By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 November 2023 at 10:46 am
MEDINA – The school for about a dozen years has had a single bus run in the morning and afternoon, with an expanded walk zone – 2 miles for students in middle and high school, and 1 mile for those in elementary school.
The district made that decision during a budget crisis when the state made steep cuts to school districts in 2010-11.
The district is in a stronger financial position now, and is discussing whether to return to two bus runs in the morning and afternoon, said Dr. Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.
School leaders expect to discuss the financial implications of two bus runs during the budget process for 2024-25. Kruzynski and the district officials want to hear from the community about whether to go back to a bus run that would arrive at school around 7:30, with a second run for elementary students around 8:30 a.m. In the afternoon, the two runs would also be staggered about an hour apart.
“We’re just exploring,” Kruzynski said today.
He has been concerned that about a third of Medina’s students are in the walk zone and need to either get a ride to school or travel by foot (or bike).
“It’s a lot for a 5-year-old to walk almost a mile to school,” he said. “From an equity standpoint, why are we busing some students, but not all?”
Not all of the sidewalks in the village are in great shape or shoveled. That can cause some of the kids to venture into the streets, posing a safety concern, Kruzynski said.
The district also tends to be more cautious in calling snow days because so many students are walking to school. Kruzynski keeps a close watch on the wind chill and will close school if it’s too cold, even if there isn’t any snow in the forecast.
Medina, if it went to two bus runs, would no longer have a walk zone and everyone could ride the bus. The district wouldn’t have to add buses if the change was made.
The online survey (click here) closes at the end of this week. Medina is asking families how their children currently get to school – bus, a ride or by walking – and if they support two bus runs where everyone could be on a bus.
Kruzynski said switching to two bus runs, with an hour gap from older to younger students, could pose a childcare hardship for some households.
“We’ll see where the survey goes,” Kruzynski said. “We’re very interested in talking about this.”
MEDINA – The state Office for Aging has honored a Medina woman as one of 91 senior citizens throughout the state recognized for their volunteer service in their communities.
Barbara Filipiak
Barbara Filipiak is a dedicated volunteer who devotes countless hours to various organizations. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she volunteered for the Orleans and Genesee County Public Health Department, providing vital assistance with essential supplies. She worked at every vaccination clinic, and her exceptional efficiency and organizational skills made her the first to step up when help was needed.
Her volunteer work also includes the Medina Area Association of Churches (MAC Thrift Store and Emergency Food Pantry). She also takes on numerous volunteer responsibilities within Medina Holy Trinity Parish and holds several officer roles within the Catholic Daughters organization.
She serves on the Board of Directors for the Medina Historical Society and is an active member of the Cobblestone Society, Sandstone Society, and the Friends of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. At the local Alpha Theta Chapter of the Woman’s Educator Society, she has held positions such as president, treasurer, and rules committee member over the years, making a significant impact both locally and at the state level.
Born in Eden, New York, she is the oldest of six siblings. She attended Immaculate Academy in Hamburg, followed by D’Youville College in Buffalo, and she completed her education at SUNY Brockport. She embarked on her teaching career in Medina in September 1972, dedicating herself to educating third- and fourth-graders for 33 years before retiring in June 2005.
Filipiak and the other honorees were celebrated during a livestream event on Nov. 3. The award-winners were nominated by New York’s 59 county Offices for the Aging and their partners who identified older adults making substantial contributions in their communities through volunteering and civic engagement.
“It is my distinct honor to recognize this year’s nominees who make the state a better place to live and age for all New Yorkers through their decades of volunteerism, civic engagement, and selflessness,” said Greg Olsen, director of the state Office for the Aging. “We often don’t think of older New Yorkers as an economic and social powerhouse, but that is exactly who they are, and it is our honor to recognize these contributions and showcase their incredible value. I also thank our 59 county offices for the aging and the Association on Aging in New York for their daily efforts serving millions of older New Yorkers.”
Provided photos: Todd Eick, Medina’s agri-science teacher and FFA advisor, attended an agriculture conference in Iowa.
DES MOINES, IOWA – Outstanding educators from 18 states and four countries convened in Iowa last month to participate in a unique professional development experience called the Global Guides program.
Hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation and the Global Teach Ag Network, the Global Guides brought educators together for conversations and innovative learning
opportunities with scientists, policymakers, and hunger fighters from around the world.
Todd Eick, agri-science educator at Medina, was selected to join the elite program that included 40 hours of immersive programming as part of the World Food Prize and the Norman E Borlaug International Dialogue, the premier global agriculture and food security convening.
Eick engaged digitally for two months of preparation before attending the Borlaug Dialogue, and will continue applying concepts in their communities over the next five months through
designing and implementing interdisciplinary global learning projects as an individual or team with other Global Guides.
“Words cannot begin to convey the experience,” Eick said. “It was personally and professionally one of the most powerful and inspiring opportunities I’ve had in my career as an educator. The global network and direct connections I was able to make will bring a new level of global ag education to our program that we have never had.”
During the Borlaug Dialogue, Eick and other Global Guides interacted with experts in food security, including 2023 World Food Prize Laureate Heidi Kühn, author Roger Thurow, Australia’s Action For Agriculture Founder Lynne Strong, 2022 World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Cynthia Rozensweig, and 2018 World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Lawrence Haddad.
The World Food Prize Global Guides program was facilitated by faculty from the Global Teach Ag Network including Daniel Foster, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, Melanie Miller Foster, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, OP McCubbins, Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, and Tobin Redwine, Ph.D., Learning Strategist at Vivayic, Inc.
Foster, co-founder of the Global Teach Ag Network, explained the impact and importance of the Global Guides program.
“Educators are an invaluable component of fighting global food insecurity,” Foster said. “By situating educators as part of the conversation among scientists and world leaders, we bring global action to local contexts and see direct change.”
Global guides including Todd Eick (fourth from the left). Standing behind Eick in the white suit is Heidi Kuhn, this year’s winning laureate. Ms. Kuhn’s efforts to turn minefields into vineyards through her Roots for Peace non-profit earned her the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate sculpture and $500,000 in prize money.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Bonnie Sutch, left, secretary at the Grove United Methodist Church, and Sherry Tuohey check the MAAC Christmas barrels while waiting for Medina firemen to deliver them on Wednesday morning.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 November 2023 at 11:50 am
MEDINA – You know Christmas is on the way when the MAAC red Christmas barrels start appearing in local stores, churches and the library.
On Wednesday, in keeping with a decades-old tradition, members of the Medina Fire Department picked up 40 barrels at the Grove United Methodist Church and delivered them to locations throughout Medina.
Hundreds of children living in the Medina School District and their families are assured gifts and a holiday dinner through the MAAC Christmas Program.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson and firefighters Tim Miller, Paul Urquhart, Lt. Steve Cooley, Nick Lee and Bob Urtel were those who volunteered for what has become an annual tradition, dating as far back as 40 years, when the firefighters used to collect old and broken toys, repair them and give them to children.
Sherry Tuohey, who coordinates the MAAC Christmas barrels, stands by the wagons which Bob Harrold of Lyndonville refurbishes and donates every year.
Cooley has been volunteering for 14 years. He remembers when the firefighters collected old toys, painted them and fixed them up.
“But you can’t do that any more because they are all plastic,” he said. “So this is a way we can help the community and maintain a tradition.”
Miller has been volunteering to deliver the barrels for eight years and this is Urtel’s seventh year.
People are asked to donate new or good toys, books, crafts and gift items. Gifts are especially in need for teenagers, said Sherry Tuohey, who coordinates the MAAC Christmas barrel program.
Tuohey heads a committee which includes former coordinator Sue Metzo, Norma Jean Foster, Judy Holbrook, Barb Vreeland and Kathie McMoil.
They also welcome donations of hats, gloves and socks, as well as food items for Christmas dinner.
The Medina High School Student Association under co-advisers Sara Cinquino and Kayla Rosenbeck, annually packs bags of personal care items.
Another much appreciation contribution to the MAAC Christmas program is the donation of red wagons by Bob Harrold of Lyndonville. For several years, Harrold has sought out children’s wagons throughout the year, refurbished them and donated them to MAAC.
Tuohey said the wagons are a big hit with parents and children, as often the parents use them to transport young children, or in some instances, where there is no car in the family, the wagons provide a way to transport groceries home from the store.
Harrold said it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the historic little red wagons. This year he was able to donate three red wagons and two wooden wagons.
The public is reminded that income guidelines have increased this year, comparable to those established by HEAP.
To qualify for a holiday box, families must live in the Medina School District, with Knowlesville and Medina zip codes (14479 or 14103), and comply with income guidelines. The program benefits children up to 18 years of age, their parents/guardians and seniors 62 and older.
Sign-ups must be completed during the second and third weeks of November by visiting St. Peter Evangelical Church at 1355 West Ave. from 10 a.m. to noon or 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 or 14; or Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God Church, 11031 Maple Ridge Rd., from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 9 or 16.
Medina firefighters who volunteered to deliver the MAAC Christmas barrels are, from left, Chief Matt Jackson, paramedic/firefighter Tim Miller, Paul Urquhart, Lt. Steve Cooley, Nick Lee and Bob Urtel.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 November 2023 at 10:04 am
Library in Medina considering 2 options for addition, including meeting rooms, tutoring space and expanded children’s area
Passero Associates, an engineering and architectural firm in Rochester, has proposed an addition on the back side of the building on two lots recently acquired by the library along North Avenue. An arch and courtyard also are part of the proposal. A construction project at the library includes two large meeting rooms, two restrooms, three tutoring rooms, large programming area, teen room, Friends of the Library room, expanded children’s area, additional parking, expanded adult collection space, and a local history room.
MEDINA – Leaders of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library want to push forward with a 3,844 addition on the library on West Avenue.
The building was constructed in 1966 at 11,000 square feet. The addition is planned for the back side of the building along North Avenue.
Estimates for the project range from $7 million to $9 million, depending on the scope of the work. A courtyard with an arch on the North Avenue side of the building could be eliminated to cut the costs.
The library is reaching out to some community members to get their feedback on the project, and whether it should be scaled back or not.
Passero Associates: The front side of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library facing West venue would get a new entryway and bigger windows.
The 3,844-square-foot addition would add two much-needed meeting rooms, space for tutoring and more room for the collection and programs.
“We have a lot of organizations with no place to go,” said Cynthia Kiebala, president of the board of trustees for Lee-Whedon.
Right now there is a small meeting room that is also serves as a local history space and a “quiet room.”
The library was built in 1966 in an open style that was somewhat sterile and “blah” – a big, long room all painted in the same color of beige-yellow. A remodeling project in 2013 added “warmth” and technology. The walls were painted green, blue and yellow. The carpet has circles and other designs to help delineate spaces in the library. The library also added many pedant lights that hang from the ceiling.
The project also replaced the ceiling, and added many new high-speed Internet access points and upgraded computer technology.
Lee-Whedon has been feeling a space crunch and acquired two properties next door on North Avenue. The addition would add meeting rooms and tutoring space to make the site even more of an asset for the community, said Kristine Mostyn, the library director.
“This will certainly improve our ability to offer programming and educational services,” she said. “The meeting rooms could be used for organizations that have no other place to meet.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Here is how the entrance of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library currently looks. The 11,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1966. The library’s leaders would like to put on a 3,844-square-foot addition.
Kiebala said the big open space in the current setup doesn’t allow much privacy, especially for tutoring. Students come in for tutoring through BOCES, local school districts and the Orleans County Adult Learning Services (OCALS).
“We have tutoring going on all the time,” Kiebala said. “They have to sit out in the liobrary now.”
The capital project would make the building mor aesthetically appealing by putting an arch with pillars in the front entryway. Some of the solid brick walls would be changed for larger windows to allow in more existing light.
Lee-Whedon has applied for $4.125 million in grants and government aid so far. It has been approved for $625,000 in state library construction funding. Lee-Whedon also was the top vote-getter in a community survey for the $4.5 million NY Forward money. Lee-Whedon is seeking $500,000 through that $4.5 million. An announcement on how the money will be divvied up among Medina projects is expected in the spring 2024.
This photo from Jan. 13, 2017 shows a crowd watching the Don Newcomb Country Band for the “Finally Fridays” concert series.
The library also will be doing a capital campaign, seeking donations from the community. The are many naming opportunities that will be available, including for the different rooms, the addition, and the courtyard. The library, however, will not change from being known as the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. A capital campaign is expected to start in early 2024. Kiebala is hopeful construction could start in the fall 2024.
“We want to make it happen,” she said.
The project would add more room for children’s programs and the overall collection. There also would be two more restrooms in the addition, and more parking on the North Avenue side of the building.
The scope of the project may be determined by a feasibility study currently under way. Lee-Whedon is working with Ivy Partners, the same group that helped Albion build the new Hoag Library that opened in 2012.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Restoration of this historic home at 304 West Center St., known as the Luther Mansion, is continuing by developer Rollin Hellner.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 November 2023 at 4:52 pm
MEDINA – Passing through Medina on a drive to Rochester so impressed Rollin Hellner that it has set the path for his road to success.
“I saw all those beautiful businesses and shops and fell in love with the town,” he said.
A Newfane native and active preservationist, Hellner purchased a home on Maple Avenue in Medina in 2015, renovated it and sold it in 2021.
Since then, he has started an ambitious historic restoration of the Medina sandstone home at 304 West Center St., known as the Luther Mansion (recently Stonehurst); he bought the historic property across the corner known as the Maple Crest Inn; and is in the process of continuing renovations of the Walsh Hotel, which he also recently purchased.
(Left) Rollin Hellner looks at one of the restored windows of the Luther Mansion. The trim will be painted in colors found in the sandstone, of which the home is built. (Right) Hellner stands on the stairway of the historic Luther Mansion on West Center Street, which he is in the process of restoring to its former grandeur.
Hellner, 30, comes from a family of entrepreneurs, who owned Schimschacks Restaurant in Sanborn. They believe his grandmother actually started the chicken wing craze in the early 1950s, and he has her original recipes on index cards. His father this summer started a tour boat operation in Medina, which he plans to expand next year.
Hellner is CEO of Hellner Development Company, and also owns Timeless Building Materials in Burt, the largest specialty lumber company in the state, selling reclaimed lumber globally. In all, he owns nine businesses, most related to real estate or construction, he said.
Hellner went to college and got a degree in engineering, which led to a relationship with Ford and Volvo to develop lithium batteries for their cars.
He said he never wanted to be in the restaurant and bar business, but when he saw the Walsh for sale, he knew it had to be preserved. He also saw it as the perfect place to serve the “famous wings.” He plans to continue the restoration started by Tim Cooper, by finishing the upper floors to add studio and one-bedroom apartments.
“Then I saw the Maple Crest, and I wanted to live there,” he said. “I bought it in July 2022.”
He has made some repairs and restored the windows, original plasterwork and the parquet flooring. He has painted the outside in the home’s original color. The Maple Crest was built in 1860 for a Main Street merchant, who was a cousin of Susan B. Anthony.
Several weekends ago, Hellner hosted the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, to which he belongs. He took them on an exclusive tour of the c. 1861 Luther Mansion, which he plans to fully restore. Their three-day visit included a reception Friday night at the Walsh Hotel, a party Saturday catered at the Maple Crest by Bent’s and Sunday brunch at Harvest Restaurant.
Provided photo: Fellow members of developer Rollin Hellner’s Rolls-Royce Club visited the Luther Mansion on West Center St. during their recent weekend stay in Medina, as Hellner’s guests.
Renovations at the Luther Mansion will be extensive, Hellner said. All the original plaster will be re-created. In removing paint and wallpaper, they uncovered original designs, and they will all be documented and repainted as they were originally. The marble mantles had been ripped off the walls and sold and he was able to locate them and make arrangements to purchase them back.
The roof is being replaced with copper and slate. Hellner said the outside work will be completed by winter. The carriage house has already undergone extensive work to lift it from its foundation, repair it and replace rotted beams. He hopes to have the entire property finished by next fall.
Projects in Medina are not all Hellner is involved in. He purchased a 155,000 square-foot building in Middleport which was going to be demolished, restored it and recently added 50 employees to the workforce there.
“That’s what I do,” he said. “I find under-utilized buildings that are eyesores and fix them up. My favorite thing is to take the burden off the property owners so they can focus on growing their businesses.”
He has several large projects going in Buffalo, but most of his time is spent in Medina, he said. He tries to use local contractors as much as possible.
“I don’t do it to make money,” Hellner said about his historic restorations. “I do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Photo courtesy of Preservation League of NYS: The Bent’s Opera House is shown following a major restoration effort in downtown Medina.
Posted 1 November 2023 at 2:07 pm
Press Release, Preservation League of New York State
MEDINA — Bent’s Opera House has received a 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of NYS.
Since 1984, the League’s annual Excellence Awards program has shined a light on the people who are using historic preservation to make all our lives better — through exemplary restoration projects, indispensable publications, individual action, and organizational distinction. This year’s Award winners will be recognized at a public reception at the Century Association in NYC on Monday, December 4. Click here for more information.
“It was an honor to work with Talis Equity on the restoration of Bent’s Opera House,” said Jeff Panza, regional operations manager for LeChase Construction Services. “At LeChase, we take great pride in projects that have a positive impact within their communities, and this historic restoration has given new life to an important cornerstone of Medina’s downtown business district.”
Built over 150 years ago, Bent’s Opera House once hosted speakers like Frederick Douglass and entertainers like Buffalo Bill Cody. After the theater closed, the building served the community in a variety of ways until the 1990s.
Bent’s was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, but by 2010 it was abandoned and in imminent danger of collapsing. Local developers Talis Equity, led by Roger Hunderford, had a vision to give Bent’s new life.
They collaborated with LeChase Construction Services and Kideney Architects to rehabilitate the historic building into a modern destination. Today, the facility includes an upscale, farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a boutique hotel with 10 uniquely themed rooms, and a beautifully restored theater for private and public gatherings.
“The 2023 Excellence Award winners span the state, from Olean to Brooklyn,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “They represent how historic preservation addresses critical issues, from climate action to affordable housing, from spurring economic development to uplifting underrepresented histories. We are honored to recognize the incredible work each Award winner has done for their communities and beyond.”
The rehabilitation of Bent’s Opera House was funded in part through New York State and Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. The project team included Talis Equity, LeChase Construction Services, and Kideney Architects.
2023 Awardees – Olean’s First National Bank & Siegel’s Shoes Revitalization in Olean, Cattaraugus County; Nash Lofts in Buffalo, Erie County; Claudette Brady in Brooklyn, Kings County; Bridge to Crafts Careers Program in Brooklyn and the Bronx; The Rehabilitation of Pier 57 in New York City; Bent’s Opera House in Medina, Orleans County; Julie Nucci in Owego, Tioga County; Kingston City Land Bank in Kingston, Ulster County.
About the Preservation League of New York State – Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time.
The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 October 2023 at 8:36 pm
Village Planning Board will review code for signage and lighting
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina Theatre currently only allows letters that are set by hand while a person is on a ladder. The owner of the building wants to put in an electronic sign to promote events at the theatre, 601-611 Main St.
MEDINA – The Village of Medina will review its code for lighting and signage after being asked by the owner of the Medina Theatre to allow electronic signs for the building at 601-611 Main St.
Medina currently doesn’t allow electronic signs. Joe Cardone, owner of the theater, wants a modern marquee to promote events. He also told the Village Board it would be a vast improvement entering the downtown.
Medina currently prohibits digital and electronic signs. Cardone looked at other communities with theaters for how they handle marquees. Lockport allows electronic signs for the marquees while North Tonawanda is more restrictive, Cardone said.
The Village of Gowanda has a comprehensive ordinance and gives the Planning Board and Village Board discretion in reviewing a request for electronic signage.
Cardone said Medina’s code is currently “draconian” and allows no leeway.
“The ordinance as you have it holds you guys back from doing other positive things in the downtown,” Cardone told the Village Board last week. “The ordinance prohibits things allowed in other villages and holds this village back.”
The Flexlume Corporation has proposed this new marquee for the Medina Theatre. The company from Buffalo built the current marquee in 1938.
Cardone is seeking some funds through the $4.5 million allocated by the state to Medina in the NY Forward program. But the committee reviewing the projects said it was difficult to recommend funding for a project that currently isn’t allowed in the village.
He asked the board to consider changing its sign ordinance, either through a comprehensive update of the law or by just focusing on signage and lighting for marquees.
The Village Board agreed to have the Planning Board review the ordinance for all signage and lighting to see if changes are needed.
Trustee Tim Elliott said other aspects of the village code should be looked at, not just the marquee.
Medina’s sign ordinance doesn’t allow: “Any electronic message with a fixed or changeable display, which may be changed by electrical, electronic or computerized process or remote control, and may include animation or motion of any kind, words and/or pictures, electronically projected text, images or graphics, and may also include, but is not limited to, light-emitting diodes (LED), video, television and plasma displays, fiberoptics, holographic images, or other technology that results in bright, high-resolution text, images and graphics.”
The village code also states: “No sign shall be illuminated by or contain flashing intermittent, rotating or moving lights except to show time and temperature.”
Photos and information courtesy of Medina Band Boosters
Medina competed with seven schools in the Small School 1 Division and was seventh with a score of 85.350.
SYRACUSE – The NYS Field Band Conference celebrated its 51st anniversary on Sunday with the championships at the JMA Dome (formerly the Syracuse Carrier Dome).
More than 5,000 high school band members participated in 54 marching bands, including one from Pennsylvania and another from New Jersey for 14 hours of competition.
There are six different classifications. Large school classifications represent districts with more that 4,000 students while small school classifications represent districts with 4,000 or less students.
There were guest performances by the University of Buffalo “Thunder of the East” and Syracuse University’s “Pride of the Orange” to show students that their marching band career doesn’t have to end after high school. An audience of approximately 9,000 was expected.
It was a busy week for the Medina students with lots of practice, a Senior Recognition ceremony on Wednesday topped off with a Dome Breakfast on Sunday morning as a form of pep rally.
Director Matthew Jaeger addressed his students beforehand with words of encouragement reminding them of their accomplishments from the start of band camp in August to their performance at the Dome. Their success for the season isn’t measured just by their standing at the Dome, but by their overall growth in the season and how they represent the school and the Medina community.
The 1st place winners in each classification were: SS3 – Mahanasen (83.72); SS2 – Phoenix (89.15); LS3 – Greece (86.92); LS2 – Hicksville (91.15); SS1 – Mineola (93.55); National – Cicero-North Syracuse (96.35).
Every band that participated in the Field Band Conference is a winner no matter what their score or placement in their class. Congratulations are in order to every school that sponsors and supports their marching band, giving these students an opportunity for individual growth as well as a life lesson in working as a team. Medina will begin preparing for their holiday concerts and spring street show.
Seniors in the band include from left: Chad Brigham, Emma Jacobs, Alex Balaban, Caiden Class, Elaina Huntington and Madisynn Stanton.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: The Medina United Methodist Church celebrated 10 years in the former Apple Grove Inn, Medina, with a reception and service on Saturday.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 29 October 2023 at 8:32 am
MEDINA – The Grove United Methodist Church on Saturday celebrated the 10th anniversary of being located in the former Apple Grove Inn.
The event started with an open house at 1 p.m. and a worship service at 2, followed by refreshments.
Kathie McMoil, a member, lay leader, chair of the board of trustees and event coordinator, headed the celebration, which was attended by former pastor the Rev. Jim Maxwell and his wife Mary and the most recent pastor, Liz Aristy.
Members of the Grove United Methodist Church chat with their former pastor, the Rev. Jim Maxwell and his wife Mary prior to a service Saturday to celebrate the church’s 10 years in the former Apple Grove Inn. From left are Kathie McMoil, the Maxwells, Jan Toal and Linda Blanc.
The Rev. Maxwell served as pastor for 12 years before retiring. He was pastor when the church, previously located on West Center Street, was identified as being in need of extensive repair.
“The brick in the old building was crumbling and it wasn’t handicap accessible,” McMoil said. “It was cost prohibitive to try and fix it, over $1 million. We established a visioning committee to look at alternatives – whether to buy land and build a new church or find an existing building and remodel it.”
Realizing it would also be very expensive to buy land and build, the committee started looking seriously for an existing building.
“We found this place, which had been vacant for several years and made the owners an offer, which they accepted,” McMoil said.
The Rev. Paul Adell and his wife Twanya greet the Rev. Mike Breuning, who participated in the Grove United Methodist Church’s 10-year celebration on Saturday by giving the re-dedication prayer.
In June 2011, the Methodists started the process of remodeling the former Apple Grove Inn. It took two and one-half years to get it into the shape it is in now, with a modern sanctuary, meeting rooms and large dining room.
Returning to the church brought back so many memories, the Rev. Maxwell said.
“I have such wonderful memories from here,” he said. “It’s good to see a growing church.”
The church’s current pastor, who started three months ago is the Rev. Paul Adell Sr. from Rochester.
He called the church “impressive.”
“We are working on our outreach ministry, assessing and evaluating the needs in the community,” the Rev. Adell said.
The Grove United Methodist Church sponsors Boy Scout Troop 28 and Cut Scout Pack 28.
In addition, a Hispanic church, Mount Sinai, meets there Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, and Alcoholics Anonymous meets there twice a week.
The church is available for parties, showers, reunions or other special events.
Press release and photos courtesy of Medina Central School
MEDINA – Scarlett Guild, Caitlyn Lewis and Scarlett Hosey hold pumpkins in a pumpkin [atch at Oak Orchard Primary School on Friday.
Some dedicated Medina school district staff were up very early Friday morning, setting up a pumpkin patch at the school.
Staff were out before school started, setting up the pumpkin patch.
Principal Jennifer Stearns and her volunteers spent a rainy morning decorating the lawn with pumpkins that were purchased from Student Activity fundraisers.
“We wanted to make it a fun day for our students in UPK through second grade,” she said. “The students had a great time choosing their pumpkin with their classmates. Everyone was able to bring home their pumpkin and some stickers to decorate them.”
Ginerva Boyle and Sophia Di Marco hold their pumpkins.
The students loved stepping out their school door into the festive field of orange and green. They excitedly ran around until they found the perfect pumpkin and met the rest of their class back on the sidewalk. It was a great way to kick off their weekend and get them into the fall spirit!
This group includes teacher Kelsey Evoy and her class: Landon Stalker, Amanda Holmes, Bradley Dunham, Mikah MacDonald, Mila Rodriguez, Jack Pagano, Paul Haist, Vincent Grabowski-Bonadonna and Amoura Peterson. Students who are sitting down include Landon Harper, Jaxon Sloper, Kaleb McMullen, Reis Hougle, Adeline Grollmus, Teagan Volz, Harriet Schiffer, Deisy Orozco-Sanchez and Merrit Williams.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Hellner, captain of the North Star Cruises, is shown on July 14 when he took people on a ride on his 20-foot-long pontoon boat. He leases dock space from the village in the Canal Basin.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2023 at 11:56 am
MEDINA – A second cruise boat will be coming to Medina’s Canal Basin next year and this one will be double the size as the pontoon boat that debuted this year.
Brian Hellner will be captain of both boats for the North Star Cruises. He srtated offering boat rides on a 20-foot-long pontoon boat in July. He did 30 trips in the first year with customers from 10 states, and a family from Paris, France.
His bigger boat will be a 40-foot-long cabin cruiser that can do longer rides with a bathroom on the boat.
The Village Board on Monday agreed to give him a dedicated spot at the basin at $125 a month, the same rate he pays for the smaller boat. His pontoon boat is at one of the finger docks. The bigger boat will be tied up along the basin wall behind the former NAPA building.
Hellner is a licensed charter captain the past 12 years and an avid boater the past 50 years. He also is a former vice president of the Buffalo Maritime Center. He lives in Newfane but has been to Medina frequently to see his son, Rollin, who lives in Medina and is a real estate developer.
Hellner said he is looking to partner with local businesses to promote the boat rides and services and products at other sites in Medina.
He expects to have both boats in the canal in May when the navigational season gets started on the historic waterway.
“I learned a lot in the first year,” Hellner said. “This other boat will give a different experience. We’ll be able to go for longer boat rides.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2023 at 8:40 am
Retired NFL kicker Mike Vanderjagt spoke at club’s meeting on Wednesday
Photos by Tom Rivers: Some of the Medina Rotary Club members are shown Wednesday outside The Walsh in Medina where the group meets for lunch meetings at noon on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. Pictured from left, first row: Skip Helfirch, President Peter Bartula, Stephanie Mason and Ben McPherson. Second row: Edee Hoffmeister and Gloria Brent. Third row: Barb Jantzi, Gary Lawton, Dan Doctor and Jennifer Hill-Young. Back row: Dawn Meland, J.T. Thomas, Carl Tuohey and Joel Payne. There are at least 10 other members in the club who aren’t pictured.
MEDINA – The Medina Rotary Club is on an upswing with a big increase in members and more projects to benefit the community.
In the past four years the club has grown from 8 to 25 members. It was recently notified by Rotary that Medina is in the top 4 percent of all Rotary Clubs in North America for growth in the past five years.
The club used to meet weekly and would fine people for missed meetings and happy events in their lives, whether getting a new car, celebrating an anniversary, being featured in the news or other life milestones.
But Medina Rotary now meets twice a month, the second and fourth Wednesdays for lunch at The Walsh. The club doesn’t fine members if they can’t make a meeting.
“You got to be realistic with folks whose lives are so busy,” said Ben McPherson, who was the club’s president during a big growth period from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.
McPherson praised the club’s long-time members for keeping Rotary alive in Edina during some lean years. The club maintains a friendly atmosphere among members with several community service projects in the works.
The club on Wednesday discussed several fundraisers including a $5,000 corn hole tournament on Jan. 6 at Dubby’s in Albion, a meat raffle on March 9 at the Ridgeway Fire Hall and a plan to add Buddy benches at Medina parks. Those benches would be made by students at the Iroquois Job Corps Center.
The club hosts a pickleball tournament, picks up trash along the canal, gives out scholarships and helps in other ways throughout the year.
“I saw that they were trying to better the community and that really spoke to me,” McPherson said about when he joined in 2019.
Mike Vanderjagt, center, is pictured with Medina Rotarians Carl Tuohey, left, and President Peter Bartula.
Vanderjagt recently moved to Lyndonville. A native of Canada, he wanted to be close to Lake Ontario and a short drive from Canada. He has been a volunteer kicking coach for the Medina football team and coaches other kickers in the region. One of his players, Medina’s Cole Callard, has emerged as a Division I kicking prospect as well as a soccer standout.
Vanderjagt scored 1,067 points in a nine-year career during the regular season, including a league high 145 for the Colts in 1999. He was first team, all pro in 2003 when he scored 157 points and made all of his kicks – 37 of 37 field goals and 46 of 46 extra points.
He scored 54 more points in nine playoff games. He played for the Colts for eight seasons and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2006.
Vanderjagt said he enjoys living in Lyndonville and Orleans County.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country,” he said.
He also shared with Rotary about some of his business ventures.
Mike Vanderjagt, in red shirt, speaks with the Medina Rotary Club on Wednesday at The Walsh. The club often has speakers from the community share a program. The meetings are also a chance for members to provide updates on projects.
The group shares a meal together and strives to maintain camaraderie with no politics.
Gary Lawton has been a member for over 20 years. He said he is thrilled to see the club grow and do more work for the community.
At one point, the club was down to three active members. Now it is adding local business leaders, professionals from the school and hospital, retired residents and others.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 October 2023 at 8:07 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The “Spider” could be on the move, but not too far at Gulf Street Park in Medina.
The Spider has been part of the park for at least a half century. Now it is an obstacle at a new disc golf course at Gulf Street Park.
Some of the players have been complaining about some of the playground equipment being in the way, Jason Watts, DPW superintendent, told the Village Board on Monday evening.
He is looking to move the Spider, Merry-Go-Round and possibly some other equipment to a different part of the park.
A backstop for baseball and softball players may be relocated to the Pine Street Park, Watts suggested at the meeting. He said the swing-set should stay put because that would be challenging to move.
Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said the Spider and the equipment that stays at Gulf Street should be painted with wood chips added to the ground for the apparatus.
“If a park is inviting, kids will want to come to it,” Sherman said. “That park is not inviting right now.”
The park wasn’t getting much use in recent years. But the new disc golf course has been popular, Watts said. He expects some of the disc golf players will bring their children to Gulf Street and they could use the playground while their parents play disc golf.
Watts also informed the board that a contractor is expected to be at Butts Park this week to pave the new basketball courts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 October 2023 at 10:49 pm
Mike Sidari
MEDINA – Mike Sidari announced at the end of this evening’s Village Board meeting that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election in March to a fifth 2-year term as Medina mayor.
Sidari has been the mayor for nearly eight years. He was on the board as a trustee for two years prior to that.
He said due to a health issue for a family member he wouldn’t be running again for mayor.
The board went into an executive session soon after his announcement.
He has said recently that Medina has a great team on the Village Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and with many community organizations.
Those groups have been able to push Medina forward with its downtown business district, industrial park and other community initiatives, he said said.
He praised citizens who led efforts for a new dog park, skate park, bluebird trail, an upgraded Pine Street Park with a splash pad, and much improved Boxwood Cemetery.
The community projects improve the quality of life for local residents, Sidari said, and also play a factor in whether a business chooses to come to Medina. The business owners want to see a community with pride, and strong schools, a vibrant downtown and thriving neighborhoods, Sidari has said.
Sidari has led the board in recent major initiatives, including a push for a new ladder truck and addition for the fire department. Sidari helped Medina with the successful application for a $4.5 NY Forward grant from the state for downtown and waterfront projects. He is co-leader of a committee working to identify projects to be submitted to the state for its final approval.
The mayor grew up in Albion. He has been an active member of the Medina Fire Department. He is retired as the food service administrator for the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
