Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Brandi Zavitz takes a break from the mural she is painting underneath the Glenwood Avenue bridge. The artist received a grant from GO Art! for the project. (Right) Zavitz works from a scaffold on the mural she designed in Medina.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 August 2022 at 1:22 pm
MEDINA – Medina artist Brandi Zavitz has ridden or bike or walked under the Glenwood Avenue bridge thousands of times, she said.
“I often thought, ‘When I retire, I’d like to paint a mural there under the bridge,’” she said.
This mural underneath the Glenwood Avenue bridge in Medina is a work in progress for artist Brandi Zavitz.
Zavitz, who is a Medina native, did retire June 20, 2021 after 31 years of teaching art at Holley Central School. During that time she has painted murals, musical sets, backdrops and scenery for dance recitals.
“When I retired I said I was going to paint myself into oblivion, and I went out and bought 30 canvasses,” she said.
Then she saw an advertisement on Orleans Hub that the village of Medina was looking for an artist to paint a mural under the Glenwood Avenue bridge. She applied. Actually, she was the only artist who applied, she said.
She was hired and applied for a grant from GO ART!
“On the application they asked for three examples of my work,” Zavitz said. “I didn’t have pictures of the murals I had painted, but I sent them four pages of some of my artwork I had created through the years.”
She said the village asked for something historic, which wasn’t normally in her style of artwork.
“I consider myself an expressionist, impressionist surrealist painter,” she said. “I love color. Arthur Barnes has done a lot of historic things in the area and I wanted to do something that represents peaceful Medina – that shared my memories. I wanted it to tell a story, create something that takes you time to walk through the mural.”
She also wanted to focus on everyday life, the simple things, like a Journal Register delivery boy, wild lilies that grow along the road or a Mini League baseball player.
A Little Leaguer has been painted in by artist Brandi Zavitz on the mural. Flowers and leaves are sketched in, waiting for Zavitz’s brush.
She sketched her ideas on the wall and began painting a week ago.
Her mural includes apples, a pet cat she lost, a window from Newell Shirt Factory, the culvert under the canal, Medina Falls, fall leaves, a marching band, and the steeple at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of her project is the people who have gone by on the towpath or in boats on the canal.
“I have talked to people from North Carolina, South Carolina, Germany, Maine, Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania,” she said.
One resident who walks the towpath every day is Paul Wengrzycki, who said he loves the mural.
“She’s showing everything about Medina,” he said. “She is showing the village.”
He takes the time every day to stop and chat and view her progress.
Zavitz hopes to have the mural done no later than Sept. 30, if rain doesn’t slow her progress.
One thing that takes a lot of her time is setting up and taking care of her supplies every day. She parks as close as she can to the bridge, then has to carry six or eight cans of paint, brushes, etc. to the site. Much of the work has to be done from a scaffold and ladder.
Zavitz doesn’t consider herself a typical artist.
“An artist is like the Pied Piper,” she said. “I poured my heart into my classes. I always taught my students to respect each other and themselves. Art has been such a wonderful tool.”
She has taught exchange students from Colombia, Switzerland and Korea, who are now artists all over the world, she said.
“A true artist sees the world with a different set of eyes,” Zavitz said. “You look at something and make it your own. It takes a special amount of creativity.”
Paul Wengrzycki of Medina walks the towpath every day. Here, he stops to admire Brandi Zavitz’s artwork.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 August 2022 at 8:03 am
Lessons planned to be offered monthly at upstairs ballroom
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Swing dancers begin with the basic steps on the first night of swing dance lessons at Bent’s Opera House. After a 45-minute lesson, even beginners can join in the dancing for the rest of the evening.
MEDINA – A dance craze popular in big cities throughout the United States may soon be a regular attraction in Medina.
Phil and Julie Berry encountered swing dancing while living in Los Angeles.
Dance instructors Mike Moll and Leah Twomey ham it up prior to Thursday’s swing dance lessons at Bent’s Opera House.
Phil said he has loved swing dancing since the first time he saw someone doing the Lindy hop.
“I thought, that looks like great fun and I want to do it,” he said.
After moving back to Medina to purchase the Book Shoppe, now Author’s Note, the first thing Phil did was go online and look up where it might be offered in Western New York.
He found Swing Buffalo and Ballroom Revolution in Buffalo, then started thinking about where he could find a place big enough to have dances in Medina.
“The Lindy hop belongs here,” Phil said.
Then he met Heather Hungerford, whose husband Roger restored the Bent’s Opera House, and when she asked Phil how they could better use the opera house for the community, he had an answer.
“She absolutely loved the idea and said, ‘Let’s make it happen,’” Phil said. “And here we are.”
Julie has been promoting the dance lessons at Author’s Note, giving customers a poster or pamphlet on the event and it has been posted on Facebook, where more than 100 people said they were interested. Jeff Baker with Swing Buffalo has also been promoting it.
Almost 50 showed up Thursday night for dance lessons, and by the time the night ended, another 30 had arrived to enjoy the dancing.
The evening began with a 45-minute dance lesson.
“If you’ve never danced before, by 7:30 you’ll learn all you need to do a swing dance,” Phil said.
Phil Berry of Medina puts on his dancing shoes in preparation for the first night of swing dancing lessons at Bent’s Opera House on Thursday evening. He hopes to make the lessons a regular event.
Phil recruited disc jockey Tommy Darlington from Buffalo and dance instructors Mike Moll and Leah Twomey.
“I want to make Medina a dance destination,” Phil said.
Phil and Julie’s children also came along to dance. Son Adam, 22, said when his parents first asked him to go to a dance he said no.
“Then I finally said yes, and my brother David and I had fun,” he said. “I had a real good time. There were a lot of people there who were quite young – college age. I encountered two young people who were engaged and had met there two years ago. It’s a fun way to meet people. Swing dancing is a very social event because you have to dance with a partner. Young people who haven’t done it would really like it if they tried it.”
Ande Niedzwiecki from Seattle is visiting friends in Rochester and saw the dance advertised online. She said the dance studios in Rochester are still shut down from Covid and she was looking for something to do and was happy to drive to Medina. She said a Swing Club in Rochester used to have 50 to 60 dancers every week before Covid.
The swing dance class is the first public event at the opera house this year, Hungerford said.
The Berrys are planning to have swing dancing every third Thursday of the month. Tickets can be purchased online on the Bent’s Opera House website or Facebook page or at the door.
The public is also invited to come and listen to the music and watch if they don’t want to dance. A cash bar is also available.
Almost 50 dance enthusiasts showed up at Bent’s Opera House Thursday night for the first of planned swing dance lessons. Here, they warm up by practicing a few basic moves. By the time the lesson ended, another 30 had arrived to dance.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 16 August 2022 at 7:28 am
Teen center at Pearl Street site among projects in the works
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jesse Cudzillo stands next to the play area for young children at the YMCA. He has announced plans to build a teen center in the building, beginning in the fall.
MEDINA – With a new director, new programming and the promise of new funding, GLOW YMCA is looking forward to an exciting year.
Jesse Cudzillo took over the reins June 6 after Greg Reed accepted the position as district director of Orleans and Genesee YMCA in Batavia.
Cudzillo grew up in Buffalo and after his family moved to Eden, he graduated from Eden High School. He followed school by joining the Air Force in 1996, retiring from there after 20 years.
He is married to Katie Smider from Gasport and the has four children. Their youngest son is a junior in high school, the next attends Brockport State College, their daughter works and goes to college in Virginia and the oldest son works for Isaac Heating and Cooling.
Cudzillo said each time they had to move while he was in the Air Force, they made a practice of looking for a good place to send their kids to school and then bought a house in that area. That is also how they ended up in Medina.
Cudzillo held various jobs after retiring from the Air Force, the latest being with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
When he saw the ad for a director at the GLOW YMCA, he had already been a member since 2019.
“I always looked for a job where I could best use the talents I’d been given and the experience I’ve gained in life,” he said. “I saw an opportunity to impact the community where my children live, in hopes some of them will settle here and raise their kids here.”
His goal as director of the YMCA is to create a place where the community can come for health, wellness and recreation.
Jesse Cudzillo, new director of GLOW YMCA in Medina, points out one of the murals in the Y, painted by local artist Brandi Zavitz.
“I see this place as a central hub for the entire community,” Cudzillo said. “As I read about the history of the YMCA in Medina, I see it used to the place to go. I want to continue that. I want the Y to be the first place people want to go when they think of family fun.”
The YMCA is so much more than a gym, he said. He said he is amazed at how many people don’t realize all the YMCA has to offer. The Y offers a summer camp, and child care before and after school in four locations – Medina, Lyndonville, Albion and Akron. They offer “drop and shop,” where parents can drop their children off while they go shopping.
Looking to the future, Cudzillo said there is exciting news in the works regarding new projects. One is building a teen center downstairs on the north side of the building. This will focus on the 12-18 age group.
“Our vision is to give them a safe place to hang out after school,” Cudzillo said. “There will be sports, tutoring if they need it and special events, or they can just relax. We also plan to build a teaching kitchen.”
Remodeling will begin this fall, he said.
“Our hope is youth will continue to come in and join, and thereby give back to the community,” he added. “Being in the military and moving so often, every place we went we had to create new space in the community. I believe this place can be such a space.”
He is working with Job Development to host a job fair and has a blood drive scheduled on Thursday. He is eagerly awaiting the announcement of a grant which will fund an exciting new program never offered in Orleans County before.
Photos courtesy of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library: Repco Wildlife brought in reptiles for the kids to learn about on Aug. 5 as part of the “Oceans of Possibilities” summer reading program.
Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library
MEDINA – The Lee-Whedon Memorial Library concluded its six-week summer reading program this week. Attendance is estimated at 1,550 for the six weeks, which is up about 200 from last year’s summer program.
The library’s children and teen programs included wildlife visits, a visit from Santa, weekly STEM activities, magic, crafts, story times and a giant water slide.
Programs focused on connecting children and teens with nature. Miss Sharon offered interactive outdoor movie nights with a water theme.
Miss Kelsie and Miss Sam enriched the lives of our community’s kids. Both received grants to offset the cost of this year’s summer programs.
Miss Kelsie offered two reading challenges for children in addition to her weekly programming. Miss Sam offered a teen and an adult reading challenge for the summer. They gave away lots of great swag including books, games, and toys to participants who reached their reading goals. Summer Reading challenges run through August 26 so there is still plenty of time to spend reading a good book!
The library hosted weekly STEM programs that drew a crowd of children.
The Medina Parks program brought groups over for Miss Kelsie’s bubble mania.
An inflatable slide was available for the kickoff of the summer reading program.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 August 2022 at 5:17 pm
Global supply chain crisis disrupting many industries
Photos by Tom Rivers: U.S. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer holds a medical infusion pump produced by Baxter International in Medina at left and a component of the pump requiring 70 microchips.
MEDINA – A company with nearly 300 workers in Medina has put employees on paid furloughs three times due to a supply chain shortage, where Baxter International didn’t have all 20 components for their medical infusion pumps.
Baxter International produces about 100,000 pumps a year and each one needs 70 microchips. The company was forced to put some of its Medina workforce on paid furloughs due to a shortage of microchips.
Baxter continues to struggle to locate enough microchips. The company currently will run out in three to four weeks in Medina. If more don’t come in, company CEO José (Joe) E. Almeida said workers will again have to go on furlough until all the needed parts come in.
“I’m very proud of our employees,” Almeida said today after a news conference at Baxter with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “They’ve worked heroically.”
Almeida said the company manufactures infusion pumps used at hospitals and healthcare sites.
“It’s about saving lives,” he said.
Schumer said there will be a long-term answer to the microchip crisis with the signing this week of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Bill. That will provide $50 billion in incentives to increase microchip manufacturing in the United States and ease the supply chain problems.
He said the nearby STAMP site in the Town of Alabama, Genesee County, is being pitched to businesses to manufacture microchips and other advanced manufacturing. He said the site could employ thousands of workers, with many living in Orleans County.
He also is working his contacts for a short-term solution for Baxter. He will be asking Texas Instruments to supply microchips to Baxter, and has teamed with the federal Health and Human Services Department to prioritize the need for Baxter, which he said is a healthcare manufacturer that saves lives with the infusion pumps.
Schumer said he has personally advocated to companies before, including Qualcomm, to help with a microchip shortage.
“There is a desperate shortage of chips,” Schumer said. “We don’t want to have a shortage again. We want to build the chips here in America.”
Schumer praised the Baxter facility for producing the medical technology, such as infusion pumps, that are used in the treatment of Covid-19 and other illnesses.
“Orleans County’s Baxter International facility worked nonstop through the pandemic to get medical equipment out to the hospitals and frontline works that needed it most,” Schumer said. “My just passed CHIPS and Science Bill is just what the doctor ordered to help cure America’s long-term supply chain woes, by bringing microchip manufacturing back from overseas to places in Upstate New York like the Western New York STAMP campus. We should be making semiconductors in Batavia, NY, not Beijing.”
Baxter International CEO and President José (Joe) E. Almeida stands next to Sen. Schumer near the production floor of Baxter’s Medina plant in the Olde Pickle Factory. Almeida said the company has a three- to four-week supply of microchips and is reaching out to many suppliers. Schumer said he would strongly urge Texas Instruments to help fill the need at Baxter.
Schumer said that the microchip shortage is impacting everything from wait times for people to buy cars and computers, to healthcare providers.
Before coming to Baxter, Schumer was in LeRoy at the Bob Johnson Chevrolet, where the auto dealer said a shortage of microchips has slowed inventory. That problem has pushed up the cost and wait times for new vehicles. It also has made the cost of used cars skyrocket, Schumer said.
Gabrielle Barone, vice president of business development for the Orleans Economic Developer Agency, told Schumer that Medina has 300 acres of certified shovel-ready land that would be a good fit for a company looking to produce microchips. She is joined by, from left: Michael Dobell, Orleans EDA executive director; County Legislator John Fitzak; Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature; and Medina Mayor Mike Sidari.
Schumer highlighted the CHIPS & Science Bill
$39 billion for the CHIPS for America Fund to provide federal incentives to build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, or research and development to help attract major chip manufacturers to shovel ready sites like STAMP in Genesee County.
$11 billion for Department of Commerce research and development including creating a National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) a public-private partnership to conduct advanced semiconductor manufacturing, with Albany Nanotech primed to be a top contender to serve as a major hub for the NSTC, and other specialized R&D programs that universities across the state are in a strong position to compete for.
$2 billion for the DoD CHIPS for America Defense Fund.
$200 million for the CHIPS for America Workforce and Education Fund to kick start development of the domestic semiconductor workforce, which faces near-term labor shortages, by leveraging activities of the National Science Foundation.
A new Investment Tax Credit for semiconductor manufacturing facilities and equipment.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer walks into the production floor at Baxter International with company CEO and President José (Joe) E. Almeida. Schumer said he and the federal Health and Human Services have pushed to make Baxter designated as a “critical need” for micro chips to manufacture infusion pumps.
Schumer’s Office shared this copy of the letter he sent to Rich Templeton, CEO of Texas Instruments:
Dear Mr. Templeton,
I write to request Texas Instruments’ (TI) assistance to continue to provide the required computer chip components to Baxter International to ensure it can continue to manufacture lifesaving medical devices that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has determined are in “critical need” including Baxter’s Spectrum IQ Infusion Pump which is manufactured in Medina, New York, as well as the PrisMax and PrismaFlex renal replacement therapy (CRRT) devices. These pumps and devices are critical in the clinical treatment of COVID-19 patients, providing lifesaving care in our nation’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
As such, I understand TI recently received a copy of a letter from HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response that indicated HHS has now “identified a critical need” for these lifesaving products and urged Baxter to prioritize the manufacturing of these medical devices. Furthermore HHS wrote, “it is critical that Baxter’s supply chain is not impacted so we also request that any work, services, and materials requested by Baxter be prioritized in any possible way.”
As you know, TI is Baxter’s supplier for several critical components required for the manufacturing of these devices. Recent inconsistent delivery of these TI components is now threatening the continued manufacturing of these critical medical devices. Ensuring the availability of these component parts is not only vital to Baxter’s Medina, NY workforce, but to hospital patients and medical personnel throughout the country who depend on these lifesaving devices.
Therefore, I ask that TI honor this HHS request and work with Baxter to deliver necessary TI components for their medical devices as quickly as possible. I appreciate your quick attention to this matter and your assistance in making these components available.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Medina’s City Hall, at the corner of Main Street and Park Avenue, is underutilized, Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 August 2022 at 9:08 am
MEDINA – A village trustee is suggesting Medina look to put an elevator in City Hall so the building can be better utilized for meetings and village offices.
Marguerite Sherman wants to see how much it would cost to put in an elevator of the building made of local Medina Sandstone. She commented during Monday’s Village Board meeting, when Deputy Mayor Owen Toale led a discussion about shifting some village committee meeting from City Hall to the Ridgeway Town Hall.
Toale said the City Hall lacks handicapped accessibility for public meetings.
He is trying to get a list of all the village committees and their meeting dates to see if Ridgeway has its building available at those times. Ridgeway officials have offered use of the building for meetings at no charge, Toale said.
The village has moved its clerk’s office to a former bank next door on Park Avenue and may do an expansion of that site for a meeting room and additional office space.
Sherman sees village functions gradually be pushed out of City Hall.
“We have this beautiful building just sitting there,” she said.
Medina has several boards and committees that hold public meetings. The Village Board sometimes meets in the village clerk’s office on Park Avenue but typically meets in the Senior Center, a former railroad depot. It also has used the Shelby Town Hall in the recent past.
Medina also has the Boxwood Cemetery Commission, Tourism Committee, Waterfront Development Committee, Parks Committee, Police Advisory Committee, Visioning Committee, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.
Some of those boards and committees have too many people for the conference room at the village clerk’s office, Toale said.
For now he wants to work with Ridgeway to see if those meetings can be at the Town Hall on West Avenue to better accommodate the committees and boards, and other members of the public.
In other action during Monday’s board meeting:
• The board approved closing Maple Street this Saturday from noon until 10 p.m. after a request from resident Brandon Harper, who asked that the short street between Gwinn Street and West Avenue be closed for his wedding celebration. Village officials checked with a business owner on the street and he was OK with closing the street for the 10 hours.
• Heather Hungerford from Bent’s Opera House presented a proposal to have a fenced-in outdoor area on the sidewalk by Bent’s along Main Street. The fenced-in area would go 4 feet from the building and still leave about 10 feet of sidewalk open to pedestrians.
Bent’s would have tables and chairs in the fenced-in area for people to enjoy drinks and appetizers, but not meals, Hungerford said.
Toale and board said they want to discuss working on regulations for the fenced-in areas on the sidewalks. Hungerford said the portable fencing is currently difficult to find. The board said the design of the fencing would likely need to go before the Planning Board for a certificate of appropriateness.
Hungerford also said Bent’s is working on plans for an exotic car show in September and would like to have part of Main Street closed for the show which would be on a Sunday. The board asked Hungerford to present more details about the show at the next board meeting on Aug. 22.
• Fire Chief Matt Jackson said he will be pursuing new healthcare worker bonuses being made available by the state. Jackson said the full-time firefighters are eligible for the bonuses from the state for up to $3,000.
Jackson also shared that firefighter Matthew Reddy has submitted a letter a resignation. The board accepted his resignation.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Hans and Dan Rosentreter on Aug. 1 opened The Coffee Pot Café at 114 East Center St.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2022 at 4:32 pm
MEDINA – Hans and Dan Rosentreter have opened The Coffee Shop Café in downtown Medina at the former site of HeBrews at 114 East Center St.
The couple is well established in Medina. Hans grew up in Shelby and has worked the past eight years as a florist at Creekside Floral on Main Street.
Hans and Dan Rosentreter are happy to bring a coffee shop back to downtown Medina.
Dan worked as a customer service representative for a local insurance company. He also established the Medina Memorial Bluebird Trail and is a wildlife photographer.
He was checking on his photos that were on display at Hebrews when he realized the coffee shop was closing back in May. He and Hans then worked on a plan to open their own shop in the space.
The Coffee Pot Café had its first day on Aug. 1. It is open from Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We just wanted a nice, cozy place for people to come and relax and have a cup of coffee and a pastry,” Hans said.
Besides Hans and Dan, the café has four employees. Dan is at the site full time. Hans is there early in the mornings and then after 5 p.m. when he is done working at Creekside.
Dan, 30, said the café has been busy so far. He said the site is needed in the community.
“Growing up in Albion, there wasn’t a place like this to sit and do homework,” Dan said. “We have people coming here for meetings and to do homework. It’s a needed space.”
Hans, 36, has degrees from Alfred State in culinary, and baking production and management. He makes the pastries and other baked goods.
“The whole premise here is fresh, fresh, fresh,” Hans said this afternoon at the Coffee Pot. (Tuesday is the one day he is there all day.) “We have freshly brewed coffee and in-house baked goods.”
The Coffee Pot gets its coffee from Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in Rochester, and freshly roasts and grinds the coffee. It also sells bubble tea, espressos, lattes, and ice and hot tea.
Dan and Hans said they will be adding cold cut sandwiches in the fall.
“Stay tuned for the details,” Hans said. “We’ll be adding to the menu.”
Hans said he is grateful to be part of his hometown, with a downtown on the rise.
“It is great to see what Medina has become,” Hans said. “Main Street is just wow. Medina is going places.”
The site has three separate areas to sit and relax, including the front room with a fireplace.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in downtown Medina is shown on Monday night.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2022 at 1:17 pm
MEDINA – The Village Board appointed nine people to serve on a committee to help Medina pursue a $4.5 million grant from the state in a program called NY Forward.
Medina has been a finalist for a Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant before but has missed out to other villages and metros in the Finger Lakes Region. The state is making changes to the DRI program this year. Instead of only approving $10 million award winners, the state is making $10 million available for metros in cities through the DRI, and then $4.5 million for downtown areas in villages and hamlets through NY Forward.
Medina already is tweaking its approach to the downtown application. It has expanded the committee from five to nine people.
Those members includes Village Trustees Marguerite Sherman and Timothy Elliott, and residents Kathy Blackburn, Chris Busch, David Flynn, Chris Goyette, Reinhard Rogowski, Randy Reese and Lauren Backlas.
The application is due by 4 p.m. on Sept. 23.
“We have to get going on this,” Trustee Sherman said during Monday’s Village Board meeting.
The board also approved sending a notice to the state of Medina’s intent to submit an application.
Medina is considered to be in the Finger Lakes Region by the state for its program that includes 10 regional economic development council. Last year Medina missed out on the $10 million to the Village of Newark in Wayne County and the City of Rochester. Other previous $10 million grant winners in the Finger Lakes region include the City of Geneva in 2016, the City of Batavia in 2017, the Village of Penn Yan in 2018 and Seneca Falls in 2019.
Medina was one of five finalists for the grant in 2019 and in 2021.
Medina’s application in 2021 sought funding for streetscape Improvements, multi-use trail along the Medina Railroad from the museum to Main Street, upgrades to Canal Village Farmer’s Market, improved waterfront access and amenities at the Canal Basin Park, enhanced programming at State Street Park (ice skating rink, enhanced lighting, boat tie-ups, benches and bicycle racks, and a construction of a nature trail), boat tie-ups and docking facilities at the Lions Park, viewing platform and at Medina waterfalls, wayfinding signage, small grant fund for local businesses, adaptive reuse of the old Medina High School to turn into apartments, and redeveloping the Snappy facility on Commercial Street by the Erie Canal into a mixed-use commercial and residential space.
The committee will likely have to modify the application, with the village’s maximum amount cut from $10 million to $4.5 million.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 August 2022 at 8:16 am
MEDINA – A village resident who has had chickens in her backyard for more than a decade – sharing the eggs with her neighbors – was told by village officials that the chickens have to be removed from the village.
Debbie Varley of Highland Avenue has about 20 chickens that are used by her grandchildren for 4-H. The chickens are popular in the neighborhood, and Varley shares their eggs with nearby residents.
However, one resident made a complaint to the village about the chickens, and village officials say they are obligated to insist the birds be removed.
Chickens are only allowed in the village if they are in an agricultural-residential district. The only AR zoned parcel in Medina includes the Gallagher barn property on North Gravel Road.
Varley is in a residential district, where the chickens aren’t allowed. She said she didn’t know chickens were banned from residential neighborhoods. She thought she was OK as long as she didn’t have roosters, which make a loud ruckus, especially in the morning.
“You’re an outstanding member of the community,” Village Trustee Tim Elliott said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. “I’m sorry we have to voice an opinion on it. But there is no gray area.”
Elliott said Varley likely was able to keep the chickens for many years because no one ever complained until recently. But once there is a formal complaint, the village has to look at the issue to see if the resident is in compliance with the village code.
Varley said many other people in the village also have chickens. But there haven’t been complaints about those chickens.
She is hopeful she can find someone to take the chickens who lives nearby so her grandchildren can continue to show them for 4-H.
“We’ve had them a long time,” she said. “We have a lot of time and money in them. They’re nice show birds. They are all named. I honestly didn’t know they weren’t allowed.”
(Editor’s Note: The person who called code enforcement and voiced concerns about the chickens called the Orleans Hub this afternoon and said he didn’t have a problem with the chickens in the person’s backyard. He was instead upset that the chickens’ fecal material was set out by the curb days in advance of the garbage pickup, smelling up the neighborhood. The person also said the issue bothered many of the neighbors, and he wasn’t the only one to complain to the village.)
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 August 2022 at 2:23 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Members of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina posed with sign painters Thursday morning to celebrate completion of this giant flag mural on the south wall of the post. From left are Dave Kusmierczak, Dave Higgins, Carol Callina, Glenn Whitmore (commander), Dave Morien, Peter Huth and sign painters Mark Weld and Jeff Watkins.
MEDINA – The Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina will certainly catch the eye of drivers coming down Main Street with completion of a giant flag mural on the south end of the building.
The idea for project was born several years ago when Legion Commander Glenn Whitmore noticed a similar painting on the Post Office in Gasport.
“I thought it was beautiful and came back here and told Steve Johnson, our former commander about it,” Whitmore said. “I thought it would be awesome to have a flag on our post. We had just had the building painted and it looked wonderful. And we had this big blank wall and I knew then I was going to do whatever it took to get that done.”
Then the Covid pandemic hit and Steve moved away.
Whitmore didn’t forget his idea, however. The restrictions eased with Covid and this spring Whitmore, Carol Callina and Dave Kusmierczak started rethinking the idea of having a giant flag painted on the south side of their building. They contacted sign painter Mark Weld of Barker and his assistant Jeff Watkins of Newfane and put together the paperwork to present to the village for approval.
In June, the village approved the project and a week ago, Weld and Watkins began work.
It took a lot of prep work and six days to draw the initial outline and then paint it, Weld said. This is one of the biggest projects he has attempted, but it’s beautiful, he said.
“A lot of people have been pulling into the parking lot and commenting on it,” Whitmore said. “It’s the best sign I’ve seen on anything in my whole life.”
Underneath the flag are the words, “For God and Country.”
Whitmore doesn’t deny his patriotism.
“This is America,” he said. “That flag means everything.”
“We fought for that flag,” said Carol Callina, a Medina native who served four years active duty in the Navy.
Whitmore also served in the Navy for six years aboard the USS Forrestel.
“When our ship pulled into port and the sailors all lined up along the rail, nothing made you more proud than to arrive back in America with flags flying, a band playing and families waiting,” Whitmore said. “I want to do as much for Medina and this post as I can.”
Whitmore said the mural is latest improvement the Legion has made to their building. They recently added a patio with tables overlooking the canal. Legion members and their guests love to sit out there, have a drink and enjoy the breeze. Smoking is allowed out there, as well.
Whitmore said it is important to thank all the members of Post 204, the American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and the village for their support in helping to make the project possible.
He also encourages anyone eligible to consider joining the American Legion.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Scouts and veterans saluted and recited the Pledge of Allegiance before a flag burning ceremony at the Conservation Club.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 August 2022 at 8:42 am
MEDINA – A flag burning ceremony delayed from Flag Day on June 14 because of rain was rescheduled for Wednesday night at the Conservation Club in Medina.
Boy Scout Nicholas Reese and his father, Scout leader Michael Reese, and Webelos Scout Savannah Schroth, 10, joined Glenn Whitmore (commander), David Kusmierczak, David Higgins, Peter Huth, Cathy Fox and Carol Callina from the Butts-Clark American Legion Post for the ceremony.
Scout leader Michael Reese walks a flag up to burn barrel for proper disposal.
Nicholas began by reading the meaning of the red and white stripes and stars on the flag, while his father “retired” a piece of flag. The red stripes symbolize courage and the blood shed for the country, while the white stripes stand for purity and innocence. The stars represent the 13 original colonies.
The veterans and Boy Scouts hold a flag burning ceremony twice a year, usually on Flag Day in June and after Veterans Day when they have removed the flags from cemeteries.
Flags are collected throughout the year in Medina at the American Legion on South Main Street, VFW on East Center Street, Generations Bank on Maple Ridge Road and the Veterans’ Services Office in Albion and Ace Hardware in Medina and Albion.
Black smoke billows from a burn barrel during Wednesday’s flag burning ceremony.
The collection of flags on Wednesday included a Canadian flag and a POW flag, something the veterans had not seen before at the flag retirement ceremony.
This was the first ceremony Savannah Schroth, 10, of Medina had witnessed. Her mother Kristina Schroth said her siblings and Savannah’s older brother all served in the military, so honoring the flag was important to them.
“This was a good thing for Savannah to watch,” her mother said.
Carol Callina, formerly Prawel, has become an active member of the Butts-Clark American Legion since joining last October. She had met Legion commander Glenn Whitmore, a Navy veteran, at the YMCA and he encouraged her to join. Callina served in the Navy and spent 40 years as an immigration officer before returning to Medina last fall.
From left, Carol Callina, Cathy Fox and Michael Reese place flags in a barrel to burn during Wednesday’s flag burning ceremony at the Conservation Club.
Scouts from Troop 35 and local veterans teamed up Wednesday night for a flag burning ceremony at the Conservation Club on Bates Road. From left are Cathy Fox, American Legion Auxiliary; Carol Callina, Glenn Whitmore, Dave Kusmierczak and Peter Huth, Butts-Clark American Legion Post; Webelos Scout Savannah Schroth; David Higgins, American Legion; Boy Scout Nicholas Reese and his father Michael Reese, Scout leader.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2022 at 9:32 pm
Group also wins two 2nd place awards at Elite Dance Challenge
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brandon Johnson, owner of Dance Theater in Medina and instructor for the competitive dance teams, is pictured with many of the dancers on the competitive team. Dance Theater won a first place and two seconds at a national dance competition on July 22 in Cape May, NJ. Amy hazel, in back left, and Emilie Preston, in back second from right, also are instructors at Dance Theater working with the recreational program.
MEDINA – Brandon Johnson and dancers from Dance Theater are basking in a strong showing a national competition.
One group from Dance Theater won the first place as “National Grand Champion” for their performance of Jumanji. They won in the age 13 over group.
Dance Theater also won second place in age 12 under group for “The Power” and another second in the age 13 over group for “These Hands.”
“I felt like all of our hard work paid off,” said Marli Thrash, 17, of Albion. “We are in the studio a lot and we have a really good teacher.”
Provided photos: “Jumanji” – 1st Place National Grand Champion, Age 13 over Group
The dancers have been working on their numbers since September, sometimes putting in five hours a day at the studio. The rehearsal time picks up on breaks and in the early summer as they get ready for nationals.
Dance Theater competed with 28 other studios at the Elite Dance Challenge in New Jersey. Dance Theater sent three different teams and they performed 32 numbers, and advanced to the final dance off for three.
Johnson, 39, is celebrated his 20th year of owning the dance studio. One of his dance teams won at nationals in 2018.
He was grateful for a chance to see the dance perform at this year’s recital and at the dance competitions without restrictions on crowd sizes, or have to wear masks on stage.
“These Hands” – 2nd Place National Grand Champion, Age 13 over Group
In 2020, Dance Theater did a recital but it was limited to 50 people, including the crowd. He staggered that recital over 10 sessions – 10 hours in one day. Last year the group performed in competitions while wearing masks and with a limit on guests.
This year it was “back to normal” for Johnson and the dancers. He was thrilled to see the groups having fun on stage, and to see the competitive teams advance in the regional competition in Rochester, earning a shot at nationals.
“It does feel good coming out a pandemic,” Johnson said. “It was nice to be back on stage in the competitive dance circuit.”
He praised the dedication of the dance teams. Johnson has about 130 dancers at the studio, with about 30 on the competitive teams. The competitive dancers are at the studio usually two to three times a week, sometimes from 4 to 10 p.m., honing their craft.
“It is a dedicated group of dancers who are looking for a little more,” he said.
Johnson works with the competitive teams, and will bring in guest choreographers to help make the performances even better.
Thrash, one of the dancers, said the group appreciates Johnson’s commitment to the program.
“I’m very thankful for ‘B’ and for everything he has done,” she said.
Dance Theater will have its fall open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 11-12, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 13. Dance Theater is located at 425 Main St. Call the studio at (585) 590-4643 for more information.
“The Power” – 2nd Place National Grand Champion, Age 12 under Group
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 August 2022 at 9:07 am
About 700 attend event outside middle school in Medina
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Mason Cady, 8, of Kendall rides in a bike rodeo on Tuesday evening at the National Night Out in Medina, outside the middle school.
The event was free to the community and connected residents with local law enforcement officers and other first responders, as well as agencies.
National Night Out was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions and concerns. The event, in its first five years, was held at Bullard Park in Albion.
About 700 people attended the National Night Out.
Penny Miller, left, and Kim Brueckner serve up hot dogs. They were volunteering with Boy Scout Troop 28, which had 800 hot dogs ready for the event.
The Walmart in Albion donated the hot dogs and bottled water. Burger King in Albion donated the ketchup and condiments.
Jonah Fisher, 5, of Albion high fives Sparky the Fire Dog. Jonah’s dad, Medina firefighter Adam Fisher, wore the costume of the friendly dalmatian.
Jack Smith of Medina is next to Jonah, ready to greet Sparky.
The Safety Pup also attended National Night Out and greeted community members.
A lineup of fire trucks was available to tour, including ladder trucks from Albion, Clarendon and Shelby.
David Mogle, Albion police chief, let people take a peek at the Albion PD’s SWAT vehicle which is available for responses in the county and region.
Medina police officer Dustin Meredith assists Gabriella Burtwell, 5, of Medina in completing the bike rodeo course.
Crystal Elliott of Medina gave people a chance to paint rocks. She leads the “Medina Rocks” group on Facebook.
Medina firefighter Dustin Pahura helps Phoenix Konieczny, 5, of Medina aim a hose and direct water at targets.
State Trooper Doug Rich showed people a roll-over simulator to emphasize the importance of wearing seatbelts.
These kids enjoy sliding down and climbing through a bounce house.
The battle of belts was won by Jesse Cudzilo and his family – wife Katie and sons Caleb and Noah. Cudzilo is the new director of the Orleans County YMCA. They topped seven other teams by putting seat belts on, and then rotating to four different seats. They did it in 40.44 seconds.
The 2022 GMC Terrain was made available for the event by Hartway Motors Chevrolet.
These girls put their hands up after getting their seat belts on. They are Ashlyn Fisk, right, and Harmoni Wilson. Other members of team “Oreos” included Caliyah St. Louis and Mia Kujawa. They were the top youth team with a time of 53.16 seconds. Medina Police Department Lt. Todd Draper was referee in back and blew the whistle when they were done.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: The historic Walsh Hotel at 525 West Ave., Medina, has reopened under the ownership of local funeral director Tim Cooper. (Right) Catherine and Tim Cooper relax in what is now the Tap Room at the newly renovated Walsh Hotel. The room is available to rent for private parties and social events.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 2 August 2022 at 8:03 am
Tim Cooper gives new life to landmark on West Avenue
MEDINA – A historic landmark in Medina has reopened under new ownership, after three years of renovation.
Tim Cooper, a local funeral director, has an interest in older buildings with architectural style or appeal, sites that have been neglected and on the verge of being lost.
“The Walsh Hotel fit all those criteria,” said Cooper, who purchased the Walsh Hotel in March 2019. Cooper was operating Cooper Funeral Home on West Center Street with his assistant Jake Hebdon. On Dec. 29, 2018, Hebdon took over and three months later Cooper negotiated with Guy Chiarolanza to purchase the Walsh.
“I had looked at it in December 2018 when Polar Express was running at the Medina Railroad Museum,” Cooper said. “There were a lot of people and I thought this presented an opportunity. I like to retore old buildings to modern use and living, while incorporating the historic design details that made them distinctive.”
Bartenders David Minervino, left, and Marc Law stand behind the bar at the newly opened Walsh Hotel. (Right) This mural at the end of the Walsh Hotel’s bar shows Democratic candidate Francis Burton Harrison, center (holding his hat) when he campaigned in Medina for lieutenant governor in 1904.
Cooper has restored five other properties in Medina: 105 Pearl St., 215 West Center St., 212 Park Ave., 213 Park Ave. and 1024 West Ave.
“I put a lot of sweat equity and investment into the Walsh, with the able assistance of Denny More, and it is now ready to be a unique bar/restaurant/hotel venue,” Cooper said.
History of the Walsh Hotel goes back to 1852 when the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Company completed the railroad through Medina. Previously, hotels and taverns in Medina sprung up adjacent to the canal basin, but the development of the railroad had an immediate effect on the Erie Canal. Soon, the New York Central Railroad Company was the primary transportation provider.
The first depot was a small stone building close to the railroad on West Avenue, and the adjacent lot on the west side of the street was the obvious site for a hotel, a waiting and meeting place for travelers, particularly since the depot provided sparse comfort.
Aaron Clark (who also built the Alabama Hotel) was granted a license for the Clark Hotel in 1861. The third floor was put on, doubling the size of the building. It was sold to Frank Sloat in 1884 and later to Thomas Lysett. Eugene Walsh purchased it in 1903 and renovated and enlarged it with 38 rooms.
Several customers enjoy a drink at the bar in the newly reopened Walsh Hotel.
In 1904, Francis Burton Harrison, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, arrived by train to campaign there, and then went to dinner at Bent’s Opera House. Although he didn’t win, he went on to become governor general of the Philippines.
In 1916, a New York City attorney Grace Humiston was there to champion the innocence of West Shelby resident George Stielow, who had been wrongly accused of murdering his employer. She would later prove his innocence with the use of forensics for the first time in history to solve a murder.
Other famous visitors were Babe Ruth, who stayed at the Walsh in 1920, and Adolph S. Ochs Jr., New York Times publisher, who lunched there in 1925.
An article in the Medina Tribune on June 30, 1938, reported that any man in Western New York who was asked if they knew where the Walsh Hotel was would beam with recognition, brought on by memories of “succulent steaks, broiled chicken and braised short ribs of beef, all served with steaming bowls of gravy.”
Historical accounts say Walsh “virtually built over” the hotel into one of the most up-to-date hotels between Buffalo and Rochester, with 38 cheerful sleeping rooms, each furnished with electric lights and electric call bells, steam heat and “special attention to sanitary conditions.” The hotel was frequented by commercial travelers and local businessmen and professionals lunched there on a regular basis. It was a popular venue for business meetings, bridge tournaments and dinner parties, all of which sustained it through Prohibition and Depression.
Frank Cardone bought the Walsh in 1941, and remodeled it after a fire in the barroom area in 1959. He ran it until 1977, when he conveyed it to Guy Chiarolanza. No food or beverages were sold there in recent years, and it operated strictly as a boarding house.
After his purchase, Cooper spent three years totally remodeling the downstairs, with assistance from contractor Dennis Moore and construction workers Monty Hartman and Mike Eckerd. Mark Weld created the new signage. The upstairs remains a work in progress, Cooper said. He has no plans to open a restaurant there, but does offer sandwiches from Sourced Market and Eatery.
Cooper’s renovation included gutting the barroom, adding a window for more light, moving the staircase to the outside of the building, taking out a cooler, replacing a rotted section of floor, moving a wall, putting a second bar on the north side in a dining room called the O’Brien and Ceallaigh (Irish spelling of Kelly) Tap Room. This room is available to rent for private parties and social gatherings.
He also upgraded the heating and cooling, did lots of painting, maintaining the tin ceiling and tin wainscoting, and making roofing and siding improvements on the outside.
“The Walsh is a survivor. It has character. It has survived the decline of the railroad, Prohibition, the Depression and massive social changes. It started out and thrived because of its proximity to the railroad and I think that has come full circle. There are a few more chapters in the Walsh’s history. It is still a landmark – and a feisty, enduring one.” – Tim Cooper
Cooper has hired two bartenders, whose history is entwined with each other and Cooper.
Marc Law and David Minervino both grew up in Medina and have been lifelong friends. Cooper’s older brother Jim and Marc went to school together. Marc’s grandmother was Mildred Cleary, who owned Cleary Funeral Home on Park Avenue and was instrumental in Cooper’s decision to become a funeral director.
Cooper was working on the building the day after he purchased it, when Law stopped in and offered to help if he ever got to that point.
“I did eventually get to that point,” Cooper said, and he called Law.
Law left Medina for 35 years, pursuing a career with hotels, restaurants and as a bar manager. He began tending bar in 2010 and worked in West Virginia and Southern California, before returning to Medina 10 years ago.
He likes tending bar because “It’s such a positive atmosphere, and you’re constantly meeting people,” he said.
Minervino worked at Kodak for 22 years and dealt in a casino for four years. He worked for Chiarolanza for three years in the late 1970s, and at Tillman’s Village Inn for 30 years until they closed in December 2021.
Like Law, he loves bartending because of the social activity and all the people he meets.
Tim Cooper, who has restored and reopened the Walsh Hotel, points out the original tin wainscoting on the wall of the entrance hallway. (Right) Cooper stands by a door leading into the bar area. He removed the door from a cooler which stood where he is standing. The sides of the cooler were used for the wall at left.
Cooper also has a family background in the tavern/bar business. Edward Kelly, who built O’Brien’s Pub on Main Street, was his great-grandfather. Cooper’s grandfather Francis O’Brien married Kelly’s daughter Margaret and they ran the pub as O’Brien’s and Kelly’s. Hence, Cooper’s name (O’Brien and Ceallaigh) on his tap room.
The Irish influence also includes Cooper’s wife Catherine, who is from County Kerry.
Cooper said it is an interesting fact that in old time Ireland, the pub owner in a rural area was usually the undertaker.
In restoring the Walsh, Cooper said it was his goal to create something which has been lacking in the area – the ability to go into a pub and talk.
“People who come in here actually feel refreshed,” Minervino said. “They talk to one another. There are no cell phones, no TV, just old-fashioned conversation.”
Cooper said the Walsh is ideally poised for a new chapter.
Catherine, who is Orleans County historian, in a history she wrote on the Walsh, said that although its luster may have dimmed for a time, the Walsh is still a landmark.
Tim said when he initially started the project, he had hoped the Downtown Revitalization Initiative would come through with funds for the project. However, that wasn’t the case. Medina wasn’t picked by the state for the funding, yet.
“The Walsh is a survivor,” Tim said. “It has character. It has survived the decline of the railroad, Prohibition, the Depression and massive social changes. It started out and thrived because of its proximity to the railroad and I think that has come full circle. It will benefit the Medina Railroad Museum and the Museum will benefit it. There are a few more chapters in the Walsh’s history. It is still a landmark – and a feisty, enduring one.”
The Walsh is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It serves a full line of alcoholic drinks, including imported Dingle gin from Dingle, Ire. Their phone number for information or to reserve the O’Brien and Cealliagh Room is (585) 318-5027.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 July 2022 at 10:09 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: In this photo from Aug. 6, 2019, Rylee Tusing, 2 , of Albion gets fitted for a new bike helmet by Medina Lt. Todd Draper. Rylee is held by her mother, Stephanie Corke. National Night Out didn’t happen in Orleans County in 2020 and 2021, but returns on Tuesday.
MEDINA – National Night Out is back on Tuesday after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
Medina will be hosting the event for the first time. National Night Out was held in Albion from 2015 to 2019.
Participants in the event will include law enforcement, fire agencies, EMS responders, civic organizations and other groups that will be providing activities, demonstrations and giveaways.
The event is free to the community and will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Wise Middle Intermediate School, 1016 Gwinn St.
There will be the battle of the belts, which is a race to see how fast a team of four and put seat belts on, while rotating to four different seats. Teams run outside the vehicle in a clockwise direction to the next seating position until they’ve completed all four spots. There will be prizes in the youth division, ages 10 to 18; adult division, ages 19 and up; family division, all ages; best costume and the turtle award.
There will be K-9 demonstrations, a bike rodeo, child car seat inspections, a magician, face painting, balloon animals, llamas and alpacas, many games and give-a-ways.
Boy Scout Troop 28 – United Methodist Church will be serving hot dogs.
