Photo courtesy of Lyndonville Central School – Lyndonville Central School Superintendent Jason Smith, left, meets with students and staff of the Brockport Migrant Education Program, which is using Lyndonville’s elementary school for a summer program serving 120 students.

Press release
Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – When the doors shut on Lyndonville Elementary School about a year ago due to decreased enrollment, it seemed unlikely that the building would hear again hear the sounds of children learning, playing and expressing their artistic abilities.

But for six weeks over the course of the summer, the school will come to life again as migrant children from kindergarten to grade eight have found a place to continue their education.

A teacher from the Brockport Migrant Education Program approached Lyndonville about leasing the site for six weeks this summer. Lyndonville agreed, and will be paid $10,000 for use of the space. That will cover the district’s utilities and other costs in maintaining the site for the whole school year.

“After talking with them we thought it would be a good fit for the property,” said Jason Smith, the district superintendent. “We had been researching options for the use of the building, since we prefer it is not vacant.”

The school is run by Principal Darlene Senco and has 120 students for the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program that includes academics, art and gym.

“They chose us because we are a central location for Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties,” Smith said. “We have agreed to a one year lease to see how it goes for both of us.”

The program is operated with a grant through Brockport College and run by Program Director Donna Spencer. It has been in operation for nine years.

“It is a very big program and it usually works as a tutoring program throughout the school year and then we have our summer program where we focus on math and literature,” Spencer said. “Our goal is to help every student get a high school diploma and possibly go on to higher learning.”

She likes the site in Lyndonville and said school staff have been accommodating to the program.

“We are really hoping to continue building a partnership with Lyndonville,” she said.

Big crowd watches fireworks show in Lyndonville

Photos by Tom Rivers – Young Explosives put on a show for a big crowd at Lyndonville.

The baseball field was full of people watching the fireworks. Lyndonville was packed with cars on Main Street and many of the side streets.

The Lyndonville Lions Club organizes the Fourth of July celebration each year in the community.

Maria Ball, 6, of Medina has fun with sparklers before the fireworks show in Lyndonville.

Tom Schicker of Albion helps send off a Chinese Lantern before the fireworks.

The Happy Ending band played for three hours before the fireworks. Tom Zangerle, left, is lead guitar and vocals for the band. Larry Loke of Lyndonville, right, plays bass and provides vocals.

Photos by Tom Rivers – About a dozen fire companies in Orleans and Niagara counties were part of today’s parade.

Some of the classic cars and vehicles were filled with happy flag wavers.

Lyndonville is once again hosting the biggest Independence Day party in Orleans County. The festivities began with a parade down Platten Road before reaching the biggest crowds on Main Street.

The schedule is packed with other events leading up to a fireworks show at 10 p.m.

A group of veterans led the parade down Platten Road, Maple Avenue and then Main Street.

Several local politicians were in the parade, including County Legislator Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville and Legislature Chairman David Callard of Medina.

Adolf Genter, a member of Concerned Citizens of Orleans County, plays his accordion from the back of a truck during the parade.

New York Revolution’s chapter in Orleans County had a float proclaiming the organization’s support for Second Amendment rights.

A group of alumni from Lyndonville joined for a marching band for today’s parade.

These photos were taken from near the village line, close to where Platten Road becomes Maple Avenue. Most of the action at today’s festival is on the school grounds.

Jenn Suhr will vault at White Birch for fourth time

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jenn Suhr clears the bar in this pole vault at the White Birch Golf Course on May 31. Suhr has the highest outdoor mark in the world this year, which she established at the White Birch.

LYNDONVILLE – Fireworks won’t be the only thing taking to the Lyndonville sky on the Fourth of July.

A group of pole vaulters, including reigning national champ and Gold Medalist Jenn Suhr, are coming back to Lyndonville, this time for the community’s biggest celebration.

Suhr and many of the top male and female vaulters in the region will compete at the White Birch Golf Course beginning at 4 p.m. This will be Suhr’s fourth competition at the White Birch since May 31. The White Birch is owned by her brother-in-law Harold Suhr.

Jenn won the national title last month, clearing 15 feet, 5 inches in Des Moines. She went over 16 feet, 1 inches at one of the sanctioned events at the White Birch – the year’s highest outdoor mark in the world.

She is gearing up for the world championships next month. She will compete in Moscow on the home turf of two-time Olympic gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva.

The vaulting competition at the White Birch is part of packed day of events in Lyndonville for the Fourth of July. The patriotic celebration includes a parade on Main Street at noon and fireworks at 10 p.m.

Other events include an arts and crafts show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the school front lawn; chicken barbecue from 1 to 5 p.m. in school cafeteria; bounce house for kids from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; WNY Garden Tractor Pull from 1 to 4 p.m. on Housel Avenue; Lions vision screening for children 6 and younger from 1 to 3 p.m.; ice cream eating contest at 2 p.m.; Orleans Hospice Duck Race at 3 p.m.; and the “Happy Endings” Band from 7 to 10 p.m. in the high school parking lot.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Lyndonville Elementary School is again a center for learning. The building was closed by the district after the 2011-12 school year. It is being used this summer for a migrant education program.

Photo by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE A year after Lyndonville closed its elementary school due to a falling enrollment, the building is again alive with the sounds of children and teachers.

This summer there will be 120 students from grades K to 8 learning to read, write and do arithmetic – as well as participating in art and physical education. The students are in the migrant education project through Brockport State College. The college is sending students from Orleans, Genesee, Niagara and Monroe counties for the six-week program that started yesterday and runs until Aug. 9.

“This is beneficial to everybody,” said Jason Smith, the Lyndonville district superintendent. “It’s great to see the school used again. The last thing the Board (of Education) wanted to see was the building sit underutilized.”

Brockport is paying Lyndonville $10,000 to use the building for the program. Brockport is also is working out transportation for the students and is paying a food service provider. There are 10 teachers and 10 teachers aides working in the program.

The money for leasing the building should cover the utilities for the school year at the site that was closed after the 2011-12 school year.

The school was down to 100 students in grades three and four, and a special education class during its last year. Those classes and grades were shifted to the main campus where all grade levels are now in one building.

Locals make row of trees a Lyndonville landmark

Photos by Tom Rivers – There are hundreds of shoes either nailed into the bark or dangling from the branches of four ash trees at the corner of Foss and Lakeshore roads in the town of Yates.

YATES I had to drop by the Shoe Tree last night. I think it’s one of the most charming attractions in Orleans County.

A row of four ash trees at the corner of Foss and Lakeshore roads is full of hundreds of shoes. Locals have been keeping the trees stocked for years. The footwear is nailed to the bark on the trunks of the trees. Sneakers hang from branches, some on the ends of limbs high in the air. (The shoe donors have great arms to reach these spots.)

The Shoe Tree is one of the county’s most talked about attractions. It is featured on Web sites and was included in a 2008 book called “New York Curiosities.”

For nearly three decades folks have been flinging loafers, cleats, high heels, slippers, running shoes and boots into the trees. There were five of the trees, but one toppled over in a wind storm in 2009.

The Shoe Tree craze started in 1986 when the late Earl Baun helped a girlfriend get rid of about eight to 10 pairs of shoes. He threw them into the trees. When he was done, Baun and his then-girlfriend, Diane Bane, coaxed other friends to add to the collection. The Shoe Tree was thus born. (I did an article about this for The Daily News of Batavia in 2009.)

A local conservation officer wasn’t happy to see the tree become a depository for so many shoes back then. But Baun’s exploits became contagious.

LYNDONVILLE – Lyndonville captured the title for best-tasting water in Orleans County during the Strawberry Festival this past weekend in Albion.

The Orleans County Health Department had people try Sample “A” for Lyndonville and Sample “B” for Albion. Lyndonville was picked as best-tasting by 57 percent of the participants.

Both municipal water systems use water from Lake Ontario.

“This is a fun way to share with Orleans County residents the importance of safe water and the hard work all of the municipalities do to provide healthy, clear drinking water,” said Nola Goodrich-Kresse, public health educator for the county.

Lyndonville will now go to the regional water contest in Rochester and will be eligible to participate in New York State’s Best Tasting Water Contest at the New York State Fair.

Press release, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department

CARLTON – A 25-year-old Lyndonville woman died today in an accident at the routes 98 and 18 Y intersection.

Jessica Artica was traveling north when she stopped at the Y intersection in a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban. She then proceeded to cross into the path of an eastbound 1985 Peterbuilt dump truck operated by John Bush, 56, of Waterport. The truck is owned by Lynn-Ette and Son Farms of Kent.

Artica was pronounced dead at the scene by Orleans County Coroner Joe Fuller. Bush was not injured in the accident.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred at 10:49 a.m. It appears that speed and alcohol were not a factor in the accident, Chief Deputy Thomas Drennan said. There were no tickets issued to Bush.

The Sheriff’s Department was assisted at the scene by Carlton FD, Albion FD, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance and New York State Police DOT Inspectors.

Organizers postpone Jenn Suhr event due to rain

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jenn Suhr charges down the runway and gets ready to vault last Friday during a competition at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. Suhr will be back in action at the White Birch at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

LYNDONVILLE – The community will have to wait another day to see Jenn Suhr and other leading pole vaulters compete at the White Birch Golf Course.

Suhr and five other vaulters competed at the White Birch last Friday. They were scheduled to be in action again today at 5:30 p.m. The threat of rain prompted organizers to push the event to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Suhr cleared 15 feet, 7 inches last Friday, the same height she topped to win a gold medal last year in London.

Janice Keppler of Medina also is competing in the event. She is currently the fourth-ranked pole vaulter in the country.

The second fairway at the golf course is being used for the event. Other competitors include: Heather Hamilton, the top-ranked vaulter in Canada; Claire Dishong of Brockport and Cornell University; Linda Hadfield of Utica and Tennessee University; and Erin Champion of Tennessee University.

The White Birch is located at 1515 North Lyndonville Rd.

Jenn Suhr clears the bar during a pole vaulting event last Friday at the White Birch. She cleared 15 feet, 7 inches, the height she passed to win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.

‘We wanted to bring the pole vault out here so people don’t have to travel and spend tons of money to see it.’
– Jenn Suhr

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jenn Suhr is the best women’s pole vaulter in the world. She cleared 15 feet, 7 inches today, the same height she topped to win a Gold Medal in the 2012 Olympics.

LYNDONVILLE – When he watched his sister-in-law win Gold in the 2012 Olympics, Harold Suhr had his own Olympic-sized dream.

He would use the second fairway of his golf course, the White Birch, for a pole vaulting competition featuring Jenn Suhr, who is married to Harold’s brother Rick. Harold pitched the idea after the Olympics, but Jenn first chose pole vaulting events at her hometown in Fredonia, her alma mater at Roberts Wesleyan College and with the Buffalo Bills.

On Friday, she made Harold’s dream come true, competing with five other top vaulters in front of about 300 people at the golf course as part of the New York Invite Series. The competition will be back this Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the White Birch with 2 p.m. Sunday the rain date.

The six vaulters in the New York Invite Series are pictured after the meet. The group includes, front row, from left: Erin Champion, Jenn Suhr and Claire Dishong. Back row: Linda Hadfield, Janice Keppler and Heather Hamilton.

“I’ve been pushing for this since she won the Olympics,” said Harold Suhr, owner of the golf course since 1980. “It’s great for Orleans County. For Jenn, it’s about giving back to the community.”

Suhr’s brother Rick was a kid when he first tried the pole vault on the ninth hole of the golf course, setting up hay bales for the landing.

His wife won the competition on Friday, clearing 15, feet, 7 inches, the same height she surpassed to win Gold last August. She is gearing up for the USA outdoor track and field championships on June 20-23 in Des Moines, Iowa. She just won first place a week ago in New York City at the adidas Grand Prix.

“With Lyndonville, it fit into the schedule well,” Jenn said after the meet. “Here I can practice things with timing and different techniques and get ready for nationals.”

Jenn was greeted by many fans, and she accommodated their requests for autographs and photos.

“We wanted to bring the pole vault out here so people don’t have to travel and spend tons of money to see it,” she said. “It’s enjoyable to come and perform and put on a show, but also to work on some things before you go into a big meet.”

Friday’s competition was a first for Suhr and the vaulters – competing on a golf course with a chicken coop next door. Suhr said the setting was good for the athletes, making them work on their mental game.

“With people watching you get out of your safety zone,” she said. “Anytime you come to some place unfamiliar, you really have to focus. It puts more focus into the jump and you really have to concentrate.”

Jenn Suhr gets ready to vault in warmups before Friday’s competition in Lyndonville, on the second hole of the White Birch Golf Course.

Janice Keppler sprints down the runway in Friday’s pole vault competition in Lyndonville, where she was second behind Gold Medalist Jenn Suhr.

Janice Keppler of Medina finished second in the competition, which included the top Canadian vaulter, Heather Hamilton. Keppler is currently the fourth-ranked American woman.

The 26-year-old has been working on her family’s beef farm when she’s not competing or training. She tied her outdoor best with the jump of 14 feet, 6 inches. Her all-time best is 15’1’, an indoor jump. Keppler is only one of eight American women to clear 15 feet in pole vaulting.

“I’m very proud of her,” said her father Phil. “She works so hard. She has a rural work ethic, where she never says no.”

Keppler has travelled all over the country to watch his daughter compete. He brought along a contingent of family and friends to watch Janice on Friday.

“It’s cool that the Suhrs did this, bringing a world-class event to Orleans County,” Keppler said.

Albion junior Justyn Haines cleared 14 feet at Sectionals to qualify for the state meet next weekend. Haines praised all the vaulters at the Lyndonville event for their form, their technique and their core strength.

“They make it look like a walk in the park,” Haines said.

The event was capped by loud fire trucks escorting the Lyndonville baseball team up Route 63. The team won Sectionals on Friday. The victory was announced during the pole vaulting competition and drew loud applause and cheers from the crowd.

Photo by Tom Rivers

The Yates Baptist Church stands tall at 11365 East Yates Center Rd. The church is a striking landmark in the countryside. The stone sign up high on the church says it was built in 1867. I stopped by last night after the pole vaulting competition at the White Birch Golf Course.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jenn Suhr is a silhouette in this photo, where she cleared 15 feet, 7 inches in the pole vault tonight during a competition on the second hole of the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. That vault was the heighest mark cleared by the six competitors.

Jenn Suhr sprints with a 15-foot-long pole as part of the pole vaulting competition tonight in Lyndonville.

LYNDONVILLE – Jenn Suhr cleared 15 feet, 7 inches in a pole vaulting competition tonight in Lyndonville. That matched her Gold Medal winning height last August at the London Olympics.

About 300 people watched Suhr and five other pole vaulters at the White Birch Golf Course. Suhr won the event, the New York Invite Series. Medina resident Janice Keppler was second with a 14-foot, 6-inch effort.

Other competitors included Heather Hamilton, the top-ranked vaulter in Canada; Claire Dishong of Brockport and Cornell University; Linda Hadfield of Utica and Tennessee University; and Erin Champion of Tennessee University.

(I’ll have more on the event later, including comments from Jenn Suhr.)

Medina resident Janice Keppler reacts after clearing14 feet, 6 inches, good for second place in the New York Invite Series, which will take place again next Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the White Birch Golf Course.

Suhr, other top pole vaulters, doing free event

Photo by Tom Rivers – Jenn Suhr competes in a pole vaulting exhibition in September at her alma mater, Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester.

LYNDONVILLE – Local residents who want to see the best woman pole vaulter in the world will get their chance Friday when Jenn Suhr competes at a sanctioned event at the White Birch Golf Course.

The second fairway will be used a runway for six vaulters, including Medina native Janice Keppler, the country’s fourth-ranked vaulter.

The White Birch is owned by Harold Suhr, who is Jenn’s brother-in-law. She married Harold’s brother Rick, who also is her coach. Rick grew up in Lyndonville and used to practice the vault on the golf course, using hay to soften his landing. Rick and Jenn have homes in Kendall and Churchville.

The vaulting will begin at 6 p.m. and go until it’s dark. There is no cost to attend the event and Suhr will have 2,000 posters on hand for free for her fans. Spectators are urged to bring their own lawn chairs.

Suhr captured the gold medal at the London Olympics last August. She won silver in 2008. Just last weekend she won an invitational in New York City.

Other competitors in Lyndonville include Heather Hamilton, the top-ranked vaulter in Canada;  Claire Dishong of Brockport and Cornell University; Linda Hadfield of Utica and Tennessee University; and Erin Champion of Tennessee University.The latter three were all strong performers in the recent NCAA east regionals in North Carolina.

The White Birch is located at 1515 North Lyndonville Rd.

Photos by Tom Rivers

Local firefighters, Mercy Flight of Western New York and the Lyndonville school district today simulated a drunken driving car crash outside the high school. Students wore makeup to appear bloodied. Firefighters removed pieces of the cars to remove the “injured” students, who were taken from the scene by stretcher.

LYNDONVILLE – A little after 9 this morning, the ambulances and fire trucks started arriving. When they saw the damage in the two-car crash outside Lyndonville’s school on Housel Avenue, Mercy Flight was called.

The crash was a simulation, a reminder of the deadly dangers of drunk driving with prom season and graduation parties just around the corner.

“This is one of the best ways to show them,” said Jason Smith, Lyndonville Central School superintendent. ““It makes an impact. The first time I saw it as a teacher at Albion, it made an impression on me.”

He has invited firefighters for the simulation the past two years as school superintendent. He also welcomed firefighters and Mercy Flight to stage a drunk driving crash when he was a principal at Elba.

Lyndonville students wore makeup so their faces and shirts appeared bloodied. Firefighters tore apart the vehicles to get access to the students, who were then removed by stretcher and taken away in either an ambulance or Mercy Flight.

One student, Alyssa Houseman, pretended to be dead from the crash. Firefighters put a blanket over here to signify her death. Alyssa’s mother, Bobbi, ran in front of about 150 students and shrieked in distress over her daughter.

Alyssa and several of her softball teammates were in one of the crashed vehicles. They wore their uniforms in the simulation.

“You could feel the tension and emotions,” Alyssa said. “If it will save someone, it’s worth it.”

Bobbi Houseman reacts after being told her daughter, Alyssa, “died” as part of DWI mock simulation earlier today to warn Lyndonville students about the dangers of drunk driving. Ken Strickland, a deputy with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, tries to comfort Houseman.

Bobbi Houseman was reluctant to participate in the simulation. She didn’t like the thought of pretending her daughter had been killed.

“It was creepy,” she said. “It’s the last thing you want to think of, that you’ve lost a child. It was very difficult to come up and see your child and know there is nothing you can do.”

Walter Batt, an Orleans County fire investigator, talked to students about what was happening while firefighters arrived and worked to free students from the wreck. Batt told students that even one drink of alcohol can impair their ability to drive and lead to a fatal accident.

Ken Strickland, an Orleans County deputy sheriff, also addressed the students. Strickland said he has gone to the homes of families to break the news that a child had died in car accidents.

“We’re telling you this happens all the time,” Strickland said about the consequences of drunk driving. “You’re not super human.”

Several local fire departments volunteered for the simulation. Mercy Flight sent a helicopter from Batavia. That agency is participating in about 20 simulations at schools in Western New York this spring, said Bill Schutt, the agency’s outreach coordinator.

“We serve this community and if we can do something to prevent them from needing our services, then that’s the right thing to do,” Schutt said.

Mercy Flight of Western New York and several local fire departments responded to the simulated crash at Lyndonville today.

LYNDONVILLE – Voters backed a $13,094,250 budget with a 196 to 80 vote on Tuesday. Residents also supported a proposition to reduce the size of Lyndonville’s Board of Education from nine to seven members.

“I appreciate the Lyndonville community’s support of the school budget,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “The district strives to provide a high quality education that prepares students for college and career. This would not be possible without the community’s support. On behalf of the students, staff and administration, I express my sincere gratitude to the community.”

Residents elected four members to the BOE with Harold Suhr receiving the most votes, 180, followed by James Moody and Terry Stinson who tied with 161. Michelle Dillenbeck, 151, was elected to fill the remaining two years of an unexpired term. Voters chose not to re-elect Tara Neace.

The proposition to reduce the size of the BOE to seven members passed, 209 to 80. Other propositions also were supported, including the creation of a transportation vehicle reserve fund with up to $460,000, 190 to 77; the purchase of a $126,000 bus, 188 to 81; and $82,500 for the Yates Community Library, 187 to 83.