By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 May 2023 at 2:20 pm
Provided photo
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Area Foundation has donated $4,000 to the Orleans County Adult Literacy program. Pictured from left include Dave Cook from the Foundation, Don Colquhoun from Orleans County Adult Literacy, and Russ Martino from the Foundation.
OCALS works in and around the Lyndonville area, utilizing the Lyndonville school district and other sites for literacy programs from children to adults.
“The Foundation is proud to assist local agencies like this, and in a short time will continue giving towards educational needs, with approximately $50,000 in scholarships given out at June’s graduation ceremony,” Cook said.
Photo courtesy of Sharon Smith: The Lyndonville Board of Education on Monday approved tenure to three teachers, from left: Brianna Wheeler, special education; Joe Smith, elementary education; and Kelly Follman, music education. They were praised for their dedication to the students and building a supportive culture as educators.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Jeff Qamoos (left), a high school math teacher who also teaches robotics at Lyndonville, shows Lyndonville school officials and parents self-driving cars created by his students. Bart Schuler, the school business administrator, looks over the cars. The Board of Education held a “field trip” to Qamoos’s classroom during a break in the board meeting on Monday evening.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 May 2023 at 10:24 am
LYNDONVILLE – The school district will be presenting a $16,939,491 budget to the public for a vote on May 16. That budget increases spending by $1,234,538 or by 7.9 percent from 15,704,953 in 2022-23.
However, the tax increase would be 1 percent or by $46,187 to $4,664,927. The district projects the average tax rate among the four towns in the district will increase from $16.32 to $16.48 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The budget calls for a state aid increase of $1,702,433 or up by 17 percent. That will help the district with an 8 percent increase in the consumer price index.
Voting for the budget will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Stroyan Auditorium Foyer at the school.
Lyndonville is the smallest of the five school districts in Orleans County. Lyndonville is projecting student enrollment will stay at 560 in 2023-24.
The district’s cost-per-pupil was $21,217 in the 2020-21 school year, more than the $18,955 county average and less than the $23,468 state-wide average, according to Lyndonville’s financial transparency report.
The vote on May 16 also includes:
• A proposition to purchase one 64-seat passenger bus and one mini-bus, not to exceed $275,000. The bus will be purchased from the bus reserve.
• A proposition to collect $124,808 for Yates Community Library, which is up 4.7 percent or $5,625 from $119,183 in 2022-23.
• Election of a member of the Board of Education. Jerod Thurber, a current member, is the only candidate for a three-year term.
Isaac Despard, a sophomore in Jeff Qamoos’s class, shows a plastic pilot helmet he designed and built. Despard used an Ender 3-D printer to make the pieces for the helmet which he modelled after one in the video game Titanfall.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 May 2023 at 11:20 am
Company seeks to build 30-unit labor housing on Route 63
LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville farm and packing operation that has expanded in recent years said foreign workers are critical to their success.
H.H. Dobbins has put in a new pack line and added a warehouse for storing apples. The company now ships apples 1.1 million bushels year-round or 44 million pounds for 55 apple farms.
While Dobbins has many reliable and hard-working staff from the local community, during its peak harvest and packing season about half of the 130 workers come to work in Lyndonville from Jamaica, Mexico and Honduras.
Dobbins is looking to build a new 30-unit farm labor building on Route 63, north of the village, and the project has critics in the community. Some town officials and residents have urged Dobbins to put the building on land it owns on the less-prominent Alps Road. Dobbins wants to use that land for an orchard, with either peaches or popular apple varieties.
Dobbins has machines for automated bagging, and other equipment that quickly scans apples for defects, whether scabs or too much water coring inside. Even with the push towards automation, Dobbins still needs 90 workers in the packing house operation.
There will be a public hearing at 7 p.m. today about the farm labor housing project. It will be held in the school auditorium at 25 Housel Ave. and will give residents a chance to comment on an area variance, special use permit and site plan for the 104-by-40 foot building. Dobbins is seeking a 50-foot sideyard setback variance. Dobbins said that would allow the company to put the building closer to a side of the property where there isn’t a neighboring resident.
The new project will offer the workers more comfort after their shifts, have more showers, and allow Dobbins to not rent a house in Medina for workers, and also shift away from two older farmhouses in the Lyndonville community.
“We want our guys to be able to relax and feel respected,” said Brett Baker, executive vice president and sales manager for Dobbins and its sales company, United Apple.
The building would have six bedrooms with five men to a room. They would be offered cable TV, the internet, air-conditioning in the summer, eight showers, eight sinks, and laundry facilities. Dobbins would set up reliable transportation for them to go shopping, go to the bank and tend to other errands, Baker said.
The new worker housing would primarily be for Jamaican and Mexican workers that work in the orchards through the federal H2A program that brings in legal foreign workers for agriculture. Dobbins hires 40 workers through that program.
The business also needed help with its packing facility. It turned to the federal H2B program to have 12 Honduran workers on the packing lines and sanitation crew for the first time from October 2021 to May 2022. Those employees fit in well with their American co-workers and proved very dependable. Dobbins hired 20 Hondurans since last October through later this month. Many returned from the initial group of 12.
The H2B program is available for temporary positions that aren’t directly on a farm. The U.S. has doubled number eligible the program from 66,000 cap in the federal fiscal year. The workers are screened through the Department of Homeland Security.
The government boosted the cap to help businesses have reliable workers in landscaping and groundskeeping, forest and conservation, amusement and recreation attendants, maids and housekeeping cleaners, construction, cooks and other industries.
The Honduran workers at Dobbins have impressed the leaders of the company and the American co-workers who are often alongside them in their shifts.
These workers including the five men from Honduras are part of the sanitation team at Dobbins. They include from left Andi, Johan, Julie Pries, David, Beth Miller, Oscar and Davey.
Beth Miller is the sanitation supervisor who works with five Honduran men after the packing lines closed down around 4 p.m. The sanitation team works to about midnight cleaning the machines and equipment, sweeping the floors, emptying tanks and getting the place ready for the next day.
Miller said the workers showed an immediate commitment to the job in October 2021 when they first started at Dobbins. They men have stayed positive, even during the harsh winter weather.
“I want to thank Dobbins for looking into this program,” she said. “These guys are all very nice men. They’re all smiles.”
They are learning English through a program run by the World Life Institute in Waterport. When they make it back to Honduras, they send messages through Facebook to let their American co-workers they are home safe.
Davey, 21, is finished his second seven-month tenure at Dobbins. Davey said the jobs are hard to come by in Honduras and they don’t pay much. Many positions are $6 a day and there are numerous applicants for those jobs. He worked a job in Honduras that was high-paying by that country’s standards. It was $20 a day. But he had to carry 130-pound batteries up a narrow mountainous path.
Davey has good English through the WLI program in Waterport. He said he hopes someday he could stay permanently in the United States and have more family members join him.
He said he is grateful for the chance to work at Dobbins.
“I like everything I do here,” he said. “I’m getting more experience.”
Julie Pries is a local woman who works on the sanitation crew with the men from Honduras. They have impressed her with their work ethic, and their kindness towards each other and the other co-workers.
“It’s been a really nice experience,” she said on Tuesday at the start of her shift. “They’re all very nice men.”
Miller, the sanitation supervisor, took the men out bowling Saturday in Medina. Some of them have been to Niagara Falls. Often, when they aren’t working, they stay in a labor house and play cards.
Dobbins would like for the new housing to be available for the Honduran workers when the H2A workers aren’t needed.
Those 60 workers through H2A and H2B are essential to the overall operation which has 130 employees at peak, Baker said.
Without the Honduran employees, Dobbins would likely have to scale back the winter and early spring packing schedule by a third, said Dave D’Anniballe, financial controller for the company.
D’Anniballe said the workers spend lots of their money with local businesses, often going to the Dollar General, Hojack Ice Cream Shack and Crosby’s.
“They have come from nothing and they love it here,” he said. “They generate a lot of income for the local economy.”
Dobbins has been in business for more than a century, going back to 1905. It recently expanded a packing line and warehouse in Lyndonville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 April 2023 at 5:35 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – David Dent of Lyndonville tries on an eyeglass frame today at the White Birch Golf Course, which hosted the second annual pop-up eyeglass clinic. The event was organized by the Lyndonville Lions Club and included volunteers from several Lions Club in Western New York, including Cindy Kraus, left, of the Kenmore Lions Club.
A team of eye specialists – state-licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry – were on site to determine the correct prescription glasses for each individual. They also did screenings for glaucoma.
Dent, 52, said he has never needed glasses before but noticed his vision hasn’t been as sharp lately. He will be getting glasses to make his vision clearer.
Dr. Nancy Ciavarri, a family physician and member of the Lyndonville Lions Club, volunteered at today’s event, helping people to pick frames.
Last year’s debut event included 250 people who quickly lined up. Today was more spread out.
The glasses for people should be ready for pickup in about three weeks, a much shorter wait than the 11 weeks last year.
Dr. Duane Snyder, an optometrist, does an eye exam. The Lions clubs in WNY do three of the pop-up clinics each year with events in Kenmore, Lyndonville and Niagara Falls.
Today there were three opticians, two optometrists and an ophthalmologist in Lyndonville, donating their time.
A woman smiles while trying on frames today. Many of the frames are donated at Lions eye glass collection sites throughout WNY.
The lenses are donated through the EssilorLusottica Foundation.
Today’s eyeglass clinic included the debut of an iCare 200 tonometry machine, a handheld machine that measures intraocular pressure. The tonometry machine will allow for glaucoma screenings. Glaucoma is one of the most common forms of preventable blindness in the United States. Four people today were recommended to get more testing for glaucoma.
Photos courtesy of Lyndonville Lions Club: The Easter Bunny meets with Carla Woodworth. Lions Club members Wes Bradley and Nicole Spohr have hot dogs ready.
Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville United Methodist Church and the Lions Club teamed for a celebration on Saturday for an Easter Egg Hunt and hot dog roast.
The Easter Egg Hunt has been a long-standing tradition for the church. This event was originally started by the Reverend Jennifer Green in the early 1990s and has continued for the last 30 years under the direction of Reverend Tim Schultz and the United Methodist Christian Woman’s Group.
The Lyndonville Lions have been involved in this event for over 15 years providing the hot dogs and refreshments. Lyndonville Lions member John Belson has been a longtime participant and stated that “it was nice to see the event return to its usual form after the lifting of Covid restrictions that have played a role the last two years.”
Over 2,000 Easter eggs were filled with candy, prizes and Christian-based messages that reveal the true meaning of Easter. The eggs were then hidden in a maze erected by the church congregation in the high school gymnasium.
Over 150 children searched for the eggs and the Easter Bunny also made a special guest appearance. At the culmination of the Easter Egg Hunt, parents and children were treated to over 200 grilled hot dogs and beverages supplied by the Lyndonville Lions Club.
Carla Woodworth, who is one of the many church member participants, stated: “The collaboration between the church and Lions Club has made this event very popular in the community and well attended.”
The Orleans Sheriff’s Department provided child car seat checks and photo registration of children at no cost. This information is held at the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and can be used to find missing children. Sheriff Chris Bourke stressed the importance of these two services and how they improve children’s safety here in Orleans County.
The Lyndonville United Methodist Church and the Lyndonville Lions Club would like to thank those people that attended this year’s event. Both organizations extend their wishes for a joyous holiday season and a Happy Easter.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 March 2023 at 12:49 pm
About 250 attended event last year at White Birch
Photo by Tom Rivers: Hundreds of eyeglass frames were on display for people to pick from at the pop-up eye glass clinic last year on March 19 in Lyndonville. The frames and lens were all available for free.
LYNDONVILLE — The Lyndonville Lions Club is planning its second annual eye glass clinic for Saturday, April 29, at the White Birch Golf Course.
About 250 people attended the debut event on March 19, 2022 with people receiving a vision screening, fitting for glasses and glaucoma screening.
Several optometrists and ophthalmologists will be on hand to assist with the clinic. The event is led by the Lyndonville Lions Club.
This year’s clinic will again be first come-first served with a cap at about 200 people.
That club recently purchased a iCare 200 tonometry machine with support from the Lyndonville Area Foundation. That handheld machine measures intraocular pressure.
The tonometry machine will allow for glaucoma screenings. Glaucoma is one of the most common forms of preventable blindness in the United States, the Lions Club said.
Provided photo: Russ Martino, Shelly Harling and Wes Bradley are shown with an iCare 200 tonometry machine that will be used an the upcoming eye glass clinic. The three are all members of the Lyndonville Area Foundation, with Martino and Bradley also in the Lions Club.
Those people who screen positive will be referred to specialists for further care. For those who cannot afford advanced testing, financial assistance will be available through the Lyndonville Lions Club and donated services from participating optometrists and ophthalmologists.
There was a big turnout at last year’s pop-up eyeglass clinic. About 250 people filled the site not long after doors officially opened at 10 a.m. About 100 people arrived by 9:30.
“Last year’s event was a huge success with over 200 people receiving screening services,” said Harold Suhr, Lions Club president. “This year’s event will have the donated services of several local eye specialists that will dramatically improve this year’s event.”
The Lyndonville Lions Club also will be involved in several other upcoming events. Most immediately, the club is collaborating this Saturday with the Lyndonville United Methodist Church for an Easter Egg Hunt for all Lyndonville children from preschool through Grade 6. The church will set up the hunt and supply all of the eggs, candy and prizes. The Lions Club will provide hot dogs and beverages to all participants of this event.
The Lions Club will also sell long stem roses for Mother’s Day and is working on its 49th annual July Fourth celebration.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2023 at 7:37 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Dorothy, played by Elizabeth Whipple, is surrounded by Munchkins who sing “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” after Dorothy’s house lands in Oz and flattens the Wicked Witch of the East.
Lyndonville is performing the Wizard of Oz with performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 and available at the door or online (click here).
The district in the previous 11 years did a combined show with Medina, with Lyndonville hosting the joint program. This year the districts are back to doing their own shows. Medina did Little Mermaid last week.
Sarah Corser glides into the stage as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. She greets Dorothy and tells her she is in Oz. When Glinda presents the magic ruby slippers to Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West is enraged.
Corser said flying during the show, “is very, very cool.” She is one of five characters who take flight in the show.
Lyndonville has 108 students in the cast, crew and orchestra. That includes 38 students in grades 1 through 6 who are Munchkins.
Meagan Hardner is the Wicked Witch of the West who is very angry and vows retribution after seeing her sister has been killed by Dorothy’s house.
The characters fly in the show by using harnesses with wires and pulleys.
“It’s fun, and a little scary,” she said about soaring over the stage.
Hardner, a senior, thanked the Lyndonville program for putting so much effort into making the musical a success, including the aerial abilities for some of the characters. She has been in the shows since seventh grade.
“It’s a really good experience,” she said.
Amir Huzair performs the role of the Scarecrow. He sings, “If I Only Had a Brain.” He is the first friend to join Dorothy on her trip to see the Wizard. They need to follow the Yellow Brick Road.
Noah Fox is the Tinman who has rusted and can barely move. He gets oiled up so he can move more easily. He sings, “If I Only Had a Heart.”
Annabelle Follman plays the role of the Cowardly Lion who seeks courage. Here the Lion sings, “If I Were The King Of The Forest.”
Amber Grabowski plays the role of the Emerald City Guard.
The great Oz, appearing as a scary disembodied head demands the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West before helping Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin man and the Lion. Greyson Romano is the voice of the Wizard of Oz in the musical.
Elizabeth Whipple, who plays Dorothy, said the musical has a strong theme about friendship and also a love for your hometown.
“Many people who graduate from Lyndonville come back because there is no place like home,” Whipple said.
She thanked the many community members for contributed to the show, from set construction, to musicians in the pit orchestra, to costumes and financial support. The Follman family also let their dog Max be in the show as Toto.
“It’s been a community effort for everything,” Whipple said. “I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”
The Wicked Witch of the West (Meagan Hardner) sends her flying monkeys – Nikko played by Amir Zimmerman and the other is Gavyn Draper – to capture Dorothy and Toto.
The musical is directed by Jennifer Trupo. She praised the Lyndonville students and the production team for putting on a “phenomenal show.”
She said more Lyndonville students are in the cast and crew in the return of it being a Lyndonville-only musical.
“We have a lot more kids involved who normally wouldn’t be,” Trupo said. “The kids know everybody. There is a whole different level of comfort.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2023 at 9:32 pm
Diana Baker will be new member of Medina Village Board
LYNDONVILLE/MEDINA – Village residents in Lyndonville and Medina elected trustees to their Village Boards, including a new member in Medina.
Diana Baker was elected to a two-year term as trustee in Medina with 49 votes. Jess Marciano also was re-elected and received 53 votes. Baker will take the post currently held by Owen Toale, who didn’t seek re-election after 12 years on the board. (There was also 1 write-in vote each for Peter Huth and Shawn Ramsey.)
In Lyndonville Kimberly Kenyon received 19 votes and Terry Stinson was backed on 23 ballots. Both are currently on the board. Justin Edwards also received one write-in. In Lyndonville, the terms are for four years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2023 at 1:35 pm
Candidates for trustee positions unopposed in both villages
LYNDONVILLE/MEDINA – The villages of Lyndonville and Medina are both holding elections today for seats on the Village Board.
Both villages have two candidates for two positions.
In Lyndonville Kimberly Kenyon is running under the Pool Party while Terry Stinson is running under the Garden Party. They are both currently on the board.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 2 South Main St.
In Medina, Diana Baker and Jess Marciano are running for village trustee positions.
Marciano is a current trustee and Baker is seeking to fill the spot currently held by Owen Toale, who isn’t seeking re-election. Marciano and Baker are running under the Unity Party.
Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior Center, 615 West Ave.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2023 at 6:33 pm
$2.5 million project to be recognized in Binghamton ceremony
Photos by Tom Rivers: Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon speaks during a Sept. 24 ribbon cutting for upgrades at the Yates Town Park. Simon also announced the new pavilion at the park would be dedicate in honor of Russ Martino, the retired town supervisor and elementary school principal.
YATES – The Yates Town park improvements will be recognized this week as a project of the year by the New York State chapter of the American Public Works Association.
Yates already was honored by the Genesee Valley Branch of the APWA on Jan. 26. Now it will receive statewide honors on Thursday in Binghamton.
Yates will receive the award for project of the year in the category for Small Cities/Rural Communities Structures.
The $2.5 million park upgrades include a 75-foot-long pier, a pavilion with bathrooms, new playground equipment, a kayak launch, a crusher-run walking trail, and new parking lot with sidewalks.
The project was 95 percent funded by the state, which made $300 million available to southshore communities through the state’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative or REDI.
That was in response to historic flooding along the shore in 2017 and 2019. That flooding destroyed part of the shoreline at the Yates park and the town used a separate $400,000 grant from the state to put in a massive breakwall.
The park upgrades included a new elevated platform or pier that extends out into Lake Ontario. Other projects at the park featured a pavilion with bathrooms, new playground equipment, a kayak launch, a crusher-run walking trail, and new parking lot with sidewalks. There will also be horse-and-buggy turnaround with hitching posts.
The project turned a small park with few amenities into a site that Yates officials believe will become a vibrant destination
The town worked with the MRB Group for engineering services and Keeler Construction in Barre served as the general contractor.
Town Supervisor Jim Simon plans to attend the awards banquet on Thursday with Jon Hinman, the Town Engineer from MRB; and Dave Herring, representing Keeler Construction.
By winning the state award, NYS APWA will submit the Yates project to APWA National for consideration for a national award. Those awards will be announced later in the spring.
Provided photos: (Left) Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata, left, greets Congressman Joe Morelle outside the Lures Restaurant in Kendall by Lake Ontario on Feb. 22. (Right) Amy Machamer, owner of Hurd Orchards, welcomes the congressman on a stop at the farm on Route 104 in Murray.
Posted 16 March 2023 at 3:29 pm
Congressman wants to protect waterfront resources, strengthen agriculture
Press Release, Congressman Joe Morelle
Congressman Joe Morelle highlighted his recent visit to Orleans County, where he met with local elected officials and had productive discussions about the most important issues facing their community.
This marks Congressman Morelle’s first official tour of the portions of Orleans County recently added to New York’s 25th Congressional District.
“I’m proud to have added part of Orleans County to my district this year, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time getting to know local leaders, exploring their vibrant community, and forming critical partnerships,” Morelle said. “It’s clear everyone I met has a deep love for the neighborhoods and families they serve, and we have a number of shared priorities—especially strengthening our agricultural economy and protecting our waterfront resources. I look forward to spending more time in this community and I know that through our continued work together we can build a strong future for Orleans County families.”
Lyndonville Mayor John Belson gives Joe Morelle a tour of Main Street and downtown Lyndonville.
Congressman Morelle began the day with a bus tour alongside members of the Orleans County Legislature, including the body’s Chairman, Lynne Johnson. Together, they visited businesses and landmarks across Orleans County and met with local leaders to discuss their mutual priorities. The tour ended with a visit to Hurd Orchards – complete with samples of apple pie, cookies, applesauce and their famous Ruby Frost apples.
“It was an honor to put this event together to showcase Congressman Morelle’s enhanced district within Orleans County,” said John Fitzak, Orleans County Legislator for District #4. “Based on our conversations, it is apparent that with the Congressman’s partnership, Orleans County can continue to grow and develop its footprint along the southern shore of Lake Ontario.”
Editor’s Note: Besides Monroe County, the 25th Congressional District includes about half of Orleans County – the towns of Carlton, Clarendon Dist. 1, Gaines, Kendall, Murray and Yates.
Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon shows Morelle the town park on Morrison Road by Lake Ontario.
LYNDONVILLE – The school district is accepting applications for its 2023-24 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs.
If you are a resident of the Lyndonville Central School District and your child will be 3, 4 or 5 by Dec. 1, 2023, they are eligible to enroll. Space is limited, but openings are available for all age groups.
The five-day-a-week, developmentally appropriate PreK program engages students in planned educational activities, play time, and breakfast and lunch are provided. Our 3-year-old PreK runs from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day, and our 4-year-old PreK runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. (with an option for parent pick up at 12:30 p.m.). Transportation is provided for children ages 3 and up.
If more students are pre-registered for Pre-K for the 2023-24 school year than there are available seats, a lottery will be held on May 15. If Pre-K seats remain, they will be filled per UPK and district guidelines.
It is important to begin the registration process as soon as possible! Lyndonville CSD will be hosting a PreK Open House on July 4, but seats fill up quickly. Getting your application in as soon as possible will ensure a higher chance of an available spot for your student.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the program, please call or email Dr. Elissa Smith, Elementary School Principal, at (585) 765-3122 or esmith@lcsdk12.org.
You will need to provide your name, address, child’s name and child’s date of birth. More information can be found at lyndonvillecsd.org/registration.
Photos courtesy of Diocese of Buffalo: Members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyndonville carry a crucifix and Book of Gospels into St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Mass on Sunday. The cross and book were rescued from a fire on Feb. 28.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 March 2023 at 8:55 am
LYNDONVILLE – Less than a week after a fire destroyed the back end of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyndonville, and damaged much of the interior, church members feel assured they will have input on the future of the church at 36 Lake Ave.
Bishop Michael Fisher of the Diocese of Buffalo met with church members for about a half hour after Mass on Sunday at St. Mary’s in Medina. The bishop then travelled to Lyndonville to see St. Joseph’s with his own eyes.
Photo courtesy of Chris Busch: The burnt crucifix from St. Joseph’s was set at the side altar of St. Mary’s in Medina for Mass last Sunday.
“He is a very receptive bishop,” said Gary Daum, a member of St. Joseph’s for nearly 50 years. “We’re glad that he came here.”
The Diocese continues to assess the damage to the building from the fire, which is “quite extensive,” said Joe Martone, communications director for the Diocese.
Assessors from the Diocese are determining the full scope of the damage, he said.
Daum said St. Joseph’s members were told they would have a say in the next steps for the church.
“As parishioners, will we have a seat at the table about the future of this church site,” Daum said.
Daum appreciated the show of solidarity from the bishop and also the St. Mary’s parishioners in Medina. The bishop stayed after the Mass at St. Mary’s to meet with the parishioners from St. Joseph’s.
“He talked with anybody and anyone,” Daum said. “Everybody had a chance to have their voices heard.”
At St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville, Daum said he felt more encouraged about the future of the church building than he did soon after the fire. The main structure and sanctuary are intact, and the side of the church and an elevator are OK, he said.
“Yes, it is a mess,” he said. “The bishop said he has seen churches burnt worse than ours.”
While the bishop looked inside the church, St. Joseph’s members stayed outside and prayed, saying the rosary.
The church attendance was down in recent years, partly from the effects of Covid pandemic restrictions. Daum said about 20 people were attending Mass on Saturdays and 25 on Sundays. The church still has a dedicated core of believers.
“Right at this moment we don’t exactly know what the future holds,” Daum said. “There is no statement on where we are going. But at least we know we are being listened to.”
This group from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church says the Rosary outside the church in Lyndonville while Bishop Michael Fisher visits the church on Sunday afternoon after a Mass at St. Mary’s in Medina.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyndonville is shown on its 50th anniversary in 1967. Photograph by Bill Covell.
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 3, No. 9
LYNDONVILLE – News of the devastating fire which occurred at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Lyndonville on the night of Feb. 28 dismayed many, far and near.
Rev. Thomas F. Gleason, pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Medina, is credited with organizing the construction of St. Joseph’s Mission Church in Lyndonville in 1917 to serve the fifteen Catholic families who lived in the vicinity.
The church, which seated 125 people, was built on land purchased from J.H. Lake. It was dedicated on Nov. 25, 1917, by Bishop Dougherty of Buffalo. A large contingent from St. Mary’s Church in Medina were in attendance.
St. Joseph’s was served by pastors and assistants from St. Mary’s for 45 years. During that time, the congregation grew to one hundred families. The Rosary Altar Society was established. Additional land on the north side of Lake Avenue was purchased for parking. A church hall and kitchen were added.
St. Joseph’s Church, Lyndonville, as it appeared before renovations for the Golden Jubilee.
St. Joseph’s was raised to the status of a parish on August 30, 1962. The parish comprises the Town of Yates, that part of Carlton west of Oak Orchard Creek and that part of the town of Ridgeway north of Ridge Road.
Fr. Bosack served as pastor in Lyndonville for 32 years
Rev. Albert J. Bosack was appointed as the first pastor. He was installed on Sept. 2, 1962, by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Felix McCabe, pastor of St. Joseph’s parish in Albion. Genial and much loved, Fr. Bosack served the Lyndonville congregation until his retirement in 1994.
A rectory was built on a lot east of the church in 1964.
The Church celebrated it’s fiftieth anniversary in 1967. In anticipation of this event, a new organ was purchased for the church, the building was painted inside and out, the fellowship hall and kitchen were renovated .
On Sunday, October 15, Most Rev. Stanislaus J. Branza, Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo celebrated a Pontifical Solemn High Mass of Thanksgiving at the church.
Altar boys, followed by Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus from Medina, march in procession along Lake Avenue in Lyndonville toward St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church for a Mass to celebrate the church’s Golden Jubilee. (Journal-Register on Oct. 18, 1967)
A Golden Jubilee Dinner Dance for parish families and friends was held at the Apple Grove Inn in Medina on October 13, 1967. Rev. Charles Amico was guest speaker. Harold Suzanne played a program of organ music during the evening and the Bob Still Trio provided dance music.
This group was photographed for the Journal-Register at St. Joseph’s Golden Jubilee dinner dance held at the Apple Grove In, Friday, October 13, 1967. Mrs. Iola Layer, at the left, was dinner chairman. The three ladies in the center were original members of the parish: Mrs. Floyd Smith, Helena Mahar, and Mrs. Stanley R. Berry, Sr. To the right are Stanley Barry, Jr. a church trustee and his wife, Margaret.
For many years the regular weekend schedule comprised a Saturday Mass at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Masses at 8:30 am and 10:30 am to serve the congregation of one hundred families. During the summer months, the influx of lakeside vacationers necessitated the celebration of an additional Mass.
Though the congregation has since declined to fifteen families, this “little white church” has a special place in the hearts of many.
