Provided photos: These students are pictured with the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland. Pictured from left in back include Ahlyssa Miller, Jack Cecchini, Mason Eick, Adeline Castricone and Angel Mulchay. In front include Will Prest, Sawyer Kingsbury, Faith Baker-Austin, Morgan Zeiner, Liam Castricone, Nate Surdell, and Zach Lilley.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Todd Eick, the Medina Junior-Senior High School FFA advisor, had been hoping to take his students on an international trip for several years now.  “I had been really exploring possibilities and then Covid hit and I had to let it go by the wayside,” he said.

This past summer his dream for himself and 13 students came to fruition.

“My daughter had just gone on a trip with Mrs. Peracciny, one of our Spanish teachers, to London, Rome and Paris and I was looking at the photos and thought why aren’t I doing this?”

Mr. Eick looked into different tours and found one focused on agriculture in Ireland.  Ireland’s agriculture sector is a key driver of its economy and is characterized by a focus on livestock production and exports.  There are roughly 135,000 farms in Ireland.

“For our first trip it was really perfect,” he said. “It is an English-speaking country and included farm tours, horticulture tours and aquaculture tours. It all fit.”

The FFA students were joined by a group of students from northern California bringing their total to 30 for the 10-day trip that went to Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Galway, back to Dublin.

“These students came from a very rural section of the west coast and it took them three hours to get to the airport from their town,” Mr. Eick said.  “It is much more rural than where we are from. It definitely added to the learning experience for my students hearing about their day-to-day lives.”

This photo shows the Medina and California students together. They spent 10 days visiting sites in Ireland. They are shown with the tour guide and driver.

The trip involved a lot of diversity for the students; everything from a pig farm, cattle farm, sheep farm, crop farms and oyster farms. They even observed the training of sheepdogs, which they all loved.

“I was very impressed with the farmers we interacted with and it was an amazing adventure for myself and the students,” Eick said. “They really got to experience farm life over there and the farmers were very energetic and very honest with the students about not only their livelihood, but their personal lives as well. One farmer shared with them his struggle with depression and how getting professional help really saved him. It was a great conversation for the students and I think made them aware that it is okay to talk about these issues. It was very impromptu and real and I think the students appreciated his honesty.”

The farmers did a great job engaging all 30 kids and making sure they experienced different things, Mr. Eick said.

“They learned a lot about the Irish culture and traditions as well,” he said.

One of Mr. Eick’s students, Morgan Zeiner, said the trip was a gift.

“My mom really wanted me to go and I have to say it was very cool,” Morgan said. “I loved learning about the history of Ireland and going to the farms was great. It was very hands-on and we milked cows, picked strawberries and helped to harvest oysters. We loved playing with the lambs. As we were walking through the cities and towns, I felt like I was walking through a museum. It was very historical and it was cool to learn about some of their laws too.”

One of those laws was about opening hedgerows where if they did that, they had to plant three times the amount elsewhere.

“The thought is to replace it with more than what you are removing,” Mr. Eick said.  “They have a very sustainable agriculture mindset there. I wish we did things like that here.”

Mr. Eick said the trip was very successful in exposing the students to a different culture and expanding their worldview.

“In 2026, I plan on taking a group of students to Costa Rica and Panama and I am very excited about being able to offer them that experience of seeing the rainforest and volcanos and learning about the flora and fauna,” he said.

MEDINA – The Village Board was asked to consider allowing up to six backyard chickens for residents, with no roosters.

Medina was asked by Katie Hardner, who is leading the effort to have chickens be permitted in Orleans County villages. The Village of Lyndonville Planning Board on Sept. 16 approved an ordinance for backyard chickens. That local law now goes to the Village Board in Lyndonville for review and will need that board’s approval to be adopted.

Hardner attended Medina’s meeting on Monday evening. She urged Medina officials to allow chickens in the village. Hannah Villeyas, a Medina resident, also asked that the poultry be permitted.

Villeyas said chickens provide food, pest control, remove weeds and are great companions. She said allowing chickens gives residents more resilience in an uncertain world, and also contributes to a more sustainable community.

Hardner and supporters of “For Cluck’s Safe” have attended parades and had a booth at the Orleans County 4-H Fair, trying to build support for the cause. She said a small group of chickens are not livestock, and they provide nutritional and mental health benefits for families.

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said she expects the issue will be referred to the Village Planning Board for its input.

In Lyndonville, that Planning Board recommended the village adopt a local law allowing up to six chickens. Residents would need to get a permit (a one-time fee of $25), and the chickens are to be restricted to the rear or backyard of any residential zoning district.

Chicken owners will need to submit photos of the cages or coops where the chickens are housed. The cages shall not exceed 32 square feet or be taller than 7 feet.

The cages or coops need to be at least 30 feet from any door or window of a dwelling, school, church or other occupied structure other than the applicant’s dwelling.

The coops or cages also need to be at 5 feet from a side yard property line and more than 18 inches from a rear lot line. No chickens shall be kept in a front yard or side street yard areas, according to the draft ordinance.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Hart Hotel is one of the lodging businesses in Medina. Hart Hotel includes five rooms and two lofts on the third floor of 113 West Center St.

MEDINA – Legislation in the State Capital has advanced through the Legislature and now only awaits the governor’s signature to allow the Village of Medina to impose a 2 percent tax on local bed tax for hotels, motels, boarding houses and short-term rentals.

The village has tried for several years since 2018 to get the tax through the Legislature. State Sen. Rob Ortt had been reluctant to support a new tax, but on May 22 he sponsored the bill that passed in the Senate. Assemblyman Steve Hawley backed the legislation in the Assembly.

The village will use the revenue from the tax to support the Orleans Economic Development Agency with infrastructure projects and land development in Medina, which will

increase economic development and attract new businesses for a growing

tax base within the village, according legislation passed by the Assembly and Senate.

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said Gov. Kathy Hochul has until Dec. 31 to sign the bill for it to take effect. The new tax will be collected by the village clerk’s office.

Village officials said the occupancy tax is on visitors to the community, not local residents. It would provide much-needed revenue for the village to promote tourism and economic development, leading to more visitors to help local businesses, village leaders said.

Orleans County also imposes a 4 percent occupancy tax that generates about $100,000 a year and is used solely by the county for its tourism promotion efforts. The Medina tax would be another 2 percent on top of the county’s occupancy tax.

Press Release, Medina Sandstone Society

MEDINA – The Sandstone Trust of Medina is accepting grant applications from not-for-profit organizations and/or programs in in Orleans County, which benefit the residents of Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby.

The community endowment program will make several thousand dollars available in December; funding is intended for purposes that clearly benefit the community. Grants generally range from $500 to $750.

Grant application forms can be obtained: in person at Michael Zelazny CPA, 511 Main St.; by regular mail request sent to Sandstone Trust, P O Box 25, Medina, NY 14103; or electronically at www.sandstonesociety.org.

Completed applications are due by Oct. 31. They should be mailed to Sandstone Trust, PO Box 25, Medina, NY 14103.

For more information, email sandstonesociety@gmail.org or call Michael Zelazny at 585-798-1006.

“Jimmer” Szatkowski will be pushed 26.2 miles in a fundraiser for the Tackle ALS Foundation

Provided photo: Anthony “Jimmer” Szatkowski, a Medina native suffering from ALS, is paralyzed and on a ventilator due to the disease. He is shown here with his children, Samantha, Jack and Hunter and his wife Betty. Jimmer is determined to complete his fourth marathon Oct. 20 in Syracuse. Family and friends are stepping up to volunteer to push him the 26.2 miles. His goal is to raise $1 million for the Tackle ALS Foundation whose benefactor is the Sean M. Healey Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, the leading ALS clinic in the United States.

MEDINA – Two brothers from Medina are gearing up to complete a marathon, one in a wheelchair and the other pushing him.

Andrew Szatkowski and his brother Anthony “Jimmer” Szatkowski will participate in the Great New York State Marathon Weekend Oct. 20 in Syracuse.

The race was organized by Dan Gustafson and was started by his daughter Kelleigh Gustafson to raise awareness of the rare and life threatening disease, arteriovenous malformations. Andrew said the family has been very generous in allowing them to join in the race and raise money for Jimmer’s cause.

Jimmer grew up in Medina and graduated from Medina High School. He met his wife Betty in college and they have three children. He had embarked on a career with IBM for 20 years, until one day he decided he needed a change.

“He was driving down the road in Raleigh, N.C. and saw a crowd of people at a Chick -fil-A,” Andrew said. “He came back home and opened the first one in Central New York in Cicero.”

The restaurant was immediately a success, and Kevin Curtis, senior principal leader at Chick-fil-A, became an avid supporter of Jimmer and his fight to raise money for ALS research.

Three years ago, Jimmer, now 52, was diagnosed with ALS and today he is paralyzed and on a ventilator.

Andrew Szatkowski, left, will push his brother Jimmer in next month’s marathon in Syracuse.

“When he lost the ability to move his arms and feet, his heart and mind became super powers,” Andrew said.

Jimmer and Andrew are both athletic and love to run. Jimmer has run three marathons, including a Half Ironman, and Andrew has run two.

Jimmer continues to visit his store six days a week. Curtis a week ago announced a goal to raise $50,000 for ALS and within four days, they were at $47,000. Jimmer had previously announced he wanted to raise $1 million for the Tackle ALS Foundation, a charity created by NFL player and children’s book author Tim Green.

Curtis will also be running the marathon and helping push Jimmer. Jimmer will be in a special wheelchair which was acquired through connections Andrew made while running the Rochester Flower City half marathon. There he met Scott Strang, who is part of Ainsley’s Angels, an organization that connects people with disabilities with runners. Ainsley’s Angels provides chairs and structure for the disabled to take part in races.

“I met him while he was pushing his son Drew, and he connected me to this special chair for Jimmer,” Andrew said.

Andrew said they are in need of more people to help push Jimmer’s wheelchair. There is a minimum fee to enter the Great New York State Marathon, but in support of Jimmer, that has been set at $50. People can volunteer to run a mile or any portion of the marathon they wish. They can sign up by calling Andrew at (585) 205-0581.

Click here for more information on how to donate.

MEDINA – Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and boys from the community are invited to Medina Conservation Club for a Taste of Scouting on Saturday.

Scout campouts used to be done many years ago, said Jessica Bonham, director of the Western New York Scout Council.

“We are bringing it back in hope of making it an annual event,” Bonham said.

Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from Medina and Lyndonville will be participating, with Troop 28 taking charge of activities for the boys.

Bonham said they are inviting any boy in the community from kindergarten through fifth grade to attend and take part in activities from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Like so many organizations, membership is down since COVID,” Bonham said. “We are hoping to renew interest and recruit more boys to Scouting.”

Saturday’s activities will include fishing, archery and making smores.

Jim Olinger, treasurer of the Conservation Club, said they plan to open the skeet fields to let the older boys shoot clay targets under supervision.

He said he was excited when Dean Bellack, a member of the club, contacted him earlier in the summer about using the grounds for an event to involve the community.

“Not a lot of kids are involved in outdoor activities these days,” Olinger said. “It’s great to get them involved.”

Medina Conservation Club was incorporated in April 1940 for the purpose of protecting and restoring America’s woods, wildlife and waters, particularly in Orleans County; to provide its facilities to the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America and similar organizations for camping, hiking, fishing and participation in outdoor sports and conservations programs; and other causes in regard to increasing opportunities for outdoor recreation and to safeguard public health.

The Conservation Club currently has 140 members, Olinger said. It is located at 3748 Bates Rd., Medina.

Anyone interested in becoming a Scout can contact Bonham at (585) 993-5359.

ROCHESTER – ESL Federal Credit Union will be acquiring the assets of Generations Bank, which operates a branch in Medina, the two organizations announced today.

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.

ESL said the acquisition allows the banking institution to significantly grow its presence throughout the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region, bringing personal banking, business banking, mortgage services, wealth management and its superior customer experience to customers throughout Seneca, Cayuga, and Orleans counties, while expanding its footprint in Ontario County.

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.

“This deal is a strong fit for ESL and Generations because both organizations are committed and dedicated to serving their employees, customers and their communities.  We look forward to our future as a stronger, growing financial institution, and bringing the superior experiences we are known for to employees and customers in new communities,” said Faheem Masood, President and Chief Executive Officer of ESL Federal Credit Union.

As part of the agreement, ESL will pay Generations $26.2 million in cash and Generations Bank will retain its equity at the effective time of the purchase and assumption transaction, less certain reductions and additions, according to a press release from ESL and generations.

The deal is expected to close late in the second quarter or in the third quarter of 2025, subject to receiving all regulatory approvals, approval by Generations Bancorp’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions.

Following the completion of the transactions and after all of the respective obligations of Generations Bancorp and Generations Bank are settled, Generations Bank will liquidate and Generation Bancorp will distribute its assets to its shareholders, likely in two separate payments.

Generations Bancorp’s shareholders are currently estimated to receive an aggregate of between $18.00 and $20.00 in cash in exchange for each share of Generations Bancorp common stock owned. Currently, Generations Bancorp has 2,241,801 outstanding shares of common stock.

“We are very excited about our new partnership with ESL Federal Credit Union,” said Angela Krezmer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Generations Bank. “The synergy created by combining these two companies coupled with the financial strength of the combined institution will assure that our customers, our employees and our communities have expanded financial services and membership benefits going forward. We also believe it reflects our commitment to enhance the value to our shareholders.”

Photos courtesy of Medina Central School: Raquel Russell, Bella Fischer, Justine Fitzsimmons, Cole Callard and Trenton Morley chat with Samantha Covis, assistant library director at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Participation in Government classes at Medina Junior-Senior High School present an interesting assignment to students each year.  Teachers Jennifer Ossont and Todd Bensley invite several non-profits to the high school cafeteria for a Community Service Fair.

The students are required to do ten hours of community service with at least three organizations so they can develop civic responsibility, learn new skills and gain a sense of their strength and talents. Once their internship is done, students prepare a presentation of their experiences for class.

“Many of the organizations are long-time participants,” Mr. Bensley said. “It is nice to know that they recognize the value of our Community Service Fair in connecting them to the next generation of volunteers in the community.”

Georgia Thomas of the Medina Historical Society talks with with students Lukas Grimes and Trenton Morley. Rob Klino of Friends of Boxwood Cemetery is in back.

Bella Fischer, Justine Fitzsimmons and Raquel Russell meet with Karen Canning from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!).

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina Marching Band performs “Reflections” on Saturday during its home show at Vets Park for the Fall Festival of Bands.

There were nine marching bands at Medina for the two-hour competition.

The scores include:

• Small School 1: East Irondequoit, 80.45; Medina, 75.70.
• Small School 2: Northwestern, 71.65.
• Small School 3: Pioneer, 68.45; and Falconer-Frewsburg, 66.25.
• Large School 2: Webster, 77.60; Orchard Park, 76.30; Greece, 76.10; and West Seneca, 73.50.

The season for the New York State Field Band Conference concludes on Oct. 27 with the championships in Syracuse.

The Blue and Gold Vanguard marching band from Falconer and Frewsburg performed a show called, “Catch Me If You Can,” based on the life of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr., who once evaded capture by posing as a pilot and later as a doctor.

The Pioneer Marching Panthers from Yorkshire presented a show, “Concert Blue.” About 1,000 people attended the festival.

The Northwestern Marching Band presented, “The Power of Imagination.”

Richard Schack, drum major for the West Seneca Marching Band, gets the band ready to perform.

The West Seneca Marching Band performed, “Greetings from Alaska.”

 The Webster Marching Band presented a show, “Death of a Star,” showing the life cycle of a star from the brilliant beginnings to its transformations to a black hole.

The Greece Marching Band used colorful props in its show, “What is Light?”

Orchard Park presented, “Fire in the Hole: A Coal Miner’s Story.” Zoe Curtis, the drum major, directs the Orchard Park band.

The Eastridge Lancer Marching Band from Irondequoit presented, “Paint It Black,” where the drama of the color black takes center stage.

Medina’s drum major Makenzie McGrath acknowledges the judges and crowd before the band’s performance.

Medina’s show is called, “Reflections.”

The program states: “The world is a mirror … forever reflecting what you are doing, within yourself.”

Mary Lou Tuohey has used the business to support many causes in community

File photo by Ginny Kropf: Mary Lou Tuohey started Case-Nic Cookies in 1995 and has supported many local fundraisers with the business.

MEDINA – A business that has served up delectable cookies, cakes and baked goods for 29 years will be closing at 439 Main St. in Medina on Dec. 31.

Mary Lou Tuohey, owner of Case-Nic Cookies, made the announcement on Facebook this morning. Within an hour, more than 100 people commented, thanking her for running the business for so long and giving back to many community causes..

“It is with a heavy, but happy heart that I have made a very difficult decision for myself,” Tuohey posted on Facebook and announced her impending retirement. “This has been a very, very difficult decision for me to make, but I think it is time.  Don’t get me wrong….I love my job and what I do, but I have worked for over 50 years of my life and it is time to do something other than work 12-15 hours a day.”

Before opening Case-Nic Cookies, Tuohey worked as a registered nurse.

She named the store after her two children, Casey and Nicole.

“I have been blessed with having a job that I was able to come and go and never missed one of Casey’s school activities or sports games that he played in growing up,” Tuohey said. “I never missed one of Nicole’s school activities while growing up or all of the activities she does now.  I now have 3 grandchildren and don’t want to miss them growing up.”

Nicole was born with Triple X Syndrome and has received tremendous support from The Arc of Orleans County, whoich has merged into a four-county organization, Arc GLOW. That organization has been one of the causes Tuohey has supported for years. (She made over-sized cookies on Saturday for age group winners in a 5K in Elba to benefit Arc GLOW.)

Both of Mary Lou’s parents died of Alzheimer’s, so that also has become a favorite charity. Every year, Nicole makes links out of construction paper and Tuohey sells them in the cookie shop, with all the money going to the Alzheimer’s Association. She typically sells 1,500 to 2,000 links for $1 each.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mary Lou Tuohey, right, receives the Community Service Award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 19, 2023. The award is presented by Tara Thom, owner of the Town and Country Quilt Shop in Albion and a board member for the Chamber of Commerce.

Tuohey has also allowed other groups to use her front store windows for raffles and fundraisers.

“I will miss all of my customers, some of you from day one, February 11, 1995,” she said. “You have been so supportive to a small business and I am truly thankful. I will miss and am so grateful for all my employees over the years who have rolled millions of cookies and frosted millions of cookies. They have stuck by me through thick and thin and I know they have ‘rolled’ their at eyes at me hundreds of times when I asked them to do ‘just one more thing.’”

The Case-Nic Facebook page includes numerous comments, praising her for her many years of community service and running the business.

Diane Stamp: “Thank you for your generosity over the years and your wonderfully delicious cutout cookies! You will be missed, but congratulations on retiring!”

Marlene Hill: “Congratulations you deserve to retire! Thank you for all you have done for us and I hope you have a great time in the next chapter of your life.”

Shawn Ramsey: “An amazing accomplishment to be celebrated!”

Brody Hoffmeister: “Congratulations, Mary Lou. Thank you for your dedication, sacrifices and commitment to serving our community for so many years.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – This group checks out some of the baskets up for raffle during a benefit on Saturday at the Sacred Heart Club for Eli Howard. There were more than 200 baskets and gift cards in the raffle, as well as other items in a silent auction and 50/50 drawings.

Howard, 50, is battling stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.

Eli Howard, left, is shown with his family and other loved ones in the kitchen at Sacred heart Club. He is next to his daughters Jelia and Kylee, and Eli’s wife Jana.

The 500 chicken barbecue dinners sold out and there was a line on North Gravel Road from the lift bridge to The Gallagher for the dinners.

“I’m never at a loss for words, but I am today,” Howard said. “It takes a community to help and that’s what we have today.”

His wife Jana said the family is very grateful for the turnout.

“This has been unbelievable,” she said.

Howard has been active in the community as a youth football coach, a deejay, and performing as a comedian. He is friendly and gregarious with nearly 3,000 friends on Facebook.

He started working at age 19 in the laundry department at the former Orleans County Nursing Home and served there for 28 years. Many of his former co-workers attended the benefit. In 2021, he began at Wende Correctional Facility, also working in the laundry department.

“He’s done a lot of things in the community,” his wife said.

George Hammonds, left, greets Eli Howard at the benefit. Hammonds graduated from Medina in 1991, and Howard is in the Class of 1992.

Howard said it was overwhelming to see so many of his friends on Saturday, including other classmates who travelled from Wisconsin and Texas.

Howard gave out about 300 of these “Eli Strong – One Love” bracelets as a thank you for the support while he fights cancer.

Howard said his cancer isn’t curable but is manageable. He takes two chemo pills each morning, and is feeling better.

Geno Allport of Albion was one of the helpers at the benefit. Many people form Albion volunteered and donated at the benefit.

“We may be rivals on the field but we work together,” Allport in the kitchen, where he and others served on the chicken barbecue dinners. “

Allport said he wasn’t surprised to see a big response for Howard.

“He has been giving back for years so it’s nice to see the community give back to him,” Allport said.

Mike McCauley sings at Sacred Heart Club during the benefit for Eli Howard and his family.

Provided photo and information from Medina’s Class of 1974

MEDINA – The 1974 Class of Medina High School held their 50-year reunion at the Medina Lanes on Aug. 17. Classmates from as far away as California attended this 6-plus hour event.

Friday night on Aug. 16 was a casual get-together.  This was followed by a tour of the old high school on Catherine Street on Saturday morning, and capped off by the reunion Saturday afternoon/evening.

Medina Lanes provided food and drink while The Stanton Band provided the entertainment.

Sixty-five of the class’s 185 members attended the festivities over the weekend.

The Reunion Committee was comprised of Carol Benson, Barb Daluisio, Cynthia Hewitt, Joanne Lewandowski, Pat Marchner, Sharlene Pratt, Elizabeth Seitz, Darlene Sharping, Greg Stanton, Lynne Stewart and Carl Tuohey.

The class decided to plan on a 70th birthday celebration in 2026.

Class members may help keep their contact information current by sending an email to medinanyclassof1974@gmail.com or join the class Facebook group (click here).