By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 November 2020 at 1:15 pm
Provided photo: This is the Memorial Tree in the lobby of Medina Memorial Hospital last year. OCH Foundation has decided to put the tree up this year.
MEDINA – A longtime tradition of honoring loved ones will continue this year at Orleans Community Health.
The hospital Foundation has announced it will be able to put up the annual memorial tree in the lobby of Medina Memorial Hospital, according to Foundation director Heather Smith.
“This is a tradition I look forward to every year, and I am especially excited to do it this year,” Smith said. “It is a special opportunity to hang an ornament in memory and honor of family, friends and other loved ones.”
Smith said the tree has been a tradition for many years, but she isn’t sure how long they’ve been doing it. She does remember the first one had apple ornaments.
This year’s ornament is a copper-colored angel, which is similar in design to one of the ornaments last year, Smith said. The price remains at $10 per ornament.
The Foundation is offering an option this year of having the ornament mailed, so purchasers won’t have to come into the hospital to pick it up after the holidays.
The ornaments may be ordered online or by mailing in an order with the name of who the ornament is in memory of, and a check payable to OCH Foundation, 200 Ohio St., Medina. Ornaments are $10 each, plus $5 for mailing or $8 for mailing two.
Ornaments will be available for mailing or pick up at the hospital after Jan. 8.
Anyone wishing more information may call Smith at (585) 798-8426.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 November 2020 at 12:17 pm
Donations will be shared with MAAC, Community Action for their Christmas efforts with local families
MEDINA – The annual Parade of Lights in downtown Medina has also been a chance for a one-day toy drive, with community members dropping off gifts and donations at Canalside Tattoo on Main Street in Medina.
Those gifts and donations are then shared with Medina Area Association of Churches for its Christmas Box Program and also to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
But this year, the parade won’t pass through the downtown and there won’t be several thousand people gathered for a holiday celebration.
Instead, Medina is doing a “reverse parade” at the school campus on Nov. 28, with the floats stationary and people driving by to see them decorated displays.
Andrew Szatkowski, chairman of the annual toy drive, decided to instead do a “Santa Hat Drive” at the parade where people can donate money, in a similar manner that they give to boot drives by firefighters.
“We didn’t want to give up because we have been gaining momentum,” Szatkowski said about the annual toy drive. “We want to give people a chance to chip in.”
The money from the Santa Hat Drive will be used to supplement the toys and clothing given by MAAC to Medina families. Some of the proceeds will also go to Community Action, which this year is shifting from giving presents to gift cards. The agency will continue to give families food baskets with a turkey or ham in a sealed package.
Szatkowski in the first three toy drives offered an incentive where people could win one of 20 packages donated by local businesses. For every $5 spent, people would get a chance to win a package.
But Szatkowski didn’t want to ask local businesses to donate to a package this year, given the difficult economic climate in the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is more information about the “Santa Hat Drive” on a Facebook event page, including an option to use Venmo to send money for the effort.
Canalside Tattoo also is selling some whimsical calendars of their staff as a benefit for the toy fund drive. Erin Townsend took the photos. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2020 at 2:59 pm
District expects many staff to be quarantined
MEDINA – The high school will be going fully remote on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, district superintendent Mark Kruzynski advised the school community this afternoon.
The district was notified there have been two confirmed Covid-19 cases in the high school.
“Because of the nature of the job of one of these positive cases, we are anticipating a significant amount of mandatory quarantines amongst our staff when contact tracing occurs,” Kruzynski said. “These expected quarantines will significantly impact our ability to keep Medina High School clean and disinfected during the day.”
Oak Orchard Elementary and Wise Middle School will both be open as scheduled on Monday.
Provided photos: Bob Hale receives his certificate of appreciation from Laurie Seager, Activities Assistant, and Martin MacKenzie, Administrator, for his service in the US Navy.
MEDINA – Veterans Day was celebrated a bit differently this year at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
Due to the pandemic, the site was unable to have the usual gun salute ceremony by local VFW and American Legion members.
Instead, the 18 veterans were recognized with certificates of appreciation to commend them for their efforts in support of our United States Armed Forces.
Each veteran also received a button to wear donated by The Print Shop. Residents also enjoyed coffee and Case-Nic cookies while listening to patriotic music.
Sharon Laskett, Physical Therapy Aide, presents a certificate to Charles Kellogg, her step-father, for his service in the US Marines.
Frank Ranallo accepts his plaque for service in the US Marines from Jamie Murphy, Activities Director.
Flag cookies and veterans’ pins were available to the 18 veterans at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Veterans from the American Legion and VFW in Medina prepare to conduct services for the first time at the cannon in State Street Park on Veterans Day.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 November 2020 at 9:18 am
MEDINA – Honoring veterans has been a tradition for the American Legion and VFW posts in Medina for decades.
Each Veterans Day, several dozen members of the local posts visit all the memorials in Medina, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the American Legion, the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (now the YMCA), the Korean War Memorial on Park Avenue, the tank in front of Oak Orchard Elementary School and the Butts-Clark Memorial in Butts Park on South Main Street.
This is the first year the veterans haven’t visited the veterans’ plot at Boxwood Cemetery. Also, for the first time this year, the veterans fired a tribute at the historic cannon in State Street Park, which was restored a year ago.
The ceremony at each memorial included a reading by David Kusmierczak, playing of Taps by Don Hinman, and a three-gun salute.
Typically, Veterans’ Day would begin with breakfast at the VFW, but because of Covid, that was discontinued this year.
Jim Freas, front, addresses the Honor Guard as they prepare to fire at the Vietnam Memorial at the American Legion in Medina. The Legion and VFW have fired at all the memorials in Medina on every Veterans Day for years.
Dave Kusmierczak salutes after reading a tribute to veterans in front of the Company F Memorial on Wednesday morning.
Don Hinman plays Taps for ceremonies at the veterans’ memorials in Medina on Memorial Day. He plays here at the cannon in State Street Park.
Members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina fire a tribute at the Company F Memorial in front of Medina Armory (Orleans County YMCA) on Wednesday morning.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Six members of the American Legion and VFW in Medina are veterans of the Vietnam War. Posing here with the Vietnam Memorial at the American Legion on North Main Street are, from left, David Higgins, Don Hinman, Jim Freas, David Kusmierczak, David Walker and Tony Vicknair. Walker and a friend, Tom Beach, recent updated the monument with a flower bed and sandstone edging.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 11 November 2020 at 12:18 pm
MEDINA – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial next to the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina has recently undergone an updating, with the addition of a flower bed and sandstone edging.
The work was done by Vietnam veteran David Walker and his friend Tom Beach, who have been friends since before the Vietnam War era.
“When I returned from Vietnam, Tom was the first one to recognize my service,” Walker said.
Walker lives across the road from the American Legion and didn’t like the way the memorial was looking.
“I got tired of sitting on my porch and watching the grass grow up around the monument,” Walker said. “I asked the Legion why they didn’t take better care of it, and they said it belonged to the village.”
The monument consists of a large stone with a plaque of the names of the seven soldiers from Medina who were killed in Vietnam. They are Rolland Shubbuck, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Roger Cook, Charles Seefeldt Jr., LeRoy Keller, Nicholas Natale, John Albanese and George Underdown.
“I went to school with all of them except Shubbuck,” Walker said. “I came home alive and intact and these guys didn’t. People don’t realize the brotherhood of those in the military. “
For that reason, Walker wanted to see their memorial taken care of.
The memorial sits at the north end of the Legion on the bank of the Erie Canal. It is backed by a large American flag and bullets from a cannon stand on either side.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 November 2020 at 3:38 pm
MEDINA – Medina High School will resume in-person classes on Tuesday. The school was remote-only today after the school district was notified on Sunday that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.
The student was last on campus on Nov. 2. The Orleans County Health Department has worked with the district to identify any close contacts of the student.
If the Health Department feels a child is at increased risk, the child’s family will be contacted directly. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, asks parents to contact the school nurse at (585) 798-3843 if a child is placed on quarantine. If that happens, the district will work to ensure virtual learning is arranged for the child.
The district remains committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all students and staff, Kruzynski said.
“Our buildings will continue to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected each and every day,” Kruzynski said in a letter to the community. “Our busses will continue to be cleaned and disinfected after every bus run. Our cleaning regimen, social distancing, barriers and mask requirements are working in helping to fight the spread of the coronavirus on our campus.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2020 at 8:37 pm
MEDINA – Medina High School will be doing classes remote only on Monday with no in-person classes after the school district was notified today that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.
This is the first Medina student to test positive for Covid-19 this school year.
Having no in-person classes in the school will allow the Orleans County Health Department to do conduct contact tracing with close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.
Medina High School students should log in to Google classroom for each of their classes on Monday, said Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
Students who attend BOCES will also be virtual on Monday.
The Oak Orchard and Wise schools will conduct in-person classes on Monday, as normally scheduled, Kruzynski said.
Lyndonville also is shifting to remote learning for grades 9-12 on Monday after the district was notified today that a high school student tested positive for Covid-19.
Design by Spohn Ranch Skateparks: The new skate park in Medina will have many elements for skaters, from the beginning level to intermediate and more advanced skill levels.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2020 at 10:19 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jeremy Bradenburg, left, and two of his skateboarding friends look over the design of a new skate park in medina during an open house on Saturday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
MEDINA – The Medina Skate Society presented the designs for a new skate park to the community on Saturday during an open house at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
Construction on the new skate park is expected to start in the spring and be complete in the summer.
The Skate Society has secured a matching grant to upgrade the park with up to $250,000 from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. Medina has $230,000 raised so far and has until Nov. 30, 2020 to see if it can fully maximize the grant.
The Tony Hawk Foundation, now known as the Skate Park Project, also has approved $50,000 towards the project.
The Medina Skate Society has approved the $550,000 design and build proposal from Spohn Ranch Skateparks in Los Angeles, California. The new skate park will replace one at Butts Park. It will be at the same location.
Vincent Onel, VP of Skatepark Development at Spohn Ranch, designed the Medina skate park and discussed the project through video conferencing on Saturday at Lee-Whedon.
The park includes areas and features for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
Some of the features include:
2.5-foot to 4-foot quarter pipes lining the southern edge of the park.
A 2.5-foot mini-ramp/beginner bowl section that waterfalls down to a 4-foot section along the north eastern edge.
A fun box with a hip and an inventive street sized curb (for doing slappys).
There are hubbas (grind ledges) and grind rails for beginner, intermediate and advanced skaters and riders.
The intermediate kidney shaped bowl begins at 5 feet and waterfalls down to 7 feet.
When entering the park from the walkway stretching from the main parking lot past the pavilion/seating area, there is 9-inch manual pad with a 20-inch ledge that will also bare the name of The Luke Nelson Skate Park, said Alex Feig, president of the Medina Skate Society.
The most prominent feature facing south Main Street is a functional art installation (steep slant) standing approximately 9 feet tall and 24 feet wide, Feig said. “This is where our sponsors will be displayed so it’s the first thing visitors see when they pull into the Butts Park.”
The skate park will be named for Luke Nelson, whose family has helped with many fundraisers and provided an inspiration on the project.
The park will be named for Luke Nelson, a skateboarder from Middleport who often used the park. He was 23 when he passed away on April 22, 2017. His family has donated to the park and helped organize the fundraisers to upgrade the site.
Jeremy Brandenburg, 26, of Medina was among the community members who attended the open house. He said the new park will be a big attraction for skaters.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Brandenburg said. “It’s definitely got a little bit of everything.”
Village Trustee Owen Toale thanked Feig and the Skate Society for doing the fundraising, securing the grants and pushing the project forward.
Toale was pleased to see one of the features mimics the Canal Culvert. Feig suggested that and Onel included it into the design.
“It’s obviously an iconic structure in the area,” Toale said about the Canal Culvert. “To incorporate it is brilliant.”
Chris Goyette discusses the Medina Skate Park with Alex Feig, president of the Medina Skate Society, which has spearheaded the $550,000 project.
The new public concrete skate park will have a smooth surface and new equipment for skaters, bikers, scooters and in-line skaters. The park will also be an architectural work of art, Feig said.
For more information on the Skate Park and the Medina Skate Society, click here. Donations can be made directly to the Medina Skate Society. Larger tax-deductible donations should be made out to the Orleans Renaissance Group Inc. PO Box 543 Medina, New York 14103 specifying in the subject line “Skate Park Project.”
Provided photos: Aedan Bunch is honored as DeMolay of the Year during a recent ceremony.
Staff Reports Posted 8 November 2020 at 9:01 am
First from WNY to receive DeMolay of the Year since 2006
MEDINA – Medina High School senior Aedan C. Bunch recently received an award from NYS Masons for his achievements in DeMolay. The DeMolay is a nationwide program sponsored by Masons to guide young men of all backgrounds toward good citizenship, community service, and personal responsibility.
The last time a young man from Western New York received this honor was in 2006. The award, known as the Order of the Tribune, was conferred in a ceremony by leaders from each York Rite Masonic Body and the Grand Master of Masons in New York, William M. Sardone. The award includes an emblematic medal and a knightly sword of honor.
Aedan Bunch is pictured in his DeMolay regalia. This award also includes a knightly sword and medal.
Aedan also received other DeMolay awards, including the ”Representative DeMolay Award” for leadership, and a “Distinguished Service Award” for his efforts in helping his peers during the pandemic.
Each DeMolay Chapter nominates a young man by submitting a recommendation to The New York Grand Chapter of the State of New York, Royal Arch Masons through the offices of the Grand Chapter Masonic Youth Committee who coordinates and presents the award each year under the control of the New York DeMolay Executive Officer.
To be considered for this award the candidate can not be a current or past State Master Councilor or Deputy State Master Councilor and he must clearly demonstrate that he lives by the virtues taught in DeMolay through demonstrated outstanding service to his Chapter, to DeMolay, to his community, his faith community, and to his school. Above all these virtues a candidate for this award should be an example and mentor to his peers, in his DeMolay Chapter and the community.
Aedan, a son of Steven and Ann Webster Bunch of Medina, represents the virtues and tenants of Order of York Rite Tribune through his unyielding kindness and unyielding quiet strength of character. Aedan set an example through his extreme ownership to challenges he faced. It is through this discipline, commitment, and hard work he shows his peers and community what commitment looks like.
Currently Aedan competes for Medina on the varsity cross country team. He attends The Norman Howard School in Rochester, New York through a placement from the Medina Central School District.
He has been recognized by his school as an example by scoring a school all time high score for the Pacer Test. In addition to his school, Aedan was selected by the leadership of Camp Talisman, North Carolina, to attend a session as mentor and planner tasked with helping those campers leaving home for the first time as well as planning and leading activities for an entire day.
He has been selected to return to Camp Talisman this coming summer as a member of Crew where he will be part of team assigned to lead and mentor a group of youth in the wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This year’s Order of York Tribune was preceded by an awards ceremony for awards for merit and achievement. Aedan received numerous awards for merit so much that he was awards a “three-bar” hanger for his achievement pennants. He was also awarded with the Representative DeMolay Award which is a merit award earned through a reflective process where a young man provides examples of how he is improving his character, challenging himself, achieving his goals, and leading by example.
Aedan also receive a Distinguished Service Award for his efforts in helping his peers during the pandemic whereby he organized “Operation Cookie Drop” sending a few homemade cookies through the mail during the shutdown.
Aedan also was installed as the Lakes Region Master Councilor for New York DeMolay by the Grand Master of DeMolay International and the New DeMolay Executive Officer, Peter Brusoe.
