Photos by Ginny Kropf: Brad Zacher and his son Henry, 5, build a fort with the giant LEGO blocks during  special event at Sacred Heart Club last year, sponsored by Medina Tourism Committee.

MEDINA – The second annual LEGO event sponsored by Medina Tourism Committee is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

Medina Tourism Committee member Barb Gorham said the event was so popular last year, they have decided to do it again. Because last year’s venue, Sacred Heart Club, was booked for tomorrow, the Committee decided to move it to the library.

The event was an idea of Jan Smith, a member of the Tourism Committee. The committee discussed it and thought it be a good fit for the community, Gorham said.

The theme last year was the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, while this year’s theme is the 250th anniversary of the country. However, entries for prizes do not have to have a theme, nor do entries for display. They may also be already-made.

Prizes will be awarded in age categories of K-2nd grade, 3rd to 7th grade, 8th to 12th grade and adults.

In addition to displays and the competition, there will be hands-on activities, building blocks and entertainment by Chuckles the Magician in the library from 11 a.m. to noon.

Gorham expressed her thanks to Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern for loaning them the building blocks.

A new feature this year will be the Boy Scouts selling hot dogs and beverages. Water and popcorn will be provided for the children.

Members of the ROCLUG LEGO building group out of Rochester sit with their giant display of creations they brought to Sacred Heart Club last year. From left are Robert Herberger, Chuck Frueh and Shyra Murphy, all of Geneva, They will be in Medina again for the second LEGO event Saturday (tomorrow) at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

Photo from Medina Fire Department

MEDINA – Medina Fire Chief Steve Cooley accepts a donation of four EKO digital stethoscopes from Jeff Lyons and Kim Patterson. They gave the stethoscopes in honor of their parents, Ancel and Patricia Lyons.

These stethoscopes will be placed on fire department’s four ambulances after in-service training which will greatly increase our diagnostic capabilities, Cooley said.

Ancel Lyons, the long-time owner of Lyons Collision, died at age 84 on July 26, 2026. His wife, Patricia Lyons, passed away at age 82 on May 16, 2025.

Together, they opened Lyons Collision in 1978.

Provided photos

MEDINA – About 30 firefighters were out on Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon with a boot drive to collect money for Make-A-Wish.

The firefighters collected nearly $6,000 – $5,955.60. There are a couple more donations coming in, too, said Tim Petry of the Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

Firefighters from East Shelby, Medina, Shelby and Ridgeway were at three intersections in the community. There were at Route 104 and Route 63 in Ridgeway; Maple Ridge Road near the Route 63 intersection in Shelby; and downtown Medina at the main intersection.

Make-A-Wish is an organization that gives life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

Band opens season with 2^nd place at Jordan-Elbridge

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Medina Marching Band performs on Sept. 11, 2026 during halftime of the OC Rivals football at Vets Park. The band is debuting new uniforms this season and also is performing a show, “We The People” celebrating the nation’s  250th anniversary with the music of Aaron Copeland.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band is shown performing at halftime on Friday evening of the OC Rivals football game versus Lakeshore. The game was played at Vets Park in Medina.

The band the next day then competed for the first time this season at Jordan-Elbridge High School in Jordan, which is near Auburn.

The competition featured nine bands, six of which were in Medina’s class, SS2.  In that class Medina came in 2nd place behind Oswego.

Medina’s show is called “We The People” and celebrates the nation’s  250th anniversary with the music of Aaron Copeland.

The band consists of 90 students and is directed by Kyla Leno-Denise and Andrea Busch.  The band is led on the field by drum major Sophia Lopez. The is performing in new uniforms this year.

Medina’s next performance is at their home show, “Fall Festival of Bands” on Saturday, Sept. 26th beginning at 6 p.m. at Vets Park.

The results from Saturday include:

• SS2 – 1st, Oswego with 69.700; 2nd, Medina with 67.900; 3rd, Westmoreland with 67.250; 4th, Jordan-Elbridge with 66.900; 5th, Horseheads with 65.850; 6th, Vestal with 63.750.
• LS2 – 1st, Corning with 69.250.
• National – 1st, West Genesee with 79.100; 2nd, Baldwinsville with 77.600.

Here are more photos from Friday’s halftime show:

Press Release, Velocitii

Provided photo: Heather Smith serves as CEO of Velocitii.

MEDINA – Velocitii is proud to announce that it has been recognized with seven 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards, celebrating the company’s commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel supported, valued, empowered, and connected to a shared purpose.

Velocitii received Top Workplaces Culture Excellence recognition in the following categories:

• Work-Life Flexibility Top Workplaces
• Leadership Top Workplaces
• Purpose & Values Top Workplaces
• Top Workplaces for Appreciation
• Employee Well-Being Top Workplaces
• Innovation Top Workplaces
• Professional Development Top Workplaces

The Top Workplaces program is administered by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that helps companies turn employee feedback into actionable insights and credible employer recognition. The program has a long history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations across the country.

What makes the recognition especially meaningful is that Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from employees through a research-backed workplace engagement survey. The Culture Excellence awards recognize organizations that excel in specific areas that contribute to a strong employee experience and workplace culture.

For Velocitii, the seven awards reflect several important elements of its culture, from providing employees with flexibility and opportunities to grow to fostering strong leadership, innovation, employee appreciation, well-being, and a connection to the company’s purpose and values.

“Receiving recognition across seven different areas of workplace culture is something we are incredibly proud of,” said Heather Smith, CEO. “These awards reflect the experiences and feedback of our employees. They reinforce our commitment to cultivating an environment where people feel appreciated, supported in their growth, encouraged to share ideas, and connected to the work we do together.”

About Velocitii

Velocitii is a business process outsourcing company committed to delivering exceptional experiences for its clients, customers, and employees. Through a people-first approach, Velocitii focuses on building strong teams, creating opportunities for growth, recognizing employee contributions, and fostering a culture rooted in its Core Values.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Anne Joynt, a Medina High School graduate, is a candidate for the New York State Supreme Court.

MEDINA – A Medina High School graduate could make history as the first woman from Orleans County to serve on the State Supreme Court.

Anne Joynt, a 1998 MHS graduate and daughter of former Medina teacher/principal Cathy Joynt and the late Robert Joynt, is one of seven candidates running for NYS Supreme Court, 8^th Judicial District. There are four judge seats up for election.

Joynt has wanted to become a lawyer from a very early age.

“I remember her asking her dad in elementary school what lawyers did,” Cathy said. “She knew Norris Webster and liked him. Her dad told her that lawyers read, write and argue, to which Anne replied, ‘Those are all things I love to do.’”

Through school, Anne never changed her mind about what she was going to be.

She graduated from Geneseo magna cum laude with degrees in English and Spanish. She enrolled at the University at Buffalo Law School and graduated with her Juris Doctor in 2005.

In her second year of law school, Anne saw an ad that a State Supreme Court candidate was looking for someone to help with her campaign. She went on to assist with the campaign of the Honorable Paula Feroleto, and The Journal-Register in Medina did a story on “Local girl working for State Supreme Court Candidate.”  Judge Feroleto is retiring this year, and if she wins, Anne would have the opportunity to assume the seat of her mentor.

While in law school, Joynt was so focused on passing the bar, she was not thinking about getting a job, she said.

“I got an email one day from a law firm asking me to contact them,” Joynt said. “That was 22 years ago, and I’ve been there ever since.”

The firm became Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford. Anne’s law school Research and Writing professor had recommended her to them, and given them a brief she had written in his class when they explained that they were looking for an outstanding writer.

Her clients include injured workers exposed to asbestos, children exposed to lead paint, and abused children.

“She has really worked hard for blue-collar, hard-working individuals and their families,” her mother said.

She regularly represents people who have been unheard.

“It’s important for everyone to be heard,” Anne said. “Everyone’s experience matters.”

In spite of her successful career, Joynt has never forgotten her roots. She returns to Medina regularly with her mother, who kept the family home in Medina until just a few years ago.  Cathy’s father was the late Russell Houserman, a teacher and coach in the Medina School System.

“I have always been involved in my community,” Anne said. “My life is so much richer when I’m involved in meaningful organizations and causes I care about.”

She is or has been involved as a member or in a leadership role with the Western New York Women’s Foundation; University at Buffalo Law School Alumni Association; Girls on the Run; Women’s TAP Fund; the Center for Elder Law and Justice; the Erie County Bar Association Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Upstate Chapter); National Federation for Just Communities; and the Minority Bar Foundation.

She has also volunteered her time to the Western New York Board of Directors of Geneseo State College; the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, WNY Chapter; Bar Association of Erie County; Buffalo and Erie County Public Library; and Law Intern Program of Buffalo.

Currently she is appointed as a member of the Erie County Water Authority and Erie County Boards of Ethics.

Her honors include “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York, National Trial Lawyers, 2025; Best Lawyers in America; University at Buffalo Law School Distinguished Alumni Award- Community Service; Upstate New York Super Lawyer; Woman Lawyer of the Year; Attorney of the Year Leader in Law Award; Woman of Influence by Buffalo Business First; Medina High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award; 2014/15 Woman in Leadership, Buffalo Niagara Chapter; Buffalo 40 Under 40 by Buffalo Business First; and Women in Leadership by NAWBO Buffalo-Niagara.”

Joynt has been published in the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review, and written about in Buffalo Spree Magazine. She has lectured at HB National Lead Litigation Seminars and has given the Jane Ryan Pre-Law Fund Lecture at SUNY Geneseo.

She has been admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and New York State Supreme Court.

Joynt says she is so proud to be from Orleans County.

 “Growing up here taught me how communities are supposed to look and what it feels like to be in a community of people who support each other,” she said. “Medina looks so amazing. The opportunity to return home feels really nice, and I’m hoping to be able to represent the area and share the values I’ve learned here.”

Should Anne be elected, she will be the first graduate of Medina High School to serve on the State Supreme Court.

In the 1800s, Henry Childs, who was born in Gaines and attended Albion Academy, was elected to the State Supreme Court. His home was the house known as the Maple Crest on the corner of West Center and Prospect streets.

The 8^th Judicial District includes includes eight counties in WNY: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming .

The candidates include:

• Craig R. Bucki – Democratic, Working Families
• Anne E. Joynt – Democratic, Working Families
• Michael L. Amodeo – Democratic, Republican, Working Families
• Robert N. Richardson – Democratic, Republican, Conservative
• Deanne M. Tripi – Republican, Conservative
• Jonathan S. Hickey – Republican, Conservative
• Robert R. Vario – Conservative

One of signature projects of Triennial will soon be dismantled

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – One of the signature projects of the Medina Triennial was somewhat shrouded with scaffolding during the art initiative’s three-month stay in Medina.

But today, a day after the Triennial closed, the steel pin scaffolding was removed and soon the “Good Wall” will be dismantled. There is a layer of salvaged sandstone held between layers of limestone.

The scaffolding was included as a precaution to provide stability. But the wall never wavered during the Triennial, staying in perfect balance.

In its natural state, the limestone will slowly leach natural acids into the softer sandstone, gradually weakening it until it delaminates and collapses. What appears solid is designed to fail, the Triennial stated.

James Beckett is the artist behind the Good Wall, a project that ties to Medina’s architectural and industrial past. Beckett wanted the display to raise questions about durability and change.

Beckett did a residency in Medina in 2025 and 2026, researching the Medina community’s sandstone quarries and civic architecture.

He did a semester-long collaboration with architecture students at the University at Buffalo on “digital quarrying.” That method combines the recovered stone with 3D scanning, computational design and digital assembly.

The “Good Wall” is installed on the lawn of Medina’s former high school on Catherine Street, where about 30 of the art installations were displayed during the Triennial.

Western battalion will be at 3 intersections in Medina, Shelby and Ridgeway

File photo by Tom Rivers: Kyle Brakenbury, a member of the fire police for the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, collects a donation during the Make-A-Wish fill the boot drive on Sept. 21, 2025.

MEDINA – Firefighters will be out Sunday for their annual fill-the-boot drive for Make-A-Wish.

Firefighters from the East Shelby, Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby fire departments will be at three intersections from 9 a.m. to noon. They will be at Route 104 and Route 63 in Ridgeway; Maple Ridge Road near the Route 63 intersection in Shelby; and downtown Medina at the main intersection.

Last year the firefighters collected $6,500 that was donated to Make-A-Wish, an organization that gives life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

‘Moving forward, we are working on a long-term erosion mitigation plan for the top sections of the cemetery’

Photos and information courtesy of Boxwood Cemetery Commission

MEDINA – If you have visited the historic hillside sections of Boxwood Cemetery recently, you are likely to notice a change; the grass is growing taller, and the mowers have grown quiet in these older, more historic areas.

To some, this might seem like neglect, but in reality, it is a deliberate, urgent rescue mission to save our community’s history at Boxwood Cemetery. Every blade of grass, wildflower, and ground plant is reaching down, weaving its roots with its neighbors and quite literally holding hands underground to save our hillsides from washing away.

For decades, the steep slopes of our oldest sections have faced a quiet crisis. Traditional lawnmowers and string trimmers, while well-intentioned, scrape away topsoil and weaken grass roots on steep inclines.  Without deep roots to hold the earth together, the hillsides are slowly washing away.  Historic headstones are shifting, tilting, and in some cases, falling and breaking as the ground gives away beneath them.

This year, the Boxwood Commission and the Department of Public Works for the Village of Medina have made a conscious, strategic decision to pause mowing on the hillside areas to preserve these irreplaceable monuments and prevent further destruction.

Moving forward, we are working on a long-term erosion mitigation plan for the top sections of the cemetery. In the meantime, we ask for your patience and your understanding to support this healing process. We are not abandoning these sacred grounds; we are giving them the time and defense they desperately need to heal.

This month, Nell Gardner – horticulturist, agronomist, flower grower and historical landscape expert – took a walk with us through Boxwood Cemetery to help us determine if our pause in mowing and string trimming has made a positive impact. She was very hopeful of us being able to stabilize the vegetation in the cemetery. Gardner states that we need to continue to work on the areas that are still bare by planting some low mow grasses and native wildflowers so we can evolve those into well stabilized sod with added value.

Our goal will be to mow roadways and paths on the hillside for accessibility, and outline steep areas to mow once or twice per year. Gardner states, her “hope is that by establishing more vegetation on all the bare areas, reducing mowing and directing drainage, the cemetery will be stabilized and improved.”

Jacob Hebdon, Boxwood Commission president, would like The Boxwood Commission to develop a maintenance plan so that in future years the cemetery grounds will remain sustainable and stable.

Thank you to our community for standing with us as we protect Boxwood Cemetery for generations to come.

Article submitted by Gloria Snyder – Member of the Boxwood Commission.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Steele, director of the Medina Reunion Jazz Band, speaks with a crowd of about 250 people on Sunday at State Street Park. Steele, a retired Medina band teacher, dedicated the final song of “God Bless the USA” to long-time Medina Band volunteer, John Ryan, who served about 40 years as a color guard and winter guard instructor. He passed away at age 85 on Aug. 17.

MEDINA – A crowd estimated at nearly 250 people attended a concert at State Street Park on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.

Sponsored by the Medina Tourism Committee, the event featured patriotic and jazz music by the Medina Reunion Jazz Band, led by retired band director Jim Steele and made up by former band students, alumni, staff members of Medina High School and others; puppetry and magic by former television personality Mike Randall; and a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Randall.

Medina music teacher Rachel Trillizio sings “God Bless the USA” during Sunday’s concert.

Medina High School music teacher Rachel Trillizio sang several songs with the band. This is first time the jazz band has had a singer, Steele said. He also recognized soloist Ric Jones of Medina and Bil Tiberio, a man with 44 years at Fairport who Steele said is so talented he finds goodness in anyone who plays an instrument.

Medina Tourism Committee chair Jim Hancock opened the program with a welcome and thanked all who made it possible. This included Sons of the American Legion, who donated money for 250 cupcakes and little flags which were handed out; Hans’s Bakery, which made the cupcakes; and Randall for his patriotic reading and for entertaining with puppets.

“For those who haven’t heard the Declaration of Independence in full, it is an amazing document,” Hancock said. “Mike’s reading was beautiful and very moving.”

Mike Randall brought along some puppet friends and entertained the crowd with their antics.

Hancock also announced Medina was preparing a time capsule, which will be buried in October in Rotary Park, and not to be opened for 50 years. People were encouraged to come up to the tourism tent and add their suggestion to a list of what to put in the capsule.

The crowd also enjoyed pizza and beverages from Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza, who was set up in the park with a food truck. Hazel and Honey also served baked goods and lemonade.

These cupcakes with red, white and blue frosted were available to the crowd, courtesy of the Sons of the American Legion.

The afternoon concluded with a salute from the American Legion and VFW Honor Guard, which Hancock said was a beautiful ending to Medina’s celebration of the nation’s Birthday Party in the Park.

In addition to Hancock, members of the Medina Tourism Committee are Jan Smith, Barb Gorham, Kelly Kiebala, Ann Fisher-Bale, Kathy Blackburn, Dawn Borchet and Debbie Padoleski.

Photos by Ginny Kropf at left: Mike Randall recited the Declaration of Independence to the crowd. Photo courtesy of Barb Gorham at right: Hans Rosentreter  from Hans’s Bakery stands with 250 cupcakes he made for Medina’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of our country.

The Bennett and Green families watch as Mike Randall performs a magic rope trick for the children.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Hancock, chairman of the Tourism Committee, thanks the band for their performance and then prompted the crowd to sing  “God Bless America” near the end of the concert.

The Honor Guard, with members from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, fired a gun salute and with echo taps.