By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 24 April 2020 at 9:14 am
Provided photo: Billy Roman, right, president of Medina Lions Club, presents Tops gift cards to Lynn Creasey, president of the Senior Citizens of Western New York board. At left is Lions member Jim Hancock. Senior Center director Kelly Shaw was unable to attend the presentation, but distributed the cards to deserving seniors.
MEDNA – The Medina Lions Club continued its community service project this week with a donation of 20 Tops gift cards of $25 each to the Senior Center of Western Orleans.
The presentation was made by Lions president Billy Roman to the Senior Center board president Lynn Creasey.
“We really appreciate the Lions’ gesture,” Creasey said. “We definitely have people who can use a little help, especially widows and those living on Social Security.”
Senior Center director Kelly Shaw, who was unable to attend the presentation, later distributed the cards to seniors she knew have limited incomes and would appreciate the extra help.
Shaw considers members of the Senior Center “her family,” and was thrilled at being able to provide this gift to 20 of them.
“I know which ones can use the extra help and I know they will be very thankful,” Shaw said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 April 2020 at 10:54 am
MEDINA – The Medina Teachers Association has purchased signs for all 110 members of the Class of 2020.
Seniors can order a sign by emailing teacher Jody Sargent at jsargent@medinacsd.org by April 30. The signs will be delivered. Seniors should include their name and address in the email.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 April 2020 at 8:33 am
Robin Dubai selects canned goods to fill grocery bags at St. Peter’s emergency food pantry in Medina. With the recent coronavirus pandemic, the pantry has added evening hours in order to accommodate more people.
MEDINA – With hundreds out of work and grocery stores selling out, food pantries have had to adjust their operations to meet the demand.
There are two food pantries in Medina – one at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God located in the former Medina High School, and the Emergency Food Pantry at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on West Avenue.
The Emergency Food Pantry originated out of an adult Sunday School class meeting in 1982, when members discussed doing something for the community. Unlike a regular food pantry where eligible families can come and receive food every week, the Emergency Food Pantry packages up bags of food which Medina residents can get once every three weeks. The pantry has a requirement that recipients must live in the 14103 zip code and they much bring proof of residency and family size with them.
Robin Dubai is coordinator of the food pantry, which is overseen by a board which includes herself, Jim Hancock as treasurer, Sally Grimm as volunteer coordinator, Jane Stroyan, Mary Lou Rue, Michelle Capstick and Marilyn Drew.
The pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and recently added evening hours from 5 to 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday and third Thursday of the month.
“We knew with so many people unemployed there might be a lot who would need extra help,” Dubai said.
The food bank gets supplies through a line of credit from Foodlink, where they also get a $4,000 a year grant. In addition, they receive surplus food from the federal government and the rest they purchase locally.
With the government demands for social distancing, both food banks have had to change their procedure. At St. Peter’s, Dubai and volunteers pack bags of food in the basement with assorted items, which are then taken upstairs and lined up by the door. Recipients come in one at a time, register and then exit out the side of the building.
Robin Dubai carries bags of food at St. Peter’s emergency food pantry.
With recent demands, Dubai said there is a shortage of some staples and she has had to substitute other items. Each person gets a bag containing three meals a day for three days for the size of their family. They cannot come again for three weeks, except in extreme emergencies, Dubai said.
Hancock said they normally see an influx of people on a fixed income at the end of the month. Their customers include families, single individuals and seniors.
At Calvary Tabernacle, Donna Poore is volunteer manager of the food bank. She and the Rev. Vincent Iorio think the food pantry has been serving the community for at least 25 years. They also receive food from a Foodlink grant, and personal and company donations of food and cash. Due to the concern for spreading the coronavirus, the pantry is not accepting donations from personal households at this time.
Calvary Tabernacle is slated to receive food donations every other year from the Boy Scouts annual food drive.
“This is our year to benefit from the Boy Scouts’ drive, but we don’t know how the pandemic is going to affect that,” Poore said. “That drive provides a lot of canned goods and shelf-stable foods for our pantry.”
During the first two to three weeks of the government-mandated shut-down, the food pantry saw an increase in demand of more than 50 percent, Poore said.
“But that has since leveled off,” she said. “I think people realize we are going to be here and they can come back in three weeks.”
The Calvary Tabernacle food pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Thursday. Like St. Peter’s, they have had to implement safe procedures for greeting residents and delivering their food.
Bags are packed inside by volunteers, who watch the parking lot for people to pull in. Then a volunteer greets the person on the back porch by the parking lot, gets their name, the number in their family and inquires if they have been there before.
No one is allowed in the building, the Rev. Iorio said.
The food pantry serves an average of 30 families a week, Poore said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 April 2020 at 8:34 am
Hannah Pollard has turned shutdown into a mission
Provided photos: Hannah Pollard sits at her sewing machine, where she makes 50 to 75 masks a day for local residents and organizations.
MEDINA – When the government ordered the shutdown of all non-essential businesses, Hannah Pollard was no longer able to sell her crafts at her booth in Filomena’s Favorites.
So she turned her talent for sewing into making masks, which are now required when social distancing isn’t possible.
To date, she has made 1,200 masks for men, women and children.
Pollard, who retired in 2016 from Pollard Insurance, learned to sew from her mother Jane Pollard 20 years ago. Jane was a quilter and taught Hannah how to quilt by hand.
“I really enjoyed sewing and quilting so much, I opened a craft booth at Filomena’s,” Pollard said. “A day after the store was forced to close, someone said I should make masks, because people were going to want them.”
Pollard made a pattern and she was in business.
The first masks she made she offered for free to any healthcare worker, and they came in waves, she said.
The next ones she offered to corrections officers, and those masks also were in demand.
Then she started dealing with businesses and she was soon selling out of masks for $6 each.
She now has a four to five-day wait to fill orders for her masks. She has hit a roadblock, however, with not being able to buy any more elastic.
She ordered 400 yards online and tracking shows them at a post office in Rochester, but they can’t find them.
These are some of the children’s masks which Hannah Pollard is making in whimsical patterns.
“So now I’m using ribbon,” Pollard said.
Pollard is making between 50 and 75 masks a day, which she ships all over the United States, although her focus is on local orders. She has also shared her pattern with others.
She said she has other friends who are sewing caps and gowns for healthcare workers.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 April 2020 at 9:55 am
Director of child care center delivers treats to Medina families
Provided photo: Kim Southcott, director of Praising Kids Child Care Center, dons Easter Bunny ears to deliver Easter goodie bags to the homebound children from her daycare. Southcott delivered almost 50 bags Thursday and Friday.
MEDINA – The hardest part of Kim Southcott’s job is not being able to go to work.
Southcott is director of Praising Kids Child Care Center, the facility run by Medina United Methodist Church in their former church building on West Center Street. The center has been closed for three and one-half weeks due to the government-mandated shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Even though we can’t be open now, I wanted to do something to show the children I care,” Southcott said. “Even when I’m home, I never stop working. The first thing when I wake up in the morning, I think of the children and how I can help them.”
She thought it was important to do something to give the families a little bit of hope in this trying time.
Southcott contacted the board and got permission to compile Easter bags for the children. Several of the child care center’s dozen teachers and board members made donations and Southcott footed the bill for the rest. She purchased bags, candy bunnies, chocolate eggs, Nerds, crayons, paints and Peeps for the children to paint, on which Brushstrokes gave her a deal.
She also wanted to make sure each family had food and included food items, such as tuna fish, noodles and peanut butter in each bag. Some of the board members contributed encouraging notes.
Then she texted or contacted each family she felt wouldn’t be home and set out Thursday and Friday to deliver nearly 50 bags.
“The children were excited and the parents were very grateful,” Southcott said.
She said she left each of the bags on the family’s porch, and her reward was seeing the children’s smiling faces as they waved to her through the window.
“Even though we can’t be open now, this was a way to show the children and their families we care,” she said.
Easter Bunny pays a visit in Middleport
Provided photo: Kelsey Huwley dressed up as the Easter Bunny and rode in the back of a truck around Middleport on Saturday.
“Just trying to bring some Easter joy to the people in my community,” Huwyler posted on Facebook.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 April 2020 at 8:41 am
MEDINA – In light of the current coronavirus pandemic, Orleans Community Health is making changes which will enable Medina Memorial Hospital to accept patients, should that need arise.
“We are trying to ramp up in case we get an influx of patients,” said Cindy Perry, director of outreach, education and marketing at Community Partners for the hospital. “We are cross-training staff now.”
Already in effect, visitations to the hospital are forbidden, and lab testing is only being done at the Orleans Community Health Center in Albion. Some X-rays can also be performed in Albion, by appointment only, and in addition, they are offering Telehealth medicine in Albion. Albion is still seeing primary care patients, but people should call first, not just walk in.
In an emergency, X-rays and certain surgeries can be done at the hospital. MRIs continue to be done at the hospital, as the MRI unit is separate at the back of the hospital, near the business office, and patients do not need to enter the hospital for this service. They may make a reservation by calling 798-8054. There is reserved parking for MRI patients, who can also register there.
Perry said the hospital is working with the Health Department and Center for Disease Control and Prevention. They are taking applications for jobs to develop a pool of people, such as nurses, CNAs, physician assistants, lab technicians, maintenance personnel, housekeepers and security people in case the hospital gets inundated with patients.
In the meantime, hospital personnel are working with Rochester Regional Health, Medina’s affiliate health care system, to see if the best option would be accepting COVID-19 patients or an overflow of regular patients.
Heather Smith, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, said in a letter to community supporters that the events have thrown the hospital for a loop.
“We were in the midst of planning events and social gatherings, working on grant and foundation applications and meeting with corporate and private supporters, and then it all changed,” Smith said. ‘Events have been postponed and some have been canceled entirely. The focus of our funding applications is changed along with how we reach out to everyone in the community.
“We are in unprecedented times,” she continued. “Having to shift gears when we are moving full speed in one direction, then making a quick change down another path has been challenging. However, there has not been time to stop and ponder it. This new path is focused on fulfilling the immediate need of supplies for Orleans Community Health that are vital to the protection of our staff and patients. We are meeting this need with a tremendous amount of support from the local community.”
Smith said, at this point in time, more than 150 community members and businesses have donated supplies, safety equipment, comfort items, food and personal protective equipment. Yet, with all the supplies that have been donated, the hospital is still in need of purchasing additional medical grade N-95 masks and much needed and more efficient sterilization equipment.
“We are receiving information that this supply is becoming available for purchase and we need to secure orders now,” Smith said. “The financial impact of preparing for COVID-19 has yet to be realized, but one thing is for certain, it will be significant.”
In her letter Smith has asked those who are able to consider a donation to the hospital at this time.
“If there was ever a time to help us out, now would be it,” she said. “We will get through this – together while apart. We will adapt. We will learn lessons.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 April 2020 at 6:16 pm
Ministry offers food, takes prayer requests
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Hands 4 Hope ministry was in Medina today, set up in the parking lot at the MAAC Thrift Depot at the corner of Star and Orient streets. (The MAAC Thrift Depot is closed right now due to concerns with the coronavirus.)
The top photo shows Hands 4 Hope leader Jack Burris chatting with Ivy Schell of Medina.
Hands 4 Hope started on Jan. 20, 2016 taking the red truck to locations in Albion, Holley and Medina on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Hands 4 Hope offers a “share” of food, toilet paper, socks and some other supplies. The ministry has suspended accepting and offering donated clothing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hands 4 Hope for the first time next week will be expanding to Wednesday evenings, going to different sites than the current schedule on Saturdays.
Kevin Lemcke, one of the Hands 4 Hope volunteers, fills a bag with food. A typical share includes rice, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, crackers, corn, beans, dish soap, a bar of soap, 2 rolls of toilet paper and some other toiletries.
The new Wednesday schedule will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Hands 4 Hope will be in Kendall on April 8 and expects to be parked at the Town Hall parking lot. Burris said to look for the red truck.
On April 15, Hands 4 Hope will be outside the Yates Community Library in Lyndonville. April 22 will be in Waterport on Baker Road at the Heritage Meadow Apartments and April 29 will be in Murray at the Countyline Trailer Park, with a similar schedule in May.
Burris owns a carpet cleaning business. He has had to cut back due to the pandemic. It also has given him more time for Hands 4 Hope. He is committed to the Wednesdays the next two months and will then reassess if it continues.
The Hands 4 Hope truck is parked outside at the MAAC Clothing Depot today. The line was spaced more than 6 feet.
Hands 4 Hope has scaled back its crew of volunteers during the pandemic. Burris said many of the volunteers are 60 and older and he doesn’t want them out on the truck until the pandemic is over.
He also has marked spots spaced at least six feet apart for people to stand in line. The volunteers also aren’t hugging people, which Burris said is hard for everyone.
Ivy Schell of Medina has been coming to Hands 4 Hope for its monthly stop in Medina for about three years.
“It makes life a lot easier,” she said about the share of food and other supplies.
She gives Burris and the volunteers updates on her life and they will pray for her on the spot. Today the volunteers were joined by the Rev. Randy LeBaron for the prayer requests.
Ron Stewart also has been coming to Hands 4 Hope for more than a year. He remembers the group going in his neighborhood, knocking on doors to get the word out about the program.
“I appreciate the people that put this on, the heart and spirit of them,” Stewart said. “They’re here to help spiritually, emotionally and with the food, but the food is just the icing on the cake.”
Stewart commended the volunteers for continuing the ministry during the pandemic, and even expanding to the sites in Lyndonville, Kendall, Waterport and Murray.
Burris said Hands 4 Hope welcomes any donations financially or with food. Any checks can be sent to Hands 4 Hope, 243 South Main St., Suite 174, Albion, NY 14411. Donations can also be made through the Hands 4 Hope Facebook page or the Hands 4 Hope website.
These kindergarten teachers let students know they are missed in the classroom.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 April 2020 at 12:51 pm
MEDINA – The Medina school district was planning a Mustang Motorcade today, to let students know they are missed. But the district decided against it, not wanting to encourage a crowd of kids and their families to gather.
So the district instead did a virtual parade, with more than 100 teachers and staff sending in photos for a 12-minute video. Many of the teachers and staff are wearing Medina Mustang shirts or crazy outfits.
The district encouraged students to “Stay happy, Stay healthy, Stay strong!”
Provided photo from Mindful Media Group: Western New York Energy, an ethanol plant on Bates Road in Medina, produces about 60 million gallons of ethanol annually.
Posted 2 April 2020 at 7:36 pm
Press Release, Western New York Energy, Orleans Economic Development Agency
MEDINA – Western New York Energy in Medina has adapted its operations to provide distilleries, technology companies, and global personal care corporations in the United States and Canada with ethanol to produce hand sanitizer in response to the coronavirus global pandemic.
“In conjunction with New York’s corn growers, Western New York Energy is committed to assisting distillers and companies of any size to manufacture hand sanitizer in the fight against this devastating pandemic,” said Tim Winters, WNYE President and CEO. “We could not do this without the support of the farmers, our partners for the past 13 years, who are the bedrock of this region.”
Photo courtesy of Black Button Distilling: Some of the WNY Energy ethanol is being used for sanitizer.
The WNY Energy facility is locally owned and can produce up to 150,000 gallons per day of tech-grade ethanol for industrial purposes such as sanitizer production. Winters and 50 employees are supplying some of the country’s largest technology companies and global personal care corporations that have repurposed operations to address the nationwide need for sanitizer, along with distillers across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Maine that have halted alcohol production to produce sanitizer for the urgent needs of doctors, hospitals, and at-risk communities.
Distilleries that WNY Energy first supplied at the forefront of the COVID response include: Black Button Distilling and Iron Smoke Distillery in Rochester, Uncle Jumbo’s Vodka in Buffalo, Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe, NY, Clayton Distillery in Clayton, NY and Maine Craft Distillery in Portland, ME. Many of those companies first bottled the sanitizer in 24-ounce glass liquor bottles they had in stock, but are now working to make sanitizer available in larger gallon containers, pails or drums.
“Western New York Energy is a respected industry partner and a critically important, reliable market for our corn growers,” said Colleen Klein, executive director of NY Corn and Soybean Growers Association. “In usual circumstances, our crop is used in the Medina facility to make clean, renewable fuel but these are not usual circumstances. We are facing unprecedented times as a state and nation. We applaud WNYE’s ability and willingness to pivot their business to provide much needed sanitation resources while maintaining the market for our growers during these uncertain times.”
More distilleries across the Northeast, Midwest, and the larger corporations WNYE has begun to supply are ramping up the production of 75-80% alcohol-based hand sanitizers for retail and wholesale.
“As we move forward, you can rest assured that New York farmers are going to show up to do their job – whatever it takes,” Klein said. “We’re happy to have a friend in Western New York Energy who shares this mentality. Whether you’re farm tough, New York City tough, or anywhere in between – we’re all stronger together.”
Western New York Energy opened in 2007 after construction of a $90 million facility in Medina. WNYE is proud to be partnering with New York’s farmers to produce domestic, clean, renewable energy.
On an annual basis WNYE processes approximately 20 million bushels of corn into more than 60 million gallons of fuel-grade biofuel blended with gasoline; 140,000 tons of high-quality dairy distillers grain for the dairy and livestock industries; 1.8 million gallons of feed-grade corn oil sold as a feed product or for further processing into biodiesel; and 100,000 tons of food-grade carbon dioxide.
“Western New York Energy has become one of the most important industries in Orleans County and New York State,” said Jim Whipple, CEO of the Orleans Economic Development Agency. “The economics tied to WNYE not only supports local farmers, but the operation is the largest taxpayer in Orleans County. It is important that products made in New York’s farm communities be given purchasing priority in times like this, as we are often more equipped and adaptive to support the needs of heavily populated urban areas that could be struggling.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 April 2020 at 9:40 am
Photos from Rob Dennis, director of transportation for Medina school district
MEDINA – The school district is finishing its third week of “Operation Food Drop” and has been distributing 1,000 to 1,200 meals daily to Medina families.
District administrators have teamed with cafeteria workers and the transportation department to organize the program and get the breakfasts and lunches to children in the community.
“We will continue throughout Easter break and into the foreseeable future,” said Rob Dennis, the transportation director for the school district. “I am very proud of how well our school leadership has come together in these difficult times for us all. Medina Strong, Mustang Strong.”
Dennis praised the cafeteria staff led by Maria Haegerty.
“Our transportation department has worked seamlessly with Maria, and her department to get food to the students and families of the district,” Dennis said.
The district has been delivering the meals between 11 a.m. and noon each day at the following locations:
• Pine Street Park: corner of Pine Street and Park Avenue
• MAAC Thrift Depot: corner of Starr Street and Orient Street
• Orleans County YMCA Parking Lot: 306 Pearl Street
• Former Towne School Parking Lot: 181 Bates Road
• Shelby Fire Department Parking Lot: 4695 S. Gravel Road
• Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company parking lot on Knowlesville Road
• Oak Orchard Elementary Bus Loop
Dan Doctor, director of community outreach for Medina Central School, also has been taking food to homeless families in the district.
For more information about the food program, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2020 at 4:47 pm
MEDINA — Mayor Michael Sidari has issued an emergency order, closing the village playgrounds, including the skate park, to the public to assist in lowering the spreading of the coronavirus, which threatens the public health, the mayor said.
The emergency order also closes the village buildings to the public, except for employees and by appointment.
Sidari said the village parks and buildings will be monitored by the Medina Police Department, Fire Department, Code Enforcement and the DPW superintendent.
The emergency declaration is in effect for 30 days, but Sidari said he would review it in five days.
The Village of Albion has also closed its public parks.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 April 2020 at 10:03 am
MEDINA – The school district has cancelled a Mustang Motorcade that was planned for Friday, with teachers and staff driving throughout the community to see students.
“We are doing this for precautionary reasons,” said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent. “We do not want our children and families, who may be outside lining the parade route, to wind up becoming too close to their neighbors and friends.”
Kruzynski said the district will try another way to connect with children and boost their spirits during an extended school shutdown.
“The goal of this parade was to spread cheer and community, and we are going to put together a ‘virtual parade’ in the very near future,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 7:35 pm
Caravan of fire trucks flash lights, beep horns in show of support
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Firefighters from the Western Battalion in Orleans County – East Shelby, Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Lyndonville – brought fire trucks and parked outside Medina memorial Hospital this evening beginning at 6 p.m.
Firefighters flashed lights of on the trucks and drove through the parking lot, beeping the horns to show their appreciation for the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital.
Click here to see a video of the fire trucks driving through the parking lot and past the hospital.
Click here to see the fire trucks lined up on Ohio Street outside Medina Memorial.
Steve Bane, the second assistant chief at Lyndonville, suggested the tribute and the other leaders of the five fire departments were quick to say yes.
“This is our closest medical facility,” Bane said outside the hospital this evening. “They are getting fatigued. We just want to help get the morale up for everybody.”
Bane has seen similar tributes for larger city hospitals. He said Medina deserves recognition from the community for the life-saving work of the staff.
These firefighters chat outside the hospital. They include from left: Justin McAdoo of Ridgeway, Brad Mahke of Medina, Sergio DiCenso of Medina, Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Kristin McAdoo of Ridgeway, Adam Fisher of Medina and Jacob Crooks of Medina.
Crooks, a lieutenant with the Medina Fire Department, said the Medina hospital provides critical healthcare services for the community.
“Without them the next closest hospital would be Batavia and Lockport,” Crooks said. “We just wanted to show them that we support them and to keep up the good work.”
Dawn Petry, a certified nurse’s aide at the hospital, said the staff is thankful for the community’s outreach recently, with donated surgical masks, food and blankets.
“We appreciate everything the community has done for us,” said Petry, whose husband Tim is president of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company. “It’s been helping us with the long hours.”
Megan Perkins, another CNA, said her co-workers took photos from some of the hospital rooms of the display by the firefighters.
“It’s appreciated that they would think of us,” Perkins said.
She said the staff is committed to their patients and the residents.
“I come to do my job to make people feel they are cared about,” she said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2020 at 3:33 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: A Mustang banner is displayed outside Medina High School.
MEDINA – The teachers and staff of Medina school district are planning a Medina Mustang Motorcade on Friday from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
The district is hoping the motorcade will spread some cheer to students who are now home from school for the third week due to health concerns with the coronavirus.
“We ask that you find a safe location to enjoy the motorcade – maybe from your front porch, in a vehicle or in lawn chairs at an appropriate social distance!” according to a notice from the district. “Please note that nothing with be thrown during this parade. But there will be noise! Music, horns, etc!”
The district encourages students to make a banner or a sign and show their “Medina Strong” pride.
“It is also National Find a Rainbow Day,” the district stated. “We hope that we can spread some hope and cheer during this unprecedented time.”
Motorcade Route:
Shelby Fire Hall—South on 63, West Shelby Rd, R-Hellert Rd, L- Ryan Rd, R-Salt Works Rd, Over route 31, R-Park Ave, R-West Ave, R-Maple St, R- Gwinn St, L-Park Ave, R– Prospect, R-Ryan St, L– Glenwood, L-Oak, L-Gulf, R-Stork, L- N Gravel Rd, L-Commercial St, L-E Oak Orchard St, L-Bates Rd, L-North St, L-State St, L-Chadwick St, R-Starling Dr, R-Elizabeth St, L-Mead Ave, R-Elwood St,
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2020 at 3:12 pm
Board also approves $2,500 contribution to skate park upgrade
MEDINA – The Medina Village Board on Monday approved a four-year contract with career firefighters that gives them 2 percent annual raises.
The contract includes 20 firefighters. They also need to contribute 25 percent towards their health insurance premiums.
The contract runs from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2023. The boar don Monday agreed to pay the firefighters their retroactive pay increase. Trustee Owen Toale said that increase is in the current village budget.
Monday’s meeting deviated from a normal meeting. It was closed to the public with two of the five Village Board members and the village clerk participating online through Zoom. (Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers also participated through Zoom.)
The board intends to utilize Zoom until a state of emergency is lifted. Right now the state has ordered no public gatherings of more than 10 people.
In other action at Monday’s meeting:
• The board agreed to contribute $2,500 to upgrades of the skate park at Butts Park. The Medina Skate Society is leading an effort to raise $250,000 in matching funds for the park’s upgrades.
Medina has been awarded up to $250,000 from the Tony Hawk & Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundations. Medina has about $200,000 raised locally so far. The grant deadline for the local share is March 30. At that point every dollar that has been raised locally will be doubled. Medina could have $500,000 to build a skate park if the $250,000 local match is met.
The park is used by skateboarders, bikers, scooters and in-line skaters.
• The board set 7 p.m. on April 13 for a public hearing on electric charging stations. Burger King wants to put an electric charging station at its parking lot on Maple Ridge Road.
• The board voted to add a $50 charge plus the cost of a tree when people seek to donate a tree to be planted by the village. Mayor Mike Sidari said trees range from $175 to $219, depending on the variety.
Whatever the cost of buying a tree the village will add $50 to cover the village’s cost for digging a hole to plant the tree, the cost for mulch and a water bag.
That means, with the current prices, if someone wants to donate a tree it will cost $225 to $269.
