Photos by Ginny Kropf: Sandy and Marcia Stornelli watch as 3-year-old granddaughter Alara throws shovels full of dirt on a tree being planted in front of their house. In the stroller is 8-month old Garrett.

MEDINA – The village of Medina celebrated its annual Arbor Day tree planting on Friday with a ceremony on Frank Street.

This is the 17th year for the Arbor Day celebration with students from Oak Orchard Elementary School and the 16th year since Medina was named a Tree City USA, said Mike Sidari, mayor of the village.

Students in second grade joined the third grade in taking part in the tree planting. The Glee Club also entertained the crowd with several songs, accompanied by their director Andrea Busch.

The second grade Glee Club from Oak Orchard Elementary School waits while Kathy Blackburn, far right, welcomes the crowd who gathered to watch the children help plant trees on Frank Street. Behind Blackburn is Eileen Banker, representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Medina mayor Mike Sidari.

Busch’s father-in-law, Chris Busch, is a member of the Tree Board and the village forestry coordinator. It was Busch who researched what trees would be best to plant and in what kind of soil.

At one time, the village estimated there were 2,000 trees which needed to be replaced in the village and Boxwood Cemetery. That number is now down to about 1,000, Busch said.

Forty-five trees were taken down in the past year and 46 will be planted this year.

Kathy Blackburn, chair of the Tree Board, welcomed the crowd which filled the street and sidewalks in the vicinity of 127 Frank St.

“Trees are awesome,” Blackburn said. “They look great, they keep us cool and they help clean the air we breathe. When you are grown up, you can visit this spot and tell your children you helped plant these trees.”

Students from the second and third grade, along with parents, friends and neighbors filled the sidewalk and Frank Street for the annual tree planting in celebration of Arbor Day on Friday.

Many came to the ceremony to watch the tree planting, but others, like Diane Kujawa came to see the Glee Club. Kujawa’s grandson Eric Fox is a member of the Glee Club and she couldn’t miss that, she said.

Sidari explained Arbor Day was founded on April 10, 1872 by J. Serling Morton in Nebraska. An estimated one million trees were planted that day in Nebraska. Sidari urged residents to plant trees to beautify their village.

Eileen Banker, representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley, read a citation to the students and said Hawley wanted to thank the students for participating in the event.

Blackburn extended thanks to Medina’s DPW head, Jason Watts, for his department’s cooperation with the Tree Board.

After the ceremony, students took turns throwing dirt in the holes which the DPW had dug in advance and placed trees. Tiny shovels were provided for their use.

Among the students who got to help cover the trees were Paris Gordon, Emma Lilleby, K’Lyn Worrall and Oliver Pask.

This was the first time Oliver ever helped plant a tree and it was fun, he said.

Oliver Pask, a third-grader at Oak Orchard Elementary School, throws in the first shovel of dirt during the tree-planting ceremony on Frank Street Friday.

Second-grade teacher Mrs. Van DeGenachte said this was the first time the second grade had participated in the tree planning in many years, and they just loved it. Oak Orchard School principal Jennifer Stearns even bought ponchos for all the students, in case of rain, so they wouldn’t miss it, Van DeGenachte said.

The day was extra special for Sandy and Marcia Stornelli, who live at 131 Frank St. They were babysitting their grandchildren, Alara, 3, and Garrett Wolter, 8 months. Alara loved the little shovels and delighted in throwing dirt on the tree being planted in front of her grandparents’ house.

In addition to a Tree Board, a group of residents formed Releaf Medina Society, which acts as the fundraiser for the Tree Board, which is prevented by law in raising money.

Blackburn is chair of the Tree Board and members are Jake Hebdon, Lisa Tombari, Mary Lewis and Ginny Kropf.

Releaf Medina Society is chaired by Robert Sanderson. Blackburn, Hebdon and Tombari are also members of that group.

The second grade Glee Club performed for the crowd at the tree planting on Frank Street Friday, accompanied by their director Andrea Busch, left rear.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The village will amend its zoning map so residential dwellings are allowed in the upper floors at The Walsh.

MEDINA – The Village Board has approved a zoning change for The Walsh to allow residential dwellings at 525 West Ave.

The board approved a zoning map change to extend the central business overlay district to include The Walsh. That site is currently in the general business district which doesn’t allow residential dwellings.

The Village Board agreed to allow extend central business overlay district, which ended only one site away. Mayor Mike Sidari said extending the overlay isn’t spot zoning.

Rollin Hellner, the new owner of The Walsh, would like to develop six to eight studio or one-bedroom apartments. The Village Planning Board will review the project on both the second and third floors, and Hellner will need a special use permit on a case by case basis which will allow the village to have oversight and input on those units, said Dan Gardner, the village code enforcement officer.

In other action at Monday’s board meeting:

• The board accepted the resignation of Mark Prawel, who is retiring after 16 years as a Medina police officer. In a letter to the board, he thanked the community for the opportunity to serve as a police officer. He wants to spend more time with his family and with an outo repair business.

His retirement leaves Medina with only eight officers on the force right now out of 13 positions. Some new recruits are in the police academy but won’t be covering shifts for another six months, Chief Chad Kenward said.

• The board followed a recommendation from Fire Chief Matt Jackson to increase the rates to have an ambulance staffed for events. Medina has been charged $300 for a four-hour commitment to have an ambulance with two medics at events, such as football games and other sporting events. The charge has then been another $75 per hour.

The new rates are $350 for four hours, and then another $100 per hour.

Provided photos: (Left) Trees for Medina’s 2023 Arbor Day planting have been delivered to the village DPW yard. (Right) An Acer miyabei “Morton” or “State Street” maple will be among the new trees planted. These trees are small to medium, oval-rounded that typically mature to 25 to 40 feet with striking pale golden-yellow fall color.

Press Release, Village of Medina, Municipal Tree Board

MEDINA – In the Village of Medina, Spring means Arbor Day.

Arbor Day, observed nationally on the last Friday of April, this year falls on April 28. Medina’s observance will be held at the on the east end, south side of Frank Street near West Avenue in the village. This year’s celebration will include 2nd and 3rd graders from Medina Central Schools, along with the Oak Orchard Glee Club.

The Arbor Day 2023 celebration will begin at approximately 10 a.m. on the east end Frank Street near West Avenue, and will include the reading of the Arbor Day Proclamation by Mayor Mike Sidari. The trees will planted by the Medina DPW. Medina Central School’s 2nd and 3rd graders will be on hand to help plant the trees and celebrate the day along with a performance by the Oak Orchard Glee Club.

“Forty-six trees in all will be planted this year,” said Kathy Blackburn, Tree Board Chair. “Planting sites include Frank Street, William Street, West Avenue, Butts Park, State Street Park and Boxwood Cemetery.”

“Each year we gain ground in our efforts to reforest the community,” Blackburn said. “Forty-six trees is an excellent planting. That said, we removed nearly 50 old and dying trees this year, so we’re nowhere near running out of annual planting that needs to be done.”

The Tree Board’s focus has been a three-pronged approach for several years: Main arteries and Central Business District area, parks, and high-need residential areas.

“The need for plantings in all of these areas continues,” Blackburn said. “Many of our main roads are looking great, but we continue to plug holes created by removals. Trees in our parks are vastly improving and we’re beginning to make headway in our residential areas. There’s still so much to be done.”

These map shows the area for Medina’s Arbor Day celebration and spots where many new trees will be planted.

Multiple sources of research on the impact of street trees cite numerous benefits, including increase property values, slower/ safer traffic patterns, lower urban air temperatures, and absorption of harmful pollution. Research from 2017 also indicates street trees in neighborhoods result in lower blood pressure and improvement to overall emotional and psychological health.

Arbor Day 2023 will mark the 16th year Medina’s urban forestry program has been a participant in the Tree City USA program of the National Arbor Day Foundation. The annual Tree City award honors Medina’s commitment to community forestry.

The Tree City USA Program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters, and the USDA Forest Service. Tree City USA is awarded annually to those communities who qualify and is a national designation.

Medina’s Municipal Tree Ordinance and Arbor Day Celebration have been a model for several other communities looking to establish a board and planting program. Medina receives multiple inquiries for assistance and advice every year from municipalities across the state.

The village maintains a policy of diversity in its urban forest plantings. Species to be planted this year include American Hornbeam, Pagoda dogwood, Gingko, Sweetgum, Tupelo, London Plane sycamore, Sargent cherry, Northern pin oak, and varieties of Elm and Maple.

Blackburn emphasizes that while the village makes great progress each year, there remains much to be done. With increasing costs and limited funding, the task is challenging.

“Everywhere, municipal budgets are tight and the cost of plant material has seen double-digit percentage increases in the last seven years,” Blackburn said. “Each year we remove 40-plus trees that are dead, dying and hazardous. The upside is we replace those trees with new, more desirable cultivars.”

Chris Busch, Medina’s Forestry Coordinator, states that the science of street trees and urban forestry has come a long, long way in the last 40 years.

“At the turn of the nineteenth century when most of our village forest was planted, there was little choice for a street tree – elms and oaks were the more expensive option, and Silver maple was the cheaper option,” Busch explained. “Municipalities were interested in large, fast-growing trees that created beautiful tree-lined streets.”

Busch further explained that despite looking very nice, those trees caused big problems.

“One hundred years later, these trees are massive at nearly 70-plus feet and create numerous issues with infrastructure, safety and utilities,” he said. “Today, thanks to extensive research and breeding, there are literally hundreds of cultivars in every shape and size. These are definitely not your great-grandparents street trees! When taking into consideration various limitations on any site, we can select the right tree for the right spot and insure a much healthier and desirable village forest.”

“Thankfully, the community has been extremely generous in donating funds for trees, both as memorials and general plantings.” said Blackburn. “People see the importance of trees in the village and enjoy the aesthetic impact. We’re incredibly grateful for the financial support we receive through our annual Community Releaf Fund Drive.”

According to Blackburn, donations can be made anytime for general tree planting, memorial trees or for “trees on your street.” Additional information can be obtained at the Village Clerk’s Office or by downloading the Releaf brochure online at villagemedina.org.

“Now more than ever, financial support in the form of gifts and donations from the public are critical,” said Blackburn. “Such support is vital for the future.”

MEDINA – The Medina school district won’t be increasing the tax levy in the 2023-24 school budget.

This is the 14^th time in the past 16 years the district won’t be increasing property taxes, District Superintendent Mark Kruzynski said.

“I am pleased to present a budget for the upcoming school year that balances the community’s financial needs with the educational, social, and emotional needs of our students,” he said.

The district’s proposed budget is $40,095,815, which represents a 0.53 percent spending increase from the $39,884,316 in 2022-23.

The tax levy is unchanged at $8,814,697. The tax rate for the current school year was $16.47 per $1,000 of assessed value before equalization rates were applied, which vary by town. The Orleans County Department of Real Property Tax will set the final municipal tax rates in August.

Medina’s budget would be 72.7 percent funded by the state with overall state aid at $29,139,269, an increase of $530,555. Those are the numbers from the governor’s executive budget in January, but the state budget remains at an impasse and is nearly a month late.

“Considering the current state of the economy, the board and administration worked extremely hard to control costs for our community,” said LuAnn Tierney, president of the Medina Board of Education. “As a result, we are thrilled to be able to adopt a budget that represents the board’s commitment to providing an excellent education for our students at a cost that the district taxpayers can continue to support.”

Voting for the budget and board candidates will take place on May 16 from noon to 8 p.m. in the District Office Boardroom. Voters must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the United States and resident of the district for at least 30 days before the vote.

There are also three open seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms. LuAnn Tierney, Steven Blount, Corinne Ryan and Annette Allis submitted petitions to run for the BOE.

Tierney and Allis are seeking re-election while current board member Arlene Pawlaczyk isn’t running again.

For more information on the candidates, click here to be directed to the school district website.

Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – The annual meeting of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will be held at the library on Monday, May 8, at 7 p.m.

Agenda items include voting on a trustee position, the presentation of the annual report and the presentation of the proposed budget. Trustee Isabella Mark is seeking re-election to the Board for a five-year term.

The Board has prepared another conservative budget for 2023-2024. The library is asking for an increase in the library tax of 2.81% which is under the New York State tax cap for the library. The property tax levy will increase to $580,913.

“The library continues to operate a conservative organization,” said Cynthia Kiebala, the Lee-Whedon board president. “Costs have risen in nearly every aspect of our operations and so we must ask for an increase in order to maintain services. We are proud of our staff and our high standards of service.”

Residents of the Medina Central School District are invited to attend this public meeting. The budget vote will be at the library on Tuesday, May 9, from noon to 8 p.m. The library is located at 620 West Ave.