LYNDONVILLE – The school district announced there will be a staff parade on Thursday beginning at 1 p.m.

Teachers and other district staff will travel by vehicle to see kids in the community, who have been out of school for two weeks and counting due to health concerns with the coronavirus.

“Our faculty and staff miss you and would love to see you!” the district announced on its website this morning. “If you are on our parade route, please come on your porch or driveway. If we are not passing by your house and you are driving to the area, we kindly ask you to remain in your vehicles, or stay 6 feet apart (Social Distance Guidelines) to celebrate, while at a safe distance from others! Show us your decorated signs, get ready to wave and wear your orange and black to show your Tiger Spirit!”

The parade will follow the route of the July 4^th parade, starting by Lynoaken Farms on Alps Road, left on Willowbrook, down Lake Avenue, turning right on Route 63 (Main Street), turning left on Housel, and ending at the school parking lot.

If people don’t live on the route, they are welcome to pull up and park in their vehicles to see the teachers and staff.

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Press Release, Jason Smith, Lyndonville Central School superintendent

LYNDONVILLE – The school district is seeking to expand access to the internet for online learning during the closure, as we are committed to equal access for all students.

We need feedback if we are going to pursue this opportunity.

Free WiFi access is available on school grounds. The network is GUEST and password is WIRELESS.

Would you/your family be interested in additional hot-spots at either of the following locations?

• Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church – 12111 Ridge Road

• White Birch Golf Course –  1515 North Lyndonville Road

Please let us know by replying to the school district’s tweet, the original Facebook post or by texting us at 585-207-3323 with feedback. You can also call the school district at (585) 765-3101 or e-mail the superintendent at Jasmith@lcsdk12.org.

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Press Release, Emily Cebula, director of Yates Community Library

LYNDONVILLE – Yates Community Library will regretfully close its doors to the public, for an as yet undetermined period of time, beginning at 5 p.m. today.

This is due to the critical need to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This decision was made with careful research of current, reliable information from the U. S. Centers For Disease Control and the Orleans County Health Department, and with thorough discussion among the library’s trustees, with input from our family of library users.

Emily Cebula

The library has stayed open during the early part of this week so that patrons may select the materials they need in person, use our computers to complete their Census questionnaire online, and for other needs.

Here is our plan in order to provide the best service we can in the days ahead:

Overdue Fines: all materials belonging to any Nioga Library System member library, placed in our book drop outside the library’s front, will be checked in fine-free.

Our registered borrowers can easily continue to obtain library materials to take home, using one of the following ways to request books, DVDs, magazines, and audiobooks, belonging to Yates Community Library, or to many of the Nioga System member libraries.

Three ways for registered borrowers to request materials:

• Call Yates Community Library between 2 and 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, at (585) 765-9041, to speak with a staff person directly. Or please leave us a phone message, clearly and slowly stating your full name, with spelling of the last name, and the titles of materials you need, along with your phone number;

• Place a Hold at www.nioga.org.  You will need your borrower ID number and PIN.

• Email: yatescommunitylibrary@gmail.com.

Staff will notify you when the items are available. We will check out the items, put them in a bag with your name attached, and place them on a table located in our foyer. Please pick them up here as soon as possible. The front door will be unlocked between 2 and 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. If this is not convenient, please call us at the above phone number to make an appointment.

To renew library materials:

Call the library at (585) 765-9041 between 2 and 6 p.m.

Log in to your account at www.nioga.org.

Additionally:  Yates Community Library’s WiFi is available 24/7 in the parking lot, from the spaces close to the building’s south side. It is not password-protected, nor is your data secure with this connection.

Please take this opportunity to try the online services available through the Nioga Library System, at www.nioga.org. You can stream or download movies, books, audiobooks, magazines, comics, and more using Hoopla, Overdrive (Libby app), and RB Digital, when you set up an account using your 14-digit Borrower ID number on your library card. Registering is much easier than in the past, and there are tutorials on the Nioga website, avove.

Please return all items to the Book Return (slide them in individually, not in a bag), which is located outside the library’s front door, in the corner to your left.

If, in an emergency situation, you need copies or faxing done, please call us between 2 and 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday and we will do our best to help you.

We will strive to answer any reference questions you have, M-F, except Wednesdays, between the hours of 2 and 6 p.m. Call us then, or leave a message. Or you can email us at yatescommunitylibrary@gmail.com.

Check the Library’s Facebook page for updates. Also, please visit our website at www.yateslibrary.org.

And we urge you to complete your 2020 Census questionnaire, either online (with desktop or mobile device), by mail, or by phone, using the instructions in your invitation recently received by mail. The organizations that serve you will benefit from the secure collection of your information by the Census Bureau now, more than ever.

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From Lyndonville Village Clerk Teri Woodworth

LYNDONVILLE – Due to the rapid escalation of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Village of Lyndonville offices and all facilities are closed to the public until further notice.

All payments can be made by using the drop box located on the front of the Village Hall. Please put payments in an envelope with a name and phone number. If there are any questions or concerns, call the Village Hall at 585-765-9385.

Payments can also be made online (Click here).

Lyndonville village meetings will temporarily be closed to the public as permitted by Governor Cuomo’s executive order 202, which modifies the rules of open meetings.

Village elections have been moved from March 18 to April 28, per Governor Cuomo’s executive order.

The Village Clerk-Treasurer and Mayor will be available by appointment only at (585) 765-9385 or email: villageoflyndonville@rochester.twcbc.com

We regret this decision. In the best interest of our community it has become necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus. This is a routine precautionary measure and not a cause for panic.

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From James Simon, Town Supervisor in Yates

(UPDATED: Town Court scheduled for March 18 has been cancelled.)

YATES – Due to the rapid escalation of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Yates Town Hall offices are closed to the public until further notice.

The Yates Town Clerk and the Town Supervisor will be available by appointment at (585) 727-0209 or (716) 946-2075, respectively.

Town Court, including the session for March 18, is cancelled until further notice.

Please deposit necessary documents in the drop box located at the front of the building in the south door. Include your name and phone number so we can contact you if necessary.

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LYNDONVILLE – The school district has cancelled or postponed several programs, due to concerns about the spreading coronavirus.

Jason Smith, the school district superintendent, advised the community of the following cancellations: LCS Pickup Soccer, Lyndonville Youth Baseball/Softball Camp, AGOGE Wrestling Club, Lyndonville Youth Baseball Organization, Town of Yates Men’s Basketball, and the Spring Fling Daddy/Daughter Dance has been postponed until April 24.

“Please stay tuned for future announcements regarding upcoming events,” Smith said in message on the district website.

‘No plans to close school at this time’

Smith also wrote this letter to the Lyndonville community:

“We are continuing to monitor the Novel Coronavirus. As a district, we have been working together to discuss strategies on how to best keep our students, staff and families healthy during this emerging public health situation.

“According to the New York Governor, the decision to close a school is made locally with the guidance of the Orleans County Health Department. While there are no plans to close school at this time, we recommend that families begin to prepare for childcare in case closures become a reality.

“As a district, we have begun to develop a plan for extended school closings. Our instruction office, technology, transportation department and food service are collaborating on how to ensure the continuation of instruction and services in the event of closing.

“At this time, there are no confirmed cases in Orleans County.

“However, due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, the state and health department recommend that restrictions be placed on large group gatherings. Therefore, select cancellations and postponements may be needed.

“We are all working to navigate unknown situations.

“I ask that you check our district website regularly for updates. Please know the health and safety of our students and staff will continue to be the priority in all decisions we make.”

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Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – Students may now take their driver’s permit knowledge test online at Lyndonville Central School through the New York State DMV-certified program.

The purpose of the program is to drastically reduce the time spent by students and parents at the DMV office.

This opportunity is offered free of charge to students who are within two months of their 16th birthday and are currently enrolled, and in good standing, at Lyndonville High School. All training materials and forms are provided free of charge by the DMV. After passing the online exam, the students who are at least 16 years of age will then be able to take the receipt and completed forms to the DMV to get their permit processed.

Jason Barnum, Lyndonville’s School Resource Officer, was selected by the administration to research, start and proctor this program. For more information on the online permit testing program, contact Officer Barnum at jason.barnum@orleanscountyny.gov. To register for the test, contact Lyndonville’s main office at 585-765-3162.

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Press Release, Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon and Somerset Town Supervisor Jeff Dewart

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Oct. 14, 2015 shows some of the 400-foot-high turbines in Sheldon, Wyoming County.

The Town of Somerset (Niagara County) and the Town of Yates (Orleans County) are adamantly opposed to Governor Cuomo’s attempt – under the guise of a last-minute amendment to the state budget process referred to as Article 23 – to accelerate renewable energy development at the expense of our towns, our citizens and our environment.

Towns, citizens, environmental groups, developers and state agencies have operated for almost a decade under Article 10 (the current siting law), so one wonders what changed now that the existing process is hitting its stride. Lord Acton’s quote comes to mind, “All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This is a power grab, pure and simple.

Article 23, should lawmakers accept it, is sweeping in its scope and changes all aspects of how power plant siting (including industrial scale wind and solar projects) are permitted and approved. It eliminates the role of local zoning laws, allows for eminent domain takings of land, guts critical environmental review, and limits a town’s taxation and assessment powers and ability to negotiate host community agreements.

The proposed changes are inconsistent with our NY State Constitution’s Home Rule provisions and removes all local land-use control for power plants, transmission lines, and battery storage projects greater than 10 mega-watts in size. This is achieved through broadening the definition of an “unreasonably burdensome” local law to mean inconsistent with Cuomo’s energy goals.

The proposed changes will result in financial benefits to out-of-state energy developers at the expense of local governments and citizens. The changes will authorize the state (rather than the counties, towns and school districts) to cap PILOTs (payments in-lieu of taxes), to standardize the methodology for assessing property values with wind and solar energy facilities, and to create generic permitting conditions that could eliminate a municipality’s ability to identify and study the local conditions and problems that may require mitigation.

The proposed changes will alienate local constituents by excluding them from the siting process entirely. Individuals and public interest groups would be excluded from the Article 23 Siting Proceeding. This is a complete reversal of one of Article 10’s primary goals, which is to facilitate meaningful public participation in the siting process.

The proposed changes will exempt developers from a rigorous review of local environmental impacts through reliance on state-wide, yet-to-be-determined conditions and automatic approval provisions.

The most egregious proposed change? Once the application is deemed complete by the newly established Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), the ORES will have one year to issue a final decision.  If the ORES fails to make a decision in one year, then the siting permit will be “deemed to have been granted.”  That’s right, this means that if the ORES (read: the state) doesn’t do its job then the project is automatically approved.

Ultimately, state lawmakers should realize that voting to jettison Article 10 and to force Article 23 into law is an unconscionable power grab and will result in numerous obstacles by picking winners and losers among developers and creating new agencies, staffing, rulemaking and, inevitably, litigation.

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Jade Moore, 15, has struggled with neurological disorder the past 5 years

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jade Moore, 15, looks forward to having a seizure alert response dog. Jade has been taken by ambulance from school after having seizures.

LYNDONVILLE – Jade Moore has to be careful around loud noises, and bright and flashing lights – which are often unpredictable. She never knows what will trigger an epileptic seizure.

Provided photo: Roman is a seizure alert response dog that graduates in June from a training program by Canines 4 Hope in Palm Beach, Fla.

She can’t watch the Lyndonville fireworks because of the exploding colors and tries to stay clear of the loud booms. Even her brothers need to be careful with the sounds and screens from video games if Jade is closeby.

The seizures aren’t always started by a thunderous noise or flashing light. Sometimes they strike while she is sleeping.

Jade, 15 is a sophomore at Lyndonville. She has had seizures at school, with the ambulance called. It’s worrisome for her and her family, and the school, because her breathing will often slow down during a seizure.

“It scares me because she can’t be left alone,” said Jade’s mother, Elizabeth.

Jade has suffered from epileptic seizures for at least five years. She may have had mini-seizures when she was younger than 10, but Jade and her family didn’t realize it.

But when she was 10, cheerleading at a Medina youth football game at Vets Park, the condition couldn’t be ignored.

She was on the sideline, rooting for the football team when she started twitching and lost her balance. Her arms and legs were shaking, and everything seemed to be spinning.

The seizures have been increasing since then. Jade has suffered two concussions from falling and hitting her head during a seizure.

Jade’s mother stays close to Jade at night and may need to spring into action if there is a seizure. The family, including Jade’s siblings, keep emergency pills on them to give to Jade to help bring her out of a seizure.

Each day she takes 10 different pills to help stave off the seizures. Her mother said the medication seems to work for a few weeks, then the seizures start up again and doctors try other medicines.

Elizabeth Moore wears this shirt as the mother of a daughter with epilepsy.

The family is optimistic help is on the way. Roman, a German shepherd, is being trained as a seizure alert dog. Roman completes his training in June and is expected to join the family in July. The family has raised $4,000 towards the $18,000 cost. They are seeking help to meet the expense. They have started a Go Fund Me and will be selling candy bars as a fundraiser. Insurance doesn’t cover the cost for the alert dog.

Moore is determined to get Jade the dog. Moore has been gladly taking overtime shifts at Mizkan, a vinegar plant in Lyndonville, to help pay for the dog.

Her daughter has been more withdrawn socially since the seizures increased and became more intense. She is sensitive to people staring at her when she has a seizure and her eyes roll back in her head.

Roman the dog will be able to detect Jade’s odor, which secretes when she has a seizure. Roman will be trained to wake up Elizabeth or a sibling if Jade is having a seizure at night.

The trainers have been sent clothes with Jade’s scent. Near the end of the dog’s training, Jade will go to Florida to spend a week with the dog as the last step in the training.

Jade has had to back off some of her extracurricular activities due to the seizures. She looks forward to being more active at school and the community once she has Roman by her side. Next school year, Jade is planning to enroll at the Orleans-Niagara BOCES to study cosmetology.

Her mother said Jade has been courageous in coping with the condition.

“She’s a tough kid,” Moore said. “She can handle a lot more than most children can handle.”

Jade Moore is pictured with some of her family members, including Ilana Shapiro, mother Elizabeth Moore, Jade, brother David Moore and brother Gauge Moore.

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Provided photo: Lyndonville opened its expanded PreK program last week at the former elementary school on Main Street.

Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Central School’s newly expanded Pre-Kindergarten program officially opened at its Main Street campus on Feb. 10.

Through a grant received from the NYS Department of Education, the district was able to expand the hours of its current program for 4-year-olds and initiate a new program for 3-year-olds.

Students engage in singing, art projects, dramatic and constructive play and early literacy and math learning. They are developing important skills including sharing and following routines, interacting with peers, controlling emotions and engaging in meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Breakfast and lunch are served within the classrooms, and students have rest-time each day.

To accommodate this expansion, the Pre-K program was moved to the former elementary school. The district partnered with the YMCA to staff and run the program for 3-year-olds. As part of this partnership, the YMCA leases the space from the district, which helps off-set the general operating expenses.

The district currently has two classrooms for 4-year-olds and one for 3-year-olds. Each class is set-up for a day of educational fun. An age-appropriate gymnasium with play equipment was created, and a large library was set up on the second floor.

“The students are enjoying their time at school,” said Dr. Elissa Smith, Elementary Principal. “We transitioned slowly, allowing all current Pre-K students to meet and interact with new staff in the new space prior to adjusting to a full-day. This allowed students to become comfortable in the new space, prior to making other changes. The transition was very smooth, thanks to all of the pre- planning and help from our staff.”

Smith explained that the benefits of an expanded Pre-K program for the community are both immediate and long term. Children have access to social-emotional skill building and early literacy and math skills in an interactive play-based learning environment that supports early learning standards. It helps families through providing safe and appropriate full-day programming for their children.

“All of us involved in the expanded Pre-K program look forward to following these children as they grow to see the future social and academic implications for primary and elementary grades and beyond,” said Dr. Smith.

The district currently has two spaces available for 4-year-olds this school year and is accepting applications the 2020-21 school year for children who will be 3 or 4 by Dec. 1, 2020. Pre- registration forms are due by April 1. A lottery will be held if requests received by April 1 exceed capacity.

Additional information, including registration, can be found on the district’s website or by contacting the Elementary Office at 585-765-3122.

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