Photo by Tom Rivers: Some of the classic cars are shown during the Super Cruise on Aug. 28, 2019.

MEDINA – The classic cars should return to Medina’s Canal Basin on Friday evenings, but likely not until the second Friday in July.

The cruise-in normally starts the first Friday in June. But with social gatherings currently limited to no more than 10 people, the cruise-ins have been pushed back to July.

By then, organizer David Green hopes some of the restrictions will be lifted on the size of social gatherings.

Green, the retired Orleans County sheriff, has helped organize the cruise-in events for about 20 years.

They usually draw about 80 to 100 vehicles on Friday evenings, as well as crowd of people who like to look over the cars.

When the series starts, Green said DJ Hank Nevins is expected back. There will also be weekly 50/50 raffles to benefit the Orleans County United Way.

Green also would like to continue the Super Cruise to close out the season in late August. Elvis impersonator Terry Buckwald typically performs at the Super Cruise. Green said the event may be scaled back this year.

Local businesses usually donate to bring in Buckwald, but Green is reluctant to appeal to businesses for funding because many of them have been closed or scaled back to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Provided photos

MEDINA – Austin Tompkins, 15, of Medina stopped by several places in Medina on Thursday to show his appreciation to frontline and essential workers in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Austin stopped by the Medina Memorial Hospital, Medina Fire Department, Bank of Castile and Aldi grocery store to thank the workers for their dedication during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Austin is Petty Officer 2nd class with the Sullivans Division of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. The Cadet Corps were out in WNY communities thanking workers for their dedication during this pandemic.

The Cadet Corps are based out of Buffalo. They have regular drills one weekend per month all year. They also have summer and winter trainings for the Cadets that range from 5 to 13 days. They drill on the Little Rock and The Sullivans ships at Buffalo Naval Park from May through October.

They arrive Saturday morning, spend the night, and leave Sunday afternoon. In winter, they drill at the Navy Operational Support Center on Portage Road in Buffalo.

Aidyn Jackson, 10, also is a cadet. He visited the Medina Fire Department, where his father Matt Jackson is the fire chief. Aidyn is a LC2 in the League Cadets, a division of The Sullivans for kids aged 10-13.

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Canal Village Farmers’ Market will open for season on June 6

Photo by Tom Rivers: A crowd of 225 people enjoyed a five-course meal last Aug. 8 for the fourth annual Farm to Table Dinner. The event is hosted by the Orleans Renaissance Group.

Press Release, Orleans Renaissance Group

MEDINA – What would’ve been the fifth annual Farm to Table Dinner in Medina has been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns.

The annual August event is organized by the Orleans Renaissance Group with Zambistro of Medina. The dinner features a gourmet five-course meal using as many local ingredients as possible from Medina’s Canal Village Farmers’ Market.

The table is set for over 200 guests and stretches the entire length of North Main Street in Medina’s Historic Downtown District.

“It’s a monumental undertaking,” said Chris Busch, ORG President. “Given circumstances as they currently stand, it would be logistically unfeasible. I have no doubt that we’ll be back better than ever in 2021.”

The Canal Village Farmers’ Market is currently open with limited offerings, and will open for their summer season on Saturday, June 6, at 9 a.m.

“The market has remained open with limited offerings throughout the winter and spring,” said Busch. “Market Manager, Gail Miller, with Ken and Rose Baker of Baker Farm have done an absolutely amazing job providing local meats, eggs and more to customers during the Covid crisis. When the crisis hit, they stepped up in a big way. They’ve done an incredible service to the community for many, many weeks.”

Busch said hundreds of pre-packaged orders have been sold and delivered weekly via the market, and a similar system will be available during the regular market season. More weekly information can be found on the Farmers’ Market Facebook page.

Masks and social distancing are required to visit the market as per current NYS farmers’ market regulations. The market operates on Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 127 West Center Street in Medina.

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MEDINA – Joyce McCabe took this photo of the U.S. Air Force flyover at about 11:30 a.m. in Medina.

McCabe took the photo from Salt Works Road as the planes headed towards the Lockport hospital, the beginning of a flyover over several hospitals in Western New York.

The planes include a KC-135 from the 914th Air Refueling Wing’s 328th Air Refueling Squadron at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and F-35s from the Vermont Air National Guard.

The flyover honors all of those working on the front lines during the Covid-19 crisis.

McCabe said it was quite a sight to see the planes in formation.

“It was so awesome,” she said. “It was absolutely an amazing experience.”

Jeff Andrews of Albion took this photo at 12:01 p.m. of the planes in formation over the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

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Community encouraged to do neighborhood tours on their own

Press Release, Village of Medina Historian Todd Bensley

Provided photo by Jada Burgess: T.J. Burgess with his dog enjoy Tour 1 that starts at Gwinn Street Park.

MEDINA – As we continue our efforts to socially distance, yet feel the need to get outside and exercise, Village of Medina Historian Todd Bensley created a series of walking tours highlighting various neighborhoods in the village. Each tour is under one mile.

The idea was spurred by the rediscovery in his archives of a driving tour that was printed in The Journal-Register in 1972.

“Over the years Frank Berger would copy articles of historical interest and distribute it to members of the Medina Historical Society,” Bensley said, “and this one caught my attention recently as I was looking for projects to occupy my time in the evenings, since we are limited in what we can do.”

At this point three tours, and the original driving tour, are posted on the Village of Medina website. You can find them by scrolling down to the Community Events icon. There are clickable links to pdf files that you can download or print. According to Bensley, there are more tours in the works. When they are completed, they will be posted to the village website.

Jada Burgess and her son T.J. completed Tour 1 and she stated, “I think our favorite part of the tour was the statue at the YMCA. We spent a lot of time reading the names of those that served…. It really is something remarkable to have on display and I am glad T.J. was able to see it.”

Bensley added, “For those who are unable to get out and do the walks, there are a couple of options. You can drive the route or even use Google Street View to take a virtual tour.”

For those unfamiliar with Google Street View, Bensley included a link at the top of each tour that explains how to use it.

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Orleans County Y offers virtual programs during pandemic

MEDINA – The Orleans County YMCA is part of a state-wide effort today with #GivingTuesdayNow.

“We’ve seen a tremendous spike in requests for services and financial support since our community closed,” said Rob Walker, GLOW YMCA.  “Now, we’re hoping that communities throughout our state will support us, so that we can continue providing essential services during this pandemic, and also ensure that we’re able to serve our communities as we reopen and recover.”

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity as an emergency response to the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19. The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world. At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together.

The Orleans County YMCA is looking to bring back part-time employees who have been furloughed and to partner with other local agencies to serve the community, said Greg Reed, the Y director.

Although the Y building on Pearl Street in Medina is currently closed to the public, the Y is primarily offering our services virtually with offering complimentary access to Fitness On Demand.

“In addition, we are publishing daily family activities on our Facebook page coupled with our community resources page on our GLOW website,” Reed said. “We partnered with the Medina school district to use our site for dispersing breakfast and lunches.”

The Y was also willing to provide emergency childcare for essential workers for people working in the Medina and Lyndonville school districts, but a survey showed there wasn’t enough demand to support opening an emergency childcare center.

“However, we are willing and able to launch a site if, and when, this becomes a need in the community,” Reed said.

The Y has received a loan through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program and is looking forward to bringing more employees back to work, Reed said.

“With bringing employees back, we are looking to partner with other organizations that are doing good, critical work at this time,” Reed said.

The Y will also soon be launching a virtual program session of GirlStrong through the Y’s Facebook Page that will “meet up” two to three times per week over the next 7 weeks.

The Y staff from the Three year old Preschool Program at Lyndonville Schools also has been active engaging students through Marco Polo with daily instruction and mailing out arts and crafts projects, Reed said.

“I am so proud of that team and the initiative they have taken to make lemonade out of lemons,” he said.

To support the Y on Giving Tuesday, visit www.ymcaforgood.org.

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Photos by Ginny Kropf: Pharmacist Robert Hiller hands a prescription to a customer in the parking lot of The Medicine Shoppe. This picture was taken before the governor’s directive to wear masks when social distancing isn’t possible. The pharmacy closed off its door to customers to minimize contact and opened up a storm door at the side of the building, from which the employees take turns waiting on drive-up customers.

MEDINA – Operating a business out of a small space at their office at 142 East Center Street in Medina has prompted the Medicine Shoppe to take measures to allow customers to distance themselves from other customers and staff.

Until further notice, the Medicine Shoppe has created a drive-thru service for pharmacy customers by removing the glass and screen from a storm door at the side of the building, which opens into an office area. Staff members take turns monitoring the door and greeting customers who can drive up in their vehicle.

Medicine Shoppe manager Robert Hiller said he wanted to keep staff and customers safe.

“If any of my employees get sick, we are all going to be quarantined for at least two weeks,” he said.

When delivering a prescription to a customer, Medicine Shoppe personnel wear a mask to further protect themselves and the public. On warmer days, Hiller even sits outside in a chair to watch for drive-up customers.

Robert Hiller, manager of The Medicine Shoppe in Medina, has set up a drive-through option for customers to eliminate personal contact in the one-room store. He takes advantage of a warm day here to wait outside for customers.

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Martha and Bill Ames’ secret to a long and loving marriage: ‘remain best friends through it all’

Photos courtesy of Susan Fuller: Bill and Martha Ames are shown at their wedding on June 6, 1951.

MEDINA – Martha and Bill Ames were nearly inseparable since they started dating as young teen-agers at Medina. The couple was together until the very end, dying two days apart in the same room at The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion.

They are two of the 13 residents at the nursing home who have died from Covid-19. Mr. Ames, 89, was a physical education teacher and coach at Medina. He passed away on April 22.

Mrs. Ames worked 20 years in the district office at the school. She died from Covid-19 on April 24.

“It was comforting to me that they were together,” said their daughter, Susan Fuller of Medina.

The couple married on June 6, 1951. They nearly made it to their 70^th anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Ames raised two children in Medina, Susan and her brother Bill who lives in Indiana. After Mr. and Mrs. Ames retired in 1985, they lived at a summer cottage in the Thousands Islands and spent the cold-weather months in Sarasota. They returned to live year-round in Medina in 2015.

They were very social people who were active in the Masonic Lodge. The enjoyed having people over. Mrs. Ames would cook and bake. She was also an excellent card player. Her family said she was very competitive, except with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She would always let them win.

Bill and Martha Ames enjoy a boat ride at the Thousands Island.

“We truly enjoyed spending time with them,” Fuller said. “Every holiday was spent together with an elaborate meal and fun board games and card games afterward. We spent many happy times all together at their cottage at the Thousand Islands and at their home in Florida.”

Mrs. Ames was interviewed by her granddaughter on the couple’s 65^th anniversary. She was asked the secret to a long marriage: “Love, a sense of humor, and patience,” she responded. “It isn’t about the marriage license – that’s just a piece of paper. It is making sure you always remain best friends. That you trust each other, are patient, kind, and realize that there will be hard days but the good days far outweigh the other as long as you remain best friends through it all.”

Early days of dating

When Mr. Ames was 14 he spotted his future wife, Martha Fortunato, at the old Medina High School on Catherine Street. Martha was 13. To get her attention, he took off one of his boots and dropped it down two floors in the stairwell. The family lore says the boot hit Martha on the head, and that started their long story. They were soon dating. They married on June 6, 1951 when Bill was 20 and Martha was 19.

Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1950 and served in the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1954. The Ames’s son was born in California when Bill was stationed there.

He earned his master’s degree in education and started his career as a teacher in Silver Creek in 1955 and then worked as a teacher in Neptune, NJ. He returned to his hometown in 1964, and coached wrestling and football. During the summer, he taught people to swim at a quarry on Bates Road at the conservation club.

The family said Bill really loved the outdoors, going hunting, fishing and boating.

Together at The Villages

Bill and Martha Ames are shown together when they lived in Sarasota Florida.

After an active retirement in the Thousands Island and Sarasota, including some time near their son in Indiana, Mr. and Mrs. Ames came back to Medina in 2015.

At that point, Mr. Ames has struggling with dementia. The family thought being back home with his friends and a familiar surrounding would help him. But his condition worsened and he entered The Villages in January 2017, staying in the dementia wing.

The family wanted his wife to be with him, but The Villages didn’t allow Mrs. Ames, who didn’t have dementia, to live in that wing with her husband.

“As a married couple they have a right to be together,” Fuller said.

Mrs. Ames moved into one of the other wings, for people without dementia, in September 2017.

With an impasse about Mrs. Ames being allowed to move into the dementia wing, The Villages last year agreed to let the couple stay together, but it had to be outside the dementia wing.

The Covid-19 outbreak at The Villages has spared the dementia wing. All 49 of the cases have been on the other wings.

Mr. Ames became noticeably sick on April 16 with a fever. Fuller was called at 9:30 p.m. that Thursday night that he wasn’t doing well.

The state has banned visitors to nursing homes since March 13, allowing some families a brief visit if a loved one is receiving end-of-life care.

Susan Fuller would go outside their parents’ window at the nursing home to see them, and would try to Facetime through a phone with a help of a social worker. The phone seemed to frustrate her father.

As his condition worsened, she was allowed inside his room to see him, with the visit a maximum of a half hour. She wore a gown, a mask and gloves. Her brother also came up from Indiana to see their parents. Fuller said not all nursing homes are allowing family to see loved ones who are dying.

“I am thankful we could do that because in New York City they aren’t allowing people (visitors) in the nursing homes or hospitals,” she said.

This family photo with Bill and Martha Ames was taken at The Villages of Orleans on Christmas in 2017.

Her father and mother both had photos of their family – their children, three grandkids and two great-grandsons – near them.

Mrs. Fuller held her father’s hand and let him know how proud she was to be his daughter. The entire family is very proud of him, she told her father. He had a lucid moment and said, “That’s nice.” He died peacefully at 11:30 a.m. on April 22.

His wife, who also had a fever, would die at 5:58 p.m. on April 24.

Mrs. Fuller is angry the coronavirus has spread to so many residents in The Villages.

She said she has taken her complaints to the State Department of Health, which regulates the nursing homes.

But she said her parents were loved and cared for by the staff, especially the physical therapists and aides who worked hard to keep them comfortable.

“The whole team of physical therapists are just wonderful,” she said. “There are very good aides and nurses there.”

The family can’t invite friends and many family members for calling hours and a funeral service because social gatherings are limited to 10 people. Fuller said there will be a large memorial service in the future when restrictions are eased on public gatherings.

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MEDINA — The Medina Village Board approved a $5,925,742 budget on Monday which will increase the tax rate by 13 cents, from $18.32 to $18.45, per $1,000 of assessed value.

The budget increases the tax levy, what the village collects in taxes, by 1.9 percent or by $58,865, from $3,138,194 to $3,197,059. That increase is under the state imposed tax cap, village officials said during a public hearing on Monday.

The budget decreases spending by $16,068, from $5,941,810 to $5,95,742. Although spending is down, the taxes are up because they village is estimating its revenues will be down nearly $80,000, from $2,578,616 to $2,498,683.

Mayor Mike Sidari and the Village Board are concerned the revenues could decline even more, with the uncertainty about local sales tax revenue and reimbursements from the state.

The village’s tax base grew nearly $2 million, from $171,265,416 to $173,229,062.

In other action during Monday’s Village Board meeting:

• The board established a permit fee for electric charging stations. Those fees will be $25 for a residential charging station and $50 for a commercial site.

Burger King has applied to have a charging station. It will need to pay a one-time $50 fee to have the application processed.

• The village is holding off a decision on the summer parks and swimming program. A committee with representatives from the Village of Medina, and towns of Shelby and Ridgeway will discuss the programs as summer gets closer. Mayor Sidari said he is waiting to see what Gov. Cuomo’s directives will be following the May 15 “Pause” for schools and non-essential businesses. The governor has said he is looking to reopen some businesses and activities incrementally, with some parts of the state opening before others where the Covid-19 cases are more widespread.

The Geneses-Orleans Youth Bureau has $2,000 to support the parks and swimming program in Medina. If the program doesn’t happen this summer, the village will have to return the money to the Youth Bureau.

• The Medina Department of Public Works will soon be returning to full strength. The village has been alternating four full-time workers each week. The DPW had been at 50 percent capacity to meet a guideline from the governor.

But work is piling up in the village with parks to maintain, tree work, street repair and other projects. The employees can work in different crews so they aren’t all together on different assignments.

• The village accepted $2,500 from the Town of Shelby towards a new skate park at Butts Park, a village-owned park.

The Medina Skate Society requested the $2,500 from Shelby as part of a local contribution that will be matched. The village is also contributing $2,500 towards new equipment and skate park upgrades.

Medina has been awarded up to $250,000 from the Tony Hawk & Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundations with a challenge to match that figure. The money from Tony Hawk & Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundations ultimately will be whatever the local community raises. The local funds are over $200,000 so far.

• The board approved spending $18,761 with Hartway Motors for a 2018 Chevy Equinox for the Medina Fire Department. It will replace a Dodge Durango.

• The board accepted Donato Rosario as a permanent career firefighter. He had been a probationary firefighter the past 78 weeks. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said Rosario “goes above and beyond” as a firefighter, and brings positive attitude to the job.

• Named firefighter Adam Fisher as Medina’s municipal training officer, effective June 1.

• The board announced it is working to renew a longer-term lease with the Senior Citizens of Western Orleans. That group uses the former railroad depot on West Avenue, paying $100 a month. The village also provides $1,800 a year to the group for programming.

The Senior Citizens of Western Orleans help with some of the maintenance on the building. The group, for example, is having the building repainted.

A 10-year lease was last signed in 2004 and has been renewed annually since then.

Village officials and the Senior Citizens leadership will meet soon to establish the responsibilities for both the Senior Citizens and the village, as well as the financial obligations of each.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Andrew Lafave, a volunteer with Calvary Tabernacle Church, carries a box with food to a trunk of a vehicle on Monday afternoon during a Foodlink distribution at the church, which is at the old Medina High School on Catherine Street.

Foodlink dropped off 300 boxes and the church distributed 110 from 3 to 5 p.m., including 85 in the first 40 minutes, said Donna Poore, coordinator of the distribution and the food pantry at the church.

Donna Poore helps the vehicles to line up. She was tasked by Foodlink to find out the zip code of each recipient and the number of people in the family.

Kurt Strickland helps with the food distribution on Monday. The church had nearly 200 boxes of food left over after the distribution. Those boxes will be used for the church’s food pantry, which is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Some of the boxes might also go to the food distribution Friday in Albion from 9:30 to 11:30 at the Main Street parking lot, across from Hoag Library. Community Action runs that food distribution. It went through all 300 of its boxes during the first distribution on April 17.

People don’t need to register for the food distribution. They are encouraged to clean out their trunks and keep their windows closed. Volunteers will put a box of food in the trunk and then close the trunk.

Daniel Tabor, another volunteer at Calvary, gets a box ready. The boxes included citrus.

The boxes on Monday were a little lighter than usual due to increased demand on Foodlink.

The bags of citrus were added to the other boxes of food.

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Company quickly retools with new floor markers, protective shields, sanitizer/PPE stations and other products

Provided photos, images: Takeform in Medina developed these and other products for healthcare facilities. Amplify wall posters including these floor decals at left allow for easy display of a message on any interior wall or floor. This one is 6 feet wide, the recommended space for social distancing. The amplify window cling at right applies directly to glass doors and windows and is intended for indoor and outdoor use. These window clings inform that Covid-19 testing is done at the site.

Provided photo: Ken McPherson of Takeform assembles one of the Assure Protective Shields manufactured by the Medina company. These shields are used to protect tellers and other in-person customer service employees from germs during customer interactions.

MEDINA – Takeform, a company with 200 employees in Medina, has quickly developed an array of products to help businesses, especially healthcare organizations, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Takeform has made numerous signs and floor decals about the 6-foot social distancing guidelines, and signs for Covid-19 testing.

The company has also developed protective shields for bank tellers and other employees in close contact with customers. Takeform also made sanitizer stations that can be mounted on walls and placed throughout buildings.

Takeform was able to design, engineer and manufacture these products in about two months. Normally it takes about six months or more to develop new products and make them available to their customers around the country.

Takeform works with 40 percent of the 100 largest healthcare systems in the country, said Michael Hungerford, a regional director for Takeform.

“Since we serve a lot of healthcare clients already, we’re in a position to help them adjust and reconfigure their facilities to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19,” Hungerford said.

“Over the span of about two weeks our engineers and designers developed a new line of products that do just that,” he said. “The fact that they were able to develop the products and then roll it out nationwide in a little over two weeks in such challenging times is amazing because it usually takes 6-plus months to do something like this.”

Takeform also has been busy working with colleges and businesses “who are all trying to figure out how to make their buildings safe for people to return to,” Hungerford said.

The floor markers, protective shields, and sanitizer/PPE stations are part of the reopening strategy for colleges and businesses.

“Over the next few weeks and months, we’ll introduce several more products that help these organizations open confidently and then stay open safely into the future,” Hungerford said.

Covid-19 notices and notice holders offer a simple, yet effective means of communicating hygiene and safety messages.

Hand sanitizer displays can be mounted on walls in five different finishes: Manitoba Maple, Wild Cherry, Silver Wings, Black Microdot and White Microdot. These displays can be mounted at critical points throughout facilities.

Takeform says, “At no time is communication more critical than during a crisis. Demands are more intense, emotions are high, and miscommunication can be dangerous. Have the right message in the right place, communicated professionally plays a valuable role in managing urgent situations.”

Takeform also has large banners to inform people of testing sites and quarantine zones.

For more information on some of the products at Takeform, click here.

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Provided photos: From left, Rob Klino and Dave Miller, members of the Medina Sandstone Society, help Theresa Nottingham from Mark’s Pizzeria unload pizzas which the Sandstone Society donated to staff at Medina Memorial Hospital.

From left, Dave Miller, president of the Medina Sandstone Society, and Avanti’s employee Carrie Ribbeck present sheet pizzas to Martin MacKenzie, administrator of Orchard Manor, and Mary Luckman, director of marketing.

MEDINA – Since the Medina Sandstone Society founded its Sandstone Trust in 2010, they have been able to provide financial aid to members of the Medina community, but with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Society has redirected the focus of its giving.

“In March, we were gearing up to have our annual meeting to discuss the recipient of our John Ryan Scholarship and the year of events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sandstone Trust ,” said Sandstone Society President Dave Miller. “Then the pandemic hit and we were forced to cancel everything. The board then started to discuss via e-mail if there was something we could do now for the community.”

“Our society’s mission is to promote community pride and what we wanted was a way to do that now,” Miller said.

What they decided to do was to send pizzas to all the health care workers in Medina. This included staff at Medina Memorial Hospital, Applegate, Orchard Manor Nursing Home and the Willows.

On Thursday, Avanti’s delivered pizzas to Orchard Manor and the Willows, while Mark’s Pizzeria made deliveries to the hospital and Applegate.

The donation of 30 sheet pizzas fed a combined 200 staff members in the four facilities.

At the nursing home, administrator Martin MacKenzie and director of marketing Mary Luckman were very thankful for the donation.

“This is quite a gesture for staff to show up here every day,” Luckman said. “A lot of them are putting in double shifts.”

The nursing home employs 100 health care workers, maintenance people and administration.

At the hospital, Heather Miles, and X-ray technician, took delivery of the pizzas there.

“We can’t thank all the people who have donated enough,” she said.

A second pizza delivery was made to facilities to accommodate those on the night shift.

The Sandstone Society maintains a gift shop on its website, and has also added an icon which allows people to make a $25 donation, which the Sandstone Society will then give it to organizations which help those in need during the pandemic, such as food pantries. The icon is called “Support Your Community During Covid-19.”

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