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Holley, Kendall plan to take the Polar Plunge on Sunday

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 February 2019 at 12:06 pm

Photo from Holley Central School: A polar bear mascot tries to rally support for a team from Holley, including students, staff and superintendent Brian Bartalo. Holley has raised $1,295 so far towards its goal of $2,000.

Holley and Kendall schools are both sending groups to the Polar Plunge this Sunday in Lake Ontario. They will be at Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte at noon to jump into the cold water.

Holley and Kendall have participated in the Plunge for several years. The event typically raises more than $200,000 for the Special Olympics.

Holley and Kendall are both trying to raise $2,000 for the Special Olympics. Kendall has raised $550 so far towards its goal. (Click here for more on Kendall’s fundraising page.) Holley is up to $1,295. (Click here for more on Holley’s fundraising page.)

Last year Holley students and their teacher and Student Council Advisor Jim Di Sessa raised just under $1,100. That passed the group’s fundraising goal of $1,000. Holley has doubled its goal this year.

Last year Kendall raised $1,875 at the Polar Plunge.

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Feb. 12, 2017 shows a group of people jumping into Lake Ontario for the Polar Plunge in Charlotte at Ontario Beach Park.

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After tragedy last year, Kendall making sure every home has CO detector

Photos by Tom Rivers: Kendall firefighters are pictured on Saturday morning before some members of the Kendall Fire Department visited local houses, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Pictured from left include Sue Maslyn, Rich Breslawski, John Becker, Steve Giverson, Fire Chief Bryan Hardenbrook and Paul Jennings.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 February 2019 at 11:23 am

Steve Giverson, coordinator of the program for the Fire Department, holds one of the new smoke detectors.

KENDALL – The Kendall Fire Department, Kendall Lions Club and American Red Cross have teamed to make sure every house in Kendall that needs smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have them.

The groups have worked together and will be putting new detectors in about 200 homes in Kendall. They are pushing for the new detectors after a mother and her son died on April 18 from carbon monoxide poisoning. Joan C. Gilman, 38, and her son, Richard J. Gilman Jr., 14, lived in an a duplex at 2245 Center Rd.

The Red Cross has donated 600 smoke detectors, while the Kendall Lions Club gave $5,000 towards the purchase of the 200 CO detectors. The Kendall Fire Department also paid towards the CO detectors which cost $31 each. Rochester Gas & Electric also is contributing $750.

Kendall firefighters have been out three weekends so far this year, going to homes and installing the detectors. They expect they will be out three or four more weekends to get the job done.

Long-time Kendall firefighters John Becker said the death of the mother and son was preventable if there had been a working CO detector.

“We were like how the hell did that happen?” Becker said. The deaths last year were the first time he could recall a carbon monoxide death in the community.

The fire department and other community volunteers are installing these carbon monoxide detectors.

However, he stressed carbon monoxide is a lethal gas that can kill someone quickly. CO is often called “the silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. If the early signs of CO poisoning are ignored, a person may lose consciousness and be unable to escape the danger.

The Kendall Fire Department and Lions Club did an outreach campaign and realized many people didn’t have detectors.

The have been signing up people at community events and through information sent to parents through the school district.

Visiting the homes and installing the detectors also has been a good chance to go over fire prevention and urge residents to have a fire escape plan, Becker said.

Firefighters typically install one CO detector per residence and may put in three or more smoke detectors. It’s important to have them in spots where air circulates. Smoke detectors are up high on the ceiling while the CO detectors should be on a wall, about a foot from the ceiling.

The detectors will be good for about a decade. Firefighters are putting a date on them for when they were installed. They also urge the residents to dust the detectors every two months or so.

Steve Giverson, a Kendall firefighter, has been organizing the effort, and the installation plan. He calls the residents to schedule the installation.

Besides the 200 homes getting new detectors, Giverson said many other residents have replaced detectors on their own. He said residents of all ages, from young families to senior citizens, have signed up for the new detectors.

Giverson said there may be some additional detectors if Kendall residents missed the signup. They are encouraged to call the Fire Department at leave a message at (585) 659-8082.

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Chicken barbecue today in Kendall will benefit teacher’s wife fighting cancer

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 February 2019 at 11:06 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Charlie D’Agostino, left, and his brother Phil carry chicken halves to be cooked today for the Kendall Lions Club barbecue. Their father, Phil, is the chairman for the event.

About 1,000 meals will be served from noon to 2 p.m. at the Kendall United Methodist Church, 1808 Kendall Rd.

The Lions Club has been doing the chicken barbecue the Saturday before the Super Bowl since 2004. The proceeds are usually given to a local family facing a significant health issue.

Today’s dinner will benefit Teresa Leicht and her family. Teresa has been battling cancer. Her husband Peter is a physical education teacher at Kendall Jr.-Sr. High School and has made a big impact on the lives of Kendall students in his teaching and in his roles as coach and athletic director, the Kendall Lions Club said.

The Lions Club members were up early getting the chicken ready for the barbecue.

The Lions Club has sold 960 presale tickets for $10 each and will have about 40 meals available without presale tickets. The meal also includes potatoes, cole slaw and rolls.

Wendy Becker, front, and Janet Herman empty a bag of potatoes into the sink. Larry Rowles also is washing potatoes. Rowles is a long-time Kendall Lions Club member who now lives in Canandaigua.

He likes the camaraderie with the other members, and doing the projects that help the community.

“It’s a great service organization,” he said.

Kludt Brothers Farm in Kendall donated 350 pounds of cabbage for the cole slaw. Tony Cammarata also donated the trays for the takeouts.

Dorrie Hardenbrook makes the sauce for the chicken and Carol D’Agostino makes the juice for the cole slaw.

“It’s quite a town effort,” Phil D’Agostino, the event chairman, said.

He expects the event will raise about $3,000 for the Leicht family.

Jeff Miller spreads out charcoal before the chickens would be cooked over the fire.

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DOT says $5.8 million paving complete of Parkway in Hamlin, Kendall

Posted 11 January 2019 at 2:47 pm

Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation

KENDALL – The State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas today announced that work is complete on a $5.8 million project that repaved and rehabilitated 7.2 miles of the Lake Ontario State Parkway between Route 19 in Hamlin, Monroe County, and Route 237 in Kendall, Orleans County.

The work improved rideability and enhanced safety along the four-lane Parkway, which provides access to Hamlin Beach State Park, a major summer tourist attraction.

“Improvements and upgraded pavement quality along this section of the Lake Ontario State Parkway will smooth the way for area travelers for years to come,” Karas said.  “Pavement rehabilitation projects like this are just one of many ways Governor Cuomo and the State Department of Transportation are working to move the Finger Lakes Forward.”

The project laid new pavement over the Parkway concrete and rehabilitated ramps at several interchanges. It also added new wrong-way signage, pavement markings and striping. In addition, the highway shoulders were narrowed from 12 feet to 8 feet in width.

Consistent with Governor Cuomo’s Drivers First initiative, the project was designed to minimize impacts to the traveling public. The project started in May 2018 and the Parkway remained open to traffic throughout construction, with at least one lane of traffic maintained in each direction. On and off ramps to the interchanges at Hamlin Beach State Park were kept open between Memorial Day and Labor Day to limit impacts to the summer tourism season. Access to the park was maintained throughout the project.

Senator Joe Robach said, “The completion of the Lake Ontario State Parkway road improvement project is great news for our region and the people who use this highway every day. While we are still a few months away from camping and enjoying the beautiful beaches at Hamlin State Park, these improvements will benefit the thousands of tourists who visit every year. I was pleased to help advocate for these needed repairs and improvements that will improve safety for commuters and pedestrians in the area.”

Senator Rob Ortt said, “The completed paving of over seven miles of the parkway is a welcome development for residents of the area and visitors alike. I hope this is just one of several significant improvements we are able to make on the Parkway.  Not only will the rehabilitation of this parkway help improve driver safety for those who utilize this road daily, but improvements in access to Hamlin Beach will make viewing our beautiful lakeshore easier for tourists that wish to experience some of the beauty our region has to offer.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “I am extremely proud to announce that such a large stretch of the Lake Ontario State Parkway has been repaved and rehabilitated. This is a crucial scenic highway in Western New York that provides an avenue for sightseeing, fishing, tourism and travel to the Midwest and Canada. I would like to thank local officials, residents and state lawmakers for their help in delivering this long-awaited project and I look forward to smooth and safe travel for years to come.”

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo said, “Investments in infrastructure projects not only modernize our local roads and bridges, but also help spur economic development. Building a strong, efficient infrastructure network is incredibly important as we seek to attract new investment and more jobs to Monroe County, and the Lake Ontario State Parkway project is no exception. Monroe County is proud to be investing $33 million in road and bridge projects in 2019 and we thank the New York State Department of Transportation for sharing our commitment with this community.”

Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said, “We are pleased to see some significant progress on the Lake Ontario State Parkway and we are hopeful that this is the start of an ongoing effort by the DOT to preserve and maintain an important piece of Orleans County’s transportation system.”

The stretch of Lake Ontario State Parkway west of Route 98 in the town of Carlton, Orleans County, has closed to vehicular traffic until spring. A detour is in place for motorists to exit at Route 98 and take Route 18 to continue west.

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Chicken barbecue will benefit Kendall teacher’s wife who is battling cancer

Staff Reports Posted 10 January 2019 at 3:36 pm

Provided photo: This photo from a previous Kendall Lions Club chicken barbecue shows the club at work getting the popular meal ready.

KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Club will have its annual chicken barbecue on Saturday, Feb. 2, with the proceeds to benefit Teresa Leicht and her family. Teresa has been battling cancer. Her husband Peter is a physical education teacher at Kendall Jr.-Sr. High School and has made a big impact on the lives of Kendall students in his teaching and in his roles as coach and athletic director, the Kendall Lions Club said.

Lion Phil D’Agostino has chaired and developed the chicken barbecue into one of the Lion Club’s most successful fundraisers since 2004. The proceeds go directly to the community.

The chicken barbecue is held each year the Saturday before the Super Bowl. The barbecue has helped many Kendall residents with medical bills due to accidents, cancer and other illnesses.

While assisting an individual or family in need is the club’s first choice, the Lions Club has also used past funds to support youth programs in the community, purchase an AED for the fire department and support programs in the school.

Tickets can be purchased from any Lions Club member or emailing hunterborn@rochester.rr.com. Advance sale tickets only, available until Jan. 26.

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Kendall seeks resident feedback on LED street lights, new water district

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 January 2019 at 11:25 am

KENDALL – The Town of Kendall wants to hear from residents about the brightness of new LED lights going in the town, and also see if there is enough interest for a new water district.

The Town Board has already approved switching high-pressure sodium lights with energy-efficient LEDs.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said the change will save the town about $2,000 to $2,500 annually in lower electricity bills for the 90 street lights. However, the town hasn’t decided if it wants some brighter lights in the business district on Roosevelt Highway. Lower-level LEDs could go along the residential streets.

The town will have an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday the Kendall Junior-Senior High School Auditorium.

“We want the public’s opinion,” Cammarata said this morning.

A National Grid representative will be at the 7 p.m. to discuss the street light options.

After the LED meeting, there will be a 7:45 meeting at the school auditorium to see if there is interest in creating a new water district.

Kendall last year constructed its first new water district in a decade. Cammarata said there remains several gaps around town without public water.

“Right now it’s a jigsaw puzzle and we want to end the jigsaw puzzle,” Cammarata said. “We want to get as many residents with water as possible.”

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Kendall farmer will be featured panelist at upcoming Corn Congress

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 December 2018 at 9:32 am

BATAVIA – Next month’s Corn Congress will include advice from three corn growers who have topped 300 bushels per acre in yields.

Matt Kludt of Kendall, Henry Everman of Dansville and Jay Swede of Pavilion will be panelists at the Corn Congress on Jan. 9 in Batavia and Jan. 10 in Waterloo.

Kludt of Kludt Brothers Farm in 2017 was the state champion for the third straight year in an annual corn yield contest. Kludt won the title last year with a yield of 322.4 bushels per acre.

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team organizes the Corn Congress to help farmers improve corn grain and silage production.

The three farmers will be on a panel – “NY 300 Bushel Corn Club – How Do They Do It?” Reaching 300-bushel corn is not an easy feat to accomplish in the Corn Belt let alone New York, the Extension said.

“It takes a lot of knowledge of your land, good agronomics, some experimentation, good soils and the right weather from Mother Nature,” the Extension said.

These three farmers have all topped the 300-bushel milestone in official corn yield contests.

The guest speaker for the Corn Congress will be Dr. J. Julian Smith, who will discuss, “Fertility Management for High Yield Corn.”

Dr. Smith is currently president and co-founder of CZO Agronomics, a global consulting group devoted to technical advisory and end-to-end project management services in agribusiness and horticulture. His career has been primarily concerned with plant nutrition and specialty products, as well as their positioning within the agricultural market-places of North America and Europe. The latter half of Dr. Smith’s career has focused on micro-nutrient, bio-stimulant, biological and plant growth regulator product application for all crops.

The forum on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 will also include discussion about corn diseases in 2018; the Pigweed Invasion: Waterhemp and Palmer Amaranth; pesticides and pollinators; Corn caterpillar pests on the rise; and the new farm Bill.

For more information, click here.

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Principals in Orleans form new group with middle school focus

Provided photos: Seventh-graders from four of the five Orleans County school districts met last month so the student leaders could develop a network in the county. Pictured, back row, from left: Madalyn Baker, Elizabeth Whipple (Lyndonville), Megan Gates, Louis Conte, Noah Clark, (Kendall), Roosevelt Mitchell (Medina), Gary Falls, Larenzo Zaragoza, Jasmine Apicella and Caitlin Dobri (Holley). Front row: Hannah Brundage (Kendall), Sawyer Kingsbury, Isabella Gray and Camryn Eick (Medina), and Daniel Barry (Lyndonville).

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2018 at 1:48 pm

ALBION – The five principals who work with middle school students in Orleans County have formed a new group to discuss strategies, successes and challenges with students who tend to be ages 10 to 14, depending on the school district.

The new group also brings together student leaders from the districts so they can build a network and promote leadership among students before they reach high school.

Students do some team-building games during the Nov. 14 leadership program at Hoag Library in Albion.

“Students in the middle school experience more growth and changes from 10 to 14 than anytime other than birth,” said Kevin Watson, the middle level principal for Kendall. “We want to meet their intellectual and social needs.”

The five districts all have different approaches to middle school. In Albion, the students are in their own building for grades 6 through 8. Medina has them in a middle school building for grades 4 to 7.

In Lyndonville, the students are in a 7-12 building, which is the same setup in Kendall and Holley. Kendall, however, has created a middle level principal position. Watson is in his second year in the role with a focus on students in grades 5 through 8. He spends his school days working out of the elementary schools (grades K through 6) and the junior-senior high (grades 7-12).

Watson pushed to create a group for middle school leaders in Orleans County. The principals met for the first time this summer. Watson wanted a way for the county middle school leaders to get together. Orleans is split by BOCES organizations. Holley and Kendall are in the Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, which is based in Spencerport. Albion, Lyndonville and Medina are in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

Watson has been part of a group of middle school principals in the Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES. That BOCES includes member school districts that are much larger and wealthier than in Holley and Kendall.

The group of five districts in Orleans have similar demographics as rural districts.

“There are a lot of good practices going on,” Watson said about the local districts. “It’s a dream to come together with other leaders and focus on kids who are 10- to 14-year-olds. We want to make middle school be a special time. I want kids to love it.”

Watson is an Albion graduate. He worked as an English teacher, athletic director and assistant principal at Kendall before Kendall created the middle level principal position last school year.

He reached out to the other districts in the county about having a new Orleans County Middle School Principals group. They were all receptive.

Dr. Aaron Slack, the junior-senior high school principal at Lyndonville, said districts are trying to put more focus on middle school students. Some districts with junior-senior high schools have reconfigured the buildings so middle schoolers have a distinct space.

“The needs of kids at that level are so unique,” Slack said. “We’re going to collaborate and share our best practices.”

The principals get together monthly. They also are going to have student leaders meet quarterly. There were four seventh-graders from four of the districts that met Nov. 14 at the Hoag Library in Albion, the beginning of a student leadership summit.

Middle schoolers from four school districts get to know each other on Nov. 14.

Slack said the principals took the idea from Leadership Orleans. They want to build a network of student leaders across the county in the middle school. They are working with students to have a larger student leadership event for seventh graders later in the school year.

“We’re going to have team-building exercises for kids,” Watson said. “The whole goal is celebrating being a middle schooler and not just have middle school be a phase to blow through.”

Middle schoolers are unique and they tend to have a lot of passion.

“We need to harness that energy,” Watson said. “We need to stop treating them like elementary or high school kids.”

The principals will share what works for boosting academics, attendance rates and student engagement among the middle schoolers.

Watson credited the other principals for their enthusiasm with serving the middle school population.

“It’s a dream come true to come together with other leaders and focus on kids who are 10 to 14 years old,” he said. “These are kids going through a lot of changes.”

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Kendall FD uses grant for 8 new defibrillators

Posted 12 December 2018 at 9:16 pm

Photo and information courtesy of Kendall Fire Department

KENDALL – The Kendall Fire Department, and by extension the Kendall community, was honored recently when the Greater Rochester Health Foundation (GRHF) awarded the department a  grant for $8,795.

The grant program was established by GRHF to make funds available for non-profit and volunteer organizations dedicated to promoting health, well-being and rescue services to their communities.

Kendall will use the grant towards the procurement of new equipment critical to the resuscitation of victims of cardiac arrest and for the CPR training of department and community members alike.

Eight new cardiac defibrillators and supportive equipment were obtained as well as new American Heart Association mandated technology required for our four CPR training mannequins.

Collectively, this new equipment will better position the dedicated members of your community fire and EMS agency to continue their goal of being there for you, when it counts, day or night.

CPR classes are available as a public service, free of charge, to anyone within the community that wishes to obtain this most important life-saving skill. We encourage you to contact the department at 659-8082 to obtain information regarding future classes.

In closing, it has been and will continue to be a privilege serving the community of Kendall. We are very pleased to be able to share this recognition with all of you. We want also to thank the Greater Rochester Health Foundation for its critical role funding our health care initiative.  Lastly we acknowledge and appreciate the continued support that you, the Kendall community have shown us.

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Kendall Lions Club welcomes state champion soccer team

Staff Reports Posted 18 November 2018 at 9:12 pm

Provided photos

KENDALL – The Kendall Lions Cub on Thursday welcomed the 2018 Class D state champion girls soccer team. The Kendall girls won the first team state title in the school’s history last Sunday, defeating Fort Ann 1-0 in a game at Tompkins Cortland Community College.

Players and parents were welcomed to the Lions Club on Thursday for dinner. Coach Barchet, pictured above, recapped the season for the Lions Club members.

The players introduced themselves and their family in attendance.

Julie Christensen, the Kendall school district superintendent and a member of the Kendall Lions Club, said the community is proud of the state champion team.

Lions Club member Bob Ryan sang a rousing version of “We are the Champions” by the band Queen.

Coach Barchet also spoke of the positive impact this win has had on the community. Principal Carol D’Agostino also addressed the club thanking them for their support of the students at Kendall. She also spoke to the girls about the impact on the community and the pride the club has for how well the team represented Kendall.

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