Photos courtesy of Medina Central School

MEDINA – The Class of 2022 strolled outside this morning in front of the Junior-Senior High School, Intermediate School and Primary School to the cheers of the students for the annual senior walk.

Students and staff enjoyed this time-honored tradition and getting a chance to wish the graduates well and best of luck in their future endeavors.

This year’s class has 96 students potentially who will graduate on June 24.

The seniors carried signs with their future plans.

The entire student body from the elementary, middle and high schools formed a tunnel and applauded the class.

After the senior walk, the class was treated to a breakfast at the Shelby Volunteer Fire Hall.

Photos contributed: Walter Webster of Medina is shown in his high school graduation photo. Webster celebrated his 100th birthday Thursday with an open house at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Gail and John Vogt of Lyndonville.

MEDINA – Thursday was a day to celebrate for Walter Webster of Medina.

Webster was born June 9, 1922, a son of the late Walter and Carrie Mae Webster.

On Thursday, he was honored on the occasion of his 100th birthday at an open house at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Gail and John Vogt of Lyndonville. Dozens of friends and family stopped by to wish him well.

A lifelong resident of Medina, Webster graduated from Medina High School in 1942. He married the love of his life, Ione Rorick, on Aug, 4, 1946. Together, they raised their three children, David Webster, Gail (John) Vogt and Bruce (Molly) Webster on the family farm, where Walter farmed for 76 years.

After Ione died 14 years ago, Walter became a resident of Briarwood Manor in Lockport, until moving to the North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital.

After his retirement from farming, Walter kept active. He was an avid bowler, loved playing euchre at the Senior Center and rode his bike on the towpath until he was 90.

His friends lovingly refer to him as “Wrong Way Webster,” a nickname he earned in high school after running the football 66 yards in the wrong direction.

Walter is an avid Buffalo Bills fan, as well as a big Medina Mustangs supporter. He loves mashed potatoes and oatmeal.

He said one of the reasons he has lived to be 100 is because of the dedicated staff at the North Wing.

MEDINA – The initial meet of Track and Field for middle school students at Wise Intermediate School has been postponed until tomorrow, because of the heavy rains during the night.

Resurrecting Track and Field Days for grades three through six is an idea of track coaches Mollie Mark and Melissa Valley.

Track and Field days began nearly 50 years ago under the leadership of physical education teachers Bill Ossont and Kay VanNostrand.

VanNostrand said she started teaching in 1964, and at that time, track and field at Oak Orchard Elementary School was only for boys in fifth and sixth grade.

“When Bill came here, he and I decided to do track and field for boys and girls,” VanNostrand said. “We eventually modified it for younger grades and included fourth- and fifth-grade students.”

Kathie Valley, Melissa’s mother, sent out a notice asking for volunteers to help with the new program, and VanNostrand responded.

“I’m excited to see it brought back,” VanNostrand said. “Kids in grades three through can shine in many events.”

Mark said parents and the community are invited to come to Wise Intermediate School Friday, Monday and Tuesday to watch the students participate. A spokesman at the school this morning said it will possibly be extended until Wednesday to make up for the lost day today.

“Each kid will be able to participate in two events, such as running the 50, 100, 200 or 400-meter dash; football and softball throw; and long jump or high jump,” Mark said.

She explained the track and field meets for elementary school children lasted until 2012. When Towne Elementary School and Oak Orchard reorganized, the meets were discontinued.

Mark, who has been teaching for 20 years, moved back to Wise Intermediate School this year and started thinking about bringing back the event, with the help of Melissa Valley, also a track coach.

“It will be good to get it started and get kids excited about running,” Mark said.

She said 90 to 100 students are involved.

“A lot of people we mentioned this to said they remember the track and field days and it was a lot of fun,” Mark said.

She encourages anyone to come and watch. On the final day, trophies will be awarded for each event.

Photos and information courtesy of Medina Marching Band

The Sherburne community in Chenango County hosted its 73rd annual pageant of bands from June 2nd through June 4th. This pageant is the oldest and longest running event of its kind in the state.

The Sherburne community, the Volunteer Fire Department and the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District come together to sponsor this event. There were 40 schools from around the state that participated and this was Medina’s second year at the competition. Medina was in Class AA for any event they participated in.

In jazz, Medina competed against two other bands in Class AA and earned 1st place with a score of 99. In concert band, Medina competed against three other schools and came in 2nd place with a score of 84. In small ensemble, Medina performed a clarinet quartet competing against two other schools and earned 2nd place with a score of 93.

The parade is a big event with 36 schools performing and the people in town begin setting up their chairs along Main Street on Friday night down the 3-mile route.

In Class AA Medina earned 1st place with a score of 98.25 and 1st place in color guard with 90.  In a separate drumline competition, Medina earned 1st place with 64.5.

Two other events were the White Sabres Drum & Bugle Corps in exhibition and the 3rd Marine Air Wing Rock Band from San Diego, CA.

This was the last competitive performance for the band in the 2021-2022 school year. The season will close with the band banquet.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Tom Keefer of Celtic Cross strolled around the Canal Village Farmers’ Market today for opening day of a new season at the market, which goes every Saturday at the corner of West Center Street and West Avenue.

The market is open year-round with today the return of many of the vendors during the busier summer season.

Hannah Pollard, owner of the Catherine Street Bakery, discusses some of the baked goods she has available with customer Pat Payne.

This is Pollard’s third season a vendor. She started selling home-made masks in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and then shifted to making pies, cookies and other baked goods.

“I like the customers and being outside,” Pollard said. “This is basically my storefront.”

Ron Human of Human Farms in Appleton is starting his sixth season as a vendor. He has flowers today and will soon have many vegetables with lettuce, green beans and sweet corn almost ready.

Human said the market is busy with people through the morning and early afternoon. The market tends to draw 300 to 400 people on Saturdays, said Gail Miller, the market manager. The crowd for opening day was about 500.

The market is sponsored by the Orleans Renaissance Group.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Lance Mark, a member of the Medina Lions Club, passes out maps of yard sales in Medina as part of the Community Yard Sale Day. There are at least 20 yard sales in Medina today.

The Lions Club will also have a chicken barbecue at the Olde Pickle Factory beginning at 11 a.m.

The Lions also have a roving mobile hot dog stand that will be travelling through the village.

Medina Lion Jim Punch distributes map of the yard sales. There were four Lions passing out maps at the intersection of Main and Center streets.

Jarred Saj gives out a directory of the yard sales in Medina. The Lions Club accepted donations for the maps.

File photo by Tom Rivers: A Mercy Flight helicopter takes off on Aug. 7, 2018 during the fourth annual National Night Out in Orleans County, which included a bounce gym. This year the event will move from Bullard Park in Albion to Wise Middle School in Medina on Aug. 2.

Press Release, Medina Police Department

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department, with the assistance of the Medina Police Advisory Committee, are co-organizing this year’s Orleans County National Night Out.

We are proud to give an update on this year’s event that will take place on Tuesday, August 2nd, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Medina’s Clifford Wise Intermediate School, 1016 Gwinn St.

National Night Out started in the 1980s as a way to bring law enforcement and citizens together nationwide on the same night each year. We have expanded on that principle and put together an event that focuses on bringing many agencies and organizations together for the annual National Night Out date each year.

Participants in this event will include law enforcement from throughout the county, fire agencies, EMS responders, civic organizations and other groups that will be providing activities and giveaways. Some of the big hits from past events have been the “Battle of the Belts,” K-9 demonstrations and the bike rodeo.

Our mission is simple.  We want an event where families can come for a night and be entertained at no cost, eating and having fun in an environment that is free of violence, alcohol, tobacco and drugs. We hope citizens can meet members of our local organizations and get to know the services they provide to our community.

We are currently in the process of reaching out to many local organizations to coordinate participation. In the past it is the efforts, participation and donations of these local organizations and businesses that make National Night Out possible. These sponsoring organizations will be highlighted throughout our event.

Registration and donation information will be distributed shortly through mail, email, and social media. For more information you may contact either Heather Jackson at NNOOrleans@gmail.com or Lt. Todd Draper at tdraper@villagemedina.org.

We will also be providing regular updates through our Facebook pages.

National Night Out – Orleans: www.facebook.com/OrleansNNO/

Medina Police Department: www.facebook.com/VillageofMedinaPolice

MEDINA – 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.

There will be in-person signups o June 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Butts Park pavilion.

The program this year is being directed by Michelle Capstick, a Medina teacher the past 29 years. She stepped into the role for the first time after seeing a notice that the program would be cancelled if there wasn’t a director.

“I feel very strongly about the Medina community,” said Capstick.

Her father is the late Don Kennedy, a former Medina mayor and businessman who Capstick said instilled the importance of service.

Capstick said the program has good leaders in place with Hayden Woodroe serving as the park supervisor and Hannah Kenward the pool supervisor. Other swimming instructors and aides will be hired.

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.

Site also has turf floor for athletic drills

Photos by Tom Rivers: John Brabon, left, and Nick Joy are co-owners of the Hustl House gym in Medina. They also have a site in Albion that they opened about a year ago. The Medina gym has a turf floor for lunges, sprints and athletic drills.

MEDINA – John Brabon and Nick Joy, cousins from Lyndonville, have opened a second gym. They started the Hustl House last May in Albion at the former Albion Fitness Center on Main Street.

The Hustl House drops the “e” in hustle for no excuses. They gym has been popular in Albion, and that success made the cousins confident a second Hustl House would be popular in Medina.

Nick Joy and John Brabon are pleased with the success of the Hustl House in helping people become stronger and healthier.

“We bring an attitude and a culture,” said Brabon, a former wrestler who is in the Niagara Community College Hall of Fame for his mat success. He works full-time as the sales manager for Orleans Ford.

The Medina site opened on Wednesday and has more space at 119 Pearl St. They have added turf in part of the building. Those 2,300 square feet of turf are an ideal surface for lunges, sprints and other athletic drills.

Joy was up late Tuesday night installing the turf. Joy, 31, has a master’s degree in exercise science. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist who wants to help people get stronger and be healthier. The Hustl House offers exercise programs, weight resistance and now a supplement line with protein, hydration and energy nutrition.

Joy is willing to work with everyone in the community. He has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for professional athletes, including the L.A. Galaxy. For 11 years he ran the Shed Express, a business hauling sheds for the Amish and Mennonite communities.

But Joy said his passion is fitness and he is fully committed to the Hustl House and its members. His goal is to start a youth athletic performance program, working with local high school athletes. The Hustl House can help the athletes improve their strength and skills.

“The offseason work makes a difference and takes you to the next level,” Joy said.

The gym will offer dual memberships to both the Albion and Medina sites.

They share space with the Hometown Wellness Center which is run by Pam Eaton. Hometown Wellness offers group fitness, personal training and nutrition programs.

Eaton said she is happy to welcome the Hustl House to the building.

“Now we can to do a full-service place,” she said. “We have everything.”

The Hustl House will soon be available 24-7 in Medina. The gym has a wolf in its logo.

“The wolf is alpha, just like us,” Joy said. “You got to be confident.”

For more information on the Hustl House, click here.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – This girl waves an American flag while the Medina Alumni Marching Band performed and marched up East Center Street to State Street Park for the Memorial Day observance.

The Medina community lined the parade route today in the return of the Memorial Day parade after it was downsized in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.

Scott Carlton, a member of the Sons of the American Legion, hands flags to Bridget McLaughlin and her children, 1-year-old Shawn on her lap and 3-year-old Maddie. The Sons handed out about 2,000 flags today.

The Color Guard carried flags at the start of the parade procession.

The Marching Band and the Color Guard makes their entrance on Main Street.

Nick Reese plays in the drumline for the Medina Marching Band.

Terri Moriarty of the Medina Lions Club tosses candy to kids lined up on Main Street.

Medina Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts were happy to be part of the parade.

Local Girl Scouts carry their banner in the parade.

Joshua Vacanti of Lockport, a star of The Voice on NBC, sang during the parade and promoted a singing competition on July 23 as part of The Salt & Light Festival in Gasport.

Brian Kozody and about 80 graduates performed in the Medina Alumni Marching. The group first performed five years on the 50^th  anniversary of the band. They expect to be back again in five years on the 60^th anniversary,.

Scott Petry, a Shelby firefighter, drives a firetruck while his son Hank, 3, waves to the crowd.

The Cayea brothers promoted the Home for the Holidays 5K race on Nov. 26. From left include Alden, Alwyn, Arian and Aeddon. Alden won the last race on Nov. 27, 2021.

Village Trustee Jess Marciano hands out candy along the parade route.

This Army truck carries a casket to send a powerful message about the sacrifices of soldiers.