By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 May 2023 at 10:02 pm
MEDINA – Spring has sprung, and that signals the start of the tourism season.
To prepare, Jim Hancock, chair of the Medina Tourism Committee, has announced the opening of the Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park.
The center will officially open May 22, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday until Labor Day.
Currently, 16 volunteers have signed up to serve at the center, including Shari Cassidy of Medina and Ruth Cleveland of Medina and San Francisco.
Cassidy likes volunteering to help worthy causes, such as the PAWS Animal Shelter and Medina Area Association of Churches, and decided last year to help the Visitors’ Center.
“I love to walk and have come here a few times to pick up some brochures on the walking tours around the village,” Cassidy said.
Cleveland is a new volunteer and looking forward to the interesting people she will meet.
“Besides, she’s very friendly, and knows a lot,” Hancock said.
“This is a great town to come to,” Cleveland said. “It will be fun sharing it with people who come through and tell them about what is taking place here. I am real interested in the sandstone history here and my eyes open when I’m traveling and see a building and wonder if it is Medina sandstone.”
The Visitors’ Center was opened in 2009 and operated in several places in Medina until finding its permanent home in the Santa house in Rotary Park. This year, for the convenience of volunteers and visitors, a portable john with a sink will be set up in the alley next to the park. It is scheduled to arrive on June 12.
More volunteers are always welcome, and work three-hour shifts – from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m., Hancock said.
Last year a record 428 people signed the guest book, representing 38 states and eight foreign countries, including Namibia, Africa, and Lithuania.
Rosalind Lind was on duty the day the African visitor stopped, and they struck up a friendship. They have been corresponding ever since, Hancock said.
MEDINA – Residents of the Medina school district on Tuesday voted in favor of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s 2023-24 budget at the annual vote at the library. A total of 104 residents voted, with 94 approving the budget.
The 2023-24 budget reflects an increase of 2.8 percent increase over the current year.
Incumbent Isabella Mark was re-elected to another five-year term at the library’s annual meeting on Monday.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 May 2023 at 8:07 am
Money has been raised to restore stained glass window in chapel
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Rob Klino and Mary Lewis, members of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, stand by one of the trees recently planted by the village at the cemetery. They are inviting the public to an informational event May 20 to learn about the cemetery, trees and plants which are suitable there.
MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery are excited to announce they have raised enough money to pay for restoration of the stained glass window in the chapel, and are embarking on another year of events and improvements.
“Now we will begin working on replacing chapel walls and other improvements in the chapel,” said Rob Klino, president of Friends.
At 10 a.m. on May 20, the Friends of Boxwood are inviting the public to a morning of information at the back of the cemetery by Glenwood Lake. Attendees should bring their own chair.
“We are going to go over cemetery rules, the best plants to use in the cemetery, and the alternative to plants,” said Mary Lewis, also a member of Friends and the village’s Boxwood Commission.
Everyone who attends will get a free plant, she said.
Six new trees of assorted varieties have been planted in the cemetery, including ginkgo and dogwood.
Other events for this year include the first ever tea party at Boxwood on June 17, chaired by Cindy Robinson and Georgia Thomas.
A headstone cleaning class is scheduled for July 15.
But the big fundraiser, according to Klino, is a bigger and better “Boxwood at Night,” scheduled Sept. 30, or a rain date of Oct. 7.
“We got a grant from GO ART!, and we are going to outdo ourselves over last year,” he said.
There will be more musicians, more lighting and character actors. Among those portrayed will be Robert Newell and May Howard who survived the sinking of the Titanic at age 27. More information and how to RSVP will be available on the Friends’ Facebook page. Email FriendsofBoxwoodCemetery@gmail.com for more information.
In addition, Friends of Boxwood is looking for new board members and volunteers to help with projects in the cemetery, as well as donations. A tax-deductible donation may be made by sending a check to Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, P.O. Box 543, Medina, 14103.
Photo from Friends of Boxwood Cemetery: The Pike Stained Glass Studio Group from Rochester last month removed the bottom portion of the stained glass window from the chapel at Boxwood Cemetery. The window will be restored over six months. The Medina DPW assisted Pike with the removal.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 May 2023 at 9:05 pm
MEDINA – Friends of Brody Hoffmeister and his fiancée Jenna Pangrazio are just realizing the scope of the benefit they organized for the couple, whose 4-year-old son Brayden is awaiting his third brain surgery.
Angie Coon, who organized the event April 29 at East Shelby Fire Hall, said the generosity of the community was overwhelming.
“Almost every business in Orleans County and many in Genesee County, along with individuals, donated fantastic prizes,” Coon said.
There was a countertop donated by M&M Granite worth $5,000; a casino package from Batavia Downs; a huge donation of Buffalo Bills and Sabres inset pictures; a Buffalo Bills fire pit made by Orleans County Boxes and donated by the Albone family; and a patio container worth more than $1,000 and filled with beverages donated by a group from Alabama.
There were 349 baskets and gift cards were donated for the basket raffle.
Brody and Jenna were back to work at Rudy’s Restaurant on Tuesday, where she said they were “beyond grateful.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 May 2023 at 8:03 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Angela Waldriff, left, owner of Ashlee’s Place in Medina, and salesperson Brielle Lederhouse, hold one of the chocolate-covered pretzels customers can choose to receive a discount when they make a purchase to benefit breast cancer research.
MEDINA – Holding a benefit at her shop, Ashlee’s Place, has been a tradition for more than two decades for owner Angela Waldriff.
Waldriff’s mother Amelia VandenBosch is a cancer survivor at 95 and Waldriff holds the fundraiser in her honor every year.
“This will be the 24th year for the event, which is a salute to women fighting breast cancer,” Waldriff said.
It starts Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continues from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Waldriff sponsors the benefit every year in celebration of Breast Cancer Month, with discounts on all regular priced items.
Everyone who attends can choose a chocolate-covered pretzel with a sticker on the back and receive 20% to 25% off their purchase.
Merchandise includes women’s dresses, jackets, jewelry, capris, sweaters, sparkly jeans, summer sandals and purses.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Friday, shown speaking last week during a Medina Historical Society meeting, talks about the sandstone industry in Orleans County. The cover of his book is at left. The cover includes an image of the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion, which is made of Medina Sandstone.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2023 at 9:14 am
MEDINA – Jim Friday marvels at the immensity of the Medina Sandstone industry. At its peak from 1890 to 1910, there were 50 quarries in the county employing 2,000 people.
The county’s population in 1900 was 30,164, according to the census. (In 2020, the population was 40,343).
“That was a huge percentage of the workforce,” said Friday, an Albion native who lives in North Chili. “It was just a huge industry.”
Friday, 75, is a Kodak retiree and loves local history. He wrote a book about the local sandstone industry, “The History of Sandstone in Orleans County NY.” The 108-page book includes many photos of the county’s dominant industry.
He spoke about the big business last week during the Medina Historical Society’s monthly meeting.
The quarries produced stone in some of the finest buildings in communities along the canal. They were used in churches, mansions and other public buildings. The stone also was utilized for sidewalks, curbs and street pavers.
The quarries were independently owned and competed against each other. The owners brought in immigrants from Poland, Italy, Britain and Ireland.
Friday is a descendant of Polish immigrants. His paternal grandparents (John Piatek/Friday and Stefania Siebak) lived on Moore Street in Albion. His maternal grandparents (Tony Rice and Rose Lucas) owned the farm at the end of Orchard Street along the canal in Albion. When he was a child, Friday spent a lot of time in Albion and often swam in the quarries.
He explores the geology of how and when the stone was formed, the rise and fall of the regional quarry industry and what remains today.
Jim Friday of North Chili was the featured speaker at the Medina Historical Society meeting last week at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
Friday presents this timeline of the Medina Sandstone industry. During construction of Erie Canal from 1817 to 1825 large deposits of sandstone were discovered. In 1837, John Ryan opened the first commercial sandstone quarry in Medina to supply stone for the second expansion of the canal.
In 1906, there were 50 quarries in the county, employing 2,000 workers. From 1919 to 1930, there were only a few independently leased quarries.
He includes vintage quarry photos from the early 1900s that give insight into the products, work conditions, methods and equipment used to quarry the stone. The experiences of some of the many immigrants who toiled in the quarries are presented along with photos of stone structures that remain as prominent reminders of a bygone era, Friday said.
The quarries were consolidated by New York City bankers, which led to the demise of most of the local operations. It was also cheaper to use cement rather than sandstone in buildings and public works projects.
“It was a lot of fun to learn about the history of Albion and Orleans County,” Friday said. “The sandstone industry was huge in Orleans County, and it is interwoven with the history of the Erie Canal.”
Friday also serves as the coordinator of the orleans.nygenweb.net website that includes a wealth of local genealogy data about Orleans County. The late Sharron Kerridge and her friends were the driving force behind establishing this website.
MEDINA – The Band Boosters held their monthly meeting on Monday, May 1, to discuss upcoming events and elect officers for the coming year.
Those officers are Crystal Elliott, president; Heather Jackson, vice president; Holly Roush, treasurer; Michelle Wright, secretary; Paul Greean, delegate for 2-year term; Becky Rinker, student accounts; Jason Clare, transportation; Jenifer Lenhart, uniforms; Mindy Kenward, chaperones; and Kathy Dreyfus and Janine Farley, publicity co-chairs.
The band will perform in the Memorial Day parade and compete in the Sherburn Pageant on June 2-3. The entire season concludes with the band banquet on June 5.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 May 2023 at 2:37 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Contractors are milling Main Street in Medina today, taking off the top layer of asphalt as part of a repaving project.
Keeler Construction in Barre is the main contractor for the project.
Medina will see about $750,000 of state-funded pavement in the village. Medina is using its CHIPS funds and more than $600,000 from the state as an official touring route. The CHIPS and touring route funds are both managed by the state Department of Transportation.
The areas to be paved include:
Main Street from railroad tracks to Commercial Street
Prospect Avenue from lift bridge to West Center Street
Park Avenue from Main Street to the village clerk’s office
West Center Street from Main to Prospect
North and South Academy from Ohio Street to Catherine Street
Genesee Street from Park Avenue to West Oak Orchard
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 April 2023 at 8:15 pm
MEDINA – Medina Area Partnership has a mystery on their hands.
Who Murdered Benny the Bouncer?
MAP and downtown businesses will attempt to answer that question on Saturday with a Murder Mystery and Dapper Day.
Twenty businesses are participating in the 1920s-themed murder mystery which will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Characters with clues will be stationed within the businesses. The same character will be in two stores with a different take on their clues. Ten men and ten women are playing parts in the event.
MAP members began discussing a third major event last year. After sponsoring very successful Ale in Autumn and Wine About Winter for several years, they wanted something that wasn’t alcohol-related to bring people together, said Ann Fisher-Bale, chair of MAP’s Events Committee.
To make sure that all attendees visit each of the participating stores, a 20-piece puzzle will be built with key words from each business. If ticket holders want the last clue, they have to visit everyone.
Each participating business has provided a gift certificate or item for a large gift basket, valued at more than $200, which will be raffled off at the end of the day from entries of all the correct guessers.
Some businesses will be running specials for the day, Fisher-Bale said. Restaurants and bars are urged to offer a 1920s drink, or a mint julep, as it is the same day as the Kentucky Derby.
Attendees and business people are encouraged to dress in 1920s apparel.
Wendy Wilson from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery is developing the clues for each attendee, said Scott Robinson, president of MAP. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online (click here for more information).
Check-in will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Medina Senior Center, 615 West Ave. A list of participating stores and clues will be handed out with tickets.
“It looks like Saturday’s weather is going to cooperate,” Bale said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Staff of Author’s Note welcomed many customers on Saturday to the store that was decorated in a garden theme as part of Independent Bookstore Day. From left include Olivia Marchese, Erica Caldwell, owner Julie Berry and Kamie Feder, who created the decorations.
Posted 30 April 2023 at 2:04 pm
Author’s Note decorated with butterflies, garden critters for ‘Grow Yourself’ theme
By Ginny Kropf and Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A steady stream of customers filled Author’s Note Bookstore for a celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday.
Owner and New York Times Bestselling Author Julie Berry chose the theme “A Bookstore is a Garden. Grow Yourself,” and keeping with the theme, the store was lavishly decorated with a botanical theme. Kamie Feder, an art teacher at Albion school, made the decorations, which lined the entire bookstore. She used a big roll of craft paper, paper mache, card stock and paint.
Feder, and store employees Olivia Caldwell and Lincoln Pace spent all day Friday putting up the decorations, Berry said.
The store will continue to be decorated with a garden theme. Kamie Feder said she wanted to create an immersive experience for people inside the store.
The store opened early and the store immediately filled with people, said employee Erica Caldwell. Six authors greeted customers and signed books throughout the day, starting with Edward Ashton of Webster at 9:30 a.m.
Webster writes science fiction, and his book “Mickey 7” is currently being made into a movie by Bong Joon-ho, who won Best Picture for his movie “Parasite.” “Mickey 7” is expected to be released next year and will star Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo is known for his role as the “Hulk.”
Howard Balaban of Medina was one of the first in line to get a signed copy of Ashton’s book. He brought daughter Rayna, 8, who also loves to read, and had author Kalynn Bayron of Ithaca sign her book “The Vanquishers.”
This was Bayron’s first visit to Medina, and she spent Friday night at Bent’s Opera House, where she stayed in the “Well Read Room,” with a book theme. She spoke to Medina seventh-graders on Friday.
The first to meet Bayron was Caitlyn Bower of Grand Island, who said Bayron was her favorite author.
“The instant I saw she was going to be in Medina, I told my husband Kevin we had to go there,” Caitlyn said. “I had a choice to go clothes shopping or come here. I’ve read all her books.”
Bower said she likes to seek out independent book stores, and this was the first time she has been to Medina.
Julie Berry, center, joins award-winning Buffalo author Dee Romito, left, and New York Times best-selling author Kalynn Bayron from Ithaca. They greeted people at Author’s Note, and signed books and answered questions.
Thomas and Monica Finnigen came from Attica to check out the books and meet the authors. Monica works at the Attica Library and said she and her husband come to Author’s Note once a year. She is in charge of the children’s storytelling at Attica Library, so likes to check out the children’s books.
Lindsey Buck is a reading specialist at Orchard Park Middle School and regularly visits Author’s Note.
“I love this store,” Buck said. “It’s my favorite and Kalynn and Julie are two of my favorite authors. I was so excited to hear Kalynn was going to be here today.”
The authors featured on Saturday said they want to support independent book sellers who are critical to helping spread the word about their books and make them available to the public.
“Independent book stores are the life blood of our communities,” Bayron said. “These bookstores are passionate about getting the books into the hands of the community.”
Peggy Thomas of Middleport has written several books, and tries to highlight agricultural heroes. She holds a copy of “Lincoln Clears a Path” which tells Lincoln’s agricultural legacy. The book “Hero for the Hungry” details the life of Norman Borlaug, a crop innovator who has boosted yields and made some plants more disease resistant.
She said big box stores and online sellers such as Amazon are threat to the smaller independent stores.
“But here it is a much more personal experience,” she said about the independent stores. “You can meet with people at a more personal level.”
Another writer, Dee Romito of Buffalo, was happy to meet with readers and sign books at Author’s Note. She has been a published author for seven years and is grateful for the independent stores that have featured her books.
“They’re a very knowledgeable group,” she said about the independent stores and their staffs. “They know what’s selling and they know their customers. We need to support them.”
Peggy Thomas of Middleport signed her books, including the newest, Hero for the Hungry: The Life and Work of Norman Borlaug. She writes about the 20th-century American agriculture scientist whose innovations in crop varieties founded the Green Revolution and fed hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.
Thomas tries to highlights agricultural innovators, and she there “are so many amazing stories” in farming.
As a book customer, she prefers the independent stores and is grateful for Author’s Note, one of the few independent books tores between Buffalo and Rochester.
“This has been my local book store,” she said. “I’ve been coming here for 20 years.”
Darlene Baker of Lockport also signed copies of her books on Saturday. The Middleport native was a professional truck driver for three years, taking products to all 48 continental states and throughout much of Canada. She sets her novels with the main character a female truck driver. She wants readers to know what that career is like from a woman’s perspective.
She kept 13 journals when she was a truck driver, and fills her novels with some of those details.
“It was good money,” she said. “I often made $2,000 a week with other perks. But if you want to be home with your family for Christmas, you can’t count on it. You might be sleeping in a recliner in Denver.”
Julie Berry said she and her staff were overwhelmed by the many customers who came into the store on Saturday, and their words of encouragement.
“All of us at Author’s Note are overcome with gratitude for the incredible outpouring of support we felt on Saturday,” Berry said. “Book lovers traveled from far to join us, as did our authors, and the community turned out in force to welcome them.”
She said they were especially grateful to authors Kalynn Bayron, Edward Ashton, Dee Romito, Peggy Thomas, Darlene Baker and Randall Reese for sharing their time and enthusiasm so generously.
“Many of them commented on what a remarkable turnout and energy they felt from our customers,” Berry said. “It isn’t typical, but that’s Medina for you. Customers raved about what a delightful welcoming place Author’s Note is, and that warms my heart, because that’s what we want Author’s Note to be. It truly is a team effort to pull off a celebration like this one, and I can’t say enough about what a gift it is to have Erica Caldwell, Olivia Marchese and Kamie Feder as part of our Author’s Note family. I must give a special shout-out to Kamie for all the time and love she poured into our gorgeous garden-themed decorations. She’s a gem.”
Kamie Feder passed up cupcakes to people outside Author’s Note who were walking Main Street on Saturday. Feder, an art teacher at Albion school and part-time employee at Author’s Note, made a paper mache butterfly and other garden creatures for the celebration.
MEDINA – Spring has sprung, and that signals the start of the tourism season.
