Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Robby Klino, a member of the Medina Sandstone Society board of directors, on Tuesday presents a $1,000 scholarship check to Aidan Paul, a soon-to-graduate senior at Medina.

Klino is a member of the scholarship committee. Paul wrote an essay and prepared a PowerPoint presentation on the topic, “What is Medina Sandstone?”

Paul will be attending Niagara County Community College to play baseball. He will major in business.

He said researching Medina Sandstone made him feel even more pride being from Medina. The sandstone is used in many remarkable buildings, near and far.

Klino praised Paul for going “above and beyond” in his scholarship application.

The scholarship is named in honor of John Ryan who opened the first Medina sandstone commercial quarry in 1837.

The Sandstone Society has now awarded eight of the $1,000 scholarships for $8,000 total.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The teeter-totter at Gulf Street Park and other playground equipment doesn’t get much use, village officials said.

Village Board members acknowledged at a recent board meeting that the equipment is old and the village’s insurance carrier expressed concerns about the equipment’s condition.

The village is waiting to see the design of a nine-hole disc golf course for Gulf Street Park, in a project funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and led locally by the Orleans County YMCA. That layout will determine if some of the playground equipment will be relocated at Gulf Street Park, or perhaps another park. The village may also declare some of the equipment surplus if it is deemed in too rough of shape.

The “spider” monkey bar is among the older playground apparatus at Gulf Street Park.

Jason Watts, the DPW superintendent, said he would like to see some of the equipment declared surplus, with the village looking for new playground equipment that is more condensed, with less of a footprint.

Mayor Sidari said the village may replace some of the playground at Gulf Street Park.

“Everything is open right now until we get the design of the golf course,” he said.

Another factor is the possibility of new playground equipment north of the canal at a former concrete plant. The state Canal Corp. is working on that project that be include a significant art installation.

The village is also considering playground equipment at the Lions Park by the canal near the lift bridge as part of a $4.5 million Forward New York grant. That grant will mostly go towards economic development and housing initiatives.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Doris Vidal, owner of Serenity Spa & Holistic Center, opened the business on June 2 at 438 West Ave. in Albion. She is shown in a room for massage therapy.

She offers numerous services at the site, from massage, anti-aging treatments with facials and skin care, pain treatments, reflexology, meditation, yoga and holistic life coaching.

“This has been my dream since I was little,” Vidal said. “I want to help take care of people and help them to have less stress.”

Vidal operated a spa in Orlando, Fla. She recently moved to Medina. Her husband, Lionel Heydel, was the head chef at the Harvest Restaurant at Bent’s Opera House. The couple enjoy the local community and decided to buy a house in Medina and open the business in Albion.

They bought the building at 438 West Ave. One of the tenants is Wild Flour Deli & Bakery.

“This is a fresh start for me,” Vidal said. “Here it is so much less stressful. There is so much nature and farming. In Orlando, there is so much traffic. It’s packed.”

Doris Vidal and Lionel Heydel are shown in a room where there will be yoga classes and other group activities, including meditation, painting , candle-making, jewelry-making and crafts.

“This is a center for diverse activities,” Vidal said.

She is already drawing customers from Rochester, Buffalo and Brockport, as well as Orleans County.

“People are excited because not many places offer the services that I have,” she said.

Vidal said she has been studying holistic and natural medicine for years. She worked nearly non-stop before the Covid pandemic hit. That pandemic, with the restrictions from socializing in the early phase of Covid, forced her to slow down.

Heydel was a client of hers in Orlando. He had been encouraging her to take more time for herself. The couple married in February 2022.

Serenity has “a healing room” with salt detoxing blocks. Vidal offers chromotherapy with colors, and helps people to relax through sights and smells.

Serenity also has an ozone sauna machine with dry steam and infrared detoxication.

Vidal is trained in Ayurvedic holistic healing. She offers a trigger-point therapy and treatment for myofascial pain using “the practice of informed touch.”

Vidal and Heydel gave the space an overhaul with fresh painting, electrical, carpet, updated LED lights, and many plants and a fountain at the entrance.

“As soon as you enter, you feel relaxed,” Vidal said.

Vidal is bilingual and offers her services in English and Spanish. She is pleased to become trained as a life coach and wants to help people overcome excuses, fears and other barriers to success and better health.

“People know they want to change, but don’t know where to start,” she said.

Serenity is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, click here to be directed to the business’s website.

Medina Area Partnership visits Post on Flag Day

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Wayne Hale, secretary of the Sons of the American Legion, talked to MAP members about his organization and what they do in the county. (Right) Jim  Wells, commander of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post, and Cathy Fox, president of the Legion Auxiliary and County American Legion Auxiliary, each presented a history of their organization for the Medina Area Partnership members who visited the post on Wednesday.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership chose the Butts-Clark American Legion Post to visit on Flag Day for its monthly networking event.

Members learned about the American Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion from leaders of each organization.

Jim Wells, newly elected Legion commander, has been a Post member for 19 years. They currently have 139 members, he said. Their Legion family includes veteran Post members, Auxiliary members and Sons of the American Legion, he explained.

Wells shared how the Post was originally named after Corporal James P. Clark, who was killed Sept. 29, 1918 near Le Catelet, France, where his unit broke through the Hindenburg line. The name of Butts was later added to pay tribute to 2nd Lt. John E. Butts, Medina’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in June 1944 during the battle of Normandy.

Cathy Fox, president of the Butts-Clark Post 204 and the Orleans County American Legion Auxiliary, talked about the history of the Auxiliary.

She said the National Legion Auxiliary was formed in 1919 by women who had served during the war wanted to continue to serve. In less than one year, 1,342 units of the Women’s Auxiliary had been organized in more than 45 states.

The James P. Clark Auxiliary Unit was granted a charter July 1, 1926. They currently have 67 members. Fox was eligible to join through her father, Robert Raymondjack, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of Company F, who trained at the Medina Armory.

Fox also told how the Auxiliary works to promote patriotism in communities and schools, volunteers in the community and assists local veterans and their families. They raise money to help veterans by holding dinners and raffles. They donate to Patriot trips hosted by Assemblyman Steve Hawley, the veterans’ van service, Operation Honor and His Healing Presence (providing Christmas gifts to veterans).  The Auxiliary also sponsors two girls to Empire Girls State, and all money donated to the poppy fund goes 100 percent to veterans’ needs. That is just some of the causes the Auxiliary donates to.

In recent years, the families of both Butts and Clark visited the post, and Fox said it was an honor to meet them.

Next to talk about his organization was Wayne Hale, secretary of the Sons of the American Legion. He said the history of the SAL goes back 91 years to Portland, Ore. The local chapter was formed Jan. 4, 1937 with 12 members. Among local members are Chuck Eaton, Ron Stork, Tim Sullivan and Gary Hill. Eaton is the group’s commander.

“We consider ourselves a ‘band of brothers,’” Hale said. “On a whole, we did not serve in the military, but many of us grew up in the ’60s watching Walter Cronkite give the death toll every night on TV.”

Membership in Sons of the American Legion is open to male descendants of veterans. Benefits of becoming a member of SAL, other than serving veterans, are discounts on car rentals, hotel rooms and eye glasses. You can go anywhere and be welcomed into any American Legion Post, Hale added.

“We enjoy brotherhood, fellowship and camaraderie,” he said.

Projects of the local SAL include walking ahead of the Memorial Day Parade in Medina and handing out miniature flags to everyone. They purchased 1,500 of them this year. They also placed 1,400 flags on cemetery graves. They help the Legion cook spaghetti and steaks for their fundraisers and help with the upkeep of the Post building.

Their donations include $5,000 to the Veterans’ Van Service, money for veterans’ Christmas gifts, the Company F statue, Main Street flower barrels and the Warrior House.

He said it is getting more difficult to recruit young men these days. Nationwide, only one percent of World War II veterans are still alive, he added.

After their presentations, MAP members enjoyed refreshments and an opportunity for networking. The events are monthly occurrences, giving different businesses the opportunity to showcase their business.

MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership will sponsor its annual Enchanted Faery Festival Saturday in downtown Medina.

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a parade at 1 p.m.

Moms and dads are encouraged to dress up, along with their “little faeries and magical creatures” to win prizes for the best costumes. Prizes will be awarded for king, queen, prince and princess.

The Medina Area Partnership will have a table set up in Rotary Park, where participants can pick up and drop off their forms for a scavenger hunt to find 12 faeries and 10 faery houses hidden at various downtown businesses. Prizes will be awarded.

There will be themed photo boards set up in the park, where pictures can be taken and children may make faery dust and have their faces painted.

Some businesses may offer a small Make and Take craft, have a story time or a small giveaway.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Lindy dancers had a great time on Thursday evening in the top floor of Bent’s Opera House, dancing to music from the Gordon Webster Jazz Septet.

About 150 people attended the concert as part of Medina Lindy in the Village.

Medina Lindy started last August has steadily grown, drawing dancers from Rochester, Buffalo and communities in between.

The group meets the third Thursdays at Bent’s with beginner’s lessons offered before the regular dance.

There are also options for beginner dance lessons the first three Mondays each month, except for July when the third Thursday dance is the only option.

Phil Berry, leader of Medina Lindy, said he is thrilled to see so many people learning the lindy and having fun in Medina.

Julia Weatherholtz sings with the Gordon Webster band on Thursday at Bent’s.

The Gordon Webster Jazz Septet played big-band style jazz and swing classics that had the crowd dancing.

Gordon Webster is based in Rochester and travels the country and world. The band performed three sets of music on Thursday night.

Photo from Medina Central School: Oak Orchard Primary Principal Jennifer Stearns with Mike Harmer, Jim Freas and John Follman and students from Miss Grayson’s prekindergarten class: Rebecca Delong, Henry Noga, Barrett Root, Leah Hungerford and Margot Thomas.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – June 14th commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States. Medina Central School’s Oak Orchard Primary and Clifford Wise Intermediate School were honored to welcome Mike Harmer and James Freas from VFW Post 1483 out of Medina and John Follman from American Legion Post 1603 in Lyndonville to their schools to celebrate the occasion.

The three men talked about the significance of flag folding as it was demonstrated to the students. An honor guard meticulously folds the flag exactly 13 times in remembrance of the 13 colonies.

The students were told what each fold represents as they watched the proceedings. The flag was then presented to Oak Orchard Principal Jennifer Stearns, who said it will have a place of honor in the main office. Students at Oak Orchard, under the direction of music teacher and Glee Club Director Andrea Busch, sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag” to end the presentation.

At Clifford Wise, Superintendent Dr. Mark Kruzynski introduced Mr. Harmer, Mr. Freas and Mr. Follman and played Master of Ceremonies for the band, poetry readers and singalong. Kruzynski was presented with the flag on behalf of the Intermediate School.

A special thank you to the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 1483 representative Debbie Barry who organized the event and provided gift bags to Oak Orchard students to help celebrate Flag Day, along with flags for them to proudly wave during the ceremony.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Todd Draper takes the oath of office as Medina police chief this evening in the Medina Senior Center. He is joined by his wife Tricia and their son Tyler.

Draper takes over for Chad Kenward, who retired on June 9 after 7 1/2 years as chief and 20 years with the Medina PD. Draper has been with the Medina Police Department the past 18 years, and was the department’s second in command as lieutenant.

“I feel very confident in him,” Kenward said about Draper. “We worked very well together. He has a lot of integrity and he knows the job very well.”

Medina Mayor Mike Sidari presents Chad Kenward with a plaque in appreciation for his service as police chief. Kenward was praised on the plaque for his “professionalism, dedication, and service to the Medina Police Department and the Citizens of Medina. We wish you all the best in your retirement.”

Don Draper, a retired Medina police chief, puts the chief’s pin on his son, Todd Draper. The retired police chief has another son, Don Jr., who is the county’s undersheriff, with another son Mike as county 911 dispatcher. Another son Steven works as a career firefighter in South Carolina. Todd, 41, is the youngest of the four brothers.

“We were born and bred for public service,” Todd Draper said.

His mother Nancy also was a long-time court clerk for Medina.

Todd Draper takes the oath of office while joined by family members including his father Don Draper, mother Nancy, son Tyler and wife Tricia.

Draper said he enjoys working in his hometown. He will lead a department of 12 full-time officers when fully staffed. The department is currently low on officers with four in the police academy. They will soon join the Medina PD.

Three of the recruits are in the police academy in Niagara County and one is in Monroe County. Draper said he would like the four to be sworn in during the June 26 Village Board meeting.