By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The former Starlite Dry Cleaners has been vacant on Main Street in Medina since a fire damaged the building a decade ago.
MEDINA – The village is spending $3,500 to determine the environmental cleanup needed for two vacant side-by-side sites on Main Street.
The former Starlite Dry Cleaners at 331 North Main St. has been empty since a fire in the building a decade ago. Its neighbor at 333 North Main also is vacant.
The Village Board would like to see the sites be redeveloped. But first the extent of the environmental contamination needs to be determined. The village also is trying to line up funding to help with the cleanup. The state Department of Environmental Conservation pledged $50,000 to $60,000 to the cleanup in 2008, Mayor Andrew Meier said.
He believes the DEC will still honor that commitment if local dollars are committed to help with the project.
Starlite is currently in limbo. A previous owner stopped paying taxes on the site. Normally the property would then be owned by Orleans County, but the county hasn’t accepted the property due to the potential environmental liabilities.
Meier and the Village Board on Monday voted to pay $3,500 to Great Lakes Environmental. The firm will look at alternatives for the two sites, including the costs of environmental remediation, building repairs and demolition.
A previous study showed some dry-cleaning solvents were in the soil at Starlite.
Meier said he doesn’t want the two buildings to sit idle much longer. The study from the environmental consultant should help determine the future for the two buildings.
“It’s an important project in the community,” Meier said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2014 at 12:00 am
MEDINA – Property owners won’t face a higher village tax rate this year after the Village Board approved a 2014-15 budget on Monday night that keeps the rate at $16.44 per $1,000 of assessed property.
“I would consider that good news,” Mayor Andrew Meier told residents during a budget hearing tonight.
The village’s general fund – the budget for police, streets, fire department and other services outside the water and sewer departments – totaled $4,958,514, a 5.7 percent or $269,539 increase from $4,688,975 in 2013-14.
The village is offsetting most of that increase with stronger revenues for its ambulance service through the fire department, and $70,000 more in carryover cash funds. The ambulance service returned $150,000 more in revenue than was budgeted in 2013-14.
The amount to be collected in taxes will increase by $16,160 or 0.6 percent to $2,738,602. The tax rate won’t change because the tax base grew by 0.6 percent or $996,974 to $166.5 million.
The tax base is bigger because Orchard Manor was added to the tax rolls. The nursing home on Bates Road was tax exempt when it was owned by Medina Memorial Hospital. The site was sold last year for $4.1 million.
The village’s water fund is up 2.5 percent from $1,418,202 to $1,452,970. The sewer fund increased 4.5 percent from $969,679 to $1,013,758.
Village Board members unanimously approved the budget and offered praise to the Medina department heads for their help in preventing an increase in the tax rate.
The budget takes effect June 1, the start of the village fiscal year.
Photos by Sue Cook – General Grant of the Union army (left of kneeling man) poses with soldiers by the campfire. Grant is wearing his combat attire which is much simpler than his dress uniform. The photograph is sepia tone to emulate the style of photography from the period. Tintypes were common because they were sturdier than glass plates and were quick to develop. The soldiers in the photograph are from the 28th and 104th NY Volunteer Infantries, as well as the 9th NY Volunteer Cavalry Company B.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Throughout Saturday, guests at the Medina GCC campus were invited to participate in the Civil War encampment. All over the surrounding field, soldiers set up camps and even a sutler popped up selling Victorian era clothing. The campus provided space for visitors to hear about the time period and to ask questions.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marshall of the 21st Georgia (Scott Hoffmeier of Rochester), left, and General James P. Longstreet of the 21st Mississippi (Ken Miller of Ontario, Canada) pose for a portrait after their success in Saturday’s mock battle. When asked how they captured the win, Longstreet quoted General Robert E. Lee. “We will prevail.”
Miller said he started out enjoying all periods of history as a member of a history roundtable. He found that he greatly enjoyed learning about Victorian times and enjoyed participating in Civil War events. He feels his influence stems from his childhood.
“My grandma bought me little plastic soldiers. John Wayne probably influenced me, too,” Miller said.
Abraham Lincoln came to the encampment after appearing in the parade. Lincoln is portrayed by David Kreutz of Lancaster, who became a member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters in 1996.
Soldiers were more than happy to be approached by visitors and asked questions. Many soldiers are very well versed in the Civil War and have purchased or hand made their own uniforms. Most uniforms are correct all the way down to the woolen socks.
Vaughn Weston spent the weekend as Colonel Madison of the Louisiana Light Artillery. He poses with one of the cannons he fired on the battlefield.
Weston was very enthusiastic about participating. “I’ve been doing this since 1961 when I was 9 years old,” he said. “What got me interested was that they came out with bubblegum packs with these gory Civil War cards.”
The cards showed soldiers in uniform, but also images of the wounded and dead. He said the cards were very similar to baseball cards that most other kids preferred.
To add more realism to the event, the soldiers also are welcomed to camp out in their pup tents overnight. Despite the cold, wet weather, many stayed the night and reported that they were dry and well rested after sleeping between wool blankets.
Private Max Todd from Geneseo, a member of the 28th Volunteer Infantry, rests in his tent and eats lunch. Among his possessions are his rifle, canteen and ammunition bag.
After being asked why there was a random pin with a looped end stuck in his cap, Todd explained that it was called a nipple pin and was used for cleaning the portion of the gun that the wing-tip firing cap rests on.
“Everything serves a purpose,” Todd said. No matter how small the item, everything the troops brought to battle was important in some way, even if it doesn’t seem obvious.
“There’s always so much to learn,” he said.
From left: Rudy Coumont, Kim Fontana and Sue Cifaldi play the fife. Ken Barlow is playing the drum. The group played songs for the crowd including Yankee Doodle and the Rogue’s March.
“Bugles supplanted the fife and drum,” lamented Barlow. “A bugle could be played on horseback with one hand.”
Barlow says that fife and drum players are becoming very rare, and even bugles are being phased out by played back digital recordings.
Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield, left, asks questions to Bill Kauffman, the screenplay writer of the film “Copperhead.” Kauffman lives in Elba.
In the evening, the campus screened the film “Copperhead,” directed by Ron Maxwell. The film follows the story of upstate New York farmer Abner Beech and his family during the war. Beech wanted to remain a pacifist and was harassed by his neighbors for his choice.
At the end of the Q&A with Kauffman, Liz Guthrie, an employee of a Webster high school, stood up to share her appreciation of the film.
“For high school students today, it seems to enhance their experience,” she said. “Students are using these films to learn about history.”
She applauded Maxwell’s other films for providing students with different insights of the Civil War.
Sunday’s events will include the battle at 2 p.m. Also scheduled are demonstrations and talks including field medicine, candle making, mortuary arts, music, meetings with the generals and more. The camps are also open to the public who can walk among the tents, meet the soldiers and see them in a realistic camp setting.
Re-enactors will engage in mock battle again Sunday
Photos by Sue Cook – The Confederate States of America fire on the Union soldiers. Troops only fired at the orders of their superior officers.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – The Genesee Community College campus in Medina roared with canon fire and gunshots as the Civil War re-enactors took to the battlefield this afternoon. The two sides of the battle included soldiers from the Confederacy and the Union taking up arms in a fight over state rights.
Many of the soldiers were from out of the area, and were invited to participate by locals. All those participating wore period correct uniforms.
Jay Black of Batavia invited Paul Harbaugh from Erie, Pa. Harbaugh was a lieutenant for the day on the Confederate side of the battle.
“I’ve been interested in the Civil War since I was six years old,” Harbaugh said. In grade school, he recalls the teacher telling the other students that any questions they had about the Civil War should be directed to Harbaugh, their fellow classmate.
General Grant (center in front of flag) was the first Lieutenant General since George Washington. The rank of a three-star general was revived by Lincoln and Congress.
Before the battle began, General Grant, portrayed by Ed Brodbeck of Cheektowaga, said that he was uncertain of how the battle for the day would go, but was very hopeful the Union would win the day’s fight.
“I don’t know the scenario yet. One day the rebel forces will win, one day the Union forces will win.”
He said this keeps it interesting for spectators to not know what type of battle they are about to witness and not know the result ahead of time.
In the mock battle, some of the soldiers acted as if they were wounded. Many men fell to the ground screaming, while others simply dropped on the spot. This young man called out to his friend for help, but ultimately was unable to survive the battle.
The Union soldiers wore blue. The Confederates had gray uniforms near the start of the war, but when Union forces cut off their supplies from English ships, they had to use what was available to them. Many of the uniforms are brown because women making the uniforms would use dyes made from tree barks, and would end up with variations.
Those who were injured on the battlefield were brought to the medics on stretchers if they were unable to walk under their own power. Major Legrande Capers of the 21st Georgia (portrayed by Dr. Spencer Annabel) provides medical help to Private Nelson Drake.
When asked how they know if they are supposed to be injured in the battle, Drake said, “The commander says ‘We gotta take some hits.’ Also, if you’re out of powder, or caps or just tired.”
Annabel said that most people think of Civil War doctors as being more like butchers, but this perception is wrong. “By the third year of the war, 95 percent of wounded soldiers lived to go home.”
Annabel explained how the Civil War affected warfare for later generations. Casualties in the war were 90 percent the cause of minie balls, the name for bullets despite their cone shapes, while only 10 percent were caused by artillery fire. This caused warfare to move soldiers into trenches to avoid rifle fire.
Dr. Annabel’s daughter Megan also participated by dressing up as a civilian. She is pictured here with Thomas Angelo. A well-known story involves civilians watching the Battle of Manassas near Washington, D.C. Though most civilians were out of harms way, picnicking roughly 5 miles away after their seven-hour carriage ride to the site, some men moved closer to the action. They had received old news from the front lines that the Union was winning, but upon moving closer were trapped in the confusion and panic of the retreating Union troops.
The battle at the GCC campus raged on for about an hour until finally the Union soldiers were overtaken by the Confederates. The battle was won as the Confederates raced across the enemy lines. The Union flag was handed off to the last two remaining Union soldiers who were told to take it and run.
At the battle’s end, a Union soldier played Taps for the fallen and the Union soldiers fired a salute.
Despite the result of today’s battle, Sunday’s fight at 2 p.m. may be different. A whole new scenario will play out and the two sides will fight one more time. The battle will conclude the encampment for the weekend.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Medina community is hosting a Civil War Encampment this weekend. This morning many of the Civil War re-enactors marched down Main Street and headed to Boxwood Cemetery for a memorial service.
Excelsior Brigade Fife and Drum from Rochester marched in the parade. The group will be in concert from noon to 1 p.m. today at GCC in Medina.
The GCC campus on Route 31A is offering many workshops and educational programs today and on Sunday. There will be mock battles on both days at 2 p.m.
To see the full schedule of events, visit https://civilwaratgcc.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/cw-medina-encampment-program-2014-final-final.pdf.
The Medina community hosted the Encampment for the first time a year ago. GCC is holding the events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
The generals ride in a carriage down Main Street during the parade. Generals Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant and James Longstreet are at the Encampment this weekend. There is also a re-enactor portraying Abraham Lincoln.
Contributed Story Posted 25 April 2014 at 12:00 am
57 trees to be planted along Gwinn Street
Provided photos
Medina elementary students were a part of a tree planting and an Arbor Day celebration this morning.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier joined students in the celebration of trees. The National Arbor Day Foundation has given Medina a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA” for its commitment to planting trees every year.
The village is planting 57 trees on Gwinn Street. This photo shows some of the trees lined up and ready to be planted. The trees will go north of the driveway leading to the middle school all the way to James Street.
The village’s Tree Board added two new varieties this year: Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ Persian Ironwood and Acer tartaricum ‘Rugged Charm’ Tartarian Maple.
Other varieties include: Acer miyabei ʻMortonʼ State Street maple, Maclura pomifera ʻWhite Shieldʼ or ʻWichitaʼ, Zelkova serrata ʻGreen Vaseʼ Zelkova, Acer tartaricum ‘Rugged Charm’, Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ʻPacific Sunsetʼ maple, Parrotia persica Persian Ironwood, Gleditisia triancanthos ʻImperialʼ Honeylocust, Celtis occidentalis Hackberry, and Platanus x acerifolia London Plane ‘Exclamation.’
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 April 2014 at 12:00 am
More than 100 re-enactors at GCC campus for programs
File photos by Tom Rivers – Re-enactors march down Main Street in Medina during a parade last April. They will be back for another parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The parade ends at Boxwood Cemetery.
MEDINA – The re-enactors have returned, more than 100 of them and they will put on demonstrations about the Civil War, everything from cooking to mock battling with canons and guns.
They are in town from today until Sunday. The group will march down Medina’s Main Street in parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The parade starts at the fire hall and will end at Boxwood Cemetery, where there will be a memorial ceremony honoring Medina’s Civil War soldiers.
GCC had a Civil War Encampment at its Lima campus in 2012 and moved it to Medina last year. The big community turn out and participation from the Medina Sandstone Society, Orleans Renaissance Group, Medina Historical Society and other groups impressed Derek Maxfield, a GCC professor and coordinator of the encampment.
“I was struck by the response in Medina,” Maxfield told Orleans County legislators in a presentation on Wednesday. “We were overwhelmed with support from the community. There is something special about Orleans County.”
Maxfield met many community members who have worked to preserve buildings and local heritage. That prompted him to push for the creation of a Heritage Heroes award. The first five honorees will be recognized at 7 p.m. at GCC in Medina today. The public is welcome to that event.
“It’s a way to say, ‘Thank you,’ to these people who have worked incredibly hard,” Maxfield said. “You don’t see that level of concern in other communities for old buildings and cemeteries.”
Re-enactors will stage mock battles at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the GCC campus in Medina.
Here is a press release from GCC about the lineup of events over the next three days:
Several new activities, awards and events are part of this year’s program, including a visit by acclaimed Civil War filmmaker Ron Maxwell and a screening of his film “Copperhead.”
Friday has been designated as Education Day at the Encampment. Open exclusively to students from local school districts, a series of exhibits will help the students learn about life during the Civil War, including medical tools, military artifacts and a live demonstration of the cooking from that era. The students will have an opportunity to recite Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address to their peers.
At 7 p.m. on Friday, Encampment organizers will present the first Orleans County Heritage Heroes Awards. These awards will recognize Orleans County residents who are tireless advocates in preserving local history.
The public is invited to Breakfast with the Generals at 9 a.m. Saturday. Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet, and Union General Ulysses S. Grant will meander through downtown Medina restaurants, meeting and shaking hands with the local residents as they stroll about. Abraham Lincoln is also expected to make an appearance just in time for the start of the Medina Parade which begins at 10 a.m.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can attend a Genealogy Workshop, listen to a Fife and Drum concert, tour Union and Confederate Camps or meet Generals Lee, Longstreet, and Grant.
From 1 to 2 p.m., author Bill Kauffman of Elba will appear in the Central Tent with filmmaker Ron Maxwell. Kauffman wrote the screenplay for Maxwell’s film “Copperhead,” the third of his Civil War films, which also include “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” The film “Copperhead” will be shown inside the Medina Campus Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Both Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. re-enactors will engage in mock combat battle for approximately an hour.
“These battles are truly representative of those that occurred during the Civil War,” said Encampment coordinator and GCC assistant history professor Derek Maxfield. “Re-enactors go to great lengths to be authentic in their dress, their weapons as well as their actions. It’s definitely something to see.”
David Kreutz, an Abraham Lincoln presenter from Depew, shows over-sized pennies to people at the Civil War encampment in Medina last April.
Visitors can also enjoy seeing more formal attire when Donna LaValle gives a presentation on Victorian fashion Saturday afternoon. The public is welcome to don late 19th century dress and enjoy the Victorian Cotillion in the Central Tent from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. City Fiddle, a Buffalo group, will be performing period music in costume.
“This group is particularly good and always a favorite among the re-enactors,” said Maxfield. Saturday’s events close at 10 p.m.
Confederate chaplain Sava Toufexis will lead a Civil War era religious service Sunday morning at 9 a.m. in the Central Tent. Additional talks and demonstrations are planned throughout the day including:
Tom Schobert portraying General Robert E. Lee
Adam Tabelski “Col. Edwin Franklin Brown: A Life of Service”
Prof. Garth Swanson “Pirates or Patriots: The Confederate Navy and the American Naval Tradition”
Dr. Spencer Annabel “Battlefield Medical Practices”
The Encampment closes at 4 p.m. Sunday.
“We have a really exciting schedule of activities again this year and we look forward to the same great crowds we enjoyed last year,” said Maxfield.
GCC’s Medina Campus Center is located at 11470 Maple Ridge Rd., Medina, New York 14103.
MEDINA – The former Pizza Hut is on its last legs after a steady demolition this past month. Construction is expected to start almost immediately on the new 4,000-square-foot building that will be a women’s health center for United Memorial Medical Center.
Developer Chad LaCivita will own the new building that will be leased to UMMC. The site should be ready for UMMC to move into in late July, said Colleen Flynn, UMMC director of community relations.
UMMC provides obstetrics, gynecological care and other health services. The new building will be close to the eastern side of the property. Pizza Hut sat in the middle of the property.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Izzy has been missing since Friday
Provided photo – Izzy likes to hunt. She weighs about 48 pounds.
MEDINA – A poodle that loves to explore and hunt has been missing since Friday, when Izzy wandered off a farm on Marshall Road.
Barbara Jantzi, the dog’s owner, has been looking for the 1-year-old poodle mix since then. The dog weighs 48 pounds and is white, but she may be dirty from her adventures.
“She is very busy and she is real lovable,” Jantzi said this morning.
If anyone sees or finds the dog, give Jantzi a call at 585-798-1468.
Photos by Sue Cook – Debbie Secrist, Medina Memorial Hospital’s Medical Transcriber, will be making a quilt for this year’s For Women Only event on May 7.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health will be holding its 18th Annual For Women Only event on May 7. The event is a focus on breast cancer awareness for survivors and for all women who should be getting checked for cancer. Approximately 250 to 300 guests are expected at the event.
“Truly, early screening saves lives,” said Wellness Director Cindy Perry. “There is no reason why any woman should not have a mammogram. The goal is to raise awareness for breast health practices. This will also raise money for services for women who are uninsured or under insured that our grant doesn’t cover.”
During the event, quilt squares will be available for $5 each. Once a square is purchased the buyer can write a message using a fabric pen. Local artist Carol Culhane will also be available if the buyer would like her to write the message in a more artistic style.
The quilt is being made from start to finish by hospital employee Debbie Secrist. As a child, Secrist enjoyed sewing, but didn’t branch out into quilting until one day she was walking through the old Lockport Mall. She spoke to the Kenan Quilters and met Gretchen Lang. Lang encouraged Secrist to pursue quilting and to join the Quilter’s Guild.
“This is a passion of mine,” said Secrist. “I love doing it. It brings me a lot of peace and tranquility.”
The quilt will be a vibrant eye-catching wall piece when it makes its home in the Medina Memorial Hospital. The completed quilt will be hung for display in the hospital as a reminder to the community of how important personal health is. The quilt will also be brought to special events.
Employees at the hospital have seen her work before and recommended Secrist to the Community Partners committee. They approached Secrist who agreed it would be a great project. She had saved money she had previously won from the hospital bowling tournament and her bonus from serving at the hospital for 25 years. She used the money toward materials for the quilt.
When Secrist was saving the money, she didn’t have any plans what to do with it. “I didn’t really know what I was going to save it for. I knew it was something special, but then when they asked me if I would be interested in making the quilt I thought this is the perfect way to contribute and give back.”
Secrist says that Lang was the inspiration for the quilt. Lang is a breast cancer survivor and Secrist is using the quilt to show her appreciation and recognition of Lang. Secrist and Lang will be at the event to see the squares being signed. Secrist will also be writing a personal message for Lang on a quilt square.
Perry was very happy that Secrist was willing to provide such an incredible donation. “It’s phenomenal that she is willing to give back for such a good cause!”
Secrist reveals the final pattern of the quilt. The final piece will include 300 quilt squares. She says that it will likely take a few weeks or even a couple of months to put all the signed squares together.
The event will have speakers, Chinese auctions, a 50/50 raffle, wine tasting, appetizers and desserts. There will also be stories from survivors and time will be taken during the evening for survivors to stand up and be recognized. They will also receive a gift as acknowledgment of their fight against cancer.
The evening will also feature entertainment from the group DIVA by DIVA. Their act is comprised of songs, poetry, humor, quotes, and a variety of other performances. The all-female cast includes women from all walks of life with some of the cast sometimes including lawyers, bankers, cancer survivors, teachers and more.
All are welcome to the event, young or old. Despite the event’s name, men are encouraged to attend as well because they are also at risk of getting breast cancer or may wish to acknowledge a person in their life with breast cancer. The event is sponsored by the Community Partners and Cancer Services Program of Genesee and Orleans and also the WNY Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville is hosting the event. Tickets can be purchased by calling (585) 798-9542. Item donations are also still being accepted for the Chinese auction.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Ray Serafin plays the accordion and sings during the Dyngus Day celebration at Sacred Heart Club in Medina. Ray Serafin’s Brass Magic, a polka band from Rochester, played many songs during the event.
Jim Pinckney is crowned the Dyngus Day king during the Polish party at the Sacred Heart Club. John Weaver, last year’s king, puts on the crown while Dee Lucas puts on the red cape.
Pinckney is a retired corrections officer. He joined Sacred Heart Club about 21 years ago and helps mow the lawn, shovel snow, clean the fryers, and with other painting and carpentry tasks. “It’s good to help out because it’s an all-volunteer organization,” he said. “It’s just to help the community.”
Tessa Hartway is crowned queen. Last year’s queen Baillie Oberther passes on the crown. Hartway, 32, helped start an annual disco event at the club about three years ago and works on the fish fries and desserts for the club.
The king and queen are both active volunteers at the club. Hartway works as the marketing manager at Baxter Healthcare. She grew up attending events at the Sacred Heart Club.
About 150 people attended the party. They danced to the polka and quickly consumed Polish food staples, such as sweet and sour cabbage, scallop potatoes, smoked Polish sausage, pierogis and “pigs in the blanket” – rolled cabbage with pork.
Lyndsay Oliver-Farewell, 28, of Medina has been coming to Dyngus Day since she was a little girl. Her grandmother, Dee Lucas, helps organize the party. Oliver-Farewell has a 4-month-old daughter, Kendall, who made her Dyngus Day debut tonight.
“It’s fun and it’s a tradition,” Oliver-Farewell said. “As long as they have Dyngus Day, we will be there.”
Pussy Willows were part of the ambiance at the Sacred Heart Club.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Officials from Ridgeway, Shelby offer ways to reduce taxes
MEDINA – If the village of Medina dissolves, the two towns expected to pick up villages services don’t plan to continue the Medina Police Department.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and State Police could assume the police work, town officials said Friday while meeting with some reporters.
The Medina Dissolution Committee recommended police protection be provided in a town-wide force that would cover Ridgeway and Shelby. Ridgeway would manage the police and contract with Shelby for the service, according to the Dissolution Plan.
The police department budget is about $1 million a year. Brian Napoli, the Ridgeway town supervisor, told The Daily News of Batavia he doesn’t support a town-wide force. The Sheriff’s Department and State Police could handle police calls in the community, he said.
“There’s a ripple effect if the village dissolves into the two towns, and people don’t see a need for another level of police protection,” he told The Daily News. “They’re happy with Sheriff’s Department and State Police. They don’t see a need to expand it, especially when they see a 46 percent tax increase.”
Napoli and Skip Draper, the Shelby town supervisor, held a press conference on Friday to discuss alternatives to dissolving the village. (Orleans Hub wasn’t invited to the press conference and is the target of a mailer from the two towns about “biased reporting.”)
The Daily News of Batavia reported on the press conference. For more, visit thedailynewsonline.org and search for “Medina dissolution: Supervisors say more options exist for services.”
The Medina Dissolution Committee last week approved a plan to be presented to the public and Village Board. The plan retains existing services and staff. The two towns would assume many of the services currently provided in the village. The Dissolution Committee also suggested creating a debt district for village debt, a fire district, and local development corporations or authorities for water and sewer.
The committee and its consultant, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester, calculated a $277,000 savings in reduced operational costs. That isn’t much of a savings when spread over the budgets for the two towns and village, about $11 million total, the town supervisors told The Daily News.
That is less than a 3 percent savings.
“If we assume the $277,000 is correct, we’re on a pretty narrow margin, and we’re gambling on a pretty narrow margin that we’re going to save anything,” Draper told The Daily News.
The state provides incentives for dissolution or government consolidations. The Dissolution Committee and CGR say the state would give $540,000 in incentives annually, money that the state says can be counted on for years to come.
Napoli said told The Daily News he supports some shared services, such as code enforcement and merged water billing. Those services could be shared without a dissolution, he said.
The Committee’s report said village property owners could see their tax rates fall from $5 to $7 per $1,000 of assessed property, while outside village residents in Shelby would see an 81 cent increase in their tax rate and Ridgeway residents would have their rate go up $3.12.
Ridgeway’s rate would increase 46 percent. That is partly because the town portion outside the village currently has the lowest rate of the three governments: $6.71 per $1,000 of assessed property. That would go to $9.83 with the dissolution.
Village residents in Ridgeway would see their rate drop by $5.20 or 27 percent from $19.49 per $1,000 of assessed property to $14.30. In Shelby, village residents currently pay a $19.80 rate for village and town taxes. That would drop 34 percent to $13.10 or by $6.70 if the dissolution plan takes effect.
Shelby residents would see a 10 percent increase in their tax rate, according to the dissolution plan. Outside-village residents would see their rate go from $8.36 per $1,000 of assessed property to $9.17.
Medina Mayor Andrew Meier and the “One Medina” group ultimately would like to see the village dissolve and the two towns merge into one entity. That would provide more cost savings with government efficiency and attract more state incentives for consolidation.
Meier believes those gains in savings and state aid would likely offset the tax increases for outside-village residents with the dissolution.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Heritage Hero: Chris Busch
Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris Busch is chairman of the Village of Medina’s Planning Board and Medina’s Tree Board. He also is vice chairman of the Orleans Renaissance Group, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House, pictured behind him on Main Street.
MEDINA – In small-town Upstate New York, there aren’t too many downtown business districts like Medina’s these days. The buildings are well maintained with a high occupancy rate.
It feels like a Norman Rockwell painting, a step back in time with so many independent merchants and sense of history with buildings from the mid to late 1800s and the early 20th Century.
Chris Busch sees the downtown’s historical integrity as a draw for the community. He has served nearly 20 years on the Village Planning Board and helped to craft zoning and design standards for the downtown. As chairman of the Planning Board, he also heads the village’s Historic and Architectural Review Board, which provides guidance to downtown building owners for signs, paint and other exterior work.
“We’ve been very successful promoting and implementing preservation because we’ve been able to do it in such a fashion that the community has been able to embrace it without angst and suspicion,” Busch said.
He praised Kay Revelas, former director of the Medina Chamber of Commerce, for rallying business owners to back preservation and a historic designation for the downtown a generation ago. Many in the community have championed the issue and the building owners have embraced it, Busch said.
“It’s taken the diligence of many people to protect the downtown business district,” he said. “It’s paying off because people very much enjoy the look and feel of downtown Medina with its history and heritage.”
Busch will be honored as a “Heritage Hero” on April 25 during a Civil War Encampment at GCC in Medina. He was picked for his leadership on the Planning Board and his many civic contributions, including the design of 11 interpretative panels in the downtown that will highlight Medina history. Those panels should be installed later this month or in early May.
Medina elementary students are part of an annual Arbor Day celebration. Students write poems and sing songs about trees. They also help plant them. Busch is chairman of the Tree Board. The National Arbor Day Foundation has given Medina a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA” for its commitment to planting trees every year.
Busch works as a history teacher in Lockport. His heart is in Medina.
He served as village historian and later joined the Municipal Tree Board and has been its chairman for several years. Medina has been planting 50 to 100 trees most years in the past decade and that is helping to replenish an urban forest that was diminished by road projects, wind storms and disease.
“Medina was once known for beautiful residences and tree-lined streets,” he said. “Many years of neglect led to a severely depleted urban forest.”
The village’s commitment to planting trees has earned it awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation. It has recognized Medina with a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA.”
Busch said the trees make neighborhoods more appealing visually and should make the homes more valuable and inviting for residents.
Chris Busch is pictured inside the Bent’s Opera House about a year ago during a tour as part of the Civil War Encampment in Medina. The opera house was constructed during the Civil War.
He has been a leader with the Orleans Renaissance Group, organizing the efforts to bring concerts into the community. He is vice chairman of the ORG, which is working to restore the Bent’s Opera House on Main Street. That Medina sandstone building was constructed during the Civil War.
The ORG wants to again have performances in the top floor of the site, with a restaurant on the second floor and the first floor available for businesses. Busch sees the site as an anchor for the downtown, drawing customers for other businesses nearby.
The “Heritage Hero” Committee also picked Busch for the award because of his efforts designing the 11 interpretive panels and helping to secure funding for the project.
The panels will be on Main Street with one on West Center Street by the Newell building, which was once a high-end shirt manufacturer.
A series of 11 interpretive panels that highlight Medina history and notable residents will be installed this spring in downtown Medina. Chris Busch designed the panels, including this one of the former U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who married a Medina girl, Frances Folsom.
Busch believes the panels will help locals and visitors better appreciate Medina’s rich heritage and history. He often sees people gawking at the downtown structures, aiming cameras at the buildings.
“It’s something that needed to be done to help people visualize it,” he said.
The panels will tell the stories of some of the people behind the downtown buildings and the community’s early days with a bustling Erie Canal, sandstone quarries and other industries.
“People will be surprised how much they will have an impact on tourist visitors,” Busch said. “These will without a doubt provide a reason for tourists to linger and learn.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Editorial
MEDINA – They say they are the source for facts on proposed dissolution of the Village of Medina because Medina Mayor Andrew Meier and his hand-picked committee have skewered the details in a Dissolution Plan.
The Town Boards of Ridgeway and Shelby say they offer the “facts” on the dissolution, yet they don’t say how the details are being “skewered.” They allege impropriety from Meier and a Dissolution Committee, but don’t offer any “facts” to back up the claims.
The two Towns Boards have stepped up their efforts to undermine Meier, accusing him of mismanaging the finances of the village. There is nothing to back up this claim. No report from the comptroller’s office. No audit. They have nothing specific, but the two Town Boards have started a smear campaign, questioning Meier’s integrity and competence.
I don’t think anyone expected officials from the two towns to readily embrace the dissolution of the village. For nearly 200 years the village has paid the lion’s share of the bills and provided the bulk of the services in the Medina community. Village residents have a much bigger tax bill than their neighbors outside the village boundaries. Many of the village services – fire, ambulance and police – often go outside village boundaries for services on the village’s dime.
The village tax base has shrunk in recent years. The houses are falling in value while the assessments grow outside the village in the two towns. Moving outside the village can save a homeowner about $1,000 in taxes each year. That is quite an incentive to leave.
Meier is 34 years old. He doesn’t see how the village can prosper long-term with such a disparity between the village tax rate and the rate for those outside the village, especially when the latter enjoy many of the village services without paying towards them.
Village residents not only pay village taxes but they also get taxed by the town. It’s a tough deal for the village residents. A fair-minded person would question the disparity in taxes and should want to do something about it.
Meier has pushed the issue. Other communities have done consolidation and shared services studies, but they seldom go anywhere. It’s a lot of work coming up with a plan. You’re going to anger constituencies. You, unfortunately, will pay a price. That, sadly, is a fact and the two Town Boards are making sure of that in Medina.
They have hired a PR consultant and a press release that went out Sunday felt like an attack on Meier. He was the only one singled out by name despite several people working on the dissolution plan.
None of Town Board members will speak to the media, including the two town supervisors, Skip Draper in Shelby and Brian Napoli of Ridgeway.
You can submit them questions through a hotline or Facebook page. Those questions won’t be seen by the public and the “Towns” will respond on Facebook or they will issue a press release to selected media members. I was told Orleans Hub is on the list, but our repeated requests for a press release went nowhere. Another reporter forwarded it to me on Monday.
I had no idea the Orleans County press corps struck such fear in the hearts of the two Town Boards. Jim Krencik from The Daily News in Batavia, Howie Balaban from The Journal-Register in Medina, and I have the two Town Boards taking what may be an unprecedented step in the history of our democracy. They will not talk to reporters.
Everything must be funneled through a PR consultant. They will take residents’ questions through a Facebook message or you can leave a message on a hotline.
I have been a reporter in Orleans County for 18 years. Not everyone likes me, but I think everyone tolerates me, even when they don’t like questions. Draper and Napoli are both veterans in their positions and they should know answering an occasional phone call from a reporter is part of the territory.
President Barack Obama will take reporters’ questions, and he’ll do it live in front of the cameras. Even Vladimir Putin talks to reporters in Russia.
But the Town Boards in Shelby and Ridgeway desperately want to control the message, even if it means spreading innuendo.
The two towns have a “Dissolution Facts” Facebook page that is run by an anonymous “Towns.” No name of a town official is credited with any of the comments that have pointed criticism of the dissolution plan approved by a committee last Thursday.
I have covered some scandals and everyone who had a fall from grace at least stood before the cameras and public and answered some painful and embarrassing questions. They didn’t shrink and hide. I give them credit for “facing the music” in a difficult situation.
I really don’t understand the Ridgeway and Shelby stance. Why hide behind an anonymous Facebook page or a PR consultant?
These are hardly embarrassing questions: What do you think of the dissolution plan? How might it be improved? The village residents are also town residents – how will you serve them?
The increase in taxes for outside-village residents can likely be offset if the two towns merge. Will you work towards a merger or cost savings with Ridgeway/Shelby? If no, then why not?
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 April 2014 at 12:00 am
Town officials decline to speak directly to the media
MEDINA – The towns of Shelby and Ridgeway have hired a public relations professional to connect with the media and release information from the towns’ perspective about a possible dissolution of the village of Medina.
Shelby and Ridgeway hired Andina Barone, owner of Mindful Medina Group. She also works with the Orleans Economic Development Agency to write press releases and contact members of the media.
She said officials from the two towns won’t be taking interview requests from the media right now, but will be releasing information in the upcoming weeks.
The Town Boards from Ridgeway and Shelby issued a joint statement, questioning why no one from one of their boards was on the Dissolution Committee. They also alleged poor fiscal management from village officials have led to the push to dissolve.
“Accurate data and detailed information on the potential tax impact to residents and efficient delivery of municipal services has not been forthcoming from Medina Mayor Andrew Meier’s office,” according to the press release. “Town officials believe the dissolution process is flawed. It is their position, and that of the respective board members, that the Mayor of Medina should first address his own lack of fiscal management in relation to the Village of Medina, before attempting to dissolve it.”
Meier and the Dissolution Committee see dissolving the village as a way to bring down a tax rate for village property owners that is the highest in the Finger Lakes region. That tax rate includes the village, town, county and school.
Dissolution would shave about $5 to $7 off the overall village rate that is about $54 per $1,000 of assessed property. The town leaders previously told the media they weren’t inclined to follow the dissolution plan. They haven’t said how they would provide services to village residents if the village dissolved. Village residents also live in either the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway and pay taxes to those municipalities.
The Dissolution Committee includes Meier, Village Trustee Mark Irwin, retired Arc of Orleans Director Don Colquhoun, Medina Business Association President and downtown business owner Cindy Robinson, Charlie Slack of Slack Insurance and Thurston Dale, a retired veterinarian.
“It is a travesty that Ridgeway and Shelby town board members were not included in a dissolution plan or public announcements that might greatly impact both towns,” according to the press release from the two Town Boards.
“Town board members and residents of Shelby and Ridgeway have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of information available to the public and the manner in which the mayor chooses to conduct meetings.
“Dissolution Committee meetings are held at 8 a.m. in City Hall (600 Main Street) in the upper level of the old court room, which is not handicapped accessible. There are no questions allowed. Both town supervisors are of the opinion the mayor’s choice of time, location and format was strategic, so as to limit the number of residents able to observe the proceedings and gather information.
“Both supervisors and all town board members of Ridgeway and Shelby will remain steadfast in their efforts to communicate the facts about dissolution to the community and serve residents in a manner worthy of their trust and confidence.”
The two towns have a Facebook page about “Dissolution Facts” and also have launched a web site: 2towns4ThePeople.com.
Meier and local attorney Nathan Pace on Thursday announced a push for “One Medina” that would dissolve the village and merge the two towns into one municipality: The Town of Medina.
