By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 September 2018 at 8:57 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Scott Caraboolad and three other members of the Ride 4 Life team did a stunt show on Thursday evening at Medina’s Canal Basin. They also performed Thursday morning at Lyndonville Central School.
The team does daring feats on motorcycles and also gives a message of overcoming addictions and hopelessness. The team travelled to Orleans County from near Akron, Ohio. Ride 4 Life is also performing today at Kendall Central School and at 6 p.m. in Albion in front of the County Courthouse.
They will be doing three shows on Saturday, from noon to 6 p.m., at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville.
Scott Caraboolad talks to the crowd in Medina. He shared about becoming a Christian in 2010. His faith has helped him turn away from drugs. “It was all darkness in front of me,” he said. “I was going to end my life. God gave me a second chance.”
Scott Caraboolad zips along a closed off Canal Basin in Medina. He did wheelies and many other tricks on his motorcycle.
Caraboolad and the other riders burn rubber in the Canal Basin.
Pastors Aligned for Community Transformation, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and several other agencies and organizations worked to bring the Ride 4 Life to the community for the second straight year.
Photos by Tom Rivers: This playground at Butts Park will be removed with volunteers asked to help install a new one on Sept. 28-30.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 September 2018 at 10:34 pm
A new playground will replace this wooden one at Butts Park.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina is welcoming volunteers to help build a new playground at Butts Park.
The current playground is worn out, and the wooden pieces need frequent attention from the Department of Public Works. That playground will be removed and a new one will go in its place.
The village could use at least 50 volunteers to help with the new playground on Sept. 28-30.
“All skill levels are needed but some prior experience with this type of work is helpful,” said Mayor Mike Sidari.
The village needs manual labors on Sept. 28, a Friday, to help dig and level holes to prepare the site for construction. Also, on that day the village will need volunteers to sort out the parts so when construction begins everything is ready to go, Sidari said.
Saturday, Sept. 29, is a full day of prep work and final construction. Volunteers will create small structures to attach to the larger structure and prepare the larger structure for those smaller pieces. There is also a need for volunteers to help with registration and food.
“The more volunteers we have the quicker the community will be able to use the playground,” Sidari said.
If the playground is completed by the September 30 deadline, the community should be able to use the playground my mid-October.
Volunteers, civic groups and organizations interested in helping can get a waiver to sign at the Village Hall. For more information, call the Village Hall at 585-798-0710 ext. 2, stop by the Village Hall at 119 Park Ave., or click here for the village website.
MEDINA – The Medina Knights of Columbus today presented $500 to the St. Mary’sCatholic Church in Medina in memory of Robert “Pinky” Wilson, a long-time Knight and past Grand Knight. The K of C held a golf tournament this summer in memory of “Pinky” Wilson. His family chose St. Mary’s Church as the recipient for the funds raised.
Pictured, from left, include David Bellucci, tournament organizer; Father Daniel Fawls, pastor of St. Mary’s Church; Joyce Wilson (Pinky’s wife); and Arthur “Archie” Washak, tournament organizer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 8:29 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Terry Buchwald, an Elvis Presley impersonator for 28 years, arrives in downtown Medina on a motorcycle. Buchwald performed for two hours on a stage on a closed section of Main Street.
He is the headliner for the annual Super Cruise. The event was pushed back a week after rain a a week ago.
There were many classic cars on display on Main Street, including this 1964 Chevrolet Impala. The car owners and crowd came out on a 90-degree evening.
Buchwald sings “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” while dancing with Fonda Carr of Barre.
Buchwald left the stage several times to mingle with the crowd. The long-time entertainer was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
Howard Pierce of Lyndonville brought a 1967 Chevelle to the Super Cruise. He recently had the car restored after working on it over 12 years. The car had been in a barn for 30 years. Pierce bought it in December 1967 when he was 24 and serving in the Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.
Pierce debuted the restored vehicle last Sunday in Olcott in a car show with about 1,500 vehicles.
Buchwald makes his way down Main Street to the delight of many people who took photos with their phones.
Tim Cooper recently had this Medina Fire Department Mack fire truck restored. It was built in 1947.
Buchwald’s performance caps another season of classic car shows that are organized by David Green and Donna Bushover. A 50-50 raffle benefits the United Way of Orleans County.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Contractors work on the new access road on Tuesday, a day before the start of the new school year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 September 2018 at 1:31 pm
Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, is pictured on a new playground that will serve the elementary school.
MEDINA – The school district has a new road and playground at the elementary school to start that new year, with a host of other capital projects in the works including a new library in the high school.
Medina voters on Dec. 21, 2016 approved spending about $34 million for a series of upgrades at the school campus. In the summer of 2017, contractors worked on installing new turf and other improvements at Vet’s Park for the first major project with the capital improvements.
This summer, contractors built a new campus access road, linking Oak Orchard and Wise schools. The road ran through a playground by the elementary school.
That playground was removed and new one put in that is more age-appropriate, said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent. The old playground served children in grades 3 to 5. The new one is geared for children in prekindergarten through grade 3.
“We’re happy to have it done by opening day,” he said.
The campus road cost about $3 million. It was built to handle heavy buses. The project includes demolition, removal and grading, as well as new sidewalks, stormwater management, parking and road lighting, as well as the removal of the old playground and construction of a new one. The project also added a new parking lot with room for 70-75 vehicles.
“The new road will save a considerable amount of time at dismissal,” Kruzynski said. “Before there were cars backed up on Gwinn and Oak Orchard.”
Contractors work on the new lights that will shine along the new road.
The high school library is being expanded and will be a media center. It should open in November. “I can’t wait to show that off,” Kruzynski said.
Contractors also are working on new drainage for the JV softball and baseball fields, and are getting a spot ready by the tennis courts and track for bleachers. Those bleachers will come from Vet’s Park and new ones will be put in. Vet’s Park is being expanded to boost the seating space from about 700 to 1,500. Moving the bleachers and some of the light poles back in what is now a wooded area will allow Medina to add some turf in one corner of the field, which is currently cramped, Kruzynski said.
The district was able to keep an older tree that provides some shade by the new playground.
Contractors are also building a pole barn for storage for marching band equipment, so the band no longer will have to rent at Olde Pickle Factory.
Oak Orchard Elementary, which is about 50 years old, will get new windows throughout the building, replacing the originals.
A big chunk of the capital project, about $13.5 million, will overhaul the HVAC at the three school buildings and the bus garage. The elementary, middle and high schools will also get air conditioning.
Contractors will work the second shift during the school year after classes to work on the HVAC. The project will replace the boilers, which are all about 25 years or older.
Dirt is moved and a foundation will go in for bleachers near the tennis courts.
The district will also upgrade its information technology, moving the network operations center from the basement of the district office to Oak Orchard Elementary School. The project will add fiber optics to handle future needs as Medina moves to more electronic devices and on-line testing.
Next summer the district will work on the roof, ceiling panels and wall panels at the swimming pool. That will keep the site closed for the summer.
The new parking lot, near the playground by the elementary school, has 70-75 spaces. It will mainly be used by teachers and staff, which will free up more spaces by the front of the school.
The capital project includes lots of other work, including new science labs in the high school, a revamped track, new bus lifts, firm alarm systems, door hardware and bathrooms that are handicapped accessible, including in the locker rooms.
The gym bleachers will also be renovated, and there will be work at the Ag Classroom and greenhouse. Many of the district’s drinking fountains will also be replaced.
The work will be spread out including during the school year because there is too much to be done only during the summer.
“It’s going to be really interesting the next two years, watching it all get done,” Kruzynski said.
The JV baseball and softball fields are getting new drainage. The fields will be off limits next spring for the teams. The rebuilt track next door will have six lanes, an event area, a scoreboard, and fencing and paving.
MEDINA – The Medina school district is pleased to announce that it will be providing free breakfast and lunch to all students in 2018-19 through implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Breakfast/Lunch Program.
The CEP program provides the opportunity for schools in high poverty areas to provide two nutritious meals every school day, while eliminating the stigma for those students previously identified as “low income.”
The CEP began in 2011 with three states piloting the program and then became a nationwide program in 2014. To be eligible for CEP at least 40 percent of students must be identified as “directly certified” for free meals without a meal application through programs such as SNAP, TANF and Medicaid. Medina school district has met this eligibility guideline.
Some families will still be asked to complete an Alternate Income Form to account for those students who are not directly certified. However, completing this form will have no impact on receiving free meals. This income information will allow the district to continue to maximize its funding through state and federal programs and grant opportunities.
“We are excited to offer CEP to our families,” said Superintendent Mark Kruzynski. “Research shows that when students eat healthy meals each day, their academic performance improves and they are in a much better place emotionally and socially. When the opportunity came up for us to participate in CEP, we took it as another chance to level the playing field for all of our students to give them all the best chance to succeed.”
If you have any questions regarding this new program, please contact your child’s school or the Business Office at 798-2700.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2018 at 1:43 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Department of Public Works has fixed the water main leak on Park Avenue by Baxter Healthcare, but a section of the street will be closed the rest of this week.
The village had to dig up a section of the street to make the repair. Mayor Mike Sidari said new stone base and binder will be put on the section of Park Avenue near Pine and Olive streets.
The village DPW recently repaved Park Avenue. The milling machine may have caused vibrations that cracked the pipe or Sidari speculated the truck traffic may have been the culprit.
The street should be fully reopened next week. The DPW on Tuesday also expects to fix a leak on East Center Street and Bernzomatic Drive.
The DPW worked on the Park Avenue repair for 10 hours on Sunday and was back this morning.
Baxter Healthcare didn’t have running water this morning for its manufacturing site at the Olde Pickle Factory. Employees had to use 10 port-a-potties and hand sanitizer. The bathrooms at Baxter reopened temporarily at 10:30 a.m., but closed again before 11, an employee said.
Mayor Sidari said at about 1 p.m. today that Park Avenue was repaired with the leak near Bernzomatic next on the list.
“Hopefully by tomorrow all the repairs will be fixed and we’ll be back to normal,” he said.
MEDINA – The Medina Department of Public Works is working this morning to isolate two water main leaks, the Medina Police Department has stated on its Facebook page.
One of the leaks in the area of Park Avenue and Olive Street. The second is in the area of E. Center Street and Bernzomatic Drive.
These leaks have caused flooding, wet road conditions and some road closures, the Police Department said. Motorists are urged to use caution and to avoid these affected areas. These leaks may also effect water service throughout the village as well.
Park Avenue is closed between Olive and Pine streets.
“Any sediment in residential water should clear if run for a short period of time,” the Police Department said.
Press Release, Orleans County Department of Planning and Development
MEDINA – The public information session and public hearing for the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan will be Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively, at the Shelby Town Hall, 4062 Salt Works Rd.
“The draft WOCP (Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan) is the result of 18 months of hard work by committee members and the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development,” said Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon, who also chairs the committee responsible for revising the WOCP.
Simon is hopeful that “residents in Western Orleans will take the time to review the plan and provide the committee comments on its contents.”
The draft WOCP remains available for review at the town and village halls in Western Orleans County, the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library and the Yates Community Library. Stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft plan and submit their comments to the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development – the agency facilitating this process.
Comments should be submitted to the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development at 14016 Route 31, Albion NY, 14411. Additionally, the plan and an electronic comment form can be found on the Department’s webpage (click here).
Questions about the WOCP of the public involvement process should be directed to Sarah Gatti at the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development by phone at 585-589-3187 or email at sarah.gatti@orleanscountyny.gov.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald woos a fan during last year’s Super Cruise in Medina. Sponsored by United Way of Orleans County, the event is scheduled Wednesday. Between 250 and 300 vehicles are expected.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 24 August 2018 at 11:49 am
MEDINA – Main Street in Medina will host the end of its summer cruise-ins with a final Super Cruise on Wednesday, featuring Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald.
Cruise-ins have been a tradition in Medina for many years, beginning the end of June and taking place weekly in the canal basin. It has also been a tradition to hold the cruise-ins at the Orleans County 4-H Fair during Friday of fair week, and for one Friday at the Orleans County Marine Park at Point Breeze.
Lynne Menz shared this photo from the third floor of the Bent’s Opera House. This was early in the Super Cruise on 2015, before the street was packed with people.
If the weather is good Wednesday, they will have between 250 and 300 cars lining Main Street, said organizer David Green. In the past, antique vehicles and classic cars have stretched down Main Street from the red light downtown around the bend to the canal.
Main Street will be closed from Center Street north, and cars will begin arriving by 4:30 p.m., Green said.
Buchwald will entertain from 6 to 8 p.m. He has performed at the Super Cruise for several years, typically arriving by motorcycle.
As in the past, food vendors will be set up on Main Street and local restaurants will also be open to welcome customers. Several of the restaurants, including Avanti’s, Captain Kidz and Rudy’s, are sponsors of the event, Green said.
Door prizes for antique vehicle owners have been donated by Ace Hardware in Medina.
The evening will also feature 50/50 drawings, with the proceeds going to United Way of Orleans County, which is a sponsor of the cruise-ins.
Provided photos: Travis Schuck, a Boy Scout in Troop 28 in Medina, works on a new sign for the Medina Area Association of Churches. He is joined by Aaron Young of AGC Construction.
Travis is working on the project for his Life Scout rank. The signs say, “The Medina Area Association of Churches Welcomes You.” Travis is restoring two MAAC signs, one of North Gravel Road by Gallagher Farm and the other on Maple Ridge Road by Roberts Farm Market.
He will be putting up for new signs for the MAAC at the intersection of East Center Street and Bates Road, West Center Street and Salt Works Road, Ricky Place on Maple Ridge Road, and one on Main Street by Orleans Ford.
Joe Brueckner, a Scout in Troop 28, joined the sign-making project last week. Scouts from Troop 20 in Gasport and Evan’s Ace Hardware in Medina also helped with the project.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 August 2018 at 8:37 pm
MEDINA – Several employees at Baxter Healthcare in Medina have told Orleans Hub the company announced this afternoon that the service department would be eliminated in Medina along with more than 100 jobs.
Baxter will continue to produce manufacture smart infusion pumps in Medina for the medical field.
Baxter became a part-owner of the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion pump in 2009, and in 2012 became the full owner. Baxter is one of the largest employers in Orleans County with about 600 workers at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue.
The company told employees some workers would be laid off as soon as possible while others in the service department would keep their positions in Medina for up to nine months.
The service department work is moving to another Baxter location out of state. The employees were notified of the layoffs in Medina during a meeting at about 3 p.m. today.
Provided photos: One Church in Medina, which opened in December at the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church, held a back-to-school supply and backpack giveaway on Aug. 11. About 70 children received supplies for the school year.
One Church is a Free Methodist congregation with churches in Akron and Medina. The Medina church is located at 208 Ann St.
Pictured include from left in back: Medina Children’s Director Cherie Swain and Akron Office Administrator Pam Roesch, who are standing with Emma and Rosie Swain.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Larry Eastlack, pastor of the Medina United Methodist Church, is pictured in the sanctuary of the church, which moved into the former Apple Grove Inn about five years ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2018 at 9:26 am
MEDINA – Larry Eastlack is back serving the Medina community. In the 1980s, he was the first paid director for the Medina Chamber of Commerce. He did that in a part-time role before taking community development positions in Rochester. He first worked in business development in Wilmington, Delaware.
But ministry has always been his passion – and calling.
On July 1, he started as pastor of the Medina United Methodist Church. With a background in community development, Eastlack has been looking at ways to make the church property – the former Apple Grove Inn – a better asset. He would like to see the church host a bridal show. The Apple Grove hosted those type of events back when he was the Chamber director.
The kitchen and fellowship hall also would be ideal for hosting receptions, parties, dinner dances and other events. Outside there is a gazebo and Eastlack said that spot could be popular for concerts.
Church members gathered to pray outside the former Apple Grove on Oct. 27, 2013 before going inside to dedicate the site.
“There is a lot of potential here that you don’t see in different churches,” Eastlack said during an interview at his office at 11004 West Center Street Ext., next to Shelridge Country Club. “This facility is absolutely amazing.”
His main focus, however, is equipping church attendees in their spiritual lives.
“Being a pastor is just who I am,” Eastlack said. “I wanted my career to be making and growing disciples for Christ.”
Eastlack grew up as a pastor’s kid in the Wesleyan denomination. His five brothers and one sister also became pastors – in the Wesleyan denomination.
Eastlack started in ministry in the early 1970s. He is ordained with a degree from Houghton College in Allegany County. He was a youth pastor for a United Methodist church in Wellsville. He also directed an interdenominational choir that was touring Western New York and did a concert at the West Barre United Methodist Church. That’s where Eastlack met Nancy Nesbitt.
They married in 1973 and Eastlack for four years, from 1975 to 1979, led three churches in Orleans – Waterport, Kuckville and Kenyonville – before they merged and built a new church in Carlton.
The couple has three children. Gavin has been working as a model in New York City for about a decade. Morgan has a wedding videography business, and Kaitlin is a mother of four children.
Larry and Nancy live in Pine Hill in Barre in the house where Nancy grew up.
Besides a foray in community development, Eastlack also worked as television news reporter in Springfield, Mass., and Billings, Montana. He said the Watergate crisis, which was uncovered by reporters, inspired him to pursue the news business.
But ultimately his passion is in ministry. Since 1990, he has been a pastor. Eastlack has also served congregations in Canandaigua, Corning and Oakfield. He most recently worked five years as the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Amherst.
He praised the congregation at the Medina United Methodist for their many outreach efforts for the community. The church hosts a Boy Scout troop, is the base for the annual MAAC toy drive and a number of other programs.
Eastlack also commended Tony Hipes, the previous church pastor who is now at Perry. Hipes was able to see the building project to completion. It took three years of renovations and nearly $1 million in upgrades before the church moved from a historic building at 222 West Center Street to the former Apple Grove. The church held its first service in the old Apple Grove on Oct. 27, 2013.
The United Methodists have a tradition of “social holiness,” addressing concerns in the community, country and world.
Eastlack said his focus will be on discipleship, on helping Christians strengthen their walk with Jesus.
“There needs to be a push on personal holiness,” he said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Alex Feig, left, shows some of the deterioration to the equipment and cracks in the asphalt at the skate park to Mayor Mike Sidari, and Joe Perry, superintendent of the Department of Public Works.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 August 2018 at 9:32 pm
Skate Jam on Sept. 15 may indicate if community interest in skate park improvements
Alex Feig shows one of the long cracks in the asphalt at the skate park that can cause people to tumble off their skateboards.
MEDINA – Alex Feig sees a revamped skate park as another draw for the Medina community, enhancing the quality of life for local residents and also bringing visitors to the village.
Medina has site for skateboarders at Butts Park. But the site, built on a former tennis court, has cracks in the asphalt and the 20-year-old ramps, ledges and quarter pipes are showing their age.
“We have the space but right now it’s being underutilized,” Feig said about the skate park on South Main Street at Butts.
Feig, 32, would like to see the asphalt, which is prone to deterioration, be replaced with a concrete surface. The tennis courts are also too big. A smaller area would be better, Feig said. He’d like to see the fences removed so it’s an open area. If he had his wish, he would like to see bowls that skaters would go down and pick up speed and then be able to do different skating tricks.
Other communities have opened skating parks, including Amherst just last month. The Alix Rice Peace Park has a series of deep concrete bowls and other challenging features.
Feig has reached out the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has matching funds to develop new skate parks.
“If we dream big it could become a tourist attraction,” Feig said. “Skate parks can draw a lot of people in.”
Feig has planned a skate jam on Sept. 15 at the skate park at Butts from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is led by the Medina Skate Society with the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition a sponsor. Orleans United for eight years held a skating competition and demonstration at the park.
The Sept. 15 event includes a competition for the best trick. There will also be free food and music, and a skateboard and helmet giveaway.
Feig also wants to use the event to gauge interest in upgrading the skate park. It would take community fundraising to improve the site.
Alex Feig meets with Mayor Mike Sidari at the site today. Feig said concrete would be a better surface than asphalt. Feig also said the fences should be removed and area made smaller. A big goal would be to have bowls that people could skate in.
The village already is using about $500 given in memory of Luke Nelson, a skateboarder from Middleport who often used the park. He was 23 when he passed away on April 22, 2017. The money given in his memory went towards a repair kit for the cracks in the asphalt.
Luke’s mother, Terri Nelson, said she would like to see a bench at the park for parents to sit while they watch their children. She brought her son to the park numerous times because there wasn’t a designated spot in Middleport where skateboarders felt welcome.
Feig, who works at WBTA radio station in Batavia, said skateboarding was popular when he was a kid 20 years ago. He got away from it as a young adult but now is back at it.
“It’s a physical activity, but it’s also an artform,” Feig said about skateboarding. “Everyone goes at their own pace.”
Skateboarding will be a sport in the Olympics for the first time in 2020. He expects the sport will get a boost from that, drawing more participants.
Terri Nelson, Alex Feig and Pat Crowley, director of the Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition, hold a banner promoting a skate jam on Sept. 15 at Butts Park.
