‘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.

Lyndonville Department of Public Works Superintendent Terry Woodworth is pictured with Lyndonville students Fauzia Aajan, left, and Elizabeth Pickle.

Press Release

LYNDONVILLE – The village has made its local parks smoke-free after being swayed by Lyndonville students who cleaned up the parks and discovered cigarette butts throughout the grounds.

Lyndonville Students United for Positive Action also learned about the dangers of smoking and the impact of tobacco marketing on youth smoking rates. They have been working with Kristina Erath, a prevention educator from the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

“This group of youth was motivated to take action and create positive change,” Erath said.  “They were concerned with what they know about tobacco use and wanted to see things change.”

The student group, SUPA, wrote a compelling letter to the Village Board, asking the elected officials to make village parks and ball-fields tobacco free. The mayor and board of trustees agreed and the signs, compliments of Smoke Free NOW, will be installed this month.

Photos by Tom Rivers – Sharon Gray closed the Pennysaver Market on Main Street in Lyndonville on Monday night after 35 years in business.

Gray posted a farewell note on the front window, thanking her customers.

LYNDONVILLE – In her 35 years of running the Pennysaver Market on South Main Street, Sharon Gray catered to the community, offering grocery items and then expanding to hardware, videos, a deli, finger foods and pizza.

“She gave her heart and soul to the people of the town of Yates and the village of Lyndonville,” said John Belson, the Yates town supervisor.

Gray on Monday closed the business.

“She will be sorely missed,” Belson said. “She worked with the community, whether it was the Lions Club, the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts.”

He would see local organizations frequently having bake sales at the Pennysaver Market. Gray was a good employer to six local people as well, Belson said.

“She took care of the employees like they were her family,” he said.

Belson said the town will try to help find a new business to use the space.

Dawn Metty praised the Market for serving good pizza, and offering a variety of products.

“It was nice and very convenient,” said Metty, the deputy town clerk in Yates. “I’m sad to see it close.”

Lyndonville resident Fae Woodworth said Gray is well regarded by residents.

“She tried to fill a lot of needs in the community,” Woodworth said. “She was a hard-worker who did a marvelous job. She did a real big service in the community.”

Petition seeks to reduce BOE from 9 to 7 members

LYNDONVILLE – The Board of Education on Monday approved a $13,094,250 budget for 2013-14, a spending plan that would raise taxes by 1 percent.

Residents can comment on the budget during a 7 p.m. public hearing May 13 in the school library. They go to the polls May 21 to vote on the budget.

Residents on May 21 will also decide the fate of a proposition to reduce the size of Board of Education from nine to seven members. Lyndonville is the smallest school district in Orleans County, but it has the largest BOE.

Medina and Albion both have nine-member boards, while Kendall has five. Holley residents last year approved a referendum to shrink the board there from nine to five members. (A new referendum in Holley seeks to stop the reduction to seven members.)

The overall budget represents a slight increase over the $12,964,687 approved for the current school year. The increase in 2013-14 is driven by a $370,000 hike in employee health and retirement benefits, District Superintendent Jason Smith said

Lyndonville is offsetting some of that increase by eliminating one teacher position due to an enrollment drop. Another teacher is retiring and will be replaced with one who earns less money.

The Board of Education also made budget reductions to conferences, supplies and materials.

“We made some cuts, but we wanted to avoid things that directly touch the students,” Smith said today.

The budget calls for raising $4,666,578 in taxes, a 1 percent increase from the $4,620,374 collected in the 2012-13 budget. That keeps the district under a property tax cap set at about 2 percent by the state.

School leaders were eyeing a 1.7 percent tax hike, but state aid exceeded projections, allowing the tax increase to be 1 percent, Smith said.

The budget keeps a $100,000 college readiness program. The state approved that funding in a competitive grant process for Lyndonville last year. The three-year grant – the Advancement via Individual Determination Program or AVID – covers grades six through 11 and goes toward training teachers, salaries, supplies and materials.

Press release

LYNDONVILLE – Nine members of the Lyndonville Academic Decathlon team defended their state title, winning the small-school state championship during March 15-16.

Lyndonville earned 17 medals at the 2013 state competition at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.

Jamie Tombari won a medal in five different categories, the most by a Lyndonville student. Tombari’s medals came in the essay, history, math, music and Super Quiz categories.

Cole Heideman brought four medals back to Lyndonville, earning recognition in art, economics, literature and music. Jessica Czechowicz was a three-category medalist, winning her medals in art, history and music.

Dakota Froman and Zac Karp each won two medalsFroman in economics and music, and Karp in interview and literature.

Sandra Clemens, Jeremy Foss, Jordyn Smith and Amanda Sullivan won in math, SuperQuiz, literature and essay, respectively.

The team, coached by Paula Reimann, will now compete electronically at the national level on April 4 and 26. Lyndonville finished 16th in the nation last year.

“We have established ourselves as a model program for small school participation at the national and state levels,” Reimann said. “Our students gain study skills, confidence and learning strategies through this program.”

The Lyndonville team has participated for more than 20 years in the United States Academic Decathlon program. Each team consists of students in grades 9 through 12. Participants compete in three groups based on grade point averages: Varsity, Scholastic and Honor.

“I am very proud of this year’s participants, their dedication, and their teamwork,” Reimann said. “I wish to thank the parents, teachers and the community for their support and encouragement of Academic Decathlon.”

Press Release: Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES

Trooper John Campanella speaks about the evacuation process as Sergeant Kelly listens on.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y. – After students were excused early on March 6, teachers, staff and administrators were put on the learning end of a valuable lesson on school safety.

Emergency Management Sergeant Tom Kelly and New York State Trooper John Campanella presented a professional development session on school safety to a large group in the Stroyan Auditorium.

The two officers, with a combined 53 years in law enforcement, covered many topics in the presentation including protocols and processes for situations such as lockouts, lockdowns, sheltering in place and evacuation.

Sergeant Kelly visits schools to ensure there is an up-to-date emergency plan in place. He recently review Lyndonville’s plan, which was created by Orleans-Niagara BOCES, and was impressed.

“The administration here has a top notch plan in place,” said Sergeant Kelly. “All legislation for the Safe School Plan is in place. You have all the tools you need to respond to an emergency.”

Sergeant Kelly shared the standardized plan from the Orleans-Niagara BOCES throughout Troop A, which includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. He hopes other schools throughout the area and state adopt a similar plan.

“The same basic game plan allows emergency responders to be on the same page no matter what district, as well as helping substitute teachers,” said Sergeant Kelly.

Trooper Campanella helped give reasoning to strategies in emergency plans.

“Whether it be locking your door or huddling into areas that are hidden from view, you’re buying time for emergency responders,” said Campanella. “Every locked door means emergency responders are that much closer.”

Sergeant Kelly also reiterated the importance of wearing school identification at all times when in the district.

“These IDs help identify staff members and assist police and emergency responders,” said Sergeant Kelly. “Just wearing the ID does not mean that police wouldn’t stop the person to make sure their intent but it will help expedite the process.”

The officers also answered questions from those attending and gave examples of situations they experienced first hand.

YATES – The Orleans County Planning Board has approved a new business on Lakeshore Road where the owner will build portable “Amish-style” sheds.

Randal Stauffer is planning to construct a 50-by-60-foot pole barn for the business that will be next to his home at 11464 Lakeshore Rd. Planners approved the site plan and recommended the town of Yates give Stauffer a permit for a home business.

Stauffer will join a growing number of Amish- and Mennonite-owned enterprises in the Lyndonville area.