MEDINA – The Village of Medina will add a pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek on a busy and dangerous section of Maple Ridge Road.

The Village Board on Monday approved accepting funds from the Town of Shelby for the project. The money comes from a revolving loan fund from the Orleans Economic Development Agency.

The EDA is giving money to municipalities from a fund that needs to be discontinued. The state is requiring economic development agencies to shut down the revolving loans funds.

The state is allowing the funds to go back to the municipalities where there were projects that borrowed funds and then paid them back.

Shelby is due to receive $130,000 of the money from the revolving loan fund. The Town Board agreed to give those funds to village to go towards the bridge. Medina also will contribute some of its own money from a fund that has been dormant for several years.

The projects need to be considered by the state as a benefit to low-to-moderate income residents. Any project that improves handicapped accessibility automatically qualifies from the state, Whipple said.

The pedestrian bridge has been sought by the village for several years but Medina hasn’t received grants which would have also added sidewalks to Maple Ridge, which has become more popular for pedestrians with new businesses and also the presence of a GCC campus center.

Mayor Mike Sidari said area by the creek is narrow and seems to funnel pedestrians close to the road. It has been identified as a safety concern for several years.

The EDA has other money from the revolving loan fund to give to local municipalities. The towns or villages need to approve a project that meets state guidelines by March 31 or else the money goes back to the state Office of Community Renewal.

• Orleans County is due to receive about $200,000. The county has several projects it is considering but hasn’t settled on one yet, Whipple said.

• The Town of Yates will receive about $9,000 and will use that to improve handicapped accessibility at the town hall and parking lot.

• The Town of Albion has about $40,000 coming and has agreed to give the money to village to make Bullard Park more handicapped accessible.

• The Village of Holley is due about $115,000 and hasn’t determined how it use the funds yet, Whipple said.

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Anonymous donor will lead fund-raising effort for $150,000 project

MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday approved a plan to upgrade Pine Street Park, adding a splash pad, new playground equipment and pathway that would include flowers and butterfly gardens.

An anonymous donor is leading the fund-raising effort for the improvements, which would be about $150,000. The Orleans Renaissance Group is helping to facilitate the fundraising.

Ben Frasier, a project manager for Parkitects in Buffalo, went over the proposal with the Village Board. The layout can be tweaked after consultation with Joe Perry, the DPW superintendent.

Pine Street Park is off Park Avenue across from the Olde Pickle Factory. The park currently doesn’t have too many amenities. Frasier said new playground equipment and the path with flowers and butterfly gardens could be the focus this year with the splash pad to follow, unless all of the fundraising comes together quickly. If the money is lined up soon, the park improvements could all happen this year.

The splash pad would be a smaller one, with a touch system to activate the water. Some of the water from the splash pad could be directed to water the flowers and the gardens.

Most of the park would remain open space to be used as a baseball field and for pickup soccer games.

There currently is a splash pad in Orleans County. Parkitects is also working with Albion to add a larger splash pad at Bullard Park this year. A state grant is covering most of the costs for that project.

A new playground and path are also planned for the park.

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Steve Cooley shakes hands with Fire Chief Tom Lupo after the chief pinned the lieutenant’s badge on Cooley. Lupo will be retiring as fire chief on April 30.

MEDINA – The Village Board promoted to veteran firefighters to lieutenants during this evening’s Village Board meeting. Michael Young and Steve Cooley both are moving up in the ranks.

Young has worked for the Fire Department for 12 years while Cooley has been with Medina for nine years. They will work opposite shifts helping to lead the department.

Both were praised for their dedication and skills they bring to the department by Fire Chief Tom Lupo.

The fire chief also submitted a letter notifying the board of his intention to retire on April 30. Lupo has been working as fire chief since March 28, 2016. He stepped in the position in a part-time role for up to 30 hours a week while he was also the assistant chief at the Lockport Fire Department.

Lupo was brought in to provide leadership to the department on a short-term basis. The village will replace him with a full-time chief and Medina wants to have the successor ready before Lupo leaves on April 30, Mayor Michael Sidari said.

The position will be posted through Civil Service.

The mayor said Lupo has been a hard-worker who has made a big impact at the Fire Department.

“Thank you for what you’ve done for us, the department and the village,” Sidari told Lupo at the meeting, where the board accepted his resignation “with our sincere regrets.”

Lupo told the board he appreciated the chance to serve the department as fire chief.

“The opportunity that the Village Board gave me to lead the Medina Fire Department as Chief has been one of the best experiences of my professional career,” Lupo wrote in a Jan. 14 letter to Mayor Sidari. “The experience I have gained from working for the Village has been wonderful. I could not ask for a better place of employment. The village as a whole is absolutely beautiful. The whole area seems to be on an upward arc. I hope in some small way, I helped in the resurgence.”

“It is truly refreshing to see a governing body that cares about its workforce and places a high value on team work and respect,” Lupo continued in his letter. “The esprit de corps among the village workforce is great to see. I feel the fire department will function as well under the current cadre of officers as it has during my tenure.”

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Courtesy of Medina Mustang Band

MEDINA – The Medina Junior Varsity and Varsity Winterguards performed in competition for the first time this season on Saturday at Orchard Park with 25 guard units from Western New York and Canada performing.

The JV competed in the Regional A class (RA) and took second place with a score of 48.52. First place went to Lancaster with a score of 48.92.

The Varsity Guard performed in the Scholastic A class and earned first place with a score of 57.92.

The Winterguard season for Medina began in November with auditions and practices. Medina is sponsoring 3 guard units this season. The Pony guard is in its second year of existence and consists of 15 students in grades 5-8. This year their show is “The Queen of Soul – Aretha Franklin.”

The Medina Junior Varsity Winterguard earned second place.

The Junior Varsity Guard consists of 14 students in grades 4-9 with many returning members who have moved up in their skill level and accomplishments. This year’s show is “Imperfect” about the determination and perseverance that it takes to overcome the demons in our lives and realize that we are each perfect in our own way.

The Varsity Guard consists of 13 students in grades 7-12 who are seasoned performers. This year their show is “I Can Only Imagine.” Many people experience the loss of a loved one and this show takes you on a journey that can bring back fond memories of that special person.

All three guards will compete on this Saturday in Batavia. In total they will compete in eight shows this season before the championships. Medina’s home show is March 9.

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MEDINA – As a 15-year member of Shelby Volunteer Fire Company and operator of Lyons Collision and Towing, Jeff Lyons has seen the need for special extrication equipment.

Many times he has responded to accidents involving motor vehicles or heavy equipment, as a volunteer firefighter or on a towing call, when someone was trapped and special equipment was needed.

“Getting involved in the fire department and being a tow truck operator go hand in hand,” Lyons said.

As a result, he has started a new business, Genesis Rescue Systems, to provide a local source of extrication equipment.

This includes Genesis tools, such as cutters, stabilization devices, jacks and lift/air bags.

When the fire company sent Lyons and several other firefighters to Crash Course Village in Dayton, Ohio, Lyons took every course offered relating to extrication in MVAs and heavy equipment, he said. The course was sponsored by Howell Rescue Systems and owner Todd Howell was very helpful, Lyons said.

Lyons Collision was started in 1978 by Jeff’s dad, Ancel. He added the towing service a year later. At that time, he had the only flatbed in the county.

Jeff has been involved since 1985, when he would come to the shop after school and work in the body shop. He started working full-time at the business in December 1987. His sister Kim Patterson runs the office and Jeff Stockwell runs the body shop. Jeff’s great-niece Elexa Murphy also works in the office. Ancel is officially retired, but is still there every day, Jeff said.

The business has expanded several times over the years, having bought the former Al Nudd’s garage at Orient and East Center Street in 2010, which they converted into the office. In 2012, they bought Russo’s Granite building and now own the entire complex from East Center Street to the railroad.

The new business represents a considerable investment, but one Jeff believes is much needed and well worth it.

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Jacob Hebdon has worked with Tim Cooper since 2007

MEDINA – Cooper Funeral Home in Medina has a new owner who has been a steady presence at the site for the past dozen years.

Jacob Hebdon, 34, has worked as a funeral director alongside Tim Cooper since 2007. Cooper opened the funeral home at 215 West Center St. in 1987, when he was 26.

Cooper sold the business to Hebdon, with the deal closing on Dec. 27. The roles for the two have reversed with Cooper staying on as a funeral director and Hebdon’s employee.

Cooper said he wanted a reduced role. He also is confident the business is in good hands with Hebdon.

“We are lucky and Medina is lucky to have somebody with his talent and youthfulness who is staying in Medina and taking on the business,” Cooper said during an interview at the funeral home on Wednesday.

Hebdon has impressed Cooper over the years with his work ethic and commitment to the local families.

“He’s honest, he’s dedicated and he’s good with people,” Cooper said.

Jake Hebdon is shown on the second floor on the funeral home with a display of urns.

Hebdon was an architecture major at the University of Buffalo when he got a part-time job parking cars for a funeral home in Buffalo. That job led to a fascination and deep respect for the work at funeral homes. He switched his career path and graduated in 2006 from Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in Syracuse. He sent out letters to funeral homes in Western New York, seeking a job. Cooper gave him a call and the two have forged a strong working relationship.

“We’re a team,” Hebdon said. “We work in sync.”

Cooper appreciates the history of Medina and has a display of the hearse plates from the Gulinski, Thibault and Cleary funeral homes, which served the Medina community.

Hebdon grew up in the Batavia/Alexander area, and graduated from Alexander in 2003. He moved to Medina in 2007 and has been impressed with the community’s comeback, especially in the downtown area. He sees many people his own age running businesses and involved in pushing the community forward.

“I have lived here and been a funeral director in the Medina community since 2007 and have had the privilege of getting to know many families and to make personal bonds,” Hebdon said. “I am incredibly proud to call myself a part of such a vibrant and warm community. Medina is my home.”

When Cooper started the funeral home, there were four others in Medina. Now there are two. Cooper has a display at the funeral home, honoring the other sites that have since closed. The hearse plates for Gulinski, Thibault and Cleary funeral homes are prominently on display at Cooper.

Hebdon said Tim Cooper built a successful business, and has cared for a beautiful Medina Sandstone building, turning what was a doctor’s office with four apartments into the funeral home.

“I am excited and honored to continue the legacy that Tim has built here at Cooper Funeral Home,” Hebdon said. “I have learned a tremendous amount from him over the years and consider myself lucky to have had him as a mentor. I look forward to continuing the level of professionalism and compassion that we have had when caring for families in their time of need.”

Hebdon is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, Erie Niagara Funeral Directors Association and the Medina Business Association. The Cooper Funeral Home serves Orleans and eastern Niagara counties, and offers many funeral and cremation options.

“I am very privileged and honored to be able to do what I do for a living,” Hebdon said. “This is not just a job for me. It is what drives me, it is my passion, my life. I find great gratitude in what I do, knowing you can be the person for a family to lean on in their time of grief.”

Jake Hebdon and Tim Cooper are pictured in a gathering room. There are many Medina school yearbooks between them on the display case. C.H. Thomas M.D. used to have a doctor’s office at the site before it was a funeral home. The big picture behind Hebdon and Cooper shows some of Cooper’s family members when they operated a store on West Center Street in the late 1800s.

Hebdon and Cooper are both unusual in that they pursued being funeral directors even though the business wasn’t in their family. Cooper became interested in funeral homes while mowing the grass and doing yard work for a funeral home in Medina when he was a teen-ager.

Hebdon said his parents both have demonstrated a hard work ethic and commitment to caring for others. His mother Lori was a registered nurse in the maternity ward at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia and his father, Jodi, worked as a Genesee County Deputy Sheriff.

“They instilled in me a hard work ethic and sense of gratitude and fulfillment being able to help others,” Hebdon said. “Being the person for families to lean on during their time of grief, paying tribute to lives well lived, helping honor veterans who bravely served our nation, leaves me incredibly humbled and deeply honored.”

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MEDINA – The Medina Board of Education for the first time has a student representative, who gives a monthly report and weighs in on topics from a student perspective.

District residents during the May 15 school vote last year approved, 259-75, to have a student on the Board of Education, without voting privileges. The student isn’t allowed in executive session where the board discusses personnel and litigation. Medina will have a student on a trial basis for two years, and then can extend it after that.

Alissa Blount, the High School Student Association president, was picked by the district to serve as the first student representative on the BOE. Cora Payne, a senior and the FFA president, is an alternate for meetings when Blount is unable to attend.

David Sevenski, the BOE president, welcomes having a student sitting at the table with the board during the monthly meetings.

“We’re trying to get more information about what’s going on in the schools,” Sevenski said.

He has encouraged board members to be an active presence at the school, from taking tours during the school day to attending many after-school events.

Cora Payne, an alternate student rep on the Board of Education, speaks during a Dec. 18 BOE meeting. Marc Graff, the district’s business administrator, listens to her comments.

Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, also pushed for a student rep on the board. Medina is the first district in Orleans County with a student on the board.

“It’s a natural way to get a student focus,” Kruzynski said.

Payne filled in for Blount at the Dec. 18 BOE meeting. She gave an update about holiday concerts, the FFA citrus sale and some other activities. She urged board members to attend concerts, sporting events and other school programs. She encouraged them “to be more visible” at the school.

Payne plans to major in journalism and political science at Boston University. She attended a meeting last year about a change in the school’s policy for tardiness. That initially raised her interest in the Board of Education and school policy.

She praised the district for having a student on the BOE.

“I appreciate that they valued my opinion,” she said.

Alissa Blount has only missed one meeting so far this school year. She gives a report each month, and also extends an invitation for the BOE to go to school activities.

Blount is also a member of the FFA. She spoke about the FFA’s model farm on the school campus during a recent meeting. That prompted other board members to request a tour of the farm, and Blount was happy to oblige.

Most of the board meetings are about 45 to 90 minutes. Blount said it has been interesting to see the decision-making process, and how the board and administration wrestle with so many details in discussing policies.

“It takes a lot longer to get things passed,” she said.

Blount plans to major in nursing with a minor in Spanish at Daemen College near Buffalo. She said she is feeling more comfortable at the board meetings as she learns more about the district’s inner-workings.

She said she would like to help mentor next year’s student representative so that student can join the board with a better understanding of how the board functions and some background on the issues.

“It’s been really positive so far and it will build in the future,” Blount said.

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