Published: June 08, 2008 11:21 pm            

MEDINA: Large crowds come out for weekend yard sales, skate jam

The warm, sunny weather Saturday made for a successful Medina Community Yard Sale and Substance Free Skate Jam.

More than 60 homes participated in the yard sale, filling tables and tents with goods of all kinds, said Medina Lions Club member Sherry Wheatley — clothes, baby items, kitchen gadgets and books. Everything and anything was up for grabs.

Streets in and around the Village of Medina filled to capacity with cars and families searching for the perfect bargain.

It was just what the Lions Club had hoped for, Wheatley said.

“We had a terrific day today,” she said Saturday. As an event organizer, she wore a bright yellow Medina Garage Sale T-shirt. “Medina is like one big happy family.”

So crowded was the event that the Medina Lions Club sold out of chicken barbecue dinners — all 350 — by noon. The club’s hotdog and hamburger stand at the Olde Pickle Factory had to work fast to keep up with the extra demand.

To the delight of the youth, the famous “hotdog mobile” made its rounds throughout the village, as well.

The Lions Club’s booth rental fundraiser yielded $815 in profit, Wheatley said.

Many of the local churches joined in on the festivities as well — the Methodist Church on West Center Street was home to a Burger King bounce house and Trinity Lutheran Church on West Avenue served food.

For those who have spent months planning the event, it felt good to see everyone working together.

“We’re excited that it’s growing, it’s getting bigger,” Wheatley said. “(We’ve had) only positive feedback.”

Over at the skate park in Butts Park, the fifth annual skate jam proved to be, yet again, extremely popular with the youth, said Pat Crowley, assistant director of prevention with the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

A free skate kicked the day off at 11 a.m., followed by four hours of light competition and games. The Phatman Skate Team of Amherst and Tonawanda showed off their skills and free pizza and bottled water was provided for lunch.

Those who filled out a survey qualified for any of a number of prizes in a drawing held at the end of the day. Five skateboards worth $500 were given away, in addition to Phatman T-shirts, Frisbees, board games and hacky-sacs. The only requirement was that the winners redeem their spoils in person.

Oak Orchard Elementary fifth grader Kala McFarland attended to watch the talented performers. She also had her eye on a skateboard so that she could learn, as well, she said. Under the tent observing with her were fourth-graders Deandrea Salone and Caitlyn West, and Towne School kindergartener Jessica Jefferds.

Total cost of the event was approximately $2,000, Crowley said. Sponsors were GCASA, Reality Check, Smoke Free NOW, the Medina Area Association of Churches and the Alternative Choices for Teens program.

“The kids in Medina talk about this in the dead of winter,” Crowley said.

Medina Police Department Chief Jose Avila set up a booth providing youth with bicycle safety instructions.

To participate, all skaters were required to wear a helmet.

“We’re promoting bike helmet usage, both on skate boards and bicycles,” Avila said. “For the kids who didn’t have it, we gave out about 30 bike helmets.”

Competitions included the high ollie contest — boarders and rollerbladers lined up to see how many stacked skateboards they could jump over — and the kick flip contest.

Wise Middle School eighth-grader Mark Blosenhauer attended the skate jam with his friend, Jordon Blount, and his aunt, ACT program youth worker Cathy French.

A rollerblader, Blosenhauer began skating about three years ago. He can now do 360s, 540s and 720s. His older brother, Chris Blosenhauer, a senior at Medina High School, has been skateboarding for five years.

When no one can find them, they know to look for them at the skate park first, French said.

There, friends help each other learn new tricks, Blount said. The basics are considered: Ollie, pop-shove-it, kick flip and heel flip. It took him about a year of practice to master each.

The first secret is balance, he said. The second is the clothes.

All good skateboarders must have flat bottom skate shoes with brightly colored shoe laces, said French. Also of necessity is a wide brimmed baseball hat — without the MLB logo, of course — a tight T-shirt and long, moppy hair.

Medina High School seniors John Osborne and Jason Soria participated in the event as professional members of the Phatman Skate Team.

About 15 youth skate on the team and perform at various events, Osborne said. He was discovered by Phatman while skating at the King Pin park in Lockport six years ago. Both started when they were about 10 years old.

Osborne’s specialty is the 360 flip. Soria’s gravitates toward front side flips.

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 8227.

        

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