MEDINA – The Medina Police Department is warning that fake bills labelled “motion picture use only” are being passed in the community.
Medina Police chief Chad Kenward urged cashiers and businesses and cashiers to visually check all bills.
The photos are examples of fake $20 bills.
“It is out there being utilized as currency,” Kenward told the Village Board this evening. “It is counterfeit money.”
MEDINA – I have a new poster out of Medina Doors. It arrived from the printer on Tuesday. I’ve been working on this, on and off, for a few years.
The poster features 22 doors in the Medina community. Many of them are on prominent structures and are exceptional entrances. Others are a bit more whimsical and don’t really have architectural power. But they are well known on the Medina landscape.
I’ve seen these type of posters before for Buffalo, Rochester and other cities. They typically list the city in italics type. I wanted to take letters or shapes from the community to spell out M-E-D-I-N-A and D-O-O-R-S to add even more of Medina to this project. I challenged people in an article on Wednesday to identify where I found those letters.
Whoever could correctly identify the most letters would win a poster. Robin Wehling was correct on five out of 10. She is the winner. (I gave everyone the letter N. It comes from a grave at St. Mary’s Cemetery.)
Here is the back story on the other letters:
M – This is from the sign at the Millville Cemetery.
E – This comes from the Heinz pickle which is located inside the Medina Railroad Museum.
D – I turned the Canal Culvert on its side and it made a distinctive letter D.
I – This is a stained-glass window at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
N – In case you missed it above, it’s from a gravestone at St. Mary’s Cemetery.
A – This A comes from the sign at the West Ridgeway Cemetery at the corner of Marshall Road and Route 104.
D – The second D is from the top of the Bent’s Opera House. The D is turned sideways.
O – The first O is from the clock inside at Rudy’s, a diner on West Center Street.
O – The second O is the clock at Rotary Park in downtown Medina.
R – This letter comes from the sign on the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
S – This one is from the sign for Lions Park along the Erie Canal, between the lift bridge and the Glenwood Avenue bridge. The sign has letters that are mounted on the ground.
The posters are available at Author’s Note, the bookstore on Main Street in Medina and also the office in Albion for the Orleans Hub and Lake Country Pennysaver at 170 North Main St.
I’ll be signing posters and giving a presentation at 7 p.m. on June 30 at Author’s Note. That store also is able to mail these for people out of the area.
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Elizabeth Parker adds to the daisy chain today in the Medina High School lunchroom. She was among a group of juniors building a 56-foot-long chain of daisies.
The tradition goes back at least 100 years to the 1920s, said teacher Eric Hellwig, who oversees the effort for Medina.
Juniors will carry the daisy chain into graduation tis evening at vets Park. The students include 16 girls ranked at the top of their class and the top two ranked boys academically.
This year’s daisy chain members include Kayleigh Wright, Lillian Wilson, Lydia Fox, Lydia Scharlau, Melanie Kuhmann, Paige Dix, Seagan Majchrzak, Tatyana Baity, Haley Marciniak, Henry Rigerman, Abigail Goodrich, Alexandria Strong, Bailey Clare, Brooke Moden, Dana Faith DeVera, Elizabeth Parker, Ella Dahlhaus and Gabriel Mark.
The students arrived at 8 a.m. to start building the daisy chain. They picked the flowers on Thursday, with most coming from a field on Blair Road. Each member filled either 8 buckets with daisies or five bushel baskets.
The people at the table in front include, from left: Tatyana Baity, Autumn Lusk, Lillian Wilson and Lydia Scharlau.
Autumn was among friends recruited by the students to help with the chain.
Dana Faith DeVera and Melanie Kuhman work together on one section of the daisy chain.
One of the students, Bailey Clare, said she was grateful to be able to honor the senior class with the daisy chain.
“I am happy to be able to do it, but it is a lot of work,” she said.
This is the last time Eric Hellwig will oversee the daisy chain. He is planning to retire in November. He has led the project the past 25 years.
Hellwig was dating the former Sandra Leigh when she was a member of the daisy chain. Hellwig, a Starpoint student at the time, went on a date with Sandra which included picking daisies for the chain. The two have been married now for many years.
Hellwig said he has enjoyed working with the students over the past 25 years in building the daisy chain.
“They are hard working and motivated,” he said about the students. “This a tradition that we can trace back at least a century.”
The group is pictured with the nearly done daisy chain at about 12:30 p.m. today.
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Medina is planning for new sidewalks along Maple Ridge Road and a pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek to make Maple Ridge safer for walkers and people on bicycles.
The Village for Medina has been awarded a grant of nearly $1.1 million for a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists along the Maple Ridge Road Corridor.
The village has been pursuing state assistance for several years but had been denied until today. The grant is actual funding from the Federal Highway Administration that is administered by the New York State Department of Transportation.
The grants cover up to 80 percent of the project costs. The Medina project includes money from the village, Town of Shelby and Orleans County, said Mayor Mike Sidari.
The $1,094,196 for Medina is among $178.8 million for 75 projects statewide. Hochul said the state is supporting environmentally friendly modes of travel and making it easier and safer to walk, bike or hike.
The announcement today also included $576,400 for the Rochester-Genesee Regional Authority to install new bus shelters and post seating in Monroe and Orleans counties.
In Medina, the section of Maple Ridge by the creek has become busier with a housing development, several new businesses and also the GCC campus center. There are also about 200 available acres in the area being promoted for development by the EDA.
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, welcomes people to a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on Tuesday for Oak Orchard’s new office in Medina at 911 West Center St.
This is the former office for Dr. Surinder Bath, a Medina physician for nearly 47 years. He retired in September.
Pettibon is joined by Michelle Okonieczny, a family nurse practitioner. She has worked for Oak Orchard the past six years out of the Albion and Lyndonville offices.
Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee and Orleans counties, said Oak Orchard is bringing more primary care to Orleans County, which is classified as a medically underserved community.
“More primary care is a great opportunity for our residents,” he said.
Pettibon, right, introduces the staff at the site which includes two of Dr. Bath’s long-time employees, including Elizabeth “Betsy” Phinney and Theresa Gurney. Phinney is a patient services representative and Gurney is a medical assistant.
The staff from left include Alicia Fletcher, office manager; Shentelle Shaffer, lead nurse; Theresa Gurney, Elizabeth “Betsy” Phinney and Michelle Okonieczny.
Michelle Okonieczny is shown inside the office which has been renovated with new floors, cabinetry, sinks and medical equipment. The office also is more accessible with widened doorways and an improved ramp.
Okonieczny lives a couple blocks away in Medina. She will continue to work on Mondays in Lyndonville, and then Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Medina. Oak Orchard is looking to hire a nurse practitioner, primary doctor or physician assistant to serve the Lyndonville site.
Staff and Oak Orchard board members cut the ribbon for Oak Orchard’s Medina location.
The healthcare agency also is working to open a dental office in Albion at the corner of Allen Road and Route 98, and also will have a new mobile dental unit that visits local schools. Oak Orchard is going through the state regulatory process for the dental location and new mobile unit.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said the community is fortunate to have Oak Orchard as a healthcare provider locally.
Provided photo: Pickleball players compete in mixed doubles last July at the Medina tennis courts. There were 47 players in the debut tournament.
Press Release, Medina Rotary Club
MEDINA – Coming off their successful tournament last summer, the Rotary Club of Medina will hold its second annual Medina Rotary Pickleball Tournament next month.
The tournament will be held on Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th. This year will include an “Introduction to Pickleball” clinic to be held on Friday, July 8th. The clinic and all events will be held at the Medina High School tennis courts. There will be food vendors onsite.
There are five events in the tournament: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Each event is broken into three categories based on skill level. Final categories will be determined by the number of registrations.
Last year saw 47 players participate in the tournament.
“Our first tournament exceeded expectations, both by the number of players and the positive responses from the players,” said Tournament Director Carl Tuohey.
This year the tournament is expanding in several areas. First, there will be different skill levels for each event. Secondly, we are using the website “PickleballBrackets.com” for the tournament. The website handles the signups and scheduling.
The proceeds from the tournament go toward the club’s projects. These include books for second graders, meals for needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, scholarships for graduating students, and more.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America today, Tuohey said. It is a game for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport.
It can also be quite the challenging, fast-paced, and competitive game when people become more experienced at playing.
“Our tournament is a fun tournament,” Tuohey said. “It is geared toward players looking to try the sport. And this is a great chance to play in a no-pressure tournament for those that have been playing the sport.”
Anyone interested in playing must create an account on PickleballBrackets.com and then register for the tournament by searching for “Medina Rotary.” There is no cost for creating an account on PIckleballBrackets.com.
The tournament carries a $20 registration fee and $10 per event entered. The “Introduction to Pickleball” clinic is $5.
Interested players may find information by emailing the Rotary Club at medinanyrotary@gmail.com or go to www.medinarotary.org/pickleball.
Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library
MEDINA – The Lee-Whedon Memorial Library is kicking off the summer reading season with a splash.
Join us for our kick-off celebration on Friday, July 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for yard games, giant bubbles, and an inflatable water slide! Twisted Treats Ice Cream will be selling ice cream. Also make sure to play our ocean-themed sidewalk games, located in front of the library.
This year’s theme is Oceans of Possibility. Weekly children’s programs begin July 5th and run through Aug. 12.
Story times will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays will feature STEM programs from Challenge Island. Fridays will feature a variety of fantastic performers and outdoor movies at night. Teen programs run for 5 weeks on Tuesdays starting July 5th. Registration is open for all programs.
Check out our website and social media for more information. Or stop in and pick up our summer reading flyer.
Provided photo: This lass poses in her faery costume during one of Medina’s Faery Festivals.
MEDINA – Medina Area Partnership will sponsor the annual Enchanted Faery Festival on June 25, featuring mystical creatures, a costume contest, crafts and give aways, a scavenger hunt and more.
Events will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Medina.
There will be a costume contest, with prizes awarded for king, queen, prince and princess, and all ages are welcome to participate. Crowning and a parade will be at 1 p.m.
A scavenger hunt invites visitors to win prizes by hunting with clues to find 12 faery doors that will be hidden in various downtown businesses.
A table will be set up in Rotary Park for participants to pick up and drop off the scavenger hunt sheet, take a photo with the themed photo board, make faery dust and have their faces painted. The event flyer with scavenger hunt form will be distributed to the elementary school.
Businesses may participate by offering a make-and-take craft, have story time or provide a small give away item, such as stickers, temporary tattoos, faery-related item that may relate to their business or a coloring sheet.
It is estimated 50 to 75 children will participate in the event. Non-downtown businesses may also participate by offering something in Rotary Park.
A list of businesses offering a craft or give away item can be picked up in Rotary Park.
Photos courtesy of Jason Klein: Third-grader Carter Brower makes a landing in the long jump during Track and Field Days at Wise Intermediate School.
MEDINA – Efforts to resurrect Track and Field Days for Wise Intermediate School students was a resounding success.
When the events wrapped up on Tuesday 350 students had participated, said physical education teacher Mollie Mark. She, Melissa Valley and Kristi Young planned the return of the sport, which had been discontinued since 2012.
Mark said it was Young who taught the children all the track and field events they would be competing in. She also worked with retired coach Bill Ossont at Oak Orchard School and had continued the event after he retired.
They said it gave students in grades three through six their chance to shine.
Sixth-graders Isabella Anelli, left, and Sophia Albone race to the finish line at Track and Field Days
“We are reminded every day that children have had many setbacks with the effects of more than two years of Covid,” said Kathie Valley, retired fourth-grade teacher, who offered to recruit volunteers for the days. “Quarantines and virtual learning have kept them inside with minimal physical activity.”
“Our goals are to get them on ‘track,’ to get them outside and find fun ways to challenge themselves and the opportunity to cheer on their classmates,” Mark said
Valley contacted 20 individuals asking for volunteers to record times, measure distances, rake sand or help kids keep track of where they should be. Eighteen people replied to her.
Nalanie Miller, a fourth-grader at Wise Intermediate School clears the bar in the return of Track and Field Days.
One who responded was Bill Ossont, retired coach from Medina Central School. He said he hadn’t realized the school had done away with the Track and Field Days for intermediate students. He volunteered to be a starter for this week’s events.
“I was here for 36 years and I learned an awful lot from the coaches and teachers,” Ossont said. Any time you can give back, it’s good.”
The meet was scheduled to start June 9, but heavy rains the night before made the track unusable and events were postposed until the following day. They concluded on June 14 with the awarding of trophies.
Winning teams were Mrs. Scott’s class, third grade; Mr. Gerdes’ class, fourth grade; Miss Duhow’s class, fifth grade; and Mr. Haak’s class, sixth grade.
Peyton Allen, a fifth-grader at Wise Intermediate School, is ready to cross the finish line in a relay race during Track and Field Days.
Leaders of the Track and Field Days at Wise Intermediate School are, from left, Kay VanNostrand, retired physical education teacher; Kristi Young, physical education teacher; Bill Ossont, retired coach; Melissa Valley and Mollie Mark, physical education coaches.
Volunteers and school staff posed for a picture during the Track and Field Days Friday, Monday and Tuesday at Wise Intermediate School. From left are Tina DeSimone, retired Wise School counselor; Bill Ossont, retired track coach; Kay VanNostrand, retired physical education teacher; Jim Hancock; Pam Maryjanowski, retired Oak Orchard physical education teacher; Nick Beneditti, retired high school teacher; Kathie Valley, retired fourth-grade teacher; and Dave Boice, retired Oak Orchard teacher.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Hartway Chevrolet in Medina is led by from left: Randy Klatt, managing partner; Ben Goodwin, the service manager; and George Bidleman, owner.
MEDINA – A local automobile dealership is about to undergo a major change.
George Bidleman of Medina, owner of dealerships in Medina, Albion and Auburn, has announced changes in personnel at Hartway Motors in Medina, a dealership he first became involved with two years ago.
Effective immediately, Randy Klatt, a Medina native and former sales manager at Orleans Ford, will move to Hartway Motors as a managing partner and vice president of Hartway Chevrolet. Along with Klatt, Ben Goodwin will move from Orleans Ford to Hartway Motors as service manager.
In addition to Hartway Motors and Orleans Ford, the Bidleman Auto Group includes Bidleman Chevrolet in Albion and Bidleman Ford in Auburn.
Both Klatt and Goodwin were born and raised in Medina and have decades of experience in the automotive business.
Klatt is a son of Paul and Barbara Klatt. He has worked at Orleans Ford for 17 years, and is grateful for the opportunity Bidleman has given him to move up the ladder. He first started as a salesman in 2006, then was promoted to sales manager in 2009. In 2018 he became general sales manager.
Although he has worked all of his career at the Ford dealership, Klatt said his connection to Hartway Motors goes way back to when his grandfather, who retired from Harrison’s in Lockport, bought all his cars at Hartway Motors. In fact, Klatt said Kip Lonnen, who has been a salesman at Hartway’s for 33 years, sold his grandfather all his vehicles.
Goodwin, a son of Paul and Debbie Goodwin of Medina, has worked at Ford for 18 1/2 years. His experience includes graduating from Ford’s Asset Training Program. Bidleman said Goodwin has been a top technician and an expert in diesel engines.
“I started at the bottom changing oil and emptying garbage cans,” Goodwin said.
Klatt and Goodwin say their promise is to provide the best selection of vehicles and the best service.
Hartway Motors has been doing business in Medina since 1939, when Frank Payjack started the dealership. It became Hartway Motors when Payjack’s daughter Bonnie married Charles Hartway and they took over the business. The next merger created Botsford and Hartway, which Charles and Bonnie’s children ran after Charles retired. Bidleman became a partner two years ago and recently, sole owner.
Bidleman said Hartway Motors has always been a good business.
“But we want to take it to the next level,” he said. “We want to make it great.”
Photos courtesy of Chris Busch: These photos show the two large trees at the front of State Street Park – decorated for Christmas and how they look the rest of the year. Releaf Medina is seeking funds to plant new trees near the two large ones in the park.
MEDINA – For generations, the village of Medina has been known for decking out the town at Christmas in spectacular style.
Across the historic downtown to State Street Park and throughout the village, Medina’s holiday trimmings are among the best in the region, said Chris Busch, forestry coordinator for the village.
“They beckon locals, expatriates and visitors alike to annually experience a real hometown Christmas,” he said.
“It’s what we do,” said Kathy Blackburn, head of the Releaf Medina committee. “Christmas in Medina is magical.”
Blackburn is involved in many Medina initiatives, including Medina’s annual Christmas celebration. In addition to being active with Releaf Medina, she is chair of Medina’s Tree Board, which has a plan that figures into the future of Christmas in Medina, Busch said.
“One of the most magnificent focal points of our holiday display are the two ‘Village Christmas trees’ in State Street Park,” Blackburn said. “They’re breathtaking and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without them.”
These trees are more than 60 feet tall, aging, and while they’re in no immediate danger, sodden soil and a strong wind could bring them down, according to Busch. .
“The time to replace them is now – not when they’re laying on the ground,” Blackburn said.
Courtesy of Chris Busch: This is the site plan for the new trees which will replace two aging trees in State Street Park.
Large conifers have a shallow root system, Busch explained. When they reach the height of the Medina trees, the right combination of heavy rain, waterlogged soil and wind could bring them down. To address the concerns, Medina’s Tree Board started formulating a plan before Covid struck more than two years ago.
Busch has developed a plan that is now in motion.
“We have engaged Draves Tree Service of Darien Center as a consultant and contractor,” Busch said. “Tom Draves is one of the most respected and experienced arborists in Western New York. With his help, we have decided on two 12-foot Black Hills spruce.”
The Black Hills spruce is a dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader, Busch said. It has a distinctive and refined pyramidal form and is highly tolerant of urban pollution. The tree is also drought tolerant and can live for nearly 100 years.
“The trees will have to be dug and installed after August,” Busch said. “The cost to dig, ship, plant and stake two trees with a one-year guarantee is $4,000. To do this, we need community Christmas support. As soon as we’ve raised the funds, the Tree Board will finalize the purchase and plans for a late summer/fall installation.”
The plan provides for leaving the two current trees as they are.
“Of course, we’re hoping these two magnificent trees will be around many more years, but to insure we’ll always have two ‘Village Christmas trees’ in the future, we’re looking to plant two new trees this fall,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn, Busch and the Tree Board are counting on Medina’s love of trees and all things Christmas to carry the day and fund this initiative.
“To accomplish this, Releaf Medina is launching the State Street Park Christmas Tree Fund Drive,” Blackburn said. “Every donation helps and all donors will be listed on a donors’ plaque that will be on display in Medina’s Christmas headquarters – the Santa House in Rotary Park.”
Blackburn also explained the connection between Releaf Medina and the Medina Tree Board. Because the Tree Board is a department of the village it cannot legally solicit money. Releaf Medina was formed as an agency to accept donations.
Blackburn said donations may be made as a general donation, in memory of someone or as an anonymous donation. Donations are also tax-deductible.
Donation tiers include Santa’s Helper – $25 to $199; Jingle Bell Benefactor – $200 to $299; Rudolf Reward – $300 to $499; and Kris Kringle – $500 and up.
“Year after year, people come from miles around to experience a real, old-fashioned, hometown Christmas in Medina,” Blackburn said. “Please help us insure that a Hallmark Christmas will continue for years to come in State Street Park.”
People who wish to donate can download the State Street Park Christmas Tree Fund brochure on the village website at www.villagemedina.org or send a check to Medina Releaf Fund, payable to ORG/Medina Releaf Society, in care of ORG, P.O. box 543, Medina.
Provided photos: Medina High School students help to assemble the reading bags in the District boardroom. Roberta Culver, a teacher at Oak Orchard Elementary, recorded her favorite story for students to listen to over the summer.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – The Medina school district wants students and their families to keep on reading all summer long. Students in pre-kindergarten through grade five all received a summer reading bag to take home. These bags contain not only books but other items that support the science of reading approach in learning to read.
“For the past two years, we have partnered with The Reading League to educate our teachers on how to approach reading instruction based on brain research,” said Julie Webber, Medina’s director of Curriculum and Instruction. “We want our students to be successful in all content areas and this requires them to be proficient readers. This investment in staff professional learning will take time but we expect to see our students’ reading proficiency increase and therefore have higher achievement in math, science, social studies and many other areas.”
Webber would like family and community members to be a part of students’ efforts in learning to read.
“Humans are born with the natural abilities to hear and speak,” she said. “Reading must be explicitly taught – what does a letter look like, sound like, how to write it, etc. The more students can hear and speak language in storytelling and conversations, the more connections they will be able to make when they learn to read. We can all support early readers by simply having meaningful conversations with them and reading to them.”
Bags contain books, alphabet sound practice, family activity ideas, white boards, markers and a Mighty Mustang Reader bookmark.
The summer reading bags were assembled by high school students before their final day of class. Included in the bag is a Mighty Mustang Reader bookmark that contains a QR code to access a website with district students and staff reading their favorite books. Webber said this is just another way that students can build their vocabulary knowledge by listening to stories from some familiar people. (The district website also has links to the books read by students and staff.)
The district also recently hosted a Mustang Parent Academy session for parents, grandparents and caregivers on how to support their child’s reading efforts. Another session will be offered in the fall about the Science of Reading approach.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: First-grade students at Oak Orchard Elementary School visited the food panty at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church this week to donate items to the pantry. With them are teacher Allison Woodburn, left, and Robin Dubai, head of the food pantry.
MEDINA – First-grade students from Oak Orchard Elementary School paid a visit to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on Tuesday, where they visited the Food Pantry and donated food items.
First-grade teacher Allison Woodburn said this has become a tradition for the students. One of the first things they learn in first grade is how to count money, so at the beginning of the school year students are asked to bring in small change from home. Throughout the year, students learn about needs and wants.
Sofia, a first-grader at Oak Orchard Elementary School, gives a food item to Robert Torres of Medina.
At Christmas they use some of the money to help people. Last year they bought hats and gloves for the food pantry and for residents of the nursing home. Then they bought toys for a little boy in Middleport who has cancer.
Being children, when they are asked what they want to do with their money. They often name their wants, not needs, Woodburn said.
“We teach them when you show kindness to others, they will be kind to you,” the teacher said. “This year, when we counted the money, we had $51. We made a list of needs and wants and I went shopping. I was able to buy all the needs and had a little extra for their wants.”
There was also money to buy food items, which the children carried in their backpack to the church.
After the students arrived at the church, Robin Dubai, who heads the Food Pantry, handed each child a flag in honor of Flag Day. The flags were provided by local veteran Dave Kusmierczak, a member of the local American Legion and VFW.
Then they went into the church to visit the Food Pantry, where they got to meet a customer, Robert Torres. Several children offered Torres an item from the shelves.
Each child had food items to donate in his backpack, and one-by-one, they took out their items and offered them to Torres. He accepted canned vegetables, a cake mix, juice and applesauce. The rest of the donations went on the shelves, ready to be given to other less fortunate families.
Woodburn said they call their activity the “Kindness Counts Project.”
Before they left to return to school, Dubai gave each child a popsicle.
Provided photos: The Growlers Blues Band will perform July 28 at State Street Park.
Press Release, Orleans Renaissance Group
MEDINA – “Blue Thursdays” will be a series of free summer concerts at the State Street Park Pavilion in Medina, July through August.
The Print Shop and Orleans Renaissance Group, Inc./medinaalive.com, both of Medina, are bringing together top regional blues talent for a spectacular summer music series.
The Dave Viterna Band will kick off the series on July 7.
Beginning Thursday, July 7, and running for six Thursday evenings through August 11, the free concert series will feature six bands, starting with Medina’s own Dave Viterna Band.
Concert goers will enjoy top regional talent from the Buffalo area blues scene along with food by Cusimano’s Pizzeria and Parker’s Pit BBQ, with refreshments provided by award-winning establishments Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and 810 Meadworks.
In 2017, ORG facilitated the construction of a 24′ x 20′ timber-frame bandstand/pavilion in State Street Park as an outdoor venue for music events.
“The community has long desired a good outdoor venue for music events such as this,” said Chris Busch, president of ORG.
The group facilitated the construction of the bandstand/pavilion with funding obtained through a private benefactor along with the Medina DPW and some donated materials and labor.
“By the time the site was truly finished and ready, along came Covid and put our plans on hold,” said Busch. “We’ve been planning this event with The Print Shop for sometime and 2022 is the year it’s going to happen. We hope to make this a huge annual event.”
The performers booked for Medina are award-winning blues bands from the Buffalo area.
The concert lineup includes Dave Constantino, left, and Frank Grizanti.
“We wanted to kick off the series with top-notch talent that people here may not have had a chance to experience,” said Busch. “We’re really excited to bring these bands to Medina.”
The 2022 Blue Thursdays line-up includes:
“We want to give a big shout out to Dave Viterna who opened the doors to many of these bands for us,” said Busch. “Dave was a great help to us in getting Blue Thursdays off the ground.”
Additional sponsorship for this event was generously provided by Modern Mercantile and Main Street Liquor of Medina.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gloria Brent, owner of Modern Mercantile and Main Liquor for sponsoring the bands,” said Busch. “We couldn’t have done it without her generosity.”
All the concerts are free and open to the public. Shows run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There are no rain dates.
“For up-to-date gig, any cancellations and venue information, people should go to bluethursdays.com,” said Busch. “If the show is going to be cancelled due to rain or for any last minute news, we’ll post there and on the Blue Thursdays Facebook page.”
Jeremy Keyes, left, and Maria Aurigema will perform this summer in Medina.
MEDINA – With rain in the forecast on Thursday, the signups for Medina’s Joint Recreation Summer program have been moved from Butts Park to the Wise Intermediate School on Gwinn Street. The signups are from 5 to 7 p.m.
The summer parks and swim program will be starting July 5 and run through Aug. 12, a free program for children ages 6 to 12 in the Medina school district.
The parks program will be run at the Oak Orchard Elementary School campus with the pool program at the middle school.
The Village of Medina and towns of Ridgeway and Shelby all contribute to funding the program.
The parks program is for children ages 6 to 12. That program will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and until 3 p.m. on Fridays. Besides games, the program will include bowling, field trips, a carnival and other activities.
The swim program starts with a “mommy and me” class for children 6 months to age 2, classes for 3- and 4-year-olds, and then classes for levels 1 to 6. The full swim schedule will be available at registration.
