By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 February 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The Village Board approved a formal resolution on Monday that demands a fair formula for sharing state aid to villages, an issue the Orleans Hub has been pushing for more than a year.
Medina only receives $45,523 a year in state Aid and Incentives to Municipalities. The village has 6,065 residents and functions much like a small city with full-time police and fire departments, as well as many other services.
Salamanca in Cattaraugus County is nearly the same size as Medina. Salamanca gets $928,131 in AIM funding for a city of 5,815 people.
Medina passed a resolution that notes New York State provides $714 million in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities each year, with 90 percent of that going to upstate cities. The per capita AIM funding is $277 per city resident and only $7 for residents in towns and villages.
“This is a start in the right direction,” said Medina Mayor Andrew Meier. “We need AIM calculations that are more equitable and stop this obscene disparity.”
Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard said the county would like to see every town and village, as well as the County Legislature, pass similar resolutions.
Meier said the current AIM system is particularly punitive to villages with about 5,000 to 10,000 residents. Those villages tend to have the full-time police, and services – and challenges – that mirror cities.
“Villages like Albion and Medina are stuck in an awful purgatory,” Meier said. “We’re not considered a full-fledged city but we’re doing all of the work.”
Here is the text of the resolution approved by the Medina Village Board:
Resolution No. 1
February 23, 2015
WHEREAS, New York State provides $714 million in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) each year, and 90 percent of that goes to upstate cities;
WHEREAS, the AIM funding per capita is $277 per city resident and only $7 for residents in towns and villages;
WHEREAS, there are 549 villages with a combined population of 1,918,032 in New York State, including four (Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina) in Orleans County with a population of 14,770;
WHEREAS, many villages wrestle with the same problems as cities, with aging infrastructure, blighted housing, abandoned commercial sites, brownfields and increased crime rates;
WHEREAS, villages are similar to cities with a high concentration of senior citizens and low-income families;
WHEREAS, villages mirror cities as centers for culture, civic and religious life, especially in rural counties;
WHEREAS, villages are like cities with many important community structures – churches, courthouses, schools and other public buildings – that do not pay taxes, shifting the tax burden for those sites to other residents in the village or city;
WHEREAS, the state’s tiny share of AIM funding for villages has put villages at a competitive disadvantage in attracting and retaining businesses and residents;
WHEREAS, the huge disparity in AIM funding between the cities and villages is a form of state-sponsored economic discrimination, resulting in much higher tax bills for village residents and a diminished quality of life;
WHEREAS, the erosion of the village tax base has shifted a greater burden of town, county and school district tax burden outside the village, punishing the outside-village residents as well;
WHEREAS, the high tax rates in the village encourage suburban sprawl, making nearby green space and farm land vulnerable for housing tracts, industrial parks and “Big Box” stores;
WHEREAS, a Village resident is no less a New Yorker than a city resident;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, the Village Board of the Village of Medina calls on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature to adopt a fair formula for sharing AIM funding so Village residents can enjoy municipal services and their homes without being taxed to death; and
RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Village Board shall forward copies of this Resolution to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Senator Robert Ortt, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, and all others deemed necessary and proper.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 February 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The union representing about 300 workers at Medina Memorial Hospital wants a federal mediator to help resolve a labor impasse with Orleans Community Health, the parent organization of the hospital.
A labor agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2014. Open issues in the current talks include wages, benefits, and recognition at future locations of the Medina based organization, said the employees’ union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.
Orleans Community Health released this statement today, saying it wants an agreement with employees that reflects “the challenging environment for small rural healthcare providers.”
“Orleans Community Health (OCH) is currently engaged in contract negotiations with 1199 SEIU,” according to the statement. “The union has requested a Federal Mediator. A Federal Mediator is usually called in when the parties cannot reach agreement. The union told OCH at the table that they are still able to make proposals and engage in bargaining.
“With decreasing inpatient volume and changes in healthcare reimbursement, this is a challenging environment for small rural healthcare providers in Western New York. We look forward to reaching agreement with 1199 SEIU that takes into consideration the challenges we face today and over the next three years.
“Orleans Community Health is committed to continuing to provide access and quality patient care to our community.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 February 2015 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The chief of the Medina Police Department for the past 17 years will retire at the end of 2015.
Jose Avila made the announcement during tonight’s Village Board meeting. Avila is the second long-tenured village department head to announce a retirement for later this year. Todd Zinkievich, the Fire Department chief, announcedlast month that he will retire this summer.
Avila has earned the respect of village officials and the community, said Mayor Andrew Meier.
“He has been a class act the way he went about the job,” Meier said. “He has definitely served the village with dignity.”
Avila has been more than an administrator for the department. He is active in community policing, whether making arrests or directing traffic during local parades.
“He definitely gets out and engages with a lot of personal interaction with the public,” Meier said. “He is approaching a very well-deserved retirement.”
(UPDATED 2:11 p.m.: The water main break has been repaired.)
MEDINA – Village crews have been working since last night to fix a water main break at Medina Memorial Hospital. A back-up system is in place, and bottled water and hand sanitizer are being used throughout the hospital.
As a result of this event the Orleans County Health Department has been called in for consultation.
“We are working closely with the local water authority, the Medina Fire Department, the Health Department and Orleans County Emergency Management Office to have this situation rectified as soon as possible,” stated Cindy Perry, marketing director for Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital. “Our first priority is to secure the safety and well-being of our patients, staff and visitors.”
If there are additional questions, please contact the hospital at 585-798-2000.
MEDINA – Employee representatives at Orleans Community Health’s Medina Memorial Hospital have called for the intervention of a federal mediator in their ongoing labor negotiations with the facility’s management.
Negotiations for a new contract for 300 staff of OCH began in November. Open issues in the current talks include wages, benefits, and recognition at future locations of the Medina based organization, the union said.
To date, there have been 21 collective bargaining meetings, according to the employees’ union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. The old contract expired Dec. 31, 2014 but its terms have been extended until the end of this month.
Frustrated with the pace of negotiations, employee members of the union’s negotiating committee have asked for the assistance of a Federal Mediator, union leaders said.
Involvement of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is required under federal labor law when labor negotiations affect the operations of a hospital. Although a federal mediator has been assigned to this negotiation, OCH management has thus far refused to cooperate with his involvement, union leaders said.
In 2012, a strike was narrowly averted in the “11th hour” with the help of a federal mediator.
Employees covered by the union contract include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and medical technicians, service maintenance and clerical employees.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2015 at 12:00 am
State aid was paid over 15 years, instead of 20
MEDINA – The school district has some big bills to pay, nearly $1.7 million a year over four years beginning in 2017-18.
Medina took out $23.8 million in debt service for a capital project around 2000. State building aid would cover $16,763,234 of the project with the local share at $6,609,474. Aid on the costs of the bond issuance would generate another $459,579.
The state payments were to be spread over 20 years because the project was new construction. However, the paperwork with the state Education Department labeled the project reconstruction, which turned it into a 15-year schedule for state aid.
The state has paid its share, but it paid it five years early, David Boyle, the district’s interim business administrator, advised the Board of Education.
The district still needs to pay the final five years of debt service. In 2015-16 and 2016-17, Medina’s local share on the debt service will be $41,480 and then $43,805, respectively, Boyle said.
However, that payment will jump to $1,698,543 in 2017-18, $1,693,350 the following year, $1,668,081 in 2019-20, and then $1,665,625 in 2020-21. Those payments will need to be made without an influx of state aid.
Boyle advised the Board of Education and school officials to take stock of reserve funds and fund balance to help with what he called the upcoming “fiscal cliff.” Some of the higher-than-expected state aid over the 15 years helped the district build up its reserves and fund balance.
The district will also need to factor in those four big debt payments as it plans two budgets before the first large payment is due.
“We caught it now and we can deal with it now,” Boyle said. “We’ll try to ease into the cliff so it’s not a cliff.”
Boyle said the district needs long-range planning for its finances, and a multi-year approach for tackling the debt payments.
Board of Education members agreed and said they would work with the business administrator and Superintendent Jeff Evoy for a long-range plan for finances.
MEDINA – The Medina Winterguard competed for the first time this season on Saturday at Victor. Medina is in the Scholastic A class and they took second place with a score of 63.18 while Victor took first with a score of 70.81.
Medina’s Winterguard season began in November with auditions and practices. The Varsity Guard consists of 30 students in grades 7 – 12. Their show this year is “From Cocoons to Wings” with music selections from Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring.”
Winterguard is part of the marching band program and under the direction of Jim Steele and Cheri Pritchard. The show was designed by Vincent Monacelli and Kristen Costa, choreographed by Kristen Costa and Matt Winans and instructed by Diana Baker. Winans and Baker are both Medina alums.
Medina’s performance schedule includes Feb. 28 at Marcus Whitman, March 7 at Lancaster, March 14 Medina’s Home Show and March 21 in Holley. The championships are on Sunday, April 12, at SUC Brockport.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Brian Bellan and wife Kim welcomed a large family
Photo by JC Photography (Jesse Colmenero) – The Bellan family is pictured last fall at Mount Albion Cemetery. The group includes, front row, from left: EmmaLee and Karina; Second row: MiKayla, Richie, Da’Ron, Austin and Elizabeth; Back row: Briana, Porter, William, Kyson, Bryce, Kim and Brian.
MEDINA – The community is mourning the death of Brian Bellan, a man who opened his heart and home to 12 children, including eight who were adopted.
Mr. Bellan was a civil engineer with state Department of Transportation. He and his wife Kim celebrated their 20th anniversary on Dec. 17.
He and his wife and nine of their children were having their final planning meeting on Monday for a mission trip to the Dominican Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Bellan were leading 21 people from Yates Baptist Church on the trip that was planned for most of this upcoming week.
Mr. Bellan felt sick during that meeting on Monday and was admitted early Tuesday morning at Medina Memorial Hospital. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis and seemed to be on the mend. But Mr. Bellan died on Wednesday morning from a massive heart attack, his wife said.
About 300 people attended his funeral on Saturday at Hartland Bible Church in Gasport, where the family attended before going to Yates Baptist about three years ago.
Several of Bellan’s children spoke at his funeral. The Bellan family is sharing those eulogies.
“My dad was the best. He loved and cared about everyone. Mainly he loved my mom. My dad loved us 12 kids. I was going to have a loving, caring dad who cared about me. My dad and I had a great father and daughter relationship.”- Daughter Karina, 15
Mr. Bellan, 51, moved around a lot as a kid. His father was in the Air Force. After graduating from high school in Ohio, Bellan went on to earn a civil engineering degree from Ohio State University. He was hired by the New York Department of Transportation in 1992, working out of Buffalo.
He didn’t know anyone locally at the time. He was attending a Wednesday night group for single young adults at The Chapel at Crosspoint in the Buffalo area. The group played volleyball and then had a Bible study.
Kim Brigham, a Medina native, attended the group. She was impressed by Bellan.
“The number one thing with him is he wasn’t just looking for a spouse like a lot of the other men there,” she said. “Brian was looking for friends. He gave Godly answers.”
Kim and Brian started dating and the first date lasted 12 hours. Bellan asked her a favorite childhood memory. She said flying kites on Salt Works Road, where she grew up. That first date the couple made a kite together and then flew it at Delaware Park in Buffalo.
The One I Called Dad
The one brought me from disaster to a safe place.
The one who called me his.
The one who truly I will dearly miss.
The one who taught me about God’s merciful grace,
To never stray, but to live your life for God each day.
The one who saw me through
My dad left a true hero, left a legacy behind Son William, 16
Kim and Brian married and had their first child, Briana, 17 years ago. Twin sons, Kyson and Porter, were born 14 years ago and another daughter, EmmaLee followed 12 years ago.
Kim always wanted a big family. But she had high-risk pregnancies, which included a miscarriage, Briana’s twin sister.
At a Bible camp with her children, Kim met a 16-year-old who was a youth counselor for the children. The counselor had recently been adopted as a teen and was very thankful to finally be welcomed into a home.
Kim was thinking about adoption, but was geared towards adopting younger children, not teens. She prayed about it, and felt drawn to older kids in the foster care system.
She talked to her husband. He was worried about providing for a bigger family. But he, too, prayed about it. They both arrived at a peace, feeling drawn to reaching out to older children in foster care with a goal of adopting.
Kim and Brian Bellan are pictured in the fall 2013.
They reflected on the Bible verse from James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
The Bellans saw that verse as a commandment, not a request, to look after children without a permanent home.
Mr. Bellan believed the family’s needs would be taken care of, through God’s providence and some thriftiness on behalf of the family, his wife said.
Mr. Bellan was an expert handyman. He turned a garage at their home into a living room. He fixed many of their old vehicles, getting 200,000 miles or more out of them.
He repurposed furniture and seemed to find uses for all kids of things. He shared those talents with others in the community, helping single moms with home repair projects, his wife said.
He didn’t watch football or cable television. He wore the soles out of his shoes, and he always came home from work with lots of energy for his children.
“He did without everything that most earthly men would want so that I could be a stay-at-home mom,” his wife said. “He selflessly gave to others.”
Silent Strong Dad
He never looks for praises
He’s never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries will go unspoken too
He’s there a firm foundation
Through all of our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man we call DAD! Son Porter, 14
The Bellans have adopted children who came from abusive homes. They adopted three brothers so they could stay together and not be split up.
Mr. Bellan was a calm and steadying force as the children were welcomed into their new family.
“Brian was so laid back,” his wife said. “He could handle it. I told him with every kid we added he became a better daddy.”
The couple not only welcomed children into their home, they were youth leaders at Yates Baptist. They took children and adults on mission trips to Romania and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Bellan led a construction project at an orphanage in Romania and the family was part of bringing food and a Vacation Bible School-type program to poor children in the Dominican.
The Bellans wanted to become full-time missionaries to the Dominican in about five years.
The couple was popular as leaders for the youth at Yates Baptist, said the church pastor, Lyle Drake.
“He certainly was a good role model and example as a family man and youth worker,” Drake said. “The kids here all looked up to him.”
Mr. Bellan won over the teens with sincerity, Drake said.
“The sense of gentleness and humbleness went a long way,” Drake said. “He had a heart for people.”
“Something that wasn’t in my father’s obituary that I want you to take away from today is my father’s heart for God and for his family, and that he was a kind, loving man with a huge heart – so full of love that it burst.” Daughter Briana, 17
Drake said Bellan was respected by the church and looked up to as an example as a father and husband.
“He showed that a man can have a really big heart, and that loving leaders have a sense of firmness and gentleness,” Drake said. “Brian possessed a firm trust in God. He not only walked the walk, but talked the talk.”
Mrs. Bellan has been flooded with testimonials about her husband’s goodness, including from his co-workers at the DOT.
“He loved numbers,” she said. “I can’t do math homework. That was his specialty.”
The Bellans have been active members of the Medina school community. Many of the their children are in the marching band, drama program, and compete on the swimming, soccer, track and cross country teams.
The Bellan family is pictured on Jan. 17, 2010.
The Bellans were preparing to go for the second time to the Dominican Republic. The flight on Saturday was cancelled because of the weather. Mrs. Bellan and nine of her children will go on the trip, leaving on Tuesday for almost a week of ministry.
When her husband was sick in the hospital, he told his wife not to cancel the trip for the family and other church members.
“That was his heart’s desire,” Mrs. Bellan said, “to be in the mission field. Our mission field is here in our home.”
Mrs. Bellan said it will be difficult raising the children without her husband. She said his love and guidance gave their children, especially the adopted kids, a new direction in life.
“He wanted to break that cycle of dysfunction,” she said.
Her husband didn’t have any regrets about welcoming so many children into the family, his wife said.
“This has been our life’s dream,” she said. “These kids all got a daddy. He rescued them with the love of a heavenly father.”
“I know my dad was a man of great integrity. I believe that he finished the race strong no matter the obstacles that had come his way. So since he lived for Christ, his death was a gain. So don’t be sad that he is gone, rather rejoice because he is in a far off better place.” Son Bryce, 17
A Go Fund Me fund-raising account has been established to assist the Bellan family. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Angela Waldriff, owner of Ashlee’s Place in Medina, is pictured inside the store where Waldriff and customers have collected and sent 1,000 bras in the past two years to the Breast Oasis, which shares the bras with battered women’s shelters, teen shelters and rape crisis centers.
MEDINA – The owner of a women’s clothing and boutique store recently hit a milestone when the store and its customers sent the 1,000th donated bra to an organization that gives them to women in crisis situations.
Angela Waldriff, owner of Ashlee’s Place at 116 East Center St., has been collecting the gently worn and new bras for the past two years. Her customers donate many of them.
Waldriff then ships the clothing to the Breast Oasis, which is based in Akron, Ohio. That organizations has now collected over 135,000 bras for women who can’t afford them. Many are donated to women and teens escaping domestic violence.
Ashlee’s Place in Medina is the only site in Upstate New York that accepts the bras. Waldriff became a site for Breast Oasis about two years ago aftershe read a fashion magazine article about the organization and its mission. Waldriff puts inserts about the program in many of her customers’ shopping bags. They often return with donated bras, and many are new with the tags on.
“Our customers have done an exceptional job with the bra contributions,” Waldriff said. “I couldn’t believe it when we counted them up.”
Waldriff sees a trend with breast cancer survivors dropping off gently used mastectomy bras.
“It’s not a huge percent, but it’s enough that we’ve noticed, and we think it’s great,” Waldriff said.
Ashlee’s Place runs an annual Breast Cancer Promotion near Mother’s Day in honor of Waldriff’s mother who battled the disease and won over a decade ago.
“My mom’s cancer free and is in the clear,” Waldriff said.
Ashlee’s will continue accepting donated bras.
“Anyone can drop off gently used or new bras to the store during regular business hours,” Waldriff said. “As soon as our box is full we seal it up and send them off right away.”
For more information on Breast Oasis visit http://breastoasis.org/site/page.php?id=275.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2015 at 12:00 am
Quick questions
KeyBank branch manager retiring today
Photos by Tom Rivers – Mary Zelazny, fourth from left, is pictured with KeyBank staff in Medina on Thursday. The group includes, from left: Bob Rice, Evie Osborne, Sharlene Pratt, Mary Zelazny, Jacky Organisciak and Tina Sheeler. Two other employees, Laurie Newton and Kathy Kepner, were working at the drive-through on Maple Ridge Road.
MEDINA – Mary Zelazny was 18 and working at Jubilee when she was approached to work at Marine Midland Bank in Medina as a teller. That was 37 years ago. Zelazny also typed loan documents early in her banking career.
She worked her way up through the ranks and became branch manager about a decade ago. Marine Midland would become HSBC Bank and about two years ago KeyBank bought the HSBC sites in Medina at 514 Main St. and also a drive-through on Maple Ridge Road.
Today is Zelazny’s last day at the bank. She is retiring. She will still be a Main Street presence. She will join her husband, Michael Zelazny, across the street at his accounting business. The Zelaznys have two grown children: Jacob works with Michael at the Walter Zelazny and Sons farm and Nicole is the marketing manager for Smokin Joes in Niagara Falls.
The following interview was conducted on Thursday at Zelazny’s office at the bank.
Q: You started as teller and typed loan documents, and then what happened in your banking career?
A: I worked my way up. I didn’t like staying in one spot. I liked learning. I wanted to help the customers. If we were slow at one time and we were idle I would ask if there was something I could do and that’s how I learned.
Q: You’ve been in this building the whole time?
A: I have been here the whole time which is kind of unusual for banking. I raised here. I’ve been here my whole life and I’ve been here my whole career.
Mary Zelazny is pictured outside KeyBank’s historic site on Main Street, a site that was originally Central Bank of Medina.
Q: Were you thinking 37-year career in banking when you started?
A: Absolutely not. I had just turned 18, just graduated and I was working at Jubilee. Ken Sylvester came in and asked if I would be interested in putting my name in. I thought, “Maybe.” I didn’t really pursue it but he came in and asked me again. I thought I’d try it. I put my name in and got hired and I’ve been here ever since.
Ken used to go to the little grocery stores and that’s where he hired a lot of his people because they had cashier’s experience and customer service.
Q: What have you liked about this for 37 years?
A: My customers. I have to say I’ve made some great friends, great relationships along the way. I’ve been on all kinds of journeys of their lives, from going to school, graduating, going to college, getting engaged, getting married, buying a house, having children, going through everything in their lives. That’s been very exciting for me and now the next generation has come up.
It’s just knowing your customers, and not just waiting on them. It’s getting to know your people, building that relationship is what it is about. That’s where you get the trust from the people.
At this bank we’ve always been very family oriented. I don’t just treat them as a customer. I treat them as a family member because that is how I would want to be treated.
Q: It seems like there has been a lot of new technology in banking.
A: When I first started we had what you call scratch pads. You didn’t have adding machines and all that. It was a little scratch pad and you would write the customer’s name on and if they had a check and they were going to make a payment, you would write that down. You would actually do the adding and subtracting right in front of them.
The difference between then and now, you put the information in a computer and it tells you if you owe them money or if they owe you money. It tells you everything now. It was more manual back then.
Some of the other things that are different are your mobile banking today. You can take a picture of the check you are going to deposit, the front and back of it, and it’s automatically into your checking account.
Q: Do you mean take a picture with your phone?
A: With your iPhone. You have to sign up for the mobile banking. You just take a picture. Say you’re out of town and you can’t get to the bank. You just take a picture of it and it credits to your account immediately. That has become quite popular. It’s more for the younger customers.
ATMs, who would have thought years ago that you would drive up to a building and put a card in? You’re going to a wall and money comes out. Who would have thought that? ATMs are huge now.
Your on-line banking, internet banking, bill pay, transferring between accounts. When I first started here that had what they called a microfiche and it was like a screen. Everyday you would put in a fiche, and it would come up on a screen and give you the customer’s account number and the activity they did for the day.
Now you just put their name or account number in and it all comes up on a computer.
Bob Rice, the relationship manager at KeyBank in Medina, has an old piggy bank given out by the Central Bank of Medina, which used to operate out of the site at 514 Main Street. The piggy bank belonged to Rice’s father, Leonard. Technology in banking has evolved in a big way since Leonard Rice was a boy. (KeyBank still gives out piggy banks for kids.)
Q: With all the new technology, it seems like there would be fewer customers who actually come inside a bank these days.
A: There is a lot less traffic now, any bank will tell you that because they are using on-line banking and the ATMs, especially your younger generation.
Q: What do you see the roles being for the branches in the future, and the employees here?
A: They’re going to be here for a while. I’m sure as time marches on there will be changes. I still think you need that personal touch. If you got a problem, you have someone you can come in and see or call.
Banking is a lot different now. When a customer comes in, we look at the entire relationship. It’s not just a checking account. We look at the whole package. We talk to you about insurance, we talk to you about mortgages, refinancing. We’re trying to help you out and save you money.
It used to be you can in for a checking account and that’s all you got. Now we talk to you about your whole entire package: retirement, investing, everything.
Q: What are you doing for your husband’s accounting business after you retire from here?
A: I’m going to be smiling, filing and answering phones.
Q: It’s great that you’ve been able to stay and work here your entire career in the same building given all the changes in the banking industry.
A: I’m very happy I was able to do that.
Q: Do you sense a resurgence in Medina?
A: I think you can see in Medina, at least on Main Street with some of the new shops, you can feel that people are excited again. You have younger people coming in. I like the old in Medina with all of the history and believe it or not I think the younger people do, too. There are not many empty offices or buildings. There is some excitement. I think you will see more.
When KeyBank took off the HSBC sign about two years ago, the original bank sign was underneath.
Q: Wasn’t there something about the sign on the bank, a discovery of some sorts when KeyBank bought the building?
A: When they took off the HSBC logos, one of the engineers got excited to see the original Central Trust sign behind. We wanted to keep it. Key is very much into the community and the history, so we kept it and the people have been very happy about it.
Q: Any other comments?
A: I just want to say thank you, thank you to my staff and my customers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 February 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Owen Toale speaks on Orleans Radio on Jan. 11 with Village Trustee Mike Sidari, arguing against dissolving the Village of Medina government.
MEDINA – With only one candidate stepping forward with petitions to run for the Village Board, a former trustee has announced a write-in campaign for the board.
Medina has two open positions on the March 18 village election. Both incumbents, Mark Irwin and Mark Kruzynski, opted against re-election.
Only Todd Bensely, a local teacher and historian, submitted petitions signed by at least 100 people to be on the ballot.
Owen Toale, a retired newspaper publisher, has served on the board before. He also was outspoken against dissolution, which was defeated in a referendum on Jan. 20.
“Initially I did not want to become involved in village politics again and had not taken out a petition to do so. Many individuals had approached me to run again but I declined,” Toale said in a Facebook post this morning.
Toale said he wants to help the village address “the taxation issue,” and he believes shared services can make a difference in lowering costs to the village.
“Hopefully, if I get elected, my work on the village board along with the cooperation of the rest of the board and the boards of the towns we can find ways to keep our services and lower the village taxes,” Toale said on Facebook. “It’s a tall order that is going to take some time and effort on all parts.”
Toale thinks the village and town officials can find ways to reduce the local tax burden by more than the $277,000 in savings identified by a Dissolution Committee with help from a consultant, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester. The two towns and village have combined budgets that exceed $11 million.
“Maybe I’m a dreamer but I believe we can do better on our own,” Toale said.
Toale said Bensley is a good candidate for the board. Toale urged residents to write his name in on the ballot for March 18. Two write-in candidates, Mike Sidari and Marguerite Sherman, last March were elected, getting more votes than Patricia Crowley and David Barhite, whose names appeared on the ballot.
“If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” Toale said in concluding his announcement on Facebook. “I hope to be part of the solution. Thank you.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 February 2015 at 12:00 am
File Photo by Tom Rivers – Dolores Horvath announced today to staff at Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital that she is resigning, effective on Friday, to a family obligation that is out-of-state.
MEDINA – The leader of Medina Memorial Hospital/Orleans Community Health is resigning, effective Friday, so she can be available for an out-of-state family obligation.
Dolores Horvath has led the local healthcare organization since mid-2013. She is credited for aligning Orleans Community Health with the Catholic Health System, an agreement that gives local access to cardiologists, and other physicians who would be difficult to recruit to a rural county.
Horvath has also pushed for equipment upgrades and has the healthcare system on course for more upgrades and higher reimbursement rates, said Dawn Meland, vice chairman of the board of directors.
“We love Dolores,” Meland said. “Dolores has accomplished much in her short time with us. She has set us on a positive course to expand and maintain vital healthcare services for our patients and families throughout the area. We thank her for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
Horvath has technically been an employee with HealthTech Management Services, a firm hired to manage Orleans Community Health in June 2013. HealthTech offered to bring in another leader for OCH, but Meland said the board of directors wants to promote Wendy Jacobson as interim CEO. She has served as the organization’s chief operating officer/chief nursing officer since 2014.
Jacobson started with Medina in 2012 as quality manager. She has proven her work ethic and commitment to the organization, Meland said.
“We have every confidence in Wendy’s ability to lead Orleans Community Health at this time,” Meland said. “Wendy’s knowledge of hospital operations and clinical services will help us make a seamless transition as we continue to work to strengthen healthcare services for the residents of Orleans County, northern Genesee and eastern Niagara counties, our service area.”
Meland said Orleans Community Health is preparing for renovations to the lobby and emergency room, and also is awaiting final state Department of Health approval for Medina Memorial Hospital to be considered a “critical access hospital.” That designation will boost reimbursement rates for Medina.
Catholic Health leaders have offered to help Orleans Community Health during this leadership transition.
“They are willing to be a mentor (for Jacobson) and be a resource,” Meland said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 February 2015 at 12:00 am
O’Brien’s owner also announces write-in campaign in Medina
Jeremy Hogan – Photo by Erin Townsend
MEDINA – A second write-in candidate has stepped forward today after only one candidate submitted petitions to run on the ballot for the March 18 village election.
Jeremy Hogan, co-owner of O’Brien’s Tavern in Medina, announced his write-in campaign this afternoon. Owen Toale, a former village trustee and retired newspaper editor, also announced a write-in campaign this morning.
Toale was against village dissolution and sees shared services with the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway as a way to reduce taxes in the community.
Hogan thinks it could take a more drastic step to make a significant dent in Medina taxes, which have the highest combined tax rate – $54 per $1,000 of assessed property – in the Finger Lakes region.
Hogan said consolidation of local governments would reduce taxes.
“I supported dissolution as a route to consolidation and a means to bring the Towns back to the discussion on consolidation,” Hogan posted on Facebook. “I did not view the vote against dissolution as a vote for the status quo. Rather I saw, and repeatedly heard, it as a rallying cry. A call to get back together. There is a solution we can all get behind, one that saves us all tax dollars and removes layers of inefficiency and that is consolidation.”
Hogan, 43, worked in the software industry before returning to his hometown four years to co-own O’Brien’s.
He supports the One Medina effort that would see the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway merge into a new “Town of Medina.” The village government would go away with another push for dissolution.
“We ARE Medina,” Hogan writes on Facebook. “Whether you live in Shelby or Ridgeway, you were a Medina Mustang. Your mail comes to Medina, NY. When you’re running errands, you don’t say ‘I’m going to the Village’ you say ‘I’m going into Town.'”
Hogan said he supports Todd Bensley for village trustee. Bensley, a Medina teacher and village historian, is the only candidate who will appear on the ballot.
“I’m not one to play along party lines or get into petty political boundary games,” Hogan said. “We can craft a solution that lowers taxes for ALL of us. Town and Village. We can have a solution that brings ALL of us, together, into the future.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 February 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo – Medina and Lyndonville teamed up last year for the production of “Into the Woods.” Here, The Wolf (Christian Hahn) is attempting to lure Little Red Riding Hood (Regan Stacey) into being eaten in the woods.
MEDINA – School district leaders at Medina want to continue a shared service partnership with Lyndonville, and possibly add to the effort.
Lyndonville’s Board of Education approved a two-year extension of the partnership on Monday and Medina’s Board of Education expects to extend the two-year contract on Feb. 24.
Medina officials discussed the program on Tuesday night, saying it has given more students opportunities by strengthening sports, drama and the marching band.
The program is in its third year and allows Lyndonville students to play on Medina’s boys soccer and football teams, and be a part of the marching band and track and field programs. Medina students are welcome to be part of Lyndonville’s musical program.
“Collaboration will be important for these districts to keep moving forward,” said Chris Keller, Medina BOE president.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Medina Board of Education President Chris Keller, right, and Board Vice President David Sevenski see a partnership with Lyndonville Central School, where the districts share some extracurricular programs, as a success.
Both districts have seen enrollments drop significantly in the past decade. Some programs would struggle to find enough students to field competitive teams.
Medina would like to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the shared services. For example, Medina students have to find their own transportation to Lyndonville for rehearsals and shows. The Medina Board of Education wants to look at the costs of providing school transportation for those students to see if that would remove a barrier to student participation and result in more kids in drama.
Medina also wants to look at adding a second drama production during the year, with the second one perhaps offered at Medina school.
If a second show isn’t added, Medina BOE members would like to host some of the productions in the future.
Medina eliminated its drama program after a budget crisis in 2010-11, when the district cut about 30 positions and many programs. But the district is in a better financial position now, board members said.
Keller and Board Vie President David Sevenski urged the board to approve the two-year extension of the shared service contract, allowing Lyndonville to host the musicals if there is only one production. Sevenski said the Lyndonville Board of Education took some heat from the public and continued to honor the agreement, despite pleas to pull Lyndonville boys out of the soccer team with Medina.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina/Lyndonville players celebrate after claiming the Niagara-Orleans title with a victory over Roy-Hart last Oct. 16.
“Maybe we give a little,” Sevenski said. “They went to bat to protect that agreement.”
Board member Wendi Pencille didn’t see why it was out of line to talk about rotating the site for the musical productions.
“If the tables were reversed and four out of five things were in Lyndonville, we’d want that one thing,” Keller responded.
He thinks a solution might be adding a second production to be staged at Medina, and that show could perhaps be a service learning project with proceeds to go to a local charity.
Board member William Keppler said Lyndonville should also be invited to be part of Medina’s swimming program.
Neither district charges each other for students that participate in programs in the other districts.
Keller is pleased with how well the arrangement has gone. He said shrinking rural schools need to do more partnering with neighboring districts – sharing programs and resources – for students to have the opportunities available at bigger suburban districts.
The local districts also could find themselves in a financial crisis again if the state reduces aid.
“We don’t really know what the future holds,” Keller said. “The governor is introducing a lot of uncertainty in our budget process.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 February 2015 at 12:00 am
It looks like it will be a quiet election for the Village Boards in Lyndonville and Medina.
In Lyndonville, two incumbents – Charles Coville and James Tuk – are unopposed for the trustee positions. The election is on March 18. The election is typically the third Tuesday in March but will be pushed back a day this year because of St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17.
In Medina, only one candidate turned in petitions signed by at least 100 people. Todd Bensley is the village historian, member of the Planning Board and a Medina teacher. He is running under the independent “The Medina’s Future Party.”
Bensley spoke out against dissolution last year during a public meeting in April.
There are two positions open in Medina. Both Mark Irwin and Mark Kruzynski aren’t seeking re-election.
Last election in March two write-in candidates – Mike Sidari and Marguerite Sherman – were both victorious.
