By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 August 2013 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – An ambitious lakefront residential project in Orleans County is progressing with the first five or six houses expected to ready in October at the former Camp Troutburg.
The Wegman Group updated town and county officials on the project, which is planned to have room for 400 houses on 126 acres in the northeast corner of the town of Kendall at a former Salvation Army camp.
The first houses are expected to be ready in two months, with more building over the winter and early spring, said David Wegman, CEO of the Wegman Group. By April there could be 20 to 30 houses built at The Cottages at Troutburg.
Wegman and his son Dan spoke at tonight’s Orleans County Supervisors and Legislators Association meeting at The Village Inn. The Wegman Group said there is strong interest in the seasonal houses, which range from about 450 to 1,300 square feet. The Cottages at Troutburg will be open from April 1 with the water service turned off on Dec. 1.
The group hasn’t made an aggressive marketing push yet. Wegman expects to see a big response for the seasonal homes from the Rochester region, including people in the Finger Lakes.
“We think there are a lot of people tired of the taxes in the Finger Lakes, which are outrageous,” he said.
Home owners at the Cottages will pay a monthly $495 charge to the Wegman Group for the gated community. The fee covers road maintenance, lawncare, walking trails, all common buildings, plus access to a pool with lifeguards.
The Wegman Group will keep most of the 126 acres as green space, and it is planting 2,000 trees. The property includes a half-mile of lake front.
“This is absolutely the best site in New York this could happen,” Wegman said. “This is really a special piece of property.”
Town Supervisor Dan Gaesser praised the Wegmans for the project, which will bring new residents to Kendall to support local businesses and will boost the town, school and county tax bases by perhaps $25 to $30 million when the property is at full build-out.
Wegman said the property could be fully developed with 400 houses in eight years. The company has set a goal of selling one house each week. Wegman said the company has tried to keep the homes affordable with most of the houses costing about $60,000.
There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project on Sept. 25.
For more information, check The Cottages website by clicking here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2013 at 12:00 am
Kendall brothers started their own farm last year
Photos by Tom Rivers – Whipple Brothers Farm built a 16-foot-high trellis system for hops vines at the farm along Norway Road in Kendall.
KENDALL – Hops is making a comeback in New York, which once led the country in hops production before Prohibition, and two Kendall brothers are using the revived interest in the crop to start their own farm.
State incentives to grow micro-breweries and the craft beer industry have created a demand for hops, a plant that adds flavor and taste to beer.
The crop takes a lot of work, but it’s also a high-value product in a niche market. That’s a perfect recipe for two brothers just starting out, who don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on planters, combines and grain storage facilities.
Last year Chris and Justin Whipple purchased a 92-acre farm off Norway Road in Kendall. They planted an acre of hops, building a 16-foot-high trellis system to hang the tall bines. The brothers grow corn on the other 91 acres, contracting with another farmer to have it harvested.
Both Chris, 31, and Justin, 28, continue to work for other farmers. When they finish working for the other farmers, the brothers work evenings and weekends on their own farm.
They don’t mind all the effort.
“This is really a dream come true,” Justin said today at the farm. “It was always our goal and our dream to have our own farm.”
Chris and Justin Whipple hold some of the hops they harvested this week. The brothers are part of an emerging hops industry in New York, which is supplying breweries.
The two both have college degrees from Brockport State College. Chris earned a degree in accounting and Justin earned a bachelor’s in finance. They worked desk jobs for a couple years and hated it.
“I didn’t like the professional world and the professional world didn’t like me,” Chris said.
The two Holley graduates watched the state’s efforts to grow the craft beer industry, hoping to create destinations much like wine trails. They researched the crop, and they saw it as a way to farm on their own without an enormous capital investment.
The crop, however, is labor intensive, especially during the harvest. The brothers have had 30 friends and family helping to pick hops off the bines. Their wives have been by their side, even when the plants need weeding.
Justin Whipple, left, and Chris Whipple work together today to harvest hops at their farm on Norway Road. Chris uses a tall pole to cut the bines and Justin catches them.
Carrie married Justin on June 30, 2012. On their honeymoon, they stopped by a hops farm in Oregon. Carrie works as a health educator. Amanda is married to Chris and she works as a speech pathologist.
Amanda and Carrie both exclaimed about the beauty of the hops when they grow tall and sway in the wind.
“It’s beautiful to watch them,” Amanda said.
The hops take three years to produce a mature crop. This year the plants are yielding about a third of their potential. Next year there should be a full crop for the first time.
The brothers have purchased a pelletizer to put the hops in a form desired by craft breweries. They expect they will process hops for other growers as well.
They also expect to double their hops field, planting another acre of the crop next year. State-wide there are about 100 acres of hops.
Justin said it’s an exciting time to be in agriculture, with the state encouraging niche farms and the public responding to the products.
“Growing up we were told there was no future in farming,” Justin said. “But right now there are a lot of opportunities, and it’s actually a lot of fun.”
The Whipple Brothers Farm includes, from left: Justin, Carrie, Amanda and Chris.
Contributed Story Posted 2 August 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos courtesy of Nadine Hanlon
KENDALL – The Kendall Community Band, which formed last year for the town’s 200th anniversary, has stayed together. Last night the group performed in Kendall’s new gazebo in the town park.
Lori Cyr, a member of the Brockport Big Band which performed in Kendall on July 18, served as director of the Kendall group. She is pictured in the top photo.
About 75 people attended the concert. Band member Skip Scroger, who plays the trumpet, was instrumental in getting an alumni band together for Kendall’s bicentennial and for helping the group transition to a community band this year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 July 2013 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Ridge Road Improvement Association put up this monument to George Washington and local Revolutionary War soldiers in 1932.
Photo by Tom Rivers
MURRAY – I noticed the big stone with the bronze marker for the first time yesterday on the way to the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival.
I had no idea we had a monument in honor of George Washington in Orleans County. But there it stands along Ridge Road at the Route 237 intersection, in front of a building across from the Murray Superette.
The marker was put up by the Ridge Road Improvement Association in 1932: “To honor and commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington and the men who fought in the American Revolution and sleep in the town of Murray.”
The marker list the names of Murray revolutionaries:
Robinson Smith, “Life Guard of Washington”
Asa Clark, “The Courier who carried the news to Washington of the attack on Throgs Neck.”
Captain Timothy Ruggles
William Jennings
Amos Frink
Captain Aaron Warren, “who built the first grist mill in the town of Murray”
The marker also notes that New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton stayed in a primitive log cabin near the spot during “an eventful horseback trip through Western New York in1810.” Clinton was the force behind getting the Erie Canal built.
There are several markers along Ridge Road. I’ll try to find out more about them.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 July 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies work their magic during tonight’s parade in Kendall.
These youngsters show off some exceptional facial hair.
Kendall Highway Superintendent Warren Kruger promotes a classic car show from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Vietnam Veterans led off the parade.
KENDALL – The annual Firemen’s Carnival has returned to Kendall with an hour-long parade the highlight of tonight’s festivities. It was quite a spectacle with youngsters dressed as hippies, tractors pulling floats, fire trucks from three counties and the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies.
The parade was led by a group of Vietnam veterans from Rochester and ended with a line of fire trucks.
The three-day carnival continues Saturday, wrapping up with fireworks at 10:20 p.m.
“Coastie” is part of public relations campaign about boater safety through the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Hamlin.
Carrie Milano of Hamlin holds her 2-month-old son Nick during tonight’s parade in Kendall.
Riders in with Lone Oak Stables in Kendall were among the parade participants.
Lone Oak Stables had a cleanup crew behind the horses on Kendall Road during the parade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 June 2013 at 2:01 pm
Study puts Medina, Holley near bottom in WNY list
Three Orleans County school are ranked in the middle of the pack among 97 districts in Western New York, while two others are near the bottom of the list, according to a report by Buffalo Business First.
The publication put out its annual listing of districts, using test scores over four years. Kendall ranked 42nd overall, the top-ranked district in Orleans. Lyndonville was 53rd and Albion, 62nd.
Two local districts were ranked low, with Medina at 80 and Holley, 91.
Wealthy suburban districts dominated the top of the list while poorer districts were ranked near the bottom. Williamsville was the top-rated district followed by East Aurora and Clarence. Buffalo was ranked at the very bottom, just above Lackawanna and Dunkirk.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 June 2013 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – Two of the coaches took over programs that were chronic underachievers. Another coach started the girls athletic program at Kendall. It didn’t exist until Title IX.
All three amassed numerous league and Sectional titles. On Wednesday, Carol Brakenbury, Ben Gerbig and Dick Reynolds were inducted into the Kendall Athletic Hall of Fame. They make up the second class in the HOF. Basketball star Roosevelt Bouie was the first inductee a year ago.
The coaches were praised for teaching the fundamentals and insisting on hard work. The trio did more than that. They instilled confidence in the players and community. Kendall beat many bigger schools in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, with the three coaches on the sidelines.
Gary Kent played on the baseball team in 1962 that won the league title, knocking off perennial powerhouse Lyndonville. Kent introduced Reynolds at the HOF banquet, calling him a “players’ coach” who didn’t dwell on mistakes. Reynolds urged the players to take chances.
“He had the ability to make us believe in ourselves,” Gary Kent said about Reynolds. “He treated us like young men, without fear of failure.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – Dick Reynolds, a former Kendall baseball and basketball coach, addresses 200 people after being inducted in Kendall’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Reynolds was a part of the Kendall athletic program for nearly four decades. In his 20 seasons as the KCS varsity baseball coach, the team won 10 Genesee Region championships, made five Sectional finals appearances, and racked up 152 wins.
He achieved his greatest success leading the basketball team. Reynolds coached the team from 1963 to 1977 and amassed 186 wins and only 72 losses. During his tenure, Kendall won five Section V championships and set the Section V record for consecutive wins with 57.
Reynolds was a baseball star at Brockport High School, and signed a Minor League contract and played for the Batavia Clippers in 1951. He was a drill sergeant in the Marine Corps before he was hired as a physical teacher in Kendall.
He recalled the first year Kendall won Sectionals in basketball. That was 1973. The Kendall Fire Department escorted the team into town.
“That first year the community went crazy,” Reynolds said.
He was thrilled to be inducted with Gerbig and Brakenbury. The coaches all worked together and shared many of the same players.
Gerbig worked at Kendall from 1962 to 1989 as a math teacher before joining Albion as vice principal for eight years. Gerbig is still working as an adjunct math professor at Morrisville State College, where he has taught the past 12 years.
His Kendall boys soccer team won 18 Genesee Region League Championships, appeared in Sectional finals eight times, and won two sectional championships. He is Kendall’s all-time leader in boys soccer wins with 297.
He also coached JV basketball. Gerbig praised the Kendall players and their families for so much dedication to the sports program. Early in his coaching career, he led a JV team that was blown out most games, including one 62-6 loss. The team was 0-15 at one point. Gerbig told the crowd about the team’s 50-47 win over Pembroke. It remains perhaps his most memorable victory.
“That team kept its composure,” he said. “They worked hard. That group of boys is a special bunch.”
Ben Gerbig led the Kendall boys soccer program to 18 league titles.
Current Kendall coach John King introduced Gerbig and praised him for setting a high level of excellence as a coach and teacher.
Gerbig said many families sent brothers, sisters and cousins to play for Kendall.
“There were many sets of brothers and sisters,” he said. “In Kendall, it was a family thing.”
Wednesday’s Hall of Fame banquet was a reunion for the three coaches, and many of their players. Kendall senior athletes also were honored at Hickory Ridge Country Club.
“The three of us coached hundreds and thousands of games,” Gerbig said. “We won lots and lots of championships. It’s a credit to the kids.”
Title IX was passed to start girls sports in 1972. Kendall fielded its first girls soccer team in the fall of 1975. Brakenbury led that group that won Sectionals. That success sparked a wave of interest from Kendall girls in sports.
Brakenbury would coach tennis, softball, volleyball and cheerleading. She was the Section V softball coach of the year in 1982.
She achieved her greatest success leading the soccer program. The team won three Sectional championships, appeared in 13 Sectional finals, and won 13 Genesee Region League Championships.
Carol Brakenbury helped start the girls athletic program at Kendall.
Gary Pollock, a former Kendall boys soccer coach, introduced Brakenbury at the HOF banquet and praised her for her passion for life and her coaching principles. She taught her players to put the team before themselves. Her players followed her example of a high level of commitment.
Brakenbury said those early days were difficult getting the girls on par with the boys. The girls wore the same uniform tops for soccer and softball.
“The more we won, we got real uniforms,” she said.
Brakenbury joined Kendall as a physical education teacher in 1964. Before the girls could compete in varsity sports, Brakenbury organized intramural sports for the girls.
“They wanted to get out there and be competitive,” she said.
The girls soon won over the school administration and community.
“They were putting in as much time and were just as competitive as the boys,” Brakenbury said.
One Kendall player gave her a senior photo in the 1970s. On the back, the player wrote a message.
“Dear coach, thank you for making the girls sports just as respected as the boys.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 June 2013 at 12:00 am
Reynolds, Gerbig and Brakenbury all honored
Photo by Tom Rivers – Kendall coaches with legendary accomplishments and reputations – Dick Reynolds, Ben Gerbig and Carol Brakenbury – pose for a photograph after being inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
KENDALL – Three Kendall coaches with long careers and numerous league and sectional titles were inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame during a banquet tonight attended by about 200 people.
The coaches – Ben Gerbig, Dick Reynolds and Carol Brakenbury – are part of the HOF’s second class. Basketball great Roosevelt Bouie went into the HOF as the inaugural inductee last year.
Gerbig was a math teacher whose career spanned four decades, including eight years at Albion. He oversaw a boys soccer program that earned 18 Genesee Region League Championships, appeared in Sectional finals eight times, and won two sectional championships. He is Kendall’s all-time wins leader in boys soccer (297), and was recognized as Section V Class B Coach of the year four times. Gerbig was inducted into the Section V Hall of Fame in 2000.
Dick Reynolds coached basketball and baseball for about four decades. In his 20 seasons as the KCS varsity baseball coach, the team won 10 Genesee Region championships, made five Sectional finals appearances, and racked up 152 wins.
Reynolds was basketball coach during Kendall’s most glorious run, highlighted by undefeated seasons with Bouie. Reynolds coached the team from 1963 to 1977 and amassed 186 wins and only 72 losses. During his tenure, Kendall won five Section V championships and held the Section V record for consecutive wins with 57. Reynolds also oversaw the KCS athletic program from 1967 to 1992, serving as the longest tenured athletic director in KCS history.
Brakenbury was a pioneer coach at Kendall. Her career began in 1964, and she worked as a physical education teacher at KCS until her retirement in 1998.
Brakenbury guided her soccer teams to three sectional championships, 13 Sectional finals, and 13 Genesee Region League Championships. She earned Section V Class B Girls Soccer coach of the year in 1982. Her team also won 42 straight games in the Genesee Region League. Brakenbury was influential in the development of Kendall’s sports program for girls.
There will be more coverage of the HOF ceremony on Orleans Hub tomorrow, including comments from the coaches.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Boy Scouts in Troop 94 and the Kendall Community Choir both honored members of the military on Wednesday during a concert at the new town park across from the elementary school.
The troop honored veterans with a flag-folding ceremony while the choir sang several patriotic songs. Orleans Hub thanks Crystal Freitag for sending these photos. A rainbow also appeared during the concert. More concerts are being planned at the gazebo this summer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2013 at 12:00 am
Voters back budget, which reduces taxes by $1 million
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Kendall Junior-Senior High School is eyed for about $14 million of the $25 million capitol project that was approved by district residents on Tuesday.
The elementary school also will be the focus of about $11 million in upgrades.
KENDALL – Residents gave strong support to a proposed $25 million capitol project, 203 to 89, which will replace roofs on two school buildings, improve safety and redesign classrooms in the junior-senior high school.
The project includes energy efficient improvements, heating and ventilation work, and improvements to parking lots and sidewalks. The state will pay 90 percent of the costs. Kendall already has its local share saved in the capitol reserve account.
The proposed $14,051,383 budget passed 233 to 61. The budget cuts taxes by nearly $1 million, from $5,601,132 to $4,606,613. The average tax rate will fall from $21.51 to $17.45 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The district is shedding about $500,000 annually with a paid-off bond and another $115,000 annually with a bus loan payment. Kendall also will see several students with disabilities, who were educated at costly facilities outside the district, move into other communities. Those factors, plus a $553,000 increase in state aid, are allowing Kendall to drastically cut taxes.
Residents approved continuing a school bus replacement capitol reserve fund, 236 to 56, and approved spending up to $250,000 from that fund for buses, 228 to 64.
Board of Education member Edward Gaesser did not run for re-election. Martin Goodenbery, the lone candidate, was elected to a five-year term with 251 votes.
KENDALL – The new community park across from the elementary school will kick off a season of concerts on Wednesday.
The Kendall Community Choir will perform patriotic and American folk songs in the 45-minute concert that begins at 7 p.m. The choir will perform in the park’s gazebo, which was built last year.
Veterans and current military members will be recognized with a special song. Local Boy Scouts will present a huge American flag.
The concert is free and is expected to be the first of at least one a month. The Kendall Park Committee is working to line up more performances for the summer.
“It’s a nice gathering place for the community to come,” Nadine Hanlon, a park committee member, said about the new gazebo and park. “It’s also a chance to showcase our beautiful community choir and some of our student performers.”
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own chair or blanket to sit on.
Ben Gerbig, Dick Reynolds, Carol Brakenbury will all be inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame
The soccer team was coached by Ben Gerbig, back row, far right.
Press release, Kendall Central School
KENDALL – Three coaches with long careers at Kendall will be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame during a June 5 banquet.
The coaches – Ben Gerbig, Dick Reynolds and Carol Brakenbury – will be in the HOF’s second class. Basketball great Roosevelt Bouie went into the HOF as the inaugural inductee last year.
Gerbig was a physical education teacher whose career spanned four decades. He oversaw a boys soccer program that earned 18 Genesee Region League Championships, appeared in Sectional finals eight times, and won two sectional championships. He is Kendall’s all-time wins leader in boys soccer (297), and was recognized as Section V Class B Coach of the year four times. Coach Gerbig was inducted into the Section V Hall of Fame in 2000.
Dick Reynolds, front row at left, coached the basketball team.
Dick Reynolds coached basketball and baseball four decades-plus. In his 20 seasons as the KCS varsity baseball coach, the team won 10 Genesee Region championships, made five Sectional finals appearances, and racked up 152 wins.
Reynolds was basketball coach during Kendall’s glorious run, highlighted by undefeated seasons with Bouie. Reynolds coached the team from 1963 to 1977 and amassed 186 wins and only 72 losses. During his tenure, Kendall won five Section V championships and held the Section V record for consecutive wins with 57. Reynolds also oversaw the KCS athletic program from 1967 to 1992, serving as the longest tenured athletic director in KCS history.
Brakenbury was a pioneer coach at Kendall. Her career began in 1964, and she worked as a physical education teacher at KCS until her retirement in 1998.
Carol Brakenbury was influential in the development of Kendall’s sports program for girls.
Coach Brakenbury guided her soccer teams to three sectional championships, 13 Sectional finals, and 13 Genesee Region League Championships. She earned Section V Class B Girls Soccer coach of the year in 1982. Her team also won 42 straight games in the Genesee Region League.
As the KCS softball coach, Brakenbury won five Genesee Region League Championships and guided her team to the Section V finals in 1976. Coach Brakenbury is credited with beginning the girls’ athletic program at KCS in 1975, and she is the first coach of the girls soccer, softball and volleyball programs.
Anyone interested in attending the KCS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction/KCS Senior Athlete night, sponsored by the KCS Sports Boosters, should contact the KCS main office at 659-2706 to reserve tickets. The event will be at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 April 2013 at 7:30 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers – Holley firefighters use their ladder truck this afternoon to douse a barn fire at 1857 Transit Rd., Kendall. Ron Meiers is running the ladder controls.
Carlton firefighter Matt Olles takes a video of the Monroe County Bomb Squad detonating dynamite in a field by a wooded area on Transit Road.
KENDALL – The Monroe County Bomb Squad detonated old sticks of dynamite this afternoon after fire destroyed two wooden barns on Transit Road in Kendall.
Property David Onderdonk told firefighters about the dynamite stored in a cinder block building next to the barns. The explosives, which fire officials said were about 25 years old, were detonated in a field by a wooden area across from Onderdonk’s property at 1857 Transit Rd.
Paul Wagner has served as the Orleans County emergency management coordinator for 13 years. He said this was the third time as EMO that dynamite was discovered stashed near a fire scene.
Wagner and fire officials suspect an electrical problem started the blaze. An investigation is continuing.
A fire this afternoon on Transit Road in Kendall destroyed two barns owned by Dave Onderdonk. Nine fire departments responded to the fire.
The fire was reported about 12:45 p.m. and filled the neighborhood with dark smoke. The dynamite was detonated at about 6:30 p.m.
The two barns were total losses. Onderdonk said they dated back to the 1800s. He lost printing and construction equipment in the fire.
The road doesn’t have a public line and departments use tanker trucks to haul water to the scene. Firefighters also used a neighboring pond for water.
The following departments responded to the scene: Kendall, Clarendon, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Holley, Morton, Hamlin, Carlton, Lyndonville and Barre.
Firefighters work to extinguish the smoky remains of two barns that were destroyed this afternoon in Kendall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 April 2013 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – A list of the top high schools in the country includes Kendall Junior-Senior High School.
US News and World Report on Thursday published a ranking of the 21,000 high schools in the country, and Kendall placed 1,537th, which puts the school in the top 7 percent of the country.
Kendall also ranked 134th out of 1,149 schools in New York. Kendall earned a “Silver Medal” status from the magazine, the only school in Orleans County to attain that standard.
The rankings are based on student performance on ELA and math state assessments, including scores of general education students and students with disabilities. The publication also factors in preparation for students on college-based Advanced Placement tests.
“This honor respects the hard work and commitment by the entire staff and community of Kendall,” said Julie Christensen, Kendall Central School superintendent.
Kendall attained a 23.6 with the College Readiness Index, a 3.4 for math proficiency, and 3.5 for English proficiency.
Other local school results include:
Albion – 17.6 CRI, 3.3 math proficiency, and 3.2 English proficiency.
Holley – N/A CRI, 3.0 math proficiency, and 3.1 English proficiency.
Lyndonville – N/A CRI, 3.2 math proficiency, and 3.3 English proficiency.
Medina – 16.4 CRI, 3.2 math proficiency, and 3.2 English proficiency.
New York schools rated high in the report, with the second most gold-medal schools, behind California. In the Rochester region, Pittsford Sutherland HS in Pittsford was the top-ranked school, number 10 overall in the state.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 April 2013 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Kendall students in grades 7 through 12 eat lunch in the commons, where Principal Carol D’Agostino, left, is pictured with Julie Christensen, the district superintendent. A $25 million capitol project would move the cafeteria to a different part of the school, so nearby classrooms will be less disrupted by the cafeteria noise. Many other projects are part of the plan that goes before Kendall voters May 21.
KENDALL – When Todd Reichlmayr gives his social studies students a test, he often feels frustrated by the outside noise that pours into his classroom. He can hear other teachers leading class discussions. He hears locker doors slam, and people walking by in the hallways.
Reichlmayr and other teachers in the junior-senior high school have classrooms without back walls and doors. Kendall’s school was built in 1971 in the “open classroom” model.
The rooms were all built in the center of the school building. They don’t have access to the windows on the outer walls. Hallways line the perimeter on the building.
“I’m most concerned about the noise level,” Reichlmayr said Monday in his classroom. “Surprisingly, the kids are so used to it, it doesn’t seem to phase them.”
The classrooms have partitions to help block out some of the noise.
“From a safety end, I don’t have a door,” Reichlmayr said.
The junior-senior high school was built in 1971 in an “open classroom” model that didn’t include contained classrooms. The school includes partitions to try to reduce noise and hallway distractions. A capital project would give all the classroom four walls and their own door.
The district is proposing a $25 million capital project that tackles a number of improvements at the two school buildings, including a reconfiguration of the classroom wings so each room has four walls and a door. That will go a long way to improving the learning atmosphere and security for teachers and students, said Julie Christensen, the district superintendent. The project goes before voters May 21.
“There will be better instructional space,” she said. “It will be fresh and safe.”
Another classroom disrupter, the cafeteria, will be relocated to a wing of the building occupied by the current weight room and another classroom. Right now, the cafeteria “is smack in the middle of the building,” Christensen said.
The commons area, where students eat their meals, will stay put and will be used for other purposes. The new cafeteria will be designed in a way to increase student flow so they can get their meals quicker. The current setup allows for one slow-moving line.
The hallways would also be moved so classrooms would be near the outer windows, giving most of the classrooms access to natural light during the school day.
“We’re finding it a challenge to get the kids through the line in a timely manner,” said Carol D’Agostino, the junior-senior high school principal.
The capital project would give both school buildings new roofs, create secure entrances and lobbies, and upgrade heating systems. The junior-senior high school will receive the most work, including new septic, pavement, track and tennis court surfaces, and solar panels.
Christensen said the upgrades will make the school campus more energy efficient, and will reduce maintenance costs for years to come.
The state will pay 90 percent of the project with Kendall’s local share already saved in a capital reserve account.
There will be a forum on the project 7 p.m. April 30 in the junior-senior high school commons. The May 21 vote will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the elementary school.
