By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2018 at 5:21 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The percentage of students who are refusing to take state assessments has dropped significantly at Holley Central School.
The tests aren’t nearly as lengthy and the student scores are no longer tied to teacher evaluations. Those might be big factors in why fewer students are refusing to take state tests.
Two years ago, all local schools had at least 20 percent of their students in grades 3 to 8 “opt out” of taking state assessments for math and English language arts.
Today was the beginning of the testing for the ELA assessments. Those tests used to be over three days. Now they are over two days with the tests taking about 90 minutes each day, although students aren’t under a time limit as long as they are working productively. The math tests follow next week for some schools.
Lyndonville had 8 percent of its students, 17 out of 212, refuse the tests today. Last year it was closer to 25 to 30 percent, said Jason Smith, the district superintendent.
“As a school district, we have tried to not make these tests stand out as anything special, just another way to measure student progress, like any other assessment,” Smith said. “The tests are important, we don’t discount that, but we also tried hard to not elevate either, as we want students to take these tests to see where we are doing well and where need to improve.”
Holley has had the highest refusal rate among the Orleans County districts, topping 40 percent in 2015, and then 36 percent for Math and 32 percent for English in 2016. Today the district had near 90 percent participation, said Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal.
Medina had about 10 percent of the students refuse the tests, while Kendall was less than 15 percent and Albion was 14 percent, according to school superintendents at those districts.
The students who refuse the tests aren’t penalized. They typically stay in the classroom and have reading materials.
Here are the opt out rates for the districts in 2015:
• Albion, 29.0 percent for Math; 22.0 percent for ELA
• Holley, 43.0 percent for Math; 40.0 percent for ELA
• Kendall, 34 percent for Math; 30 percent for ELA
• Lyndonville, 26 percent Math; 19 percent for ELA
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 March 2018 at 10:49 am
A zany cast of characters hits the stage in Lyndonville
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Qasim Huzair stars as Uncle Fester in the upcoming production of The Addams family by Lyndonville and Medina students. Huzair is shown at rehearsal on Wednesday. The people in the back are the “Ancestors.” Uncle Fester sings about his love for the Moon.
The show features 38 students from the two schools, plus another 17 in the stage crew. In addition, the superintendents from both school districts are playing in the pit band. Jason Smith of Lyndonville is playing the trombone and Mark Kruzynski of Medina is on the drums.
The performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 pm. The shows are at Lyndonville High School’s Stroyan Auditorium, 25 Housel Ave. Tickets are available at the door.
Shelby Green plays Grandma, who is 102. She calls out to a 90-year-old man in the crowd and welcomes a get together.
Jennifer Trupo is director of the musical. She held auditions in November and students have been rehearsing for about four months.
She wanted to do the show because it is zany and features several character actors. She knew the cast had the talent to pull off the show.
“They have embraced it and they are having fun with it,” Trupo said. “We have a lot of phenomenal character actors. Most of the leads are in 9th or 10th grade. They’re very young but they are very amazing.”
It’s a love story, really. There may be some dark themes and an obsession with death, but the latest musical by Lyndonville and Medina students is also a love story between Wednesday Addams (Layna Viloria) and Lucas Beineke (Jacob Corser), who come from two very different families.
Christian Hahn portrays Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the family. He is shown while the Addams family welcomes the Beineke family for dinner. The Beinekes increasingly grow alarmed by the ghoulishness of the Addams family.
Cora Payne plays Morticia Addams, the family matriarch who fears, with her daughter’s engagement, that Morticia is less needed to her family. She is shown with two Dancing Ancestors, Sawyer Wilson (left) and Trenton Crews.
The Ancestors make many appearances during the show.
Brian Cunningham plays Pugsley Addams. He steals a potion from Grandma and intends to give it to his sister, hoping she wouldn’t go through with the wedding. The potion is supposed to bring out someone’s dark nature.
Tamara Huzair stars as Alice Beineke, the mother of Lucas. She drinks the potion intended for Wednesday and in front of everyone declares her marriage is passionless.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2018 at 10:51 pm
LYNDONVILLE – Darren Wilson won a close race for village trustee, 33-30, over Anne Marie Holland in today’s village election.
Darren Wilson
Holland was appointed to the board in September. The election was to fill the remaining year of the term as trustee.
Holland and Wilson are both friends who said good things about each other.
Wilson serves as president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation, and Holland is a member of that board. She is also president of the Lions Club and director of special programs, staff development and pupil services at Lyndonville Central School.
Wilson is a Florida native who works as a graphic and industrial designer with a focus in the automotive industry. His office is on Route 63. His wife Wendy is general manager of LynOaken Farms and president of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.
He sees lots of potential for the community, and is pleased to see progress on Main Street with a new grocery store opening and a new owner for the Pennysaver building. Wilson, in his role on the Village Planning Board, favored a tax exemption for the downtown that would not increase a building’s assessment for five years if there were upgrades, and then would phase in the assessment 20 percent from years 6 through 10.
Lyndonville has 485 registered voters. The 63 who voted represents 13 percent of the registered voters.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 March 2018 at 8:30 pm
Anne Marie Holland and Darren Wilson seek one-year on Village Board
LYNDONVILLE – Two candidates running to fill a one-year term on the Village Board are well established leaders in Lyndonville.
Anne Marie Holland
Anne Marie Holland, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in September, is currently president of the Lyndonville Lions Club. She is also a Lyndonville school administrator, serving as director of special programs, staff development and pupil services.
She is challenged in the village election on Tuesday by Darren Wilson, who is president of the Lyndonville Area Foundation. Wilson is a Florida native who works as a graphic and industrial designer with a focus in the automotive industry. His office is on Route 63. His wife Wendy is general manager of LynOaken Farms and president of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.
Holland, in her role as Lions Club president, also is a member of the Foundation board of directors. Wilson has been a member of Foundation since 2002. As president, he leads the board’s meetings. The Foundation distributes about $100,000 to the community each year for scholarships and projects.
Wilson is also on the Village Planning Board and is a member of the Lions Club.
Neither Holland or Wilson has anything bad to say about the other. In fact, they both say the other candidate is well qualified and would be a good choice.
Darren Wilson
Both say they want to serve the community in another way by being on the Village Board.
Holland has worked in education for 33 years, including the past 25 at Lyndonville. She and her husband Roy moved to the community when they bought the Green Harbor Campground and Marina. They sold the business about 15 years ago but have stayed in Lyndonville. Their two grown children have also moved back to Lyndonville.
“We were made to feel very welcome in the community,” Holland said about when they first moved to Lyndonville. “I want to be able to contribute and give back to the community.”
She said bringing more vitality to Main Street is a priority. She supported the recent decision to offer a tax exemption to downtown buildings. If the owners upgrade the sites, they wouldn’t see their tax assessments go up for five years, and then the taxes would be phased in from years 6 to 10. Wilson also pushed for that exemption and presented it to the Village Board as an alternative for enticing projects to the downtown.
“I want to see some life on Main Street again,” she said. “I want it to stay a positive place to raise children. I think it’s a beautiful community.”
She is pleased the Pennysaver building has recently been purchased and the owner has plans for utilizing the building. Ultimately, she said local residents need to support the businesses for them to succeed in the community.
Holland also praised the efforts of the Lions Club, library, the town, village and other community groups for bringing concerts to the downtown, the Fourth of July festival and other events. The Lions Club last week voted to purchase new patriotic banners for Main Street.
“I have the best interests of the community at heart,” Holland said. “I’m willing to listen and work hard. I’m running to keep Lyndonville a nice place to live.”
Wilson moved to Lyndonville about 20 years ago. He sees lots of potential in the community. The school district is a source of pride, and so are the nearby apple farms.
His service on the Foundation has given him insight into the assets of the community and some of the challenges and budget shortfalls. The Foundation can often bridge a funding gap for a program. The Foundation’s board includes many community leaders, including representatives from the school, the village mayor and town supervisor, and several others.
Wilson said his 30 years of business experience would be an asset to the Village Board. He said the village has been struggling in recent years, particularly with increased vacancies on Main Street.
We wants to be part of the solution. That’s why he favored the tax exemption in the downtown. He wants to do more to assist business owners with projects.
“I’m willing to do the hands-on with these owners and help them jump through hoops,” he said.
Holland said Wilson is “an excellent candidate” for the board. Wilson also praised Holland’s skills and commitment.
“We both have a vested interest in the community and we’re probably both running for much of the same reasons,” Wilson said.
The election on Tuesday will be from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall. Holland is running under the “Lyndonville Party” while Wilson is under the “Main Street Party.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 March 2018 at 5:18 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Mike Boring and his daughter Shelby are pictured Saturday at Discount Groceries and More, which opened on March 1 at 11 South Main St.
Boring wanted to bring a business to downtown Lyndonville, which has experienced an increasing number of vacancies in recent years.
“I remember when all of these buildings were filled up,” he said about Main Street. “Hopefully we can get more businesses down here.”
He sells many grocery items at deep discounts. Many of the groceries are past their “best by” date, but Boring said they are still fresh and good to eat.
Boring works with suppliers at Amish-owned stores in Ohio and Mennonite-owned stores in Pennsylvania. He has established many relationships with those communities through his work as a driver for local Amish and Mennonite, who return to their home communities in Pennsylvania and Ohio for weddings, funerals and other events. Boring has driven the local Amish and Mennonite about 100,000 miles a year.
He has 25 years in the trucking business and also runs a small farm in Lyndonville with beef, sheep and horses.
He will be looking to expand the inventory at the new store, adding bread, dairy products and soda, and possibly more in the future.
Discount Groceries and More is currently open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
LYNDONVILLE – The Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post 1603 in Lyndonville selected delegates for the American Legion Boys State which will be held at SUNY Morrisville from June 24 through June 29.
Kane Flynn and James Wachob will be the two delegates. They are currently juniors in high school and will be seniors next school year at Lyndonville Central School.
Pictured, from left, include: John Follman, Post Chairman Joe Hausler, delegates James Wachob and Kane Flynn, Post Commander Steve Goodrich and Carl Boyle.
At Boys’ State, students learn about government operation and structure. The delegates run for government offices in the different levels of state government. They operate the level of state government which they are elected. The draft legislation, vote on bills, and make and pass budgets.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 March 2018 at 11:19 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Lyndonville is pictured in late November when the downtown was decorated for the holiday season.
LYNDONVILLE – The Orleans County Legislature and Lyndonville Village Board have both approved tax exemptions for building projects in the downtown business district.
Both governing boards passed new local laws where property owners who invest in the historic commercial buildings would not see the assessments increase for five years, and would then see 20 percent increases over the next five years for the improvements, until the sites are at full assessment after a decade.
The County Legislature passed the exemptions last week and the Lyndonville Village Board approved the incentives on Monday. The Yates Town Board is expected to discuss the issue at its meeting this evening, and the Lyndonville Board of Education may also consider it.
John Belson, mayor of Lyndonville, said the exemptions will spare building owners from a big tax increase if they upgrade their buildings. Properties on Main Street, from Eagle Street to Riverside Drive, are eligible for the exemptions.
The village tax rate is $13.86 per $1,000 of assessed property while the county rate is $10.06. Together they are $23.92. If someone did a $50,000 upgrade to a building in the downtown, raising the assessment by $50,000, the tax bill would increase $1,196 without the tax exemption.
The school tax rate is $16.31 and the town rate inside the village is $2.57.
Belson, the village mayor, is hopeful the town and school will join in offering the exemptions for the buildings in the downtown to help attract more businesses and investment to Main Street.
Save Ontario Shores is firmly committed to continuing its opposition to Lighthouse Wind, an industrial wind project proposed by the Virginia corporation, Apex Clean Energy.
Stipulations for the Article 10 Lighthouse Wind electrical generation project were filed on March 5, 2018. This is the last step before the company can file the application for this project that has proposed up to 70, 600-foot industrial turbines to be placed along 12 miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline. This corporation has been unmoved by the three-year steadily growing chorus of opposition to the project.
Residents in the beautiful rural lakeside towns of Somerset and Yates, located in the project area, were surveyed in 2015 and voiced overwhelming opposition to the project. This did not dissuade the developer, Apex. Since then the two Town Boards passed well-reasoned laws to protect the towns’ environment, residents and economy.
Several diverse national, statewide and regional environmental and birding groups, along with SOS and organizations representing tourism, economic development, and hunting and fishing interests, have formed the POWER Coalition (Protecting {Lake} Ontario’s Waterfront, Environment & Resources) to jointly raise concerns.
County legislatures in Erie, Niagara, and Orleans counties have all voiced their opposition to Lighthouse Wind. The project location includes a major migratory flyway for songbirds and raptors, a lakeside tourist region, and proximity to a US Air Base and thousands of residences and small businesses.
Apex’s reluctance to engage with citizens regarding their concerns has left the company isolated from local leaders. But New York State’s Department of Public Service has indicated that developers need to go through local laws and not around them.
The SOS signs have been up for years and support many in the local community who say: We’ll Keep Fighting! and APEX Go Home!
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 March 2018 at 10:01 am
Yates town supervisor calls filing ‘slipshod’
File photo by Tom Rivers: The 400-foot-high wind turbines in Sheldon, Wyoming County, are pictured in October 2015. Apex is proposing turbines that would be 600 feet high in Yates and Somerset.
ALBANY – Apex Clean Energy on Monday filed a long-anticipated stipulations document, which in 290 pages details the company studies and responses to concerns about environmental, visual, property values and other impacts. (Click here to be directed to the document.)
There is now a 21-day comment period for residents and other interested parties to submit comments about the stipulations and project.
Apex is proposing to build a 201 megawatt wind-powered electric generating facility in Somerset and Yates. The facility would also include a point of interconnection substation near the Kintigh Substation in Somerset, which would deliver electricity to the New York State electric grid.
Apex would build about 70 wind turbines, access roads, electrical collection lines, collection substation, wind measurement towers, temporary construction staging and storage areas, and an operations and maintenance facility.
The 290-page document details the proposed stipulations agreed to between Apex and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Department of Public Service, the NYS Department of Health, and NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Other parties that may join these stipulations include the Town of Somerset, the Town of Yates, Save Ontario Shores, Genesee Valley Audubon Society, and Rochester Birding Association.
The project has been bitterly opposed by the towns of Yates and Somerset, and the citizens group, Save Ontario Shores. Yates and Somerset have both updated their wind energy laws, increasing setbacks for turbines by property lines, and banning them within 3 miles of Lake Ontario.
James Simon, Yates Town Supervisor, issued this statement about Apex’s stipulations filing:
Jim Simon
“After nearly 2 years of confidential stipulations negotiations, Apex Clean Energy has failed to gain agreement from either of the targeted towns on the scope and methodology of the proposed studies in any of the relevant exhibits of their Lighthouse Wind project proposal. This is very telling. They have failed to make their case to the towns, and yet they have the audacity to serve the towns and the general public official notice of proposed stipulations purportedly agreed to by several state agencies.
“I am shocked at the shoddiness of Apex’s 290-page Stipulations document. For instance, Apex claims to have an agreement with several state agencies regarding what they refer to on page 87 as “Appendix A” (Stipulation 31-1001.31 Exhibit 31: Local Laws and Ordinances, paragraph C). And yet, there is no Appendix A for Exhibit 31 – it does not exist anywhere in the document. Perhaps Apex is telling the Town of Yates that they are planning to seek a determination from the Siting Board that our updated local wind law is ‘unreasonably burdensome?’ One can only wonder.
“Getting back to this slipshod document, according to the Table of Contents, there are no appendices or attachments whatsoever. And yet, a cursory scan of the document reveals a number of appendices and attachments not listed in the Table of Contents such as Attachment 20(A) on page 90 (or is it page 46?), Attachment 22A on page 93 (or is it page 59?), Appendix A (p.263), Appendix B (p. 274), Appendix 1 (p. 192), Appendix 2 (p. 193), etc..
“This is sloppiness, ambivalence, hubris, or all of the above. And they want to build 600-foot industrial wind turbines in Yates and Somerset? Go figure.
“With regard to supposed agreements on the proposed stipulations between Apex and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Public Service, the Department of Health, and the Department of Agriculture and Markets, I am hoping that these state agencies are not being bamboozled into stipulations agreements before the 21-day Public Comment period is over. After all, they haven’t yet had a chance to consider some of the local expertise that will surely come to light from the citizens with standing in this case.
“Lastly, two weeks ago the Town of Yates sent Apex Clean Energy’s CEO Mark Goodwin a confirmed-receipt letter stating, a) that we have updated our local wind laws, b) that we have passed a unanimous resolution against the Lighthouse Wind project, and, c) that we continue to have monolithic opposition from both towns, both school districts and both counties against a payment-in-lieu of taxes agreement. The last point would mean that even if the state forced this project on Yates and Somerset, Apex would have to pay full property taxes making the project economically unviable. Mr. Goodwin’s response? Crickets. No wait, check that. His response is a 290-page monstrosity called ‘Stipulations.’
“Game on.”
Dan Engert, Somerset Town Supervisor, released this statement on Monday about the Apex filing:
Dan Engert
“The Town of Somerset is disappointed to report that Lighthouse Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Apex Clean Energy, has taken the next step in its plan to convert our entire Town into a sprawling industrial wind energy plant of massive proportions.
“Today, by publishing draft stipulations with state agencies, Apex has clearly signaled its resolve to limit the review of their project’s environmental, economic, and public health impacts. Apex has also reaffirmed its intent to trample Home Rule by having the state government ‘waive’ our local zoning laws.
“Somerset is confident that all parties will think carefully before signing any agreement that could improperly limit the review of environmental and economic impacts. A growing body of evidence shows the devastating impact industrial wind can have on people and the environment – especially in lake-shore communities like Somerset. It would be a shame if the so called ‘stipulations’ published today are used to prevent a hard look at the major bird migration route passing over Somerset, the visual impacts of 70 new 60-story towers, or the dangers to public health posed by noisy turbines.
“The only positive to take away from today’s publication of draft agreements is that the secretive stipulation process, which has kept the public in the dark for almost 2 years, is now over. The truth is that Somerset has already suffered enough economic harm at the hands of Apex. Public opposition remains strong, but unfortunately this ill-conceived project has impacted some neighbors and families who have been torn apart by the divisive and secretive tactics of a big industrial wind company. Today, as Apex continues its quest to overturn our local zoning laws, the time for healing has not yet begun.
“Governor Cuomo, I call upon you to stop the sacrifice of upstate property at the altar of industrial wind development.”
Taylor Quarles, Lighthouse Wind Development Manager, issued this statement:
Taylor Quarles
“Stipulations is a process that involves discussion and consultation with those who have registered for party status regarding the methodology and scope of studies, the results of which will be presented in the final application. Stipulations is an entirely optional process; neither Lighthouse Wind nor other parties are required to participate in the dialogue, but instead do so because they see a benefit in working to ensure the final application is thorough and complete.
“Throughout stipulations, all discussions and negotiations between parties should remain confidential. However, after making the agreed-upon changes and finalizing stipulations, the results are submitted for public comment before any party can sign. A party’s signature on a stipulation signifies their satisfaction with the extent and methods of the proposed study plan. Lighthouse Wind has remained committed to receiving public input throughout the Article 10 process, and looks forward to reviewing comments received on these stipulations prior to seeking any signatures from parties.
“We encourage readers to judge the stipulations for themselves. They will find an extensive and detailed document which is the result of extensive input we have received from over 20 involved stakeholder parties, including Somerset and Yates, all the pertinent state agencies, several local environmental groups, Save Ontario Shores, and several individuals. We remain committed to the over 100 signed landowners who are excited for the benefits the Lighthouse Wind project could offer their communities, in part evidenced by the over 20 successfully operating wind projects across New York State.
“The scope of studies proposed in this document will make Lighthouse Wind one of the most exhaustively reviewed wind projects to date. Public health and Safety (Exhibit 15) is covered on pages 24-28. Noise and Vibration (Exhibit 19) is covered on pages 31-42. Terrestrial Ecology and Wetlands (Exhibit 22) is covered on pages 49-59. Visual Impacts (exhibit 24) is covered on pages 62-78. Site Restoration and Decommissioning (exhibit 29) is covered on pages 85-86.
“All told, the stipulations document is over 200 pages long and exhaustively details the scope for each of the 41 exhibits required in our future Article 10 application. We have been diligent and committed throughout the stipulations discussions because we see it as a critical step in the ongoing process of receiving input from stakeholders and the public. As such, we are eager to review any and all input submitted over the comment period.”
Within 21 days after filing of the proposed stipulations, any person, agency or municipality may submit comments on the proposed stipulations by serving such comments on the applicant’s designated representative: Taylor Quarles, 8687 Main Street, Barker, NY 14012, or by emailing info@lighthousewind.com and by filing a copy with the Secretary to the Siting Board (Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess at secretary@dps.ny.gov).
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 February 2018 at 4:57 pm
Provided photos
LYNDONVILLE – New banners celebrating Lyndonville Tiger pride were installed on Main Street today.
The 20 banners were paid for by the Lyndonville Sports Boosters.
“Our teams bring our community together in such a positive way,” said Amy Lewis, one of the Boosters. “After months of hard work, we are happy to share that today 20 canvas flags were mounted along Main Street to display our Tiger pride and appreciation.”
The village Department of Public Works installed the new banners, which are expected to stay up just before Memorial Day, when American flags are mounted on the utility poles.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A wind turbine is pictured on the Tug Hill Plateau in northern New York.
Press Release, Save Ontario Shores
A diverse group of organizations has joined forces to stop Apex Clean Energy’s Lighthouse Wind project, which has been proposed for the towns of Somerset and Yates.
The mission of the POWER Coalition (Protecting {Lake} Ontario’s Waterfront, Environment, and Resources) is to highlight the broad opposition to the current proposal by Apex to site up to 70, approximately 600-foot-tall industrial wind turbines along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
“We are in favor of renewable energy, but the Lighthouse Wind project does not meet our standards,” said Shawn Graff, vice president, Great Lakes Region, American Bird Conservancy. “The American Bird Conservancy believes that the proximity to the lakeshore makes this project toxic for migrating birds, bats and raptors and this alone should be enough to stop the project. There are several environmental organizations who agree.”
Each member organization opposes this project based on one or more of the following concerns:
• That this project is being proposed in a major bird migratory corridor and will be devastating to large populations of birds and bats;
• Will visually degrade the waterfront, negatively impact tourism, and violate the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plans (LWRP) adopted by the towns of Somerset and Yates, and accepted by New York State;
• Disrupt hunting and fishing opportunities;
• Increase noise levels for local and seasonal residents;
• Possibly interfere with operations at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, potentially jeopardizing the future of the base in the next round of base closures.
It is the position of all POWER Coalition members that renewable energy is a legitimate and important goal for New York State to pursue. But no energy project should ever be free of assessing and balancing all its impacts on other vital aspects of our environment, economy and quality of life.
The POWER Coalition acknowledges the importance of standards for the proper siting of these projects based on eliminating or significantly mitigating the negative aspects any project might present. The POWER Coalition believes that the Apex proposal for Somerset and Yates fails to meet these standards and should be rejected by New York State.
POWER Coalition members include: American Bird Conservancy, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, Burroughs Audubon Nature Club, Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists, Genesee Valley Audubon Society, Great Lakes Seaway Trail, Hawk Migration Association of North America, New York State Ornithological Association, Niagara USA Chamber, Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Rochester Birding Association, and Save Ontario Shores, Inc.
The POWER Coalition will continue to advocate for the withdrawal of this project through direct advocacy with government officials, by hosting forums, and disseminating information which will show the tremendous negative impact this industrial wind project will have on Niagara and Orleans counties’ lakeshore regions.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 February 2018 at 8:06 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Lyndonville is shown on Saturday. The downtown has several vacancies. Village officials are hopeful that a tax exemption for renovations will entice businesses to Main Street.
LYNDONVILLE – In an effort to draw investment to Main Street, the Lyndonville Village Board plans to offer an exemption for upgrades to buildings in the downtown.
Property owners who invest in the historic commercial buildings would not see the assessments increase for five years, and would then see 20 percent increases over the next five years, until the sites are at full assessment.
John Belson, mayor of Lyndonville, said he is concerned about the many vacant or underutilized buildings in the downtown. Medina offers a similar exemption, and Belson said it has provided temporary relief for some building owners after they made significant investments in the downtown.
The Orleans County Legislature also is scheduled to vote on offering the exemption in Lyndonville at this Wednesday’s Legislature meeting at 4:30 p.m. Belson would like to see the school district and Town of Yates offer it as well. The Village Board will have its own public hearing on the issue at 6:05 p.m. on March 5 at the Village Hall.
Properties on Main Street, from Eagle Street to Riverside Drive, would be eligible for the exemption if it is approved.
“If we don’t do something we’re in trouble,” Belson said.
He doesn’t want to see buildings fall into more disrepair.
He noted the village and taxing entities aren’t losing any revenue based on the existing taxes from the sites. The taxing jurisdictions are, however, forgoing an increase in taxes for five years with the sites, but would then see a 20 percent increase annually from years 6 to 10 for the additional assessed value based on improvements.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2018 at 2:19 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Fire Department presented a certificate of appreciation this afternoon to Christopher Adkins Jr., 8, for his assistance on Jan. 29 when he mother was having a medical emergency at home.
Christopher was presented with the certificate and a gift card for $50 at Walmart. Fire Chief Ben Bane, left, hands Christopher with the award. He is joined by his parents, Misty and Chris Adkins, and Christopher’s younger brother, Austin. Other Lyndonville firefighters include Lee Kistner, second from right, and T.J. Heideman.
When his mother passed out from a medical emergency, Christopher quickly located his father in the basement of their home. Christopher brought his mother’s phone to his father and was ready to dial 911.
Christopher was able to give firefighters and EMTs background on how his mother was feeling that day, which helped firefighters to better understand her condition. He also was nurturing to his mother, said Lee Kistner, the second assistant chief.
“He was very caring with his mother, telling her ‘I love you,’ and ‘You’ll be alright,’” Kistner said.
Christopher Adkins, Jr. chats with Lyndonville firefighter Lee Kistner during a visit to the fire hall this afternoon.
With the certificate, Lyndonville firefighters thanked Christopher for his assistance on the emergency call to his home on Jan. 29.
“Your ability to remain calm, level headed, and recount details of the day were essential to getting your mother the help that she needed,” the certificate states.
Christopher’s father said he is impressed by his son’s actions that day.
“A lot of kids his age I don’t even think they know their address,” Mr. Adkins said. “He came and got me and had the phone. He was very brave.”
YATES – The Yates Town Board amended its Wind Energy Facilities Law on Feb. 8, part of its ongoing effort opposing plans by Lighthouse Wind to install as many as 71 industrial wind turbines along shoreline communities in Orleans and Niagara counties.
“Since the Lighthouse Wind project was introduced in 2014, the Town Board has worked to learn as much as possible about the impacts and benefits of these industrial-scale projects,” said Town Supervisor Jim Simon. “The amendments reflect that continuing effort, and in particular, the recommendations of two agencies well-placed to balance impacts and benefits.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends no wind turbines within three miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline for the Town of Yates in order to avoid possible severe impact on avian flyways and habitat, and the Vermont Public Service Board recommends turbine setback distances at residences such that, “…each turbine and any sound producing equipment located within the footprint of the turbine array shall be set back horizontally no less than ten times the turbine’s height as measured from the base to the tip of a blade in the upright vertical position.”
Additionally, the Town of Yates has performed an exhaustive, two-year setback study which has provided a statistical validation of the proposed setbacks.
“The Lighthouse Wind proposal for the Town of Yates is not appropriately sited,” Simon said. “It does not protect and accommodate the concerns of the town, and is most definitely not consistent with all local laws and ordinances.”
The Town Board also unanimously approved a resolution on Feb. 8 reaffirming their formal opposition to the Lighthouse Wind project within the Town of Yates citing concerns about how the proposal would circumvent local control for siting large-scale industrial projects; how the project would create significant negative visual impacts from aesthetic points in the community and region; how the noise impacts in the current rural area would, based on World Health Organization standards and those recently adopted by the State of Vermont, negatively impact the health and the quality of life of residents.
In addition the Town Board said the proposed turbine project would introduce new hazards such as shadow flicker, ice shedding and blade throw; the project would present risks to the property values of adjoining property owners not part of the project; avian flyways and habitats and bat populations may be severely impacted as documented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the unacceptable possibility of encroachment on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station could jeopardize operational mission effectiveness and make the air base subject to closure in the next Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC); and there are significant wetland and other surface and sub-surface hydrological resources that would be negatively impacted by the large-scale terrain modification required for the project.
“We are called to protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens for current and future generations and to preserve the rural, agricultural and leisure-based character of our community,” Simon said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 February 2018 at 4:44 pm
YATES – The Yates Town Board has approved revisions to the town’s wind energy facilities law that bans wind turbines from within 3 miles of the Lake Ontario shoreline and also requires bigger property setbacks of at least a half mile.
The proposed revisions also insist turbines be quieter than the current regulations.
The Town Board passed the law on Thursday evening in a 4-1 vote. Wes Bradley voted no, while Town Supervisor Jim Simon and board members Harold Suhr, Jim Whipple and John Riggi approved it.
Taylor Quarles, project manager for the proposed Lighthouse Wind, said last month during an Orleans County Planning Board meeting that the Yates proposal represents “a wind energy ban.”
Apex Clean Energy wants to put as many as 70 turbines in Yates and Somerset that would be about 600 feet high as part of Lighthouse Wind.
Simon, the Yates town supervisor, said the bigger setbacks will protect “non-participating land owners” and help to preserve the rural nature and character of the town.
Simon said 3-mile buffer from the shoreline follows a recommendation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which sees the 3-mile section along the shoreline as an important flyway for birds.
The changes in the Yates ordinance also include:
Reducing the allowable noise decibels to “residential receivers” from 45 during the day (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to 42, and from 40 at nighttime to 39 decibels. Simon said that follows recommendations from the Vermont Public Service Board for lower decibels. Simon said the turbine noise and “infrasound” can disturb sleep, causing negative health effects for people. The infrasound is a lower frequency of noise that can disrupt a person’s equilibrium, Simon said.
The setbacks from non-participating property lines was a minimum of 3 times the turbine height for land with houses or buildings, and 4.5 times the turbine height for vacant land. The change now increases the minimum setback to a half-mile (2,640 feet) or 6 times the turbine height, whichever is greater.
The setback from roads and public right-of-ways was a minimum of 1,800 feet or 3 times the height of a turbine. Yates has increased that to a half-mile or 6 times the turbine height.
The setback from the boundary of the Village of Lyndonville was 1,800 feet or 4.5 times a turbine height. Yates increased that setback to a minimum of 1 mile.
The setback from the boundaries from other towns was 1,800 feet or 3 times a turbine’s height. Yates now requires a half-mile setback or 6 times a turbine’s height, whichever is greater.
The setback from residences was 1,800 feet or 4.5 times a turbine height. Yates increased that to a half-mile or 6 times a turbine’s height.
In addition, Yates now has setbacks of 1 mile from schools, churches, and cemeteries. The town law didn’t include setbacks for those sites.
