Medina

Lyndonville, Medina schools receive ‘swatting’ bomb threats deemed not credible

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 April 2023 at 9:59 am

Medina and Lyndonville school districts were among about 50 in New York State that received a generic, non-specific bomb threat through email this morning. The threat was investigated by law enforcement and deemed not credible.

The Medina Police Department was able to quickly determine it wasn’t a credible threat in Medina, so the schools didn’t need to be cleared out, said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.

Medina is currently on break anyway but some students are there each day for spring sports.

“Unfortunately, there are individuals in our society who continue to send threatening messages to school districts across the country,” Kruzynski said in a message to the community. “In situations like this we will always work with our law enforcement partners to analyze the threat and determine the level of response. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is now further investigating these email threats.”

Update at 10:19 a.m.: Lyndonville also received one of the threats by email and it was found to not be credible. Sharon Smith, the district superintendent, contacted the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, which investigated the threat.

“In situations like this, we will always work with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and their law enforcement partners to analyze the threat and determine the appropriate level of response,” Smith in a message to the community.

Lyndonville cancelled athletic practices and sent staff home, Smith said. All offices will be open and activities will resume tomorrow, she said.

Update at 4:31 p.m.: Gov. Kathy Hochul issued this statement about the threats:

“More than 50 school districts across New York have received disturbing ‘swatting’ threats today including in Central New York, Long Island, the Southern Tier and the North Country. I want to reassure parents that their children are safe at school – swatting threats are false and intended to cause panic and scare students, teachers and families.

“I have directed the New York State Police to investigate these threats and work closely with all levels of law enforcement to identify the perpetrators, hold them accountable, and restore the sense of safety and security our children deserve. Since the first round of swatting incidents occurred last week, State Police has been working closely with the State Education Department, county leadership and local school boards to provide support and any necessary resources to address these incidents. My top priority will always be the safety of New Yorkers.”

Medina Winter Guard teams conclude season at championships

Posted 2 April 2023 at 8:02 pm

Photos courtesy of Medina Mustang Band Boosters: The Medina varsity winter guard team is shown in a group photo. The team performed a show entitled, “Mission: Graduate.”

Press Release, Medina Mustang Band Boosters

GATES – The Northeast Colorguard Circuit held the 2023 championships on Saturday at the Gates-Chili High School.

The Northeast Colorguard Circuit is a governing body for visual performing art competitions in Western NY. Founded in 1988 they organize and host competitions from January thru March each year. This year’s championship involved 22 guard units from NYS, PA and Canada and drew approximately 600 spectators.

Medina’s Varsity guard competed in the SA class and came in 5th place with a score of 79.72, bested by Orchard Park in 1st with 87.89, followed by Victor in 2nd at 85.80, Jamestown in 3rd with 83.30 and Lancaster in 4th at 83.07.

Medina’s JV guard competed in the Cadet class and came in 3rd place with a score of 71.68, bested by Victor in 1st with 74.21, followed by Jamestown in 2nd with73.76. Batavia was 4th with 66.47.

Medina’s JV winter guard team earned a third place finish.

Winners in the other classification were Ventures Cadets in the Novice class; in RA class, Gates in 1st place with 82.41; in A1 class, Gates in 1st with 79.73; in IA class, Gates in 1st with 90.15; in SR class, Luminosa was the only competitor and scored 92.56.

The Heritage Hurricanes are an all-abilities colorguard comprised of performers from the Heritage Christian Services and community members in the Rochester area. They performed in exhibition and while not scored they received Grand Champion 2023.

Northeast Colorguard Circuit also issued several awards in memory of individuals who had been active with the organization for many years. They also granted four scholarships again in memory of past participants.

Now that the winter guard season is done the Medina Marching Band will begin preparing for their spring season which will include parades and competitions in various festivals. Their parade music will include a number of pieces from Chuck Mangione.

Medina’s Scholastic Bowl team wins championship for 2nd straight year

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 April 2023 at 2:26 pm

‘We all know a lot of random stuff’

Provided photo: From left, WLVL host Derick Evans poses with Medina High School’s Alex Balaban, Dan Owen DeVera, Cole Hughes and adviser Jeff Dole. Medina defeated Starpoint on Tuesday night to win the championship for the second year in a row.

MEDINA – Medina High School’s trivia team won the Scholastic Bowl at Lockport’s WLVL on Tuesday, defeating Starpoint. This is the second championship in a row for Medina’s team, led by adviser Jeff Dole.

Schools participating in the Scholastic Bowl were Medina, Royalton/Hartland, Starpoint and Wilson. Other schools in the Scholastic Bowl were Akron, Lockport and North Tonawanda. The Scholastic Bowl competitions are held once a month in January, February and March. As winners, Medina received a trophy and $1,000 in prize money, which Dole said is used for material and food for their meets.

Members of Medina’s winning team were Cole Hughes, eighth grade; Alex Balaban, 11th grade; and Dan Owen DeVera, 12th grade.

The Masterminds are made up of teams from Albion, Pembroke, Holley, Elba, Kendall and Medina.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina High School’s Masterminds defeated Pembroke during a competition Friday at Medina High School. For Pembroke on the left are Matteo Sinclair, Kayla Reynolds, Amelia Geck and Emily Guilian. Medina’s team at right is Dan Owen DeVera, Alex Balaban, Henry Rigerman and Ryan Geiger. Scott Kroner, standing is in charge of the games and provides the questions, while Medina’s adviser Jeff Dole, seated in red, keeps score.

The teens are all big fans of trivia. Balaban said he reads a lot, watches the news and pays attention in class. They also practice once a week as a team.

As members of Medina’s Masterminds, the students all have different areas in which they excel. Hughes loves history. Balaban is well-read in history and politics, while DeVera is good in Shakespeare and literature.

“We all know a lot of random stuff,” Balaban said. “We try to have balance on our team.”

Adviser Jeff Dole said any student who is interested in trivia can participate in Masterminds. No one is turned away, he said. He has been their adviser since the 2013-14 school year.

Questions for their competitions are purchased from Scott Kroner of Rochester, who is in charge of the games. He runs games all over the state, Dole said. Questions are on dozens of subjects, including geography, customs, dance, disease, algebra, art, physics, politics, pop culture and ancient history.

Dole said parents are encouraged to attend their children’s competitions and he would like to see more people in the audience.

The second team to compete for Medina was, from left: Dan Owen DeVera, Alex Balaban, Lucas Wilkins and Joey Wolters.

Owen Toale praised at his final Village Board meeting as a Medina trustee

Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari presents a proclamation to Village Trustee Owen Toale declaring March 31 as “Owen Toale Day” in appreciation for “a lifetime of service to the Village of Medina.” Toale is wrapping up 12 years on the Village Board, including seven years as deputy mayor.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 March 2023 at 6:04 pm

MEDINA – Owen Toale completed a 12-year tenure on the Medina Village Board this week. Toale, the deputy mayor for the past seven years, attended his final meeting as a village trustee on Monday.

He chose not to seek re-election. Diana Baker will take his spot on the board starting April 1.

Toale, the former editor and managing editor of The Journal-Register in Medina, praised the board members, villages employees and department heads, and many dedicated citizens for their commitment to the community, and pushing Medina forward.

Toale, who is currently being treated for cancer, relished a role as a taxpayer guardian, and enjoyed sharing anecdotes and asking penetrating questions during the meetings. Mayor Mike Sidari joked he expects the meetings will be about a half-hour shorter without Toale on the board.

The mayor said Toale brought much wisdom and discernment as a trustee, and also was a key negotiator for the village in union contracts.

Sidari presented Toale with a proclamation at the end of Monday’s meeting, declaring March 31 as “Owen Toale Day.” Sidari urged the community to celebrate Toale’s “lifetime of service to the Village of Medina.”

The mayor noted that Toale also has been an active volunteer with the van service that transports veterans to medical appointments. Toale urged the community to help keep that effort going so veterans can get their needed care.

Before the Village Board on Monday, there was a cake and other refreshments in celebration of Toale’s service on the board. He is joined by Mayor Mike Sidari and Trustee Marguerite Sherman.

Toale stood up during the meeting and complimented the four other board members, who he said all bring different strengths to the board.

Trustee Jess Marciano, who is finishing her first two-year term, was praised by Toale for showing so much eagerness in learning about the village government and community.

“She is like a sponge absorbing information,” he said. “She has accomplished much and will continue to be an asset.”

Toale sits next to Trustee Tim Elliott and Toale said Elliott’s mind is always working.

“Tim has contacts and ideas,” Toale said. “He represents the board well. Plus, he passes me notes at the board meetings to give me something to think about.”

Toale praised Trustee Margueite Sherman as a prodigious note-taker, who likes to be educated on issues before firing off an opinion.

“Thank goodness for Marguerite and her notes,” Toale said. “She takes down everything, mulls it over and digests it before making a decision.”

Owen Toale thanked the other Village Board members, department heads and village employees, and many dedicated citizens for their efforts to improve Medina.

Toale worked on the board with four mayors. He said the general population doesn’t realize the effort Sidari puts into the position, devoting many hours per day to make sure the village is running smoothly.

“He works with the various agencies, always promoting our village and working for the betterment of every resident, taxpayer, business owner and visitor,” Toale said. “I admire him, his work ethic, business sense and creativity.”

Toale also commended former Trustee Todd Bensley, who attended the meeting on Monday. Toale said Bensley has stepped up in a big way to upgrade Boxwood Cemetery and also promote the history of Medina.

Toale also gave special mention to retired Village Clerk and Treasurer Deb Padoleski and her successor, Jada Burgess, for keeping him on track with some of his ideas to rein in the tax rate while preserving services. Toale said he would offer sometimes to “rob Peter to pay Paul” and those ideas were squashed because they weren’t quite proper. He called the two clerks “tough watchdogs of the village’s money.”

Medina school district offering internet safety session for community

Posted 29 March 2023 at 11:57 am

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – In a lot of ways technology has brought great advantages to us all, but it has also opened the door for putting us at risk.

Children especially are being exposed to harmful interactions like bullying and harassment as well as engaging with someone online who might not be who they appear to be.

Medina Central School District’s Mustang Parent Academy is offering a workshop entitled “Staying Safe Online: Internet Safety for Everyone” on Tuesday, April 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Oak Orchard Primary, 335 West Oak Orchard St. Childcare will be available for school-aged children and we are providing Case Nic Cookies for refreshments.

Julie Webber, director of curriculum and instruction at Medina, is working in tandem with school resource officer Dustin Meredith.

“In this day and age, we feel it is imperative to educate parents/guardians and the community of a variety of topics that impact our youth, especially navigating the digital world,” Webber said. “By making parents more aware of the dangers online, we are trying to assist them in helping their children out of potential or damaging situations before they escalate.”

Officer Meredith said he spends time collaborating with staff at the district’s schools about internet safety and the importance of being vigilant on where students are going on their electronic devices.

“It’s important for parents to know that those horrible stories you see on the news, happen right here in Medina,” he said. “Social media and the internet are fraught with dangers that can be prevented if parents are monitoring and regulating their usage.”

Oak Orchard Primary School Principal Jennifer Stearns said she believes it is never too early to talk about digital safety.

“Elementary school children are spending more time on devices than ever before and are vulnerable to risks online,” Stearns said. “I think it’s important to give their parents the tools to help keep them safe.”

For anyone unable to attend the session, you can also access it live online from your computer or phone with the meeting ID: meet.google.com/kuj-hdki-whe or at (US) +1 413-961-2517, PIN: 905 524 588#. The session will be recorded and it will be available for viewing at a later date on the school district webpage at www.medinacsd.org.

Medina votes to pursue a new ladder truck for fire department

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina ladder truck, built in 1996, only has 2 inches of clearance from the top of the fire truck when pulling in and out of the fire hall. This photo is from March 12 when the fire department had an open to show some of the concerns with its aging fire trucks and cramped fire hall.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2023 at 3:36 pm

MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday night voted unanimously to start the process to acquire a new ladder truck for the fire department.

The current apparatus is 27 years old, and is often plagued with mechanical issues. Mayor Mike Sidari said he is concerned the current truck may not last long enough until the new ladder truck is ready, which could be about three years away.

There isn’t a price yet for the new ladder truck. It is expected to top $1.5 million.

Sidari said the village will pursue a cooperative purchasing agreement and reach out to fire truck manufacturers. With that agreement, Medina can piggyback onto other fire departments seeking similar ladder trucks and use similar specs for the truck.

Medina is seeking a bigger ladder truck, a 100-foot ladder compared to the current one with a 75-foot ladder. The new truck will be longer and taller.

It is one factor in why the village is also seeking an addition to the fire hall. The addition to the fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches. That expansion, plus repairs to the existing fire hall, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm.

Because of the long lead time for the ladder truck, the board is getting that process started now. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said manufacturers of the trucks put the current time to build a truck at 35 to 42 months.

Mayor Sidari said the village will also begin to work on the financing for the truck and addition to the fire hall.

“We know the need,” Sidari said about the ladder truck and fire hall addition. “We just have to move forward with it.”

Trustee Tim Elliott made the motion to pursue the ladder truck replacement, and that was seconded by Trustee Jess Marciano. All five board members voted in favor of the resolution.

“This will start the ball rolling,” Elliott said.

Medina Village Board joins effort seeking more of local sales tax from county

Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Medina, including Bent’s Opera House at right, is shown on Monday night.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2023 at 12:31 pm

MEDINA – The Village Board unanimously approved a resolution on Monday evening, calling on the Orleans County Legislature to share more of the local sales tax with towns and villages.

The 10 towns and four villages have been frozen at $1,366,671 since 2001. Medina’s portion of that amount was $149,638 in 2022. That is less than 1 percent (0.67 percent) of the $22.5 million total in local sales tax collected in the county last year.

Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy circulated a letter to the 10 towns and four villages last month, asking for their support in making a unified plea to the County Legislature to share more of the local sales tax.

Moy would like to see the amount shared be at least 14 percent. That’s what the Legislature was sharing in 1996. Back then, the total local sales tax for the year was $9,499,138.

With the local sales tax growing to $22.5 million last year, the share to towns and villages now only represents 6.1 percent of the total.

To get to 14 percent of $22.5 million, the county would have to increase the amount to towns and villages to $3,150,000.

Medina village officials said a sizable increase is long overdue as village struggle to maintain services with their cost increasing for salaries, benefits, fire trucks, plows, dump trucks – just about everything.

Deputy Mayor Owen Toale said the villages provide many quality-of-life issues and other support for businesses, which allow residents and visitors to spend money in Orleans, generating the sales tax.

He noted that sales tax revenue was up $4.8 million or by 27 percent from 2019 to 2022 – from $17.7 million to $22.5 million. Yet none of that increase trickled down to the villages or towns.

“We have to tell them it’s time to share correctly,” Toale said during Monday’s Village Board meeting.

Trustee Marguerite Sherman said village officials have pressed the Legislature before on the issue. “They laughed in our faces,” she said.

The Legislature isn’t obligated to share any of the local sales tax. County legislators have said the county faces rising costs, and could get hit with a $1 million shift in Medicaid costs from the state to the county.

Toale bristled at that response, saying the village is inundated with needs and costly expenses. (The board on Monday voted to pursue a new ladder truck that could top $1.5 million, replacing one that is 27 years old.)

“We need to tell the county legislators how we feel,” Toale said. “We need to be forceful.”

The Village Board next month will be focused on the village budget, and Toale said those meetings last hours as the board and department heads try desperately to find ways to cut costs.

“We’re spending four to five hours to find $5,” he said.

Trustee Tim Elliott said the County Legislature should look at a fair distribution of the local sales tax, including factoring in which communities generate the most. But for now, he favors the resolution initiated by the Clarendon Town Board to have an increase at the 14 percent level.

“It’s a starting point, so let’s start there,” he said.

The resolution adopted by the Medina Village Board states:

“WHEREAS, pursuant to the Orleans County Treasurer records, in 1996 the Orleans County Legislature distributed 14% ($1,366,671) of the total sales tax revenue collected ($9,499,138.31) to the towns and villages in Orleans County; and

“WHEREAS, said dollar amounts have remained the same for town and village revenues from sales tax revenue collected; and

“WHEREAS, there has been no revenue increase to the towns and villages since then even though the sales tax revenue collected by the county has increased more than 40%;

“THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of the Village of Medina does hereby request consideration from the Orleans County Legislature to share 14% of the total sales tax revenue collected with the towns and villages each year here and after, to be utilized in the best way to benefit said communities according to its governing bodies.”

Medina police chief to retire in June

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2023 at 8:51 am

Chad Kenward has led department past 7 ½ years

Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward

MEDINA – Chad Kenward will retire as Medina’s police chief on June 9, ending a 20-year career with his hometown police department. Kenward started as police chief in December 2015 and has led the department for about 7 ½ years.

He started his law enforcement career in 1996 as a corrections officer in the Orleans County jail, and then was a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department before joining the Medina PD. While at Medina he was also a member of the Orleans County Multi-Agency SWAT Team.

“I’ve made a lot of great friendships and working relationships,” Kenward said about his career.

He worked eight of his years with the Medina PD as a school resource officer. He will return to that role for about a month before he retires. Medina is losing two full-time officers, Richard Messmer and Jacob Zangerle, who are transferring to other departments.

Medina currently has three new hires in the police academy but they aren’t ready to join the department yet for patrols.

The department will have the current SRO Dustin Meredith shift to the night shift from April 11 to May 5 while Kenward works as the school resource officer and also handles the duties as police chief. The last month he is police chief, he will use up his vacation time.

Kenward said keeping the department fully staffed has been a challenge, with many officer often moving to larger law enforcement agencies that offer higher pay and benefits.

He was praised by Mayor Mike Sidari for his professionalism and commitment to Medina.

“He is definitely a community-oriented police chief,” Sidari said after Monday’s Village Board meeting. “He has brought the department up to state standards. He has the respect of the officer, Village Board members and the residents.”

Village Trustee Jess Marciano has served on a 12-member Police Advisory Committee with Kenward for about two years. The group reviews police policies and solicits input from residents. Some of the members have gone on ride-a-longs with officers.

Marciano said she is impressed with Kenward and his concern for the community.

“He is a residents’ police chief,” she said. “It’s not the police versus the residents.”

Kenward led the department in having body cameras to be worn by all officers, and also increased training for responding to people in a mental health crisis.

Mayor Sidari said the Village Board is discussing the process for choosing Kenward’s successor, whether Medina will hire from within or do a bigger search. Todd Draper, the department’s lieutenant, has already passed the police chief’s exam, Sidari said.

Fire photo: Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward helps students navigate through a course while wearing goggles to simulate being impaired in this photo from May 2019. Lt. Todd Draper is second from left. The effort was an outreach to show high school students the impact on poor decision making with alcohol and drugs.

Velocitii in Medina named a ‘top workplace’ in the Rochester region

Posted 27 March 2023 at 12:13 pm

Press Release, Velocitii

Provided photo: Heather Smith is CEO of Velocitii, which is based in the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue in Medina. The company was founded in 2014 by Roger Hungerford.

MEDINA – Velocitii LLC, a business process outsourcing company, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 award by The Rochester Top Workplaces. Velocitii is one of 79 companies in the Rochester region to receive the honor.

This award recognizes the company’s commitment to fostering a culture of excellence, employee development, and engagement.

Velocitii’s win is a testament to the company’s strong focus on its employees. The company has implemented several initiatives to improve its workplace culture, including its Future Leaders Development Program, monthly town hall meetings, pay-for-performance structure, employee appreciation days and a generous holiday bonus system.

Additionally, Velocitii implemented Yammer, an internal social network, to keep employees connected and engaged, even while working remotely.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as a top workplace in our region!” said Heather Smith, CEO of Velocitii. “At Velocitii, we believe that culture is the secret ingredient to success as a company. Employees who feel valued and rewarded provide exceptional service to our customers and that is a win-win. I want to personally thank all of our employees for continuing to provide input and suggestions that help Velocitii be an employer of choice. This award would not have been possible without open communication and mutual trust”

This prestigious award serves as a testament to the company’s commitment to its employees, and underscores the fact that a strong focus on employee satisfaction and fulfillment is key to achieving long-term success in the highly competitive BPO industry.

Velocitii’s ability to foster a workplace environment that promotes growth, innovation, and collaboration has positioned it as an employer of choice, that is well-poised to continue its growth and success in the years to come.

Editor’s Note: Velocitii, as a business process outsourcing company, provides support for other businesses, handling calls for customers about plans, billing and troubleshooting. Velocitii works with companies in healthcare, waste management, hospitality, e-commerce, auto insurance and technology.

Lyndonville, Medina elect village trustees

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2023 at 9:32 pm

Diana Baker will be new member of Medina Village Board

LYNDONVILLE/MEDINA – Village residents in Lyndonville and Medina elected trustees to their Village Boards, including a new member in Medina.

Diana Baker was elected to a two-year term as trustee in Medina with 49 votes. Jess Marciano also was re-elected and received 53 votes. Baker will take the post currently held by Owen Toale, who didn’t seek re-election after 12 years on the board. (There was also 1 write-in vote each for Peter Huth and Shawn Ramsey.)

In Lyndonville Kimberly Kenyon received 19 votes and Terry Stinson was backed on 23 ballots. Both are currently on the board. Justin Edwards also received one write-in. In Lyndonville, the terms are for four years.