Photo by Tom Rivers: Dr. Aaron Slack, current high school principal in Lyndonville, speaks during a community forum on Wednesday. He is a finalist for Medina school superintendent. Dr. Clark Godshall, Orleans/Niagara BOCES superintendent, is at lower left.

MEDINA – When Aaron Slack graduated from Medina High School in 1990, like many students from a small town he was eager to leave the community.

Now he sees Medina enjoying a “renaissance” in the downtown, and its business parks are filling up with companies.

Slack said the area is poised for more growth with high-tech companies coming to the STAMP site just across the county line in the Town of Alabama.

Engineers and highly skilled workers will be looking to move near STAMP. Medina is one of many communities they will be considering, Slack said.

“STAMP could be a game-changer, but what will differentiate Medina?” Slack said during a community forum on Wednesday, where he was featured as one of three finalists for Medina school superintendent.

A strong school district with a sound education that is technologically relevant and offers extracurricular opportunities will be important to keep and attract Medina families, Slack said

He met with district stakeholders on Wednesday, including students. Some of the student leaders said there isn’t equal access for all students to technology. Slack wants to level the playing field and bridge the digital divide.

He also wants teachers to use technology to engage students. That’s what he did 20 years ago as an eighth grade English teacher in the Greece school district. He went on to be a middle school assistant principal and then principal in Greece. Then he worked for the Harrison Central School District in Westchester County as director of technology before returning to the Rochester area as an administrator for the alternative school run by the Monroe 1 BOCES.

In 2011, he came closer to home when he was hired as principal at the Lyndonville High School.

Slack said Jason Smith, the Lyndonville district superintendent, has been a great role model for a district leader. Smith is transparent with the Board of Education, and maintains a student-focus with strong connections in the community.

Slack has seen the Medina-Lyndonville shared services partnership first hand. The arrangement has benefited both districts by preserving athletic teams and the school musical, drawing from students from both schools. That shared service expanded this year with two Lyndonville students joining the Medina FFA.

Slack said he would favor more partnerships among the two districts with academic programs, including Advanced Placement courses.

Educationally, he said schools need to make it a priority to have every student reading by third grade. If students can’t reach that benchmark at that grade “they will be behind the 8-ball the rest of their academic careers.”

He was asked about the Common Core standards and high-stakes testing for grades 3 to 8. Slack said the tests are typically taken in April-May and districts don’t get the results until October. That is far too long of a delay, and doesn’t allow schools and parents to move fast enough to help struggling students.

Lyndonville has been using real-time testing so it can measure student progress and work with students who may need extra help.

The high-stakes testing, teacher evaluations, and Common Core have been “a perfect storm of stress” for the teaching profession, Slack said. He worries about an “emerging teacher shortage” due to the recent education changes. But Slack said Medina can be attractive for teachers if they have leadership opportunities, a supportive administration and “a voice in the process.”

He was asked about bullying and said Lyndonville has worked hard to embrace character education and create “a safe and caring climate.” The district has an anonymous online form to report bullying.

At Lyndonville, all students from grades Pre-K and 12 are on one campus using the same bus run. Older kids have been mentors to younger students.

He said he is most proud of the 98 percent graduation rate at Lyndonville last year. But Slack said no student should not graduate.

Slack said he would welcome the chance to be superintendent in his hometown. He currently lives in Medina and knows many of the residents and students. He said he would be visible in the schools and at after-school events.

“Being superintendent is two jobs – the people and the paper, and the people come first,” he said. “You can’t get swept up in the bureaucracy of being superintendent.”

The Medina Board of Education is considering three finalists for the job. In addition to Slack, the board and district stakeholders met with Dr. Stephen Lunden, the assistant superintendent at Maryvale, on Monday and Dr. Michael Weyrauch, principal at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES in Medina, on Tuesday.

Wendi Pencille, BOE president, said the board is working to make a decision soon.

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‘Everyone is tired of the same old iceberg lettuce’ – Steven Karr, CEO of Pride Pak

Photos by Tom Rivers: Steven Karr, CEO of Pride Pak, gives a tour of the 68,000-square-foot site in Medina. This is the Canada-based company’s third processing site, and first in the United States.

MEDINA – Steven Karr, CEO of Pride Pak, says his business has always been about delivering on a promise.

The new 68,000-square-foot facility in Medina, staffed with 40 employees trimming lettuce and packaging it for salads for Wegmans, meets a commitment he made to the popular grocery chain based in Rochester.

Pride Pak is on a site that was a vacant field in January. The company and local governments pushed to have the site ready on an aggressive schedule. In addition to the 280-foot-long building, the site has a new road, water and sewer infrastructure, and other utilities.

“It’s about delivering what we talked about,” Karr, the Pride Pak CEO, told about 300 people during a ribbon-cutting and opening celebration.

For 35 years, Karr has been in the vegetable processing business. Karr has made a commitment to excellence and honoring contracts top priorities.

Medina gives the company a U.S. site. Pride Pak also has facilities in Mississaugua and Newfoundland. It is the largest vegetable processor in Canada, and 35 percent of its produce comes to the U.S.

Wegmans is a major U.S. customer. Sometimes, in big snowstorms, it can be challenging to get trucks from Canada through WNY to Wegmans. Pride Pak has taken big detours around a snowstorm, sometimes driving to Detroit or around Lake Ontario to get trucks through to serve customers in WNY. Karr said waiting out a storm out isn’t an option. The company will meet its obligations to customers.

Pride Pak currently gets its lettuce, baby spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, carrots and other vegetables from Yuma in Arizona, California and Oregon. Karr said the company wants to work with local growers in WNY.

David Corsi, Wegmans vice president of produce and floral operations, praised the Karr family and Pride Pak for a commitment to excellence.

Wegmans is “ecstatic” with the new Pride Pak facility in Medina, said David Corsi, the company’s vice president of produce and floral operations. The site is closer to Wegmans distribution hub in Rochester, ensuring a fresher product, and a smaller carbon footprint, Corsi said.

He praised Karr, his three children that work for the company, and the Pride Pak company for innovations with making salad much more attractive to consumers. A generation ago, people could buy heads of iceberg lettuce at the grocery store. Karr and Pride Pak trim the lettuce, and mix in baby spinach, thinly sliced red cabbage, and other vegetables. Pride Pak has several mixes and is always experimenting.

“For 22 years they have been supplying us with a stellar product,” Corsi said during Wednesday’s opening celebration.

Karr has 35 years in the processing business. He began innovating with salads after delivering vegetables to a Holiday Inn in Toronto. Karr said the chef at the Holiday Inn had to have 1,500 to 2,000 meals ready all at once. The chef told him the salads were a challenge. The lettuce wasn’t always consistent and there could be a lot of waste and trimming because of the outer leaves.

Karr decided to make it easier for the chef. Karr trimmed and chopped the lettuce, putting it in 50-pound bags. That eliminated some steps for the chef, and gave him an accurate count of the product. Other customers, including McDonalds, took notice and wanted the lettuce.

Pride Pak expects it can have harvested lettuce from Arizona and California to Wegmans in salad mixes within 48 hours of it coming from the fields. The Medina site cuts about 24 hours the time from field to grocery store because trucks don’t have to cross the border and make the trip to Mississagua.

Karr sees a growing demand for the salads.

“People are more health conscious,” he said. “They want more varieties. Everyone is tired of the same old iceberg lettuce.”

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Dr. Michael Weyrauch, principal at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES in Medina, speaks with community members during a forum on Tuesday evening where residents could ask questions to the finalist for district superintendent.

MEDINA – Dr. Michael Weyrauch said kids always come first when running a school district.

He would have a visible presence, greeting students in the morning and afternoon, and keeping student opportunities at the forefront of decision making.

Weyrauch is currently principal at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES in Medina. He works with 640 students from seven school districts. He oversees about 40 staff members and a $5 million budget.

Weyrauch started his career in Medina as a technology teacher 13 years ago.

He moved to administration because he said he wanted to work with more students, and was welcomed by the district to serve as assistant principal at the middle school. He was principal there for four years before going to BOCES to be principal of the education center in Medina.

Not only has Weyrauch been accountable to 2 bosses at BOCES, but he also has worked closely with the superintendents at the seven districts.

“I have a ton of experience at BOCES that I never would have had in a traditional school setting,” he said on Tuesday when he was interviewed as one of three finalists for Medina’s school superintendent.

Weyrauch earned his administration certification from Brockport State College before earning his doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Rochester.

Weyrauch met with teachers, administrators, students and other district stakeholders on Tuesday. He was impressed by the level of commitment by everyone towards the district’s success.

“The students are extremely proud and push themselves to meet the expectations of their teachers,” Weyrauch said at an evening community forum.

He believes in the pursuit of excellence, and preparing students for life after high school, whether in trades, college, the military – whatever the next step may be.

At BOCES, he has brought in numerous career professionals to connect with students, and has pushed for the latest in technology for students and teachers to meet or exceed industry standards.

Weyrauch said a district can’t “give everyone what they want,” but he said with long-term planning a district can stay at the forefront of technology and resources without overburdening the taxpayers.

The superintendent candidate praised the district for recent gains in student achievement, especially with high school Regents. The scores in grades 3 through 8 seem to be at a plateau, Weyrauch said. However, the opt-out movement for standardized tests has left the district without a full sample for a student assessment. He wants to see more data to determine student progress, and then plan for how the district can help students who are struggling to meet standards.

Weyrauch told community members that he would work in collaboration with the Board of Education, teachers, staff and parents.

“You need that supportive mindset that it’s a family with a lot of children,” he said.

He favors the shared services arrangement with Lyndonville, where Lyndonville students play on Medina football and boys soccer teams as well as other shared athletics, and Medina students are part of Lyndonville’s school musical.

Weyrauch also said he would push for improved communication from the district to the community, through social media, the district website and local media, including the Orleans Hub and The Daily News in Batavia.

The district is meeting with the three superintendent finalists this week.

Stephen Lunden, the assistant superintendent at Maryvale, met with school stakeholders on Monday. Dr. Aaron Slack, principal of Lyndonville High School, will meet with several district groups today, including a community forum at 6 p.m. at the district office.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Stephen Lunden, one of three finalists for Medina school superintendent, speaks during a community forum on Monday.

MEDINA – The school district’s former business administrator, Dr. Stephen Lunden, told a community group he would welcome the chance to come back to Medina as school superintendent.

Lunden is one of three finalists for the district’s top administrator. He worked for Medina from 1998 to 2000, and was part of two capital projects in addition to preparing the school budgets and overseeing the district’s finances.

He has worked the past 10 years in Maryvale, currently as assistant superintendent.

Lunden, his wife and their two daughters have stayed in the Medina community. (Lunden’s oldest daughter Amanda was the class valedictorian in 2016. Rebecca is a sophomore at Medina.)

Lunden started his career as a school business administrator at Holley for about four years before going to Medina, then Starpoint for seven years and the past decade at Maryvale in Cheektowaga.

He said districts face increasing financial pressures to provide programs for students without overburdening the taxpayers. Working at the four school districts has shown him different approaches to school finances, providing programs, community partnerships, working with the Board of Education, and many other issues.

He praised Medina and the late Jeff Evoy, the district’s superintendent until his death on June 23, for boosting student achievement, including gains that took Medina off a list of “Focus” schools in need of improvement.

“Medina has taken steps to get off the list,” Lunden said. “It would be foolish to change some of those structures.”

Evoy also worked with Lyndonville in shared services for athletic and drama programs, an initiative that Lunden said he would strongly support because sharing is good for the districts’ budgets, and also maintains opportunities for students.

Lunden was asked by former Board of Education member Virginia Nicholson if he could fill Evoy’s shoes.

“They are big shoes to fill,” Lunden responded. “I will do my best. I think he was a great person. I have every bit of respect for him and the decisions he made.”

Lunden said his expertise is finances, but he has been part of staff hiring and reviews, and overall planning in academics at Maryvale as assistant superintendent.

While Medina is off the Focus list, some students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families, continue to lag behind peers in academic achievement. Lunden was asked how he would address that issue.

Lunden said there is no one “golden ticket” that can raise student achievement for everybody. He would rely on the teaching staff of 160 professionals.

“We have to look at each individual student and see what’s going on with the results they have achieved,” Lunden said.

Lunden also met teachers, administrators, staff, students, the the Band Boosters and FFA on Monday.

Today, Dr. Michael Weyrauch, principal at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES in Medina, will meet with district stakeholders throughout the day, including a community forum at 6 p.m. in the district office.

Dr. Aaron Slack, principal of the Lyndonville High School, is also a finalist and will meet with Medina stakeholders on Wednesday, including a community forum at 6 p.m.

The Medina Board of Education hopes to make a decision soon after this week’s forums, with an announcement made perhaps by mid-December. The new superintendent could be in Medina by mid-to-late January, said Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and leader of the superintendent search for Medina.

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New officers represent half of the Medina PD

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward shakes hands with Jacob Reeves, one of six officers to be sworn in during this evening’s Medina Village Board meeting. Sgt. Todd Draper also congratulates the officers who have all been on the force for less than a year. Corey Collins is at right.

The officers stand together while taking the oath of office. They include, from left: Christian Navas, Michael Forgione, Brian Marsceill, Corey Ambrose, Jacob Reeves and Cory Collins.

Two of the officers – Forgione and Navas – joined the Medina PD after recently completing the police academy. Ambrose also joined Medina after finishing the academy about a year ago. Reeves is a transfer from the Le Roy PD, while Marsceill joined Medina after working at the Attica PD. Collins was at Holley before coming to Medina.

The new officers bring the department to 12 officers, which is the most in about a decade.

The officers, in reading the oath, said they will “faithfully, honesty and impartially discharge the duties of police of the Medina Police Department.” They vowed to promote and protect the best interest of the Village of Medina “through fiscal responsibility, honesty, integrity and loyalty.”

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MEDINA – Here are some more photos of floats from the Parade of Lights in Medina, including the this photo showing a group from the Orchard Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Medina.

These are some of the groups that didn’t win awards, but still made a strong effort. There were 34 entries on the parade.

Organizers believe the 8^th annual parade attracted its biggest crowd yet from the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue to downtown Medina.

Spotlight Studio in Albion with a float in theme of Polar Express.

Prime Time Brass in Rochester

Automotive Solutions

Barnyard Boggers

Joe Mangiola and Calvary Tabernacle Church

Celebrity Day Spa with a Star Wars theme

Calvin Fournier of the Little Bits 4-H Club in Niagara County

Case-Nic Cookies

David Green, left, and Mike Fuller from the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company

Mark Time Marchers

Hartland Carriage with Santa and Mrs. Claus

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Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band, including 34 alumni, get ready to play for the judges during Saturday’s Parade of Lights in Medina.

The turnout from alumni was the biggest so far for the parade.

The band is gearing up for a 50^th anniversary celebration next year and welcomes more alumni for the May 29 Memorial Day parade. That day will also be a reunion for band participants in the past half century.

A committee working on the reunion will meet Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. at the VFW in Medina. For more on the reunion, click here.

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MEDINA – The three finalists for superintendent of Medina Central School will be available for community forums this week as the district works to pick its new leader.

All three finalists are established education leaders locally.

The three finalists are:

• Dr. Stephen Lunden, Assistant Superintendent at the Maryvale CSD and a Medina resident. (Lunden also served as Medina’s director of finance from November 1998 to July 2000.)
• Dr. Aaron Slack, Principal of the Lyndonville High School.
• Dr. Michael Weyrauch, Principal at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES in Medina.

Each finalist has a day to meet with various stakeholder groups – teachers, PTSA, boosters, students, support staff, and administrators – who will interview and provide the Board of Education with critical feedback. Those days are scheduled for Monday through Wednesday.

Community sessions with similar opportunities for input are scheduled each day from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the Board of Education room. One candidate will be available each evening to discuss his qualifications and respond to questions from the community.

The school district is currently led by interim superintendent Tom Cox. He has provided temporary leadership for the district following the death on June 23 of Jeff Evoy, who had served as district superintendent for about five years.

The community is welcome to attend the public sessions with the superintendent finalists. Dr. Clark Godshall, superintendent of the Orleans/Niagara BOCES, is serving as search consultant for the Medina and will conduct the sessions.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited several business owners in Medina, including Bread Basket owner Lissa Stewart-James, yesterday during Small Business Saturday.

Hochul stopped by five communities on Saturday. Besides Medina, she was in Brockport, Batavia, Williamsville and Buffalo.

“We want to showcase the small businesses that are the backbone of these communities,” Hochul said in Medina.

She praised Medina for a “vibrant downtown” that creates jobs, a sense of community identity and revenue to maintain historic commercial buildings. The Medina downtown has a “tremendous variety” of retail shops, she said.

“This is out of It’s A Wonderful Life,” Hochul said about downtown Medina.

Hochul said next year she wants to see a special focus on canal communities and their economies. Next year will be the 200^th anniversary of the start of construction for the Erie Canal. It took eight years to build. The state is planning a bicentennial celebration from 2017 to 2025 for the 200^th anniversary of the canal’s construction.

Photo from Kathy Hochul’s Office: Hochul stopped in at Case-Nic Cookies, bought a snack and chatted with store owner Mary Lou Tuohey. Medina Mayor Mike Sidari is in back.

Hochul also purchased one of her favorites, sponge candy, from Sue Fuller at Della’s Chocolates. The lieutenant governor also stopped by The Book Shoppe and English Rose Tea Shoppe.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Hochul is pictured on the reviewing stand for the Parade of Lights with Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, who served as announcer and Medina Mayor Mike Sidari.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Fireworks burst in the sky in this photo from Main Street in Medina at about 6 p.m., just before the eighth annual Parade of Lights.

There were 34 entrants in the parade that started at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue and concluded in downtown Medina.

Matt C.M. Contracting , the reigning grand champion the previous three years, created a self-propelled float with a Christmas tree surrounded by presents. Matt C.M. Contracting owner Matt Mundion called this year’s float, “The Night Before Christmas.” He was inside the tree, steering the float down Main Street.

Weedman participants, owner Ken Bieber and Dancing Derrick Bradley, wave to the crowd.

The Shelby Volunteer Fire Company created a display with a message warning people to not overload their outlets this holiday season.

The Orleans County Christian School urged people to “Pray For Our Troops” and not forget the sacrifices of soldiers.

The Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund, which provides financial assistance to Orleans County residents battling cancer, had a float with a message: “Thank you snow much.”

The Medina Mustang Band played some energetic holiday favorites.

The Little Bits 4-H Club in Niagara Club wore costumes from several other countries.

The Albion FFA used 10,000 lights to create this float.

The Medina FFA created a Christmas scene with a smoky chimney.

The Roy-Hart FFA had a Minion on its float.

Catherine Cooper, director of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, served as grand marshal of the parade.

Hands 4 Hope, a street ministry based in Albion, was part of the parade for the first time today.

The Lyndonville Fire Department had a Teddy Bear Santa on the back of its fire truck in the parade.

Orleans Hub will post more pictures Sunday of the parade.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina hosted its fourth annual ‘Home for the Holidays” 5K this morning with about 100 runners completing the 3.1 mile course. The race started in the canal district.

Jose Quiros of Medina, left, and Joey Robinson, No. 47, are out in front early in the race.

Michael Irish, No. 93, and Olivia Sweet, 8 years old of Medina, head up Route 31 in today’s race.

Runners pass by State Street Park and the war memorial.

Daniel Heil, 16, of Medina is out in front in the homestretch of the race. He was the overall winner with a time of 19:12. Lindon Morici of Albion was the fastest woman with a time of 21:09.

A pack of runners keep a good pace along the Erie Canal.

These runners are on the towpath by the canal.

The race was co-sponsored by Beta Sigma Phi-Kappa lota Chapter, Medina LOYAL Baseball, Medina Veterinary Clinic and The English Rose Tea Shoppe. Proceeds from the race are being donated to the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in support of their children’s reading program and Medina LOYAL Baseball.

To see the race results, click here.