Provided photo: Medina police officer Stephen Gross talks with social studies students. Gross is the new school resource officer for the district this year.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – There is a new school resource officer in the Medina Central School District and he is already making an impact on the students. Police Officer Stephen Gross has been busy acquainting himself with staff and students.
“I am really excited about being here,” Gross said. “I love getting out and being in the community and working with the kids has been very rewarding and I am enjoying getting to know them all. As far as the school district is concerned, safety is their priority and I felt ready to step into that role and I am excited about that.”
Joe Byrne, a social studies teacher, asked Officer Gross to come to Byrne’s 8th grade classes and talk to the students.
“I wanted to give him a chance for the students to become more familiar with him and show off his impressive knowledge of school district law,” Byrne said. “Today we are talking about how we balance civil rights in our society with school safety. I think it is very important that they know their civil rights as students, but also the concerns that we, the government, have for school safety.”
The students talked about such cases as Tinker v. Des Moines that cemented students’ rights to free speech in public schools. New Jersey v. T.L.O concerns 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. In Ingraham v. Wright, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporal punishment in public schools did not violate constitutional rights. In Kent v. United States, it was determined that juvenile offenders are entitled to the same amount of due process of law as adults while under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court.
The class had some interesting opinions on the various cases as Officer Gross talked about them and discussed how they would relate to what happens in their school. There was also time for students to get a little more personal and ask him about his gear, role in the school and the community.
“My number one goal is to help students to be less afraid of police and to make sure that you get home safe every day,” he told them.
Byrne said he is very grateful for the time that Officer Gross spent in his class.
“He had a training in New Jersey the day before and made sure to get back here to talk to my students,” Byrne said. “I think it was a great way for them to feel more comfortable with him and incorporate some of the lessons we are learning in class.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2019 at 8:45 am
Slide and swings, however, will be out to make way for new equipment at Pine Street Park
MEDINA – The snail and merry-go-round at Pine Street Park were given new life by the Village Board.
The two pieces of playground equipment are popular at the park, and some community members have told village officials they don’t won’t to see the snail and merry-go-round to go as part of an upgrade at the park.
Donations are paying for a new splash pad, playground equipment and pathway that would include flowers and butterfly gardens. Construction has started on the $150,000 project.
That work has sparked some concern about the merry-go-round and the big snail. The Village Board discussed keeping those pieces of equipment. They will check with the Pine Street Park Committee to make sure the merry-go-round and snail fit with the plan for the park.
If not, the equipment will be moved to State Street Park.
Some of the existing equipment will be gone, however. The board voted to declare a slide and swing set as surplus equipment and they will be sold to the highest bidder.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 September 2019 at 8:20 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Lancaster’s Marching Band performed, “Into the Yonder Blue,” which is a tribute to the U.S. air forces, during Saturday’s Fall Festival of Bands at Vets Park in Medina. KC Gust is the junior drum major for Lancaster.
More than 1,000 people filled the bleachers for the show, which included nine marching bands.
Lancaster competes in the National Class and came in second with a score of 75.55.
Jamestown’s show is entitled, “Journey Home,” sends a message, “There’s no place like home” while people go on a journey of discovery. Jamestown, which competes in the National Class, had the highest score of the day with 77.55.
Jamestown’s drum major Dylan Lydell lets the judges know the band is ready to perform.
A Jamestown student plays the timpani or kettledrums
Webster’s Marching Band performed “The Journey” and was second in Large School 2 with a score of 71/95.
Webster’s performance included traffic and construction signs in the program. Many of the bands brought out props to add to the presentation.
Ethan Smith is the drum major for the West Seneca Marching Band.
West Seneca’s Marching Band performed, “Along Came A Spider.” The band came in third in the Large School 2 Class with 71.55 points.
Northwestern from Albion, Pa., performed, “Stages of Life.”
The band from Northwestern was first in the Small School 3 Class with 70.45 points.
Other bands in that class included: Le Roy, with 65.55 points; and Pioneer with 64.3 points.
Le Roy performed, “Twinkle, A Dream Among the Stars.” The Pioneer High School Marching Band’s show is called “Periodic Table of Music Notation.”
The Quaker Marching Band from Orchard Park’s show is entitled, “Starry Night,” and was inspired by the famous oil painting by Vincent Van Gogh.
Orchard Park was first among the Large Schools with 74.95 points.
Destiny Jones is a member of the Color Guard for the Medina Mustang Band.
Medina’s show of “Walk the Path” is an exploration of finding your path, taking action, and walking the path forward.
Medina was first in the Small School 1 Class with 76.6 points.
Bianca Islam has a big smile while performing with Medina’s Color Guard.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 September 2019 at 6:12 pm
Revamped Vets Park hosted 9 bands, 1,000 spectators for event
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band won the SSI division on Saturday night and earned the second highest score overall among nine bands at the Fall Festival of Bands at Vets Park.
The top photo shows Jada Draper, left, leading the band as the drum major. The Medina band performed to a program titled, “Walk the Path.”
This is Medina’s 53rd season competing as a marching band.
McKenna Callard is the captain of the color guard for the Medina Marching Band.
Medina’s score on Saturday of 76.6 was topped only by Jamestown, with 77.55. Jamestown competes in the larger national class while Medina is with the small schools.
The scores include:
Small Schools 3: Pioneer, 64.3; Le Roy, 65.55; and Northwestern in Albion, Pa., 70.45.
Small Schools 1: Medina, 76.6
Large Schools 2: West Seneca West, 71.55; Webster, 71.95; and Orchard Park, 74.95
National: Lancaster, 75.55; and Jamestown, 77.55
Kaylee Lacey directs the band as the backfield conductor.
A big crowd filled the stands for the nearly three-hour event. This was the first band show at Vets Park since it received new bleachers.
Jim Steele, director of the band, gives a quick walk through before the band’s performance. The staff have lollipops to make sure they don’t shout last-minute instructions.
Madeline Lewis, center right, plays the baritone for the band.
Trenton Crews, right, is the section leader for the clarinets.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 September 2019 at 8:07 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Pictured from left include Billy Roman (seated), Sherry Wheatley, Mary Herbert, Ann McElwee, Carol Bellack and Charlene Walsh. They set up a scarecrow at Forrestel Farms, where the 12th annual Scarecrow Fest will take place Oct. 5.
MEDINA – The 12th annual Scarecrow Fest in Medina will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 5 at Forrestel Farm and Riding Camp.
The event continues to grow in popularity and features, and this year will enjoy the honor of being celebrated along with Mary Herbert’s 40th anniversary of running the family farm camp.
The fest will have all its old features, along with some new ones, including a flea market this year. Anyone wishing to reserve a spot may call organizer Sherry Wheatley at (585) 735-5135.
The Scarecrow Fest was an idea pitched to Medina Lions 11 years ago by Wheatley. The event has become an annual fundraiser for the Lions, who turn all the profits back into programs for the community.
The Scarecrow Fest has taken place in several locations, including the Canal Basin, Roberts Farm Market, Wise Junior High School and the YMCA. But organizers say Forrestel Farm is the perfect place.
“This is the coolest place,” Wheatley said. “We’re on the farm, with horses and lots of space. This is where it needs to be. And if it rains, we can have it in the barns.”
Forrestel owner Mary Herbert is thrilled to host the event. She is also a member of Lions, and while she doesn’t have a lot of time to donate to the club, hosting the Scarecrow Fest is one way she can contribute, she said.
Recently, Wheatley and fellow Lions members Ann McElwee, Carol Bellack, Charlene Walsh and Billy Roman visited Forrestel Farms to talk about the Scarecrow Fest.
Wheatley said it is the Lions’ goal to add something new every year.
Roman said a lot of organizations are involved in making the Scarecrow Fest a success.
“Everything is donated,” Wheatley said.
First, Wheatley’s mother Pauline Lanning of Albion cuts several hundred heads out of sheets and sews them. They are taken to Medina High School’s Art Department to have faces painted on them. Lyndonville High School’s Art Department will also be asked to help this year, Wheatley said.
Wheatley visits the MAAC Thrift Shop and Lyndonville’s Thrift Shop where she collects old clothing, sheets and accessories (ties, scarves, hats, etc.).
“T” posts for bodies are donated and cut by Iroquois Job Corps’ Carpentry Class. Straw is donated by Phil Keppler of Medina and Ed Neal of Albion.
Orleans 4-H clubs are bringing animals this year.
Cost for each child is $10. After selecting a standing or sitting T post, children choose their head from the large selection clipped on baling twine. Then they go the accessories area and choose ties, scarves or hats.
Straw is dumped into a large pile, and Wheatley said a highlight of the day is watching children, moms, dads, grandpas, grandmas, aunts and uncles thrashing in the straw.
Another favorite activity is having braids added to their scarecrow. Wheatley said they take three pair of old panty hose (also donated by the thrift shops) and stretch them, one by one, over the scarecrow’s head. That gives them three legs on each side, which are then braided.
“Kids just love this,” Wheatley said.
There will be games and children can “milk” a fake cow.
Food will also be available. The Boy Scouts will have corn chowder and chili. The Lions will be cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, and Kim Smith of Lyndonville will be selling cupcakes, cookies and other desserts.
Forrestel Farm and Riding Camp is located at 11380 Main St., Medina (Shelby Center).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2019 at 11:49 am
Provided photos
The new playground is starting to take shape at Pine Street Park.
MEDINA – Construction has started on a new playground at the Pine Street Park in Medina, with a splash and butterfly discovery garden to follow.
“This will be a beautiful addition to our village and a place for children to play and explore,” said Nicole Goyette, a member of the Pine Street Park Project Committee that also includes Tom Hungerford, Bob Sanderson and Maureen Sanderson.
Donations are covering the cost of the project. The committee is accepting funds to cover the remaining expenses with the project. Donations can be sent to the Orleans Renaissance Group, Pine Street Park Project, P.O. Box 543, Medina NY 14103.
The park improvements are costing about $200,000.
The five elements for the splash pad are about $46,750. The splash pad will be 30 feet in diameter and water will circulate out to water plants and trees.
The committee is working the Buffalo company, Parkitects, on the project. Ben Frasier, a Lyndonville native, works for Parkitects and is assisting with the initiative.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 September 2019 at 8:08 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Rosenkrans created this sign to welcome the Ale in Autumn crowd on Sept. 30, 2017. The event started in 2009 and usually included about 24 beer-tasting stops.
MEDINA – A popular event in downtown Medina, the annual Ale in Autumn, has been cancelled on Sept. 28, “due to unforeseen circumstances,” said the Medina Business Association.
Ale in Autumn started in 2009. About 700 people typically buy tickets to sample beer at 24 locations in the downtown.
“While this pains us greatly, it is unavoidable at this moment in time,” the MBA said in a statement about the cancellation. “We do, however, plan to continue the event next year when these issues have been resolved. We also plan to continue with Wine About Winter in February of 2020. All ticket sales will be refunded promptly. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we resolve this matter, and we look forward to a bigger and better event in the Fall of 2020.”
When the Medina Business Association first started Ale in Autumn in 2009, the organization hoped an event with beer tastings would bring in a few outsiders and get more locals to visit Medina merchants.
Ale and Autumn has done far more than that. It quickly sells out and creates a buzz on Main Street.
Businesses welcome the chance to serve as a tasting location because that means hundreds of people will come inside the stores.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Chef Lionel Heydel and sous chef Jose Ocasio stand in the elaborate kitchen of the Big Barn, where they prepare meals for tasting dinners in an attempt to gain input for developing menus which will be served at Harvest, the new restaurant planned for Bent’s Hall.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 18 September 2019 at 11:26 am
Chef at ‘Harvest’ experimenting with locally grown produce
MEDINA – Medina’s newest eatery – a farm-to-table restaurant – is scheduled to open next spring on the ground floor of Bent’s Hall.
The historic building at the corner of Main and West Center Street has been undergoing restoration for three years, and two culinary experts have already been hired as chefs in the restaurant which will be called “Harvest.”
Chef Lionel Heydel plates the main course of beef bourguignon at a private tasting dinner for 12 guests at the Big Barn, a 1905 barn in Middleport restored by Roger Hungerford into a club/guest house. Heydel and sous chef Jose Ocasio are experimenting with dishes using locally grown foods and looking for input in planning their menus for the new restaurant scheduled to open in the spring at Bent’s Hall.
Lionel Heydel of France and Jose Ocasio of Puerto Rico met the building’s owner, Roger Hungerford, in Florida. Hungerford was impressed with each of their credentials.
Heydel, 44, grew up in Strasbourg, near the Rhine River, and studied at culinary school in France. He came to the United States at the age of 22.
He is a third-generation chef, although he did not want to be a chef, he said.
“I wanted to be a mechanic,” Heydel said. “I was also big in soccer and was drafted to be part of the city team, but I always loved cars and motorcycles.”
But his father kept hounding him that he was going to get hurt and the job was so dirty.
“He asked me why I didn’t go to culinary school, so I finally enrolled,” Heydel said.
After World War II, his grandfather took an American flag and waved it in the street, Heydel said.
“That was a hint for me and my future,” Heydel said.
His grandfather owned a brewery, which the family converted into a bistro. His father served in the Algerian War, and when he came back he entered hospitality and management school in Switzerland. Then he told Heydel’s grandfather if he didn’t pass the family business down to him, he’d leave town and start one somewhere else. Being an only child, the grandfather didn’t want to see his only son leave, so he agreed.
Heydel’s father built on a 26-room hotel and fine dining restaurant with a lounge and small bistro in back. At 13, Heydel was working in the restaurant, helping in the baking section.
“I also washed dishes and worked wherever they needed me, as long as it was away from the stove,” Heydel said.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Chef Lionel Heydel joined other chefs and food service workers from Medina restaurants for the Aug. 8 Farm to Table dinner on Main Street, where about 225 six-course, gourmet meals were served.
After he finished culinary school, he worked as chef at Michelin Star Restaurant, but it was mandatory he serve in the military, so he joined the Gendarmerie (SWAT team) for 18 months.
Then he decided to come to the United States and arrived in Orlando, Fla. in April 1998. He got a contract with Hilton, which sponsored him for 18 months. He returned to France for a year, but returned to Orlando in 2000 with an investor’s visa and opened a restaurant in Winterpark.
In 2017, he was approached by Hungerford, who asked him to come to Medina and work on his restoration project.
“He didn’t realize he would fall in love with the project,” said Tessa Hartway, director of marketing with Hungerford’s company, Talis Equity.
Lisa Tombari, director of historic restoration for Talis Equity, said Heydel fell in love with the town because it felt like back home.
Heydel said here in the United States is very similar to where he grew up – the same seasons, grapes and farm crops.
While Heydel said although he was trained in classic French cuisine, he is open to dishes from all cuisines.
He has already spent months searching out recipes and identifying local farmers who can supply produce for his recipes. The menu will change with the seasons, and he will utilize what is in season, Heydel said.
“We will always stress quality over quantity,” Heydel said. “I have done that in everything in my life.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Scaffolding can be seen on the front and upper stories of Bent’s Hall at the corner of Main and West Center Streets, as restoration work on the historic building continues. A new restaurant called Harvest will be located in the lower left corner.
Ocasio was born and raised in Puerto Rico, a child of a military family. His dad was in the Navy and an uncle served in the Navy. His grandfather was in World War II and had a coffee farm, where Ocasio grew up. His grandma had a small business, running a bar and cooking for construction people.
“I fell in love with the kitchen,” he said.
He was working in the kitchen at 14. He knew he would some day enter the military or culinary school. When he entered technical school, the class he wanted was full and the professor said he had to choose a second course. Culinary class was available and he entered it.
“I loved it,” Ocasio said. “The instructor at school was a chef at the Marriott and said I had talent. He also had a private catering business and asked me to come and help him. When the Culinary School of Puerto Rico had a culinary competition, I joined his team representing our country. We won, then flew to Chicago in July 2010 to represent Puerto Rico in the international competition. We won a silver medal.”
Chef Lionel Heydel, left, and assistant chef Jose Ocasio pose in the street across from Bent’s Opera House, the sandstone building at the corner of Main Street and West Center, in which a farm-to-table restaurant is scheduled to open in the spring.
In the competition they had to prepare a pork chop, apples, potatoes, salad, appetizer and dessert in one hour and 20 minutes. Ocasio made braised pork chop with applesauce, potato hash, fruit tart and a salad of mixed greens with berries and champagne vinaigrette.
Back in Puerto Rico, Ocasio finished culinary college. His dad had retired and Ocasio decided to relocate to the United States. He arrived in Orlando seven years ago and entered Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, where he met Heydel, who was a professor there.
“I recognized Lionel’s talent and wanted to learn from him,” Ocasio said. “He was willing to teach everybody and share what he knew. I graduated and told Lionel the day he opened his own restaurant, I was going to work for him. I didn’t care if it was washing dishes. Six years later, I got the call.”
Ocasio in the meantime worked for a farm-to-table restaurant in Orlando as a line cook. In less than a year he was promoted to sous chef, then to executive chef. He was there three years when the restaurant was sold and he went to DFRG Steak House. A year and a half later, he was promoted to corporate chef and sent to open new restaurants in Texas, Atlanta, Raleigh, N.C., and Chicago.
He prides himself on his ability to cook everything and whatever is available. At one restaurant, a farmer would come to the back door with whatever he had that day, such as a bucket of green beans, and Ocasio would have them on the menu that night.
When the call came from Heydel about opening a restaurant in New York, Ocasio, 26, asked, “New York City?”
Heydel replied, “No, Medina,” and Ocasio went online to find Medina.
“It was always my dream to work for Lionel,” Ocasio said.
Ocasio is thrilled with the small-town atmosphere.
“The first morning in the area we had breakfast at Darrell’s and I saw how people treat each other,” Ocasio said. “I immediately fell in love with the area. After a tour of Bent’s, I realized what a great opportunity we have. I am anxious to see what we can do with food to bring people to Medina.”
(Editor’s Note: This is part three of a series on the restoration projects in downtown Medina spearheaded by Roger Hungerford and Talis Equity.)
MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library hosted its sixth annual LibraryCon on Friday. There were more than 40 kids in attendance.
The highlight of the evening was the zombie apocalypse, which started with two zombie women ambling throughout the building. By the end of the night many had succumbed to the invasion.
Those that survived were able to get their face painted, play super-hero bingo, and learn about super-hero movie effects.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2019 at 3:08 pm
Provided photo: This bike rack at Lee-Whendon Memorial Library in Medina was created by the welding class at Orleans-Niagara BOCES. It was added to the library about two years ago.
MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina is latest local site to be approved as “bike friendly” by Parks & Trail New York.
The library filled out a survey and application through Parks & Trails. The library on Park Avenue offers a bicycle repair station outside the main entrance for anyone to use. Lee-Whedon also offers WiFi internet access, computers, a fill-up water fountain and a welcoming community space.
Other Medina sites that are certified as “bike friendly” include the Bunkhaus Hostel, Fitzgibbons Public House, the Orleans County YMCA and The Hart House Hotel.
Tinsel, an ice cream shop in Albion, also is deemed bike friendly in Orleans County.
To see a map of the sites recognized by Parks & Trails, click here.
Parks & Trails started the bicycle-friendly certification program in 2017 to recognize and promote businesses that provide special accommodations for bicyclists.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Contractors have scaffolding up on the south side of the Bent’s Opera House so workers can repoint the walls and restore masonry.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 September 2019 at 5:03 pm
‘It would have been a shame to see it knocked down.’ – Roger Hungerford, developer of project
Charlie Spencer, project manager of the restoration of Bent’s Hall for LeChase Construction, shows how the second floor has been reinforced. Spencer said the Bent’s project is the most challenging of his 12-year career in construction
MEDINA – In hindsight, Roger Hungerford might have thought twice about purchasing Bent’s Hall.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Hungerford said. “What I expected to be a several million dollar project turned out to be much more. Still, it is on a key corner of my hometown and I knew I could develop multiple businesses within it that would result in it being economically rebirthed.”
Bent’s Hall was built in 1864-65 by well-known sandstone builder and Medina native, Patrick O’Grady. Built at the height of the Civil War and the Lincoln presidency, it is one of the oldest surviving opera houses in the United States.
It was named for a local farmer who owned the property and had the structure erected. For many years it was a prominent venue for concerts, plays, shows, commencements, elections and other public functions. P.T. Barnum and “Buffalo Bill” Cody were among the hundreds of touring performers who entertained on Bent’s stage.
With the advent of movies, the opera house as a performance venue gradually fell into disuse. Over the years, Medina Elks Lodge had quarters on the second floor and beginning in 1970, the first floor became home to the first of several banks, the last of which was Bank of America.
By the early 2000’s Orleans Renaissance Group had taken an interest in the building, particularly the third-floor opera house, and began correspondence with Bank of America to take it over. In 2010, BOA announced it was leaving Medina and agreed to donate the entire building to ORG.
“We immediately set out to determine the condition of the structure and what might be needed to restore it, and to do an extensive study of its history,” said Chris Busch, president of ORG.
They completed some basic engineering assessments of the structure and discovered the building was in severe distress. It was in need of substantial and extensive structural remediation, Busch said.
The most pressing need was the rapid deterioration of the main beam carrying the entire Main Street façade, most notably the southeast corner of the building. The beam had deteriorated to a point where the corner was visibly shifting and in danger of collapsing. With help from the Preservation League of New York and a “Seven to Save” designation, ORG was able to secure funding to address that issue, stabilize the façade and prevent collapse temporarily.
“However, we were fully aware that there was an enormous amount of additional structural work that would be needed in the future,” Busch said. “This project had only scratched the surface.”
‘We’ve watched the project unfold with untold gratitude and joy. Bent’s Opera House is arguably the most important building on Main Street and certainly one of the top five in Medina.’ – Chris Busch, president of ORG
ORG had also begun developing concepts for adaptive reuse of the structure in the hope a developer could be found to complete the restoration. ORG is a 501(c)3 arts and cultural organization and did not have the resources to undertake a project of the magnitude required.
There have been about 20-25 construction workers at Bent’s for more than a year. “It’s like a city inside here,” said Tessa Hartway, director of marketing for Talis Equity. Contractors have been doing demolition, structural repairs, framing, plumbing and electrical work.
ORG arrived at the conclusion that what might be the best use for the venue would be an event center with restaurant and hotel space or office space. In seeking a potential developer, the most obvious choice would be Roger Hungerford.
“His love of the community and its history are well known, and such a person would have more than just a business interest in the Bent’s project,” Busch said. “It would be a labor of love for his hometown.”
Tessa Hartway, director of Marketing for Hungerford’s medical technology venture capital firm, Talis Equity, said they never intended to be involved in historic restoration.
“It just evolved,” she said.
Bent’s Hall is a dominant structure at the intersection of routes 63 and 31 in Medina’s historic downtown business district.
A conversation was initiated with Hungerford and the sale of Bent’s Opera House came to fruition in 2016, Busch said.
“Since then, we’ve watched the project unfold with untold gratitude and joy,” Busch said. “Bent’s Opera House is arguably the most important building on Main Street and certainly one of the top five in Medina. But its historic significance goes far beyond our community. The people and events appearing on that stage were of vital importance to our nation’s history and culture – not just one person or one event as is usual for any given place – but dozens. As such, this preservation effort by Roger Hungerford is without equal. Among the many historic places in Western New York, Bent’s Opera House is among the few that matter most.”
Since buying the building Hungerford has discovered it is an engineering nightmare. A structural engineer said a section of the building (the southeast corner) was within a decade of falling into Main Street.
“However, the repurposing things we are making it into are a delight,” Hungerford said. “It would have been a shame to see it knocked down.”
This stairway was built in Bent’s Hall for construction purposes, and will be replaced with a grand stairway when renovations are complete.
Hungerford praised the talents of builder Patrick O’Grady. O’Grady lived in a sandstone home at the corner of Catherine and West Center Street. Within two blocks of the former O’Grady home, Hungerford is restoring an 1865 Medina sandstone mansion, as well as his former 1922-built high school. The mansion is to be a bed and breakfast guest house and the high school will be higher-end loft apartments.
“O’Grady was an incredible builder,” Hungerford said. “I can’t account for how he got those huge beams at Bent’s Opera House up three floors using horses and pulleys.”
Hungerford said their first effort in restoring Bent’s Hall was a design phase which started three years ago, and getting approval from the New York State and Federal Historical Restoration Agency approvals. Actual restoration work has been ongoing for a year and a half.
Le Chase Construction was selected by Hungerford’s team to be the general contractor. Charlie Spencer of Clarendon is project superintendent.
“This is the most challenging job of my career,” Spencer said. “I’m honored to be involved in this project, but I wake up in the night thinking about it. This is a great community and Roger is a great client to work for.”
He said their plumber was working outside and two girls stopped by, handed him a bottle of water and said, “Thank you.”
The second floor will be a boutique hotel with 10 rooms.
Recently, media were given a tour of the building by Hartway; Lisa Tombari, director of Talis Historic Restoration; and Kaitlyn Delamarter, marketing associate and graphic designer with Talis Equity.
Hartway said they have uncovered evidence of restoration from all periods from the 1940s to the 1970s, some of which have contributed to the decline of the building.
Delamarter said the history of the building had disappeared over the years, and they want to bring it back.
“We could write a novel on the lessons we’ve learned here,” she said.
While masonry restoration continues outside, work continues inside. All the floor joists in the building have been reinforced or replaced. The entire roof structure, including new steel beams, have been installed, a process which took six months.
“The things we’ve done should last 100 years,” Spencer said.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The rafters have been reinforced with wood and steel.
Hungerford has also purchased the 10,000 square foot building adjacent to the 20,000 square foot Bent’s Hall. A corridor will connect the buildings.
On the first floor of Bent’s, there will be a farm-to-table restaurant called Harvest. Chefs Lionel Heydel and Jose Ocasio have already been hired and are planning their menus for a late spring 2020 opening.
Next door, a gourmet food store is planned.
A grand stairway will lead to a boutique hotel on the second floor.
An elevator is being built where the bank vault used to be. A dumbwaiter will accommodate catering staffs to transport food and drink to the third-floor Bent’s Opera, which will be an event space.
Spencer said all the time-consuming things are behind them, but there is still a lot to be done. No firm completion date has been identified yet.
Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series on the redevelopment projects in Medina led by Roger Hungerford and his companies, Talis Equity and Talis Historic Restoration.
The door is open for the many construction workers who have been working to save the Bent’s Opera House and transform it into its new purpose as a restaurant, hotel and events center.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 September 2019 at 11:15 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Robby Klino of Medina shows some of the items in his extensive collection of Halloween memorabilia, including black birds, bats and skeleton heads at his stairway in his West Center Street.
MEDINA – When most kids were looking forward to Christmas, Robby Klino was anticipating Halloween.
Klino, who grew up in Medina, lived and worked in Atlanta for 25 years, until moving back home in September 2018.
Visitors to Robby Klino’s home in Medina are greeted by this ghoulish wreath, a preview of what waits inside his home.
“I always loved Halloween,” Klino said. “When living in Atlanta, I always flew back home to Medina for Christmas. Because I wasn’t able to decorate my home for Christmas, I decorated for Halloween.”
Klino has amassed an overwhelming collection of Halloween decorations. It began when his mother started giving him pumpkins of all kinds. He has pumpkins made of plaster of Paris, paper mache, wood, glass and chenille.
“It just grew from there,” Klino said. “I travel a lot for work, and I’m a shopper. I love garage sales and craft shows.”
Klino has decorated his home with MacKenzie-Childs, a line of ceramics, hand-painted imported furniture and home décor.
Last year he decided to share his Halloween-themed home with friends and neighbors by having a Halloween open house. He invited half a dozen vendors to set up in his home, and it was a huge success, he said.
“People love to come into someone else’s home, just to see their house,” Klino said.
This year, he has scheduled his open house, which he calls “The Happy Halloween House,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 and 6. His home is at 650 West Center St. in Medina.
He already has nearly a dozen vendors signed up who will have unique Halloween décor, antiques, soaps, primitives, quilts and a Pop-Up Show.
Klino will also have a raffle for a piece of Mac-Kenzie Childs during the weekend. Money will go to PAWS, an animal shelter on Gaines basin Road in Albion.
“My Happy Halloween House is just a way to bring the community together and celebrate Halloween,” Klino said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 September 2019 at 12:26 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Georgia Thomas of Medina holds a copy of her book, “Ellen’s Elephant,” a true story of her granddaughter’s wish for an elephant. The book is for sale at The Book Shoppe, where Thomas will have a book signing on Sept. 23.
MEDINA – It took Georgia Thomas 21 years to finally write a book about her granddaughter’s wish for an elephant.
The former Georgia Ramming grew up in Medina, married her childhood sweetheart Terry Thomas and moved around the country during his military career, while raising their daughter.
From the time her granddaughter Ellen was a little girl, she was fascinated with elephants. While her friends wanted dolls or kittens or puppies, Ellen wanted an elephant.
“We did all sorts of things to appease her,” Thomas said. “Kids can have very unrealistic expectations, and to get them to face reality you sometimes have to be creative.”
Thomas started putting her thoughts on paper while Ellen was still a little girl, and she often read the book to Ellen. But life got in the way and she never got around to having it illustrated and published.
Until recently.
After her husband died, Thomas moved back to Medina to live with her sister Joycelyn Jennings. She still hadn’t found an illustrator for her book, until she renewed acquaintances with Diana Martin, a talented Medina artist. She gave Martin the text and told her to read it, letting the words giver her visualization.
“I truly believe she captured the essence of the words,” Thomas said.
Martin’s father became the image of grandpa in the book.
Ellen, who is now 27, had no idea what her grandmother had done.
The book tells how Ellen begged for an elephant, and no amount of bribing could make her happy.
Then Thomas got an idea.
She was living in Baltimore at the time and the Baltimore Zoo had an adopt-an-animal program. So Thomas showed Ellen how they could adopt an elephant, thereby satisfying Ellen’s wishes, while helping their zoo.
And after that, Ellen was happy.
Thomas taught at a middle school in Baltimore and used the book in their eighth-grade art program. She said the book satisfied three major points.
It had repetitive lines. It introduced the reader to adjectives. And it was an outreach to inform the reader about the program to support their zoo.
The book also has two pages with pictures of Ellen’s elephant which a child can color.
Thomas just sent a copy of the book to Ellen.
“She opened the package and jumped and screamed,” Thomas said. “She was delighted beyond belief.”
Thomas has donated several copies of the book to Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
Since returning to Medina, Thomas has also written a book for the Cobblestone Society Museum, of which she is a member and volunteer. That book is called “Cobble the Mouse,” and tells about a mouse which lives in the Cobblestone Museum. That book is illustrated by Patty Blackburn of Medina and is for sale at the museum.
Photos by Tom Rivers: There is significant scaffolding on the south side of Bent’s Opera House some crews can work on repointing the masonry.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 September 2019 at 1:30 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Roger Hungerford looks at a poster in his office describing the renovation of a barn on his property on Mountain Road in Middleport, which he had turned into an elegant guest home. Hungerford is undertaking the renovation of several historic properties in Medina.
MEDINA – A transformation is taking place around Medina.
Companies have moved in. A hotel is being built, and new businesses are opening.
But in the middle of Medina, another transformation is occurring – a historic one.
And behind it all is a Medina native, born and bred, who when he sold his company chose to invest in his hometown.
Roger Hungerford has stepped up to renovate and essentially save several local landmarks, including Bent’s Hall at the four corners in downtown Medina, the Luther (Stonehurst) Mansion at West Center and Prospect streets and the former Medina High School on Catherine Street.
Hungerford said he has three sides – a family side, a business side and a charitable side.
His family consists of wife Heather Farnsworth, a young daughter and three grown sons.
On the business side, Hungerford and his brother Bill went to work for their father Van at Sigmamotor after college. When Van was approaching retirement and decided to split the company, five businesses were spun off from Sigmamotor. Bill founded American Sigma; Gerald Hilger, who was vice president of sales at Sigmamotor, started Cormed; Frank Bernard became president of Sigmamotor; and a former electronic technician at Sigmamotor started a circuit board company in Akron.
Roger, in 1982 at the age of 31, started Sigma, a company which he would expand to the former skating rink on West Center Street Extension. When an even bigger facility was needed, Roger moved into a small part of the former H.J. Heinz plant, later the home of Fisher Price. When Fisher Price announced in 1995 they were leaving, Roger bought the entire building with the intent of renting out space he didn’t need. He calls it, “The best real estate deal I ever made.”
“I paid $1 million with $125,000 down, with the intent of renting out what I didn’t need,” Hungerford said. “I had five years to pay it off, but Fisher Price needed storage space and I agreed to rent space to them. My annual payment on the building was $192,000, and they paid me $400,000 a year in rent.”
The former Medina High School will be converted into apartments.
In 2009, Roger had become a leader in his field and entered into a relationship with Baxter Medical Products to sell them 40 percent of his company and lend his technology in correcting some defects in their infusion systems. Three years later Baxter purchased the remaining 60 percent of Sigma International General Medical Apparatus.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Medina native Roger Hungerford, founder and CEO of Talis Equity, and his managing director of historic properties, Lisa Tombari, sit in the lounge area of his office in the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue, Medina. Hungerford owns the Olde Pickle Factory, which was the former H.J. Heinz plant. He did extensive renovations to modernize the building.
Ironically, Roger said his father had an association with Baxter 50 years earlier, when they tried to buy Sigma and Van refused to sell.
Since selling Sigma, Roger has become a major partner in Talis Clinical with the Cleveland Clinic. He says they have taken the technology way beyond advanced.
“My top priority now is to turn Talis Clinical into a successful, large-scale business that could be four times bigger than when I sold Sigma,” Roger said.
He is also in the beginning stages of establishing a second medical technology company at the Pickle Factory with Jason Maine of Brockport.
“This building will never get sold,” Roger said. “The jobs we create will stay here in Medina, and Jason agrees with me.”
As far as the charitable side of Roger, he is a generous donor to many causes in the area, often anonymously.
Because of his career, Roger has had the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally, something he said has only made him appreciate his hometown even more and realize what a great place it is to work and raise a family.
Roger said he is hopeful for the projects he is undertaking in Medina because of all the significant development in the village by other business owners.
“If we didn’t have those people, things would be way tougher,” he said.
The Luther (Stonehurst) Mansion at West Center and Prospect streets will be converted into a boutique hotel and event center.
Recently, Roger hosted his 1969 classmates at their former alma mater on the occasion of their 50th class reunion.
One classmate was heard remarking, “The things Roger is doing in his hometown will impact the village and its residents for decades, maybe centuries.”
His wife said Roger was encouraged by the look of hopefulness on classmates’ faces as they realized parts of Medina were going to be saved.
Orleans Hub will feature some of the Hungerford’s projects in upcoming articles. The second story in the series will focus on the efforts to save Bent’s Opera House in downtown Medina.
Staff Reports Posted 11 September 2019 at 11:49 am
Provided photos
MEDINA – The Medina Area Association of Churches and other local donors delivered 48 backpacks filled with school supplies to Oak Orchard Elementary School.
Pictured from left include: Amanda Pollard, treasurer for the Medina Area Association of Churches; Leanna Ohol, Medina Key Bank Branch manager; Vince Iorio, pastor of Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God Church; and Julie Webber, principal of Oak Orchard Elementary School.
Medina churches and organizations also distributed food, clothing, backpacks and school supplies during a community outreach event on Aug. 24 at Butts Park.
That event was cosponsored by the 2ns Church of True Disciples of Jesus Christ (Segunda Iglesia Fieles Discipulos De Jesucristo), led by pastors Jovannie and Melissa Canales; and Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God Church, led by Pastor Vincent Iorio.
There was face painting, children’s games and races, and three bounce houses.
Exhibitors included ABC Head Start, Fidelis, RTS Orleans, Medina Fire Department, United Way, Calvary Tabernacle Church/Stillwaters Counseling Center, and United Healthcare.
The worship bands from 2nd Disciples and Calvary sang during the event at Butts Park, which was attended by about 300 people.
