Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – These Medina students work on making gift bags out of wrapping paper during IMPACT Day at Medina Jr./Sr. High School on Thursday. The bags will be used by the Oak Orchard Elementary School at their Christmas store during the holiday season in December.

These students are in the library making the gift bags. They were among 120 students working on service projects inside the school and in the community for the 8^th IMPACT Day.

The community service projects originated in 2016 from the IMPACT (Influencing Many People As Concerned Teens) students with staff rallying behind the effort.

Medina Jr./Sr. High had a half day of school today and students volunteered to help with many projects.

Some of the off-school projects included at Mt. Pleasant, the YMCA, Iroquois Wildlife Refuge, Medina Railroad Museum, East Shelby Fire Department, Shelby Fire Department, St. Peter’s Church, Medina City Hall/Fire Department, Medina Historical Society, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, Orleans Community Health and canal path.

Skyla Sootheran makes works on double knots on the edge of a blanket with unicorns and stars. Students made several blankets as part of Project Linus, where the blankets are distributed to children in hospitals and shelters to help them feel less anxious.

Alex Wilson, left, and Alex Drum yank weeds out of a big flower box leading into the school. They later planted flowers at the site.

Alex Drum, a sophomore, said she looks forward to IMPACT Day every year.

“It’s the enjoyment and feeling I have that I helped out the community,” she said.

Asia-Lynn Neuhaus, left, and teacher aide Bonnie Lotz do some weeding in front of the school.

Cole Callard paints part of the border that will be used on the number 5 for a display of “2025” at graduation next month.

Eric Valley and Sophia Goyette mark out the letter 5 that will be cut out and painted white. Valley and his students have made the large numbers in recent years and the Mustang logos on campus.

From left include Lucy DiCureia, Adelynne Lacy and Grace Goodrich making tray favors that will go to residents of the North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital.

Amonte Mortensen-Chamblee, left, and Roxy Hyde work on the tray favors. The finished product is shown in front.

Keren Sanchez, left, and her sister Ashley worked on dusting off trophies in one of the display cases.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Ben Lacy of the Medina DPW installs banners on Tuesday in front of Lyon’s Collision on East Center Street. Lacy and DPW employee Chris Dix hoped to finish the task on Wednesday. (Right) Daniel Roberts, great-great-great-grandfather to a number of local residents, is the first Revolutionary War soldier to have a banner in Medina. It hangs on Main Street in front of Zambistro’s.

MEDINA – Although this year’s Hometown Heroes banners project faced several setbacks during the year, the results have been excellent, said Mary Woodruff, who started the project in 2019 with 38 banners. By the fourth year they had reached the maximum of 120.

“Everyone has been supportive and patient during this long period of completing the 2025 campaign,” Woodruff said. “One particular and most generous supporter has donated a large sum of money to the Medina Hometown Hero banner project. I was overwhelmed and most grateful for this kind donation. This person is very happy with the project and hopes it continues for a long time.

The donation will be helpful in many ways, such as updating their website and providing more opportunities for sponsors who would love a banner for their family members, but have limited funds in their budget, Woodruff said. Many more ideas are being considered, thanks to this very generous contributor since the project began in 2018.

The array of banners featured this year will highlight the number of servicemen and women in our village of Medina and towns of Shelby and Ridgeway, Woodruff said.

“Each year I am amazed at the number of banners produced and the history of all these servicemen and women,” Woodruff said. “I thank everyone who joins in keeping this most honorable project alive and well. Imagine the coincidence back in the fall of 2018 when I asked the village board members to consider the ‘Hometown Hero banner project.’ I presented my pitch, explaining each detail of managing this project, which would be done in memory of my wonderful father-in-law, Willis Burr Woodruff. My final step, I told the board, would be to contact Orleans Hub and ask them to support this project with an article. Unbeknown to me, Tom Rivers had arrived at the meeting and was there throughout my presentation. He assured me the project would be a featured article – and the rest is history.”

Every year, Woodruff expresses her thanks to the village of Medina DPW for installing the hardware and putting up the banners each spring. They are typically taken down around Veterans’ Day.

For several years Woodruff has expressed the desire to have a Revolutionary War soldier, and she ended up with two – Daniel Roberts, whose ancestors lived in East Shelby and Medina, and Benjamin Darling, who also lived on East Shelby Road, and most certainly served in the same regiment as Roberts.

In addition, Daniel’s grandson Ziba Roberts, who lived on East Shelby Road, served in the Civil War and has a banner this year.

Woodruff is already receiving requests for banners next year.

(Left) The second Revolutionary War soldier to have a Hometown Heroes banner is Benjamin Darling, who lived on East Shelby Road. This artist’s drawing represents Darling, whose banner is next to Daniel Roberts. (Right) A Civil War soldier is memorialized on a banner this year. Ziba Roberts, who lived on East Shelby Road and is the grandson of Revolutionary War soldier Daniel Roberts, is also one of the first three hung on Main Street.

Project will add 4 apartments, 2 commercial units in historic downtown

Photos from Forward NY: Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an $850,000 Restore NY grant to rehabilitate the upper level of 409-413 Main St. in Medina to create apartments and also add two commercial units to the bottom of the building facing the Erie Canal.

MEDINA – Gov. Kathy Hochul today announced $50 million in Restore NY grants across the state, including $850,000 towards rehabilitating the upper levels of 409-413 Main St. in Medina to create apartments and also commercial space on the lower level facing the Erie Canal.

Those apartments will be above the Hemp House CBD Store and More at 409 Main St. and the Downtown Browsery at 413 Main St.

Thomas Development LLC, owned by Tom Snyder, is the developer for the project at the 1873 brick building, the former home of The Journal-Register in Medina.

Snyder plans to by transform approximately 4,600 square feet on the second-floor into four apartment units. He is planning three 1,000-square-foot one-bedroom units and one 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom unit.

The project improvements will include two egress stairs and a lift, exterior windows, building insulation and a fire suppression system.

Snyder plans to create two commercial units in the rear-facing, sub-grade space and a new commercial flex kitchen at street-level. He also has been approved for a $370,000 NY Forward grant towards the rehab of the building.

The State’s Restore New York Communities Initiative aims to help remove and reduce blight, reinvigorate communities and generate new residential and economic opportunities statewide.

The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base, Hochul’s office stated in a news release.

“Revitalizing and rehabilitating vacant and blighted areas of our communities for housing or development is vital to make downtowns thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “Restore New York helps our municipalities plan for the future by catalyzing economic growth and supporting housing, businesses and cultural spaces. We are further unlocking the potential of these sites and communities across New York.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Pastor Sohail Akhtar of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church offers a prayer and welcome at the annual volunteer appreciation luncheon for the Medina Food Pantry, located in the church’s basement.

Jim Hancock is congratulated by Robin Dubai at a luncheon for volunteers at the Medina Food Pantry, located in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Hancock has announced he will step down at the end of the year as treasurer of the food pantry after more than 40 years.

MEDINA – The Medina Food Pantry, operated out of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, paid tribute to its many volunteers at an annual appreciation luncheon last week.

Robin Dubai, food pantry coordinator, said some of the volunteers go “above and beyond,” like Jim Hancock and Sally Grimm.

Grimm is volunteer coordinator and Hancock, who has been treasurer for more than 40 years of the pantry’s 46-year existence, has announced he will step down from the position at the end of year.

“It’s time for someone else to take over,” he said.

Volunteer Michelle Capstick has offered to assume the duties, Hancock said.

The Medina Food Pantry serves an average of 60 families a month, according to Dubai. Eligible families must live in Medina and present proper ID. Each family is entitled to a paper bag filled with non-perishable food items and meat when it is available.

As coordinator, Dubai shops for meat and groceries items that are not donated. Meat is purchased through donations and a Foodlink grant.

“Jim instigated a fundraiser in the village recently, and it was a great success,” Dubai said. “The community was great to us.”

She also said hunters will sometime donate venison from a deer they shot, and many people love that meat.

“We are blessed to have food and monetary donations,” Dubai said.

She also said they are very thankful for their dedicated supporters, like Lake Wine and Spirits and Cindy Hewitt, who continually collect donations for the food pantry.

The food pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday.

Sally Grimm, left, and Robin Dubai introduce volunteers for the Medina Food Pantry at their appreciation luncheon last week. Grimm is volunteer coordinator, while Dubai is food pantry coordinator.

$270,000 available through NY Forward program

Photo by Tom Rivers: The north end of Main Street in Medina is shown in September 2023.

Press Release, Village of Medina

MEDINA – The Village of Medina will host two informational meetings for its NY Forward Small Project Fund on Tuesday, June 3rd from 9 to 10 a.m. at City Hall, 600 Main St., and Thursday, June 5th from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Medina Senior Center, 615 West Ave.

The Small Project Fund is funded through the Village’s 2022 NY Forward (NYF) grant award and is designed to fund smaller projects within the NYF Target Area. A total of $270,000 will be made available for eligible applicants with projects that can demonstrate readiness, visual impact, economic impact, quality of life improvements, and alignment with the NYF program priorities.

Eligible applicants may receive up to 75% of total costs for their project, but individual award amounts may vary depending on demonstrated need and project scoring.

The information session will be led by representatives from LaBella Associates, the consultant team selected to support the Village in administering the Small Project Fund. The LaBella team has guided several communities through similar Downtown Revitalization, Restore NY, and NY Main Street funding programs and will share these experiences with Medina property and business owners.

The information session will review the eligibility and criteria of the Small Project Fund program, highlight experiences from past projects, and offer property owners and business owners an opportunity to ask questions about the projects they are considering.

“We are very excited to kick off the Small Project Fund process and to make these NY Forward resources available to smaller projects in the Village,” said Mayor Marguerite Sherman. “This funding will leverage the momentum from the Village’s other NY Forward projects and help spur visual improvements and economic activity that will bring positive impact to our local business district.”

A Small Project Fund application has been added to the Village’s website along with the fund administration plan. Interested property and business owners in the downtown business district are encouraged to review and complete the application prior to the meeting to determine their project’s eligibility and readiness.

Interested applicants should visit www.villagemedina.gov to access the application and attend one of the upcoming information sessions to learn more about the Small Project Fund program. Project applications must be received by 4 p.m. July 3 to be considered.

Superintendent says budget makes it 16 straight years within the tax cap

MEDINA – The Medina school district will present a $46,648,693 budget to voters on Tuesday. Overall spending is up 10.6 percent or by $4,485,772 from the $42,162,921 in 2024-25.

However, the tax levy would increase by 2.0 percent from $8,990,990 to $9,170,809 and is $124,272 under the district’s allowable tax limit of $9,295,081.

District Superintendent Dr. Mark Kruzynski said this marks the 16^th straight budget Medina is within the tax cap. Medina has an allowable tax cap of 3.4 percent for 2025-26, Kruzynski said.

Voting will take place on Tuesday in the District Office Boardroom at One Mustang Drive, from noon to 8 p.m.

Kruzynski provided these budget highlights in a message to the community:

• Maintains all academic, support, extra-curricular and athletic programs, including modified sports and clubs
• Purchases three full-sized buses and one half-sized bus
• Expands professional development for staff
• Purchases new marching band uniforms, which have been in use for 18 years
• Purchases a new marching band trailer to replace the marching band bus, which is no longer roadworthy
• Provides school supplies to all students

Kruzynski said there are some staff reductions but those will be accomplished through attrition, by not filling some positions of retiring staff.

“The budget was developed with the vision and mission of the Medina Central School District, guiding all budgeting decisions,” Kruzynski said in his message to the community. “Additionally, the long-range planning of our Board of Education has allowed the District to submit a budget below the tax cap for sixteenth straight year.”

Kruzynski said the district had an allowable cap of 3.4 percent.

“We appreciate the hard work and expertise of these dedicated individuals,” he said about the BOE. “Our Board members have worked diligently with the administrative staff to create a fiscally responsible budget, and one that exemplifies excellence in education.”

There are also two candidates on the ballot for two positions on the board that are each about three years. The term for the highest vote-getter starts sooner on May 21 while the second-highest candidate starts on July 1.

The candidates include:

Kristin A. Grose – A Human Resources Manager at Orleans Community Health, Grose also is a Community Action of Genesee & Orleans board member, GLOW Workforce Job Development board member, and graduate of the Leadership Orleans Class of 2023.

“Our students deserve a strong educational foundation, exposure to a wide variety of experiences, and the support and encouragement of our whole community in order to help them succeed,” she stated in the school’s budget newsletter.

Grose said she wants to help re-establish a PTSA, increase community engagement and involvement by encouraging the use of the volunteers in the district, help create opportunities for students to engage with the community, and utilize volunteers to help increase student access to extracurricular clubs and activities.

Donnell Holloway – A current member of the Board of Education, Holloway is currently operations manager at Tesla. He also was a member of the Village of Medina’s Police Advisory Committee, and served on the National Night Out Planning Committee.

“The school district offers a substantial amount of after school programs and extracurricular activities,” Holloway said. “However, the student body isn’t always aware they are being offered. I firmly believe we can improve utilization by improving communication.”

Holloway also believes the district can better connect with community partners and nonprofit organizations.

“This would help ensure we are providing the right services to our student body,” he said.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Lions Club

MEDINA – On a beautiful Saturday, May 3rd, the Medina Boy Scout Troop 28, the Medina Girl Scouts 82096, and the Medina Lions gathered at Lions Park along the Erie Canal for a community beautification and cleanup event.

The goal was to enhance the park’s aesthetics by spreading mulch around the trees and bushes. There were approximately 30 volunteers, because as they say, many hands made light work.

Special thanks go to Eric Washak of the Village of Medina Public Works for donating and delivering the mulch to the park. It was interesting to learn that the village obtained this mulch from trees cut earlier this year.

A shoutout to Scout leaders, Todd Draper and Mindy Cogovan, along with their scouts, for their efforts.

Also, a loud GRRRRRRRRRRRR to Lion Tim Winters for bringing his tractor to help move the mulch, and the many Lions who assisted.

Visit Medina Lions Park to enjoy a picnic or take a peaceful walk.

MEDINA – Lee-Whedon Memorial Library held its annual budget vote and election on Tuesday.

The budget passed,110 to 43, and Cynthia Kiebala was elected to another 5-year term as trustee.

The proposed property tax levy is $602,339, below the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap, Lee-Whedon officials said.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Dave and Gail Miller, left, and Medina historian Todd Bensley look up close at the restored stained-glass window in the chapel at Boxwood Cemetery on May 18, 2024. The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery rededicated the chapel and invited the community to see a cleaned up chapel.

Press Release, Friends of Boxwood Cemetery

MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery are excited to announce their newest event, “A Day of Remembrance.”

The event will be held on Saturday, May 17, at 11 a.m., starting at the Boxwood Cemetery Chapel on North Gravel Road in Medina. It is a rain or shine event that is free and open to the public.

The idea is for people to bring mementos and/or stories of loved ones buried at Boxwood Cemetery. “The stories can be as simple as a cherished memory or the significance of the memento,” according to board member Todd Bensley.

Bensley is also the Village of Medina historian and has led several tours of the cemetery over the years.

“We are hoping to add to the rich history of Boxwood Cemetery by hearing from individuals with a personal connection to those buried at Boxwood,” he said.

The format will be a stroll around the cemetery with stops at the graves of those that people want to share a story about.

Bensley stressed that the event is open to the public and you do not have to have a story to tell to join in the walk. Anyone with an interest in local history or Boxwood Cemetery is welcome to attend.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: From left include Medina Lions members Chris Keller, Jim Hancock and Julie Keller standing next to the sign promoting their annual Community Yard Sale and chicken barbecue the first Saturday in June.

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club is again gearing up for their annual Community Yard Sale, giant flea market and chicken barbecue on June 7.

The event, a major fundraiser for the Lions, was started at least 25 years ago, and has been a popular event ever since.

Last year’s event brought 60 vendors to the field west of the Pickle Factory on Park Avenue, where the chicken barbecue takes place. Also on the site is a food tend manned by the Lions Club, where Lion Chris Keller says they sell the best cheeseburgers in Medina, along with Sahlen’s hot dogs, chips and beverages. Keller and his wife Julie head up the food tent with a crew of volunteers.

Chris said 60 percent of the Lion’s membership participate in the day’s events.

As in the past, Pete Kaiser and Howie Gardner will be driving around town with the popular “Weinermobile,” selling hot dogs and cold drinks from the back of a pickup truck. Their theory is garage sale shoppers don’t want to leave the bargains to find something to eat. Having the Weinermobile on the streets allows them to grab a bite and not miss any bargains.

Vendors are already beginning to sign up for a spot to set up their wares. Anyone interested in reserving space in the flea market should contact Randy Reese at (716) 471-0524 no later than May 24.

Cat Holland is in charge of tickets for the barbecue and they can be purchased from her or any Lions member. Chickens will be sold from 11 a.m. until gone. Tickets may be ordered in advance by calling (716) 341-1743.

Another unique feature of the Community Yard Sale is the maps handed out at the four corners of Main and East and West Center streets, beginning at 8 a.m. the morning of the sale. Cars can drive up, grab a map and make a free-will donation on the way through. Tim Moriarty and Dave Bellucci are responsible for handing out the maps, which show the location of garage sales throughout the village.

Residents wishing to have their sale located on the map should contact Lake Country Pennysaver as soon as possible to arrange for a small ad, which entitles their sale to be listed on the maps.

Money raised by Lions Club fundraisers is donated right back to the community, said Jim Hancock, overall event chair.

“We give away $10,000 to $15,000 yearly to 20 charities (mostly local), such as Camp Rainbow, Camp Badger, the New York State School for the Blind, Seeing Eye Dogs and Lions Club International, in addition to yearly scholarships,” Hancock said.

Photo by Jessica Stewart Photography: Nicholas Reese, posing here in his Mustang Marching Band uniform, loves writing music and plans to study music composition at Fredonia State College’s School of Music.

MEDINA – A Medina High School senior with a passion for writing music is being commended for his contributions to Medina’s annual Arbor Day celebration.

Several months ago, Oak Orchard Elementary School music teacher Andrea Busch contacted Nicholas Reese and asked if he could write a song about trees which Oak Orchard’s second grade Glee Club could sing on Arbor Day. The Glee Club has been singing at Arbor Day for three years.

Nicholas sat down and started thinking about trees.

“It was very general, so I had to be creative,” Nicholas said. “I spent a week writing the lyrics, and finished the entire thing in a month.”

He titled his composition “Oscillating Futures.”

Chris Busch, Andrea’s father-in-law and Medina Forestry coordinator, said to have a song written by a Medina student specifically for Arbor Day and performed by the Oak Orchard Glee club is an incredibly special honor.

“Truly, it made the occasion all the more special,” Chris said.

The teacher added her praise for the composition and what it meant to her students.

“I am honored that Nick was willing to share his talents and compose a piece of music specifically for the Oak Orchard Glee Club,” Andrea said. “Out of all the songs we learned this year, ‘Oscillating Futures’ was a clear favorite amongst the second graders. They affectionally called it ‘Nick’s Song’ and begged to practice it every day. These kinds of collaborations are what make our district special, and the Medina Music Department could not be more proud of Nick. He has a bright future ahead of him and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things he will accomplish.”

Nicholas said he has been writing songs since he was 11 and in fifth grade.

“I have since written about 100 songs,” he said. “A lot of times I write pieces in perspective to things that are happening in my life. I try to write emotionally.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Nick Reese watches the Glee Club perform his song during an Arbor Day celebration on April 25.

Nicholas plays percussion in the Mustang Marching Band and Jazz Band.

“I became very inspired by the Marching Band in seventh grade, and knew then I should consider it seriously,” Nicholas said.

“But I really just want to sit in a room and write songs all day,” he said.

Writing notes is easy, but putting words to them is a bigger challenge, he said.

Most everything he writes is instrumental, he added.

When Nicholas graduates this summer, he plans to attend Fredonia State College’s School of Music to study music composition. That is also Andrea’s Alma Mater.

Press Release, Medina Band Boosters

MEDINA – The Medina Band Boosters held their monthly meeting on Monday to discuss upcoming events and elect officers for the coming year.

These officers are: President – Crystal Elliott; Vice President  – Julianne McGrath; Secretary  – Michelle Wright; Treasurer – Heather Jackson; Transportation Chair – Nick Hartman; Student Accounts – Becky Rinker; Uniform Chair – Nicole McMullen; Chaperone Chair – Meghan Tuttle; Publicity Co-Chairs – Kathy Dreyfus and Janene Farley; Delegate – Debbie Tompkins and Shirley Kepner.

Medina will be in the Sherburne Pageant on June 6-7 where the Mustangs will compete in parade, wind ensemble, color guard and drumline. The band also will perform in the Memorial Day parade. The season concludes with the band banquet on Sunday, June 8.