Photo by Ginny Kropf: Olga Gonzalez recently assumed duties as new pastor of the Lyndonville United Methodist Church. She sits in her office working on a sermon.

LYNDONVILLE – The congregation of Lyndonville United Methodist Church has welcomed a new pastor after the Rev. Beth Malone was transferred to a new church.

Olga Gonzalez, a native of Puerto Rico, assumed her duties the first week in July.

She said coming to the area and becoming a minister was God’s plan.

Gonzalez and her husband Alexis first came to the Upstate New York in 2002, arriving in Syracuse to visit his family.

After receiving a bachelor of arts degree as an administrative assistant and a master’s in social work in Puerto Rico, Gonzalez took a job as a mental health counselor at a community health center in Syracuse.

In December 2011, she was praying and asking for a job where she could use the gifts and talents God had given her.

“In January 2012, I received an e-mail from a friend in Syracuse who knew a pastor who was looking for a missions worker,” Gonzalez said. “She said she knew I had a heart for missions and thought of me. I looked to the Lord and said, ‘You work fast.’”

She got in touch with the pastor of Brown Memorial Methodist Church in Syracuse and began the process to come to the area, working with Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

She and her husband arrived in Syracuse in June 2012. She worked there four years, where they helped start a new Hispanic Methodist Church, the first and only one in Syracuse, and in 2016, she began studies to become a pastor. She is currently working to get her master’s of divinity at Northeast Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College.

In January 2015, Gonzalez was appointed assistant pastor of the Cicero United Methodist Church.

Her husband had said he would go wherever God sent them. She had never heard of Lyndonville when she was appointed here, she said.

“But after six years in the city, I said, ‘Hallelujah.’ I’ve already fallen in love with Lyndonville.”

The Fourth of July was the first time in her life Gonzalez had seen fireworks, she said.

“What a Fourth,” she said.

She said she is touched by how friendly people are in Lyndonville.

“People are calling to ask if I needed anything,” she said. “I know how hard it is for a congregation to face this kind of change, but they have been very welcoming.”

Living in the country is closer to God’s creation, the pastor said.

In October, she is planning to go on a mission trip to Cuba. The church in Cicero is collecting money and school supplies to be delivered there.

“I’m ready for this journey,” she added.

Church member Ruth Hedges said, as much as they loved the Rev. Malone, the congregation is very impressed with Gonzalez.

“She is so full of energy,” Hedges said. “I think she is going to be just great.”

The church is having Family Fun Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sundays and recently started “Unplugged for Kids,” featuring organized play time for families, with refreshments, prayer and games.

Summer worship hour is 10 a.m. on Sundays and beginning Aug. 5, they started a garden service at 8:15 a.m. at Robin Hill Estate on Platten Road.

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Shake on the Lake gives Richard III a punk rock twist

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Shake on the Lake performers from Wyoming County were back in Orleans County on Tuesday for performances of Richard III. Josh Rice, co-founder of Shake on the Lake, played the lead role of Richard.

He is shown on the lawn behind the Yates Community Library. A cast and crew of about a dozen people put on the show on Tuesday evening. They will be back in Orleans County today at 6:30 p.m. for a performance at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse in Point Breeze.

There are several sword fights in Richard III.

This is Shake on the Lake’s seventh season. The first three seasons were limited to Silver Lake. The group has now expanded to eight counties in Western New York.

“We work really hard to put on the arts in a rural community,” said Pilar McKay, managing director and cofounder of Shake on the Lake.

Chad Bradford is director of Richard III. He gives the story a punk rock theme, mixing in lyrics from the Sex Pistols band. The play tells the story of a ruthless man plotting to be king.

Malcolm Tucker sings and plays the accordion in his role as Buckingham.

Some of the cast members sing before the show starts. Admission is free for the performances. The Orleans County performances include sponsorship from the Lyndonville Area Foundation, Albion Rotary Club, Emily Cebula and Darren Wilson.

Richard III (Josh Rice, at right) is determined to get the crown of England from his brother King Edward IV (Curtiss Johns). There is a lot of scheming from Richard III to get the crown.

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Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville Central School District prides itself on making the district a safe environment for students and staff. The efforts have been noticed and the district has received top billing by NewYorkUpstate.com and Niche.com.

NewYorkUpstate.com created the Top 50 safest schools in Upstate New York and placed Lyndonville in the No. 1 spot. Lyndonville was the only district in Orleans County to make the top 50 list.

The data for the list came from Niche.com. The 2019 safety rankings were determined based on multiple factors including parent/student surveys, expenses per student, student absenteeism, in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, law enforcement referrals and school-related arrests. According to Niche.com, it uses “data available from dozens of public data sources including the Department of Education, U.S. Census, and FBI” to compile its scores, along with parent, student and resident surveys.

Lyndonville received an A+ ranking from Niche.com. The district has 636 students, a 12:1 student/teacher ratio, and only 18 suspensions or 3 percent of students.

NewYorkUpstate.com is managed by About Advance Media New York, a company comprised of approximately “100 marketers in the heart of Upstate New York” who “manage local, statewide, national and global campaigns for hundreds of companies scattered across Upstate,” according to the company’s website.

Niche.com is a “place to research U.S. colleges, schools, neighborhoods, and companies” and “rigorous cleaning and analysis on large data sets, and combines them with feedback from our community for nuanced insight,” according to the website.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Cindy Schmitt directs the Barker Community Band during a concert Monday evening at Veterans Park behind the Yates Community Library.

Amrom Chodos

Schmitt, a Newfane resident and music teacher at Cleveland Hill in Cheektowaga, is leading the band following the death of the group’s founder and long-time director, Amrom Chodos. He succumbed to cancer on July 28. Chodos was retired as Barker High School’s music teacher.

He developed a respected concert band at Barker High School. He realized many of those students didn’t keep playing after they graduated. He formed the community band in 1984 partly so former students could continue performing.

“He had an incredible influence,” said Patty Targus Riexinger, a 1975 Barker graduate who has played in the community band for about 20 years. “We had some wonderful times together.”

Chodos was dedicated to the group for more than 30 years. He especially enjoyed Christmas music, Targus Riexinger said. He also wrote the Barker Centennial March for the group to play.

The community band meets on most Mondays for practice.

“With that music and camaraderie, all the stresses would just melt away,” Targus Riexinger said.

The trombone section was featured in one of the songs. The band played in Lyndonville for the summer concert series at Yates Community Library. The series concludes Aug. 13 with a 6:30 p.m. concert by the Stoll Brothers, playing blues and rock.

Many of the spectators brought their own lawn chairs for the concert.

Ginny and Mark Hughes get ice cream sundaes ready for intermission.

Emily Cebula, director of the Yates Community Library, also plays in the Barker Community Band. She is second from left in this photo.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

YATES – Firefighters from three departments responded to a brush fire that spread to trees this afternoon at 12118 East Yates Center Rd.

Firefighters were dispatched at about 2:15 p.m. with requests for mutual aid.

The farm is owned by Jeff Johnson. Embers from a burn pile were likely carried by wind to a row of trees not far away on an embankment, said Ben Bane, the Lyndonville fire chief.

Firefighters from Lyndonville, Shelby and Carlton responded to the scene. With temperatures in the low 90s, Bane said firefighters were frequently rotated at the scene.

This firefighter puts water on the burn pile.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – These students have their hands on their hearts while singing “America the Beautiful” to conclude the fifth annual Summer Music Fest, which includes students in grades 5 to 7 in Albion, Lyndonville and Medina.

Music teachers at the three school districts have collaborated the past five years for the music fest, which started with 76 students the first year and now includes nearly 200.

John Bailey, a band teacher at Lyndonville, leads the group for one of the songs. The teachers took turns leading different numbers.

Anna Atwater, a chorus teacher at Albion, introduces one of the songs, “Feel the Beat!” Students also sang, “Alleluia! I will Sing,” “Gonna Ride that Freedom Train” and “How Far I’ll Go.”

An Albion student plays the flute in the combined band.

Jeremy Rath, a new music teacher at Medina, introduces the song, “Gonna Ride that Freedom Train.” Rath joins Medina after working at Kendall Central School.

The students rehearsed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the concert, which was Thursday evening at Lyndonville Central School.

The music fest is a chance for students to keep their singing and instrument skills sharp, while also connecting with friends and kids from other local districts.

The combined chorus and band perform the final selection, “America the Beautiful.” Lyndonville students are wearing orange, while Albion is in purple and Medina in blue.

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Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club is happy to announce the parade winners from the 44th Annual Independence Day Celebration Parade “One Flag, One Land.”

The Lyndonville Girl Scouts Troop 82040, top photo, won the award for “Most Colorful Float.”

Most Original Float – West Somerset Baptist Church

Best Theme Float – St. Joan of Arc of Orleans & Knights of Columbus

Best Appearing Fire Department – Middleport FD

Best Appearing Rescue – Fancher, Hulberton, Murray FD (photo unavailable)

Best Appearing Apparatus – Barker FD

The Lyndonville Lions wish to thank everyone who participated in the parade and we hope to see you in 2019.  A special thank you to Senator Robert Ortt for sponsoring the awards.

Lyndonville Lions Community Appreciation Concert

The Lyndonville Lions Club will present its 10th Annual Community Appreciation Concert. The concert will be held at the Town of Yates Park located at the end of Morrison Road. The concert will be held on Thursday, July 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature Crash Cadillac.

The concert is free to the public.  The Lions will be selling hot dogs and soda for a $1 each.  Please bring a lawn chair.

The concert  is in appreciation of the communities support of Lions activities such as The 4th of July Celebration, our Sight Campaign, the donation of used eye glasses, the Lions Toy Drive and donations to our Medical Loan Closet.

This will be the 10th year that Crash Cadillac has performed.  Crash Cadillac performs rock’n roll sounds from the ’50’s, ’60’s, ’70’s, ’80’s, and ’90’s. The band features Don Vaccaro (Guitar and Vocals), Linda Giancarlo (Lead Vocals), Bob Steff (Bass Guitar and Vocals), Frank Marini (Keyboards and Vocals), and Jim Mercurio (Drums).

The concert is funded by a grant from GO Art! and the Lyndonville Lions Club. Reminder alcohol is not allowed in the park.

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LYNDONVILLE – There were numerous activities on Wednesday at Lyndonville for the Independence Day celebration.

The parade at noon and fireworks at 10 p.m. drew big crowds. But there were a lot of other events and activities.

The Gates Keystone Club Police Pipes & Drums played a concert after the parade on the school grounds near the vendors.

Provided photo: Lyndonville Close Up students and baseball players volunteered in the hot dog stand with members of the Lions Club.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jason Snell of Stafford pulls away in a cloud of dust during his winning heat in V-8 class in the garden tractor pull at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration. He pulled 262 feet 11 inches for the win over Daryl Kempston, who pulled 261 feet 10 inches.

Paul Townsend of Springville has been participating in garden tractor pulls longer than he can remember.

That’s one of the reasons he wasn’t going to let 90-plus degree heat stop him from competing in the garden tractor pull Wednesday at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration.

“If they are pulling, I’m going to be there,” Townsend said, black from the dust and sweat pouring down his face. Townsend finished second in the super modified class.

Nearly a dozen and a half drivers braved the heat to compete in Lyndonville’s event, which was run by the Western New York Garden Tractor Puller’s Association.

One spectator said the heat kept a lot of the crowd away from the event and she only came because her son had helped build several of the machines. Only a handful of people sat on the bleachers to watch, while several others sat in the shade of their vehicles.

Winners and their categories were:

Stock – Michael Robb.

Sport stock – Frank Burket, first; Don Seaver, second; and Anilee Seaver, third.

Stock altered – Paul Van Valkenburg, first; Ricky Dellinger, second.

Super modified – Juston Preischel, first; Paul Townsend, second; and Tom Ronson, third.

Modified – Juston Preischel, first; Kyle Carmichael, second.

Stock V-8 – Tom Bellanca, first; Frank Burket, second.

V-8 – Jason Snell, first; Daryl Kempston, second; and Tyler Scofield, third.

Dirt and heat didn’t make for a very pleasant afternoon watching the garden tractor pull at Lyndonville’s Fourth of July celebration, but that didn’t stop diehard fans and drivers from showing up. Here, a driver is nearly obscured by dust as he pulls the weighted tug down the track.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Stan Thurber, a Korean War veteran, acknowledges the crowd on Main Street while he rides in 1960 Impala owned by Cecil Livingston. The car was decorated for the Fourth of July. Thurber wanted to remind the public about veterans, including many who never came home.

The parade included about 30 floats and 15 different fire departments. It lasted more than an hour on Wednesday with temperatures in the low 90s.

Michael Tabor carries the American flag for the Lyndonville Fire Department. Morgan Gerety is next to him with the ax.

Girl Scouts in Troop 82040 wave to the crowd in the downtown.

Mark Watts drives a former Medina fire truck from 1933.

Sarah Gregori drives a mini-antique car to highlight Circle R Fruit Farms in Carlton.

Dancing Derrick Bradley is dressed as the Weed Man. He carries an American flag during the very hot parade.

Greg Dugan is dressed as Uncle Sam and Michele Grabowski is Lady Liberty in this float from the St. Joan of Arc of Orleans and Knights of Columbus.

Jean Shervin, the Hospice volunteer of the year, gets a nice ride in a car owned by Don Bishop.

TJ Heidemann, a Lyndonville firefighter, gives his daughter Savannah a ride in an all-terrain vehicle. She waves to the crowd.

Brad Ferris acknowledges the crowd while riding an old Farmall tractor down Main Street.

The Crusaders Motorcycle Club also was an enthusiastic presence in the parade.

The Lyndonville school band played several patriotic numbers during the parade.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – It was another spectacular fireworks show at Lyndonville to cap the Fourth of July celebration. The show by Young Explosives lit up the sky and unleashed many loud booms.

The Lyndonville show at about 40 minutes is considered one of the biggest in Western New York. The Lyndonville Lions Club, led by member Wes Bradley, raises money throughout the year for the big show.

Michael DiGivoanni of Syracuse and his daughters, Marra and Madelena, get a Chinese lantern ready for takeoff. The family is from Syracuse and camps in Waterport during the Fourth of July holiday.

DiGivoanni said he has been bringing his family to the Lyndoville fireworks for about seven years.

“This is easily the best live fireworks show I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Fireworks were sent in several directions from a spot just past the Lyndonville ballfields.

Many people brought lawn chairs and set up on the school softball and baseball fields to watch the spectacle.

Alex Doval, 14, of Medina enjoyed playing with sparklers before the fireworks show.

The fireworks draw several thousand people to Lyndonville. This was the 44th annual Independence Day celebration in Lyndonville put on by the Lions Club.

The Who Dats performed for three hours before the fireworks show. The band includes Ed Hilfiker on guitar, John Borello on guitar, Marty Hobbs on bass, lead singer Lonnie Froman and drummer Aaron Robinson.

There were long lines for the concessions,

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Members of the American Legion and VFW posts in Medina brought a flag-draped casket in today’s Independence Day parade in Lyndonville.

The veterans debuted the display during the Memorial Day parade in Medina. The veterans wanted the parade crowd to know that “freedom isn’t free” and Independence Day wouldn’t be possible without the sacrifice of veterans.

The veterans did a 21-gun salute on Main Street.

Thomas J. Walders, a member of the Medina VFW, plays “Taps” with the Honor Guard.

Carl Boyle, a member of the American Legion in Lyndonville, pauses on Main Street to salute while “Taps” was played.

Jack Miles, left, and Earl Schmidt were in the parade promoting a veterans’ medical transportation service. They stepped outside their vehicles to salute at “Taps.”

The crowd gave the veterans an extended applause, the longest and loudest appreciation during the parade.

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Barker firefighter provides CPR to save woman

Photo by Tom Rivers: These kids spray water from the top of a Middleport fire truck to provide some relief to the crowd in the sweltering heat. The temperature rose from 90 at noon to 93 by the end of the parade more than an hour later.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville parade had to be stopped at least twice today to make room for ambulances and rescue vehicles to treat people effected by the heat.

One woman went into cardiac arrest near the end of the parade when the temperature was 93 degrees. A Barker firefighter was in the parade and saw the woman on Main Street near Johnson Creek.

The firefighter provided CPR and likely saved the woman’s life. She was taken by ambulance.

Lyndonville Fire Chief Ben Bane didn’t know the Barker firefighter’s name. Bane praised the quick action from the firefighter.

Four others were also treated after either fainting or being severely dehydrated. One of those people was taken by ambulance.

Firefighters offered water and tried to help people cool down, Bane said.

He said there have been hot parades before, but he doesn’t recall people needing emergency assistance during the event.

“This is the first time I remember stopping the parade for so many calls,” he said.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Joslynn Bull of Barker, the Miss New York State High School Rodeo Queen for 2017-2018, was among the many parade participants on July 4, 2017 in Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville is ready to host Orleans County biggest Fourth of July party.

The Lions Club is taking the lead in its 44^th annual Independence Day Celebration in Lyndonville.

The club’s 35 members are involved in organizing and running the event.

“It’s so nice to see Lyndonville come to life,” said Ann Marie Holland, the Lions Club president. “It’s rather amazing. It’s really a small group of people who complete the undertaking tomorrow.”

Club members have been raising money for the big bash on Wednesday, and have been particularly busy in recent days ordering food, setting up tents and parking barriers. Tomorrow the Lions Club will be busy all day, cooking hot dogs and the chicken barbecue dinners, organizing the parade and other events. Club members also get to take out the garbage.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser,” Holland said. “We use the money for the medical loan closet, eyeglasses and other community service projects.”

Some highlights in the schedule include:

• The festival opens at 10 a.m. with a bounce house for kids from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the front lawn of the school.

• Arts & Crafts Show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school front lawn with more than 50 vendors.

• Parade at noon.

• Chicken barbecues with baked beans & salt potatoes from 1 to 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

• Concert by Gates Keystone Club Police Pipes & Drums, 1:30 p.m.

• WNY Garden Tractor Pull from 1 to 4 p.m. on Housel Avenue.

• The Hospice of Orleans Duck Race starts at 3 p.m. in Johnson Creek. Only 500 tickets available and they will be sold during festival.

• The Who Dats in concert at High School Parking Lot from 7 p.m. until the fireworks.

• Fireworks at 10 p.m.

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Photos by Jennifer Merkel of Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES 2

LYNDONVILLE – The new graduates at Lyndonville Central School toss their caps after commencement Friday evening.

Lyndonville celebrated its 78th commencement exercises and honored 50 graduates. The ceremony took place in the Stroyan Auditorium.

Class of 2018 Valedictorian Paige Gardner, left, and Salutatorian Mercedes Benedict led the class in academics.

Angela Wachob and Ariane Wachob lend their voices to the singing of the National Anthem to begin the ceremony.

Salutatorian Mercedes Benedict began her speech expressing thanks to all of the important people in her life.

Christopher Clark II, Miranda Lembcke and Reese Ledford were part of a performance of “Have it All” by Jason Mraz.

Valedictorian Paige Gardner addresses her peers and audience members during the ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Amy Lewis

Darren Wilson of the Lyndonville Area Foundation congratulates Brody Brown for winning the Directors Award and scholarship.

David Cook presents Mariah Grabowski the Trevor T. Cook Memorial Scholarship on behalf of his son who was a decorated Marine sergeant killed in a training accident.

Superintendent Jason Smith congratulates Josephine Joy. Smith also addressed the Class of 2018. “Put your best effort into everything. You can persevere if you put your mind to it. Stay hungry, stay humble.” He shared the story of how the Brooklyn Bridge was built. He used this analogy to reinforce how dreams that seem impossible can become real with drive. Do not be defeated by circumstances, he said. Overcome challenges to achieve success. He gave each graduate a small replica of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The graduates move their tassels to signify the end of their high school careers and start of the next chapter in their lives.

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