Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brad Zacher and his son Henry, 5, build a fort with the giant LEGO blocks during Saturday’s special event at Sacred Heart Club.

MEDINA – A first-time LEGO/Building Bricks event sponsored by Medina Tourism at Sacred Heart Club was a resounding success, according to Kathy Blackburn, a member of the Tourism Committee.

“It’s been great. We had quite a turnout,” Blackburn said.

Jan Smith, a member of the Tourism Committee, brought the idea to the Committee and they jumped at it.

The event featured several components – assorted building blocks for children (and adults) to play with at Sacred Heart Club; a competition between first-, second- and third-graders at Roy-Hart and Medina school districts; prizes for everyone who brought in a LEGO creation; displays by Roclug (a Rochester LEGO user group) and local merchant Shawn Ramsey; an I Spy game sponsored by Lee-Whedon Memorial Library; a building table; a sensory area; and a scavenger hunt at downtown merchants.

LEGO and Building Bricks competitions are a big deal, in places like Rochester where there is Roclug. In Medina, Shawn Ramsey from Canalside Tattoo, with friends Sam Vella and Tyler Vercruysse are starting a hobby club to get people interested in LEGOs and Building Bricks.

Members of the Roclug LEGO building group out of Rochester sit with their giant display of creations they brought to Sacred Heart Club on Saturday. From left are Robert Herberger, Chuck Frueh and Shyra Murphy, all of Geneva.

At Roclug’s table, Robert Herberger, Chuck Frueh and Shyra Murphy of Geneva discussed their interest in building blocks.

“I have been into LEGOs since I was 6,” Frueh said. “Then about five years ago a set came out to build a typewriter. When LEGO Masters television show came out, I discovered there are LEGO conventions, and I started looking for one nearby. I found Rochester and signed up. Since then, LEGOs have taken over my life.”

Saturday, they had an entire table set up with LEGO displays they have created.

“What I hoped today was to meet some like-minded LEGO enthusiasts in hopes of making contact with others who would like to get together and create displays about the Medina community,” Ramsey said.

Shawn Ramsey of Canalside Tattoo, left, Sam Vella and Tyler Vercruysse (not shown) also had a large display of their LEGO collection. They hope to start a LEGO building group in Medina.

Medina art teacher Jen Scott’s sculpture class submitted multiple entries, which were then judged by popular vote. First place was a structure titled “Medina Sandstone,” and winning students were Sophie Kroenig, Payton Denniston, Elaina Bruce, Anna Saj and Jordan Olson.

Second place was a “Worker Boat,” created by Jordon Olson, Brady Brandt and Wyett Gunthaner.

Third place, “Canal Locks” was created by Eli Biesinger.

(Left) Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kathy Blackburn and Barb Gorham hold one of the certificates given to each entrant in the LEGO event sponsored by Medina Tourism Committee. (Right) Photo courtesy of Kathy Blackburn: The winning entry in the LEGO competition at Sacred Heart Club on Sunday was this building titled “Sandstone,” by Sophie Kroenig, Payton Denniston, Elaina Bruce, Anna Saj and Jordon Olson.

Two participants were Brad Zacher and his son Henry, 5, who sat on the floor with a pile of LEGOs.

“We went to Disney in August and got a LEGO set there to build a fire house, fire truck and helicopter,” Brad said.

Saturday, Henry said they were going to try and build a big square fort with the giant blocks piled on the floor.

“We just live down the street and when I saw this event, I thought it was cool,” Brad said.

River Cogovan, 7, came with his aunt Gretchen Albone.

“I like to build and create different things,” River said. “I have thousands of LEGOs at home.”

 Orly the Ox, Orleans County’s bicentennial mascot, paid a visit to the LEGO event, getting his picture taken with the children.

Overall, Blackburn said the hits of the event were the giant LEGOs and the building table.

Fiona Tavis, 10, of Medina works on building the Medina Falls at the LEGO event Saturday at Sacred Heart Club.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council has a new free art library outside the Author’s Note book store in Medina at 519 Main St.

The art library was architecturally designed by Jeff Pasnik, built and designed by Carpenters Local Union 276, and painted by Jaylah Sherman.

They also made and painted the free art library outside Hoag Library in Albion.

GO Art! has another free art library in Batavia created by Bill Schutt and sponsored by the Batavia Rotary Club.

A fourth art library is expected next weekend in Holley outside the Community Free Library. GO Art! also would like one at the Woodward Memorial Library in LeRoy.

Gregory Hallock, GO Art! executive director, said the organization is working to add art kits for the sites and welcomes donations.

This free art library was added about a week ago outside Author’s Note in Medina.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) In front, Brooks, Kate and Hadley Fitzsimmons of Rochester and Beckett Reghtck of Spencerport get their picture taken in front of Thomas the Tank Engine during the first day of Day Out with Thomas today at the Medina Railroad Museum. (Right) Cody Catlin has been a conductor at Medina Railroad Museum events since 2016. Here, he boards passengers for the first ride with Thomas the Tank Engine this morning.

MEDINA – For the first time since 2023, Thomas the Tank Engine has returned to Medina Railroad Museum for a two-weekend schedule of excursions.

Thomas rolled into the station this morning to the delight of parents and children, who lined up on the tracks for pictures with the storybook engine.

Keith Ewanyk of Spencerport, holding 2-year-old grandson, Beckett, said this was his first time to Medina Railroad Museum, and they came because a train ride was special. Ewanyk said “Gigi” (Grandma) was probably buying Keith a Thomas T-shirt or hat.

A gift tent was set up on the deck of Medina Railroad Museum, offering a variety of Thomas-themed gifts, toys, clothing and games.

Marissa Fitzsimmons of Rochester said her children all like Thomas. They have been to Medina Railroad Museum to see the Polar Express, but this was the first time for Thomas.

“We are train lovers,” she said.

Tickets to ride the train also included a variety of events in Celebration Station, and food trucks were conveniently stationed on the grounds.

Thomas’ run will continue Sunday and next Saturday and Sunday. Tickets may still be purchased on the Museum’s website.

Thomas the Tank Engine passes a tank car on his way out of the station this morning at Medina Railroad Museum.

MEDINA – ESL Federal Credit Union is moving closer to acquiring the assets of Generations Bank, which operates a branch in Medina.

The two organizations announced an acquisition deal in September 2024. Generations merged with the former Medina Savings & Loan in 2018. Generations is based at Seneca Falls and has nine locations including a site in Medina on Maple Ridge Road.

On Sept. 3, ESL and Generations Bank announced regulatory approvals from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for the purchase and assumption transaction. The closing price has increased from $26.2 to $26.5 million.

The transaction is expected to close on Jan. 1, 2026. The Generations branches should see rebranding to ESL sites after Jan. 1, said Zachary Case, marketing communications specialist for Generations.

The final closing remains subject to the approval of the National Credit Union Administration and other customary closing conditions.

Generations Bancorp’s shareholders are currently estimated to receive an aggregate of between $18 and $20 in cash in exchange for each share of Generations Bancorp common stock owned.

Generations was organized in 1870. Its main office is in Seneca Falls. There are eight full-service offices and one drive-through facility located in Auburn, Farmington, Geneva, Medina, Phelps, Seneca Falls, Union Springs and Waterloo.

Upon completion of the transaction with Generations, ESL is expected to have total assets of approximately $9.6 billion and will increase its footprint to more than 30 full-service branches throughout the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Thomas the Train Engine departs for a 25-minute train ride in May 2018. The Medina Railroad Museum is hosting Thomas this weekend and also next weekend. About 8,000 people typically ride the train during its stay in Medina.

MEDINA – Thomas the Tank Engine will be back in Medina the next two weekends for Day Out with Thomas. The popular attraction was last in Medina in May 2023. Thomas is hosted by the Medina Railroad Museum.

The famed storybook train will arrive in Medina for rides and special activities for two weekends, Sept. 20 and 21, and Sept. 27 and 28.

Rides with Thomas will depart the station each day, beginning at 9:15 a.m. until 4:25 p.m. each weekend day.

Tickets are $26 and include the ride with Thomas, admission to Medina Railroad Museum, a meeting with Sir Topham Hat and a wide variety of children’s activities in Celebration Station. Also featured will be a gift tent with hundreds of Thomas-themed toys, souvenirs and gifts.

Thomas first came to Medina Railroad Museum in 2005, and for more than 15 years attracted several thousand visitors annually.

Food trucks from Greenlief and Nona’s Kitchen will be on site to provide food for attendees.

Also entertaining on the grounds will be Marty the Magician.

Ticket information is available on the museum’s website at www.medinarailroadmuseum.org.

Conductors and passengers wave as the train departs and heads west in May 2018.

MEDINA – The Medina Theater will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday during the funeral of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative political leader who was slain on Sept. 10 while speaking at a college event in Utah.

The Medina Theater will show the funeral live on its big screen and also on smaller televisions. The Rev. Vince Iorio will share a prayer and others are welcome to come together and share in their grief and mourning for Kirk, who was an influential leader especially among younger adults.

President Donald Trump said he will attend the funeral at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

“Anyone who would like to come is invited,” said Dawn Meland, who is helping with the event at the theater, 603 Main St. in Medina. “We welcome all to join us in prayer. They can watch the funeral and have a conversation.”

The event, Meland said, has been put together by “a group of citizens that want to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk. It’s not  partisan.”

Medina family went to Disney World in January through Make-A-Wish

Photos courtesy of Meakin family: Koleson Meakin, now age 4, went to Disney World in January for a week with his family. Koleson is diagnosed with TPK1 Thiamine Deficient Leigh syndrome, a rare genetic metabolic disease. His parents, Brady and Dominique Meakin, navigate his complex needs, which require a special ketogenic diet and frequent medical care.

MEDINA – Firefighters from the western battalion in Orleans County will be out this Sunday filling the boot for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Firefighters have been doing this for several years. This tike has special significance because a local boy and his family were able to go to Disney World through Make-A-Wish.

Koleson is shown at Disney World in January with his parents, Brady and Dominique, and younger sister, Jovie.

Koleson Meakin turned 4 on Aug. 31. He has a rare condition, TPK1 Thiamine Deficient Leigh syndrome. It is a gene-linked brain malformation characterized by the absence of normal folds in the cerebral cortex and an abnormally small head.

His parents, Brady and Dominique Meakin, navigate his complex needs, which require a special ketogenic diet and frequent medical care. Koleson has been hospitalized four times since May.

His mother said the family is grateful for the community’s support through fundraisers and prayers.

“We’re making him comfortable and trying to make as many memories as possible,” she said by phone this morning.

Koleson has a strong and committed care team.

Make-A-Wish gave him an expedited wish about a year ago. He loves lights and music, and Make-A-Wish suggested Disney World. His parents drove Koleson and his little sister Jovie down last January and they were able to stay for a week in a village on site for Make-A-Wish families..

“Our family was treated like royalty at Disney village,” Mrs. Meakin said. “That was the best week of our lives. It is a core memory we will never forget.”

The boot drive will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday at on Route 63 with Shelby and East Shelby firefighters, Maple Ridge Road and the downtown intersection with Medina firefighters, and South Lyndonville Road and Route 104 with Lyndonville and Ridgeway firefighters. The local drive usually raises about $8,000.

Mary Mattingly did similar project in New York City with 350,000 visitors

Photos by Tom Rivers: Mary Mattingly is shown on a canal barge that she has begun turning into a floating garden that should bear fruit next summer as part of the inaugural Medina Triennial.

MEDINA – The next six weeks a rusty and out-of-serve canal barge will be given new life as a very unlikely base for a floating garden.

Mary Mattingly is turning he 27-by-80-foot barge into a showcase for plants and nature. She led a similar initiative in New York City, and that repurposed barge drew 350,000 visitors and more than 900 guided tours.

Mattingly is in town locally as one of 12 featured artists in the Medina Triennial. She is the first of the artists to be working in residence on her project. Five of the artists are expected to be doing their work in residence as part of the Triennial that will feature about 50 artistic works at 10 to 12 indoor and outdoor sites next year from June 6 to Sept. 7. Triennial organizers expect the major art initiative will draw 50,000 people to Medina over the three months next year.

The Triennial is spearheaded by the NYS Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority with input from the major art galleries in the Rochester and Buffalo region.

Mattingly is renown as an ecological art pioneer and her participation is a big honor for the Triennial, said Kari Conte, co-artistic director for the Triennial.

“This is an incredibly big project by Mary Mattingly,” Conte said Saturday during an discussion at the Triennial’s headquarters in a kick off teaser to next year. “She’s taking a chance on a startup.”

Mary Mattingly shares about the project during a discussion on Saturday at the Medina Triennial “Hub” at 345 Main St., a building that for many years was used by NAPA Auto Parts. It will be the base for the Triennial and arts program through 2026.

Mattingly has been working on the barge the past two weeks, getting it ready for eight different areas that will be growing plants. She has been talking with local residents about what they want to see on the barge when the plants are blooming and producing next year.

She held a workshop Sunday at the Triennial “Hub” to get more input. The group convinced her to have one of the eight spots be for butterflies. Mattingly said the garden will be designed so the eight sections compliment and don’t compete with each other.

People shared personal stories about why they feel connected to certain plants, and Mattingly said she wants to display those anecdotes as part of the floating garden.

Mattingly has a lot of work to do in the next six weeks, bringing in soil and creating a healthy growing medium for the plants. The barge will winter away from Medina and will return at the start of next year’s canal season. By the time the Triennial starts on June 6, the barge should be a vibrant ecosystem.

She thanked local residents for their input and kindness while she has been working on the project in Medina.

“I feel very at home,” she told about 75 people during the opening session on Saturday. “I’m learning a lot.”

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Mustang Band

WEST SENECA – The Medina Mustang Marching Band traveled to West Seneca on Saturday for their first competition of the season. A total of seven schools participated including Iroquois from Pennsylvania and six others from Western NY.

Medina was the only SS1 competitor and scored 70.40. In SS3 there were 3 competitors – Iroquois, Pioneer and Falconer-Frewsburg with FF taking 1st place with 64.85.

Thee LS2 class included Lancaster, West Seneca and Orchard Park with Lancaster earning 1st place with 73.05.

It was a beautiful evening in terms of weather and the crowd was enthused to be back in the loop of marching band participation.

Medina hosts their Fall Festival in Veterans Memorial Park this Saturday with gates opening at 4:30 and show starting 5:30. Ten bands will perform in competition.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Looking much younger than her 100 years, Florence Sanmarco stands by a birthday bouquet in her kitchen. Family friend Grace Kent of Albion made her the birthday crown on the counter.

MEDINA – Florence Sanmarco had one wish for her 100th birthday on Friday.

“I wanted to be home and hear from all my friends, and I got just the birthday I wanted,” she said.

Sanmarco counts her blessings to be celebrating her 100th birthday and enjoy excellent health.

Born in Medina Sept. 12, 1925, Sanmarco grew up in Middleport, daughter of parents who immigrated from Italy. The oldest of six, three siblings still survive.

She graduated from Middleport High School in 1943 and spent the next few years working at various jobs, including several years at Niagara Chemical Company (FMC).

“I left to get married, then went back in 1951,” she said.

Her first husband died after four years of marriage, and a second marriage to Danny Sanmarco lasted until his death in 2004.

(Left) Longtime family friend Karen Mannella, left, and Florence Sanmarco share a toast to Sanmarco’s 100th birthday on Friday. (Right) Florence Sanmarco and friend Sheila Doty hold a “100 and Fabulous” blanket Doty gave Sanmarco for her 100th birthday on Friday.

Sanmarco moved into Lakewood Village in 1985, where she continues to live on her own, doing her own cooking and cleaning, managing her own finances and occasionally driving her car short distances.

Her career included many years as a beautician.

“I’m very thankful for today – I don’t have an ache or a pain,” she said.

Her hearing is wonderful. She takes care of her flower gardens and loves to shop.

She often asks herself, “Why am I still here?”

Her only answer is she thinks she is meant to be an incentive to others, who may look at her and think, “I can do what Florence is doing.”

Sanmarco has seen many changes in 100 years, but she thinks the most amazing thing is probably the internet, although she doesn’t have a computer.

Friday, family friend Karen Mannella spent the day with her. They met when Mannella’s aunt and Sanmarco’s sister roomed together in the nursing home and they’ve been friends ever since. Mannella recently took Sanmarco shopping at Kohl’s and “she wore me out,” Mannella said.

When asked what she thought contributed to her longevity and good health, Sanmarco replied, “My faith. I pray a lot.”

Her Italian heritage and eating garlic might have helped, also, she added.

MEDINA – Dark evenings are about to descend upon us much too soon, according to Catherine Cooper, Orleans County historian and board member of the Medina Historical Society.

“But we can look forward to Medina Historical Society programs at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library,” she stated in a news release.

She has listed the following lineup of programs for fall 2025:

• On Sept. 29, Donna Vanderlaan, Terry Abrams and Bill Chase will present The Native American Presence in Genesee-Orleans.

• October’s program on the 27th will be The Pioneer Log Cabin, presented by Adam Tabelski.

• On Nov. 24, Renee Lama will present “Once Majestic, Now Forgotten” – the Mansions of Medina.

All programs begin at 7 p.m. and run until 8 p.m.

Lee-Whedon Memorial Library is located at 620 West Ave.

Photo courtesy of Orleans County Tourism Department: From left, Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee, and committee members Kathy Blackburn and Jan Smith pose with a billboard advertising an innovative Building Bricks/LEGO event in conjunction with the 200th anniversary celebration of the Erie Canal.

MEDINA – Medina Tourism Committee has hit on an innovative and new feature to celebrate the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary.

“It all started at a Tourism Committee meeting when we were discussing the celebration of the canal,” said Jan Smith, a member of the Tourism Committee who came up with the idea to have a Building Bricks/LEGO competition. “There were going to be a lot of communities doing arts and crafts, vendors, food trucks and concerts, and I thought why couldn’t we do something different.”

She said she knew of other organizations who had done events focusing on Building Bricks and LEGOs, and she suggested it to the committee.

“They thought is was a great idea,” Smith said.  “We were fortunate to get a grant from the Canal Corporation to help promote the event.”

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at Sacred Heart Club and will include displays from RocLUG Group from Rochester.

High School arts students have been doing canal-oriented creations, such as boats, docks, the canal and culvert – things that will tie into the canal, Smith said. Entrants are encouraged to be creative in their designs, including things like bridges, sandstone buildings and quarries.

Shawn Ramsey from Canalside Tattoo is planning to do temporary tattoos and set up his LEGO collection for display.

“Individuals in the community can build anything they want out of Building Bricks or LEGOs, as long as they have an emphasis on the canal,” Smith said.

The day will include a sensory area for those who need that kind of activity, Smith said.

“There will be a hodge-podge of activities,” she added

She said she knows of other organizations who have done similar events and they were very popular.

 “People have a very good time doing this,” she said.

Downtown merchants will also participate with a scavenger hunt in the village, in addition to window displays out of Building Bricks and LEGOs, Smith said. They will also be giving out souvenir boats for customers to collect and keep.

To participate in the scavenger hunt, entrants must pick up a registration sheet at Creekside Floral or Sacred Heart Club and drop off completed forms at the front desk of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

Entrants will be competing for awards based on age and creativity. The competition is open to all ages and abilities.

A lunch menu will also be available to purchase, offering items such as chicken sandwiches, pizza, beverages and more.

Mary Mattingly transforming a barge on the canal into floating garden

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Federico Rosario of Medina and co-curator Karin Laanso of Rochester wait in front of the former NAPA Auto Parts store on North Main Street for the arrival of artist Mary Mattingly from New York City, who plans to transform a barge on the Erie Canal into a floating garden. The project is part of the Medina Triennial in observance of the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal.

MEDINA –  Medina Triennial has announced the inaugural edition of a new contemporary art triennial, which will take place June 6 to Sept. 7, 2026.

In preparation for the event, the opening of the Medina Triennial Hub Sept. 13-14 has been announced in the former NAPA building on North Main Street.

This barge docked in Medina’s canal basin is waiting for the arrival of Mary Mattingly, an American visual artist from New York City, who plans to transform the barge into a floating garden.

Also part of the Triennial is a barge docked in the Erie Canal Basin, which American visual artist Mary Mattingly of New York City is planning to transform into a floating garden. Mattingly, an ecological art pioneer, arrived last Saturday afternoon to begin assessing her project.

The inaugural edition next summer will feature more than 50 artworks at approximately 12 indoor and outdoor locations in Medina, highlighting Medina’s dynamic natural residency program and its education and welcome center, according to Federico Rosario of Medina, community engagement and program coordinator for the Medina Triennial.

The former NAPA Auto Parts building on North Main Street is a former sandstone hotel building in the heart of the village. The Medina Triennial is calling the building “The Hub” and it will be open this weekend for sessions about the art initiative.

Saturday Sessions

• 12 to 2 p.m. – Co-Artistic Directors Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo, architects Serweta Peck, and artist-in-residence Mary Mattingly introduce the Hub’s design and fall programming, followed by a tour of the building and Mattingly’s Floating Garden.
• 4–5 p.m. – “What is a Triennial?” Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo trace the history of the triennial format and discuss how the Medina Triennial reimagines it for a new context.

Sunday Sessions

• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Roundtable on Labor and Ecology: Mary Mattingly and agricultural educator Todd Eick discuss care and invisible labor across art, ecology, and community life.
• 4 to 6:30 p.m. – Floating Garden Orientation: Mary Mattingly invites neighbors to plan and plant for her floating food forest on the Erie Canal.

The Medina Triennial was initiated by the New York State Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation as part of a broader effort to revitalize the canal and highlight its contemporary significance.

This event will feature new work by local, national and international artists and collectives, to create a free, village-wide exhibition that will be the first of its kind in the region.

Renowned commissioned artists will be invited to respond to Western New York’s communities and ecosystems, often working in collaboration with local residents to create work rooted in context.

Visitors are invited to stop by from noon to 6 p.m. weekends (always on Saturday and some Fridays and Sundays).

Federico Rosario, Community Engagement and Program Coordinator for the Medina Triennial, stands in the newly-renovated space in the former NAPA building, which will house an art triennial June 6 to Sept. 7, 2026.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) World-renown Jack the Ripper researcher Michael L. Hawley and author Julie Berry hold copies of their books prior to the launch celebration Monday night of Berry’s latest novel, If Looks Could Kill. At right is Valerie Fleshauer, a former student of Hawley’s, who introduced him to Julie and her husband Phil. Hawley opened the evening with a short talk on his research of Jack the Ripper suspect Francis Tumblety. (Right) Berry and Hawley share a hug after their presentations at the launch party Monday night for Berry’s newest novel which was influenced by Hawley’s research.

MEDINA – Julie Berry’s launch of her latest book If Looks Could Kill brought out a crowd of more than 100 people on Monday to Author’s Note, the bookstore she owns at 519 Main St.

“Such a tremendous show of support from Medina and the surrounding communities, and from faithful friends of the bookstore,” Berry said. “The most amazing things at Author’s Note are the people who work here and the people who come here.”

She thanked the book club members who are so vital to the store’s support, and gave special thanks to her team, including Olivia Marchese and Erica Caldwell who worked tirelessly to create beautiful, festive and meaningful decorations to set a celebratory tone.

A New York Times’ Best-Selling author, Berry got the idea for her latest book while remodeling the book store after she had bought it.

“I started thinking about murder and exploring a murder story and violence against women,” Berry said. “It is shocking the percentage of women who will experience violence in their lives.”

Then she started thinking, “What if women had the ability to pay back men who hurt them?” That thought resulted in a Medusa image. Medusa is described as “representing a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil.” Her famous feature is her hair of snakes.

“In the myth, Medusa had no power to control her power,” Berry said. “I wanted a Medusa for the 21st century, who could control her power – could turn it on or off and manipulate the extent of its effects. I went into this book wanting female revenge. But I don’t believe in discriminate or over-reaching justice. I believe everybody deserves the opportunity to heal, learn and change, but if I was going to move this story forward with the vengeance I still wanted, I needed a very bad villain.”

She picked lower Manhattan as the scene for her newest endeavor, and there was Jack the Ripper, she said.

“I was angry and Jack the Ripper was just what I needed for my book about where to find peace, hope and trust, especially in the darkest of times,” Berry said.

Author and Jack the Ripper researcher Michael T. Hawley gives a slide presentation on why he believes Francis Tumblety, who is buried in Rochester, was Jack the Ripper.

Then, through Lindy Hop dancing with her husband Phil, she met Valerie Fleschauer, a scientist at the University of Rochester’s laser lab, who had been a student of Jack the Ripper researcher Michael L. Hawley. Fleschauer connected Berry with Hawley, who is an expert on Jack the Ripper, and in particular, the suspect Francis Tumblety.

Hawley has appeared on the Travel Channel, Ghost Hunter and History Channel, among others. He said every claim that Tumblety could not be Jack the Ripper has been debunked.  We don’t know if he was the Ripper, but Hawley believes the objections raised against him don’t stand up to the facts.

“To my mind, there is no reason to think Tumblety, who is buried in Rochester, could not be Jack the Ripper,” he said.

In concluding, Berry said Medusa is a power women can use and turn on and off.

“That is the power I want people to feel when they read this book,” she said. “Find your inner monster and ‘Medusify.’ Confidence makes a difference. Insisting you are going to be heard makes a difference.”

Scott Robinson and his wife Alix Gilman were among those who attended the launch.

“The launch of Julie Berry’s If Looks Could Kill at Author’s Note was a reminder of what makes Medina and Western New York so special,” Alix said. “Julie is an intoxicating trifecta of intelligence, talent and wit – but most of all, her heart and sense of justice and unparalleled. Events like this celebrate the incredible depth of talent and knowledge we have right here in our community, and the magic of gathering together to honor it.”

“This event was just the boost of faith, confidence and adrenaline I needed to take this tour nationwide,” Berry said. “That was Medina’s gift to me, and I’m grateful.”

Berry is now travelling on a 29-stop nationwide tour of her book. Click here for more on her book and the tour.

50 artists to be featured at a dozen locations next year in Medina

Photo by Dawson Andrews for Medina Triennial – The former NAPA building at 345 North Main St. will serve as the headquarters for the Medina Triennial.

Press Release, Medina Triennial

MEDINA – The Medina Triennial, a new, site-responsive contemporary art triennial taking place in Medina from June 6 to September 7, 2026, announces the opening of the Medina Triennial Hub on Sept. 13–14, alongside the launch of Floating Garden, its first commission from ecological art pioneer Mary Mattingly.

The event marks the start of the Triennial’s community engagement leading up to its inaugural edition in 2026, which will feature over 50 artworks at approximately 12 indoor and outdoor locations in Medina, located on the historic Erie Canal waterfront in Western New York.

Located in a former sandstone hotel building at the heart of the village, the Hub will serve as the home of the Medina Triennial’s residency program and its education and welcome center.

From September 2025 until the Triennial’s closing in September 2026, the Hub will host public programs and events around themes of community, ecology, and place, in collaboration with art institutions across Western New York, and act as a platform for visitors to engage directly with the Triennial’s conceptual framework.

The Hub’s pre-Triennial programming includes 15 weekends of artist talks, workshops, screenings and panels, continuing the Triennial’s mission of fostering and promoting education in the arts, culture, regional history and ecology. The Fall program is available on the Triennial’s website.

“The Hub will be just the beginning of the astounding series of art installations, educational programs and cultural discussions that the Triennial will bring to Medina” says Mayor Marguerite Sherman. “We hope that these programs and this Triennial will strengthen the love and appreciation we have for this beautiful village, and unite Western New York over our shared passion of arts and culture.”

The design for the building’s furniture and renovated interiors was developed by the multidisciplinary design practice Serweta Peck, in collaboration with students, faculty, and staff from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning.

Supported by the Sydney Gross Fund, this project titled Objects of Affection reflects a commitment to sustainability, site specificity, and resilience through the recovery and reuse of materials, including reclaimed wood from the New York State Canal system. Over the course of the spring and summer of 2025, the team developed, tested, and fabricated each piece as an original design object. Serweta Peck reflects: “We hope this work invites and encourages all of us to take material steps to take care of the spaces and objects that we visit, share and love.”

Mary Mattingly (b. 1978 Rockville, Connecticut) is an artist known for exploring urban ecology and interdependence through sculptural installations and participatory public artwork that address issues around water, food systems and climate adaptation.

Floating Garden is Mattingly’s most ambitious project to date. Continuing her research into food supply chains from celebrated past projects such as Swale (2016–ongoing), Mattingly’s new commission for the Medina Triennial will repurpose an industrial barge docked on the Erie Canal in Medina, where she will collaborate with local groups to build a mobile sanctuary featuring medicinal gardens, fruit orchards, and biochar-based water filtration systems intended to improve access to fresh food and local waterways.

Entering production in September 2025 and unveiled in its entirety on June 6, 2026, this project is deeply rooted in the natural landscape of Western New York and the rhythms of civic life, creating a functional artwork designed to enrich the surrounding community while reimagining the Erie Canal’s history as a vital foodway.

Beginning in September 2025, Floating Garden will serve as a living public artwork and educational resource, offering hands-on educational programs around soil health, food production, ecology and climate adaptation. This Fall’s programming will include a workshop on collecting and utilizing rainwater, a guided foraging walk, and a roundtable discussion with the curatorial team. The project’s programming is developed in partnership with Creative Time and Toronto Biennial of Art.

“I’m thrilled to begin building ‘Floating Garden’ with people in Medina, a place deeply connected to the waterways and foodways that have inspired this project,” said Mary Mattingly. “Building the piece here allows for important collaboration with the region’s ecologies and communities. It’s a chance to imagine, together, how floating infrastructure can support forms of public care and resilience, and how it can be a form of shared abundance and sanctuary within the climate crisis.”

Mattingly’s project is one of five Triennial commissions produced under the Medina Triennial Fieldwork Residency, a new initiative that allows artists to work directly on-site in Medina ahead of the Triennial’s opening. Artist James Beckett will join Mattingly as a resident this Fall. Beckett’s practice engages questions around the built environment, particularly how systems of production and distribution shape cultural identities.

Residents will be given time, space and resources within Medina, including a dedicated group of local experts—scientists, architects, artists, biologists, farmers, and small business owners from across Western New York—to support research, foster collaboration, and deepen community connections.

The model is designed to further tailor the Triennial’s commissions to the area through total immersion within the village and its environs. Additional residents will be announced later in 2025.