By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 February 2022 at 9:56 am
MEDINA – Austin Mosher said it’s a dream come true to work as a career firefighter/EMT in his hometown.
Austin Mosher
Mosher, 18, was hired on Monday as a new member of the Medina Fire Department. He has been a volunteer firefighter for the past 18 months at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. His goal has been to work as firefighter.
He recently passed the test to be an emergency medical technician. Matt Jackson, Medina’s fire chief, said Mosher stood out among the applicants for the position.
“He has a passion for EMS,” Jackson told the Village Boar don Monday. “He will be beneficial to our community and the surrounding areas for years to come.”
Mosher turns 19 in April. He was the catcher on Medina’s Sectional champion baseball team in 2021.
He starts with the Medina FD next week. He is expected to attend the state’s fire academy in the summer.
“The fire service is my passion,” Mosher said. “It will be a great honor to work in Medina.”
In other action, the Village Board:
• Made permanent the appointment of Jason Watts as Medina Department of Public Works superintendent. Watts has been serving in the role on a probationary basis for at least the past 26 weeks.
“He’s been doing a bang-up job for us,” said Deputy Mayor Owen Toale.
Watts assumed the leadership of the DPW following the unexpected death of Joe Perry, the previous DPW superintendent, on Nov. 30, 2020.
• Agreed to accept sludge from Sun Environmental Corp. at 6 cents a gallon. The company will bring 2,800 gallons of sludge per truck load to Medina’s sewer plant. The agreement could last a few weeks or months, village officials said.
Sun Environmental also will pay to have the loads tested.
Village officials said the sewer plant can easily handle the material, and the agreement will be a money-maker for the village.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2022 at 1:48 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Lt. Todd Draper and Kye, the department’s K9 for 9 years, walk down the driveway at Oak Orchard Elementary School during a retirement sendoff for Kye on Oct. 28, 2020. Kye was a frequent visitor at the school.
MEDINA – The Medina Police Department’s popular K9, Kye, has passed away after a battle with bone cancer.
The Medina PD announced Kye’s death on Sunday.
“Kye put up a very strong fight over the last few months against bone cancer,” the Medina PD stated on its Facebook page. “Kye was an 11 year old Belgian Malinois that served the Medina PD from 2012-2021.”
Lt. Todd Draper served as Kye’s handler. After the dog retired about a year ago it continued to stay with Draper’s family.
Draper made special cards and stuffed animals of Kye when the dog first joined the department about a decade ago.
Kye’s main duties were tracking, drug detection, building searches and criminal apprehension. Kye and Draper attended many public events and visited local schools, doing many demonstrations for the community.
Kye has been succeeded at the Medina PD by a K9 named Phoenix, and the handler is Medina police officer Jacob Reeves.
Photo and information courtesy of Medina Marching Band program
VICTOR – Medina’s Varsity Winter Guard competed for the second time this season on Saturday at Victor Central School.
Fourteen guards in total participated in five different classes. Medina’s Varsity guard took 4th place in the Scholastic A class with a score of 63.02. Victor earned 1st place with 70.57; Jamestown in 2nd with 66.38; and Orchard Park in 3rd with 65.62.
Winners in the other classes were Victor Cadet with 51.82; Greece in Regional A with 55.25; Gates Chili in Independent A with 72.28 and Luminosa in Senior Class with 68.18.
Medina’s next performances are Feb. 19 in Batavia, Lancaster on March 5th and Medina’s home show on March 12.
This year the WG Championships will be held in Medina on April 2nd.
Photos and information courtesy of Medina Central School
MEDINA – Medina High School Agriculture teacher/FFA advisor Todd Eick had been rocking shoulder length hair for quite a while this school year.
“I shaved my head from August 2007 to January 2020,” he explained. “When the pandemic hit and the hair salons had to shut down my last haircut was February 4th of 2020. My kids convinced me just to let it grow out. So I decided if I was going to do that, I would see if I could donate it to Wigs 4 Kids.”
Wigs 4 Kids serves children suffering from hair loss from a health crisis and helps to boost their self-image and self-esteem.
FFA alum Tori Grimes, who is a hairstylist, was going to come to the school on February 4th and cut Mr. Eick’s hair for his donation, so that his current students and his leadership team could take part in the fun.
“I wanted to do this in school with the students because one piece of our FFA motto is ‘Living to Serve,’” Eick said. “I thought this was a great opportunity to practice what I preach.”
Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans; February 4th was a snow day.
“While by many standards of school aged students and teachers is a wonderful surprise, it stopped my planned ‘Living to Serve’ lesson for my leadership class and officer team,” Eick said. Originally scheduled to help with the lesson was an outgoing local chapter officer, a district president, a state line officer and a county legislator. Eick decided despite the weather he was going to go through with his plans and met Tori at the salon she works, Mera Hair Co. in downtown Medina.
His daughter, a current member of FFA, and his son, the incoming President of FFA, accompanied him and got in on the action.
“It was not what I was hoping for, but we made the best of it and I got my donation in the mail,” Eick said. “I want to thank everyone that was going to help and all of those who were able to!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2022 at 9:43 pm
Trustees Sherman and Elliott also seeking re-election
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari tosses candy to kids along Main Street and East Center Street on May 27, 2019 during the Memorial Day parade.
MEDINA – Three members of the Medina Village Board, including Mayor Mike Sidari, have submitted petitions to run for re-election. No other candidates submitted petitions by today’s 4 p.m. deadline. Candidates need petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village.
Sidari and incumbent trustees Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott are running under the independent “The Village Party” for the March 15 election.
Sidari has been mayor for nearly six years. He said Medina has a great team on the Village Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and with the community organizations.
Those groups have been able to push Medina forward with its downtown business district, industrial park and other community initiatives. He cited citizens who led efforts for a new dog park, skate park, bluebird trail, an upgraded Pine Street Park with a splash pad, and much improved Boxwood Cemetery.
“It’s working because everyone is working together – the business people, zoning and planning boards and the Village Board,” Sidari said.
The community projects improve the quality of life for local residents, Sidari said, and also play a factor in whether a business chooses to come to Medina. The business owners want to see a community with pride, and strong schools, a vibrant downtown and thriving neighborhoods, Sidari said.
The mayor, 63, is retired as the food service manager at the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion. He wants to see through more projects, including work at the sewer plant.
He is excited about the new hotel opening in Medina’s Business Park on Maple Ridge Road, as well as other potential developments in the village.
“It has been a good experience and I am enjoying it,” Sidari said about being mayor.
The Village Board works well together without pushing personal projects, he said.
“We have a board that is in it for the village,” he said. “The agenda is the betterment of the village and community.”
He welcomes residents to get involved in the village government, by joining a committee or attending meetings.
“I don’t have a problem with anyone running for a position,” he said. “But I would recommend getting on a board, maybe the Tree Board or Planning Board. Get informed and know the issues. If you think you can do something better, by all means get a petition and run.”
Todd Eick in running for ag educator of the year in NYS
Provided photo: Pictured from left include Chad Kirby (Orleans County Farm Bureau), Derek Hill (NYS FFA Cornell University), Michael Cavanagh (Junior-Senior High School Principal), Julie Webber (Director of Curriculum), Mark Kruzynski (Superintendent of Medina Central School District), Michael Southcott (Nationwide Insurance), Julia Uhrinek (NYS FFA Cornell University), Joseph Cecchini (Medina FFA Vice President), Zachary Fike (Medina FFA President) and Todd Eick (Golden Owl finalist).
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – The New York FFA and Nationwide today honored Todd Eick, an agricultural teacher and FFA advisor at Medina High School, as a finalist for the 2021-2022 Ag Educator of the Year honor through Nationwide’s Golden Owl Award.
As a finalist, Mr. Eick was presented with a $500 cash prize and plaque in front of administrators, fellow teachers and students. He has a chance to be named New York’s Ag Educator of the Year in May 2022 and receive $3,000 to help fund future educational efforts.
Mr. Eick was selected as one of 11 finalists by New York FFA and Nationwide from dozens of nominations across the state.
The Golden Owl Award recognizes agriculture educators and the critical role they play in preparing future generations for success. Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to honor the contributions of teachers and support them with additional resources to assist their continued educational efforts. This is Mr. Eick’s second consecutive Golden Owl award.
The New York FFA will select one winner from all the nominees in New York State for the grand prize of $3,000 from Nationwide to support the development of the program, the Golden Owl Award Trophy and name them the Ag Educator of the Year.
“As a company with deep roots in agriculture, Nationwide recognizes the essential role agricultural teachers play in their communities and for the future of the industry,” said Brad Liggett, President of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “We’re proud to work with the state FFAs to recognize these selfless public servants for their many contributions to help prepare the next generation of leaders.”
Nationwide is also donating $5,000 to the New York State FFA Leadership Training Foundation, in conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers and advisors alike.
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education. Mr. Eick said he is truly humbled to receive the award.
“This is a real honor to be a recipient again,” he said. “This particular award is very meaningful to me because it comes from colleagues, students and the community.”
Provided photo: Eagle Scout Ronald Boyd of Holley, at left, leads the Eagle Scout Challenge with all Eagle Scouts in attendance. Standing behind David Vanderwalker is Scoutmaster Tim Miller, Christian Hahn and Aaron Miller.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 February 2022 at 7:54 am
GASPORT – A Medina High School junior has achieved a goal not many can claim, and he did it in spite of tremendous odds.
David Vanderwalker, son of Todd and Alicia Vanderwalker of Middleport, was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 5. During his Eagle Scout ceremony Saturday at Hartland Bible Church, his mother shared their journey and the challenges they faced along the way.
The Vanderwalker family of Middleport pose at Hartland Bible Church, where David received his Eagle Scout badge on Saturday. From left are dad Todd Vanderwalker, David, mom Alicia and sister FaithAnn.
“Roughly 12 years ago, we sat in a doctor’s office and listened as he told us he wanted to prepare us that David would probably never graduate high school and that he would have severe limitations throughout his life,” Alicia said. “Thankfully, we serve a God that does not believe in labels or limitations on what He can do in and through those who believe in Him. We left the office that day with two options – (1) just accept that our son had no hope for a future and allow his disability to be an excuse, or (2) with faith, support and a lot of work we could focus on his abilities and provide him with opportunities to learn and overcome his challenges.”
Shortly after, they enrolled David in Cub Scouts with the hope he would have the opportunity to form connections and gain social skills. His Tiger year was not easy, but they persevered, Alicia said. After attending summer camp with his dad and then going to an Eagle Scout ceremony, David set his heart on becoming an Eagle Scout.
“If I am being honest, at that time I felt there was no way, given the level of behaviors and lack of social emotional abilities,” Alicia continued. “But as those who know my kids know, when you tell them they can’t do something, it is a challenge and they will do all they can to prove you wrong.”
David’s desire to succeed meant the family quickly became very involved in Scouting. Scouts became part of their day-to-day life and their mission field, not only for David, but for the rest of the boys in the Pack and Troop, who became like family. David’s life plan became the Scout law. His goals were to be able to follow the Scout law in his day-to-day life.
The Scout Law says a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
David not only worked extremely hard over the last 12 years in Scouting, but in life and in his own personal growth, his mother said. Crossing into Boy Scouts, David became a member of Tim Miller’s Troop 28 in Medina and the entire Miller family became an extension of the Vanderwalker family, Alicia said.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: This is the pavilion at Hartland Bible Church which David Vanderwalker built for his Eagle Scout project. He received his Eagle Scout badge Saturday at the church.
Two other Scouts who later earned their Eagle badges, Aaron Miller and Christian Hahn, became mentors to David.
On his journey to an Eagle Scout, David earned more than 40 merit badges, assumed various leadership roles in his Troop and volunteered hundreds of hours of community service.
Two summers ago while helping carry picnic tables up the hill for a church event, David said it would be nice to have a place up there to store them and have shelter from the weather. That’s when he knew what he wanted to do to earn his Eagle Scout badge.
Although everyone told him it was too big a big project and too expensive, David carried on. He brought the idea to his church congregation. He approached businesses and individuals, asking for donations and help. The result is a completed 24 by 40-foot pavilion with a 24 by 16-foot enclosed storage area with overhead door. His project took 18 months to complete, with more than 800 volunteer hours and a cost of $19,200. He has named it the Legacy Pavilion, in memory of deceased loved ones who were honored by donations to the project.
Photo by Alicia Vanderwalker: David Vanderwalker, left, lights a candle for each of the 12 points of the Scout law, while Christian Hahn and Aaron Miller share what they each stand for. Christian and Aaron were mentors to David during his years in Scouting.
During his Eagle Scout ceremony, David received recognitions from Congressman Chris Jacobs, Senator Rob Ortt’s office, Assemblyman Mike Norris and Niagara County Sheriff Mike Filicetti. David also presented Mentor pins to Scoutmasters Tim and Steve Miller and his parents for their support along his journey. Also acknowledged was the support of Heather Jackson, Committee chair of Troop 28, and Craig and Dale Brittin from Hartland Bible Church and their pastor Jon Goodwin. All have supported and encouraged David throughout the years, his mother said.
David’s sister FaithAnn shared some of the letters of congratulations from people all over the country, including those in multiple branches of government from senators to presidents, movie stars, members of the military and more.
David and his family also thank more than a dozen local businesses who either donated materials or gave them discounts for the pavilion. They include Ace Hardware in Medina, All Metal Works, American Concrete, Brigham Concrete, Big East Timber, Hi-Tech concrete workers, Lakeshore Metal, B & L Wholesale, Shelby Crushed Stone, Newfane Lumber, Stanton Signs, Sunrise Door and Window, Wargo Enterprises and Vanderwalker’s Sawmill.
David is now attending BOCES building trades program and hopes to run his own construction company after he graduates from high school next year.
MEDINA – When schools shut down from the Covid-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020, it was expected to last two weeks.
Unfortunately two weeks turned into the rest of the school year. The loss of in-person teaching for those several months proved detrimental to not only the students, but to teachers as well. Medina High School Social Studies teacher Todd Bensley said he and his fellow teachers struggled to find creative ways to teach students.
Provided photo: Todd Bensley, a Medina social studies teacher, speaks during a recent meeting of the Medina Historical Society. Bensley is Medina’s village historian.
“Following instructions from the New York State Education Department, the administrators of Medina Central Schools informed teachers that due to inequities in regards to internet access and requirements to follow the Individual Education Plan for special education students, we were not allowed to assign new material to students,” Bensley said. “We could only review what we have covered up to that point in the school year. It was hard to keep covering old material month after month.”
Since Bensley also serves as the Village of Medina Historian, he thought it would be important to document the experiences of students so that future generations could understand what life in the spring of 2020 was like.
“I sent out a request to all the teachers in the district to consider giving students an assignment documenting their experiences during the pandemic that would be presented to the Medina Historical Society,” he said. “Many teachers responded. Some assigned writing projects to students, while others recorded their own experiences.”
Many of the district’s students put a great amount of effort and enjoyed being able to document their experiences.
“For some, it was therapeutic to be able to express their thoughts and feelings,” Bensley said. “For others it gave them the opportunity to reflect upon what was truly important in life. Still others were excited to be able to share their experiences with future generations.”
The writings were collected into a binder and presented to the Medina Historical Society at its January 2022 Show and Tell Night at the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
“The members of the Medina Historical Society were very excited to receive the book,” Bensley said. “Many commented on how important it was to document our experiences on paper, since few people are leaving written records that are not exclusively online.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 February 2022 at 8:00 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Dan Fuller, rear, greets visitors coming for their wine glass at Medina Senior Center for Wine About Winter on Saturday.
MEDINA – A ton of snow and cold weather didn’t dampen the spirits of 800 people who descended on the village Saturday for the 14th annual Wine About Winter.
Members of the Medina Area Partnership, which sponsors the event, took over the Medina Senior Center as a welcome center, where participants were ID’d, picked up their wine glass and purchased tickets for a basket raffle. Baskets were displayed in participating stores.
To better control the crowd, start times were staggered from 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Wine glasses were sponsored this year by Cooper Funeral Home and Modern Mercantile, whose owner Gloria Brent was mingling with the visitors.
“Oh yeah, my store is participating,” Brent said when she visited the Senior Center. “It’s like a big party at my store.”
Dan Fuller was helping at the Senior Center, while his wife Sue was running her store, Della’s Chocolates. He couldn’t say enough about what a wonderful event it was and how great to see so many people come to town.
The Medina Area Partnership was especially happy to be having the event, as last year’s was canceled due to Covid. Proceeds from the event go toward other events to promote the Medina area.
Pictures by Scott Robinson: Cindy Robinson from the English Rose Tea Shoppe pours wine for a couple of participants in Wine About Winter.
At the Medina Historical Society on West Avenue, Georgia Thomas and her crew of Shirley Bright and Le Roy Neeper, Gloria Fierch and Erica Wanecski had a wonderful time with the hundreds who visited them.
“We had a marvelous turnout,” Thomas said. “You could just tell people were so ready to be out having fun with their friends. It was cold, but sunny and people were having a ball. They loved my stuffed animal display from Christmas and a lot were agog at our military room. They were also fascinated by the wine glasses I had out from 1880. They were a lot smaller than the ones today.”
The Historical Society was serving a berry wine from Black Willow Winery on Route 18, called Black Widow. Except for a couple of guys who preferred a dryer wine, Thomas said the Black Willow wine was a big hit.
Visitors fill Main Street during the Medina Area Partnership’s annual Wine About Winter on Saturday.
Throughout the day, the sidewalks of Medina were filled with people. Participating stores were identified by balloons placed by MAP’s event committee.
“From the standpoint of MAP, this was another strong showing for Medina,” said MAP president Scott Robinson. “It once again showed the popularity of the Wine About Winter event. Even with near single digit temperatures, 800 individuals were out to support the local business community and taste some amazing wine.”
The year ahead is going to be exciting, Robinson added. More events are being planned and people will definitely be seeing and hearing a lot more about Medina and our business community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2022 at 9:17 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – American Red Cross staff help volunteers give blood during a blood drive on Friday at the Orleans County YMCA.
About 20 donors gave blood during the drive which was sponsored by Orleans Community health and the Orleans County YMCA. More than 30 people made appointments, but many were no-shows on a tough weather day.
Kim Balcerzak of Medina was among the donors on Friday. She has been a regular blood donor the past 18 months, after not giving blood before that. She started giving blood in honor of her mother-in-law.
Balcerzak, 57, also said she is aware of the critical blood shortage.
“People need it,” she said about the blood donations. “I hope there would be some for me if I ever need it.”
Orleans Community Health, parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital, helped promote the blood drive, and highlighted the national blood crisis. The American Red Cross, for the first time in its history, has declared a national blood crisis.
Since March 2020, the American Red Cross has reported a 10% decline in overall donations. If donation levels do not return to normal soon, many patients in need of transfusions will not receive them, the Red Cross said.
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Amid this crisis, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.
Some upcoming blood drives include:
Feb. 22, 2 to 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Club in Medina
Feb. 24, noon to 5 p.m. at Elba Fire Hall
Feb. 25, 1 to 6 p.m. at Clarendon Fire Company
Feb. 28, 1 to 6 p.m. at Middleport Fire Hall
March 2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elba High School
March 3, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kendall Jr.-Sr. High School
March 15, 12:30 to 7 p.m. at Albion Elks Lodge
To make an appointment or for more information, click here.
