Medina

Bronze statue sought for monument by Medina Armory

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Rendering courtesy of Company F Memorial Committee – A fund-raising effort has started for a bronze statue of a soldier about 7 feet tall that would be on top of an existing stone base that is 6 feet, 10 inches in height.

MEDINA – In October 2008, a stone monument was dedicated with plaques listing soldiers who trained at the Medina Armory and fought wars on behalf of the United States.

Now, seven years later the Company F Memorial Committee wants to put a finishing touch on the monument: a bronze statue of a soldier with a rifle over his shoulder.

The statue would be almost 7 feet high. That project, plus replacing a vandalized plaque and making name changes and additions on others, would cost about $90,000, said Bill Menz, chairman of committee.

The new fund-raising campaign would also pay for a flag pole about 30 feet high for the American flag. Right now it shares a pole with a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag.

Menz would like to have the project complete next year.

“This is the history of Orleans County,” said Menz, who led the efforts for the Company F Monument’s first phase. “We’re trying to wake up the historic spirit of the community.”

The Medina Armory opened in 1901 for Company F, which formed in 1891. It trained at a different location prior to the Armory. In 1977, the National Guard left the Medina Armory, a site on Pearl Street. The site has been used as a YMCA for more than three decades.

Courtesy Medina Sandstone Society – Company F prepares to leave Medina Oct. 24, 1940 for training at Fort McClellan and active duty in WWII. Saturday was the 75th anniversary of their departure.

Menz was one of the soldiers to train in the Armory. That was for 18 months when he was in the National Guard in the 1950s. He served on active duty in Greenland. He attained the rank of a corporal E-4.

The monument includes 550 names of local soldiers who fought in wars on behalf of the United States. The soldiers enlisted and trained at the Medina Armory for conflicts from 1898 to 1945 including the Spanish-American War, Mexican-American, World War I and World War II.

In 2006, a group of Medina veterans, their family members and representatives from the Medina Sandstone Society embarked on a project to provide a permanent tribute to the 550 soldiers from Orleans County and the surrounding area who joined Company F.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Bill Menz is pushing to have a statue and another flag pole by the monument next to the Medina Armory.

After two years of planning, fund-raising and building the monument, it was dedicated on Oct. 14, 2008.

The Company F Memorial Committee is working with the Orleans County Joint Veterans Council and Lincoln Post No. 1483 VFW for the additions to the monument, including the statue.

Any donations for the statue can be mailed to Company F Monument, P.O. Box 522, Medina NY, 14103. For more information, click here.

Pride Pak plan passes County Planning Board

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2015 at 12:00 am

This shows a rendering of the new building on Maple Ridge Road across from GCC.

MEDINA – The Orleans County Planning Board reviewed the site plan for a new 62,000-square-foot vegetable processing facility last week and recommended the Village of Medina approve the plan.

Pride Pak wants to break ground on the project next month and be ready for production in June. The Canadian-based company says it will hire 85-100 employees in phase one of the project. It expects it will expand from the 62,000-square-foot building in the future and employ 200 people.

The company will build on Route 31A across from Genesee Community College in an area zoned as light industrial in the Maple Ridge Overlay District.

The company is proposing 106 parking spaces, with 100 designated for employees and six for visitors. The village code for the Maple Ridge Overlay District calls for 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet for a building, which would be 310 spaces for a 62,000-square-foot building. For light industrial sites, there should be 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet or 124 for Pride Pak, according to the code.

However, Medina allows for “a reasonable reduction” in parking spaces if the company can show there isn’t an overflow parking problem and it won’t adversely impact access roads.

The County Planning Board said additional parking could always be added if it proves a problem, but the board didn’t foresee a need for more than 106 given the production-only nature of the facility.

The site plan goes to the Village Planning Board for a final vote on Nov. 3.

Medina ups the prize ante for Parade of Lights

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Matt Mundion and his giant igloo – The North Pole – was named grand champion in the Parade of Lights last year in Medina. It was the second striaght year Mundion won the top prize. He declined the $500 grand prize last year, and urged organizers to sweeten the prize ths year.

The Parade of Lights Committee is taking Mundion’s advice and doubling the grand prize to $1,000.

Parade Chairman Jim Hancock said he wants to reward the top float, and also encourage more businesses and organizations to be a part of Nov. 28 event, which will be the seventh Parade of Lights in Medina. The parade has been a big success, drawing several thousand people to downtown Medina and the parade route.

Some members of the Parade Committee hold the $1,000 ceremonial check. The group includes, from left: Dave Miller, Gail Miller, Trudi Schwert, Jim Hancock and Dave Schwert.

There have been about 30 to 35 participants in the parade each year.

“The only criteria is it must be covered in lights,” Hancock said. “I’ve been blown away by the creativity and what people can do.”

Mundion built the “North Pole” with a framework of wood and attached white fabric on the outside to give an igloo look. He used two of the deer from his 2013 float – Rudolph and Dasher – as part of the display. He also built a door in front so he could see to steer the igloo. He drove a four-wheeler underneath the igloo to travel the parade route.

For more information on the parade and an entry form, click here.

Medina hospital staff meet public at health fair

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Medina Memorial Hospital had many health professionals available to take questions and provide information during a health fair on Tuesday at the hospital.

This group provides physical, speech and occupational therapy. The group includes, front row, from left: Brenda Zimmerman, occupational therapist; and Nancy Fallon, director of rehab and a speech therapist/language pathologist.

Back row: Sheryl Bates, physical therapist; Cory Lewis, physical therapist; and Caroline Lewandowski, speech therapist.

Two staff members for the Urgent Care site in Albion, which now has Netflix available in rooms while patients wait for the doctor, talk about services for the site.

Nikki Helsdon, seated with an episode on House playing on her laptop, is the registration supervisor for the Urgent Care site. Joanna Miller, in back, is director of the Albion health care site, which opened in November 2012 by Orleans Community Health, parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital.

Nick Callara of Medina took questions at a pharmacy station. Callara is a pharmacy intern at the hospital and a senior at St. John Fisher College.

The health fair also included a chance for a massage from either Katie Crooks or Gary Condoluci.

Medina band is hot on a cold night in Victor

Contributed Story Posted 18 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Provided photo, Medina Mustang Band

MEDINA – While it was a chilly night in Victor on Saturday, the Medina Mustang Band was hot! Medina took first place in the SS1 class with a score of 84.75, followed by East Irondequoit, second with 80.35.

Medina Band Director Jim Steele commented that “the kids once again did a fantastic job on Saturday regardless of less than stellar weather conditions. They worked hard all week and the reward was a great performance again this weekend. We are looking forward to continuing our journey together to represent the community and our school at the State Championships on Nov. 1. Regardless of outcome this has been one of my most rewarding years of teaching marching band in Medina. Great kids, great instructors and great band parents and supporters, who could ask for more!”

Next Saturday the band competes in Orchard Park before heading for the Dome in Syracuse on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Medina businesses are hopeful for $300K Main Street grant

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Main Street in Medina was blocked off for a classic car show on Sept. 2.

The Medina Business Association is pursuing a $300,000 state grant to assist building owners with projects.

MEDINA – Downtown Medina has enjoyed a rebirth in small businesses in the past decade with many new shops opening and building owners making big investments in their historic buildings.

Caring for an older building brings with it continuous challenges and expenses, from roofs, infrastructure and façades.

The Medina Business Association is trying to assist building owners by pursuing a $300,000 Main Street grant from the state. Those matching funds could be used for a range of projects, including creating residential space in the downtown.

The state is expected to announce the grant winners in December.

The Medina Business Association polled its members and about $1 million in projects were identified. The association considered seeking the maximum $500,000 grant, but opted to scale down its grant request to $300,000 to improve its chances of securing some money in the state program, said Kathy Blackburn, executive director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

If the MBA is approved for the grant, the Chamber would administer the funds. A committee of community members would review proposals from building owners to determine which ones are approved for the grant. Blackburn said a committee already is in place through Medina’s façade program. The same group would review the downtown projects if Medina is successful with the grant.

Building owners would need to front the money, and then get reimbursed for half the cost. Some owners who expressed interest in the grant may not want to be in the program because of the upfront expense. Blackburn said the Chamber and MBA will see who can commit to the grant projects if the funds are approved for Medina.

Albion and Holley have both received Main Street grants in recent years that resulted in work on several downtown buildings as well as streetscape improvements.

In addition to Medina’s grant application, the Orleans Economic Development Agency is seeking state funds for a downtown rental assistance program that would make rent cheap for businesses in the first six months.

“It helps the businesses get on their feet,” Blackburn said.

Pride Pak site plan goes before county next week

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 October 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – The site plan for a new 62,000-square-foot vegetable processing plant will go before the Orleans County Planning Board next Thursday.

The board meets at 7 p.m. in Conference Room C of the County Administration Building at 14016 Route 31 West.

Pride Pak would like to break ground on the project next month and have the building done by April so equipment could be moved in. The company would like to start processing and packaging vegetables from the site in June with 85 to 100 employees.

The company’s site plan also includes 114 parking spaces. The village code for the Maple Ridge Corridor calls for 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet for a building, which would be 310 spaces for a 62,000-square-foot building. Or, if the code for light industrial is applied, there should be 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet or 124 for Pride Pak.

The company will be seeking a variance for its parking for the property at 11531 Maple Ridge Rd., which is in the Light Industrial and Maple Ridge Overlay District.

The site plan also needs a final vote of approval from the Medina Village Planning Board, which meets 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 at City Hall.

Orleans County Planning Board members will look at other referrals, including:

A site plan review and special use permit for a dog kennel on West Shelby Road near Dunlap Road on vacant lot in a Residential/Agricultural District.

Request for area variance in the Town of Albion and site plan review and special use permit for agricultural employee dwelling units at 13646 West County House Rd., which is in a Residential/Agricultural District.

A request from Gaines for various updates to the town’s comprehensive plan.

A request from the Village of Holley to amend zoning text to allow directional signage in the Light Industrial District.

Doc’s Rock goes to Albion after 27-14 win over Medina

Staff Reports Posted 16 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Cheryl Wertman

ALBION – Albion captains Kyle Smith left, and Nate Trembley hold Doc’s Rock, named in honor of former coach Larry Decker. Doc’s Rock goes to the winner of the annual Albion-Medina football game, and Albion won 27-14 at home tonight. The Albion players are pictured with Decker’s son Brett and wife Judy.

Decker is a late long-time Medina coach and teacher. He also taught and coached for a time at Albion.

Albion and Medina played for the 118th time tonight in one of New York State’s oldest high school football rivalries.

The victory gives the Purple Eagles a 65-48-5 lead in the series which dates back to 1898. Coming into the game, the Mustangs had won the last three and five of the last seven.

For more on the game, check Local Sports.

Downtown banners urge people to Fall in Love with Medina

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Business Association and the Department of Public Works teamed to replace the banners in the downtown, adding a fall theme.

There are banners with leaves, apples and pumpkins.

The banners encourage people to explore the historic downtown and shop and dine in Medina.

The Medina Business Association pays for the banners, and has them for different seasons and to promote special events, such as last month’s Ale in Autumn.

“It adds to the downtown,” said Kathy Blackburn, one of the leaders of the Medina Business Association.

Medina Laundromat rebuilds after fire

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Rich Colonna, center, is pictured with his children Jeff and Lindsey. The family is working to rebuild the Washboard Willy’s Laundromat that burned in a May 23 fire on Starr Street in Medina.

Colonna opened the Washboard Willy’s in 2001. The family opened a second Laundromat last December on maple Ridge Road.

Customers there have asked that the Starr Street location be reopened, Colonna said. He said it has been inconvenient for many of the Starr Street customers, who often need to find rides to get their laundry done on maple Ridge Road.

Photo by Tom Rivers

Washboard Willy’s should reopen in February or March after extensive renovations. A new roof should be on by the end of next week. Colonna wants the site to be closed up before winter, then the new electric, plumbing and gas will be installed.

The new laundry machines will use less energy, water and soap.

Photo by Tom Rivers

The family said they could have bulldozed the site and sold the property. But they wanted laundry services to be available for residents in the immediate neighborhood.

Jeff, Lindsey and their brother Kevin, a sheriff’s deputy, all work with their father in the business, which is a demanding enterprise.

“It’s seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” Jeff Colonna said. “It has to be cleaned daily.”

Provided photo

Rich Colonna says the fire from May 23 remains under investigation. He said he is grateful for the quick response from the Medina Fire Department at 2 in the morning.

PILOT plan would save Pride Pak $1M in property taxes over 20 years

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2015 at 12:00 am

This rendering of the new Pride Pak vegetable processing plant was presented to the Medina Village Board last week.

MEDINA – The company that expects to break ground next month on a new 64,000-square-foot vegetable processing plant in Medina will do so with a tax-savings plan that would spare Pride Pak from paying $1 million in property taxes over the next 20 years.

The proposed payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for the company would save Pride Pak $992,250 over 20 years, according to Orleans Hub calculations.

The PILOT also commits Pride Pak to paying $897,750 over 20 years to the Town of Shelby, Village of Medina, Medina Central School and Orleans County.

Without the PILOT, the company would pay $1,890,000 in property taxes over 20 years on a $2.1 million assessment and a tax rate at $45 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The PILOT is still being worked out by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. It will likely go before the EDA board on Nov. 13 for a vote.

There has already been a public hearing on the schedule for the PILOT that calls for the company to pay 0 percent of the taxes in the first year, with 5 percent of the tax bill added each of the following 20 years.

Pride Pak is based in Canada and wants to build on 13 acres of land currently owned by the EDA. The land is tax exempt. Local government leaders have backed the PILOT plan, noting the land currently doesn’t generate tax revenue and Pride Pak will add to the municipal coffers over 20 years.

The company will also add 85 to 100 jobs in phase 1 of the project. It expects to add two more buildings after the first one is up and operational next year. Any structures after the first building are not part of the proposed PILOT and those buildings would result in additional tax revenue for the local governments, said Jim Whipple, EDA chief executive officer.

The EDA expects the new Pride Pak building will be assessed at $2.1 million. The EDA also fixed the combined tax rate for the four municipalities at $45 per $1,000 of assessed property. That’s about $10 less than the combined rates for the village, town, school and county.

Based on a $45 tax rate, the owner of a $2.1 million assessed property would pay $94,500 a year in property taxes.

The PILOT calls for Pride Pak to pay $0 the first year, then 5 percent ($4,725) in year 2. Each following year adds another 5 percent or $4,725. That would be $18,900 in year 5, $42,525 in year 10, $66,150 in year 15 and $89,775 in year 20, according to Orleans Hub calculations. After the 20 years, the company pays the full $94,500 if the tax rate stays at $45.

If the company was paying a combined $55 tax rate over 20 years instead of a $45 rate, it would have to pay an additional $420,000 based on a $2.1 million assessment.

The EDA usually offers 10-year PILOTs where the tax payments are ramped up 10 percent each year. The agency was more aggressive with Pride Pak because the company was being wooed by other sites in Western New York and Pottsville, Pa., where one of Pride Pak’s customers has a facility.

In addition to the PILOT, Pride Pak is being offered a sales tax exemption for up to $4.1 million in taxable purchases for construction and equipment in building the new $15 million vegetable processing plant. That sales tax break would save the company up to $328,000 in sales tax.

Pride Pak would also be spared the 1 percent mortgage tax on the project up to $6.5 million. That would save the company another $65,000.

Altogether, the EDA is proposing a tax savings plan of nearly $1.4 million.

EDA goes with big, bold sign for Medina Business Park

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Courtesy Orleans Economic Development Agency – This new sign will be installed along Bates Road for the Medina Business Park. The sign will be 9 feet high and 6 feet wide.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Here is how the former sign looked.

MEDINA – The old sign with its flaking paint is gone. Soon a new, almost futuristic sign, will be installed that will be bigger and bolder than any other sign in Orleans County promoting the business parks.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency worked with Takeform Architectural Graphics in Medina for the new sign, which will be 9 feet high by 6 feet wide at the Medina Business Park along Bates Road.

“It will reflect our logo and be forward looking,” said Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans EDA.

The new monument sign needs a concrete slab and power for the lights before it will be installed. The Medina Department of Public Works will put in the sign.

The Medina Business Park is shovel-ready with infrastructure, including a fully developed access road, in place for companies ready to build.

The Business Park includes space for a “virtual building,” a 40,000-square-foot pre-permitted building site.

Sandstone Trust has small grants available for community projects

Staff Reports Posted 12 October 2015 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society is making several thousand dollars available in grants to community organizations and projects.

The grants generally range from $200 to $500 and are awarded to qualifying not-for-profit organizations and/or programs in the Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby region.

Funding is intended to help programs that clearly benefit this community and that have favorable tax and regulatory status.

The community endowment has given out nearly $20,000 over the past five years. The most recent round of grants included funding for improvements to the veterans plot at Boxwood Cemetery, to the Medina Business Association for Old-Tyme Christmas, emergency dollars to fix porch damage at the Medina Historical Museum, dollars to The Arc of Orleans toward kitchen equipment for Camp Rainbow, support for Medina’s Civil War Re-Enactment last April, stone repair from frost damage at the Armory (“Y”), and continuation of student scholarships.

To apply for a grant, organization leaders need to fill out a Sandstone Trust Application form and mail to Sandstone Trust, Post Office Box 25, Medina, by the application deadline, Nov. 14.

Application forms can be obtained as follows: In person at Medina Parts Co. (NAPA) 345 N. Main St. or Michael Zelazny, CPA 511 Main St.; By regular mail request sent to Sandstone Trust, PO Box 25, Medina, NY 14103; or online from the Sandstone Trust web page www.sandstonesociety.org.

Questions may be sent by email at sandstonesociety@gmail.com or calling Michael Zelazny, CPA at 585-798-1006.

‘Banner week’ for economic development in Medina area, mayor says

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2015 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – Projects that have been months and years in the making both became public this week when Pride Pak presented its site plan for a new vegetable processing and distribution plant in Medina and the first tenant committed to a new high-tech factory in the Town of Alabama.

Both sites will be big users of Medina’s sewer plant, a great economic development resource that has operated under capacity for years.

“It’s a banner week for economic development in western Orleans,” Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said. “Medina’s water and wastewater is a big winner.”

The two plants will generate big revenue for Medina’s water and sewer funds. Deputy Mayor Mike Sidari said that should help to at least stave off water and sewer increases for village residents. The revenue should also allow the village to maintain and improve its infrastructure, Meier said.

Other communities trying to lure big companies often don’t have sewer capacity ready for big companies. Medina’s sewer and water resources were among the assets that brought Pride Pak to the community. It will build a new 62,000-square-foot facility on Maple Ridge Ridge, with room to expand in the future.

Pride Pak will have 85 to 100 employees as part of the first phase. Construction should start next month, pending final approvals on the site plan from the Village Planning Board, and other local and state permits.

The company expects to start construction next month on the new vegetable processing facility, a site that will likely be expanded in phases and could see 200 employees at full build-out.

A Massachusetts company, 1366 Technologies, will build a 130,000-square-foot manufacturing site just south of the Town of Shelby in Genesee County. The facility will go in a farm field off Lewiston Road on Crosby Road.

The company will make silicon carbon wafers, a key component in solar panels. It will make a $100 million investment in the first phase of the project, and expects to expand quickly. It will have 600 full-time employees in phase 1 and could employ 1,000 at full build-out.

The state is committing $33 million for infrastructure for the STAMP site in the Town of Alabama. A sewer main will run to the site, connecting to Medina’s system. Meier said the route for the sewer main hasn’t yet been determined.

Pride Pak CEO says Medina great fit for company

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2015 at 12:00 am

Hopes to start construction next month on new facility

Photos by Tom Rivers – Steve Karr (right), chief executive officer for Pride Pak Canada, meets village officials and others working on the company’s new 62,000-square-foot vegetable processing facility. The site plan for the project was presented to the Medina Village Board this evening. He is pictured with Mauro LoRusso, vice president of finance for Pride Pak (center); Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency (far left); and Marguerite Sherman, village trustee (second from left).

MEDINA – A company coming to Orleans County looked at several sites, including into Pennsylvania, but Medina turned out to be a great fit for Pride Pak, the company’s CEO said this evening following a Village Planning Board meeting when a site plan for the 62,000-square-foot building was presented.

Steve Karr said Medina is close to the border for the Canadian-based company and also sits in an agricultural region with close proximity to a big population base in the U.S.

Ultimately, Karr said the Orleans Economic Development Agency was very responsive in helping the company find a location “that makes sense for us.”

The company expects to start construction next month on the new vegetable processing facility, a site that will likely be expanded in phases and could see 200 employees at full build-out.

Karr would like the building to be done in April for equipment to be moved in. He would like to start processing and packaging vegetables next June.

He knows the weather over the winter will play a big factor in meeting that ambitious schedule.

D.R. Chamberlain Construction of Lockport is the general contractor for the new building.

This shows a rendering of the new building on Maple Ridge Road across from GCC.

The company received a warm welcome from local officials this evening.

“It will be a cornerstone for the rest of the business park,” said Deputy Mayor Mike Sidari.

Village Trustee Owen Toale said the new jobs will be a big boost for the community and many local families, leaving a ripple effect felt at restaurants, stores and in the real estate market.

“Medina hasn’t had a project of this size in many years,” said Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans EDA.

The company is privately owned and the business fits well in a agricultural community, Barone said.

Medina also has the existing infrastructure with water and sewer to meet the company’s needs. The EDA has the land, and Pride Pak will buy 13 acres from the agency. That land currenty is not on the tax rolls. Pride Pak will gradually pay the full assessed value for the property in 5 percent increments over 20 years.

Barone said the business park has been a work in progress over 30 years, with the village and EDA working closely to expand the property and provide the needed utilities.

“It looks like this just came together but it has been years,” she said.

Karr said Barone deserves a lot of credit for bringing Pride Pak to Medina.

“She was always there trying to figure out how it could be done,” he said. “The EDA has a very quick response time.”

Karr has been in the fresh fruit and vegetable processing, packing and distributing business since 1983. Pride Pak is Ontario, Canada’s largest fruit and vegetable processor and currently exports 50 percent of its produce to the U.S. market.

The company packs vegetables for other companies, including Wegmans Food Market. The vegetables are packed fresh, not frozen, Karr said.

The company wants to work with local farmers with carrots and other “root vegetables” in the beginning as long as they meet food safety guidelines for the vegetables, Karr said. The Medina site will process vegetables, and Karr said the facility will also package salads, with some of the salads going to Pride Pak’s Canadian customers.

Pride Pak expects about 45 truckloads of product each month, or about 1 ½ a day, according to Mike Simon, project engineer with BME Associates, a Fairport engineering firm.

Most of truck traffic will be vegetables coming in, but some truck traffic will include vegetable waste, about 220 tons a month, that will be delivered to local livestock farms, Simon said.

The company will likely seek a variance from that code. Simon said Pride Pak would prefer to keep as much of the site green space as possible.

It will have access roads on each side of the plant, as well as loading docks.

The site plan will go before the Orleans County Planning Board on Oct. 22 for its recommendation before returning to the Village Planning Board for a final vote on Nov. 3.