GameTime design: The proposal for Medina from GameTime includes playground equipment would be accessible to children with disabilities and mobility issues.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina has $110,000 secured towards a new inclusive playground that would serve kids of all abilities, including those with mobility issues.

But the village will need a sizable state grant to make the playground a reality. The village could pursue three state grant programs for the playground, which would have cost $541,252 in 2024. That price has likely gone up in the two years since then, perhaps by $100,000, said Haylee Ferington, who is helping to lead the effort for the new playground as a member of Friends of Medina Parks.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Haylee Ferington, a member of the Medina Parks Committee, updates the Village Board on Monday about upcoming grant opportunities for an inclusive playground at State Street Park.

The Friends applied for state grants last year but didn’t get picked for funding. Ferington advised the Village Board the grant applications would be stronger I fthe Village of Medina was the applicant.

The board will consider that, and needs to decide before the next round of grant applications in May, Ferington said.

The state funding opportunities come with a 50-50 match through the state Canal Corp., 70-30 match through the Environmental Protection Fund, and a 90-10 match through the State Historic Preservation Office, she said.

Gov. Hochul on Jan. 6 also has announced a new “NY Plays” funding opportunity for $67.5  million towards playgrounds. The grants range from $100,000 to $2.5 million, and require a 20 percent local share.

Ferington said the new playground has secured funding commitments of $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Buffalo, $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Rochester, and $10,000 from Brookfield Power which runs a hydroelectric plant in Medina.

“We’re hoping 2026 will bring about more fruitful funding opportunities through the state,” she told the Village Board.

The Friends of Medina Parks will meet at 6:30 this evening to make a recommendation to the Village Board on which state grants to pursue. The board will have to decide by May which ones to go after and if it will apply as the village.

Village Board thankful for short-term “SOS: Save Our Sidewalks” assistance, aims for long-term plan

MEDINA – Bob Sanderson enjoys taking walks around the village of Medina, but he said he has to pay close attention to crumbling sidewalks so he doesn’t trip.

Sanderson decided to help the village and homeowners get some of the sidewalks in better shape. He has pledged some of his own money and lined up other donors at $200,000 so far towards new sidewalks.

The Village Board on Monday unanimously voted for Sanderson to move forward with a “SOS: Save Our Sidewalks” plan that would go 50/50 for property owners willing to put in new sidewalks. Sanderson advised Mayor Marguerite Sherman he would have a committee review the proposals for the new sidewalks and that committee would distribute the funds, which would be outside the village budget.

Medina had a similar local grant program more than a decade ago when a donor offered to help people paint their houses. That money and program was handled outside the village budget.

Board members expressed their appreciation to Sanderson during Monday’s meeting. Sherman said Sanderson and the committee want to have a simple process for residents to put in new sidewalks. They likely will have to submit an estimate to the committee before work gets started. Sherman said more information will be forthcoming on the process.

The board has tried to encourage better sidewalks in the community. In 2021, it removed a sidewalk application fee to replace the walkways. The village Department of Public Works also removes the old sidewalks so new ones can be put in.

Sherman also announced an effort for a longer-term plan – “Medina Safe Steps Initiative.” The board voted to have the Planning Board look at updating the sidewalk ordinance for ongoing maintenance. The village also will be looking at grant sources to help replace the sidewalks. Sherman said there are state funding sources for sidewalks through the Department of Transportation.

Sherman said she hears from many residents, including the mail carriers at the U.S. Postal Service, about the rough conditions of the sidewalks in the village.

She said she is grateful that there will soon be assistance from the Sanderson-led group, and the village will have a long-range plan.

Left – Provided photo: Nicole Tuohey holds one of the heart cookies like her mother used to make and sell at Case-Nic Cookies to benefit the Arc and developmental disabilities. This is the eighth year of selling “Have a Heart” cookies, during which time they have raised more than $13,000. (Right – Photo by Ginny Kropf) Hans Rosentreter stands in front of Hans Bakery, holding a plate of “Have a Heart” cookies to promote the fundraiser started by former owner of the store, Mary Lou Tuohey and her daughter Nicole. Rosentreter is continuing the tradition Mary Lou and Nicole sponsored for years in support of Arc GLOW during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The basket raffle in the store window will also support the ARC and run through March 30.

MEDINA – A fundraiser started by Mary Lou Tuohey with her daughter Nicole while owner of Case-Nic Cookies is now being continued by the store’s new owner, Hans Rosentreter at his Han’s Bakery.

Rosentreter purchased the store just over a year ago.

“I knew Mary Lou would want to continue to do her fundraiser, and I was happy to go along with it,” Rosentreter said.

Nicole was born 35 years ago with a developmental disability called Triple X Syndrome. Doctors told her parents at her three-week checkup that she may never walk, talk, read, write, do math or ride a bike.

At 3 months of age, Nicole was enrolled in the Arc’s Rainbow Preschool, which was her stepping stone to a full life, Mary Lou said. Nicole is now 35 years old and attends the Day Hab Program through Arc GLOW. She not only does everything doctors said she wouldn’t do, but more.

“The early intervention and her current involvement with Arc GLOW have helped make her the woman she is today,” Mary Lou said. “That is why Nicole will be having a cookie sale and window basket raffle again, with all the money raised going to programs that serve individuals at Arc GLOW.

Rosentreter said his family has dealt with developmental disabilities and that is why he is happy to participate in the Tuohey’s fundraiser.

He is baking the frosted heart cutout cookies, using Mary Lou’s recipe. They are being sold in his bakery for $1 each. He also has allowed use of his store window for a basket raffle to support Arc GLOW, the same as Mary Lou did when she owned the store.

A plastic bucket has been placed in the entryway full of envelopes which contain a listing of each basket. Customers may take an envelope home, include the amount of money for a sheet of tickets and then indicate next to each item how many tickets they want placed in the drawing for that item. Then they return the envelope and bring it in the store during open hours or drop it in the mail slot during closed hours.

Extra cookies may be ordered by calling the bakery at (585) 798-1676.

The cookie sale and basket raffle will continue until March 30.

Photo and information courtesy of Troop 35 in Medina

MEDINA – Scouts and friends of Troop 35 in Medina removed two dump trailer loads of wreaths that were placed in December as part of Wreaths Across America.

The group removed the wreaths from Boxwood, St Mary’s, and Sacred Heart cemeteries on Sunday in preparation for spring cleanups. Picture below if some of the volunteers that helped.

Picture left top right: Lani Dieter, Maddox Smith, Jimmy Dieter and Cole Herman.

Images submitted to Village of Medina Planning Board: The Medina Triennial will affix artwork on the Medina Theater as part of the upcoming Medina Triennial art initiative. The Planning Board approved the sign during its meeting on Tuesday.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina Planning Board has approved a temporary sign for the Medina Triennial and also a certificate of appropriateness for exterior work at 339 North Main St.

The sign will be 20 by 22 feet and will be a temporary display of artwork. It will be attached on the side of the Medina Theater at 601 Main St., near the back of the building facing Proile Alley.

Medina Triennial organizers expect to put the sign up in late May before the start of the Triennial on June 6. The arts initiative brings 35 works of art from artists around the world. The triennial runs until Sept. 7.

The Planning Board approved the sign until the end of September. The sign will be printed on a vinyl material and fastened on the building “in the least invasive way possible,” said Matt Hollenback, head producer for the Triennial.

Mark and Michael Zambito are seeking to put in new, larger windows at 339 North Main St., a site that was recently used by Patriot Guns and Mystic Dragon’s Lair.

The smaller windows will be replaced with bigger ones that will be either vinyl or aluminum that will have black frames.

The white coverings above the windows will be painted black. The Zambitos said there is missing and deteriorating bricks near the doors that they would like to wrap in a matte finish to prevent further damage to the bricks.

They said repointing the bricks and matching them with the existing ones could be difficult. Planning Board members said there may be usable bricks that match once the smaller windows are replaced with larger.

They encouraged the Zambito brothers to try to repair the brick work as part of the project.

The Zambitos said the work on the building in phase one of what they plan to be bigger improvements at the site.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Village of Medina Planning Board Chairman John Dieter, center, looks over a draft of an ordinance for regulating short-term rentals in the village. Planning Board members Chris Goyette, left, and Kathy Blackburn also review the document. Other members at the meeting included Dick Moss, Mary Lewis and David Flynn.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina is working on an ordinance for regulating short-term rentals – the Airbnbs, Vrbos and others locations where people stay up to 30 days.

The Planning Board has been tasked with coming up with a draft ordinance that will go to the Village Board.

“We want to get ahead of this,” code enforcement officer Dan Gardner said about the short-term rentals. “But I know it’s already happening. Currently we have nothing to regulate short-term rentals.”

The STR operators will likely need a special use permit and could be subject to inspections, perhaps every year to three years.

The village currently charges $150 for a special use permit which includes $100 to the village and $50 for the public hearing. That is a one-time fee.

Some communities charge an annual licensing fee. In Kendall, it’s $250. Medina isn’t considering an annual fee to have a short-term rental so far in the discussions by the Planning Board.

One issue is whether Medina will require the operators to have insurance. Kendall requires a $1 million liability insurance for STR owners.

John Dieter, Planning Board chairman, said the board still has a lot of research and homework to do in the draft ordinance for STRs.

John Dieter, the Planning Board chairman, said the board is in discussion stage with the draft ordinance.

A big talking point during the board meeting on Tuesday was whether the STRs should be allowed in the downtown business district. There already is at least one.

Gardner, the code enforcement officer, doesn’t think STRs should be in the downtown, where there are already options for hotel rooms. He said “flooding” the downtown with STRs would hurt the hotel operators.

But board member Mary Lewis said STRs are “a great use” of the upper levels in the central business district. Board member Kathy Blackburn favors allowing them in the downtown with regulations.

The STRs could provide a much-needed source of revenue for the building owners, Blackburn said.

“There might be some cases where we’d want some Airbnbs in the general business district,” Dieter said.

The board will continue to discuss the issue, and could decide to limit the short-term rentals to certain zoning districts.

In some communities there are STRs in garages and secondary buildings on a lot. But in Medina, only one habitable building is allowed on a lot so having STRs in a garage wouldn’t be an option.

Planning Board members and the code enforcement officer said they don’t know how many short-term rentals are currently in the village. Medina started collected a “bed tax” last June and that would provide a list of many of the STRs. In addition to the 8 percent sales tax, there is a 4 percent occupancy tax that goes to Orleans County and the new 2 percent tax to Medina.

Gardner wants all STRs to be registered in the village. Airbnb lists about 20 sites in Medina, and that includes a boat in the canal basin and a tent for “glamping.”

Dieter said the Planning Board will work to finalize recommendations on the STR ordinance that will then be referred to the Village Board, which would need to have a public hearing before it’s adopted.

Photo by Tom Rivers: A pedestrian bridge is planned to be built across the Oak Orchard Creek along Maple Ridge Road (Route 31A) in Medina. This area also will get about 2,000 feet of new sidewalks.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board hasn’t approved the bid for a pedestrian bridge and sidewalks along Maple Ridge Road because it is awaiting a recommendation from the engineer on the project.

Four construction companies submitted bids for the project. The apparent low bidder, however, isn’t on the state registry for contractors. That is requiring more background work and research from the engineering firm, Barton & Loguidice. The registry verifies that contractors and subcontractors are in compliance with labor laws, including prevailing wage requirements.

Four bids for the project were opened on Feb. 18 and include: $837,448 by RJT Construction Services in Rochester, $943,088 by Keeler Construction in Barre, $977,000 by Rochester Earth Inc. in Churchville, and $1,058,485 by C.P. Ward in Scottsville.

The new bridge and sidewalks have been several years in the waiting. The village in 2021 was awarded a $1,094,196 grant to construct the bridge and sidewalks as part of a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicycles. The funding was awarded by the state through a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant.

That is covering 80 percent of the project. The remaining 20 percent will be paid locally from the village ($55,000), Town of Shelby ($130,000) and Orleans County ($97,500). The money comes from a revolving loan fund that was administered by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The state in 2019 required funds be ended with the money staying in the community for projects if they are for handicapped accessible initiatives or if they assist a neighborhood that is predominantly low-income.

The section of Maple Ridge Road by the creek has become busier with a housing development, several new businesses and also the GCC campus center. There are also about 200 available acres in the area being promoted for development by the EDA.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Comfort Inn and Suites on Maple Ridge Road in Medina has 58 rooms for guests. The hotel opened in March 2022.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina implemented a new 2 percent bed tax last June and it has generated just over $12,000 for the village so far.

Hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodging establishments need to pay the village the occupancy tax in quarterly payments. So far Medina has been through three quarters of the new tax and it has raised $12,318.71 for Medina, said Jada Burgess, Medina’s clerk-treasurer.

The 2 percent tax is on top of the 8 percent sales tax and Orleans County’s 4 percent bed tax.

The bed tax in Medina gives the village some new revenue at a time when it faces rising costs. The village has tried in recent years for a boost in the local sales tax revenue and also more money from the state in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities or AIM, but has seen little change from the county and state.

When the tax was implemented the Village Board didn’t designate how the funds would be spent, except to specify the money will be “allocated at the discretion of the Medina Village Board for any Village purpose.”

The village tried for several to get the tax in place, but it took approval from the State Legislature and the governor.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill on Nov. 22, 2024, culminating a process that started in 2018 with village officials looking to generate some additional money.

Photo by Tom Rivers: RTS Orleans has this bus shelter in Albion on South Main Street near Walgreens, and also has one in Holley along Route 31 near the Holley Gardens apartments, which is also the former Holley High School.

MEDINA – RTS Orleans expects to soon be adding a new bus shelter in Medina, a project that has been talked about for several years.

The transportation organization is planning to put the shelter off Church Street in a spot behind the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy near a municipal lot.

The shelter will be paid by RTS. It will be on a 7-by-17-foot concrete pad with a 5-by-9-foot ramp because the spot doesn’t have a sidewalk, said Mayor Marguerite Sherman. There will be one bench inside the shelter.

RTS expects to award the bid later this month. The project doesn’t need village permission except for the sign.

RTS has been looking for spots for the shelter and wanted it in the downtown area. It met with village officials and considered a shelter on a sidewalk, but the sidewalks were too narrow, Sherman said.

The spot behind the Medicine Shoppe allows the buses to pull in easily and they aren’t impeding traffic. They can also come into the shelter location from East Center Street near the St. John’s Episcopal Church, and they easily go around the church to head back to Albion, Sherman said.

The Regional Transit Service has run a public transportation service in Orleans County since 2003. It has six buses in the county, and they are parked outside by the County Highway Department on West Academy Street.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mike Sidari, shown during a meeting in October 2023 when he was Medina’s mayor, has retired as a callman firefighter for Medina Fire Department.

MEDINA – Mike Sidari, Medina’s mayor for eight years until 2024, has retired from another role with the village.

Sidari for 40 years was a callman firefighter, responding to emergency calls on a part-time basis.

The Medina Village Board accepted his resignation last week and approved allowing him to keep his helmet shield and uniform badges. Sidari’s helmet shield includes his number as callman firefighter 213.

“I have witnessed many changes not only in the department, but in the fire service, from equipment and training to technology,” Sidari wrote in a letter to Fire Chief Steve Cooley. “Throughout my time there has been one constant, that is the dedication of the officers and firefighters of the Medina Fire Department. I am proud to have served our community.”

Chief Cooley praised Sidari for his service to the department and the community.

“I will always be an advocate of the good department and the residents of the village,” Sidari wrote in his letter. “I wish you and my fellow firefighters nothing but the best in the future.”

Photos by Tom Rivers (Left) Carol Callina of Medina was one of about 40 veterans who took advantage of a free day of bowling Saturday at Medina Lanes. (Right) Nick Mroz, director of the Orleans County Veterans’ Services Agency, chats with his wife, Tricia, left, and Sara Hults, a volunteer in suicide prevention from the Batavia VA, as they wait to check in veterans for the day of bowling Saturday, sponsored by the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer Program.

MEDINA – The Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer-sponsored afternoon of bowling was a resounding success, according to Nick Mroz, director of the Orleans County Veterans’ Services Agency.

At least 40 veterans and their families enjoyed an afternoon of bowling with pizza, wings and pop. complements of the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer Program.

Adam Rush of Waterport, a Navy veteran, came with his wife Ashley and children Evelyn, Henry and Charlotte.

“It’s great to get together with other veterans,” Adam said.

Navy veteran Adam Rush of Waterport checks in at Medina Lanes with his wife Ashley and children Evelyn, Henry and Charlotte.

Carol Callina, also a Navy veteran, brought her sister Christine Mason. Mason’s son is a 17-year veteran of the Navy, where he is an air traffic controller.

“This is great,” Mason said.

At another table, Jack Miles and his wife Nancy of Albion chatted with Mike Donahue of Albion, a Navy veteran who did two tours to Vietnam. Both men are members of the Veterans’ Services Council and Honor Guard. Neither man bowls but they wanted to be there at the bowling alley.

“We’re just here for the camaraderie,” they said.

A veteran waits with his ball, while Danille Colasurdo speaks to her service dog Brady, partly visible at right. A Navy veteran, Colasurdo suffers from PTSD.

It was a very significant day for Daniele Colasurdo, a Navy veteran who was happy to be out.

“I have PTSD and this is the first time I’ve been in a bowling alley in four years,” she said.

She was accompanied by her service dog Brady, who helps her deal with her stress.

Nick Mroz said the turnout was double the number who came last year. Other events sponsored by the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer Program were free turkeys at Thanksgiving and a banquet with prize giveaways at White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. The next event will be giving away 100 free hams for Easter.

Jack Miles and his wife Nancy, left, and Mike Donahue are greeted by Bill Moroz, a volunteer driver for the Veterans’ Van Service.

Photo courtesy of Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company: Firefighters converge at the scene of a fire on South Main Street in Medina this morning.

MEDINA – Three people were safely rescued from a fire this morning on Sout Main Street in Medina.

The Medina Fire Department was dispatched to 824 South Main St. at 5:52 a.m. Firefighters encountered active fire and heavy smoke conditions near the entrances of two apartments of a large multi-unit apartment building.

Medina Police officers were first on the scene and attempted to slow the spread of fire with several fire extinguishers.

With reports of multiple residents still inside, firefighters deployed a 1¾’ hoseline and initiated fire attack, Fire Chief Steve Cooley said in a news release.

“After knocking down the fire at the doorway, crews made entry into an apartment under hazardous smoke-filled conditions,” Cooley said. “Firefighters quickly located and removed two occupants, a mother and child.”

Firefighters were then told a third person remained inside a bedroom. Lieutenant Adam Fisher and Firefighter Amanda Cassano re-entered the apartment with the protection of a hoseline and conducted a targeted search with the thermal imaging camera, locating and rescuing the third victim found in the bedroom, Cooley said.

Additional firefighters and Medina police officers conducted searches of the remaining smoke-filled apartments to ensure all occupants were accounted for. Medina firefighter-paramedics immediately began medical evaluations and treatment of the rescued residents, Cooley said.

“As additional firefighters arrived, crews completed primary and secondary searches, continued suppression efforts, and conducted overhaul to ensure the fire was fully extinguished,” Cooley said,

The Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, assisted by the Medina Fire Department Investigation Unit, began determining the cause of the fire. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office accelerant detection K9 unit also responded to assist. The fire cause is under investigation.

Two residents were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. One occupant left the scene prior to transport, and another resident was evaluated for smoke inhalation but declined further treatment. No firefighters were injured at this incident.

East Shelby, Albion ladder, Middleport and Mercy EMS all responded to the scene with the Middleport Fire Company providing coverage at the Medina Fire Station to ensure uninterrupted emergency response within the village during the incident.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to all the agencies listed above including the Orleans County dispatchers and deputies, village code enforcement and the Red Cross,” Cooley said. “During this incident, an additional EMS call within the village was handled by Medina Fire Ambulance. We would also like to thank the manager of Dunkin’ Donuts for delivering fresh coffee to crews operating on scene.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Kay Van Nostrand describes this steel shovel used by her father all of his life to shovel snow, coal and even grain. (Right) Georgia Thomas, a member of Medina Historical Society, brought this 12-candle mold to Show and Tell at the February meeting.

MEDINA – The Medina Historical Society’s meeting on Monday night was a crowd-pleaser.

Once a year, the society features “Show and Tell,” and gives members an opportunity to share unique, unusual or unknown items with the membership.

While a stormy evening likely kept some people away, the brave souls who attended the meeting enthusiastically enjoyed the evening’s presentation.

Historical Society president Reinhard Rogowski welcomed guests and announced the next two meetings would be at the Medina Senior Center, due to construction at the library. At the March 30 meeting, Ron Stork will share some of his collection of Medina treasures. The April 27 meeting will feature Erica Wanecski giving a history of Medina Memorial Hospital.

The first to “Show and Tell” was Diane Mazur, who brought her grandmother’s wedding shoes. They were black, size 4 and perfectly preserved.

Next, Georgia Thomas produced an 18th century candle mold, which made 12 beeswax candles. She shared how she made bayberry candles at Christmas.

“Bayberry is very expensive, but it smells nice,” she said.

 Kay Van Nostrand demonstrated a very heavy shovel made of steel.

“I grew up in Attica where they had lots of snow, and my dad used this to shovel snow,” she said. “He was married in 1928 in Dannemora and I’m sure he shoveled snow there. This was the only shovel he ever used. He shoveled a path to the house, to the barn, to the woodshed and to the driveway. In his younger days, he shoveled coal for train cars. He was also known to shovel grain. He would wax his shovel with paraffin from my mother’s canning jars.”

(Left) A photo of noted Medina builder Frank Mallison was shared by Orleans County historian Catherine Cooper during Show and Tell at the Medina Historical Society’s meeting on Monday. The photo was discovered at a house sale in Shelby. Mallison is credited with building many of Medina’s historic buildings. (Right) Ron Stork entertained members of the Medina Historical Society during their Show and Tell meeting with a demonstration of this musical cigarette box.

Catherine Cooper, Orleans County historian and board member of Medina Historical Society, shared a photograph of contractor and builder Frank Mallison, which had been discovered at a house sale in Shelby. On the back it listed four generations of his descendants.

“This is significant because Mallison’s buildings form part of the structure of Medina,” Cooper said.

Some of the buildings built by Mallison include Medina Cold Storage, the Senior Citizen’s Center, armory, Medina Memorial Hospital, the high school, S.A. Cook buildings on East Avenue and Main Street, the Masonic Temple addition and the chapel at West Ridgeway Cemetery.

“He left a lasting memory,” Cooper said.

Ron Stork, a longtime collector of Monitor clocks, brought a very unique gadget – a cigarette music box made by Edgar Gould. Gould also made Monitor clocks, owned Medina Toy Company and worked with veterinarian Dr. Stocking. The music boxes were last made in 1933, Stork said. He said they would sit on a bar and for a penny a customer could buy a cigarette. As the six-sided music box revolved, its doors opened wide.

The program concluded with Shirley Bright-Neeper, who read a letter she had received from the late Pete Nesbitt of Pine Hill, after meeting him in 1992. Pete and his older brother Bob were both Navy pilots – Bob serving in World War II and Pete joining 12 years later in peace time. Bob was awarded four Flying Crosses for his heroics during the war.

“This was another year of intriguing items at the Show and Tell,” Cooper said.

Provided photo: A grouping of flower pots is positioned in front of Rotary Park at the four corners of downtown Medina. The Medina Area Partnership is seeking donations to place 69 flower pots in the business district this summer.

MEDINA – Beautifying the downtown business district has always been a major goal of the Medina Area Partnership, and in continuing that long trend they have announced plans to place 69 flower pots throughout the downtown, in addition to four hanging baskets at the intersection of Main and Center streets.

To achieve that initiative they are seeking monetary donations from the public to assist with the cost of flowers, soil and other products associated with the project.

“These efforts are not possible without the support of the community and help from the village DPW in placing and watering the plants,” said Mary Lewis of Creekside Floral who chairs the project.

Lewis said the downtown flower project was started about 20 years ago by the Medina Business Association, which became Medina Area Partnership. She doesn’t know how many pots were originally sponsored, but she is sure the number steadily grew to the 69 flower pots and four hanging baskets they have had in recent years.

She said they have limited the pots to that number, as they have to rely on the Department of Public Works to place and water the pots all summer.

“We couldn’t do this without them, and we don’t want to over-burden them,” Lewis said.

Lewis also stressed their efforts would not be possible without the support of the community, on whom they count for donations to cover the costs associated with the project.

The cost to sponsor a flower pot is $100 and anyone who is interested should send a check payable to Medina Area Partnership, in care of Creekside Floral, 509 Main St., Medina. Sponsors will be recognized on a sign in a flowerpot, on the large sign outside of City Hall and on the MAP website.

Donations of any amount will also be accepted to assist with beautification projects. Donation forms can be found on MAP’s website.

Lewis urges everyone to consider helping them continue to make Medina’s downtown community and greater Medina area an attractive place to visit.

Lewis notes that signs may not be placed until June 30.

Anyone with questions is welcome to contact Lewis at Creekside Floral.

Fire departments from 5 states so far have expressed interest in ladder truck

Provided photo: Medina firefighters train on the new ladder truck for the department about two weeks ago. The truck is currently in Tonawanda for outfitting and some electrical tweaks and will stay in the DPW building when its back in Medina. The truck isn’t being detailed with lettering for Medina Fire Department.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board is trying to determine the next steps with how it will proceed with possibly selling the fire department’s new ladder truck.

Three of the board members – Deborah Padoleski, Mark Prawel and Scott Bieliski – voted on Feb. 9 to declare the ladder truck as surplus to start the process of a possible sale.

The board on Monday morning met with the village’s bond counsel, financial advisors, and attorney to discuss protocol in following municipal law, should a majority of the board decide to sell the truck.

If the truck is sold and the loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture paid off, the village would still be out $42,000 in a financing charge.

The village also could face potential tax payments if it sells the truck and makes a profit, Mayor Marguerite Sherman said.

The USDA representative and other village advisors said declaring the new truck surplus and then moving to sell it seems unprecedented with no past experiences to guide the involved parties.

“We are trying to get on the same page in a very unusual circumstance,” Sherman said during Monday evening’s board meeting.

Sherman said the village was advised it is obligated to try to maximize the purchase price for the $1.7 million ladder truck.

The sale could happen through an auction, sealed bids, or RFPs (request for proposals).  The village could hire a broker to help with the sale.

Padoleski said her goal is to at least get enough money to pay off the truck. She sees the truck as unaffordable for village taxpayers, especially when the cost of addition is included in the overall cost. Medina might need to spend over $1 million for a one-bay addition to the fire hall because the new truck doesn’t fit in the current fire hall.

The truck issue has garnered headlines in the region and in national fire house magazines and blogs.

Sherman said fire departments have reached out to Medina from nearby Brockport, and the states of Idaho, Michigan, Alabama and Pennsylvania. They want to be informed if Medina decides how it will put the truck up for sale.