Medina

Victorious write-in candidates say public was feeling left out

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Medina voters on Tuesday elected the following, from left: Marguerite Sherman for village trustee, Andrew Meier for mayor, and Michael Sidari for trustee.

MEDINA – Two candidates who last week announced a write-in bid for Village Board pulled off the upset victory, saying their campaign struck a chord with village residents who have wanted more information about a possible village dissolution.

“We want some transparency in village government,” said Marguerite Sherman, who won a trustee position along with Michael Sidari.

Sherman was the top vote-getter on the day with 229 votes followed by 207 for Sidari. They won two-year terms to the Village Board, outpolling incumbents David Barhite, 175; and Patricia Crowley, 171.

Barhite said a mailer to village residents from the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby on Friday played a factor in the victory for the write-in candidates. Town officials offered their opinions on scenarios should the village dissolve, saying Medina would see a reduction in services.

The taxpayer-funded letter, and its timing right before the village election, infuriated the Village Board, which fired off its own news release on Saturday.

The letter from the towns created some fear in residents, village officials said, and the voters responded at the polls. Barhite said a dissolution plan isn’t finished yet. He didn’t think the village should have commented on the plan until it was complete.

Once the document is accepted by a Dissolution Committee, public hearings will be set and residents can weigh in on the proposal, Barhite said.

Sherman and Sidari said the village should have shared more about possible dissolution scenarios, and looked at the pros and cons of dissolving the village, rather than focusing on possible tax savings. Sherman, a special education teacher at Medina and member of the Village Planning Board, worries dissolution will result in a reduction in services to village residents.

“I want to preserve our village and the services,” she said tonight after the election results were announced. “But we have to keep an open mind.”

Sherman said the write-in campaign quickly picked up momentum after last week.

“It raised an awareness with the public,” she said. “I feel like they’ve only been presented with one side of the issue.”

Sidari is an active member of the Medina Fire Department. He works as the food service administrator for the Orleans Correctional Facility. He will retire from that job next week.

Sidari said he is leaning against dissolution, but he wants to see the final plan and hear from the public about the issue.

“I want to make sure the facts being put forward are true,” he said.

The Dissolution Committee has identified about $1 million in tax savings to the Medina community through a dissolution. The village services would be folded into the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway, with special districts or other entities as possibilities for fire protection, debt, water, sewer and lighting.

Meier was re-elected to another two-year term as mayor. He sees dissolution as a way to reduce the village’s “crushing tax burden” while maintaining current services.

Officials from the two towns see the village dissolution as a cost shift to Shelby and Ridgeway. Meier said there is a great disparity in tax rates between the village and towns, and that difference is unfair to the village and is a disincentive to investment in Medina.

The village’s assessments have been shrinking in recent years while the tax rate goes up. That is a big problem to solve, he said.

The community has assets: a vibrant downtown business district and a community of wonderful people, Meier said.

“I look forward to working with them,” he said about Sherman and Sidari. “I think they are fair-minded people.”

It’s Election Day at 3 Orleans villages

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Residents at three villages in Orleans County will go to the polls today from noon to 9 p.m. to elect members to the Village Board. Two villages have mayor positions on the ballot and in both cases the top elected official is unopposed.

In Albion, Dean London has both the Republican and Democratic Party endorsements for mayor. London, Albion’s retired police chief, has been campaigning with a Republican team that includes Eileen Banker and Stan Farone for four-year trustee positions, and Gary Katsanis for a two-year term.

Democrats are running Terry Wilbert and Patricia Cammarata for four-year trustee positions, and Sandra Walter for the two-year term.

Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall on East Bank Street.

In Medina, three incumbents appeared to be unopposed. Andrew Meier is running for mayor with David Barhite and Patricia Crowley seeking re-election as village trustees. They are seeking two-year terms under the Village Party.

Michael Sidari and Marguerite Sherman are mounting a write-in campaign for village trustees.

Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. at the senior center, 615 West Ave.

In Lyndonville, Charles Covell is seeking a one-year as village trustee. Covell, the owner of Creekside Laundromat in Lyndonville, was appointed to the Village Board on Oct. 14, filling a vacancy created when Jim Whipple resigned after moving outside the village. Covell was appointed by Mayor Stephen McAvoy.

Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 2 South Main St.

Holley, the other village in Orleans County, has its election in June.

Medina VFW is helping to bring ‘Moving Wall’ to area

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Pembroke will host the memorial from June 11-15

Photo by Tom Rivers – Members of the Medina VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary are helping to bring “The Moving Wall” to Pembroke on June 11 – 15. Several veterans’ organizations in Western New York are helping with the project, giving donations and manpower. Pictured outside the Medina VFW on East Center Street include, from left: VFW member Kim Lockwood, VFW Ladies Auxiliary President Cindy Harris, Ladies Auxiliary Secretary Donna Little and Mike Little, VFW senior vice commander.

MEDINA – When the call went out in the veterans’ community about bringing “The Moving Wall” to Pembroke, the Medina VFW was quick to answer.

The VFW gave $1,000 to the effort and the Ladies Auxiliary also agreed to give $1,000. The wall, a memorial to 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War, will be at the Pembroke Town Park from June 11 to 15.

“We want people to pay their respects to the guys,” said Mike Little, the senior vice commander for the VFW in Medina.

Local veterans will provide an honor guard for the memorial, which stretches about 200 feet. The Moving Wall has been in Genesee County before, in 1996 and 2010. The memorial typically spends about a week at each location and moves around the country.

Little has seen it before, and he wanted it to return to the area. The Oakfield-Alabama American Legion is taking the lead on bringing the wall back to Western New York.

To help raise money for the project, the Medina VFW Ladies Auxiliary this Saturday will host a “Spring Fling Vendor Faire” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The VFW at 216 East Center St. will have about 20 vendors inside and the Ladies Auxiliary will be serving food.

Cindy Harris, the Ladies Auxiliary president, said this is the latest fundraiser planned by the group to meet its $1,000 goal for The Wall.

“It won’t be that far away,” she said about the memorial. “Pembroke is right down the road.”

VFW member Kim Lockwood has connected with many of the vendors and lined up donations for a Chinese auction on Saturday. She has seen The Wall in Washington, D.C. She wants other people to experience the memorial, and pay their respects to the veterans.

“It’s so long,” she said about The Wall. “It goes on forever.”

Medina Village Board cries foul over mailer from 2 towns

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Ridgeway supervisor says town is gauging public sentiment

MEDINA – Town officials from Shelby and Ridgeway on Friday sent a mailer to residents in the village of Medina and the two towns, offering to set the record straight about the village’s dissolution.

The letter matched one from December, which was published on the Orleans Hub and in other local media. (Click here to see it.)

Village Board members question why the two towns would send the letter a few days before the village election, especially when the letter was first published nearly three months ago.

“The timing is overtly political, which is troubling for a taxpayer-funded mailer,” said Andrew Meier, the village mayor.

Brian Napoli, the Ridgeway town supervisor, said Ridgeway and Shelby officials “wanted to get some facts out” about the dissolution, which he said is a concern of many residents in the community.

The timing of the letter wasn’t intended to influence the village election, which is on Tuesday, Napoli said.

“It’s when we were able to put it together,” he said getting the mailer to residents.

The two towns also took out an ad on Orleans Hub, advertising a hotline for people to share their concerns and questions about the dissolution. Napoli faulted the Village Board for not putting out more information about the dissolution.

“We’re gauging public sentiment,” he said.

Three incumbents – Meier for mayor, and trustees Patricia Crowley and David Barhite – appeared to be unopposed for two-year terms until Mike Sidari and Marguerite Sherman announced a write-in campaign for trustees last week.

The two write-in candidates sent out a flyer on Friday with instructions about filling out a write-in ballot.

The five-member Village Board – Meier, Barhite, Crowley, Mark Kruzynski and Mark Irwin – put out a press release on Saturday in response to the mailer from the towns.

“The letter contains many inaccuracies and omissions, and we wish to clarify,” the board said.

Here is the full news release from the Village Board:

First, some background: “Dissolution” is a legal process by which village government is wound up and its functions transferred to the towns or other entities. Dissolution does not impact our Post Office addresses, which would remain “Medina, New York, 14103,” nor the school, which would remain the Medina Central School District. “Medina” would remain a community with a place on the map due to its population concentration.

The Village began investigating the possibility of Dissolution after the Towns declined the Village’s numerous requests to pursue a 3-way municipal consolidation. Last summer, the Village Board appointed an independent committee to prepare a Dissolution Plan. Members are Don Colquhoun, Charlie Slack, Andrew Meier, Cindy Robinson, Mark Irwin and Thurston Dale.

The committee is working with the Center for Governmental Research (CGR), project consultant, to gather the data and propose a plan so the Village Board and residents can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Meetings have been open to the public and well attended.

Although the committee has already made many decisions, this process is not yet complete, nor is the tax impact known. The draft plan should be ready for public dissemination next month. Once the draft is complete, several public hearings will be held on the plan before it is presented to the Village Board. Then, the Village Board would determine whether or not to put the plan to a public referendum.

In preparing the plan, the committee decided that the final plan should:

1. Keep as many services in place as possible – such as fire, ambulance service, and police;

2. Minimize the impact of a dissolution on village employees;

3. Be implemented to the maximum extent possible by the Village Board, not the Town Boards; and

4. Require as few approvals of the State Legislature as possible.

As has been reported widely in local media, the committee has already recommend the retention of a paid police department, retention of a paid professional fire department and ambulance service, retention of local control over water and sewer infrastructure, and pay-down of village debt. Most other functions transfer to the Towns by law. While the cost and tax impacts of these recommendations will be fully known next month, CGR has projected that the plan would benefit our municipal budgets by about $1 million annually.

The Town’s letter contains several inaccurate and/or incomplete statements, as follows:

1. Police Department – An option not contemplated by the letter, and endorsed by the committee, is the creation of a town-wide police force, which would maintain local control over policing. Village police personnel would transfer to the new department, and the Towns would be responsible to create it. A special district for police was not recommended.

2. Fire and Ambulance Service – The committee recommends the creation of a Fire District to continue this service. Formation of the District and appointment of initial fire commissioners would be undertaken prior to dissolution by the Village Board, not the Town Boards. The Fire District would then carry on the paid fire and ambulance service, much as it works today.

3. Water/Sewer Service – The option selected by the committee was not mentioned in the Town’s letter: continuation of the service through a Local Development Corporation. The Village Board would form the corporation and transfer its water and sewer assets into the corporation prior to dissolution, which would continue to operate the water and sewer system after dissolution seamlessly. No action from the Town Boards or the State Legislature would be required.

4. Timing – the letter states that there would be only 18 months after a dissolution vote, if approved, before the village dissolves. This is not set in stone. The dissolution committee and Village Board can select any time frame for dissolution, which could be several years. Our Board would opt for a longer window that provides the Towns sufficient lead time to complete an orderly transition.

As the plan is finally released, we urge all residents to consider the entire plan, not just unrelated pieces. We also invite all Town and Village residents to attend the upcoming public hearings to learn about all options considered, which options were recommended, and what the impact would be on taxpayers and employees. Only then can any of us make an informed decision about our community’s future.

Medina Dissolution Committee moves meeting to Friday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 March 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – A committee that was scheduled to meet on Wednesday morning is pushing back the session until Friday to avoid a snowstorm that is forecast to hit tomorrow.

The Medina Dissolution Committee was to meet at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. It will now meet on Friday at 8 a.m. The committee expects to have projected tax impacts for the village and the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in a number of scenarios for the dissolution of the village and how the current services could be provided.

The meeting will be at City Hall. The committee is close to accepting a final report on the dissolution. It has been working with a consultant, the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester. The committee on Friday may schedule a public hearing for the residents to comment on the proposal.

The Village Board also is expected to have its own public meetings and hearings on a dissolution plan, which ultimately will be decided in a public referendum by village residents.

Medina’s Winterguard earns 2nd

Posted 9 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Contributed photo – Medina Winterguard performs Saturday at Marcus Whitman High School. Medina took second place at the event.

Press release
Medina Marching Band

Medina’s Winterguard competed Saturday at Marcus Whitman High School, the Mustangs’ fifth competitive performance this season.

There were four guard units in the Scholastic A Class and Medina took second place with a score of 80.22. Victor was first with 81.81, while Lancaster came in third with 78.69 and Hinsdale was fourth with 71.60.

Guard Instructor Diana Baker thought the performance was very good for this time of the season. She said the schools were appropriately placed in the Scholastic A class and the students were receptive to trying new things.

The Winterguard’s next performance is March 22 in Holley. The Championships are March 29 at Brockport State College.

When you turn clocks ahead, check smoke detectors

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Medina FD has 50 smoke detectors available

Photo by Tom Rivers – This photo shows the clock at Rotary Park in Medina on Tuesday night.

It might not feel like it today, after more snow fell on Orleans County and temperatures remain below freezing, but spring is around the corner. One annual rite will be early Sunday morning when the clocks spring forward an hour.

That officially happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday. The Medina Fire Department urges people to use this time to also inspect, test and clean their smoke detectors.

About 3,000 people die in fires each year, and nearly two-thirds die in homes without smoke alarms or without working smoke detectors, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The Medina firefighters union, IAFF Local Union 2161, has teamed with Evans Ace Hardware to purchase 50 smoke detectors at a discounted price. Those smoke detectors are available to village of Medina residents.

Firefighters are willing to install them. Any village resident can stop in or call the firehouse at 798-1661 during business hours to inquire about a smoke detector install.

Medina man accused of selling LSD

Posted 5 March 2014 at 12:00 am

Jesse Bolt

Press release, Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force

MEDINA – A Medina man was charged today with criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance after a month-long investigation into the sale and distribution of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) in the village of Medina, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported.

The Task Force and the Medina Police Department arrested Jesse S. Bolt, 38, of 723 South Main St., Apartment 1. He was charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Bolt was arraigned in the Town of Shelby Justice Court by Judge Dawn Keppler. He was sent to Orleans County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or bond. Bolt is to return to Shelby court 6 p.m. on Thursday.

This investigation is still ongoing and further charges and arrests are pending, the Task Force reported.

Medina wants to welcome wineries, breweries in downtown

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 March 2014 at 12:00 am

File photo by Tom Rivers – Schwenk’s Wine Cellars in Kent pours wine during the Wine About Winter event on Feb. 1, which sold out with 750 participants. Schwenk’s was in the basement of the Bent’s Opera House.

MEDINA – They draw lots of people and breathe new life into large old buildings. Wineries and microbreweries have been “wildly successful” in other Western New York communities, said Martin Busch, Medina’s code enforcement officer.

He is part of a village government that is working to tweak the zoning in the downtown and in the business districts to state that wineries and microbreweries are allowed uses.

The current village code doesn’t specify wineries and breweries are allowed. That doesn’t mean they are prohibited in Medina, but the businesses would have an unpredictable path if they tried to pursue that type of project in the village. They would need approval from the Medina Zoning Board of Appeals.

The current language in the code doesn’t give the village controls over the businesses, either. Medina wants to welcome the business ventures, while also establishing standards for noise, odor, and storage and disposal of waste products.

Busch said “more than one” business is interesting in Medina for a winery or brewery. The community is ideally located in the middle of the expanded Niagara Wine Trail, which now runs from near Niagara Falls to the west side of Rochester.

The wineries and breweries have been successful in former cold storages and other large buildings in Western New York, Busch said. He visited the Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company in Wilson, which opened in May in a former cold storage. That brewery is part of a restaurant and has attracted customers to that community.

He sees a winery and brewery feeding other nearby businesses in Medina, including agriculture that would provide hops and grapes to make the product. The businesses could also help the village by using water and sewer services, Busch said.

The Village Planning Board will consider a zoning revision. It won’t be a radical change. It may just be an insertion of a paragraph about breweries and wineries in the business district.

Any changes would require a public hearing through the Village Board. The changes could be approved as soon as in May or June.

“We’re trying to get ahead of the game if someone applies,” said Planning Board member Todd Bensley.

Medina approves canopy for Kwik Fill

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 March 2014 at 12:00 am

File photo by Tom Rivers – The Kwik Fill on Pearl Street will have a new canopy with lights and fire extinguishers. The site will also go from four gas dispensers to two which will improve traffic flow on the lot.

MEDINA – Motorists getting gas at the Kwik Fill on Pearl Street will soon have a canopy to shield them from rain and more lights from on high to improve the safety of the site.

The Village of Medina Planning Board tonight approved the site plan to add a canopy that will be 15 feet above the ground. The canopy will have lights and a fire extinguishing system.

The gas station at 118 Pearl St. also will upgrade the gas pumps, with new concrete pads and gas piping. The gas station’s owner, Petroleum Services Inc. of Hilton, also will reduce the number of gas dispensers from four to two which will improve the traffic flow on the lot, said Marty Busch, the village’s code enforcement officer.

The Planning Board also said the project would not have any negative environmental impacts.

File photo by Tom Rivers – Ellen J. Goods recently put up a sign on Main Street that includes a chair. The Village Planning Board approved the sign during its meeting tonight.

In other action, the Planning Board:

Issued a certificate of appropriateness for a sign at the Ellen J. Goods store at 433 Main St. The sign includes a chair that is attached to the façade.

The sign was installed more than a month ago. The store’s owner, Lynne Brundage, was working to have the store open and the sign up for the Wine About Winter event on Feb. 1, Busch said.

Planning Board members have looked at the sign in person and they unanimously agreed it’s a nice match with the historic district.

“It fits just fine,” said board member Marguerite Sherman. “It’s cute.”

Courtesy of smartDESIGN architecture PLLC – A new 4,300-square-foot building will be used by United Memorial Medical at the former Pizza Hut location on Maple Ridge Road.

A month after approving a Batavia hospital’s plan for a new health care center on Maple Ridge Road, planners saw a revision to the site plan that eliminates two of the parking spaces and a bump-out, which improves a turning radius in the parking lot.

Planning Board members said they are happy United Memorial Medical Center made the change.

Real estate developer Chad La Civita of Buffalo will demolish the former Pizza Hut and build a new 4,300 square-foot site for UMMC .

The Batavia hospital has been providing women’s health services at 100 Ohio St., space owned by Medina Memorial Hospital. Medina closed its birthing wing in July 2011. UMMC now delivers more than 100 babies a year to Orleans County women.

The new site will have more space for doctors, patients and staff. UMMC provides obstetrics, gynecological care and other health services. The project now includes 26 parking spaces.

Scholarship will honor Medina woman who loved working with children

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 February 2014 at 12:00 am

3 school districts will give memorial to Lisa Husung

Provided photo – Kristopher Moseley is pictured with Lisa Husung. The two planned to marry July 2015. Mr. Moseley is pushing to create a memorial scholarship for his fiancée, who died Jan. 2 from complications from Lupus.

MEDINA – Lisa Husung wanted to be an ambassador, working with international students. But ultimately, she decided the best way she could make a difference was in a one-on-one setting, working with students to read and learn.

Husung, 23, was close to earning a master’s degree at the University of Buffalo to become certified to teach reading and English as a Second Language. Her life was cut short on Jan. 2 when she died from complications from Lupus.

The community has rallied around her family, and is working to establish a memorial scholarship in her name. Each year the Albion, Medina and Roy-Hart school districts will give a senior a $200 scholarship in Husung’s name. There will be a fund-raising event from 4 to 10 p.m. on March 22 at Medina Theatre. There will be a magician, DJ, food and a silent auction as part of the scholarship fund-raiser.

Lisa attended school at Albion until the fourth grade. She graduated eighth in her class at Medina in 2008. She was an honor student despite early struggles learning to read.

The scholarship at Albion and Medina will go to a graduating senior who needed academic intervention services, or who is an ESL speaker or a refugee. In Roy-Hart the scholarship will go to a student pursuing the teaching profession.

“The three communities came out to support us in her death and they will support us in the scholarship,” said Lisa’s mother Janet Husung.

Carl and Janet Husung hold a picture of their daughter Lisa from her graduation day from Oswego State College. The Husungs are raising money for a memorial scholarship in their daughter’s name that will be awarded to a senior each year in Albion, Medina and Roy-Hart school districts.

Lisa grew up in a household with teachers. Her mother is a kindergarten teacher at Albion. Lisa’s father Carl is a high school reading teacher at Roy-Hart. Growing up, Lisa helped her father with the AYSO soccer program both in Medina and Roy-Hart.

After earning a bachelor’s degree at Oswego State College, Lisa worked as a substitute teacher at Albion and Medina. This past summer she taught children of migrant farmworkers at Lyndonville. Lisa didn’t want to be a teacher in a large classroom setting. She enjoyed working with ESL students, where there was more one-on-one interaction.

“She loved her kids,” her father said. “She was the kindest person you’d ever meet.”

Lisa has enjoyed working with children since she was a teen-ager. In high school she volunteered at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, running Lisa’s Craft Corner for children. She worked as an AmeriCorps employee for two summers in the library and for five years would be called to fill in when staff went on vacation or for maternity leave.

“She was a joy, a gem,” said Catherine Cooper, the library director. “She was always happy and pleasant. She was an A-student and an A-person.”

At Oswego, Lisa met her fiancé, Kris Moseley. The two got engaged on Jan. 25, 2013. They were planning a July 2015 wedding at Vizcarra Vineyards.

Moseley is working as a long-term substitute teacher for a sixth grade class in Medina. He met Lisa during an education class at Oswego. The two saved each other seats and studied together while their relationship blossomed. Moseley is helping to organize the scholarship fund-raiser.

Provided photo – Lisa Husung works with a student at Lisa’s Craft Corner at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. Lisa worked there over five years.

The community already is working to raise money for the scholarship and to honor Lisa. This past Saturday, the Medina Winterguard dedicated its show in Medina to Lisa, who was active in the marching band and colorguard as a student.

She also started dancing with the Dancenter in Medina when she was 2 ½ and was in the ballet class right up until around Thanksgiving. The Dancenter will dedicate its spring recital to Lisa.

Tickets for the March 22 event are available at Blissetts in Medina, Bindings Bookstore in Albion, the Middleport Library or at the door the day of the event. They can also be purchased online at www.medinatheatre.com.

Donations can be made directly to the Lisa M. Husung Memorial Scholarship at any Key Bank branch or mailed to Key Bank, 514 Main St., Medina, NY 14103.

Medina hosts first Winterguard competition since 2008

Posted 23 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – Medina’s Varsity Guard performs “Dance of the Dolls” on Saturday during a competition at Medina.

Press release, Medina Marching Band

MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band and its Boosters on Saturday hosted the Winterguard Colorburst 2014 show, the first time Medina has hosted a Winterguard show since 2008.

Medina’s Pony Guard performs “Roar” during a Winterguard show on Saturday at Medina.

The event involved 15 colorguard units from Western NY and Canada performing in exhibition or competition.

Medina’s Pony Guard performed their show “Roar” in exhibition. This year’s group consists of 34 students in grades 5 and 6 who will hopefully serve as training and recruiting for the varsity guard.

Medina’s Varsity Guard was the only competitor in the Scholastic A (SA) class and scored 72.82. Their show, “Dance of the Dolls,” highlights the gymnastic abilities of the girls.

The 1st place winners in each of the classes are:
GCP (Gates Chili Patriots) in Cadet class, 57.45; Ventures in RA (Regional A), 73.48; Gates in A1, 62.59; Lakeside in SR, 51.97; Medina in Scholastic A (scholastic A), 72.82; and Ventures in 1A, 78.58. Webster’s Drumline completed the show with an unscored performance.

Overall the guard show was a success with approximately 350 people attending. Medina is dedicating its 2014 season to Lisa Marie Husung who passed away at age 23 on Jan. 2, 2014 following a hard fought battle with Lupus. Lisa graduated from Medina in 2008 and had participated in Winterguard and Colorguard for five years.

25 trombonists perform at St. Mary’s

Posted 23 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – The Fredonia Trombone Choir performs Saturday in Medina at a concert attended by about 200 people.

Press release, Orleans Renaissance Group

MEDINA – Under the direction of retired BPO principal trombonist, Carl Mazzio, the 24-horn SUNY Fredonia Trombone Choir wowed a crowd Saturday evening in St. Mary’s Church.

Concert-goers were thrilled with the performance and offered an extended standing ovation at the concert’s end.

The trombone choir performed several classical and pops pieces. The concert included Holy Trinity Music Director and Principal Organist Aaron Grabowski on the church’s Barckhoff pipe organ.

About 200 people attended the event. Director Mazzio praised the Orleans Renaissance Group for organizing the concert. Mazzio also praised the beauty of the venue and the hospitality in coming to Medina for the second time. The ensemble performed at St. Mary’s previously in 2012.

Many attendees made their first trip to Medina. They traveled from Amherst, Clarence, Elma and other suburbs.

The next concert in the ORG series features an evening of Irish music with East Rochester’s Róisín Dubh on March 8 at St. Mary’s Church.

Local talent comes out for WNY Idol Karaoke Contest

Posted 21 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Sue Cook – Sixth-grader Layna Violario wows the crowd during a karaoke contest Friday night at Medina Lanes. She received an honorable mention at the end of the show by taking fourth place.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – The seats were full for Friday night’s WNY Idol Karaoke Contest at Medina Lanes bowling alley. Contestants preregistered for the event for an opportunity to win cash prizes.

The DJ and judging for the contest were provided by Block Head 59 Music Entertainment. The first round included many eager singers putting their heart and soul into their singing.

Ron Lemke stands before the crowd singing an original song he wrote called “Always Remember I Love You” that he dedicated to Kamie Marcin who sat among the audience.

Once the first round was complete, eight contestants were selected for the second round based on criteria such as overall vocal talent and an ability to remember the words, as no screen was used and song lyrics were recalled from memory.

The final round was narrowed down to four singers. The grand prize of $300 was awarded to Rich Nolan with an energetic performance of Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl.”

Rich Nolan impresses the judges with his country-music singing.

All four contestants were praised by the judges who suggested that they each pursue their singing. The judges offered to help connect the singers with bands in the region.

Brunner will push for expansion to be done by Jan. 1

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 February 2014 at 12:00 am

Company is adding 35-40 jobs to Medina site

Photo by Tom Rivers – Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, discusses a plan for a 48,000-square-foot addition at Brunner with Town of Ridgeway Planning Board members, from left: Charles Pettit, Tom Fenton (chairman) and Richard Swan. The board will review the site plan again on March 5.

MEDINA – A company that has committed to a $15 million expansion in Medina wants to have the project ready for production of truck axles by Jan. 1, 2015.

Brunner International already employs 360 people at the corner of Bates Road and Route 31. The company will add 35 to 40 jobs as part of a 48,000-square-foot expansion to the south side of its current complex. The new building will go next to a 41,250-square-foot expansion about five years ago that added 50 jobs in Medina.

Brunner looked at Kentucky for the latest expansion, but picked Medina for the project. Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Development Agency, said one of the selling points for Orleans County was the support of the local governments.

She asked the Ridgeway Town Planning Board to work hard to expediently approve the site plan.

“We want to make this as efficient as possible for them and give them more room,” Barone told the Town Planning Board on Wednesday.

Brunner and EDA will need to re-establish a wetland as part of the project. The company and EDA are working with the Army Corps of Engineers on that issue. A new access road will also be built and Barone said local governments will assist with that project.

Brad MacDoanld, Brunner vice president, told the Ridgeway Planning Board that the company expects to soon submit a formal site plan to the town.

“We’re making a significant investment in equipment and automation,” MacDonald told the Ridgeway planners. “We’re excited about it.”

The board will meet again at 7 p.m. on March 5 to discuss the site plan.

Planning Board member Charles Pettit praised MacDonald and the Brunner leaders for picking Medina for the expansion.

“It’s great to see cars in the parking lot and tractor trailers coming in and out of there,” Pettit said.

Brunner is based in Canada. The company is expanding the production of machined axle forgings that are sold to large, heavy-duty truck and trailer suppliers. It will utilize automation and add jobs as part of the expansion.

“It will put more people to work in the community,” said Planning Board Chairman Tom Fenton.

New York Power Authority in December announced it approved 2.4 megawatts of low-cost electricity for the project. The state also said it would provide a $750,000 incentive package under Empire State Development’s Excelsior Jobs Program.