Provided photo: Medina school officials celebrate receiving funds for a new scholarship. Pictured from left include: Ed Grabowski, attorney for the estate of Mariann R. Holcomb; Arlene Pawlaczyk, Board of Education president; and Mark Kruzynski, superintendent of Medina Central School.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – Medina High School will begin to give out a new scholarship this year in honor of a former teacher.
Ed Grabowski, attorney for the estate of Mariann R. Holcomb, presented a check at the Medina Central School District’s Board of Education meeting on Sept. 26 in the amount of $35,274.86. The new scholarship will be given in Mrs. Holcomb’s name.
Mariann R. Davies-Holcomb, a former business teacher at Medina High School, passed away on January 17, 2018. Mrs. Holcomb taught Keyboarding, Business Communications, Personal Typing, Business Math, Office Practice, Recordkeeping, Introduction to Occupations, Business Law and Business Dynamics from 1974 until her retirement in 1997.
As part of her estate, she left money to fund a scholarship to be awarded annually to a deserving Medina business student who is graduating and going to college.
The Medina Central School District is honored and appreciative of this generous gift.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 30 September 2019 at 7:45 am
Antique trucks and cars will also be featured on Saturday
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The late Lee Roberts looks at one wall of the antique tractors in his collection, taken at his house in 2006. A toy show Saturday at Medina High School is being held in Roberts’ honor. Roberts, a Medina graduate, had an extensive collection of farm toys.
MEDINA – The late Lee Roberts was a busy local farmer, but he also made time to play.
Roberts, whose memory will be honored by the Medina FFA with a toy show on Saturday at Medina High School, was also an avid collector of farm toys and tractors. A room in his house was devoted entirely to his collection.
Saturday’s event, planned by Medina FFA adviser Todd Eick, will include vendors, displays and more.
The day will begin with a pancake breakfast in the high school cafeteria from 7 to 11 a.m. The cost of $5 will include admission to the toy show, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Without breakfast, admission to the toy show is $3.
Other events of the day include a free antique truck and tractor show in the high school parking lot, along with a Medina Canal Village Farm Market sample tent from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tickets will be available for a basket raffle and drawing for a John Deere Fire Truck pedal car provided by the Medina FFA and FFA Alumni. Tickets on the pedal car are $5 and anyone who buys a ticket and brings the stub to the toy show will received $1 off admission. The pedal car is brand new and comes with the original box and a custom made display case. Drawings will take place at 2 p.m.
Also free will be a National Alpaca Days tour at FFA’s model farm on the southwest corner of the school grounds.
Photos by Michael Sargent: Irish tenor Ronan Tynan performs at St. Mary’s Church in Medina with accompanist Billy Lewis, during his appearance here in 2016. Tynan was impressed with Medina and has asked to return for another concert. He will be performing at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the historic church on West Avenue.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 September 2019 at 1:15 pm
MEDINA – In 2016, the Orleans Renaissance Group reached out to famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan to see if he would be interested in performing at St. Mary’s Church in Medina.
He was not only interested then, and performed to a sold-out audience at St. Mary’s Church, but reached out to ORG again about returning this year.
“He genuinely enjoyed his experience in Medina,” said Chris Busch, president of ORG. “Of course we said ‘yes’ to his return. Since we saw him last, he sang at the bedside and funeral of President George H.W. Bush.”
Tynan will again appear at St. Mary’s Church at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.
Ronan Tynan performed to a sold-out crowd of 650 at St. Mary’s on Sept. 17, 2016.
In a telephone interview this week, Tynan said he was impressed with Medina and looking forward to his return.
“It is a quaint town,” he said.
Tynan is no stranger to Western New York, he said. He used to sing for the Buffalo Sabres when Tom Golisano was owner.
Although he has sung for presidents at their funeral and inauguration; decorated veterans; at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Carnegie Hall and the Washington National Cathedral; and across the National Mall and for popes at the Vatican, Tynan still prides himself on singing music which appeals to audiences of all ages.
His previous appearance at St. Mary’s Church was one of the most incredible events Busch said he has ever witnessed, certainly in Medina.
“He has an amazing presence,” Busch said. “Never have I seen an audience so thrilled and so moved.”
Tynan credits his amazing life to having wonderful parents.
“They always supported and encouraged me,” he said.
Born on a farm in County Kilkenny, Ireland, Tynan was born with lower leg deformities. Despite this, his parents never let his disability stand in his way. He attended an all-boys school and vigorously competed in athletic activities. A motorcycle accident at the age of 21 resulted in both his legs being amputated below the knee. Out of this tragedy came triumph, as Tynan went on to compete as a double amputee and win 18 gold medals and set 14 world records in the Paralympics Games from 1981 to 1984.
Then, Tynan decided to study medicine and became a medical doctor, specializing in orthopedic sports medicine. By the time he pondered singing, his life was already one of incredible accomplishment. He was 30 years old in 1993 and in his fifth year of medical school when he began to study voice.
By 1998 he had established himself as an award-winning tenor and joined Irish tenors Anthony Kearns and Finbar Wright. They went on to legendary fame across the globe. He left the group after six years and began his now legendary solo career.
In addition to thrilling sold-out audiences with his incredible voice, Tynan is one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the United States.
“We have amassed a very credible track record with serious artists over the years, including some world-class artists, such as Anonymous 4 and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,” Busch said. “We’ve also hosted the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, Genesee Chorale (whose director is Ric Jones of Medina), Fredonia Trombone Choir, BPO Brass, Greycliffe String Quartet and Buffalo Tango Orkestra. We’re quite proud of the talent we’ve brought to Medina, and apparently, Dr. Tynan felt we were credible, as well.”
The 2016 concert by Tynan was an idea of Timothy Cooper, local funeral director, whose Irish family heritage and love of Ireland are well known in Medina.
“Tim travels there often, and once wondered aloud to me if ORG thought Tynan might entertain at an event here,” Busch said. “So we reached out and he accepted. Tim was thrilled when he learned the great tenor had said yes, and generously helped sponsor the event.”
“I always remember my parents talking about Bill McGrath, a Medina native who became a great tenor,” Cooper said. “It left an impression. It’s not often you have talent like that in Medina. Ronan’s is an amazing story, how he became disabled yet went on to become a doctor.”
Busch said Tynan would be a hit anywhere he performs.
“But think about it – to have one of the world’s great tenors perform in the soaring beauty of St. Mary’s Church, an old Irish parish,” Busch said. “How could an event such as that be anything else but an epic, world-class event. To have our small town and parish host a voice, not once, but twice, which has performed for popes and presidents is quite remarkable and an endorsement to our little village. Not since the heyday of Bent’s Opera House has talent of such international renown come to Medina.
Tickets are available online at www.medinaalive.com, or at the door if not sold out.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 September 2019 at 8:38 am
Busy schedule includes Homecoming, Mud Run, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, PLAY/GROUND, and event at Colonnade
Provided photo: A Chinese Dragon Dance will be part of a concert from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Colonnade, 229 West Center St. The World Life Institute and the Voice Gavel Club of Toronto are hosting the event.
MEDINA – It will be a busy weekend in Medina. Although the popular Ale and Autumn has been cancelled for Saturday, there are still many community events are on the schedule.
• Today, Medina concludes a busy homecoming week with an afternoon pep rally at Vet’s Park. Click here to see the schedule.
• The former Medina High School is hosting a three-day art show and cultural event, beginning this evening. PLAY/GROUND returns for a second year with 34 art installations at the school, 324 Catherine Street.
The activities today at the school with a preview party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The party includes theatrical performances, and a variety of food and drinks. PLAY/GROUND continues Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with family friendly activities in the former gymnasium and live music curated and presented by Revolution Gallery. For more information, click here.
• Saturday morning Medina hosts the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, with a ceremony starting at 10 a.m. at State Street Park, 343 East Center St.
The walk gets underway by 10:10 a.m. About 250 people are expected to attend, most wearing purple or special T-shirts that designate a family or corporate team. Each participant gets a nylon pinwheel flower and generally chooses a color that represents why they are walking.
• The Orleans County YMCA will have a 5K Mud Run on Saturday with 15 obstacles that begins at 10 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Club. The race continues to Gallagher’s Farm, the towpath and concludes at the Sacred Heart Club.
Registration is at the Orleans County YMCA on Pearl Street. Click here for more information.
• The annual Cobblestone Tour of Homes also is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A bus for the tour is full but self-drive tours are available.
The 10-site tour includes two stops in the Medina. Click here for more information.
• The World Life Institute is teaming with the Voice Gavel Club in Toronto for the fourth annual “Leaves of September” concert, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Colonnade, 229 West Center St.
The Voice Gavel Club is a youth leadership program, and an affiliation of Toastmasters International. Those students will perform with local musicians.
The concert is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the sophisticated sounds of the Er-hu, Pipa, Piano, Cello, Flute, and traditional guitar, as the concert ends with a thematic composition of poetry and song. The Toastmaster’s Gavel Club will be accompanied by international musicians from Toronto to Medina, and for the first time ever, bringing you the artistic performance of the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 26 September 2019 at 6:19 pm
Provided photos: Medina native Colin Huwyler, center, accepts a $1 million check from Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul Wednesday at Binghamton University. Huwyler, who founded Optimus Technologies in Pittsburgh, was announced as the winner of NYSERDA’s 76West Clean Energy competition. From left are Southern Tier Regional Economic Council co-chair and president of Binghamton University, Harvey Stenger; Hochul; Huwyler; New York State Energy Research and Development Authority president and CEO, Alicia Barton; and Judy McKinney Cherry, executive director of Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development.
BINGHAMTON – When Colin Huwyler got the call to be in Binghamton this week, he was hoping, but definitely not expecting to be named the winner of NYSERDA’s 76West Clean Energy competition.
When the awards were announced Wednesday at Binghamton University, Huwyler, however, was the winner of the $1 million first prize.
“I can’t even comprehend a million dollars,” said Huwyler’s mother Bobbi Huwyler of Medina, after learning of her son’s honor. “He knew he had won something, but he is very humble and was happy just to be one of the six finalists.”
Huwyler became interested in clean energy while still in Medina High School. His first endeavor while still a teenager was to purchase a diesel car and convert it to burn used salad oil.
He went on to found Optimus Technologies, which today is recognized as a leader in the field of designing and manufacturing biodiesel fuel systems for medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks, enabling them to operate on up to 100 percent biodiesel, thereby reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent.
Medina native Colin Huwyler is interviewed Wednesday by television crews in Binghamton after he was announced as the top winner of $1 million in NYSERDA’s 76West Clean Energy Competition. More than 160 companies worldwide entered the competition, which was narrowed to six finalists.
With his million dollar prize money, Huwyer plans to establish a company in the Binghamton/Ithaca area. He will be focusing his attention in the coming months on leasing a facility and setting up a growth plan for the Southern Tier region. He said his first hires will be in manufacturing, followed by engineers and technicians.
He expects to be operational in the Southern Tier by early 2020.
“This award will definitely have an impact on my business,” Huwyler said. “I am really excited to be working with NYSERDA. They are putting New York state at the forefront of renewable energy and clean technology. Hopefully, other states will take notice.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2019 at 12:52 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Village Board wants to have a Facebook page for the village government but first will develop a policy for what type of news and events will be shared, and if comments will be allowed.
If comments are allowed and some seem like personal attacks or uncalled for criticism, the Village Board will consider whether there will be a threshold for removing those comments.
“I question the removal of negative comments,” said Trustee Owen Toale.
He said he is often shocked at how nasty and mean-spirited people can be on Facebook. He worries about that on an official village social media page.
The Medina Fire Department and Police Department each have their own Facebook pages.
“They get tons of positive comments,” said Mayor Mike Sidari.
He wanted the village to check if negative comments can be allowed or if that is considered a form of censorship.
Todd Bensley, a village trustee, said the village should either have a Facebook page that doesn’t allow comments, or allow them all – including all of the negative comments. He thinks deleting comments would be considered censorship by the community.
The board said it will continue to look at options. It wants to use social media to help get information out about the village government.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2019 at 10:32 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Jim Hancock, chairman of the Medina Tourism Committee, said the Visitor’s Center at Rotary Park had a 17 percent increase in registered visitors this past summer.
MEDINA – The Medina Visitor’s Center at Rotary Park welcomed 220 registered guests from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a 17 percent increase from the previous season.
Jim Hancock, the Tourism Committee chairman, shared the news with the Medina Village Board on Monday.
The center is staffed by volunteers from Monday through Friday. This was the second season at Rotary Park. Previously the volunteer had a welcome center at City Hall.
Hancock said the Rotary Park location is more ideal. It’s closer to the canal where boaters and cyclists often stop to see the downtown business district.
Hancock said adding signage on the main thoroughfares, directing people to the Erie Canal and public parking lots, would likely get more people to stop in the downtown.
“Many of the visitors don’t realize there is a parking lot behind Main Street,” Hancock told the Village Board. “There is also no sign on Center Street or Main Street pointing to the canal.”
Mayor Mike Sidari said the state Department of Transportation has told the village it already has too many signs on Main Street.
Village officials however have a plan to add signs as part of the Medina Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. A committee with input from the community developed a plan to improve the waterfront areas surrounding the Erie Canal, Glenwood Lake and Oak Orchard River.
Sidari said the village expects to receive state funding to implement components of the plan, including signage for local attractions.
In the short-term, Hancock said smaller sandwich signs could be put on sidewalks directing people to the parking lot, canal and other attractions.
Hancock also said some of the cyclists who pass through the community would like a spot to pitch a tent for the night. He suggested State Street Park have designated camping spots, and those people register with the village so the police are aware of their presence.
Sidari said camp sites are included in the waterfront plan.
Hancock encouraged the village to work on that, even if there isn’t state funding.
The Tourism Committee welcomes more volunteers next year, and would like to expand to Saturday, Hancock said.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Michael Hungerford and Emily Tucker, one of the curators of the PLAY/GROUND art show and cultural event, are shown with puppets created by Kyla Kegler of Buffalo. Kegler is one of 34 artists featured with work Friday through Sunday at the former Medina High School at 324 Catherine St. Performers will be wearing the puppet heads and costumes during the art show.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 September 2019 at 8:59 pm
Last year’s debut of PLAY/GROUND attracted about 2,000 people
MEDINA – Artist have been transforming rooms, hallways, stairwells, even locker rooms and closets in the former Medina High School.
PLAY/GROUND, an immersive art experience, is back at the former school from Friday through Sunday. PLAY/GROUND debuted last year and attracted about 2,000 people to the show.
This year’s show will be bigger, with 34 artist installations, up from the 29 last year.
Talis Equity and the Hungerford family have worked to put on the show.
“For three days this building will be the center of art world in our area,” said Michael Hungerford, one of the leaders of the project.
Keith Lemley created “Symmetry Breaking” which combines geometric objects with light and architecture. Lemley hopes people who see the installation will think about everyday materials in new ways.
Hungerford and Talis Equity have teamed with Resource: Art, which includes three Western New York art curators – Anna Kaplan (Anna Kaplan Contemporary), Elisabeth Samuels (Indigo Art) and Emily Tucker (Benjamin Gallery).
The curators didn’t want traditional art – paintings, sculptures and framed photos.
Nate Hodge of Brockport created this abstract painting, “Medina Green,” in a locker room. Hodge will be covering every inch of the room with acrylic, house paints, salvaged wood and panels, inks and aerosol.
“We want you to think about art in a different way,” Tucker said Monday evening, giving a walk-through of the school.
It sounded like a construction zone with hammering, sawing wood and drilling screws.
“It’s fun to see it all come together,” Hungerford said. “Some of the rooms are done and it’s so much better than we imagined.”
Hungerford, a regional director for Takeform in Medina, read about a similar as PLAY/GROUND a couple years ago in a vacant warehouse in New York City. Last year, Hungerford pushed for the former Medina school to host an immersive art experience.
Michael’s uncle Roger is planning to turn the building into apartments. While it is vacant, Roger Hungerford agreed to give artists free rein to paint and create inside – and even some spots on the outside. (Look for a sailboat on the side of the building this weekend.) Hungerford also is paying the artists for their work.
Emily Tucker, one of the curators, said the funding and exposure through PLAY/GROUND has been appealing to the artists. Often artists are asked to work for free or on a very low budget. Or, they aren’t given full latitude to be creative. PLAY/GROUND urged them to push the envelope and create multi-sensory art work.
Tucker and Hungerford expect to top last year’s attendance. PLAY/GROUND will be running shuttle buses from Buffalo for the opening night celebration and preview party.
Tucker also said the event has been talked about since last year, with much more anticipation among in the arts community now that people know it’s such a unique experience, having so many artists in one building, with wildly divergent work.
Highlights of the three-day event include:
Friday – PLAY/GROUND opens with a 21 and over preview party from 7 pm – 11 pm. General Admission Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. There are also ticket options which include a shuttle ride to and from Medina leaving from Hotel Henry at 6 p.m.
Included in the price of the tickets to the September 27th PLAY/GROUND Preview Party is a performance from Torn Space Theater. The avant garde theater group known for their site specific performances at Silo City, has created a new work, Auditorium, which will be performed at two different times during the preview event. The party will feature a variety of food and drinks including small bites prepared by Chef Lionel Hydel of the soon-to-open Harvest Restaurant, associated with Bents Opera House in Medina. There will be a cash bar by Mile 303 and kombucha from Bootleg Bucha and Snowy Owl Kombucha.
Saturday and Sunday – the event costs $10 ($5 for all students with ID). PLAY/GROUND is geared towards families for these weekend days. The site can be visited from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. There will be family friendly activities in the former gymnasium and live music curated and presented by Revolution Gallery in the Auditorium.
Rich Tomasello made “Safe Space” out of cardboard and white plaster. More than 150 students from Kenmore, Tonawanda and Starpoint schools helped create the artwork. The installation addresses the anxieties of growing up in American schools where lockdown drills are commonplace.
Staff Reports Posted 25 September 2019 at 12:15 pm
Provided photo: Medina native Colin Huwyler stands by a truck that uses his technology to burn used vegetable oil and restaurant grease.
BINGHAMTON – A Medina native’s company, which turns used vegetable oil and restaurant grease into fuel for trucks, is the $1 million winner of a renewable energy contest.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Optimus Technologies, based in Pittsburgh, PA, won the grand prize in the annual 76West Clean Energy Competition, one of the largest contests in the country that supports growing clean energy businesses to foster economic development.
Optimus Technologies was created by Colin Huwyler, a 2002 Medina graduate. The company designs and manufactures biodiesel fuel systems for medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks to operate on up to 100 percent biodiesel, thereby reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent.
Huwyler, 34, a son of Bobbi Huwyler of Medina and Monte Huwyler, is founder of Optimus Technologies in Pittsburgh, the market leader in development of biodiesel conversion systems for medium and heavy duty trucks. Huwyler has four patents on his technology, with several more pending. (Click here to see a previous Orleans Hub article on Huwyler.)
A total of $2.5 million was competitively awarded to six innovative companies at today’s awards ceremony at Binghamton University where Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul announced the winners. Besides the $1 million for Optimus Technologies, the state recognized a $500,000 winner and four $250,000 winners. The competition is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
In this year’s 76West competition, NYSERDA received 169 applications representing 14 countries and 21 states. Of these, 18 semifinalists were chosen and participated in a two-day pitch session this summer at Binghamton University. Judges then recommended the top six winners.
As a condition of the award, companies must either move to the Southern Tier or establish a direct connection with the Southern Tier economy, such as a supply chain partnership, job development with Southern Tier companies or other strategic relationships with Southern Tier entities that help spur economic development and create jobs. For companies already located in the Southern Tier, they must commit to substantially growing their business and employment in the region.
The 2019 76West winners are:
• $1 million grand prize – Optimus Technologies from Pittsburgh, PA: Designs and manufactures biodiesel fuel systems for medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks to operate on up to 100 percent biodiesel, thereby reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent.
• $500,000 award – Radical Plastics of Marblehead, MA: Develops a biodegradable replacement for agricultural plastic mulch, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality by reducing fertilizer and avoiding plastic incineration.
• $250,000 award (4) –
Cambridge Crops of Somerville, MA: Produces an edible bio-based protein coating that reduces food spoilage and waste as well as associated carbon dioxide emissions from food production and transport.
Carbon Upcycling Technologies of Calgary, Canada: Transforms carbon dioxide emissions into nanoparticles that can be used to produce coatings and additives to extend the life of concrete, thereby helping to avoid greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete manufacturing.
CleanFiber of Buffalo, NY: Manufactures low-dust high-performance cellulose building insulation from recycled carboard that increases energy efficiency and reduces energy costs.
ProsumerGrid of Atlanta, GA: Produces integrated planning software enabling electric utilities and energy service companies to optimize deployment of distributed energy resources such as solar and energy storage.
76West began in 2016 as a four-year $20 million competition and support program. Empire State Development has committed $20 million to extend the competition through 2023 as part of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, offering $10 million in awards and $10 million in business support.
Applicants will again compete for $2.5 million in total prizes each year, with a $1 million grand prize and other awards. NYSERDA will continue to administer 76West, working closely with the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) and local partners in the region.
Provided photo: Medina police officer Stephen Gross talks with social studies students. Gross is the new school resource officer for the district this year.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – There is a new school resource officer in the Medina Central School District and he is already making an impact on the students. Police Officer Stephen Gross has been busy acquainting himself with staff and students.
“I am really excited about being here,” Gross said. “I love getting out and being in the community and working with the kids has been very rewarding and I am enjoying getting to know them all. As far as the school district is concerned, safety is their priority and I felt ready to step into that role and I am excited about that.”
Joe Byrne, a social studies teacher, asked Officer Gross to come to Byrne’s 8th grade classes and talk to the students.
“I wanted to give him a chance for the students to become more familiar with him and show off his impressive knowledge of school district law,” Byrne said. “Today we are talking about how we balance civil rights in our society with school safety. I think it is very important that they know their civil rights as students, but also the concerns that we, the government, have for school safety.”
The students talked about such cases as Tinker v. Des Moines that cemented students’ rights to free speech in public schools. New Jersey v. T.L.O concerns 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. In Ingraham v. Wright, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporal punishment in public schools did not violate constitutional rights. In Kent v. United States, it was determined that juvenile offenders are entitled to the same amount of due process of law as adults while under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court.
The class had some interesting opinions on the various cases as Officer Gross talked about them and discussed how they would relate to what happens in their school. There was also time for students to get a little more personal and ask him about his gear, role in the school and the community.
“My number one goal is to help students to be less afraid of police and to make sure that you get home safe every day,” he told them.
Byrne said he is very grateful for the time that Officer Gross spent in his class.
“He had a training in New Jersey the day before and made sure to get back here to talk to my students,” Byrne said. “I think it was a great way for them to feel more comfortable with him and incorporate some of the lessons we are learning in class.”
