‘The squeaky wheel gets the oil and we need to start squeaking’

MEDINA – Village officials say they aren’t abandoning hope that the Orleans County Legislature will hear their plea for a bigger slice of the local sales tax pie.

“We need to be in it for the long haul,” said Village Trustee Jessica Marciano. “This is going to be a long fight.”

The Medina Village Board last year sent a formal resolution to the county, asking for an increase in the local sales tax. All four villages in the county, and eight out of the 10 towns sent resolutions to the county, asking for more sales tax. The county hasn’t increased the amount the towns and villages since 2001. The 10 towns and four villages collectively receive $1,366,671 in sales tax.

The total local amount has more than doubled since 2001, and grew another $600,000 in 2023 to $23.1 million. The amount has now grown by more than $5 million since the $17.7 million in 2019. The county keeps 94 percent of the total.

The Village of Medina this year will get $160,160 of the total, which is expected to be near $25 million. That is less than 1 percent of the total in the county.

Mayor Mike Sidari said it is frustrating to get such a low amount because many of the businesses in the village are generating the sales tax that the county is reaping.

Marciano said the village shouldn’t relent and accept such a low number, especially as the village grapples with trying to prevent a big tax increase to pay for services, including a new ladder truck and addition to the fire hall.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson last month was asked about distributing more of the local sales tax to towns and villages, but she said in a brief response that would only push up county taxes. She spoke at the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon.

Marciano said county legislators need to see village and town taxpayers as county taxpayers, too, who need relief in their town and village taxes.

“The county is doing a disservice to their own residents,” Marciano said about the sales tax freeze to towns and villages. “We’re a major population center, and we have all these people who want services.”

Mayor Sidari said the village also gets short shrifted by the state with AIM payments or Aid and Incentives to Municipalities. Medina gets $45,523 in AIM from the state as a village of 6,047 people or $7.53 per person.

But other small cities with similar populations as Medina get far more in AIM. The City of Mechanicville, population 5,163 in Saratoga County, gets $1,649,701 for a per capita $319.52. The City of Salamanca in Cattaraugus County, population 5,929, gets $928,131 in AIM funding or $156.54 per capita.

Michael Maak, a retired Medina firefighter and a candidate for mayor in the March 19 election, said Medina should push to become a city to access the AIM funding, and also to get more of the local sales tax. That is a drawn-out legal process that needs the blessing of the state Legislature, something that hasn’t been approved in about 75 years, Maak said during last week’s Village Board meeting.

He said Medina shouldn’t give up the fight for more money in the sales tax and from the state for AIM.

“We provide a lot of services and they should give us what we’re due,” Maak said. “The squeaky wheel gets the oil and we need to start squeaking.”

Provided photo: Jim Hancock, left, with Medina Lions is presented with a collection of eyeglasses and cases from Joe Byrne, an eighth-grade teacher and president of the Medina Teachers’ Association. More than 70 pairs were collected from faculty and staff to show their appreciation for what the Lions Club does to provide vision care to Medina students.

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club was recently presented with a donation of more than 70 pairs of eyeglasses by the Medina Central School district.

Lions Club president Jim Hancock accepted the donation and thanked the school for its act of kindness.

The donation was initiated by Joe Byrne, an eighth-grade social studies teacher. He sent an e-mail to staff, urging them to start the new year with a vision of giving.

Throughout the month of January, donation boxes were placed in the main offices of Oak Orchard Primary, Wise Intermediate and Medina Junior-Senior High School.

The donations benefit the Lions Club Eyeglasses Recycling Program, which accepts used eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, hearing aids and eyeglass cases.

“Let’s make a difference in someone’s life by providing the gift of clear sight,” Byrne urged in his e-mail.

School Superintendent Mark Kruzynski added his approval of the project.

“The Lions Club has been very active in improving vision for anyone who needs help,” Kruzynski said. “For many years now, members of the Lions Club have been providing free vision screenings to all our kindergarten students so that any vision issues can be identified while they are still young. I am proud that our faculty and staff have been able to donate over 70 pairs of eyeglasses to the Lions Club, so that those in need will not have to worry about vision care. Thank you to the Medina Teachers’ Association for organizing this eyeglass donation.”

Hancock said the Lions are very thankful for the donation. He said of 85 to 95 students

who annually have their vision screened by Medina Lions, typically 10 percent are found with some problem. In the case where a family may not be able to pay for an eye exam or eyeglasses, the Lions Club will step in and help.

He added his appreciation for the school’s donation, and said they will be turned over to the district Lions, which then recycles them. Last year, Medina Lions turned in almost 600 pairs of eyeglasses to the district.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Laura Gardner, owner of a lily & a sparrow and a member of the Medina Area Partnership, introduces Chet Fery of Brockport, known as the “Bread Man,” at MAP’s February get-together at the Coffee Pot Café in Medina. Everyone in attendance went home with one of Fery’s home-baked loaves of bread.

MEDINA – If there is one thing Chet Fery values in life, it’s kindness, and the Brockport resident has spent the last 22 years spreading kindness all over the country, one loaf at a time.

This week, he brought his message of kindness, along with several loaves of bread, to the Medina Area Partnership’s February get-together at the Coffee Pot Café.

A retired special ed teacher, Fery founded Bread Time Stories and More to promote random acts of kindness. He is also an amateur baker, storyteller, motivational speaker and kindness coach, who has baked and given away more than 130,000 loaves of bread.

“There’s something about baking bread that stays with us,” Fery said. “I started baking every Sunday for my children.”

Then on Mondays, he would take the extra loaves to work and put them on a table with a sign, “Free bread.”

“That seemed to change things,” Fery said. “People would come to work early, walk quickly to the bread table, pick up a loaf and smile.”

He said that changed his life, when he realized it was more than the bread – it was the act of kindness. He said kindness has the power to change things.

“We are happier, smarter, friendlier, work harder, heal faster and life longer,” he said. “Kindness is a choice that benefits the giver and the receiver.”

Fery also shared his admiration and respect for Medina.

“I bring my wife here every week in the summer for ice cream at Double Dips,” he said. “She won’t go anywhere else. I’ve been to Harvest and I love the book store and the chocolate shop.”

He invited by principal Brad Pritchard to spread the mission of kindness at the Albion middle school after the pandemic, to help the kids get back to normal, Fery said.

“Kids want kindness, too,” he added.

Fery can bake 44 loaves of bread at a time in his oven. He also makes pizzas and will do presentations at a house party, business meeting or any gathering.

Along the way, Fery got the idea to make a “Kindness” sign to accompany his loaves of bread. They have proven almost as popular as the bread. He has made and given away 200 of them.

MAP has a calendar of events planned for the spring and summer, including the annual Easter Bunny and Golden Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt on March 23 and a Murder Mystery on May 4. Complete information on those events will follow soon.

MAP has a new slate of officers for 2024-25. They are Cindy Robinson, president; Marc Shurtz, vice president; Jessica Rockcastle, secretary; Amy Crandall, treasurer; and Bill Bixler, Jesse Cudzilo and Michael Snyder, directors.

MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department is working with a grantwriter on federal grants to help pay for equipment, a ladder truck and an addition to the fire hall.

The Village Board in August hired G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing for $7,990 to write up to five grant applications for the fire department.

G & G is working on three right now. That includes a grant for $100,422 towards a compressor/fill station and also 20 SCBA cylinders. The total cost of that equipment is $105,444. The village share would be $5,021 if Medina is successful getting the grant, Fire Chief Matt Jackson advised the Village Board on Monday.

The compressor-fill station would cost $68,486 and would allow firefighters to fill the cylinders right at the station, rather than going to the county Emergency Management Office in Albion.

Medina has 40 of the SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) that are breathing-air cylinders. The Fire Department wants to replace half of those 40 bottles, with the next half to be replaced in five years. The 20 bottles cost approximately $36,958, Jackson said.

The Village Board is expected to approve the grant application at its Feb. 25 meeting. The application is die March 8.

Jackson said the village also is working with G & G to pursue assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a new ladder truck and an fire hall addition.

Medina voted on June 26 to spend $1.7 million to buy a new ladder truck from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc., with a delivery time expected to take 2 ½ years.

The board on Aug. 14 authorized seeking a bond for up to $5.6 million to finance the fire hall addition. The board hasn’t determined the scope of that project yet.

Another fire truck from 1990 also should be on schedule for a replacement in the near future, Jackson said.

He also would like to pursue a grant for a specialized laundry machine to clean turn-out gear and remove any carcinogens.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina has seven candidates who will be on the ballot for three positions in the March 19 election.

That is a far cry from recent elections where candidates have been unopposed.

Medina will have a new mayor on April 1 because Mike Sidari isn’t seeking re-election after 8 years.

He was elected in 2016, running with Marguerite Sherman and Tim Elliott. This time, Sherman is running for mayor with Elliott again seeking trustee. Sherman is recently retired as a special education teacher and Elliott is an entrepreneur who currently works for LynOaken Farms.

They are joined on “The Village Party” by Debbie Padoleski for a trustee position. Padoleski retired in June 2021 after 41 years in Medina’s clerk’s office, including the final eight years as clerk/treasurer.

Three other candidates are running as a team with “Roots of the Past, Eyes on the Future Party.” Michael Maak, a retired captain in the Medina Fire Department, is running for mayor. Maak has previously made unsuccessful bids for election as Ridgeway town supervisor and county legislator.

He is joined by Mat “Austin” Mosher and Jeffrey Pasnik who want to be trustees. Mosher is a former Medina firefighter and Pasnik is a council rep for North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Cheektowaga.

Mark Prawel, a retired Medina police officer, also turned in petitions to run as a trustee under the “United Party.”

The terms on the board are all for two years. Candidates needed to turn in petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village to be on the ballot. Today at 5 p.m. was the deadline to submit petitions.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – These singers from Ephesus Ministries in Buffalo perform “Ride On King Jesus” during a Black History Month celebration on Friday evening at the Clifford Wise Intermediate School Auditorium.

Pictured from left include Renee Mapp, Char Hamilton, Shannon Louise Carter and Daniel Doctor. Carter is a pastor at Ephesus and Doctor, an elder at that church, is the Medina school district’s director of Community Partnerships. Doctor also leads the West Side Academy of Visual and Performing Arts in Medina.

He organized the first Black History celebration for the community this month.

Upcoming programs that are free at the middle school auditorium include:

• On Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. the film Hidden Figures will be shown. Hidden Figures tells the story about an amazing team of African American women mathematicians who played an important role in the U.S. space race at NASA.
• Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. will feature a keynote speaker who has 15 years of experience working as an educator and administrator in Texas. Patrick Briggs is passionate about ensuring that all students achieve high levels of academic success, thereby enabling them to be prepared for college and career opportunities after completing high school.

Students from the West Side Academy of Visual and Performing Arts opened Friday’s program with a dance. Daniel Doctor, leader of West Side, joined his students in the presentation.

Char Hamilton sings the Black National Anthem.

“Lift every voice and sing,

‘Til earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the list’ning skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on ’til victory is won.”

Daniel Doctor, right, interviews Matthew Clark during Friday’s program. Clark runs a dance academy in Buffalo and has coached American and Canadian national teams to world championships.

Clark suffered a massive stroke 10 years ago, and has defied doctor’s expectations by regaining the ability to walk and dance. He said “perseverance and prayer” have brought him through those trials.

He told about 30 people at the event at Medina that God has worked a miracle in his life. He urged parents and teachers to support kids in pursuing their dreams.

“Never discourage your children from doing what they love,” he said.

Christian “CJ” Jones dances to tap. He won a gold medal at the World Tap Dance Championship in 2007 in Riesa, Germany, where more than 1,000 dancers from 17 countries competed.

Jones is the nephew of Matthew Clark. Jones credited his uncle with teaching him to dance when Jones was only 2. Jones said he puts his passion into his dances, and emerges as a crowd favorite at competitions.

Doctor said Jones is an example of the power of a teacher inspiring and believing in a student.

The program on Friday featured several performers who have won accolades. Shannon Louise Carter, who joined Doctor in two others in singing “Rise On King Jesus,” is an author of seven books.

Doctor said people often overlook the talents of their neighbors and other community members.

“See the greatness around you,” Doctor implored the audience. “You never know who you’re sitting next to.”

The African American Cultural Center in Buffalo – African Dance and Drum performed and then discussed the influence of African American pioneers in dance and music.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Gregg and Danny Sansone, brothers from Amherst, performed as “Two of Us” this evening at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. The brothers sang “ I Saw Her Standing There” and other Beatles songs for about 150 people at the library.

They sang as part of the library’s “Finally Fridays” concert series.

A crowd watches the Sansone brothers at Lee-Whedon.

The concert series started on Jan. 5 with the Creek Bend Band, followed by Dark Horse Run on Jan. 12, DSP Jazz on Jan. 19, Cool Club & Lipker Sisters on Jan. 26, and 2nd Time Around on Feb. 2.

The remaining schedules includes: Pocket Change on Feb. 16, Tom Keefer & Celtic Cross on Feb. 23, and A Girl Named Ginny on March 1. The concerts start at 7 p.m. The events are funded through a the Statewide Community Regrant Program and administered by GO Art!

This group of friends puts together a puzzle during the concert.

Gregg and Danny Sansone cover all the Beatles hits from 1962 to 1970.

Daniel Doctor urges community to be mentors and leaders for children

Provided photo: Julie Webber, the Medina school district’s director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Daniel Doctor, the district’s director of Community Partnerships, promote the Black History Month events at the school district this month.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – The Medina school district is inviting the public to celebrate Black History Month during February. Events will be held in the Clifford Wise Intermediate School’s auditorium and are free of charge.

There will be at 6:30 p.m. talk show-style event today, hosted by Medina’s own Daniel Doctor (Director of Community Partnerships). It will have an Arts and Culture theme featuring Shannon Carter, an assistant pastor, published author, songwriter and recording artist.

Joining her on the stage will be World Tap Champion Christian JaVaughn who will be performing a fusion of British and West African step dancing and talking about his career.  There will also be representatives from the African American Cultural Center – African Dance and Drum who will discuss the influence of African American pioneers in dance and music.

On Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. the film Hidden Figures will be shown. Hidden Figures tells the story about an amazing team of African American women mathematicians who played an important role in the U.S. space race at NASA.

Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. will feature a keynote speaker who has 15 years of experience working as an educator and administrator in Texas. Patrick Briggs is passionate about ensuring that all students achieve high levels of academic success, thereby enabling them to be prepared for college and career opportunities after completing high school. This is a topic very near and dear to Mr. Doctor’s heart.

“I am in such a firm believer in pushing past the obstacles in your life and becoming the best person you can be,” Doctor said. “As educators and community members we need to lead by example.”

He points to his own life as inspiration to many of the young men and women he mentors in the community.

“I was the eighth child of nine growing up in Lockport,” Doctor said. “We were poor, but my mother made sure we didn’t realize that by providing us with clean clothes, food and a roof over our heads. She instilled in us to get an education and shared her stories of hardship of working in the fields and taking care of her children and other people’s children.  She sheltered and protected us and made sure to push us to be whatever it was we dreamed of being.”

Doctor said he was blessed to have teachers who fostered his talents and his aspirations.

“I had several great art teachers who pushed me and because of them I ended up being accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City,” he said. “I also auditioned for Broadway shows and made several callbacks to be in The Lion King. Unfortunately, the director felt I did not have the gravelly voice needed for the role and cut me before the show hit the stage. But I was so proud of myself that I made it that far. It told me I had the talent to pursue a stage career if I wanted.”

Unfortunately, a health crisis forced him to return home where he decided to attend Buffalo State College to pursue a career in education.

“I will never forget sitting in one of my classes, which I was failing, and the instructor putting a statistic on the board that a high percentage of children of color in a single parent household would not be successful,” Doctor said. “That pushed me to succeed and I did. After graduating I got a job at DeSales Catholic School making $14,000. I loved every moment of teaching, but I could not afford many things on that salary and took a job in Rochester.”

It was during those long drives from Lockport to Rochester he would pass through Medina.  “I would always think this is where I want to be,” he said.

When he heard of a job opening, he applied and was asked to be interviewed immediately. He was offered the job.

“Being at Medina Central School District has been amazing,” Doctor said. “I am so lucky to have such a support network here like my Superintendent Dr. Mark Kruzynski, Assistant Superintendent Marc Graff and our Director of Curriculum and Instruction Julie Webber. I have been a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal and now the Director of Community Partnerships.”

Doctor also has three businesses: West Side Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, Daniel’s Men’s Apparel and an antique store, Just What the Doctor Ordered.

“It has not been an easy road to get where I am and there have been challenges, but like I tell the children in this community keep your head up and your eyes on the prize,” he said. “Tomorrow is another day and you can always shake the dust off and move forward no matter what.”

 He continued, “It is so important to instill in our youth that they are someone and they can achieve what they want and how important it is to focus on academics and a career.  I am proud and happy to help mentor these children, no matter what color they are. I was fortunate enough to have great adults in my life that pushed me towards education and my goals.

“I am looking towards our community and I am sending out a request to be a mentor, be a leader that our children need. They need that message ‘if you believe it, you can achieve it.’ This is the first time we have had a Black History celebration in our district and I am so excited to show everyone the talent and knowledge we have right here in our backyard. I am hoping they inspire everyone the way they have inspired me and others.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Liz Schyve of Gasport has joined Walsh Duffield in Medina as a Medicare consultant. She is shown here at her desk in the office at 534 Main St.

MEDINA – Those on Medicare or approaching the age of eligibility for Medicare can turn to Liz Schyve for advice.

Schyve joined Walsh Duffield Insurance last year, after a 16-year career in skilled nursing and long-term care. Her focus with the company will be with people on Medicare or anticipating Medicare.

Walsh Duffield is a fifth-generation family-owned business that has helped countless people and businesses on their financial journey since 1860. The company sits in the top 2 percent of insurance agencies across the United States.

Schyve of Gasport is a former Medina resident. She explained she raised her daughter in Medina during her early years, and Schyve found it a wonderful community that took them in like family.

“I had found myself having to provide for me and my 5-year-old daughter, when I saw this job advertised in the Medina Journal Register for a job in medical records at Orchard Manor,” Schyve said. “It was close to home and even though I took my daughter to the interview with me, they hired me. They adopted us as their ‘family.’”

Two years later she was running medical records when the hospital sold the nursing home. The new owner asked if she would like to be director of admissions.

“I was scared, but it was a good job,” she said.

After graduating from high school, Schyve earned a two-year degree in medical assisting from Bryant and Stratton.

Most recently she was working for Lockport Rehab, when she got a bad case of COVID, which left her with a rapid heartbeat.

“That hasn’t gone away, and I decided I had to find something a little slower,” Schyve said. “I was thinking about how I could do that when my phone rang. It was a friend I had worked with previously who was now working at Walsh Duffield. She said they needed someone for their expanding Medicare team, especially in the Medina and Lockport area.”

She realized that would give her the opportunity to be out in the community, and she accepted.

“I consult with people who are about to turn 65, and work with businesses and their human resource team and those who are getting ready to retire,” Schyve said. “I am excited to be here. I have a wonderful service to offer at no cost.”

She will provide one-on-one consultation with folks who need guidance as they approach retirement, those shopping for a new plan or those wishing information about a stand-alone prescription drug plan, Medicare Advantage plan or other Medicare supplement.

Scott Robinson, director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Orleans Community Health, said he can see how resources like Schyve can be helpful, especially to the aging population.

“There are constant challenges with Medicare that often people are not aware of,” Robinson said.

Schyve agreed, saying it’s a good idea for people to review their plan and benefit, because they change every year. She will meet people at the Walsh Duffield office at 534 Main St., or at their home or in a coffee shop.

“I like people and I want to help them make sure they get a plan that’s right for them personally,” Schyve said. “Educating folks about Medicare allows me to demonstrate my passion for helping seniors navigate the complexities of Medicare coverage, so they can make an informed decision. I think this service will be good for the Medina community.”

She recounted her earlier years living in Medina, where she and her daughter would walk downtown from their home on Commercial Street. She currently lives with her husband Gary near Gasport, where they enjoy walking their two dogs and observing local wildlife.

She stresses that Walsh Duffield is a local agency with national resources and capabilities. She can be contacted by calling her directly at (716) 362-7399, at the office at (716) 853-3820 or by e-mail at eschyve@Walshduffield.com.

In addition, Schyve has received confirmation that she will be allowed to hold a Medicare Basics presentation at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library for people wanting to learn about Medicare as they approach the age of 65. The presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. March 21. There will be room for 10 people and anyone interested should contact her at the above numbers.

Medicare consultant Liz Schyve stands outside the office of Walsh Duffield in Medina, where she will be available to advise people on Medicare coverage.

MEDINA – Orleans Community Health is celebrating Valentine’s Day by offering an opportunity to the public to send their love and appreciation to a staff member who has made a significant impression.

For a $5 donation, a staff member’s name will be written on a heart which will be displayed in the hospital throughout February.

Orleans Community Health Foundation director Megan Johnson said this is the first year they have done this fundraiser. People can make their donation online or in the Foundation office.

“They do not need to come in to put a message or name on a heart,” Johnson said. “I will write it on there for them.”

Donations will benefit the Foundation, which in turn provides funds to support OCH in equipment or patient-related needs, Johnson said.

“We have already had hearts purchased to honor the Emergency Department, North Wing and a few specific RNs,” she added.

Provided photo and press release

NIAGARA FALLS – Lt. Col. Justin Cecchini of Medina on Jan. 20 was promoted to commander of the 136th Attack Squadron.

Cecchini serves as the Director of Operation for the 136th Attack Squadron (Air National Guard) at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. In this role Cecchini plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective planning, coordination, and execution of all training and combat flying operations.

He is responsible for overseeing the operational readiness and leading 97 personnel while providing strategic guidance to the 136th Squadron and 107th Operations Group Commanders that ensures the alignment of operational activities with the Combatant Commanders’ objectives.

Cecchini collaborates closely with other service branches, allied forces, and interagency partners to synchronize operational efforts and enhance joint operations. Cecchini has been instrumental in planning,  coordinating, and executing all training and combat operations, contributing significantly to the squadron’s success in its persistent MQ-9 Operational Mission. He also maintains qualification as an MQ-9 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, where he performs evaluations and instruction support to several squadron functions.

Lt. Col. Cecchini began his military career in March 2001, enlisting with the 107th Air Refueling Wing as a KC-135 Aircraft Mechanic Journeyman, and his dedication and skill were evident. A 2003 graduate of SUNY College at Brockport, he was commissioned in 2008 through the Air National Guard’s Academy of Military Science commissioning program.

After commissioning and as a C-130 Navigator with the 107th Operation Group, he led the operations Support Squadron flying training section from 2009 to 2014. He later became the Assistant Chief of Tactics, directly responsible for establishing weapons tactics, techniques and procedures and technical instruction on the employment of MQ-9 aircraft weapons.

His career progressed through significant roles within the 107th Operations Group, holding key positions such as Flight Training Officer, Assistant Chief of Tactics, and, more recently, Assistant Director of  Operations.

Cecchini and his wife Julie have two sons and a daughter. Joe is a 2022 Medina graduate and Jack is a senior and graduates in June with the Class of 2024. Jenna is a seventh-grader.