MEDINA – The board of MAAC’s Thrift Depot on Orient Street has revised the guidelines implemented for customers and donors when the store reopened in June after the pandemic.

Sue Metzo, coordinator of the Thrift Depot, said they want to ease some of the concerns voiced by customers. She said customers and donations have been down and they hope easing restrictions will encourage more people to visit, and still feel safe.

She said she has contacted both The Salvation Army and Goodwill, and learned they do not have such strict restrictions as the Thrift Depot was practicing.

Metzo said customers will still have to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer. They will no longer limit the number of shoppers in the store, she said. Children wearing masks will be allowed in the store, but they must stay with their parent at all times. This will be strictly enforced, she added.

The “touchless donation system” will continue, with the chutes remaining closed for now. Donations may be brought to the white door on Orient Street between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. There, the donor, wearing a mask, will be guided to deposit donations in a quarantine area. There will no longer be a limit on clothing or household items one wishes to donate.

Metzo asked that donors make sure all items are clean and in good condition.

“It is costly for us to discard soiled, ripped or broken items,” she said.

These revised guidelines will be posted on the MAAC Thrift Depot Facebook page.

Return to top

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina Lions, from left, Ann McElwee, Jim Punch and Don Colquhoun sit at the welcome area in Medina’s canal basin, as they wait for the first motorcyclists to arrive during a dice run Sunday to benefit food pantries in Niagara County and Medina.

MEDINA – A dice run sponsored by Niagara County Lions clubs on Saturday, and which Medina Lions participated in for the first time, has netted $750 for food pantries in Medina, Lockport, Wheatfield, Lewiston, Wilson and Olcott.

It was four years ago when Duane Snyder of Olcott pitched an idea to his local Lions Clubs, suggesting they have a dice run to support food pantries in the local area.

Motorcyclists Pete and Lois Kaminski of Youngstown were the first to arrive in Medina during a dice run Sunday to benefit local food pantries. This is the first year Medina Lions have taken part in the event, which also included Lions clubs from Olcott, Wilson, Lewiston, Lockport and Wheatfield.

“I thought it was a worthy cause and knew there were needy people,” Snyder said Sunday, after a very successful fourth dice run.

Although Medina Lions didn’t have any motorcyclists who participated, they did set up a table in the canal basin’s gazebo, where they welcomed riders who shook the dice and were offered a free bottle of water. The five Niagara County Lions clubs which participated were Lockport, Olcott, Wilson, Lewiston and Wheatfield.

Medina Lions members who set up the welcome area and greeted cyclists were Don Colquhoun, Jim Punch, Ann McElwee and Russ and Christine Thompson.

The first cyclists to arrive in Medina were Pete and Lois Kaminsky of Youngstown. They said it was a beautiful ride to Medina and they had been here before and loved to come to Medina.

According to Snyder, the ride started at Woodcock Brewing Company in Wilson. Next was the Silo in Lewiston, where they received free ice cream. At Bob Weaver Motorsports in Wheatfield, they were provided with free water. The company also provided gift certificates for prizes. Snyder added that Sue at Bob Weaver Motorsports promoted the ride heavily on social media, which resulted in a number of riders.

In all, he said a record 50 riders participated.

In Lockport, their stop was at Lake Effect Ice Cream on the canal. After leaving Medina, the route took them to their final stop at Olcott, where Snyder said Aaron Day, an Olcott Lion, had also promoted the ride on Facebook.

While not a lot of the riders were Lions members, Snyder said they appreciated the support from other motorcyclists who joined them. All the stops were manned by Lions’ members, he said.

At the end of the day, the ride netted $750, which will be divided up between food pantries in all six towns, Snyder said. Prize money for the riders came from registration fees (each rider and co-rider paid $10 to participate) and donations from the community.

Return to top

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club is participating for the first time with five other Lions clubs from Niagara County in a dice run to benefit local food pantries.

This is the fourth year Lions clubs in Olcott, Lewiston, Lockport, Wheatfield and Wilson have taken part in the dice run, but it is the first year Medina Lions have joined them, said Don Colquhoun, a member of Medina Lions.

The dice run will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bob Weaver’s Motorsports in Wilson. Their next stop will be Lockport and then Medina, where they expect to be at the gazebo in the canal basin at 1 p.m. After stops in Wheatfield and Lewiston, the run will end in Olcott about 3 p.m.

Colquhoun said there are many Lions members who enjoy motorcycling and this is a wonderful way to raise money for food pantries.

Riders pay a registration fee for each cyclist and passenger. At each stop, they roll four dice and at the end of the run, the top two riders who rolled the most points win part of the money and the rest is donated to the food pantries, along with any donations received along the way.

The public is invited to visit the canal basin in Medina and make a donation.

Return to top

Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Class of 1956 at Medina High School has met regularly since graduation. On Tuesday, 10 classmates met for a picnic lunch at State Street Park, where they spent most of the afternoon sharing memories. Seated from left are Barbara Boyle Schreiber of Clarence, Irene Siwirski Dunn of Medina and Mary Hood Sheeder of Williamsville. At rear are Larry Boyle of Medina, Jack Wasnock and his wife Carol of Medina, Dennis Seekins of Lyndonville, Bill Allport and his wife Nancy of Hilton and Fred Cavers and his wife Sherrill of Medina. Absent from the photo are Teresa Mondo Poler of Lyndonville and Carol Gotts O’Brien and her husband Tom of Medina.

MEDINA – Medina High School’s Class of 1956 has been keeping in touch regularly since they graduated 64 years ago. Even with the pandemic, this year has been no exception.

On Tuesday, 10 members of the class, several with their spouses, met at State Street Park for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of reminiscing.

Those who attended were Larry Boyle, Jack Wasnock and his wife Carol, Fred Cavers and his wife Sherrill, Carol Gotts O’Brien and her husband Tom and Irene Siwirski Dunn, all of Medina; Barbara Boyle Schreiber of Clarence; Mary Hood Sheeder of Williamsville; Bill Allport and his wife Nancy of Hilton; and Teresa Mondo Poler and Dennis Seekins of Lyndonville.

For the first few years after graduation, the class had a reunion every five years, then they started losing classmates and realized the importance of keeping in touch. They began getting together twice a year, once at Sacred Heart Club and usually at Shelby Fire Hall’s pancake breakfast in the spring.

Now that Sacred Heart Club is closed due to the pandemic, they decided to meet outside at State Street Park. Schreiber said many of them don’t like to drive at night any more, so getting together in the daytime is preferable.

The class graduated 100 in 1956, and classmate Loretta Crane Tomasino of Albion estimates they have lost 37. She and another classmate Donna Stahl Laubacher of Albion were unable to attend Tuesday. Tomasino tries to keep classmates informed by computer, while Laubacher calls those who don’t have a computer.

It has become a tradition for the class to donate a book to Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in memory of a classmate who dies.

Schreiber said after lunch most of them stuck around and chatted until 4 p.m.

“We talked about everything and anything, including our old teachers,” said Larry Boyle.

“We just had such a good time,” he said.

Return to top

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Alexandra Peracciny, left, and her daughter Emilia stand in Alexandra’s new photography studio above the Book Shoppe in Medina. Gloria and Fred Fierch, the new owners of the Book Shoppe, are Alexandra’s parents.

MEDINA – Being in business in the Medina area is nothing new for Alexandra Peracciny and her family.

Peracciny’s parents, Fred and Gloria Fierch, recently purchased the Book Shoppe, while other relatives, including aunts and uncles, are involved in Lyons Collision, McCauley Canvas and Rudy’s, to name a few. Peracciny’s grandparents were owners of the former Silver Dollar on Main Street. Alexandra’s sister Robin Cramer is a hairdresser next door in the new Revival Beauty Salon.

That is one of the reasons being in business for herself is so special for Peracciny, who just opened a photography studio above the Book Shoppe.

Peracciny was born in Medina and grew up in Middleport. She loves to travel and has had the opportunity to take pictures of such things as the Eiffel Tower and open air markets of Spain. So becoming a photographer was a natural fit.

She was looking for a summer job when she opened her first business, Alexandra Peracciny Photography, in 2007, specializing in wedding photography in the Western New York area. She had completed a program of study in film/digital photography and thought weddings were a great place to start.

She soon realized there was a need for family, senior, maternity, sports and special event photography.

She often brought her young daughter Emilia Peracciny along to help, and later Emilia, a fourth-generation member of the Medina business community, joined her mother working at weddings and sometimes booking her own clients.

Sunflower field sessions and lavender field photos, taken near Sanborn, and other mini sessions became very popular, Alexandra said. She also soon realized there was a need for an indoor studio.

When the family purchased the Book Shoppe in December 2019, they saw the space above the store as a perfect fit for an indoor studio, and Alexandra opened for business in February.

Then the pandemic hit and she was forced to close down temporarily. The studio has reopened and appointments are being taken for fall/winter shoots, newborn photos, and holiday time sessions, along with any outdoor or on-location photos, such as senior portraits and family portraits. Headshots are also done in the studio for professional portfolios and social networking. Appointments are available evenings, weekends and throughout the summer.

Alexandra Peracciny Photography is a full service studio that offers not only digital services, but also professional prints and other photo merchandise.

In addition to her photography business, Alexandra is a full-time teacher of Spanish and French at Medina High School. However, she stresses she is very serious about her dedication to both professions and is careful to keep them separate.

Emilia is also a student at the University of Buffalo, studying marketing, and is employed at Aldi’s and TJ Maxx.

Alexandra said they are thrilled to be vested in the Medina community. They can be contacted at (716) 735-7381 or aperacciny@yahoo.com. They are on Facebook and further information is available at www.alexandraperaccinyphotography.com.

Return to top

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Canalligator mural on a cinder block building on Proctor Place was approved to stay in the historic district. The Form Foundation, led by Tim Hungerford and his wife Teresa Misiti, is leading the effort to have more modern art publicly displayed in Medina.

MEDINA – The Village Planning Board on Tuesday evening approved three murals in the historic district.

All three are on the back sides of buildings along Proctor Place, a one-way street a block from Main Street.

One of the murals, the Canalligator, was finished last month at 428-436 S. Main Street. Another one with a floral pattern would be on the other side of the same cinder block building as the Canalligator on Proctor Place.

Another project, “Fake It Til You Make It” – will be on the back of 410 Main Street. The mural would go from the floor to the top of the cinder block wall. The mural sends a message of the importance of self-confidence in relation to the pursuit of one’s dreams.

Tim Hungerford and his wife Teresa Misiti are leaders of the non-profit Form Foundation that is spearheading the projects, raising funding, connecting with artists and securing permission from building owners for the projects.

They were faulted for not getting a certificate of appropriateness for the Canalligator mural before it was painted. Hungerford apologized for that. He said he didn’t think the backs of the buildings, with cinder block walls, were considered in the historic district and needed a certificate of appropriateness.

The village was concerned about holding a traditional public hearing with a large crowd in the main meeting room of City Hall. So the Planning Board gave the community the option to email comments about the murals.

John Dieter, Planning Board chairman, said he consulted with officials from the State Historic Preservation Office who told him murals with modern art are compatible in historic district as long as they aren’t painted on main thoroughfares, aren’t painted on historic stone or prominent architectural features.

The village also received 118 emails about the murals with nearly all in support of the projects. The Form Foundation offered a Canalligator T-shirt for $1 if people showed support for the project. Hungerford said he was copied on 101 emails that were “overwhelmingly positive.”

In a letter from David and Gail Miller, they suggested creating an “art alley” that gives a modern feel to Medina without impacting the traditional beauty of Main Street and the rest of the historic district.

“These projects might be considered a ‘trial run’ to kick off a much larger discussion about the place of art in developing a unique identity of our village,” the Millers wrote in their letter on Aug. 16.

Cindy Robinson, a Main Street business owner and long-time leader of the former Medina Business Association, said the rules weren’t followed in securing a certificate of appropriateness before the Canalligator.

“I’m opposed to the way it was gone about,” she said. “This is about following the regulations like everyone else does.”

The votes to give the murals certificates of appropriateness passed unanimously, 5-0.  Planning Board Chairman John Dieter said he consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office. That group said the murals and modern art would be OK in a historic district because they weren’t on a main thoroughfare. Proctor Place is a one-way street.

The murals also aren’t being painted on Medina sandstone or other original historic building materials for the structures. The murals also don’t alter prominent architectural features of the sites.

Chris Goyette, a member of the Medina Planning Board, states his support for bringing art to Medina, including in the historic district. Kathy Blackburn, left, and LaRissa DeGraw also are on the board. “We need to make the regulations more progressive and friendly,” Goyette said.

Dieter spoke after hearing from the other Planning Board members. Earlier in the meeting, Planning Board members Mary Lewis and Kathy Blackburn both said they believed sections of the village zoning ordinance made approval of the projects difficult.

“You have to look at is this compatible with the surrounding properties?” Blackburn said. “That is the law.”

Lewis said she supports public art and she thanked Hungerford and Misiti for working on the initiative. But she felt the wording in regulations said any murals or art should be done to be compatible with the historic district.

Planning Board member LaRissa DeGraw said the regulations doesn’t clearly ban modern art in the historic district. She said there are many examples of modern art and murals in historic districts in other communities.

She said the regulations in the historic district are focused on the front facades of buildings and the historic architectural features – not the backs of buildings and cinder blocks.

“The regulations are vague enough that we don’t have grounds to deny it,” DeGraw said.

She said the Form Foundation has found a way to improve the historic district, by focusing art on the back sides of a few select buildings.

“They are creating a new thing in Medina,” DeGraw said.

She sees the art projects as infusing energy and money into the historic district. That ultimately could give the buildings owners in the historic district more revenue to maintain the properties.

Chris Goyette, another Planning Board member, said the village regulations don’t fully address modern art. That language – or lack – shouldn’t derail the current projects, Goyette said.

“We are a little bit hamstrung but I don’t think it should stop it,” he said about the projects.

The Form Foundation is proposing this mural behind 428-436 Main Street on the opposite wall of the Canalligator. Chris Piontkowski has proposed this design using local, native species of pollinator flowers.

Medina should “become more progressive and think outside the box a little bit,” Goyette said.

He appreciates the effort by the Form Foundation to bring attention to the back of buildings, which Goyette said are often neglected and in some cases, “downright embarrassing.”

“We need to make the regulations more progressive and friendly,” he said.

Hungerford said the three murals, plus another one on a cinder block building at the corner of Pearl Street and West Avenue, all feed off each other. He expects the three new murals will be done by October.

His goal is to have new murals painted over the four sites every two years.

Mayor Mike Sidari said the Village Board will be looking to update the regulations to clearly address modern art. The village may create a Public Arts Commission to help review projects.

Sidari said other artists also are interested in projects in Medina, including under the canal bridges.

He commended the Form Foundation leaders for pushing the projects in Medina.

“Tim and Teresa, thank you for what you’re doing in the village,” Sidari said.

Mayor Mike Sidari thanked the Planning Board for working through a challenging issue. Sidari said the Village Board will be looking to revise regulations and perhaps create a Public Arts Commission to help review and site modern art projects.

Return to top

Photos by Ginny Kropf: This Victorian home at 512 West Avenue is being converted into a ceramics studio by owner Tim Elliott.

MEDINA – The owner of a Medina business is taking a leap of faith and moving off Main Street.

“It was time to grow as a business, and that meant owning my own place,” said Tim Elliott, owner of Brushstrokes.

Elliott has purchased a 3,000 square-foot Victorian home at 512 West Ave., which he is in the process of converting into his for the business.

It will be set up roughly the same as his Main Street store, Elliott said. The living room is now a painting room, a parlor is filled with fired pottery for customers to choose, and a sun room off the kitchen holds his kilns. Two bedrooms upstairs will be private paint rooms for parties of 15 to 20 people.

Elliott was thrilled with the charm of the old home, which boasts stained glass windows in the front doors and stairway landing, 10-foot windows with shutters in the living room, pocket doors, tin ceilings, and push button light switches. The radiator in the kitchen has a built-in bread box.

Elliott first opened his own business after he was laid off from his job in finance.

“I was looking for something to do that was affordable, and came up with an escape room or a ceramics studio,” Elliott said. “A ceramics studio was something affordable I could offer the community and which people could do as a family or date night.”

Elliott said kids are his biggest customers.

He has also partnered with several wineries to hold popular paint nights. At a Gust of Sun Winery in Ransomville, three events sold out in a day, Elliott said. Customers visit the wintery, have a drink and paint, while practicing safe distancing, he said. Then they can pick up their fired piece in a week. They painted garden gnomes and mason jar lanterns.

Tim Elliott, owner of Brushstokes in Medina, stands with a room full of pottery in the house on West Avenue, where he is moving his business.

Elliott said he has partnered with several Medina businesses in an effort to help them during this pandemic. Near Mother’s Day, he bought planters from Creekside Floral and gave flowers to customers with their ceramic piece.

He bought chocolates from Della’s a gave them away with every order.

He has also partnered with 810 Meadworks, which can accommodate up to 25 people who come and paint outside.

“We have been busy during the pandemic,” Elliott said. “When kids were home and had nothing to do, their parents brought them in to paint.”

He just finished an art academy, following guidelines for summer camps. There was a maximum of 15 kids who wore masks and maintained safe distances. They did glass work, rock painting, oil/pastels and ceramics.

Elliott has had to adapt during the pandemic, and developed to-go kits. He also bought acrylic paint, which he never carried before. He has from 500 to 600 fired pieces for customers to choose from.

Elliott was born in Germany, and admits to being a “military brat.” He graduated from Elba Central School, but is proud to call Medina “home.” He has been on the Village Board for four years and is owner of a new axe-throwing business, 810 Axes, with Bryan DeGraw.

Elliott plans to have his new West Avenue location for Brushstrokes open by Nov. 1. In the meantime, he is encouraging online sales.

Tim Elliott, owner of Brushstrokes in Medina, stands by the pocket doors in the 3,000-square-foot Victorian home on West Avenue.

Return to top

Photos courtesy of Rob Klino: Rob Klino, a member of the Medina Sandstone Society, presents the annual John Ryan Scholarship to Nathan Sherman of Medina.

MEDINA – Medina High School graduate Nathan Sherman of Medina is the 2020 recipient of the fifth annual John Ryan Scholarship.

The scholarship is a $1,000 award presented annually by the Medina Sandstone Society in conjunction with the Medina High School History Department.

Nathan won the scholarship for preparing a power point presentation and filming a video on the topic “How My Life has Been Impacted by Covid-19.”

A son of Jon and Marguerite Sherman, Nathan plans to attend Canisius College in the fall to pursue a degree in biochemistry, while playing baseball for the Golden Griffins.

The scholarship is named after John Ryan, a Shelby resident who started the first sandstone quarry in Orleans County. Ryan Road, west of South Gravel Road in Shelby, is named for John Ryan.

Members of the Sandstone Society posed with the family of Nathan Sherman after presenting him with the 2020 John Ryan Scholarship. Seated from left are Barbara Waters and Jim Hancock. Standing are Peggy Schreck, Dave Miller Rob Klino, Marguerite and Jon Sherman (with son Nathan standing in front of them) Mary Zangerle, Todd Bensley and Gabrielle Barone.

Return to top

‘I am so thankful for my patron base of collectors and folks who appreciate the positive powers that art can offer.’

A Medina native and brother of three Orleans County residents is enjoying a second career as an accomplished artist in his home town of Denver.

Danyl Cook is a son of the late Journal-Register photographer and sportsman Don Cook and Shirley Cook and a brother of Debbie Morse of Medina, Dave Cook of Lyndonville and Derinda Kwiatkowski of Waterport.

Danyl was only 7 when his mother died. Although he doesn’t have a lot of memories of her, he does remember the night she died. She had a hospital bed in their living room and he came downstairs after arguing with his sister Derinda about something.

“I saw my dad’s firemen buddies (who ran the ambulance then) wheeling mom’s bed toward the door,” he said. “I complained to her about my sister and she said, ‘Don’t argue with your sister. Give me a kiss and go back to bed.’ I was obviously unaware this would be the last time I would see her, and I didn’t think much about the firemen as they were dad’s friends in in the house all the time anyway. I do not remember her voice or her mannerisms. But I do think of her whenever I smell rosewater or rose-scented perfumes.”

Danyl graduated from Medina High School and obtained a bachelor’s degree in business at Buffalo State, however he filled his electives with studio and art history classes.

His love of art was probably fueled by his father, who also loved to sketch and draw and Danyl remembers many nights sitting at the kitchen table and drawing with his father.

He worked as a reporter/photographer for the Journal-Register for about five years before joining the Peace Corps in 1991. He was assigned to a small, rural village in the Dominican Republic, long before the world discovered it was a tourist destination, Danyl said. He worked with fishermen, coconut farmers and women’s groups in a variety of business ventures.

“The life change from working at a daily newspaper where you are hunting stories day and night to being plopped in a third-world country where it could take hours just to get a ride to the village market gives one plenty of time to pause and reflect on life,” Danyl said. “I knew when I returned home I wanted to not only use my newly gained Spanish speaking skills, but also to study art further. My dad was known for his nature photography, but he always liked to draw as well. So growing up with that creative mentoring really struck me as something to pay attention to, rather than a return to life filled with work and only work.”

Danyl spent two years overseas and then moved to Denver, not only to use his new language skills (the city population there is more than one-half Hispanic), but to enjoy a sunny and dry climate that was NOT Buffalo cold or Caribbean humid, he said.

He stayed with the Peace Corps for a total of nine years, flying around the west to recruit new volunteers into an exciting world of adventure on their own. He also started to take art classes at a local university.

“If someone ever tells you art school is easy, don’t listen,” Danyl said. “One professor chopped a class of 50 eager artists down to nine of us by the end of the semester. He was brutal, but I learned so much. Another professor took me under his wing and pressed me to show my work outside. I was hesitant, but he badgered me so much that I found myself entering a juried show, just to get him off my back. Once accepted into that show I was approached by a gallery, and that is when things began to move.”

This painting and the one below are two of Danyl Cook’s favorite paintings that were part of a recent exhibit at the prestigious Valkarie Gallery in Denver, where he now lives.

By 1999, Danyl had left the Peace Corps and was showing in galleries around the Denver Metro area, both in group and solo shows. He joined an artists’ cooperative and began directing the group, mixing his love of art and business.

In 2011, he began attending classes at Regis University in Denver and worked four years to get his dual master’s degrees in painting and art marketing, while showing his work along the way and again benefitting from some tough but awesome mentors, he said.

“I’ve been blessed to have steady gallery representation in Denver for the last 20 years, and until recently had my work in a Santa Fe, New Mexico location, Santa Fe being one of the top art destinations in the nation,” Danyl said. “My art is in the office lobbies of corporations, the halls of hospitals and the walls of restaurants. I have private collectors from New York to San Francisco and from London to Israel and Australia.”

Danyl loves to give business talks about marketing and helping his fellow artists get their work into the public eye. Having grown up in a creative household, he truly believes in the importance and power of art to make people feel good, especially in these trying times.

In mid-March he was planning his latest solo show at Valkarie Gallery when initial Covid-related shutdowns were looming, he said.

“The gallery owner asked if I wanted to cancel my show and after very little thought I responded, ‘No, let’s still hang it because there are some great windows in front that will still allow patrons to see in, and I’ve worked so hard on this body of work to not present it.’ We then discussed strategies to get the word out and devised a plan to make several short videos to stream on social media. I went home to script shots, and hadn’t even entered the door when the gallery owner called and said, ‘You have got to come back right now to shoot. The governor is closing everything down in less than 24 hours.’”

‘You won’t find wordy, existential art statements on my site or in my talks. I think art should be joyful, relatable.’

Danyl raced back to the gallery and with no script or light, they shot a series of short clips on a smart phone. Some were serious, but most were downright silly. They then started sharing the unedited pieces on Facebook and Instagram.”

Later, they held a live painting event where the wide front doors of the gallery were thrown open and cordoned off. The owner painted social distancing circles outside. They invited everyone on their mailing list and Danyl donned a mask and broke out the brushes and canvasses.

“I had one of my best shows ever, despite few people seeing the work in person,” Danyl said. “Loyal patrons and newcomers both flocked to their computers, phones and tablets with commentary on our quickly shot videos, and folks began to buy. I was overwhelmed with the response and support, especially when so many were – and are – facing economic problems because of Covid.

“I am so thankful for my patron base of collectors and folks who appreciate the positive powers that art can offer,” Danyl said. “You won’t find wordy, existential art statements on my site or in my talks. I think art should be joyful, relatable.”

About five years ago, Dave and his wife Carol’s daughter Chelsea and her boyfriend, who is a pilot, moved to Denver so she wouldn’t be alone when her boyfriend traveled so much.

“She and the boyfriend didn’t last, but she loves it here and opted to stay when he went back to New York,” Danyl said. “It’s great for me as I think of her as my kid, and it’s nice to see her on a regular basis. She has worked several years as a sales rep for a local brewery. She is definitely cut from the extrovert Cook mold, and that lends itself well to her job.”

Danyl keeps in touch with friends and relatives in Medina and was recently contacted by someone from the village of Medina asking his advice on the alligator mural which has caused an uproar in Medina.

He often thinks of his dad and how he influenced so many people

“I feel he was all about sharing – sharing his knowledge, his humor and warmth,”  Danyl said. “I was actually sitting on my front porch tonight and watched a flock of birds heading home at dusk, and thought of dad. Whenever I see any bird I like to think it’s a sign from dad that he is saying hi to me.”

Danyl invites everyone to reach out to him at danylcook.com. He is also on Facebook at Danyl Cook; on Instragram at danylcookart; and on Twitter.

(Reporter’s note: Danyl’s dad Don Cook is actually the one who encouraged Ginny Kropf to write in the late 1960s. She was the distributor for the Buffalo Courier Express at the time and Don wanted a story done on Canada geese. He said if the Courier would let her do it, he would provide the information and photos. The Courier did accept the story and ran it as the feature Lifestyles story in all its editions. Following that, the Courier hired Ginny as the Orleans County correspondent).

Return to top

MEDINA – The amount of stones needing repair and trees which need trimming or replacing at Boxwood Cemetery is beyond the Village of Medina’s capacity to take care of, both financially and in terms of labor, said Kathy Blackburn, chair of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission.

Recently, Gabrielle Barone, who is a member of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission and Friends of Boxwood, came up with a suggestion.

She suggested having a fundraiser in which projects which need addressing in the cemetery are identified with yellow ribbons. This would include trees which need trimming, cutting down or replacing and stones which need repairing or replacing.

Members of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission took time out from their Aug. 3 meeting to identify several trees and stones which need attention. They have announced a fundraiser in which the public can adopt any tree or stone with a yellow ribbon on it and make a donation toward trimming or replacing the tree or repairing a stone. Clockwise from left front are Nicki Fredericks, Darlene Witte, Gabrielle Barone, Kathy Blackburn, Rob Klino and Todd Bensley.

Last week, the Cemetery Commission held their meeting on the banks of Glenwood Lake and finalized plans to kick off the fundraiser.

Commission members included Rob Klino, Todd Bensley, Gabrielle Barone, Darlene Witte, Shirley Whittleton, Dale Short and Joe Perry. They demonstrated how ribbons would be tied around trees and stones. A tag of some sort will also be attached to each ribbon with a number on it. Community members who would like to support the project can send a check to Friends of Boxwood, in care of Medina Village Clerk, 119 Park Ave., identifying the number of the ribbon. Checks may be for the entire cost of a project or a donation toward the cost.

From left, Rob Klino, Shirley Whittleton, Nicki Fredericks, Gabriele Barone, Todd Bensley and Kathy Blackburn tie yellow ribbons on stones in Boxwood Cemetery which are in need of repair. The public is asked to look through the cemetery and make a donation toward trimming or planting new trees or repairing stones which are identified with the yellow ribbons.

Blackburn said they are also facing the cost of re-leading the stained glass window in the chapel. A restoration group in Buffalo has indicated the cost will be $10,000. The Gothic Revival chapel was built in 1903 of Medina sandstone.

Boxwood Cemetery was established in 1849. The Boxwood Cemetery Commission was founded decades ago, but became inactive for a period of time. About nine years ago Whittleton and Blackburn expressed an interest in activating the organization again, and the cemetery board appointed them to the commission.

Friends of Boxwood was founded about 20 years ago and includes many member of the Commission, as well as other supporters. It was the Friends group which identified trees and stones in the cemetery which need attention. In recent years, the Friends of Boxwood raised money for the new flagpole in the newer section on the north side of the cemetery and painting the caretakers house in the front.

Members of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission chose a warm sunny night to have their August meeting on the banks of Glenwood Lake. Clockwise from left are Rob Klino, Darlene Witte, Todd Bensley, Nicki Fredericks, Shirley Whittleton, chair Kathy Blackburn and Gabrielle Barone.

Press Release, Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward

MEDINA — At least two vehicles were hit with bullets during a block party in Medina last night, Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward said today.

No one has been confirmed to have been injured after a black male discharged a handgun into the air several times, Kenward said.

There was a large group of people at a house party in the 300 block of West Avenue. Medina police officer Mark Prawel reported there were shots fired at about 11:30 p.m. in the 300 block of West Avenue.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a verbal altercation ensued among people at the party and that spilled over to the parking lot at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

“Numerous shell casings and mangled bullets have been removed from the scene,” Kenward said.

The Medina PD is continuing its investigation into this incident. Medina was assisted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police.

Return to top

MEDINA – A popular event and fundraiser for United Way of Orleans County has been shut down by the Orleans County Health Department.

Dave Green, organizer of the Friday night cruise-ins in Medina’s canal basin, said Friday night he received a call from the Health Department about 3 p.m. this afternoon saying the event was attracting more people than the state allowed and they would have to cancel it.

Green said they took all the precautions they could – providing hand sanitizer, asking people to stay behind their cars and making them wear masks if they walked around.

The cruise-ins were started five weeks ago and attendance has grown weekly, Green said. They had 46 cars the first night, but one night there were 126.

He said it was a shame they had to cancel as the event is sponsored by United Way of Orleans County and proceeds from their nightly 50-50 drawings benefit United Way. Green said he had about $800 to turn over to the agency.

The Super Cruise featuring Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald which annually ended the summer cruise-ins was already canceled, and Green said they had only planned to have them through July and August.

Return to top