By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The committee looking at a possible dissolution of the village of Medina government will meet at 8 a.m. Thursday at City Hall. It will be the committee’s first meeting since a May 6 public meeting, when most speakers were strongly against dissolution.
The committee will weigh public comments as it works to craft a final document that will be presented to the Village Board. Don Colquhoun, the committee chairman, said he expects the committee will be able to complete its work with another meeting after Thursday.
The Medina Dissolution Committee accepted a draft of the plan in April. It faced its first public scrutiny on May 6 when about 300 people attended a forum at the middle school. Many of the speakers at the May 6 meeting lived outside the village in the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. They don’t want to see their taxes go up as part of the dissolution.
Outside-village residents in Ridgeway would see a 46 percent increase in their town taxes while Shelby residents outside the village would see a 10 percent increase in town taxes, according to the plan.
Dissolution would reduce the current rate for village residents in Ridgeway from $19.49 per $1,000 of assessed property to $14.30. That $5.20 reduction would save a homeowner with a $70,000 house $363 a year in taxes.
In Shelby, village residents currently pay a $19.80 rate for village and town taxes. That would drop by $6.70 or 34 percent if the dissolution plan takes effect.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier sees dissolution as the first step of a two-step process for a leaner government. The tax increase outside the village could be reduced if the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby merge into the town of Medina, Meier has said.
Meier and others in the community are pushing “One Medina” as the ultimate goal for town/village government in the community.
If the village dissolution goes to a public referendum, only village residents will be eligible to vote.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Paratrooper from Medina recalled for ‘beautiful spirit’
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Honor Guard from the NY National Guard leads Sgt. Shaina Schmigel into a hearse outside the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel in Batavia.
The Patriot Guard and Hogs and Heroes Foundation provide a presence outside the funeral home during a service for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel.
BATAVIA – Friends and family said good-bye today to Sgt. Shaina Schmigel, a 21-year-old paratrooper from Medina who loved her career in the U.S. Army.
Schmigel
“You are so brave, so courageous,” her brother Matthew Scroger of Lackawanna wrote in a letter read by Navy Chaplain Rev. David Glassmire. “Your beautiful spirit, love and energy will forever take care of us.”
About 200 people filled the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel in Batavia for Schmigel’s funeral. She died on May 30 in a night-time training accident at Fort Bragg. She took her job seriously as a paratrooper, and continuously was looking to improve herself and her the 82nd Airborne.
“For some people it’s just a paycheck, but it was never a paycheck just to her,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Kuznia who worked in the same unit with Schmigel for 2 ½ years.
She was promoted in January to sergeant after having a rank as a specialist. She often did jobs above her rank, and earned the confidence and respect of the other soldiers, Kuznia said today before the funeral.
“She could get everything done and take charge,” Kuznia said. “She was outstanding. She loved being a paratrooper and a soldier.”
Firefighters and police officers stand at attention outside the funeral home with a giant American Flag held high on Route 5 by the ladder trucks from the town and city of Batavia fire departments.
On Tuesday 240 paratroopers jumped from airplanes as a tribute to Schmigel at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Kuzmia said.
Schmigel was devoted to her family, and loved to entertain them with her “goofy antics” and an “infectious smile,” said Rev. Glassmire, the priest at Ascension Parish in Batavia.
The Rev. David Glassmire, a Navy chaplain and pastor of Ascension Parish in Batavia, stands outside the hearse after leading a service for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel.
Glassmire shared how Schmigel enjoyed country music and NASCAR racing. At a NASCAR race at Watkins Glen, she watched Ryan Newman race for NASCAR when she was in high school. She met Newman after the race and was determined to serve in the Army. However, she wouldn’t serve on the ground. She would jump out of airplanes.
“Thank you for being so brave and serving our country,” her 16-year-old sister Sheniqua Samol of Medina shared in a letter read by the chaplain. “What will I do without you? I will survive, but I will never be the same.”
Outside the funeral home, a crowd gathered along Route 5 and held American flags.
Schmigel’s uncle Mark Schmigel led the group in singing “Amazing Grace.” Two songs were also played by Toby Keith: “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”
Schmigel was escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders and Hogs for Heroes Foundation. She was buried in Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Corfu with full military honors.
A processional of motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders and Hogs and Heroes Foundation led Schmigel and her family to the cemetery in Corfu.
Press release, Orleans Community Health and Catholic Health
MEDINA – In an effort to enhance healthcare delivery in Orleans County and expand access to care for residents throughout the region, Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital has approved an affiliation agreement with Catholic Health, based in Buffalo.
The affiliation will strengthen healthcare services in Orleans County, while giving residents greater access to medical specialists and advanced medical and surgical services.
“With the changes we are experiencing in healthcare, it was clear we needed to align our hospital with a larger health system that could support and strengthen the services we offer in Orleans County,” said Dolores Horvath, President and CEO of Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital. “We considered several options from Rochester to Buffalo and Catholic Health was the best fit for our organization. Catholic Health and its leadership team have a genuine interest in our success, as well as the depth of resources and uncompromising commitment to quality we were looking for in an affiliation partner.”
The purpose of the affiliation is to ensure that individuals and families throughout Orleans County continue to have access to high quality, affordable healthcare services. Catholic Health will help Medina Memorial gain operational efficiencies and support the hospital’s physician recruitment efforts. Plans are already underway to expand cardiology services at Medina Memorial Hospital with a cardiac specialist from Catholic Health.
“We understand the challenges rural hospitals face and believe patients should have equal access to care regardless of where they live,” said Joe McDonald, President and CEO of Catholic Health. “Our goal is to earn the trust of the residents of Orleans County by first helping to strengthen healthcare services in the local community, and then, when needed, by improving access specialty services, like advanced cardiac, stroke, orthopedic and vascular care.”
The Orleans Community Health Board of Directors will retain governance responsibility for Medina Memorial Hospital and the Orleans Community Health Center in Albion.
“This affiliation gives us the best opportunity to continue serving the community, while ensuring that area residents have access to health services not available in Orleans County,” said Bruce Krenning, chairman of the Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital Board of Directors.
Catholic Health has similar affiliation agreements with Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in Springville and Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Niagara Falls, which recently announced plans to formally join Catholic Health.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Shaina Schmigel
MEDINA – When Shaina Schmigel is escorted home through Medina later today she will likely be accompanied by at least 100 motorcyclists in the Patriot Guard Riders.
The group provides a presence for a soldier’s homecoming, during calling hours at funeral homes, during services and at the burials in cemeteries.
“It’s all about the men and women who wear the uniform,” said Bill Blainard, a ride captain with the Patriot Guard.
Schmigel, 21, died in a training exercise at Fort Bragg on May 30. Her body is scheduled to arrive at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport at 5 p.m. The Patriot Guard Riders will be at the airport and will lead her back through Medina, coming up from Route 77 to Main Street in Medina at about 6:30 p.m.
“I’m expecting a great turnout with 100 to 150 motorcycles,” Blainard said about the ride later today. “There will be a lot of people who want to come out and honor this young lady.”
After being escorted through Medina, Schmigel will be taken to Batavia at The Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel. The Patriot Guard will be outside the funeral during calling hours on Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m.
Tomaszewski’s is located at 4120 West Main Street Rd. The site also will be used for Schmigel’s funeral at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. After the funeral, Schmigel will be buried with full military honors at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Corfu.
Blainard said many of Patriot Guard Riders will use vacation time to provide a presence for Schmigel and her family.
“We’ll do it with as much honor and respect for her,” Blainard said. “It’s not about us. We want people to see the flags and know there are patriots out there who care about the military.”
Debbie Johnson is another Patriot Guard ride captain. She lost her son Aram Bass, a staff sergeant, in the Iraq War in 2005. She joined the Patriot Guard in 2006.
“We do it to honor those who protect our freedom and the families who have lost someone doing so,” she said.
Provided photo – The Medina Mustang Band’s student staff for 2014-2015 pose for a picture after a banquet Friday at the Sacred Heart Club.
MEDINA – The 43rd annual Medina Mustang Band Banquet and Awards Ceremony was held at the Sacred Heart Club on Friday with band members and Boosters recognized for another award-winning season.
The following were honored:
Dean Morgan and Mike Dreyfus with the “Harry L. Dinkle” award. It was established to recognize someone who is not a Booster officer but who volunteers a great deal of personal time and effort to the band and the Boosters to make the program a success.
Cameron Morgan received the NYSFBC Scholarship and Kelsey Evoy was awarded the Mustang Band Booster Service Scholarship.
Outstanding Rookie went to Kody Leno, Sarah Cochrane, Naomi Slingerland and Kyrah Baes.
Most Improved went to Chase Jenkinson, Emma Baldwin, Ben Zakes and Alexis Neuman.
Most Valuable went to Marc Vanderlaan, Jenna Brien, James Soha and Krystal Kerstetter.
Director Awards were given by Mr. Steele to Brielle Lederhouse and Charles Beach, and by Mrs. Pritchard to Shelby Martin and Caelan Holland.
The Alfred Hartway Drum Major Award was started in 1968 by his family. Mr. Hartway was a bus driver and always involved with the band. This year’s recipients were Cameron Morgan, Matt Prawel and Jenna Brien.
The Joseph C. McCain Award is given to a junior and senior to recognize their dedication and commitment to the band and reflects the ideals of its founder. This year’s recipients are Matt Prawel (senior) and Derek Donley (junior).
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the 2014-2015 student staff:
Drum Major: Chris Keller; Assistant DM: Derek Donley and Brian Bogan; Flute Section Leaders: Krista Nellist and Briana Bellan; Clarinet SL: Bailey Allen; Saxophone SL: Brian Bogan; Mellophone SL: Kristian Snyder; Trumpet SL: Nick Dieter; Trombone/Baritone SL: Kyle Herman; Tuba SL: Ryan Webber; Pit SL: Megan Furness; Band Managers: Tristan Sanders, Jon Carlo Gonzales, Cody Taylor, Tyler Soha and Corey Strickland; Attendance Officer: Tessa White; Uniform Managers: Addison Zavitz and Andrea Toussaint; Secretary/Librarian: Amanda Lunden/Tristan Sanders; Colorguard Managers: Allison Hibbard, Marissa Pecorella and Alexis Neuman; Colorguard Captain: Krystal Kerstetter; Head of percussion: Derek Donley; and Back Field Conductor: Briale Lederhouse.
The Fall Field Show for 2014 will be a portrayal of “Miss Saigon” Work begins immediately as the students learn their music before Band Camp in August. Fundraisers also begin this summer with 4-H Parking in July, and a car wash and chicken BBQ in August.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Community gathers to honor Shaina Schmigel
Photos by Tom Rivers
Albion and Medina Fire Department ladder trucks suspend the flag over Main St.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders and the Hogs and Heroes Foundation ride in the processional.
Calling hours will be on Tue., June 10, from 2 to 8 p.m., at The Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel, located at 4120 West Main Street Rd. Schmigel’s funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the same location. After the funeral, Schmigel will be buried with full military honors at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Corfu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Two people embrace after a motorcade passed through downtown Medina at about 6 p.m. today. Several hundred people lined Main Street. The motorcade arrived about a half hour earlier than expected.
More than 100 motorcyclists served as escorts for Sgt. Shaina Schmigel.
‘It takes a special breed to jump out of an airplane. You have to have no fear.’ – Keith Gilbert, friend of the Schmigel family
MEDINA – They stood holding American flags, and many of the hundreds lined up along Main Street saluted as a motorcade passed by carrying the body of Sgt. Shaina Schmigel.
Schmigel, 21, came home this afternoon and the Medina community came out in big numbers. The motorcade was a half hour ahead of schedule when it reached downtown Medina.
“It’s important that we support our service people,” said Sherri Luthart of Medina. “I get all choked up about it. She paid the ultimate price for our freedom.”
Photos by Tom Rivers
American flags seemed to multiply on Main Street when the motorcade passed through downtown Medina.
Schmigel is a Medina native. She was killed May 30 during a night-time training drill. Schmigel was a paratrooper at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division. She was in the Army for four years, and was promoted to sergeant in January.
“She wanted to go for all she could go for,” said Keith Gilbert, a close family friend from the town of Alabama. “She wasn’t afraid of anything.”
Schmigel was a cheerleader at Medina, a member of the Class of 2010.
“She was a sweet, sweet girl who was always smiling and always happy,” said Judy Gilbert, Keith’s wife.
Judy Gilbert holds a picture of Sgt. Shaina Schmigel of Medina.
When Schmigel was a Fort Bragg she developed a love for rodeos. She kept in touch with her family and considered her mother Karie Schmigel to be a best friend. The two got matching tattoos on their shoulder last month of a tiger lily, Mrs. Gilbert said.
“Most kids don’t want anything to do with their parents, but Shaina loved her family and would do anything for them,” Gilbert said.
As a paratrooper in the Army, she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn from July to November 2011.
Mercy Flight followed overhead as a motorcade entered Medina. The ladder trucks for the Albion and Medina Fire Departments held a giant American flag high over Main Street.
Mr. Gilbert would ask Schmigel about jumping out of an airplane.
“She told me you just think of the free fall, opening the chute and the landing,” he said. “It takes a special breed to jump out of an airplane. You have to have no fear.”
Her awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.
Lisa Trippensee was out along the street waving an American flag for Schmigel.
“I’ve heard amazing things about her,” Trippensee said. “She was definitely a go-getter. You couldn’t hold her down. She was very determined.”
Photos by Tom Rivers
The crowd today included many veterans and Scouts. Brian Bogan, 17, and Boy Scouts from Troop 35 in Medina stood along Main Street while the motorcade went by.
Bogan was impressed by the escort that included many police cars, a Mercy Flight helicopter and more than 100 motorcyclists.
“I’m thankful to all of them that would come out and do what they do,” Bogan said.
Local veterans’ groups tried to rally community support for the motorcade. Larry Montello, commander of the American Legion in Medina, wasn’t surprised by the turnout.
“We wanted to show her and her family that she’s not forgotten,” Montello said. “She’s a fallen comrade and we’re paying respect for her service to our country.”
That motorcade escorted Schmigel’s body from the airport in Buffalo to Medina and then to Batavia.
The Patriot Guard Riders joined the motorcade.
Calling hours will be on Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m. at The Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel, located at 4120 West Main Street Rd. Schmigel’s funeral will be there at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. After the funeral, Schmigel will be buried with full military honors at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Corfu.
The flight landed in Buffalo about a half hour early. After the motorcade passed through town, many people were still descending on the downtown. The crowd would have been bigger if the motorcade had arrived at 6:30, as scheduled.
But Mr. Gilbert, the close family friend, said the community made its presence felt.
“I’m sure the family is very impressed,” he said. “Medina is a tight-knit community. In a small town even if you’re not family you are.”
Photos by Sue Cook – Parked in one of the last few remaining spots was a 1936 Chevrolet 2-door.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Tonight the Medina Canal Basic was packed with approximately 100 classic and antique vehicles while music from the ’50s and ’60s was played over speakers by a DJ. The evening kicks off the summer schedule of Medina cruise-ins.
David Green, co-chairman of the event, said cruise-ins have been going on for 18 years. They regularly draw between 90 and 100 classic cars each week.
“We just get together, listen to music and show off our cars,” Green said. “We’re very fortunate here in Medina because all the businesses put in. Businesses donate to pay for the DJ for the season. We have a Super Cruise on the last night up on Main Street and have an Elvis impersonator there. All the businesses help pay for him. The support from the community is what really makes this as successful as this is.”
Fred and Lori Aquina came from Batavia to admire the beautiful cars lined up in the Canal Basin.
Mike Dagobert of Lyndonville brought his 1957 MGA that he had to replace the engine in.
“I like this cruise-in because it’s quiet, it’s relaxing, it’s a hometown,” he said. “Lots of people show up and there’s lots of cars to look at, and I needed to get the car out and make sure it was running OK. This was a good excuse.”
Lynn Southcott of Medina came with her husband, Harold, and they brought their ’64 Chevy Belair stationwagon.
“We always come to the cruise-in on Friday night down here. We’ve been coming to it since it started,” she said.
Harold added, “I’ve just always monkeyed around with old cars, so we come. It’s something to do. I’ve been doing this stuff for 50-plus years. I’ve had cars ever since I was 12 years old.”
Many participants in the cruise-in events use it as a way to network with others who share their interests, while showing off their vehicles. People from outside the area are able to come to Medina and make connections to the county through new friendships found at the cruise-in nights.
Woody Staples of Barker cleans his ’76 Trans Am. “I’ve been coming here for 10 years or more. I just sit and relax and enjoy the cars.”
Mike Lyons runs his business, Solar-Powered Ice Cream, that serves as one of the food vendors. He appreciates the way old cars look and says that’s why a lot of people come who aren’t into the car culture.
Lyons explained, “If you look at the grills of the cars, some of them are modern, and some of them you look and it’s something you don’t see anymore. It’s like a sculpture. It’s art. The car guys come and look at each others cars, but other people come here and it’s like art to them.”
Cruise-in nights feature themes such as foreign cars, rat rods, trucks and more. Cruise-ins are Friday nights from 5:30 p.m. For more information about theme nights and locations, call 585-798-0445. The Super Cruise on Main Street is Wednesday, Aug. 27.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Veterans seek big turnout on Main Street at 6:30 p.m.
Schmigel
MEDINA – The body of Medina native Shaina B. Schmigel, a paratrooper who died in a training exercise at Fort Bragg, will return home on Monday.
Schmigel, 21, died on May 30 during a night-time training drill. She served in the Army for four years and was promoted to sergeant in January.
Her family and local veterans’ groups welcome the community to line Main Street in Medina around 6:30 p.m. on Monday when she will be escorted into town by the Patriot Guard and state police.
‘The family wants people to be out,” said Jim Freas, a past commander of the VFW in Medina. “We want to line Main Street.”
Schmigel is a 2010 Medina graduate. She moved from Batavia to Medina about six years ago. She was a cheerleader at Medina.
Schmigel’s body is scheduled to arrive at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport at 5 p.m. After being escorted through Medina, she will be taken to Batavia at The Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel.
There will be calling hours there on Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m. Tomaszewski’s is located at 4120 West Main Street Rd. The site also will be used for Schmigel’s funeral at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The funeral home seats about 250 people. After the funeral, Schmigel will be buried at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Corfu.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Adam Wakefield is one of the new owners of the Boiler 54 performance venue in the back of the former R.H. Newell Shirt Factory in Medina at 115 West Center St. The new concert series kicks off on Friday. Wakefield is teaming with Kody Wagner with Boiler 54.
Dee Adams and Dave Kimball of Buffalo perform last August in Boiler 54. The concert series runs Fridays and Saturdays until near Thanksgiving.
MEDINA – An outdoor performance venue that serves beer and food has new owners and a new season that will kick off on Friday.
Adam Wakefield, 31, and Kody Wagner, 30, are friends since their junior high days in Medina. Now they are co-owners of Boiler 54, an open-air music and performance venue in the back of the R.H. Newell Shirt Factory building on West Center Street.
Boiler 54 will have musicians performing Friday and Saturday nights until Thanksgiving. The new owners may add Thursday and Sunday performances as well. They also are working on other amenities for the site, including a farmers’ market.
“This is a great space,” Wakefield said about the venue. “The acoustics are great.”
Many local and regional bands and musicians have played at Boiler 54 since it opened in 2012. Wakefield helped line up the bands last year. He said Boiler 54 is building a reputation in Western New York among musicians and music lovers.
“There is nothing like this in Western New York,” Wakefield said. “We hit our stride last summer. This is definitely becoming a very popular place.”
Friday’s shows start at 8 p.m. with performances by Dirty Vernon, a rock and roll cover band, and Minglewood, which performs Grateful Dead tunes.
Boiler 54 this season is dropping the $5 cover charge for everyone, including people 21 and under.
Wakefield and Wagner have a pub inside the building. Wagner built the bar himself. Concerts will shift inside when it is rainy or cold outside.
“Our aim is to turn this into a beer garden,” Wakefield said.
Wakefield and Wagner are part of emerging group of young professionals and business owners in downtown Medina. Wakefield had been living in Buffalo and was part of the music scene there for the past decade.
He has seen Buffalo neighborhoods become vibrant places by embracing the arts, farmers’ markets and young adults.
“Entrepreneurship will save this town,” Wakefield said about Medina. “There’s a lot of good stuff going on right now. You just have to blaze a trail.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Bill Olinger, owner of Baughn’s Shoe Store at 438 Main St. in Medina, is retiring and will close the store at the end of August.
MEDINA – A mainstay in downtown Medina since 1960, Baughn’s Shoe Store, will close in late August.
Bill Olinger is selling the building to Laura Gardner, owner of a lily and a sparrow, a women’s clothing, jewelry and fragrance store. Gardner is moving her shop to 438 Main St. After renovating the site, she expects to reopen her store there in late November.
Olinger, 61, has spent a lifetime in the shoe business. His grandfather, Jim Baughn, opened his first store in Albion in 1957. That store was at the current Peter Snell Realtors building at 107 North Main St.
Olinger’s father Ralph Olinger joined the shoe business and the family had stores in Albion, Medina, Lockport, Geneseo and Warsaw. Bill Olinger started working in the business at age 13.
“We’ve had several generations of people coming here,” Olinger said this morning at the shoe store. “I’ve had kids that I fit for shoes bring their kids in and even their grandchildren.”
Olinger has worked with his wife Pat in the business. Besides selling shoes, they did sewing and alterations work. They also rent out tuxedos. Mrs. Olinger will take that business across the street to Blissett’s Specialty Shop after Baughn’s closes.
Bill Olinger talks with a customer on the phone this morning at the shoe store, a fixture in Medina’s downtown since 1960.
Olinger has sold brand name shoes at Baughn’s. He rejected the cheapest shoes, preferring to sell quality and service.
“It’s hard to go to a store and get your feet fit these days,” he said. “If you go to Wal-Mart, they point you to the shoe department and you’re on your own.”
Olinger put up a banner in the front window, announcing the store would soon be closing and he was retiring.
“We’ve had a lot of people come in and say hello and wish us good luck,” he said.
Olinger said shoe fads would come and go and his biggest challenge was trying to guess which styles would be popular with women.
“You have to pick out what women like and that can be a tough job,” he said. “We’d have 50 styles of women’s shoes and we’d be doing good if six or seven were popular.”
Olinger said he valued his repeat customers, who were critical in the business staying open for so many years.
Baughn’s will be selling shoes at discounted prices as it pushes to sell its inventory by late August. The store is open every day except Sunday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Nine months after employees approved unionization at Orchard Manor, the union has yet to be recognized and workers say the 160-bed facility continues to be short-staffed without needed investments in equipment.
Orchard Manor management has filed challenges with the National Labor Relations Board, contesting the union’s election.
The NLRB thus far has sided with employees with Orchard Manor’s challenges. The site’s owner, OMOP LLC from New York City, was ordered to give back pay after one worker was suspended and OMOP was required to give back pay and reinstate the jobs for two employees who were terminated during the push to unionize last year.
Two current employees say the latest NLRB challenges are a “stall tactic.”
Employees want a union so it has bargaining power to push for updated equipment, and adequate staff and supplies for resident care, said Chris Penna, a licensed practical nurse.
She said OMOP “is trying to bust our union.” She wants the company to withdraw its NLRB objections so the union will be certified and given a say in the 160-bed nursing home’s operation.
“We want to work as a team with management,” Penna said. “We want to work with them for the residents.”
Orchard Manor administrator Dave Denny did not respond to a phone call seeking a comment.
OMOP purchased Orchard Manor from Medina Memorial Hospital last year. The new owner plans renovations and a marketing push for the site on Bates Road, Penna said.
She would like to see OMOP also invest in its 110 employees, as well as needed equipment and supplies.
“Our main goal is we want resident care to be first,” said Pam Frasier, a certified nursing assistant. “These residents are like our family. They deserve to have a full staff there.”
The two employees said the workforce has been trimmed under the new owner.
“We want to attract good employees, and a fair contract would attract good employees,” Frasier said.
Provided photos – The Medina Marching Band won first place for its performance in the parade at Gorham. Medina also won the grand championship trophy.
Press release
Medina Marching Band
The Marcus Whitman Central School District welcomed 17 school districts to participate in the 53rd Annual Pageant of Bands held in Gorham on Friday and Saturday.
This pageant represents an opportunity for students in the various band programs to come together and perform. While concert and parade bands remain a strong focus, the event also includes twirlers, dancers, percussion, color guard and jazz bands.
In High School Jazz Band competition Class A, Medina took first place with a score of 99, seconded by Batavia with an 85. Medina Middle School took second place with a score of 93. Medina was bested by Buckman Heights (Greece Central School District) with score of 94.
Specialty awards for Jazz were Medina Middle School and High School for Best Rhythm section; Medina HS for Best Brass and Woodwinds Sections.
In Twirler competition, Medina took first place with a score of 79.5 followed by South Seneca with a 78.5.
In Color Guard competition in the Regional A class, Medina took first place with 86.1 followed by Batavia with 74.4.
Percussion Stand Still (PSS) competition involved five schools competing with Medina taking first place with a score of 83.8.
Concert Band competition concluded with Medina MS taking first place in the JRA class with score of 194.25 while Medina High School in the HSA class finished first with a score of 196.
The parade down Main Street in Gorham included 10 schools. Medina HS took first place with a score of 96.5. Medina also won Best Drum Major and Best Guard unit. Medina also took Best Class Championship in HSA with 292.5.
The Grand Championship Award took an interesting twist this year. In the High School class Medina and South Seneca were tied.
According to the rules the tie-breaker is the Concert Performance. Therefore, the HS Grand Championship Award went to Medina.
The Medina Mustang Band and all of its components are under the co-direction of James Steele and Cheri Pritchard.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Shaina Schmigel, 21, was recently promoted to sergeant
Schmigel
MEDINA – An Army paratrooper from Medina died on Friday when she was found unresponsive after a night jump at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
The Army is investigating the death of Shaina Schmigel, 21. She enlisted in the Army four years ago after graduating from Medina High School in 2010. She was promoted to sergeant in January and recently committed to four more years with the Army, said Krissi Gress, a friend of the family’s.
“Once she got in, she loved it,” Gress said. “She loved the discipline and the structure.”
Schmigel was also an intelligence analyst with the 82nd Airborne Division. She served a four-month tour of duty in Iraq in 2012. She was to be deployed to Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Gress said.
Schmigel
Schmigel’s family has not been told details of her death. They’ve only been told she was found after a night-time training exercise.
“It has come as quite a shock,” Gress said.
Schmigel was a cheerleader at Medina. She spent most of her childhood in Batavia before moving to Medina about six years ago.
“She was an all-around good girl,” Gress said. “She had a peppy spirit and a big dimple.”
Schmigel excelled in the Army, taking many classes and gaining a promotion.
“She was doing everything she could,” Gress said. “Nothing was too out of reach for her.”
Schmigel is survived by her mother Karie, an older brother Matthew and a sister Sheniqua, 16, who is a student at Medina.
Orleans Hub reached out to the press office at Fort Bragg for any more information about Schmigel’s death, but hasn’t heard back from Fort Bragg yet.
Gress said the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel in Batavia will be handling funeral arrangements.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 June 2014 at 12:00 am
Schmigel
FORT BRAGG, N.C. The 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg has issued a news release about the death of Medina native Sgt. Shaina B. Schmigel, a paratrooper who died during a T-11 airborne training exercise at Holland Drop Zone on Friday.
The cause of death is currently under investigation, the 82nd Division said today.
“All of the Paratroopers in the brigade are deeply saddened by the loss of an extraordinary and much-respected member of our team,” said Lt. Col. Albert Paquin, commander of the 2nd BCT. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this time of great loss. Our chaplains and our health care professionals are available to help comfort and support all of her fellow Paratroopers affected by this tragedy.”
Schmigel joined the Army in Aug. 2010. She completed Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., Advanced Individual Training at Fort Huachuca, Az. and Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., according to the news release. She reported to the 82nd Airborne Division where she was assigned to 2nd BCT in June 2011.
Schmigel is a 2010 Medina High School graduate. She moved from Batavia to Medina about six years ago. She was a cheerleader at Medina.
As a paratrooper in the Army, she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn from July to November 2011.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.
The Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel in Batavia will be handling funeral arrangements.
