ALBION – A concert that was set for 6:30 today at Bullard Park has been moved back two weeks due to the strong likelihood of rain during the concert.

The Sky Cats will instead perform on Aug. 20, which was a rain date in case any of the concerts were cancelled during Albion’s summer concert series.

File photo by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley will rededicate its canalway trail on Saturday. The path was originally dedicated in honor of Andrew Cuomo, who was secretary of the federal Housing and Development in 2000 when the trail opened. HUD provided a grant to help create the canal path and park.

The village will rededicate the trail as “Holley’s Erie Canal Pathway” at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The celebration will be near the historical marker by the Murray-Holley Historical Society Depot Museum. The brief ceremony will include remarks followed by a reception on the porch of the museum.

Holley Mayor Mark Bower said the two sandstone signs will continue to bear Cuomo’s name. The signs are at each end of the path. Cuomo visited the canal park with his family not long after it opened.

The trail was dedicated for Cuomo on Aug. 9, 2000. At the time Cuomo was secretary of the federal Housing and Urban Development. In that role, he pushed through a $300 million “Canal Corridor Initiative” for canal communities to upgrade public spaces and also assist some businesses.

Holley used nearly $1 million to develop the canal trail and a canal park that also includes a gazebo, docks, a paved path, public bathrooms with showers, a playground, pond and other amenities.

Bower said the canal projects have proven to be a big draw for the village, bringing in visitors while also being frequently used by local residents.

“It’s becoming bigger all the time,” Bower said about the village’s canal amenities.

Holley also will soon add a new playground along the canal path this fall, and a new kayak launch next year.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 4:38 p.m. for the Byron, Holley, Clarendon, Bergen and Barre Center areas. The warning is in effect until 5:45 p.m.

The thunderstorm could bring 60 mile-per-hour winds and quarter-size hail.

“Hail damage to vehicles is expected,” the Weather Service said. “Expect wind damage to roofs, siding and trees.”

Photos by Natalie Baron: Caspian Villegas of Medina high-fives the Safety Pup during National Night Out on Tuesday evening in Medina.

By Natalie Baron, Orleans Hub intern

MEDINA – On Tuesday, Medina hosted National Night Out for the third time. At NNO, visitors were encouraged to meet law enforcement, first responders and representatives from community organizations. Several hundred people attended the event at Clifford Wise Intermediate School on Gwinn Street.

Sidney from Medina poses with an emptied food trailer. He was one of the Boy Scouts, along with volunteers, who served hot dogs, chips, and water bottles to residents for free.

The dunk tank was, once again, a slam dunk with guests of all ages.

Law enforcement officers take off for Battle of the Belts. Participants entered a vehicle, buckled seat belts and threw their hands onto the car’s ceiling to indicate they had finished. They did so a couple of times, switching seats. Due to law enforcement’s hefty vests, they scored 5th with a time of 52.54. In 4th place was team Fire Red at 52.34, in 3rd was Froot Loops at 46.79, in 2nd was first responders, Ridgeway Water Rats, at 43.62, and in 1st was National Night Out volunteers at 43.07.

Braxton Hart, 5, of Medina hoses down fires in a prop building with some help from a Medina firefighter.

The County of Orleans Department of Mental Health brought free snacks and a fishing game to NNO. Pictured, from left: Patricia Urquhart, Melinda Rhim, Patrice Beadle, and Director of Mental Health Danielle Figura.

Melinda Rhim cheers on Audrey Pierce while she catches a fish. Noa Pierce watches the exchange. Medina Mental Health’s fish had positive words on them, including Happy, Excited, Smart, Love, Kind, and Brave.

Evelyn Strickland, 7, of Medina gets her face painted at the Pathstone stand. Face painting was open to all ages.

Cassandra Kinne smiles as she has her caricature done by Murray Mann.

The stand of the Medina Railroad Museum featured a game called Boxcar Brainiacs. Participants answered historical or strange train-related questions and threw balls into cups. Winners received water bottles. Renee Hemby, the events coordinator at the Medina Railroad Museum, ran the event for the museum.

One Church members pose with their stand. Their Vacation Bible school will be open to pre-k through grade 5 and will run from August 11-13 from 6-8:30 p.m.

Patrick Holman, a magician, performs a ball trick and other magical acts.

MJ Roman, 4, rides his bike as Alyssa Andrews, 9, cheers him on. Medina PD set up the bicycle rodeo again this year, allowing kids to test their bike skills.

Zach Blount wipes water away after being dunked in by Charlotte Pierce.

Provided photos: Law enforcement seized over 5 ounces of cocaine, over 12 grams of crack cocaine, mushrooms, various narcotic pills, a loaded beretta .25 cal. pistol, over $2,000 in cash, scales and other drug paraphernalia.

MEDINA/LOCKPORT – A Lockport man has been charged after a law enforcement investigation into the sale and distribution of cocaine in the Village of Medina and the City of Lockport.

Theodore Patti

The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and the Niagara County Drug Task Force stopped and searched a vehicle in the area of 7134 Rochester Rd. in Lockport late Tuesday night and arrested the driver on drug and weapon charges.

Police seized over 5 ounces of cocaine, over 12 grams of crack cocaine, a quantity of mushrooms, various narcotic pills, loaded beretta .25 cal. pistol, over $2,000 in cash, scales and other drug paraphernalia, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force said today in a news release.

 Theodore J. Patti, 37, of Dysinger Road in Lockport has been charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree (A 2 felony) and 1 count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree loaded firearm (C felony).

Patti was arraigned in CAP court in the Lockport Town Court and was committed to the Niagara County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. He is to return to Lockport Town Court on Friday for further court proceedings.

Assisting in the investigation were the Medina Police Department, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County District Attorney Susan Howard and Niagara County Assistant District Attorney Peter Wydysh.

Further arrests and charges are pending in this case.

‘A prepared community is a strong and resilient community’

Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office

Provided photo: Those who attend the class will receive a free disaster preparedness kit.

ALBION – Registration is now open for the NY Citizen Preparedness Training program classes that will be hosted by the Orleans County Emergency Management Office.

Residents are welcome to register for either class and there is no cost to participate.  The first will be held on Thursday, August 14 at 6 p.m. at the Clarendon Recreation Hall, 16169 East Lee Road in Holley.

The second will be on Thursday, September 25 at 6 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Trolley Building, 12690 NY-31 in Albion. While the classes are free, registration is required.

“When we hosted this class in 2023, the demand was overwhelming and we had to limit participation,” said Justin Niederhofer, Orleans County EMO Director.  “In 2024, we moved to the Carlton Rec Hall for greater capacity and still filled it up. Given this tremendous response, the state has allotted two training classes to our community to ensure all those interested can sign up.”

The mission of these training classes is to give residents the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible.  The course provides an introduction to responding to natural or man-made disasters.  Participants are advised on how to properly develop family emergency plans and stock up on emergency supplies. Those who attend a class will be given a free NYS Disaster Preparedness Kit (one per family) containing key items to assist in the aftermath of a disaster.

“For our community, these classes are extremely beneficial in helping the everyday resident to prepare for the different weather events that impact us,” Niederhofer said.  “The classes are taught by the Army National Guard and offer a quick synopsis of various events experienced regionally, the impact they had and how individuals and families can take steps to minimize the impacts of similar events in the future.”

To register for the event, visit www.prepare.ny.gov and click on the training calendar to find the event you would like to attend.

 “Emergency Management has 5 emergency preparedness goals – prepare, protect, mitigate, response, and recovery,” said Niederhofer.  “The preparedness class gives the individual the information necessary to meet these goals. And as we always say, a prepared community is a strong and resilient community.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: This tree at Bullard Park is shown on Friday during the Rock the Park music festival. The grass at Bullard and much of Orleans County has turned yellow due to lack of rain and hot temperatures.

The haze from the Canadian wildfires is resulting in another air-quality alert for Orleans County and much of upstate New York. This is the fourth straight day for the air-quality alert.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued the air-quality alert until midnight tonight due to an Air Quality Index of over 100 for fine particulates.

The State Department of Health advises people limit strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.

People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.

The temperatures are going to be hot for the next several days in Orleans County with highs of 85 today, 86 on Thursday, 88 on Friday, and then a stretch of four days in the 90s – 90 on Saturday, 92 on Sunday, 93 on Monday and 90 on Tuesday.

Brandi Zavitz has worked since late May on 32-foot-long mural at Medina Dog Park

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A 32-foot-long mural at the Medina Dog Park features many of the community’s beloved dogs, showing them doing some of their favorite activities – playing with tennis balls, relaxing at the beach, playing catch and eating ice cream.

Brandi Zavitz has given these dogs lots of personality. A dog that was viewed as a strong protector is depicted wearing a sheriff’s hat. Another dog that loved the spoiled life is shown as a princess with a crown and a royal robe.

Zavitz has created an impressive scene with this mural. Many of the park’s users are moved to tears when they see their dogs.

“It is absolutely amazing,” said Cindy Davis, leader of the Medina Dog Park.

There will be a public reception in the near future for the finished mural.

Davis and Zavitz wanted a mural to enliven the park. They were talking about it last year. Some of the dogs that were regulars at the park had passed away since it opened in September 2020.

Zavitz is a retired art teacher who has painted murals in the community. She envisioned a mural where she would paint some of those dogs, giving them angel wings. Zavitz has long painted portraits of dogs and she wanted show their personalities and activities they enjoy. She gave them superhero capes, tutu dresses, a Buffalo Bills jersey and other features to show their character. One dog enjoy sailboat rides so Zavitz painted a sailboat on the mural.

The mural was initially planned to be 24 feet long and would include 50 dogs. For $100, Zavitz would paint a beloved pet with the proceeds going to the Medina Dog Park.

But there was a big response from the community. Zavitz added another 8-foot-section. Her nearly finished artwork includes 69 dogs, 3 cats and an ox.

Zavitz included Orly the Ox in the upper left corner to show the mural was done in 2025, the year of the county’s bicentennial. Orly has been the county’s ambassador the past year, helping to promote the bicentennial of Orleans County. He is shown in front of a sandstone building. Zavitz wanted to recognize the community’s Medina Sandstone heritage.

Zavitz and the Dog Park received a $5,000 grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!) towards the project.

Kye, Medina’s K9 for nine years, is shown with his super hero cape. He passed away from bone cancer in February 2022. Kye was an 11 year old Belgian Malinois that served the Medina PD from 2012 to 2021. Todd Draper served as Kye’s handler. After the dog retired about a year ago it continued to stay with Draper’s family.

The Medina Dog Park opened in September 2020 at a fenced-in area on North Gravel Road, next to the village’s former compost plant, just south of Boxwood Cemetery.

Zavitz painted the branches in the shape of the heart. She said many people love their dogs as cherished family members and the dogs love them back with a deep devotion.

Zavitz is adding some fairies to the mural in one of the finishing touches of the large painting.

The mural may be extended in future years to accommodate the demand, Zavitz and Davis said. There were about 30 others who wanted their dog on the mural and Davis said more will likely want to be included after seeing Zavitz’s creativity and care in honoring these beloved pets.

Press Release, Village of Albion

ALBION – Landlords with vacant rental units in the Albion area are invited to attend an upcoming informational session for the New York State Vacant Rental Rehabilitation Program.

The session will be hosted by the Village of Albion in partnership with G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing. The meeting will be Wednesday, August 13, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Village of Albion offices, 35 E. Bank St.

This state-funded program is designed to assist property owners in bringing vacant rental units back into active use through eligible rehabilitation work, supporting the broader goal of increasing access to quality rental housing in the community. During the session, attendees will learn about program eligibility requirements, available funding, the application process, and how disbursements are handled.

“This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for landlords to invest in their properties while contributing to Albion’s housing stability,” said Jay Grasso of G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing. “We’re excited to help local property owners understand how to take full advantage of the program.”

All property owners with vacant rental units in the Village of Albion are encouraged to attend. No registration is required.

For questions or additional information, please contact G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing at Nichola@ggprocess.com or (585) 368-8866.

‘For months now the administration has put the Iroquois Job Corps Center in limbo. For the people who work here, for the people who train here, each day might be their last. That’s no way to live. That’s no way to do a job.’ – Sen. Schumer

Photos by Tom Rivers: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer was in Medina this morning outside Brunner to show his support for the Iroquois Job Corps Center, one of 99 that was targeted for closure by the U.S. Department of Labor. A federal judge has issued an injunction to keep the program going while the case is heard in court.

MEDINA – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer was in Medina this morning to state his strong support for keeping the Iroquois Job Corps open as well as others targeted for closure by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Schumer said the Iroquois site for about a half century has provided critical job and life skills to at-risk students.

“For months now the administration has put the Iroquois Job Corps Center in limbo,” Schumer said before a crowd of Job Corps supporters at Brunner. “For the people who work there, for the people who train there, each day might be their last. That’s no way to live. That’s no way to do a job.”

Schumer said there is bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate to keep Job Corps funded into the future. The program is currently funded until Sept. 30 but a budget bill advanced by the Trump administration doesn’t include money for Job Corps. Schumer said the Senate will include funds for Job Corps, but the House of Representatives needs to hear from communities that back the continued funding for the program.

“We’re all here with one single message: We want to save the Iroquois Job Corps Center,” Schumer said. “We got to save it if we want our young people to have a future. We don’t want them to have a handout. We want them to have a future. They should know if they work hard and learn a skill they can get a good-paying job to support a family and be proud parents and proud spouses. That’s what this center has done for so long.”

Brunner hosted Schumer’s press conference because the company has a longstanding relationship with Job Corps. The center has directed many high-quality employees to runner and other local companies, said Eric Bauer, general manager for Brunner in Medina. The company on Bates Road manufactures brake systems for tractor trailers.

“The program has proven to be a reliable pipeline for well-qualified individuals who support Brunner’s ongoing success,” Bauer said about the Job Corps.

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson speaks in support of the Iroquois Job Corps Center. She said the program has an $8.9 million direct impact on the local economy. She noted the National Association of Counties made keeping the Job Corps program open one of the association’s top priorities during its conference last month. “It’s no secret that we consider the Iroquois Job Corps center in Medina hugely important to creating pathways to employment for many young men and women,” Johnson said.

Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on May 29 that 99 privately run Job Corps centers would go on “pause” due to what she said were low graduation rates and high incidents of violence. She said Job Corps is not cost-effective. She set June 30 as the date for the centers to close, with students to be sent home earlier on June 6.

But U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said the Department of Labor can’t dismantle a program that Congress established and set aside funding to run. A preliminary injunction nationally will allow the centers to stay open while litigation continues.

The Job Corps program was founded in 1964 to help teenagers and young adults who struggled to finish traditional high school and find jobs. The program provides tuition-free housing at residential centers, training, meals and health care.

Schumer said he is optimistic Job Corps will win in court. He said ending the program in the middle of the year “is wrong and probably illegal.”

The Iroquois site has 100 employees with a capacity to serve 225 students. But right now only 46 students are on site. Iroquois needs the DOL to do students’ background checks so students can return to the centers.

Pictured from left: Eric Seppala, center director of the Iroquois Job Corps; graduate Kevon Parson; U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer; and Lindzey Clark, a 2022 Job Corps graduate.

A recent Job Corps graduate spoke about the program’s impact in his life. Kevon Parson, 24, graduated four years ago. He has completed his apprenticeship as a mason and is now a journeyman working for a Buffalo contractor.

Parson said the program strengthened him in more ways than just learning a trade. He was the student government president while at Job Corps. He said the staff pour their hearts into the student body, helping to equip them from when they graduated.

“The employees aren’t there for a check,” he said. “They love the students. When they look at you, you aren’t a bar code on your forehead. You’re a human.”

Lindzey Clark, a 2022 graduate of Job Corps, completed  a program as a certified clinical medical assistant. When she graduated, she worked a job at the Rite Aid in Batavia. Now she is back in school at Niagara County Community College studying psychology with a goal to become a therapist.

Clark said Job Corps is critical for many of students who come to the center in challenging life circumstances.

Many of the students earn their driver’s licenses, and learn other life skills for the next steps of their lives, she said.

“They completely set you up for more than a trade,” Clark said.

Rollin Hellner said Job Corps graduates have been hard-working employees for his business that tackles many redevelopment projects in the region.

Rollin Hellner, owner and president of Hellner Development Company, said he has hired more than a dozen graduates from Job Corps who work in carpentry, masonry and other construction skills.

Those Job Corps graduates bring an eagerness to learn skills and work on projects, Hellner said.

“It’s important to bring the next generation into a career path,” he said.

Job Corps, he said, “is an investment in education, people and our future.”

Jennifer Hill-Young, representing the Medina Rotary Club, said Job Corps students have helped local service clubs put on many of their events and fundraisers. Students also made Buddy Benches for local parks, birdfeeders at a local nursing home and Adirondack chairs for public spaces in the community.

“Their students not only learn valuable trades – they put those skills to work by giving back to their community,” Hill-Young said. “What truly sets them apart is the pride and heart they bring to every project. The Rotary Club of Medina is incredibly grateful for Iroquois Job Corps’ partnership.”

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Village of Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman stands with Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, and State Senator Rob Ortt at the unveiling Monday of an interpretive panel detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad. Hawley and Ortt funded the panel, which stands by the historic sign for Frederick Douglass in front of Main Street TV and Appliance.

MEDINA – A new piece of history was unveiled in Medina on Monday afternoon, with the dedication of an interpretive panel detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad.

“Medina residents have long been intrigued about their community’s contribution to the Underground Railroad,” said Chris Busch, president of Orleans Renaissance Group, whose efforts resulted in installation of the panel. “There are many examples of local lore and legend regarding area homes with odd architectural features, that were rumored to have been used to help escaped slaves – but none of these stories were substantiated. For myself, a former village historian and Social Studies teacher, this has always been a topic of great interest. That’s why a letter in the New York Daily Tribune on June 29, 1854 is so important. It confirms without a doubt that Medina’s citizens played a role.”

The new panel is next to a historical marker unveiled in 2015 that noted famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave two speeches in Medina.

The article mentions a chattel who arrived by Underground Railway in the village of Medina, N.Y. from Richmond, Va. The article tells of his destitute condition and how he sat in the home of a friend.

It continues to read, “And while darkness still held the portals of the East on sabbath morn, he set out, accompanied with a friend, for his prospective home in Canada, where we rejoice to know, he safely arrived on Sunday evening.”

The panel explains, “All over the North the news was the same. A fugitive slave reached Medina, N.Y.; the people hid him, supplied him with money and hurried him into Canada. The NY Tribune letter enumerates the details of a fugitive slave who arrived in Medina and was assisted to freedom by organized locals via the “Underground Railway.” Where this safe house was or to whom it belonged remains a mystery along with any other names or locations. Nonetheless, this singular piece of historic information confirms local lore and clearly shines a light on Medina’s efforts in assisting fugitive slaves to find freedom.”

Also documented on the panel are Medina’s connection to “Free Soldiers” and the “Free Soil Party,” Frederick Douglass’ speeches in Medina and Medina attorney Silas Mainville Burroughs Sr.’s efforts against slavery.

The Underground Railroad panel is the 14th in a series which was debuted with 11 panels being installed throughout the village in 2014. Each was made possible through generous donations of sponsorship, Busch said. Two more panels were added last year, one telling the story of the British field gun and World War I memorial in State Street Park and one chronicling the contributions of the Burroughs family, also in State Street Park.

The marker in recognition of two speeches delivered in the Medina community by Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist, were unveiled in April 2015 by ORG, also through generous donations from the community.

With Busch’s discovery of the letter in the New York Tribune, Medina has recently been designated as a municipality along the New York Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway by the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State.

Busch quotes information from the Consortium’s website in which they highlighted the Douglass historical marker on Main Street in Medina, and says, “However, there is significantly more to the story of Medina’s contribution to the Underground Railroad and the cause of abolition.”

Chris Busch, left, president of Orleans Renaissance Group, talks with Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman and Assemblyman Steve Hawley while waiting to dedicate in interpretive panel with Senator Rob Ortt, detailing Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad. Busch was instrumental in efforts to create the panel and obtain funding from the legislators.

The website explains how Busch, while researching another project in 2017, noticed a reference to Medina and the Underground Railroad quoted in a multi-volume history of the Civil War by Allan Nevins, entitled The Ordeal of the Nation.  It revealed a footnote for the reference, noting the letter published in the New York Tribune.

By locating the letter in the Tribune, Busch uncovered the first known published testimonial by a resident of Medina regarding the community’s role in the Underground Railroad.

“This was a really cool discovery,” Busch said Monday.

He contacted State Senator Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley, asking if they could help with funding the 14th interpretive panel documenting Medina’s involvement in the Underground Railroad.

“My grandparents’ home in Warsaw was part of the Underground Railroad,” Hawley said. “I jumped at the chance to talk about it. My family has a history of supporting freedom.”

The new interpretive panel is the 14th in Medina about local history.

“When Busch contacted me and asked if we had the ability to help, I thought it was a worthy thing,” Ortt said. “For the amount of $1,000, split 50/50, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Steve and I both looked at it and wanted to help make it happen. I am well versed in the role other parts of my district played,” he added, citing Niagara Falls and the Underground Railroad Museum.

“There is an uptick of people coming here to Medina and they should know about things like this,” Ortt said. “It’s important to show them your history. I’m standing here where Frederick Douglass made a speech, and that’s a great thing.”

“Medina should be proud of what they have here,” Hawley said. “When I first got elected, I came to Medina. You have the opera house and fine restaurants. What you see in Medina is the envy of a lot of other counties.”

“The secret is we all work together and that’s important,” said Mayor Marguerite Sherman.

Ortt said a lot of villages along the canal maintained their old integrity.

“Medina said ‘no’ to urban renewal, and look at it now,” he said. “This is what people want.”

Looking up and down at Medina’s historic Main Street, Ortt said, “You couldn’t rebuild this in a million years.”

“This was all due to Chris,” Sherman said, pointing to the new panel, which he researched and designed.

Busch added his thanks to Jason Watts, superintendent of the Medina DPW and the DPW staff which did the installation, and the Print Shop, which fabricated the sign base and panel.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina is accepting applications for police chief with the impending retirement of Todd Draper from the position.

Draper’s retirement will become effective Aug. 30. He has served as police chief since June 12, 2023.

Draper has worked for Medina for 21 years, including 8 ½ years as a K9 handler until Kye, a Belgian Malinois, retired in November 2020.

Resumes and cover letters can be emailed to Mayor Marguerite Sherman at msherman@villagemedina.gov or dropped off in person at 119 Park Ave., Medina, NY 14103.