11-year-old sixth-grader also leads state in points

Provided photos: Laina Stewart, 11, carries the checkered flag after winning a race at the Ransomville Speedway.

LYNDONVILLE – Laina Stewart in her fifth season of racing has earned the title of track champ at Ransomville Speedway. She races go-karts in the Junior 2 Division.

Laina, who just turned 11, zooms around a ½-mile dirt oval, topping 40 miles per hour. Her go-kart is labelled, “The Lyndonville Rocket.” She is a sixth-grader at Lyndonville.

Laina  also currently tops in the state in points in the Junior Purple Clone division with 286 points. Levi Herriven is second at 278, and Jax Cotriss of Middleport is third at 256. Jax finished second to Laina at Ransomville.

“They pretty much battle it out all year,” Laina’s stepfather Ricky Washburn said about a friendly rivalry between Laina and Jax.

Laina also races at the Weedsport Speedway near Syracuse once or twice a month on Saturdays or Sundays while Ransomville has been a weekly competition on Thursdays. The state rankings continue until the final week of racing on Oct. 27 in Weedsport.

“She’s a natural at it,” Washburn said about Laina. “She’s competitive.”

Laina Stewart, second from left, is shown with her family, including her mother, Desirae Davis; stepfather, Ricky Washburn; and her sister, Parker.

Laina moved up a division this year after being in the Junior 1 Division in 2023. She races with about 15 other 10- to 12-year-olds. The maximum speed increased by about 5 miles per hour from Junior 1, topping out at about 45 mph this year. Laina likes to go fast on the straight-a-ways and lets off the gas, a little, when she rounds the corners

She also plays soccer and softball, and this year is playing football for the first time, as a defender for Lyndonville’s youth football team.

The racing is a family-oriented event. Washburn and Laina’s grandfather, Keith Davis, are in the pit and keep the go-kart in good working order.

Laina’s 3-year-old sister Parker is eager to get into racing in about two years.

“It’s fun getting together every week,” Washburn said about the racing outings. “It’s a whole family thing.”

Laina appreciates the support from her major supporters: Slack Karts Performance Mfg., a go-cart business in Middleport; Tom Klink from Infinit Technology Solutions; and Independent Pizzeria in Weedsport.

After the season ends in Weedsport, Laina expects to race a few times this winter in Kentucky.

LYNDONVILLE – The Village Planning Board, after several months of discussion, today recommend to the Village Board that Lyndonville update its zoning ordinance to allow residents to have up to six chickens, but no roosters.

Residents will need to get a permit (a one-time fee of $25), and the chickens are restricted to the rear or backyard of any residential zoning district. Chicken owners will need to submit photos of the cages or coops where the chickens are housed. The cages shall not exceed 32 square feet or be taller than 7 feet.

The cages or coops need to be at least 30 feet from any door or window of a dwelling, school, church or other occupied structure other than the applicant’s dwelling.

The coops or cages also need to be at 5 feet from a side yard property line and more than 18 inches from a rear lot line. No chickens shall be kept in a front yard or side street yard areas, according to the draft ordinance.

An earlier proposal for the ordinance called for residents to have consent of neighbors within 50 feet of the property, but that was scrapped at this afternoon’s meeting of the Planning Board.

Board member Justin Edwards said he supported the ordinance, but didn’t think neighbor approval should be required.

“You don’t have a say if your neighbor gets a dog or puts up a fence,” he said. “I think it sets a very bad precedent (to require neighbor approval for chickens).”

Planning Board Chairman Steve Vann said he wanted to reach a compromise in the ordinance that could be submitted to the Village Board for its consideration. The Village Board asks the Planning Board to recommend a draft ordinance for the village trustees and mayor to review.

Edwards said he couldn’t support a proposal with the neighbor consent required. Board member Virginia Hughes agreed.

The proposed ordinance passed 4-1, with member Terry Chaffee casting the lone opposing vote. He said chickens shouldn’t be allowed in the village.

Village code enforcement officer David Reese said he is concerned neighbors will be upset if the chickens prove to be noisy and smelly.

“We have close quarters in the village,” he said.

The proposed ordinance requires the coops and cages be kept “in a clean, dry and sanitary condition at all times.”

Despite removing the requirement for neighbor approval, the proposed ordinance was called “extremely strict” by Kate Hardner, who has led the effort to have chickens be allowed in Orleans County villages.

“I would not call this loose by any means,” Hardner said during today’s meeting.

Vann said some restrictions are needed for having chickens in the village.

“The neighbors are living with your chickens, too,” he said. “The goal was to find common ground to make it allowable.”

The issue now goes to the Village Board, which next meets 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 for a workshop and then 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 for a regular board meeting.

Photos courtesy of Emily Cebula: (Joe Baschnagel of Lockport, left, is Pipe Major with Celtic Spirit Pipe Band, which performed outside at the Yates Community Library on Aug. 26. Mary Metz, right, of Clarence Center, is fiddler. (Right) Celtic Spirit’s unique sound and adaptability to many musical genres is due to its varied instrumentation.  Sandra Lewis, right, of Somerset, is keyboardist and vocalist. She is also the assistant clerk for the Village of Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – After weather forced the cancellation of a concert twice this summer by the Barker Community Band, Library Director Emily Cebula hopes the third time is the charm.

The Barker band is scheduled to perform at 6 p.m. on Monday outside the Yates Community Library. The Concert on the Lawn series started on July 2 and about 650 people have attended the nine events.

The concerts have been funded by the NYS Council on the Arts with a grant administered by Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

The concerts have been on the back lawn of the library, overlooking Johnson Creek.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – It’s been two months since Sammy the Stone Snake emerged at Patterson Park behind the Post Office in Lyndonville.

Sammy started with 34 stones. He is now up to about 200.

Darlene Hartway pushed to start Sammy after seeing him in other communities. Hartway is the director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and has been running the Webber Café on Main Street. Many of the stones have been painted at Webber.

People are welcome to keep adding to Sammy to see how long he can get before the end of summer.

Press Release, Town of Yates

LYNDONVILLE – The Town of Yates is pleased to welcome people to the 3rd Annual Street Dance this Friday, August 23rd, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The festivities will be held on Main Street in the Village of Lyndonville which will be closed to traffic from Maple Road to Eagle Street starting at 4 p.m.

“We are very excited to work with the village to host our 3rd street dance on Main Street,” said Town Councilwoman Susan Hrovat, the event coordinator.  “Join us for good music and dancing, card games and a bounce house, and enjoy some fun, food and fellowship with family, friends and neighbors.”

Live music will be played by a local band, the Guzinyas, and there will be food trucks, craft vendors and more. The event is free, and there will be tables and chairs on the street as well as plenty of room for dancing. All are welcome.

Planning Board chairman seeks compromise to allow 6 hens

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Lyndonville Planning Board discusses a proposed chicken ordinance on Monday. Steve Vann is the chairman, and Justin Edwards, left, and Patti Gawne are members. Two other members, Terry Chaffee and Virginia Hughes, weren’t at the meeting. Village Clerk Teri Woodworth is taking notes.

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville’s Planning Board is trying to reach a compromise to allow residents to have a small flock of up to 6 hens.

The board had a draft ordinance ready on Monday, but failed to get at least three votes for the proposal which would then be forwarded to the Village Board.

Two of the five Planning Board members weren’t at Monday’s meeting. That meant the three remaining members all needed to be in favor of it for it to advance to the Village Board. Justin Edwards cast a nay vote because he doesn’t like the language in the proposed law about neighbor notification. He isn’t convinced having neighbor approval should be required to have hens.

Planning Board Chairman Steve Vann put together the draft ordinance, taking from other municipalities that allow chickens. One of those municipalities requires neighbors to give approval to allow chickens.

Vann wanted to have a majority of neighbors sign off when a resident applied for a permit to have chickens.

Kate Hardner, who has led the effort to have chickens be allowed in Orleans County villages, said neighbor approval shouldn’t be required for chickens. She noted the Health Department and state Department of Agriculture and Markets don’t require regulations for chickens.

She recommended Lyndonville instead have a process where neighbors can file a complaint about chickens, if the owner is not keeping the coops clean, if chickens are wandering off the property or other issues.

Vann said he doesn’t want to put more work on the village code officer in dealing with complaints and oversight.

“We don’t have the resources to be a neighborhood cop,” he said.

There are 457 homes in Lyndonville. Hardner estimates there would be 20 that would want to have chickens.

The Planning Board is proposing a one-time application fee of $25, with pictures of the coop and cage that the chickens would be kept in. The owners would need to reapply for a permit every three years, but wouldn’t be subject to the $25 fee every three years.

They would need neighbor approval every three years, including from any new residents who moved in adjacent to the chicken owner’s property.

Chickens won’t be allowed at duplexes or muti-family residences. They will be restricted to the rear or backyards of properties, and must be at least 30 feet from any door or window of a dwelling, school, church or other occupied structure other than the applicant’s dwelling. They must also be at least 5 feet from a side lot line or 18 inches from a rear lot line, according to the proposal.

The proposed ordinance also states the coops shall not exceed 32 square feet. The chickens must be kept in the coops or a fenced-in area at all times, unless there is a responsible individual directly monitoring the hens.

Vann said he intends to keep working on the ordinance.

“This is a good start,” he said. “We have to start somewhere. We’re trying to find a solution that works for all village residents.”

Hardner thanked the Planning Board for working on the issue. She said she supports the language in the proposal except for requiring neighbor permission.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Joint Fire District has been awarded $115,000 in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced today.

Nearby to Orleans County, the Rapids Volunteer Fire Company in Lockport also was awarded $16,728, and Wolcottsville Fire Department in Akron was approved for $109,235.

The grants are part $2,476,058.74 in federal funding for fire departments across Upstate New York. The money will be used to provide protective gear, training, and supplies to emergency personnel across 34 fire departments.

 “Every day, brave firefighters risk their lives on the frontlines to protect communities across Upstate NY, from Latham to Lockport,” Schumer said in a press reelase. “This nearly $2.5 million federal investment means better training, protective gear, and equipment that our firefighters need to keep themselves and New Yorkers safe. I stood with firefighters across Upstate New York to push for the reauthorization of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and I’m grateful that, as a result, the AFG Program is continuing to deliver results.”

“New York firefighters work tirelessly to protect our communities,” Gillibrand said. “This federal funding will provide them with the necessary equipment, training, and resources to keep them safe as they respond to emergency situations. I will continue fighting for New York fire departments and working to ensure they are well-equipped for both their safety and that of our communities.”

LYNDONVILLE – This evening’s scheduled concert at the Yates Community Library has been cancelled due to rain in the forecast. The Barker Community Band was going to perform on the library lawn this evening but the concert will be rescheduled with a new date to be set.

The series continues the rest of August at 6:30 p.m. Next week on Aug. 12 features Mystic Sisters, a vocal trio featuring  Lyndonville’s Ruby Hoffee. She’ll be joining Rose Briody and M’Lou Speranza (who also perform with Blue Sky Band).

The lineup in August also includes Puck Daddies on Aug. 19 and Celtic Spirit Pipe Band on Aug. 26.

Press Release, Yates Community Library

LYNDONVILLE – The Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra concert presented by Yates Community Library will take place this evening, not at the library but at Yates Town Park, starting at approximately 6:45 p.m.

The group will play inside the Russ Martino Pavilion, and audience members may stay in their cars alongside and be able to hear them perform.  Alternately, they may carry a chair over to the smaller pavilion to the west, or we may see the sunshine break through and spread out on the lawn!

Yates Town Park directions: take Route 63 north through Lyndonville to the flashing red light at the junction of Rt. 18. Turn right on Rt. 18 East and continue past Foss Road to Morrison Road. Turn left on Morrison and continue past the stop sign at Lakeshore Road, to the park at the end of Morrison.