LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Presbyterian Church has a deep history, including the historic 1913 Felgemaker pipe organ purchased from the A. B. Felgemaker Organ Company that was founded in Buffalo in 1865 and relocated to Erie, PA in 1875.

As impressive as the organ is, it is in need of repair, and the church is planning a fundraising concert on Sept. 10 titled “Accentuate the Positive,” featuring retired Albion Central School musical director Gary Simboli.

Simboli’s invitation is “Come join me on a journey looking for the ‘positive’ in life. You find what you look for.”

A variety of songs from the American songbook will highlight the positivity all around us, including easy listening, rock’n roll, Broadway and movie standards.

Tickets are $10 at the door. The concert will be from 3 to 4 p.m., and all proceeds will go to the organ fund.

The Lyndonville Presbyterian Church was built in 1830. The sanctuary faced west and had box pews and a balcony. In the 1890s the floor was lowered, and the church was repositioned, and the front was built.

The Henry Hard family, who lived next door to the church, wanted an organ, and in 1913, to honor their son, Daniel, a lawyer in Lockport who died at the age of 40, they purchased the pipe organ in his memory.

Tom Wenhold, organist and music director at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, chats with pastor Martha Mitchell.

To demonstrate the complexity of the organ, Tom Wenhold, organist and music director at Lyndonville Presbyterian Church, explained the organ has 1,100 pipes, some made of wood and others of steel. Wenhold has been an organist in Lyndonville for nearly 30 years.

Over the years, the organ console has had to be worked on several times.

“Every time the console was worked on, it was dedicated – once to the Rev. Thomas Tiegh, who served from 1946-1950; and again in 1977 by Fred Bloom, organist for 35 years, in memory of his wife Elinore,” said Mitchell.

Wenhold said the last renovation was in 1990 when it was restored and all the pipes and the workings that run the pipes were rebuilt.

Most of the organ’s 1,100 pipes are housed in an inner chamber.

Today, the plastic contacts in the console are beginning to crumble.

“The problem with that is when the plastic pieces crumble, they fall on other parts and break them or cause them to not work,” Wenhold said.

The proposal is to replace the console with a modern, partially computerized one. It will be solid state and digital, Wenhold said. He said an organ is the closest thing to a computer before we had computers.

“The projected cost of the renovation including the blower is shy of 100,000 dollars,” Wenhold said. “This renovation will give our organ more flexibility, allowing it to transpose and record music.”

“Organists who substitute for Tom love to play this instrument,” the pastor said. “There aren’t that many pipe organs in Orleans County. People want to see it maintained. Concerts here throughout the year benefit the entire Lyndonville community.”

Press Release, Lyndonville Lions Club

LYNDONVILLE – The Lyndonville Lions recently completed their summer events with a Community Appreciation Concert at the Town of Yates Park on the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario.

The event was held at the newly constructed Russ Martino Pavilion. This concert has been carried out over the last 10 years to thank the community for its support during the year. The crowd was entertained by Crash Cadillac with a long playlist of crowd-pleasing songs.  The Lions served grilled hot dogs and soft drinks during the evening event.

The Lyndonville Lions will be idle for the month of August with no scheduled events. The planning committee is working on Lyndonville Lions Inaugural Golf Tournament planned for Sept. 10 at Hickory Ridge Country Club. Information will be available on the Lions Facebook page or by emailing Gwen Large at gwendolynlarge002@gmail.com.

Individuals and foursomes are encouraged to get a team together and attend this event.  The tournament will include pre tee off gifts for each golfer, on-course contests and a steak dinner to follow the tournament.

Larry Wolfe, right, presents donated picnic supplies to Camp Rainbow on behalf of the Lions Club.

The Lions Club recently donated picnic supplies to Camp Rainbow in Lyndonville. Ten dozen hot dogs and rolls along with five cases of soda pop were delivered to the staff at Camp Rainbow.  These supplies are expected to be used for a summer cook out for the families and campers at Camp Rainbow this summer.

This camp was started in the 1970s to help the ARC of Orleans County. Two of the original gentlemen who organized and literally help build the camp were Charles Shenberger and Dean Wolfe.

Larry Wolfe, the son of Dean, has been a long-standing member of the Lyndonville Lions.  According to Russ Martino, “Larry has been helpful in every event the Lions hold. His service during the most recent July Fourth Celebration was invaluable. It was a special honor for the club to allow Larry to make the donation to Camp Rainbow.”

The Lyndonville Lions would like to thank all those who contributed and attended the recent July Fourth Celebration. We hope to see you in the fall with upcoming events and wish everyone a safe and happy summer.

Memorial flags honoring 2 soldiers from Lyndonville now in display in Village Hall

LYNDONVILLE – The importance of honoring local veterans was made evident Wednesday when the family of two Lyndonville natives, whose banners are among Lyndonville’s Hometown Heroes, came to visit.

Paul Cooper and his wife Linda of Novi, Mich. and Paul’s cousin and husband Lindy Cooper and Ron Biersbach of Hamburg came to Lyndonville to meet with Valerie Wells, who coordinates the Home Town Heroes program in Lyndonville, and Steve Goodrich, commander of the Houseman-Tanner American Legion Post.

Paul brought with him the two flags to donate to the village of Lyndonville, which had been placed on the caskets of his twin brother, Maj. Philip Cooper, and uncle, Cpl. Harry Cooper. Harry was killed in action in September, 1944, when his unit entered Germany and his tank was hit and burned. Philip attended West Point, served in the Army in Vietnam and enjoyed an illustrious career.

Paul wanted his ancestors remembered in the community, he said. The flags, along with all of Harry’s possessions had been stored in Paul’s father’s barn and passed to his brother Claude.

“A year ago, Claude contacted me and asked if I wanted them,” Paul said. “I didn’t want them to end up in somebody’s closet, so I took them.”

Meanwhile, Paul paid for a banner for his uncle Harry,  while Phil’s widow, the former Darlene Pahura of Medina, paid for his. The banners hang just south of the village limits across from one of their father’s three farms. It is the farm Harry would have inherited, Paul said.

Wells was instrumental in starting the Hometown Heroes banners in Lyndonville last year. She presented the idea to the Village Board in 2021 and it was decided the funds would run through the Lyndonville Area Foundation.

There are 135 banners displayed this year. Along with the Cooper banners, several of interest include Col. Rick N. Parsons, USAF 1965-1992, USAF Academy Alumni; Ret. Mjr. Gen. Richard D. Kenyon, U.S. Army, Vietnam; and Lt. Col. Ralph E. Smith, U.S. Army, 1965-1995.

The casket flags have an interesting story, in that Harry’s has gold stars, while Philip’s has white. Paul explained when casualties rose during the early months of World War II, the supply of casket flags dropped, so the government requisitioned a small French garment factory to make flags. They had heard of the Gold Star Mothers and assumed the stars should be gold if they were to be used on a veteran’s casket. It is estimated 500 of them were manufactured before they realized their error. It is thought all the gold star flags were used on caskets of United States soldiers killed in Germany.

Paul wonders if the casket of Sgt. Newell Breed, a graduate of Lyndonville Central School’s class of 1943, also had a gold star flag. Breed was killed in Germany March 18, 1945 and was returned to the United States aboard the US Oglethorpe, along with Harry’s remains. Harry was a 1933 graduate of Lyndonville Central School.

(Left) Paul Cooper of Novi, Mich. and his cousin Lindy Cooper Biersbach of Hamburg hold memorial flags which were placed on the caskets of their relatives, Maj. Philip Cooper, who served with the Army in Vietnam and died Jan. 5, 2008 from cancer, and his uncle Cpl. Harry Cooper, who was killed in action Sept. 18, 1943 in Germany. Cooper brought the flags to the village of Lyndonville on Wednesday. (Right) The memorial flags placed on the graves of Lyndonville natives Cpl. Harry Cooper and Maj. Philip Cooper are on display in a case in the Lyndonville Village Hall.

After being killed, Harry was initially buried in a shallow grave near Bitburg, Germany, where it was pointed out to U.S. troops working there in the spring of 1945. His remains were disinterred and reburied in a military cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, where they remained until his parents requested they be returned to Lyndonville. His grave is in Hartland Cemetery, Gasport.

The Cooper family have long been pillars of the Lyndonville community. Philip and Paul had an older brother Claude, who all worked on the family’s fruit farm. Philip married the former Darlene Pahura of Medina in the chapel at West Point.

He had graduated from Clarkson College of Technology in Potsdam, majoring in physics, when he was urged by the local U.S. Representative to apply at West Point. He reported to Ranger School at Fort Benning, where he excelled, graduating number one in his class. His first assignment was with the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. He was scheduled to attend flight school, but because of his outstanding record in Ranger School, the Army assigned him to Vietnam.

Operating with the 4th Infantry Division, Philip led long range foot patrols deep into enemy territory, usually out of range of friendly artillery and often out of radio contact with friendly forces. Later, in the 1st Battalion, 10th Cavalry, he experienced intense combat. On one occasion, his personnel carrier sunk in a rice paddy and his crew died, but his strong survival skills enabled him to pull three other soldiers to safety. For another action taking a hill, Phil received a Bronze Star for Valor.

After Vietnam, Philip completed his flight training earning both fixed wing and helicopter ratings.

In 1972, he completed his master’s degree in industrial engineering with a major in computer science at Arizona State University. Next was an assignment to an Army think tank in Bethesda, Md., where he developed a new computer capability to deploy troops where they were needed. This earned him decoration for meritorious service.

In 1976, he was a commandant’s list graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. This was followed by three years of teaching math at West Point. He headed the advanced calculus program and earned an MBA from Long Island University.  He returned to troop duty in 1979 as executive director of the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor. In his last assignment, Philip coordinated all systems and maintenance activities inside Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, for NORAD.

Paul also explained one of Philip’s accomplishments was developing the plastic bread wrapper for Union Carbide.

When health problems forced his retirement, Philip moved to Hudson, Fla., where he did doctoral work at the University of Florida, obtained his real estate license, trained income tax preparers and managed his real estate holdings.

Information provided by Paul states, “Impressive as Phil’s accomplishments were, there is no doubt he would have accomplished even more had he not suffered from severe post-traumatic stress syndrome, due to his combat experience.”

Philip died Jan. 5, 2008 from cancer (which Paul explained was due to Agent Orange) and was interred at West Point on June 9, 2008, the 43rd anniversary of his graduation.

LYNDONVILLE – Town of Yates officials expect the town’s law on short-term rentals will be updated, but officials aren’t sure the best way to regulate the sites, which have become increasingly popular through Airbnb and Vrbo.

The Town Board held a two-hour public meeting on Monday evening that was attended by about 40 people. Town Supervisor Jim Simon said it was the beginning of a conversation on how to best balance the desires of people who rent out the sites with the concerns of some of the neighbors who worry about noise, late-night parties and a general uneasiness about changing faces next door.

“We’re trying to inform ourselves to make the nest decision possible,” Simon said.

Two towns in Orleans County recently passed laws regulating short-term rentals. Clarendon is largely keeping a hands-off approach, welcoming the sites and the visitors, Simon said.

The Town of Kendall passed a law in February bans any new short-term rentals in the waterfront districts, excluding bed and breakfasts which require a separate special use permit. Existing STRs are grandfathered in and allowed to continue.

Kendall officials said the waterfront districts have houses closer together on private one-lane roads. The STRs are presenting “parking and traffic impacts,” town officials wrote in the new law.

Kendall also is charging $500 every two years for short-term rentals to register in the town.

Simon said Yates has about a dozen STRs available in the summer through Airbnb and Vrbo, but he said the number of short-term rentals is likely higher.

Yates officials have heard few complaints from residents over the years about the sites. But Simon and board members said they foresee more out-of-town investors buying property in Yates, especially by the lake, to rent out.

Town Board members John Riggi and Harold Suhr said other lakefront communities have seen house prices skyrocket due to investors buying the sites for short-term rental income.

“People are buying up lakefront property,” Riggi said. “My nightmare is having a lakeshore full of property managers.”

In some communities investors are pricing local people out of the market who want to buy lakefront homes as primary residences. Riggi said the STRs as investments have transformed many communities around the state, making it too expensive for locals to buy homes.

But how to keep that from happening in Yates? Board members said they don’t want to see the character of the community changed, and the lakefront becoming exorbitant.

Three STR owners spoke at the meeting and said they keep close tabs on who they rent the sites to, and the revenue is needed to pay the taxes and also improve the properties.

Tom Arlington of Akron owns a cottage on the lake and has been renting it out since 2007. He provides information to the guests about many local businesses and urges them to patronize the community.

Arlington said he would support “a reasonable STR law” but doesn’t want the town going overboard, making too many regulations and imposing higher costs on the sites.

Another STR owner said the owners screen their guests and are responsive to any concerns from neighbors. She said the town could impose fines on STR operators who violate regulations for noise, or too many people and vehicles at the sites. She doesn’t want to see more fees and rules for operators who are already running good operations, and bringing visitors and tourism money into the community.

Paul Lauricella, chairman of the Orleans County Conservative Party and a candidate for the Town Board, urged the town officials to just leave the current law alone, and not impose more regulations on short-term rentals.

“This has been going on for 30 years,” Lauricella said about cottages and homes being rented out. “You (should) do nothing. You’re just going to stir up a hornet’s nest.”

Simon said the town needs to update its law for short-term rentals. That should begin with a definition of what a short-term rental is, he said.

The current town law defines a transient resident as someone staying for up to 30 days.

“The old law doesn’t suffice in today’s day and age,” Simon responded to Lauricella.

The town isn’t aware of all the sites that are rented out in Yates. Simon noted the town requires special use permits for other businesses that operate from homes, but hasn’t been doing that for short-term rentals even though they are functioning as revenue-generating enterprises.

Ken DeRoller, a former county legislator from Kendall, said the issue is a difficult one to regulate to meet the needs of the property owners looking to make some money and also balance the needs of neighbors and the community.

DeRoller would like to see the three lakeshore towns in the county – Carlton, Kendall and Yates – work together and establish consistent regulations for STRs.

One resident urged the town to try to rein in the sites, which can pop up without a neighbor or the town being aware of it.

“We didn’t buy our home to have a motel next to us,” she said.

LYNDONVILLE – The Diocese of Buffalo announced today that St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyndonville will not be rebuilt following a fire on Feb. 28 that caused extensive damage to the site at 36 Lake Ave.

The decision announced today follows “a period of consultation with diocesan officials, the pastor and parish leaders from Our Lady of the Lake worship site and its Family of Parishes,” the Diocese said in a news release.

The church and the attached structure will be demolished, said Diocesan spokesman Joe Martone.

“We don’t have a timeframe on when that will happen,” Martone said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the church at 3:41 away with a passerby seeing flames shooting out from the back of the building. The fire started in a classroom structure attached to the church. There was smoke and water damage throughout much of the building.

The pews were covered in soot and soggy insulation from the fire. The walls peeled and the former white interior turned gray and black after the fire.

No Masses have been observed at the site since the fire with St. Joseph’s parishioners welcomed at Catholic churches in Medina and Barker.

“The event of this fire was both shocking and saddening for all of us,” said Pastor Mark Noonan, who leads the family of Catholic churches in Orleans County and eastern Niagara. “We love our churches. Over the course of the past few months, it became apparent that St. Joseph’s worship site could not be sustained long-term, and thus we could not responsibly take the step of rebuilding it following the fire. I know that our entire Catholic community in Eastern Niagara and Orleans counties, Family of Parishes #11, is here to come together and to build one another up in the grace and life of the Holy Spirit.”

St, Mary’s in Medina and St. Patrick’s in Barker will begin to create appropriate memorials honoring St. Joseph’s, the Diocese said.

St, Mary’s is about a 10-minute drive from Lyndonville while St. Patrick’s is about 15 minutes away.

As a result of the pastoral planning process, St. Patrick’s in Barker was linked and then merged with St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville on March 30, 2009. The merged parish was then named Our Lady of the Lake.