By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2020 at 12:38 pm
Provided photo
MEDINA – Jamie Murphy, the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center activity director, visited the Medina Fire Hall today. She presented firefighter Stephen Miller with brownies to show appreciation to the firefighters for their service, especially today on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That day about 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks, including 343 New York City firefighters.
There will be a 9-11 observance today at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse Square in Albion.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 September 2020 at 8:45 pm
MEDINA – The food distribution next Friday morning in Medina will shift from the high school to the Ridgeway Fire Hall, 11392 Ridge Rd.
The entrance will be on Horan Road and the line will be facing north towards Ridge Road, where vehicles will exit.
There will also be a food distribution tomorrow, Sept. 11, in Albion at the same location as previous Albion distributions – the Community Action Main Street Store at 131 Main St.
In the Albion event, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee has partnered with Foodlink and Orleans County Office for the Aging to provide households with boxes of emergency food in response to the Covid-19 public health crisis.
The events are advertised to start at 9 but could begin earlier if the delivery trucks and volunteers are in place.
This is a drive-thru model with no walk-ins. People should have their trunks cleaned out so boxes of emergency food can be put into it.
There is no pre-registration. It is a first-come, first-served basis with boxes for about 300 vehicles.
With the Medina event, the office for the Aging and Foodlink partner with the Calvary Cupboard at Calvary Tabernacle Church to distribute the food.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 September 2020 at 3:12 pm
AJ’s Play Date expects to be a draw in the region
Photos by Tom Rivers: Adam and Kerry Papaj are pictured with their sons, Aiden (11) and Arik (7). The family opened AJ’s Play Date on Aug. 24 at 627 West Ave., at a former women’s gym across from Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
MEDINA – A Medina family has opened a new business that caters to children who love to play.
AJ’s Play Date opens at time when many youth programs have been shut down or curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adam and Kerry Papaj have transformed a site for a former women’s gym into a one-of-kind playground with other activities that get kids ages 2 to 12 jumping, climbing, building and exploring.
There is lots to do at AJ’s Play Date, which opened Aug. 24 in Medina.
Kerry Papaj, a speech pathologist the past 26 years at Lyndonville Central School, designed the playground and the space at AJ’s. There is a trampoline in the center of the playground, and swings, stairs, a spiky spinner, a webbed bridge, tunnels and other obstacles for gross and sensory motor play.
The Papajs also set up a double train table, two doll houses and pretend play center with a kitchen, laundry, grocery store and ice cream/bake shop.
Arik Papaj climbs up the enclosed stairs that are part of the playground.
Mrs. Papaj said the playground has been well received by all children in the past two weeks. The family created the space to be friendly with children on the autism spectrum who have sensory processing issues. AJ’s has activities for gross motor play, such as jumping and running.
There are also many activities for sensory motor play – touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing – and fine motor play for skills such as writing, pushing Lego blocks together and opening and closing latches.
If kids need a break from the main play room, they can try the calming room with a lighted cube and translucent Legos.
Kerry Papaj, a speech pathologist at Lyndonville Central School, designed the playground to help children on the autism spectrum who may have sensory processing issues. She is shown on the trampoline.
AJ’s is named for Adam and sons Aiden and Arik, whose first and middle initials are all AJ. The family had been considering the indoor playground center for the past three years. They were aiming to open on March 1, but Covid-19 delayed the project. They weren’t able to receive the playground equipment until July.
AJ’s is currently limiting the site to less than 25 percent of its capacity or no more than 25 children at a time.
The Papajs offer the space for two hours and preregistration is required. Then AJ’s closes for an hour to allow for a deep cleaning.
It is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., for four two-hour sessions, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for two two-hour play times.
A boy ventures down the web walk in the playground.
Kerry and Adam are both very involved in youth sports programs in the Medina area. Mrs. Papaj was a volleyball and softball coach at Lyndonville. She is president of the LOYAL youth soccer organization in Medina, Lyndonville and Roy-Hart.
Mr. Papaj is a Medina school bus driver. He will open the business at 9 a.m. after doing his morning bus runs. He coaches his son’s U12 baseball team.
The family wanted an indoor play area in Medina. They said there are few options for indoor playgrounds in the region, especially those that are sensitive to children with sensory processing issues.
They see AJ’s as complimenting a growing business scene in Medina that is drawing visitors from outside the community.
Adam and Kerry Papaj teamed with Hank Brummer to offer Challenge Island.
The Papajs also teamed with Hank Brummer of Newfane to offer Challenge Island, a STEAM program with activities for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.
Challenge Island uses space in a room next to the playground. That room will also have a concessions stand. Challenge Island uses many household products or supplies that are used to solve engineering problems.
Brummer also offers the Challenge Island at the Niagara Shores Campground in Olcott. The program offers hands-on learning using household items such as paper toll rolls to demonstrate momentum, energy and other scientific principles.
“It’s getting kids active,” Brummer said. “It’s getting them away from computers and getting them socializing.”
Aidan Papaj rides the bolster swing. The playground is sanitized after every group uses it. It takes a solid hour to wipe down and spray all the equipment.
AJ’s hopes to give home-schooling families or kids doing schoolwork remotely a chance to get out and play and do other educational activities.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 September 2020 at 9:47 pm
Jim Lustumbo is retiring after owning the site since 1986
Photos by Ginny Kropf: The sale of Lakewood Village Mobile Home Park to a Los Angeles-based investment firm was announced Tuesday.
MEDINA – A change in ownership was announced at Lakewood Village Mobile Home Park this week.
Jim Lustumbo, who has owned the park since 1986, has decided to retire and sold the park to Pinnacle Investment Firm from Los Angeles. The sale was effective Tuesday.
Lisa Villareal, one of three members of Pinnacle Investment Firm, spent several days in Medina, getting familiar with the park and orienting personnel on running the site.
Lois Austin will remain as onsite park manager, while Danny Dunn will continue to do maintenance.
“You are going to see a smooth transition,” Villareal told a handful of residents who attended a meeting Tuesday at the park.
Pinnacle Investment Firm owns mobile home parks in Texas, Missouri and Alabama, but this is their first 55-plus park, Villareal said.
“Things seem to be running smoothly here, and we want to keep it that way,” she said. “We don’t want to change management style.”
In a letter to all park residents, the new company said they were extremely excited to get going and look forward to providing exceptional management, including prompt maintenance service, as well as maintaining a safe and enjoyable place to live.
Jim Lustumbo discusses the sale of Lakewood Village Mobile Home Park in Medina with Lisa Villareal with Pinnacle Investment Firm of Los Angeles, who took over as new owners as of Sept. 1.
Lakewood Village was developed by Barbara Waters and her sister, the late Marcia Tuohey, in 1970. They eventually sold it to Frank Pavia, who was Jim Lustumbo’s uncle. The Lustumbos lived in Rochester, and when Jim inherited the park from his uncle, he and his wife Margaret moved to Medina and have run the park ever since.
Jim Lustumbo poses with Lisa Villareal from Pinnacle Investment Firm after announcing the sale of the park to the Los Angeles-based company.
Jim said he loves the park, but health conditions have convinced him it was time to retire.
“I’ve had two heart attacks, the last one in January,” he said. “What I’ve loved most is the people.”
He and Margaret will continue to live in the park and operate the storage buildings. They have bought a new camper and plan to spend much of their time camping.
“That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t had the time,” Jim said.
Since taking over the park, the Lustumbos have added nearly 30 new mobile units and developed the area on the north side of the lake.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2020 at 3:30 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Trust is making several thousand dollars available in grants to community organizations and projects.
The grants generally range from $200 to $500 and are awarded to qualifying not-for-profit organizations and/or programs in the Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby region.
Funding is intended to help programs that clearly benefit this community and that have favorable tax and regulatory status.
The Trust has distributed nearly $40,000 to local programs and scholarships since 2010. The most recent grants went to The Arc of Genesee/Orleans to rebuild the nature trail at Camp Rainbow to make it wheelchair accessible. St. John’s Episcopal Church’s grant will assist in the restoration of a stained glass window sill and frame.
Orleans Recovery Hope Begins Here assisted in the purchase of a pop-up shelter, table and chairs for community education programs. Boxwood Cemetery Commission’s grant will help with the rehab the tombstone of the first Medina resident. And the Medina Historical Society were funded for a monthly speaker series.
In addition, the grants contributed to some larger programs. Orleans County Adult Learning Services (OCALS) grant partially funded a new community outreach program. Orleans County YMCA’s grant helped with the cost of their Before and After School Enrichment Program, while P.Raising Kids Child Care Center was assisted with an upgrade to the group’s kitchen.
To apply for a grant, organization leaders need to fill out a Sandstone Trust Application form and mail to Sandstone Trust, Post Office Box 25, Medina, by the application deadline, Oct. 31.
Application forms can be obtained as follows: In person at Medina Parts Co. (NAPA) 345 N. Main St. or Michael Zelazny, CPA 511 Main St.; By regular mail request sent to Sandstone Trust, PO Box 25, Medina, NY 14103; or online from the Sandstone Trust web page, www.sandstonesociety.org.
Questions may be sent by email at sandstonesociety@gmail.com or calling Michael Zelazny, CPA at 585-798-1006.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2020 at 10:17 am
Chris Busch influential in setting Medina’s standards in historic district, Maple Ridge Corridor
File photo by Tom Rivers – Chris Busch, shown here in 2014 with the Bent’s Opera House in back, served many years as chairman of the Village of Medina’s Planning Board and Medina’s Tree Board. In his role with the Orleans Renaissance Group, the organization pushed to save the bent’s Opera House, a project now led by Roger Hungerford.
MEDINA – The leader of Medina’s Planning Board has resigned after two decades of major investment in the downtown business district and also along the Maple Ridge Corridor.
Chris Busch has been serving as chairman of the Village Planning Board and also the Historic & Architectural Preservation Review Board.
Busch, in an Aug. 5 letter to Mayor Mike Sidari and the Village Board, said “it is time to move on” after more than 20 years on the Planning Board.
Busch led the boards that implemented design standards in the downtown historic district and also on the Maple Ridge Corridor. Those standards for signs, facades and building construction established a blueprint for guiding the growth on Main Street and on Maple Ridge.
“Over that time, with a great deal of cooperation, hard work and vision, much has been accomplished,” Busch wrote in his letter.
Medina has seen major investment in the historic downtown sites, and also significant growth on Maple Ridge with several new commercial buildings.
“The Planning Board is in good hands,” Busch said in the letter. “Seated on the current board are some of the finest, most qualified and dedicate people I have ever known.”
Busch, who also led Medina’s Tree Board for more than a decade and helped plan for planting 1,000 trees, said he would be willing to serve on an ad hoc committee, waterfront committee or in an advisory committee. He remains active with the Orleans Renaissance Group, which oversee the farmers’ market and the Farm-to-Table dinner, as well as other cultural events in Medina.
Sidari and the Village Board accepted Busch’s resignation during their meeting last week.
“I want to add our thanks for his many years of service and our deep regrets for his resignation,” Sidari said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 August 2020 at 10:02 am
MEDINA – Two career firefighters at Medina have resigned to become members of the North Greece Fire Department.
Adam Vanderheite and Joseph Simmons both submitted letters of resignation that were accepted by the Village Board last week.
Simmons will continue with Medina until Sept. 21. He thanked the Village Board and Fire Chief Matt Jackson for the opportunity to work in Medina the past three years.
“I have learned the importance that quality Fire/EMS is to the communities in Orleans County and how grateful the citizens are that Medina offers these services,” Simmons wrote in his letter.
Vanderheite’s resignation is effective Sept. 25. He worked two years for the Medina FD. He said he was grateful for the chance to become a professional firefighters and work alongside “some outstanding individuals.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2020 at 2:38 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: This mural in Medina’s Canal Basin depicts a man and mule on the Erie Canal. The mural was painted by Ben Northern and installed about 20 years ago.
MEDINA – The Village Board approved a 60-day moratorium on any public art projects in the historic district. This will give the village time to update its ordinance for public art and perhaps create a new Public Arts Commission.
The moratorium was approved on Monday, following a public hearing at the Senior Center, where the Village Board will now be holding its public meetings.
Arthur Barnes created this mural of a mule-drawn packet boat that is displayed in the Canal Basin.
The moratorium doesn’t include three murals that were approved last week by the Village Planning Board. Those large paintings will be buildings on Proctor Place.
The Village Board is looking to form a group with representatives from the Village Board, Planning Board and people with expertise in the public art.
They will make a recommendation that will likely accommodate public art while preserving the integrity of the historic structures and character of the downtown.
If there are any changes to the zoning ordinance, there will need to be a public hearing where the community will have a chance to voice their opinion.
Village officials have been pushed to face the issue after the Form Foundation submitted proposals for four murals, with three in the historic district. One of the murals – the “Canalligator” – is already done.
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 Planning Board approved certificates of appropriateness for the projects after consutlign with the State Historic Preservation office. The Planning Board on Aug. 18 approved the murals, saying the current code is vague.
SHPO also advised the board that the 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 on prominent architectural features.
The current 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.
“I think it’s time for the village to come into the 21st Century with modern art,” Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said at a meeting earlier this month. “I think there is a place for it and a place not for it.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 August 2020 at 9:21 am
MEDINA – The Village Board approved 12 members of a committee that will be tasked with looking at police policies and determine if reform is needed in the Medina Police Department.
Daniel Doctor, 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 all have been named to the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.
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. That plan could show that no changes are needed in the department.
“With more than 500 law enforcement agencies in our large and diverse state, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution,” Cuomo said last week. “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.”
The committee needs to look at the following issues:
Review the needs of the community served by its police agency, and evaluate the department’s current policies and practices;
Establish policies that allow police to effectively and safely perform their duties;
Involve the entire community in the discussion;
Develop policy recommendations resulting from this review;
Offer a plan for public comment;
Present the plan to the local legislative body to ratify or adopt it, and;
Certify adoption of the plan to the State Budget Director on or before April 1, 2021.
Police Chief Chad Kenward and Mayor Mike Sidari said they reached to a cross section of the community for the committee and have Black and Hispanic residents, senior citizens, representatives from the district attorney and public defender, the school, the business community, the Village Board and the police department.
One local resident spoke during Monday’s Village Board meeting and asked to be considered for the committee. Michael O’Keefe is a defense attorney and a village resident with a law office on Main Street.
He said police reform is needed. He has reviewed body camera footage from Medina police officers and from other nearby communities.
“I am seeing a consistent wrong,” O’Keefe said. “They are not performing their jobs.”
Chief Kenward said he and Sidari went with the guidelines in picking a representation from the community for the committee.
“I didn’t feel we needed three attorneys,” Kenward said.
Cardone, the district attorney, and Best, the public defender, are both attorneys.
O’Keefe said he brings a skill set that would be beneficial to the committee.
Village Trustee Owen Toale said if O’Keefe was on the committee someone else would have to be taken off.
“These are 11 people who are extremely well qualified,” Toale said. “They are vested in our community.”
O’Keefe can submit his concerns to the committee and speak out during a public hearing that is required before the plan is sent to the state, Village Board members said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 25 August 2020 at 8:25 am
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.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 23 August 2020 at 8:31 pm
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.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 August 2020 at 10:42 am
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.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 August 2020 at 7:21 pm
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.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 August 2020 at 1:14 pm
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.
Provided photos: Dave Cook, right, a member of the board of United Way of Orleans County, poses with his team during United Way’s annual golf tournament on Friday at Shelridge Country Club in Medina. Other team members are, from left, Dick Bielak, Dawn Fox and Jeanne Whipple.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 August 2020 at 11:26 am
The winning ladies team includes, from left: Sherry Palmeri, Mary Guzik, Lynn Evans and Joan Weatherwax.
MEDINA – A sunny day, record turnout and the highest profit in the history of United Way of Orleans County’s annual golf tournament made for a very successful event Friday at Shelridge Country Club.
There were 32 teams in the tournament to benefit United Way, with the team of Brandon Grzywacz, Jim Grzywacz, Duane Dunlap and Shane Dobesh ending up at overall winners.
The top mixed team was Doug Clark, Chelsie Clark, Raymount Daniels and Patrick Hinkson. They were 14 under par.
Top ladies team was Mary Guzik, Sherry Palmeri, Lynn Evans and Joan Weatherwax. They were 4 under par.
Turnout was almost double that of other years, said United Way’s director Dean Bellack.
“We had to operate under the ‘new norm,’ but everything went off without a hitch,” Bellack said.
Major sponsors annually have been Baxter and Takeform and this year they were joined by new sponsors, Bidleman Chevrolet, Orleans Ford and Hartway Motors, Twin Apple Properties and Curbell Plastics.
“We received a ton of compliments from golfers and from our board members,” Bellack said. “I attribute that to United Way being on the upswing in Orleans County. Also there have been less charitable events this year, so people were looking for something to do.”
This year’s tournament grossed $26,000, compared to last year’s gross of $20,000. Bellack expects the profit this year to net close to $20,000, compared to $12,300 last year.
Dean Bellack, director of United Way of Orleans County, has lots of reasons to enjoy the day as he takes part in the annual golf tournament last Friday to benefit United Way. He not only got to take part in his favorite sport, but the tournament had a record turnout and realized the highest profit in the history of the agency.
Bellack also said United Way of Orleans County gave away twice as much money this year as in previous years, counting grants we received, such as the Buffalo Community Grant and several micro grants.
During this past year, United Way of Orleans County gave money to Medina Area Association of Churches for the first time. Bellack also formed a committee to manage micro grants, which consisted of Darren Wilson of Lyndonville, Bruce Schmidt of Albion and board member Jody Gaines.
United Way supported Project Stork for the first time, as well as Medina’s two food pantries.
Bellack said it was a big decision whether to have the golf tournament or not. But the board discussed it with staff at Shelridge Country Club and decided they could pull it off.
One of the biggest changes was canceling the sit-down dinner and awards ceremony, opting instead for a take-home chicken barbecue. All safety rules were discussed with golfers prior to teeing off, Bellack said.
“We’ve had very positive feedback, and we’re glad we were able to have a fundraising event for the community, even though we had to make some changes to conform to the new regulations,” Bellack said.
He added his appreciation to volunteers from Baxter, Velocity, YMCA, Praising Kids, Bellack’s wife Carol, and United Way board members Jackie Gardner, Melinda Rhim, Kaitlyn Delamarter and Jerome Pawlak.
