‘Dry Bones’ expected to be released this fall

Photos by Tom Rivers – The cast for ‘Dry Bones’ includes Debbie Rochon, center, who has appeared in about 200 films. The crew is shooting a scene inside the Medina Theatre this afternoon.

MEDINA – She seems nice enough. Debbie Rochon smiles, nods her head affirmatively, and listens.

But it’s all a mirage. Rochon will transform into a demon, her true identity in a horror film that includes footage inside the Medina Theatre.

The cast and crew of about 20 filmed for several hours today inside the theater at 607 Main St. The theater has a spacious room and balcony that will allow for great camera angles, said director Greg Lamberson.

He expects to complete shooting for the film, “Dry Bones,” next week. The

Cheektowaga director will work to have the film ready by late summer, in time for horror film festivals.

He shot most of the film from his house. The Medina Theatre was added after he screened one of his films, “Slim City Massacre,” at the location in December. Lamberson immediately liked the Medina Theatre for its historical features and big open room.

Orleans County residents Richard Ferris, left, and Michael O’Keefe, center, are extras in an upcoming horror film that includes the Medina Theatre as one of three locations for the film. Filmmakers like the theater for its spacious room and balcony.

“I’m always looking for places with potential,” said Lamberson, who has directed five films and produced six others.

Today was the second day of shooting at the theater, which will include three scenes in the upcoming film.

The theater’s bar and dining area will be used to set the stage when Rochon’s character reconnects with a childhood friend played by Michael O’Hear of Niagara Falls.

O’Hear’s character was traumatized as a boy when he watched his father be eaten by a monster hiding in his home. No one believed O’Hear. That demon is a succubus that can appear human. O’Hear’s character will discover that Rochon’s character actually is the demon.

“I like movies with a little scare in them,” O’Hear said.

Rochon starred in Slime City Massacre. She lives in Novia Scotia. She has worked as an actress for nearly three decades.

“With the horror film genre, you can play very extreme characters,” she said. “You can do a lot more emotionally. With horror movies, they’re a lot more fun.”

Director Greg Lamberson is ready to announce, “Action!” About 20 actors were inside Medina Theatre today while Lamberson captured footage of bar scenes for his upcoming film, ‘Dry Bones.’

Rochon on Saturday needed six hours to be turned into the demon character. That’s how long it took to apply her makeup and prosthetics.

Rochon said horror films are gaining in popularity and going mainstream, with horror series now even on network television.

Medina attorney Michael O’Keefe is an extra in the movie. He has been in 14 films since August. O’Keefe helped line up many of the extras for the Medina footage.

O’Keefe would like to get into directing or producing. He also is interested in entertainment law.

He wants to bring more of the film business to Orleans County. Besides using local locations for films, O’Keefe would like to see more films screened at the Medina Theatre. He worked to start the Canal Town Film Festival in December at Medina Theatre. Besides screening Slim City Massacre, “Snow Shark” was also shown. Sam Qualiana, director of photography for the film, is heading that effort for Dry Bones.

Lamberson said he would like to return to Medina Theatre to screen the new film later this year.

I was driving through Medina at about 4:45 this morning and stopped to take a picture of a very bright full moon.

St. John’s Episcopal Church, at 200 East Center St., is in the foreground. The church was built from Medina sandstone in 1832, making it one of the oldest churches in the county.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – “Mr. Conrad” of Buffalo performed a jazz concert tonight in Medina at the Shirt Factory Café. Jim Beishline joined him on the keyboards.

Next Saturday, June 1, the site’s Boiler 54, an outdoor performance venue, kicks off the season at 115 West Center St.

There will be concerts at the Boiler 54 most Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the summer. For more information, visit www.boiler54.com for Boiler 54’s list of upcoming concerts.

Photo courtesy of Darlene Rich, Shelby town clerk

SHELBY – The Shelby Town Board presented Medina Savings and Loan President Tim Moriarty a proclamation on May 11 in honor of the bank’s 125^th anniversary. Moriarty, left, is congratulated by Town Supervisor Skip Draper for the bank’s longevity.

Medina Savings and Loan was the only Orleans County bank to survive the Great Depression. The bank will celebrate its 125^th anniversary during customer appreciation day on June 8 at its location by Tops on Maple Ridge Road.

The Medina Sandstone Society will present a sandstone plaque commemorating the S and L on its 125^th anniversary. That unveiling is planned for 1 p.m.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Medina school district activated this new school sign last Friday. The sign on Route 31A is made of Medina sandstone.

MEDINA – A new sign advertising Medina school events recognizes the community’s sandstone heritage, while utilizing new wireless technology.

“It’s a neat combination linking our past, present and future,” said Jeff Evoy, the district superintendent.

Medina used leftover state funds from a capital project to cover nearly all the costs of the new sign on Route 31A by Mustang Drive.

The sign replaces one that was only about 10 years old. That stopped working years ago. Residents and school officials wanted it to be repaired. The company that installed the sign went bankrupt and is no longer in business, school officials said.

Evoy is a member of the Medina Sandstone Society. He wanted some of the area’s famous stone incorporated in the new sign.

The new sign was functional last Friday, just in time to welcome the Medina Mustang Band back from a trip to New Jersey and wish Medina sports teams good luck in the playoffs. The sign was changed Wednesday to thank the community for supporting the district’s school budget.

Provided photo – Press release, Medina Mustang Band

MEDINA – The Medina Mustang Band traveled to New Jersey from May 16-19 and competed in the Music in the Parks Festival, taking first place in parade with a score of 98, first in concert band with a score of 98 and also won the overall concert band award (highest scoring High School Concert Band).The Mustangs also won first in jazz with a score of 96.25 and took the overall jazz award. Student Cameron Morgan was named best soloist for the High School Jazz competition.

Band Directors Jim Steele and Cheri Pritchard stated the students represented their school and community very well with outstanding performances.Many great comments came from the judges and other competing band directors and staffs.

The band directors want to publicly thank 28 chaperones and staff that made this trip a success.Without the chaperones, the support of the Mustang Band Boosters, school administrators and staff, the directors and band would not have been able to pull off this monumental trip.

The band looks forward to showing off their street show, “Ol’ Blue Eyes” to the Medina community on Monday at the Memorial Day Parade. The next and last competition for the band will be at the Gorham Pageant of Bands held May 31 and June 1.

Press Release, Medina Tree Board

MEDINA – Ten years ago, when downtown Medina was ripped up for a road reconstruction project, old mature trees were removed and replaced with new trees in tree pits in downtown sidewalks.

Those new trees have never developed as expected, said Chris Busch, the Tree Board chairman.

“The existing trees included a couple varieties of crab apple, flowering pear, and a few other miscellaneous species, none of which were growing as would normally be expected and none of which were providing the desired impact in the streetscape,” he said.

So those trees will be taken out and replaced beginning Wednesday morning with several larger shade trees which would provide the desired canopy effect. The larger trees will eventually require selective pruning and shaping, but the overall effect will be stunning, Busch said.

The village worked with Tree Board consultant Andy Pleninger of Urban Forestry LLC of Palmyra to study the tree pits and make recommendations for the bigger trees.

The crabapples and other trees being removed from the Main Street site will be replanted in one of the local village parks.

Busch said the benefits of having a healthy green canopy in a business district are both multiple and tangible, and an underdeveloped canopy is literally robbing a business district of potential profits. Many studies have shown that the greening of business districts increases community pride and positive perception of an area, drawing customers to the businesses.

Pleninger made several species recommendations, with the Tree Board eventually settling on two- ‘Prairie Pride’ Hackberry and Skyline Honeylocust – both of which are trees that can thrive under tough urban conditions.

“In a relatively short number of years,” said Pleninger, “the shade trees will begin providing more environmental benefits such as shading the sidewalks, moderating temperatures and wind speeds.”

Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said a healthy, green canopy is important in a successful business district.

“These new trees will soften and compliment our historic streetscape,” Meier said. “They will dramatically enhance the walkability of the district.Whether the realize it or not, people tend to enjoy being in a well-landscaped business district.”

The Village of Medina is a Tree City USA and a multiple Tree City Growth Award recipient.

‘Unfortunately it’s going to be painful, very painful.’- Medina Fire Chief Todd Zinkievich

MEDINA – Mayor Andrew Meier and the Village Board put out the directive for the fire and police departments: They each need to cut $40,000 from their budgets for the 2013-14 year. And that’s after board members had already chopped from the spending plans.

“This will be my hardest budget by far,” said Todd Zinkievich, the Medina fire chief since 2003. “Unfortunately it’s going to be painful, very painful.”

Meier said the additional $40,000 in cuts from each department were needed to prevent a tax increase of nearly 10 percent for a fiscal year that starts June 1. With the $80,000 from the two departments, plus $10,000 from the Department of Public Works and $5,000 from the code enforcement officer, Medina was able to pass a budget April 29 that raises taxes 4 percent.

Meier left it to the department heads to identify the cuts. He would like cost-savings pinpointed by the end of the month.

Zinkievich said he doesn’t want to skimp on preventive maintenance and equipment upgrades that are recommended by the National Fire Protection Agency. Medina has been working hard in recent years to maintain aging equipment, trying to put off new replacements, he said. He doesn’t want to pull back on maintenance, fearing a bigger repair or replacement.

“We have our budget tight right now,” he said. “I’ll do my best to not jeopardize the safety of my men.”

Police Chief Jose Avila said his department has reduced staff over the years and is already running lean. But he said he will make the $40,000 in cuts.

“It will certainly make things tougher, but my job is to make it happen,” Avila said.

He is working to identify the cuts. He has about two weeks to make those decisions.

“My job is to serve and protect Medina with what I’m given,” Avila said.

Medina is in a difficult predicament, Meier said, because the village’s tax base has been shrinking, putting more tax pressure on property owners. Meier fears if the tax rate continues to rise, more residents will flee the village, causing assessments to drop even more, putting the village in a vicious cycle.

MEDINA – The village hasn’t increased its water and sewer rates in a decade. That will soon change.

The Village Board will meet 7 p.m. May 28 to schedule a public hearing for an increase. First, the board needs to determine how much the rates will go up for village users and out-of-village customers in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway.

“We have 10 years of increases to catch up on,” said Mayor Andrew Meier.

Medina has been working with a consultant, Paul Bringewatt of Canandaigua, to determine how much the rates should increase. The village also has been looking at how personnel and other budgeted expenses are credited to either the water or general fund.

Some of the village fund expenses, which are paid solely by the village-only property owners, may be shifted to the water budget, which includes both village and outside-village users. That would ease some pressure on the general fund, and village property owners.

Meier said the issues will be discussed May 28 and during the public hearing, which has yet to be set.

Medina buys its water from the Niagara County Water District. Village residents pay a retail rate to the village, while the towns receive a wholesale rate from Medina. The towns of Shelby and Ridgeway then sell then water to residents in their water districts.

Elsenheimer admitted to sex acts with two teen-age boys

ALBION – A former Medina firefighter was sentenced to two years in state prison on Monday after he admitted in court in March that performed sexual acts on two teen-age boys.

Jeffrey J. Elsenheimer Jr., 32, worked as a full-time Medina firefighter for six years. Investigators from the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force found nude photographs of a 16-year-old boy on Elsenheimer’s cell phone, which were sent while he was on duty.

The alleged abuse with the two boys occurred between March and August 2012.

Elsenheimer faced a 29-count indictment, including 17 felony counts and 12 misdemeanors. He pled guilty to one count of third-degree sexual act with each boy, and faced up to four years in state prison.

He was sentenced to two two-year sentences that will run at the same time. Elsenheimer also will be registered as a sex offender and will have eight years of post-release supervison when he’s out of prison.

Elsenheimer served as Medina Fire Department public information officer in addition to his duties as firefighter. He had to surrender his EMT license. He also worked as a part-time dispatcher for the county, and was fired from that position when he was charged with the sex crimes. He previously worked as a teacher at Kendall.

Press release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – A $573,063 budget for Lee-Whedon Memorial Library was overwhelmingly backed by Medina school districts residents on Monday, passing with an 83-6 vote.

This budget represents an increase of 1.8 percent. Residents also re-elected incumbent Trustee Isabella Mark to another five-year term.

“We are grateful to the community for the continuing support,” said Maryellen Dale, Board president. “We authorized a major but necessary expense this year – the replacement of the 45-year-old roof at a cost of $215,000.”

A state construction grant will pay 50 percent of the roof costs.

“We look forward to decreased energy costs as a result of the newly insulated roof,” Dale said. “However, as the building approaches its 50^th year, we notice that it is in need of updating. Many of the ceiling tiles are stained and broken. The walls were last painted in 1994, the carpet was replaced in 1996. It is time to freshen up! We plan to give the community a building it can be proud of. Plans are afoot for this major renovation project to be completed in the fall.”

MEDINA – I was in Medina this evening and stopped to look at “The Big Apple,” a sculpture by Richard Bannister of Barre. The artwork was installed in Medina along the Erie Canal in 2000. The sculpture is next to the Glenwood Avenue bridge. Bannister created the giant apple as a tribute to Western New York fruit growers.

I also like how Medina’s truss bridges are painted black, compared to most of the others in Orleans County that are green. And it’s hard to beat the spires on St. Mary’s Catholic Church as an iconic landmark in a canal town.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA — Many mothers and their children chose to spend Mother’s Day in Medina with Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas will be in town for another weekend at the Medina Railroad Museum from May 17-19. The children’s attraction is making his eighth annual visit to Medina. Thomas draws 2,000 to 3,000 visitors each day to the community.