The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Kendall Bicentennial was held at the David J. Doyle Kendall Jr./Sr. High School on April 28 featuring performances by the Elementary, Junior High, Senior High and Community Choruses as well as a special performance by the a capella group Vocal Effects. Following the singing of the National Anthem, the Community Chorus opened the celebration with Handel’s, “Hallelujah Chorus.”
Senator George Maziarz, Assemblyman Stephen Hawley and Town Supervisor Dan Gaesser read Proclamations from the Governor’s office and from the County Legislature recalling the town’s settlement by Samuel Bates in 1812 and the naming of the town in 1837 after Amos Kendall, the postmaster general at the time. Comments were also made regarding Kendall residents’ record of service in the military, strong support of education and an economy based mostly on agriculture.
An audience of nearly 600 was also treated to a preview of the DVD “Kendall: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” as well as the video, “A Great Place to Grow” produced by high school principal Carol D’Agostino along with Mr. Dickens and some students. The DVD includes oral histories from many Kendall residents as well as pictures from the past. The video includes pictures of servicemen and residents past and present who have provided special service to this country and the community.
The 1962 Sesquicentennial Prince, Dale Provost, led the audience in an activity called “How Long Have You Lived in Kendall?” Residents who remained standing at the end had lived in Kendall for 80 years or more and were given a Bicentennial ornament to commemorate their longevity and contribution to the community. Special recognition was given to Yorke Knapp who, as of June 21, will have lived in Kendall for 90 years.
The evening’s events ended with words from Bob and Jane Hart, co-chairs of the Bicentennial, inviting everyone to participate in the upcoming events, and encouraging them to celebrate the many reasons why Kendall truly is “A Great Place to Grow.” Following the Community Chorus’s singing of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” guests enjoyed a punch and cookie reception in the gym.
On June 16, at the Kendall Fire Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Civil War Living History program will feature reenactors demonstrating what life was like for soldiers at that time in such areas as cooking, sewing, and, even a cannon firing. Boy Scout Troop #96 will also be on hand to show what camping out is like in 2012. There will also be hot dogs or a Sloppy Joe lunch prepared by the Kendall United Methodist Church.
