Provided photos: Pictured from left include Lion Ken Dunham who sponsored his wife, Barb Dunham, and Jeff and Charlene Smith as new members, and Lion Jim Hancock who sponsored Andrea Walton.
Press Release, Medina Lions Club
MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club inducted four new members during their monthly dinner meeting on Tuesday at the Junior Wilson Sportsman’s Club.
Lion Ken Dunham sponsored his wife, Barb Dunham, and Jeff and Charlene Smith. Lion Jim Hancock sponsored Andrea Walton.
The ceremony was led by Lions District Governor Judy McKnight, and current club President Jim Punch.
Lions Club International is the largest service club organization in the world. The Medina Lions Club was founded in 1935, and has the mission “We Serve.”
Medina Lions members conduct vision screenings in area elementary schools and pre-schools; participate in many community events, some of which are the Parade of Lights and the Community Yard Sale; host the Scarecrow Festival and an annual chicken barbecue; and operate a Medical Loan Closet to meet the medical equipment needs of area residents.
For more information about the Medina Lions Club contact Jim Punch, President at jimppunch@gmail.com.
‘We are going to have a state-of-the-art learning lab. It’s going to be completely transformed.’ – teacher Bill Rakonczay
Provided photo: Bill Rakonczay teaches in the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.
Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – The Orleans Career and Technical Education Center’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering program has been awarded a $250,000 naming rights grant from the Gene Haas Foundation to upgrade the classroom at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES site.
Once the renovations are completed, it will be one of the premier Career and Technical Education CNC labs in the country, said AME teacher Bill Rakonczay.
“We are thrilled to have received this very generous grant from the Gene Haas Foundation,” he said. “The director of the Gene Haas Foundation, Kathy Looman, encouraged me to apply for the funds because she said she has heard a lot about our program, and from what she saw from our social media accounts. I think that speaks volumes about what we do here.”
The AME program teaches students CNC (Computer Numerical Control) programming, CNC set-up and operation, along with Engineering Principals. They also partner with NASA for their HUNCH program with the students making parts for the stowage lockers that go to the International Space Station.
The HUNCH mission is to empower and inspire students through a Project Based Learning program where high school students learn 21st century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through participation in the design and fabrication of real world valued products for NASA.
“Gene Haas Foundation is thrilled to partner with Orleans/Niagara BOCES on this upgrade to their facility,” Looman said. “This naming program is an endorsement of the best CNC programs in the world. This grant was established for the purpose of highlighting those programs in order to raise the standard of Manufacturing Technology programs everywhere. We would like to thank William Rakonczay and the entire team at Orleans/Niagara BOCES for the success it has had as we look forward to the future.”
The upgrades to the classroom will take place over the course of this summer and next year’s classes will be walking into the new Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Lab. “It is a very exciting time for me and for the students,” Rakonczay said. “We are going to have a state-of-the-art learning lab. It’s going to be completely transformed and I know I will be here all summer long to watch that happen. I can’t wait.”
The Gene Haas Foundation has played a very important role in Rakonczay’s program for many years providing scholarships to his students to continue their education. Gene Haas, the sole funder of the foundation bearing his name is the founder and owner of Haas Automation, the largest machine tool builder in the western world.
The foundation was founded by its namesake in 1999, to focus on manufacturing education in the form of scholarships for CNC machinist training. It donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the community.
There are over 300,000 manufacturing jobs that are currently unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers. Those numbers continue to grow daily due to retirements.
“I get calls all the time from companies who desperately need machinists,” Rakonczay said. “There are just not enough trained workers out there.”
The AME program at OCTEC has introduced many students to careers in manufacturing and improves the pathway for them to careers thanks to the generosity of many local companies who have donated machines, provided mentors and shadowing opportunities. The Gene Haas grant will help Mr. Rakonczay to attract and educate the next generation of machinists to help populate the workforce.
“I am so grateful to the contributions that this grant and my business/community advisors have made to my classroom and students,” said Rakonczay. “It is going to change the lives of many of our students and make us a top notch facility. We are the first BOCES as well to receive this award. This is just amazing.”
To follow along the journey of the renovations of the lab, follow the OCTEC AME Class on Facebook.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2023 at 2:38 pm
Chart from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
The number of confirmed Covid cases has doubled in Orleans County in the past month. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reports today there were 96 confirmed Covid cases during the week from Feb. 1-7. That compares to 45 on Dec. 28-Jan. 3, 52 on Jan. 4-10, and 41 on Jan. 11-17.
The cases have been trending up in Orleans with 72 from Jan. 18-24 and 84 from Jan. 25-31.
In Genesee County the cases are showing a slight decline from late December and early January. The 67 in the past week compares to 72 from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, 83 from Jan. 4-10, 73 from Jan. 11-17, 60 from Jan. 18-24 and 61 from Jan. 25-31.
Both counties currently are listed at the medium community level by the federal CDC.
The seven-day average for positive tests statewide was at 5.29 percent on Tuesday. Orleans and Genesee are part of the nine-county Finger Lakes Region where the positivity rate is at 6.50 percent. Western New York has the highest rate at 12.48 percent while Long Island is the lowest at 4.02 percent.
Gov. Kathy Hochul urges people to take basic steps to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that are more common in the winter season.
“I urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant and continue to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy,” Hochul said. “Be sure to stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options.”
ALBION – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) will be using National Pizza Day on Thursday as an opportunity to show his appreciation for the work of local police departments.
He will be sending pizzas from local shops to numerous departments around his district and will be personally making deliveries to five locations in Batavia and Albion.
The departments to which Hawley will be sending pizzas include:
New York State Police – Albion Station
Albion Village Police Department
Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
Genesee County Sheriff’s Office
Batavia Police Department
New York State Police – Troop A Headquarters in Batavia
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2023 at 9:19 am
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature will take comments during a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday for a redistricting proposal for four legislative districts in the Legislature.
The hearing will be in the legislative chambers at the County Office Building, 14016 Route 31 West in Albion.
The seven-member Legislature has four legislative districts, each with about 10,000 people, and then three at-large or countywide positions.
The four legislative districts are allowed to have up to 5 percent variance in population. But the current districts, without changes, are at 11.7 percent deviation, which is out of compliance with state and federal law.
The county worked with Skyline Demographic Consultants, Inc. to bring the four legislative districts within an acceptably close size.
The county is looking to add part of western Murray to a district that currently is the towns of Albion and Gaines. That gives the Albion-Gaines (District 3) more people and also takes away from District 4 that includes Murray, Kendall and Carlton. The Murray section going to District 3 includes 522 people from Murray’s election district 5.
During the last redistricting about a decade ago, the county added a small part of Shelby to District 2 that included Yates and Ridgeway. This time the county is looking to move more of that area back into District 1, the Shelby-Barre-Clarendon district. That represents a shift of 418 people, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.
County officials are pushing to get the boundaries set for the four districts because it is the start of the election cycle with candidates interviewing political party leaders for endorsements. Candidates also will need to get petitions signed to get on the ballot for a primary and the general election.
The county’s population in the 2020 census was 40,343 people. That census block population shows 1,456 incarcerated people at two state prisons in Albion. Those people are not included the county redistricting process for the legislative districts.
County officials are taking out the 1,456 population for the prisons. That number has then been subtracted from the 40,343 in the census and with another small adjustment the total for the county is 38,891 for redistricting. Dividing that by the four legislative districts puts the ideal district at 9,745.
The redistricting changes would move 940 people into different districts, which is 2.4 percent of the population, said Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer.
State law allows a 5 percent deviation. A plus or minus of 2.5 percent from the ideal would be 245 people.
The redistricting proposal puts the deviation at a maximum of 4.2 percent, with District 1 down by 2.02 percent from the ideal and District 3 at 2.22 percent over the ideal.
District 1 with most of Shelby, all of Barre and Clarendon would be 9,548 people, or down 197 people or 2.02 percent from the ideal.
District 2 with Yates, Ridgeway and small portion of Shelby would be 9,725, or 20 fewer than the ideal or under by 0.21 percent.
District 3 with Gaines, Albion and part of western Murray would be a population of 9,961, which is over the ideal by 2.22 percent or 216 people.
District 4 with Carlton, Kendall and most of Murray would total 9,747 people, only 2 more than the ideal or off by just 0.02 percent.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 February 2023 at 8:00 am
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch from 7 p.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. on Friday for Orleans, Niagara, Genesee, Erie and Chautauqua counties.
There will be southwest winds from 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph possible.
“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines,” the Weather Service said. “Scattered power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
The highs in the forecast in party sunny and 39 today, showers and 51 on Thursday, cloudy and 40 on Friday and partly sunny and 32 on Saturday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 February 2023 at 10:55 pm
President Joe Biden’s 1 hour, 12-minute State of Union address is getting different reactions from the Congressional representatives.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) issued this statement:
“Tonight, President Biden once again tried to take a victory lap despite the endless crises caused by his administration. From the economy to national security, the President has continued to fail this country. The list is endless, but to start, inflation has risen over 13%, 4.5 million illegal aliens have flooded across our Southern Border, and homicides are up 13% since Joe Biden took office.
“Despite Biden’s disastrous presidency, our Republican House Majority is committed to delivering real results for the American people. In the first month that Republicans have been in the Majority, we have fully reopened the Capitol to the American People, voted to defund Biden’s 87,000 new IRS Agents, established a bipartisan Select Committee to hold the Chinese Communist Party Accountable, stood up for the right to life and voted to end unconstitutional and overreaching vaccine mandates.
“Republicans will continue fighting to preserve our self-governing Constitutional Republic and defend our individual rights. We will keep our communities safe, make life more affordable, and make the government more transparent. And we will always hold Joe Biden and the federal bureaucracy accountable to the American people.”
Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25) released the following statement:
“The President outlined a bold agenda that reflects our shared democratic values, and I look forward to continuing our work on behalf of families in our community.
“We know that families across America are struggling, and they’re counting on us to provide support during these challenging times. That’s why my colleagues and I have been working to deliver on the issues that matter most—particularly our successful efforts to lower prescription drug costs, bolster healthcare services veterans, and strengthen the future of our manufacturing economy.
“As we look towards the future, I hope to build upon this progress and continue working to lower costs, improve quality of life, and ensure every American has the ability to not only survive, but thrive. We will continue our efforts to reduce gun violence and strengthen public safety, to protect women’s reproductive healthcare, to expand the Child Tax Credit, and grow our innovation economy to enhance competitiveness with countries like China.
“I am optimistic that over the coming weeks and months, there will be opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to find common ground and advance these priorities.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul issued this response:
“The State of the Union is strong, thanks to the leadership of President Biden and the hard work of New Yorkers in Congress like Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries.
“In his address to the nation, President Biden highlighted significant achievements that are making a difference in the lives of all Americans – including New Yorkers: the Inflation Reduction Act is creating green jobs while fighting the climate crisis, the CHIPS and Science Act is attracting growing, innovative companies like Micron, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping once-in-a-generation projects like Gateway to move forward.
“There is more work to do in order to make New York and the nation more affordable, more livable and safer. I commend President Biden for highlighting efforts to combat the gun violence crisis, and I look forward to working together with our federal partners to keep New Yorkers safe. President Biden’s focus on the affordability of child care and housing is crucial, as these are significant costs driving affordability issues. The President’s Unity Agenda – including the Cancer Moonshot, and access for mental health care and actions to combat the opioid epidemic – is a bold platform in lockstep with our priorities in New York.
“President Biden is right: America’s best days are ahead of us. With hard work, collaboration and smart investments, we can make the New York dream a reality for all.”
ALBION – Sheriff Chris Bourke, who is also the Orleans County STOP-DWI coordinator, announced that local law enforcement agencies will actively participate in the STOP-DWI Super Bowl High Visibility Engagement Campaign from Feb. 10-13.
With the anticipation of increased gatherings to celebrate the big game on Sunday, local law enforcement will be out to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving, reminding drivers to think ahead and have a plan for a sober ride to prevent injuries and save lives.
During this campaign, law enforcement agencies and local STOP-DWI programs will collaborate across the state in this coordinated effort to reduce the number of impaired driving-related injuries and deaths.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 February 2023 at 4:47 pm
Bronze statue honoring Charles Howard to be dedicated June 10
Photos by Tom Rivers: Santa and Mrs. Claus attended the June 2018 Strawberry Festival parade and greeted the crowd along Main Street.
ALBION – Organizers of the Albion Strawberry Festival announced the two-day event will be back June 9-10 with some changes due to the Main Street lift bridge being closed.
The parade route, which used to head north on Main Street over the bridge, will instead turn left on West Bank Street, said June Persia, chairwoman of the festival.
The organizers also are seeking the state Department of Transportation’s permission to close Main Street to traffic from Park Street to the bridge. A detour would be expected to send traffic down East Park Street to work their way over to the Ingersoll Street bridge for those headed north.
A statue of Santa, in clay form, was shown to the Albion Betterment Committee on April 23. The statue will be cast in bronze and is on schedule to be ready in time for the Strawberry Festival.
This year’s festival has a theme of “Here Comes Santa” to celebrate the unveiling on a new bronze statue in the likeness of Santa. It will be in Waterman Park, about a half block south of the canal.
Brian Porter, a sculptor from Pendleton, is creating the statue and it is on schedule to be ready in time for the festival. It will be dedicated on June 10 in honor of the late Charles W. Howard, who ran a world-famous Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966, and also operated Christmas Park.
Howard remains a revered figure among Santa impersonators. The Santa School is now in Midland, Mich. and still bears his name.
Volunteers are discussing ways to have more festival fun. Persia said a cornhole tournament on Main Street, near the closed off bridge, is one possibility. Organizers are looking for more activities that would be fun for adults, while keeping the children’s entertainment.
Persia has been helping to plan the festival for the past decade. She looks forward to the two-day event with live entertainment, a food court, arts and crafts vendors, a 5k/8k race, the parade and other activities. This will be the 35th Strawberry Festival.
“I want to see the community come together,” she said about the festival. “I like to see people come into our village. We have a beautiful village.”
A team of volunteers is needed to plan and run the event. More volunteers are welcome Persia said. The planning committee meets twice monthly, alternating every two weeks from a morning meeting to an evening meeting.
The next meeting will be 6 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Hoag Library. For more information, reach out to Persia at (585) 704-1994.
Gov. Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York Power Authority has approved 4.9 megawatts of low-cost electricity for Edwards Vacuum, a company that is building a $209 million manufacturing facility at the STAMP site off Route 63 in the Town of Alabama.
Today’s announcement follows the approval last week by the Genesee County Economic Development Center in $17 million in tax breaks for the company. The GCEDC approved sales tax exemptions of approximately $4.34 million and a 20-year property tax abatement of approximately $12.85 million.
Edwards Vacuum is part of the Atlas Copco Group. It will build a “factory of the future” at STAMP that will serve the semiconductor industry and advanced manufacturing sectors and create approximately 343 new high-paying jobs, GCEDC officials said.
The Power Authority today approved a 4.9-megawatt low-cost Niagara hydropower allocation to Edwards. Additionally, the NYPA board approved 2.1 megawatts of High Load Factor power that the Power Authority will procure for Edwards on the energy market.
Low-cost Niagara hydropower is available for companies within a 30-mile radius of the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project or businesses in Chautauqua County.
“The economic development awards approved at today’s meeting will advance the goals of New York’s ambitious Climate Act and strengthen the state’s position as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing,” said John R. Koelmel, New York Power Authority chairman. “The Niagara Power Project is linked to tens of thousands of Western New York jobs and is powering New York’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
Edwards is preparing to construct a 240,000 square-foot campus that will include manufacturing, warehouse, and administration at the STAMP location. Dry vacuum pumps are a critical component of the semiconductor manufacturing process, and the firm’s expansion would directly support semiconductor companies in the United States.
“Upstate New York’s emergence as a global hub for advanced manufacturing is stimulating unprecedented, transformative investments that will deliver the jobs of tomorrow to New York’s talented workforce,” Governor Hochul said. “By providing these firms with the tools and support they need to thrive, New York is furthering its legacy of innovation and cementing itself as a leader in the semiconductor industry.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 February 2023 at 10:44 am
New turf football field among first projects, expected to be ready in fall
Photo by Tom Rivers: The end of the Albion football field is shown last week. The grass field will become turf in a project expected to be ready in time for the fall football season.
ALBION – The Board of Education on Monday evening unanimously approved eight construction bids totaling $19,300,000.
Another bid for $2.6 million is expected to be approved next month, bringing the total to $21.9 million.
That is well in budget and leaves a balance of $1,084,507 in contingencies, said Kevin Donaghue, executive vice president Campus Construction Management which is assisting the district in the bid preparation and oversight of the project.
School district residents on Dec. 14, 2021 approved the $26.69 million capital project that includes all three schools, as well as the bus garage, and new synthetic playing surfaces for football, soccer and softball.
After a design phase for the project and review and approval by the state Education Department, the project went out to bid to contractors. The bids were opened last week and on Monday the board gave its approval, with one more contract needing additional review.
“The big picture is the project is right on budget,” Donaghue told the Board of Education.
The bids accepted on Monday include:
Site work – $6,295,082 by Diehl Development
General Trades – $5,441,000 by Javen Construction
Mechanical – $2,797,700 by T. Bell
Plumbing – $1,636,300 by Blackmon Farrell
Playground equipment – $257,027 by GameTime
Scoreboards – $124,725 by Toth
BMS (Building Management System) Controls – $339,068 by Day
Day is also the low bidder for access controls at $2,596,942 that is expected to be approved at next month’s meeting. That system will allow badges to lock and unlock doors, and can do a district-wide lockdown of all classroom doors.
Contractors will soon be a presence on campus with most of the work happening after school.
The first projects will upgrades to the district officer, with the district office staff moving to the E wing of the elementary school during the work at the district office.
Contractors also will be pushing to replace the grass field at the football stadium with turf. That effort is expected to start in April with a push to be done in time for the football season in late August-September.
The softball field and varsity soccer also will get turf fields. That will start this year but isn’t expected to be done until 2024. The varsity field is expected to be available this upcoming season, Donaghue said.
He went over the construction schedule during Monday’s board meeting. The schedule includes:
• Site Work – In 2023 the work includes the football field replacement, track resurfacing, multi-purpose field replacement (softball and soccer – starting June 1, 2023 and ending July 15, 2024), elementary school hot water service line, elementary school drop-off loop and sidewalks, elementary school playground fence replacement and high school hot water service line.
In 2024, the site work includes middle school hot water service line, tennis court replacement, middle school drop-off loop reconstruction, concrete sidewalk replacements, playground replacement at middle school, baseball field drainage improvements, JV softball field drainage improvements.
• Construction at elementary school – In 2023, district office renovation, classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at E wing (Nov. 6 to Dec. 1), classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at D wing (Dec. 11 to Jan. 5), crawl space plumbing and hot water heaters, EIFS replacement, carbon monoxide detectors/fire alarm, and electrical abatement and replacements.
In 2024, classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at C wing (Jan. 1 to Feb. 9), classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at B wing (Feb. 19 to March 15), classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at A wing (March 25 to April 19) and classroom doors and plumbing fixtures at G wing (April 29 to May 24), emergency generator replacement, doors/hardware/security enhancements, main office windows and fire shutter, and gymnasium folding partition replacement.
• Construction at middle school (basement) – In 2023, pool deck structural repairs, boiler room abatement and demolition, boiler room plumbing renovations, ad pool pumps.
In 2024, electrical room A/C and auditorium A/C.
• Construction at middle school (first floor) – In 2023, domestic hot water repairs, replace insulated window panels, gymnasium renovations, pool lighting and locker room renovation, replace ANSUL system, exhaust fan and relief air work, flooring abatement, flooring installation, carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarm, and electrical service component replacements.
In 2024, doors/hardware/security enhancements and auditorium AC.
• Construction at middle school (second floor) – In 2023, exhaust fan and relief air work, replace insulated window panels, flooring abatement, and flooring installation.
In 2024, convert lockers into storage rooms, electrical room A/C, auditorium A/C, and doors/hardware/security enhancements.
• Construction at middle school (third floor) – In 2023, exhaust fan and relief air work.
In 2024, doors/hardware/security enhancements.
• Construction at high school (first floor) – In 2023, library door reconstruction, window lintel replacements, domestic hot water heaters and carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarm.
In 2024, replace lockers (with wider units), doors/hardware/security upgrades, gym renovations and gym locker room renovations.
• Construction at high school (second floor) – In 2023, library door reconstruction, window lintel replacements, domestic hot water heaters, and carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarm.
In 2024, replace lockers, doors/hardware/security upgrades, gym renovations, gym locker room renovations, gym HVAC abatement and demo, gym HVAC installation.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 7 February 2023 at 8:22 am
Gloria Brent and Mike Snyder spearhead several Medina businesses
Photos by Ginny Kropf: This c.1853 Greek Revival home on the corner of Pearl Street and Proctor Place iwill be used as a business office for Gloria Brent and her husband Mike Snyder.
MEDINA – A 170-year-old home on Pearl Street is seeing new life as the office of MDS Consultants.
MDS was formed in 2008 by Gloria Brent, who with her husband Mike Snyder has purchased the house, which they are in the process of upgrading and highlighting many of its historic features.
Brent’s journey to Medina is a tale of success. Born and raised in Bath, she studied nursing at Corning Community College. She was working as a nursing supervisor at a nursing home in Rochester, where she saw a job posted for an MDS coordinator. (The Minimum Data Set is a mandated process for residents in Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes.)
“I knew nothing about it, but I applied kind of out of curiosity,” Brent said. “They hired me and paid someone to train me. I realized there was no one I could turn to for information when I needed it, and I knew then there was a need for this service.”
In wondering how to get her business started, her husband asked her why she didn’t just pick up the telephone book and start calling every nursing home in the area. She sat at her kitchen table, and her business was born.
“When I got to ‘B,’ Batavia was the first name I saw and I called Batavia Nursing Home,” Brent said.
(Left) Gloria Brent greets Andy Jamele in the Greek Revival home where his family lived when he was growing up. Brent and her husband Mike Snyder are making the house into an office. (Right) Gloria Brent shows one of the booklets she created which nursing homes must provide for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. She said her company, MDS Consulting, is the largest of its kind in the country which works with nursing homes to help them comply.
They were interested, and she was on her way. From 2008 to 2012, she worked alone from home, but the demand for her service was so great, she started hiring. Today, MDS Consultants is the largest company in the nation dedicated to helping nursing homes become and stay compliant with regulations for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. She employs 55 people throughout seven states.
Brent is the author of three books and has developed software to better capture patient care measures in skilled nursing facilities.
Both Brent, a licensed land surveyor, and Snyder have children by previous marriages, and after meeting through mutual friends, they married and moved to Medina, where he lived. They purchased the former home of Dr. Abassey on Culvert Road, and then began to pursue other business interests in the Medina area.
Two years ago, they purchased the building on East Center Street, which was home to Canal Country Artisans and then Filomena’s Favorites. It is now a very successful Modern Mercantile. In addition to purchased rental properties, last year they bought Main Street Liquor Store.
Five years ago the couple bought an c.1853 Greek Revival home at 105 Pearl St., which they are restoring as an office for both of them. The home is unique in its construction, as the walls are lath plank, or 1 x 6-inch boards laid flat and stacked on top of each other. They uncovered a lath ceiling in the room Brent will use for her office, and chose to frame around it and leave it exposed. In the room which become Snyder’s office, he is planning to install a tin ceiling.
“We immediately saw the value in the building,” Brent said.
(Left) This is one of the walls in the home Gloria Brent and Mike Snyder are restoring at 105 Pearl St. The walls are 6-inch planks stacked flat. (Right) Andy Jamele, right, visited Gloria Brent and Mike Snyder last week in the c.1853 Greek Revival home where he lived with his parents. They are standing here in what was the Jamele’s living room and will become a conference room.
Last week, Brent and Synder received a visit from a man who used to live in the house.
Andy Jamele of Kuckville lived there in the 1950s and 1960s with his siblings and parents Pasquale and Maude Jamele. He pointed out there were 10 rooms upstairs, which his parents rented out. He recalled when he and his brother Carl remodeled the east side of the house and moved his father from the west side of the house into those rooms. What was their living room will now be a conference room.
Jamele also pointed out where there used to be bathrooms, and windows which used to extend to the floor. He said there used to be quite a bit of land and a barn on the south side of the house, which sits on the corner of Pearl and Proctor Place.
His visit brought back a lot of memories, Jamele said. He is thrilled to see the home being maintained and put to good use.
Brent and Snyder didn’t say what might have in mind next.
“I never dreamed we would do what we’ve done,” Snyder said.
They work together to manage their properties, Brent said.
“We are enjoying the journey,” she said. “It’s all about the journey.”
WASHINTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) announced today that she will be hosting a live Tele-Town Hall for constituents in New York’s 24th Congressional District from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Participants can ask questions, provide feedback through interactive polls, and hear directly from Tenney on important issues in the district and across the country.
If you are interested in registering for the Tele-Town Hall, you can call Tenney’s office at 202-225-3665, visit the Congresswoman’s website at tenney.house.gov/rsvp, or dial in directly at the time of the call at 833-419-0132.
The 24th Congressional District includes a dozen counties including about the southern half of Orleans County.
