By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 May 2014 at 12:00 am
810 Meadworks eyes late November opening
MEDINA – A meadery, which combines some of the arts of making wine and beer, is coming to downtown Medina with a target opening in late November during the Parade of Lights.
Larissa and Bryan DeGraw and their friend Morris Babcock are working to establish 810 Meadworks at 113 West Center St., Suite 1. That spot was a barbershop a few months ago next to the Shirt Factory Café in the R.H. Newell building.
The DeGraws moved from New Jersey, Mr. DeGraw’s native state, to Orleans County. They are temporarily staying in Kent, where Mrs. DeGraw, the former Larissa Gunder, grew up. They are moving to Medina.
In New Jersey they lived in a 230-year-old house. They wanted to be a part of the Medina’s revitalization in its historic downtown. The community also is ideally situated in the middle of the expanded Niagara Wine Trail.
“We really appreciate a small town that embraces its history,” DeGraw said. “And from a business standpoint, Medina is in the center of the Niagara Wine Trail. That is an absolutely great place to be.”
At the R.H. Newell building, 810 Meadworks will share the first floor with the Shirt Factory Café and Boiler 54, which runs a concert series. DeGraw believes those businesses will help the new winery, and vice versa.
“We’re real excited to be next to them,” DeGraw said.
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.”
DeGraw said the business will be a place where sweet drinks and choclates can be celebrated over conversation.
“We want to build relationships with people and get to know people,” DeGraw said.
The former barbershop area will be renovated into a production area for creating honey wines and meads, which are alcoholic drinks made by fermenting honey with water and often fruits, spices, grains and hops.
DeGraw has been a home brewer and mead maker for five years. There were very few meaderies in the United States only two years ago, but now there are about 200 with more in the works.
“Meaderies are the oldest fermented beverage,” DeGraw said. “It’s really made a comeback in the last 1 ½ to 2 years.”
810 Meadworks will convert a meeting room in the building into its tasting area, bar and lounge.
DeGraw said the business needs to secure state and federal approvals before it can open. He said that process usually takes three months. The Village Board also is considering changes in its zoning to make it easier for wineries to operate in the downtown. The board has set 7 p.m. June 23 for a public hearing on the zoning changes.
MEDINA – Residents of the Medina Central School District voted in favor of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s 2014-15 budget at the annual vote on Tuesday. A total of 84 residents voted, with 76 approving the budget.
The 2014-15 budget of $582,753 represents an increase of 1.87 percent over the current year.
Incumbent candidate Maryellen Dale defeated Jamie Troidl. Dale was re-elected to another five-year term at the library’s annual meeting held on Monday.
Photos by Sue Cook – Zoe Wheeland, 2, poses with her mom Lori on their day out with Thomas. They traveled from Fairport because Zoe is a fan of the TV show. Lori encouraged Zoe to look out the window during the train ride by asking her to look for bunnies.
Photos by Sue Cook – Zoe Wheeland, 2, poses with her mom Lori on their day out with Thomas. They traveled from Fairport because Zoe is a fan of the TV show. Lori encouraged Zoe to look out the window during the train ride by asking her to look for bunnies.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Thomas the Tank Engine is stopping in Medina for a six-day visit this weekend and next, and the attraction already is bringing people to Medina from outside the state and some even from outside of North America.
Martin Phelps, the Medina Railroad Museum founder and director, said that the museum is excited to have Thomas back for another year.
Fisher-Price owns the rights to Thomas through HIT Entertainment. Phelps said he reached out to the company to ask that Medina be chosen again as the solo New York state stop for Thomas. The event raises between $30,000 and $40,000 for the museum’s upkeep and operation.
Near the museum’s entrance, a bubble machine fills the air. Brothers Logan and Tyler Brown play in the bubbles with their grandfather Joe Baldoni.
“Thomas is very particular where he goes to,” explained Phelps. “One of reasons he chose us is because of the Erie Canal, the old-fashioned look of the town, and we are the longest railroad freight house museum in the United States and Canada. We are one foot longer than a football field. The building was New York Central Railroad freight house built in 1905. We acquired the building in 1992 and made the museum out of it.”
Phelps said that on the first day of the event there were people who came to Medina specifically for the Thomas event from London, England; Australia; Japan; Nova Scotia; Montreal, Canada; Dominican Republic and Albany. Many visitors are coming from Rochester and Buffalo. The event is mostly seeing guests from New York state, Pennsylvania, and Canada. Other volunteers said they met people from many other states as well.
“We probably did about 12,000 tickets as an average,” Phelps said of the six-day run. “This brings in a good impact on Genesee County, Orleans County, and Niagara County. So everyone does very well. It’s a great event. Thomas the Tank Engine is a great thing for kids. This is a major fundraiser for the museum.”
Marty Phelps, the conductor, holds 1-year-old Connie Hoffman and her brother Jeffrey, 4. Their mother, Melissa, brought them from Buffalo for the event.
“Thomas is my favorite,” said 4-year-old Jeffrey Hoffman of Buffalo. “I liked riding the train.”
He is a big fan of the TV show and was very excited to come on Friday. He even said the drive from Buffalo didn’t feel very far.
Abbagail Hamilton was hired by JED Photography to take photographs of children with Thomas. She came from Orchard Park and found Medina very aesthetically pleasing.
“I let myself get a little bit lost this morning,” she said.
Lockport resident Richard Faery is the driver for Thomas. He said that the term ‘driver’ is used in England, where Thomas is from. If Thomas were from America, then Faery would be called the engineer. He became the driver in 2006. He said that to get the position, he went to Phelps and asked, “Marty, can I dress up as the driver?” Phelps had responded to him, “Do you want to be the driver?” and since then it has been Faery’s volunteer position.
Medina resident Sherry Tuohey volunteered and was asked to operate a platform. She helped people on and off the train. She was excited to see people from outside the area coming to Thomas and exploring Medina.
“Please support the local organizations,” she said, making note that in the food court was prepared by local businesses and service clubs.
Volunteering beside her was Torby Barker of Tonawanda, who sometimes stays in the area. “We make it like a historical package,” he said of the village of Medina. “If you come here two or three days, you won’t run out of the things to do.”
Timothy Zhu, 2, of Farmington, helps Roger the Balloon Guy make a hat. Besides the train and museum, children can also do crafts, dance, see magic, color, get temporary tattoos, watch videos and more. Sir Topham Hatt also has shows throughout the day.
Ticket purchases include admission to the museum and the 25-minute train ride. Tickets can be purchased at the museum or online by clicking here.
These boys rode the train together and waved out the window. When asked if they were having fun, they shouted back, “Yes!”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 May 2014 at 12:00 am
10,000 expected for Thomas’s 6-day run
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – He rolled into town for the first time in 2005 and Thomas the Train Engine has proven to be a star, drawing thousands of visitors to Medina.
Today was the kickoff for Thomas’s six-day visit to Medina. There will be train rides today through Sunday and again on May 16-18. About 5,000 tickets have already been sold and that number is expected to climb to 7,500 to 10,000 for the 10th annual visit by the popular character.
In the top photo, a crowd gathers around Thomas for photos before its first ride out of town and back. Thomas moves his eyes, mouths and this time he will talk as the train leaves and returns to Medina.
The train rides lasts about 25 minutes. The train will leave every 45 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, while rides on Saturdays and Sundays run from 9:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
The Medina Railroad Museum hosts the train. Museum volunteer Linda Belson helps to welcome Thomas and visitors by sprucing up the sign at the museum. A ticket includes a pass to the museum at 530 West Ave.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Belson said about the Thomas visit. “We love seeing the kids. It benefits the whole community.”
Rick Henn, manager of the passenger car fleet for WNY Railway Historical Society, is ready to welcome riders on five railroad coaches from 1946-1947. The Railway Historical Society owns the coaches and is happy to see so many people ride them in Medina as part of Thomas’s visit.
“The kids are great,” Henn said. “The kids really come out.”
The museum also works with the Railway Historical Society for a Polar Express experience in November and December. That has proven the museum’s biggest attraction, bringing about 20,000 riders.
A volunteer gives Thomas a final look over before his first ride this morning.
The visit over six days by Thomas the Tank Engine is expected to bring 10,000 people to the community.
For more information on the Medina Railroad Museum and Thomas the Tank Engine, click here.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina Fire Department recently had a fire call in the village that could have been very destructive to both life and property had it gone undetected a little while longer. We would like to highlight this call with you now to prevent further property damage and/or loss of life.
The Fire Department responded in the early hours one recent morning for a reported structure fire. First arriving units found a bale of hay next to the structure on fire with some extension to the structure. The fire was quickly knocked down, keeping damage to the house minimal. The cause of the fire was determined to be an improperly discarded cigarette igniting the bale of hay. Not a big fire, not a lot of damage, no one injured. No big deal, right? WRONG!
For a fire to happen you need three things readily available: fuel, heat (ignition source) and oxygen (air). In this recent scenario, remove the hay bale (fuel) from being near the structure and you wouldn’t have had fire extension to the structure. Properly dispose of the cigarette (ignition source) and neither the hay bale nor the house would have caught fire.
Simple actions or inactions can have catastrophic results. Keeping fire wood, brush, hay, straw and other combustibles away from your home is an easy action you can take that could prevent your house from catching fire. Properly extinguishing and disposing of smoking material is very quick and simple. Not putting the material out can be costly and even deadly.
Spring has finally arrived and everyone is out cleaning up their yards. It is a perfect time to discuss another fire safety issue. We had a harsh winter that caused many limbs and branches to fall. We field a lot of questions and phone calls related to open burning. Simply put, per the Village of Medina Code, there is no open burning inside the Village allowed, at any time during the year.
Recreational fires are allowed but they must be in approved containers and other guidelines established by the NY State Fire Code must be followed.
Thank you! Have a fun but safe spring and summer!!
Code of the Village of Medina
§88-1. Burning of combustible material.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to burn trash, lumber, leaves, straw or other combustible material in any street or alley or in any vacant lot or open area within the village limits of the Village of Medina.
§88-2. Penalties for offenses.
Any person committing an offense against any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a violation pursuant to the Penal Law of the State of New York, punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250.) or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen (15) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Fire Code of New York State
Section 307
Open Burning and Recreational Fires
307.1 General. A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be rekindled or maintained any open burning unless conducted and approved in accordance with this section.
307.2 Authorization. Where required by state or local law or regulations, open burning shall only be permitted with prior approval from the state or local air and water quality management authority, provided that all conditions specified in the authorization are followed.
3073 Prohibited open burning. Open burning that will be offensive or objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous shall be prohibited.
307.4 Location. The location for open burning shall not be less than 50 feet from any structure, and provisions shall be made to prevent the fire from spreading to within 50 feet of any structure.
Exceptions
1. Fires in approved containers that are not less than 15 feet from a structure.
2. The minimum required distance from a structure shall be 25 feet where the pile size is 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height.
307.4.1 Bonfires. A bonfire shall not be conducted within 50 feet of a structure or combustible material unless the fire is contained in a barbeque pit. Conditions which could cause fire to spread within 50 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.
307.4.2 Recreational fires. Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.
307.5 Attendance. Open burning, bonfires or recreational fires shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished. A minimum of one portable fire extinguisher complying with Section 906 with a minimum 4-A rating or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose or water truck, shall be available for immediate utilization.
By Kathy Dreyfus
Publicity Chair for the
Medina Mustang Band Boosters
MEDINA – As the school year nears its close, the Medina Mustang Band Boosters held elections at the Monday meeting. The following individuals will serve the Boosters organization for the 2014-2015 school year.
Front row, from left: Doug Waild/Transportation; Karen Furness/Student Accounts; Julie Keller/Delegate; and Alan Bilicki/Delegate.
Back row: Trisha Laszewski/President; Mindy Kenward/VP; Kathy Dreyfus/Publicity; Diane Grosslinger/Uniforms; Debbie White/Delegate; Julie Granchelli/Secretary; Kelly Allen/Treasurer; and Marcia Toussaint/ Delegate. Not pictured, Amy Strickland/Chaperones.
The band will not be performing in the Lilac Parade in Rochester, but they will be in the Memorial Day parade. They are also preparing to travel to Washington, DC from May 15-18. They will compete in the Music In The Parks Festival in the nation’s capitol.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 May 2014 at 12:00 am
Opinions run gamut, but most speakers oppose dissolution
Photos by Tom Rivers – Neil Sambovski of Ridgeway, outside the village, speaks against a dissolution of the village because it would drive up taxes for residents in the town outside Medina.
MEDINA – It’s been a topic of conversation for months in coffee shops and the community.
“Everyone has an opinion,” Don Colquhoun, chairman of the Medina Dissolution Committee, said about a plan to dissolve the village’s government. “If you talk to anyone in the village or in the towns, you have an opinion.”
Tonight residents were welcome to air their opinions in public, and many seized the opportunity.
“They’re diverting the tax from people in the village to people outside the village,” said Hannah Brant, a village resident with property in the two towns. “It’s driving a lot of fear into the community.”
Brandt was one of 300 people who attended a public meeting at Wise Middle School about the draft dissolution plan. It calls for dissolving the village of Medina and having its government services picked up by the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby, and other taxing districts or entities.
Colquhoun and the Medina Dissolution Committee approved a draft plan last month. Many residents spoke at the nearly the 2 ½ hour meeting and were against the village dissolution – for many different reasons. Their comments will be considered in any changes to the plan that would then go to the Village Board.
Don Colquhoun, chairman of the Medina Dissolution Committee, said the group will next meet in late May or early June to consider residents comments and whether the draft dissolution plan should be altered.
The Village Board will have public hearings if it decides to proceed with dissolution. It would then go to a public referendum for village residents only.
Several residents outside the village in the two towns said outside-village residents should have a vote as well. One resident called the plan “taxation without representation.”
The plan shifts some of the current villages expenses to the two towns, in particular to Ridgeway. 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. More village streets happen to be in Ridgeway, and so is Boxwood Cemetery, which would become the responsbilty of Ridgeway as part of the plan.
“If my taxes go up 46 percent, I’m leaving Orleans County,” said Neil Samborski of Ridgeway. “We can’t afford it.”
Village resident J.C. Hobbs said village residents have long been overburdened with taxes. He said there needs to be a push to reduce the village taxes.
“It’s all about fairness,” he said.
Village resident J.C. Hobbs said village residents pay too mch in taxes, especially compared to outside-village residents.
Village residents would see a drop ranging from 27 percent in Ridgeway to 34 percent in Shelby. The rate in Ridgeway would drop from $19.49 per $1,000 of assessed property to a projected $14.30, according to the plan. That $5.20 reduction would save a homeowner with a $70,000 house $363 a year in taxes.
Village residents in Shelby currently pay a combined $19.80 rate ($16.45 to the village and $3.35 to the town). That would drop 34 percent to $13.10 and would cut the tax bills from $1,386 for a $70,000 house to $917.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said the current taxing structure artificially makes the village taxes about 20 percent higher than those just outside the village borders. Dissolving the village would make the tax rates more equitable.
He worries the current system funnels too much tax burden on village property owners. It is chasing away residents and investment, leading to blight and shrinking tax assessments.
“A healthy town requires a healthy village,” Meier said.
Even with dissolution, village residents will pay about $4 more per $1,000 of assessed property than the outside-village residents. The village debt would stay with the village property owners until it is paid off in abut a decade. That accounts for $2 of that projected tax rate. A new fire district also is suggested to maintain the Medina Fire Department.
The Ridgeway residents outside the village currently pay a $6.71 rate for town, lighting and fire protection. That would rise 46 percent to $9.83 if the village dissolves and services are picked up according to the plan.
Shelby residents would see a 10 percent increase with dissolution with the current rate for outside-village residents going from $8.36 per $1,000 of assessed property to $9.17. That would raise taxes for a $70,000 home from $585 to $642.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said village residents are unfairly burdened with high taxes.
The committee is suggesting a new debt district, two lighting districts, a water/sewer local development corporation, and a new fire district. Ridgeway would take over a town police force that would be contracted to include Shelby, according to the proposal.
Former Mayor Marcia Tuohey said she expects taxes would increase overall because of the new layers of government that are less accountable to residents.
“In the long run we’d be abdicating a lot of our services for more money,” she said.
Marguerite Sherman, a new village trustee, also said dissolution would result in less efficient government, trading one layer for up to five.
She and Mike Sidari, another new trustee, made a point of saying they aren’t necessarily in support of dissolution. Sidari said he moved to the village 29 years ago because of the police protection and other services, which he said naturally results in a higher tax burden compared to the rate outside the village.
“If the village goes by the wayside, there will be less control and who knows where the taxes are going,” he said.
The plan sees $277,000 in cost savings and $541,000 in additional state aid for $818,000 in overall benefit. But with combined budgets of more than $10 million, the $277,000 was called a small amount in operational savings.
The number could have been higher, but the Dissolution Committee didn’t want to eliminate any jobs or curtail services.
Village resident Todd Bensley doesn’t think the savings are enough to warrant dissolution of the village. He thinks the tax burden could be cut with more shared services with the two towns, and a push to become the City of Medina. That would result in siginifciantly more in state aid. Right now Medina receives about $45,000 in state aid as a community of about 6,000 people. Similar-size cities, such as Salamanca, get nearly a $1 million in state aid.
The City of Sherrill has half as many people as the village of Medina, but gets nearly $400,000 in state aid, Bensley noted.
The average village property owner would see $363 in tax savings, according to the plan.
“That sounds good, but look at all of the things we’re losing,” he said.
Bensley serves on the Village Planning Board, which he said has been committed to preserving the downtown historic district, while also welcoming businesses.
“The residents have worked hard to make the village what it is and I want it maintained,” Bensley said. “The mayor is asking us to get rid of a village with a 182-year-old tradition to save a few hundred dollars.”
Bensley also said he didn’t like that the village’s reduction comes with an increase to residents outside the village.
“I don’t want to save money on the backs of my neighbors,” he said.
Dave Kusmierczak said state and federal policies have hurt small-town upstate New York, providing too little aid and too many mandates.
Several residents were critical that the Dissolution Committee didn’t include more representation from outside-village residents. Only Cindy Robinson, a downtown business owner, lives outside the village. Other committee members include Colquhoun, Meier, Village Deputy Mayor Mark Irwin, Charlie Slack and Thurston Dale.
Meier said village residents are also town residents. The committee acted with the best interest of the community at heart, he said.
Leaders from the two towns and village met often in a consolidation and shared service study in 2011. The group suggested the village and two towns merge into one government entity. Meier and village officials wanted to make that happen, and town leaders said then a village dissolution would need to be the first step.
Meier said the bigger savings will come if the two towns join into one town, after the village dissolves. There would be more state aid and more cost efficiencies, bringing down the community’s overall, tax rate, Meier said.
In the mentime, he has sought concessions to village residents from the towns. Meier said village residents pay to plow and maintain village streets. They also are taxed for town streets. He wants an exemption in that portion of the town tax bill, which he said could knock $1 off the tax rate for village residents.
He cited the reconstruction of Gwinn Street, a popular thoroughfare in the village used by school buses and other traffic. Village taxpayers footed the entire $900,000 cost for improvements to that street, depsite its widespread use by motorists outside the village.
Residents enter the gymnasium at Wise Middle School. They walk past a display showing the tax savings annually for residents in the village, depending on the assessment of the property. About 300 people attended the meeting.
Kit Trapasso is a retired psychologist at Medina Central Scool. He lives in the village and has witnessed an exodus of residents, not only from the village but Orleans County and Western New York. (The eight WNY counties all had a population loss from 2000 to 2010.)
Schools have experienced significant drops in student enrollment, prompting some districts, including Medina, to close a school. The Towne Primary School closed about two years ago.
“In New York State we are taxing ourselves to death,” Trapasso said. “I hope as a community we’re willing to work together to say let’s be in for a change.”
Trapasso said he favors dissolving the village and merging the two towns because it has the most savings and promise for reduced tax bills.
Tom McGrane, a retired teacher, said the dissolution process hasn’t gone well. The two towns have sent out information “that has been dividing us.” McGrane said Meier as mayor, Skip Draper as town supervisor of Shelby, and Brian Napoli as town supervisor of Ridgeway need to get over “turf wars” and find a solution for the high taxes.
“We need to really sit down and say let’s do it for the community,” McGrane said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2014 at 12:00 am
State Convention returns to Orleans County
Photos by Tom Rivers – Medina FFA leaders have been busy preparing for this week’s state convention. Some of the leaders include, from left: Cassidy Albone, President Ben Martin and Hayden Allis. About 1,200 students, and 200 advisors and ag teachers are expected in town from May 8-10.
MEDINA – A few hundred wooden folding chairs were delivered this morning. They are stacked in the hallway at Medina High School. They will be moved to the gymnasium on Thursday.
The chairs are just one of numerous details that have been tended to for the FFA State Convention this Thursday through Saturday at Medina. The Medina FFA Chapter is hosting the event for the first time since 2001. About 1,200 students from FFA chapters throughout the state will be at Medina for competitions, fun and inspiration. Most of the students will be staying at hotels in either Batavia or Lockport.
The event has been a lot of work the past year for the Medina chapter.
“We couldn’t have done this without a lot of help,” said Ben Martin, Medina’s FFA president.
The local farm community, FFA alumni and many others have pitched in to prepare for the convention.
About 200 people, many of them Medina teachers, will volunteer to judge more than 30 different competitions at the convention. Local ag businesses – Forrestel Farms, SK Herefords, Western New York Energy and Lamb Farms – will provide tours to students.
Medina’s downtown will also be featured on wagon tours. Todd Bensley, a Medina teacher and local historian, will discuss the downtown’s Medina sandstone heritage. Students will be able to tour the Bent’s Opera House and the downtown business district.
“We want to give them a taste of a small town,” Martin said. “We want to show that we have a huge historical background.”
The convention includes a Friday night concert at 9 p.m. at Vets Park. Savage Cabbage, a rock band that includes farmers John and Frank Starowitz, will perform. That concert also will include a carnival at the park.
The state officers for the FFA rehearse on stage this morning for a skit as part of the FFA State Convention. This year’s theme is “Harvest.”
The state officers for FFA arrived in Medina on Monday and they are polishing the three-day program that includes skits, inspirational messages and recognition for the FFA students. The officers picked the convention theme of “Harvest.”
“Harvest is more than just agriculture,” said Ashley Willits of Lowville, the state FFA president. “It could be succeeding at public speaking or climbing a ropes course for the first time.”
The officers are planning six sessions on the “Harvest” theme, with components on traditions and celebrations.
“Harvest is a process,” Willits said. “It doesn’t happen overnight.”
There are about 4,000 FFA students in the state. The program is growing. Five new chapters will be welcomed during the convention.
“The goal of the convention is to recognize everything the members do,” said Kaylin Broadwell, a past state officer who is volunteering this week. “FFA students are so focused on giving back to others. Convention is our time to recognize them.”
Albion hosted the convention last year. Next year it will be at Morrisville State College.
(Medina will have a half day of school for all students on Thursday and will be closed on Friday for the convention.)
Photo by Sarah Martin – Two local farms, Dunham Family Farms in Knowlesville and Meadowbrook Farms in Shelby, each donated 500 bushels of corn to help pay for the FFA State Convention from May 8-10 in Medina. Pictured, from left, include: William Martin, Zack Blackburn, Benjamin Martin, Chantelle Kidney, Erin Dunham and Brian Dunham.
By Sarah Martin, Medina FFA
MEDINA – It is not a rare sight to see the farming community come together. The annual FFA (Future Farmers of America) State Convention is no exception.
This Thursday through Saturday the Medina FFA Chapter will take on the responsibility and honor of hosting this year’s convention. Chapter advisor Todd Eick has been hard at work all year along with his FFA students and Medina FFA alumni.
From planning meetings to emailing and sending out letters for donations, there hasn’t been a dull moment in the 2013-2014 school year. The convention is an expensive event due to the meals and activities that are provided to the 1,200-plus students and staff that are participating.
“Our first task was to send out letters to alumni, business owners, and anyone in the farming community for donations and support,” said Chapter President Benjamin Martin. “We received an overwhelming amount of donations and not just monetary. People have been so generous with their time and willingness to help we will never be able to say thank you or express our gratitude enough.”
Two local farms, Dunham Family Farms in Knowlesville and Meadowbrook Farms in Shelby offered a unique donation: 500 bushels of corn each.
“I didn’t just want to hand them a check, I wanted to make it a learning experience for our future farmers,” said Brian Dunham.
“Watching the commodity market is an everyday occurrence and more than just one time a day,” said William Martin. “It’s important that our future farmers learn how to market their crops and know when to price and contract.”
The students did watch the market and saw how the price would change day to day with some days increasing and decreasing. Both Martin and Dunham are alumni of the Medina FFA Chapter and both expressed how proud and excited they are to have the convention coming to Medina.
“I know it’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours for all of the students but I can’t imagine a better opportunity for these young adults to learn how to work together and communicate with others under such stress and pressure,” said advisor Todd Eick.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – The leaders of Orleans Community Health say the sentencing of a former payroll clerk, who stole about $500,000 from the organization, will help the healthcare system move on from the issue.
“There are no winners here,” said Bruce Krenning, chairman of the board for OCH, the parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but it starts to bring closure although there won’t be full closure until she pays back all of the money.”
Linda Rakonczay, 58, of Middleport was sentenced to two years in prison this morning. She was ordered to pay back $499,563 in restitution to the hospital and $93,999 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
“Patient care was never jeopardized because of this,” Krenning said. “But certainly it hurt our bottom line. Every hospital could use every bit of money it can get.”
Some of Rakonczay’s assets have been seized to help pay the restitution and Krenning said insurance will cover a small portion of the stolen money. Krenning said, realistically, that some of the money may not be recouped.
Rakonczay worked as a payroll coordinator for Orleans Community Health. Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2012, Rakonczay prepared and submitted reports to the organization’s bank instructing the bank to electronically transfer money from the corporate bank account to her personal bank account, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Hospital officials say she misappropriated money through the hospital’s payroll savings deduction program for employees. Rakonczay oversaw an account where employees put a portion of their paycheck to a savings account. Rakonczay directed about $3,000 extra to herself every two weeks for more than six years. She inflated the hospital’s health insurance bills to make sure the hospital’s overall bills balanced.
The scheme was discovered after Rakonczay went on disability leave in November 2012. She was terminated two months later.
If Rakonczay hadn’t gone on disability, the crime may have continued undetected. Orleans Community Health now has internal controls in place to make sure “it will never happen again,” Krenning said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 May 2014 at 12:00 am
BUFFALO – A former Medina Memorial Hospital payroll clerk was sentenced to two years in state prison this morning and ordered to pay back nearly $500,000 she stole from the hospital.
Linda Rakonczay, 58, of Middleport, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing false tax returns in January when she appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
This morning she was given a prison sentence and ordered to pay $93,999 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $499,563 in restitution to Orleans Community Health, the hospital’s parent organization.
Rakonczay worked as a payroll coordinator for Orleans Community Health in Medina. Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2012, Rakonczay prepared and submitted reports to the organization’s bank instructing the bank to electronically transfer money from the corporate bank account to her personal bank account, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The amount transferred from the organization’s bank account to the defendant’s account totaled $499,563.00. For tax years 2007 through 2012, Rakonczay failed to report such income and failed to pay federal taxes to the Internal Revenue Service totaling nearly $94,000.
The conviction is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Brian P. Boetig and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Toni M. Weirauch, Special Agent in Charge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 May 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Changes in the village code and zoning for wineries and microbreweries will go to the Orleans County Planning Board for review.
The Village Planning Board has suggested several changes to make the village ordinance more friendly to allow the businesses.
The Village Planning Board approved the changes last month that welcomes wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies. The Village Board will have the final vote but not after a public hearing and the review from the County Planning Board.
No winery has presented a proposal for a project, but Code Enforcement Officer Martin Busch said there are interested parties in the projects in the downtown area.
The current village code doesn’t prohibit the projects, but doesn’t say they are an allowed use in the Downtown Historic District. Spelling out the projects in the zoning will make it easier for the projects to become a reality, Busch said.
The Village Planning Board is recommending they be allowed, although the owner of the businesses will need to secure a Special Use Permit. That will give the village more say in the operations.
The Planning Board doesn’t want to limit those businesses to the downtown. They would also be allowed in the General Business District as well as the Light Industrial and Industrial Zones.
The changes will go before the County Planning Board on May 22.
Village officials see potential in Medina for wineries and breweries because the Niagara Wine Trail has been extended from Niagara County through Orleans and to Rochester. Medina is now central located along the trail.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – A newspaper with roots in the Medina community since 1903 has announced it will close next month.The Journal-Register will publish its final edition on Friday, May 30, Publisher Diane Crowe announced today on the JR’s website.
The newspaper is printed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The paper used to have a Main Street presence until the operation was moved to Lockport at the Union-Sun & Journal about two years ago.
The move to Lockport was part of a cost-saving measure. The JR could not sustain itself economically despite the efforts to consolidate business and production operations at nearby sister publications, Crowe said on the JR website.
The Journal-Register’s circulation was about 1,500. The paper used to be printed five days a week, then four days before the three-days-a-week schedule. The Journal has four employees and they were notified today of the closing, Crowe said.
The Daily Journal started in Medina in 1903, followed by a rival, the Medina Register. The two merged in 1970 to form The Journal-Register.
The Journal is owned by Community First Holdings, Inc., which runs the Greater Niagara Newspapers group that includes The Journal-Register, Union-Sun & Journal, Tonawanda News and the Niagara Gazette. Community First also owned the Albion Advertiser, a weekly publication. That newspaper closed about a year ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Company had planned to close on May 1
MEDINA – In December, officials at Worthington Industries in Medina said the plant would shut down on May 1 and put 152 people out of work.
That shutdown date has been pushed back to June 20 due to increased production, company leaders told the Medina Village Board in a letter.
It’s bittersweet news for the employees, who stay on the job for seven more weeks but face the inevitable loss of their jobs.
Worthington operates the former Bernz-O-Matic and is shifting production from Medina to a site in Wisconsin. Many of the employees have worked at the plant for decades.
Worthington bought Bernz-O-Matic in 2011. Bernz-O-Matic had operated in Medina since 1969, making torches.
Worthington makes cylinders for the torches in Wisconsin. By shifting the torch production to Wisconsin, the company says it can do everything at one site, saving in transportation costs.
Worthington planned to ramp up production in Medina, to have extra product while the company shifts production to the site in Wisconsin.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 April 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Community members are welcome to attend a forum about underage drinking tonight at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
The Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition will lead the meeting, which begins at 6:45 p.m. The coalition is part of the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
Medina Police Chief Jose Avila will speak during the forum, which will include participation from the coalition members.
A survey of high schoolers at four of the five school districts in Orleans County showed that 25 percent report they binge drink, said Patricia Crowley, project director for GCASA.
“We all know it’s going on more than the statistics say,” Crowley said. “These are kids who are drinking to get drunk.”
She welcomed students and their parents to attend tonight’s forum at the library, 620 West Ave.
“We want to hear from the kids about what they hear and see,” Crowley said.
The coalition also wants to talk to parents. Many are permissive in allowing children to drink alcohol and host drinking parties. The survey in 2013 of 6th through 12th showed that 46 percent of students in those ages drink alcohol at home with their parents’ permission.
Crowley said the coalition’s goal is to educate community members about underage drinking consequences and empower communities to use evidence-based approaches to stop underage drinking.
Tonight’s meeting will also include an appearance by “Kye,” Medina’s K-9 that is used in tracking, drug detection, building searches and criminal apprehension.
