By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2026 at 3:00 pm
Boat is replica of famed Erie Canal vessel that carried Gov. DeWitt Clinton in 1825
Photo by Tom Rivers: Holley Mayor Mark Bower last week holds a promotional material highlighting the Seneca Chief’s stay in Holley on June 24. The vessel made a much-publicized voyage across the Erie Canal last year in commemoration of the canal’s 200th anniversary. It heads back across the canal from near Albany to Buffalo in June, staying at 16 ports.
HOLLEY – Mark Bower is excited about June 24 in the Village of Holley. The mayor will be welcoming the Seneca Chief that day.
The boat is a replica of the vessel that carried Gov. DeWitt Clinton in 1825 in the maiden voyage that went from one end of the canal to the other.
The replica did a commemorative journey of that voyage last year to help celebrate the bicentennial of the Ere Canal. Last year the Seneca Chief docked in Medina to end the second day of its trip, and the following day went through Orleans County and then stopped in Brockport.
This time, on the journey back to Buffalo, the Seneca Chief will be staying in Holley on June 24 and will offer guided tours of the boat. The following day it will port in Medina.
The Seneca Chief was built by volunteers of the Buffalo Maritime Center. The replica stopped in Medina’s Canal Basin during its “sea trial” in 2024 and again during the 33-day journey to New York City in 2025.
The Seneca Chief is shown on Sept. 26, 2025 during a brief stop in Albion where the public had a chance to tour the boat.
The 73-foot boat features a tiller made from wood pulled from Lockport’s “Flight of Five” locks. The vessel shared historical re-enactments, including the “Wedding of the Waters” ceremony, to canal-side communities in 2025.
The Seneca Chief will be heading back to Buffalo this year. The vessel’s journey this time will be over 22 days, instead of last year’s 33-day effort.
The schedule includes:
June 6: Waterford
June 6: Schenectady
June 7-8: Amsterdam
June 9-10: Little Falls
June 11-12: Rome
June 13: Sylvan Beach
June 14: Brewerton
June 15-16: Syracuse
June 17: Baldwinsville
June 18-19: Lyons
June 20-21: Fairport
June 22-23: Rochester
June 24: Holley
June 25: Medina
June 26: Tonawandas
June 27: Buffalo
Click here for more on the “Back to Buffalo” voyage for the Seneca Chief.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2026 at 11:34 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: These students try a stethoscope on a baby mannequin “Luna” at a station for the nursing program at Genesee Community College on March 22, 2024. The students could listen to the heart beat, the sound of the lungs and the abdomen. GCC has about 100 students complete an associate’s degree in nursing each year.
BATAVIA – Genesee Community College on Friday will host 650 students for the fourth annual GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare.
The students come from 29 school districts from the GLOW region will learn about and interact with businesses and organizations from the healthcare industry.
The students will see opportunities in the healthcare workforce, education and training. The event brings healthcare organizations and providers, healthcare businesses, first responders, colleges and companies across the GLOW region.
In addition to hands-on demonstrations and face-to-face interactions with healthcare organizations, students will each participate in two self-selected healthcare career workshops in fields including EMS, nursing, surgery, research science, pharmacy and others.
The event is made possible by GLOW region workforce development leaders, educators, and community organizations and sponsors, led by Triple Platinum Sponsor ESL Federal Credit Union, and Platinum Sponsors Wyoming County Community Health System, Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center, and Genesee Community College.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2026 at 10:03 am
Mayoral, trustee races are not huge drivers to get people to the polls
Photos by Tom Rivers: A sign in the parking of the Senior Center on West Avenue highlights the site as Medina’s polling place for Wednesday’s village elections. Nearly 900 people voted over nine hours.
ALBION/MEDINA – Albion and Medina both held their village elections on Wednesday and the they both had contested races for mayor and trustees.
In terms of turnout, Medina doubled the percentage of voters who cast ballots.
Medina had 894 people vote out of 3,655 eligible voters for a turnout of 24.5 percent.
In Albion, 411 people voted out of 3,313 eligible for a turnout of 12.4 percent.
Local elections for town and county positions also tend to have lower turn-outs in off election years in November, when there isn’t a gubernatorial or presidential race.
This year at the village level, the election was held on a Wednesday and not the usual third Tuesday due to St. Patrick’s Day.
The election in Medina featured well-known candidates for mayor – Debbie Padoleski (retired village clerk/treasurer) and incumbent Marguerite Sherman (retired Median teacher) – as well as long-established residents for trustee in Jeff Wagner (former Apple Grove owner), Mark Prawel (retired police officer and auto repair shop owner), Dean Bellack (long-time community volunteer) and Courtney Henderson (who had the endorsement of the firefighters’ union).
The turnout for this election was more than two years ago in another contested race for mayor and village trustees. And that election, 488 people voted with Sherman defeating Mike Maak for mayor, 330 to 158.
Medina’s biggest local turnout remains a referendum on dissolution. That vote on Jan. 20, 2015 brought out nearly 1,500 people. The proposal to discontinue Medina’s government and services was rejected, 949 to 527.
The Village Office on East Bank Street in Albion had just over 400 people stop by on Wednesday to cast votes for mayor and village trustee candidates.
Albion elected Tim McMurray mayor on Wednesday, 209-202, over Joyce Riley. Three candidates ran for two trustee positions with Jami Allport, 275 votes, and Kevin Sheehan, 215, edging Issac Robinson who had 202.
The turnout was down from four years ago, the last village election with a race for mayor.
On March 15, 2022, the village had 710 voters in a three-way race for mayor. Angel Javier Jr. was elected with 378 votes to 195 for Vickie Elsenheimer and 137 for Kevin Graham.
Both Albion and Medina have discussed moving the village election to the third Tuesday in June when there would be better weather, making it easier to campaign and get petitions signed. There would also be more people in the community with many currently spending the winters in warmer weather. (Both villages do allow absentee ballots for residents.)
Medina decided not to put the issue out as a public referendum this election. Jess Marciano, the deputy mayor, sees many benefits of moving it back three months, including giving new board members more time to get acclimated to the position instead of having to complete the village’s budget their first month in office.
Albion candidates discussed the issue during a forum on March 5 with four out of the five supporting a June election due to the cold weather in January, February and March when they try to get petitions signed and build supporter their campaigns. Jami Allport didn’t say one way or the other. She is open to what the community wants to do with a change in the election.
In Orleans County, Holley moved its village election from March to June about a decade ago.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2026 at 12:41 am
Wagner, Prawel picked for village trustees
Photos by Tom Rivers: Medina voters elected the team of Debbie Padoleski as mayor, and Jeff Wagner, center, and Mark Prawel for village trustees. The trio campaigned together and were on the same party line: the “People’s Party.”
MEDINA – Five years ago Debbie Padoleski retired as Medina’s village clerk-treasurer. She worked in the village clerk’s office for 41 years, starting when she was 19.
On Wednesday, village residents elected her mayor.
Padoleski won 489 to 405 for incumbent Marguerite Sherman.
After waiting about 2 ½ hours for the votes to be counted, the outcome was announced by Judy Szulis, the election chairwoman for the village.
Padoleski and Sherman hugged each other when the results were announced. They had waited patiently in the Senior Center until just after 11:30 p.m.
“I’m in shock,” Padoleski said walking in the parking lot. “It was a very close race.”
She was congratulated by several people, with one saying, “It’s time to take back the village.”
Padoleski starts the new two-year term as mayor on April 1 and right away will need to lead the Village Board in working through the new village budget for 2026-27. That spending plan needs to be adopted by April 30.
“I’m ready to get to work,” she said.
Padoleski never expected to be a politician with her name on signs. She was elected village trustee two years ago and has been outspoken about a high tax burden in the village. She led the way in getting the village’s new ladder truck declared surplus. The $1.7 million ladder truck’s fate is uncertain. Padoleski would like to sell it and hold off on an addition to the fire hall.
She worries the high village taxes could drive out residents and businesses. It’s a message that seemed to resonant with many in the community.
“The support I’ve gotten is fabulous,” she said.
Sherman wishes the new board well as it faces many issues, and not just the ladder truck and a possible fire hall addition. Medina should work on developing long-term plan for infrastructure, sidewalks and affordability, she said.
“No matter what the outcome, the board has to come together because there is a lot going on in this village,” Sherman said after the results were announced.
Medina voters also elected village trustees – Jeff Wagner, 491 votes, and Mark Prawel with 487. They ran together with Padoleski on the “People’s Party” line.
Dean Bellack received 319 votes and Courtney Henderson was named on 212 write-in votes for trustee.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 9:29 pm
Jami Allport, Kevin Sheehan elected village trustees
Photo by Tom Rivers: Tim McMurray, shown during a candidate forum on March 5, was elected Albion mayor today.
ALBION – In a very close race for Albion mayor, Tim McMurray emerged the victor this evening, defeating Joyce Riley by 7 votes – 209 to 202.
Both have been village trustees and are finishing four-year terms. McMurray will succeed Angel Javier Jr. who didn’t seek re-election.
McMurray, 43, is a Marine Corps veteran who has been heavily involved in the community through the Albion youth football program, Strawberry Festival and other events.
He wants to lead a community of Albion stakeholders, from volunteers, business owners, families and others committed to seeing the village prosper.
He ran on the Republican line while Riley was backed by the Democratic Party and the independent “Vote for Albion.” She nearly became the first African-American to be elected Albion’s mayor.
Village residents also elected two trustees to four-year terms. Jami Allport was the top vote-getter with 275, followed by Kevin Sheehan with 215. Issac Robinson was a close third at 202. Robinson ran under the independent “Vote for Albion” line while Allport and Sheehan were backed by the Republicans.
The new terms start on April 1. Allport and Sheehan will take the trustee positions currently filled by McMurray and Riley.
McMurray posted this statement on his Facebook page:
“Thank you to everyone who came out to vote today, no matter how you voted. I appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me as well as the new Trustees and it is truly an honor to be elected as your next Mayor.”
Riley issued this statement congratulating McMurray on his victory:
“Tonight, Tim McMurray won this election, and I want to congratulate him sincerely. Albion deserves a mayor who will give everything to this village, and I trust that Tim will serve with that same commitment.
“I have lived in Albion since 1960. This village is not just where I live — it is who I am. That will never change, win or lose. Over the past four years as your trustee, I fought hard for this community — securing grants, pursuing accountability for PFAS contamination, strengthening our partnerships with neighboring towns, and watching over every dollar in our budget. I am proud of that work. And that work doesn’t disappear tonight.
“To everyone who voted for me on the Democratic line and on the Vote for Albion line — thank you for believing that experience and dedication matter. They do. And I will continue to show up for this village in whatever way I can.
“Albion is bigger than any one election. I wish Mayor-elect McMurray every success — because his success is Albion’s success.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 9:11 pm
Photos courtesy of Ashley Bringenberg Photography: These dogs have been featured in a previous Pooch Playoffs.
BATAVIA – Ashley Bringenberg, a photographer from Barre with a studio in Batavia, is again offering to take portraits of dogs in a fundraiser to get a service dog for a veteran.
Ashley Bringenberg Photography is hosting its fourth annual Pooch Playoffs fundraiser to benefit WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes program.
Ashley Bringenberg, right, presents a ceremonial check for $7,500 to Shawnee Gaudino of WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes last October. The money went towards training a service dog for a veteran.
“We have donated over $14,000 to this program over the past 3 years and we aim to donate an additional $7,500 this year,” Bringenberg said.
She is offering to take portraits of dogs for $125. Those dogs will then be entered in the Poock Playoffs where 32 dogs are entered in a bracket-style photo contest.
She needs a some more dogs to have a full bracket of 32. Portrait sessions are happening from now until the end of March and the competition kicks off in mid April, featuring 32 dogs vying for the title of “WNY’s Ulti-Mutt Cutie!”
Each round, participating pups will be paired up for head-to-head online voting, with winners advancing until one dog is crowned champion. The Final Four earn special prizes, and the top dog will claim the grand prize, along with ultimate bragging rights!
“Every year I’m reminded how much this community loves both their dogs and their veterans,” Bringenberg said. “Pooch Playoffs brings those two things together in a way that’s joyful, adorable, and genuinely impactful.”
For a $125 donation to WNY Heroes’ Pawsitive for Heroes, participants receive a custom dog portrait session, a personalized photo keychain, and a swag bag full of goodies.
Spots filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested pet parents should visit ashleybringenberg.com/pooch to enter their pup.
Local businesses are also invited to sponsor the event.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 7:56 pm
Judge orders restitution to be paid after theft
ALBION – For the first six months last year, a Batavia man stole nearly $50,000 in lottery tickets from Van’s Pit Stop, a gas station and convenience store in Clarendon.
Zachary C. Johnson, 35, of Batavia worked at Van’s for about two years. Van’s owner Jeremy Van Ameron noticed the scratch-off tickets were going fast, but yet the revenue wasn’t there to match the tickets that were out of the machine. He put in a security camera and saw an employee was taking the tickets.
Johnson on June 30, 2025 was charged with third-degree grand larceny by the State Police. He was sentenced today in Orleans County Court by Judge Sanford Church. Johnson needs to pay back $49,000 in restitution for the stolen lottery tickets. He will spend four months doing weekends in the county jail and also will be on probation for five years.
He needs to pay at least $400 a week in restitution to Van’s Pit Stop.
Jeremy Van Ameron, owner of the business the past six years, said the theft hurt the finances of the locally owned business and has shaken his trust in people.
Johnson, speaking at his sentencing, apologized to the Van Ameron family.
He pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny in a previous court appearance.
With weekends in jail, he will be able to work full-time and pay towards the restitution. The judge gave him until April 1, 2030 to make full restitution. There is a 5 percent surcharge on each payment, which goes to probation and then will be directed to Van’s. If Johnson pays the $400 each week, he should have the restitution paid off in less than three years.
In another case in county court today, Michael White, 22, of Albion pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
White was charged on Sept. 16 after he allegedly had a 20-round magazine in his backpack and pulled his hands away when law enforcement attempted to handcuff him. He also allegedly tried to strike an officer with his elbows.
White admitted in court today to having the large-capacity device that could hold more than 20 rounds.
He faces a split sentence of jail and probation when he is sentenced on May 20.
Provided photos: The East High student body dances together in the finale of High School Musical, which will be performed by Medina students on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Press Release, Medina Central School
MEDINA – The Medina Junior Senior High School Musical Theater Program invites the community to their highly anticipated spring musical, Disney’s High School Musical, running for three performances from March 20-22 in the JSHS Auditorium.
Following the massive success of their previous productions, Medina students have been working tirelessly since early January to bring the iconic characters of Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and Ryan to the local stage. Featuring energetic choreography, a lively pit band, and unforgettable musical numbers, this production promises to be a nostalgic, high-energy event that the whole family will enjoy.
Medina senior Ava Blount plays the role of “Gabriella Montez” while the captain of the East High basketball team, “Troy Bolton,” is played by Jackson McGrath. Jackson embodies this character as he is a leader in multiple music ensembles at Medina JSHS and is an active member of the Medina Varsity football, wrestling and lacrosse teams.
“This show is about a group of students trying to find where they belong within the school community, and ultimately how their differences help them discover who they truly are. It’s a story about acceptance, inclusivity, and friendship which is incredibly important to us as directors,” says Medina JSHS directors Rachel Trillizio and Anna Ferlito. “We have kids in the show ranging in age from 13 to 18, and the lessons woven throughout the story are personal to each kid in different ways. We have students who are uniquely gifted at academics, singing, dancing, acting, building, athletics, organizing, and leading, and they have worked together for the past 3 months to create one amazing show.”
Medina senior Saniyyaha Wilson stars as “Zeke” and is shown with the rest of the East High Wildcat basketball team.
Performance Details:
Where: Medina JSHS Auditorium-2 Mustang Dr. Medina, NY 14103
When: March 20 at 7 p.m., March 21 at 7 p.m., March 22 at 2 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each show.
Disney’s High School Musical tells the story of two high schoolers—Troy, the basketball captain, and Gabriella, a shy transfer student—who break the “rules” of high school cliques to audition for the school musical. The show addresses themes of unity, diversity, and being true to oneself, offering a fun, empowering experience for both the performers and audience members.
Arik Papaj is “Ryan Evans” and Arabella White plays his sister, “Sharpay Evans.”
Ava Blount is “Gabriella,” while Madelyn Elliott plays the captain of the science decathlon team “Taylor McKessie.” Mackenzie Poynter, center in back, is the “Martha Cox,” a girl with a secret passion for hip hop.
Vocalists of all experience levels welcome to be part of event
Press Release, Medina Triennial
Provided photo by Yvonne Venegas: Tania Candiani welcomes hundreds of participants for a collective vocal work from 10 a/m. to 2 p.m. at the old Medina High School at 324 Catherine St.
MEDINA – As part of the inaugural Medina Triennial opening this June, internationally renowned artist Tania Candiani, in collaboration with composer Rogelio Sosa, will lead a large-scale filmed performance bringing together hundreds of community participants for a four-hour collective vocal work.
Participants of all ages and experience levels will generate a dynamic soundscape using guided breaths, hums, whispers, and tones, inspired by the meeting of waters at Medina’s Erie Canal aqueduct.
Filmed inside the historic former Medina High School auditorium, the performance will transform individual voices into a unified sonic experience, reactivating the space through sound and movement. The resulting work will be presented as part of Candiani’s installation in the Triennial, on view June 6 through September 7.
The Medina Triennial is an upcoming free, village-wide contemporary art exhibition featuring more than 100 artworks by 35 artists and collectives across indoor and outdoor venues throughout Medina. Opening June 6 and running through September 7, the Triennial marks the first recurring exhibition of this scale to take place in a U.S. community of this size, positioning small-town geographies as vital sites of cultural and critical imagination.
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Central School District is accepting applications for its 2026-27 pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) and kindergarten programs.
If you are a resident of the Lyndonville Central School District and your child will be age 3, 4 or 5 by December 1, 2026, they are eligible to enroll. If your child is already enrolled in our Pre-K program this year, they will automatically be enrolled for the following year. Pre-K space is limited, but openings are currently available for all age groups.
Our developmentally-appropriate Pre-K and kindergarten programs, which include breakfast and lunch at no cost to families, follow this schedule five days a week:
3-year-old Pre-K: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
4-year-old Pre-K: 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Kindergarten: 7:40 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
If more students are pre-registered for Pre-K for the 2026-27 school year than available seats, a lottery will be held on May 1, 2026. If Pre-K seats remain, they will be filled per UPK and district guidelines.
To register or obtain additional information, please contact the school at (585) 765-3122 or esmith@lcsdk12.org. You will need to provide your name, address, and child’s name and date of birth. More information and a pre-registration form can be found at Pre-K & Kindergarten Registration.
ALBION – Arc GLOW is partnering with the Albion Subway to raise awareness for Developmental Disability Awareness Month.
On March 19, community members can support Arc GLOW by visiting the Albion Subway at 162 S. Main St. in Albion. If ordering in person, Arc GLOW must be mentioned. If ordering online, mention Arc GLOW in the comments.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will help promote understanding, inclusion, and support for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Arc GLOW is a public, non-profit organization founded by parents and friends of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, serving Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. For more information on Arc GLOW and its services, visit ArcGLOW.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 8:17 am
ALBION – Village residents today will elect a mayor and two village trustees. Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Office at 35-37 East Bank St. The terms of the positions are for four years.
Two current trustees want to be mayor. Joyce Riley is running under the Democratic Party and independent “Vote for Albion” lines, while Tim McMurray has the backing of the Republican Party.
Jami Allport, Issac Robinson and Kevin Sheehan are running for trustee. There are two positions open. Robinson is running under the independent “Vote for Albion” while Allport and Sheehan both are backed by the Republican Party.
Click here to see coverage from a candidate forum on March 5.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 March 2026 at 7:44 am
Candidates share their perspectives on issues facing the village
Photos by Tom Rivers: Marguerite Sherman, left, is being challenged in her re-election bid for Medina mayor by current village trustee, Debbie Padoleski, who is retired from the village as clerk-treasurer.
MEDINA – It’s election day in the Village of Medina with voters to pick a mayor and two trustees. Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center at 615 West Ave.
Two candidates are on the ballot for mayor: Marguerite Sherman, the mayor the past two years, is challenged by Debbie Padoleski, a current village trustee who is retired as the village’s clerk-treasurer. Sherman will be on the “Village Party” line while Padoleski runs under the “People’s Party.”
Three candidates are on the ballot for trustee. Mark Prawel, a current trustee, retired Medina police officer and car mechanic; and Jeffrey Wagner, the owner of the former Apple Grove restaurant in Medina and a retired general manager for Cracker Barrel, are both on the “People’s Party” with Padoleski.
Dean Bellack, an active community member as a volunteer for the YMCA, United Way and Lions Club, also is running as a trustee under the “Connect Orleans Party.” Bellack is retired as owner of a manufacturer’s rep company and has been vocal about the village’s high taxes and need to expand housing options in the community.
Courtney Henderson also is mounting a write-in challenge for village trustee.
Mayoral candidates
Marguerite Sherman has led the village the past two years as mayor. She sees a village on an upswing with many projects and initiatives in the works, including implementation of the $4.5 million NY Forward grant in the downtown and Canal Basin. She acknowledges the headlines and conversation are often dominated by a new ladder truck and its permanent home.
Medina voted to purchase the ladder truck three years ago for $1.7 million. The truck doesn’t fit in the existing fire hall. Sherman wants to pursue grants for a one-bay addition to the fire hall. In the meantime, she said the truck could stay in the DPW garage.
Padoleski said the Village Board poorly thought out getting a ladder truck that didn’t fit in the existing fire hall, or having a solid plan for an addition to house the truck. “Their eyes got bigger than their pocketbooks,” she said.
She wants to sell the ladder truck, scrap plans for an addition on the fire hall and start the process over, with funding lined up before proceeding.
“This village in the last two years has spiraled into such a state of chaos I think they need me,” Padoleski said about running for mayor.
She retired in 2021 after working in the village office for 41 years. She said she has expertise in the village’s finances to set the community on a better path.
“We need to be able to self sustain and take care of ourselves,” she said. “We can’t sit around and wait for grants. That shouldn’t be the only way to survive, by relying on help from the outside.”
Padoleski said village taxpayers are bearing too much expense for services, especially for a fire department that often goes outside the village lines.
The fire department represents $2.9 million in spending, and brings in about $1.2 million in fees through its ambulance service. Padoleski said the $1.7 million difference is too much for village taxpayers, and accounts for more than the budgets for police and the Department of Public Works.
The Medina Fire Department is expected to do too much for communities outside the village, she said. She said a ladder truck typically sees little action in the village, but would be expected to respond frequently outside Medina.
The three towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates currently pay $35,000 annually to the village towards the cost of replacing an ambulance. Medina is the primary ambulance provider for those towns and all of western Orleans. Padoleski said those three need to pay significantly more towards the service.
The village tax levy has gone from $3,197,059 in 2020-21 to $3,910,344 in 2025-26, a $713,285 or 22.3 percent increase. In Sherman’s two budgets as mayor (and Padoleski’s and Prawel’s two budgets as trustee), the tax levy went up $123,380 or 3.3 percent over two years, a significantly lower tax increase.
About a year ago, the Village Board ended the school resource officer from the Medina PD and the K9 program, and also cut four full-time firefighters and didn’t fill a vacancy in the DPW.
Padoleski worries if the village took on the new ladder truck and a fire hall addition. The ladder truck would represent $130,000 payment annually over the next 20 years, with the addition if financed at $1.3 million over 20 years another $110,000 payment. Those two together would raise the village tax rate by 88 cents per $1,000 of assessed property, she said.
She said taxpayers have encouraged her tough stance against taking on more big expenses for the village.
“I’m on the right side of it,” she said. “I have the support of the community.”
Sherman said she is committed to giving village employees the tools and equipment they need to safely provide services to the community.
“These employees put their heart and soul into the village every day,” she said.
She is very optimistic funding can be secured for the fire hall expansion as well as some improvements to the current fire station from the 1930s.
Last week, she led the effort to submit a $1 million grant request through Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s office. The money would go towards the one-bay fire hall addition and also $475,000 in renovations to the current fire hall.
Sherman said the ladder truck and building issues have highlighted the challenge of villages to provide services at today’s escalating costs.
“It’s brought attention to Medina’s needs and the plea for all municipalities to work together for the benefit of the whole community,” she said.
Sherman, 63, is a retired special education teacher at Medina. She was on the Village Planning Board before joining the Village Board as a trustee a decade ago.
If elected to a new term, she will push for long-term strategic plans for infrastructure and sidewalk replacement. Last week she announced private donations for $200,000 towards new sidewalks.
She sees momentum on many fronts for Medina. She is seeking another term to continue that progress and see through the $4.5 million Forward NY grant, the development of the long-term plans for infrastructure, completion of Canal Corporation’s plan to repair the north wall in the Canal Basin and upgrade the canal trail.
She said the village deserves and needs more of the local sales tax (a share to towns and villages that hasn’t been increased by the County Legislature in 25 years). She wants to explore having Medina become a city, a change that would bring in a significant hike in state municipal aid and could also give Medina more leverage in the local sales tax pie.
“There’s no question our tax burden is too high,” Sherman said about the village.
She said she values her relationships with other local municipal leaders, including Shelby Town Supervisor Jim Heminway, Ridgeway Town Supervisor Brian Napoli and Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon. All are serious about long-term strategies to make the local government more sustainable for residents, Sherman said.
“You can preach affordability, but you have to have a plan,” she said.
She praised the many residents and committees that give Medina a high quality of life. Volunteers run concert series and many other community events, developed the skate park and dog park, and worked to upgrade Boxwood Cemetery and village parks.
“We’re putting ourselves on the map through the efforts of a lot of people,” she said. “In Medina, we support each other. Everyone is important. Every idea is important. That’s what makes Medina great. We’re here to support each other.”
Village trustee candidates
The trustee candidates on the ballot include, from left: Jeff Wagner, Mark Prawel and Dean Bellack. Courtney Henderson also is mounting a write-in campaign.
Jeff Wagner, 72, is making his first run for public office. The former owner of the Apple Grove Inn, he also started the Miss Apple Grove that was a tourism juggernaut locally, with mules pulling a packet boat in Medina. It was featured in National Geographic.
Wagner would go on to serve as general manager of the Cracker Barrel in Lancaster, and corporate had him go to other stores as a training manager. He won GM of the year several times through Cracker Barrel.
Wagner wants to bring his business acumen to the Village Board.
“I would like to make a difference in how this runs,” he said.
He serves on Medina’s Tree Board and frequently brings his dog to the Medina Dog Park on North Gravel Road.
He wants to help develop plans for addressing the village’s aging infrastructure, sidewalks and fire hydrants.
Mark Prawel, 55, has been a trustee the past two years. He retired as a Medina police officer on April 16, 2023. He worked for the village for 16 ½ years. That gave him insight into the village operations. He also runs Prawel Auto Service on Ryan Street in Medina, where customers have been telling him the village taxes and too high, especially for the senior citizens.
Prawel said the fire department is consuming too much of the village budget, when other departments feel a very tight financial pinch. The DPW, for example, was reduced by a full-time employee a year ago and now only has a staff of nine full-time workers.
Prawel said Medina gives so much to the overall community, but village taxpayers get the bill.
“Everybody enjoys the Village of Medina,” he said. “We have all the parks, the ball fields.”
The village needs to bring in more outside revenue to help pay for the services offered to the community, he said.
He is proud of Medina’s downtown, but he said the bustling district can give the impression all is well in the village. Just a few blocks away, Prawel said neighborhoods are in decline and in need of help. He wants to bring more attention to those neighborhoods.
“We have a lot of issues in Medina, but a limited amount of money,” he said.
With the ladder truck and fire hall addition, “the facts are we just can’t afford it,” Prawel said.
He voted to declare the new ladder truck surplus, and expects the village will break even or make some money off a sale. He believes a smaller used ladder truck can be found that would fit in the existing fire hall.
“I’m not against equipment, I just want it to be a smart decision,” he said.
Dean Bellack, 68, says Medina needs to “change the curve” and form stronger alliances with other towns and villages in the county. Together they can share services and costs, and pursue much larger grants to help all the municipalities.
“We need to talk about true partnerships across towns and villages,” he said. “With bigger, larger grants you can get more political weight behind them.”
Bellack sees a village government in need of a new model. The current system puts too much cost burden on the municipality with about 6,000 residents. Bellack said more revenues are needed to help offset the load on the village. That could come through grants, or additional local sales tax, and state aid.
Bellack favored the efforts to dissolve the village back in 2014 and create “One Medina” with the towns of Ridgeway, Shelby and the village of Medina combined into one entity.
“If we went through with that I believe our economic situation would be much better,” he said. “You can’t just be focused on the short-term. I tend to think very large and very long-term.”
Bellack has helped revived struggling entities before. He noted the former Lake Plains YMCA was on the verge of closing before forming a successful partnership with the GLOW YMCA. Bellack is now chairman of the organization’s board, and he said the experience gives him a close look at communities in Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston, as well as Orleans. The local Y went from being broke to a remodel of the former Armory site in Medina that now has an endowment directing $70,000 a year to building maintenance and projects.
He also led the change in structure for the local United Way, which has been renamed “Orleans Community Connects.” Bellack said the agency has switched its focus from being a fundraiser for local non-profits to bringing in significant grants to address difficult issues in the community, from housing assistance, food access, caregiving support and technology help.
Bellack also owned and managed 43 apartments units in Medina. He said all of his experiences have him ready to serve as a village trustee, and look for long-term solutions for the village government.
“I have the time, the energy and I care,” he said.
He chose “Connect Orleans Party” as his party line. It speaks to a focus to bring communities in the county together on addressing issues.
“In Orleans County we can’t continue to be disconnected to each other,” he said.
Courtney Henderson
Courtney Henderson, a write-in candidate, said she wants to be a voice for village residents on the board. She has been endorsed by the union for the firefighters, Medina Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 2161. That union also backs Sherman for mayor.
“We support these candidates because they are committed to listening to all village residents, encouraging open public engagement and making decisions based on what is best for the entire community,” the union stated on its Facebook page. “Medina deserves leaders who welcome conversation, value transparency and put residents first, not personal agendas.”
Henderson said the firefighters, who also serve as EMTs on the ambulance, are short-staffed and that has resulted in $300,000 of overtime this budget year. The Village Board about a year ago eliminated four of the 21 full-time firefighter positions.
“A Village Trustee’s job isn’t just to vote,” she said on her campaign page on Facebook. “It’s to listen to residents, ask questions, review how tax dollars are spent, and make decisions that reflect what the community actually wants and needs. Small government works best when communication goes both ways, when residents feel comfortable speaking up, and when leadership takes the time to truly hear them.”
