Roy-Hart's top 2: Staines is valedictorian; Zayac, salutatorian

Local News

Related Photos

June 24, 2008

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:olenickj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Joe</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Jun 24, 2008, 01:11 AM EDT

MIDDLEPORT — Cole Staines and Jason Zayac left their calculus exam a couple of weeks ago breathing a sigh of relief.

“That test was one of the hardest I’ve ever taken,” Staines said. Zayac agreed, but they both finished the test after spending a little more time than they anticipated.

For Staines and Zayac, meeting an academic challenge is nothing new: Staines is the Royalton-Hartland High School Class of 2008 valedictorian. Zayac is the class salutatorian. Graduation is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the school, 54 State St., Middleport. Both said family and friends were proud of their accomplishment.

“They’re proud of me and happy,” Zayac said.

“They randomly bring it up to people,” Staines said.

While in school, Staines was active in cross country, swimming, tennis and the school musicals. He said he has been involved with tennis and musicals since he was a freshman, he quit swimming so he could have more time with the musicals. He ran cross country as a junior and senior. He said his favorite subject was math.

“Until today,” he joked.

Staines said he plans to attend the University at Buffalo in the fall for biomedical sciences.

Zayac was also involved with cross country, plus he ran track, served as senior class president and belonged to the National Honor Society. He also is active with the youth group at Covenant United Church of Christ in Gasport.

Zayac said he plans to attend the University of Rochester for biology and pre-medical. He would like to get into dentistry, something he was exposed to at an Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services program.

“I took it at Allied Health,” Zayac said. “I really liked it.”

He added math and science, especially physics, were among his favorite subjects, and that the teachers he had were nice and pleasant. What he said was tricky was balancing academics with extra curricular activities.

“Sometimes it is hard organizing,” Zayac said. “It’s non-stop, but I enjoy it.”

Zayac said his brother, Adam, also was salutatorian of his graduating class.

What Staines said he would miss the most about high school was the people and the familiarity students have with one another in a small town.

“It’s the last chance we have to be together,” he said.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick

at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

Text Only

Local News

Municipalities take wait-and-see approach on SPCA funding
The City and Town of Lockport are each withholding payments to the Niagara SPCA, while other Eastern Niagara County towns are taking a wait-and-see approach.

February 7, 2012 1 Photo 2 Stories
Rocky II
Friends of Deputy Craig Beiter of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department plan a benefit on Feb. 26 to raise money to buy and train a new dog for the K-9 Unit.
Beiter’s German shepherd, Deputy Rocky, was killed while on duty in December, and the sheriff’s department is close to getting a replacement.

February 6, 2012 1 Photo 2 Stories
Basket Factory closes
The Basket Factory has gone out of business.
The owners, Julie Thompson Riegle and Dawn Thompson, made the difficult decision last Monday and put the sign on the door Tuesday.

February 6, 2012
No snow is no problem
Unseasonably warm weather didn’t keep Roy-Hart Winterfest from being a fun day for the families who came out to Roy-Hart Elementary School on Saturday.
More than 500 people attended the third annual festivities, which Gasport Lions Club officials said was a big increase from last year. The halls of Roy-Hart Elementary were filled with vendors, programs and movement as excited children rushed from one activity to another.

February 6, 2012
Shovel-ready park has perks
At first glance, the big, orange road sign announcing vacant property on Lockport Road as a “shovel ready certified” building site seems a bit gratuitous.
To companies looking for new places to launch a business, it’s not. The sign in their eyes is a welcome mat, for in three words a community pronounced itself ready, willing and able to make a deal quickly.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Roy-Hart to play the big stage
A group of local students will be performing this month at Kleinhans Music Hall just before a BPO concert.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will welcome the Royalton-Hartland High School Mixed Chorus as part of the BPO’s Community Spotlight program on Feb. 19 at Kleinhans in Buffalo. The chorus will perform under the direction of Carolyn Unitas Roos and accompanied by Janice McKinney.

February 3, 2012
Former NFTA cop sentenced
A former Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police officer will spend six years on probation for sending a sexually explicit photo to a teenage girl, a girl he later had a sexual encounter with.
In addition, John W. Ingham will spend 25 weekends in the service of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Work Program. Ingham was sentenced Thursday by State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch, Sr. Ingham will also register as a sex offender.

February 3, 2012
Speakers address SPCA contract
Animal rescue volunteers want the City of Lockport to hit the SPCA of Niagara where it hurts — in the pocketbook — and help force reform of the troubled animal welfare organization.
Volunteers from multiple small, private rescue groups, and the SPCA itself, descended on the Common Council Wednesday to talk about the city’s ongoing involvement with SPCA.

February 2, 2012 4 Photos
Liberty Tire cited for 'multiple' violations
The City of Lockport will require Liberty Tire Recycling to obtain an operating permit in order to avoid being declared a hazard.

February 2, 2012
Instant millionaire
Paul Schneider had just gotten off the phone with his girlfriend when he called her back with some breaking news.
“She was teasing me and said, ‘so you hung up the phone with me to scratch your scratch offs?’” Schneider said. “And I said, ‘It’s a good thing I did because I won a million dollars.’”

February 1, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Roy-Hart's top 2: Staines is valedictorian; Zayac, salutatorian

Site Map

Contact Us