Medina

Medina hospital employee creates quilt for breast cancer event

Posted 22 April 2014 at 12:00 am

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.

Medina family seeks help in finding poodle

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.

Sacred Heart Club continues Dyngus Day tradition

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.

If Medina dissolves, towns say they won’t pick up police department

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.

Medina resident has pushed preservation policies and action

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 20^th 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.”

Ridgeway, Shelby push ‘Dissolution Innuendo,’ not facts

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?

Ridgeway, Shelby hire PR firm

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.

Medina visits Easter Bunny, goes on an egg hunt at downtown businesses

Posted 12 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Sue Cook – Seven-month-old Cory Schrader poses with the Easter Bunny for his family. He is dressed up for the occasion.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – Children and their parents peeked into shop windows as part of the Golden Egg Hunt. It was one of the day’s events put on today by the Medina Business Association.

Once a participant found all 12 eggs and wrote the shop names on their entries, the forms were turned in to Apple Blossom Florist. At the end of the day, one entry was randomly selected from all the correct entries. The winner would receive a 4 ½ pound milk chocolate rabbit from Della’s Chocolates.

Susan Fuller, owner of Della’s, was happy to donate the chocolate bunny. “For the last three years we’ve been a part of this,” she said. “I was asked to donate the prize, but I had already planned on it anyway.”

Three-year-old Owen Sargent found an egg in the window of Gramma Hawley’s Dream, one of the 12 participants. The other eleven include Della’s Chocolates, a lily and a sparrow, Creekside Floral, A Kut Above, Case-Nic Cookies, The English Rose Tea Shoppe, Ashlee’s Place, Shirt Factory Cafe, Apple Blossom Florist, ellen j. goods and The Book Shoppe.

“We go with stores that have windows decorated that will be nice to look into,” said Cindy Robinson, MBA president. “They’re asked to hide it where kids can see it.”

Businesses saw a significant increase in the number of participants from last year, she said.

“It’s something fun for kids and families. You see whole families out there. Moms, dads and grandparents all participate. It’s cute,” Robinson said. “You don’t even have to go into the stores. This event is for the kids and the memories.”

Georgia Thomas was assisting in The English Rose Tea Shoppe during the Hattie Standish Contest. Her hat is a vintage bonnet from 1962.

Robinson’s business, The English Rose Tea Shoppe, had its own contest as well. This was the store’s second year holding an Easter bonnet contest. The contest is called the Hattie Standish Bonnet Contest.

Robinson got the idea when she opened the Memories of Medina calendar. November was a photograph of a hat shop owned by Hattie Standish in 1917 in the same location that the Tea Shoppe is today.

The Easter Bunny was available for photo ops at Rotary Park. Children were welcome to sit on his lap and let their parents take pictures.

“It was fun visiting Medina,” said the Easter Bunny. “It was great seeing all the kids, big and small, enjoying Easter memories and still believing in the Easter Bunny.”

Nine-year-old Madison Morgott posed with the Easter Bunny. After the photos, he gave her and her friends candy as an early Easter gift.

Medina Dissolution called important first step in reducing village taxes

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Medina Mayor Andrew Meier sees a dissolution of the village and the consolidation of the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway as the best chance to significantly reduce the community’s taxes, which are currently the highest in the Finger Lakes region. He was joined at the press conference today by Don Colquhoun, chairman of the Medina Dissolution Committee (center), and Nathan Pace, chairman of One Medina.

“Unless we unify and fix our tax problem once and for all we will miss the boat. This is our one bite at the apple, at meaningful reform perhaps in our entire generation.”
– Medina Mayor Andrew Meier

MEDINA – The Medina community has so much potential with the renaissance in its business district, a rich heritage, architecture and close proximity to the STAMP manufacturing site in the town of Alabama, said Mayor Andrew Meier.

However, all of that potential is threatened by a combined tax rate that is the highest in the Finger Lakes region, Meier said today during a press conference at City Hall.

Meier has been leading the push to dissolve the village government. It would effectively put him out of a job as an elected official. But Meier sees removing the village government as a critical first step in reducing that tax burden that drives out investment and oppresses many senior citizens, families and businesses.

“We have many seniors and families in this community that struggle to get by and we owe them our best efforts in putting together a solid plan,” Meier said about the village dissolution.

He is part of a Dissolution Committee that today voted to support a plan that would cut village taxes by 25 to 34 percent, and raise them 46 percent for Ridgeway residents outside the village and 10 percent for Shelby residents outside the village.

The dissolution would cut about $6 off that combined tax rate for village residents who are currently the highest taxed in the region.

“Unless we unify and fix our tax problem once and for all we will miss the boat,” Meier said. “This is our one bite at the apple, at meaningful reform perhaps in our entire generation. It’s why we forged ahead today.”

Meier addresses the media after the Dissolution Plan was accepted by a committee this morning.

Meier is part of a new “One Medina” effort that is led by local attorney Nathan Pace. He was chairman of a committee that studied the benefits of consolidating the two towns and the village into one entity in 2010 and 2011. That committee recommended the dissolution of the village followed by the merger of the two towns.

“If Medina decides to dissolve we have to make some hard decisions,” Pace told reporters today. “Sometimes when you’re faced with difficult decisions you have an opportunity to do something good.”

He is chairman of the One Medina effort and welcomes Ridgeway and Shelby officials to join the effort. They can follow the dissolution plan from the committee or weigh in with ideas to make it better.

The Dissolution Committee will have a public meeting on 7 p.m. on May 6 to take questions from the public. (The location hasn’t been determined yet.)

The Committee may tweak the plan depending on the public comments. The Village Board will then get the plan and may hold hearings and could make changes. Village residents could vote on the issue in a public referendum this year, Meier said.

The Dissolution Committee and Village Board are eyeing Jan. 1, 2017 for the dissolution to take effect. That gives the towns at least two years to prepare for the dissolution of the village.

‘One Medina’ is a grassroots group led by attorney Nathan Pace. He said the group will likely soon have meetings and welcomes input from Ridgeway and Shelby officials.

“We have to step forward,” Pace said. “With ‘One Medina,’ the intent is to pull together the good people of Ridgeway, Shelby and the village and sit down at the table and solve this problem together. If the village is going to dissolve, we need a plan.”

Pace said Medina isn’t going away with a dissolution. The community will continue to have the same Medina zip code, school district and post office.

“If the village of Medina dissolves and the town of Ridgeway and town of Shelby do not do something unifying us together then we have missed history,” Pace said. “We really will miss the boat. There is so much to gain by sitting down and working out something together.”

The Dissolution Committee wanted to preserve existing services and village jobs, said Don Colquhoun, the committee chairman.

“We were concerned about what would happen to people,” he said. “We built a plan where everyone would be accommodated.”

Meier and ‘One Medina’ want to see the two towns consolidate. If that happens the reduced operating costs and state incentives for a merger should offset the increased taxes from the village dissolution for residents outside the village, Meier said.

He urged residents in the towns and village to study the facts in the issue and voice their concerns.

“This is an opportunity to take our community and our government to the next level,” Meier said at the press conference. “It will involve engagement from the public.”

One Medina has a web site: onemedina.com.

Medina’s dissolution draws media gauntlet

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – About a dozen reporters from television and newspapers attended a press conference this afternoon at City Hall about Medina’s village dissolution.

Orleans Hub had the first story about the tax impact from the proposed dissolution. We’ll have more soon on a push to create “One Medina” from Mayor Andrew Meier (left), Dissolution Chairman Don Colquhoun (back right), and One Medina Chairman Nathan Pace (at podium). They favor dissolving the village and then merging the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway, reducing three municipalities into one.

The effort is drawing interest in the region from Buffalo and Rochester media outlets.

Demolition starts on former Pizza Hut in Medina

Staff Reports Posted 9 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Gary Hill

A demolition crew is pictured around noon today at the former Pizza Hut in Medina. The building will be torn down to make room for a new women’s healthcare site on Maple Ridge Road.

United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia will operate the healthcare site out of a new 4,300-square-foot building. UMMC will be the tenant at the site with developer Chad La Civita of Buffalo the owner of the building. The new facility will be next to McDonalds.

The new building will be close to the eastern side of the property. Pizza Hut sits in the middle of the property.

Courtesy of smartDESIGN architecture PLLC – Once the Pizza Hut building is down, a new 4,300-square-foot healthcare site will be built on Maple Ridge Road.

‘One Medina’ will make push for dissolution, merger of towns

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – As a plan for dissolving the village of Medina nears completion, a new “One Medina” movement is set to launch.

“One Medina” will be led by attorney Nathan Pace. He was chairman of the Medina-Ridgeway-Shelby Study Committee in 2010 and 2011. The group recommended the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway merge and the village dissolve to become one government.

That Pace-led committee saw a 30 percent reduction in taxes for the three governments if they became one entity.

The current village dissolution plan forecast about $1 million in reduction of the local tax burden by dissolving the village and passing its services to the two towns and local development corporations. Those numbers will be presented in more detail on Thursday.

Pace and Medina Mayor Andrew Meier see more savings if the two towns pursue a merger if the village dissolves. That would reduce the cost for delivering government services and also attract state incentives. Both would reduce a tax burden that is a disincentive to attracting residents, businesses and investment, Meier said.

The committee working on a dissolution plan for the village of Medina expects to have numbers on Thursday that will show the impact on taxes for people who live in the village and those who are outside in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway.

That data will be discussed during an 8 a.m. meeting at City Hall. The dissolution plan is expected to be voted on by the committee. It will then go to the Village Board. Ultimately, for the dissolution to take effect it will need approval from village residents in a public vote.

Meier will hold a press conference Thursday at 12:30 p.m. He will be joined at City Hall by Pace and Don Colquhoun, chairman of the dissolution committee.

Officials from the two towns have Facebook pages and also a web site about the village dissolution. They call their web site, 2towns4thepeople.com.

Medina inducts 34 into Honor Society

Posted 8 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo courtesy of Chris Busch – Newly inducted 2014 members of the Medina High School Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society stand with outgoing senior members Thursday evening following induction ceremonies in the Frederick E. Snyder Auditorium at MHS. The society welcomed 34 new members.

By Chris Busch

MEDINA – The Medina High School Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society held their annual ceremony for the induction of new members Thursday evening. The ceremony was held in Frederick E. Snyder Auditorium at MHS. In all, 34 new members were inducted in front of proud family members, teachers and administration.

A keynote address was delivered by James Simon, Associate Dean of Genesee Community College for the Medina and Albion campus centers. The new Honor Society members were introduced by MHS Administrators Mark Kruzynski and Michael Cavanagh.

In the 1920’s, the Arista Club was an exclusive scholarship club at Medina High School. Members were selected based on grade point average, and formal recommendations. When Medina decided to chart its own chapter of the National Honor Society in 1964, Medina administration decided to honor the spirit and traditions of the existing club, and the Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society was born.

2014 students invited for membership include Bailey Allen, Emma Ambrose, Briana Bellan, Bryce Bellan, Madeline Bilicki, Anna Blount, Nicole Blount, Brian Bogan, Julia Brien, Austin Brown, Samuel Busch, Victoria Carter, Matthew Cochrane, Laura Dunham, Aaron Feltz, Jason Hellwig, Adam Hoot, Christopher Keller, Jenna Kickbush, Chantelle Kidney, Rubi Luna Mondragon, Alexandra Markle, Amanda McCauley, Krista Nellist, Alexander O’Keefe, Austin Owens, Maxwell Owens, Nathan Pace, Jacob Roeseler, Brittany Schultz, Samuel Simms, Regan Stacey, Tessa White and Addison Zavitz.

Medina High School National Honor Society faculty advisor is Mrs. Karen Jones.

A focus on Medina’s hidden treasure

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2014 at 12:00 am

ORG making video to highlight Medina Waterfalls

Photos by Tom Rivers

This photo was taken on Sunday evening. I was standing in the water at the Oak Orchard Creek, not too far from shore. I was determined to get an unobstructed view of the falls. There are a lot of trees and branches that get in the way on land.

MEDINA – I was back at the Medina Waterfalls on Sunday evening, this time with Michael Gaughn and Kelsie Withey, who are making a video of the site. They are working for the Orleans Renaissance Group to highlight some of the unknown treasures in Medina.

Gaughn knows I like the waterfalls and think it’s an outrage that such a glorious asset is largely underutilized. The falls are right off the canal near the Horan Road bridge.

Mike Gaughn and Kelsie Withey ventured to the Medina Waterfalls on Sunday, making a video about the hidden treasures in the community.

The waterfalls are very difficult to get to by foot. It’s a treacherous journey, meandering past fallen trees, walking through thick brush and sinking in mud. The embankment can be steep at times and you could easily slide down and end up in the Oak Orchard Creek.

The Oak Orchard Creek runs along the canal towpath leading to the Medina Waterfalls.

I’d like to see a ladder off the towpath so people could get down to the falls without it being so difficult and risky. There should also be some hand railings to grab onto by the embankments.

I’d like the officials from the village of Medina, town of Ridgeway and Orleans County to work with the State Canal Corp. to make this site much more accessible to the public.

There could be a pedestrian bridge across the creek, a walking trail, and maybe an elevated platform by the towpath so people could view the falls without descending into the brush.

Here is the view of the top of the waterfalls after the Oak Orchard Creek passes under the Erie Canal.

I walked near the crest of the waterfalls for the first time on Sunday. These waterfalls are loud and fill the air with mist. They could be a big draw if they are more accessible.

I was only a few feet away from the top of the falls.

Gaughn and Withey are working on videos for the Bent’s Opera House and other hidden treasures in the community. Gaughn thinks the Oak Orchard River in this spot resembled many of the streams that are attractions in the Adirondack Mountains.

Withey captures footago of the Oak Orchard Creek and the Medina Waterfalls.

The Waterfalls turned the Oak Orchard Creek into a bubbling, suddsy stream. You can see the spire from St. Mary’s Catholic Church when you’re down in the gorge.

Brunner expansion is a big win for Orleans

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Editorial

Photo by Tom Rivers – Brunner International is expanding in Medina, adding a 48,000-square-foot building and 35 more employees.

MEDINA – A Canadian company is investing $10 million in Medina as part of an expansion that will add 35 jobs and retain 363 current positions at Brunner International.

The news is a big win for the community and the Orleans Economic Development Agency, which worked with many local, state and federal agencies to facilitate the project.

The EDA’s involvement demonstrates the agency and its staff of three employees can pull off a big project. It should inspire confidence in other companies looking to invest in Orleans that our economic development agency is up for the task.

The EDA worked with the town of Ridgeway and Orleans County to gain site plan approvals. The agency also is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to relocate a wetland. The company with help from the EDA was able to secure a low-cost hydropower allocation form the New York Power Authority as well as $750,000 in state economic development incentives.

There were a lot of moving parts and the Orleans EDA worked for many months to line up incentives and approvals to make the project a reality. Brunner was also considering Kentucky for the project.

Brunner will build a 48,000 square foot addition at a time when Worthington Cylinders is closing down in Medina, laying off 150 workers. Worthington is shifting production from the former Bernz-O-Matic facility to a site in Wisconsin.

That is a difficult loss for the community. Brunner provides an opportunity for some of those workers to find new jobs. Jim Whipple, the EDA chief executive officer, also believes the Bernz-O-Matic site will be desirable for another business. The building has been well-maintained, has railroad access and could be eligible for low-cost hydropower.

The county was hit with a major job loss last year when Chase shut down its Albion call center, laying off 413 people. Claims Recovery Financial Services has been in major growth mode and moved into the Chase site earlier this year. About 600 people work at the site. CRFS helped to soften the blow from Chase’s exit.

CRFS was working out of a neighboring site in Albion and also a building at the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina. Those sites are now being marketed to other companies, Whipple said.

He sees some other positives in the county. A Canadian firm is turning a vacant warehouse on McKinistry Street in Albion into an electronics recycling operation. BoMET Holding Inc. plans to hire 30 people at the Albion site.

The Wegman Group also is working to develop The Cottages at Troutburg in Kendall at a former Salvation Army camp. Those seasonal homes will boost the tax base for the community and the new residents will provide customers for businesses in the Kendall area.

The Cottages, BoMET, CRFS and Brunner all received some assistance from the EDA, and the agency showed it was up for the job to persuading the companies to invest in Orleans.