Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – People check out some of the frames for glasses available at an eye glass clinic Saturday at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

The Lyndonville Lions Club organized the event for the third straight year. Lions Club members from Medina, Lewiston, Kenmore, Tonawanda, Grand Island and Niagara Falls assisted in the event.

People were able to get a vision screening, fitted for glasses and a glaucoma screening.

Several optometrists and ophthalmologists were on hand to assist with the clinic.

Joe Shiah, a member of the Kenmore Lions Club, checks how a pair of glasses fits one of the people at the clinic. Shiah is a key leader in the Lions Club pop-up eye clinics in Western New York.

The frames were collected by Lions Club in Western New York, with some also given by the Lakes Plains Eye Center in Medina.

The lenses will all be new. The glasses are expected to be ready in about three weeks with pickup at the White Birch.

There were 80 people at the clinic in the first hour of the five-hour event, with people coming from Lyndonville, Albion, Gasport, Appleton, Middleport, Waterport, Kent, Kendall, Lockport, Barker. Newfane and Medina.

The Lyndonville Lions Club recently purchased a iCare 200 tonometry machine with support from the Lyndonville Area Foundation. That handheld machine measures intraocular pressure.

The tonometry machine will allow for glaucoma screenings. Glaucoma is one of the most common forms of preventable blindness in the United States.

The Kenmore Lions brought a trailer to help promote the eye glass clinic in Lyndonville on Saturday.

‘There’s going to be numbers that people aren’t used to seeing. The assessments are going to go up.’

YATES – The notices should be in the mail soon for about 1,800 property owners in the Town of Yates.

Town Assessor Trisha Laszewski said next week she will be done with a town-wide revaluation, the town’s first in five years. Laszewski said the notices will then be printed and mailed out.

There may be some shock with higher assessments that reflect a marketplace that has been climbing about 15 to 20 percent a year.

“There’s going to be numbers that people aren’t used to seeing,” Laszewski told the Town Board during Thursday’s town meeting. “The assessments are going to go up.”

She said the assessor’s job is to have the property values match sale prices.

“I have to try to make it as equitable as possible,” she said.

The higher assessments should result in lower tax rates. The actual tax bills shouldn’t see a dramatic change for property owners, as long as the town stays within or close to the 2 percent tax cap.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon said he expects town taxes won’t see more than a minimal increase. So the town tax bills should have a smaller tax rate with the higher assessments for the 2025 town budget.

Property owners can meet with the assessor to challenge their assessed values, and also bring those disputes to a Board of Assessment Review.

Laszewski said the state says about 10 percent of properties typically go through the grievance process when there is a town-wide reassessment. She is setting aside time to meet with 150 property owners, and can do more if needed.

She also was the assessor for Shelby and Ridgeway for their reassessments last year.

Besides Yates, Gaines and Albion are also doing the revaluations this year.

Laszewski said the town hall in Yates will be a busier place in May after the assessments come out.

“Next month we will be in the thick of everything,” she told the Town Board.

Jackson, 15, advances to national competition in July

Provided photos: Jake Jackson, 15, studies a shot during the New York State Junior Billiards Championship Saturday in Endicott.

Jake Jackson knew the competition would be tough, but that didn’t deter the 15-year-old from giving it his all.

On Saturday, Jackson won the state title at the New York State Junior Championships in Endicott, qualifying him for a free spot in the national competition in July in Quincy, Ill. Five from that competition will be chosen to represent the USA in the world championship in New Zealand.

Jake Jackson of Lyndonville holds his trophy as he poses with certified billiards instructor Kim Young after winning the New York State Junior Billiards championship Saturday.

Jake’s toughest competition on Saturday were two brothers, 17 and 18, said his father Roger. His first match ended with a score of 5-4. Then he won 5-2 and 5-1, scoring 5-0 in the final game against an 18-year-old.

Roger said Jake,a Lyndonville ninth-grader, had been battling flu and a sinus infection for two weeks, but his fever had dropped to normal on Thursday after a week of antibiotics. He hadn’t even been well enough to practice all week, Roger said.

“Jake was still very tired, and slept all the way there and all the way home,” Roger said. “He was not himself, but he knew he needed that win to get to the nationals in Quincy. There are several qualifiers throughout the country, and if he lost Saturday he would have needed to go to Pennsylvania to try.”

This week the family is heading to the Super Billiards Expo at the Philadelphia Expo Center, considered the largest billiards event in the country. There are 64 players entered in the 18 and under division, in which Jake will be playing. He finished third in the event last year at the age of 14, his first major tournament.

Roger said the event also draws nearly 200 vendors, one of whom he hopes will be interested in sponsoring Jake.

The junior division at the event will have players from coast to coast.

“All the best will be there,” Roger said. “Some of these kids are already ranked pros and will also play in the open events at the Expo.”

There will be 500 pool tables there, and $82,000 in total prize money, he said.

He added all the pro tables will have live stream on them, and Roger will be live streaming Jake’s matches.

Andrea Page will discuss her book about the Sioux Code Talkers of World War II during a visit to Yates Community Library on May 14.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville community has an opportunity to hear from the author of a book about the seven Sioux code talkers of World War II.

Andrea Page of Rochester, an author and educator, will give a talk and sign books during a 7 p.m. presentation on May 14 at the Yates Community Library.

Her program will cap a community reading effort at the library. “Lyndonville Reads” previously featured Marlies Adams DiFante’s “Queen of the Bremen” in 2017.

Many library patrons read “Sioux Code Talkers of World War II” last month. There is still time to check out the book, which is available at the library at 15 North Main St., Lyndonville. Other libraries in the Nioga system also have it.

Page researched seven Sioux soldiers, whose native language ensured secrecy of the strategic messages from the U.S. military as they served in the Pacific Theater under General MacArthur.

Page is the grand-niece of the one of the seven Sioux code talkers, John Bear King.

There will be a book discussion with refreshments at 6:30 pm. on April 29 at the Yates Community Library.

The Elisabeth Dye Curtis Foundation provided funding for the project, including author fee, copies of the book for circulation and for giving one to each 8th grader at Lyndonville Central School.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Ian Kingdollar, 14, carries a cross down the sidewalk on Main Street today with about 40 other people during a Cross Walk. Ian attends the Lyndonville United Methodist Church.

The Lyndonville Yates Ministerial Association led the Cross Walk for the second year. It included four stops where pastors shared a reflection about Christ’s crucifixion. Afterwards they gathered to sing hymns.

Craig Rhodenizer, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, shares a messages about Easter during a stop in front of the Yates Community Library.

Ian Kingdollar and the group of Christians head down Main Street in Lyndonville today. The walk started at noon.

Lyle Drake, pastor of the Yates Baptist Church, stands next to Ian Kingdollar and shares a reflection about the solemn Easter observance.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Noah Fox plays the role of Joseph in Lyndonville’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Here he is singing about his coat of many colors. Fox is one of about 75 students in the cast, crew and pit orchestra for the production.

Shows are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday at Stroyan Auditorium, 25 Housel Ave. Tickets are $5 at door or can be purchased online (click here).

Fox, a junior, made his debut in Lyndonville musicals last year when he was The Tinman in the Wizard of Oz.

“There are many emotional songs,” he said about Joseph. “It should be fulfilling for the audience. People are really pouring their hearts out on the stage.”

Elizabeth Whipple, a senior, plays the role of the narrator, helping to explain the scenes and story. She also gives high-energy performances with the cast.

She tells how Joseph is one of 12 sons of Jacob. Joseph is his father’s favorite and Jacob doesn’t hide his feelings for Joseph, giving him a multi-colored coat.

That causes jealousy and anger from Joseph’s 11 brothers. They become more bitter when Joseph has a dream suggesting he will one day rule over them.

Amber Grabowski plays the role of Reuben, one of the brothers. They pretend to be saddened by Joseph’s departure, and tell their father he was attacked and killed. They sing, “One More Angel in Heaven.”

Joseph wasn’t killed by his brothers. He ends up taken to Egypt to be a slave for the wealthy Potiphar. Mrs. Potiphar, played by Laci Giarla, makes advances to Joseph, who rejects them. However, Potiphar sees the two together, jumps to the wrong conclusion, and throws Joseph in jail.

Joseph wins make the respect of Potiphar by interpreting a dream that helps the country build up supplies and food to withstand a famine.

The cast sings “Go, Go Joseph” as Joseph is encouraged to follow his own dreams.

Maximus Hilton is Potiphar and sings in an Elvis style, “Song of the King.” He describes his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn.

In interpreting the dream, Joseph declares that Egypt will see seven years of plentiful harvests, followed by an equal period of famine.

Joseph is the second musical performed by Lyndonville since a partnership ended with Medina after 2022.

Last year Lyndonville performed The Wizard of Oz and that showed Lyndonville, the smallest school district in the county, that they could pull off a full-length musical on their own.

Elizabeth Whipple, the narrator in Joseph, said last year’s show gave the Lyndonville students added confidence they could produce a top-quality musical.

She said she is grateful Lyndonville offers the program with so many dedicated teachers and staff working with the students.

“It’s been so fulfilling for many years,” Whipple said. “It’s a safe space for everyone. The friendships built here will last for years.”

She said Joseph brings a strong message of forgiveness, and to be grateful for what you have before it’s too late.

The cast of 75 is mostly students in grades 7 through 12. Director Jennifer Trupo for the second year has elementary students in the show. There are 17 in grades 5-6 in the chorus.

Trupo said the musicals bring together many students from different backgrounds and interests.

“Theater makes such a big change in people,” she said. “I’m proud of these students. The grow so much and they really love each other.”

LYNDONVILLE – John Belson will be back for another term as Lyndonville mayor after being elected today with 66 write-in votes.

John Belson

No candidate for mayor appeared on the ballot with the election determined by write-in votes. After Belson’s 66 votes, Danny Woodward Jr. received 33, with Steve Vann at 10, and Patrick Whipple and Larry Wolfe at 1 each.

Belson had the signatures needed to file a petition to be on the ballot but he thought the deadline was Feb. 13, not Feb. 12. He was a day late in filing the petition.

Ann Marie Holland, a current trustee, also made a mistake in filing the petition a day late. She was elected as a write-in with 62 votes.

Danny Woodward Jr., a current trustee was on the ballot, and received the most votes with 94.

There were two trustees up for election.

Steve Colon was on the ballot and received 38 votes. Justin Edwards received 26 write-in votes, with Roy Holland and Steve Grabowski each receiving 1.

The new terms start April 1.

Belson, in an interview last month, said the village has made big strides recently, with investments on Main Street, from a new Dollar General to Robert Smith’s transformation of three buildings in the downtown which are used for a hotel, the Webber Kitchen Collaborative and additional office space. Belson also said the village has upgraded its sewer system, and now should look to replace some of the 100-year-old water mains.

Belson is a Kodak retiree who has a part-time job delivering auto parts for Carquest in Medina. He previously was the Yates town supervisor.

Provided photo

YATES – A tractor-trailer driver went off the road and died Monday in Orleans County, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office said today.

Lebert Z. Cleveland, 59, of Lancaster was southbound on Niagara-Orleans County Line Road at about 2:50 p.m. when he left the east shoulder of the roadway, causing some lawn damage and coming to rest in a front yard.

Cleveland was pronounced deceased after being transported to Medina Memorial Hospital. Medina and Lyndonville firefighters both performed CPR on Cleveland, who was taken by ambulance, said Jeff Gifaldi, chief deputy for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

There is no cause of death yet, but an in-vehicle camera shows the driver went unconscious prior to driving off the road, Gifaldi said.

Provided photo: Pictured from left include Scott Horsington, clarinet; Darren Pulley, oboe; Kae Wilbert, bassoon; Maggie Warren (not pictured), French horn; (pictured on French horn Heather Melnick), and Susan Walders, flute.

Press Release, Lyndonville Presbyterian Church

LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Presbyterian Church will present the third in our musical series on March 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. with music from Native American composers arranged for wind instruments and performed by the E-YAH-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet, led by Kae Wilbert of Albion.

Their name means town crier, and the group was born out of the desire to bring the message of classical Native American composers to the public and especially to youth.

Formed in 2023, the quintet first performed at Camp Asbury in Perry, a United Methodist Camp where the group began realizing their goal of exposing youth to Native music. The gift of their lyrical name came from 82-year-old Rosalie Jones, a nationally acclaimed choreographer of Native American Contemporary dance from Cree lineage.

Ms. Jones collaborated with Dr. Ballard, a Cherokee composer of one of the pieces, and with the quintet to choreograph a dance piece. This work was premiered at a performance at Ganondagan Seneca Art and Culture Center.

On October 8, 2023, the quintet performed the pieces at Ganondagan during Indigenous People Day’s Weekend. The Ganondagon Seneca Art and Cultural Center brings programing about the Seneca people to the greater Rochester community. E-YAH-Pah-Hah has now performed at other venues including the annual Democratic Party dinner in Albion.

We are blessed to bring you this unique performance with regional musicians. Help us spread the message and embrace sharing Native American culture and music with our communities. Please join us for an hour of rare entertainment. Admission is $10 at the door, and proceeds go to the church’s capital drive.

Belson admits he made mistake in filing petitions, thinking the deadline was today

John Belson

LYNDONVILLE – Tuesday was the deadline to file petitions to run in the March 19 village election which includes the mayor and two trustees.

At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, only two people turned in petitions signed by at least 25 village residents. Danny Woodward Jr., a current trustee, and Steve Colon will be on the ballot running for trustee.

The big surprise was no petitions were turned in for mayor. John Belson, the mayor since 2016, said he made a mistake and thought the deadline was today. Ann Marie Holland, a current trustee, also missed the deadline on Tuesday, thinking she had until today.

Both had petitions signed and intended to turn them in today. However, now they will have to run as write-in candidates to be re-elected.

Belson said this morning he will run as a write-in. He said the village has made big strides recently, with investments on Main Street, from a new Dollar General to Robert Smith’s transformation of three buildings in the downtown which are used for a hotel, the Webber Kitchen Collaborative and additional office space. Belson also said the village has upgraded its sewer system, and now should look to replace some of the 100-year-old water mains.

“We’ve done a lot with the village,” he said. “We’re on our way back.”

Belson is a Kodak retiree who has a part-time job delivering auto parts for Carquest in Medina. He previously was the Yates town supervisor.

Holland also confirmed she will be running as a write-in for trustee.

Jake Jackson will compete in ‘Battle of the Junior Champions’ next month in Georgia

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jake Jackson, a ninth grader at Lyndonville Central School, lines up the billiard balls on the pool table in his parent’s garage, where he practices every day after school. He recently qualified for the Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour Final in August at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, making him the youngest ever to compete in this ProAm event.

MEDINA – Jake Jackson is not an average teenager.

Jake, who will be 15 on Feb. 9, doesn’t play video games and doesn’t constantly have his phone in hand. The son of Roger and Terah Jackson of Mill Road attends church regularly, excels in Boy Scouts, enjoys fishing, works out three days a week and maintains a 90 average in school.

One of his passions is playing pool and Jake is one of the top youth players in the country.

Jake has recently qualified for a prestigious billiards event in Villa Rica, Ga. in March, called “The Monica Web Battle of the Junior Champions.” Monica Web is a champion pool player. Only the top 20 players 18 and under from the USA and Canada are allowed to qualify for this event. Sponsored by the Billiard Education Foundation, the young players are required to keep high grades in school, have good manners and observe a dress code when competing.

Most of the kids competing here are home-schooled, Roger Jackson said, and practice 10 hours a day. He said a tournament can last 12 to 18 hours.

Jake grew up around a pool table, as his father used to compete in the sport. Roger said he played in one Pro-Am event for fun and won some local competitions in Buffalo and Rochester. They had a pool table in the garage and Jake was only 5 when he would come out and watch his father practice.

“He couldn’t even reach the table, yet,” Roger said.

Provided photos: (Left) Jake Jackson’s fascination with pool started when he so young he could hardly see over the table. (Right) Jake Jackson eyes the ball during a tournament last year. The ninth-grader at Lyndonville Central School hopes to become a professional pool player.

When he got big enough, Jake would play occasionally, but never took it seriously. He hadn’t touched a pool stick in a number of years when, at the age of 12, his parents took him to Curly’s in Lyndonville one Friday night for a fish fry.

“There were a bunch of fishermen in town for a fishing tournament, and Jake beat them pretty badly,” Roger said.

“I thought it was just beginner’s luck,” Roger said. “But watching him practice at home, I realized he was a natural.”

That prompted him to buy a regulation-size pool table, where Jake practices every day. His father said he soon couldn’t beat his son.

Jake has competed and won twice at a fundraiser for the Variety Kids’ Telethon at Bison Billiards at Eastern Hills Mall. He will compete there Saturday for a $5,000 first prize.

In August, Jake will be in the Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour Final at Turning Stone Casino in Verona. He will be the youngest player ever to compete in this ProAm event, which has $40,000 in prizes.

Jake said his father has taught him a lot of the fundamentals, and he has learned from watching YouTube and reading his father’s books on billiards.

In his first big tournament in Philadelphia, Jake finished an impressive third. Last year, he beat the world champion in one game.

Roger is a mechanic at Medina Central School’s bus garage, and Jake’s mother owns Sal de Coiffure on Maple Ridge Road, but they still find time to take Jake to his competitions on weekends, going to Buffalo, Rochester, Utica, Philadelphia and last summer, making the trek to Kentucky.

The family would like to find a sponsor for Jake’s trips, and anyone who would like to contribute may do so on Jake’s Facebook page through Messenger. Or donations may be dropped off at Salon de Coiffure.

Jake hopes after outgrowing the Junior Tour, he can become a professional pool player.

Provided photo: Priscilla Yuen will perform Saturday at Lyndonville Presbyterian Church in a fundraiser for the congregation’s capital drive campaign.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonille Presbyterian Church will host a concert from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday for the community featuring pianist Priscilla Yuen.

This is the second concert in a three-part series at Lyndonville Presbyterian.

“Her appearance is a rare opportunity for rural communities to experience artists who usually perform in larger city venues with high price tickets,” said Martha Mitchell, the church pastor. The tickets are $10 at the door with proceeds going towards the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church’s Capital Drive Campaign.

Yuen has enjoyed a rich and varied career as a soloist, collaborator, teacher and administrator. Currently a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music, she regularly supports instrumentalists and vocalists from across the Eastman community as they prepare for recitals, competitions and recordings. Additionally, she serves on the piano faculty at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

As a collaborative pianist, Yuen has performed at colleges and universities across the United States, as well as at venues such as the Kennedy Center and New York City’s Yamaha Hall. Since 2016, Ms. Yuen has performed extensively across the country with Eastman faculty trombonist Mark Kellogg.

Gary Simboli of Albion kicked off the concert series with his show, Accentuate the Positive. The third in the series will be on March 9 at 3 p.m. with the E-Yah-Pah-Hah Woodwind Quintet, led by Kae Wilbert of Albion. They will be performing contemporary Native American compositions. The ensemble features Kae Wilbert on bassoon, Susan Walders on flute, Maggie Warren on French horn, Scott Horsington on clarinet and Darren Pulley on oboe. The quintet performed last October at the Native American celebration at the Seneca Art and Culture Center at Ganondagan. Tickets are $10 at the door.

There will also be a musical event with a ham dinner, music and dancing held at the Ridgeway Fire Hall. Gary Simboli will entertain during dinner and a dance band will follow for dancing after dinner. Those tickets are $25 and can be obtained by calling (404) 667-0753 or (716) 795-9426.