Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Stan Powers, crew leader for Young Explosives, holds a 12-inch shell that will be sent up about 1,000 feet tonight during the finale of Lyndonville’s fireworks.

The shell is in a special package in honor of the Lyndonville Lions Club’s 50^th annual Fourth of July celebration.

Lyndonville is one of Young Explosives biggest fireworks shows every year, and tonight will be a record-breaker in the company’s 75-year history. Before today, the biggest fireworks show ever for Young Explosives was $50,000. The Lyndonville show tonight will top that at $50,100. That is about double the $25,000 in recent history for the Lyndonville fireworks display.

Powers has been doing the show sin Lyndonville for the past decade. He said the setting is ideal – “5 stars out of 5 stars.”

There are no nearby structures. It’s mostly hundreds of acres of fields. That allows Young Explosives to send up bigger shells. At most other sites, Young is limited to shells that are 3 and 4 inches in width and those typically go up 375 to 425 feet. At Lyndonville, Young Explosives will send up shells that are 8, 10 and 12 inches, and those big shells explode abut 1,000 feet up high.

The Lyndonville fireworks typically goes about 38 minutes. Tonight may stretch out to 45 minutes, and there will be less time in between the fireworks.

“If we do it right there should be no dark sky,” Powers said today, taking a short lunch break before he and a crew of four others returned to setting up for tonight’s show.

The fireworks usually are set off beginning at 10 p.m. Tonight it begins at 9:55 with a special “50” ground display, followed by a display of the American flag.

Wes Bradley, the fireworks chairman the past 19 years, pulls a collection container in today’s parade. Bradley is retiring as chairman of the fireworks.

Powers said he has enjoyed working with Bradley over the years. Bradley helped raise the money to give Lyndonville such a big show. He also keeps Powers and the crew in good spirits, bringing them a chicken barbecue during the busy setup.

90 West Country Band performs on a stage behind the town hall. 7th Heaven will close out the concerts from 7 to 10 p.m. at the stage.

These three are part of a crew that cooked 800 chickens for a barbecue. They include Chris Hughes, left, and his brothers-in-law, Eric Gremli of Auburn and Ryan Demorest of Syracuse. They are come to Lyndonville to help the Lions Club with the chicken barbecue. Lions Club members Mark Hughes, John Belson and Roger Wolfe recruit several family and friends for the annual task. They said they haven’t been able to see the noon parade in years.

Lions Club ready for its 50^th anniversary July 4 celebration; Flyover and cornhole part of festivities

Photos by Tom Rivers: Fireworks burst in the sky during the finale of last year’s show in Lyndonville. This year’s display will be the largest yet in Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club will put on its 50^th annual Fourth of July celebration, and the bash will include the largest fireworks show in Lyndonville’s history.

The annual fireworks show is already one if the biggest in Western New York, typically lasting 38 to 40 minutes, said Wes Bradley, the fireworks chairman the past 19 years.

Provided photo: Gerald “Shorty” Nellist will serve as grand marshal of the parade that starts at noon.

The fireworks on Thursday will go about 45 to 50 minutes.

The contract with Young Explosives is the biggest in the company’s 75-year history, Bradley said.

There will be a ground display starting at 9:55 p.m., commemorating the 50^th anniversary celebration. Then there will be an additional ground display featuring the American flag and then the finale with the fireworks high in the sky.

The celebration also will include a military flyover for the third straight year. It honors veterans, including this year’s parade grand marshal, Gerald “Shorty” Nellist. He is the oldest surviving World War II veteran in Orleans County. Harold Suhr, Lions Club president and Nellist’s son-in-law, said it is an honor to have “Shorty” leading the parade, which this year honors the soldiers from the “Greatest Generation” on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion.

The ceremonial flyover will be carried out by the 911th Air Lift Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserves in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

The flyover is scheduled at 11:55 a.m., just before the parade starts at noon. Route 63 will be temporarily closed to traffic 15 minutes before the flyover.

The Lions Club also announces there will be a cornhole tournament on the school grounds.  The tournament is a double elimination format and will be sponsored by Dubby’s Tailgate.  For more information call (585) 283-4347. Those not in the tournament but wishing to try the game can do so free of charge, courtesy of Dubby’s Tailgate, the Lions Club said.

This year’s celebration will be the largest event ever produced by the Lyndonville Lions Club, Suhr said. Expanded parade bands, and the largest fireworks display ever carried out by Young Explosives are just a few things to look for, he said.

The schedule for bands includes:

• 90 West, playing country music from 2 to 5 p.m. at the main stage on Main Street
• Mike McCauley’s One Man Band, starting at 4:30 p.m. on the school grounds
• 7th Heaven, from 7 to 10 p.m. at main stage on Main Street

A military flyover will be back for the third straight year. This photo shows the airplane passing over Lyndonville. It did it twice just before last year’s parade. The plane came from the 911th United States Air Force Reserve from Pittsburgh, Pa.

Provided photos

Kelly Follman congratulates her daughter Annabelle for graduating from then Marion Military Institute in Alabama.

Annabelle Follman, a member of Lyndonville’s Class of 2023, recently graduated from the Marion Military Institute in Marion, AL. She completed a year of academics and competed on the track and field team.

She was sworn in as midshipman on June 27 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she will spend the summer as a plebe in seven weeks of rigorous training.

Annabelle is the daughter of Curtis and Kelly Follman. This past year she was sponsored by the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation as a recipient of the Class of 1949 Memorial Scholarship.

Three of her siblings are currently serving in the military, with Thomas and Elisabeth both in the Marine Corps and brother Roy in the Coast Guard.

Annabelle Follman plans to major in either English or Political Science and she hopes to pursue naval aviation, following in her father and her brother Thomas’ footsteps.

LYNDONVILLE – Local veterans are encouraged to be part of Lyndonville’s July Fourth parade. They can march in the parade or ride in a trolley.

“If any veteran would like to participate in the parade and ride on our float/trolley, we welcome them,” said Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner Post in Lyndonville. “They do not need to be in the American Legion.”

Veterans who want to be part of the noon parade should go to the staging area at the corner of Alps and Platten roads before 11 a.m.

The trolley for veterans will be near the front of the procession for the parade.

Veterans can be dropped off or can try to park along road, although there may not be any parking available.

For more information, contact the Post through a Facebook message or email at AmericanLegion1603@gmail.com.

July 10 Mid-Summer Soiree will benefit Cobblestone Museum

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) From left, Connie Fisher and her daughter Christine chat with Shirley Bright-Neeper of Medina about the Mid-Summer Celebration scheduled July 10 in Fisher’s garden. Neeper is co-chair of the event with Joyce Chiczek of Lyndonville. Flowers are beginning to bloom, while in the back is Fisher’s She-Shack which her husband Jim built. (Right) Connie Fisher checks the Sweet William in bloom in their garden, where they will host a Mid-Summer Soiree on July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

LYNDONVILLE – Most people would look at Jim and Connie Fisher’s acre of lawn with multiple flower beds, a pond with waterfall and various out-buildings and think, “What a lot of work.”

But to the Fishers, it is a labor of love.

Jim and Connie Fisher stand in the gazebo of their garden at 10193 Millers Rd., where they will host a Mid-Summer Soiree July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

The Fishers will welcome guests to their garden at 10193 Millers Rd. on July 10 for a Mid-Summer Celebration “Back to the Garden” to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

Shirley Bright-Neeper first visited the Fisher’s garden during a fundraiser last year for the Yates Community Library.

Neeper, who co-chairs the July 10 event with Joyce Chiczek of Lyndonville, was so impressed she asked the Fishers if they would be willing to host a garden tour for the Cobblestone Museum this summer.

“After a couple of years hosting our soiree at the Cobblestone campus, we are going ‘back to the garden’,” Neeper said. “There will be a lot of seating and a golf cart to get you to the garden from the parking area.”

The event, which runs from 4 p.m. until dark, rain or shine, will feature garden tours, music by McHenry and Baz, Mike Grammatico of Batavia on saxophone, wine and light refreshments.

The Fishers moved to Millers Road in 1983, but didn’t start their garden until 1996 when their kids were older. They first dug the pond, which today is beautifully landscaped, full of colorful fish and complete with water fountain.

“The garden is a full time job, since Jim retired,” Connie said. “We easily spend 40 hours a week working in it during the summer.”

She said the two of them are a team.

“Jim doesn’t know the flowers, but he helps with the mulching and the pond,” Connie said. “I couldn’t do it without him.”

They showed off their garden recently, dotted with flower beds of various varieties, a stone path edged with flowers and solar lights leading to a gazebo, water trickling in the pond and the She-Shed Jim built for Connie.

Connie said when planning the garden they were fortunate to know fellow gardeners who were wonderful about sharing ideas. She also read books and studied the gardens of neighbors and friends.

“Now we’re just grateful the Good Lord lets us enjoy his creation,” Connie said. “We spend every single day out here. The garden is never done.”

Photos courtesy of Connie Fisher: This section of Jim and Connie Fisher’s garden is in full bloom in this photo taken last year. They are preparing to host “Back to the Garden,” a Mid-Summer Celebration on July 10 to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

While most of the flowers are not yet blooming, Connie said by July 10 the garden will be ablaze with color.

Blooms include day lilies, Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, tall flax, Lucifer peonies, sweet William, roses and many more.

Jim said next year they are not committing to anything.

But in the meantime, “Here we are getting ready for the biggest shindig ever,” Connie said.

A suggested donation for the Mid-Summer Celebration is $10. Reservations would be appreciated by logging on to CobblestoneMuseum.org or calling (585) 589-9013.

Flowers are in full bloom near the pond last summer in Jim and Connie Fisher’s garden. The couple anticipates the blossoms will be as beautiful when they welcome visitors July 10 for a Mid-Summer Celebration to benefit the Cobblestone Society.

This is the She Shed that Jim Fisher built for his wife Connie in their garden.

First ‘Lace Up for the Library’ 5K also planned for July 20

LYNDONVILLE – The Yates Community Free Library’s concert series was scheduled to start on June 24, but the first concert has been pushed back a week due to unforeseen circumstances, said library director Emily Cebula.

The first “Concert on the Lawn” for the 2024 season will be July 2 at 11 a.m. featuring Dave Stockton on a variety of instruments. The morning show on a Tuesday will include special audience guests – the residents of Medina Memorial Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Home.

The concerts in the series are all free to attend and people are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Besides the Tuesday concert on July 2, the events are all on Monday evenings.

The schedule includes:

• July 2 at 11 a.m. – Dave Stockton
• July 8 at 7 p.m. – Feedback
• July 15 at 6:30 p.m. – Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra
• July 22 at 7 p.m. – Old Hippies
• July 29 at 7 p.m. – Stanton
• Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. – Barker Community Band
• Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. – Mystic Sisters with Ruby Hoffee
• Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. – Puckdaddys
• Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. – Celtic Spirit

The library’s concert series is funded by the state with money administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Yates Community Library also is planning its first “Lace Up for the Library” 5K on July 20. Walkers and runners are welcome to event which starts and finishes at the Yates Town Park. The race starts at 9 a.m. and people who register by July 12 will receive an official race T-shirt. Click here for more information.

Referendum to buy 153 acres fails in 260-145 vote

Photos by Tom Rivers: Staff from the Orleans County Board of Elections counts ballots this evening in the Yates Town Hall while onlookers observe the county. Town Supervisor Jim Simon is in back at left.

LYNDONVILLE – Voters in the Town of Yates today gave a decisive rejection of a land purchase along Lake Ontario to expand the town park.

The town held a referendum today on whether Yates would be authorized to spend $700,000 in grant funds to acquire 153.3 acres next to the current 6-acre Town Park on Morrison Road.

The town wanted to expand the park by buying the land from NYSEG. Even though the purchase would only move forward with grant funding, residents still said no. Several voiced their concerns about ongoing expense with maintenance and the uncertain plan for how the town would use the land.

Town Supervisor Jim Simon envisioned a nature trail for the property, and keeping the site mostly wild.

“The people have spoken,” Simon said after the votes were counted in the town hall. “It’s definitive.”

The stack of “no” votes is about twice as high as the “yes” votes.

There were 415 votes counted today, with 382 ballots cast in person today and 33 more through absentees. A few more absentees also might trickle in the next few days but they won’t change the outcome.

There are 1,629 registered voters in Yates. That puts turnout at 25.5 percent.

Simon said residents are feeling a general uneasiness about the economy, and many recently had their assessments raised adding to their angst.

He will inform NYSEG that the land purchase was denied by residents. Simon expects NYSEG will put the land up for sale with the future use unknown. Residents in favor of the town purchase preferred to keep it mostly wild or have public access, over the land being developed for housing or industry and business.

Simon said he was pleased to meet more residents through the town discussions about the land, including recent public meetings.

“It got more people involved in the process,” he said.

‘Sammy the Stone Snake’ makes debut at Patterson Park behind Post Office

Photos courtesy of Katherine Kage

LYNDONVILLE – Kids and other Lyndonville community members painted stones on Wednesday and they were lined up to form “Sammy the Stone Snake” in Patterson Park behind the Post Office.

“Similar to the shoe tree, we want to see how large we can make the snake!” said Darlene Hartway, who runs the Webber Café on Main Street where many of the stones were painted.

Hartway is also director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. She invites the community to add more painted stones to the snake to see how long it can get.

Darlene Hartway and Lyndonville Mayor John Belson are shown with the stone snake. Belson laid the headstone of the snake that was painted by Jeannie Goetze.

Kids and community members painted an additional 34 stones to get the snake started.

These kids paint stones at the Webber Café for the snake’s body.

There are signs at the entrance and in the park to direct people to the snake.

Lyndonville is also gearing up for a Retro-Fest and town-wide garage sale on Saturday, Aug. 3. People hosting a garage sale can get their sales listed on a map, both digital and printed for a small fee, Hartway said. Maps and URL codes will be given out that morning and during the day at the Webber Café.

Town Board seeks to buy 153 acres to expand town park with stipulation $700K must come from grants

Photos by Tom Rivers: Yates Town Supervisor Jim Simon speakers at a meeting Saturday morning at the Yates Town Park during an informational session about a public referendum this Thursday at Yates Town Hall.

YATES – Town Supervisor Jim Simon sees 153.3 acres by Lake Ontario as a tremendous opportunity for the town to preserve undisturbed land for generations to come.

But some residents see the acquisition, even if funded by grants, as a potential drain on taxpayers with maintenance and other expenses.

Residents will decide on Thursday whether the town moves forward with the land purchase. The town will only spend $700,000 to buy the land from NYSEG if the Yates can secure $700,000 in grants to cover the price. Yates would have two years to come up with the money. The public vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall, 8 South Main St.

Simon is optimistic the town could secure the grants through the state Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation and also the Lyndonville Area Foundation, with other entities also as possibilities. If Yates doesn’t secure the grant funds for the purchase, the sale will be cancelled.

The Town Board on March 14 voted to buy 153.3 acres of land from NYSEG. It would be next to existing 6-acre park along Morrison Road.

Town residents Paul Lauricella, Bill Jurinich and Steve Colon circulated petitions wanting the matter to go to a public vote. On April 11 they turned in petitions signed by 200 residents. That was well above the needed threshold of 50 signature to force a referendum.

“I’m glad it’s come down to this where the people have a say,” Simon said on Saturday during an informational meeting about the land purchase. “That doesn’t happen to often in government. We can make a case and the people can vote yes or no.”

This map shows the boundaries of the land the Town Board seeks to acquire to expand the town park by 153.3 acres. The site, which is zoned waterfront development, would remain largely undisturbed in the near future, perhaps with a nature trail if the sale is approved by voters. If the sale is approved, a committee will be appointed by the Town Board to pursue grants and develop a plan for potential uses of the site.

If the land purchase is approved on Thursday, Simon said the Town Board will appoint a committee to pursue grants and consider how the land could be used by the public. He said he would prefer the land stay largely undisturbed with only walking trails. But the committee will look at options for the land.

Paul Lauricella sees more burden on taxpayers with the expanded park. The land if bought by the town would become exempt, taking $23,650 away in taxes – for the town ($3,557), school district ($11,279) , county ($7,009), fire district ($735), library ($302) and water debt service ($768).

Lauricella also foresees more demand on the highway department for maintaining the site, even if it’s just a nature trail. If there are pavilions and other amenities, it would cost even more.

“We’re not Lighthouse Park to have to maintain this,” Lauricella said about the nearby Golden Hill State Park. “Just the maintenance could raise our taxes significantly. My concern is survival here because the taxes are going up.”

Resident Bill Jurinich also said he was uneasy with the unknown total costs if the town is given the green light to acquire the land. He said he and others are on fixed incomes and he worries about his taxes.

“That is my biggest fear: I just don’t want to be driven out of the town because of the taxes,” Jurinich said during the meeting at the town park.

Another resident, Deborah Schmitt, urged the community to support the land acquisition and vote yes at the referendum. If the purchase is voted down, she fears that NYSEG will sell the land to be developed for mansions.

“I’d rather it be owned by all of us,” she said.

The land up for sale runs just before the “shoe trees” at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Foss Road.

The site could also be eyed by industry for the fresh water access, another resident said.

Georgette Stockman said she would prefer to see the land stay undeveloped. She said 146 different species of birds have been identified in the park.

Paula Simon, wife of the town supervisor, said the referendum gives the community a chance to keep the land wild.

“NYSEG wants to sell now,” she said. “They’re giving the town a special price.”

If the land is five separate parcels. If it went on the open market, Mrs. Simon said there would be strong interest in the properties.

“It’s not going to stay the way it is,” she said. “It’s going to change.”

Mr. Simon, the town supervisor, said there wouldn’t be much additional cost to the town. He said the town’s insurance wouldn’t increase with the added land if there is only a nature trail.

He said the expanded town park would likely draw some visitors and keep more people in town for recreation. He noted the pavilion at the town park had $4,700 in income last year through rental fees, and already has hit $4,000 this year.

Some of the people using the park also likely get food from local businesses, helping those entrepreneurs and generating some sales tax.

Simon said an expanded town park has been identified by previous town boards through waterfront development plans. Yates sought the land previously, but only now is NYSEG willing to sell the larger chunk of acreage. NYSEG did sell the town 6 acres for the current park in 1997 when Russ Martino was town supervisor. In pavilion at the park is named in his honor.

“This idea didn’t generate with me,” Simon said. “It goes back to prior town boards and Russ Martino.”

Press Release, Lyndonville Area Foundation

Provided photo: Shelly Harling, a director with the Lyndonville Area Foundation, presents a check from the Foundation to Wes Bradley, a Lyndonville Lions Club member and chairman of the fireworks celebration.

LYNDONVILLE – Again this year, the Lyndonville Area Foundation has made a significant donation toward the Lyndonville Lions Club’s Annual 4th of July celebration.

The Foundation has given $15,000 to the Lions Club, which is planning its 50^th annual July Fourth festival. The Foundation has earmarked $5,000 of this contribution to be used toward bands for the parade and musical entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening.

The additional $10,000 will go toward the once-in-a-half-century fireworks display being planned.

The Lyndonville Lions Club receives contributions toward the fireworks display throughout the year from many area organizations, businesses and individuals, who have been and continue to be remarkable supporters of the event.

As a result, the contract for this year’s commemorative fireworks show is the largest display in the 75-year history of Young Explosives, a professional fireworks producer out of Rochester.

We hope that everyone enjoys the day!

Vote will be June 20 whether to acquire 153 acres to expand town park

Press Release, Town of Yates

YATES – The Town of Yates has changed the deadlines for applications for absentee ballots for the upcoming special election for the Yates Town Park expansion proposition.

The new extended deadlines for registered Yates voters are:

• Thursday, June 13, at 4:30pm is the deadline for an absentee voter to have their application for absentee ballot be received by mail by the Yates Town Clerk.
• Wednesday, June 19, at 4:30 p.m. is the deadline for the Town Clerk to receive an application for an absentee ballot if it is delivered personally by the voter or by his/her agent.

The deadline to submit their actual absentee ballots has not changed – it is election day.  All absentee ballots must be hand-delivered by the voter’s designated agent or, if mailed, the absentee ballot must be postmarked to the Yates Town Clerk no later than June 20 at 8  p.m.

The special election for in-person voters will take place on Thursday, June 20 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Yates Town Hall (8 S. Main St., Lyndonville, NY 14098).

The ballot referendum will read: “Utilizing grant funds, shall the Town of Yates be authorized to purchase 153.3 acres from NYSEG for $700,000 to expand the Yates Town Park?  YES or NO”

There will be two public meetings open to all and attended by town board members to discuss the proposal and to answer questions: Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Yates Town Hall; and Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m. at the Yates Town Park (north terminus of Morrison Road).

Yates Supervisor Jim Simon encourages people to attend the public forums, to email him (jamesjsimon11@gmail.com), or to call him (716-946-2075) if there are any questions.

Press Release, Steve Goodrich, commander of Houseman-Tanner Post

LYNDONVILLE – Flag Day June 14th, 1777 is the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the Stars & Stripes as our official national ensign.

This day is set aside to honor the flag and to officially retire those flags that have become faded, worn and unserviceable from usage.

The Houseman-Tanner Post 1603 of the American Legion will be hosting a retirement ceremony on June 14 at 5 p.m. at Lynhaven Cemetery in Lyndonville. Anyone who has an unserviceable flag (including Military Service or foreign national flags) in need of dignified disposal, may bring them to this ceremony. Anyone interested in seeing this ceremony is asked to meet by the flagpole and cannon in Lynhaven Cemetery on June 14.

If there are any questions you may contact the post at americanlegion1603@gmail.com or myself directly at sjgoodri6511@gmail.com or my cell at 585-765-5049 by voicemail during day or directly anytime between 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Scott Goetze

LYNDONVILLE – The impending inclement weather this morning forced the cancellation of the Memorial Day parade and ceremony for the safety of all involved, said Steve Goodrich, the Legion commander.

“That does not mean the day went unmarked,” he said.

At 8:30 a.m. members of Houseman-Tanner Post 1603 placed a wreath at the Memorial Stone in Veterans Park and lowered the flag to half staff to honor the fallen.

Pictured: Commander Steve Goodrich lowers the flag as members (left to right) Scott Goetze, John Follman and Kathy Kage render honors. Delbert Young, a Legion member, also was present.