By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 September 2020 at 9:36 am
Walk to benefit Alzheimer’s Association goes virtual this year
Provided photo: Nicole Tuohey is pictured with some of the links she sells for $1 to support the Western New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She has raised about $10,000 in the past decade selling the links. She has 1,170 links so far this year. The chain of links will be displayed later today on Main Street in Medina.
MEDINA – The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is going virtual this year with supporters urged to walk on their own and collect donations for the Western New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The group has hosted walks in Medina with fundraising topping $20,000. The Alzheimer’s Association won’t have a community walk like it normally does in Medina, with about 100 people participating at once.
But the Alzheimer’s Association will be displaying flowers at Medina’s Rotary Park on Saturday to signify people battling the disease.
The park will have bright pinwheel flowers in colors that represent reasons people walk: purple to honor someone they lost to dementia, yellow for care partners, blue to honor those living with dementia and orange to show general support of efforts to end Alzheimer’s disease.
One Medina woman also is continuing her annual fundraiser for the organization. Nicole Tuohey sells “elephant links” for $1. She adds a link to a chain that will be displayed later this afternoon on Main Street. That chain is usually displayed at the start of the Alzheimer’s walk.
Tuohey is up to $1,170 or 1,170 links so far and will keep selling links until the end of October. On Thursday an anonymous man came into her mother’s cookie business and donated $500 to the cause. Nicole stayed up late last night making the 500 links.
Nicole has Triple X Syndrome. She hasn’t let that disability prevent her from being a tireless advocate against a disease that took the lives of her grandparents, Don and Jane Bradley.
Mary Lou Tuohey, Nicole’s mother, is owner of Case-Nic Cookies and has a raffle fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association until 5 p.m. today where people can win several different packages. The winners will be announced on Saturday.
About 100 people walked in Medina in October 2018 in an event organized by the Western New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. This year the walk will be virtual with participants walking on their own, and not in a community event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2020 at 10:18 am
Floats will be stationary with spectators doing drive-through at Medina school campus on Nov. 28
Photo by Tom Rivers: Spectators lined Main Street in medina on Nov. 24, 2018 to watch 45 floats, including a Lyndonville fire truck (pictured). This year, there won’t be a crowd standing to watch the parade. It will be drive-through on Nov. 28.
MEDINA – The 12th annual Parade of Lights is planned for Nov. 28. It will be a different, “a reverse parade,” said organizer Jim Hancock.
Instead of thousands of people lining a parade route on Park Avenue and Main Street, the spectators will be on the move this year. The floats will be stationary on the Medina school district campus. People can drive along the district’s access road, from West Orchard Street to Maple Ridge Road, to see the lighted floats.
“Instead of the parade going by you, you will go by the floats,” Hancock said this morning.
The parade committee wanted to keep the event going. It has become a popular holiday tradition in Medina on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Hancock and the committee have reached out to last year’s participants and 60-70 percent already agreed to participate. Hancock welcomes more participation.
The committee will continue to give out prizes to the top floats.
The parade is usually at 6 p.m., but Hancock said it might start earlier this year to give people more time to see the displays.
“Medina has a very large campus that is spread out,” he said. “We’re still working out the logistics for how it will all happen.”
For more information, call Hancock at (585) 798-2118.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2020 at 8:51 am
Village holds first forum for residents to comment on police reform
Photos by Tom Rivers: Cheryl Brady Thompson speaks during a public meeting today about police reform in the village of Medina. About 30 people attended the session at the Medina Theater. The trio on stage are members of the Committee on Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. They include Jacquie Chinn, Scott Robinson and Pastor Jovannie Canales. Thompson said she would like to see more diversity and viewpoints on the committee which includes 14 members.
MEDINA – The Medina Police Department needs to do more community policing, where officers build relationships with residents outside of responding to complaints, a committee was told on Wednesday during a forum on police reform and reinvention.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state have mandated all police departments engage the community about reform and department policies, as well as community resources devoted to policing.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said the village is committed to “due diligence” in a state-mandated process looking at police reform. He addressed the group at Medina Theater on Wednesday evening. Sidari holds a manual that must be completed by Medina and submitted to the state by April 1.
Medina’s committee was told the Medina Police Department should reflect the racial makeup of the community and officers need to build more trust with residents.
“We’re not anywhere where we need to be,” Cheryl Brady Thompson said at the forum at the Medina Theater. “We all need to feel safe in Medina.”
She said she worries for her Black sons and biracial grandchildren that any interactions with police could escalate with her family being shot.
She said she was pulled over one time in Medina, and the officer responded by walking up to her car with his hand on a gun.
She said she has been depressed over the incidents of police brutality, which have resulted in nationwide protests, including in nearby Rochester.
“I need to stop watching the news because I see so much hatred out there,” she said. “This has been so heavy on my heart. I talk to God daily about it.”
Scott Robinson is one of 14 members on the committee for Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. He said the group is the early stages of reviewing Medina PD policies and perhaps offering recommendations for changes. He expects a survey will be available for residents to share their views on what they want in a police department.
Robinson said he has no doubt there is racism in Medina, and didn’t dispute claims from Black residents that they are often treated differently by police.
The committee needs to complete its plan by April 1 and submit it to the state. Cuomo is requiring all 500 law enforcement agencies in the state to go through a review of department policies, engage the public in the process and submit a plan – or risk having state aid cut off to their municipality.
Village Trustee Owen Toale, left, said the Medina Police Department has tried to do more community policing in recent years, but officers need to make more effort to connect without residents.
Cuomo said many departments may already be meeting expectations in a community and don’t need to make any significant changes. They still need to send a plan to the state, going through the process of engaging with the community.
Village Trustee Owen Toale said he has been on the board for 10 years and community policing has been discussed often. He said Medina officers do car-seat checks, give away bike helmets and try to connect with residents at community events.
But Toale said the department needs to do more.
“We need a solid plan that incorporates everyone in the community,” he said.
Betty Garcia Mathewson of Albion said Medina could be leader for the county and state in how the police department serves its community.
She urged Medina’s committee to look a best practices for departments around the country. She said the village and county may need to shift some resources from police to mental health services. She urged the group of about 30 at the forum to acknowledge everyone carries some racism or sexism that should be acknowledged and worked on.
Committee member Scott Robinson began the forum by saying this was the first of several meetings with the community. Residents will have plenty of chances to comment about Police Department policies and possible changes. Pastor Jovannie Canales is at right.
Garcia Mathewson has lived in Orleans County for 35 years. She said there are many “beautiful people” in the county but it is also “the most racially hostile place I’ve lived in.” She said Western New York has been compared by some experts to the Deep South for racial attitudes.
“We need a long-term plan but it starts with us first admitting the mess we are in,” Garcia Mathewson said.
She urged Medina to expand the committee to include more diversity and “be more reflective of the community so it can be a successful process.”
Mayor Mike Sidari, a member of the committee, said the Village Board would be open to adding more members. He would welcome more events in Medina to foster good relationships between police officers and residents. That include include a community day at the State Street Park.
Sidari said the village is committing to doing “its due diligence” with police reform.
“We are going to do our part as a community to make this work,” he said. “We all have a voice in the process.”
Committee members include Daniel Doctor, Jacquie Chinn, Scott Robinson and Pastor Jovannie Canales, Mayor Michael Sidari, Jacquie Chinn, Lt. Todd Draper, Scott Robinson, Sherry Tuohey, Chief Chad Kenward, David and Cynthia King, District Attorney Joe Cardone and Public Defender Joanne Best.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 September 2020 at 6:40 pm
MEDINA — A committee looking at policies of the Medina Police Department will take comments from the public during a meeting on Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Medina Theater, 603 Main St.
The Medina Committee on Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative was formed last month to review the operations of the Medina PD and determine if reform is needed.
The 12 members of the committee include Daniel Doctor, Pastor Jovannie Canales, Mayor Michael Sidari, Jacquie Chinn, Lt. Todd Draper, Scott Robinson of the Medina Area Partnership and owner of the Shirt Factory Cafe, Sherry Tuohey, Chief Chad Kenward, David and Cynthia King, District Attorney Joe Cardone and Public Defender Joanne Best
Robinson will provide an overview of the committee and its plans during the meeting on Wednesday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is requiring all 500 municipalities in the state that have law enforcement agencies to form committees with local elected officials, the police leaders and citizens and study the operations of the departments and determine if reform is needed.
The municipalities must adopt a plan by April 1, 2021 to be eligible for state funding for any part of the municipalities’ budgets. The plans could show that no changes are needed in a police department.
“With more than 500 law enforcement agencies in our large and diverse state, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution,” Cuomo said in August. “To rebuild the police-community relationship, each local government must convene stakeholders for a fact-based and honest dialogue about the public safety needs of their community. Each community must envision for itself the appropriate role of the police. Policies must be developed to allow the police to do their jobs to protect the public and these policies must meet with the local communities’ acceptance.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 September 2020 at 9:40 am
Provided photo: Pictured from left include Chad Kenward, Medina police chief; Marc Graff, assistant superintendent for Medina Central School; Melisa and Jovannie Canales, Pastor of Segunda Iglesia Fieles Discipulos de Jesucristo Medina; and Daniel Doctor, community outreach liaison for Medina Central School.
MEDINA – A church in Medina, Segunda Iglesia Fieles Discípulos de Jesucristo, normally throws a big party before the start of the school year, distributing back-to-school supplies. Medina police officers and firefighters stop by for the event, which was at Butts Park last year.
The Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings forced the church to cancel the event this year.
But the church leaders decided they still wanted to donate back-to-school supplies. Segunda Iglesia partnered with the Medina Police Department to donate backpacks, school supplies and helmets to the school district.
“We thank God for this opportunity and also give special thanks to the Medina Police Department and Chief of Police for their generosity and for collaborating with us on this,” said Jovannie Canales, the church’s senior pastor.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 September 2020 at 8:04 am
Market shifts to winter season after October
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market manager Gail Miller, right, and her husband Dave put up a tent for a vendor early on Saturday morning. The market will continue at the corner of West Avenue and West Center Street through the end of October.
MEDINA – Medina’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market has had a difficult summer, with the Covid pandemic and the restrictions in place.
The market has coped, however, and plans to continue its regular operation from 9 to 2 p.m. Saturdays until the end of October, said market manager Gail Miller.
“We still want to get the word out we will be here with all our vendors until the end of October, and then the winter market season will begin,” she said.
Regular vendors include Roberts Farm Market of Medina with a variety of fruits and vegetables, Hannah Pollard of Medina with home-baked goods, Human Farms of Appleton with fruits and vegetables and Baker Farms of Medina with meat.
Each week shoppers can expect to find various other tables selling their goods or, in the case of non-profits, providing information on the services they provide. The market welcomes non-profits to set up free of charge.
Last week found Heather Smith, director of Orleans Community Health Foundation, and several representatives from United Way of Orleans County promoting their agencies. United Way was selling tickets to its first-ever chicken barbecue, which is scheduled Oct. 9 at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The barbecue will be drive-thru and will include announcement of United Way’s 2021 campaign.
John Klingler was doing business at his booth for Black Button Distilling in Rochester. He was selling the company’s bourbon, gin and moonshine. Klingler shared his company’s policy is to use local sources wherever they can. All their grain comes from Edgewood Farms in Groveland. He is scheduled to be back at the market on Oct. 31.
Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, had chicken barbecue tickets for sale at Saturday’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market in Medina. The market allows non-profits to set up a table free of charge.
As the season changes, so will the produce offered at the market, Miller said. Baker Farms offers beef and pork all year, as well as garlic, eggs and goats’ milk soap. The winter market will feature winter squash, cabbage and potatoes, as well as wreaths and holiday decorations.
This is the sixth season for the market, which started in 2015, as the result of an idea by Chris Busch, Cindy Robinson and Gail Miller.
“We wanted to keep a market going after the market in the canal basin closed,” Miller said. “We started talking about it and I ended up as market manager.”
Miller admits it is a big commitment, but one to which she is dedicated. She is at the market every Saturday, usually as early as 7:45 a.m. She provides tables and a tent for any non-profit who doesn’t have one.
Her goal is to expand the market to attract crafters. She would also like to see any small business just starting up come in and promote their new venture.
“This would be a perfect place to get their name out there,” she said.
She added she has a number of great volunteers who help the market run smoothly.
She also reminds the community that the market has a double benefit. Anyone eligible for SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) can get tokens to spend at the market. When they ask for their SNAP tokens, they are eligible for double coupons, up to $20 to spend at the market.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 September 2020 at 8:35 am
Participants urged to cover the distance in their own neighborhoods
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Participants in the 2019 Knights-Kaderli Walk/Run head for the starting line last October. This year’s event will take on a different look, due to the Covid pandemic. For the 32nd annual 5K Walk/Run, participants are being asked to walk in their own neighborhoods and make a donation to the Knights-Kaderli Fund.
MEDINA – For 31 years the community has gathered for a walk/run to support patients living with cancer in Orleans County.
The Knights-Kaderli 5K Walk/Run was started in 1988 by the families of two lifelong Medina residents who both died of cancer – Richard Knights and Sue Kaderli. Since then, the event has raised thousands of dollars to help cancer patients and their families with bills accumulated because of their illness.
This year’s 32nd annual walk/run will take on a new look, due to the Covid pandemic, according to Stacey Pellicano, daughter of Richard Knights and a board member of the Knights-Kaderli Fund.
Participants this year are being asked to walk in their own neighborhoods, which has gone virtual. Registrants are being asked to make a donation to the fund. For every $20 registration, walkers and runners will receive a Knights-Kaderli cloth mask. Participants are asked to register online or from a mask pick-up location.
Masks may be picked up from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 2 in front of Mike Zelazny CPA, 511 Main St., or from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 3 at the East Shelby Fire Hall. There will be a special raffle at each of the pickup locations in memory of Elaine McPherson.
Pellicano asks registrants when picking up masks and purchasing raffle tickets to please remember to wear their mask and maintain social distancing.
“The safety of our supporters is our top priority,” she said. “Also please remember to photograph your event and tag us on Facebook and Instagram at #KnightsKaderliVirtual5k for some fun prizes.”
She added they were disappointed they couldn’t gather together this year as a large group.
“Even though our event is outside, we have to abide by the non-essential gathering rule of no more than 50 people, which is still in place in New York State,” Pellicano said. “Anyone who has participated in our event understands the energy of that day. It gives us hope and unites participants. This is one of our major fundraisers for the year. We lost the David Millis Golf Tournament in June due to the same restrictions on non-essential gatherings. We know the community will gather behind us this year. Cancer does not stop for a pandemic. Our neighbors need us, especially now as they fight their disease and are sometimes isolated from their own families to protect their health.”
Supporters can run their usual 5K route, run in their own neighborhood or surf Netflix from their couch.
“We’ll never know,” Pellicano said. “We just need your support.”
The Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund is a tax-exempt organization, which is run by a board of directors. There are no administrative costs. All money raised is used for the benefit of Orleans County cancer patients.
Funds thus far have assisted families with nutritional supplements and prescriptions, as well as medical supplies and bills.
For more information on the fund or for financial assistance, contact Mary Zelazny (Sue Kaderli’s daughter) at (585) 746-8455, Melissa Knights Bertrand (Richard Knights’ daughter) at (716) 983-7932 or Stacey Knights Pellicano at (716) 998-0977.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2020 at 9:24 pm
‘It’s playful and a little weird’ – artist Julian Montague
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Julian Montague, an artist from Buffalo, is working on a mural in Medina on two walls of a building at the corner of Pearl Street and West Avenue.
Montague started painting on the back wall of the building on Friday. He is mostly done with that wall which is 14 feet high and 80 feet long. He also will be painting a second 14-by-80 wall of the building, which is being used as a gym. That second wall faces the main parking lot for the building.
Montague said most of the work went into designing the geometric patterns and determining the colors. He will be adding eyes and mouth to give the mural some added personality.
“It’s playful and a little weird,” he said.
Montague was a featured artist during the PLAY/GROUND art exhibit in 2018 and 2019 inside the former Medina High School. He painted the hallways with the geometric patterns.
Montague works as a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator and installation artist. This is his first outdoor mural. He has developed a big audience on social media with nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram.
Tim Hungerford of the Form Foundation reached out to Montague for one of four new murals in Medina. The first one, the “Canalligator,” was completed in July on Proctor Place. Two more are planned for Proctor Place and have been approved by the Village Planning Board.
Montague said the new mural will transform what has been a boring cinder block building. He said the design will really jump put as people turn from Main Street onto Pearl Street.
“This is a pretty mundane building,” Montague said. “But it has great sight lines as you turn the corner.”
John Montague is helping his son with some of the painting. John is using the paint brush to fill in some spots with small pits and holes on the wall where paint didn’t stick from the roller.
The father and son will be back on Sunday working on the project. They expect to be mostly finished with the mural by tomorrow evening.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 September 2020 at 4:54 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson stands next to a Medina fire truck during a boot drive in Medina to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
MEDINA – Holding a boot drive to benefit a charitable organization is an annual tradition for firefighters in the Western Battalion, which includes Medina, Ridgeway, Lyndonville, Shelby and East Shelby.
For several years the drive was done for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but for the last few years, the drive has benefited the Make-a-Wish Foundation, said Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
The group collected $9,000 today for Make-A-Wish, which topped last year’s amount by about $2,000, said Tim Petry, president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
He thanked the community for being generous, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Medina firefighter Lt. Jacob Crooks gets a donation from a driver at the four corners in downtown Medina Saturday morning, during a boot drive to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The fire companies joined efforts on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to conduct their book drive at the four corners in downtown Medina, Route 63 and Maple Ridge Road in Medina and Routes 63 and 104 in Ridgeway.
Jackson and Petry spearheaded efforts to have a boot drive.
“There’s nothing more important than making a difference in our kids’ lives,” Jackson said.
Georgia Thomas came running out of a store this morning to make a donation to Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2020 at 12:41 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The top of the façade on the three-story Bent’s Opera House is painted this morning. The building has been given an extensive renovation the past two years, and the new paint is a very visible change to the site on Main Street, at the corner of West Center Street.
Bent’s was originally built in 1864-1865 and is one of the most striking buildings in downtown Medina. The site is expected to open this spring with a restaurant on the first floor, boutique hotel on the second floor and events space on the third floor.
Here is how the building looked in September 2019, with scaffolding on the side facing East Center Street.
This photo from October 2013 shows the building when a crew arrived to install “cribbing” as a temporary support so the rotted beams could be removed and the new supports installed. That allowed structural support beams for the southeast corner building. At that time, the Orleans Renaissance Group owned the building.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Batman, a lab mix, takes off running in the Medina Dog Park. His owner, Alaina Zapf (in back), is president of the Friends of the Medina Dog Park, which raised $20,000 for the park. The group is trying to raise $5,000 more for a small dog enclosure, more equipment in the dog agility section and a water station.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2020 at 11:25 am
Another enclosure coming for small dogs, with more equipment headed for agility section
MEDINA – After three years of fundraising and planning, a new dog park has opened in Medina. The site is at 260 North Gravel Road, next to the former composting plant.
The dog park is just south of Boxwood Cemetery and across from The Gallagher, a barn used for weddings and special events.
The new Medina Dog Park opened last month and has two fenced in areas, one for large dogs and an agility area.
A separate enclosure for small dogs should be added soon. (In the meantime, small dogs can run and play with the large dogs.)
“It’s a great opportunity to have this in our community,” said Alaina Zapf, president of the Friends of the Medina Dog Park.
Cindy Davis, left, holds Johnny, a French bulldog, while Batman and Bailey greet her. Alaina Zapf, right, is thankful for a park to bring her dogs.
The group has raised $20,000 towards the project. It is trying for $5,000 more that would add the 100-by-100-foot enclosure for small dogs, and also more equipment in the agility area and also a water station near the entrance for dogs to rinse their paws and get a drink.
Zapf brought her two dogs, Batman and Bailey, to the park on Wednesday afternoon. When she lived in North Carolina, she would drive 15 minutes to take the two lab mixes to a dog park. When she moved to Medina, she wanted a place for her dogs to get exercise and socialize with other dogs.
She pitched a dog park to the Village Board, which supported having it next to the former compost facility.
The site is open dawn to dusk. It is already popular, especially from 3 to 6 p.m., said Cindy Davis, owner of The Pet Nanny. She brings several dogs to the site.
Johnny chases after a tennis ball while walking on a bridge in the agility section of the dog park. Cindy Davis is in back.
Davis was there on Wednesday afternoon with Johnny, a French bulldog.
“This is his active time,” she said when she arrived at the dog park with the little bulldog.
When she opened the two gates to get inside, Johnny took off as a blur, running the length of the enclosure.
Johnny also met Zapf’s dogs – Batman and Bailey – for the first time. They quickly became friends and chased each other around the fenced-in area. They also tried the agility area, using some old equipment from Butts Park. A new playground was put in a Butts in 2018. The village saved a tunnel and bridge for the dog park.
The dog park is a first in Orleans County. People have inquired about it from Rochester to Buffalo. Zapf is thrilled to see the response to the park so far.
“So many dogs do not have adequate room to run around,” she said. “Here they can get all that energy out. They are happier and less aggressive.”
Bailey explores the enclosed area at the dog park.
She thanked the community for donating to the project and supporting fundraisers. The Friends of the Medina Dog Park weren’t able to do some fundraisers planned this year due to Covid-19 pandemic. People interested in donating can check the group’s Facebook page.
The sign will also soon be updated to reflect that the park is open. There will be smaller signs on one of the fences listing people who donated at least $500 in money or in-kind services to the park. There will also be plaques on the three benches, listing those benefactors.
Zapf, 30, led the effort for the dog park while working on her doctorate in clinical psychology. She graduates in May.
She reached out to Davis, the Pet Nanny, to walk her dogs while she was away in class. They became friends and Davis became a big proponent of the Dog Park. She is vice president of the Friends.
She has brought several dogs to the park, where they can be leash-free. Their first trip, the dogs spend most of the time sniffing around the park.
The second time back, they take off running and “go crazy” with delight, Davis said.
Their owners or handlers need to pick up after the dogs. There are plastic bags at the site. There is also a bin of toys.
Cindy Davis and Alaina Zapf have the dogs trying out the bridge at the agility section of the park.
Provided photos: The following members of the Medina Fire Department were recognized during an awards program on Tuesday, from left: Joe Simmons, Adam Fisher, Lieutenant Jake Crooks, Bob Urtel, Tim Miller, Steve Long, Captain Mike Young and Chief Matt Jackson.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2020 at 8:48 am
MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department normally presents in awards during a firemen’s ball in October. But that event may be cancelled this year.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson decided to present the awards on Tuesday afternoon.
“These past few months have definitely been something we will talk about in the future,” Jackson said about the Covid-19 pandemic. “They have been challenging times that we will share with our children and our grandchildren. But, through these challenging times, our team has worked together to adapt and overcome. To strengthen through adversity. And to persevere. I want to thank you all for your continued professionalism through this trying time. Through the mixed emotions we have all encountered, we have all continued to work hard with compassion and empathy. Everyone has been doing an outstanding job.”
Medina firefighters nominate members of the Fire Department for an award. Jackson presented the following awards and citations:
Medina firefighter/paramedic Steve Long, left, accepts a Meritorious Service Medal from Fire Chief Matt Jackson.
• Meritorious Service Medal: Firefighter/paramedic Steven Long was off duty on Feb. 10, 2020 when he arrived at an accident scene moments after the vehicle crash. The vehicle was approximately 150 feet off the road in a snow-covered field on its side.
Further complicating the scene were multiple downed powerlines and frigid conditions. While risking his personal safety and without personal protective equipment, Long began his scene and patient assessment.
Long found one conscious female outside the vehicle who was being helped by other bystanders. The female passenger advised Long that her husband was still trapped inside the vehicle and not responding. Seeing multiple child restraint seats, Long also needed to search for any possible children that were accompanying the couple. After finding no children in or around the vehicle, Long turned his attention towards the only other vehicle occupant, Chief Jackson said on Tuesday during the awards presentation.
Long began his assessment of the awake, but non-responsive driver as chief officers from the Wolcottsville and Rapids Fire Departments arrived. Long continued all patient care while fire crews used hydraulic tools to cut and gain more access to the patient. Once extrication was complete, Long gave his report to the Mercy Flight crew and the patient was airlifted to ECMC. Accolades for Long’s actions at this scene were received from not only the Wolcottsville Fire Chief, but also from family members of the patients, Jackson said.
Medina firefighter Joe Simmons, left, receives a Silver Lifesaving Medal from Chief Matt Jackson.
• Silver Lifesaving Medal: In the early evening of June 5, 2020, the Village of Medina Fire Department was dispatched to a reported pool drowning, with updates from Medina Police Officer Jake Reeves advising that CPR was in progress on a 16-month-old child.
Firefighter/paramedic Joe Simmons was the first paramedic on scene and immediately recognized the severity of the incident. Simmons quickly guided Officer Reeves to place the patient in the ambulance and he initiated ALS protocols including intubation while other crew members continued performing CPR.
Although there were six other firefighters directly involved with patient care, Simmons was the lead paramedic and was responsible for coordinating a well-executed effort to revive the child, Jackson said.
After more than seven minutes of CPR and other lifesaving actions, Simmons and his team were able to revive the patient and achieve ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation). With the patient stabilized, the patient was transported to Medina Memorial Hospital where the patient received further lifesaving actions before being transferred by Mercy Flight to Oishei Children’s Hospital.
The patient was able to make a full recovery and was discharged home six days later.
“Simmons’ attitude and skills were of the highest quality throughout the duration of this incident,” Jackson said. “His calm demeanor and ability to coordinate patient care under dire circumstances directly contributed to this young life being saved.”
The following also received a Unit Commendation: Captain Mike Young, Lieutenant Jake Crooks, firefighter/paramedic Adam Fisher, firefighter/paramedic Bob Urtel, firefighter/EMT Tim Miller and firefighter/paramedic Steve Long.
• Longevity ribbon for 10 years of service: Lieutenant Steve Cooley.
• BLS ribbon and Fire Academy completion ribbon: Tyler Harrington.
Chief Jackson praised the firefighters for their dedication to the job.
“Every day, the members of this department make life-or-death decisions and provide outstanding care to residents and visitors to the Village of Medina and entire West Battalion of Orleans County,” Jackson said. “Our awards are nominated by fellow firefighters or officers and the recipients receive these awards for acts performed that involve extreme bravery, teamwork or exceptional lifesaving efforts.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2020 at 8:06 am
MEDINA — Visitors can see their loved ones at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center on Bates Road in Medina.
The nursing home welcomed back visitors on Monday. They are limited to 30-minute visits, which must take place in either the main lobby or outdoor patio.
“This brings us great joy as we recognize that everyone misses each other,” Amanda Luckman, the admissions marketer for Orchard, said in a letter to families on Monday.
Orchard is limiting the visits to two people per 30-minute session, and they must wear masks, and maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet with no hugging.
Orchard was hit hard by Covid-19, with 24 residents dying among the 58 who contracted the virus.
Orchard has been Covid-free for several weeks and has received permission from the state Department of Health to welcome visitors.
The DOH was requiring facilities to be Covid-free for 28 days before visitors could see nursing home residents. The DOH announced yesterday that beginning on Thursday that timeframe will be reduced to 14 days. The nursing homes also must have a safety plan approved by DOH before visitors are allowed.
At Orchard, the visits all must be scheduled. The visitors need to complete forms about their health and recent travel. They also must have their temperature checked.
The visit areas will be clearly marked and sanitized between each visit.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 September 2020 at 10:29 pm
Kevin Lynch elected Holley mayor in a close vote
Photo by Tom Rivers: Village of Holley Clerk-Treasurer Deborah Schiavone, right, announces the results of the village election at 9:45 p.m. from the steps of the Holley Gardens/village office at the former Holley High School. From left, waiting for the results, are Village Trustee Rochelle Moroz, Mayor Kevin Lynch and resident Kerri Neale.
Three incumbent mayors were all re-elected today in village elections in Orleans County.
Mike Sidari was elected to another term in Medina, Kevin Lynch won a close election in Holley, and John Belson will continue in Lyndonville.
The elections were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Albion, Lyndonville and Medina were originally slated to go to the polls on March 18. Gov. Andrew Cuomo initially moved the village elections to April 28, but then pushed them back again, this time to Sept. 15.
The Village of Holley has been holding its election the third Tuesday in June in recent years. It also was pushed back to Sept. 15.
Here are the results from the four villages:
• In Albion, Christopher Barry and Kevin Sheehan were elected as village trustees, with Barry getting 54 votes and Sheehan, 51. They outpolled Maurice Taylor, who received 17 votes.
• Holley had the closest election, with Lynch holding off Skip Carpenter, 86 to 78. Lynch was appointed to mayor in July after serving as deputy mayor.
He said Carpenter, a retired postmaster and former mayor, is well known in the community.
“The people know us,” Lynch said. “We’re old Holley people.”
Lynch said the village will be pushing to complete a $4.5 million water and sidewalk project next year, and also will be pursuing grant funding for an upgrade at the sewer plant.
Voters also elected Connie Nenni, 122 votes, and Mark Bower, 120 votes, as village trustees.
• In Lyndonville, John Belson was elected to another term as mayor with 39 votes. Darren Wilson received 16 as a write-in.
There were two trustee positions up for election, but only one name on the ballot. Danny Woodward Jr., who was on ballot, was elected with 37 votes. AnnMarie Holland also was elected with 29 write-in votes.
Others to receive write-in votes included Andrew Cousins with 15, and patrick Whipple, Steven Shaw, Michelle Dillenbeck and James Tuk with 1 each.
• In Medina, it looked like the incumbents were all unopposed. But Mayor Mike Sidari and Trustees Tim Elliott and Marguerite Sherman faced a write-in campaign from Mary Hare for mayor and Charles Hartway for trustee.
The incumbents all were re-elected. Sidari received 104 votes to 59 for Hare. Sherman had 124 votes and Elliott received 118, to 56 for Hartway. Tim Hungerford and Peter Huth both also received two write-ins.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Volunteers stand behind a sign in the yard of Kathy Vicknair during a three-day fundraiser to raise money to update the recovery room at Medina Memorial Hospital, in honor of the late Nancy Albanese, who worked there for more than 40 years. From left are Michaelene Prest, Pat Howe and Jean Weatherbee.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 September 2020 at 2:37 pm
LYNDONVILLE – Plans to honor a long-time nurse at Medina Memorial Hospital may have been put on hold due to the pandemic, but they got a big boost from a fundraiser Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the home of Kathy and Vic Vicknair of Lyndonville.
Nancy Albanese was an employee of Medina Memorial Hospital for more than 40 years, where she worked in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (Recovery Room). After her death Aug. 21, 2019, her family wanted to do something for the hospital in memory of Albanese.
Jean Weatherbee, left, sprays hand sanitizer on Susan Pawlaczyk of Middleport, before she checks out the yard sale and raffles which will benefit renovations at Medina Memorial Hospital in honor of the late Nancy Albanese. Looking on, from left, are Kathy Vicknair, who offered to host the fundraiser at her home on Lyndonville Road; Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation; and Kim Gray, director of surgical services at the hospital.
Albanese’s brother David Shanley of Orchard Park contacted the hospital to see what they could do. He learned the Recovery Room where Albanese had worked for so long was in need of a lot of renovation, and the family intended to donate an amount of money to accomplish it. But after the community and hospital employees heard about it, they wanted to be involved, and a public fundraiser was planned.
Originally, the event was going to take place in April the gift shop and lobby, said Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation. Then the pandemic brought an end to all events.
Dozens of baskets and gifts which had been donated for a raffle were packed up and taken to the Vicknair’s home until the Hospital Foundation could decide how they could use them. They talked about the shortage of money, and they discussed having an event in the hospital parking lot. That meant, however, they could only run it one day and that would cut down on their profit.
Then Kathy Vicknair came up with the idea to have it at her house. She was familiar with fundraising, having started a Pink Crystal Ball in 2007 to support those diagnosed with breast cancer. She ran that for five years, then took five years off and had another the following year.
“We knew we had to come up with some answer soon,” Vicknair said. “Then I went to bed one night and woke up at 4 a.m. and thought, ‘Why don’t I have it here.’ We can do it outside to make sure everything is Covid safe. We are blessed to have had good weather.”
They collected 63 baskets for the raffle and half of her garage full of large-ticket items, including Josh Allen’s No. 17 Bills jerseys donated by Vicknair’s cousin Patrick Boyle.
Then they added a yard sale, with several tables full of donated merchandise.
When guests arrived, their hands were sprayed with sanitizer and everyone was required to wear a mask.
Initial plans in the Recovery Room were to apply fresh paint, purchase a new nurse’s desk and chair, install a new privacy curtain system and install new locked storage cabinets for patient’s possessions. Now they have been expanded to include floor tiles and lighting.
The room will be refurbished from floor to ceiling, Smith said.
