By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 March 2023 at 7:49 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Amelia Symons of Albion plays the euphonium during Saturday’s All-County Music Festival at the Stroyan Auditorium at Lyndonville Central School.
The event is presented by the Orleans County Music Educators Association and features top music students from Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina.
The concert featured an elementary band, junior high chorus and senior high band.
This was the second All-County concert. The first on Feb. 4 featured the elementary chorus, junior high band and high school chorus.
Roger Chagnon III, director of instrumental music at Westfield in Chautauqua County, directs the elementary band. They performed “March of the Phantom Brigade” by John Edmondson, “Haunted Clocks” by Brian Balmages, and “Tempest” by Robert W. Smith.
Kimberly Harrison, choral director at Sweet Home High School in Amherst, served as guest conductor for the junior high chorus which performed four songs: “Bonse Aba” arranged by Victor C. Johnson, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” arranged by Lon Beery, “Homeward Bound” arranged by Jay Althouse, and “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing” arranged by Roger Emerson.
ChrisJen Winters of Albion and Ava Blount of Medina were soloists for one of the songs by the Junior High Chorus.
Angela Dray, director of the concert band and jazz ensemble at North Tonawanda High School, served as guest conductor of the senior high band.
The senior high band performed “Captain America March” arranged by Michael Brown, “English Folk Song Suite” arranged Ralph Vaughan Williams, and “Imaginarium” arranged by Randall D. Standridge.
The elementary band included 70 students from the five public school districts in the county.
The junior high chorus included 77 students in the county.
There were 74 students in the senior high band.
Thailer Seibert of Albion plays the tenor sax in the elementary band.
Senior high band students perform on Saturday. March is Music in our Schools Month and the local districts will be hosting their own concerts and events.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 March 2023 at 9:34 pm
Provided photo: Jonathan Oakes, left, and his brother Christopher stand in the State Capitol in Albany on the Million Dollar Staircase with steps made of Medina Sandstone. The brothers were in Albany for meetings of the New York State Apple Association and New York State Cider Association. Jonathan is president of the New York Cider Association and Christopher is vice president of the NY Apple Association.
LYNDONVILLE – There’s no mistaking Christopher and Jonathan Oakes passion for their family business.
The brothers are not only heavily involved in LynOaken Farms, but Christopher is vice chair of the New York Apple Association, while Jonathan is president of the New York Cider Association.
They recently attended annual meetings of their respective organizations in Albany, which they feel is important in urging lawmakers to make laws and provide funding for programs beneficial to farmers.
In addition to Christopher’s and Jonathan’s involvement in their agricultural organizations, their aunt Wendy Oakes-Wilson is a member of the New York Grape and Wine Foundation.
Jonathan has been a member of the New York Cider Association since its founding in 2015. He was elected president last June. He is the winemaker for Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.
Christopher has been on the New York Apple Association board since 2020 and was elected vice chair a year ago.
“Our involvement in agricultural goes back to our grandfather Jim,” Jonathan said. “He was active in many agricultural agencies, specifically apple organizations.”
Jim’s father Leonard founded the family farm in 1919, raising poultry and vegetables, continuing through World War II. After Leonard died in 1951 and Jim took over, he moved more into fruit and vegetables, Jonathan said. By the 1980s, the farm was mostly a fruit farm. Christopher’s and Jonathan’s dad Darrell heads the farm today.
File photos by Tom Rivers: Chris Oakes, orchard manager at LynOaken Farms and the fourth generation to work on the farm, holds a Redfield apple, a variety that was developed in 1938. The apple has a red flesh and pink seeds. It’s one of the heirloom varieties in a U-Pick orchard at the farm.
Farming has become more challenging in recent years, with all the rules and regulations being enacted in Albany, Christopher said, which is why the Oakes brothers know how important it is to support the Apple and Cider organizations.
Jonathan has always had a penchant for cider and started fermenting in 2003. Their tasting room was opened in 2008 at the winery on Ridge Road in Medina.
He said cider was one of original key beverages in our nation, and since LynOaken Farms had a lot of apples, it made sense to start making cider.
“Then we have a school like Cornell in our back yard,” Jonathan said. “It’s nice for us to collaborate with each other and assure we stay on the front end of things.”
He said the Cider Association is young as an organization, kind of running on the shirttails of the Apple Association.
“It’s been a good relationship so far,” he said.
LynOaken Farms currently grows 250 acres of apples, 16 acres of peaches and 15 acres of wine grapes. The major apple orchards are on their home farm on Platten Road in Lyndonville, while the winery is located at 10609 Ridge Rd., Medina. Commercially, they raise 14 varieties of apples, but their U-pick orchard offers more than 350 varieties. One of these is an ancient type called Ben Davis.
“This was a big variety when the canal came through,” Christopher said. “You could put them on a ship to England and they would still look like an apple when they got there. Of course, they were like shoe leather.”
Christopher said every apple grower in the state is automatically a member of the New York Apple Association. One thing which they advocated for was for a portion of every apple sale to go to the Association for marketing. Currently, 16 cents of every bushel sold goes to fund marketing of New York state apples. The Apple Board meets three times a year – in February, June and November. Meetings are in Albany at budget time and in different locations the other two sessions. The state has 550 apple growers.
Jonathan Oakes, the winemaker at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina, serves wine during the third annual Farm-to-Table dinner on Aug. 2, 2018 in downtown Medina.
The Cider Association is member driven and their funding comes from membership dues. The organization are hoping to convince Albany to increase the line item in the budget for state funding of the Cider Association.
Their requests include funding for a New York Cider Mark Promotion campaign (resulting in full activation on cider labeling indicating 100 percent use of New York apples); Cider Week New York; a New York Cider Trail app to inspire visits to tasting rooms and orchards; and update of the website, social channels and collateral to increase tourist attraction.
The Cider Association has a state director in Hudson Valley and a board of 11 members. They meet every other month, with one general membership meeting in March. Smaller committees meet regularly.
Since growers have started making cider in New York state, it has had a tremendous economic impact, according to information provided by Jonathan. From five licensed producers in 2011, the industry has grown to more than 125 in 2023, employing 6,148 and resulting in $520 million in wages.
The New York Cider Association says the cider industry has a $1.7 billion total economic impact in the state.
The state will celebrate Cider Week New York May 5 to 14 and Oct. 6 to 15. More information can be found on their website at www.ciderweeknewyork.com.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2023 at 4:31 pm
Bishop will meet Sunday with parishioners from church after Mass at St. Mary’s
Photos by Tom Rivers: Firefighters check the back end of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyndonville after a destructive fire on Tuesday. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:41 a.m. This photo was taken at about 7:45 a.m.
LYNDONVILLE – The Diocese of Buffalo hasn’t made a decision about the next steps with the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church after a destructive fire Tuesday at the building on 36 Lake Ave.
“We are assessing the damage which is quite extensive,” said Joe Martone, communication manager for the Diocese. “It will be fairly substantial.”
The fire on Tuesday destroyed much of the back of the church and also left the inside covered in soot, peeling paint and wallpaper, fallen insulation and many melted and destroyed items.
Bishop Michael Fisher will be at St. Mary’s in Medina for the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday and will meet with parishioners from St. Joseph’s after the service.
“It’s devastating to the parish,” Martone said about the fire. “It’s an outreach we wanted to do to show our support to the people in Orleans County. All our churches are important to us in the Diocese.”
The sanctuary of the church used to be white but now is gray and black from the smoke and soot. Wet insulation that fell from the ceiling is on the pews.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2023 at 8:29 pm
Inside of burned Lyndonville church shows extensive damage from smoke and fire
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – A statue of Joseph holding baby Jesus has soot and discoloration, even though it was a room and short hallway away from the sanctuary at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church which was extensively damaged from a fire today.
The church at 36 Lake Ave. suffered extensive damage after a fire destroyed much of the back of the building. The back holds a religious education classroom.
The pews have soot and soggy insulation on them. The walls have peeled the the former white interior is now gray and black after the fire.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:41 a.m. after a motorist on Route 63 saw flames coming from the building.
The fire is currently ruled as accidental and fire investigators are working to pinpoint the cause. They are trying to rule out a few possibilities in the area where the fire started, said Justin Niederhofer, Orleans County’s emergency management director.
The condition of front of the church belies the extensive damage inside. Paul Davis Restoration, a Rochester company, boarded up broken windows, doors and other openings in the church today.
Gary Daum, a member of St. Joseph’s for 42 years and the church’s maintenance supervisor, points to where rafters are charred from the fire.
The altar suffered from the intense heat and flames.
“This is just devastating,” Daum said. “Words can’t describe it. We’ll get through this, but it will take some doing.”
Daum served as the lecter of the last mass at the church on Saturday. That Mass was in memory of his wife Diane’s parents.
The Daums said the church has been going through a transition in recent years. The sanctuary holds 125 people, but attendance for Mass was down to about 15 to 25 people. The religious education program also was discontinued with young families encouraged to take those classes at St. Mary’s in Medina.
St. Joseph’s was about to shift to offering only one Mass a week, Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. after having three services – a weekday Mass, one on Saturday and one on Sunday morning.
Some of the beams in the roof have been burned from fire. The blades on fans have melted and face downward, and the sanctuary’s globe lights are all broken.
Wet insulation is on pews in the front of the church sanctuary.
“Everything has been scorched, bent or covered in soot,” Daum said. “It’s all dirty.”
The basement also is flooded from the water to douse the flames.
Daum said there has been a stream of people driving by the church today, many stopping to offer their sympathy.
Even though attendance was down significantly in recent years, Daum said many residents have attended weddings and funerals at the site. They also have fond memories of a chicken barbecue where not too long ago, St. Joseph’s served 800 to 1,000 meals on the third Sunday in July. Daum was chairman of the event for many years. That summer social included live music and was well attended by the community.
The stained glass window of Joseph in the front of the church has five or six hairline cracks after today’s fire.
An official from the Western New York Catholic Diocese was on site today and will assist the church in deciding what is salvageable and the next steps for St. Joseph’s.
These statues of Joseph and baby Jesus are covered in soot. These statues are near the altar in the sanctuary.
Provided photo: Flames shoot out of the rear side of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at about 4 a.m. today in Lyndonville.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2023 at 9:21 am
LYNDONVILLE – St. Joseph’s Catholic Church suffered extensive damage in a fire last night.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:41 a.m. after a motorist on Route 63 saw flames coming from the building at 36 Lake Ave.
The fire likely started in the rear of the building, where the church was heavily damaged. Fire investigators are on the scene this morning trying to determine the cause.
“It’s devastating,” said long-time church member Gary Daum. “There is so much damage. The walls are peeled. The back end is gone.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters are on the back side of the church this morning. They worked to open roof hatches and put out any smoldering fires in the walls.
Daum said officials from the Western New York Diocese will be on scene today to assess the damage and determine the next steps for the congregation, which is part of the Our Lady of Lake Parish with a church in Barker.
The fire could have been much worse, taking the whole building if it wasn’t from a quick response from local firefighters, said Dave Hydock, a deputy fire coordinator with the county and 45-year member of the Lyndonville Fire Department.
He said there were 15 to 20 Lyndonville firefighters on the scene within 20 minutes of the call, and then crews soon followed from Medina, Shelby and Ridgeway. Albion and Carlton also joined in keeping the fire from totally engulfing the church. Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 35 minutes, Hydock said.
“In another 10 or 15 minutes this would have been like a barn fire,” Hydock said this morning at the scene. “In all my years as a fire coordinator this was a very good stop in a large building.”
Hydock has been a fire coordinator for 19 years. He praised the firefighters for responding so fast after being awakened from sleep to fight the fire.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was built in 1917 as a mission church under St. Mary’s in Medina.
Provided photo: The fire in the back of the church can be seen in this photo taken that shows the front.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from totally destroying the church on Lake Avenue.
Photos by Tom Rivers: A new 75-foot-long pier is part of the upgrades to the Yates Town Park on Morrison Road by Lake Ontario.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 January 2023 at 9:57 am
YATES – The park upgrades for the Town of Yates will be recognized as the “project of the year” by Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association.
The local chapter is honoring Yates in the Small Cities/Rural Communities category for Structures Projects.
The honor will be presented on Jan. 26 during the awards banquet for the APWA at the RIT Inn and Conference Center.
The award was established “to promote excellence in demonstrating creativity, ingenuity and efficiency in the delivery of Public Works projects that have a profound impact on the community.”
This award recognizes the alliance between the managing agency, the engineer and contractors who together have led to a successful completion of a public works project, said awards chairman Paul Chatfield.
The town worked with the MRB Group for engineering services and Keeler Construction in Barre served as the general contractor.
Russ Martino, a former Yates town supervisor, speaks during a Sept. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park improvements. The new pavilion is named in his honor. Martino served as town supervisor from 1996 to 2009. He was the supervisor when the town acquired the land for the park in 1997. It was for sale and the town used $100,000 from the state to acquire 5 acres of waterfront property.
The $2.5 million park upgrades included 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 new playground was designed by Parkitects, which is owned by Lyndonville native Ben Frasier, a 1988 Lyndonville graduate. The playground equipment includes several handicapped accessible features. The playground is on a rubber surface.
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 project turned a small park with few amenities into a site that Yates officials believe will become a vibrant destination.
Provided photo: Some of the Lions Club members in Lyndonville recently gathered for their annual holiday dinner at the White Birch.
Posted 31 December 2022 at 8:40 am
Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club recently held its annual holiday dinner at the White Birch Golf Course.
Members gathered for the holiday celebration and reflected back on a busy year for the club. The early months saw the club active with its annual support of the Easter egg hunt at the Lyndonville High School and supplied free hotdogs and soft drinks to all participants.
April saw a large turnout of over 250 people for the Lions Club Eye Health Care Screening. A free eye examination, glaucoma screening, and eye glass fittings were performed. The attendees all received a pair of refurbished eye glasses care of the Lions Club.
In May, club members delivered red roses to all mothers at the nursing home in Medina and at the extended care unit at the Medina Memorial Hospital. This was conducted in conjunction with their annual red rose and carnation sale for Mother’s Day.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The White Birth Golf Course hosted a pop-up eyeglass clinic on March 19 and about 250 people filled the site not long after doors officially opened at 10 a.m. The Lyndonville Lions Club organized the first-time community eyeglass clinic in the county. Lions Club members from Medina and the Leos Club at Lyndonville Central School also assisted. A team of eye specialists – state-licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry – were on site to determine the correct prescription glasses for each individual.
In July, the club celebrated the return of its primary endeavor with a full July Fourth parade, a chicken barbeque, and an evening concert followed by their famous large fireworks display. The day’s activities saw Grand Marshall David Bellavia, a recipient of the Medal of Honor, return to his home town to be honored. A military fly-over was performed to honor him and all the home town heroes.
The fly-over was carried out by the 911th Air Force Reserve Unit from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The attendance for the one day celebration was calculated to be over 10,000 people.
A summer long project that will be completed in the spring of 2023 is the village park project. The “Village of Lyndonville Sunset Park” project saw the improvement of an underutilized piece of property at the termination of route 63. The village-owned property has been transformed into a beautiful picnic and observation area thru the generous donation of man hours, cement slab pours, tree donations, and bench and table placements. The improvements have allowed the public to better use this area for various activities. The placement of a sign and flag pole should be completed this spring with a projected ribbon cutting event set for early summer.
A flyover preceded the Fourth of July parade in Lyndonville. It was carried out by the 911th Airlift Wing from Pittsburgh, Pa. The C-17 planes are used by the Air Force Reservists. The flyover was a first for Lyndonville’s July 4th festival, which has been organized annually by the Lyndonville Lions Club for about 50 years.
December brought holiday cheer and a Christmas Tree Lighting to the Lyndonville Village Park. Nearly 100 trees were sold and decorated in various ways to start the holiday season. The Lions supported this effort which is held by the village yearly. Lions supplied hot dogs and soft drinks throughout the day to those who ventured out on a blustery Saturday to experience the tree lighting and the arrival of Santa Claus.
The club recently sent several boxes of farm fresh apples from LynOaken Farms to the Commanding Officer and participants of the July Fourth flyover. The club wanted to thank the men and women of the 911th Air Force Reserves for their efforts. LynOaken Farms donated the gift to be sent.
The club is finishing a new membership drive which has been under way since November. Efforts are also well under way to purchasing a tenotomy machine to test eye pressure and screen for glaucoma. It is expected that this instrument could be used by Lyndonville’s and other Lions Clubs for their screening events. The club is also exploring the idea of an inaugural Lyndonville Lions Club golf tournament.
For the club’s schedule and plan of events you may contact President Harold Suhr or follow us on Facebook. The club would like to thank all the individuals and businesses that have supported our efforts in 2022.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 December 2022 at 8:50 am
ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday evening voted in support of a new 184-foot-high telecommunications tower in Yates on the Yates-Carlton Town Line Road.
Tarpon Towers would own the tower, about 1,000 feet north of Route 18. Tarpon plans to lease out space to other companies.
The project is designed to increase capacity and improve phone coverage throughout the eastern portion of Yates, western part of Carlton, northeastern portion of Ridgeway, and northwestern portion of Gaines.
The tower also will allow Verizon to offload current overloaded sites/cells. Jared Lusk, a real estate attorney with Nixon Peabody, told county planners there is room for at least two companies to co-locate on the tower with the possibility for more.
The tower will go on land owned by Bradley Bentley. It will be built on a concrete pad that is 4 by 11.6 feet. There will also be a structure that is 6.3 feet by 6.3 feet to house supporting equipment.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 December 2022 at 8:37 am
Robert Smith overcomes obstacles to downtown revitalization with 3 storefronts, 4 hotel rooms
Photos by Tom Rivers: Robert Smith is pleased with the progress with renovating three Main Street buildings behind him in Lyndonville. He is seeking tenants for the storefronts, and expects four hotel rooms to be ready in April.
LYNDONVILLE – Robert Smith sees lots of potential in his hometown. The Lyndonville native now lives in Palm Springs, Calif., where he has worked as a financial advisor for nearly four decades.
But he comes home often to see family and friends, and to check up on a construction project that he hopes will add to Lyndonville’s quality of life. After more than three years of construction, three of Lyndonville’s Main Street buildings are nearly ready for tenants, and four hotel rooms will be available in the spring.
Smith took on the project, giving the three buildings a major transformation. The buildings don’t have tenants yet, but Smith sees many possibilities for the spaces – from cafes, restaurants, retail businesses, receptions for parties and events, shared work space and a certified kitchen that can be rented out, just to name a few options.
This 1,400-square-foot space looks much different than when it was a liquor store years ago.
“There are a lot of opportunities,” Smith said on Saturday, giving a tour of the nearly finished first floors. “It’s an open footprint. We’re really ready to start entertaining tenants.”
He welcomed people interested in the space to reach out to him at 760-408-8686.
Smith hosted a group on Saturday morning to breakfast and coffee before they went out and set more than 400 wreaths on veterans’ graves. On Sunday he had an appreciation gathering for the contractors who have worked on the project.
Mike Preston & Son Construction in Lyndonville served as general contractor on the Webber Building at 29 South Main St. Papilia and Sons, led by Ferdinando Papalia, did the bulk of the work as general contractor on the two other buildings.
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Here is how the building looked in 2018 before the construction started.
The Webber site has about 2,200 square feet of space on the first floor. The next two buildings have about 1,400 square feet in the former liquor store and about 1,500 square feet in the former sweet shop. The site also has outdoor patio space after the former Pennysaver building had to be knocked down when it’s roof caved in in February 2020 due to heavy snow and ice.
Smith said there could be pop-up vendors as tenants who may only need a small amount of room.
John Belson, the Lyndonville mayor, praised Smith for seeing the project through many challenges, including Covid restrictions and supply chain shortages that slowed down construction.
“It’s been trials and tribulations,” Belson said. “It’s been a huge undertaking.”
Some of community members were welcomed inside the Webber building on Saturday. Steve Goodrich, second from left, and Scott Goetze, both members of the American Legion in Lyndonville, spoke to a group on Saturday morning before they went to place wreaths on 441 veterans’ graves. Robert Smith, back left, invited the group inside the newly renovated Webber Hotel/Cafe on Main Street. Jim Simon, Yates town supervisor, is at right.
Smith adapted his overall plan when the Pennysaver building had to be taken down.
“It’s amazing,” Belson said about the repurposed buildings. “Hopefully it will help bring Lyndonville back. Having it come to fruition is good for the town, village and everybody.”
The village was able to help Smith secure a state grant that contributed about $400,000 towards the project.
The buildings have a fresh and modern look, with new plumbing, HVAC and drywall.
Darlene Hartway, one of the owners of Sourced Market & Eatery in Medina, is managing the certified kitchen at the Webber building. She plans to offer cooking classes. She said the kitchen can be renting out by others.
Smith plans a local advertising campaign when the hotel rooms are ready, likely in April. He sees a need for places to stay in Lyndonville with White Birch hosting many weddings and events on Route 63. There are also fishermen and many others who come to the community, including drivers for the Amish and Mennonite communities.
Robert Smith sees lots of potential for Lyndonville’s Main Street with three storefronts nearly ready.
LYNDONVILLE – In an effort to encourage and thank the residents for their decorating skills, the Lyndonville Lions Club will sponsor its annual “Spirit of Christmas” lights and decoration contest, with plaques awarded to the homes that are picked as the winners of the contest.
Residents do not need to pre-register their homes for contest entry. “Spirit of Christmas” Committee members will be the judges of the contest.
In order to have your home included in the judging you need to have your lights and decorations turned on by 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 21. The judges will canvas the entire Lyndonville area.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 December 2022 at 5:52 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – A volunteer carries wreaths to be placed at veterans’ graves at Lynhaven Cemetery on Housel Avenue in Lyndonville.
Volunteers placed 441 wreaths at veterans’ graves on Saturday as part of the Wreaths Across America observance.
Of the wreaths, 420 were set at Lynhaven, with others put at veterans’ grave sites at Yates Center Cemetery, Robin Hill Estate, the Greenman Road Cemetery, Lott Cemetery on Angling Road and a cemetery on Marshall Road.
Steve Goodrich, right, is coordinator of the Wreaths effort in Lyndonville. He presents a wreath to Anna Stelianou, who pays for the wreaths in Lyndonville through an endowment. Stelianou funded the effort in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.
She is joined by her nephew Richard Stelianou. They set wreaths by the graves at Lynhaven for her brothers: Peter, George and Fred “Fotius.”
Anna Stelianou traveled from the Buffalo area to help lay the wreaths, even in the cold weather.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
Lyndonville first joined the Wreaths Across America effort in 2019. Medina has been doing it since 2013. The Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke also had a ceremony and wreath-laying on Saturday.
There were about 3,400 communities who joined Wreaths Across America on Saturday.
Carl Boyle, a long-time member of the Houseman-Tanner Post 1603 American Legion in Lyndonville, helped lay the wreaths on Saturday.
Steve Goodrich, site coordinator, welcomes the volunteers who helped place the wreaths. He led a short ceremony that included ceremonial wreaths set up in honor of POWs, MIAs, and branches of the military including the Space Force, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Merchant Marines.
Herb Bohnet of Lyndonville was buddled up while placing the wreaths. The volunteers also retrieved flags at the veterans’ graves that have been out since close to Memorial Day in late May.
The wreaths are expected to be displayed for two to three months.
Jackie Lonnen joined the volunteers for Wreaths Across America on Saturday in Lyndonville.
Eric Harling carries wreaths to veterans’ graves at Lynhaven. He and his wife, Yates Town Clerk Shelly Harling, were among the volunteers.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2022 at 9:24 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Steve Goodrich, commander of the American Legion in Lyndonville, and Anna Stelianou are pictured in December 2019 at the grave of her parents, Ary and Konstantina, who emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Anna Stelianou provided the funding for an endowment to pay for about 400 wreaths to be set at veterans’ graves each year in Lyndonville.
There will be ceremonies at noon today in Lyndonville and Medina as part of Wreaths Across America. After the ceremony, more than 400 wreaths will be placed on veterans’ graves in Lyndonville and 1,000 will be set at three cemeteries in Medina.
The American Legion Houseman-Tanner Post in Lyndonville is heading the Wreaths event in Lyndonville. The ceremony will be at noon at Lynhaven Cemetery on Housel Avenue.
In Lyndonville, the cost for about 420 wreaths is paid for by an endowment funded by Anna Stelianou. She gave the funding to the Lyndonville Area Foundation to create an endowment to pay for the cost of the wreaths every year long into the future. The wreaths are $15 each with the current cost for all the wreaths about $6,000 a year.
Stelianou funds the wreaths to show her appreciation for the community’s kindness to her parents, Ary and Konstantina. They emigrated to Lyndonville from Greece after WWI. Stelianou also donated the money for the program in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.
Medina will have its ceremony at noon at Boxwood Cemetery, with the 1,000 wreaths to then be placed on veterans’ graves at Boxwood, St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart cemeteries. The 1,000 wreaths is up from 315 last year. Tom Snyder, a Navy veteran and owner of Medina Lumber and Hardware, is helping to fund the increase in wreaths this year.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 December 2022 at 2:04 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Don Melfi gathers bags of oranges to give to people in this morning’s food distribution at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church’s parking lot.
There were bags and boxes of food for about 250 families. The church has hosted the distributions for most of the Covid pandemic and has a food pantry for years before Covid hit in March 2020.
Kyle Sentiff, 27, collects squash and other vegetables for one of the vehicles. The distribution was scheduled to start at 8:30, but icy roads delayed the FoodLink truck until about 9:30. Many of the people showed up very early for the distribution and waited two hours of more.
Sentiff is an elder at the Presbyterian Church. He likes to volunteer at the distributions when he has a day off.
“I’m just here to help when I can,” he said. “It’s great to see the churches step up for the community.”
FoodLink will continue the distributions in Lyndonville until at least June. The upcoming schedule includes Jan. 13, Feb. 3, March 3, March 24, April 7, April 21, May 5, May 19, June 2 and June 23.
Craig Rhodenizer (in back with beard) is pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church on Route 18 in Yates. He leads the group in a prayer before the distribution. Rhodenizer asked for God’s blessing on the people lined up receiving the food, and for others who need the food but weren’t able to be there that morning. Jim Wells, one of the volunteers, is at right.
Other pastors at the distribution this morning included Lyle Drake of the Yates Baptist Church and Tim Schultz of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church. Martha Mitchell of the Presbyterian Church is usually at the events as well.
Schultz lives across the street from the Presbyterian Church and he some of the cars start showing up at 4 in the morning for the distributions. He is impressed the volunteers are so dependable, even when it’s cold and icy.
“It does amaze me how the volunteers just show up in the inclement weather,” he said.
Pastor Lyle Drake grabs bottles of salsa during the morning’s distribution.
Pat Wilcox lifts a bag of oranges for the distribution. She recently starting volunteering after retiring from LynOaken Farms.
“I enjoy it,” she said. “People need help and I can do something, and you meet a lot of other people.”
DeeAnn Diermyer, left, and her sister Denise Adams, both of Medina, were up early to help with the distribution. Diermyer has volunteered at the events since they started, and also has helped run the food pantry at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church for 13 years. She attends the United Methodist Church.
Diermyer said many local residents are struggling to pay their bills and are relying on the distributions and food pantries.
“The people are more in need now,” she said. “The prices are so high right now.”
Gary Daum has been volunteering at the distributions for about two years. He was at the spot with potatoes grown by Triple G Farms of Barre. Daum said he sees many senior citizens at the distirbutions. They pick up food not only for themselves but for friends who don’t drive or who can’t make it in person.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 December 2022 at 1:01 pm
Provided photo: Students from Lyndonville Central School pose with volunteer DeeAnn Diermyer and the food they collected for a food drive to benefit the Lyndonville-Yates Emergency Food Pantry. From left are Diermyer, Austin Gardner, Alex Wilson, Jack Nesbitt, Justin Higgins, Justin Pittler and Chris Mondoux.
LYNDONVILLE – Collecting food for the Lyndonville-Yates Emergency Food Pantry is an annual project for students at Lyndonville Central School.
Every year during Advent, the school’s Leo Club, under the direction of teachers Gina Marker and Teresa Pierson, encourage the entire school district to collect canned goods for the food pantry, better known as LYFE.
The food pantry is an ecumenical effort between churches in Yates and Lyndonville and is totally supported by local donations and help from Foodlink, said Martha Mitchell, pastor of the Lyndonville Methodist Church.
The school just completed its food drive and the boxes of food have been delivered to the pantry.
“This year our shelves were dangerously low, so the extra support from the school means a lot at this holiday season,” Mitchell said.
“I love that the Leo Club is teaching our youth how to embrace service in the community,” she said. “That is a mindset that, hopefully, will carry over into their adulthood.”
The LYFE pantry is supported by the Lyndonville United Methodist Church, Yates Baptist Church, Lyndonville Presbyterian Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church.
The pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday to Thursday for area residents. Every Christmas, LYFE provides boxes of food with turkeys and many food staples. The boxes also include gifts for children in the families.
In addition, the pantry hosts two Foodlink pop-up pantry deliveries a month.
