Street dance brings Yates community together for summer fun

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Fireworks are shot off in front of the Lyndonville school buildings on Saturday night to cap the fifth annual Town of Yates Street Dance.

The fireworks were more visible from Main Street rather than from the July Fourth launch area behind the school.

These people watched the fireworks behind the Yates Community Library near Johnson Creek.

Tables were set up on Main Street for people to enjoy food, fellowship and the music.

Nick Goodwin plays the bass for the band Vinyl Recovery which entertained the crowd with classic rock from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Vinyl Recovery also includes Nick Ciaramella on lead vocals, bass and harmonica; Mike Scanlan on drums, and Mike Zelazny on guitar and vocals.

Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon welcomed people to the fifth annual Street Dance.

The event was partially funded by the Town of Yates, and also sponsored by Plummer Orchards, Signature Styles, RLW Cattle Company, and a New York 250 grant.

Jim Simon sings “God Bless America” with his sons Elijah (with son Theodore) and Sharbell (with daughter Esther).

Ellen LaBerth is shown with some of the iron works made by her and her son Leo LaBerth.

The Lyndonville Sports Boosters served tacos in the bag and other snacks. The group includes, from left: Alisha Schwarzott, Emily Aydelotte, Emily Costello, Stephanie Freas and Teri Buffin. The meat for the tacos was donated by RLW Cattle Co.

Best of Tymes Party Rentals brought this bounce house for kids to enjoy.

The fireworks go off behind Main Street near the “Hometown Hero” banners for the two Medal of Honor recipients from Lyndonville.

David Bellavia received the medal on June 26, 2019 in the East Room of the White House. Bellavia is the first living veteran from the Iraq War to receive the nation’s highest military medal.

Bellavia was honored for his acts of valor on Nov. 10, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq. Bellavia led an infantry squad clearing houses of insurgents, saving the lives of the members of his unit.

Forrest Vosler was a radio operator and aerial gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II. On Dec. 20, 1943, Vosler’s fourth combat mission, the plane was under fire and had two engines knocked out with the aircraft windmilling out of control. When a fellow aviator was knocked unconscious, Vosler maneuvered himself into the tailgun.

Vosler, severely wounded and floating in and out of consciousness, begged the crew to throw him out of the plane to reduce weight. As the aircraft plunged into the frigid waters of the North Sea, Vosler crawled out of the aircraft onto a wing. A passing Norwegian trawler quickly picked up the crew and transferred them to a British rescue vessel. One of Vosler’s eyes had one of his to be removed, and the other required extensive surgery.

Fireworks go off over the Yates Town Hall on Main Street.