Library hosting many outdoor programs, summer reading challenge and concerts

Photos by Natalie Baron: Heather Rutherford has done a lot for the Lyndonville community. From being a board member and director for Lake Plains Players to her role as Yates Community Library’s director, she keeps busy, working hard and passionately.

By Natalie Baron, correspondent

LYNDONVILLE – There are many upcoming activities and items to discover at the Yates Community Library under its new director, Heather Rutherford.

The Yates Community Library recently received a grant, titled “From Shore to Sky: Supplying Our Community’s Outdoor Experience.” The program is funded through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s Rural Library Grant Program. It provides support for rural public libraries and library systems, recognizing them as key community hubs. The Foundation is providing $1.5 million in support over three years, from 2026 to 2028, in Western New York.

The grant enables the Yates library to supply patrons with equipment that supports outdoors exploration. There will be backpacks from DEC containing a set of binoculars, a small book for bird and critter identification, and brochures discussing where to go in NY for birdwatching.

The establishment will also be receiving a Stream Ecology Kit that tests water outside, as well as sets of binoculars and other items so that educators have enough for all children during lectures. Some of the binoculars available for checkout are to be there thanks to the I Bird NY program.

Additionally, the library was recently accepted into the I Fish NY Fishing Rod Loaning Program, allowing patrons to check out a fishing rod, as well. The library will be purchasing a shed for storage of these various outdoorsy materials.

This summer, Penn Dixie will be working with the library for several programs, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will be helping with stream ecology activities with kits the library is purchasing, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve with DEC will assist with a birding program, the Department of Environmental Conservation will teach visitors how to use the items in the backpacks, and Vernon Fonda, a conservation officer with the DEC, will host fishing instruction. The library is also hoping to start nature walks.

Rutherford said, “A lot of people are like, ‘Well, I don’t read.’ We have magazines, we have newspapers, we have video games, we have board games, we’re about to have binoculars. We have so many other things that you can check out besides a book if you don’t want one. We want to feature those things so that people understand what they can get when they come.”

Saturday, June 20 marks the beginning of the Summer Reading Program. There will be sign-ups, face-painting, games, and activities. Additionally, kicking off the adult Summer Reading Program, seven local authors are going to be at the library, where they will be selling their books, signing their works, and discussing future plans. This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The activity is a drop-in, so attendees can show up, walk around, and talk to whomever they would like to chat with. Rutherford will also be there as a “Get to Know the New Director” and is open to questions.

Along with these various activities, there will be summer reading challenges. These are open to everyone, from kids to teens to adults, and everyone, regardless of age, plays against everyone else. Participants form their own goals that they share with the library for both time spent reading as well as number of books read. As goals are met, prizes are earned. Whatever parents read to young children counts toward the children’s totals.

For the Adult Summer Reading program, the library has paired with Orchard Manor, which is taking over some of the prizes to give to adults there, so that they can also join, even though they cannot come into the library. There will be a party for those who met their goals.

There are several bookmarks to Track Your Reading based on participants’ reading goals. One tracks monthly reading and has a calendar on it. Another is a 700-minute reading challenge where you color in circles with 10, 20, and 30 inside of them. A third bookmark features a drawing of books with the directions Read a Book, Color a Book. A fourth lets you track your reading by coloring in a picture while you are reading, going up to a total of 50 separate times.

Participants will also receive a bigger bookmark and must color in images on their bookmark for every 30 minutes of reading. Youths will have eggs to color in, and teens and adults will have fossils. If the bookmark is returned on Aug. 21, participants will be entered to possibly win a prize.

If a participant tells a clerk about a book read via an oral report, the participant will retrieve a brag tag, which is a plastic tag on a keychain with cute pictures on it. There are options for brag tags, some featuring the prehistoric theming of this year, along with brag tags from previous years.

“Some adults come in and talk to us about their books already, but some of them don’t really talk to us, so we’re hoping to get a little bit more conversation,” Rutherford said. “We like to make that connection, and then we know how we can help, what books they’re reading, and what we need to buy for our library so that it offers what the community wants.”

Many events are taking place at the Yates Community Library this summer. The beautiful establishment is surrounded by nature.

Another event with the Summer Reading Program, which will run for the same amount of time, is called Unearth Lyndonville. It will be a scavenger hunt, where participating businesses will hide dinosaurs. Every week, participants need to find the item of the week on social media from a zoomed-in photo cluing participants in on what the item is. They must snap a photo with it. Most of the businesses that will put a dinosaur in their location have donated a prize toward a gift basket for whomever wins the most points. Not only should this activity help to support the library, but also the various businesses Lyndonville has to offer.

Unearth a Story will feature a third activity, a passport program. Participants can visit libraries under the Nioga System in Niagara, Genesee, and Orleans counties. They can pick up a library passport, show the passport at every library they attend, collect stickers to form a scene from prehistoric times, and fill out one raffle ticket per library. By the end of the passport program, raffles will take place for children, teens, and adults.

The library is hosting several additional activities over the summer. There should be garden walks, and the library will likely be putting up memorials. Growing Up Wild, a training for educators, homeschoolers, and scout leaders, is entirely free with registration and is taking place on July 8, occurring from 9 am until noon.

The training is coordinated by the library and Project WILD. Lace Up for the Library on Saturday, August 29 with a 5K run/walk. Check-in is at 8 am, and the race begins at 9 a.m. and starts and ends at Yates Town Park on Morrison Road. Everyone, regardless of age, is welcome. All proceeds go toward the library as a fundraising effort. There will be refreshments. The top finishers will earn awards. Professionals are to be timing the race and servicing the finish line.

An arrangement has recently been made with the pre-k in Lyndonville to have a library staff member go to the classroom to teach a lesson. The library is attempting to restart the Homebound Program, which would have volunteers go to and from the library for those who physically cannot reach it on their own. The establishment is also working to improve their social media presence, with staff doing funny reels in Instagram and Facebook. A link to these pages can be found on the website. The library is also hoping to improve business connections. One idea Rutherford would love to develop is doing a road scholar activity, during which those who signed up would go on a field trip and learn how to make something.

Rutherford expressed, “I’m still learning. I’m learning what we need here, and I’m also learning what I can do in the time I have in a day, because it is limited. We aren’t one of the bigger libraries.” She does multiple jobs in one. She writes grants, orders books, does the payroll, and more. “So, I have to manage how much I can do with what I can fit in in a day.”

Before becoming the director for the library, Rutherford was an educator, mostly teaching 2nd and 4th grades. Right before becoming the director, she had been working with the school and being an elder caregiver. Since 2021, Rutherford has co-directed with Jennifer Trupo for Lake Plains Players with the Summer Theater Program.

Rutherford joined Lake Plains Players as an actor in 1988, and over the years, she has been in and has choreographed shows. This summer, Rutherford will be co-directing Finding Nemo Jr. with Evan and Annaliese Steier of Albion. Rutherford has also been a part of the board for Lake Plains Players as their grant writer since around 2016.

“I love how Lake Plains Players lets everybody into the show,” Rutherford said. “I really support what they do, how everyone works together, and how everyone feels like a family. It’s not a competition. I think it’s a wonderful program for kids and adults. We’ve had a lot of people come through Lake Plains Players where it was on their bucket list to be in a show one time, and they just want to try it, and they might not come back, or they might decide it’s the most wonderful thing they’ve ever done and they’ll come back every year. It’s really interesting.”

Trupo and Rutherford have also been co-directing the high school musical, separate from Lake Plains Players, since 2019.

Rutherford gushed, “I have been an avid reader for a long time. I read 200-250 books a year, usually. I fly through my books, and so I know books. I love books. I’m constantly in here, and I’m in the Medina library all the time, so I know and love libraries. My job has been a lot of talking about books, a lot of making sure that the community is getting what they want from the library: any education that they need and any resources that they need. I love working with my staff; I have a great staff. I’ve been told that I don’t need to be pushing myself as hard as I am, but I really want to make sure that everyone loves the library as much as I love the library. That’s what I’m trying to convey when people come in.”

Events Calendar for June 2026:

• Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: Library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday: Library is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday: Library is open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., but it will be closed during July and August. Wednesday and Sunday: Library is closed
• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten: Kids aged 0-5 are applicable to sign up for this program, which lets them earn one prize per 100 books they read or are read. Sign up online and stop by the library to pick up a packet.
• As part of Unearth a Story, Unearth the Wonders in Lyndonville will be a scavenger hunt occurring throughout Lyndonville all summer long, from June 20-August 21.
• Thursday, June 11: Free Tech Help from 1:30-4:30 pm. Read to Golden Retriever (registration required) from 4-5 pm.
• Friday, June 12: Brush & Giggles Art Class (registration required) from 4-5 pm.
• Saturday, June 13: Author Storytime & Activity “The Perfect Color” by Paula Banks Dahlke at 11 am.
• Tuesday, June 16: Learning Google Office apps with Nioga’s Sara Taylor from 5-7 p.m.
• Saturday, June 20: Summer Reading Kick-Off Party: Local Authors Unearth Their Stories from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign-ups for the Summer Reading Program will occur the entire week after.
• Thursday, June 25: Orleans Health Insurance Coordinator from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free Tech Help from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.
• Monday, June 29: Barker Community Band concert at 6:30 p.m. for the Summer Concert Series with Go ART!
• Tuesday, June 30: Teen Calm Crafting & Audiobook from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. Adult Calm Crafting & Audiobook from 6-8 p.m.

The library will also be hosting a Concert on the Lawn during the Summer Concert Series.

2026 Concert Lineup:

• June 29 at 6:30 p.m. – Barker Community Band Marches
• July 6 at 6 p.m. – Carnival Steel Kettle Orchestra (CKSO) at Yates Town Park
• July 13 at 6 p.m. – The Who Dats
• July 20 at 6 p.m. – Doc’s Pocket Change Band
• July 21 at 11 a.m. – David Stockton
• July 27 at 6 p.m. – Sam Kingsbury
• Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. – Celtic Spirit
• Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. – The Old Hippies
• Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. – Adrianna Noone
• Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. – Eddie Joe Clark Band
• Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. – Blue Sky

There are many other prospective events in July and August. In July, there will likely be a Dino Sleepover with a Dino Storytime the following day, a Growing Up Wild training for educators, Fossils, Fossils Everywhere with Penn Dixie, Gentle Yoga for adults, Stream Ecology with INWR, How Chickens Evolved from Dinosaurs, Birding, and more. In August, the library should have, a Craft Table, and Nature’s Recyclers. Both months will feature Words with Birds – reading to a dinosaur (chicken), Bilingual Storytime, Read to Golden Retriever, and Calm Crafting for teens and a similar event for adults. Check out the July and August schedules once they roll out for finalized activity dates and times.

Rutherford said, “You can support the library just by walking in the door. We have to submit to the state the number of patrons we serve, and even if people just walk in the door, they will be counted. People will come in to read the newspaper and walk back out. We don’t know if you read the books you check out, but it helps our circulation, and it helps us know what you’re interested in, so that we continue to buy things that are related to what people want to see more of.”

She added that she thinks the library is gorgeous. “Just being able to look outside, we’ve got baby wood ducks right now, we’ve got baby Canada geese, we’ve got our swan. It’s such a great resource for the outside.”

District says budget with 2.5% tax increase keeps up with inflation, provides students with opportunities

Photos by Tom Rivers: Dan Dragula, Lyndonville’s school business administrator, goes over the district’s 2026-27 budget which goes for a revote on June 16. Dragula said cost-of-living increases and inflation require a tax increase of 2.5 percent, which he said is below the 4.0 percent for the district’s tax cap.

LYNDONVILLE – The school district will try again on June 16 with a public vote on the 2026-27 school district budget.

The district is presenting the same spending plan that was voted down on May 19 – with 172 opposed and 129 votes in favor. The voting on June 16 will be from noon to 8 p.m. in the Stroyan Auditorium Foyer.

The $19,194,000 budget would increase spending by 9.8 percent or by $1,719,670  from the $17,474,330 in 2025-26. However, most of that increase is driven by a capital project which is funded by the state, said Dan Dragula, the school’s business administrator.

The tax levy would increase by 2.5 percent from $4,758,692 to $4,877,659. The budget with a 2.5 percent tax increase is already below the district’s allowable tax cap of 4.0 percent.

If the budget is voted down again, Lyndonville would have to adopt a contingency budget would mean reducing spending by another $266,495 to get the budget to $18,927,505.

Bill Jurinich, a former Board of Education member, said the district should have reduced some costs from the budget that was voted down by the community on May 19 with 172 opposed and 129 votes in favor. The budget presented on June 16 is the same as the one on May 19. Jurinich said the steady tax increases over the years has made it unaffordable for many in the community, especially senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Some community members want the district to reduce spending in the budget revote. Bill Jurinich, a former board member for nine years, attended a Tuesday evening meeting on the budget.

He told the school officials they should have made some more cuts after the budget was defeated. However, he said even a 1 percent increase would likely be voted down by the public.

“People are tired,” he said. “It’s been one increase after another.”

He also questioned some of the capital project expenditures, even if the state is footing the bill. Lyndonville put in a new synthetic track as part of the current capital project.

“We need that track like a hole in the head,” Jurinich told Dragula in the school’s foyer.

 Jeanne Crane spoke during the public comment opportunity at the Board of Education meeting. She acknowledged she is a senior citizen at age 86.

She said the Lyndonville district provided a great education for seven of her grandchildren, who have all graduated. She said the 2.5 percent tax increase would raise her taxes by $60, which she said doesn’t buy a tank of gas and barely covers two meals out in a restaurant.

“I’m speaking from the heart,” Crane said. “Every penny we spend on a child is worth it. Our children are our future.”

Dragula, in a budget presentation, said the district is facing cost of living increases, including $116,745 more for gas, electric, water and diesel. Lyndonville needs to pay $102,820 more for contributions to Social Security and pensions.

There is also a 2023 capital project loan payment of $888,678 which is funded by state, but makes the district’s expenditures jump significantly.

Lyndonville has been paring costs, Dragula said, well before the 2026-27 budget was presented to the public. He said the district didn’t replace three retired teachers in math, English and tech which reduced spending by $280,000. Lyndonville also ended  a special education pre-K program with one teacher and three aides, reducing expenses by $132,000.

The school budget is a statement of values, Dragula said.

“We value quality education where students have more than the minimum required opportunities,” he said. “We support the arts, athletics and technology beyond the state minimum. We offer electives and college courses to offer more exposure and learning.”

The district acknowledged concern by some in the community over reassessments that have resulted in some people paying more in taxes.

The district includes the town of Yates (taxable value of $244.7 million) and portions of Carlton ($107.5 million), Ridgeway ($55.1 million) and Gaines ($2.4 million).

The towns have assessors that determine the assessments. The school district is not involved in that process. Just because the assessed values are up, Dragula said the district isn’t seeking a big tax increase.

The tax levy is distributed through the overall tax base. The reassessments can shift what different properties are billed at, but the overall tax levy is proposed to increase by 2.5 percent.

For more on the budget revote, click here to be directed to the school district’s website.