Loud situations can be handled with disorderly conduct law

MEDINA – The Village Board has decided against pursuing a new local ordinance for noise, saying the issue can best be resolved with discretion of police officers who could instead issue disorderly conduct tickets.

Otherwise the village police should have sound meters to measure decibel levels, and would lose some subjectivity in assessing the situations.

Village Trustee Mark Prawel, a retired Medina police officer, said he faced noise complaints as an officer. He typically handled them with disorderly conduct charges if he felt a ticket was warranted. There is already a state law for noise levels in neighborhoods.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman said a local law could “open up a can of worms” with unintended consequences, such as putting the marching band and fireworks displays in a threshold where tickets could be issued.

Trustee Jess Marciano was looking into a noise ordinance. She said some clear parameters would provide clarification on a sometimes murky situation. But she said she respects the feelings of the board members.

Prawel said a local noise ordinance would be a hinderance for the police officers.

“The go-to (in these situations) is the disorderly conduct law,” he said.

Aug. 20 meeting focused on Fire Department to be rescheduled

Medina Mayor Marguerite, left, and Village Trustee Debbie Padoleski disagree on which steps are needed for the Medina Fire Department.

MEDINA – Village Trustee Debbie Padoleski aired out her frustrations with the ongoing saga on how the village will house a new ladder truck, due to arrive in December in a fire hall that is too small.

“We’re not all on the same page,” Padoleski said during Monday’s board meeting. “I’m going in different directions and you’re going in different directions and nothing is getting done.”

Mayor Marguerite Sherman said she has been putting in many hours trying to secure more money for the village and keep the projects moving. The board voted last month to pursue a $1 million state grant to help with the costs of an addition. Padoleski opposed it saying the grant still leaves the village to pick up some of the costs.

“We have a fully operational fire department that needs equipment to run,” Sherman said. “Right now we have to move forward and equip our firefighters with what they need.”

The board back on June 26, 2023 voted to accept the bid for $1,698,995 from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc. to build the new fire truck with a 100-foot-long ladder.

That truck would be too big to fit in the existing fire hall. The current truck from 1996 only has a couple inches of clearance in entering and leaving the fire hall. The truck is 10 feet, 4 inches high in a truck bay with 10 feet,, 6 inches of clearance. The new ladder truck will be 13 feet high. A new hall addition is eyed to have clearance up to 14 feet.

The board voted to go ahead because the 2 ½ year wait for the truck to be ready gave them time to get an addition built for the new truck. Village officials expected the addition to have a much shorter turnaround than the fire truck, where manufacturers have lengthy waits.

Medina was planning on a $4.5 million project that would add two bays with a  fire hall addition and also fix many problems in the existing building. But the estimates ended up topping $6 million.

The board scaled it back to just a one-bay addition at just over $1 million.

But Padoleski, who was elected in March 2024, thinks the one-bay addition may be the wrong approach. She has tried to get the board to rescind the fire truck purchase and rethink the entire project.

“This has been mishandled from the very beginning,” Padoleski said. “I’ve been trying to get you out of this mess. You just don’t trust me. You don’t trust my judgement.”

The board was planning an Aug. 20 meeting to go over the project with its engineer and financial consultant, but Padoleski said she wasn’t pushing for more details on the fire truck and addition. She is questioning the overall costs on the village, and making that commitment on new debt for 20 more years. That Aug. 20 meeting will be rescheduled in the near future so the board can try to pinpoint its next steps.

Padoleski is retired as the village clerk/treasurer. She has long expressed the need for more revenue for the village to fund its services so the village residents and businesses aren’t bearing so much of the cost, especially with Medina personnel often going outside the village.

Mayor Sherman said the fire truck is coming and is needed. She is trying to find a spot to house the truck temporarily while the board plots its next steps with an addition at the fire hall.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina ladder truck from 1996 is shown in March 2023 when the fire department had an open house showing the tight quarters at the fire hall, especially for the ladder truck which only has 2 inches of clearance in pulling in and out of the fire hall. A new truck is due to arrive in December.

Padoleski said she has been wrongly branded as opposing the fire department. She said getting more assistance from the nearby towns and county will help ensure its survival with paid staff. She also said the department may need to pare down expenses.

Trustee Jess Marciano said the board members are all working for the best in the community, but the village is facing a difficult challenge in providing services to the community. Those costs are going up but the village doesn’t have more revenues coming in.

“If the surrounding municipalities would contribute more, it wouldn’t be an issue,” she said. “The goal is to maintain the service without breaking the back of the village.”

Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates each give $35,000 towards Medina’s full-time ambulance service.

Padoleski said the Medina firefighters often are going outside of western Orleans with recent calls in Wolcottsville and Lockport.

The mayor noted Orleans County is in the midst of a study on how to best provide EMS and fire protection in the county, looking at the current situation and trying to anticipate the future. She would like to wait and see the recommendations from the study before talking about changes with the Medina Fire Department.

Padoleski said the needs are already known: more revenue for the village if it’s going to continue as a career fire department.

“People appreciate our fire department but they need to put their money where their mouth is,” she said.

Marciano said the village officials need to communicate with the nearby towns and county about the need for more help with funding, especially now that the towns and county are starting their budget process for 2026. The village could use a boost in the local sales tax revenues. The County Legislature hasn’t increased the share to towns and villages since 2001 – 24 years ago.

Padoleski said she fully supports working to get more funding for village services.

“It sounds wonderful,” she said. “I’m all for it.”

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board hired two full-time firefighters on Monday while accepting the resignation of another firefighter.

The two additions and one departure will bring staffing up to 16 full-time. That fills all of the positions except for a vacant fire chief spot. The department was at 21 – fire chief plus 20 other firefighters – until the department was reduced by four full-time employees during the recent budget process.

The new additions include David Pilecki of North Tonawanda, an EMS lieutenant with the Shawnee Volunteer Fire Company in Sanborn, and Frank Golojuch, who has five years’ experience as a firefighter and with EMS at Kodak Fire Department and Seabreeze Fire Department.

The board accepted the resignation of Nick Lee, effective Sept. 28.

Board members said they are concerned the fire department is already halfway through its budget for overtime, and that’s only after about two months of the village fiscal year.

Board members asked Lt. Steve Cooley for detailed reports on overtime due to fire and EMS calls, and also for providing community outreach through public events and fire prevention.

Trustee Debbie Padoleski would like to see the requests for community events, but she said she doesn’t want the board to be “micro-managing” the department.

“I don’t want to say no to everything but I don’t want to say yes to everything, either,” she said about the requests for firefighters to do fire prevention and attend other events.

The Medina fire chief would typically manage those requests for firefighters. Mayor Marguerite Sherman and the board said future budgets should have a line item for overtime for firefighters to do fire prevention and be at other events.

Cooley said the department is applying for a fire prevention grant that could help cover staff time for working with students and other community members on prevention.

Trustee Mark Prawel suggested volunteer firefighters could be part of the fire prevention and community outreach effort as well.

Rollin Hellner proposes to make 40-foot yacht available as Airbnb

Photo courtesy of Rollin Hellner: The owner of this 40-foot-long boat would like to make it available in Medina’s Canal Basin as a short-term rental for overnight stays.

MEDINA – Two weeks after approving a lease to allow a boat as an overnight rental in the Canal Basin, the Medina Village Board has received a new request in a similar arrangement.

Rollin Hellner wants to make a 40-foot-long yacht available as an Airbnb for short-term rentals. Hellner asked that the board agree to a lease that matches the one approved July 28 for Erie Floatel, LLC of Medina.

Erie Floatel can use of the floating dock on south end of the canal for $220 for the season, plus another $100 for electric and water consumption. Erie Floatel will be operated by Andrew Meier and Svein Lilleby. The lease runs from Memorial Day to Oct. 31, 2025. The Erie Floatel boat is 24 feet long.

The Village Board on Monday said it wants more time to consider the lease arrangement. Hellner asked that his boat be allowed in the Basin near the former NAPA building. But Mayor Marguerite Sherman said a large barge will be coming there soon as part of the Medina Triennial art initiative for 2026. She said other vessels also use the basin and she doesn’t want to see the basin get maxed out.

Medina may need to add more docks in the future, she said.

The board said Hellner’s boat would be better sited further east along Manilla Place, in an area close to the back of the Captain Kidz restaurant. That area is underutilized right now by boats. Hellner said that would work fine for his boat.

The board wants more time to consider the lease agreement and also reach out to the Canal Corp. for guidance in the matter. Sherman said the entrepreneurial interest is welcome at the Canal Basin. She just wants to make sure there is balance for other boaters and users.

She said the Village Board is working hard to accommodate the proposals and initiatives that will bring more vitality and economic activity to the village.

She said some people complained to the Canal Corp. about how the board handled the lease arrangement with the Erie Floatel, which the mayor said put a “black eye” on Medina with the Canal Corp.

“Moving forward I hope we can all be more supportive of each other,” she said.

Rollin’s Hellner’s father, Brian Hellner, runs the North Star Cruises business, offering boat rides in the canal. He shared concerns in village meetings about Erie Floatel, saying the boat should be inspected for safety before being made available to the public. Hellner told the board in recent meetings he didn;t think Medina had treated him fairly. He cited the village offering utilities to Erie Floatel and not to his business. The board has since said North Star could have access to utilities, too.

Brian Hellner said he doesn’t have any role with his son’s business proposal with the house boat.

Rollin Hellner said there is room for everyone to succeed in the basin. He said his boat will cater to a different market than the Erie Floatel. Hellner has a bigger, more luxurious boat that will accommodate more people and charge a higher price.

“There’s a lot of people who want to come to Medina,” Hellner told the board during Medina’s meeting. “It would be nice for Medina to have a yacht there. It’s different. It’s something new.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Thursday evening shows several boats tied up along the wall at Medina’s Canal Basin.

Thurman Brothers played music from Allman Brothers at State Street Park

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Thurman Brothers, a band from Niagara Falls, played to a crowd of 1,200 people in the Blue Thursdays finale for 2025.

The Print Shop and Orleans Renaissance Group have teamed up to organize the concerts since their debut in 2022. The lineup includes eight bands, some of the top blues performers in the Rochester and Buffalo region.

The concerts draw big crowds to State Street Park on Thursday evenings.

This trio is the driving force behind the concert series. Pictured from left include Micheal Fuller of The Print Shop, Chris Busch of the Orleans Renaissance Group, and Dameon Heslor of The Print Shop.

Busch books the bands, and he said many of the top performers in the region reach out to ORG to be in the series.

“Not only has this series become established in Medina, but it has become established in the Western New York blues community,” Busch said.

It was about a year ago when Ken Daluisio, owner of the Print Shop in Medina, died unexpectedly. Daluisio helped promote and run the concerts.

Fuller and Heslor are the owners of The Print Shop and they have continued Daluisio’s passion of the concert series. The Print Shop put up 1,500 signs within a 25-mile radius of Medina, promoting the concerts. They also sell Blue Thursdays merchandise and run raffles to help promote the series.

Fuller said they have also hired a professional sound person for the concerts which has helped the music resonate deeper into the sprawling crowd.

Fuller said there is a shortage of parking for the event. The park fills up by 5:45 p.m., before the start of the concerts at 6 p.m. A shuttle service could help with that issue, he said.

The concerts typically bring in 600 to 800 people, but Thursday’s finale had about 1,200.

The band had some of the people up on their feet and dancing.

About a dozen vendors sell food and merchandise at the concerts, including Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza.

Most of the concert-goers bring their own lawn chairs and listen the music on the lawn at the park.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Residents of The Willows and their families enjoyed a picnic supper on Monday evening with a bounce house and ice cream truck, visible in the rear.

MEDINA – Residents and their invited guests enjoyed a picnic Monday night with a bounce house for young visitors, an ice cream truck, special bicycle rides and musical entertainment.

More than 100 RSVPs were received for the event, said administrator Jacquie Morgante. That is double last year’s attendance, she said.

Personal care aide Mary Ellen Donovan bends down to hug resident Joan Roberts at the Monday night picnic.

The 17 residents were allowed to invite family and friends, who enjoyed a buffet supper of chicken barbecue by Chiavetta’s, and  baked beans and cheesy potatoes prepared by The Willows cook, Mary Schaal.

“Mary has been our head cook for more than a decade,” said Jordan Banaszak, administrative assistant. “Before that she worked in catering. She is an amazing cook and we are lucky to have her.”

A food truck was also on site, providing ice cream for dessert.

A bounce house was set up to entertain the younger visitors, while the adults were treated to bicycle rides by Susan Walders of Albion, who leads Cycling Without Age in Orleans County. She started the organization more than a year ago, and it is a popular attraction at senior events. Her special bicycle seats two, while she pedals from behind.

The first picnic was organized last year by Morgante.

“She has great ideas,” Banaszak said. “It was a hit last year, so we were excited to do it again this year, amped up with more activities for the kids and the ice cream truck. We had double the turnout from last year, so that was amazing. The Willows family is growing. Our residents have been looking forward to it all summer and they all have said how lovely it was. Even a couple of resident’s family members we’ve seen since the picnic commented how fun it was. And everyone loved the music and the dancing.”

Mary Lou Blount has been a resident for three months. Her husband Bob and daughters Roberta “Gilly” Keirn and Shawna Baldwin also joined her for the picnic.  Baldwin said her mother is happy that they always have a lot of activities going on. Mary Lou likes the old-fashioned religious services with the old-time hymns, Baldwin said.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by Brian Beaudry of Nerds Gone Wild, who sang and played guitar.

Residents and guests also enjoyed lemonade and iced tea.

“We will continue to do the picnic annually and look forward to seeing it grow each year,” Banaszak said. “Our residents truly are our family, so having a family picnic just made sense.”

Bob Matthews and Joan Roberts, residents of The Willows, get a ride in a special bicycle pedaled by Susan Walders of Albion.

Mary Lou Blount, right, with her husband Bob is joined at The Willows’ picnic by her daughters Shawna Baldwin, left, and Roberta “Gilly” Keirn.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina has been awarded a $50,000 state grant to evaluate the current condition of the wastewater treatment plant to replace aging equipment.

The grant for Median was among $20 million in Clean Water grants announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday. The funding comes from two key programs that support clean water initiatives across the state: the Green Innovation Grant Program and Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants.

This funding provides critical support to communities working to affordably modernize water infrastructure, protect public health, and enhance resilience to extreme weather. The awards are announced during National Water Quality Month.

The study of Medina’s sewer plant also will include a report to recommend and prioritize improvements, including resiliency and cyber security enhancements. Implementation of this project will provide further water quality protection measures for Oak Orchard Creek, stated a press release from the governor.

“Every New Yorker deserves access to clean, safe water, and we’re making that happen by investing in smart, affordable infrastructure upgrades,” Governor Hochul said. “From planning to construction, we’re supporting communities every step of the way so families across the state can count on reliable water systems for years to come.”

Close to Orleans County, the City of Lockport in Niagara County was awarded $1.4 million for Phase 2 of a streetscape improvement project that will incorporate green infrastructure to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Erie Canal.

Flotsam performs for 500 in Medina, headed east on Thursday to Brockport

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Flotsam River Circus performed from a ramshackle raft this evening to about 500 people in Medina. Many watched under umbrellas along the bank at the Canal Basin.

Flotsam will be performing at Erie Canal towns as part of the bicentennial celebration of the canal. The troupe of eight performers also will be performing at Hudson River communities in New York City as part of its tour which started Aug. 1-3 in Buffalo and ends in NYC on Sept. 14. On Thursday the group performs in Brockport at 6:30 p.m. at Harvester Park along the canal. Click here to see the full schedule.

Camille Swift, a Chicago-based circus artist, is among the performers for Flotsam.

Jason Webley (right), a musician based outside of Seattle, leads Flotsam. He performed today while wearing a fish costume.

“It’s a hard time for humans and a glorious time to be an invasive mutant fish,” he told the audience.

The floating circus started in 2019 and has performed in 13 states and traveled over 2,000 river miles. Last year Flotsam traveled the entire Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Paducah.

Webley said the group embraces being different.

“I think there should be more weird, amazing stuff in the world,” he said.

The troupe members this year include performers skilled as gymnasts, puppeteers, balance artists, hair suspension and aerial hoop, juggling, clowning, sword swallowing and playing music.

Webley played the accordion while singing and proclaiming during the show. Other members played the fiddle and trombone.

“Don’t eat the fish. All it takes is one bite for it to be a real long night,” Wembley told the audience.

Flotsam drew a big crowd to the Canal Basin to see an unusual performance from a floating circus. The show was slightly delayed and curtailed by the rain.

Danila Bim impressed the crowd with her fast spinning while suspended by her hair.

Some of the troupe members walked the plank and interacted with the crowd during the performance.

Photos by Natalie Baron: Caspian Villegas of Medina high-fives the Safety Pup during National Night Out on Tuesday evening in Medina.

By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern

MEDINA – On Tuesday, Medina hosted National Night Out for the third time. At NNO, visitors were encouraged to meet law enforcement, first responders and representatives from community organizations. Several hundred people attended the event at Clifford Wise Intermediate School on Gwinn Street.

Sidney from Medina poses with an emptied food trailer. He was one of the Boy Scouts, along with volunteers, who served hot dogs, chips, and water bottles to residents for free.

The dunk tank was, once again, a slam dunk with guests of all ages.

Law enforcement officers take off for Battle of the Belts. Participants entered a vehicle, buckled seat belts and threw their hands onto the car’s ceiling to indicate they had finished. They did so a couple of times, switching seats. Due to law enforcement’s hefty vests, they scored 5th with a time of 52.54. In 4th place was team Fire Red at 52.34, in 3rd was Froot Loops at 46.79, in 2nd was first responders, Ridgeway Water Rats, at 43.62, and in 1st was National Night Out volunteers at 43.07.

Braxton Hart, 5, of Medina hoses down fires in a prop building with some help from a Medina firefighter.

The County of Orleans Department of Mental Health brought free snacks and a fishing game to NNO. Pictured, from left: Patricia Urquhart, Melinda Rhim, Patrice Beadle, and Director of Mental Health Danielle Figura.

Melinda Rhim cheers on Audrey Pierce while she catches a fish. Noa Pierce watches the exchange. Medina Mental Health’s fish had positive words on them, including Happy, Excited, Smart, Love, Kind, and Brave.

Evelyn Strickland, 7, of Medina gets her face painted at the Pathstone stand. Face painting was open to all ages.

Cassandra Kinne smiles as she has her caricature done by Murray Mann.

The stand of the Medina Railroad Museum featured a game called Boxcar Brainiacs. Participants answered historical or strange train-related questions and threw balls into cups. Winners received water bottles. Renee Hemby, the events coordinator at the Medina Railroad Museum, ran the event for the museum.

One Church members pose with their stand. Their Vacation Bible school will be open to pre-k through grade 5 and will run from August 11-13 from 6-8:30 p.m.

Patrick Holman, a magician, performs a ball trick and other magical acts.

MJ Roman, 4, rides his bike as Alyssa Andrews, 9, cheers him on. Medina PD set up the bicycle rodeo again this year, allowing kids to test their bike skills.

Zach Blount wipes water away after being dunked in by Charlotte Pierce.

Brandi Zavitz has worked since late May on 32-foot-long mural at Medina Dog Park

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A 32-foot-long mural at the Medina Dog Park features many of the community’s beloved dogs, showing them doing some of their favorite activities – playing with tennis balls, relaxing at the beach, playing catch and eating ice cream.

Brandi Zavitz has given these dogs lots of personality. A dog that was viewed as a strong protector is depicted wearing a sheriff’s hat. Another dog that loved the spoiled life is shown as a princess with a crown and a royal robe.

Zavitz has created an impressive scene with this mural. Many of the park’s users are moved to tears when they see their dogs.

“It is absolutely amazing,” said Cindy Davis, leader of the Medina Dog Park.

There will be a public reception in the near future for the finished mural.

Davis and Zavitz wanted a mural to enliven the park. They were talking about it last year. Some of the dogs that were regulars at the park had passed away since it opened in September 2020.

Zavitz is a retired art teacher who has painted murals in the community. She envisioned a mural where she would paint some of those dogs, giving them angel wings. Zavitz has long painted portraits of dogs and she wanted show their personalities and activities they enjoy. She gave them superhero capes, tutu dresses, a Buffalo Bills jersey and other features to show their character. One dog enjoy sailboat rides so Zavitz painted a sailboat on the mural.

The mural was initially planned to be 24 feet long and would include 50 dogs. For $100, Zavitz would paint a beloved pet with the proceeds going to the Medina Dog Park.

But there was a big response from the community. Zavitz added another 8-foot-section. Her nearly finished artwork includes 69 dogs, 3 cats and an ox.

Zavitz included Orly the Ox in the upper left corner to show the mural was done in 2025, the year of the county’s bicentennial. Orly has been the county’s ambassador the past year, helping to promote the bicentennial of Orleans County. He is shown in front of a sandstone building. Zavitz wanted to recognize the community’s Medina Sandstone heritage.

Zavitz and the Dog Park received a $5,000 grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) towards the project.

Kye, Medina’s K9 for nine years, is shown with his super hero cape. He passed away from bone cancer in February 2022. Kye was an 11 year old Belgian Malinois that served the Medina PD from 2012 to 2021. Todd Draper served as Kye’s handler. After the dog retired about a year ago it continued to stay with Draper’s family.

The Medina Dog Park opened in September 2020 at a fenced-in area on North Gravel Road, next to the village’s former compost plant, just south of Boxwood Cemetery.

Zavitz painted the branches in the shape of the heart. She said many people love their dogs as cherished family members and the dogs love them back with a deep devotion.

Zavitz is adding some fairies to the mural in one of the finishing touches of the large painting.

The mural may be extended in future years to accommodate the demand, Zavitz and Davis said. There were about 30 others who wanted their dog on the mural and Davis said more will likely want to be included after seeing Zavitz’s creativity and care in honoring these beloved pets.

‘For months now the administration has put the Iroquois Job Corps Center in limbo. For the people who work here, for the people who train here, each day might be their last. That’s no way to live. That’s no way to do a job.’ – Sen. Schumer

Photos by Tom Rivers: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer was in Medina this morning outside Brunner to show his support for the Iroquois Job Corps Center, one of 99 that was targeted for closure by the U.S. Department of Labor. A federal judge has issued an injunction to keep the program going while the case is heard in court.

MEDINA – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer was in Medina this morning to state his strong support for keeping the Iroquois Job Corps open as well as others targeted for closure by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Schumer said the Iroquois site for about a half century has provided critical job and life skills to at-risk students.

“For months now the administration has put the Iroquois Job Corps Center in limbo,” Schumer said before a crowd of Job Corps supporters at Brunner. “For the people who work there, for the people who train there, each day might be their last. That’s no way to live. That’s no way to do a job.”

Schumer said there is bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate to keep Job Corps funded into the future. The program is currently funded until Sept. 30 but a budget bill advanced by the Trump administration doesn’t include money for Job Corps. Schumer said the Senate will include funds for Job Corps, but the House of Representatives needs to hear from communities that back the continued funding for the program.

“We’re all here with one single message: We want to save the Iroquois Job Corps Center,” Schumer said. “We got to save it if we want our young people to have a future. We don’t want them to have a handout. We want them to have a future. They should know if they work hard and learn a skill they can get a good-paying job to support a family and be proud parents and proud spouses. That’s what this center has done for so long.”

Brunner hosted Schumer’s press conference because the company has a longstanding relationship with Job Corps. The center has directed many high-quality employees to runner and other local companies, said Eric Bauer, general manager for Brunner in Medina. The company on Bates Road manufactures brake systems for tractor trailers.

“The program has proven to be a reliable pipeline for well-qualified individuals who support Brunner’s ongoing success,” Bauer said about the Job Corps.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson speaks in support of the Iroquois Job Corps Center. She said the program has an $8.9 million direct impact on the local economy. She noted the National Association of Counties made keeping the Job Corps program open one of the association’s top priorities during its conference last month. “It’s no secret that we consider the Iroquois Job Corps center in Medina hugely important to creating pathways to employment for many young men and women,” Johnson said.

Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on May 29 that 99 privately run Job Corps centers would go on “pause” due to what she said were low graduation rates and high incidents of violence. She said Job Corps is not cost-effective. She set June 30 as the date for the centers to close, with students to be sent home earlier on June 6.

But U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said the Department of Labor can’t dismantle a program that Congress established and set aside funding to run. A preliminary injunction nationally will allow the centers to stay open while litigation continues.

The Job Corps program was founded in 1964 to help teenagers and young adults who struggled to finish traditional high school and find jobs. The program provides tuition-free housing at residential centers, training, meals and health care.

Schumer said he is optimistic Job Corps will win in court. He said ending the program in the middle of the year “is wrong and probably illegal.”

The Iroquois site has 100 employees with a capacity to serve 225 students. But right now only 46 students are on site. Iroquois needs the DOL to do students’ background checks so students can return to the centers.

Pictured from left: Eric Seppala, center director of the Iroquois Job Corps; graduate Kevon Parson; U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer; and Lindzey Clark, a 2022 Job Corps graduate.

A recent Job Corps graduate spoke about the program’s impact in his life. Kevon Parson, 24, graduated four years ago. He has completed his apprenticeship as a mason and is now a journeyman working for a Buffalo contractor.

Parson said the program strengthened him in more ways than just learning a trade. He was the student government president while at Job Corps. He said the staff pour their hearts into the student body, helping to equip them from when they graduated.

“The employees aren’t there for a check,” he said. “They love the students. When they look at you, you aren’t a bar code on your forehead. You’re a human.”

Lindzey Clark, a 2022 graduate of Job Corps, completed  a program as a certified clinical medical assistant. When she graduated, she worked a job at the Rite Aid in Batavia. Now she is back in school at Niagara County Community College studying psychology with a goal to become a therapist.

Clark said Job Corps is critical for many of students who come to the center in challenging life circumstances.

Many of the students earn their driver’s licenses, and learn other life skills for the next steps of their lives, she said.

“They completely set you up for more than a trade,” Clark said.

Rollin Hellner said Job Corps graduates have been hard-working employees for his business that tackles many redevelopment projects in the region.

Rollin Hellner, owner and president of Hellner Development Company, said he has hired more than a dozen graduates from Job Corps who work in carpentry, masonry and other construction skills.

Those Job Corps graduates bring an eagerness to learn skills and work on projects, Hellner said.

“It’s important to bring the next generation into a career path,” he said.

Job Corps, he said, “is an investment in education, people and our future.”

Jennifer Hill-Young, representing the Medina Rotary Club, said Job Corps students have helped local service clubs put on many of their events and fundraisers. Students also made Buddy Benches for local parks, birdfeeders at a local nursing home and Adirondack chairs for public spaces in the community.

“Their students not only learn valuable trades – they put those skills to work by giving back to their community,” Hill-Young said. “What truly sets them apart is the pride and heart they bring to every project. The Rotary Club of Medina is incredibly grateful for Iroquois Job Corps’ partnership.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Village of Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman stands with Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, and State Senator Rob Ortt at the unveiling Monday of an interpretive panel detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad. Hawley and Ortt funded the panel, which stands by the historic sign for Frederick Douglass in front of Main Street TV and Appliance.

MEDINA – A new piece of history was unveiled in Medina on Monday afternoon, with the dedication of an interpretive panel detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad.

“Medina residents have long been intrigued about their community’s contribution to the Underground Railroad,” said Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group, whose efforts resulted in installation of the panel. “There are many examples of local lore and legend regarding area homes with odd architectural features, that were rumored to have been used to help escaped slaves – but none of these stories were substantiated. For myself, a former village historian and Social Studies teacher, this has always been a topic of great interest. That’s why a letter in the New York Daily Tribune on June 29, 1854 is so important. It confirms without a doubt that Medina’s citizens played a role.”

The new panel is next to a historical marker unveiled in 2015 that noted famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave two speeches in Medina.

The article mentions a chattel who arrived by Underground Railway in the village of Medina, N.Y. from Richmond, Va. The article tells of his destitute condition and how he sat in the home of a friend.

It continues to read, “And while darkness still held the portals of the East on sabbath morn, he set out, accompanied with a friend, for his prospective home in Canada, where we rejoice to know, he safely arrived on Sunday evening.”

The panel explains, “All over the North the news was the same. A fugitive slave reached Medina, N.Y.; the people hid him, supplied him with money and hurried him into Canada. The NY Tribune letter enumerates the details of a fugitive slave who arrived in Medina and was assisted to freedom by organized locals via the “Underground Railway.” Where this safe house was or to whom it belonged remains a mystery along with any other names or locations. Nonetheless, this singular piece of historic information confirms local lore and clearly shines a light on Medina’s efforts in assisting fugitive slaves to find freedom.”

Also documented on the panel are Medina’s connection to “Free Soldiers” and the “Free Soil Party,” Frederick Douglass’ speeches in Medina and Medina attorney Silas Mainville Burroughs Sr.’s efforts against slavery.

The Underground Railroad panel is the 14th in a series which was debuted with 11 panels being installed throughout the village in 2014. Each was made possible through generous donations of sponsorship, Busch said. Two more panels were added last year, one telling the story of the British field gun and World War I memorial in State Street Park and one chronicling the contributions of the Burroughs family, also in State Street Park.

The marker in recognition of two speeches delivered in the Medina community by Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist, were unveiled in April 2015 by ORG, also through generous donations from the community.

With Busch’s discovery of the letter in the New York Tribune, Medina has recently been designated as a municipality along the New York Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway by the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State.

Busch quotes information from the Consortium’s website in which they highlighted the Douglass historical marker on Main Street in Medina, and says, “However, there is significantly more to the story of Medina’s contribution to the Underground Railroad and the cause of abolition.”

Chris Busch, left, president of Orleans Renaissance Group, talks with Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Assemblyman Steve Hawley while waiting to dedicate in interpretive panel with Senator Rob Ortt, detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad. Busch was instrumental in efforts to create the panel and obtain funding from the legislators.

The website explains how Busch, while researching another project in 2017, noticed a reference to Medina and the Underground Railroad quoted in a multi-volume history of the Civil War by Allan Nevins, entitled The Ordeal of the Nation.  It revealed a footnote for the reference, noting the letter published in the New York Tribune.

By locating the letter in the Tribune, Busch uncovered the first known published testimonial by a resident of Medina regarding the community’s role in the Underground Railroad.

“This was a really cool discovery,” Busch said Monday.

He contacted State Senator Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley, asking if they could help with funding the 14th interpretive panel documenting Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad.

“My grandparents’ home in Warsaw was part of the Underground Railroad,” Hawley said. “I jumped at the chance to talk about it. My family has a history of supporting freedom.”

The new interpretive panel is the 14th in Medina about local history.

“When Busch contacted me and asked if we had the ability to help, I thought it was a worthy thing,” Ortt said. “For the amount of $1,000, split 50/50, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Steve and I both looked at it and wanted to help make it happen. I am well versed in the role other parts of my district played,” he added, citing Niagara Falls and the Underground Railroad Museum.

“There is an uptick of people coming here to Medina and they should know about things like this,” Ortt said. “It’s important to show them your history. I’m standing here where Frederick Douglass made a speech, and that’s a great thing.”

“Medina should be proud of what they have here,” Hawley said. “When I first got elected, I came to Medina. You have the opera house and fine restaurants. What you see in Medina is the envy of a lot of other counties.”

“The secret is we all work together and that’s important,” said Mayor Marguerite Sherman.

Ortt said a lot of villages along the canal maintained their old integrity.

“Medina said ‘no’ to urban renewal, and look at it now,” he said. “This is what people want.”

Looking up and down at Medina’s historic Main Street, Ortt said, “You couldn’t rebuild this in a million years.”

“This was all due to Chris,” Sherman said, pointing to the new panel, which he researched and designed.

Busch added his thanks to Jason Watts, superintendent of the Medina DPW and the DPW staff which did the installation, and the Print Shop, which fabricated the sign base and panel.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina is accepting applications for police chief with the impending retirement of Todd Draper from the position.

Draper’s retirement will become effective Aug. 30. He has served as police chief since June 12, 2023.

Draper has worked for Medina for 21 years, including 8 ½ years as a K9 handler until Kye, a Belgian Malinois, retired in November 2020.

Resumes and cover letters can be emailed to Mayor Marguerite Sherman at msherman@villagemedina.gov or dropped off in person at 119 Park Ave., Medina, NY 14103.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Jonah Fisher, 5, of Albion high fives Sparky the Fire Dog. Jonah’s dad, Medina firefighter Adam Fisher, wore the costume of the friendly dalmatian during National Night Out in Medina on Aug. 2, 2022. The event returns on Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside the intermediate school.

MEDINA – An event that connects residents with first responders and community organizations returns on Tuesday.

National Night Out will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside the Clifford Wise Intermediate School. The event is free with hot dogs, beverages and many activities.

National Night Out often draws about 700 people. Albion hosted NNO for five years from 2015 to 2019. It was then cancelled due to the Covid pandemic and restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Medina has hosted it annually since 2022.

“There are a lot of activities, and it will be a way for families to meet law enforcement and establish a connection and relationship,” said Diana Fulcomer, a prevention educator with UConnectCare. She is co-chair of the NNO committee with Sherri Bensley, public health educator with GO Health.

There will be a K9 demonstration at 5:45 p.m., the Battle of the Belts competition beginning at 6:30, and many community members in the dunk tank most of the event. The battle of the Belts feature four-person teams alternating as fast as they can to put on seat belts in four different seats in a car.

More than 40 community groups are expected to be at NNO. There will also be a magician, caricaturist and balloon artist.

A committee has been working on planning National Night Out since January. Fulcomer said NNO is a county-wide event. The committee is open to trying another location next year. The group partners with a law enforcement agency to host the event.

MEDINA – Baxter Healthcare will be hosting a community safety day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Baxter parking lot at 711 Park Ave.

There will be free food and beverages, as well as kid-friendly activities.

The Safety Committee at Baxter is an employee-led group who is hosting the event, and this week the facility is focused on both workplace and at home safety, with it all culminating with the community safety day.

The Medina Fire Department, Orleans County Sherif’s Department, and the K9 unit will be at the event doing demonstrations and talks about safety, as well as car seat safety checks.

Someone will be doing car care demonstrations and will be available to answer general car questions. There will be cornhole and water balloons set up, as well as face painting and temporary tattoos, balloon animals, and a coloring station.

There will also be a basket raffle to benefit the fire department.