By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 December 2021 at 6:26 pm
Provided photo: Nurse April Schultz at Medina Memorial Hospital takes Santa Claus’ blood pressure to make sure he is healthy for his Christmas Eve visit to children around the world.
MEDINA – Santa Claus is healthy and ready for his big night, according to information from Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital.
On Dec. 22, Santa successfully passed his yearly physical, announced medical personnel at Medina Memorial Hospital.
April Schultz, RN, conducted the examination and said, “Mr. Claus is in the best shape of his life. We were pleased to visit with him and wish him all the best on his coming trip.”
“Children can rest assured that the big guy is ready to go,” said RN Kim Gray, chief nursing officer and director of surgical services for Orleans Community Health. “He received a clean bill of health.”
NORAD will begin tracking Santa and his sleigh just after midnight on Christmas Eve. It is estimated he needs 36 hours to complete his journey.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 December 2021 at 8:28 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Diane Mazur, left, and Sherry Tuohey fill boxes at the Grove United Methodist Church for families who applied for assistance at Christmas.
MEDINA – Volunteers at the Grove United Methodist Church packed 75 boxes of food, gifts, toys and clothing, which were delivered to families on Saturday by local firefighters.
This year’s applicants were slightly higher than last year, said Sherry Tuohey, who chairs the annual MAAC-sponsored event.
Boxes this year will provide Christmas to more than 100 children and 32 senior citizens, Tuohey said.
Volunteer shoppers pack box of toys and gifts at the Grove United Methodist Church for delivery to needy families.
After firefighters collected the more than 40 red barrels from throughout the community, they were brought back to the church, where volunteers sorted the contents, according to age and gender. Tables were piled high with toys, gifts, hats, scarves and mittens. With a family’s wish list in hand, volunteers with shopping carts went down the aisles, picking out an appropriate item or items for each person on the list.
After the boxes were packed and sealed, they were stacked along a wall according to the street on which the family lives. Then, on Saturday, the firefighters loaded them in their vehicles and delivered them to the homes who had applied.
This year, donations to the MAAC red barrels will result in Christmas for 200 individuals in all.
Toys, gifts and clothing are arranged on tables by age and gender at the Grove United Methodist Church, ready for volunteers to fill Christmas wishes.
Dennis DuBoi tapes a box of Christmas gifts, ready for delivery by local firefighters.
MEDINA – Girl Scouts in Troops 82007 and 82261 placed wreaths on veterans’ graves in Boxwood Cemetery in medina on Saturday as part of the Wreaths Across America program.
The Scouts joined other volunteers in placing wreaths on the graves of 315 veterans.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 December 2021 at 9:53 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Staff at Takeform in Medina, Medina merchants and winners of a holiday contest pose in front of a new gratitude panel created by Takeform and erected in Rotary Park for the Christmas season. At left are Mike and Kara Zambito, Decorate Medina chair Jaye Sullivan, and Jordan and Brett Grollnes with son Patrick, who won Takeform’s contest. At right are Ryan Scaja, engineer at Takeform; Shannon Dent, designer; engineers Jesse Follman and Doug Robertson; and Andrew Szatkowski, operations manager at Takeform.
MEDINA – When Takeform employees learned they weren’t going to have a float in this year’s Parade of Lights, they knew they had to do something else, said Takeform director of operations Andrew Szatkowski.
“We really missed working on a float, so we started thinking about it and ideas just snowballed,” said designer Shannon Dent.
They decided to have a booth at the Parade of Lights, where they would ask the crowd to take a slip of paper and write down what they were grateful for. To encourage people to their tent, they gave away Christmas ornaments, said Szatkowski.
Three hundred and fifty people participated.
At the end, one winner was drawn, 8-year-old Patrick Grollnes, whose answer was, “My family and friends.”
Patrick, 8, who won Takeform’s contest at the Parade of Lights, poses with Santa Claus, his mother Jordan and sister Adeline in Rotary Park, where his reason for being thankful is one of those engraved on the Gratitude Wall designed by Takeform employees.
As winner, Patrick and his family, parents Brett and Jordan and sister Adeline, were treated to dinner by Mike and Kara Zambito of Zambistro’s in their popular outdoor igloo.
It was pretty cool, Patrick said.
“Patrick is a big eater, so he really enjoyed having a multi-course meal,” his mother said. “It was a real nice treat the week before Christmas.”
Meanwhile, Takeform had contacted Jaye Sullivan, chair of the Decorate Medina Committee, who said they could erect their display in Rotary Park. The layered display features an 1880’s picture of Medina’s downtown with an acrylic overlay engraved with the messages of those who filled the slips at the parade.
This wall of Holiday Gratitude and Greetings will stand in Rotary Park until about the first of February. It features a background picture of 1880’s Medina with a plastic overlay engraved with reasons why hundreds of people who attended the Parade of Lights are grateful.
Reasons for giving thanks included many who said “family and friends and good health.” But others were thankful for their community, for small towns like Medina, Godzilla, deer season and one said, “Everything I have.”
Dent said it took her about 10 hours to lay all the comments on the plastic.
The Takeform group said the display is most beautiful at night when it is lighted.
It will remain up until about the first of February, Szatkowski said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 December 2021 at 8:52 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jeanne Crane, Orleans Community Health Foundation president, presents a poinsettia to North Wing resident Elizabeth Atwell, who is surrounded by her family.
MEDINA – The North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital is all decked out for the season to help residents enjoy the Christmas holiday.
Recently, Jeanne Crane, president of the Orleans Community Health Foundation, presented each resident with a poinsettia.
This is a tradition started by the Twig Association many years ago, and then handed off to the Orleans Community Health Foundation.
North Wing resident Rose Plummer gets a poinsettia from Jeanne Crane.
From left, Orleans Community Health Foundation director Heather Smith, OCH president Jeanne Crane and CEO Marc Shurtz pose amid holiday decorations in the North Wing of Medina Memorial Hospital.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 20 December 2021 at 9:47 pm
MEDINA – A Medina native and Nashville entertainer return home for Christmas and give a concert Dec. 30 at the Medina Theater on Main Street.
Brandon Noreck is a 2009 graduate of Medina High School, where he sang in the choir, played in the jazz band and was a member of the Mustang Marching Band from seventh grade through high school.
Brandon Noreck
“Mrs. Roessler, who led the choir, was a big inspiration to me,” Noreck said. “Mr. Doctor pushed me to be a vocalist. He urged me to audition for a school musical. I didn’t want a featured spot, but I ended up as Tony in ‘West Side Story.’”
Noreck’s parents still live in the area – his father Jim on South Lyndonville Road and his mother Lisa in Amherst.
“I’ve loved music all my life,” Noreck said in a phone call from Nashville last week. “I started playing piano when I was 5 years old.”
In his senior year of high school, he and his mom took a trip to Nashville, and he was hooked.
“I fell in love with the city,” he said.
Noreck attended Fredonia State College, where he graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in sound recording technology.
Initially, he wanted to be an engineer in sound recording technology, he said.
Not only is he an engineer, but a song writer, singer and instrumentalist. He plays piano, guitar and trumpet. While he has knowledge of woodwind, brass, percussion and choral arrangements, his specialty is RnB/Soul/Pop.
Music is one of the most important things in his life, he said.
After moving to Nashville in 2013, Noreck did freelance sound recording, but after a couple of years he realized his biggest passion was to sing. He started attending sessions called Writers’ Rounds, where musicians and singers meet and perform for each other.
Noreck has written several songs and really enjoys performing his original stuff, he said. He has had a couple of his songs cut and released. He has also done jingles on the radio.
Click here to hear “I Just Want You” by Brandon Noreck.
When a family friend, Tim McPherson of Medina, learned Noreck was coming home for Christmas, he thought how great it would be if the singer could perform for his home town crowd. McPherson contacted Joe Cardone and arranged to use the Medina Theater for a concert. This will be his first time performing for his home town.
Noreck will sing and play from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 30 at the theater. Admission is $10 at the door.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 December 2021 at 8:48 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A new display of gratitude sends messages of thankfulness during a time when many people are feeling anxiety, loss and disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Takeform in Medina installed the display featuring a vintage photo of downtown Medina on Friday in Rotary Park at one of Medina’s main intersections.
The company had a booth during the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration on Nov. 27 and asked people what they are thankful for in their lives. Those quotes are part of a display that will be up until mid-January.
Many said family, and others included organ donors, deer season and even chocolate.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 December 2021 at 9:55 pm
Medina RR Museum welcomed 20,000 riders past three weekends
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Nineteen-year-old Robert Kennedy of Rochester surprises his grandfather James Kennedy during a ride on the Polar Express Saturday. Robert was in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. and told his family he wouldn’t be able to make it home.
MEDINA – The 2021 run of Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum is one for the record books.
Nearly 20,000 people rode the train during the past three weekends, taking passengers to the “North Pole” and back. Along the way they enjoyed hot chocolate, a train Christmas cookie, Christmas carols and a visit by Santa, who gave every child a bell.
During this year’s event, one family held a surprise birthday party on the train and one man proposed to his girlfriend, but it was on the last train Saturday the biggest surprise took place.
The Kennedy family from Rochester has traveled to Medina to ride the train every year. This year, however, was going to be different. Nineteen-year-old Robert Kennedy had joined the Army in September and was in basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.
Robert Kennedy, center, poses with his parents Jaime Kennedy and Matt Peer after surprising the family on a ride on the Polar Express at Medina Railroad Museum Saturday.
He decided to surprise his family, telling them he wouldn’t be able to make it home and they would have to ride the train without him. But, in fact, he did finish basic training, and he shared that news with his parents. His father drove to Georgia and brought him home, not telling the rest of the family.
Robert rode the next-to-the-last train of the day, then hid in the storage room on his family’s coach. After they boarded and the train was headed to the North Pole, Robert got in line behind the staff serving hot chocolate. As they served his family, Robert popped up and revealed himself.
Robert Kennedy’s brother and sister were among nearly a dozen family members he surprised during a ride on the Polar Express Saturday.
There were a lot of gasps and cheers as one-by-one, the family realized it was really Robert.
First to get a hug was his grandfather James Kennedy, himself a veteran, who was Robert’s inspiration to join the military. Then there were hugs from grandma Rosann, his parents, brother and sister, aunts uncles and cousins.
Robert said he always wanted to be like his grandpa and serve his country. He plans to make a career of it.
The Polar Express is an attraction owned by Rail Events. They hold 45 Polar events annually throughout the United States, 10 in the Ukraine and a new one this year in Australia, according to Edward Rozycki, licensing manager, who visited Medina Railroad Museum on Saturday.
Some railroads have been doing Polar Express events since the book came out in 1985, Rozycki said. The movie came out in 2004, and Rail Events received a license from Warner Brothers to run events in 2007.
Most events were canceled in 2020 due to Covid, but in 2019, nearly 1.4 million people rode the Polar Express, Rozycki said.
The Medina Railroad Museum will be closed until March 1 as it makes upgrades and repairs to the building and coaches.
The Museum has already scheduled a return of Day Out with Thomas for June 10, 11 and 12 and tickets will go on sale online after the first of January. The event will have a new look and new features.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2021 at 8:47 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA — Tom Snyder, right, represents the Navy and holds wreath to be placed at a veteran’s grave at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina today as part of the Wreaths Across America tribute. He is joined by other local veterans as well as State Sen. Rob Ortt and Eileen Banker, representing Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
Medina has participated in Wreaths Across America since 2013 when it started with seven wreaths at Boxwood. It has grown each year to 315 today, up from 261 a year ago. Community members cover the cost of the wreaths at $15 each.
Chloe Luxon, 9, of Medina carries two wreaths up the hill at Boxwood to be placed on veterans’ graves.
Many local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts join other community members in volunteering to place wreaths at graves today.
State Sen. Rob Ortt salutes after setting a wreath at a grave in the veterans’ section at Boxwood in honor of soldiers missing in action or prisoners of war. Seven others laid wreaths during a ceremony, paying tribute to a veteran from each branch of the military including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.
The American Legion and VFW joined in the ceremony honoring veterans. Pictured from left include Dave Morien, Dave Berry and Dave Wells.
State Sen. Rob Ortt speaks at the ceremony. Next to him is Kathy Blackburn, coordinator of the effort in Medina, and local veteran Dave Kusmierczak, who offered the opening prayer. Ortt praised a group of 100 who attended the ceremony in freezing drizzle. He said the wreaths are a remember that “freedom isn’t free.”
David Thom carries wreaths to veterans’ graves at Boxwood. He joined many other volunteers in the duty.
David Barhite lays a wreath in honor of those who served in the Marine Corps.
Kathy Blackburn, coordinator of the Wreaths program in Medina, braves the bitter weather in sharing about the Wreaths program which is part of 2,700 communities across the country.
Lyndonville also placed wreaths on veterans’ graves today, with 438 wreaths placed at Lynhaven and other cemeteries in the Lyndonville community. Anna Stelianou funds the effort in appreciation for the community’s kindness to her parents, Ary and Konstantina, during the lean years of the Great Depression. They emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Stelianou also donated the money for the wreaths in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 17 December 2021 at 3:26 pm
Provided photos
MEDINA – Linda Moore of 405 Park Ave. (above) has been declared Grand Champion of Medina’s Village of Lights contest.
More than a dozen homeowners and several businesses entered this year’s competition.
Pat Payne, who coordinated the contest, has announced the winners in Residential and Business categories.
In the Residential Category, Sara Paige of 500 South Academy St. won Christmas Spirit – Traditional; Julie and Joe Granchelli of 121 Zacher Drive won Christmas Spirit – Innovative; Cindy Watson of 935 Gwinn St. was named Most Whimsical; Amanda and Dan Costich of 421 West Oak Orchard St. won for Best Use of Lights; Michelle Wiseman and Christine Nenni of 169 State St. won Probably Visible from Space; Kellie Watson of 528 Bates Rd. won Contemporary; and the Grand Champion prize went to Linda Moore of 405 Park Ave.
Runners-up were Gary Lamar of 900 West Ave.; Travis Farewell of 104 Roseland Ave.; Diane Arndt of 1150 Gwinn St.; Kody and Paige Clark of 518 West Center St.; Alisha Schwarzott of 425 Park Ave.; and Terri Moriarty of 607 West Center St.
In the Business Category, ATB Staffing at 534 Main St. won Christmas Spirit; and Modern Mercantile at 135 East Center St. won Community Spirit.
Pictures of all the winners can be found on 2021 Village of Lights website.
Julie and Joe Granchelli won Christmas Spirit – Innovative in the Village of Lights contest for their home at 121 Zacher Dr.
This home of Michelle Wiseman and Christine Nenni at 169 State St. was named Most Visible from Space in the Medina’s Village of Lights contest.
The home of Sara Paige of 500 South Academy St. won in the Christmas Spirit – Traditional category.
Modern Mercantile at 135 East Center St. won Community Spirit.
MEDINA – Kaylee Lacey, a senior from Medina High School, is among 25 in New York State to be nominated for the US Presidential Scholars Program.
Kaylee Lacey
State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa made the announcement on Thursday.
The recognition is one of our nation’s most prestigious honors for high school students.
“We were extremely excited to find out that one of our 12th grade AVID students, Kaylee Lacey, was selected from our district,” said Medina High School Principal Michael Cavanagh. “We know Kaylee has worked extremely hard and definitely deserves this incredible honor. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Director of School Counseling Audralee Doll for nominating her to the state.”
“Kaylee is one of our most outstanding students at Medina High School,” Mrs. Doll said. “Going above and beyond in every way possible, Kaylee is not only salutatorian among her cohort, but she will also graduate with a New York State Honors Regents Diploma with an Advanced Designation in Science – a title so rare that only few have reached this distinction in previous years.”
Kaylee will also be presented with two District awards, the James Perry Craft, Jr. School of Mathematics and Science and the John Ryan School of Historical Excellence. Her school activities include Drum Major of the Marching Band, Impact Club, Conservation Club, Swim Team and Softball Team.
After graduation, Kaylee plans to attend school to become a pharmacist.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 15 December 2021 at 4:27 pm
Scott Robinson says many services offered by Orleans Community Health
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Scott Robinson stands next the plaque in Medina Memorial Hospital which pays tribute to his great-great-grandfather, George A. Bowen, who founded the hospital in 1925. Robinson just accepted the position as director of marketing, communications and outreach at Community Partners.
MEDINA – Working at the hospital his great-great-grandfather founded is something Scott Robinson never thought he’d be doing.
Robinson is the great-great-grandson of George A. Bowen, who in 1910 decided there should be a local hospital in the area. His son had been trampled by a horse and spent time in a Buffalo hospital, which prompted Bowen’s idea to have a hospital here.
Then employed by S.A. Cook in Medina, Bowen spent the next 15 years fundraising. He obtained a home at the corner of Prospect and Eagle streets, which was purchased and remodeled into a hospital. It opened in 1925.
Robinson, who with his wife Alix Gilman are two of the four owners of the Shirt Factory, had been working remotely in Washington, D.C. as director of public affairs for a non-profit in the construction industry.
“It was a fun job, but there was nothing personal about it,” Robinson said. “I left in September. I thought there were a couple of jobs in this area that would intrigue me. Then this job just appeared. I went downstairs, checked my computer and received an e-mail about this job.”
His family has a long history with Medina Memorial Hospital, other than his great-great-grandfather. He said he had multiple relatives throughout the last 100 years who had connections to this hospital. His About 30 years after his great-great-grandfather served as president, his grandfather Jack Zimmerman was president of the board. His grandmother was a nurse there for many years.
Robinson is excited about his new position. He takes over for Jessica Capurso, who is moving out of the area. Robinson said she has been extraordinarily helpful during the transition.
Robinson is determined to see that the public knows how much Medina Memorial Hospital has to offer.
“Even I didn’t know all we offered here,” he said. “It falls on me to reach out to those people who drive an hour for medical services rather than come here.”
He explained Orleans Community Health encompasses five locations, the hospital in Medina, dialysis centers in Medina and Batavia, a walk-in clinic in Albion and a lab at Dr. Stahl’s office in Middleport.
“This hospital is a cornerstone of Medina, like the Medina Railroad Museum and our vibrant downtown,” he said.
He explained the hospital employs more than 300 people, 100 of whom live in Medina. Sixty-one percent live in Orleans County and 18 percent come from Eastern Niagara County.
“This is very much a local community hospital,” Robinson said.
Robinson reiterated the state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment Medina Memorial Hospital has available. Their breast screening machine is one of the top in the industry and usually found in a much bigger hospital. They offer the best in CAT scans, cardiology and lab work.
“We are a critical access hospital,” he said. “How lucky to have this hospital in our back yard.”
As part of his new job Robinson is dedicated to showcasing the employees who work at the hospital.
“One thing I will definitely focus on is making sure people feel a part of the hospital,” he said. “Its employees and the community are personal to me. For every person who has one reason why they won’t go to Medina Memorial Hospital, I want to make sure they hear five reasons why they should. In many ways we are one-stop shop.”
He said you can’t view the hospital as a building. It is its people who make it what it is.
He praised CEO Marc Shurtz, who has said he plans to be there until he retires.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 14 December 2021 at 4:09 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Heather Smith, left, director of Orleans Community Health Foundation, and Jeanne Crane, president of the Twig Association, hang angel ornaments of the Christmas tree in the lobby of Medina Memorial Hospital. The ornaments are available as a fundraiser to support the hospital.
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health Foundation is again offering the public a chance to remember loved ones by purchasing their 2021 memorial ornament.
The ornament this year is a pair of angel wings in bright blue with silver and white feathers on top.
“It is a beautiful ornament that sparkles with glitter and sequins,” said Heather Smith, director of Orleans Community Health Foundation.
The ornaments will be hung on the holiday tree in the lobby of Medina Memorial Hospital through Jan. 2. They will be ready for pickup or shipping after Jan. 3.
There was a delay in shipping the ornaments this year, however, the remainder of the order was due to arrive today.
Ornaments cost $10 each plus $5 to ship one or $8 to ship two. Click here for the web link to order ornaments. Checks should be made payable to OCH Foundation and mailed to 200 Ohio St., Medina, 14103.
When ordering, remember to include the name of the loved one in whose memory the ornament is being purchased.
To make arrangements for picking up the ornament or for more information, call (585) 798-8426.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 14 December 2021 at 8:05 am
No deficiencies found for skilled nursing facility
MEDINA – The North Wing, a skilled nursing facility with 30 beds at Medina Memorial Hospital, recently received a deficiency-free report – with no issues of concern, following an extensive review.
“This outcome is a direct result of the planning, implementation and monitoring of the unit and the extraordinary care provided by our dedicated and compassionate nursing and support staff,” said Scott Robinson, director of marketing, communications and outreach for Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital.
In March of 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began a new, targeted inspection plan designed to help keep nursing home residents safe in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The plan called for focused inspections on urgent patient safety threats (called “immediate jeopardy”) and infection control, Robinson said.
This fall, Medina Memorial Hospital had an unannounced survey, conducted by a New York state surveyor which centered around standard and transmission-based precautions and regulations; quality of resident care practices, including those with Covid-19; the facility’s surveillance plan; visitor entry and facility screening practices; education, monitoring and screening practices of staff; and facility policies and procedures to address staffing issues during emergencies, such as transmission of Covid-19.
The full day audit included staff and resident interviews and the review of a wide array of documentation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 December 2021 at 2:45 pm
MEDINA — The Medina Police Department has charged a 15-year-old after a social media post on Dec. 3 referenced violence at the Medina and Lockport school districts.
The post was widely circulated in the Medina community.
“This action caused several individuals to fear for the safety of their loved ones,” stated Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward and District Superintendent Mark Kruzynski in a news release.
Added security measures were put in place at the school district and law enforcement investigated the social media post.
Throughout the course of the investigation, Medina police and school officials worked with the Lockport Police Department, Lockport school district, Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office, Orleans County Probation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation revealed there was no specific or credible threat to the Medina school district, Kenward and Kruzynski said.
Law enforcement identified the source of the threat and person was charged with aggravated harassment in the second degree. The name is being withheld due to the person’s age, Kenward and Kruzynski said.
The school cannot comment on any possible disciplinary action but will follow the school district’s code of conduct.
“It is important to note that the creator of the post did not threaten violence to the school, nor was there any reason to believe he may commit any acts of violence,” Kenward said.
Kenward and Kruzynski said the school district and police department take very seriously any mention of violence or threats made against the school district. They encourage the public to report any threats of violence to law enforcement and school administration.
“I would like to personally thank school resource officer Dustin Meredith, the Medina Police Department and all the law enforcement agencies involved for their thorough and detailed investigation,” Kruzynski said.
