Medina

Chamber’s Phoenix Award: Roger Andrews, Ace Hardware in Medina

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – The former Jubilee in Medina has been gutted and turned into a hardware and lumber business at 342 East Center St. Ace Hardware opened the site in April 2013 following more than a year of renovations.

MEDINA – It sat empty for nearly a decade, a drag on the community, especially with the downtown enjoying a rebirth a few blocks away.

The former Jubilee store not only was vacant for several years, but a previous owner stopped paying taxes on the property. Orleans County became the owner.

While other developers couldn’t see a future for the building, Roger Andrews saw possibilities at the site. Andrews, 42, bought the former Hahn Hardware on West Avenue in Medina on April 11, 2011.

He wanted more space so he could offer more lumber and other choices for customers. Medina Mayor Andrew Meier was at the closing for the Hahn site. Meier, an attorney, listened to Andrews’ share a goal for more retail space.

Meier suggested Andrews take a look at the former Jubilee store on East Center Street. That building had been empty since 2006, closing soon after Walmart opened a Supercenter in Albion.

Andrews went to see the former Jubilee and immediately saw possibilities in the vacant and run-down property. He acquired the site from the county by paying $100,000 in back taxes.

For 13 months he worked at transforming the 26,000-square-foot building. The store was gutted, with walls taken out to accommodate an Ace Hardware. Andrews opened the Ace on April 22 to praise from the community. He held the grand-opening celebration on May 18-19.

“It’s really cleaned up that end of the business district,” Meier said in May.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce honored Andrews with the “Phoenix Award,” given each year for a major renovation in the county.

Roger Andrews, owner of the Ace Hardware in Medina, talks with customer Gloria Short in May at the former Jubilee site, which was renovated in a 13-month project.

The former Jubilee is a large building at the gateway to the downtown business district, coming on Route 31 from Albion.

Andrews said the former Jubilee site has tripled the space for hardware supplies. The other side of the building includes room for lumber. Andrews said the site has 36,000 different products and he will add more if there is a demand for them.

“With this style and layout it is so much easier for the customers,” Andrews said while giving a tour of the building this spring. “It’s bigger and brighter. You have aisles you can walk up and down.”

He changed the façade of the former Jubilee to make it look like a store from the early 1900s. He said the building provides a nice transition to the historic district.

“It would have been a shame to let this building sit,” he said. “This is the right project for this spot.”

Andrews also owns an Ace Hardware in Derby, south of Hamburg. He has 26 years in the business, starting as a teen-ager.

The former Hahn site didn’t sit empty for long. Kim Lockwood moved her women-only gym from Main Street to the site across from the library on Sept. 5, more than doubling her space.

Andrews said he enjoys reclamation projects and is interested in working on more buildings in the future.

He was praised during the Chamber awards banquet.

“The changes in that building are amazing,” said Cindy Robinson, the Chamber president. “He took what was becoming an eyesore and turned it into an asset.”

Medina High School plans first community service fair on Thursday

Posted 16 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Medina High School

MEDINA – For many years, students across Orleans County and New York State have completed community service as part of their Participation in Government class. Each school approaches community service differently, based on local needs.

The Medina High School Participation in Government teachers, Mike Pickreign and Todd Bensley, are making plans for the first annual Community Service Fair.

“The Community Service Fair is a way for the students to learn about the opportunities available to them,” Bensley said. “It also gives the organizations a chance to showcase all that they do for the community.”

The idea came out of discussions the two teachers had about making the experience more meaningful for the students and more beneficial for the organizations.

In the past, students needed to complete 20 hours of community service and they could spread it out over several organizations. What the teachers found was that many students would simply do whatever they needed to do to complete the requirement. This often meant taking anything that came along, whether or not the student was really interested in what the organization did.

The students of Medina High School will now be required to complete 10 hours of community service with one organization and do a presentation on their experience.

According to Bensley, the new requirements are meant to accomplish two goals: “First, the students will need to become more vested in the experience because they will need to do a presentation on the organization they work with and their experiences as a volunteer. Second, by giving presentations to their fellow students, they may pique the other students’ interest in offering their services to an organization other than the one they already served.”

The fair will be held at Medina High School on Thursday from 2 to 2:50 p.m. Any non-profit organizations wishing to take part in this opportunity should contact Bensley by the end of today. He can be reached by e-mail at tbensley@medinacsd.org, or by calling 798-2700.

Mustang band off to a first place start

Posted 16 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Medina Marching Band

MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band opened its fall season on Sept. 7 with a first place showing in East Irondequoit. The Mustangs scored 75.95, followed by East Irondequoit at 74.40 and Le Roy in third at 69.65.

This past Saturday, Medina traveled to Jamestown High School and the Mustangs scored an 81.20, winning their class. They were the only band in that division.

This Saturday Medina is home, hosting the Fall Festival of Bands. Twelve bands will compete and UB will perform in exhibition. The gates open at 4:30 and the show starts at 5:30 with the National Anthem and introductions. Medina performs at 8:15.

This is a great evening of family entertainment including homemade concessions. It’s also an opportunity for our community to see Medina’s show, “The Pursuit of Gold” as they celebrate America’s most famous Olympic moments.

Name sought for new 280-acre business park in Medina/Shelby

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 September 2013 at 12:00 am

EDA favors honoring Sandstone roots with name

MEDINA – Land that the Orleans Economic Development Agency has been working on for years to make attractive to developers will soon have a name, likely connected to Orleans County roots with Medina sandstone.

The Orleans EDA is close to securing certified “shovel-ready” status for land near Route 31A and Bates Road, including a cow pasture owned by the Keppeler family. (The EDA has an option to buy the site.)

The EDA board of directors next month is expected to vote on calling the 280 acres the “Sandstone Business Park,” or something that includes “Sandstone.”

The county was once home to more than 100 Medina sandstone quarries, and that stone was shipped along the canal and used to build roads, houses and other structures all over the state and beyond New York’s borders.

The land eyed for the business park sits in Medina and also in the town of Shelby. The site is viewed as some of Orleans County’s most attractive land for wooing manufacturing and other large businesses.

The 280 acres has access to all the needed utilities and infrastructure, including low-cost hydropower. Once it has shovel-ready certification, it is expected to draw a lot of interest in the business community.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Jim Whipple, the CEO for the Orleans EDA. “It may be the largest shovel-ready site with infrastructure in Western New York.”

Whipple said the EDA may use the Sandstone name for other business parks in the future, perhaps a “Sandstone East” site because the sandstone quarries were such a dominant industry in the canal towns across Orleans.

Baxter lays off 91 in Medina

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Company is working to clear FDA hurdles

MEDINA – One of Orleans County’s largest employers announced on Thursday it was laying off 91 employees.

Baxter International, owner of the former Sigma International on Park Avenue, will continue to employ 370 full-time employees and 70 contractual workers in Medina.

The company is working to clear regulatory hurdles through the Food and Drug Administration. Once it gains FDA approval, Baxter expects it will be able to bring back some of the workers, but the company declined to say how many could be rehired in the future.

“Three hundred seventy employees will continue to work for the company in Medina, which remains critical to Baxter’s ability to continue supporting customers who rely on the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion pump to provide life-saving and life-sustaining care,” said John O’Malley, company spokesman. “We have notified employees directly and rolled out transition services to assist them at this time.”

Baxter became a part-owner of the SIGMA Spectrum Infusion pump in 2009. Last year became the full owner of the product. Baxter expects it will meet the FDA regulations, but the government agency may insist on a change to the product. If that happens, it doesn’t make sense for the company to manufacture a product that could be obsolete, company officials said.

“Baxter anticipates resuming manufacturing of the SIGMA Spectrum infusion pump in Medina based on the clearance of our 510(k) (regulatory) submission with the FDA,” O’Malley said. “We will not speculate on future employment plans, but will continue to assess facility and staffing needs in the future.”

When Baxter first partnered with SIGMA in 2009, there were 225 employees working on the smart infusion pump in Medina. Even with the cuts, Baxter has been able to help boost the workforce by nearly 150 people at the site.

“Our overall story has been one of growth in Medina,” O’Malley said.

The company is respected in the community. On Sept. 14 it accepted the “Business of the Year” award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

100 gather in Medina to raise funds to fight Alzheimer’s

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Nicole Tuohey cuts a paper chain link this morning to kick off a 2-mile “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.” Nicole, 23, sold about 700 links for $1 each.

MEDINA – Mary Lou Tuohey watched her father, a former engineer, wither away over 13 years to the point where he couldn’t recognize his four children. Her father died at age 65 from Alzheimer’s.

Now Tuohey’s mother is battling the disease. She has fought it for 14 years and no longer recognizes her family.

“It’s an ugly, ugly disease,” Tuohey said today when Medina hosted a “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.” About 100 people turned out for the event, which included a 2-mile walk along the canal.

Supporters set out to raise about $18,000, money that would go towards research, respite care for affected families and public education.

The purple flower, part of the Promise Garden at the Medina Canal Basin, was placed in memory of a loved one who died from Alzheimer’s. The garden included three other colored flowers to signify if someone has Alzheimer’s (blue), cares for someone with the disease (yellow) and supports the cause for more research to fight Alzheimer’s (orange).

Tuohey’s daughter was one of the biggest fund-raisers for the cause. Nicole, 23, sold links to a paper chain for $1 each. She sold more than 700 from her mother’s store, Case-Nic Cookies on Main Street in Medina. Nicole cut the link to kick off the walk this morning.

Charlene Seitzer addressed the group of walkers before they headed out on their trek. Seitzer’s husband of 50 years, Butch, died on Feb. 5 after an 11-year fight with Alzheimer’s. Mr. Seitzer maintained a friendly demeanor and his Christian faith while enduring the disease, his wife said.

“If he was here he would say, ‘Smile. God loves you and so do I.’”

About 100 people participated in a 2-mile walk that included a stretch along the Erie Canal underneath the Glenwood Avenue bridge.

2 accused of selling prescription narcotics in Medina

Posted 5 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, OC Major Felony Crime Task Force

Sponaugle

Morehouse

MEDINA – Two Orleans County residents face charges of selling prescription narcotic pills in the village of Medina, following a six-month investigation.

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and Medina Police Department on Tuesday arrested a Carlton man on numerous counts of criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance.

Jackie L. Sponaugle Jr., 22, of 13154 Ashwood Rd. was charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. Sponaugle sold some of the drugs at a park near school grounds, the Task Force reported.

He also was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, and three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

He was arraigned at Shelby Town Court by Town Justice Dawn Keppler, and was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $20,000 cash bail or $40,000 bond. Sponaugle is to return back to town court today at 6 p.m.

In a separate investigation, Task Force members arrested a Medina woman on Aug. 21, when she was charged with several counts of criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance.

Gale V. Morehouse, 51, was arrested at her home at 925 Church St. She was charged with one count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, one count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Morehouse was also arraigned at Shelby Town Court by Town Justice Dawn Keppler and was committed to the Orleans County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Lee-Whedon interior renovations delayed in Medina

Staff Reports Posted 4 September 2013 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s interior renovation project was expected to keep the library closed from Sept. 9 through Sept. 30.

But the project has been delayed due to material availability issues, library officials said today.

“Originally scheduled for September, the project has been rescheduled for October,” said Catherine Cooper, library director. “Firm dates will be announced as soon as possible. The board and staff apologize for this inconvenience.”

The project will replace ceiling tiles and carpet, and the walls will be repainted. The library also plans to upgrade HVAC controls and replace the large window in the Quiet Room.

LynOaken opens living apple museum

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Farm has more than 300 heirloom varieties waiting to be picked

Photos by Tom Rivers – Chris Oakes, orchard manager at LynOaken Farms, holds a Redfield apple, a variety that was developed in 1938. The apple has a red flesh and pink seeds. It’s one of the heirloom varieties in a new U-Pick orchard at the farm.

LynOaken has more than 300 heirloom varieties available in a U-Pick orchard that opened on Sept. 1. The farm believes it is the biggest collection of heirloom varieties available in one location for the public to pick.

MEDINA – More than a century ago, long before Honeycrisp and Empire apples were favorites among apple lovers, Ben Davis was all the rage.

Ben Davis was a popular apple that was tough and could endure being shipped across the ocean in a barrel. That variety faded from the public’s memory and appetite long ago.

A local fruit farm has brought the apple back, as well as about 300 other heirloom varieties, in a new U-Pick orchard on Route 104 in Medina.

LynOaken Farms partnered with a local Amish horticulturist, David Schlabach, to create a living museum of heritage apples. One of the oldest varieties, Winter White Permaine, has 13th-century roots.

“We wanted to show the genetic diversity and history of some of the apples,” said Chris Oakes, orchard manager for LynOaken.

The farm opened the new U-Pick site on Sept. 1. It will be available to the public until Oct. 27. The many apple varieties ripen at different times through the harvest season.

Chris Oakes (pictured) and his father Darrel developed the heirloom orchard with help from local horticulturist David Schlabach.

The farm has 5.5 acres of heirloom apples, plus U-Pick trees full of modern popular varieties, such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Empire apples.

Many of the heirloom varieties are smaller with rugged skins, not nearly as shiny as the popular varieties these days. Many of the varieties were grown for their hard cider qualities. They have a bitter taste resembling crab apples.

Some of the old apples are famous, including the Spitzenburg, which was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple. He planted 32 of those apple trees at Monticello between 1807 and 1812.

The heirloom apples are a short walk from the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, which the Oakes family opened in 2008 at 10609 Ridge Rd.

Katie Oakes, who is married to Chris Oakes, is manager of the farm’s new outdoor pavilion which is the base for the U-Pick operation. It also will be used for special events. It was featured during last weekend’s Steampunk Festival.

Besides the new U-Pick site, LynOaken also just opened a new outdoor pavilion and special events center. Chris’s wife Katie is managing that site, where people can grab a wagon to go apple hunting.

The farm is happy to combine its roots as apple growers with its recent adoption of grape-growing and wine-making.

“We’ve come full circle,” said Jonathan Oakes, the winemaker for Leonard Oakes.

The Ridge Road site also has a wine-tasting room and gift shop.

“We’ve tried to make this a destination,” Chris said. “We have a lot of things going on.”

Medina awarded $25K grant for ag education

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 August 2013 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – A $25,000 grant from Monsanto will help Medina’s ag education program add livestock, a compost research center, community gardens and a technology system where the animals can be viewed with monitors 24 hours a day.

Todd Eick, Medina’s ag teacher and FFA advisor, would like to have the new programs in place by May, when Medina hosts the state FFA Convention.

He plans to turn former grain bins behind Pizza Hut into a livestock area with goats, sheep and llamas. Eick’s students in veterinary science and small animal care classes will work with the animals. The video system would allow students to communicate with vets off site.

Manure from the animals will be part of a compost product that will be used to enrich soil for community gardens by the school buildings.

Medina is the second local district to be awarded one of the $25,000 Monsanto grants. Albion received a grant last year and used the money to develop a 5-acre land lab, acquiring soil testing equipment, laptops and corn seed.

The Monsanto grant applications need endorsements from local farmers.

‘Elvis’ closes out Super Cruise in Medina

Contributed Story Posted 28 August 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Michael Karcz

MEDINA – Terry Buchwald impersonates the king of rock and roll Elvis Presley during tonight’s Super Cruise in Medina. Buchwald has capped off the annual classic cruise-in series for the past several years.

Wednesday was scheduled to be the finale of the series, but organizers will have one more classic car cruise-in on Friday in the Canal Basin.

Medina shut off a portion of Main Street for the Super Cruise, which drew a big crowd of vintage cars and pedestrians.

Medina police will continue to provide officer at school district

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2013 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The village approved an agreement with the Medina School District where police officer Chad Kenward will continue to provide a full-time presence at the district during the school year.

Police Chief Jose Avila is a strong supporter of having a police officer dedicated to school district. He said the officer is on the scene to respond to any calls, develops relationships with students and also acts as a deterrent to crime.

“It’s an incredible working relationship between the police department and the school district,” Avila said Monday after the Village Board approved a one-year agreement with the district.

The school will pay the village $60,000 towards Kenward’s salary and benefits. That covers about nine months of the cost with the village paying the rest.

Medina first had a school resource officer as part of a grant about 10 years ago. When the grant expired after three years, there wasn’t a SRO for at least one year. The district and village have since agreed to partner in providing the service.

“I’m very grateful the superintendent and mayor have worked to keep an officer in the school,” Avila said.

In other action on Monday, the Village Board:

Voted to take out a $120,000 bond to pay for a new police vehicle, utility tractor with a snow blower, maintenance equipment, protective gear for the fire department and equipment for an ambulance.

Agreed to a five-year lease with the county where Orleans can erect a new radio communications tower next to the village water tank on Route 31A. The county won’t be charged to use the land at 11816 Maple Ridge Rd., but the county agreed to share some revenue with the village if a telecommunications company co-locates on the tower in the future.

May declare a roadway leading into the Medina Business Park as an official village street. If the roadway becomes part of the village highway inventory, Medina could receive state CHIPS money to maintain the road.

Peter Houseknecht, the Medina DPW superintendent, said the road went in more than a decade ago and needs some work. He would like to use state CHIPS funds to help with the road maintenance, rather than village tax dollars.

The village will reach out to the Orleans Economic Development Agency to declare the road an official village street.

Compare the old versus new roof for the Medina Baptist Church

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – I happened to take a picture of the First Baptist Church in Medina in late winter/early spring (photo at very top). You can see the church with its slate roof.

The church now has the asphalt shingle roof after the congregation hired Matt C.M. Contracting to replace the slate, which ranged from about 40 to 100 years old, depending on which section and side of the roof. (The slate remains on the church spire.)

Some of the slate on the big roofs was cracked and many of the nails that held the pieces had withered away. Church members worried the old roof was a safety concern and also needed to be upgraded to stave off leaks.

Ridgeway ‘not interested’ in Medina’s dissolution plan

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2013 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – The consulting firm that is working with Medina to prepare a dissolution plan for the village shouldn’t expect much assistance from the town of Ridgeway.

“We’re really not interested,” said Brian Napoli, the Ridgeway town supervisor. “We’ve never been consulted. They formed a committee and we were never asked or consulted.”

The village received a $50,000 state grant to work on a dissolution plan, a document that is required by law before the village can hold a public referendum on whether or not to dissolve the village government.

The plan would identify how village government functions could best be assumed by the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby, or perhaps through new special taxing districts or water and sewer authorities.

The Center for Governmental Research is working with Medina on the plan. CGR staff sent letters to Ridgeway and Shelby, requesting documents on budgets and town staffing and equipment resources. CGR would also like to interview staff and officials from the two towns to discuss how they could absorb some of the functions currently provided by the village.

Shelby said it is willing to meet with CGR, but Napoli turned down the organization’s initial request.

“This is a village project so why do we need to use town money and resources for it?” Napoli said. “We were never consulted, but now that they’re doing it, they expect us to jump in and solve it.”

Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said both towns knew for months that Medina applied for the dissolution grant. Napoli and Shelby Town Supervisor Skip Draper also have been part of a shared services discussion for the past couple years among the three municipalities.

Napoli said CGR can submit specific requests for information, and the town will comply, much as it has to with the Freedom of Information Act. But he doesn’t want open-ended requests that would send town employees on a time-consuming “fishing expedition.”

Meier said he wants the town feedback on the plan so the best options can be presented to voters and municipal leaders.

“There are a range of options,” he said. “It’s not one-size-fits-all.”

If the village puts a dissolution to a vote and its supported by village residents, Napoli said Ridgeway and Shelby don’t necessarily have to follow the plan. They can determine their own course of action for assuming village functions. Napoli thinks special taxing districts would be created for police, fire protection and village debt.

Medina’s sewer plant is in Ridgeway. Napoli doesn’t expect the town would just take over the plant in a village dissolution. He said a water and sewer authority could be created to own and manage those assets.

“If you dissolve the village, the only thing that goes away is the signs,” Napoli said. “The village debts have to stay with the village. A lot of the stuff provided by the village would stay with special taxing districts.”

Meier said a committee will complete a dissolution plan with CGR’s assistance. He wants to give residents a chance to remove one layer of local government, which he believes will reduce taxes for village residents, making the community more attractive for residents and businesses.

He would like Ridgeway to be an active participant in developing the plan.

“It’s in the best interests of their constituents that they (town officials) remain in contact throughout this process,” Meier said. “We’ve asked for their participation repeatedly.”

Medina officials expect the plan will take six to nine months to prepare. Dissolution should go to a public vote next year.

Series of interpretive signs will tell Medina’s history

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 August 2013 at 12:00 am

Images courtesy of the Orleans Renaissance Group – Medina is planning to install nine interpretive panels that will provide a guide into the village’s history. One panel, the start of the nine-panel tour, provides a welcome message and introduction about the community.

Another panel features Grover Cleveland and his wife, the former Frances Folsom, a Medina native. Cleveland married Folsom while he was U.S. president.

MEDINA – The village’s history – its sandstone, Erie Canal and railroad prowess, and its many notable characters and community leaders – will be told on a series on nine interpretive panels that will be sprinkled throughout the downtown next spring.

The Orleans Renaissance Group is spearheading the project and is seeking $400 in donations to help pay for each steel sign.

“We’ve seen tourists walking around downtown, snapping photos and gazing at their surroundings,” said ORG Vice Chairman Chris Busch, who is coordinating the interpretive panel project. “We have one opportunity to make a lasting impression, an impression that will bring them back to visit again and again.”

Busch has designed nine panels that are numbered to encourage people to walk throughout the entire district. The panels include the following topics: Welcome to Medina, Historic Main Street, Robert H. Newell & Co. custom shirt manufacturers, Bent’s Opera House, Erie Canal, Grover Cleveland, Medina Sandstone, Immigrant Heritage, and the Railroad in Medina.

Busch said the signs define Medina business and historic districts “as a place that matters.”

The Orleans Renaissance Group is seeking donations to help pay for the signs, which will cost about $400 each for the metal bases.

The signs also create “the perception of importance – that this place is worth visiting historically, culturally, architecturally and economically.”

He expects the project will generate community pride and boost awareness for Medina’s historic, architectural and cultural resources. Businesses will benefit from visitors who stay in the community longer, Busch said.

The signs will need to be approved by the Village Planning Board, which also functions as Medina’s “Historic Review Board.”

Several sign sponsors have already stepped forward to support the project, but Busch and the ORG are seeking more financial support for the initiative. To help pay for a panel, send donations to “Interpretive Sign Initiative” c/o Orleans Renaissance Group, Inc., PO Box 543, Medina, NY 14103 or online at www.eggstreet.org.