‘Common Core’ will entertain at intermission, playing AC/DC, Johnny Cash and more

Photo by Tom Rivers – The “Common Core” band of Lyndonville teachers and a principal gets together Monday. Pictured from left include Brian Lang on guitar, Jason Wilhelm as lead singer and guitar, Kristina Best on drums and Aaron Slack on guitar. John Bailey is also part of the group.

LYNDONVILLE – The annual talent show at Lyndonville Central School is a much-anticipated event, with several hundred people packing into the school’s Stroyan Auditorium.

The event, in the past, has included teachers, but that participation had tapered off in recent years. However, the teachers will be back on stage for Thursday’s talent show, and they’ll be back in a big way.

Four teachers plus Middle/High School Principal Dr. Aaron Slack will perform in a rock band, “Common Core.” The band will make its debut and play about 10 songs during intermission, and the audience will hear a variety of music from hard-rocking AC/DC to contemporary Christian.

The band is led by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jason Wilhelm, who is also the district’s information technology director. He is part of a U2 cover band.

“I think when the kids see us up on the stage it will excite them to get more involved in the school,” Wilhelm said.

The Lyndonville band will also perform songs by Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Imagine Dragons, and Darius Rucker.

Courtesy of Lyndonville Central School – This doctored poster hangs in the Lyndonville community promoting a performance by Common Core, which includes from left: PE and health teacher Brian Lang, high school band teacher Kristina Best, school district IT director Jason Wilhelm, elementary music teacher John Bailey and middle/high school principal Dr. Aaron Slack.

Wilhelm and Slack are joined in “Common Core” by elementary physical education and health teacher Brian Lang, high school band teacher Kristina Best, and elementary music teacher John Bailey. The teachers are busy leading extracurricular programs at Lyndonville, including coaching sports and playing in the high school musical. Slack also has been busy working on the district’s budget.

The busy schedules have made it a challenge for the band to practice for Thursday’s show. But they have found time. After a final rehearsal on Wednesday, Slack said the group will be ready.

“We want to show students that they can pursue musicianship when they are older,” said Slack, who is a freelance guitar player for different bands.

Lang, the PE teacher, also hopes the band’s willingness to perform for a big crowd will encourage students to try more activities in school, even ones that are outside their comfort zones.

“We hope the kids will see us in a different way outside of normal roles at school,” Lang said. “I think we might be able to motivate the kids to be more involved.”

“Common Core” was picked as a name for the band. That is also the name for the state’s new standardized testing program.

The talent show begins at 7 p.m. and includes 15 student acts that include dancing, singing, tumbling and cheerleading, and various musical ensembles. Tickets are available at the door. Proceeds will go towards the junior/senior prom.

Press release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Central School District is planning a special celebration at graduation ceremonies on June 27.

In honor of the 50^th Anniversary of L.A. Webber High School, members of the Lyndonville Central Class of 1964 are invited to participate in graduation ceremonies.

Class of 1964 Valedictorian John Woodworth and Salutatorian Connie Maines will be offering comments at the ceremony.

If you are member of the Class of 1964 or know someone who is, please contact Diane Thurber at 765-3122.

LYNDONVILLE – Only one candidate has stepped forward to run in the March 18 village election.

Charles Covell is seeking the position, a one-year as village trustee. Covell, the owner of Creekside Laundromat in Lyndonville, was appointed to the Village Board on Oct. 14, filling a vacancy created when Jim Whipple resigned after moving outside the village. Covell was appointed by Mayor Stephen McAvoy.

The one-year term for trustee is the only position that will be on the ballot March 18. Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 2 South Main St.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Austin Buzard, a freshman at Lyndonville, cozies up with a Nook e-reader last week in the school library.

Buzard shows how the text is displayed on the Nook e-reader. Students can highlight text, and increase the font size.

LYNDONVILLE – When a popular book is borrowed at Lyndonville Central School’s library that used to mean the book would be off limits for another student for at least two weeks.

That could be be frustrating for students who were reading a series, a Harry Potter adventure or other Young Adult fiction.

“Gone With The Wind could be out for a month before I got it back,” said Bob Santella, the district librarian.

Lyndonville has embraced technology to drastically increase its supply of books, without needing more shelf space.

The school district about two years ago purchased 40 Nook e-readers. They have been so popular that Lyndonville now has 108 e-readers. Some include books that are required for classes, book such as Ayn Rand’s “The Anthem.”

“This is a medium that attracts the kids’ attention,” said Aaron Slack, the middle-high school principal.

The Nook e-readers hold numerous titles of books, allowing the school district to easily provide multiple copies of popular books.

Many school districts don’t have any e-readers or only a few. Lyndonville has used some of its state aid for hardware to buy the e-readers. They are loaned out just like any other book in the library.

None of the devices, which can hold hundreds of book titles, have been lost or damaged in nearly two years, a sign that students value the Nooks, Slack said.

Jason Smith, the superintendent at Lyndonville Central School, wants to promote reading among students at the district. He sensed some students might not want a thick book to read. Students may not like lugging around another book when their backpacks are already full.

He was having lunch with seventh- and eighth-graders about two years ago when he proposed adding Nooks to the library.

The students, who are well acquainted with Smart Phones and other technology, urged the district to give e-readers a try.

“This technology is no longer a gimmick,” Smith said.

Barnes and Noble gave the district a discount on the Nooks, selling them for $138 each, down from the usual price of $216.  The e-books are cheaper than buying printed copies.

The e-books also typically arrive within 15 minutes after they are ordered. The printed books can take six weeks to get shipped to the district.

“The kids are becoming very proficient,” said Santella, the librarian.

Lyndonville has embraced technology in the schools. This group of second-graders is working in the computer lab.

Some print books with several hundred pages can intimidate students, he said. With e-books, students just click on a cover image of the book. The e-readers each have a thesaurus and dictionary if students want to look up words. They can highlight text and make the type bigger. Lyndonville also has audio versions of some of the books.

Students are introduced to the e-readers in elementary school. Santella said many students are already comfortable with devices, even in the younger grades, when they first work on an e-reader.

“These kids are becoming very proficient with technology,” Santella said.

Photo courtesy of Terri Jordan

LYNDONVILLE – Samuel Martin, a Mennonite and owner of Lake Winds Metal Working in Lyndonville, helps clear out Doug Jordan’s driveway on Route 18 in Lyndonville on Thursday.

Martin uses horses to pull a plow. He has a diesel powered motor to blow the snow. Martin plows driveways for several of his neighbors in the Lyndonville area. A lot of the snow blows back on him. Terri Jordan said Martin looked like a snowman when he was done plowing the drive.

Photos courtesy of Ed Bouchane

YATES – Fire caused significant damage this afternoon to a Yates house at 1429 Niagara-Orleans Countyline Rd.

Ed Bouchane took these photos of the fire that broke out around 3 p.m. Several fire departments responded to the blaze. Firefighters were still on scene at about 9 p.m. The fire was out and crews were cleaning up at the site, an Orleans County dispatcher said.

LYNDONVILLE – A vigil planned for this evening has been moved from the Lyndonville school parking lot to inside the Lyndonville United Methodist Church at 102 North Main St.

Orleans County is under a wind advisory and gusts could hit 50 miles per hour.

Friends will gather at 5:30 p.m. for the vigil to remember Paul Lauricella, a 2007 Lyndonville graduate who died in a car accident on Wednesday morning. Lauricella, 24, had many friends in the community.

The public is invited to the vigil and adults are encouraged to bring their own candles and a paper plate or cup to collect the wax.

Shirts and stickers in memory of Lauricella will be for sale to help his family pay for funeral costs. The shirts for $12 will say “In Memory of Paul V. Lauricella. Sacred moments will never be lost in time.” Car window decals will be $3.

Paul Lauricella in a photo from his Facebook page

LYNDONVILLE – Friends will gather on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in the Lyndonville school parking lot to remember Paul Lauricella, a 2007 Lyndonville graduate who died in a car accident on Wednesday morning.

Lauricella, 24, had many friends in the community.

“He always lifted everyone’s spirits,” said his friend Shelby Blousenhauer of Medina. “He was such a nurturing person who would give you the shirt off of his back in a snowstorm.”

Blousenhauer and her husband Chris are helping to plan Sunday’s candlelight vigil. Sam Stillinger and her boyfriend Bryan Babcock also are working on the vigil.

Shirts and stickers in memory of Lauricella will be for sale to help his family pay for funeral costs. The shirts for $12 will say “In Memory of Paul V. Lauricella. Sacred moments will never be lost in time.” Car window decals will be $3.

Lauricella worked as a machinist with Brunner International in Medina and also worked with his father in the family business. He enjoyed fixing cars.

His father, Paul Lauricella, is vice chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party. He is active in local politics and attends many government meetings, often expressing his disproval about budgets with tax increases.

Participants in the vigil on Sunday are encouraged to bring their own candles.

Calling hours for Lauricella are on Monday at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church, 12111 Ridge Rd., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. The Rev. Daniel Thurber will officiate.

LYNDONVILLE – A 24-year-old Lyndonville man was killed this morning when he hit black ice, lost control of his vehicle and then hit a tree.

Paul Lauricella was travelling westbound at about 6:30 a.m. on East Yates Center Road when he hit a patch of black ice, crossed into the eastbound lane and then collided with a tree.

He was transported by Mercy Flight helicopter to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he was pronounced dead, State Trooper Victor Morales said.

Provided photo – The front wall of Sixes and Sevens Spirits was damaged last night after a car crashed into the building at 2 North Main St. in Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – A hit-and-run driver caused significant damage last night to the Sixes and Sevens Spirits liquor store in Lyndonville.

Business owner Julie Caleb isn’t able to open the store today after the front windows and wall were smashed by a car. The vehicle also snapped a supporting beam at the building, 2 North Main St.

“We’re trying to clean up and we hope to open back up tomorrow,” Caleb said this morning.

The driver crashed through the store at 9:49 p.m., and then backed out of the building and took off. Orleans Hub is awaiting a police report from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. Caleb said someone was arrested for the crime.

She opened the business on June 28. The store was a dream come true for Caleb, a Medina native who had been working as an office administrator, first for an insurance company in Virginia and then for a fertilizer business in Knowlesville.

Caleb said the incident could have been tragic. The driver smashed through the front of the store where she normally sits by the counter.

“If I had been sitting there I wouldn’t be talking to you,” she said.

A hub cap and the grill from the vehicle were found inside the store.

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess

LYNDONVILLE – A Waterport man has a court date in the Town of Yates after leaving the scene of a crash last night in downtown Lyndonville.

The incident occurred at about 9:45 p.m. Blake Strickland, 25, was operating a ’98 Dodge pick-up truck, travelling north on Main Street when he failed to negotiate a right turn onto Maple Avenue.

The vehicle ran off the north side of Maple Avenue and struck the building on the northeast corner of the intersection. The building houses a liquor store and hair salon on the main level, and vacant apartments on the upper level. There was significant structural damage.

Strickland left the scene but was located a short time later at a residence on Oak Orchard River Road by State Troopers from the Albion barracks.  He was returned to the scene and faces traffic charges including Leaving the Scene of an Incident, Unsafe Speed, Failure to Keep Right, Unsafe Lane Change, and Failure to Notify DMV of Address Change.

Strickland is next scheduled to appear in Town Court on Feb. 19.

The incident was investigated by Deputy D.S. Klips, assisted by Lieutenant R.E. Perry.