Jason Smith praised for pushing high standards and support for students

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jason Smith, Lyndonville’s district superintendent the past 10 years, is shown in August 2020 before the start of the school year. The desks in the classroom were all spaced at least six feet apart to meet Covid guidelines. Lyndonville was able to offer in-person education all five school days in the 2020-21 school year.

LYNDONVILLE – Jason Smith proved to be an asset to the Lyndonville school district and the community during his 10 years as district superintendent, said Ted Lewis, president of the Board of Education.

Smith is leaving Lyndonville to start as superintendent at the Batavia City School District on Jan. 3. Batavia is Smith’s hometown.

“We’re happy for him and wish him the best in his next chapter,” Lewis said.

Lyndonville will have an interim superintendent while the district searches for Smith’s successor.

“The Board will do our due diligence to pick the right person,” Lewis said.

Lewis has been on the board during Smith’s entire time with Lyndonville. He praised Smith for his connections in the community, for making more opportunities available for Lyndonville students, and for keeping Lyndonville residents aware of what’s happening in the district, especially during the Covid pandemic.

“He is a very likable person who is very responsive to the board and students,” Lewis said.

Smith often meets with student clubs, has lunch with officers and welcomed a student as an ex-offico member of the Board of Education.

He is a member of the Lyndonville Lions Club and Lyndonville Area Foundation, helping to connect those organizations to students and the school district. Foundation funding has supported many programs at the school, including recent grants towards a baby grand piano, relocating the elementary school playground, more than $30,000 annually in scholarships and other academic and literacy initiatives.

Lyndonville has a graduation rate nearly 100 percent, and for many years offered a college readiness program, AVID, to help students enroll in four-year colleges.

Diana Fulcomer, a prevention educator with the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, is pictured with Jason Smith in this photo from January 2018. Lyndonville increased the presence of prevention educators at the district. Fulcomer in some of her presentations focuses on making healthy choices, which includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and not spending too much time on social media. Smith said he supports the expanded message – coping skills and making good choices. “If the students are having issues with anxiety, we don’t want them turning to substances,” he said.

Smith also pushed to bring outside services into the district to support students, including mental health professionals and prevention specialists from the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

Lewis praised Smith for leading the district’s efforts to keep students in-person all five days of school in the 2020-21 school year. The district reopened part of the elementary school and was able to reconfigure classrooms and other space to accommodate all students and meet the state guideline of at least 6 feet apart to help prevent the spread of Covid.

In developing that plan, Smith put in “countless hours” working with local health officials and the State Education Department, as well as local stakeholders – teachers, administrators, the Board of Education and other community members, Lewis said.

Smith came to Lyndonville after working as a principal at Albion and Elba. He started his career as a social studies teacher in Albion.

“We saw the potential in him,” Lewis said about Smith when he joined the district a decade ago. “He has always been thorough, conscientious and very communicative to the board, the administrative team and the community.”

Hannah Marker gets some help from Jason Smith in swinging the sledgehammer at a wall to be knocked out as part of the capital project. This photo was taken on Jan. 2, 2019 for a ground-breaking of a $10.7 million project at the district with included creating two new classrooms above the library, putting a new section of a new roof on in 2017 and adding LED lights in the gym.

Smith also pushed forward a $10.7 million capital project in the district, as well as other technology upgrades through the Smart School Bond Act. Those Bond Act funds allowed each student in the district to have a Chromebook laptop.

Lewis said Smith took a hands-on approach to leading the district, and would even fill in at a classroom if a substitute teacher wasn’t available.

The district’s enrollment has been shrinking in recent years, like many of the rural districts in Upstate New York. Smith and Lyndonville school officials worked out an agreement with Medina to have some merged sports teams and also the school musical so those programs would be available at both districts. Lyndonville is teaming with Barker and Roy-Hart in a football program. The team is called the RBL Silverbacks.

“He has really worked hard to increase opportunities for students,” Lewis said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Jason Smith, Lyndonville Central School superintendent, welcomes the audience to a patriotic concert on Sept. 15, 2017 featuring World War I songs sung by students from Albion, Medina and Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – Jason Smith, Lyndonville school district superintendent the past 10 years, is leaving to take a job in Batavia.

Smith lives in Batavia and is a Batavia High School graduate. He will start on Jan. 3 as the new superintendent for the Batavia City School District.

“This was a challenging decision for me, yet the temptation to serve my home community was strong, especially coupled with an invitation to do so,” Smith said in a message to the Lyndonville community.

Smith has worked 20 of 27 years as a educational professional in Orleans County, with his first 10 years in Albion. He started there as a social studies teacher before becoming an administrator.

“During my time at Lyndonville, it has been my honor and joy to develop positive relationships with many of you for the benefit of our District, including our dedicated booster groups, our wonderful community partners, such as the Lions Club, the Lyndonville Area Foundation, the Yates Community Library, and our committed local legislative and community leaders,” Smith wrote in his message to the Lyndonville community.

He said he is committed to a smooth transition to his successor at Lyndonville.

Batavia announced Smith’s hiring this afternoon.

“The Board of Education is thrilled to welcome Jason Smith as the new superintendent of the Batavia City School District,” said Alice Ann Benedict, Batavia Board of Education president. “We’re confident that his years of previous superintendent and administrative experience will serve our district well, not to mention he’s a BHS grad himself. As a local Batavian with children in our district, Jason understands the unique challenges and opportunities within our community, and we’re certain he will be a strong and dedicated leader for our students, staff, and families.”

A Batavia High School graduate of the class of 1990, Smith followed his 10 years at Albion with seven years in various principal positions in the Elba Central School.

He received his Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration and his Masters of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Brockport. He is also a graduate of The State University of New York at Geneseo, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in History with a Minor in Sociology.

“First, I would like to thank the Batavia Board of Education for entrusting me with this tremendous opportunity,” Smith said in a statement posted on the Batavia district website. “As a proud BHS grad, I am thrilled to be returning to Batavia in this new leadership role. Batavia is a very special place to me, and I look forward to working alongside the incredible and inspiring students, staff, and community members.  I can’t wait to hit the ground running in the new year.”

Provided photo: New members and leaders of the Leo’s Club at Lyndonville Central School include, from left, front row: Leo Treasurer, Hanna Marker; Leo President, Elizabeth Whipple; Leo Vice President, Amber Grabowski and Leo Secretary, Maddie Baker. Top right: Gina Marker, Aiden Allen, Safia Delobbe, Zachary Freas, Emma Freas, Owen Mank, Kylie Reisman, Molly Ingersoll. (Alexandria Carvalho not pictured)

Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club on Nov. 10 was proud and honored to host the induction of the latest chapter of its Leos club.

The Leo’s are a youth organization of Lions Club International. Leo Clubs encourage youths to develop leadership qualities by participating in social services and activities while fostering a commitment to community service.  The Leo’s are dependent on a Lions club to initiate and sponsor them, however the Leo’s otherwise conduct themselves as an independent organization.

Leadership, experience and opportunity are the qualities that make a Leo and together with their Lions sponsor form a powerful partnership while simultaneously exploring and initiating their own independent power of action.  The Lyndonville Leo’s club has already performed several community services within Lyndonville and the Town of Yates.

The current Leo’s are guided by Lyndonville Central School instructor, Gina Marker.

“Mrs. Marker is simply the perfect fit,” said Darren Wilson, the current Lions president. “I’m certain our entire Lions club agrees that no one better could have stepped into this role.”

And for the Leo’s, Wilson added, “They are a truly admirable talented group of young people who sync well together.”

YATES — The Town Board on Nov. 11 went on the record opposing Covid vaccine and testing mandates, saying town employees and residents have “the inalienable right to refuse medical treatments and the right to privacy of their medical status with regard to Covid vaccinations and testing.”

The Town Board, in a resolution passed unanimously, said individuals have the right to make personal and private decisions regarding their health care, and also have the right to refuse medical treatment.

“The Covid-19 virus is a serious threat to public health but so too are the shockingly repressive governmental restrictions of individual liberties under the guise of public health,” according to the resolution.

The Town Board said the government shouldn’t mandate Covid vaccinations or testing “if such measures will severely restrict or possibly eliminate an individual’s right to work, to travel, and to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which comes with participation in U.S. civil society.”

The resolution was sent to Paul Pettit, the public health director in Orleans County; Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature; Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Assemblyman Mike Norris; State Sen. Robert Ortt and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Village welcomes decorated trees for annual holiday display at Veterans Park

Photo by Tom Rivers: People gather at Veterans Park on Dec. 7, 2019 for the annual tree-lighting celebration. Last year there were 79 trees decorated, the most since Lyndonville started the display in 2013.

LYNDONVILLE – The village will continue its popular Christmas display at Veterans Park and also has added a North Pole Post for people to send letters to Santa. The Post is located inside the Yates Community Library.

Last year there were 79 trees decorated by community members. That is the most since Lyndonville started the tradition in 2013, with 26 trees in that first year.

Residents have until Nov. 18 to apply to decorate a tree. A $30 fee covers the cost of the tree, materials for the sign, lead cords, replacement cords and adapters as needed. Participants need to provide lights and decorations.

The trees will be lighted up for the first time on Dec. 4 by Santa as part of a Christmas in Lyndonville celebration. The trees will be out until about Jan. 1.

For more information, check the village website (click here) or call the village office at 585-765-9385.

Photo courtesy of Teri Woodworth: The North Pole Post is at Yates Community Library, where kids can send letters to Santa.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Isabelle Busch from near Jamestown casts while standing in Johnson Creek in Lyndonville today. She is just north of Main Street.

Several anglers were near the dam, and many Chinook salmon could be seen jumping out of the water. Johnson Creek itself had a chocolate color due to the recent heavy rain.

Nicholas Pannes of Jamestown tries to catch one of the big salmon. He had several on the line but they shook loose.

Pannes likes the smaller number of people on Johnson Creek, compared to the Oak Orchard River.

“We wanted to get away from the crowds and there are quite a few fish right here,” he said.

Nicholas Pannes and Isabelle Busch fish near each other in Johnson Creek. They made a three-hour drive to try to catch salmon during the annual fish spawning run, when the big fish migrate up the tributaries.

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – A new Dollar General has opened on Main Street in Lyndonville. The store opened on Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. and had about 50 customers, an employee said.

Today the store opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 10 p.m. Those will be the normal hours of business. The store has nine employees.

The store is in the spot of the former Crosby-Whipple building, which was demolished and removed at 30 North Main St. to make way for the new Dollar General.

Harold Scribner walks into the store today. Scribner said the building is “beautiful” and the store is a welcome addition to the community, especially in the winter when people don’t want to travel too far.

“It’s in town and it’s a store the people can use,” he said. “The Lyndonville people will enjoy it and so will the people at the lake.”

The new 7,600-square-foot store is next to Johnson Creek. The project includes a retaining wall next to the waterway. There are also 29 parking spaces.