By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 4 October 2021 at 9:33 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Trent Choate works to get by Akron defender Trey Trzenski during this evening’s game at Gasport.
Maintaining sole possession of first place Roy-Hart rallied to edge past visiting Akron 2-1 in a Niagara-Orleans League boys soccer game this evening.
Trailing 1-0, Roy-Hart rallied in the second half as Zach Livergood scored the tying goal and Brandin Masters netted the game winner, both off assists from Peter Martillotta.
Akron had grabbed the first half lead on a goal by Caleb Suckow.
Roy-Hart is now 6-0 and Akron 2-2 in N-O action. Wilson is in second place at 4-2 followed by Medina/Lyndonville and Newfane, both at 2-3 and Albion at 0-6.
Albion dropped a 9-0 decision to Batavia in a non league game.
In Genesee Region League action, Wheatland-Chili nipped Kendall 1-0 and Attica downed Holley 4-2. Cameron Bates scored both goals for Holley.
In girls soccer action, the Albion at Alexander non league contest was halted after 10 minutes as rain made the field unplayable.
Field Hockey
Kenmore outlasted visiting Medina 6-4 leaving both teams at 4-4 in Niagara-Orleans League action. Lydia Fox scored two goals for Medina as Addison Taylor and Penelope Schalck each added one.
Roy-Hart played to a 3-3 tie with Sacred Heart in a non league game. Jessica VanKuren, Cheyenne Stilwell and Brooke Zglinicki each scored a goal for the Lady Rams.
Volleyball
Elba defeated Albion 25-16. 23-25, 25-10, 25-12 in a non league volleyball match as Rachel Walls had 8 kills and 2 aces and Carol Sybertz 3 kills and 3 aces.
Roy-Hart’s Peter Martillotta and Akron’s Kiernan Regan battle for control of the ball.
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.64/A.1524) establishing a statewide Restaurant Meals Program as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The legislation mandates the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to apply for USDA approval to authorize the program, which would allow homeless, elderly and disabled SNAP recipients to use their benefits for prepared or hot food from participating restaurants.
The Governor also announced the launch of the $25 million Restaurant Resiliency Program to provide relief to the restaurant industry, which continues to face severe challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic. The program, proposed by the legislature, will build on the successful Nourish New York initiative. It will provide funding to New York’s network of food banks and emergency food providers to purchase prepared meals from New York restaurants and deliver them to families in need.
“The vital actions we’re taking—establishing two restaurant programs to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers feed themselves and help restaurants recover from this terrible pandemic—will work in tandem to put food on the table in homes across the state,” Hochul said. “This pandemic continues to impact the wallets and homes of a vast number of New Yorkers, and we’re taking any and all actions to help them support themselves and their loved ones.”
The statewide Restaurant Meals Program, once approved by USDA, would allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits for prepared or hot food from participating restaurants and delis at reduced prices.
Prior to the signing of this legislation, SNAP recipients in New York State could not use their benefits to purchase prepared goods. This prevented many populations that do not have access to cooking or food preparation on their own from using SNAP benefits. This primarily affects the homeless, disabled and elderly populations.
The Restaurant Resiliency Program will award funding, which was passed as part of the 2021-22 New York State Budget, from the New York State Department of Health to New York’s network of ten food banks across the State.
Emergency food providers will work directly with restaurants who are deemed eligible for the program by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. They will need to show capacity to create meals aligning with MyPlate.gov standards, be up to date with licensing requirements, and have passed all health inspections. Participating restaurants are encouraged to use New York ingredients where possible.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Nourish New York program has been a resounding success in its ability to address the needs of families who have found themselves in need of food assistance during the pandemic and to provide relief to our farmers who are struggling with the loss of key markets. By using the Nourish New York as a model to now help our restaurants, we will be able to reach even more New Yorkers and provide a steady customer base for our restaurants to help them get through these continued challenging times.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2021 at 3:23 pm
MEDINA – The Medina Police Department has released the name of a Niagara County resident who died in a car accident Saturday after hitting a tree off South Main Street.
Earl Maines, 34, of Lockport died in the one-car accident just before 2 a.m. The SUV he was driving sustained heavy front-end damage. The vehicle was in the yard of 1025 S. Main St.
Maines was the sole occupant. He was extricated from the vehicle by emergency responders, who determined that he did not have a pulse and attempted resuscitation efforts.
The accident remains under investigation, said Lt. Todd Draper of the Medina PD.
MEDINA – This community endowment program will make several thousand dollars available in December. The grants generally range from $200 – $500 or more are awarded to qualifying not for profit organizations and/or projects in the Medina, Ridgeway and Shelby region. Funding is intended for purposes
that clearly benefit this community and that have favorable tax and regulatory status.
To apply, simply full out a Sandstone Trust Application form and mail to Sandstone Trust, Post Office Box 25, Medina, by the application deadline,
October 31, 2021.
Application forms can be obtained as follows:
1. In person at Michael Zelazny, CPA, 511 Main St.
2. By regular mail request sent to Sandstone Trust, PO Box 25, Medina, NY 14103.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 October 2021 at 8:46 am
Neal Moore says there is no better way to experience the U.S.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Neal Moore, who lists home as Cape Town, South Africa, and Taipei, Taiwan, paddles to the shore in front of Gardenview Bed and Breakfast on West Center Street in Medina. Moore left Oregon in February 2020 in his second attempt to canoe from that state to New York City.
MEDINA – When Neal Moore’s first attempt in 2018 to cross the United States by canoe ended in failure, he wasn’t about to give up.
Moore, who will be 50 next month, was 12 the first time he paddled a canoe to get a merit badge as a Boy Scout. He would be 38 the next time he put a canoe in water at the headwaters of the Mississippi.
But that was enough for him to know it was the way he wanted to travel when he decided to cross the country from Oregon to New York City.
Moore was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied a semester in Hawaii before graduating from high school in LA. He said it was his mother’s wish he become a missionary, so after graduation, he went to South Africa.
“I’d do anything for her,” Moore said.
Pat Fox of Gardenview Bed and Breakfast on the Erie Canal in Medina hands a cup of coffee to Neal Moore, who is paddling his canoe down the canal to the Hudson River and New York City.
Although she died the first month he was there, he stayed for two years.
“I learned when you push yourself out into new comfort zones you grow and learn,” he said.
Moore next continued his education at the University of Utah, where he got a degree in English literature and film theory. He worked in Hollywood with Jim Hanson for a while, then he sold everything. He has gone back to South Africa every year for 30 years, he said.
He now calls Cape Town, South Africa and Taipei, Taiwan “home.”
Moore is a journalist and book author. He also works with American relics and old books and photos.
When the urge to travel hit him, he began to fantasize on where he wanted to go.
“Then I thought, ‘What if I came home.’ I want to experience America up close,” he said. “I’m looking for the blend between nature and community.”
He decided there was no better way to experience America than by canoe.
First, that is the original mode of transportation in this land, and rivers and waterways are the first thoroughfares, Moore said.
“It is a unique way to travel and it makes for an interesting and challenging way to see the country,” he said.
Moore launched his first expedition in 2018 and made it 1,800 miles up the Columbia and Snake rivers to North Dakota. He said the Spokane River was experiencing a 20-year flood. His canoe tipped when he hit trees down in the St. Regis River, a glacial and cold river, and he lost a lot of gear.
“I hung up my paddle, but I did not give up,” Moore said. “It was a pause, and that was a wonderful place to come back to. However, a friend said I would have to start over at the beginning.”
In February 2020, Moore launched again from Astoria, Ore. He said LA was the first to shut down when the pandemic hit, and he cleared Oregon 30 minutes before the governor shut that state down.
When he got to the tri-cities of Eastern Washington, Washington had also been shut down, but the governor gave people 48 hours to get their homes in order, then they had to shelter in place. Moore contacted the Corps of Engineers, who gave him permission to paddle up the Snake River. He also got permission from the Nez Perce Native American tribe to cross their land and he made it up the Snake River and into Idaho.
“By the time I got to Bismarck, N.D., all hospital beds were full,” Moore said. “We were five months into the pandemic and it was fully around me. But the best place to be was out of doors, alone, camping in the wild and in a canoe.”
He said his home was his tent, his canoe and the expedition, so sheltering in place meant continuing his journey.
“I’ve been traveling ever since,” he said.
His journey has brought him to the last of 22 states – New York, and when he reaches the Hudson, it will be the 22nd waterway and the end of a 7,500-mile adventure.
On his website, 22rivers.com, he lists as obstacles river traffic, from pleasure boats to container ships and oil tankers, far too many locks and dams (including Lockport), rapids and eddies, sunken rocks, submerged trees and freak waves on major lakes and the open sea.
Canoeist Neal Moore carries his canoe into the boat launch on Bates Road, where he loaded it in the pouring rain, ready to paddle to Albion to spend the night.
He experienced the waves just a few days ago on Lake Erie. He had met up with a mutual acquaintance, an experienced kayaker, who was accompanying him in the lake. They encountered rough waves and as they were trying to go ashore south of Buffalo, a giant wave wedged them under the canoe. Fortunately, another large wave came along and loosened the canoe enough so they could get free.
After a short stay in Buffalo with fellow canoe enthusiasts, Moore made it to Lockport, where Jane Jacobson of Buffalo joined him in her kayak for the trip through the locks and down the canal to Medina. Jacobson had met Joe Martillotta of Albion when he owned the Crooked Door and he made a stained glass panel for the front of his building. Joe and his wife Debbie came and got Jacobson at Gardenview and took her to Lockport to get her vehicle. Then they offered to host Moore on Sunday night.
He had previously contacted Pat Fox of Gardenview Bed and Breakfast to stay Saturday night, but her rooms were booked, so she gave him permission to pitch his tent in her yard.
On Sunday morning, Moore was given a tour of Medina, the Culvert, St. Mary’s Archer’s Club, Lake Ontario (which he had never before seen) and the Medina Railroad Museum.
Then he was transported to the Bates Road boat launch, where he set off down the canal in pouring rain for Albion, where Martillottas met him.
After loading all his gear into his canoe, Neal Moore waves goodbye as he sets off for Albion on Sunday afternoon.
During the trip, he eats snacks during the day and if there is not a restaurant nearby at night, he eats freeze-dried meals, which he carries with him.
He has a set of wheels in his canoe, and where he cannot paddle, he pulls the canoe. After leaving Albion and paddling east on the canal half of the way, he will pull the canoe on the towpath 170 miles to Albany. He will be on the towpath from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.
“By making this trip, I’m looking for the common ingredients of who we are,” Moore said. “I’m attempting to explore how waterways connect from ‘sea to shining sea.’ I may be traveling solo, but I’ve made so many new friends and other new friends are just around the corner.”
It is his goal to approach the Statue of Liberty from what he calls the “wrong side,” meaning from the west, whereas the immigrants who came to this country approached it from the east.
“Each individual I’ve met along the way is a thread and when you add them all up and I end up in New York City, I’ll have woven a tapestry of American people.”
“The most beautiful sight will be the Hudson,” Moore said. “That will be my 22nd waterway and it is going in my direction.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2021 at 5:19 pm
Photo and information courtesy of Medina Marching Band
OSWEGO – The Medina Mustang Marching Band competed for the third time this season when they traveled to Oswego on Saturday. It was a beautiful fall day and 12 bands were there to show their marching and musical skills.
In the SS1 category there were 5 bands competing and Medina earned 1st place with a score of 84.65 followed by East Syracuse-Minoa at 82.1, East Irondequoit with 80.8, Oswego at 80.15 and Central Square in fifth with 79.8.
Other competitors were Auburn in LS3 with a score of 70.85. The SS2 classification had four competitors with Phoenix taking 1st place at 78.6. There were two other bands in LS2 and Webster earned 1st place with 82.1.
Medina will compete in three more shows before heading to the Dome in Syracuse on Oct. 31. Their next competition on Oct. 9 is in Webster.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 3 October 2021 at 4:30 pm
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Jacob Hughson, shown here making a tackle during a recent game against Wilson, and his Purple Eagle teammates face a busy week with game at Burgard on Tuesday and at home against Cheektowaga on Saturday.
Returning to action after a 10 day Covid quarantine, the Albion varsity football team is facing a busy two game week.
The Purple Eagles will visit Burgard at 7 p.m. Tuesday and then host Cheektowaga at 7 p.m. Saturday in a pair of B North Division contests.
Albion is currently 2-0 in the division and 3-0 overall while Burgard is 1-2, 2-2 and Cheektowaga 1=1, 1-3.
Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville likewise faces a pair of football games this week as the Silverbacks visit Lew-Port at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a B North contest and then host Pioneer at 7 p.m. Saturday in an interdivisional game.
Medina will continue defense of its C North title by visiting Wilson at 7 p.m. Friday. The Mustangs are 2-0 in the division and 4-0 overall while the Lakemen are 2-1, 3-2.
Weekly Schedule Monday Boys Soccer – Akron at Roy-Hart, Batavia at Albion, 6:30 p.m.; Kendall at Wheatland-Chili, Attica at Holley, 7 p.m. Golf – Barker and Newfane at Akron, 4 p.m. Field Hockey – Sacred Heart at Roy-Hart, 4:30 p.m.; Medina at Kenmore, 7 p.m. Volleyball – Kendall at Perry, 6 p.m.; Pembroke at Holley, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday Football – Albion at Burgard, Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville at Lew-Port, 7 p.m. Girls Soccer – Akron at Wilson, 4:30 p.m.; Lyndonville/Medina at Alexander, 6:30 .m.; Byron-Bergen at Kendall, 7 p.m. Field Hockey – Wilson at Akron, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday Boys Soccer – Akron at Wilson, 4:30 p.m.; Newfane at Medina/Lyndonville, Roy-Hart at Albion, 6:45 p.m.; Holley at Pembroke, Byron-Bergen at Kendall, 7 p.m. Girls Soccer – Newfane at Akron, 4:30 p.m. Cross-Country – Wilson at Barker, Roy-Hart at Akron, Medina and Albion at Newfane, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday Boys Soccer – Akron at Newfane, 4:30 p.m. Girls Soccer – Lyndonville/Medina at Kendall, 5 p.m.; Holley at Oakfield-Alabama, 7 p.m. Golf – Newfane at Roy-Hart, 4 p.m. Field Hockey – Newfane at Medina, Akron at Barker, 4:30 p.m. Volleyball – Wheatland-Chili at Lyndonville, Holley at Byron-Bergen, Newfane at Medina, Albion at Roy-Hart, Akron at Wilson, 6:30 p.m.
Friday Football – Medina at Wilson, 7 p.m. Boys Soccer – Albion at Akron, 4:45 p.m.; Roy-Hart at Medina/Lyndonville, 6:45 p.m.; Kendall at Attica, 7 p.m.; Byron-Bergen at Holley, 7:30 p.m. Girls Soccer – Akron at Albion, 6:45 p.m. Volleyball – Lyndonville at Newfane, 6:30 pm.
Saturday Football – Cheektowaga at Albion, Pioneer at Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville, Akron at Tonawanda, 7 p.m. Girls Soccer – Lyndonville/Medina at Eastridge, 11 a.m.; Wheatland-Chili at Holley, 5 p.m.
Civil War quilts focus of Cobblestone Museum program
CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum has announced an exciting new program for members and the general public.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Lynne Zacek Bassett will present a virtual lecture via Zoom titled “With Womanly Weapons Girt: Women’s Voluntarism During the Civil War.”
According to Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Society and Museum, the first portion of the lecture speaks of the role of women creating needed textiles for soldiers, and the second part focus on Civil War quilts.
“Lynne Zacek Bassett is an independent scholar specializing in historic costume and textiles,” Bonafini said. “Her lecture examines the quilts and other textiles that women in the North and South created to declare their patriotism and support their fighting menfolk. Women not only supplied these absent men with necessary clothing and bedding, but with assurance their sacrifice was honored and their presence missed. The production and supply of textiles during the Civil War speak to the Herculean efforts of women on the home front.”
Among Bassett’s projects are award-winning exhibitions and catalogues, including Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts & Context in the Civil War (co-authored with Madelyn Shaw and published in 2012 by the American Textile history Museum). An author and curator, Bassett’s experience has been recognized by the American Antiquarian Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, Historic New England and the International Quilt Study Center.
Participants in the Zoom presentation should reserve about an hour, beginning at 7 p.m., followed by a question and answer period with Bassett. While the program will be offered via Zoom to a wider audience, limited seating will be available to view the program at the Cobblestone Church.
More information is available on the Cobblestone Society’s website or by calling the Museum at (585) 589-9013.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 October 2021 at 11:00 am
Program will highlight cobblestone schools in Gaines
KNOWLESVILLE – The Orleans County Retired Teachers Association will have their fall meeting Oc.t 21 at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall, 3619 Knowlesville Rd.
All retired educators from Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville, Medina and Orleans-Niagara BOCES are invited to attend.
The morning will begin with a coffee time at 10:30 and a chance to meet and greet new retirees, according to member Ann Czajkowski. The business meeting will follow at 11 a.m.
A lunch of beef on weck will be provided at noon by the ladies from Abundant Harvest Pie and Gift Shop.
Following lunch, Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Society and Museum in Childs, will present a program on “The 12 Cobblestone Schools in the town of Gaines.”
Any retired educator from Orleans County and spouse is eligible to be a member of OCRTA. Dues are $11 annually. New retirees receive a complimentary first-year membership. OCRTA is affiliated with the Retired Educators of New York, formerly known as the New York State Retired Teachers’ Association of Central Western Zone.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 October 2021 at 8:55 am
Organization covers 2,400 square miles, making it largest geographic area for Arc chapter in the state
Martin Miskell leads the newly merged Arc GLOW.
A merger is complete to form a new four-county organization serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
Arc of Genesee Orleans and Arc of Livingston-Wyoming have merged following 18 months of planning to form the new Arc GLOW. This is the first four-county chapter of The Arc New York.
This follows the merger in 2016 of the former Arc of Orleans and Genesee Arc.
GLOW Arc leaders said programs and services will expand to cover four counties, a service area that covers roughly 2,400 square miles. Geographically it is the largest Arc chapter in the state.
“As a unified organization the employees of Arc GLOW will benefit from collective knowledge and to continue to use the best practices, procedures, and policies that are focused on the people we serve and their families,” the organization said in a news release.
Martin Miskell is the leader of Arc GLOW. He was executive director of the Livingston-Wyoming chapter. Miskell began his Arc career as director of finance at the Livingston-Wyoming chapter in 2002, becoming associate executive director/chief financial officer in 2007 and executive director in 2015.
“The merger will offer all four counties more program and service opportunities for individuals and families served,” Miskell said in a previous statement. “We have experienced changes over the last decade in the field of disabilities and this merger will make the agency and its services more fiscally sustainable and poised for the future.”
It is the cover track to this Positive Perks Website and now is an ideal time to celebrate it as I wind down Positive Perks. The song is Good Vibes by Chris Janson released the same year as Positive Perks, 2019. It represents what the site was created to promote, Good Vibes. Spaces that promote Good Vibes can be hard to find. If that is your situation, try creating spaces that lean into those Feel Good Vibes.
Let’s be real, sometimes less than savory Vibes seep in between our skeletal walls. With that being said, I try to fill those cracks with Positive Energy when I see that green goo of anxiety seeping in. We are all human and do have those “what the heck is going on” kind of moments where anger can set in. I appreciate that Chris’s first verse is “I ain’t watching TV today, Bad news it can just stay away”. The number one rule of Tiny Shed, Big Vibes living is Turn Off The News. It is not news, it is just commentary. It is the #1 cause of misinformation and anxiety, it is not allowed in Good Vibes spaces.
You know what is allowed? Turning your radio on to music that makes your heart waltz with happiness. Go outside and breathe in God’s air and soak up all the Good Vibes. Make sure you are looking up when you do this. Good Vibes many times are not found looking down. Smartphones are as smart as those “News” people. Keep your head up in life. Make a conscious effort to focus on and plant yourself in dirt where the narrative is Positive.
If you feel empowered, be the one to change the narrative. Often that narrative is the one in your own head. That is the most important conversation that we have. The one with ourselves, so make it a good one or just shut your mouth if you don’t have anything good to say, to quote Chris. My tiny spaces include decorations and items that promote joyful minds. They also include items that remind me to search out bliss and visuals that bring comfort or transport me to a place that I can escape to. In NY my tiny shed is decorated Western. Too many happy times out West with my Sister to not create a space that transports me there. Full of George Strait, books, coloring, a space for writing and a warm place for relaxing.
In TN the SheShed is the WeShed as I share it with my Husband. It is our home here. It is a bit more remote cabin living with a cooking area, unwinding area and a space for rest. In TN we spend the majority of our days outside, but tiny comforts of mountain life create a Positive space to rest, nourish and feed our bodies for all the good life we will soak up the next day. As Chris delivers it so excellently in his lyrics… fill that cup of goodness up each day and let it spill over, don’t waste one breath on all the noise and just waive those worries away.Here is the link to his song.
What does your Good Vibes space look like? To see the inside of my Spaces, visit My Blog live online and catch up on Weekly Photo Perks and past Sunday Posts. Like and Share Your Comments.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 2 October 2021 at 9:16 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion goalie Sydney Mulka knocks the ball away from Kendall’s Megan Gates as Aurora Serafin moves in to assist. The action took place during the Purple Eagles home field win this evening.
Albion trimmed visiting Kendall 2-1 and Roy-Hart downed host Attica 6-1 this evening in non league girls soccer games.
Abby Scanlan scored both goals for Albion upping her season total to 14. She scored with just 45 seconds to go in the first half off an assist from Nikki Creasy to give Albion a 1-0 lead. Later she netted what proved to be the game winner with 23 minutes remaining in the second half to give the Purple Eagles a 2-0 advantage.
Kendall cut the deficit to 2-1 when Alezya Brown scored with 19 minutes to go but the Lady Eagles could not net the equalizer.
Albion is now 8-2 and Kendall 5-6-1.
Kara Choate scored 3 goals upping her season total to 25, Kaitlyn Metter 2 and Allie Trombley 1 to lead the way for Roy-Hart which improves to 7-0-1.
Roy-Hart built up a commanding 4-0 half-time advantage on two goals by Choate off assists from Mettler and Nadia White and one each by Mettler off an assist from White and by Trombley from Mettler.
In the second half the Lady Rams had Choate score off an assist from Trombley and Mettler tally on a penalty kick.
In another non league contest this morning Eastridge downed Lyndonville/Medina 6-0 at Lyndonville on Homecoming.
Kendall goalie Kailie Regan goes down to make a save on a shot attempt by Albion’s Abby Scanlan who netted both of the Purple Eagles goals.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2021 at 6:30 pm
MEDINA – A college student is developing a ghost walk for later this month that will highlight sensational stories from the community’s past.
Alden Cayea, 21, pitched the plan to the Village Board and the village officials urged him to give it a try on Oct. 22, 23 and 25. Cayea said he is working on three different routes that would be about an hour long.
He has been reading Medina history to pick people he wants to highlight. He told the Village Board they can expect William Morgan to be featured. He disappeared from Batavia in 1826 and was presumed murdered for threatening to expose secrets of the Freemasons. Medina’s part in that drama will be told.
Cayea is a college student at Brockport in the ROTC program. He also works at the Mystic Dragon’s Lair at 339 North Main St., Medina. That site will be a gathering point for the tours with refreshments offered.
The board encouraged Cayea to reach out to Todd Bensley, the village historian who has already developed walking tours of Medina, and Craig Lacy of the Medina Historical Society.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 2 October 2021 at 5:55 pm
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Greg Thompson eludes a Cleve Hill tackler as Noah Skinner provides a block during the Mustangs win over the host Eagles this afternoon.
Regaining a share of the C North Division lead, Medina rolled to a 38-6 victory over host Cleveland Hill this afternoon.
The victory pulls Medina even with Akron for the C North lead at 2-0 and improves the Mustangs overall record to 4-0.
Quarterback Xander Payne threw for three touchdown passes, two to Greg Thompson and one to Joe Cecchini, and Noah Skinner ran for another TD to lead the Mustangs attack.
Medina running back Cayden Lilleby eludes a Cleve Hill tackler to pick up yardage.
The Mustangs defensive unit also contributed a touchdown as Josh Wilson recovered a Cleve Hill fumble in the Eagles end zone.
Medina jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead in the first three minutes as Payne hooked up with Cecchini for a 24 yard touchdown pass. Skinner, who added the two-point conversion run, had a big 34 yard run on the game’s first play from scrimmage to ignite the Mustangs drive.
The Medina defensive unit helped to hike the lead to 16-0 late in the quarter as Wilson had the first of his two fumble recoveries on the afternoon in the Eagles end zone and Iverson Poole added the two-point conversion run.
The opening quarter lead could have been even bigger but the Mustangs had one long touchdown run called back by a penalty and then lost the ball on a turnover near the Cleve Hill goal line on the next possession.
The Mustangs did double the lead to 32-0 at the half by scoring on both second quarter possessions as Payne connected twice with Thompson for TD passes the first covering 51 yards and the second 21 yards. The later, his 12th TD pass of the season, came with just 34 seconds to go in the quarter.
It was a scoring opportunity set up by a fourth down sack of the Cleve Hill quarterback by the trio of Cecchini, Skinner and Jarin Rhim.
Cleve Hill scored the only touchdown in the third quarter with a lengthy 8 minute long drive.
Skinner rounded out the Mustangs scoring with a 33 yard touchdown run up the middle early in the final quarter.
That opportunity was also set up by a big fourth down sack of the Cleve Hill quarterback by the brother duo of Josh and Ollie Wilson.
A fumble recovery by Dominic Larabee on Cleve Hill’s next possession then capped off a big afternoon for the Mustangs defensive unit.
Medina will next visit Wilson at 7 p.m. Friday.
Medina’s defensive trio of Josh Wilson (56), Noah Skinner (42) and Joe Cecchini (3) combine to tackle a Cleve Hill’s Antwan Ceasar for a loss.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2021 at 4:20 pm
MEDINA – A Niagara County resident was killed in a car accident late last night after driving off South Main Street, hitting a curb, and striking a tree.
Medina Police Department Lt. Todd Draper said the driver, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Police Department and Medina Fire Department were dispatched at 1:52 a.m. for a one-car motor vehicle accident. The responding units located an SUV with heavy front end damage in the yard of 1025 S. Main St., Draper said.
The driver and sole occupant was able to be extricated from the vehicle by emergency responders, who determined that the driver did not have a pulse and attempted resuscitation efforts.
South Main between Orient and Church streets was closed until about 5 a.m. as the accident was investigated.
The New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Team responded to assist with the investigation.
The driver’s name is being withheld so that family can make notifications
“The Medina Police Department would like to thank all first responders who assisted, including Medina Fire Department, New York State Police, Orleans County Sheriff’s Road Patrol and Dispatch,” Draper said.
