By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 October 2023 at 6:32 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Participants in the first-time Hometown Wellness Center 5-kilometer walk and run head down West Avenue towards the Erie Canal this morning.
There were 81 people who completed the course, and most wore pink shirts in support of breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from the event also went to the Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund which assists Orleans County with cancer.
Pam Eaton, owner of Hometown Wellness, takes a group photo before the race and walk started at 9 a.m.
Eaton said about half of the participants were members of the Hometown Wellness Center with the rest other community members.
She wasn’t sure how many people to expect for the first-time event and was thrilled with the turnout.
Jennifer Cardone, front right, gives the group a pep talk before they headed out for the walk/run. She is one of the instructors at Hometown Wellness.
“I know a 5K is a long way for some of you,” she said. “But keep going. Be the hero of your story.”
This group is in one of the wellness classes that meets three times a week. They include, from left: Carol Bellack, Leslie Mischel, Robin Wehling, Bev Woodward, Tami Siffringer, Linda Allis and Sheree Canham.
The class is led by Patty Olinger, who is a breast cancer survivor. She embraced a healthier lifestyle when she was diagnosed with cancer 13 years, eating more nutritious meals and exercising.
Olinger leads a boot camp and fitness classes at Hometown Wellness.
“It’s thrilling to see so many people involved today,” Olinger said. “Here (at Hometown Wellness) it’s all about being positive and accepting.”
These participants walk down West Avenue towards the canal during the 5K this morning.
These runners are on the south side of the canal during an early part of the race.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Chloe Luxon, 9, of Medina carries two wreaths up the hill at Boxwood Cemetery to be placed on veterans’ graves during Wreaths Across America on Dec. 18, 2021. This year’s event will take place on Dec. 16 at thousands of locations across the country, including three cemeteries in Medina: Boxwood, St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 October 2023 at 3:53 pm
MEDINA – The annual Wreaths Across America is scheduled this year on Dec. 16, when wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves in thousands of locations across the country.
In Medina, the ceremony will take place at noon at Boxwood Cemetery, followed by placing wreaths in Boxwood and also St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries.
Kathy Blackburn, who heads the project each year, is requesting donations to purchase wreaths in memory of our area’s veterans.
Wreaths this year cost $27 and donations may be made by logging on to Wreaths Across America and clicking on “Boxwood.” Checks designated for Wreaths Across America may also be mailed to the village clerk at 119 Park Ave., Medina, or dropped off during business hours.
Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 by a wreath producer in Maine, who found himself with an abundance of wreaths nearing the end of his season. He arranged for volunteer truckers to transport them to Arlington National Cemetery, and the movement mushroomed from there.
Last year, more than 2.7 million wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves in 3,702 locations across the country.
Blackburn started the project in Medina in 20143after Shirley Whittleton brought it up at a Boxwood Commission meeting. Medina started with the original seven wreaths which were sent to anyone requesting them – one for each branch of the military and one for POW/MIAs.
Since then, the movement has grown to dynamic proportions in Medina. Last year, local businessman Tom Snyder stepped up to purchase 800 wreaths to cover every veteran’s grave in Boxwood, St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries.
Snyder, a Navy veteran who served from 1991 to 1998 and was with Special Forces in Central America, has also agreed to be a generous sponsor of the wreaths this year, in addition to supporting a similar project at the Veterans’ National Cemetery in Pembroke.
Volunteers are also being sought to help lay the wreaths. Scout groups, students needing volunteer hours or anyone wishing to participate is urged to contact Blackburn to volunteer by calling (585) 734-5801.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 October 2023 at 9:04 am
Sites include First Baptist Church in Medina, Hamlin Beach State Park, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville and Mundion home in Ridgeway
The new inductees in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame include from left going clockwise: First Baptist Church of Medina, the Masten/Mundion home in Ridgeway, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville, and Hamlin Beach State Park.
MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Society inducted four more sites into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday.
The 10th anniversary class includes the First Baptist Church of Medina, Hamlin Beach State Park, Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville and the Masten/Mundion home in Ridgeway. There have now been 39 sites inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 2013. The plaques and photographs are on display in the main meeting room of City Hall.
Hall of Fame Committee member David Miller, left, and Jim Hancock remove the curtain to unveil this year’s inductees. The committee also includes Reinhard Rogowski, Rollin Hellner and Tom Rivers. The sites are nominated and the committee visits and researches the sites. More than 70 locations have been nominated for the Hall of Fame. The Medina Sandstone Society board of directors gives a final OK for the sites included in the Hall of Fame.
Takeform in Medina has donated the plaques and display for the Hall of Fame each year.
Mindy Cogovan, a long-time parishioner at First Baptist Church in Medina, and Rev. Randy LeBaron of the church hold the plaque after the ceremony at City Hall.
First Baptist Church of Medina
The plaque for the church states:
“For 150 years, the First Baptist Church of Medina has been a landmark, one of the most iconic sites in the village. The steeple, peaking at about 150 feet high, is one of the first sights approaching the downtown, especially from Route 31 to the east.
The church was constructed between 1870 and 1873 at 203 West Center St. It is made of locally quarried gray Medina Sandstone and was built in an example of Gothic Revivalism tempered with influences from the then-even more popular Romanesque Revival style.
The Medina Tribune on Jan. 16, 1873, made the church’s dedication front page news, saying the Medina community could pride itself for having “one of the most elegant and substantial church buildings in all of Western New York.”
A congregation of 140 people contributed the $45,000 to have the church built on one of the best sites in the village, the Tribune noted.
The church’s members through a century and half have proven devoted caretakers of the building, ensuring its longevity and lofty presence for the community.”
Matt and Heather Mundion hold the plaque recognizing their home is now in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame.
Ephraim Masten Homestead – Telegraph Road in Medina, New York
The plaque states:
“In 1819, Ephraim Masten and his wife Nancy came to Ridgeway and purchased 130 acres of land two miles east from what would become the village of Medina. They built and lived in a log cabin until 1831 when the family had done well enough to be able to construct a house of locally quarried sandstone to replace the log cabin.
Ephraim died in 1840 and his wife in 1872, but the home remained in the family for many succeeding generations of Masten descendants.
In more recent years, the home was occupied by attorney Vincent Cardone, who did considerable restoration work on the historic building, then industrialist Milford L. Phinney and family.
Most recently, Matt and Heather Mundion have further expanded and beautified the home using repurposed Medina Sandstone for new porch and patio areas and other interior and exterior improvements.
With its long history of restoration and stewardship, this historic home will soon be 200 years old!”
Robin Hill Manor is an not only an impressive Medina Sandstone home, the site includes an arboretum with about 250 varieties of trees.
Robin Hill Manor – Platten Road, Lyndonvillle, NY
“This beautiful home was built in the late 1940-1950 by Lyndonville residents William and Mary Smith and their children George and Marion Smith.
William and Mary Smith designed the Manor House and had drawings done by a professional architect from Rochester. It took them five years to quarry and cut the Medina Sandstone and build the house. George did most of the stone work and all of the interior wood and cabinetry while Marion and Mary finished the kitchen, hauling materials for the floors and staining the cedar shakes for the roof.
The house was finished in 1952. The family lived there until Marion’s passing in 2013, when Doug Pratt inherited the estate. He lives there and has set up the non-profit he Robin Hill Nature Preserve for the public to enjoy the 45 acres and more than 250 varieties of trees.
“Smith Pond” has been a beloved landmark for decades in Lyndonville, with many people stopping to admire swans and other wildlife. Pratt continues to make this “jewel” available to the community.”
Hamlin had a contingent representing the state park at the hall of Fame ceremony. In front, from left, include Ed Evans, winner of a Heritage Award for his efforts at the park and the former CCC/POW camp; Ross Lovell, park manager; and John Snyder, assistant regional director for NYS Parks. Back row: Members of the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park: Sue Evans, Nick Kramer, Kim Walter, Jim Lugert, Patti Sullivan and Tom Dabrowski.
Hamlin Beach State Park – Hamlin, NY
“At Hamlin Beach State Park in Monroe County, the Medina Sandstone is everywhere – the shelters, bathrooms, culverts, fireplaces, fire pits, drinking fountains, retaining walls and a concessions building.
The entire park, which draws about 300,000 people a year, is a tremendous showcase of Medina Sandstone.
Hamlin Beach State Park was largely developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935 to 1941, with state contractors then working on the park until 1952.
Operating from a camp on Moscow Road, the CCC employed local stone masons, carpenters, forestry crews, auto mechanics, truck drivers, rock crusher operators and road crews to build the park during the latter years of the Depression.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has made recent investments in the park’s upkeep, and the Friends of Hamlin State Beach have pushed to make the park more accessible and its history more fully understood.”
Hamlin Beach includes many drinking fountains, fire pits and retaining walls, as well as the larger shelters and a bathhouse.
The honorees at the Hall of Fame induction include, from left: Jennifer Wells-Dickerson with a Heritage Award for her efforts preserving the story of her great-grandfather, Pasquale DiLaura, a quarry owner who was influential in the stone work on the Parkway and at Hamlin Beach; Matt and Heather Mundion, owner of the Masten-Mundion home on Telegraph Road in Ridgeway; Mindy Cogovan and Rev. Randy LeBaron of the First Baptist Church of Medina; John Snyder, assistant regional director for New York State Parks and Ross Lovell, Hamlin Beach State Park manager; and Ed Evans, Heritage Award honoree for his efforts to preserve the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp/POW camp at Hamlin Beach State Park. Missing from photo: Doug Pratt, owner of the Robin Hill Manor in Lyndonville.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 October 2023 at 9:18 am
Artist paints mementos on mirror to celebrate Betty Menz
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Betty Menz gets a hug from her nephew Dan Fuller, who found the mirror at his home and asked Darlene Witte if she would like to display it.
MEDINA – Betty Menz shared some highlights of her 55 years as a hairdresser in a surprise presentation Monday at Vision 2000 beauty salon on Salt Works Road.
It was July when Vision 2000 owner Darlene Witte got a call from Dan Fuller of Ridgeway, Menz’ nephew.
Betty Menz of Medina, a hairdresser for 55 years, stares at the mirror which hung in the studio at her home and which was painted with mementoes from her past. It now hangs in Darlene Witte’s Vision 2000 studio on Salt Works Road.
“He told me he was cleaning out a building to get rid of stuff and found this mirror that used to hang in his aunt’s studio at her home on Furness Parkway,” Witte said. “He wondered if I’d like it. I didn’t know what I’d do with it, but I told him if he brought it to me, I promised not to throw it away. I would find something to do with it.”
A few days later Fuller delivered the mirror and Witte hung it in a waiting area of her studio at 3930 Salt Works Rd.
“As the day went on, a strange thing happened,” Witte said. “I began to feel a connection to this mirror and a person I’d never met before. I realized some of my customers used to be Betty’s or relatives of her customers. An idea started coming to me and I called my husband Bruce, who refinishes antique furniture.”
Her first thought was to hang it on the wall and make it look like a window.
“Then it hit me,” Witte said. “We need to make it about Betty, and I reached out to artist Brandi Zavitz.”
Lo and behold, Witte’s first customer of the day was Menz’ neighbor, Barb Fox.
“I told her about my idea to make the mirror about Betty, but I knew nothing about Betty,” Witte said. “Then Barb started telling stories about her. There was the tree that was taken down in their yard and she kept it and made it into a sanctuary for birds and flowers, her late husband Bill’s dedication to veterans, her love of cats, the lilacs in her yard, the time her son brought home a baby pig from Dunham’s farm and she raised it, her bird houses, and love of the Bills.”
Then Witte shared these things with Zavitz, who began to paint those memories on the mirror. The project took her about three weeks. The finished product has them all – the pig named Arnold; a flag signifying Bill’s connection to veterans; Betty’s cats and parakeet; and up in the corner with her scissors, her writing with a black marker.
Menz was speechless at first when daughter Lynne Menz brought her through the door. There to share in her surprise was daughter Tammy and twin brother Tim, along with Zavitz, Fuller and Fox.
Those involved in Betty Menz, second from left, being reunited with the mirror which hung in the beauty parlor at her home are, from left, neighbor Barb Fox, who provided bits of information to be painted on the mirror; artist Brandi Zavitz who painted the mirror; and Vision 2000 owner Darlene Witte, who agreed to hang the mirror in her studio on Salt Works Road.
Betty couldn’t take her eyes off the mirror. She started talking about how she started working in a beauty parlor in Lockport shampooing hair while she was still in school. After graduation, she attended the Doyle Beauty School in Buffalo. She worked for several beauticians, but when family and friends knew she did hair, they started coming to her house and asking her to cut or curl their hair.
“I had no intention of opening a beauty parlor in my home,” Menz said. “But I couldn’t turn them away, and I was afraid I would get into trouble, so I got the necessary license and Bill built me a little studio in the laundry room. “
“I remember Mom would be giving a perm and she’d stop and go put supper in the oven,” Tammy said.
Menz had four children to care for, in addition to serving her customers.
“I was lucky to have the customers I did,” Menz said. “They were good people and they were good to me. A hairdresser is more than a beautician. She is a therapist and a friend. When you do someone’s hair week after week, they are not customers. They become family.”
Menz, who will be 91 next month, retired at the age of 70.
“My customers didn’t want me to,” she said. “They made me feel like I couldn’t be replaced. If someone couldn’t afford a haircut, I couldn’t turn them away, I’d do it anyway.”
“It was a good ride,” Tammy said.
Family and friends who gathered to share in Betty Menz’ surprise at seeing a long forgotten mirror which hung in her beauty parlor are, from left, nephew Dan Fuller, who had the mirror stored at his house; daughter Tammy; Menz; daughter Lynne Menz; son, Tim Menz; and sister Dottie Hellwig.
Provided photos: This float made by Takeform in Medina was among the participants in last year’s Parade of Lights. Takeform donated the float to be used each year to transport Santa and Mrs. Claus in the parade. Individuals, organizations and businesses are encouraged to enter a float this year.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 October 2023 at 9:55 pm
MEDINA – The committee planning this year’s Parade of Lights on Nov. 25 is offering a special incentive of $50 to the first 10 entries by Oct. 31.
It was 15 years ago when organizer Jim Hancock heard about the small community of Ada, Mich. hosting a successful Parade of Lights for almost 20 years (a community half the size of Medina), he thought, “If they can do it, so can Medina.”
In 2009, Medina hosted its first Parade of Lights with 18 entries and two marching bands. Last year, the parade had 38 creative and whimsical floats and four marching bands, including Medina’s very own Mustang Marching Band.
Keeping with tradition, this year’s celebration is Nov. 25, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Thousands of people cozy up along Park Avenue and Main Street to partake in what has become a holiday tradition – an event reminiscent of a Hallmark movie scene, according to Lynne Menz, a member of the planning committee.
In 2020, the year of the Covid pandemic when many local parades and festivals were cancelled, the parade still went on in Medina. But instead of processing down the street, the floats were stationary throughout the Medina school campus, while visitors from far and wide drove past in their vehicles.
Medina Lions had this float in last year’s Parade of Lights. This year’s event is scheduled Nov. 25. To encourage early entries, the parade committee is offering $50 this year to the first 10 entries received before Oct. 31.
The parade caps off Medina’s annual Olde Tyme Christmas celebration, which has grown over the past 15 years to include a full day of activities leading up to the renowned Parade of Lights. This includes family friendly activities, a 5K run, food vendors, holiday shopping specials, performers and music throughout the historic downtown corridor.
The noon mini-parade featuring Pets on Parade ushers in Santa and Mrs. Claus, accompanied by members of the Mustang Marching Band. This parade has also grown with a record 25 entries in last year’s parade, featuring a variety of pets exhibiting the holiday spirit.
At 5:45 p.m., just before the big Parade of Lights sets out from the Olde Pickle Factory of Park Avenue, Young Explosives will once again set off a spectacular fireworks demonstration at the north end of downtown.
To be eligible for the $50 early incentive, an entry must be received by Oct. 31 and be in the Parade of Lights on Nov. 25.
The parade committee encourages individuals, businesses, organizations, fire companies and non-profits to enter a float or vehicle in this year’s parade for a chance to win a share of $4,000 in prize money. There is no fee to enter and no theme.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 October 2023 at 5:00 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Menzo Case, president and CEO of Generations Bank, speaks during a celebration on Oct. 1, 2018 at the former Medina Savings & Loan which was marking its first day of a merger with Generations Bank.
SENECA FALLS – The leader of Generations Bank, which merged with the former Medina Savings & Loan in 2018, has passed away on Friday evening, the bank announced this afternoon.
Menzo Case was president and CEO of generations Bank, which is based in Seneca Falls and includes 10 locations, including the site in Medina.
Case started at generations in 1999 and was president and CEO since 2008. Under his leadership, the bank grew from a single location in Seneca Falls with $85 million in assets, to 10 locations spanning four counties, with approximately $400 million in assets.
“Menzo was truly a man of action,” said Brad Jones, chairman of the Board of Directors of Generations Bank. “From his coworkers, friends, and most importantly, family, he was known as a brilliant leader, a willing community servant, and a devoted family man. His faith, alongside his tireless work ethic, allowed him to accomplish so very much in such a short period of time. His devotion to this company, his church, his community and his family are admirable. He truly cared and will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.”
Case active in the community in Seneca Falls. He served as a board member and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Seneca County – an organization that has now built over 30 homes for families in Seneca County; The REV Theater; Women’s Right to Run 19K; Finger Lakes Christian Fellowship; the National Women’s Hall of Fame; Northeast College of Health Sciences; the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank New York; and served as Chairman of the Board for Finger Lakes Health.
In recognition of his commitment to the community, Case was the recipient of The George Bailey Award, the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year, the Good Samaritan designation and the Community Service Award alongside his wife, Susan Case.
Angela Krezmer, Generations Bank’s Senior Vice President & CFO, will serve as Generations Bank’s interim principal executive officer in addition to her current responsibilities.
New to festival this year: ofrenda installations by Spanish class students from Medina and Kendall
(Left) Photo courtesy of T.C. Owens: Pictured form left include Xochitl Rosario, Lola Alvarado and Gladys Rosario in Dia de Muertos face paint during the 2019 Day of the Dead celebration. (Right) photo courtesy of Karen Canning: Porfiria Mijangos arranges fruit on the Oaxacan ofrenda at the 2022 Day of the Dead Celebration.
Press Release, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!)
MEDINA – GO Art! is happy to invite you to our Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration, co-sponsored by the Orleans County YMCA, Mariachi de Oro Mexican Grill, and Maizal Mexican Kitchen.
Join us on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Orleans County YMCA, 306 Pearl St., Medina, from 3 to 7 p.m. and learn about and enjoy this holiday that remembers ancestors, with free activities for the whole family.
The festivities will include Mexican crafts, face painting, dance and music performances, ofrenda displays, and special food tastings. All activities will continue throughout the day: a full schedule can be found at www.MedinaDoD.com.
The Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration is a time of joyful remembrance of deceased loved ones, filled with an array of colors, scents, sounds and stories. Centered around the observance of All Saints and All Souls Days on November 1 and 2, the celebration also includes images and ideas about the roles of ancestors in our lives that trace back to Mexico’s indigenous peoples. Tradition holds that this is the one time of the year when souls can return to earth for a day and commune with their families and friends.
“It’s wonderful to partner with the YMCA, along with the continuing support of local Medina businesses and community members” said Karen Canning, director of GLOW Traditions at GO Art!
Mexican celebrations of the holiday often include animated skeletons, colorfully decorated skulls (calaveras), and elaborately cut tissue paper banners, emphasizing life’s continuing vibrancy in the midst of mortality.
These attendees show off their sugar skulls during the 2022 Day of the Dead Celebration in Medina.
Local business owners and community groups are hosting workshops in such arts, including sugar skulls, paper flowers, flags, and banners, and paper masks. Hosts and volunteers include Della’s Chocolates, The Downtown Browsery, Oak Orchard Girl Scouts, and Medina High School students.
Canalside Tattoos will offer temporary tattoos, Case-Nic Cookies will have Day of the Dead themed cookies for sale, and vendors including Las Toxicas will feature Mexican jewelry and clothing for purchase. Far Out Faces will host face painting, and Mariachi de Oro will provide samples of Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muerto (bread of the dead), a typical food of the holiday. Maizal Mexican Kitchen will offer several items for sale, including tamales, fruit with tajin, and snacks.
Beautiful altars (ofrendas) in homes welcome the returning souls and feature candles, wild marigolds, incense, photographs, mementos and loved ones’ favorite foods like fruit, tortillas, tamales, chocolate, and bread. Members of the Rosario family will again create a large ofrenda at the YMCA in the style of their hometown in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Attendees can contribute to a community ofrenda, by placing a candle (electric, provided) and adding a remembrance of loved ones. New this year will be ofrenda installations created by Spanish class students from Medina and Kendall, as part of field trips to the YMCA prior to the event.
Photos courtesy of Karen Canning. Karla Alcala, left, with musicians and dancers from Alma de Mexico at the 2022 Day of the Dead Celebration.
Mexican dance and music performances will be presented at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. by Alma de México, a group from Rochester led by Karla Alcalá. A former member of a folkloric dance group in Mexico, Karla now teaches community members traditional dance from a variety of regions. Live music will also be provided by La Marimba, a marimba band from Buffalo, led by Tiffany Nicely.
Everyone is invited to join in the fun, and feel free to come in Day of the Dead themed outfits.
We also welcome artists—Dan Butler, Ted Canning and Ruben Ornelas—from the GLOW Creatives collective, supported by a 2-year grant from Creatives Rebuild New York. They will assist with face painting, sound reinforcement, and community ofrendas, respectively.
MEDINA – The Medina Sandstone Trust is making several thousand dollars available in grants to community organizations and projects.
The grants generally range from $200 to $500 and are awarded to qualifying not-for-profit organizations and/or programs in the Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby region.
Funding is intended to help programs that clearly benefit the community and that have favorable tax and regulatory status.
To apply for a grant, organization leaders need to fill out a Sandstone Trust Applications form and mail to Sandstone Trust, Post Office Box 25, Medina, New York 14103 by the application deadline, Nov. 4.
Application forms can be obtained as follows:
In person at Michael Zelazny, CPA, 511 Main Street, Medina, NY 14103
By regular mail request sent to Sandstone Trust, PO Box 25, Medina, NY 14103
Questions may be sent by email at sandstonesociety@gmail.com or by calling Michael Zelazny, CPA at 585-798-1006.
Last year, the Sandstone Trust approved $500 grants to the following: Beds from Brian, Inc., Boxwood Cemetery Commission, Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern, Joint Recreation Commission, OCALS Learning Services, YMCA, Orleans Renaissance Group, P.Raising Kids Child Care Center, Go Art! and Medina Historical Society.
Photos and information submitted by Deborah Berry, Treasurer for VFW Post Auxiliary 1483
MEDINA – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post and Auxiliary members from the VFW Lincoln Post 1483 in Medina held a Stop 22 Walk to increase the public awareness of veterans dying by suicide – an average of 22 each day.
The members on Oct. 12 walked 22 minutes along Main Street and in the Canal Basin area. This was their first time observing the Stop 22 Walk.
A veteran in need of any type of help or services is encouraged to reach out to the VFW Post 1483 at 216 East Main Street, Medina NY.
There is also help available 24 hours a day at the National Veterans Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Casey Taylor poses for s selfie with the group of walkers on Thursday in the Canal Basin.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 15 October 2023 at 8:43 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Sandy and Marcia Stornelli watch as 3-year-old granddaughter Alara throws shovels full of dirt on a tree being planted in front of their house during an Arbor Day celebration on April 28. In the stroller is Garrett, who was 8 months old at the time. Medina has been recognized as a Tree City USA the past 16 years for its commitment to planting trees.
MEDINA – Autumn is a time which brings leaves into everyone’s mind, but for one local group, trees are a focus all year round.
The village of Medina not only has a Tree Board, but a support group called Releaf Medina, formed to raise money for the village to replace dying trees, something the Tree Board is not allowed to do.
Robert Sanderson heads Releaf Medina, with members Kathy Blackburn, Jake Hebdon, Lisa Tombari and Ginny Kropf.
And now they are asking the public for donations to purchase more trees.
The village took down 51 trees this year and replanted 46, according to Blackburn. Replacing dying trees is an unending task and can be very costly, with each tree costing upwards of $200.
Kinds of trees vary, and local resident Chris Busch has researched the soil in various areas to determine which kind of trees are best suited for each location.
Information provided by Releaf Medina states that community trees are a critical element of urban life, providing countless proven environmental, economic and health benefits. Multiple studies have shown that people living in communities with trees are healthier mentally, physically and socially.
The economics of maintaining and advancing the Medina community’s urban forest has become increasingly more challenging, the Releaf Medina board explained. It’s the harsh reality of economics today, as recent years have been forestry related costs skyrocket, while municipal expenditures have struggled to keep up.
For this reason, Releaf Medina is asking citizens to contribute to the amazing living legacy of trees by making a monetary gift.
Blackburn has also issued an invitation to local businesses to consider becoming a corporate sponsor.
“Beginning in 2005 and for several years after, the Bank of Castile (now Tompkins Community Bank) was the sole corporate sponsor of Medina’s Arbor Day,” Blackburn said. “Their annual donation made a long-term community impact and helped launch what has become a renowned urban forestry program.”
Businesses becoming a corporate sponsor not only engage with their employees and investors, but also build community through the support of grassroots public environmental stewardship, according to Blackburn. It is a chance to make a tangible difference in a highly visible way that will stand for generations and leave a positive and beneficial living legacy for the future that will be seen every day.
All gifts to Releaf Medina are tax-deductible and can be made in three ways.
As a General Donation, the money helps replace street trees in neighborhoods throughout the village. Donors are recognized on a tree foundation sign at City Hall. Suggested amounts are $25 to $199 (Good Citizen); $200 to $299 (Silver); $300 to $499 (Gold); $500 and up (Platinum).
Gifts In Memory cost $300. They will fund trees placed in one of Medina’s six parks and will be identified with a granite marker honoring a loved one or in recognition of the donor’s family or organization. Memorial trees can be located on streets without a granite marker and cost $275.
To designate a tree On Your Street, the cost is $250. If the village determines a tree or trees are needed on that street, the donor may request a specific location. Those donors are also recognized on a sign at City Hall.
Checks for tree donations should be made payable to ORG/Medina Releaf and mailed to P.O. Box 543, Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 October 2023 at 4:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Joe Dibley of Albion makes a scarecrow with his son Keegan, 6, and friend Aubriella Hucknall, 3, of Albion. They are stuffing hay into clothes.
They were among a crowd that made about 200 scarecrows today at the Orleans County 4-H fairgrounds in an event organized by the Medina Lions Club.
The crowd wasn’t deterred by a rainy day. The scarecrow-making was inside.
The biggest challenge for some of the people was fitting the scarecrows into their car.
“I can’t believe how big they are,” Dibley said.
This scarecrow is on an “operating table” and gets its clothes secured by Lions Club members Jim Hancock and Stacy Leavitt. About 40 Lions Club members participated in running today’s event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hancock and Tom Beach served as co-chairmen of the event.
Medina Lions Club member Jim Punch assists Brandi Mack of Lyndonville with a scarecrow.
Hunter and Vivianna D’Agostino of Gasport work together to stuff a scarecrow. The straw was donated by Ed Neal of Poverty Hills Dairy Farm in Albion and Ken Dunham.
The D’Agostintos have been coming to the scarecrow fest for at least three years. Their father, Vinny D’Agostino, said the scarecrows are very durable. The one the made a year ago has lasted all year. They use it to scare away birds from their chickens.
These pillows were decorated by Medina art students in Jen Scott’s classes.
The MAAC Thrift Shop in Medina provides the clothes for the scarecrows with any leftovers coming back for next year’s event.
Barden Homes in Middleport donates the wood for the T-posts to give the scarecrows some support for their backs and arms.
Pete Kaiser secures the hat on this scarecrow. He said there was a big rush of people this morning to make scarecrows.
Carol Bellack provides some assistance getting a hat on this scarecrow.
The Crawford family in Lyndonville made two scarecrows. They include Ashley, Cohlson, Harli and Aaron. Cohlson and Harli’s brother Roenen also helped make the scarecrows.
The Crawfords said they expected to put the scarecrow on a rocking chair on their porch.
The event also included a first-time “PumpkinPalooza” organized and judged by the Master Gardeners in Orleans County. Richard Gudgel won the award for “best-carved” pumpkin.
Other awards included “best decorated” for Tammy Leach and “ugliest gourd” for Lisa Lancaster.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2023 at 7:07 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – The Village of Medina teamed with the Orleans County YMCA on a new 9-hole disc golf course. Most of the new course is in a wooded area at Gulf Street Park.
Hole 1 goes across the wide open grassy area of the park with the basket near the entrance to the woods. Then the next eight holes are in the wooded area. The village Department of Public Works cleared a path in the woods for the different disc golf holes.
The new course opened on Saturday. The tee boxes still need to be added, but the starting points are marked with pink flags for beginners or blue for more skilled players.
Manny Velez, 34, of Medina tried the course for the first time this afternoon. Velez is shown here before his first shot on the Hole 8. Velez has been playing disc golf for about two years.
“This is pretty challenging,” he said about Medina’s new course.
He likes the weaving paths in the woods, and how the course starts and ends in a loop. He said he is grateful to have a course so close by.
“Having it in town we don’t have to travel,” he said. “It’s awesome.”
The basket for Hole 8 is only a few feet from the water of Glenwood Lake.
Here is another view of the basket for Hole 8 with the lake in the background.
Manny Velez retrieves one of his frisbees that he threw a little too hard with it landing in the water. Velez said the lake is shallow near the course so it wasn’t hard to get the frisbee back.
Once the tee boxes are added, with the distance to the baskets noted, Velez said he can better calculate which frisbee to throw and how far.
He urged people to give disc golf a try, and to go easy on themselves in the beginning. It takes practice to learn how to angle the throws and get the right distance.
The basket for Hole 7 is tucked in close to many trees.
Medina’s DPW used a skid steer with a forestry head to carve a path in the woods, mulching brush and small trees.
Medina worked with the Orleans County YMCA to develop the course in a project funded by a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Albion did a similar project at Bullard Park.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation gave the YMCA $20,000 to $24,000 to develop the projects with tee boxes, signs and baskets that are mounted in small concrete foundations – 8 inches wide by 20 inches deep.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 October 2023 at 8:43 am
Case-Nic Cookies owner backs many agencies and causes
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Mary Kou Tuohey started Case-Nic Cookies in 1995 and has supported many local fundraisers with the business. She will receive a Community Service Award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 19.
MEDINA – The announcement she would be receiving a Community Service Award from the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is a surprise and an honor, said Mary Lou Tuohey.
The owner of Case-Nic Cookies at 439 Main St., Tuohey said serving her community is just what she does.
Tuohey was a registered nurse when she decided to change careers.
“I had always wanted to own a cookie shop,” she said. “I tried to get into Lockport Mall, but they refused me. I thought about going back to school to become a doctor’s assistant, but with two young kids, that wasn’t an option.”
She figured with her own store, the kids wouldn’t have to go to a baby sitter, and on Feb. 11, 1995, she opened her bakery.
“It was just me and my family,” she said.
Three days later was Valentine’s Day and with her nephew behind the counter they opened the door.
“It was horrifying,” she said. “People filled the sidewalk outside the door. I only had one regular oven and offered four kinds of cookies. I couldn’t bake fast enough.”
She went home that night and thought, “I think I’ve made a big mistake.”
Her first store was down the street and when the store at 439 Main St. became vacant, she moved there.
Her business continued to grow. She added more varieties of cookies, including cutouts, cupcakes and brownies.
She had named the store after her and husband David’s two children, Casey and Nicole. Nicole was born with Triple X Syndrome and has received tremendous support from The Arc. So naturally, The Arc was one of the causes Tuohey started to support.
Both of her parents died of Alzheimers, so that also has become a favorite charity. Every year, Nicole makes links out of construction paper and Tuohey sells them in the cookie shop, with all the money going to the Alzheimer’s Association. She annually is a leader in organizing the Walk for Alzheimer’s. Nicole also makes bracelets and Mary Lou makes cutout cookies, all of which are sold for $1 to benefit their charities.
Tuohey used to sponsor a basket raffle every year, but when Covid hit in March 2020, she couldn’t do a traditional event. So she devised a system where she numbered the baskets and printed them out on a sheet of paper. That was placed in an envelope and put inside a bucket outside her door when the store was closed. Supporters could choose what baskets they wanted and write the number of tickets they wanted placed in each basket. Then they put their money in the envelope with the sheet and drop it in the mail slot.
That became the norm for non-profits’ basket raffles. Tuohey has given up the window in her store and allows any non-profit to use it for their raffle for a month.
She generously donates to benefits when she is asked, providing a basket for their raffle or a gift certificate.
“I ask people for donations for The Arc and the Alzheimer’s Association, and those who ask me for donations are struggling, so if I can help them, I do.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 October 2023 at 9:14 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) These sound bowls emit different frequencies when rubbed by a special mallet, as demonstrated by holistic healer Cassandra Boring. (Right) Cassandra Boring performs Reiki in her Sandstone Holistic Healing Center, which includes this bed with lighted crystals, used to relieve stress, anxiety and acute pain.
MEDINA – Cassandra Boring, one of the owners of Mystic Dragon’s Lair, a metaphysical New Age store at 339 Main St., has also recently opened a new business, Sandstone Holistic Healing Center.
Boring has wanted to help heal people her entire life, she said. She wanted to go to medical school, but with two kids (now three) and a full-time job, she couldn’t keep a high enough grade point average. She did, however, graduate from Brockport State College, earning degrees in biology and criminal justice with a minor in sociology and forensics, as well as a second dual in biology and sociology with a minor in chemistry.
Cassandra Boring holds a stack of her certifications in different forms of holistic healing. She sits next to a selenite stone from Morocco, used to cleanse negative energy from a space and change it into positive.
“When I started Mystic Dragon’s Lair, I realized there were other ways I could help people,” Boring said.
The store sells jewels, incense, crystals and jewelry.
Mystic Dragon’s Lair and Sandstone Holistic Healing Center are located in the building where her father, Scott Wengewicz, opened Patriot Guns last November. He is also the Shelby town supervisor.
When Boring decided to open a holistic healing center, she began studying various forms of healing and has been certified in a dozen different fields, including traditional and Shamanic Reiki, crystal light therapy, sound therapy and Rife ray therapy.
Boring explained that holistic healing is a supplemental way for people to enhance their healing when traditional medicine does not do enough for them.
“If I can find something natural to help me, I’d rather do that than take another medication,” she said.
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing method which claims to help cleanse and align the seven chakras of the body. Boring said the body has 122 energy points total and when they are all working properly, we feel good.
Crystal light bed uses a light bed that emits frequencies through vogue quartz crystals to aid in reducing stress, anxiety and acute pain. It targets the mind, body and spirit.
Often in sessions, Boring said she may see spirit animals or other spiritual signs that have connections to the client.
She said the crystal light bed helps align the chakras.
“They are like a gear system,” she said. “If one is out of line, they don’t work.”
She said the therapy was first used on veterans for PTSD and pain.
She also performs animal Reiki, which helps animals in times of stress or transition. Boring said animals can benefit from Reiki just as people can.
Lights of all colors are used for crystal light therapy, as shown here by Cassandra Boring.
Boring is particularly excited about the Rife machine. She explained it was founded in the 1930s by Royal Raymond Rife to help his patients with cancer. He did a study on 16 people, of which 14 had immediate results and the other two had positive results later with more treatment. It has been found to work on other illnesses as well.
Boring said everything has its own frequency, and by using a Rife machine, those frequencies can be used to target unhealthy cells, causing them to divide and explode.
She also has singing bowls and tongue drums for sound therapy.
Aromatherapy can be added during sessions to make people feel calm and relaxed, Boring said.
The healing center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome, but Boring advises making an appointment by calling (585) 318-4565.
She stresses that her healing methods aren’t intended to replace traditional treatments, but to offer a supplemental treatment that might help.
Photos by Lydia Battaglia: (Left) Friends of Boxwood Cemetery welcomed 280 guests on Saturday evening for music, lighting and insights from docents. (Right) The L’Hommedieu monument was illumined for the evening’s event.
Press Release, Friends of Boxwood Cemetery
MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery in Medina promised a “Bigger and Better” Boxwood at Night and they did not disappoint. The event was held on September 30 with pver 280 people in attendance. That is up 27 percent from last year.
The attendees were enchanted by the sights and sounds of Boxwood at Night. One of the most frequently used words by guests to describe the evening was, “magical,” according to docent Sandra Philbrick.
Guests were treated to a 1-mile meander through the cemetery which had lighting elements throughout. The lighting was designed by the committee members with the assistance of Dan Wiegand from Lockport Stage Works.
Cosmic Oases performed during the event.
The magic was enhanced by the artistic entertainment that was made possible by a grant from GO ART! Stacy Steverson twirled to the music with lighted hula hoops and fabrics.
Cosmic Oases took guests on a musical journey with their enchanting sounds. The Orleans County String Band delighted guests with their three-piece band playing Appalachian old-time string band music.
Medina art teacher Jen Scott wowed the guests with her creative original works of art. Robby Klino, the president of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, said, “Her artwork was amazing and it seemed to pop up when you least expected it, providing another element of surprise.”
Medina art teacher Jen Scott created these intriguing art installations.
The magical evening did not end there. Guests were treated to stories presented by 11 docents at seven gravesites and in the S. Mainville Burroughs Memorial Chapel, who helped to enlighten and entertain them.
“The docents all did a fabulous job,” according to co-chairperson Todd Bensley. “Many did their own research and all of them showed up in period costumes.”
Co-chairperson Nicole Bensley was impressed by the volunteers from the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Security and Law Class, Medina High School and local business Velocitii, as well as individuals from the community who stepped up to help.
“They all played an important role in the success of the event,” she said.
Tom Philbrick, Sandra Philbrick and Miranda Star were among the 11 docents sharing information about people buried in the cemetery.
She particularly thanked Dale Short, of Shorty’s Beast, who is in charge of cemetery maintenance, for all his help. She declared, “He was instrumental in the success of the evening.”
Klino also would like to thank the many businesses who donated money or raffle items to help raise funds for the continuing chapel restoration and other projects in the cemetery.
To stay up-to-date on upcoming events, and to see a complete list of those who helped out, you can check out the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery Facebook Page.
(Left) This photo shows the plot for Edward Davey Sr. and (Right) features the Bent and Underhill family plots.
Stacy Steverson entertained with Hula Hoops that were lighted up.
