Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Ted Lewis, president of the Lyndonville Board of Education, uses a sledgehammer to break into a wall above the elementary school library. The district is creating two new classrooms above the library as part of a $10.7 million capital project.

The district had a ground-breaking celebration this morning for the project. The project was approved by voters, 106-19, on Feb. 13, 2017.

Lyndonville has already completed two components of the project, with a section of a new roof put on in 2017 and new LED lights put in the gym.

Ritajane Isaacson, left, is president of the High School Student Council and Hannah Marker, right, is the president of the Elementary School Student Council. They pull back the carpet that will be replaced as part of an upgrade to the library. The space will be remade with two classrooms above the library, which was formerly used by the middle school but was most recently the elementary school library.

In back are Board of Education member Harold Suhr, BOE President Ted Lewis, and Jason Smith, superintendent of the school district.

In addition to the two new classrooms, there will be mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades. Other work to be done includes:

• Air-conditioning in 95 percent of the school campus

• A revamped and upgraded kitchen, serving and dining area

• An improved parking lot with safety upgrades and more efficient pickup and dropoff procedures, with the parking lot to be expanded behind the school.

• Major improvements to the locker rooms

The work is expected to be complete in 10 months.

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.

Ted Lewis, the BOE president, speaks to a group during the groundbreaking celebration.

Jason Smith, the district superintendent, thanks school staff for helping get the project to the construction stage. He also praised SEI Design Group for its design work and Campus Construction for its upcoming work overseeing the construction project until November.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – Sheri Dent, left, and Linda Fisk take ornaments off a Christmas tree this morning that was decorated at Veterans Park for Fisk’s granddaughter, the late Christina Ashton.

It is one of 75 trees that was decorated for Lyndonville’s sixth annual display of trees. The number has grown each year since Lyndonville started it in 2013 with 26 trees.

Fisk has decorated a tree for her late granddaughter the past three years.

“Christina loved Christmas and Christmas trees,” Fisk said. “I don’t want to forget her and I don’t want other people to forget about her.”

Dent also decorated a tree for her parents, the late Howard and Gloria Dix. Her father was a long-time mechanic across the street at Crosby-Whipple. He also enjoyed canning. She decorated the tree with canning lids, and Hot Wheels cars and trucks.

Her mother loved sewing and Dent put thimbles on the tree in her mother’s honor.

Paul and Paulette Daigler remove ornaments and lights from their tree. Their daughter Kelly Mana and her husband Tony also sponsored the tree.

The families and organizations pay $30 for a tree and then decorate it. Some of the trees were vandalized, including Daigler’s.

Mr. Daigler said it was discouraging to have some of the ornaments taken, including a Santa hat.

The family isn’t sure if they will have a tree again next year at the park, although Mr. Daigler said he is leaning towards being back. The family has had a tree at the community display the past two years.

“We just thought it was a nice thing to do,” he said.

The participants have until Sunday to remove the lights and ornaments from the trees.

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File photo by Tom Rivers: A capitol project will add parking spaces and a separate drop-off zone to the parking lot and driveway at Lyndonville Central School.

LYNDONVILLE – The school district will have a ground-breaking ceremony this morning for a $10.7 million capitol project.

District voters on Feb. 13, 2017 gave their approval for the project, 106-19, to allow a series of improvements to go forward.

State aid will pay for most of the costs. The district already has the local share in a capitol reserve account so local taxes won’t be raised because of the project.

The projects involved include roof work, new air-conditioning (currently only 1/3 of school has AC), interior renovations (including removing a wall and adding two classrooms), lighting improvements, and site work that will add parking spaces and improve traffic flow. It will also add a clearly designated drop-off spot for parents taking their children to school.

The athletic fields will also be improved with drainage, new dugouts, fencing and electric service.

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Photos courtesy of Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions Club has picked its annual “Spirit of Christmas” winners who decorated their homes for the holidays.

The top photo shows Michael Barnum’s home on Maple Avenue.

Other winners include:

Shirleen and Danny Woodward, Garland Street

Beth Thompson, South Main Street

Jim and Mickey Scharlau, Millers Road

Jim and Karen Hydock, Roosevelt Highway

The Seaman family, North Lyndonville Road

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Photo courtesy of Christmas in Lyndonville: This photo shows one of the Christmas trees where ornaments and lights were removed by a vandal.

Press Release, Christmas in Lyndonville Committee

LYNDONVILLE – The Village Clerk’s Office was made aware on Dec. 6 that a patron’s tree in the Christmas in Lyndonville event had been vandalized. Upon reviewing the village surveillance cameras, video was able to be obtained to assist Village Police Officer William Larkin in the investigation.

It is believed that approximately 7-10 trees were affected, stripping trees completely of lights and ornaments and some tree toppers.

The village is able to report that an individual was apprehended early this morning, thanks to Officer W. Larkin with assistance from Orleans County Sheriff’s Department’s  Sgt. John Doyle and Deputy Rob Riemer.

The village along with Officer Larkin are working to obtain back any stolen or damaged items. If you have not already reported any stolen or damage items please contact the Village Clerk’s Office at 585-765-9385 by Monday, Dec. 17.

Christmas in Lyndonville Chairperson Carla Woodworth has issued the following statement to all those participants:

“It deeply saddens us that we have had a piece of our hearts stolen from multiple trees in the Park at Christmas in Lyndonville, including our own. I’m truly sorry that this has happened at the most precious time of the year!

“It is our deepest desire to recover all that has been removed and return it to you! Please if anyone has had things removed from their tree make us aware by calling the Village Clerk’s Office at 585-765-9385.

“God bless all who have been touched by this hurtful action!!!  May the Peace of Christ shine in all, this Christmas and remember decorations can be replaced!

“Our deepest gratitude to Officer Larkin for his dedication and actions in addressing this situation.”

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Lyndonville has 75 trees decorated and lighted up at Veterans Park during the holiday season. The 75 is the most since Lyndonville started the tree display in 2013.

LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville man was arrested last night after he was observed taking ornaments and lights off Christmas trees in Veterans Park, Lyndonville police officer Bill Larkin said today.

There are 75 trees in the park for Lyndonville’s sixth annual display of trees. Many families and organizations pay $30 for a tree and then decorate it. Larkin said several trees had items taken from them since they were first lighted up on Dec. 1.

He was watching the park last night and saw a man pull items off a tree. He was arrested for petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor, at 1 a.m. He was arraigned by Yates Town Justice Donald Grabowski, who set bail at $1,000 and remanded the man to the Orleans County Jail.

Not only was the man taking ornaments and lights form the trees, but Larkin said the man was in a village park after hours, which is also a violation.

The man has charged over the summer for pulling flowers out of the planter in front of the Village Office on Main Street.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville on Saturday turned on the power for 75 Christmas trees that have been decorated by the community.

This is the sixth annual Christmas celebration in Lyndonville with the trees at Veterans Park. Each year the number of trees has grown. It started with 26 in 2013. Last year there were 68.

Santa arrives by horse-drawn sleigh.

The fire department also served as an escort for Santa down Main Street. Santa was given a ride to Veterans Memorial Park. Then he flipped the switch to turn on the lights at the park. He then went inside the Village hall to meet with children and their families.

A youngster enjoys one of the new Christmas-themed cutouts at the park.

A tree is pictured through the Santa cutout.

Community organizations and residents pay $30 to decorate a tree. The trees will be displayed until early January.

There were activities throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m. A petting zoo, including these goats, was new to the festival.

Jennifer Neroni-Trupo, director of the Lyndonville High School chorus, joins her students in singing Christmas carols outside the Yates Community Library.

Ellie Barry, 11, of Lyndonville peeks through one of the three new cutouts made by Stanton Signs.

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Village and Water District No. 4 in Yates will increase testing

LYNDONVILLE – The Village of Lyndonville recently took 10 water samples and two showed elevated lead levels.

The samples were taken from the sink at a laundry room and outside a house at a hose bib. Those two elevated samples have triggered a public notification response and more testing.

Terry Woodworth, the Lyndonville water and DPW superintendent, said the village and town water lines, as well as the source of water, are safe.

The two tests with elevated levels are a result of lead in the faucets, he said.

“The town and village do not use lead in the service lines,” Woodworth said. “They are either copper or plastic.”

The village took 10 samples in September. It takes samples every three years, testing for lead and copper. The federal Environmental Protection Agency EPA action level for lead is 15 parts per billion (ppb) at the 90th percentile of samples.

“The Lyndonville/Yates 90th percentile was 15.6 ppb,” Woodworth said in a news release. “Most of the samples collected were well below the action level for lead demonstrating that the two positive samples were most likely the result of improper collection points within the certified/approved sample sites. One sample was collected from an outside hose bib and the other was collected from a laundry room sink.”

Lyndonville and Yates are submitting a sampling plan to the Department of Health, which includes a reevaluation of the sample pool to capture all high-risk customers. Sampling frequency will be increased to 20 samples every six months until 12 months without a sample above the action level.

Woodworth has been sampling water since 1993, and there has never been a sample above 15 ppb at the 90th percentile.

“Lyndonville/Yates is confident that the next two rounds of testing will prove the September 2018 action level exceedance was due to the collection of samples from improper taps,” he said in the news release.

Lyndonville also is performing a corrosion control study to identify possible treatment to better protect high-risk customers, Woodworth said. The results will be shared with the Department of Health and an optimal corrosion control treatment will be recommended and implemented if deemed necessary.

Lyndonville and Yates have suggested these steps to reduce exposure to lead in water:

• Run your water to flush out lead. Run water for 15 to 30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking, if it hasn’t been used for several hours. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes.

• Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.

• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.

• Replace your plumbing fixtures if they are found to contain lead. Plumbing materials including brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water.

The law previously allowed end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 8 percent lead to be labeled as “lead free.” As of January 4, 2014, end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, fittings and valves, must meet the new “lead-free” definition of having no more than 0.25 percent lead on a weighted average. Visit the National Sanitation Foundation website by clicking here.

Call the Village of Lyndonville at 585-765-9312 or 585-765-9385, or the Town of Yates at 585-765-9735 or 585-765-9716. Or visit the Lyndonville website by clicking here or the Town of Yates by clicking here.

For more information on lead in drinking water, contact the Orleans County Department of Health at 585-589-3278 or the New York State Department of Health directly by calling the toll-free number (within New York State) 1 800-458-1158, extension 27650, or out of state at (518) 402-7650, or by email at bpwsp@health.state.ny.us.

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75 trees will be lighted up on Saturday at Veterans Park

Photo courtesy of Teri Woodworth: There are 75 trees at Veterans Park that will be decorated and then lighted for the first time on Saturday at 5 p.m.

LYNDONVILLE – The village’s Christmas celebration returns on Saturday and the number of decorated Christmas trees continues to grow.

Lyndonville started the celebration in 2013 with 26 trees. It has grown to 75 this year.

The trees are decorated by residents, organizations and businesses. The trees will all be lighted up at 5 p.m. on Saturday when Santa arrives and flips the switch to turn on the electricity.

Community organizations and residents pay $30 to decorate a tree. The 75 trees are up from the 68 last year, and the 61 in 2016.

The celebration on Saturday starts at 8 a.m. with a community breakfast at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church. There are many activities throughout the day, including horse-drawn carriage rides, a basket raffle, craft sale, beef on weck, wine tasting, caroling, and other events, including Santa’s arrival at 5 p.m. Santa will then be available to meet children in the Village Hall from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.

A petting zoo is new this year, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Yates Community Library.

The day is capped at 7 p.m. with a Christmas Choir LaLaPalooza at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church.

Click here to see the full schedule of events.

The event is sponsored by the Village of Lyndonville, Lyndonville Fire Department/Auxiliary, Lyndonville Lions Club and Lyndonville United Methodist Women.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Torry Dames looks at some of the Christmas trees that were lighted on Dec. 3, 2016 in Lyndonville. There will be 75 trees in the display on Saturday. The trees will be there until early January.

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