Photo by Kristina Gabalski – Sixth-grade members of the Kendall Elementary School Student Council stand behind their new “Buddy Bench” as they explain its meaning and function to members of the Kendall Central School Board Wednesday evening at Kendall Jr./Sr. High School.

KENDALL – Sixth-grade members of the Kendall Elementary School Student Council presented a new “Buddy Bench” to Board of Education members during their meeting on Wednesday.

The new bench will be a place for students to sit who are looking for a friend.

“The Buddy Bench is for children feeling lonely or sad, or who want to make new friends,” the students explained.

Student Sara Mattle even wrote a poem about the project which was inspired by Christian Bucks, a second grader in Pennsylvania:

“We made it with some tools, some screws and a wrench.
So when you’re feeling lonely, you can have a seat on the buddy bench.
And then a friend will come, and ask you to play.
Then you and that new friend will have fun all day!”

Advisors Amy Leone and Vicki Spurr assisted the students with the project.

“The teachers talked about it and presented the idea to (Principal) Sharon Smith and (Superintendent) Julie Christensen,” Spurr said. “We felt it was something we needed.”

The bench is painted in a bright and welcoming shade of red and will be located on the elementary school playground. It will be installed in the spring.

“Thank you for all the work you have done,” Superintendent Christensen told the students.

The Buddy Bench will be dedicated with a plaque in memory of the father of Principal Sharon Smith, who said the students are already working to raise funds for a second Buddy Bench.

“They hope to have four eventually,” Smith said.

KENDALL – The Cottages at Troutburg is proceeding, slower than originally projected.

Town Councilman Bruce Newell provided an update on Troutburg during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

The Wegman Group is developing the 126-acre former Salvation Army camp along Lake Ontario into seasonal homes. The developer says the site has room for 400 units.

Newell and Code Enforcement Officer Paul Hennekey reported that the town recently received a letter from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation informing them that it has raised the number of cottages from 8 to 20 that can be served by a temporary sewage treatment process by which an on-site facility is used as a holding tank and pumped. Hennekey said there are currently eight cottages onsite.

“I would like to hear more explanation about why the DEC thought it was appropriate,” Newell remarked regarding the increase in allowable cottages built before the treatment plant is fully operational.

Hennekey said an official at the DEC told him the holding facility, which will eventually function as a treatment facility, will function better in that capacity once 20 cottages have been built and that there would be no problem constructing additional cottages and issuing certificates of occupancy.

Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said he wants Hennekey to contact the DEC again in order to pin down a time for the DEC to come out and inspect the facility.

“If they can give you factual data (the town) would be more comfortable with where we are at this point,” Cammarata said, and explained that if the current set-up is adequate, the cottages could proceed, but if it is not, the DEC could make recommendations regarding what should be done.

Hennekey noted that work is progressing on getting the treatment plant operational.

“They are working on it – it could be weeks away or months away,” he said.

In other action at the town meeting, Kendall Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger was welcomed to the regular Kendall Town Board meeting Tuesday evening with a round of applause from Town Board members. High winds and snowfall this week have kept Kruger and members of his department busy. Cammarata noted Kruger had spent the better part of the previous 24 hours working.

“Warren has been out all night and all day and has done a terrific job to keep our roads safe and clean,” Cammarata noted earlier in the meeting. Kruger joined the meeting in progress and Cammarata had given the highway department report prior to his arrival.

“We very much appreciate everybody in the highway department’s efforts to make Kendall a safe community to drive through,” Cammarata said.

Kruger noted that crews and plows are holding up well.

“Winter’s here and it’s blowing and drifting, it’s not the snow it’s the wind,” he said.

Photos by Kristina Gabalski – Kendall Supervisor Tony Cammarata is sworn in to a second term in office by Town Justice Debbie Drennan. Cammarata’s wife, Sharon, holds the Bible.

KENDALL -Town Board members held their 2016 organizational meeting Tuesday evening. Newly elected Councilperson Barb Flow, Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda and Supervisor Tony Cammarata all took their oaths of office, officiated by Town Justice Debbie Drennan.

During his remarks, Supervisor Cammarata said he is “honored to serve” Kendall again as supervisor. In the coming year, he noted that, “New water districts will be our priority,” and added that a joint meeting will be held Jan. 13 at the Hamlin Town Hall regarding the distribution of assets from the former Hamlin-Kendall Water District.

Newly elected Councilperson Barb Flow was appointed to fill a vacancy on Town Board in the summer of 2015 after retiring as Kendall’s long-time recreation director.

Kendall Town Justice Debbie Drennan officiates as Kendall Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda takes the oath of office. Szozda was re-elected in November. Councilperson Barb Flow holds the Bible.

She was elected to the post in November. Councilperson Margaret Lynn Szozda and Supervisor Tony Cammarata were re-elected in November.

Additionally, council members approved a long list of appointments and designations including the appointment of Andrew Meier as town attorney; the appointment of Patrick Bolton as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals; the reappointment of Andrew Kludt as chairman of the Planning Board; the reappointment of Michelle Werth as director of Youth and Adult Recreation; the re-appointment of Heather Koch as town historian; the re-appointment of Eileen Grah as Town of Kendall librarian; and the re-appointment of Paul Hennekey as code enforcement officer.

Newly elected Town Councilperson Barb Flow takes the oath of office while her husband, Vince, holds the Bible.

Town Board meetings will be held the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Kendall Town Hall, 1873 Kendall Rd., and work sessions are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. and the Saturday preceding the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m.

The salary schedule for 2016 includes: Supervisor – $8,400.00; Councilperson (4) $3,120.00; Town Clerk – $28,428.00; Code Enforcement Officer – $11,400.00; Superintendent of Highways – $49,750.00; Justice 1 – $7,725.00; Justice 2 – $6,600.00.

LaBella Associates of Rochester was appointed the engineering firm for the town. Margaret Lynn Szozda was appointed deputy supervisor and Tony Cammarata was appointed budget officer.

Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – In response to the national concern about mental health issues and the impact they have on student performance and school district climates, Kendall Central School has partnered with Orleans County Mental Health to offer a satellite office at Kendall Elementary School two days a week.

Kristen Acquilano, a mental health counselor with the county, works out of the satellite office at Kendall on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kendall elementary through high school students are eligible to be referred to the counselor by the district’s Student Referral Team. Transportation from the high school to appointments during the school day is provided by the district for the older students.

“By having the mental health collaboration, it helps us address the stressors and the root cause of a student’s behavior at school,” said Kendall Superintendent Julie Christensen. “This is a real boost to our side of the county to offer mental health services here. Coming here rather than traveling to Albion saves our families time, plus it supplements the services provided by our district’s counseling staff. By having the satellite office at the Elementary School, students can use the services provided to help them concentrate on their studies and be positive contributors in school. This new service opportunity also encourages our parents to further engage with the district on students’ academic issues.”

Kristen Acquilano

Since Oct. 7, Acquilano has begun to make assessments of students, offer counseling appointments and give referrals to other mental health professionals to help address the needs of students and their families. Acquilano has a master’s degree in social work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Students are referred to her by Kendall counseling staff. After receiving the referral, she begins the process by obtaining parent/guardian permission and insurance information, then scheduling an hour-long initial assessment. Parents/ guardians can also contact her for guidance on receiving mental health services for their children.

Once the assessment is complete, she works with the student’s schedule to make regular appointments. Appointments are available in the late afternoon and early evening hours for students and their families. Parents/guardians may have the opportunity to attend counseling sessions to support their child, but parents/guardians will not be able to schedule counseling appointments for themselves.

Acquilano welcomes contact from parents/guardians through email or phone if they have feedback, questions or concerns about their children and are unable to attend an appointment with them. Acquilano’s email address is Kristen.Acquilano@orleanscountyny.gov and her Orleans County Mental Health office phone number is 585-589-2787.

“I am absolutely loving my experience at Kendall,” said Acquilano. “All of the staff have been warm and welcoming. I am finding it so beneficial to coordinate care with teachers and counselors. We are able to work together on case plans in order to address student needs.”

Photos by Kristina Gabalski

KENDALL – Mrs. Petrosino, wife of Kendall Junior-Senior High School Social Studies teacher Joseph Petrosino, describes Christmas in her native Croatia to Kendall students during an assembly Wednesday afternoon in the Jr./Sr. High School auditorium.

With a population that is heavily Roman Catholic, Christmas is an important religious feast day in Croatia, she said.

“We have snow every seven to ten years,” she noted, “which is very nice, actually.”

Croatians also celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 5 and plant Christmas wheat on the Feast of St. Lucy on Dec. 13. The length of the newly sprouted wheat on Christmas day indicates how much success can be expected in the new year.

Members of the Kendall Senior High Jazz Band perform holiday favorites Wednesday afternoon during a multicultural assembly in the auditorium.

Students heard from members of their own school community about life in other countries of the world – including Christmas celebrations; listened to fellow students perform holiday music; and had the opportunity to participate in the making of calypso music on steel drums with members of the Panloco Steel Drum Band.

Mrs. Mirjam Bauer, a high school counselor who is from the Netherlands, told students about life in her native country as well as their Christmas tradition of Sinterklaas, who visits with gifts on Dec. 5-6 along with his helper Zwarte Piet.

Fellow student Nathalia Quiles Rivera, who came to Kendall from Puerto Rico, told about colorful Christmas lights in her homeland and the “huge” parties that are held outside at this time of year with singing and dancing.

“Here you can’t go outside,” she said. “You literally freeze.”

Nathalia also told how Christmas and Three King’s Day (Epiphany) are important religious feast days in Puerto Rico.

Kendall students join Ted Canning and sons Jon and James of Panloco Steel Drum Band to make music with drums and other West African percussion instruments.

The Kendal Sr. High Jazz Band performed a medley of Christmas songs, and the Panloco Steel Drum Band gave students a taste of West Africa with drumming, as well as Trinidad with calypso steel drum music.

Students were able to play with the band following brief instructions from director Ted Canning, who related the history of the development of the steel drum to students.

Kendall Jr./Sr. High School Students and members of Panloco Steel Drum Band combine to form a “Garbage Band” – Panloco director Ted Canning used the “garbage band” to explain the historical development of the steel drum.

Kendall students were also able to join Panloco playing on steel drums. Director Ted Canning was able to include the students on musical numbers after a brief instruction.

Photo: Kendall Central School – Libby Jurs was a popular school nurse at Kendall Central School.

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent

KENDALL – Members of the Kendall School Board of Education agreed to create a memorial scholarship in honor of Elizabeth “Libby” Jurs, a former Junior/Senior High School nurse.

She died Dec. 12 after a long battle with ovarian cancer and, more recently, leukemia.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has overcome adversity and has strived to make a positive impact on society. Students planning to enter the fields of farming, education, industrial arts or nursing will be given priority. The amount awarded will be based on the balance of the account not to exceed $100 in any given year. A scholarship committee will pick the recipient.

Jurs served as a school nurse for more than 24 years, retiring just this past October. At the time of her retirement, Principal Carol D’Agostino called Jurs, “the heart and soul of the high school.”

D’Agostino remembered Jurs bringing food and clean clothes to students in need as well as buying presents for students during the holidays and for birthdays.

“She loved her kids and they loved her,” D’Agostino said.

This past September, Kendall faculty and staff rallied behind Jurs through the creation of Team Libby, wearing teal “Team Libby” T-shirts and participating in the Ovarian & Gynecological Cancers 5K Run/Walk at Monroe Community College. Additionally, sales of “Team Libby” T-shirts have raised $350 for donation to finding a cure for ovarian and gynecological cancers.

Donations to the Elizabeth Jurs Memorial Scholarship Fund may be made c/o Kendall Central School, Kendall, NY, 14476.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – A fire caused heavy damage to a Kendall home on Creek Road this afternoon. The top photo shows a firefighter trying to ventilate the back of the house to let the smoke out.

The house at 17248 Creek Rd. is owned by Joe and Lisa Stephens. Mr. Stephens said it appears the fire started in the laundry room and quickly spread.

No one was injured in the fire, which filled the house with heavy smoke.

Mrs. Stephens had Christmas presents bought and wrapped for family, including grandkids, and those gifts were likely ruined from the fire.

The Stephens family declined assistance from the Red Cross, saying other people are more in need.

Firefighters from several fire companies in eastern Orleans and western Monroe counties responded to the fire, which started at about 1:30 p.m.

Firefighters let out smoke and sprayed water into the house to keep any hot spots from igniting and spreading.

Photos by Kristina Gabalski

KENDALL – Kendall residents young and not-so-young enjoyed the music of the holiday season together Wednesday at the Town Hall. Fourth-graders from Kendall Elementary School entertained Kendall senior citizens, their families and town residents prior to a lunch.

The students performed instrumental selections under the direction of Leanne Zito which included “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” – a clarinet duet; “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” – a trumpet duet, and “O Christmas Tree.” Fourth Graders also sang carols under the direction of Jeremy Rath which included “Deck the Halls,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and ” Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.”

Students then joined the members of their audience for a sing-a-long of Christmas carols.

Kendall Elementary Principal Sharon Smith said the event was organized by the Kendall Elementary Fourth Grade Team and Michelle Werth, Kendall Recreation Director.

Kendall Fourth Graders perform instrumental holiday selections during a celebration at the Town Hall with Senior Citizens and other residents Wednesday morning.

During the Kendall School Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening, Smith noted that students finding a “buddy” in the audience for the sing-a-long was something different this year. She said one student was very touched when the senior sitizen with whom she sang told her, “… ‘this is so wonderful,’ and then started to cry,” Smith said.

She added that 80 percent of third- and fourth-graders at Kendall Elementary participate in music performance.

“We are blessed to have Leanne and Jeremy at Kendall,” Smith said.

Following the concert, the students enjoyed juice and holiday cookies.

Kendall fourth-graders sing Christmas carols at the Town Hall.

School pushes to educate students about dangers of drugs, bullying, texting and driving

Press Release, Kendall Central School
KENDALL – Kendall Central School has begun a partnership with all five Orleans County school superintendents, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to educate students and their families about drugs, the dangers of texting and driving, and bullying and cyber bullying.

The goal is to create awareness among students and adults so that everyone is aware of the signs of risky behaviors and the avenues to pursue to obtain help.

KCS plans on partnering with the police department to offer educational sessions to students, parents and district employees on the types of synthetic drugs that are circulating in Orleans County and the various forms they are being distributed in.

The district hopes to convey clearly that it if someone tries a drug once, it can lead to addiction, brain injury and/or death because of the potent level of chemicals that are present in a single dose of a synthetic substance. School officials want to make everyone aware of the signs of drug use and/or addiction, so that if a student realizes a friend is abusing drugs, they can ask an adult to intervene.

Age-appropriate education will be given to elementary through high school students during school hours and evening information sessions will be offered to parents.

“We need to educate everyone to stop the use of drugs in our area,” said Julie Christensen, district superintendent. “We hope to begin offering education sessions this year and make it a series of sessions next school year.”

The district also plans on educating high school students about the dangers of drunk driving, driving while high on drugs, texting while driving and risks when using social media.

The district addresses student conflict by educating students about the different forms of bullying/conflict, such as cyber bullying via social media, text and email.

Students are learning proactive strategies through the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program and information conveyed from the district’s instructional technology specialist. The Elementary Student Council has constructed a buddy bench that will be placed on the playground so that students can sit on it when they are lonely and looking for someone to play with.