Village Board also approves Boxwood at Night event for Oct. 3

File photo by Tom Rivers: Sandra and Tom Philbrick portray Susan and John Bland at the Bland family plot during the Boxwood at Night event on Oct. 5, 2024. The Philbricks live in the Bland family home on West Center Street. Boxwood at Night returns on Oct. 3.

MEDINA – The Village Board on Monday authorized spending $22,800 to remove seven trees in Boxwood Cemetery.

The board also approved spending $8,500 to reset two monuments that are in a precarious position. The money comes from two cemetery funds.

The Boxwood Cemetery Commission was initially eyeing about $36,000 be spent to repair the Newell retaining wall. But Jake Hebdon, the leader of the commission, said the group is very concerned about the seven dead trees and wants them removed because they pose a danger to the public, and the monuments and headstones at the cemetery.

Hebdon urged the Village Board to make it a priority to have the trees removed before Boxwood hosts two Medina cross country races in the falls and the Boxwood at Night event on Oct. 3.

“Due to liability issues the trees should take major precedence,” Hebdon said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. “If we could green light that ASAP that would be fantastic.”

The Village Board approved the $22,800 bid from Lakeshore Tree Service in Gasport to remove the large trees, which include maple, beech and oak.

The board approved paying Brigden Memorials in Albion $8,500 to take care of two large monuments that are close to toppling over. That includes the Hedley monument and a spire for the Fuller family.

Brigden will need to put in new concrete footers and move the monuments, dissembling and then resetting them.

The village has been the caretaker of the Boxwood Cemetery since about 1850, even though the site is outside the village. Mayor Debbie Padoleski said will reach out to Town of Ridgeway officials about helping to support the cemetery, which is in the town.

The Village Board also gave its blessing for the Boxwood at Night event on Oct. 3. The event features dramatic lighting around the cemetery, as well as music and highlighting some of the prominent people in the cemetery. Boxwood at Night is the biggest fundraiser for the Friends of Boxwood.

Todd Bensley, one of the Friends members, said past events helped raise money to refurbish a stained-glass window in the chapel. He is hopeful a new memorial will be ready by Oct. 3 for the 107 people buried in a potter’s field. Only 28 have head stones. The Friends wants to list all 107 people.

The village approved closing the cemetery at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 to allow for setup. The DPW will deliver five traffic barricades at the cemetery entrances and Glenwood Boat Launch. The DPW also will bring two garbage barrels near the boat launch and deliver two light stands.

Police department at half strength with 6 out of 12 officers

File photo by Tom Rivers: Miles Erickson is shown taking the oath of office on June 26, 2023 when he joined the Medina Police Department. He has resigned to join another law enforcement agency.

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department is down another officer after Miles Erickson submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 6, as a police officer. That puts Medina at half strength, with only six officers out of 12.

Village officials said another officer is expected to resign soon, further reducing the staff to five officers.

Medina police officers are in a contractual impasse with an arbitrator trying to reach a new contract between the village and the police union. Officers have been without a new contract for over three years.

Medina officers are paid significantly less than at other departments, including the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and Albion Police Department, where the pay gap is $20,000 or more a year. In Medina, the starting pay is $50,930. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has a base salary of about $75,000.

Medina officers have recently left to join the Sheriff’s Office and Albion PD.

Mayor Debbie Padoleski said she has seen some of the speculation on social media, where people are wondering if the Medina PD could be shut down. She said there are no plans to dissolve the department.

The Village Board will soon be interviewing candidates for police chief, and she is hopeful an arbitrator will help resolve the contractual impasse.

Erickson’s departure follows the resignations of Police Chief Christian Navas and Sgt. Jacob Reeves, who have joined the Sheriff’s Office. The Village Board accepted their resignations on July 13.

Tim Zeiner, a village resident, asked the board on Monday if it would consider a study about possibly dissolving the police department. He said Medina often hires new recruits, puts them through the police academy, and them sees them leave for higher-paying departments.

He said dissolving the Medina PD and contracting with the Sheriff’s Office for extra patrols in the village could be an option for keeping experienced officers working in Medina. Either look at dissolving, or give the Medina officers pay increases to be on par with other local departments, Zeiner said.

The mayor said her goal is to rebuild the department and keep the Medina PD. The Village Board on July 16 appointed Sgt. Jonathan McManus to serve as sergeant in charge, handling the administrative duties until a new police chief is hired.

“There are no plans by this board to dissolve our police department,” Padoleski said at Monday’s Village Board meeting.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Children held out their hands hoping a Monarch butterfly would land in their palms, after the butterfly release Saturday on the Floating Barge on the Erie Canal in Medina. (Right) Dave O’Donnell, founder of the Eastern Monarch Butterfly Farm in Clarence, prepares to release 50 Monarch butterflies on Saturday afternoon.

MEDINA – A Monarch butterfly release from the Medina Triennial’s Floating Barge drew a crowd estimated at more than 200 Saturday afternoon.

As the Triennial concludes its eighth week today (Sunday), co-director Kari Conte said the event has been attracting people from across the country. She reported on Friday there were visitors from Ithaca, New York City, Massachusetts, California and Toronto, many of whom spent at least one night.

Grace McKissock, an intern with Great Lakes Education, and volunteer Emma Tanovis are dressed as butterflies on Medina’s floating barge, where a Monarch butterfly release took place Saturday afternoon.

Three friends from Williamsville said they visit Medina at least twice a year.

 “We love this town, its shops, Zambistro’s, the scenery and the community,” said Eileen Giarraffa of Williamsville, who was there with Lora Fletcher and Eileen Torse.

The Floating Barge, also called a “food forest on the Erie Canal,” was open for harvesting beginning at noon.

At 1 p.m. today, Conte will conduct a curatorial tour at the historic Medina High School, 324 Catherine St.  She will share information about participating artists and their works.

Volunteers Terry Cook and David Sidari greet visitors to the Floating Barge in Medina’s Canal Basin, prior to a butterfly release Saturday by Dave O’Donnell of Clarence.

Crowds stood with cameras ready to capture the release of 50 Monarch butterflies Saturday afternoon on the Floating Barge in Medina’s Canal Basin. A Monarch can be seen in the upper left corner on a flowering bush.

Photo from Medina Fire Department: Fire destroyed a house at 208 Prospect Ave. in Medina this morning and spread next door.

Press Release, Medina Fire Department

MEDINA – As many of you can imagine, we had a very difficult morning on Prospect Avenue. We are incredibly grateful that no residents or firefighters were injured. Sadly, some family pets were lost in the fire, and our thoughts are with the families affected during this difficult time.

We were dispatched at 4:22 a.m. and arrived on scene at 4:24 a.m. to find a significant volume of fire, with the possibility of occupants trapped inside. The crew of Engine 11 immediately began search operations until it was confirmed that everyone had safely escaped the original fire building.

A second alarm was struck at 4:26 a.m. as crews worked to protect the neighboring home at 206 Prospect Avenue, located approximately 20 feet north of the original structure. Once all occupants of that residence were accounted for, a third alarm was requested at 4:36 a.m. as additional manpower and equipment were needed after the fire breached the exterior of 206 Prospect Avenue. Multiple crews worked simultaneously to search for occupants while extinguishing fire throughout both floors and the attic space of that home.

Eight of Orleans County’s eleven fire departments responded to the scene, along with two departments from Niagara County. Fire departments from Niagara, Monroe, and Genesee counties also staffed stations throughout Orleans County to ensure emergency coverage remained available while crews battled the fire.

We cannot thank our brothers and sisters from every department enough for their hard work, professionalism, and support today, whether they were operating on scene or covering our stations. We also appreciate the assistance provided by Orleans County Emergency Management and the Orleans County Highway Department.

To the many residents who stopped by with encouraging words, cold drinks, and support throughout the morning—thank you. Your kindness means more than you know. We wish we could thank everyone individually, but we know we’d unintentionally leave someone out.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, with assistance from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The photo accompanying this post was provided by a nearby resident and was taken just after they called 911 to report the fire.

Again, thanks to all that assisted us today.

Steve Cooley

Chief of Department

Photo by Ginny Kropf: A house at 208 Prospect Ave. was reduced to rubble after a fire this morning.

MEDINA – Three people are homeless in a fire early this morning, which completely destroyed an apartment house at 208 Prospect Ave. and displaced at least five people in the house next door at 206 Prospect Ave.

Medina Fire Department received the call at 4:20 a.m. and arrived at the scene at 4:24 a.m., said Medina Fire Chief Steve Cooley.

“The house was fully engulfed and three people were outside when we arrived,” Cooley said. “When the ambulance arrived, they said fire was coming from every window.”

A dog and cat were also lost in the fire.

Considerable damage was done to all three stories of the house next door and some damage to a house across the street.

The houses in that location are 20 feet apart, and Cooley said had they not responded as quickly as they did, an entire block of homes could have been destroyed. The fire was extinguished in an hour.

He said indications are the fire started on the front porch.  Cooley said they received assistance from every department in Orleans County and addition help from Niagara County.

Cooley praised all the responders, saying they did a great job of getting the fire extinguished.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Donning his ventriloquist hat, Mike Randall banters with his puppet Timmy during a performance Thursday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. (Right) Dudley the Duck and ventriloquist Mike Randall entertain with their antics during Thursday’s appearance at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

MEDINA – Children and their families who attended Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s summer reading series program on Thursday got to see local television personality Mike Randall perform his magic/puppet show. Seventy children were signed up for the program, which was the first in the new section of the library.

Sawyer Green of Medina was one of the parents who came with her son Glenn, niece Norah Bennett, and nephew Zeke Bennett, 6, to see Randall perform.

“We come to the library all the time, and my oldest son and I saw Mike in Dickens and loved it,” Sawyer said. “Some of the kids have seen Mike at school and they are happy to be seeing him again.”

Mike Randall greets his young audience prior to a puppet/magic show he performed Thursday morning at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. Sawyer Green of Medina brought her niece and nephew, Norah, 4, and Zeke Bennett, 6, and her son Glenn Green, 4, to see Randall.

Randall, who recently moved to Medina with his wife Kathy, presents a fast-paced program featuring puppets, magic, comedy, ventriloquism and audience participation.

A man of many hats , Randall has become one of Western New York’s most popular entertainers, having performed at many local events, including the Cattaraugus County Fair, M&T Plaza, Eastern Hills Mall Children’s Theater Series, the Toy Festival in East Aurora, Lewiston’s Wildlife Festival at the New York Power Authority, Cuba Garlic Festival, as well as schools and libraries throughout the area.

Mike Randall chose these four children to help with his dinosaur/archeology-themed show at Lee-Whedon. The children hold posters depicting things than archeologists might dig up, such as jewelry, pottery, bones and tools.

Randall’s first experience with magic was when he was 6 and saw a man who sounded like Harry Potter entertaining in the street with a deck of cards. He has loved puppets from the time he was a child, watching Howdy Doody and Paul Winchell. At the age of 7 he spent three months in the hospital, recovering from an automobile accident. The one thing which kept him from going stir crazy was a set of Disney hand puppets his grandmother had given him. He has loved puppets ever since.

In 1978 and ’79 he was hired as one of the 20 Marvelous Magical Burger-Kings, performing shows across WNY, northern Pennsylvania and southern Ontario, Canada.

Although he has received rave reviews for his fun-filled entertaining shows, Randall is best-known for his weather-forecasting and award-winning feature reporting for 40 years at WKBW-TV. He has interviewed celebrities such as John Candy, Steve Allen, Red Skelton, Gregory Peck, Willie Nelson and Robert Goulet. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2017 and retired from WKBW in August 2023.

A native of Western New York, Randall is also a professional actor and playwright. His plays have won awards and been produced at theaters locally and nationwide. He has performed a variety of roles in theaters in Western New York and around the country. He continues to perform his critically acclaimed, one-man portrayal of Mark Twain Live! In 2017 he conceived, wrote, directed and starred in the holiday solo show, Charles Dickens Presents: A Christmas Carol, again receiving praise from area critics and theatergoers. His presentation of Dickens at the Medina Theater shortly after moving here, sold out.

The summer reading program with a theme “Unearth a Story” will continue at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library on Thursdays through Aug. 11.

Randall continues to do shows at such venues as libraries, schools and churches. His next public shows are July 30 at the Lancaster Library, Aug. 7 at Hoag Library in Albion and the Niagara County Fair on Aug. 6 and 8. In addition, he will read the Declaration of Independence Sept. 6 for the Medina Tourism’s  bicentennial celebration at State Street Park in Medina.

Caleb was picked from the audience to help Mike Randall with a trick.

(Left) Eleanor Davis of Medina is greeted by a dinosaur (who is actually her daughter) as she arrives at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library on Thursday morning to see Mike Randall do a dinosaur-themed puppet show. (Right) Magician/ventriloquist Mike Randall picked Autumn, 6, to help him with a magic trick during his appearance at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board last week approved a bond resolution for the village to borrow up to $1.7 million for sewer system improvements.

The upgrades include replacing sewer system pump stations and upgrading the SCADA systems throughout the village.

The village is seeking grants to help with the costs, so the final money needed to borrow may be less than $1.7 million.

 Medina initially authorized a bond for a maximum $1,250,000 in Oct. 11, 2021. But the project has been modified and the anticipated costs are higher, prompting the Village Board to seek a higher serial bond.

MEDINA – The Medina Rotary Club is interested in developing a new baseball field at Pine Street Park in the village.

Carl Tuohey, a member of the Rotary Club, last week presented the proposal to the Village Board. He said the club has built up some funds and wants to put some of that money to a baseball diamond.

Tuohey said he expects Job Corps students could be part of helping to create the field.

Village Board members want Tuohey to work on planning the project with Jason Watts, the superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

Pine Street Park has become a more active site since new playground and splash pad were added in 2019. Donors contributed $150,000 to those upgrades.

File photo: Jonathan McManus takes the oath of office as a Medina police officer on Sept. 26, 2022. He has been appointed as sergeant in charge.

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department has a new leader while the village looks to appoint a police chief.

Sgt. Jonathan McManus was appointed sergeant in charge during a special Village Board meeting on July 16. McManus joined the Medina PD as a police officer on Sept. 26, 2022.

He will get an additional $400 a week stipend while leading the department until a police chief is appointed. McManus’s appointment as sergeant in charge was effective July 20.

The Village Board on July 13 accepted the resignation of Police Chief Christian Navas and Sgt. Jacob Reeves. They are both going to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Navas had his last day in Medina on July 19 while Reeves’s last day was July 20.

Both left Medina to join the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for significant boosts in pay, said Mark Prawel, a Medina village trustee and retired Medina police officer.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Todd Draper (right), the former Medina police chief, runs with current Medina police officer Dustin Meredith at about noon today at the Medina High School track.

Draper wore Brett Sobieraski’s  watch that tracked the laps and distance. Draper now works with Sobieraski in the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force. They are both investigators.

Brett Sobieraski has been hobbled by bad blisters and cellulitis in his feet. After 7 miles today he was advised by healthcare professionals to not keep running more today. Matt Jackson, the former Medina fire chief, stopped by to run laps and check on Sobieraski.

He already logged more about 250 miles the first five days of an 8-day run for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. He set a goal of 400 miles. Although he won’t do all of those himself, he said others will ensure the 400-mile goal is reached.

Besides Draper filling in for Sobrieski, Roger Bolton, an ultra-marathoner from Albion, completed many miles around the Medina track.

Sobieraski said he expects to be back running around Holley’s track on Friday at 7 a.m. with a 55-mile goal for the day.

The Community Action 400 concludes Saturday with 15 final miles at the Albion High School track beginning at 8 a.m.

People are welcome to join him, walking or running around the track.

Sobieraski is trying to raise $20,000 for Community Action, which has faced budget cuts. Click here to make a donation online.

Julia Rohde, a star runner for Roy-Hart, completed some fast-paced laps around the track today in Medina.