By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2023 at 3:28 pm
MEDINA – Medina village officials want to give their seven snow plows and dump trucks a more personal touch, and also engage the community in the fleet of big vehicles operated by the Department of Public Works.
The village wants to invite the community to give names to the snow plows and dump trucks. Other communities around the state and country have done similar efforts, and the results have often been funny – “Sled Zeppelin” in honor of the rock band and “Snowbi Wan Kenobi” for the Jedi from Star Wars.
Village Trustee Tim Elliott suggested the village name the plows and dump trucks. It won’t cost much, Elliott said. It might just be a vinyl sticker on the vehicle.
He would like to reach out to the Medina school district to see if the naming contest could be promoted at the district. The village could also post photos of the vehicles and seek the community’s input.
Elliott offered to take the lead in seeking public feedback. The other Village Board members gave him their blessing to pursue the idea.
“It’s something engaging, that’s all it is,” Elliott said. “It’s just something fun.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: One of the baskets for a disc golf course is shown in late October at lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, which currently has the only disc golf course in the county. Nine-hole courses are expected to be added in Medina and Albion this year, in projects led by the Orleans County YMCA.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2023 at 2:42 pm
MEDINA – The leader of the YMCA in Orleans County is hopeful a new nine-hole disc golf course will ready in the spring at Gulf Street Park in Medina.
Jesse Cudzilo, executive director of the Y, met with the Village Board on Monday to give an update on the project. The Y has a grant for $20,000 to $24,000 from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to put in 18 holes of disc golf in the county. The Y is also doing a 9-hole course at Bullard Park in Albion.
The grant covers tee boxes, signs and baskets that are mounted in small concrete foundations – 8 inches wide by 20 inches deep.
The Medina Village Board wants to see a final map of the course design at Gulf Street Park, showing the distance for each hole. Most of the course will be in a wooded area.
The village Department of Public Works will need to clear some of the wooded area for the course. The village may ask local towns and the county to help with that clearing.
The village and Y also may reach out to the Iroquois Job Corps to see if their masonry students want to help put in the concrete tee boxes. The village may also decide to use a turf tee box in the beginning “and see how it goes,” said Mayor Mike Sidari.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, left, and Village Trustee Tim Elliott are shown at Monday’s Village Board meeting. They both want more local sales tax to come to the village. The local sales tax totaled $22.5 million in Orleans County in 2022, with $149,638 coming to the Village of Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2023 at 9:20 am
Towns and villages have been at same amount since 2001
MEDINA – The Village Board says it’s long overdue for Medina to receive more of the local sales tax.
The sales tax has been on a big increase locally in recent years. It totaled $22.5 million in Orleans County in 2022, according to the state comptroller.
The county shares $1,366,671 of that with the 10 towns and four villages. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.
The Village of Medina was allocated $149,638 in sales tax in 2022 from the county.
Village officials say Medina provides many services to the community, from police and fire protection, to roads, snow plowing, parks and many other quality-of-life issues, and wants to keep making improvements.
However, it isn’t able to tap into more in the local sales tax because the County Legislature won’t change the revenue-sharing formula.
Mayor Mike Sidari said more of the sales tax would help to tamp down the village tax rates, which are among the highest in the Finger Lakes Region.
“We get hammered by our residents that our taxes are going up but we don’t get any help from the county,” Sidari said.
Orleans County’s sales tax revenue is up by $4.8 million or 27 percent in the past three years. In 2019, the sales tax collections were at $17.7 million, followed by $19.4 million in 2020, $21.8 million in 2021 and $22.5 million last year, according to the state comptroller’s office.
Richard Moy, the Clarendon town supervisor, is urging officials from all 10 towns and four villages in the county to press the Legislature to give more of the sales tax to the local municipalities.
The $1,366,671 to the towns and villages represents 6.1 percent of the total local sales tax in the county. Moy wants the county to get to 14 percent shared with the towns and villages. That’s the level the county was at in 1996, Moy said in a letter to town and village boards in the county.
At 14 percent that would more than double what the towns and villages are currently getting.
Medina officials want more of the money, but they also want more rationale from the county on why the amounts haven’t been increased since 2001.
Medina officials want a breakdown of where the sales tax is collected in the county by zip code. Trustee Tim Elliott believes Medina, with its many small and larger businesses, is a big sales tax generator for the county.
The community’s efforts to provide services and goods should be recognized and rewarded with more of the sales tax coming directly to the village.
“I think the legislators will give us a raise but I don’t think it’s what we want, and what we deserve,” he said.
File photo: Medina Mayor Mike Sidari reads a proclamation about Arbor Day to third-graders from Medina during a tree-planting celebration on April 29, 2022.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2023 at 8:28 am
MEDINA – The village is being recognized for the 16th straight year as a “Tree City USA” for its ongoing commitment to plant trees in the village.
The Arbor Day Foundation notified Mayor Mike Sidari of the recognition “to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management.”
Medina has planted more than 1,000 trees in the past 20 years. The village meets the Tree City USA criteria with four requirements: a Tree Board or department; a tree care ordinance; and annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Medina has a Tree Board and also has formed a “Releaf Medina” to raise money to plant new trees to replace some of the older ones, especially at Boxwood Cemetery. The Tree Board helps to decides what kind and where trees can be planted and which need to be trimmed or cut down.
“Tree City USA communities see the positive effects of an urban forest firsthand,” Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in a news release. “The trees being planted and cared for by Medina are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program brings residents together and creates a sense of civic pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: A member of the Orchard Park winter guard team stands on top of a desk during Saturday’s winter guard show at Medina High School Gymnasium. Orchard Park performed a program about the difficulties of being a student in an era of mass shootings, anxiety from social media and a global pandemic.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 March 2023 at 4:41 pm
MEDINA – Medina hosted the “Colorburst 2023” winter guard competition on Saturday with 19 guard units performing in the high school gym.
About 450 people attended the competition.
Here are the results:
Exhibition: The Heritage Hurricanes is an all-abilities color guard comprised of members from the Heritage Christian Services and community members in the Rochester area. They were not scored.
Novice: Ventures, which are not scored.
Cadets: Victor in 1st with a score of 66.21; Medina in 2nd at 60.72; Jamestown in 3rd with 59.73; and Batavia in 4th with 58.13.
A1 class: Gates Chili in 1st with 71.47; Ventures in 2nd with 68.18
RA class: Corning Painted Post in 1st at 71.89; Gates Chili in 2nd with 71.47; Marcus Whitman in 3rd with 68.44; Corry in 4th at 66.46.
SA class: Orchard Park in 1st with 77.88; Victor in 2nd with 77.10; Lancaster in 3rd at 75.81; Jamestown in 4th with 73.32; and Medina in 5th at 71.71.
IA class: Gates Chili was the only competitor and came in 1st with 82.47.
Senior class: Luminosa earned 1st place with 85.41.
Medina’s next competition is March 25 in Jamestown and the championships are April 1 in Gates Chili.
Natalie Herbert of Medina and other winter guard members twirl the flags during Saturday’s competition. Medina performed a show called, “Mission: Graduate.”
The benefits of the winter guard program for participants include teamwork, fitness, timing, planning, responsibility, coordination, and goal-setting, according to the official program for the competition.
Here are some photos of the teams in the A1 and SA classes:
Ventures performed a program called “I’m a Believer.” The group performed to versions of the song by The Monkees, Smash Mouth, Bailey Pelkman, Neil Diamond and Weezer.
“It’s a mixed bag of fun, fast and pretty,” the Ventures said in describing the show.
The Gates Chili winter guard presented a show called “Journey Through The Sand.” The program featured a character who gets lost in the desert, and finds herself in a mirage of intrigue, fear and bliss. She finds herself longing for an oasis.
At the end of the program, the winter guard pulls on a long roll of blue to represent water.
The Victor varsity winter guard presented a show entitled, “Strings.” They performed songs from Pinnochio, and the Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Lancaster’s show for 2023 is called “Toxic,” which the group says “is a production of not-so-pure intentions.”
Lancaster concludes its program with a flourish.
Orchard Park program is entitled “What About Us?” and speaks to the challenges facing students in an era of social media, school shootings, race riots, and a global pandemic.
Jamestown’s winter guard performed a program entitled, “Enough.” It speaks to questions that people ask themselves, whether they are strong enough, whether they can be that independent and “Who am I?”
Jamestown’s winter guard sent a message that people reach the conclusion: “I am strong,” “I am caring,” “I am confident” and “I am enough.”
Medina’s winter guard, with Olivia Kroening in front, starts its program.
Medina performed a program entitled, “Mission: Graduate.”
‘No matter where life takes you or what path you choose, you will always meet challenges,” the group states in its program. “That is the way life is. There are no guarantees, no matter how many things you do right or how many rules you follow, there will always be that fork in the road that makes you choose this way or that. Wherever you meet this place: Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”
Gabbi Flores-Medina is a senior on the Medina winter guard team.
Lillian Wilson also is a senior for Medina’s winter guard.
Kaiana Gardner and the other winter guard member eye sabres that were tossed high during Saturday’s competition.
Malloree Rinker of Medina and the winter guard participants spun and caught colorful flags as part of the program.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Medina ladder truck only has 2 inches of clearance from the top of the fire truck when pulling in and out of the fire hall. It's also close with the side mirrors for the driver.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 March 2023 at 9:19 am
MEDINA – Firefighters and Medina Village Board members gave the community a tour of the fire house on Sunday, showing tight quarters, eroding floors, cracking walls and other deficiencies.
The board is looking to put an addition on the firehall that can better accommodate the larger fire trucks. The village also needs to replace the 27-year-old ladder truck, said Mayor Mike Sidari.
The board expects to move forward soon with a plan for an addition on fire hall that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches. That addition, plus repairs to the existing fire hall, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm.
The village will pursue no-interest or low-interest financing through the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies, Sidari said.
The ladder truck barely has room to fit into the fire hall. That building was built in the 1930s and was originally used by the Department of Public Works. The original firehouse, where the ambulances are stored, was built in 1908 when the fire apparatus included steam engines pulled by horses.
The addition would be on the current fire hall on the west side in an area that is currently a parking lot. That addition is needed to house a new ladder truck. That truck could be $1.5 million. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the lead time for a ladder truck is 39 to 42 months.
The village will need to seek bids on a new truck. Medina is looking to get a truck with a 100-foot-ladder, up from the current 75 feet.
The current truck is often in need of repair, and Mayor Sidari worries it may need to be taken out of service before a new one is ready.
The ladder truck goes out on about 350 calls a year, including about 40 for mutual aid. These are some of the most serious fires in western and central Orleans County.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson shows photos highlighting concerns in the fire hall and on the ladder truck during an open house and tour of the facility on Sunday. There will be tours offered again on Wednesday, March 15, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the current ladder truck poses safety concerns for Medina firefighters and other departments on mutual aid calls. The truck caught on fire responding to a call on Dec. 20, 2021 in the village.
He said the truck has many plumbing and electrical issues that have caused failure during “multiple fire operations.”
Other deficiencies include:
cracked windshield unable to be replaced due to age
alternator and starter have been replaced multiple times
chronic fluid leaks causing the constant need for Speedy Dry
chronic air pressure issues delay response while waiting for pressure to build
chronic air pressure issues for cause catastrophic brake failure
master discharge gauge not working, creating unknown pressure on hose lines
front intake for water supply out of service due to age and deterioration
Chief Jackson noted that the National Fire Protection Association recommends that any fire apparatuses 15 years or older should be properly maintained. Any that are still in serviceable condition should eb placed in a reserved status.
That organization also states that any fire trucks older than 25 years should be replaced.
Chief Jackson showed how the current concrete floors in the 1930s fire hall are uneven and sinking. The new fire hall addition and repair project calls for taking out the old concrete floors and putting down new concrete.
The fire chief is urging the Village Board to act on the report from Barton & Loguidice, a firm that is recommending a 4,980-square-foot addition that would be 60 by 83 feet. That new space would allow Medina to would have room for modern ambulances and fire trucks, be ADA compliant, and meet the department’s needs for the next 50 to 100 years. It would also have space for potential female firefighters.
The design for the new hall addition would have bays that allow up to 14 feet clearance. The new ladder trucks are 12 feet to 12 feet, 6 inches in height.
Jackson detailed problems with the 1930s annex for the fire hall. The department moved into the space in the 1950s.
There are cracking walls, sinking floors, eroding floors, poor drainage, leaking sewage, and an unknown condition beneath the fire apparatus bays.
Jackson said there also is significant mold/sludge in the basement and near the furnace, and significant structural issues with the center walkway.
The building also has poor security that is easy to bypass, he said.
Chief Jackson shows where three ambulances are kept in the original 1908 fire hall. That area is cramped for modern ambulances and also has drainage issues.
If Medina puts on the fire hall addition, the larger fire trucks would go in that facility with the ambulances moved to the 1930s annex. The space where the ambulances are currently kept may be used to house the patrol cars for the police department, Mayor Sidari said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 March 2023 at 4:37 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jim Punch, who oversees the Lions Club Medical Loan Closet with Dave Bellucci, poses amid the room full of medical equipment they have available for loan. They are looked for a donation of a child’s wheelchair, for which they’ve had requests.
MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club Medical Loan Closet exists to help people who need medical equipment, and now the loan closet is in need.
While the closet has been in existence for many years, having started in Lyndonville, the Lions have never had a request for a child’s wheelchair, until recently. In the past few months, they have received three such requests, according to Jim Punch, who oversees the closet with Dave Bellucci.
The Medina Lions Club Medical Loan Closet is located at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue.
The Medina Lions took over managing the Medical Loan Closet from the Lyndonville Lions in the summer of 2019. A short time later, with the help of Lyndonville Lion Russ Martino, the Medina Lions began to operate the loan closet, with the purpose to accept donations of medical items from the public and lend those items to those who need them.
“Very often, the need of these expensive items is temporary and we provide a way to reuse them and save people the expense of buying them,” Punch said. “Everyone is eligible to borrow items from us, and we serve all of Orleans and eastern Niagara counties.”
The medical equipment, which includes hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, knee scooters, braces, shower chairs, commodes and lift chairs, among other items, is stored in space generously donated by the Old Pickle Factory’s owner, Roger Hungerford, Punch said. Other equipment is stored in overflow space donated by Barden Homes.
“We are completely dependent upon individual members of the community for our medical equipment,” Punch said.
“Recently, we have had requests for pediatric wheelchairs,” he said. “A good quality children’s wheelchair is quite expensive. When they come to us they are often in a difficult financial position. It is sad when we have to turn them away.”
Punch added they are now also in need of lift chairs and hospital beds. A short time ago, they had 24 hospital beds, but 22 of them are currently loaned out. He said they continue to accept donations of most items on the list above, with some limitations due to storage space. For instance, they have about 100 aluminum walkers and have little room for more. They also have an abundance of shower chairs and commodes.
The Medina Lions is grateful to those who have donated space and to the community for helping them provide this service, but they are hoping someone will step up and help them fill the need for a child’s wheelchair.
Anyone having a child’s wheelchair to donate or who would like to donate money to purchase one may contact the Medical Loan Closet at (585) 205-3502 or Punch at (585) 332-6398.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 March 2023 at 1:52 pm
Sara Richardson says getting married at 19 one of her life’s highlights
Sara Richardson, a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, celebrated her 100th birthday today with staff and fellow residents. She will celebrate again Saturday with her family.
MEDINA – Sara Richardson never thought she’d live to be 100, but today at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, she observed her centennial birthday with a beautifully decorated cake.
“This is a milestone not many of us will see,” said activities director Jamie Murphy.
Richardson was born March 10. 1923 in Eldred, Pa., one of three children. She recalls her parents’ names were Oscar and Lily. She married Morris Richardson when she was 19. He went in the service and she went to work in a steno pool.
After the couple moved to Olean they were part of Richardson’s Grocery, a store owned by Morris’s family for many years.
Sara was also a seamstress, making most of their clothes, including daughter Moreen’s wedding gown.
After moving to East Aurora, she was church secretary at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Sara said she was always a hard worker and her family always drank milk. Like her father, she said they didn’t drink alcohol.
She still has a good appetite and likes to watch TV. She attends coffee hour at the nursing home and enjoys church services and music. She looks forward to seeing the treat cart come around and to one-on-one visits with her family.
She came to Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in October 2022 to be near her daughters, Joan who lives in Holley, and Moreen in Tonawanda.
She will have another celebration with her family on Saturday.
When asked what she considered the most exciting thing in her 100 years, she replied, “Getting married.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 March 2023 at 7:20 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce hosted its final Coffee and Conversation on Monday morning at the Quiet Eye in Medina. From left are artist and Quiet Eye owner Pat Greene, Chamber director Darlene Hartway and Orleans County district attorney Joe Cardone, who also is the owner of the Medina Theatre. About a dozen business people and local officials attended the event.
MEDINA – A dozen business people from the local area attended the final Coffee and Conversation get-together Monday morning at the Quiet Eye on East Center Street.
Attendees included Medina Mayor Mike Sidari; Lyndonville Mayor John Belson; District Attorney Joe Cardone, owner of the Medina Theatre; first assistant district attorney Susan Howard; Medina village trustees Tim Elliott, Jess Marciano and Marguerite Sherman; representatives of the Cancer Services Program; Mario Campana, new owner of Corky’s Bakery building and the former Houseman Funeral Home on Park Avenue; and several other people from the business community.
Darlene Hartway, the Chamber director, explained the meetings were developed after the Chamber board felt there was a need to find out the pulse in each community and their view on the obstacles or hurdles they face.
“We can’t help them if we don’t know what their needs and concerns are,” Hartway said.
The meetings took place periodically in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Kendall. Medina’s was the last one.
“Each has unique issues, even Lyndonville which doesn’t have a lot of huge businesses,” Hartway said. “They don’t want huge businesses. They are happy with small ones.”
Sidari shared some of the projects Medina plans to accomplish with its recent grant, including developing a path to Medina Falls and adding parking spaces. He said the grant committee is considering façade grants of $5,000 for each storefront.
Hartway explained the Chamber relies solely on member dues for its funding. The organization’s focus is promoting the county, advocating and educating.
She said the Chamber sponsors four major events a year: a legislative luncheon; Home Show, scheduled April 1 and 2; a wine walk featuring Orleans County wineries and distilleries, held at the Robin Hill Nature Preserve in Lyndonville; and the annual business awards ceremony in October.
The Chamber also sponsors “Business After Hours” events the third Thursday of each month at a different business in the county.
Cardone shared the challenges faced by law enforcement in every county because of the Bail Reform law. Criminals know they are likely not going to jail, so they get arrested and go right back out and do it all over again. He said the average person who goes to state prison has been arrested 12 times.
Cardone also said in recent years the number of judges in Orleans County has been reduced from 24 to 9.
Howard explained another problem is the fact the age for charging an individual as an adult has been changed from 18 to 16. That means if teens commit a serious crime, they aren’t going to be incarcerated with adults and could be free to commit more crimes.
Sidari also reported the New York Power Authority is putting up money to develop an art trail, which would include Medina. They have hired a designer and hope to have an art festival every three years.
Now that the Coffee and Conversation meetings have come to an end, Hartway said the Chamber will be concentrating on working with agencies to address the issues that were brought up at the meetings.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Hinsdale performs a show called “Claustrophobia” at Medina on March 9, 2019. Medina will welcome many schools to perform on Saturday.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 March 2023 at 7:42 am
MEDINA – The Medina Mustangs will host their annual home winterguard show on Saturday at Medina High School.
Doors will open at 3 p.m., with the show beginning at 4 p.m. Admission is $8 per person, with children under 3 admitted free.
Nineteen guards are scheduled to compete in seven classes and exhibition.
First to take the floor in the Novice class will be the Ventures at 4 p.m.
In the Cadet Class, Jamestown is scheduled at 4:07 p.m., followed by Batavia, Victor and Medina.
The RA Class will begin at 4:37 p.m., featuring the Ventures, Corry, Gates-Chili, Marcus Whitman and Corning-Painted Post.
Following an intermission from 5:20 to 6:10 p.m., the show will resume with Gates-Chili in A1 Class; and Victor, Lancaster, Orchard Park, Jamestown and Medina in Scholastic A Class.
The final performers are Gates-Chili in Independent A Class and Luminosa in the Senior Class.
A retreat and presentation of awards will take place at 7:40 p.m.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 6 March 2023 at 6:42 pm
Case-Nic also doing basket raffle as fundraiser for agency
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) From left, Mary Lou Tuohey and her sisters Laura McDonough and Amy Murray set up a window display at Case-Nic Cookies to promote a basket raffle in celebration of March as “Developmental Disabilities Month.” (Right) Nicole Tuohey, left, and her mom Mary Lou give feedback to Mary Lou’s sisters, Laura McDonough, left, in the window and Amy Murray who are helping set up a display at Case-Nic Cookies for a window basket raffle to benefit ARC Glow.
MEDINA – Case-Nic Cookies is again celebrating March as “Developmental Disabilities Month” by urging everyone to “have a heart.”
The business’s owner, Mary Lou Tuohey, wants to send a message that no one should be judged by their disabilities.
Nicole Tuohey holds a cookie which her mom’s shop, Case-Nic Cookies, is selling, along with bracelets Nicole made to benefit ARC Glow.
In support of Developmental Disabilities Month, Tuohey and her daughter Nicole are again promoting a window basket raffle to support Arc GLOW. Nicole, who was born with Triple X Syndrome, attended the Arc’s Rainbow Preschool from the age of 3 months to 5 years and currently attends Day Hab through Arc Glow.
Also in honor of the month, Case-Nic is selling heart-shaped cookies for $1 and Nicole has made bracelets, which also sell for $1. All proceeds go towards programs that assist individuals who are part of the Arc.
The window raffle will feature more than 50 items on which to take a chance, including 29 gift certificates from Medina merchants. There are also wine baskets, books, lottery tickets and Bills and Sabres memorabilia.
Mary Lou came up with the idea for a window raffle during Covid, when people couldn’t congregate. The baskets are all on display in Case-Nic’s window and a bucket is placed on a table near the doorway. When the store is closed, people can take a sheet listing all the baskets out of the bucket and purchase a sheet of tickets for $10. After indicating on the sheet how many tickets they want placed in each basket, they place their money in the envelop with the sheet and drop it into the mail slot.
The drawing will be on April 1.
Mary Lou has loaned her window out to several organizations for similar raffles since Covid, including OCALS, Beds for Brian and PAWS.
Mary Lou said the money Case-Nic Cookies has donated to the Arc GLOW enables the agency to purchase things they couldn’t otherwise afford with all the funding cuts they have received.
Mary Lou and Nicole, assisted by Mary Lou’s sisters Laura McDonough and Amy Murray, arranged the window on Saturday. When the store is closed, the bucket will be placed outside the door from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 March 2023 at 9:07 am
Village officials seek to upgrade facility, put on new addition
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Fire Department officials say the current fire hall is too small for a bigger ladder truck. Currently there is only two inches of clearance from the top of the truck to get in and out of the truck bays.
MEDINA – The Medina Fire Department is inviting the community to tour the fire hall on Park Avenue to see how cramped the department is for space.
The department and the Village Board are eyeing an expansion next door with bigger truck bays to fit in bigger fire trucks.
There will be tours of the fire hall on Sunday, March 12, from 11 a.m. to noon, and then again from noon to 1 p.m. And then there will be tours offered on Wednesday, March 15, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
“Due to the need for significant facility and equipment improvements and upgrades, the Village of Medina Fire Department is holding tours open to the public to make residents and business owners more aware of these conditions,” the department said in a news release. “Please choose one of the tours to see our deteriorating and outgrown apparatus bays as well as our aging and unsafe equipment.”
Firefighters and Village Board members will be present to answer questions. There is no need to sign up for a tour. “Just show up for the time that works best for you,” the department stated.
An engineering and design firm, Barton & Loguidice, has estimated an addition to te fire hall, plus repairs to the current building, would cost about $4.5 million.
The plan for the fire hall calls for an addition approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches.
The addition would be on the current fire hall on the west side in an area that is currently a parking lot. That addition is needed to house a new ladder truck. That truck could be $1.5 million.
The village is looking to replace a ladder truck from 1996. That truck has a ladder that is 75 feet long. That truck barely has clearance in the garage. The ladder truck has a clearance of 10.4 feet but the space in the garage is 10 feet, 6 inches, Fire Chief Matt Jackson has said.
The new ladder trucks have a clearance of 13 feet. The design for the new hall addition would have bays that allow up to 14 feet.
With a new space for fire trucks, the ambulances could be moved to the current fire house. The space for the ambulances right now could be used for police cars or perhaps as a meeting area, Mayor Mike Sidari has said.
The Barton & Loguidice plan also calls for:
A new public entry, radio room/office, laundry room, EMS room, restrooms, Decon room, gear room, mechanical room, tool room, and apparatus bay with the existing apparatus bay being repurposed to house the village ambulances.
A mezzanine space will be located along the perimeter of the new apparatus bay with file storage and office space accessed from the existing building second floor hallway.
A new air and vapor barrier membrane and new exterior cladding system will be installed over the existing concrete masonry unit wall construction of the existing fire station, and the existing overhead sectional doors will be relocated and replaced allowing for adequate clearances around the ambulance apparatus bay.
The renewal of the building’s existing façade will result in creating a weather tight envelope while simultaneously allowing the cladding system of the addition to carry over creating a cohesive look to the updated facility.
The existing concrete slab in the existing ambulance apparatus bay will be replaced, including the installation of new trench drainage and epoxy floor finish.
The outdated emergency generator located south of the alley will be replaced and upgraded to accommodate the fire station and addition.
The Medina varsity winter guard competed in Lancaster on Saturday and came in 4th in the Scholastic A division.
Posted 5 March 2023 at 3:59 pm
Photos and information courtesy of Medina Mustang Boosters
LANCASTER – The Lancaster school district hosted their winter guard show on Saturday with 14 guard units performed in competition. This was Medina’s 4th competition.
In the Scholastic A class Medina came in 4th place with a score of 66.98. In that class Victor earned 1st with a score of 74.47, followed by Orchard Park in 2nd at 74.45 and Lancaster in 3rd with 72.77.
In the Cadet class Victor earned 1st place with 63.34 followed by Medina JV in 2nd with 58.39.
In RA class Gates earned 1st place with 66.92.
In the A1 class Greece came in 1st at 67.92. In the Senior class Luminosa was the only competitor at 80.98.
The next opportunity to see both of Medina’s guards perform is Saturday, March 11, at our home show. After that the guard travels to Jamestown on March 25 and the Championships on April 1 at Gates.
The JV winter guard was second in the Cadet division.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 March 2023 at 1:01 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Medina native and award-winning New York Times author Julie Berry holds copies of her two latest books, “Burglars and Bluestockings,” the third in a trilogy, and “The Night Frolic,” a picture book with illustrations by Jaime Zollars. They will be introduced at a celebration at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the book store in Medina, 519 Main St., featuring a pajama story time, treats and signed prints by Zollars.
MEDINA – Medina native Julie Berry may not have started out to be a writer, but once she got started, she never looked back.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday at Author’s Note, the book store owned by Berry and her husband Phil, she will host a celebration to announce her two latest books, “Burglars and Bluestockings,” the third in a trilogy, and “A Night Frolic,” a book of illustrations by Jaime Zollars.
A daughter of Shirley and the late John Gardner, Julie graduated from Medina High School in 1991, then entered Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute to study chemistry. She earned a degree in technical communication, then went back to school and got her master’s degree in writing. She had met her husband Phil Berry at Rensselaer and after they were married, they lived in upstate New York and Massachusetts before moving to Los Angeles where Phil could pursue his career in the movie industry.
In 2020, Julie learned the former Book Shoppe in Medina was for sale, and fearing it would be closed, she and Phil made the decision to move back to Medina with their four children.
“I couldn’t bear to think there wouldn’t be a book store in my home town,” Julie said.
After extensive remodeling, which Phil did, they reopened the front half of the store on May 25, 2021, and celebrated reopening of the entire store on Sept. 25, 2021.
Julie shared how her writing career evolved.
“I always thought it would be wonderful to be a writer,” Julie said. “But I didn’t think it would be viable.”
Julie completed her master’s degree at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, Vt. in January 2008. She was enrolled in a program designed to help people become writers. During 2 ½ years, she had written three books, the first of which she didn’t think was worthy of publication. By the time she graduated, she had secured an agent and sold her first book.
She had seen a picture of a haunted house and it sparked an idea, Julie said.
“It seemed like a house full of sadness,” she said.
It was called “Amaranth Enchantment,” and it did very well, the author said.
In 2019, Berry’s book “Lovely War” was named a New York Times bestseller.
“That was awesome,” she said.
Since then, many of her other titles have won awards and starred reviews from giants in the industry.
Berry said she likes to write picture books for little children, as well as titles for middle grades and books for teens. She likes fantasy, she said.
She is very excited about her new book “The Night Frolic,” which is mythologically-based and was just named Amazon’s “Best New Picture Book” for March.
“I think of it as a fantasia on bedtime,” she said. “It begins by asking, ‘Where do young the children go when they drift off to sleep,’ and follows those sleepy children on a magical journey through nighttime realms of wonder, where they meet the Night Tiger, the Night Walrus and an ensemble of talking creatures.”
The book has earned rave reviews from Kirkus Reviews, which calls it “a dream come true for readers seeking a new bedtime story”; Publisher’s Weekly, which says “Berry’s mesmerizing prose sounds like a saga from another world, and this vision of journey, adventure and happy clamor offers both antidote to and fodder for sleep’s dark mysteries”; and Booklist, calling it “downright magical, this picture book made for dreamers.”
Julie will read from the book during Tuesday night’s event, as well as excerpts from Burglars and Bluestockings.
Her trilogy began with “Wishes and Wellingtons” and “Crime and Carpetbags,” and with “Burglars and Bluestockings” tells the story of a young woman in a boarding school in the Victorian era who discovers a djinni in a sardine can. The books are a middle grade fantasy adventure novel suited for ages 8 and up.
Along with taking care of her family, participating with her husband in his swing dancing endeavors, pursuing her interest in software startup companies and running a book store, Julie said she still finds time to write.
“When you love something, you just get it done somehow,” she said.
Tuesday will be a fun night, she said. It is free and open to the public. Copies of her new books can be ordered online at authorsnote.com or by calling the store at (585) 798-3642.
Provided photos: Jason Klein observes students in Mrs. Duhow’s 5th grade class with their tower challenge: Oscar Lopez, Avery Twitchell and Amber O’Kussick.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – District Technology Integrator Jason Klein attended a professional development session called “Infusing STEAM into Today’s Instruction.” It inspired him and Julie Webber (Director of Curriculum and Instruction) to plan a day for Clifford Wise students of STEAM education.
Third-grader Jack Buondonno made this creation, Scarpkins, from recycled materials.
STEAM is an education approach to learning the uses of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics for guiding student inquiry, communication, and critical thinking.
“We decided to go “Full STEAM Ahead” at Clifford Wise Intermediate School,” says Klein. “We started the day with a school-wide presentation from author, illustrator and maker, Brian Yanish, where he encouraged students to think outside the box and reuse recyclables in new and innovative ways.”
After a fun filled and enlightening presentation, students worked with their peers to compete in a variety of STEAM challenges that encouraged problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork.
“Brian Yanish’s presentation inspired the students and really got their creative juices flowing,” said Klein. “They used that momentum in their STEAM challenges. The students were enthusiastic and excited and couldn’t wait to share their creations and solutions with their peers, teachers and family. I heard one student say, ‘Time really does fly by when you are having fun.’”
The STEAM challenges were broken down by grade. Grade 3 had the Scrapkins: Junk Re-Thunk Challenge where they had to design and build a character using recycled materials.
Grade 4 took on the Amazing Architecture Challenge where they built a home for their rubber duck using 50 marshmallows and 50 toothpicks. Fifth grade was assigned the Newspaper Tower Challenge where they used the engineering design process to design and build a structure at least 30” tall to support a basketball for at least three seconds.
Lastly the sixth graders had the Slo-Mo Marble Challenge where they used the Engineering Design Process to design and build the slowest marble run out of recycled materials.
“I believe that the students got a lot of out of this day,” Klein said. “Our goal was to inspire and empower lifelong learners through hands-on STEAM education that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a passion for innovation. We hope students, and even teachers, take away that STEAM is about creativity, trial, error and having fun. If students are not ‘successful’, that’s okay because it is part of the process.”
Julie Webber added, “This opportunity truly allowed students to embrace and love learning through exploration. Statements like ‘I don’t want to go home’ and ‘No… The buses are coming!’ were heard from the students. Even the teachers and staff enjoyed participating with the students. Learning is not just about memorizing facts, it’s about applying the knowledge that we learn. Students had a great opportunity to do this!”
Jason Klein and Brian Yanish pose are shown with students from Mrs. Scott’s third grade class: Cai Ree Lorenz, Alexis Sherman and Jordan Hammonds with their Scrapkins.
Kole McMullen and Santiago Velez in Mrs. Lemme’s 4th grade class plan out an architecture challenge.
