Staff Reports Posted 29 September 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department will have its annual open house this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event for the first time will include a blood drive.
Other activities planned include fire prevention material, equipment on display and an antique fire truck exhibit. The State Police will have its rollover simulator on site for anyone to try.
The Fire Department will also have Chiavetta’s Chicken BBQ from 11 a.m. until sold out. Tickets can be purchased by calling the fire station at (585) 798-1661.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2014 at 12:00 am
810 Meadworks features honey, historic location
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bryan DeGraw, back left, talks about mead with people on the Ale in Autumn tasting event Saturday in Medina. 810 Meadworks is currently fermenting 200 gallons of mead. The business plans to officially open in early December.
MEDINA – For the past several months, a former barbershop has been transformed into a meadery in the historic R.H. Newell Building in downtown Medina.
Bryan and Larissa DeGraw and their friend Morris Babcock still have work to do, but on Saturday they gave 750 people on the Ale in Autumn beer-tasting event a sneak peek of what’s to come.
The DeGraws and Babcock in early December plan to open 810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Suite 1. They have 200 gallons of mead fermenting. They will produce meads, which are alcoholic drinks made by fermenting honey with water and often fruits, spices, grains and hops.
Mr. DeGraw has been a home brewer and mead maker for five years.
The business features a sign made from wood and a piece of stainless from the former barbershop.
810 Meadworks will be the only meadery between Albany and Ohio. That uniqueness will be a draw for “foodies,” people looking for authentic food experiences, said Michael Gaughn, owner of a media marketing company called deus X media.
“This winery really stands out,” Gaughn said Saturday at 810 Meadworks during the Ale in Autumn event. “It is the only meadery within 200 miles of here and you have a winery in the middle of town. This will be huge. This is radically different for wine trails.”
Gaughn works for the Medina Railroad Museum, the Niagara Wine Trail and other clients. He just produced a commercial for the Niagara Wine Trail, highlighting its closer proximity to Rochester than the Finger Lakes. The commercial is being shown on the Food Network, HGTV, and Bravo. Click here to see it.
Bryan DeGraw, left, and Morris Babcock are pictured with some of the 55-gallon drums where they will ferment mead. The meads are alcoholic drinks made by fermenting honey with water and often fruits, spices, grains and hops. DeGraw and Babcock did much of the renovations for 810 Meadworks themselves.
The DeGraws about a year ago moved from New Jersey, Mr. DeGraw’s native state, to Orleans County. Mrs. DeGraw’s parents live in Kent. The DeGraws were attracted to the revitalization in downtown Medina, especially in its historic business district.
They believe their business will complement others in the community, including other ventures in the Newell building, including the Boiler 54 entertainment venue, Shirt Factory Café and the Hart Hotel.
The Niagara Wine Trail was officially extended last year past Niagara County, through Orleans and all the way to Route 390 in Rochester. Medina finds itself ideally situated in the middle of the expanded Niagara Wine Trail. That was another reason why the business partners wanted to open 810 Meadworks in downtown Medina.
Larissa DeGraw is pictured with some of the chocolates she made for Ale in Autumn. 810 Meadworks will also sell her chocolates.
810 Meadworks uses “810” in its name from the Bible verse Nehemiah 8:10: “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Besides serving mead, 810 Meadworks will offer chocolates made by Mrs. DeGraw.
“They conceived of their idea, got the permits and did the construction in less than a year,” Gaughn said. “They’ve done an amazing job.”
810 Meadworks is expected to draw visitors to the R.H. Newell Building and for other businesses in Medina.
Photos by Sue Cook – Joey Robinson wore lederhosen to hand out glasses.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – The Medina Business Association welcomed the fall season with the annual Ale in Autumn event held downtown. This is the sixth year the group has put on the beer-tasting event.
This year, 24 businesses gave tastings of 28 beers. The 750 people that bought tickets to the event received complimentary glasses to use to sample the drinks.
“From the sale of the glasses to the Chinese auction baskets that we do, we make a good amount of money to where we can do something else major for downtown,” said MBA President Cindy Robinson. “We’re thinking about getting more bike racks made. We’re looking at possibly getting new trash receptacles out there as something that matches more of the historic look.”
Ashlee’s Place, a clothing store, has been a participant all six years of Ale in Autumn. They have seen a lot of new faces at the event, especially people visiting from outside of Medina.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said owner Angela Waldriff. “We are a location that sold tickets for it so we’ve been very busy the last few weeks with people picking up tickets and coming in and asking if they were still available.”
Ashlee’s Place owner Angela Waldriff served apricot Sea Dog.
Kim Keil, owner of Wide Angle Art Gallery, served Dutch and Indian lagers for the event. Her success during the event has her already anticipating Wine About Winter. This was her first downtown Medina event as a business owner.
“It’s really exciting and little bit different because typically we partake in it from the other side of the table. This is the first time being behind the table hosting,” Keil said.
“It’s really interesting that a lot of people are coming in and actually looking at the artwork and taking the time to talk about it,” she continued. “They are interested in classes or possibly putting shows together. It’s a great opportunity for PR and getting to meet the community.”
Andy, Robyn and Tony Ottaviano of Lyndonville raise their glasses. “We’re tasting all these great beers on this perfect day,” said Robyn. Tony added, “There’s been a lot of interesting ones, but we’ve enjoyed them all so far.”
ellen j. goods owner Lynn Brundage was excited that the event started off very strong and didn’t show any sign of slowing down. The business was serving a chili beer which had a chili pepper floating in it. Tasters were commenting that it was a very unique flavor and that it was nice to try something they normally might not.
Julie Tette, an instructor at the new All Yoga Medina studio, was there with the other instructors serving beer for their first Medina event as a new business.
“This is a lot of fun. It’s nice to see a lot of people that we know and some we don’t know. It’s nice to meet new people and give them a chance to see our new place and check it out. The response has been amazing and awesome,” she said.
Tette said that people have already bought class passes and signed up for classes after being able to see the studio for the first time. The event has given them a great opportunity to expand their business while having a fun time.
810 Meadworks had a waiting line for their two special flavors.
The new business, 810 Meadworks, also participated in Ale in Autumn to drum up excitement for their expected opening in late November. Within the first two hours, the meadery had seen almost 200 people with a line stretching out the door.
Bryan DeGraw, co-owner of 810 Meadworks, explained what they were serving. They normally make mead that is more like wine, but offered something a little different for the day.
“We have two meads. One is called Scarlet A, that’s an apple cranberry fermented with blueberry honey. They other is Bee Vomit. That is wildflower honey fermented with cascade hops,” he said. “Both of those are 7 percent and carbonated so they’re more like a beer.”
Stephanie Prawel was serving Presidente in Rosenkrans Pharmacy.
Kimberly Drew comes from Greece, NY, to visit her friends from the area, Danielle and Aaron Montague. They like to go to the downtown Medina events together. They all grew up together in Lyndonville.
“We’re all about the social aspect of the beer tasting,” said Drew. “We are so excited to be here and love to see all the little businesses. I think I’m going to taste a great variety, things I’ve never tried before.”
She added that it was a great way to spend some time in Medina.
“Medina is my playground,” she said. “It was my childhood playground. I love coming here to have fun, like for this and I was here for the wine tasting. I come here for all my fun. Orleans County is awesome.”
Photos by Sue Cook – Managing Instructor Deb Roberts stands outside the studio located at 105 Pearl St. in Medina.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Three Medina residentsthis week opened All Yoga Medina, a yoga studio in downtown Medina that offers classes to anyone of any ability in an effort to promote wellness and self value.
Deb Roberts is the managing instructor of the studio and has been practicing yoga for 16 years.
“It can benefit everyone,” she said. “The wellness benefits of yoga are being scientifically proven. Just breathing increases your wellness. It’s a different way to be strong. For me it’s more about bringing your mind and body in alignment.”
Roberts retired last year from the Cornell Cooperative Extension and decided to operate a yoga studio. She loved the space on Pearl Street that formerly belonged to Rock Paper Salon. When the hair salon moved, Roberts contacted the building owner, Tim Cooper, and was told she was the third person to ask about making the space into a yoga studio.
One of the people to inquire about the space was Katie Hartway, another Medina native. Roberts already knew her and after talking the two decided to also ask Julie Tette to work with them. Tette is another Medina resident who is also a yoga instructor at the Lockport schools and Kwandrans Tae Kwan Do in Medina.
Together, the three of them now offer a variety of yoga classes to suit several different needs. Hartway’s focus is on Power Core Yoga and Tette’s expertise is in Yoga Fit. Tette’s class, Yoga for Runners, is already full with Medina residents signing up as well as the Medina High School cross-country team.
Roberts shows the class how to get into a chair pose.
Roberts teaches a more classical style of yoga, which is slower and more meditative. She even tailors her individual classes to meet the abilities of the people who attend. Some classes she may choose to use certain poses if there are advanced students, whereas beginners receive more instruction and assistance.
“We’re all different ages and we’re at all different stages in life,” Roberts said. “We all share a love of yoga, but that means we kind of have something to offer. That’s really important to us. Not everybody wants to sit and be as meditative as some people do. The challenge for us is how to meet everybody’s needs.”
Younger people might prefer to do more vigorous yoga classes while older people might like the more meditative ones, but she also says that different life circumstances can alter what kind of yoga you’re looking for in life, too. People with kids or high-stress jobs might want a different kind of yoga than someone who is full of energy and wants to burn it off.
“You use yoga differently at different times in your life,” she added.
Roberts does not want anyone to be intimidated if they have never tried yoga before. She wants people to understand you only push yourself as far as you are able, regardless of the levels of your classmates.
Roberts addressed concerns that new learners might have, saying, “You don’t have to be flexible. If you can breathe, if you can raise your hands up in the air, that’s yoga. It’s not about being a pretzel, it’s not about being able to do great accomplishments. Yoga meets you where you are. So if you can’t get up and down on the floor, we’ll give you a chair to work in. If you don’t have balance, we’ll send you to hold on to the wall. There’s no perfect way to do yoga.”
Roberts gets into a warrior pose.
For beginners in Robert’s classes, the key points that are introduced are for students to take care of themselves. They will meditate and practice breathing exercises while beginning to learn yoga terminology. After a warm up, students begin to learn basic poses and core work focused on balance and strength. After the cool down, the class enters a meditative state to relax fully and let worldly cares wash away momentarily to end class in a peaceful state.
“As you build, it’s progression,” Roberts said. “We call it yoga practice for a reason. We don’t call it a performance. It is practicing something over and over and each time you practice it you learn something new, you see something new, you can do something new.”
The studio will offer one more class tomorrow free of charge to celebrate their grand opening. From 1 to 2 p.m. Roberts will have an introductory class before Medina’s Ale in Autumn event begins. The studio is located at 105 Pearl Street.
For more information about All Yoga Medina and upcoming class sessions, call (585) 259-1905 or click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A construction crew was at the Bent’s Opera House today, pouring cement for a first floor wall below ground. Catenary Construction Corporation of Rochester was hired for the stabilization project for the building, which was built 150 years ago during the Civil War.
The non-profit Orleans Renaissance Group is owner of the site. It is working to restore the building. The immediate task involves stabilizing the southeast corner of the Main Street structure.
Tim Turner, an employee with Catenary, adds fresh cement as the construction company works to rebuild the front wall on the first floor, which is underground.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Meggie Moo’s offers a slower pace, step back in time
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A new business celebrated its grand-opening today in downtown Medina. Meggie Moo’s may be new, but it feels like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor from the 1950s.
The servers wear poodle skirts, Elvis is on the wall and ’50s music fills the site at 114 East Center St.
“This is a chance to go back in time and slow down,” said Kathy Blackburn, who opened the business with her family.
Blackburn is pictured in the top photo at left with her daughter-in-law Kelly, granddaughter Megan and Blackburn’s son Jim in back.
Blackburn operated the 31 Club from the location until closing that bar about 2 ½ years ago. She wanted to use the historic building, and her granddaughter suggested it as a soda shop.
Megan Blackburn, 15, makes a strawberry milkshake during the grand opening of Meggie Moo’s today. Her brother Zack, 18, also will be working at Meggie’s.
Jim and Kelly Blackburn both welcomed the endeavor as long as it had a family friendly focus. The site will be available for birthday parties. Meggie’s will host its first one on Saturday with a theme from the popular children’s movie, Frozen.
Jim was pleased to see a father and son come in for dessert, enjoying conservation while the boy worked on homework.
“This is about being able to enjoy yourself,” Blackburn said. “Everything is so fast. People need to slow down.”
The front counter was decorated for the grand opening today.
Kathy Blackburn is the executive director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. She also is vice president of the Medina Business Association. She has been encouraged by the renaissance in downtown Medina, with many new shops and businesses opening.
The new ice cream parlor complements the other businesses, and should draw more visitors and foot traffic to the downtown, Blackburn said.
She is retired from Birdseye Foods, where she was international sales manager. Her son works as buildings and grounds superintendent for the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension in Knowlesville. His wife is a 4-H leader for the Paw Praisers Club.
“This all about the kids,” Kelly Blackburn said.
Photo by Tom Rivers
The outside and inside of the building were painted. The interior floor was also raised. Blackburn said the family would like to add fryers and a grill for an expanded menu, as well as opening a back porch.
“We want to make it a fun place for people to come,” she said.
Staff Reports Posted 26 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Cheryl Wertman
MEDINA – The school district celebrated homecoming this week, and the celebration poured out to the football field, even in a 36-6 loss to Burgard tonight.
In the top photo Homecoming King Adam Cotter and Queen Madeline Bilicki are introduced at halftime.
Ty Hrovat leads the team on to the field.
Coaches and players are on sideline for the national anthem.
Staff Reports Posted 24 September 2014 at 12:00 am
NYSUT President Karen Magee and Medina Teachers’ Assoc. President Joe Byrne.
Provided Photos – Karen Magee meets with teachers at Oak Orchard Elementary School.
MEDINA – The president of the New York State Union of Teachers visited Medina teachers on Tuesday. Karen Magee met with teachers and Medina Teachers’ Association leadership.
State union officials, including Magee, were in Buffalo for the Champions of Public Education Reception, honoring State Sen. Tim Kennedy and several members of the State Assembly for their dedication to student advocacy.
Magee said she was very impressed by the district and the services available to Medina Students. She toured Medina High School and Oak Orchard Elementary School, meeting with teachers at both locations. She was struck by the sense of community in the district, having walked the halls of the high school and elementary schools decorated for Homecoming. Ms. Magee mentioned how impressed she was with the use of technology in the classroom.
The teachers, in preparation for the NYSUT president’s visit wore “Our Classroom Matters” buttons, advocating for the education of students as people, not test scores.
“The president’s choice to visit Medina is a proud day for the union and serves as testament to teachers’ hard work in the classroom and their continuing support as advocates for the children of Medina,” said Joe Byrne, president of Medina Teachers’ Association.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Mayor says town now needs to resolve water cost dispute
SHELBY – A standoff in recent months over the water source for two new water districts in the town of Shelby has been resolved. The Village Board voted unanimously to have Medina provide the water.
The board, in particular Mayor Andrew Meier, had been reluctant to supply the new districts until the Town Board agreed to pay its share of an “ad valorum” charge to the Niagara County Water District. For Shelby, the charge would be nearly $25,000 a year for all of the water districts.
The Niagara County Water District billed the village $134,437 this year for the fee. The village hired Bonadio & Co. to determine a fair distribution of the charge and the firm calculated $24,171 for Shelby water users, $6,748 for Ridgeway water users and the village, $103,528.
Shelby doesn’t believe it needs to pay towards the fee, saying the village already hits the town with higher water rates than villagers pay. Ridgeway town officials have ignored the issue, except for an email from Town Supervisor Brian Napoli, who last Oct. 3 said the village “gouges” the towns for water.
“This appears to be another desperate attempt to use the Towns as funding sources for the Village’s overspending, poor financial management and inept budgeting,” Napoli wrote to Meier, in a message that was copied to Ridgeway and Shelby officials. “We have no intention of allowing the Village to dictate what goes into our budget. How do we proceed? By ignoring it.”
Shelby officials are willing to have a “good faith” discussion about the issue, attorney Karl Essler wrote to village officials on Sept. 16. Essler in his letter said the village needed to move forward on the water supply agreement so Shelby could advance the two water districts.
He said residents in the two districts have wells that are “severely poor quality” and pose a health threat to residents.
Essler said the village shouldn’t use the water supply issue as leverage in negotiating the Niagara County WD charge, which Essler said the village already applies to the town with higher water rates.
Village Attorney Matthew Brooks, in a Sept. 19 letter to Essler and Shelby officials, said the village is obligated to demand the ad valorum charge after the review by the auditing firm, which spelled out the responsibilities for the two towns for the charge.
Brooks, in his letter to Essler and Shelby, urged the town to stop a pattern of “unresponsiveness” and “brinkmanship.” Brooks said legal action may be needed to resolve the issue if the Town Board can not negotiate in good faith. Brooks said he wants the issue resolved by the end of the year.
Meier said he is hopeful the two towns will soon pay their share of the charge, which currently is borne solely on village water users. The Village Board in May voted to raise water rates for village residents. Meier said the average residential town water users gets a better deal than village water users.
“We’re looking for a resolution to this issue,” Meier said Tuesday evening. “The towns need to follow through with their end of the bargain.”
Photos by Sue Cook – The color guard dances and waves flags around the lined up marching band.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to say Band Boosters offer scholarships and help fund the annual spring trip. The band program is open to all students, regardless of their ability to pay.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Marching Band won first place Saturday when it hosted a New York State Field Band Conference competition. Seven other bands joined Medina at Vets Park.
Medina marches out in preparation to take the field.
Brenda Waild’s daughter Nicole plays marching machine, chimes, cymbal and bass drum in the marching band.
Brenda commented that Nicole loves the band, saying, “She’s very musical and really enjoys it. She enjoys the friendly atmosphere that we have here. She also enjoys the competitions and going out to other schools.”
Chad Kenward said he and his wife motivated their daughter Madison Kenward to join the band.
“Her mother and I were in band together,” he said. “We encouraged her to join and she loves it. She participates in concert band, jazz band and field band. She plays mellophone.”
Medina moved through various formations during their performance.
“It’s long and hard for those kids,” said Herb Grosslinger.
His daughter Keala Grosslinger is a member of the color guard and works with the rifles and flags. The color guard practices with the band twice a week as well as performing during games with them.
“She practices every night twirling rifle,” he said of Keala’s dedication. “She really likes it and these kids work really hard for what they do.”
Many of the parents stated that the kids in marching band and color guard operate like a very large family. Parents and band members work together raising money for the program so it is open to all students, regardless of their ability to pay.
For the Festival of Bands in Medina, the school performed a Miss Saigon repertoire including “The Heat is On,” “Please,” “March of the Dragon,” and “Fall of Saigon.” There are 105 band members and 25 color guard performers.
At the end of the performance, the band ran behind the Miss Saigon display boards as a huge flag was carried across the field by the color guard.
While waiting for the results to be read, the drum majors were all asked to entertain the audience by dancing to some Beach Boys music. The Medina students were happy to oblige.
Medina classified as a Small School 1 band and won first place in its category with 81.35 points against Northwestern from Albion, Penn., which scored 76.55.
At the end of the night, when the 50/50 raffle drawing was done, Wendi Pencille, a member of the Medina Board of Education, won $468 and immediately donated it back to the marching band.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A fire in the laundry room in the back of a house at 584 East Ave. was quickly brought under control by firefighters just before noon today.
The fire caused minimal damage and remains under investigation, said Todd Zinkievich, Medina fire chief.
There was a lot of smoke coming from the back of the house and the fire was starting to move up the wall before it was knocked down by firefighters, Zinkievich said.
The house is owned by Cliff Fidanza. Besides the Medina Fire Department, firefighters responded from Shelby and Lyndonville.
Staff Reports Posted 18 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Jim Moody, director of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, is pictured with Wilson Southworth, right, in front of Medina Memorial Hospital. Southworth was the $10,000 grand prize winner in the Mega Drawing.
MEDINA – A Medina resident is the $10,000 winner of the Mega Drawing, a fund-raiser for Orleans Community Health Foundation.
Wilson Southworth won the grand prize. The Foundation also awarded a $2,000 prize to Heather Schrader of Medina, $1,000 to Pat Kennedy of Medina, $1,000 to Betty Rogowski of Medina and $500 to Robert Welch of Brockport.
Proceeds from the Mega Drawing will go towards upcoming renovations of the emergency room at Medina Memorial Hospital.
The Foundation is working on its Treasure Island fund-raiser on Nov. 1 at Hickory Ridge Golf and Country Club in Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Brunner International is putting on addition, adding employees
Photo by Tom Rivers – Brunner International is putting on a 48,000-square-foot addition to its complex at the corner of Route 31 and Bates Road in Medina.
Brad MacDonald, Brunner vice president, has been with the company since it opened in Medina in 1992.
MEDINA – In 1992, Brunner International moved six employees into a cavernous manufacturing plant at the corner of Bates Road and Route 31. Abex Corporation had shut down and the site was vacant for seven years before Brunner moved in.
Brad MacDonald, then a salesman for Brunner, and other company leaders viewed Medina as an ideal location to grow the company in the United States. Brunner makes brakes and components for heavy-duty trucks and trailers.
Brunner made this brake assembly, which is displayed inside the company on Bates Road.
Brunner, which has another site in Niagara Falls, Ontario, wanted to expand into the United States about two decades ago. The company has been on a steady rise the past 22 years, now employing 390 people in Medina. The company is putting on a 48,000-square-foot addition and expects to grow to 450 employees when the expansion is complete, said MacDonald, now vice president of the company.
The current expansion, which should be ready in March, follows a similar expansion five years ago.
The company’s presence has helped fill the gap left by Fisher-Price, which laid off 700 workers in Medina in 1995. MacDonald said the community, with its agricultural roots, has a strong work ethic, and that is a prime ingredient in the company’s success in Medina.
Brunner workers use a forge to heat up parts to 2,200 degrees.
“The Brunner name is known internationally for quality,” MacDonald said while giving a tour of the plant on Monday.
The company was being wooed by other states for its latest expansion, but Brunner decided it wanted to keep growing in Medina. The company has access to lower-cost hydropower, which made Medina competitive with the sites in other states.
“We decided we wanted to be here and support the community,” MacDonald said.
Some axle shafts are on shelves inside the Brunner complex.
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce will present Brunner with the “Business of the year” award on Saturday during an awards celebration at Tillman’s Village Inn. The company is being recognized for its expansion in Orleans County.
The plant is a busy factory, with steel being heated and shaped into 1,500 different parts for brakes that will be used by tractor-trailers. Steel is the company’s biggest raw material.
The company employs welders, engineers, assembly workers, maintenance staff and other skilled staff.
A large stamping machine shapes parts to be used in truck brakes.
“We have a robust training program,” MacDonald said. “We don’t need people to come in with the skills. We can teach people the skills they will need. They just need a good attitude and a willingness to work.”
Brunner also has robots at work, lifting heavy steel pieces and doing other automated tasks. Bruner’s engineering team programs the robots, which debut about a decade ago at Brunner, for various jobs.
The company has embraced automated technology for some of the tasks inside the plant.
Most of the work is performed by people, and MacDonald said the company welcomes more hard-working residents to apply for positions at Brunner.
MacDonald walks through the complex and there are sparks from welders, heat from the forges and loud noises from the stamping machine. Workers are moving product with fork lifts.
It’s a busy place.
“It’s very exciting, especially when everything is humming,” he said.
Photo by Sue Cook – The Medina Board of Education approves the new club during the BOE meeting tonight.
By Sue Cook
Staff reporter
MEDINA – For two years, the students of Medina have been meeting informally in a Gay-Straight Alliance under the supervision of English teacher Karen Jones.
Tonight, the Medina school board formally approved the club, making it official and appointing Jones as the club advisor, while also offering compensation for the position like other teachers receive for advisory positions of after-school clubs.
Up to tonight, Jones was volunteering in the position, but wanted to see the district add the club to the list of officially recognized student activities. Though the school has supported the club, Jones is pleased to see the district validate it as an official school activity.
“It’s a safe place for kids to go after school to talk about common issues,” said Superintendent Jeff Evoy. “One of the main things I’m always concerned with is student safety. I want to make sure all students feel like they belong. I want to make sure all students feel safe in school. I want to make sure all students feel secure in school.”
“It was something a group of students had asked the principal about and the principal said ‘It’s something that we’d like to get started,’ and that’s how it came about,” said Evoy.
The vote by the Board of Education to approve the club was not contested by any members of the board or any members of the community present at the meeting.
“The group is to promote camaraderie,” Jones said. “It helps students not to feel isolated. I know too many people personally that needed this in high school and didn’t have it. I was very happy to step in and provide space for the kids and supervise them.”
The goal of the club has always been to ensure a safe place for students to meet without fear of bullying to openly discuss any problems they are having and to encourage students to support each other as peers. The club encourages discussion of problems that students feel they are facing or would like feedback on, such as relationships and friendships in and out of school.
The group is open for anyone to join and is a mix of gay and straight students. The straight students are referred to as allies. Many of the allies joined the club because they have friends or family members outside of the school that are marginalized and would like to extend their support to their peers in school as well. About 15 to 20 students regularly came to the club last year and Jones expects the number to increase this year.
The students who originally wanted to form the club had approached Jones and asked if she would be willing to lead it.
“I’ve always tried to create a safe space,” she said. “I make sure students in my classroom know that they can’t use any sort of derogatory language against other kids. These students felt safe enough with me to ask about having these meetings.”
The club has already participated in a GSA conference in Hamburg with over 200 other students. They also celebrate Wear It Purple Day, which is an event against bullying in any form against anyone. Teachers and students outside the club also participate by wearing purple to show that they want Medina to be a safe, supportive environment. The students have also done the Day of Silence where they do not speak during an entire day, symbolically supporting students who feel silenced by bullying.
Evoy is pleased to see Jones acting as the club advisor and commented, “She does a wonderful job. She’s dedicated to all children and she’s outstanding. I’m glad that this club will formally be in existence.”
Medina is the second school in Orleans County to currently have an active GSA club. Holley school also has an active club.
Photos by Sue Cook – The memorial garden is nearly completed.
By Sue Cook
Staff reporter
MEDINA – Last year, two members of the Memories of Medina Facebook page passed away leading the group to create a memorial garden in their honor.
At the Glenwood Lake boat launch site just north of Boxwood Cemetery, the garden is already nearing completion and is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
“I came down here to my thinking spot,” said Dayton Hausman, one of the garden organizers. “I looked around and said there’s no color down here. It’s just green by the water.”
The garden was created originally in honor of Michelle Stanton Jones who lost her battle with cancer on July 29, 2013. She was an early member of the Memories of Medina Facebook page. Its original purpose was to share news, memories and other tidbits of Medina, while also offering a way for members to network and make new friends. Stanton Jones organized meet-and-greet events through the page for the people of Medina to meet each other.
Provided photo – This photo shows early construction by Glenwood Lake.
The garden site coincided with being the location of the very first meet-and-greet that Stanton Jones headed. The group met under the pavilion, which is only about a hundred feet from the garden.
“Michelle lived out by Lake Ontario, so she loved the water,” Hausman said. “Just about anyone who grew up in Medina says Glenwood is our little secret.”
“It’s always just quiet and peaceful,” said Tim Bensley. “If you were to put a place where you’d go sit and think, this would be it.”
“Behind this was idea of reflection and to add color,” added Hausman.
The garden also honors Linda Froman, a prominent business woman and active community member. She was also a big player in the Memories of Medina page and passed away two days after Stanton Jones.
Photo by Sue Cook – Lynn Stanley donated the angel in the garden in honor of her son.
“There was a loose committee of individuals in the group that agreed to give it a shot,” Hausman said. “We went to the town of Ridgeway and presented our ideas and they backed us. They gave us permission and we met with Mark Goheen from the highway department and got the rules and regulations of what we could and couldn’t do. They were very supportive.”
The garden is funded by donations. Many monetary donations have been made by local businesses and Medina residents. Collection jars were also left at many businesses. Almost all of the features of the garden, such as the angel and birdhouse, were donated by community members.
Hannah Pollard of Grant-Pollard Insurance also organized a basket raffle that brought in about $10,000 in donations. This is what prompted the garden to be upgraded from a little 6′ by 9′ space designed to look like a smiley face to 100′ by 37′ series of rings and hearts. Some of the money will be left over after the garden is completed for any ongoing maintenance of the site.
Provided photo – Volunteers began spreading the stone.
Tim Bensley, owner of Bensley’s Home Services, used his construction experience and the volunteer support of high-schoolers to create the space. About 12 Medina High School grads and students, mostly young women, assisted in making the space with six of them showing up regularly.
“It been truly an emotional experience to come down here and work,” Bensley said. “There’s so many things that happen when you’re down here. There were these two geese. As soon as I would get here, these geese would arrive. They’d land in the lake, we’d work, we’d leave, they’d fly off. I was calling them Linda and Michelle, like they were checking up on me.”
Local businesses also helped in other ways. JC Signs lettered the sign that stands over the entry path. Art Hill Excavating and Shelby Stone contributed materials and Medina Lumber and White Pines Nursery gave discounts toward their purchases.
Provided photo – The view from the garden is especially picturesque on a sunny day.
“It’s a community project that came out of a lot of sadness, but it’s a source of pride,” said Hausman.
Besides two plaques being created for Stanton Jones and Froman, memorial plaques are also available for purchase to remember others. So far about 30 plaques have been purchased. They are available for $75 and can be purchased at Grant-Pollard Insurance in Medina from Hannah or Libby Pollard.
The plaques will be used to line the top edge of the center ring in the garden at first. There is space for 127 on there. If more space is needed as time goes on, further concentric rings will be constructed expanding outward.
“It’s far more than any of us ever imagined,” Bensley said. “It’s kind of grown over the year.”
The remaining construction at the site includes the installation of six stone benches, a large centerpiece of a stone circle with a heart in the center, the installation of the plaques and the addition of solar lights. The dedication ceremony will take place in the spring when the plants in the garden are colorful.
