Center has capacity for 136 students in building trades, CNAs and certified medical assistants

MEDINA – Dennis Essom, center director of the Iroquois Job Corps on Tibbits Road, has announced the Job Corps has reopened and ready to admit students in brick masonry, carpentry, paint, electrical, certified nursing assistant and certified medical assistant fields.

Iroquois Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training provider helping young people ages 16 to 24 improve the quality of their lives by empowering them to get great jobs and become independent, Essom said.

The local Iroquois Job Corps Center has the capacity to serve 136 students. The campus works directly with employers, national and local, to help them fill available positions with high pay. A few of the companies who have recently hired Iroquois Job Corps’ skilled graduates include Aerotek in Cheektowaga, Niagara Protective Coatings in Niagara Falls, St. Ann’s Community in Rochester, Career Start in Buffalo and Rochester, DENT Neurologic Institute in Amherst, Quality Structures in Rochester, and FSR Contracting in Buffalo.

Other recent graduates have enlisted in the United States Army and Navy and are now currently serving in active duty using skills learned while at Job Corps, Essom said.

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly reduced the number of students the Iroquois Job Corps Center has served during the past year and a half, Essom added. Now, with effective vaccines and safety procedures in place, the Iroquois Job Corps Center is ready with its youth training opportunities to welcome new students to their campus.

“We want the community to know that the Iroquois Job Corps Center is an outstanding option for our youth,” Essom said. “Students can also earn a high school diploma or the equivalent and college credits. Job Corps offers tuition-free housing, meals, basic health care, a living allowance and funds to assist with career transition.”

Job Corps also provides transitional support services, such as help finding employment, housing, child care and transportation. Job Corps graduates either enter the workforce or an apprenticeship, go on to higher education or enter the military.

Iroquois Job Corps Center has already demonstrated it is able to provide safe and healthy residential living and serve students effectively despite Covid, Essom continued. The program has procedures and policies in place to track Covid symptoms, test and prevent an outbreak.

“The past two years have been trying for all of us,” said Byron V. Garrett, CEO and president of National Corps Association. “This time has shown us that Job Corps’ dedication to teaching trades to young people has made a big difference, not only in the lives of our students and their families, but in the lives of Americans reliant upon the work Job Corps alumni have been trained to do. Given our availability to immediately serve students, we know the potential for our campuses to transform lives and want everyone to know that Job Corps is reopened and ready to help.”

Anyone wishing more information about student outreach and recruitment can contact Luke Kantor, outreach and admissions manager at the office phone (585) 344-3401, on his cell at (585) 205-3653 or by e-mail at Kantor.Luke@jobcorps.org.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Bob Gilsinan, left, and Jim Hancock are looking forward to another successful tourist season in Medina. They made a preliminary visit today to the Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park.

MEDINA – When the Medina Visitors’ Center opens May 23, it will be the 13th year of welcoming tourists to the village.

Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee and coordinator of the Visitors’ Center, and volunteer Bob Gilsinan today stopped by the Visitors’ Center in Rotary Park. They are preparing for the opening of the center for the 2022 season on May 23.

The house used as Santa’s headquarters at Christmas time doubles as the Visitors’ Center during the tourist season. It was an ideal spot to locate a Visitors’ Center, being in the center of downtown and in close proximity to the canal.

Last year, 330 visitors signed the register from 24 states and three foreign countries.

Gilsinan has been volunteering at the Visitors’ Center for four years and looks forward to his time there. He loves to talk to people and recalls the couple he met from Belgium who were biking the Erie Canal. He said they asked why there were so many churches in town.

One year while Hancock was on duty in the center, he met a couple from Montana who had their boat anchored in the Canal Basin. He said they had towed their boat then put it in the water where they could continue their journey to Key West.

“It’s heartwarming to see how amazed visitors are at the vibrancy of our Main Street and all the restaurants we have,” Hancock said.

There are two new volunteers so far this year – Betty Rogowski and the Rev. Vince Iorio, bringing the total of volunteers to 14.

“We can always use more volunteers,” Hancock said. “We do have enough now that we can have the Visitors’ Center open on Saturday.”

He said he didn’t know of any other small town with a Visitors’ Center like Medina.

The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday throughout the summer.

Provided photo: Incoming kindergarten student, Carter Colonna, participates in the signing event at Oak Orchard Primary School.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Medina school district’s Oak Orchard Primary School has had a busy week hosting a UPK (Universal Pre-Kindergarten)/Kindergarten event.

Students who will be entering into universal pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are participating in a signing, screening and registration celebration at the school.

The event is being held from May 9 to May 20.  The school’s Principal Jennifer Stearns said students need to be residents of the school district and need to be 4 years of age by Dec. 1, 2021 for UPK and 5 years of age by Dec. 1, 2022 for kindergarten.

“It has been very exciting to welcome all our future Mustangs to this fun event,” she said.  “Students and families have been enjoying taking part and having their photograph taken to honor the occasion.”

The UPK and K programs will begin in the 2022-23 school year, Monday through Friday, from 7:35 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. As part of the sign up, students are meeting with the UPK and K teachers who complete a screening, which allows them to see the skills students have while entering school.

Parents/guardians are also meeting with teachers and the school counselor to share information about their child. There is an opportunity to complete registration while at screening as well.

The programs are free of cost to Medina school district families and transportation to and from school is provided by the district, following their regular transportation policies.

Breakfast and lunch will also be provided to students as well, at no cost.  Spaces will be limited and a random lottery will be held if needed. The application can be found at the Medina district website at www.medinacsd.org and then visiting the Oak Orchard Primary School page.

Mrs. Stearns would like to remind residents that it is not too late to sign up for either program and to participate in the screening. Medina residents are encouraged to complete the sign up found on the website or they can call 585-798-2700, options 3 and then 0, for more information.

Provided photos

MEDINA – Cindy Davis, vice president of the Medina Dog Park, accepts a ceremonial check for $172.50  from teacher Stephanie Brandt. Students in her class at the Orleans Learning Center in Medina collected bottles and cans.

The students also visited every classroom at the Learning Center and also the Orleans Career & Tech Center and collected donations.

“Medina has been hard at work over the past couple of years to create a fun space for our furry friends to socialize and play,” Brandt said. “We decided to support our community to help make the project happen.”

The dog park is located on North Gravel Road just south of Boxwood Cemetery.

Some of the Orleans Learning Center students are pictured at the school.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Frank Berger is shown during Medina’s Memorial Day observance on May 29, 2017. He has been chairman of the parade since 1971.

MEDINA – Frank Berger, chairman of Medina’s Memorial Parade, is welcoming community organizations to be part of Medina’s parade on May 30.

The parade will be back without restrictions this year, except for one. Berger said there won’t be any business or commercial promotions allowed, as has been the custom for this parade.

He has been chairman of the Memorial Day Parade since 1971. This is his last time as the organizer.

“I’m 87 and it’s about time for someone else to do it,” he said. “It takes a lot of cooperation.”

Berger became parade chairman 51 years ago, back when his son was in Cub Scouts.

For the May 30 parade, participants should start to line up at 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue. The parade starts at 11 and goes down Park Avenue, to South Main Street, to State Street Park. There will be an observance at State Street Park at about noon.

Berger said people interested in being in the parade should call (585) 798-3632. They should include the name of the group and how many expected participants.

Photos courtesy of Lyndonville Lions

MEDINA – The Lyndonville Lions Club this weekend delivered dozens of long-stemmed roses to the residents and staff of Orchard Manor nursing home and the North Wing extended care in Medina. The roses were given to residents and staff on the Mother’s Day weekend.

The top photo shows Lyndonville Lions Club members Harold Suhr, left, and Russ Martino gathering and preparing roses for delivery.

Some of the nursing staff at Orchard Manor include Jenna Doberstein, Tabitha Andrews and Amy Cheatham, who are shown here with Lyndonville Lion Russ Martino.

A representative of the Orleans Community Health system accepted roses on behalf of its North Wing residents.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Mary Lewis, owner of Creekside Floral, shows Rob Klino some geraniums, a typical plant that would be suitable for planting in a cemetery. The Friends of Boxwood, of which Klino is a member, is hosting a workshop by Lewis on May 21, during which she will talk about the best plants to use in a cemetery or an alternate to flowers.

MEDINA – The Friends of Boxwood Cemetery is embarking on an ambitious venture this year to raise money for much needed improvements.

The Friends of Boxwood is a recently formed organization that has a mission to promote and conserve Boxwood Cemetery and honor past generations for future generations, said Rob Klino, a member of Friends of Boxwood.

Friends of Boxwood is also looking for a board of directors, committee members and volunteers to assist with fundraising, gardening and general maintenance, such as headstone cleaning.

Recently, they began brainstorming about things they could do to raise money and improve the cemetery.

One of the most urgent projects is restoring the stained glass window in the chapel. One estimate says it will cost $6,500 to preserve the window, which pre-dates Tiffany.

Other projects are cutting down dead trees and planting new ones and cleaning and resetting headstones.

Their first event is scheduled for May 21 and will feature Mary Lewis, owner of Creekside Floral, who will conduct a workshop on plants from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. People are invited to gather at the back of the cemetery by the banks of Glenwood Lake and hear Lewis talk about plants which are suitable for a cemetery or an alternate to flowers. Those attending should bring a lawn chair and pre-register at FriendsofBoxwoodCemetery@gmail.com. Plants will also be available for purchase.

Other events planned are a Day of Walking and headstone cleaning day, both in June; a field trip to Forest Lawn Cemetery in September; and on Oct. 1, Boxwood at night, when the cemetery will be all lit up, a story teller will be on hand and food trucks will be on site.

Special activities are planned in October for Halloween. The year will close out in December when Wreaths Across America honors all the veterans buried there with placement of wreaths on their graves.

One day a month from March to November is designated as miscellaneous clean-up day at the cemetery and volunteers are always in need.

The public is encouraged to visit the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery page on Facebook for other upcoming events and to stay current on the cemetery.

Anyone interested in serving on the board of directors, volunteering in any capacity, becoming a member or just making a tax-deductible donation can contact Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, P.O. Box 543, Medina, 14103.

Photo courtesy of Medina Teachers’ Association: Todd Eick, a Medina agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, reads to Medina pre-kindergartners. He brought along Chanel, a rabbit from the FFA.

Press Release, Medina Teachers’ Association

MEDINA – At the end of April, students in Medina’s UPK classes received special guests and a special gift.

Members of the Medina Teachers’ Association participated in the annual “Make Time to Read” initiative. The MTA is partnering with Author’s Note, Medina’s independent bookstore, to select and purchase books for the event.

MTA members visited each UPK classroom and read aloud from this year’s text, “Home for a Bunny.” To make the event even more exciting, Chanel, a six-week-old rabbit from Medina FFA’s Model Farm, came with Mr. Todd Eick who was a guest reader. Then, every student was given their own copy of the book to take home, courtesy of the MTA. There are almost 70 UPK students enrolled in this year’s program.

“We are very excited about our students receiving new books,” said Sandi Southworth and Bethany Livergood, two Medina UPK teachers. “The exposure to reading and books is fundamental for school success.”

A big thank you goes out to Author’s Note, MTA members, UPK teachers and staff, and of course, UPK students for making time to read!

The Medina CSD is still accepting applications for students to attend their UPK program for the 2022-23 school year. Students must be 4 years of age by Dec. 1, 2022. Please call the Oak Orchard Main Office at 585-798-2700, option 3 then 0.

Press Release, Medina Band Boosters – Kathy Dreyfus, publicity chairwoman

MEDINA – The Medina Band Boosters held their monthly meeting on Monday to discuss upcoming events and elect officers for the coming year.

Those officers are: President – Mindy Kenward; Vice-President – Crystal Ellliott; Secretary – Holly Roush; Treasurer – Kelly Allen; Uniforms – Michele Wright; Transportation – Jason Clare; Publicity – Kathy Dreyfus; Chaperones – Heather Jackson; Delegates – Becky Rinker,  Ardeen Raglan and Misty Reese.

The band will perform in the Memorial Day parade on May 30 and the alumni band will also perform.

Medina will also be in the Sherburne Pageant on June 3rd and 4th. This event includes competition in parade, wind ensemble, color guard and drumline.

The entire season concludes with the band banquet on Monday, June 6.

Press Release, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library

MEDINA – The annual meeting of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library will be held at the library on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m.

Agenda items include voting on a trustee position, the presentation of the annual report and the presentation of the proposed budget. Trustee David Schwert is seeking re-election to the board for a five-year term.

The library’s board of trustees has prepared a conservative budget for 2022-2023. The library is asking for an increase in the tax of 1.02 percent. The property tax levy will increase to $565,028.

“The board is sensitive to the pressures felt by taxpayers,” said Schwert, the board president. “As fiscal stewards, we constantly strive to balance increased operation costs with a conservative revenue request. We are proud of our staff and our high standards of service.”

Residents of the Medina Central School District are invited to attend this public meeting. The budget vote will take place at the library on Tuesday, May 10, from noon to 8 p.m. The library is located at 620 West Ave.