By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 May 2021 at 9:32 am
Provided photos: The Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post 1603 set up a POW/MIA table in front of Lyndonville’s Veterans Park for Memorial Day in 2020.
LYNDONVILLE – The American Legion Post in Lyndonville has decided against doing a Memorial Day parade this year on May 31 and there won’t be a public service.
The Legion will have a POW/MIA Table set up near the flagpole on Memorial Day morning at Veterans Park.
“Flags will be placed in the cemeteries,” said Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner Post. “The Fallen will be remembered.”
This is the second Memorial Day where there won’t be a parade and public service. Goodrich said the Post is acting out of concern for the members. Many of them are elderly with health issues, Goodrich said.
“I simply refuse to place these gentlemen at risk,” he said.
He expects the parade and a public service will be back on schedule in 2022.
“I look forward to being able to return to our full observances next year,” Goodrich said.
Joseph Hausler, Adjutant of the Houseman-Tanner Post, played Taps during a Memorial Day Observance about a year ago. Steve Goodrich, the Post Commander, also was present for the service where the names of people were read from Lyndonville who are currently serving in the military.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 May 2021 at 10:03 am
Sophia Cardone and Qasim Huzair advanced to second round of regional competition, also picked as ‘fan favorites’
Provided photo: Qasim Huzair, a Lyndonville senior, portrayed Professor Bhaer and Sophia Cardone, a Medina senior, starred as Jo in the musical Little Women, which was performed by Lyndonville and Medina students online in March.
Two stars from the Lyndonville-Medina musical program are among 32 picked as “fan favorites” in the Stars of Tomorrow, a regional competition that recognizes high school students in the Greater Rochester area by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.
Qasim Huzair, a Lyndonville senior, and Sophia Cardone, a Medina senior, both are in the on-line voting competition. Click here to see the fan favorites.
They each have videos posted on the Stars of Tomorrow website. Click here to see Huzair and click here to see Cardone.
Huzair and Cardone also were picked among 57 performers by Stars of Tomorrow and they advanced into the second round of 30 semifinalists for their vocal and acting skills.
The Stars of Tomorrow in a normal year would send adjudicators to a performance of a musical to assess acting, singing, dancing, ensemble, tech and other parts of the show. But that isn’t happening this year with most of the musicals limited to performance shown online with no in-person crowd.
Last year’s spring musicals were cancelled when schools shut down for in-person learning in mid-March.
Huzair and Cardone have both been recognized for their theatrical skills in prior years by Stars. They have been part of the combined Lyndonville-Medina musical program for several years.
The Stars this year judged videos of the two performing and put them in the initial group of 57. They then advanced to the second round. They didn’t make it to the final 10. They are however among the 32 “fan favorites” and online voting continues until 10 a.m. on May 18. Click here to see the group of 32. The winning male and female in that competition advances to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City this summer.
Jennifer Trupo, the Lyndonville-Medina musical director, said Huzair and Cardone are both powerhouse performers.
“They are just so wonderful, both of them,” Trupo said. “They are just both so talented and to see them both grow as singers and actors. They have blown me away. I am really, super-super proud of them.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Sophia Cardone played Sister Mary Lazarus, a spunky nun in Sister Act, which was performed in March 2019.
Both have performed in comedic roles and more serious parts. This past March, Cardone was Jo in Little Women, and Huzair played opposite her as Professor Bhaer. Three years ago he played Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, singing about his love for the Moon. He won a “best supporting actor” award from the Stars for that role.
Cardone played a very zany nun in Sister Act two years ago. But she has shown she can do much more than the characters that get laughs, Trupo said.
“There is so much depth to her,” Trupo said. “She can do anything.
Trupo still regrets that last year’s show, Mama Mia, was cancelled due to Covid. Cardone had a lead role with the character of Donna, the mother of Sophie and owner of the hotel Villa Donna. Trupo said Cardone would have wowed the audience.
Qasim Huzair starred as Uncle Fester in the Medina-Lyndonville’s production of The Addams Family in March 2018. He sings about his love for the Moon. Huzair won a “best supporting actor” award from the Stars of Tomorrow.
Huzair has been transformed through the music program, starting with performances of Bruno Mars songs with karaoke at the Orleans County 4-H Fair, to chorus at Lyndonville and the musicals.
“He used to be so timid and shy,” Trupo said. “He has just blossomed. He has a high-tenor range and his voice is so beautiful. He is a super humble, kind, genuine kid.”
LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Central School District is proud to announce the Top 10 Seniors from the Class of 2021. This recognition reflects the weighted cumulative grade point average of the students throughout their high school careers, including the first through third marking periods of their senior year.
Nathan Dillenbeck is the valedictorian, and Alexander Barry is the class salutatorian.
The remaining students are listed alphabetically: Olivia Braley, Lynlee Hong, Dylan Jisa, Erin Kiefer, Emma Maynard, Zayda Moyle, Cameron Paniccia and Sydney Wilson.
“We are proud to honor the hard work and perseverance of these scholars, particularly given the challenges of the past school year,” said Lyndonville Middle-High School Principal Aaron Slack. “Saluting our Top Ten graduates has been a proud school tradition for over three decades, and this group is more than worthy to take their place among our school’s highest achieving graduates.”
Please join us in congratulating these dedicated scholars.
LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville will be flushing all water mains and hydrants from May 10 to May 14.
Flushing will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. each day. No disruption of service should occur. This may cause discolored water for a period of time.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the fire hydrant flushing, please contact Terry M. Woodworth – Supt. of Public Works at 585-765-9312 or Teri M. Woodworth – Clerk-Treasurer at 585-765-9385.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Fireworks always provide big exclamation point on the Fourth in Lyndonville. This photo was taken on July 4, 2018.
Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club
LYNDONVILLE – After a one year hiatus, the Lyndonville Lions Club is moving ahead with efforts to bring back its 4th of July celebration to the Village of Lyndonville. While some uncertainties remain, current guidelines indicated a safe return of the annual festivities with some modifications.
Noticeably absent this year will be the Main Street Parade.
“It was just not in the cards again this year,” the Lions Club stated. “But as an alternative, a number of the live bands normally appearing in the parade will be asked to appear outdoors in a concert-type setting throughout the afternoon of July 4th.”
It is the hopes of the Lions Club that the day will also feature the return of the annual arts-and-crafts show and booths along with the Lions’ Club fundraising hotdog-and-drink stand.
The Lions’ will be hosting their traditional chicken barbecue dinner. This year’s chicken dinner will be modified to take-out only. While there will be no indoor dining available this year, everyone is encouraged to bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy their chicken barbecue in a picnic-style setting while also enjoying the live music performances.
Of course, no July 4th in Lyndonville would be complete without the spectacular evening fireworks show – one of the largest in the region.
“We have not cut back at all on this year’s show.” Wes Bradley, Lions’ Fireworks Chairman, assures everyone. The fireworks show begins at 10 p.m. with viewing possible from your vehicle only. Due to current restrictions, there will not be access to the school grounds for viewing.
Detailed information will follow regarding the chicken barbecue/craft show/vendors/band times. The Lyndonville Lions reminds everyone to follow current NY Covid protections and guidelines including masking and social distancing.
This photo from July 4, 2017 shows a big crowd and a long line of fire trucks down Main Street for the parade.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 April 2021 at 12:15 pm
Crosby Whipple building will be demolished to make room for new building
Photo by Tom Rivers: A developer will knock down the Crosby-Whipple building at 30 North Main St. and replace it with a 7,600-square-foot Dollar General with 29 parking spaces. This photo was taken in December.
LYNDONVILLE – A new Dollar General store is coming to Main Street in Lyndonville after the company secured the approvals last week during a joint meeting of the Village of Lyndonville Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.
That follows a vote on March 25 by the Orleans County Planning Board in support of the project.
The Broadway Group in Huntsville, Alabama is the developer for the project. The company is proposing to demolish the Crosby Whipple building at 30 North Main St. and then build the new 7,600-square-foot store. That size store is the smallest model offered by Dollar General, said Tara Mathias, development manager. Most of the Dollar Generals are more than 9,000 square feet.
The parcel of land on Main Street doesn’t give enough room for that size store. The developer is seeking a variance on the rear setback. The village code requires a 50-foot setback from the rear and Dollar General is asking for 30.5 feet, with a variance of 19.5 feet needed.
The Village ZBA approved that variance as well as one allowing for a 9-foot-high retaining wall by the side of the building facing Johnson Creek. The code calls for a maximum height of 6 feet on a retaining wall. The size of the lot didn’t allow enough room to grade the space for a smaller retaining wall, Mathias said during last month’s Orleans County Planning Board meeting.
The code also calls for vegetative buffer as a visual screen, but that wasn’t possible on the east side of the building where there is a 20-foot easement for a waterline. There will instead be a 6-foot-high stockade-style fence on the rear perimeter of the property.
Mathias said the company designed the new store in a way to fit in on a historic Main Street. The store would have 8 to 10 employees and offer convenience for Lyndonville shoppers. Dollar General has another store 3.75 miles away at the corner of routes 63 and 104 in Ridgeway.
Construction could start in June or July with the new site operational before the end of the year, village officials said today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 April 2021 at 8:56 am
School has allowed students to not wear masks when spaced out 6 feet or more
LYNDONVILLE — The school district has had students for in-person classes five days a week throughout the school year. They haven’t been required to wear masks when at their desks, which are spaced apart 6 feet or more.
But new guidance from the State Department of Health on Friday requires masks to be worn at all times by students, except when they are eating. The state reduced the social distancing from 6 to 3 feet. The state also advised that partitions set up in many classrooms and on desks aren’t encouraged because they aren’t proven to be effective.
“Our Board of Education and I fully realize and appreciate that this new required regulation will not be well received by the majority of our community, as the survey results in the summer overwhelmingly supported reduced mask use,” Jason Smith, the district superintendent, wrote in a letter to the community on Tuesday.
Lyndonville will be shifting to a new mask policy on Friday, requiring the face coverings to be worn except at meals.
“I also question and am frustrated by the timing of such a new regulation at this point in the year, as our school has been and is fully committed to a safe, responsible, and reasonable reopening plan where we are providing in-person instruction five days per week,” Smith said. “All that being said, the Board and District are engaged in advocacy and lobbying efforts with local and state officials to address these concerns.”
Some of the board members want to take legal action against the state for requiring the mask policy in cases where social distancing is possible at 6 feet or more.
LYNDONVILLE – Artists in Lyndonville Central School District’s Photography, Studio Art and 5/6 grades recently created videos for the annual Rural Schools Association Video Contest: Our School, Our Community.
Students were instructed to create a video 3 minutes or less that shows the rural school-community connection. Videos could include music, narration, documentaries or short plays. Although school staff were able to assist, each video was required to be student directed. A grand prize winner will be selected from grades K-8 and 9-12 and each will receive $1,000. Additional prizes include: first prize of $500, second prize of $300 and finalist awards.
Lyndonville Central School will share each of the seven videos that were created on social media throughout the month. The videos are currently on the district’s YouTube channel. Links are below for you to enjoy!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 April 2021 at 9:05 am
LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville couple and four children have been temporarily displaced from their South Main Street home after a carbon monoxide leak on Saturday night.
Jessica and Kris Skowneski and their family were transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. They have been released and are staying in a hotel.
Their pets also received veterinary care, including oxygen.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe account to assist the family with their expenses.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 March 2021 at 9:33 pm
Dollar General’s application for the new store shows this image for the new store in Lyndonville, which is in a historic overlay district on Main Street.
LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Planning Board this evening voted in favor of a new Dollar General store in downtown Lyndonville.
The Planning Board recommended the Village of Lyndonville accept the site plan for the project and approve three variances.
The Broadway Group in Huntsville, Alabama is the developer for the project. The company is proposing to demolish the Crosby Whipple building at 30 North Main St. and then build the new 7,600-square-foot store. That size store is the smallest model offered by Dollar General, said Tara Mathias, development manager. Most of the Dollar Generals are more than 9,000 square feet.
The parcel of land doesn’t give enough room for that size store. The developer is seeking a variance on the rear setback. The village code requires a 50-foot setback from the rear and Dollar General is asking for 30.5 feet, with a variance of 19.5 feet needed.
The Orleans County Planning Board supported that variance, as well as one allowing for a 9-foot-high retaining wall by the side of the building facing Johnson Creek. The code calls for a maximum height of 6 feet on a retaining wall. The size of the lot didn’t allow enough room to grade the space for a smaller retaining wall, Mathias said.
The code also calls for vegetative buffer as a visual screen, but that wasn’t possible on the east side of the building where there is a 20-foot easement for a waterline. There will instead be a 6-foot-high stockade-style fence on the rear perimeter of the property.
This aerial Pictometry photo shows the Crosby Whipple building in white, which would be demolished to make room for a new 7,600-square-foot Dollar General next to Johnson Creek.
The new store will replace a building that Mathias said is an “eyesore.” The Planning Board acknowledged the Crosby Whipple building could “age poorly” without proper maintenance.
Mathias said the company designed the new store in a way to fit in on a historic Main Street.
“Our development would beautify the area and it would be compatible with the historic district,” she said.
The store would have 8 to 10 employees and offer convenience for Lyndonville shoppers. Dollar General has another store 3.75 miles away at the corner of routes 63 and 104 in Ridgeway.
The project will go before the Village of Lyndonville Planning Board for a final vote.
Photos and press release from Lyndonville Central School
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville school district acknowledged and honored select students with a breakfast reception last week during the Academic Excellence Award ceremony.
The following students, pictured above, received their Academic Letter for maintaining an average of 92 or above, consecutively, for the past four marking periods: Chelsea Cichocki, Jacob Corser, Lorelei Dillenbeck, Meagan Hardner, Tessa Heideman, Lynlee Hong, Dylan Jisa, Alissa Klinetob, Reagan London, Parker Silversmith, Russell Stephens and Thomas Thaine.
The next group of students honored maintained an average of 92 or above, consecutively, for two years and received a certificate of achievement: Ethan Gardner, Aasiya Huzair, Zayda Moyle, Maddox Stirk, Jack Whipple and Sydney Wilson.
A trophy was presented to the following students for having an average of 92 or above, consecutively, for the past three years: Alexander Barry, Olivia Braley, Nathan Dillenbeck, Erin Kiefer, Emma Maynard, Cameron Paniccia and Lyndsey Snell.
“I would like to congratulate and commend each of these students on their tremendous accomplishments and perseverance,” said Jason Smith, the district superintendent. “The hard work and dedication they have shown, especially this year, is admirable.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: A developer wants to knock down the Crosby-Whipple building at 30 North Main St. and replace it with a 7,200-square-foot Dollar General with 29 parking spaces. This photo was taken in December.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 March 2021 at 12:50 pm
LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday will review an application for a new Dollar General store on Main Street.
The Broadway Group, a commercial real estate developer from Huntsville, Alabama, is proposing to demolish and remove the Crosby-Whipple building at 30 North Main St. It would be replaced with a 7,200-square-foot Dollar General with 29 parking spaces.
The site is in a historic district and the building needs a “certificate of appropriateness” from the Village Planning Board.
Tara Mathias, development manager, met in December with Village of Lyndonville Planning Board members through Zoom video conferencing. She said the store can be designed in a way that fits in with the other buildings in the district.
She said the new store would revitalize the downtown and be convenient to the local residents.
The building is on a 1-acre site and will need variances for setback distance. The store is the smallest building offered by Dollar General at 7,200 square feet. Most of the stores are over 9,000 square feet.
The village sent a referral to the Orleans County Planning Board for its review of the project. County planners review projects and offer a recommendation to municipalities. Those recommendations can be rejected with a super-majority vote at the town or village level.
Lyndonville village officials are asking the County Planning Board for its recommendation on whether a variance and the site plan should be approved for the project at 30 North Main St., which is in the Central Business District.
Thursday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. and will be virtual. For more information, check the Orleans County Planning Board website by clicking here.
The Planning Board will also review two other projects:
• In Shelby there is a referral to the County Planning Board to review the site plan and a special use permit for an outdoor recreation facility at 11380 Main St. in Shelby Center.
• In Albion, the Planning Board will be asked to review the site plan and a special use permit for addition to an existing auto dealership at 4048 Oak Orchard Rd.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2021 at 7:19 pm
Performance will be shown virtually with no in-person crowd
Photos courtesy of Lyndonville school district: Alissa Klinetob (a Lyndonville senior) is Marmee and Seagan Majchrzak (a Medina sophomore) portrays Beth in Lyndonville/Medina’s production of Little Women.
LYNDONVILLE – It was just over a year ago when Lyndonville and Medina drama students experienced the disappointment of having their show, Mama Mia, cancelled after months of rehearsals. The Covid-19 pandemic closed the curtain on high school musicals shows throughout New York State.
Lyndonville and Medina, which work together on a musical, are back with a new show. They have Covid safeguards in place, including no in-person audience. The show has been filmed and will go “live” online Friday until next Sunday, March 28.
Qasim Huzair (a Lyndonville senior) portrays Professor Bhaer and Sophia Cardone (Medina senior) stars as Jo.
The leads in the shows are wearing clear masks, which won’t conceal their facial expressions, which was important to director Jennifer Trupo.
“Last year was so heartbreaking,” Trupo said about the show being canceled. “A bunch of our seniors never got to make their last bow.”
This year Lyndonville and Medina are performing Little Women. The cast is smaller than recent Lyndonville/Medina musicals, but the show includes a full ensemble and band. There are 23 student sin the cast, and five more students as assistants.
Trupo and the students saw a video of a Buffalo school performing a musical with the clear masks. Trupo wanted similar masks for her students.
“The clear masks make all the difference because this is a very emotional show,” she said. “With fabric masks we couldn’t see facial expressions.”
The musical is based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, a coming-of-age story set after the Civil War. The plot focuses on the four March sisters— traditional Meg, wild and aspiring writer Jo, timid Beth and romantic Amy.
To ensure the safety of the students and staff, auditions were held online and many of the initial rehearsals were done through Google Meets. The cast and crew transitioned to the stage with safeguards in place to finalize and record the production.
Trupo said she is grateful the two schools are all to put on a full show, even if it won’t be in front of a cheering audience.
“We’re so thankful we have our ensembles, and to have a musical,” Trupo said. “We’re so thankful our administration has allowed us to do this and our community is supporting us and that we have this outlet for the kids.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2021 at 2:57 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf
LYNDONVILLE – Art Hill Excavating of Medina started taking down the Lyndonville Pennysaver Market building at about 8:30 this morning and by 1 p.m. the building was nearly down.
The roof of the building collapsed on Feb. 22 with heavy snow and ice on the roof. The building from 1899 also had suffered deterioration with its support beams.
The Village Board met on Feb. 22 and declared the structure unsafe after an engineer’s inspection.
Aaron Young of AGC Construction in Holley assists his father-in-law Art Hill with the building’s demolition. Young is shown preparing to hook a strap on the teeth of the excavator to pull the front section of the building at Main and Eagle into the rubble, so it wouldn’t fall on Main Street.
Art Hill Excavating owner Jennifer Hill-Young expects the company will be on site most of this week, hauling the demolition debris to a landfill.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2021 at 10:24 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Art Hill Excavating begins taking down the Lyndonville Pennysaver Market building this morning.
Art Hill is operating the excavator. His son-in-law, Aaron Young of AGC Construction in Holley, is in the lift as a guide and to keep an eye on the demolition. (Click here to see a video of some of the demolition.)
Hill started in the back of the building and plans to slowly work through the site, a dominant structure at the corner of Main and Eagle streets in the village.
The Village Board declared the site an unsafe structure after the roof collapsed on Feb. 22.
The support beams in the back of the building were badly decayed, Hill said.
“They were like powder,” he said.
Hill’s daughter Jennifer Hill-Young is the owner of Art Hill Excavating and her father is the vice president. They said the demolition of the building is planned to take five days. The building should be knocked down by later this afternoon. Hill will then work to remove the materials the rest of the week.
Hill-Young said it is a delicate demolition because of the presence of Main Street in the front of the building, power lines on two sides and a neighboring, adjoining structure.
Before the demolition started, her husband, Aaron Young, went inside the building on the second floor and put in straps to pull the walls in as the excavator worked through the structure.
Robert Smith, a Lyndonville native who now lives in California, owns the building and three others on Main Street. He had grand plans for the Pennysaver site with hotel rooms and retail space. He has been working to transform the block of four structures.
The Pennysaver Market closed in April 2013 after 35 years in business by Sharon Gray. She offered grocery items, hardware, videos, a deli, finger foods and pizza. The market was the first job for many teen-agers in the Lyndonville community.
