methods should help the boat stay watertight even if it spends winters out of the water, builders say.
The finished boat is 73 feet long, 12 feet six inches wide and weighs more than 40 tons.
What amazed Montague most about building the Seneca Chief was the fact it was accomplished with more than 200 volunteers and only two paid staff.
The Erie Canal was built to connect people into one unified state, Montague said.
“We are doing what the Erie Canal did,” he said. “We are creating a bond between communities. We are connecting people in one unified state.”
The Seneca Chief opened the Erie Canal in 1825, carrying Governor DeWitt Clinton from Buffalo to New York City, where they participated in a “wedding of the waters.”
Next summer the Seneca Chief will depart Sept. 24 on the voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor, stopping at those same cities along the way as Governor Clinton, and encouraging them to educate their communities and to learn about the Erie Canal’s past, its present and to create a shared vision of its future.
The trial run this summer only goes to Rochester, making stops in Lockport, Medina (coming and going), Brockport, Rochester and back to Buffalo.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 July 2024 at 11:56 am
A Medina man driving a motorcycle was killed on July 4 in an accident in the Town of Pendleton in Niagara County, State Police reported today.
Vincent J. Hawkins, 51, was driving a 2012 Kawasaki motorcycle at about 1:47 p.m. when he was struck at the intersection of South Transit Road and Tonawanda Creek.
State Police determined that a 2018 Honda was traveling northbound on South Transit Road and entered the median and began to turn left onto Tonawanda Creek Road failing to yield the right of way to a 2012 Kawasaki motorcycle.
Hawkins was ejected after striking the Honda. He was transported to Erie County Medical Center for head injuries. While at ECMC, Hawkins succumbed to his injuries, State Police said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 July 2024 at 10:30 pm
Group headed east on Monday through Orleans County with destination to Fairport
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Christa and Dean Berry are on their third Cycle the Erie Canal ride. They are heading for Wise Intermediate School in Medina to check out a selection of books from the Author’s Note bookstore.
MEDINA – Medina and Orleans County tourism committees rolled out the red carpet today for 550 cyclists and their 100 volunteers who arrived in town on the 26th annual Cycle the Erie Canal ride.
Orleans County Tourism director Dawn Borchet, tourism creative director Lynne Menz, Medina Tourism Board member Barb Gorham and Job Development director Kelly Kiebala worked in shifts to greet cyclists as they signed in at the Tourism Booth.
The first thing cyclists were asked to do was write their name on a giant map of the United States, indicating where they came from. By 2 p.m., names were already filled in across New York, Maine, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Indiana, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Canada and New Mexico. Two sisters on the ride came from Australia.
Jim Murray of Santa Clara, Calif. points to his home town on a map set up in the Tourism Booth at Wise Intermediate School for cyclists to sign. This is his first time on the Cycle the Erie Canal ride.
The map was an idea of Borchet’s, who said she saw it at a tourism event in Wayne County.
“It makes a good impact statement,” Borchet said. “I took it last year to a legislative meeting, and until you have the visual, you don’t realize the impact to our area.”
There are cyclists from 37 states will travel 40-60 miles per day this week, visiting historic towns along the Erie Canalway Trail. The trip started in Buffalo this morning and ends in Albany on July 14.
The trip on Monday will include rest stops in Albion, Holley, Brockport and Spencerport for the day’s riding ends in Fairport.
The grounds surrounding Wise Intermediate School are a sea of tents all set up for the 50 cyclists and 100 volunteers who will spend the night there on their 400-mile ride from Buffalo to Albany on the Erie Canal trail.
For some riders, this was their first attempt, while others have done it multiple times.
Jim Murray of Santa Clara, Calif. is one of the first-timers. While he was in college, he worked in Niagara Falls, so he was excited to be back in the area. He said he waited until he was retired, because it took a lot of time bike riding in preparation.
This was the 14th year in the event for Jim Englert of Wayne, Steuben County who is a volunteer. This meant he rides every other day and helps load and unload gear and luggage on the trucks accompanying the riders the other days.
Christa and Dean Berry from Washington, D.C. are on their third bike ride. They enjoy seeing the locks in Lockport and were looking forward to having “Utica pies,” a name given a special pizza in the city of Utica.
“This is such beautiful country,” Dean said. “There is so much more to New York than New York City.”
Peter Ashley from Titusville, Pa., Trish Zdep of Buffalo, formerly of Elba, and Joe Kaufman from Eau Claire, Wis. relax by their tents before heading to State Street Park for a concert featuring bluegrass music by Creek Bend.
Peter Ashley from Titusville, Pa. was riding with Trish Zdep of Buffalo, formerly of Elba, and Joe Kaufman from Eau Claire, Wis. This was their third year volunteering and riding every other day.
Zdep’s favorite thing is all the little towns along the way. In Medina she was especially impressed with the architecture and the stone buildings.
“This is a great way to see New York, that isn’t New York City,” Kaufman said. “You meet new people. I saw a guy I first met three years ago.”
He praised the reception given the cyclists in Medina.
“Dinner was fantastic and we loved the cherries,” Kaufman said. “There are a lot of first-timers this year, including a guy from Germany.”
Craig Cashman from Watertown is on the Cycle the Erie Canal ride for the first time, with four friends. This is his first time in Medina.
Craig Cashman of Watertown said he had always wanted to do this ride and convinced four friends to do it with him this year.
“This is so well organized,” he said. “We are impressed at how they cater to everything you need. “This is my first time in Medina and we rode around downtown. We were amazed at the beautiful churches. I also enjoy the music.”
Medina Tourism Committee, chaired by Jim Hancock, sponsored a bus to take cyclists around town and back on a regular schedule all afternoon. Stops included the Medina Railroad Museum, Sandstone Hall of Fame, the Visitor’s Center and Canal Basin.
The 400-mile ride from Buffalo to Albany encompasses eight days and is sponsored by Parks and Trails New York.
A stream of cyclists pedal across the railroad tracks on Gwinn Street about 1:45 p.m. Sunday en route to Wise Intermediate School, where Tent City was set up for the 550 riders and 100 volunteers on the Cycle the Erie Canal ride.
Jim Englert of Wayne reaches for a handful of sweet cherries at the Tourism Booth, while volunteers Kelly Kiebala, left, and Orleans County tourism director Dawn Borchet look on.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 July 2024 at 8:27 am
Photo from Medina Fire Department: Medina firefighters responded to a fire at West Avenue last night. The fire was limited to a car and the exterior of the house.
Press Release, Medina Fire Department
MEDINA – At 1:15 this morning, the Village of Medina firefighters were dispatched to a smoke detector activation/issue in the Village.
While en route to that address, dispatchers advised Engine 11 that they were currently taking a call for a house fire in the area of 1000 West Ave. The Shelby and Albion Fire Departments were then dispatched as well.
Engine 11 immediately responded and arrived in less than 90 seconds to find a car behind the residence burning that had extended to the house. Engine 11’s crew split up and simultaneously extinguished the fire to both the car and the house while searching the structure for residents and fire.
All residents in the nearby apartments had exited prior to fire department arrival, and fire damage was limited to the exterior. The Shelby Fire Department was then rerouted to the initial call and found a defective smoke detector at that location.
Thanks to our dispatchers, Medina Police, Orleans County Fire Coordinator and the Shelby Fire Department for all their assistance tonight.
The cause of the car fire remains under investigation at this time by members of the Medina Fire Investigation Unit. There were no injuries to firefighters and civilians at this scene.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 June 2024 at 1:55 pm
Provided photo: This is a view of one of the air-conditioned dining cars in which passengers will ride during the Medina Railroad Museum’s first Murder Mystery Train on July 13.
MEDINA – The Medina Railroad Museum, which draws thousands of visitors for the Day Out with Thomas and the Polar Express, will offer an entirely different kind of event on July 13.
The museum offer two train rides that day, an Early Bird Express with breakfast and the museum’s first ever Murder Mystery Train at 1 p.m.
Murder at the Museum will be presented by WNY Improv, a group of eclectic and talented performers all across Western New York. They offer one-of-a-kind mystery shows catered specifically to each group and venue.
Riders on first-class, air-conditioned coaches will get to play detective as they uncover clues, interrogate suspects and solve a crime that unfolds before their eyes.
WNY Improv advertises the event as “the ultimate whodunit interactive experience aboard a train.” Everyone is a suspect, they boast.
As the story unfolds, the museum curator wakes to find their most valued piece of train memorabilia missing, and the night watchman dead at the scene.
This is the Medina Railroad Museum’s first time sponsoring a murder mystery train. Only 140 tickets will be sold.
Two rides will be available that day – an Early Bird Express, departing at 10 a.m., and the afternoon Murder Mystery Train, departing at 1 p.m.
Tickets for the early run are $42 and include a continental breakfast of coffee, tea or orange juice, Danish, muffin and fruit cup, in addition to a keepsake Medina Railroad Museum mug.
Tickets for the 1 p.m. Murder Mystery adventure are $65 per person and feature a lunch of ham or turkey sandwich with provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato on a kaiser roll with macaroni salad; or a garden salad with cheese and egg and Italian dressing. Both are served with a bag of chips and a choice of cold beverage with a Medina Railroad keepsake insulated lunch bag.
No outside food or drinks are allowed on the train.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the museum at 530 West Ave. one hour prior to departure to pick up their tickets at the box office. Boarding will begin 15 minutes before departure.
Tickets also include the two-hour train ride to Lockport and admission to the Medina Railroad Museum. Ticket sales will stop July 6 to get food orders to the caterer.
The event will go on, rain or shine. The number to order tickets is (585) 798-6106.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 June 2024 at 5:28 pm
Top juniors complete arduous task, creating 56-foot-long chain of flowers
Photos courtesy of Kayla Rosenbeck
MEDINA – The top 16 girls ranked academically in the junior class and the top two boys finished the 56-foot-long Daisy Chain this afternoon. The graduation tradition goes back more than a century in Medina.
Students worked on assembling the daisy chain today in the cafeteria of the high school. The students will bring in the Daisy Chain to lead off commencement at 7 p.m. later today at Vets Park.
Photos courtesy of Karen Jones
(Left) Madelyn Lewis, Lily Maynard and Mackenzie Alvarez were out Thursday morning getting their daisies. (Right) From left include Adreanna McMurray, Gisella Garcia with help from her sister, Isabella on the right.
Mackenzie McGrath gets some assistance with the daisy collection from her sister Emma.
MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery are proud to announce that we will be partnering with Atlas Preservation as part of their 48 States Tour: Saving America’s Graveyards.
