Elizabeth Cooper Leone, Mercedes Holloway Wilson, Kate Schirmer Messner and Christopher Parada are recognized by school

Photos courtesy of Medina Central School: Mercedes Holloway Wilson (left), Principal Michael Cavanagh and Elizabeth Cooper Leone celebrate on Dec. 21.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Medina High School recognized four distinguished alumni on Dec. 21 for their outstanding contributions to their community and/or their chosen career.

The award is given annually to honor alumni, promote school spirit, foster pride in the school and community and to serve as an incentive for the current student body.

This year’s recipients are Elizabeth Cooper Leone, Mercedes Holloway Wilson, Kate Schirmer Messner and Christopher Parada.

“Having worked in Medina for many years, I can definitely say that it is a blessing to be part of a community like ours,” said Michael Cavanagh, the school principal. “The people that we honor today are proof that we are all capable of achieving greatness and truly making a difference in society.”

Elizabeth Cooper Leone formed Cooper Dolls in 1993 when she combined a love of sculpting with the desire to own her own business. She graduated from Medina High School in 1975 and earned a Liberal Arts degree from Wells College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from Buffalo State College.

She started Cooper Dolls with eight pounds of clay and a 1954 sewing machine and began to design, sculpt and market her work as collectible dolls and holiday figurines. She incorporated themes in her work of her memories of growing up in Medina.

She has exhibited her work and has collectors around the world and has had her dolls featured in magazines and books. She has won several Doll of the Year awards and was invited to show her work at Disney. Mrs. Leone thanked her teachers at Medina for inspiring her and encouraged students to follow their dreams.

Mercedes Holloway Wilson is a 2000 Medina High School graduate. While she attended Medina, she was a proud member of the varsity volleyball, girls basketball and track and field teams. She is an accomplished singer and sang the National Anthem at Section VI basketball games at Erie Community College in Buffalo her senior year.

At the age of 28 years old, Mercedes was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. With her belief that a healthy body goes together with a healthy mind, she set herself on a path to not only heal herself, but to help others. While still undergoing treatment, she founded a non-profit organization called For Our Daughters, with the goal of helping girls live longer, healthier lives by taking greater control of their well-being. She started a broadcasting career at WBBZ-TV with a show called “What’s the Buzz” and focused on a more healthier lifestyle with a focus on nutrition. She authored a book on healthy eating and started hosting a television segment called “Recipes for Life” on WKBW-TV’s “AM Buffalo”.  She was then promoted to be the co-host of the “AM Buffalo” morning show.

In her spare time, she shared her grandmother’s relish recipe to a manufacturer and now you can purchase Sadie’s Relish in many local stores. She also hosts workshops to educate young women on living a healthier lifestyle.

She thanked her teachers at Medina High School for encouraging her along the way and extended a very heartfelt thank you to her aunt and uncle with whom she lived with while attending school. She presented her uncle, Dave King, with a special plaque, for helping to raise her into the woman she is today.

Kate Schirmer Messner graduated from Medina in 1988. While at school, she was a proud member of the Medina Marching Band where she played flute and piccolo and was also a varsity volleyball player. She pointed to her teachers from Oak Orchard Elementary and on who inspired her love for writing.

Because of the educators she encountered at Medina, she pursued English and journalism and received a BS in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. She went on to work as a television news producer and reporter for NBC affiliates in Syracuse, New York and Burlington, Vermont. She also earned a MS in Teaching from SUNY Plattsburgh and spent 15 years teaching middle school English and Writing.

Kate then began to write and publish young reader books such as “The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z” in 2009. She received the prestigious E.B White Read Aloud Award.  In her career she has gone on to write more than 50 books for children. Her titles have included award-winning picture books like “Over and Under the Snow”, “The Brilliant Deep” and “How to Write a Story”.  Novels like “All the Answers”, “Breakout, and Chirp” and nonfiction like “The Next President” and “Tracking Tortoises”.  She is also known for the popular “Ranger in Time” chapter book adventures, the “Fergus and Zeke” easy readers and the “History Smashers” graphic nonfiction series.

Kate was honored in 2022 with receiving the Empire State Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature. Her books often appear on state book award lists, and her science-themed picture books have been honored with the Green Earth Book Award and the Riverby Award for Natural History Writing. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and devotes time visiting schools and libraries around the world to talk about books, writing and reading.

Christopher Parada was a member of the Medina High School Class of 2002. He has been part of the Palace Theater team in Lockport for over 15 years and the Executive Director for over 10 years.

During his time at the theater he has helped lead the Palace to being a central part of the Lockport community. Directing over 75 shows, he has brought his creative style to thousands of patrons, entertained families and helped to boost the Lockport economy. He has also helped to keep the Palace Theater going through the lean years to prepare the business to partake in a four million dollar renovation that is currently taking place.  With the help of the Board of Directors, he is ensuring that the Palace will be there for years to come.

When Chris is not leading the Palace Theater, he has a little side gig as Santa Claus! Ten years ago, Chris built the Santa Cottage on Day Road in Lockport. Every December, he plays Santa to local families with the thousands of children who visit the cottage. He charges nothing for this holiday joy and loves allowing families time to talk and take pictures to create holiday memories to last them a lifetime.

There is no doubt, that Chris has community service in his heart. He is also a longtime member of the Light Up Lockport committee, that brings residents together to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. He raises funds to help decorate Main Street for the holidays and assists the community in any way that he can. His hard work, dedication and passion have truly benefitted Lockport and the surrounding areas thanks to his vision and drive. Chris says he is very grateful for this award from Medina Central School District and wishes he could have attended in person.

Mr. Cavanagh says it was an honor to be able to recognize this year’s outstanding alumni. To earn this honor, nominees must be a current or former member of the school community, who have graduated at least 10 years ago and who have achieved one or more of the following: excellence in their chosen career, made outstanding contributions to their community or profession or someone who made an outstanding contribution to humanity.

“What I find quite interesting is the diversity among the honorees,” said Mr. Cavanagh. “They have definitely left their mark on society, whether it is right here in our backyard, or in places throughout our country. It was our distinct pleasure to present our alumni with their plaques and recognize their achievements.”

MEDINA – Medina’s Comfort Inn and Suites proved to be a refuge for nearly 100 people during the Christmas blizzard.

Employees who reported for work on Christmas Day are still there, working 12-hour shifts. Two front desk employees, two housekeepers and hotel manager Steve Nichols have been running the hotel. Other employees could not make it into work because of the rough road conditions in the blizzard.

The hotel’s 56 hotel rooms were full during the blizzard, with eight other people staying on cots in in the conference room. About 80 others stayed inside at times to get warm until they could be moved to the shelter at the Oak Orchard Primary School.

“After learning how many hotels were closed in the area, including in Pembroke, I’m just glad we were able to help as many people as we could,” Nichols said.

About 15 people from the Iroquois Job Corps were dropped off at the hotel, after the Job Corps’ pipes froze and broke, and the facility was evacuated Saturday with no heat. The Job Corps students and staff have been helping wherever they could, said a hotel employee.

On Saturday morning, the Salvation Army brought an emergency supply of food and Medina Central School gave food from their kitchens to feed those stranded at the hotel.

The hotel usually provides breakfast for its guests, and upped that to three meals a day during the blizzard with the extra food brought from the school.

Nichols said Mayor Mike Sidari and his family lost power at their home and stayed at the hotel. Sidari was instrumental in getting cots and extra food at the hotel, as well as asking the fire department to help transport some of the people to the school, Nichols said.

“The mayor is now an honorary team member,” Nichols said. “He acted as an ambassador for Medina and the hotel. He was awesome.”

MEDINA – Western New York’s Christmas blizzard is one that won’t be forgotten by many people, especially Medina Fire Department personnel, staff at Medina Memorial Hospital and one Medina family.

Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson shared one of his department’s most heroic rescues on the department’s Facebook page.

He describes how the storm started on Dec. 23 and increased in vengeance overnight. The crew kept the department clear of snow, and continued to respond to emergencies. In his words, here is what transpired in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve:

“One of these emergencies was for a woman in labor, with contractions only minutes apart. With zero visibility and up to seven-foot snowdrifts in the middle of the roads, this crew determined it was unsafe and next to impossible to transport to a hospital with an OB unit,” Jackson wrote. “After consulting with the professionals at Medina Memorial Hospital, it was determined the best thing was to transport the woman there, where the knowledge and experience of their staff would take over. A short time later, a baby was born and both baby and mama were happy and healthy.”

This is the first baby born at Medina Memorial Hospital in more than 10 years.

In a phone call to the fire hall today, Captain Jonathan Higgins explained the father, with their three children in the back seat, was taking his wife to United Memorial Hospital, when they got stuck in a snow bank on Route 63 in Shelby. After getting the mother to Medina hospital, Higgins and a crew returned to the van and rescued the rest of the family, taking them all to the hospital.

Shortly after that, before dawn, another crew responded to a call and needed a plow to escort them to the scene. There was no way the ambulance would have made it without that plow escort, due to the size of the drifts building up in the streets and roads.

“After conferring with the director of Emergency Management before sunrise, we knew that a storm of this magnitude had the potential for serious and even deadly consequences,” Jackson said about Justin Niederhofer, EMO director. “His coordination and communication with all county entities played an important role in getting out of this thing unscathed. After navigating the streets in the village, I began to wonder if we would even be able to respond anymore without getting stuck and needing to abandon our vehicles. Fortunately, due to the dedication of the members of our team, we were able to continue responding throughout the day as needed.”

Around noon on Dec. 24, a county-wide driving ban was put into place. The only people who should have been on the roads were essential workers, Jackson said. Even in this case, he said many public safety and nursing staff were unable to get to and from work because travel was unsafe. Many people were stranded in the village and some at the Comfort Inn in Medina.

The fire department transported some of the workers to the hospital and nursing homes to ensure they had adequate staffing, Jackson said.

He commended a local woman and her daughter who offered to stay in a warming center at Oak Orchard Elementary School and was there for hours. Another village resident volunteered for multiple hours to oversee the warming center, so the mother and daughter could go home to check things there.

Jackson praised the concern of the mayor, Mike Sidari, and the firefighters and police officers who slept overnight at the firehouse to make sure the next shifts were covered.

“I am grateful and proud of our fire department and I am thankful for every agency and every person who stepped up during these 48 hours that we will all remember,” Jackson said.

During that 48-hour period, during which Medina recorded 15.4 inches of snow, 54-mile per hour winds, zero visibility and sub-zero wind chills, the Medina Fire Department crews handled 58 recorded calls for service, which does not include well over 200 check welfare and civilian assist calls.

Captain Higgins added his gratitude to fellow first responders and hospital staff, who worked throughout the whole storm.

“This was some of the worse weather I’ve ever seen,” Higgins said.

MEDINA – The senior living community at Lakewood Village in Medina is very relieved to have the electricity back on. It went out around noon on Friday from powerful winds, with the temperature then plunging below freezing.

At the park a majority of residents use Spectrum for television, internet and phone. When the power went out, Spectrum also went down, leaving most of the residents without a way to communicate.

It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon when an ambulance call came in from Lakewood Village that officials learned the elderly residents of the park were getting desperate, without power or communication for more than 24 hours.

When the ambulance driver realized the seriousness of the situation, it was reported to Medina Fire Department, and firefighters started going door-to-door and evacuating the residents to Oak Orchard Elementary School, where a warming center had been set up.

Firefighter Steve Miller coordinated efforts and Tim Miller, Nick Lee, Lt. Steve Cooley, Dustin Pahura and Lt. Jacob Crooks knocked on nearly every door of the more than 100 residential units in the park. They were at the last house on Saturday when the power finally came on.

Miller has worked at the fire department since 2005, and this is the first time he has seen a situation like this, he said.

Shelby Fire Department also assisted in transporting people, after rescuing students and staff of the Job Corps.

One couple who lives in Lakewood Village chose to weather the storm at home. Hal and Carol Goodwin have a gas stove, which gives a minimal amount of heat with the oven door left open. Their water heater is gas, so they had hot water.

“We layered on the clothes, heated soup and other simple foods, and kept adding on the layers,” Hal said. “We had a small battery charger we use to charge the car and a small light we could charge, so we played games. Our house phone was out, but our cell phone was fully charged. We have a Dynamo radio, which we can crank up and it will run for a few minutes. We were not comfortable, but we were safe and content.”

On Saturday morning, their house was down to 42 degrees, and they began to consider going to the recreation hall in the park, which had heat and lights, Hal said. But first, he wanted to shovel out one of their cars they had left in the driveway, in case they had to leave.

When a firefighter stopped at his house Saturday afternoon, Hal told him they were considering going to the recreation hall, but he wanted to free his car first. The firefighter said if Hal called, they would come back and get them.

Hal shoveled his drive, then went next door to clear the drive of his neighbor, who lives alone.

“We decided to have a warm bowl of soup before we went to the hall,” Hal said. “As is customary before every meal, I always pray. Because I worked 30 years for the Postal Service, I always include a prayer for first responders and every worker who has to be out in the weather. I ended my prayer on Saturday with, ‘If at all possible, Lord, could we please get our power back.’ In less than a minute, there was a flicker and the lights came on. That was the quickest answer to a prayer I ever witnessed.”

The Goodwins have lived in Lakewood Village for 10 years and this is the first time they have endured a situation like this, Hal said.

“Another 12 hours and it might have been a different story,” he said.

Provided photo: Janelle Cordle, an X-ray technician at Medina Memorial Hospital, watches as Santa Claus gets a CT scan to make sure he’s fit for his upcoming venture on Christmas Eve.

MEDINA – Medina Memorial Hospital has announced that Santa Claus has passed his yearly physical at the hospital, in preparation for his grueling Christmas Eve travels.

Santa realizes how many children throughout the world are counting on him to come down their chimneys and he wanted to make sure he was fully ready for the trip, especially with the forecast for blizzard conditions locally and rough weather in much of the country.

“You never know what your day will be like working in a hospital,” said X-ray technician Janelle Cordle. “When you look up and Santa Claus is your next patient, you can’t help but smile. He’s long been a dear friend of the radiology department.”

Shelby, Ridgeway and Barre fire halls also open

MEDINA – The Oak Orchard Primary School at 335 W Oak Orchard St. is available as a warming site, village officials announced.

Parts of Medina community are without electricity. The school will be open all night as a warming center if needed, Mayor Mike Sidari said.

He encouraged people to bring food and water. There are 10 cots available at the school, about 70 blankets, charging capabilities and a microwave.

There are 4,926 National Grid customers without electricity in Orleans County as of 6:06 p.m.

Other warming centers include the Shelby Vol. Fire Company Rec Hall, Ridgeway Vol. Fire Company and Barre Fire Company.

“Road conditions are terrible in the county especially in the southern portion of the county,” said Justin Niederhofer, the county’s emergency management director. “Due to the hazardous conditions and for the safety of the plow operators some of the town have pulled their drivers off the road until conditions improve. Conditions will get worse as the night goes on, and finally start to improve tomorrow morning.  If you can, try to stay home and utilize blankets to stay warm.”

Provided photo: This gingerbread house made by the Radiology Department at Medina Memorial Hospital is on display in the hospital lobby as part of a contest between departments which began Monday.

MEDINA – After a very successful pumpkin contest which created a lot of interest at Halloween, Medina Memorial Hospital has decided to hold a gingerbread contest, beginning on Monday.

“This is a combination of team building internally, while also providing something in the lobby for visitors to look over while they’re in the building,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing for Community Partners.

The only rules in the contest are that gingerbread needed to be incorporated somehow into the design, and it needed to be an edible structure.

Among the submissions is a Medina Memorial Hospital, several houses, a Medina Fire Department ambulance and a North Pole scene.

One creation from the Radiology Department features gingerbread in different areas, and then a cabin with pretzel rods as walls. Reindeer with pretzel legs and a chocolate Santa complete the scene.

The public is encouraged to stop and look at the works of art when visiting the hospital.

MEDINA – Medina High School will honor Distinguished Alumni in a ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to principal Michael Cavanagh.

This year’s inductees into the Medina High School Alumni Hall of Fame are Elizabeth Cooper Leone, a local sculptor and designer of dolls. Her creations have been purchased by people all over the world, Cavanagh said.

Mercedes Holloway Wilson started a program, For Our Daughters, to encourage young girls’ interest in a healthy lifestyle. She did this while fighting breast cancer. She currently is a host on AM Buffalo and shares recipes for life weekly.

Kate Schirmer Messner is a well-known children’s author, with more than 50 books to her credit.

Christopher Parada is head of the Palace Theater and known for playing Santa Claus and building the Santa Cottage on Day Road, Lockport.

Inductees to the Alumni Hall of Fame are chosen based on excellence in their profession and contribution to humanity, Cavanagh said.

Photos and info courtesy of Medina Central School

MEDINA – For approximately 28 years, Medina High School has collected canned food items for the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAAC).

When the pandemic hit, MAAC asked if the school would be willing to collect essential items instead, since they had a huge need for them. They asked the same favor again for this school year.

Student Association Advisors – English teacher Kayla Rosenbeck and science teacher Sara Cinquino – asked the students to help out and they responded.

The students collected over 2,100 items for MAAC to distribute to those in need.

“We are always happy to help out,” said Ms. Rosenbeck.  “My Co-Advisor Sara Cinquino and I knew our students would want to help out such a worthy organization. We are very fortunate that our students wanted to donate and that we had teachers who made it into a competition which definitely helped to bring items in. Our 8th graders brought in over 80% of all the donations this year!”

On Dec. 7, the Medina Fire Department picked up  the items and delivered them. The Mustangs gave them a hand loading them into the vehicles.

Photos courtesy of Medina Central School: (Left) Marcel Lamar gets suited up at the Challenger Learning Center. (Right) Ty’Sharri Crossley learns at the Challenger Learning Center.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Within the Medina school district, students at Oak Orchard Primary School and Clifford Wise Intermediate School have been learning about different aspects of Earth and its relationship with the Solar System.

To coincide with their learning, we wanted our students to experience something “out of this world” and that’s where the Challenger Learning Center (CLC) of Lockport played a crucial role.  Mr. Jason Klein (Technology Integrator) and Mrs. Julie Granchelli (Science teacher) wrote a grant, which was funded by BOCES, to work with the CLC of Lockport.

The mission of the CLC is to engage students and teachers in dynamic, hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities that strengthen knowledge in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), inspire students to pursue careers in these fields, and provide an outlet to learn and apply important life skills. “Real-world experiences like these allow students to make deep connections to their learning in class,” said Mr. Klein. “Students get hands-on opportunities to experience things that they might not normally have the ability to do in class.  Additionally, since Covid, students have missed out on some great field trips and learning opportunities, so this was a great way to bring these necessary experiences back into the district.”

Hendrix Jones and Ethan Mulcahy at the control board at the Challenger Learning Center.

The students at Oak Orchard Primary School were able to journey through the universe in a portable, inflatable planetarium this week. The “little astronomers” had an introduction to the solar system in their Science Class, where they were able to make models and learn about the motion of the Earth, moon, and planets.

Pre-K to Grade 3 students entered the planetarium to experience a “star filled” sky. Krissy Reetz and Michael Schian, from the CLC, used a laser pointer to guide students through the solar system. Students learned to identify stars, planets, and constellations.

“The mobile planetarium is such a wonderful way to immerse our youngest students in the study of stars, planets, and constellations and support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning at Oak Orchard,” said Ms. Granchelli.

Fifth graders at Clifford Wise Intermediate School have been studying the Solar System and aerospace engineering. To bring their learning to life, fifth grade classes went on a field trip to the CLC of Lockport, where students participated in a space mission.

Students assumed the role of a mission specialist operating a space station and mission control.  They had to work together to keep the crew “safe” while facing various problems and challenges.

Class Photo: In front from left include Isaac Foss, Jasper Reigle-Miller, Mikah MacDonald, Isaias Sanchez-Cabrera, Scarlett Guild and Lucy Trapasso in front of the planetarium. In back: Mrs. Borsching, Mrs. Granchelli, Krissy Reetz and Jason Klein.

Through a combination of standard-aligned STEM content, immersive technology, real science data and hands-on activities, students were engaged in a high-tech simulation environment.  In addition to the space missions, students got to experience the night sky in the CLC’s planetarium.

The planetarium system allowed students to “fly” to all the planets, their moons, and dwarf planets. The planetarium made celestial bodies appear and move realistically to simulate the complex motions of the heavens. Students learned how to identify all the planets of our solar system in dramatic flights up close to each world.

Students learned about Greek mythological (or other cultural sky stories) characters and saw how these heroes of the past can be found in the stars.  Students also witnessed the night sky in different seasons and from different global perspectives.