By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2022 at 10:13 pm
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cooper
Elizabeth Cooper
MEDINA – Elizabeth Cooper, a producer of one-of-kind dolls since 1980, has created a piece that depicts a protest seeking peace in Ukraine,a country that is under attack by Russia.
Cooper of Medina is best known for her dolls of fairies and Santas. She also has created popular series featuring immigrants and characters such as Peter Pan and Snow White.
She has been featured over the years in numerous doll magazines and won the award for “doll of the year.”
She sculpts her dolls out of clay and makes the costumes.
“Devastated by the state of the world, I direct my energies to making my clay talk,” she said about the latest effort showing a protest for peace in Ukraine.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 February 2022 at 4:02 pm
MEDINA – The annual Lenten lunches at the First Presbyterian Church will begin on Thursday this week, according to Barb Hancock, a member of Medina Area Association of Churches, who sponsor the lunches.
The lunches will be served every Thursday through April 7, with a different local church preparing the meal each week. These include the First Presbyterian Church (ham or turkey sandwich, soup, fruit cup), First Baptist Church (beef on weck), Oak Orchard Assembly of God (lasagna and salad), Abundant Harvest Methodist Church in Millville (sloppy Joes, pie), the Grove Methodist Church in Medina (ham and scalloped potatoes) and Alabama Full Gospel Church (pulled pork).
The theme of the message each week will be “Jesus’ Suffering” from the Book of Hebrews. Messages will be shared by the Rev. William Wilkinson, Pastor Michael Stephenson, Pastor Dan Thurber, Pastor Garry McCaffery, Jim McMoil and pastor Russ Peters.
Serving begins at noon with a suggested donation of $5. Take-outs are available at 11:45 a.m.
Proceeds from the lunches will benefit Orleans County Meals on Wheels and Crop Walk, Hancock said.
Masks will be encouraged in and out of the building.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Gloria Brent and her husband Mike Snyder relax in the “Man Cave” she created in their new store, Modern Mercantile, which has opened at 135 East Center St., featuring more than 40 vendors.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 February 2022 at 7:52 am
MEDINA – Gloria Brent wears several hats, but one of her favorites is that of local entrepreneur.
Brent is not only a registered nurse, but owner of a national health care consulting company and now the owner of Modern Mercantile, an antique/collector’s paradise.
Brent grew up in Bath and met her husband, Albion native Mike Snyder, online. Snyder said they are both business professionals, he a land surveyor. They married and fell in love with Medina when she came to work in the ICU at Medina Memorial Hospital. They moved here in in 1994.
Brent said she has always liked antiques and loves to shop in antique stores when they travel. The building at 135 East Center St. had been home to Canal Country Artisans for years and then Filomena’s Favorites. When it became available, Mike said its location by the canal made it a place worth looking at.
They bought it in October and did some remodeling. They worked night and day painting and even replaced the ceiling. Snyder said they are looking into ways they might utilize the back of the store to take advantage of the view of the canal.
The night they held an open house for prospective vendors, people lined up for spaces, Brent said.
“Our main focus was to make it more open, and we tore out all the walls and now it is bright and cheerful,” she said. “It was up to our vendors to get creative on how they utilized their space, and they’ve done a fantastic job.”
At left is one space at Modern Mercantile in Medina as it was arranged during the Christmas season. Antique toys are just a few of many items for sale at the new Modern Mercantile.
A record 42 vendors now exhibit their wares which consist of everything from china, furniture, toys and decorations to knitted and crocheted items, antiques and jams, jellies and baked goods. Anyone looking for something unique, such as dryer balls, a microwave bowl cozy, an antique child’s riding tractor or an original Fisher-Price Ferris Wheel has to look no further than Modern Mercantile.
The most unique feature of the business is the Man Cave, which was an idea created by Brent.
“Whenever we travel and stopped to shop, there was never anything for guys to buy,” she said. “We said if we ever opened a store, I was going to have a place just for men.”
The Man Cave is highlighted by the full-size side of a 1950s Chevy, with a TV to watch and a bar at which to enjoy a soft drink or iced tea. All the items displayed are of interest to men, such as fishing plaques, sports T-shirts and caps. There is even a line of hot sauces made by American veterans. Decorative antlers are on order.
Vendors may rent a five- by eight-foot kiosk and a few are still available, Gloria said. She is preparing to start a waiting list for new merchants.
Debbie McCarty is store manager and takes care of merchants and customers and makes sure the store presents itself as Brent wants it to be.
Brent said she doesn’t have a retail background, so she talked to other businesses in the community before opening. She let them know she had no interest in competing with them, but wants to work with them.
“That’s why I joined the Medina Area Partnership,” she said.
Modern Mercantile is open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. They are closed Mondays.
MEDINA – The Medina school district will be offering a Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program to provide area 4-year-olds a full day of educational opportunities to play, learn, develop socially and emotionally, and thrive as they start their educational career.
The program will begin in the 2022-23 school year, Monday through Friday from 7:35 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Oak Orchard Primary School under the direction of Principal Jennifer Stearns.
“We are very excited to be able to offer UPK full-time,” she said. “We believe that students can use additional support and opportunities for social interaction before starting kindergarten. Each of our classrooms will have a certified teacher and classroom aide. Classes will be structured with a strong emphasis on purposeful play, early literacy and numeracy and specials like physical education, music, art and library. We will also be incorporating behavioral supports and early intervention that will help us identify and provide strategies to help students build the foundation needed to succeed in school and life.”
The program is no cost to families in the Medina school district and transportation to and from school is provided by the school district, following the district’s regular transportation policies. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided to students as well, at no cost. Eligible students must be a Medina district resident and 4 years old on or before December 1, 2022. Spaces will be limited and a random lottery will be held if needed. The application can be found at the Medina CSD website at www.medinacsd.org under the District News link.
Families will receive a letter in the mail in early May, informing them of their child’s placement. “Once you receive word that your child has been accepted, families will need to complete the student registration process,” Stearns said. “Students will have the opportunity to meet our staff at our annual summer picnic in August. Full-time UPK is a great step for the Medina Central School District in early childhood education. We are pleased to be able to continue to build on the strength of our academic offerings and help to shape our children’s future.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 February 2022 at 9:22 am
MEDINA – A group is proposing to help Medina establish goals and projects to move the community forward.
The Village Board likes the idea of a group of “visionaries” that would brainstorm ways – big and small – to better Medina, but the board wants to see the group’s mission statement and if they envision acting in an official village capacity.
Kathy Blackburn discussed forming the “Waterfront and Community Development Committee” with the Village Board last week. Blackburn would be one of the members. She said the new committee would expand the scope from a group that worked to develop the Medina Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. That LWRP was funded by the state and tasked Medina with identifying projects to better utilize land near the canal, Oak Orchard Creek and Glenwood Lake. That plan picked about 20 projects to boost economic development, tourism, recreation and residential opportunities. The plan is complete and is awaiting final state approval.
With that group’s work done, Blackburn said there is need for a committee to help the village push along the projects and identify other initiatives away from the waterfront to boost Medina.
“We would make suggestions and strategies to the Medina Village Board,” Blackburn said. “We’re just strategizing what younger people are looking for in a village.”
The group would look at ways to improve and attract more investment in the downtown, neighborhoods, housing, the historic district and other zoning overlays.
Proposed members, besides Blackburn, would include Chris Busch, Andrew Meier, Mark Zambito, Chris Goyette, Gloria Brent, Jake Hebdon and Scott Robinson.
“These are movers and shakers,” said Tim Elliott, a village trustee. “These are people who can get things done.”
Owen Toale, the village’s deputy mayor, said there needs to be a clear defined role for the committee.
“These are all great people,” said Village Trustee Jess Marciano. “How will they overlap, how will they function with the other village committees? I love the idea, but is a formal committee needed?”
Trustee Elliott said the group would function as “think tank” and help identify projects and policies to benefit Medina.
Blackburn said she would work on a mission statement. She said the committee would tap into leaders from business, the Medina Area Partnership and some of the other village committees.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 February 2022 at 8:39 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: DN Tanks applies a second coat of paint on Medina’s 3-million-gallon water tank in this photo from Aug. 8, 2016.
MEDINA – The Village Board is being asked to come up with a water rate for the Medina Business Park that would be only slightly higher than the village rate.
The village currently charges out-of-village users 1.6 times the village rate. That puts the community at a competitive disadvantage in attracting businesses to the site. Those companies compare costs at potential sites and water rates are a big factor, said Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
Many businesses and site selectors reach out to the Orleans EDA about the Medina Business Park, which encompasses over 300 acres and is one of largest state-certified “shovel ready” in the region.
Barone said the land shouldn’t be considered an outside-user anyway after an agreement among the village, town, county and school district that gives the village a portion of the tax revenue even though the land south of Maple Ridge is outside the village.
This is the land known as the “Keppler Site” on the south side on Maple Ridge, just west of Bates Road.
“We’re responding to a number of very high level robust proposals,” Barone told the Village Board last week. “These companies expect to use large amounts of water.”
Barone urged the board to come up with a rate that the EDA can present to the prospective companies.
“Remember, we’re competing with several other areas,” she said. “We need to come up with a rate for outside users who are paying (village) taxes.”
The board said it would work on determining a rate and working with the EDA on how much to charge for water and sewer.
The EDA pitched the Medina Business Park as being conveniently located between Buffalo and Rochester, and also within 45 minutes of the Ontario, Canada border.
“With contiguous sites available ranging from 5 to 125 acres, Medina has the available infrastructure and incentive packages to make it a sought-after location for foreign and domestic companies looking to expand into New York State,” the EDA states in promoting the property.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2022 at 8:27 am
Bryan DeGraw of 810 Meadworks in Medina picked to serve as vice chairman
LOCKPORT— The Niagara Wine Trail has announced a new executive director and the team of officers on the board of directors.
Bryan DeGraw, owner of 810 Meadworks in Medina, is vice chairman of the organization that includes 14 members in Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties.
Susan Swiatkowski
DeGraw and his wife LaRissa opened 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina on Nov. 30, 2014. They make mead products and have a tasting room. The DeGraws also have run a concert series at the “beegarten” in the back of the building at 113 West Center St.
Susan Swiatkowski is the new executive director of the Niagara Wine Trail. She has previously served in management with Destination Niagara USA, Old Falls Street USA, the Hard Rock Cafe and the Downtown Niagara Falls Business Association.
As executive director, she provides leadership and support in planning and administration of the 14-member Niagara Wine Trail, which includes three locations in Orleans County. She also will organize wine trail experiences, fundraising and events, public relations and marketing efforts, and manage relationships with partner businesses.
The Niagara Wine Trail officers include Shane Gustafson, chairman and owner of A Gust of Sun Winery & Vineyard, in Ransomville; DeGraw, vice chairman ond owner of 810 Meadworks; and Danielle Neglia, secretary and owner of Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery in Sanborn.
The Niagara Wine Trail will celebrate its 20th anniversary in May. The organization comprises 14 member wineries, situated between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario.
File photo by Tom Rivers: Bryan DeGraw is pictured in the tasting room of 810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Medina.
Each winery on the trail offers a diverse selection of traditional vinifera style, native, late harvest and ice wines, as well as unique styles such as award-winning fruit wines, meads and ciders. Its mission is to “work cooperatively to enhance the wine industry in the region” through an array of intimately authentic and charming guest experiences, the Wine Trail stated.
The wineries of the Niagara Wine Trail, USA, include:
810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Medina
A Gust of Sun Winery at 4515 Baer Rd., Ransomville
Bella Rose Vineyard & Winery at 1243 Ridge Rd., Lewiston
Black Willow Winery at 5565 W Lake Rd., Burt
Honeymoon Trail Winery at 4120 Ridge Rd., Cambria
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery at 10609 Ridge Rd., Medina
Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery at 3617 Lower Mountain Rd., Sanborn
Mayer’s Lake Ontario Winery at 1593 Hamlin Parma Town Line Rd., Hilton
Niagara Landing Wine Cellars at 4434 Van Dusen Rd., Lockport
Schulze Vineyards & Winery at 2090 Coomer Rd., Burt
Schwenk Wine Cellars at 1456 Bills Rd., Kent
The Winery at Marjim Manor at 7171 E. Lake Rd., Appleton
Victorianbourg Wine Estate at 4402 East Lake Rd., Wilson
Vizcarra Vineyards at Becker Farms at 3724 Quaker Rd., Gasport
Photo and information courtesy of Medina Mustang Boosters
BATAVIA – Medina’s varsity Winter Guard competed for the third time on Saturday when Batavia Central School hosted 17 guards in 7 classifications.
In the Scholastic A class, Medina came in 4th with a score of 66.96, bested by Victor in 1st with 72.98, Jamestown in 2nd with 68.66 and Orchard Park in 3rd with 68.09. The differential between these scores is decreasing each week as Medina competes in a class with larger schools.
Winners in the other classes were Hinsdale Starliners in Novice with 43.63; Victor JV in Cadet with 55.17; Greece in Regional A with 60.90; Lancaster in A1 with 66.99; Gates Chili in Independent A with 76.54 and Luminosa in Senior Class with 73.61.
Medina’s next performances are Lancaster on March 5th and Medina’s home show on March 12th. This year the WG Championships will be held in Medina on April 2nd.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 February 2022 at 9:50 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jerry Mandell, owner of Gennaro’s Pastaria at 701 South Main St. in Medina, stands under a picture of his mother and aunt, who first started an Italian restaurant in Rochester.
MEDINA – Making the leap from owner of Jerry’s Record Tree to an Italian restaurant was a no-brainer for Jerry Mandell.
A Rochester native, Mandell had his record shop in three locations – Spencerport, Henrietta and Greece, when his mother Louise and aunt Vi wanted to open a store to sell their homemade cookies.
Mandell rented a space to them. He said Bea Suhr from Lyndonville had a sewing shop behind his store. When more space became available, Mandell said the landlord let them remodel space for a restaurant, and Gennaro’s opened in 1985.
“My mother and aunt opened on a Wednesday in their restaurant which sat 46 people,” Mandell said. “They ran out of sauce the first night.”
He said all their food was homemade, as is their menu at Gennaro’s Pastaria in Medina. His mother made her sauce the traditional Italian way, with neck bones and pigs feet, and letting it simmer for eight hours. He said they made meatballs 25 to 30 pounds at a time.
After only three weeks in business, Louise and Vi asked Jerry to become partners with them. He sold his record business and joined them. He started first as the maître de and then became bartender.
When his mother and aunt aged to the point they were ready to give up the restaurant, Mandell knew they would be a hard act to follow, so went back to selling stereo equipment. He also became a life coach, which he continues to do today.
When Jerry and his wife Donna decided they wanted to get out of the city, they started looking for a home in the suburbs.
“Medina struck our fancy and we bought a home here,” Mandell said.
He had mentioned to his realtor, Renee Schuner, that he would like to open a small Italian restaurant, and she told him about the small building on the corner of Main and Starr streets, which had formerly been a barbecue place.
“My wife told me I was crazy to open a restaurant at 70, but I want people to be able to enjoy authentic Italian food,” Mandell said. “It is also a tribute to my mother and my aunt.”
A lot of his recipes are his mother’s and aunts, but he adds that he has tweaked them a little bit. Donna, who holds a full-time time with Paychex, makes the family’s special lasagna.
Jerry Mandell stands in doorway of the kitchen in his new pastaria in Medina. The restaurant is designed for take-outs, but a limited number of tables are available for those who want to eat there.
Their menu includes soups, such as Italian wedding, greens and beans, pasta fagioli and their special tomato-based broccoli soup. For appetizers, they have artichokes French, tomato salad and garlic bread with cheese.
A variety of pastas can be ordered with meatballs, sausage, red or white clam sauce and garlic and oil, with optional broccoli and olives.
Specialty dishes include eggplant parmesan, lasagna, gnocchi, cheese ravioli and linguine primavera. Chicken selections are chicken French, chicken marsala, chicken parmigiana and chicken cacciatore. In addition, they offer fettucini alfredo with chicken or chicken and broccoli.
Italian sausage sandwich, meatball sub and chicken parm complete their sandwich menu, along with a personal pan pizza.
They now have traditional Italian desserts, such as miniature cream puffs, cannolis and pizza fritte (fried dough). In the spring Mandell plans to begin offering rum cakes and lemon squares.
All food is cooked to order, and soon he plans to offer other specialties, such as fried escarole with bread crumbs and calamata olives, chicken or steak Gennaro with sherry wine, provolone cheese and capers.
Rebekah Champlin of Medina is manager of the pastaria. For now they are open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. In the spring, Mandell hopes to open for lunch and offer outdoor seating. The phone number for reservations is (585) 318-4219.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 February 2022 at 7:46 am
MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership has chosen its officers for 2022, four of whom are returning to their positions and three who are new to the board.
Keeping their seats are president Scott Robinson, treasurer Laura Gardner, secretary Ann Fisher-Bale and director Tim Elliott. They are joined by vice president Cindy Robinson and new directors Bill Bixler, Cindy Robinson and Gloria Brent.
The Medina Area Partnership was formed several years ago to replace the Medina Business Association, in a move designed to include businesses that were outside the village limits. Several of its members, including president Scott Robinson, were previously involved in the MBA. All have a vested interest in the local area.
Robinson is one of four owners of the Shirt Factory in Medina. He recently assumed the position as director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach for Orleans Community Health. He has served in other roles, including the Committee on Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, the Medina Sandstone Society board of directors and was marketing chair of the Medina Business Association.
Gardner is owner of a lily & a sparrow on Main Street in Medina, which she has operated since 2010. She is also an integral part of several MAP committees and helped guide them through their first two years.
Fisher-Bale represents her family’s fruit farm, Fisher’s Farm Market, which has been a part of the Medina community for more than a century. In addition, she also represents the Hometown Extra, a local, weekly direct-mailed newspaper which serves the Medina community, as well as five surrounding zip codes. She is also an active member of MAP’s Events Committee, which recently brought back a sold-out Wine About Winter event.
Elliott currently is manager of 810 Meadworks Axe Range and has been a Medina village trustee for the last six years. He is also a member of the Ridgeway planning board, county planning board and MAP’s Events Committee. He is the previous owner of Brushstrokes and Into the Enigma.
Bixler, a resident of Medina for 42 years, owns Seaway Insurance in Gasport, Albion Agencies in Albion and commercial rental property on Main Street in Medina. He was a previous board member and president of the former Medina Chamber and has served for more than 30 years as a member of the Medina Rotary Club.
Robinson is not only vice president of MAP, but owner of the English Rose Tea Shoppe for 10 years and a partner in the newly opened family venture, the Vintage Cigar. She is married to Dr. Jim Robinson of the Medina Veterinary Clinic. She previously served as president of the MBA for 14 years and is a member of the boards of Medina Historical Society and Orleans Renaissance Group.
Brent, an RN, is president/CEO of MDS Consultants, the largest minimum data set consulting firm in the country, known for their expertise in the long-term care industry. She is also owner of Modern Mercantile, which she recently opened on East Center Street in Medina, offering small retail space for local artisans and collectors to sell their goods. She volunteers in the Medina Rotary Club and holds a position on the Orleans Community Health Foundation board. She is also a member of 23 different state healthcare associations across the country.
In addition to Wine About Winter, MAP has a full schedule of events (some returning favorites and several new) planned throughout the year. These include an Easter Bunny and Golden Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt on April 9; a new Murder Mystery to be announced; the Enchanted Faery Festival on June 25; annual sidewalk sales Aug. 4 through Aug. 6; Ale in Autumn on Sept. 24; Beggar’s Night on Oct. 28; Moonlight Madness on Nov. 17; Olde Tyme Christmas and Parade of Lights on Nov. 26; and holiday open houses Dec. 1 through Dec. 4.
MEDINA – The Medina Area Partnership has chosen its officers for 2022, four of whom are returning to their positions and three who are new to the board.
