Easter egg hunt will be at museum on Saturday

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Grace Stewart, assistant to the director of the Medina Railroad Museum, holds a T-shirt paying tribute to the museum’s founder Marty Phelps, which they are selling as a fundraiser. They are also planning a chicken barbecue to bring in some income during the pandemic.

MEDINA – Doing business during a pandemic hasn’t been easy for the Medina Railroad Museum, which has been shut down for most of the past year.

With Covid-19 restrictions being eased, the Medina Railroad Museum is planning several events to bring in some revenue during this difficult time. The museum’s major fundraisers, Polar Express and Day Out with Thomas were both canceled last year, and are still on hold for this year, although staff is hopeful they can hold events this year, even on a smaller scale.

One positive thing is that visitation to the museum has been steady during this time, with masks and social distancing required.

Grace Stewart, assistant to the director Janine Klotzbach, said they are now approved for crowds up to 200 people.

She has announced they are planning an Easter egg hunt on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children and adults must wear a mask. There will be a special prize for the children who find the golden egg. The Easter Bunny will also be on site.

For the first time in its history, the Medina Railroad Museum will have a chicken barbecue, again to raise some much-needed revenue. Chicken barbecues have become almost a weekend staple, as a safe way for organizations to raise money. All are taking place as drive-thru, which means social contact is minimal.

The Railroad Museum’s barbecue will be done by local entrepreneurs Carl Dilcher II and Rose Campbell of Oakfield. It is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. May 16 at the museum. Cars will enter from West Avenue and exit onto Gwinn Street, again, with people not having to get out of their cars. Tickets will be sold until May 1 by visiting or calling the museum at (585) 798-6106. Payment may be made over the phone by credit card.

In addition, the museum is having a raffle for a bucket full of wine and liquor. Information and tickets are also available at the museum.

Julie Berry busy renovating Book Shoppe, will call revamped store, Author’s Note

Photo by Tom Rivers: Julie Berry, a Medina native, returned to her hometown on Nov. 2, 2017 to discuss her children’s book, “The Emperor’s Ostrich.” She is shown reading an excerpt of the book at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.

MEDINA – A best-selling author and Medina native is embarking on a new venture. She is opening a book store in her hometown.

Julie Berry has purchased The Book Shoppe on Main Street from Fred and Gloria Fierch and is in the process of reinventing the store as Author’s Note.

While she’s renovating the physical store, Author’s Note is open for business online at www.authorsnote.com.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Berry said.

Berry and her family were living in Los Angeles when she learned last year from her sister, who lives in Medina, that the Book Shoppe was for sale.

“With Covid happening, we saw the purchase of the Book Shoppe and moving to Medina as a chance for our youngest to have a more normal life,” Julie said. “We moved back in November.”

“This town taught me to read and write,” she said. “I couldn’t bear to think of Medina without a book store.”

Berry has big plans for the book store, which will be managed by her cousin Erica Caldwell. Caldwell is no stranger to the book business, as she had worked there for Sue Phillips and also worked at the Lift Bridge Books in Brockport and owned Present Tense Books in Batavia.

Berry is in the process of completely renovating the book store and hopes to double the inventory.

“We plan to have a bursting collection of authors, new releases, classics, children’s books, best sellers, new voices and debut authors,” she said. “There will also be a large selection of children’s fiction and non-fiction.”

In this photo from December 2019, Susan Phillips, left, welcomes the new owner of The Book Shoppe, Gloria Fierch. Gloria and her husband Fred Fierch became owners of the store. They operated for about a year before selling it to Julie Berry. Phillips owned the store for 21 years.

Once Covid restrictions are further lifted and it’s safe to do so, Julie plans to offer a lot of new programs, such as cookbook clubs, mystery clubs and fiction clubs. The store will be stocked with puzzles, games stationary, coffee and a lot of new brands.

“I see Author’s Note creating a community for book lovers and connecting readers to their favorite authors,” Berry said. “I think of all books as being an ‘author’s note’ to the world. I hope this community will see this book store as my love note to Medina.”

Online ordering is available at www.authorsnote.com for shipping nationwide or free local delivery. Customers may pay online or in-store. Berry offers free home delivery within the Medina zip code. As they grow, she will extend that service to other communities.

Julie hopes people will help her dream become a reality by buying gift certificates, books and merchandise; following her on social media on Twitter at authorsnoteshop and on Facebook and Instagram at authorsnotebookstore.

Berry, a daughter of John and Shirley Gardner of Medina, graduated in 1991 in the last class from the old Medina High School on Catherine Street. She attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she studied technical communications and met her husband Phil, an actor, writer and producer with a background in entrepreneurship and software engineering.

She and her family were living in Boston, where she worked in technical sales and marketing, when she decided to pursue her love of writing.

“I had always wanted to write and I decided to try writing a humor column for The Metro West Daily News, a suburban Boston newspaper,” she said. “It was really fun and it helped me develop my voice as a writer.”

Favorable comments from readers were very encouraging and fueled her desire to keep writing. She went back to school at Vermont College of the Fine Arts to earn a master of fine arts in creative writing for children and young adults. She received her degree in January 2008 and her first book, a fairy tale fantasy titled The Amaranth Enchantment  was released in March 2009.

The mother of four children, one of whom is a student at Medina High School, Julie has published 25 books since her first one, some under a pen name and some under her real name.

New York Times bestselling author Julie Berry has two new books coming out. Cranky Right Now is a companion book to Happy Right Now, and will be released May 11. The book is illustrated by No. 1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Holly Hatam. Berry hopes to have a launch celebration at Author’s Note, whether in person or virtually. Crime and Carpetbags, a sequel to Berry’s middle grade fantasy adventure Wishes and Wellingtons. It will be released in October from Sourcebooks.

Her books have been published all around the world.  She is a New York Times Bestselling Author and recipient of the American Library Association of Printz Honor for The Passion of Dolssa, a book which was short-listed for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. All the Truth That’s in Me was also short-listed for the Edgar Award and for the Carnegie Medal in the United Kingdom. She has won other awards in Europe and the Silver Inky Award in Australia.

Her latest novel for young adults, Lovely War, is a love story set during World War I. It won the Amelia Walden prize from the National Council of Teachers of English and the Golden Kite award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Berry said she reads as much as she can and she is always learning. Her interests include mythology, history, philosophy and religion, and her books cover a wide range of subjects.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board and Police Chief Chad Kenward agreed to send a letter to the State Legislature opposing the push to legalize recreational marijuana.

Kenward and the board discussed the issue last week. The State Legislature is expected to vote today to legalize recreational marijuana use.

The police chief is concerned there will be more serious traffic accidents and fatal overdoses because sometimes marijuana can have lethal fentanyl mixed in, Kenward said.

Even if recreational marijuana is legalized, Kenward expects people will still buy it on the street where it would be cheaper because it wouldn’t be taxed by the state. The marijuana on the street isn’t regulated and sometimes has fentanyl mixed in.

Medina village trustee Tim Elliott cast the lone opposing vote against sending the letter to the state. Elliott said today that regulating marijuana in other states has reduced government debt through sales tax and also funded additional important programs that help the community.

“Funds go toward public health, public safety,” he said. “It also create much-needed jobs. It allows a safe place to purchase a recreational drug, where it can be controlled. You won’t find laced marijuana at a dispensary as they are regulated, versus on the street where you don’t know what you’re getting.”

Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone also has shared his concerns that legalizing recreational marijuana will make the roadways less safe, with drivers under the influence causing more accidents and fatalities on the local roadways.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said legalization is projected to create 30,000 to 60,000 new jobs, spur $3.5 billion in economic activity while generating an estimated $350 million in tax revenue once fully implemented.

The legislation to be voted on the Legislature includes additional funding for drug recognition experts and law enforcement to ensure safe roadways. The use of cannabis by drivers will remain prohibited.

(Editor’s Note: This article was updated from the original version to include comments from Tim Elliott.)

Projects not allowed on sandstone and will include $100 application fee

Photos by Tom Rivers: Chuck Tingley in October is shown working on his “Fake It Til You Make It!” mural on the back of 410 Main St. He painted the back cinder block wall of a building in bright colors. The mural sends a message of the importance of self-confidence in relation to the pursuit of one’s dreams.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board has approved the new ordinance for murals in the Downtown Historic District.

The new local law was passed on Feb. 22. It was amended last week because to include a $100 application fee for the efforts required from the village in reviewing the proposals. The law approved on Feb. 22 didn’t include an application fee.

The board discussed whether the fee should be $25 or $100, and decided on the higher amount.

“A lot of people will be putting a lot of time into approving these murals,” said Trustee Marguerite Sherman.

The village’s new local law was pushed for after three new murals went up last year in the historic district. Those projects received approval from the Village Planning Board.

That board worked on updating the regulations for the exterior murals in the historic district. The purpose of the law is to permit the murals “in a way that promotes original works of art while preserving the natural historic architectural features of buildings in the Downtown Historic District, fostering a positive community identity and appearance and attracting tourism to the village of Medina,” the local law states.

Some highlights of the law:

• Definition of a mural – A mural is a visual depiction and/or works of art including mosaic, painting, fresco, or graphic art technique applied, painted or placed directly onto the exterior of any wall of a building or structure. Such depictions shall not contain words, logos, emblems, trademarks or other similar devices which identify or advertise any product, service or business.

• Design standards – The murals shall be an original work of art. They need to be designed and constructed under the supervision of a qualified artist/muralist or other qualified professional who has sufficient knowledge in the design and execution of such projects. The murals need to be securely attached to the building or structure to which it is applied.

The murals shall not be on any sandstone or any other type of natural stone, and they shall not obscure or detract from the significant architectural features or have an adverse effect on adjacent properties or facing properties.

Other design prohibitions include no logos, emblems or trademarked symbols. The murals shall not incorporate recognized signs of hatred or discrimination against any race, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, religion, ancestry, marital status, familial status, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. The projects also can’t have electrical or mechanical components, or changing images.

• Schedule – the murals should be completed within six months of the final design application approval. In the event that a mural is not completed within the six month time frame, it is at the discretion of the code enforcement officer to either grant an extension or cancel the existing permit.

• Maintenance – Routine Maintenance of an artwork becomes the responsibility of the building owner where the artwork is located. As part of the contractual requirements, the artist shall develop a maintenance program in cooperation with the building owner or manager for the proper long term care of the artwork. If the mural falls into disrepair, the building owner will be notified in writing and required to make necessary repairs within 30 days.

• Application process – A signed permission form is required from the building owner, and color pictures or renderings of the proposed mural must be submitted in the application.

• Decommissioning – When a mural is at the end of its life span, or if mural is to be removed without a replacement mural, the surface of the building or structure must be restored and repainted with appropriate colors to the Historic Preservation District, which must be approved in advance by the Village of Medina Planning Board upon such approval  a Certificate of Appropriateness will be issued after which time work may begin.

Chris Piontkowski of Cheektowaga works on this mural of flowers in November on a cinder block building on Proctor Place, a one-lane road that starts near Rudy’s Diner.

Padoleski to retire on June 30 after 41 years in village clerk’s office

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Debbie Padoleski sits at her desk at the Medina village offices after announcing her retirement as town clerk. She has worked for the village for 41 years.

MEDINA – After 41 years of working for the village of Medina, village clerk Debbie Padoleski has decided to retire.

Her letter of resignation was read at the village board meeting March 22, with her retirement date on June 30. Mayor Mike Sidari said her resignation was accepted with “extreme regret.”

“She leaves very big shoes to fill,” he said. “We have a better village because of Debbie.”

Padoleski, a daughter of Don and Jean Sipple of Medina, is a 1979 graduate of Medina High School. She said she had originally wanted to be a teacher, but had a rebellious stage right out of high school.

“I decided I didn’t want to go to college, I wanted to go to work,” she said.

She got a job working in the deli at Super Duper. She had been there two and one-half years when, after taking a Civil Service test, she got a call to come in for an interview as clerk-typist for the village of Medina.

“That was 1980 and I think my starting salary was $3.35 an hour,” Padoleski said.

Peggy Crowley was clerk then, and Padoleski shared a desk with the payroll clerk. In mid-1980, Gloria Maryjanowski retired as deputy clerk, and Padoleski took over from her. When Crowley retired in 2013, Padoleski became village clerk.

“The relationships I’ve formed with the people here are going to make it the hardest not to come to work every day,” Padoleski said. “But 41 years is a long time and I want to retire while I’m still young enough to enjoy life. I’ll be 60 in May and Covid makes you think of your mortality.”

She said she was never one to count down the days to her retirement like many people do.

“I love coming to work every day,” she said. “I love my job and I love the people.”

Padoleski said she and her husband Tom, a self-employed contractor, like to travel, but probably not in the coming year, due to Covid.

They have relations in North Carolina and Georgia and a cottage at the lake, where she said they will spend a lot of time.

Padoleski will be succeeded by Jada Burgess of Medina, who has worked for the village for 13 years. She called Padoleski a great mentor.

“She’s the best,” Burgess said.

Photo from State Sen. Rob Ortt’s Office: State Sen. Rob Ortt, left, presented a Small Business of the Month award today to Brody Hoffmeister, owner of Rudy’s Soda Bar & Café in Medina.

Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt

MEDINA – Today, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt recognized Rudy’s Café in medina as his Small Business of the Month for March. Rudy’s Café, located in Medina, has been a staple of the community for three generations, serving residents from around Orleans County and across all of Western New York for decades.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, times were difficult for Rudy’s. However, thanks to their wonderful customers, survival has been made possible through take-out dining and gift card purchases.

Rudy’s Café is so much more than just a local dining establishment, however. The establishment has played a large role in serving local seniors and providing assistance to other small businesses in town.

Thanks to the helping hands of local residents, they have donated over $1,000 in gift cards to local police, firefighters and other first responders. The establishment has also been instrumental in giving back to front-line workers, catering to Medina Memorial Hospital’s medical professionals. Rudy’s continues to give back, having donated to various national health organizations over the years, such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“It’s my honor to recognize Rudy’s Café as my Small Business of the Month,” said Sen. Rob Ortt. “Not only do they serve up great food, but they also embody what it means to be a community establishment. The Covid pandemic has been extremely difficult for small businesses across our nation and specifically family-owned restaurants. I am thrilled to see Rudy’s has been able to adapt and survive and look forward to stopping by for a delicious meal for years to come.”

Rudy’s was established by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Debra Russo in 1988 and was operated by their daughter Kelly until October of 2019. The establishment is now operated by Kelly’s son Brody and his siblings.

Foundation contributes $1 million in grants and donations to community in past 20 years

Photos courtesy of Orleans Community Health Foundation: Pictured fom left include Marc Shurtz, Orleans Community Health CEO; Darren D. Wilson, president of Lyndonville Area Foundation; Heather Smith, executive director of Orleans Community Health Foundation; Jeanne Crane, OCH Foundation Board president; and Suzana Galic, director of Lab Services.

MEDINA – The Lyndonville Area Foundation kicked off the Orleans Community Health Foundation annual fundraising campaign with a $40,000 grant for the purchase of a coagulation analyzer to be used in the lab at Medina Memorial Hospital.

Heather Smith, OCH Foundation executive director, acknowledged her appreciation and support the Lyndonville Area Foundation has provided OCH throughout the last 30 years.

Marc Shurtz, OCH CEO, Darren D. Wilson, president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation. Are shown next to new coagulation analyzer in Medina Memorial Hospital lab.

“They have been a major contributor to our organization on many of our larger projects,” she said. “Their continued support and dedication to the hospital is a true example that we are stronger together.

“Together We Are Stronger” is this year’s Orleans Community Health fundraising campaign in their efforts to raise $350,000 in support of their services and programs.

The coagulation analyzer is used to analyze the hemostasis system for proper coagulation (clotting) of the blood being tested. For some who have Covid-19, testing for clotting properties is a vital routine test that some may have to undergo as the virus is known to have an effect on the hemostasis system.

Suzana Galic, the lab director, has noticed an uptick in tests for clotting properties as a result of Covid-19 this past year. The Medina Memorial Hospital performs over 210,000 different lab tests for nearly 20,000 individual patients annually.

Darren D. Wilson, Lyndonville Area Foundation Board president, expressed his admiration and respect to the LAF’s entire Board of Directors noting that over the past 20 years – from January 2001 to January 2021 – the LAF’s board has voted to approve over $1 million in grants and donations in support of the communities of Lyndonville and the Town of Yates.

“This amount excludes what the Foundation provides in annual college scholarships along with our financial support in the construction of the Stroyan Auditorium to the Lyndonville Central School District,” Wilson said. “Should you include these last two items, the LAF’s distributions would be closer to $2 million over that same 20-year time period.”

“It’s a virtuous cycle,” Wilson said. “The community supports us and we, in turn, support the community. I can think of no better approach.”

The Lyndonville Area Foundation may be reached at PO Box 545, Lyndonville, New York 14098.

Photo courtesy of Medina Central School: From left include Janet Lyndaker, Heidi Lyndaker, Evie Schultz, Bailey Jackson, Sydney Watts and Emma Carson.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Congratulations go to Evie Schultz, Bailey Jackson, Sydney Watts and Emma Carson of Medina High School for receiving the Harvey A. Lyndaker Living to Serve Scholarship.

Mr. Lyndaker was the Vocational Agriculture teacher at Medina Central School District for 35 years and the advisor for the Medina Chapter of the FFA. He passed away in 2020 and the memorial scholarships were set up in his honor at the request of his family. Students applied for the scholarship by answering a series of questions about their feelings on FFA, community service and their future plans after high school.

“I feel incredibly honored,” said Evie Schultz, who was awarded the first place scholarship. “He was a very great man that I was lucky enough to have met quite a few times. I appreciate greatly all the work that Mrs. Lyndaker and their daughter Heidi put into making this possible.”

Mrs. Janet Lyndaker and Heidi presented each of the students with a check and a keepsake box. Heidi told the students that her father lived the FFA motto and how he lived to serve. She encouraged the young ladies to be constant learners.

“Sometimes that means you have to teach yourself, just like my dad,” she said.

Evie Schultz will be attending SUNY Fredonia for Psychology, Emma Carson will be attending Elmira College for Pre-Med (Biology), Bailey Jackson will be attending Cobleskill College for Animal Science and Sydney Watts will be studying Biology/Zoology and an unconfirmed college.

This is the first year for what will be an annual scholarship.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Scott Robinson, chairman of the Committee on Police Reform Collaborative in Medina, discusses the committee’s report on Monday during the Village Board meeting. The board accepted the report and will be sending it to the state.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board on Monday evening accepted a police reform report that has been the result of many meetings and public input since last August.

Scott Robinson, president of the Medina Area Partnership, has served as chairman of the Committee on Police Reform Collaborative in Medina. The group has met at least twice a month since August. The committee has updated and reviewed policies on use of force, mental health, body worn cameras, community relations, civilian personnel complaints, performance evaluations, handling deadly force incidents, use of firearms including taser and less lethal shotgun.

The committee has recommended establishing a Community Policing Board that would include a cross-section of the community and meet regularly. That community policing board would work towards forming better relations between law enforcement and the community.

“These relationships can be beneficial to convey information in both directions,” according to the report from Committee on Police Reform Collaborative. “This Board may also be tasked with aiding in community relations events.”

Robinson during Monday’s Village Board meeting urged the village to hold a meeting at least once a year to give community members a chance to better understand the police department policies, and also to raise any concerns. That meeting would also be a forum for the department to offer a recap of the past year.

Robinson praised Police Chief Chad Kenward and other village and police officials for their efforts in developing the plan. Kenward was very forthcoming with information, Robinson said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo mandated all 500 law enforcement agencies in the state submit the police reform plans to the state by April 1 or risk losing any state aid. Medina officials have worked many months on the month, while other communities only in the past month started to meet and get public feedback for the plan.

“We’ve been meeting every other week since August while other communities are just getting started,” Robinson said. “A lot of our committee members have invested a lot of time in this. They have just been phenomenal.”

Some highlights of the plan include:

• MENTAL HEALTH and PROCEDURAL JUSTICE – The committee in Medina recommended increased training for Medina police officers in mental health and procedural justice.

The regular mental health training schedule should seek out opportunities for crisis intervention training and mental health first aid.

Medina has already sent an instructor for certification in “Principled Policing.” That program covers areas such as History of Policing, Communication, Racial Bias, Decision Making, Trust Building and Core Values.

“Regular training in this area may help officers deal with the difficulties of modern-day policing,” the committee report states. “All of these training areas can be reinforced through reality based training, including interactive scenarios involving use of communication skills.”

• COMMUNITY POLICING/RELATIONS: The Committee recommends that the Medina Police Department take efforts to increase community policing and relations. The committee recommended the Medina Village Board put $10,000 in the next budget to assist with these community policing initiatives.

The committee recommended open community meetings hosted by the Medina Police Department. These meetings can be used to relay relevant information, and hear public concerns.

The Medina PD should also do an annual public survey to gather input from local citizens on police activities. The committee surveyed people for the current plan and received 245 responses.

Some other ways to strengthen community interaction with the department could be more officers on foot patrol, bike patrol and community activities. The committee recommended an annual gathering open to the public where police officers can have positive interactions with the community.

Medina might also consider assigning a Community Policing Officer to focus on creating opportunities for positive interactions with the community.

• ACCREDITATION: The Committee recommends that the Medina PD attempt to obtain NYS accreditation status. The NYS Accreditation Program provides outside guidance and oversight to law enforcement to ensure performance in areas such as policies, procedures and training.

• FUNDING: The committee said funding should be increased at the local and state levels for law enforcement and mental health services. The Medina PD could pursue state grant funding for mental health, training and equipment.

The committee also said Medina should fund an investigator position in the Medina PD. “A designated position should result in a higher rate of case closures, which it is assumed will also increase public confidence,” the committee stated in the report.

Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – The Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will now assist people with making Covid-19 vaccine appointments.

Please call and schedule a time with us from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will assist anyone with setting up appointments at the NYS run clinics using the Am I Eligible website.