Photos by Ginny Kropf: Veterans who performed gun salutes a various locations in Medina on Veterans Day are, from left, Steve Earl, Dan Anderson and Fred Heschke from the VFW and Steve Johnson, Glenn Whitmore and Dave Morien from the American Legion.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2018 at 8:05 am
Greg Stanton, left, and Tony Vicknair served as Honor Guard for ceremonies Sunday throughout Medina to honor veterans.
MEDINA – Members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina know they have a service to perform each Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
That is to conduct a proper ceremony paying tribute to veterans living and deceased from the local area.
On Memorial Day, the veterans travel to cemeteries around Medina, placing flags on all veterans’ graves.
Each Veterans Day, however, they concentrate on ceremonies at each of the veterans’ memorials throughout the village.
This Veterans Day began with breakfast at the VFW for all participants, then loading up their rifles to begin their duties.
First stop was the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in front of the American Legion Post on North Main Street. With Jim Freas standing at attention, Dave Kusmierczak read a prayer. Then followed a gun salute and playing of Taps by Earl Schmidt, director of Orleans County Veterans’ Service Agency.
That ceremony was repeated at the Company F Memorial in front of the YMCA, the Korean Memorial on Park Avenue, the memorial tank in front of Oak Orchard School and the Butts-Clark Monument in Butt’s Park on South Main Street.
Another ceremony was performed for residents of Orchard Manor Nursing Home, and a final one at the VFW.
Participating veterans were Jim Freas, Dave Kusmierczak, Steve Johnson, Glenn Whitmore, Tony Vicknair, Fred Heschke, Bill Koneski, Dan Anderson, Steve Earl, Frank Berger, Dave Morien and Greg Stanton.
Veterans from the VFW and American Legion in Medina prepare to conduct a service Sunday morning at the memorial tank in front of Oak Orchard School.
At left, Dave Kusmierczak and Jim Freas salute in front of the Company F Memorial at the YMCA, while Earl Schmidt plays Taps. Greg Stanton and Tony Vicknair are the Honor Guard.
Veterans from the VFW and American Legion in Medina celebrated Veterans Day by conducting services at all the veterans’ memorials in Medina, as well as Orchard Manor Nursing Home. Here they are lined up in front of the American Legion for a prayer, gun salute and playing of Taps.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Runners are on their way in the first 5K Veterans’ Day race to benefit local veterans. More than 50 runners and walkers participated in the event which began at the Junior Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club on Bates Road.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 November 2018 at 9:24 pm
MEDINA – For a first-time event, co-organizers Jen Thom and Sarah Levandowski-Surdel are pretty happy about the success of the Veterans’ Day 5K they planned.
Jenn Thom, whose husband Doug is a veteran, is also founder of Operation Honor, which sponsored the race with proceeds going to the Warrior House on Salt Works Road.
Thom said she and her husband have lost friends who are veterans and know there could be more assistance for veterans in Orleans County.
Earl Schmidt, director of the Orleans County Veteran’s Service Council, stands with Sarah Levandowski-Surdel and Jenn Thom, co-organizers of the first Veterans’ Day 5K run, prior to the start of the race on Sunday morning. The event was sponsored by Operation Honor, a 501 3c organization founded by Thom to raise money to help local veterans.
Orleans County Joint Veterans Agency director Earl Schmidt said his office does a good job in dealing with local, state and federal veterans’ benefits, but things like donating to the Warrior House or helping a vet with a utility bill is something they can’t do.
Corinne Hill of Medina, a student at Medina High School, was the first female to cross the finish line in Medina’s first Veterans’ Day 5K race.
“The more services we can provide for veterans, the better,” Schmidt said. “Jenn is doing something that’s never been done in Orleans County before.”
When all the receipts were tallied, Thom reported they had raised $2,500 for the Warrior House. In addition, $500 in Carhartt gift cards, which were donated by the New York State Corrections Officers and Police Benevolent Association, were given to the Warrior House for veterans to buy outdoor goods.
The Warrior House’s owner Pete Zeliff Jr. wants to donate a vehicle to a veteran in need and is looking for referrals of deserving veterans.
Anyone who knows of a veteran who needs a vehicle and can’t afford one can call (585) 590-0278 or log on to the Warrior House’s website at www.warriorhouseofwny.com.
Thom said 51 runners and walkers participated in Sunday’s race and she is ecstatic at the turnout and the money they raised.
The first male to cross the finish line was Jay Heideman, 14, a ninth-grader at Royalton-Hartland School, with a time of 21:23.
The first female was Corinne Hill of Medina with a time of 25:07.
Both teens are members of the cross country teams at their schools.
Christian Held of Middleport decided to run the race in observance of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The cross country coach at Medina High School, Held said the war ended in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Thom already knows who next year’s race will benefit. She has promised profits will go to the Orleans Joint Veterans’ Agency’s van service, which provides free transportation to veterans for medical appointments.
Jay Heideman, 14, held off a challenge by Rich Hartway to win the first Veterans’ Day 5K race sponsored by Operation Honor to support veterans. Jay crossed the finish line in 21 minutes and 23 seconds.
Jenn Thom, left, and Sarah-Levandowski-Surdel, right, present American flags to the winners of the first Veterans’ Day 5K race Sunday at Junior Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club. Jay Heideman from Roy-Hart was the first male to cross the finish line and Corinne Hill of Medina was female winner.
MEDINA – The Honor Guard visited veterans this morning for Veterans Day at the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
Members of American Legion and VFW in Albion and Medina visited the nursing home on Bates Road today to perform a gun salute in the courtyard in observance of Veterans Day.
Taps was then played, followed by all the veterans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance together.
Resident Frank Ranallo greets fellow veteran Frank Berger from Medina Butts-Clark Post 204.
Veterans were given buttons to wear that said, “United States Veteran” donated by The Print Shop. The Medina Dunkin’ Donuts also donated donuts for coffee hour after the ceremony.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Medina firefighters arrive at the First United Methodist Church of Medina on Monday to load the MAAC red barrels for delivery to local churches and the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. From left are Captain Matt Jackson and firefighters Tim Miller, Adam Fisher, Jacob Crooks, Joe Simmons and Aaron MacKenzie.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 November 2018 at 8:23 am
Aaron MacKenzie loads a red barrel in an ambulance Monday for delivery to a local church, where it can be filled with gifts and toys for MAAC’s Christmas Box program.
MEDINA – Monday was a “Red Barrel” day for the Medina area.
It was the day Medina firefighters delivered 30 MAAC Christmas barrels to select locations throughout Medina and Knowlesville.
The MAAC Red Barrels are a familiar site each Christmas season in local churches and the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
For dozens of families, the barrels mean they will have a Merry Christmas.
The barrels will remain in the community, where they can be filled with non-perishable food items, hats, mittens, scarves, socks, stuffed animals, toys, books, games and puzzles.
On Dec. 10, firefighters will collect the barrels and return them to the First United Methodist Church (the former Apple Grove location), where volunteers will sort the donations and pack Christmas boxes for the families who have applied for holiday assistance.
Firefighters who helped deliver barrels Monday were Captain Matt Jackson, Tim Miller, Adam Fisher, Jacob Crooks, Joe Simmons and Aaron MacKenzie.
Several of the firefighters, like Crooks who has been with the department since 2009, had helped before, but for MacKenzie, this was his first time.
“This looks like a very good program,” he said.
Families may apply for holiday assistance from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 8 and 15 and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20 at Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, 324 Catherine St.; or from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20 and 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 6, 13 and 20 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 1355 West Ave.
Applicants must bring proof of household (birth certificates, Social Security cards or benefit cards); proof of residence (water, electric, phone or gas bills); and proof of income (Social Services award letter, SSD or SSI award letters or WIC card/pay stubs).
Food boxes and gifts will be delivered between 9 a.m. and noon on Dec. 15.
Sue Metzo with Medina Area Association of Churches stands by the dozens of red Christmas barrels which were delivered to local churches on Monday by members of the Medina Fire Department. Barrels will be filled with toys and gifts for children and picked up and returned to the First United Methodist Church of Medina on Dec. 10.
Sue Metzo, who volunteers with MAAC, said they are seeing more and more working people who just aren’t earning enough to live on.
Last year, 112 families (163 children) received holiday assistance, as well as 43 senior citizens.
Not only do children receive age-appropriate gifts and clothing, but families receive food for Christmas dinner.
“Our biggest concern is while we receive many toys for small children, we receive almost nothing appropriate for teens,” Metzo said.
The MAAC Christmas program serves children up to age 18.
Metzo also stressed for people who make cash donations to take note of MAAC’s new address, which is 536 Orient St., Medina, 14103.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Angela DiRosa, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, holds one of the wine bottles available in the Lucky Cork raffle at Treasure Island. At left is Jordan Grollmes, who ran the Lucky Cork booth.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 November 2018 at 1:31 pm
MEDINA – For more than two decades, the community has thrown its support behind a signature fundraiser to benefit Medina Memorial Hospital’s (now Orleans Community Health’s) Foundation.
Saturday was no exception, when the 25th anniversary of Treasure Island was celebrated in style.
After having the event in different venues over the years, the Foundation decided to bring it back to Medina for the 25th anniversary, and held it at Sacred Heart Club.
Kathy Vicknair points out one of the high-profile items donated for Treasure Island’s silent auction Saturday night – an autographed picture of Thurman Thomas in his heyday with the Buffalo Bills. Seated is her husband, Vick Vicknair, who ran the sound system for the event.
“The event was incredibly successful,” said Angela DiRosa, director of the Foundation. “There were many comments that it was one of the best they’ve attended in several years.”
Hundreds of items were donated from jewelry and gift certificates to trips and special services. There were works of art, bottles of wine and lottery tickets, all part of a silent auction.
But a live auction also livened the evening, with such items as a premier parking spot at Medina Memorial Hospital, valued as “priceless.”
Also touted as priceless was a day at the fire station, donated by Medina Fire Department. The winner gets to tour the station, have lunch with the firemen, and on Nov. 24, ride on a fire truck in the 10th annual Parade of Lights.
Another one-of-a-kind prize was an autographed photograph of Thurman Thomas from his heyday with the Bills during the team’s unprecedented streak of four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. David Cook of Lyndonville donated the photograph, which he obtained while in the locker room with an on-field pass.
DiRosa said she is always amazed at how giving the community is. She anticipates this year’s event to match the recent Treasure Island fundraisers.
“The event is on track to be as successful as previous years, which typically raise more than $30,000,” she said.
Money from Saturday’s event will supplement grants and aid the hospital with upgrades and improvements, she said.
Winners of the cash raffle during the evening were Eli Howard and Randal Sanderson, each $250; and Halli McPherson, the grand prize of $500.
DiRosa issued a thanks to major sponsors, who included Lawley, Talis Equity, Baxter Healthcare, Ridge Animal Hospital, TakeForm, Roland Howell, Jr. Wilson’s Sportsmen’s Club, Lyndonville Lions Club, MS&L/Generations Bank, Orleans Community Health Medical Staff, Radiology Solutions Associates and Western New York Energy.
Cindy Incho of Medina, rear, and Tish McAdoo of Lyndonville make their bids in the silent auction at the 25th annual Treasure Island Saturday at Sacred Heart Club. The event, which benefits Orleans Community Health, attracted supporters who bid on hundreds of items and took chances to win dozens of other prizes through various raffles.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2018 at 9:43 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Zelaya, a mariachi band, performs during a “Day of the Dead” celebration in downtown Medina today. They are performing under a big tent that was set up in the parking lot on West Center Street across from the Post Office.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a popular Mexican holiday. Today’s celebration was led by the Mariachi de Oro Restaurant, the Medina Business Association, GO ART! and the New York State Council on the Arts.
The band is performing in front of an ofrenda, an altar that is intended to welcome returning souls and features candles, wild marigolds, incense, photographs, mementos and loved ones’ favorite foods like fruit, tortillas, tamales, chocolate and bread.
One of the dancers has her face painted. The Day of the Dead Celebration is a time of joyful remembrance of deceased loved ones, filled with an array of colors, scents, sounds and stories. Centered around the Christian observance of All Saints and All Souls Days on November 1 and 2, the celebration includes images and ideas about the roles of ancestors in our lives, that trace back to Mexico’s indigenous peoples.
Traditionally, people believe that this is the one time of the year when souls can return to earth for a day and commune with their families and friends.
Dancers perform near two large puppets. If the weather had been better, the puppets would have lead a processional on Main Street to draw people to the celebration.
The event was a chance to learn about and enjoy the Mexican holiday. There were activities from 3 to 8 p.m. with crafts, face painting and food tastings at businesses on Main Street from 3 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. one block away on West Center Street.
Leonel Rosario, chef and co-owner of Mariachi de Oro Restaurant, takes a photo of the ofrenda he created for the event. Several of his family members were part of the occasion, dancing and preparing food for the community.
Rosario was happy to see so many downtown businesses join in the celebration.
The mariachi band plays for many dancing participants.
This trumpet player is a member of the band, Mariachi Zelaya.
The two puppets towered more than 10 feet. They were nimble on their feet.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2018 at 9:12 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: A one-day toy drive last year resulted in toys for about 500 children. The toys were dropped off at Canalside Tattoo on Main Street in Medina. Shawn Ramsey, left, is owner of Canalside. He is pictured with Andrew Szatkowski, organizer of the toy drive, whch returns on Nov. 24.
MEDINA – A one-day toy drive will return on Nov. 24 during Medina’s festive Olde Tyme Christmas celebration.
Andrew Szatkowski organized the event last year, and people donated toys for about $500 children.
Szatkowski put together 20 packages to entice donations of toys or $5 that will be used to buy presents. With every donation, people were given a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of the 20 “Medina Experience” packages. That raised an additional $800 that was used to purchase toys.
Szatkowski is back at it this year, putting together packages from businesses to provide an additional incentive for people to donate toys or money.
“You only get so many Christmases,” he said. “From ages 3 to 10 especially Christmases are magical. They are impactful. They are lifelong and you never forget them, good or bad.”
The donated toys will be given to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and the Medina Area Association of Churches, which will distribute them to families in Orleans County.
Szatkowski was impressed with the quality of the gifts donated last year to local children.
Any business or resident who wants to donate towards a gift package is welcome to contact him at 585-205-0581 or ajs@takeform.net.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 November 2018 at 8:02 am
Photos courtesy of Trudi Schwert: The Rev. Susan Collins Thaine, pastor of Albion Presbyterian Church and moderator of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley, performs the baptism and service of installation of the Rev. William H. Wilkinson in the First Presbyterian Church of Medina.
MEDINA – The Rev. Dr. William H. Wilkinson has been installed as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Medina in a special service at which a dozen members of various faiths participated.
The Rev. Wilkinson, who served as temporary pastor for a year at the Medina church, explained how participants for the service were chosen.
The Presbytery is made up of six neighborhoods and a representative from each of these areas was invited, in addition to one from each branch of Christianity.
“God is the God of all Christians and Christian religions,” the Rev. Wilkinson said during the service on Oct. 21. “We believe the heart of our ministry here is to be welcoming to all, and this ceremony was designed to reflect that.”
Margaret Martin, clerk of session of the First Presbyterian Church of Medina, leads a processional of dignitaries into the sanctuary for a special service installing the Rev. William H. Wilkinson as pastor of the church.
Margaret Martin, clerk of session of the Medina Presbyterian Church, led the processional into the church, which included the Rev. J.D. Jackson of Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, who gave the opening prayer; the Rev. Carrie Mitchell of Pittsford Presbyterian Church, who gave the Call to Confession; Kay VanNostrand, ruling elder of the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, who gave the Assurance of Pardon; Jan McCloy, ruling elder and commissioner from Medina First Presbyterian Church, who led Passing of the Peace; Wilma Campbell from Rochester Friends Meeting (Quaker), who gave the Call to Stewardship;
The Rev. Michelle Sumption, pastor of York United Presbyterian Church, who offered the Prayer of Illumination and gave the Invitation to the Offering; the Rev. Marilyn Cunningham, pastor of Graves Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal, and the Rev. Marcia Reiff, Dansville Presbyterian Church, who each gave Scripture readings; the Rev. Nicholas Dorland, Brockport Presbyterian Church, who preached the Sermon “Living Stones”; the Rev. Susan Collins Thaine, pastor of Albion Presbyterian Church and moderator of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley, who presided at the Service of Installation; the Rev. Deborah Fae Swift, pastor of South Presbyterian Church; who offered the Prayer of Installation; and the Rev. Ho Dong Hwang of Mendon Presbyterian Church, who presented the charge to the newly installed pastor and to the congregation.
Sherrie Wilkinson sings a special solo during the installation service for her husband, the Rev. William H. Wilkinson, at the First Presbyterian Church of Medina.
Sherrie Lee Wilkinson, wife of the Rev. Wilkinson, was soloist for the service, performing several of her husband’s favorite hymns.
At the conclusion of the service, Martin presented the Rev. Wilkinson with a new stole from the congregation.
A reception followed in the Fellowship Hall.
From left, Peg Pierce, Donna Johnson and Nelda Callard serve cake during a reception honoring the Rev. William H. Wilkinson after his service of installation at the First Presbyterian Church of Medina.
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MEDINA – After several years of research, the Boxwood Cemetery Commission is pleased to announce the completion of a book focused on Boxwood Cemetery in Medina.
Boxwood Cemetery: Where the Past is Present, began as a successful application to include the cemetery in the National Register of Historic Places. It grew from a basic history of the cemetery into a study of how Boxwood Cemetery reflected trends in 19th and 20th century American cemeteries.
The book by Village Historian Todd Bensley also features an extensive collection of obituaries of those buried in the cemetery, as well as a list of veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present.
The book is a must-read for anyone interested in genealogical work; local, state and national history; cemetery history; or just a good story.
Boxwood Cemetery is a great example of Joseph Amato’s maxim: “All history is local.” This history of Boxwood Cemetery shows how a small village cemetery in Western New York reflects the last two centuries of American thought on death and the final resting place of those who came before us. In addition, the hundreds of obituaries in the book show how this small community contributed to the historical narrative of the United States, and in some cases, the world.
David C. Sloane stated, “The American cemetery is a window through which we can view the hopes, fears, and designs of the generation that created it and is buried within it. By examining the cemetery from the late-eighteenth to the late-twentieth century, we can find clues to how the mosaic of death changed within America’s social and cultural framework.” This book invites the reader to peer through the window of Boxwood Cemetery at the history of the United States.
The book will be available for sale at the Canal Village Farmers’ Market in Medina on Saturday, November 3, and at Boxwood Cemetery on Sunday, November 4, where a tour of the cemetery is planned for 2 p.m.
The books will be specially priced at $20 for those two events. After November 4, the books may be purchased at the Book Shoppe in downtown Medina or at the Village Clerk’s office on Park Avenue for $25. All proceeds from the book will go the Friends of Boxwood – an organization devoted to the upkeep and promotion of the local treasure.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Rosemary Eden, Margaret Kelly and Lee Smith, all members of the Senior Center of Western Orleans, help arrange wreaths which have been donated for the Senior Center’s Hall of Wreaths. Smith holds a Disney-themed wreath made by Sherry Tuohey, who heads the wreath project. Wreaths will be accepted and displayed through Nov. 24.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 October 2018 at 1:54 pm
Sherry Tuohey, who has started an annual Hall of Wreaths at the Senior Center in Medina, shows off several of the creative ones she made for this year’s event.
MEDINA – Christmas is already in the air at the Senior Center of Western Orleans, where rows of holiday wreaths are on display for the annual Hall of Wreaths.
The Hall of Wreaths is an idea started last year by Sherry Tuohey, when the Center was trying to come up with a way to participate in Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas.
The annual Christmas celebration takes place in downtown Medina the Saturday after Thanksgiving and features a parade and arrival of Santa Claus at noon and special events and sales throughout the stores, capped off by fireworks and the spectacular Parade of Lights at 6 p.m.
The Senior Center, which is barely a stone’s throw from Main Street, wanted to get involved.
Tuohey suggested the Hall of Wreaths and it was an immediate success. Dozens of wreaths were donated and sold to the highest bidder on the day of Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas.
This year, Tuohey scheduled two wreath-making classes at the Senior Center, which resulted in several dozen unique creations, including bulb wreaths, a half-moon Santa and a Micky Mouse wreath.
Anyone may donate a wreath or make a bid to buy one. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Courtesy of Medina Mustang Band, Kathy Dreyfus, Publicity Chairwoman
SYRACUSE – Leaders of the Medina Mustang Band accept the second place award in the Small Schools 1 Division on Sunday during the New York State Field Band Conference Championship at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Medina competed in the 45th annual championship. This was Medina’s 42nd appearance. There were 53 schools in the conference coming from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. No matter what the scores, all of the bands and their students are winners. Congratulations to the schools that offer and support this art form to the students.
The day started off at 8 a.m. with the Dome breakfast put on by the boosters for the students and their families as a form of pep rally.
In SS1 Medina competed against seven other schools and came in second place with a score of 90.25, bested by Malverne of Long Island with a score of 91.65.
First place scores in the other classes were SS3 – Jordan Elbridge with 75.50; SS2 – Mineola with 85.05; LS3 – Rome Free Academy with 83.25; LS2 – Jamestown with 89.90 and National – Arlington with 95.
Before the group headed to the Carrier Dome, Medina director Jim Steele commented that the best feeling is going on the field, loving and caring for all the people around you. One band, one sound, enjoying the journey together as one, Steel said.
Regardless of placement these kids are great ambassadors for our school and our community. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Superintendent Mark Kruzynski and Mike Cavanagh, the high school principal, for attending the show along with the many parents and fans.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Recovery coaches and advocates for Orleans Recovery Hope are shown at a benefit for the organization Saturday at the VFW in Medina. From left are Stephanie Higgs, Kathy Hodgins, Kim Lockwood, Tiffany Neroni, Mike Schroeder, Don Snyder and Wayne Litchfield.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 October 2018 at 9:09 am
12 have been trained as recovery coaches
Peer recovery coach Keith Greer chats with Tammy Ashton, Kim Lockwood and Tiffany Neroni, board members of Orleans Recovery Hope, during a fundraiser Saturday at the VFW in Medina.
MEDINA – There has always been a missing piece in the treatment of recovering drug addicts, said Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower.
Now, Bower thinks the county has found the answer.
Bower attended a fundraiser Saturday afternoon at the VFW in Medina for Orleans Recovery Hope, a peer organization which grew out of a group founded a year ago to work with recovering addicts.
“Often when an addict leaves the jail bed he goes to a rehab bed, but when he gets out of rehab, too many times he’s right back in the jail bed,” Bower said. “There was always a missing piece. Orleans Recovery Hope is that missing piece.”
Orleans Recovery Hope started with Kim Lockwood and several of her friends who had heard too many times about their friends losing loved ones to drug overdoses.
In 2017, they said, “This has to stop.”
Wayne Litchfield, retired dispatcher for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department; Don Snyder, jail chaplain; and Tami Ashton, who lost her daughter to a drug overdose, had been meeting regularly at Dunkin’ Donuts to discuss what could be done about the opioid crisis in Orleans County. They learned Lockwood and her friends were having the same discussions.
They joined forces, and a year ago, they organized the first meeting of Orleans Hope at the former high school on Catherine Street in Medina. The community and law enforcement turned out in a big way.
Now 12 people have been trained as recovery coaches and the organization renamed Orleans Recovery Hope has become a 501c4.
Saturday’s fundraiser, organized by Lockwood, was to raise money to train more recovery coaches, to create programs to reach and help those fighting drugs, and to end the stigma and get the community talking about what’s going on with the opioid crisis.
“We want to do more community awareness events because people must begin to talk about this,” Lockwood said.
Douglas and Kristine Ames of Medina wear T-shirts with pictures of their daughter Erin, who died at age 32 of a drug overdose. The Ames are raising their two granddaughters, Callie, 4, left, and Keirra, 7. The family poses with a toy box Douglas made and donated for a raffle Saturday at the Medina VFW to benefit Orleans Recovery Hope.
Lockwood had a hard time fighting back tears as she viewed the people in the room wearing pictures on their T-shirts of a loved one lost to drugs, and of the array of baskets donated to support the event.
Two of those parents were Douglas and Kristine Ames of Medina, who lost their daughter Erin, 32, on June 2, 2017. The Ames are raising granddaughters Keirra, 7, and Callie, 4. Douglas made a wooden toy box and donated it for the raffle in memory of Erin.
Bower has been fighting the drug crisis even before he became Sheriff. He praised the efforts of those involved with Orleans Recovery Hope and talked about his program “Sheriff Cares,” which stands for Community Addiction Rehabilitation Education. It is his goal to be able to identify drug users and get them the help they need.
Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower shakes hands with Keith Greer, a peer recovery coach from Rochester.
“As the result of the energy of these guys who picked up the ball and ran with it, you can see how Orleans Recovery Hope is succeeding,” he said.
A special speaker at the afternoon event was Keith Greer, a peer recovery coach in Rochester and half of a team who trains recovery coaches there. He praised the efforts of Orleans Recovery Hope and said organizations like this are the answer to combating drug addiction.
“We can’t wait for government to come and fix the problem,” he said. “It’s not going to happen.”
Peer recovery coaches are relatively new, having only been around in Rochester for three years. It takes someone who has had some form of involvement with drugs – either personally, a friend or loved one – to become a peer coach, Greer said.
“You combine their experience with the passionate skills they already have, and you have created a lane in the middle for people dealing with addiction,” he said.
Greer said their goal is to get recovery coaches into emergency rooms.
“Drug addiction is the only disease where a person can show up with symptoms and be sent home,” he said.
There are multiple paths to recovery and a recovery coach is trained to look for the right path for each person.
Tiffany Neroni acknowledged The Hilltop Restaurant in Lockport for their support of Orleans Recovery Hope.
The Hilltop’s owner Tony Conrad prepared snacks for the event and wants to establish a scholarship for someone in recovery who wants to further their education. He lost a brother-in-law to a drug overdose.
Money raised by Orleans Recovery Hope has also paid for rack cards which Lockwood said they have distributed throughout the county.
“This is how change is going to happen in our community and every community,” Greer concluded.
These individuals who came forward during a fundraiser Saturday at the VFW in Medina for Orleans Recovery Hope are all wearing T-shirts of their loved one lost to a drug overdose. At right is Don Snyder, jail chaplain who is president of the board of Orleans Recovery Hope.
MEDINA – A second-grader in Stacey Ali’s class at Oak Orchard Elementary School led an effort to collect food for homeless people in Buffalo.
“My teacher and I were talking about the homeless and I felt very sad and wanted to give the homeless some food,” said Caliyah Boston, who is pictured front center with her classmates.
Mrs. Ali said the class was talking about cultures and society.
“We talked about how some kids don’t have the luxury to go to school because they have to work to support their families and help to provide for them,” Mrs. Ali said. “We also talked about how some families are homeless, in not only around the world, but in our country too.”
Caliyah talked to her mom and asked her if they would ever end up homeless and what they could do to help. The day after the conversation in class, Caliyah wrote Mrs. Ali a note and began a personal crusade with her mom to go through their attic and pull out clothes that her family was willing to donate.
She then asked her classmates, with Mrs. Ali’s permission, if they would be willing to donate food for the shelter as well. “Her mother wanted her to experience firsthand helping people,” explained Mrs. Ali.
Caliyah and her mom took all the donations and brought them to We R Buffalo Strong along with cards and notes her classmates wrote to give to the people using the services there. They also helped to feed the homeless.
When asked how she felt doing something nice for the people there she said, “It just made my heart open up more.”
Photos courtesy of Kelly Kiebala: The Medina Marching Band performs “Together As One” during today’s state championship at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2018 at 11:28 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band competed in the state championships today at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, and came in second in the small school 1 class.
The event for the New York State Field Band Conference culminated months of work by the band.
Medina’s score of 90.25 was topped only by the 91.65 for Malverne, a school from Long Island.
Other scores in the small score 1 division include: 89.55 for East Syracuse Minoa (3rd); 87.50 for Central Square, 87.30 for New Hartford, 85.55 for Oswego, 84.50 for Mohonasen and 84.45 for East Irondequoit.
Some of bands join together on the field at the Carrier Dome.
Medina was second at the state championship in 2017 with a score of 92.35. Last year, Malverne was third with 91.70 and East Syracuse Minoa won first with 92.60.
Medina was third in 2016 with a score of 90.00, and second in 2015 with 91.20.
This was the 45th annual championship competition with 53 schools participating today in 6 divisions.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina Mustang Band performs for the home crowd during the Fall Festival of Bands at Vets Park on Sept. 22.
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File photo by Tom Rivers: Edgar Rosario had his face painted for the Dia de Los Muertos “Day of the Dead” celebration at Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill in November 2014. Edgar is pictured near murals inside the restaurant near the bar. Thursday’s Day of the Dead in downtown Medina will include opportunities for face painting.
MEDINA – A popular Mexican holiday – Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) – will be celebrated in downtown Medina on Thursday, an effort led by the Mariachi de Oro Restaurant, the Medina Business Association, GO ART! and the New York State Council on the Arts.
The event is a chance to learn about and enjoy the Mexican holiday with activities from 3 to 8 p.m. The festivities will include crafts, face painting and food tastings at businesses on Main Street from 3 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. one block away on West Center Street at the farmer’s market site.
Activities under a big tent will include live mariachi music, more food, dancing, and traditional Mexican arts displays. A full schedule can be found at www.MedinaDoD.com.
“We’re really excited to invite whoever wants to come,” said Leonel Rosario, co-owner of Mariachi. “We’re excited to bring people to Medina.”
Rosario’s restaurant has hosted the event before, but space is limited.
“Now there’s no limit,” he said. “The goal is for more people to enjoy it. We can only fit so many. There are more businesses involved. It’s going to be huge.”
Provided photos from GO Art! – Leonel Rosario, pictured with an ofrenda, will create an altar of food and flowers for Dia de Los Muertos on Thursday in Medina.
The Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration is a time of joyful remembrance of deceased loved ones, filled with an array of colors, scents, sounds and stories. Centered around the Christian observance of All Saints and All Souls Days on November 1 and 2, the celebration includes images and ideas about the roles of ancestors in our lives, that trace back to Mexico’s indigenous peoples.
Traditionally, people believe that this is the one time of the year when souls can return to earth for a day and commune with their families and friends. Families will clean and refresh gravesites of loved ones and spend the night in a candle-lit vigil in the cemetery with the whole community.
Artist Antonio Cruz Zavaleta will create a sand painting under the tent on Thursday. Created out of basic sand and colored pigments, the three-dimensional paintings can often be found in the streets of the Mexican city of Oaxaca alongside public ofrendas. They vary from simple scenes to elaborately shaded and constructed mosaics.
Beautiful altars (ofrendas) in homes welcome the returning souls and feature candles, wild marigolds, incense, photographs, mementos and loved ones’ favorite foods like fruit, tortillas, tamales, chocolate, and bread.
Rosario, who is also the chef at Mariachi de Oro, will create a large ofrenda at the tent festival site, in the style of his hometown in Oaxaca, Mexico. Artist Antonio Cruz Zavaleta will also create a sand painting under the tent, another decorative art found in Oaxaca for the holiday. There will be a community altar available for attendees to decorate and add photos and memories of deceased loved ones.
Mexican celebrations of the holiday often include animated skeletons and colorfully decorated skulls (calaveras), emphasizing life’s continuing vibrancy in the midst of mortality. From 3 to 5:30 p.m. Medina downtown businesses are offering crafts based on Mexican traditional arts such as paper flowers and banners (papel picado), mask making, collages, bracelets, decorating sugar skulls and ceramic skulls, face painting, and temporary tattoos. Attendees will also enjoy food samples like pan de muerto (bread of the dead), cookies, Mexican tea and other culinary specialties.
Festivities under the tent will be capped with live music by the band, Mariachi Zelaya, and traditional food and beverages created by Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grille of Medina. Activities under the tent are free and open to all ages.
Crafts & Tastings on Main Street – 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Activities
Bracelets – Ellen J Goods
Face Painting – Celebrity Day Spa
Flower Collages – Herbalty Cottage
Paper Mask Making – Meggie Moos
Francisco Rosario is pictured with the ofrenda, an altar that was at Mariachi de Oro for Dia de Los Muertos. An ofrenda will be available at the Farmer’s Market on West Center Street for attendees to decorate and add photos and memories of deceased loved ones.
MEDINA – After several years of research, the Boxwood Cemetery Commission is pleased to announce the completion of a book focused on Boxwood Cemetery in Medina.
