The Orleans Hub is 9 years old today. We’re up to 31,425 posts since we started on April 1, 2013. That’s about 10 a day, every day, for over 3,000 days.

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We plan to keep covering Orleans County – the good and the bad, the successes and the challenges. We thank you all for checking in.

Dave Kusmierczak, a member of the American Legion Post in Medina, wears a Vietnam bracelet in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Kusmierczak served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971.

MEDINA – Each year on March 29 the nation celebrates National Vietnam War Veterans Day. On Tuesday, the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina took part in ceremonies at the Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke to remember and honor all Vietnam war veterans.

Also participating were Batavia’s American Legion Post 332, the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, cemetery director James R. Metcalfe, Genesee Veterans Council president William Joyce, and Vietnam veteran the Rev. Robert M. Stuart.

A wreath laying ceremony was followed by an Honor Guard service with volley and Taps.

On Wednesday morning, the Butts-Clark American Legion and members from the American Legion in Lyndonville paid tribute to Vietnam veterans with a ceremony in front of the Vietnam Memorial at the Butts-Clark Post.

After a prayer by veteran Dave Kusmierczak, Commander Glenn Whitmore laid a wreath on the monument, followed by a volley and Taps.

In addition to Whitmore and Kusmierczak, those who participated were Peter Huth, Dave Barhite, Dave Morien, Larry Szatkowski, Luke Price, Dave Wells, Jim Wells, Maxine Schening, John Follman and Dave Higgins.

John Follman with the American Legion Post in Lyndonville lines up the rifle squad for ceremonies at the Butt-Clark American Legion’s Vietnam Memorial on Wednesday morning.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Natalie Baron plays Pinocchio, one of the Fairytale Creatures in Albion’s High School’s production of Shrek the Musical.

Shows are Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at noon and 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door for $5.

Pinocchio and the Fairytale Creatures are banished from the Kingdom of Duloc by the evil Lord Farquaad. He sentences them into penal transportation for being freaks, under penalty of death if they ever return.

But Pinocchio leads the characters in a revolt against Farquaad’s rule. This photo shows the characters performing “Freak Flag,” where they band together to overthrow Farquaad.

Jeffrey Brown plays the Lord Farquaad, here singing “The Ballad of Farquaad,” where we learn he was abandoned in the woods by his father.

Jeffrey, a senior, has been in the drama program since sixth grade, and has often been cast in the silliest roles.

“Lord Farquaad is very kiddy and funny, and he’s also a bad guy,” Jeffrey said. “I get to show a lot of personality. I love being a funny person on stage and bringing a smile to people.”

Danielle Wyant, left, and Zoe Cusson both star as the dragon that guards the castle where Princess Fiona has spent many years waiting to be rescued by a prince.

These scene shows Fiona through the years – from left Mallory Kozody, Leah Kania and Ella Trupo. They are singing, “I Know It Is Today,” when the prince finally comes to the rescue.

Rowan Ford plays Shrek and Leah Kania is Fiona, shown here in a rehearsal without their green face makeup for being ogres. After a rough start, the two characters fall in love.

Rowan and Leah are both seniors and are happy they can perform a musical in front of a live audience while the cast doesn’t have to wear masks.

Rowan said the cast feels like a family, which is the best part of being in the drama program.

“Everyone is kind to one another,” he said.

Leah likes the zany characters in the show.

“I’m glad I’m back on stage with all my friends,” she said. “In this show you can be over the top and overly dramatic.”

Faith Bennett is one the of Three Little Pigs. There are 22 students in the cast and 48 involved total in the production.

Myles Miller is the wise-cracking Donkey, shown here with the Three Blind Mice, from left: Mallary Ashbery, Hannah Coolbaugh and Ella Trupo.

Myles, a senior, said the Donkey character has been fun, but the costume has been challenging because it is so thick for all of the dances.

She brings lots of energy to the role.

“I am very loud and they needed that,” she said.

The show, with all of its craziness, sends an important message.

“If you watch Shrek, the one thing you should take home is self acceptance,” Myles said. “It’s OK to be a freak sometimes.”

James Ruiz is the Ugly Duckling. He and the Fairytale Creatures are victorious and sing, “I’m A Believer.”

Rowan Ford as Shrek and Myles Miller as Donkey perform “Who I’d Be” to close out the first half of the show. Shrek shares he has feelings for Fiona.

The Fairytale Creatures confront the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, who they discover is a freak as well for his stature and after being banished by his father.

Connor Doran is director of the musical for Albion. He said he is proud of the students and production team for more than three months of hard work on the show.

“This is a story for our time,” Doran said. “It’s about acceptance and affirmation and honesty with who we are as people. It’s OK to be who we are.”

BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is seeking nominations to recognize artists and others who promote cultural activities in Genesee and Orleans counties.

GO Art! about five years ago created the Genean award for GENesee and OrlEANs Counties, which “recognize a few of the amazing people and organizations we have within our counties,” GO Art! said.

The nomination deadline is April 5. GO Art! wants to recognize the following:

• Organization of the Year – This award honors a not-for-profit or for-profit arts organization for its achievements during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
• Individual Artist of the Year – This award honors an individual artist in any discipline for their achievements during the pandemic or a career-long body of work.
• Supporter (of the cultural sector) of the Year – The award honors an individual or an organization outside of the arts and cultural sector for their work directly aiding in the arts and/or cultural sector.

To nominate someone or an organization for the Genean Awards, click here.

KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home, Garden & Outdoor Show will return April 9-10 after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19.

Home repair and garden businesses will be available on April 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and April 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We are very lucky to have such great support from our area businesses, especially after such a trying two years for our smaller businesses,” said Darlene Hartway, the Chamber director.

The show will be at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. Chavetta’s will be serving chicken barbecue dinners on April 9 and Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza will be selling pizzas on April 10.

The Easter Bunny will be there on April 10 with a photo booth available.

Admission is $3 with free parking. A coupon for free admission is available at Chamber website – www.orleanschamber.com, as well as the Chamber social media accounts.

The show also includes a raffle for a patio set and grill. Tickets are available at Partyka’s Farm Market in Kendall, Robert’s Farm Market in Medina, and Sourced Market in Medina.

ALBION – Two people were sentenced in Orleans County Court on Wednesday, including a Rochester woman for taking a BMW and a credit card in Carlton.

Qyashitee Davis, 45, Rochester pleaded guilty in a previous court appearance to grand larceny in the fourth degree. She was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison by County Court Judge Sanford Church.

Davis will need to pay restitution of $3,885. The judge issued an order of protection for the victim for the next eight years.

In another case, James Johnson, 24, of Brockport was sentenced to 10 years of probation for second-degree rape for having sexual intercourse with a girl aged 14 in June 2019.

Johnson also needs to pay $425 in court and crime victim fees. The judge issued a stay away order for Johnson to have no contact or communication for the victim in the crime. A sex offender registry hearing was scheduled for May 18 to determine which level of sex offender Johnson will be on the register.

The judge also arraigned other defendants for crimes in Orleans County:

• William Grathouse III, 48, of Clarendon was arraigned for third-degree arson, second-degree insurance and fourth-degree criminal solicitation.

Grathouse allegedly had someone start a fire at his home at Holley-Byron Road on Nov. 29, 2020 so he could collect the insurance money. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

• Roy A. Watson Jr., 33, of Batavia was arraigned for second-degree burglary and two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree. He allegedly entered a home on Park Avenue in Medina without permission and broke a window, door, door frame and some household items. He pleaded not guilty.

• Adam Locke, 37, of Albion was arraigned on six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of acting in manner injurious to a child.

Locke allegedly had a child sitting on his knee and on multiple occasions between July 2017 and August 2018 subjected the child to sexual contact while clothed. Locke entered not guilty pleas to the charges.

• Nicholas McKague, 30, of Batavia is to be released from the Marcy Correctional Facility on April 14. He was sentenced to prison for seven years after he allegedly raped a 5-year-old child in Clarendon in 2011. The judge held a sex offender registry act hearing and assessed McKague as a level two offender.

The number of new confirmed Covid cases in Genesee and Orleans counties remains at a low level.

In seven days from March 23 to March 29 there were 25 new cases in Orleans, the same number as the previous week. Genesee is up from 23 to 33. The 33 is down from the 38 from March 9-15.

The federal CDC continues to rank the two counties as low for Covid community spread.

Statewide the percent of Covid tests that were positive on Tuesday was 2.54 percent with 3,243 positive out of 127,873. The seven-day average for positive tests is 2.45 percent.

“While we keep a watchful eye on hospitalization and case trends, it is vitally important that every New Yorker continues using the tools we know are effective,” Governor Hochul said on Wednesday. “If you’re feeling sick, get tested and limit your exposure to others. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about available treatments. The vaccine and booster are still the most effective way to limit infection and severe illness, and I encourage all New Yorkers to take advantage of these tools so we can continue to keep ourselves and loved ones safe and healthy.”

GAINES – The Cobblestone Society Museum will present a virtual lecture series April 5 and 26, organized by assistant director Sue Bonafini.

“Last year, because of Covid concerns, I proposed to director Doug Farley we do a virtual lecture as a fundraiser in October,” Bonafini said. “The beauty of a virtual program is the ability to reach a wider audience and the Museum doesn’t have additional costs for a speaker to travel to Orleans County.”

Farley agreed, and last year’s event was a great success with registrants from eight states and Australia.

Joseph and Nellie Vagg lived on the corner of Route 98 and Ridge Road in the hamlet of Childs in 1909. He was an early blacksmith. His profession will be the focus of a virtual lecture sponsored by the Cobblestone Society Museum on April 5.

“This year I’ve chosen a local speaker and one from Michigan, both knowledgeable about topics connected to Joe and Nellie Vagg,” Bonafini said.

Joe was a blacksmith and his shop, as well as the Vagg home, are part of the Cobblestone Museum Complex. Nellie was active in Women’s Temperance. Joe’s blacksmith shop is a popular stop for visitors who take the Museum’s campus tour, Bonafini said. His work was highly valued and critical to a rural farming community.

Nellie was known to help Joe in the shop, especially to help fit wide metal tires over the wooden wagon wheels quickly before the hot metal burned them. A support of the WCTU, she was a member of the Orleans County Women’s Christian Temperance League for 25 years, serving as treasurer and rising to the position of delegate to area and state conventions.

Farley is offering an option for people who want to watch the program in person on a big screen television at the Cobblestone Church, Bonafini said. Advance registration is required by calling the Museum at (585) 589-9013.

The first lecture from 7 to 8:15 p.m. April 5 will feature Jonathan Bernard, an American Civil War re-enactor and hobbyist blacksmith. He will present an interactive overview of blacksmithing and the manufacturing of metal products in the United States between the 1700s and 1800s. This will include the influence of the American Civil War on the evolution and use of the traveling forge.

Having moved to Rochester from West Springfield, Mass., Bernard presents with the aid of a working traveling forge wagon, one of only three working replicas in the USA re-enacting community.

The second lecture on April 26, also from 7 to 8:15 p.m., will feature Lori Osborne, director of the Frances Willard House Museum and WCTU Archives in Evanston, Ill. She will talk about one of the most influential women and the organization she led. Osborne will cover the story of Willard’s life and evolution from teaching to social reform and the story of the WCTU under her leadership.

Osborne has master’s degrees in public history and is an expert on Willard and the role of the women’s temperance movement in the 19th century. She is also director of the Evanston Women’s History Project and served as coordinator for the National Votes for Women Trail initiative in Illinois.

A $5 minimum registration fee is required to obtain a program link to attend the virtual lecture, and can be obtained by visiting the Museum’s website at www.cobblestonemuseum.org.

For a donation of $20 or more, individuals or businesses will be recognized as community sponsors for the lecture series. Full details are available by contacting Bonafini at volunteers@cobblestonemuseum.org or called (585) 589-9013. Current sponsors include the Rochester Arc and Flame Center, Newstead Equestrian Center in Akron, Bloom Wellness in Churchville and Royal Equine Veterinary Services in Lockport.

Provided photo: State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt stands with lawmakers and advocates for addiction treatment services.

Press Release, State Sen. Rob Ortt’s Office

ALBANY – State Sen. Rob Ortt and other members of the Senate Republican Conference joined advocates in calling for legislative leaders to save the opioid settlement funds and reject Governor Hochul’s state budget proposal to circumvent existing New York State law and spend $265 million in opioid settlement funding without any formal plan or input from the state-appointed advisory board.

“The Opioid Settlement Board was put in place to provide accountability and ensure that opioid settlement funds are properly directed toward prevention, treatment, and recovery services,” Ortt said. “It’s unacceptable that there are still vacancies on the Board with the state budget deadline just a few days away. It’s imperative these seats are filled and the Board is able to carry out its important goal to ensure that funding in the budget truly goes to help those who are struggling with addiction in our communities.”

Over the past several years, New York State has negotiated more than a billion dollars in monetary settlements with drug manufacturers for their role in helping fuel the opioid epidemic, and in 2021, legislation was signed into law that required New York to create a lockbox for funds received through settlements with opioid drug manufacturers.

By law, the lockbox fund is meant to be overseen by an Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board made up of families of victims, individuals with lived experience, doctors, and treatment providers to bolster transparency and accountability, and to ensure that the funds were being used effectively to provide much-needed resources for prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services.

The law also expressly prohibited the funds in the lockbox from being used to supplant existing state funding for services and programs related to Substance Use Disorder (SUD). However, to date, a number of seats on the Board remain vacant and the group has yet to meet.

Tucked into Governor Hochul’s multi-billion dollar Executive Budget Proposal, is a little noticed measure that proposes to spend $265 million of opioid settlement funds before all the vacancies on the much-lauded Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board have been filled.

Advocates are calling for the advisory board to finally be filled and actually meet to decide on the administration of these settlement funds for treatment, recovery and other support services.

In a joint letter to Governor Hochul, advocates Linda Ventura from the Thomas’ Hope Foundation, Avi Israel of Save the Michael’s and advocate and recovering addict Ashley Lafountain note that supportive services are needed now more than ever before as the national number through October 2021 reports 105,000 individuals dying of overdose in the last year with 5,700 individuals being NYS residents.

“This is unacceptable,” Ventura, Israel and Lafountain said of Governor Hochul’s proposal. “The potential diversion of the settlement money could deny treatment, harm reduction and other supportive services to New Yorkers who need it the most. Many of us lost loved ones because of a lack of treatment and harm reduction services, a lack of housing and recovery resources and the lack of a continuum of care desperately sought by individuals struggling for recovery.”

Provided photos: Pictured from left include coach Jeff Dole, Alex Balaban, Arian Cayea (captain), Isaac Pace and Scholastic Bowl host Derick Evans.

Press Release, Medina Central School

MEDINA – Congratulations are in order for Medina High School’s Alex Balaban, Arian Cayea and Isaac Pace who took home first place in the Niagara’s Choice Credit Union Scholastic Bowl that was hosted by WLVL 1340 AM/105.3 FM.

The event was held at Niagara County Community College on Friday and the team, coached by Jeff Dole, beat Starpoint to become the 2022 Scholastic Bowl Champions.

Medina Scholastic Bowl team members Alex Balaban, Arian Cayea (captain) and Isaac Pace hold the trophy after winning the championship.

Scholastic Bowl is an academic buzzer competition similar to Jeopardy, but with teams testing their knowledge in literature, science, history, math and more.  The Medina team dominated the whole season with David Berry, Dan Owen DeVera and Cole Hughes also representing the team throughout the regular season.

Mr. Dole says the team finished the regular season in first place and won the first two playoff games against Roy-Hart and North Tonawanda.

“In the championship game against Starpoint, Alex, Arian and Isaac represented our school,” Mr. Dole said. “It was an intense matchup with the Starpoint team taking a 5-point lead after the first round.  Medina was in the lead by 5 points after the second round. In the final round, Starpoint took a 25-point lead with one question left. Needing to correctly answer the last 10 point question, Isaac buzzed in and answered with the correct answer and then received a bonus question worth 20 points.”

Alex came up with the correct answer to who was the first U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The answer was Teddy Roosevelt and the team pulled out the win by a score of 170-165!”

The team is currently done for the season, but will be competing in Masterminds, which is another quiz competition. The varsity team is currently in first place in a league with Albion, Holley, Kendall, Pembroke and Elba. The JV team is also in first place in their league and the middle school team is tied for first.

“We have a lot of dedicated students involved in Masterminds and Quizbowl,” Mr. Dole said. “They show up to practice, enjoy competition and take school and learning seriously.”

Evan Gelion in war-torn country to provide humanitarian aid

Photos courtesy of Evan Gelion @RovingLightPhoto: A humanitarian worker distributes crackers to Ukrainians.

An Albion resident, Evan Gelion, has been a part of a humanitarian aid mission to the Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Poland since March 16.

Evan Gelion

Gelion, 30, is sharing some of his photos with Orleans Hub readers. He is embedded with a group of high-risk aid workers. He has joined them on several operations in Lviv in western Ukraine and a village near Kharkiv that had been retaken by Ukrainian forces after being under Russian control two days ago.

“I’ve also been documenting the struggles of refugees moving around and out of Ukraine,” Gelion wrote in an email. “I ran into a 15-year-old boy who has been sent to Poland by his mother who refused to leave her immobile husband in Kharkiv. He was denied entry into Poland because of his age and is now trying to find a place to live in Lviv, completely alone.”

Despite the missile attacks and destruction, Gelion said many Ukrainians are staying put.

“It’s surprising how many people refuse to evacuate, even in areas that are under direct attack,” he said. “I was in a village a few days ago to deliver supplies, and the next town over was being shelled the entire time we were there. Literally just a few kilometers away. Despite that, we were only able to convince three people to leave, out of the entire town. I’m afraid that they’ll stay there until they die.

“The men have all gone to fight, so the vast majority of the people left in these towns are women, children, and elderly. I can only speculate as to why they refuse to leave, but no matter the reason, it’s heartbreaking.”

Gelion took this photo in Lviv when it was attacked with missiles and explosions, sending him to seek safety underground.

“I took the night train to Kyiv and it was completely blacked out in order to make it harder to target by the Russians,” he said. “I was allowed access into the main supply hub in Lviv as a ‘member of press,’ though I’m not accredited, and I was able to see the inner workings and learn a little about the logistics of how aid works. I have interviewed some members of local militia groups in Kyiv.”

People are staying in an expo center as a refugee camp outside of Warsaw, Poland.

The refugees try to rest after a mad scramble from their homes.

A van is unloaded with aid for refugees.

Supplies are piled for refugees who have been forced to flee their homes.

Gelion said so far there is strong support for refugees.

“Tremendous amounts of food, clothing, medical, and other necessary supplies are coming in daily, and its distribution is extremely well-organized,” he said.

He is shocked by the destruction in the villages and cities, and how Russian forces have little regard for civil casualties.

“They will shell an entire town for days just to rid it of a small local militia force,” Gelion said. “This was the case in the town I visited yesterday. (I am not allowed to mention names of places, unfortunately.) They are also actively suppressing evacuations, since they can use the general population in areas that they control as hostages.”

Gelion also sees a determined country pushing back an oppressor.

“I was surprised by how steadfast the Ukrainian population is,” he said. “The group I’m with loses men regularly, yet they continue their operations without a second thought. It’s incredible.”

Evan Gelion sees widespread destruction in Ukraine, and many residents determined to stay to defend their country and not leave loved ones behind.

Village DPW planting 50 more trees this spring

File photo by Tom Rivers: Medina DPW workers on April 26, 2019 planted a new tree at State Street Park for Arbor Day.

MEDINA — The Village of Medina has been named a “Tree City USA” for the 11^th straight year. The Arbor Day Foundation announced the recognition for Medina due to its commitment to an planting trees and an effective urban forest management.

Mayor Mike Sidari read the letter at Monday’s Village Board meeting from the Arbor Day Foundation, recognizing the village again.

Medina has planted more than a 1,000 trees in the past two decades and will be adding 50 more to the landscape this spring.

Medina meets the Tree City USA criteria with four requirements: a Tree Board or department; a tree care ordinance; and annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Medina has a Tree Board and also has formed a “Releaf Society” to raise money to plant new trees to replace some of the old ones, especially at Boxwood Cemetery. The Tree Board helps to decides what kind and where trees can be planted and which need to be trimmed or cut down.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Andrew Szatkowski of Medina helps unload a bus from Community Action that brought the kids back from camp for a week during the summer of 2018. Szatkowski helped sign up many of the children for camp, and was a chaperone on the bus ride there and back.

(Editor’s Note: This article is being posted after one last week had the wrong dates for when a rep will be a local libraries to help sign people up for camp.)

Orleans County children, ages 6 to 12, can return to summer camp this year.

Kids from the county went to a Salvation Army summer camp for a week in 2017 to 2019 in Penn Yan along Seneca Lake. The camp was closed the previous two summers due to Covid-19 restrictions.

But the Long Point Camp will be back this summer offering swimming, low ropes course, crafts, sports, fishing, kayaking, hiking, archery and other activities.

Andrew Szatkowski has been the county’s representative for the camp. Attendance from Orleans grew from seven in 2017 to 22 in 2018 to 25 in 2019. The camp is free and is funded by Red Kettle donations.

Szatkowski will be available to help kids sign up. He will be at the following libraries in Orleans County from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Lee-Whedon in Medina on April 30; Hoag Library in Albion on May 7; Yates Community Library in Lyndonville on May 21; and Community Free Library in Holley on May 28.

He is also looking for an organization to help with transporting the kids to camp and then a week later when they come back.

Szatkowski attended Camp Troutburg as a kid with his brother Jimmer in Kendall. That camp is now closed but Andrew remembers having so much fun at Troutburg.

His brother owns two Chick-Fil-A restaurants near Syracuse in Cicero and Clay. Jimmer will be bringing about 350 chicken sandwiches to the camp for the kids.

For more information contact Szatkowski by emailing him at aszat74@yahoo.com or calling 585-205-0581.

Firehall would need to be expanded to accommodate bigger fire truck

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Medina ladder truck is shown on Jan. 12 at a fire on Knapp Street in Albion. Village officials want to begin working to replace the ladder truck from 1996.

MEDINA – Medina Mayor Mike Sidari hoped to push off replacing a ladder truck for a few more years. But he said the ladder truck the village needs to start working on a plan to replace the truck from 1996.

“We have a desperate need for a new ladder truck,” the mayor said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. “And if we get a new truck we need a place to have it.”

Acquiring a new truck and putting an addition on the fire hall could be financed through a bond. Sidari said he wants the projects discussed as part of the village budget meetings in April. The budget needs to be approved by April 30.

Sidari said Medina has some leeway in its budget and still remain under the state constitutional tax limit. For a village that is 2 percent of the five-year average full valuation.

Medina’s full valuation for the 2021-22 budget was $173,610,268 and 2 percent of that is $3,472,205. The current budget has a tax levy of $3,259,119, which is nearing the tax limit.

Medina’s current ladder truck is from 1996. The ladder is 75 feet long. Medina officials would like a truck with a 100-foot-long ladder.

The new truck would cost an estimated $1.2 million. The current truck needs frequent maintenance that is costly. Village officials said Medina is already spending about $70,000 a year on the current ladder to keep it going.

The current fire hall is too small for a bigger ladder truck. Currently there is only two inches of clearance from the top of the truck to get in and out of the bay in the fire hall. The new trucks are 4 inches above the top of the door.

Medina Fire Chief Matt Jackson has suggested the village consider a 75-by-50-foot addition to the fire hall with two taller bays to allow more space to get trucks in and out of the building.

An addition would be an estimated $1.3 million to $1.5 million for the building, and extending heating and other utilities, as well as engineering costs.

The current fire hall includes two buildings, a Medina sandstone structure from 1908 and then an annex built in the 1930s for the DPW. The DPW moved in 1955 and Medina FD took over the 3,960-square-foot space, which is 45 by 88 feet.

In addition to the larger fire trucks, the Medina FD runs four ambulances from the site and one of them, ambulance 61, can only fit in one of the bays.

Jackson would like to see an addition in the parking lot with garage bays about 3 ½ feet higher than the ones in the current building.

Jackson is suggesting Medina pursue a 4,980-square-foot addition that would be 60 by 83 feet. It would have space for modern ambulances and fire trucks, be ADA compliant, and meet the department’s needs for the next 50 to 100 years. It would also have space for potential female firefighters.

Medina officials expect there will be some grant funding to help with the truck and fire hall expansion.

Sidari said he wants to get the process moving.