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Alexander

Law and Order: Mother accused of keeping children in 'deplorable' conditions

By Howard B. Owens

Tesla Renee Greck, 23, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Greck was arrested after patrols responded to her residence on an unrelated matter. Officers Jame DeFreze and Marc Lawrence allegedly found living conditions there "deplorable." Greck's three children lived at the residence.

Clarence Arthur Johnson, 57, of Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with forcible touching and resisting arrest. Johnson is accused of touching the buttocks of a child at a location on Lewiston Road, Batavia. Following an interview, when Johnson learned he was going to be arrested, he allegedly resisted arrest verbally and physically. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Steven Erwin Crowell, 21, of Emily Court, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and drinking in a motor vehicle. Crowell's vehicle allegedly left the roadway and struck another vehicle at 1:41 a.m. Sunday on Trisha Lane, Bergen. The accident was investigated by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Joshua Michael Pierce, 20, of Meadowbrook Terrace, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Pierce is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

A 16-year-old resident of Broadway Road, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. The youth is accused of doing donuts in a vehicle on the soccer fields of Alexander School and damaging the fields. A 17-year-old resident of Pike Road, Batavia, was also charged.

Jared M. Wendt, 33, of County Road, Angelica, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated family offense. Wendt was allegedly involved in a domestic incident in the Town of Bethany on Oct. 17 that involved damage to a vehicle and a violation of an order of protection.

Adama William David Brown, 31, of Wilder Road, Warsaw, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, moving from lane unsafely and open container. Brown allegedly was driving when his vehicle stuck a parked car at GCC at 9:50 a.m. Oct. 22.

Samuel C. Longhini, 22, of South Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to use headlights. Longhini was stopped at 2:40 a.m. Oct. 20 on Alexander Road, Attica, by an Attica PD patrol.

Jordan Matthew Brown, 23, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Brown allegedly violated a stay away order of protection.

Kristen M. Meeder, 30, of Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and three counts of falsifying business records. Meeder is accused of stealing from her employer.

Michael T. Phelps, 44, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Phelps was arrested following an investigation into a complaint of two males drinking alcohol in a vehicle on Harvester Avenue at 7:03 p.m. Oct. 21. The vehicle was located on North Spruce Street by Officer Christopher Lindsay and Phelps was arrested.

Brian K. Laird, 21, of State Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant following a tip that he was located at a residence on State Street. Laird was jailed without bail.

Jessalyn A. Gates, 24, of Seneca Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Employees of McDonald's reported a possible drunken driver in the parking lot at 1 a.m. Oct. 22. Following an investigation by Officer Chad Richards, Gates was arrested.

Amy M. Carpenter, 40, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, refusal to take breath test and inadequate stop lights. Carpenter was stopped at 2:43 a.m. Oct. 18 on State Street by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Photos: FFA mobile maple exhibit at Alexander Elementary School

By Howard B. Owens

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Students with the Agri-Business Academy from the Batavia CTE assisted in a demonstration with the FFA Mobile Maple Syrup Exhibit at Alexander Elementary Schoool this morning.

About the exhibit:

The New York FFA Mobile Maple Exhibit is an interactive display depicting all facets of the maple industry. Housed in a 28-foot trailer, visitors are offered a firsthand look at: how maple syrup was discovered; how maple sap is collected from maple trees; and how the liquid sap is then processed into pure, sweet maple syrup. The presentation concludes with a sampling of pure maple syrup and/or other maple products.

The presentation is broken into five segments, with the first being a whole-group depiction of the discovery of maple syrup. Visitors are asked to imagine a time when only Native Americans inhabited our lands and how one day the sweet, clear maple liquid was discovered coming from a maple tree. Next, participants learn about tapping a tree, whittling an old-fashioned maple spout, and using a modern tubing system to collect the maple sap.

In these segments, students may have a chance to use a bit and brace to “tap” their own maple tree and install a metal maple spout. After tapping the maple tree, participants help “collect” the sap from metal buckets. In the third portion, students become a mini-forest of maple trees and learn how gravity helps collect the maple sap using a modern plastic tubing system.

As groups enter the trailer, they view an actual scene from our school’s woodlot and imagine a winter’s day in February. Here, we demonstrate how the maple sap is processed into fresh maple syrup by viewing an actual mini maple-syrup evaporator. Learn how the maple sap is transformed from a clear liquid into a sweet, golden syrup.

Our explanations include how water is removed from the sap, how the finished product is graded, filtered and packaged, and how maple syrup is used as a food and natural sweetener. Finally, sample the sweet results of hours of work with a tasting of pure maple syrup or other maple products. 

Above, Assemblyman Steve Hawley takes in the demonstration. Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer had visited the exhibit earlier.

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Alexander tramples O-A in homecoming game

By Howard B. Owens

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A throng of fans turned out Friday night for Alexander's homecoming game and they went home happy after the Trojans secured a 46-12 victory over the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets.

On a night when the Trojans mostly kept the ball on the ground, they gained 327 yards on 43 carries.

The team was also 5-12 passing for 100 yards.

Jake Wozniak was an offensive powerhouse, tossing an 11-yard TD pass to Derrick Busch to close the second half and rushing 21 times for 219 yards and a TD, tacking on a two-point conversion.

Dane Heberlein scored four touchdowns (one of them pictured above) on 16 carries. He gained 100 yards. He also had a two-point conversion. On defense, he had six tackles and three interceptions. The junior free safety now has seven INTs on the season.

Dustin Schmeider had two catches for 44 yards. Josh Szymanski had a catch for 22 yards and six tackles on defense.

Zack Jasen had six tackles in the middle.

Alexander is now 3-2 on the season.

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To purchase prints of photos, click here.

Alexander at Holly varsity football

By Rick D. Franclemont

Alexander beat Holley 51-22. QB Jared Browne was 10-16 for 194 yards passing and had a career-high four touchdown passes. WR Derrick Busch had six catches for 106 yards and four TDs. WR Josh Szymanski had four catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. RB Jake Wozniak had 12 carries for 147 yards and two TDs. Wozniak was 3-4 on PATs. Wozniak also had 72 return yards.

Law and Order: Warrant suspect's call to 9-1-1 results in arrest

By Howard B. Owens

Kerri Lynn Forsberg, 43, of Fargo Road, Stafford, is charged with assault, 2nd. Forsberg was arrested on a warrant after she called 9-1-1 to report a disturbance. She was jailed on $100,000 bail.

Kristen M. Reilly, 18, of Bethany, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs. Reilly is accused of driving under the influence of marijuana. Reilly was arrested by State Police following a report of a one-vehicle accident on Mengs Road, Attica. Reilly allegedly suffered a knee injury and was transported to Wyoming County Community Hospital where a drug enforcement officer conducted an interview. She was also charged with failure to keep right and speed not reasonable and prudent.

Xavier Melendez, 28, of Reading, Pa., was arrested as a fugitive after being stopped by State Police on Route 63, Pavilion, for allegedly speeding. Melendez was allegedly wanted in Reading for escape after allegedly fleeing from police officers during a traffic stop. He was jailed in Genesee County on $1,000 bail and extradition will be arranged.

A 17-year-old of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. The youth was observed on surveillance video leaving a room at Batavia High School with an allegedly stolen laptop and power cable and was arrested by State Police. The laptop was returned to the school. The youth was also arrested by Batavia PD and charged with petit larceny.

Luis Alberto Sauceda, 35, of South Wayne Street, Phelps, is charged with confinement of companion animal in a vehicle. Sauceda allegedly left a Chihuahua puppy in a vehicle on Labor Day while his family was inside Darien Lake Theme Park. Deputies were alerted by Darien Lake security staff. Deputies Chris Parker and Andrew Hale responded, provided the puppy with appropriate care and the dog was then transported to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Beau Thomas Bressler, 28, of Big Treet Road, Pavilion, is charged with felony DWI (two prior convictions in previous 10 years), felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, failure to keep right, unlicensed operation. Bressler was stopped on Route 20, Bethany, at 10:37 p.m. Saturday by Deputy Matthew Fleming. Bressler was jailed on $5,000 bail.

William H. Swader, 66, of Cedar Street, Akron, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Swader was allegedly involved in a road rage incident at 3:45 p.m. Friday on West Main Street, Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Walnut Street, Batavia, (name redacted by Batavia PD) is charged with trespass. The youth allegedly went onto a property posted with no trespressing signs and went onto the front and back porches and looked through the windows at the side of the residence.

Ashley A. Goodenow, 24, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Goodenow allegedly stole $50 from her employer.

Lori A. Brightenfield, 55, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd. Brightenfield allegedly entered the residence of her ex-boyfriend on Thorpe Street without permission and remained after being advised to leave. Brightenfield was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Eugene L. Sumeriski, 36, of Olyn Avenue, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, and disobeying traffic control device. Sumeriski was stopped at 1:34 a.m. Saturday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Office Darryle Streeter after allegedly being observed driving at a high rate of speed.

Tiffany Ann Reed, 21, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Reed allegedly violated a stay away order of protection She was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Tammy L. Plesczynski, 38, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Plesczynski was arrested on a warrant by parole officers and turned over to Batavia PD. He was jailed without bail.

Joshua S. Martaus, 32, no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and resisting arrest. Martaus is accused of shoplifting from Tops and trying to steal $64.29 in merchandise. Martaus was located by Deputy Chris Parker and Officer Frank Klimjack at a local restaurant and allegedly resisted arrest. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Austin C. Durham, 20, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy, 6th. Durham is accused of assisting another person in stealing 30 packs of beer from Tops.

Elijah J. Richardson, 18, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with owning an unlicensed dog. Richardson was allegedly found walking an unlicensed dog on MacArthur Drive.

Misty Dawn Brabon, 35, of Marshall Road, Lyndonville, is charged with petit larceny. Barbon allegedly stole $168.28 in merchandise from Walmart.

Amanda Rose McDonald, 33, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. McDonald is accused of stealing $88.44 in merchandise from Walmart.

A 16-year-old resident of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The youth allegedly threatened a woman.

Veronica Mabel Blackwood, 26, of Sterling Place, Brooklyn, is charged with petit larceny. Blackwood allegedly stole $25.09 in merchandise from Walmart.

Lauren S. Murphy, 19, of West Buffalo Street, Warsaw, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol under age 21. Murphy was charged following an investigation into a motor-vehicle accident at 4:25 a.m. Sept. 13 on Vernon Avenue, Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Batavia (name redacted by Batavia PD) was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear in City Court. He was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Nathaniel L. Beglinger, 24, of Peaviner Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Beglinger was allegedly involved in a one-car property damage accident at 2:20 a.m. Sept. 13 on Vernon Avenue, Batavia. The accident was investigated by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Jennifer Lyn Stack, 29, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Stack is accused of stealing the beverage Red Bull from a local store.

Photos: Notre Dame beats Alexander 34-14

By Howard B. Owens

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In a key early season Genesee Region matchup, Notre Dame beat Alexander 34-14.

Alexander scored first on a 14-yard run by Jake Wozniak. Notre Dame scored twice in the second quarter, making it 12-8, on a two-yard run by Peter Daversa and a 44-yard run by Jack Sutherland.

Alexander tied the score early in the third quarter on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Josh Hylkema.

The rest of the game was all Notre Dame, as the Fighting Irish scored on a 51-yard run by Sutherland, a one-yard dive for a TD by Sutherland, and Deversa scored on a one-yard run.

Alexander finished with 172 yards of total offense to 307, all on the ground, for Notre Dame.

Sutherland gained 185 yards and Deversa had 104. For Alexander, Wozniak rushed for 120 yards on 20 carries.

C.J. Suozzi had nine tackles and Dane Meberlein, 12, and Hunter Marzolf had nine for Alexander.

Suozzi punted twice for 69 yards.

In other Genesee County football this weekend:

  • Attica beat Pembroke, 36-0
  • Geneseo beat York/Pavilion, 34-28
  • Elba/Byron-Bergen beat Holley, 60-14
  • Le Roy beat Dansville 28-0 (We should have photos from this game some time tomorrow.)
  • Previously: Photos: Batavia beats Cardinal O'Hara 32-8

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To purchase prints of photos, click here

Law and Order: Woman charged after leaving cat in car on hot day, inside was 116 degrees

By Billie Owens

Elaine Maria Beachy, 44, of Comet Road, Warsaw, is charged with confinement of companion animal in a vehicle in extreme temperature. Beachy was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 1 in Town of Batavia Court after she allegedly left a cat in a vehicle Sept. 6 in a parking lot on Veterans Memorial Drive. Outside temperatures were estimated to be about 89 degrees while the interior temperature of the vehicle was estimated to be about 116 degrees. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Graff, assisted by Deputy Ann Brade.

Dennis Lee Majors, 62, of Clinton Street Road, Stafford, is charged with second-degree harassment. Majors was arrested Sept. 5 following a report of a domestic altercation wherein he allegedly grabbed and pushed another person. He was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court, released on his own recognizance, and is set to return to Stafford Court on Oct. 8. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Graff.

Eric Cosimo Pellegrino, 32, of Firestone Street, Lackawanna, is charged with driving while intoxicated, following too closely, and having a controlled substance outside its original container. Pellegrino was arrested at 11:09 p.m. on Aug. 2 on the charges following an investigation into a motor-vehicle accident on Route 77 in the Town of Pembroke. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Robert T. Hanlin, 40, of Alexander, is charged with operating motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, 1st, and moving from lane unsafely. He was issued uniform traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Bergen Court on Oct. 7. On Sept. 6, Troopers responding to a 9-1-1 call of an erratic operator on State Route 33 in the Town of Bergen, were waived down by a concerned citizen who alerted them that the vehicle had driven on the opposite side of the roadway on several occasions and the operator, later identified as Hanlin was in the Bergen convenience store. Hanlin failed to properly perform field sobriety tests and was transported to SP Batavia where Genesee County Sheriff’s DRE Deputy completed a drug evaluation which indicated Hanlin was impaired by drugs and unable to operate a vehicle safely.

A 16-year-old who lives on Walnut Street in the City of Batavia was arrested Aug. 27 and charged with petit larceny. The teen allegedly stole a backpack, an iPad, and a Sumsung tablet from another person. The teen was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Batavia City Court on Sept. 15. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Malik I. Ayala, 23, of Lydun Drive, Albion, is charged with petit larceny. On Sept. 5, Ayala was arrested for allegedly stealing a bicycle on Aug. 27 from another person. Ayala was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court on Sept. 15. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Todd M. Holly, 50, of Lincoln Avenue, Le Roy, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt. Holly was located on Gilbert Street in Le Roy and arrested for allegedly violating a full stay away order of protection. He was transported by Batavia PD headquarters by Officer Felicia DeGroot and arraigned in City Court and then jailed without bail.

Kathryn M. Yark, 18, of Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle. On July 18, she was arrested for using a vehicle without permission. She was located at the GC Jail visiting her boyfriend. She was transported to Batavia police headquarters, then arraigned in City Court before being jailed with bail set at $1,000. She is to be in City Court at a later date. The case was investigated by Officer Marc Lawrence.

A 17 year old from Pavilion was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on Sept. 6 and charged with: driving while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor; driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .08 percent or more, a Class A misdemeanor; inadequate exhaust; insufficient tail lamps; unsafe tires; and having more than one passenger under the age of 21 while holding a DJ license, all traffic violations. The teen was arrested following numerous traffic infractions by the Le Roy Police Department. After a brief investigation the subject was allegedly found to be intoxicated. The subject was issued appearance tickets for the charges and is to appear in the Le Roy Town Court on Sept. 28. At this time the name of the defendant is being withheld because of the possibility of a youthful offender status. 

Montel Lee Cunningham, 22, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to obey a child support order. He was arrested on a warrant out of Niagara County Sept. 6 following an investigation into an underage drinking party. He was turned over to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Chad Cummings, assisted by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Andrew Charles Webster, 22, no address provided, is charged with petit larceny. On Aug. 30, Webster was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at Walmart and he was put in GC Jail in lieu of $500 bail. He is to reappear in Town of Batavia Court on Sept. 28. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Parker.

Jacob Nicholas Oddo, 18, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, is charged with trespass. On Sept. 5, he was arrested for allegedly being on the premises of Godfrey's Pond after being told that he needed to leave and not return. He was issued an appearance ticket to appear in Town of Stafford Court on Sept. 24. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Chad Cummings, assisted by Deputy James Diehl.

Jordan Lee Miller, 16, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, is charged with trespass. On Sept. 5, he was arrested for allegedly being on the premises of Godfrey's Pond after being told that he needed to leave and not return. He was issued an appearance ticket to appear in Town of Stafford Court on Sept. 24. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Chad Cummings, assisted by Deputy James Diehl.

Jessica M. Pfenninger, 33, of Creek Road, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear on a charge of third degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. On Sept. 2, she was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear by State Police in Chili and was taken into custody by Batavia Police Officer Jason Davis in Bergen. After being arraigned, she was released on her own recognizance and is to appear in City Court on Sept. 30.

Ryan J. Adkins, 21, of Main Road, East Pembroke, is charged with failure to appear. He was arrested on a warrant from Batavia City Court for failure to appear following a traffic stop on July 23. He was jailed and released after posting $500 bail. He is scheduled to appear in City Court on Sept. 16. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Football Roundup: Le Roy starts new era with a win

By Howard B. Owens

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Apparently, Le Roy hasn't missed a beat. With a new head coach, new defensive cooordinator, first-time starter at QB, the Oatkan Knights started off 2015 in familiar territory -- by winning.

Le Roy beat Letchworth/Warsaw, in the first game for the two merged programs, 42-7.

The bulk of the offense came on the legs of Nick Eggling, who rushed for 255 yards and four TDs on 20 carries.

Josh Laurie, in his debut as the varsity starter, was 3-4 passing for 19 yards. He rushed 12 times for 43 yards and two touchdowns.

Dom Filio carried the ball seven times for 60 yards and Nate Flint nine times for 51 yards. Single receptions were recorded by Jason Doemling and Ryan Boyce.

On defense, Reed Kacur had nine tackles, Egeling, six and Filio five.

Also in Genesee County's Friday Night Football action:

Alexander beat Finney 47-14. Senior running back Jake Wozniak rushed for 290 yards on 19 carries. He scored four TDs. Dane Heberlein gained 80 yards on 13 carries, with two TDs, and QB Jared Brown had a TD pass of 15 yards to Derrick Bushe and had a two-point conversion through to Dustin Schmeider. 

Notre Dame beat Oakfield-Alabama 26-12. For Notre Dame, Connor Logsdon was three for six for 54 yards passing. Allen Chatt, QB for the Hornets, was 18-33 for 305 yards and a TD. For the Irish, Jack Sutherland ran 29 times for 185 yards with three touchdowns. Peter Daversa ran 12 times for 93 yards with one touchdown. For the Hornets, Sal Schwable had five receiptions for 73 yards, Austin Fisher, one for 71 yards, Jon Harris, three for 66 yards and a TD, Reice Woodward, four for 57 yards and Josia Yantz, four for 34 yards.  Defensively for Notre Dame, C.J. Souzzi had seven tackles as did Casey Midwick. For O-A, Gage Dieterie, seven-and-a-half tackes. Jon Harris, Cameron Smith had seven each, Sal Schwable, six and a half, and six for Josiah Yantz.

NOTE: Section V had an error on the schedule for today's games. Elba/Byron-Bergen hosts Pembroke at 7 p.m. at Byron-Bergen.

Photos by David Boyce.

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Found cat at Alexander Elementary School

By Howard B. Owens

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This kitten was found by staff on school grounds at Alexander Elementary School. It appears to have had recent surgery because of the purple dye on its fur. If it's your cat, contact the school.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: The owner has been located.

House fire in Village of Attica prompts response from Alexander and Bethany

By Billie Owens

A house fire is reported at 31 East Ave. in the Village of Attica. Alexander Fire Department is called to provide mutual aid to Attica in fighting the blaze, along with Bethany for rehab. The location is between Prospect Street and Putnam Place.

UPDATE 5:08 a.m.: Fire out. Checking for extensions. Bethany can go back in service.

Football Preview: In Alexander, the dream season would be a GR and Section V title

By Howard B. Owens

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It's easy to be optimistic in the preseason, Alexander's Head Coach Tim Sawyer notes during a recent practice at The Field of Dreams while the Trojans sprint and leap and twist and turn and bang into each other during a series of warm-up drills.

Sawyer likes what he sees of his squad, which is inheriting back-to-back successful seasons that gave Alexander shots at sectional titles.

His boys are tough, working hard, have some talent and, most importantly, coalescing as a team.

"We had a tremendous summer," Sawyer said. "We have a really tight team. They like football. They like each other. They care about each other and they want to be the best they can be, so it's exciting."

The squad of 27 includes 11 seniors and 15 juniors. Jared Browne returns as the starting QB, Derrick Busch is at tight end, Connor Roberts at wide receiver, Zach Jasen at fullback and Jake Wozniak at halfback. Sawyer also can stack his lines with Josh Hylkema, Riley Kusmierski, Rick Amico, Sean Bennett, Matt Grover and Brett Nichols, none of whom start the season under 190 pounds.

Hylkema, a junior at 235 pounds, is an interesting case. He only started playing football last season, and has, Sawyer said, fallen in love with the game. 

"He's really changed," Sawyer said. "He's gotten bigger. He understands the game better."

But as Sawyer surveys the Genesee Region, he sees potential trouble every week. It will be a tough season.

  • Notre Dame: "They were very young last year and they got a ton of players back. They're going to be really tough."
  • Attica: "Always tough. Marchetti (Damian) will be his third year starting at quarterback for them. McCulloch (Hunter) is coming back to the running back spot for them. So Attica is going to be really good."
  • Elba: "Always challenges everybody. They play tough defense."
  • Holley: "Holley is much improved. I know they are. We were in the combine in March and Holley had 13 players there. Nobody better take Holley for granted."
  • Pembroke: "Coach Diminuco (in his second year), the longer you're there and have more continuity, the expectations become more clear. I think Pembroke is going to have a really good line. They were very young last year, but they've got boys who can play."

"That's the neat thing," Sawyer said. "I think overall, the strength of the league this year means on any given week, you're going to get a challenge."

That said, Sawyer added, "We've got high expectations."

"We were in sectional finals two years ago and semi-finals last year and we want to get back and win a sectional title," Sawyer said. "You can do that without winning the GR, but we'd like to do both. That's our ultimate goal, be GR champs again and win a sectional title.

"The kids have been working hard for it," Sawyer added. "It's in our sights. I've had groups in the past that will, you know, that will rattle off these goals, but they haven't acted up to it by their work ethic, but this group has been working hard. If that's what they want to do, I think we've got a shot at it, but you better be prepared to play every week in the GR."

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Fire reported at Cargill facility on Railroad Avenue, Alexander

By Billie Owens

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A structure fire is reported in the basement of the Cargill facility in Alexander, located at 3540 Railroad Ave. There is heavy black smoke spewing from the building and it is being evacuated.

Alexander fire is responding along with Town of Batavia, Bethany, Darien, the city's Fast Team and East Pembroke.

UPDATE 12:17 p.m.: City fire's first platoon is requested to the headquarters on Evans Street. A crew from Darien is also asked to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Fire is out. Ventilating.

Cat found on Alexander Road, Alexander

By Howard B. Owens

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A resident of Alexander Road, Alexander, found this apparently lost cat. The cat has a flea collar, so the cat definitely has a home and an owner. Contact 585-813-4560.

Law and Order: Concertgoer allegedly driving on 37 suspensions

By Howard B. Owens

Victor M. Delatorre, 23, of Rochester, is charged with operating a motor vehicle while his license is suspected. Officers Peter Scanio and Gene Nati, Corfu PD, stopped Delatorre when he passed through the Village of Corfu after leaving the Zac Brown Band concert Sunday night after an automated license plate reader in a patrol vehicle alerted the officers to a vehicle with a suspended registration. A computer check indicated Delatorre had 37 prior suspensions on 18 dates. Delatorre was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Lisa M. Aratari, 43, of Barrville Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right, driving outside of restriction and reckless endangerment, 2nd. Aratari allegedly drove a vehicle away from a location in the Town of Pembroke while a person was standing in the doorway of the vehicle. Aratari's vehicle was stopped on Lewiston Road, Alabama, by Deputy James Diehl. She was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Steven Dustin Downey, 27, of Route 98, Interlaken, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and disorderly conduct. Downey was arrested following a complaint of inappropriate conduct at 10 p.m. Friday at Darien Lake Theme Park. Further investigation revealed he was allegedly in possession of morphine.

Scott Leonard Blair, 31, of Stage Road, Clarence, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and failure to keep right. Blair was stopped at 3:16 a.m. Saturday on Genesee Street, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A 16-year-old resident of Alleghany Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlicensed operator and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The youth was stopped by deputies Patrick Reeves and Jason Saile just after midnight Sunday on Alexander Road, Alexander, following a report of stolen vehicle from a location on Alexander Road, Alexander. The youth was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Law and Order: Man accused of stealing from tip jar

By Howard B. Owens

Jonathan H. Wojtusiak, 31, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and petit larceny. Wojtusiak is accused of stealing money from a tip jar at a local business in the presence of his son.

Morgan L. Cox Jr., 23, of South Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with violation of probation, harassment, 2nd, obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, resisting arrest and criminal contempt, 1st. Officer Jamie Givens and Sgt. Christopher Camp attempted to arrest Cox on a warrant at 511 E. Main St, Batavia, at 5:06 p.m., Tuesday. Cox allegedly hid in a closet of the residence and then fought and struck police officers when they attempted to place him in custody. Cox was jailed without bail.

Cheryl M. Lyons, 49, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration. Lyons allegedly interfered with an attempt by police officers to arrest another person at 511 E. Main St., Batavia, at 5:06 p.m., Tuesday.

Tyler J. Glaser, 18, of Alden, is charged with trespass. Glaser allegedly walked on another person's property on Sumner Road, Darien, and was told repeatedly to leave and didn't, so State Police were called and Glaser was arrested.

Kayla M. Geissler, 23, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, following too closely and speed not reasonable and prudent. Geissler allegedly fell asleep while driving northbound on Route 98, Alexander, causing her to strike the rear of another vehicle. Upon further investigation, a trooper allegedly found a multicolored smoking device, a purple grinder, a glass jar, with all containing less than 25 grams of marijuana. (Initial Report)

Possible head-on collision reported on Alexander Road, south of Lang Road

By Billie Owens

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A possible head-on collision is reported at 9741 Alexander Road, just south of Lang Road, Town of Alexander. Unknown injuries. Mercy Flight in on ground standby. Alexander fire and ambulance are responding along with Mercy medics. Dispatchers received several calls about this accident.

UPDATE 7:45 a.m.: One vehicle has heavy front-end damage; the other is about 150 feet off the roadway. There's a lot of debris in the roadway. No word yet on injuries.

UPDATE 8:20 a.m.: Howard at the scene reports one person was transported to UMMC for evaluation after complaining of head and neck pain. The victim was driving a Jeep and it was rear-ended and pushed into a field, striking a couple of trees before coming to rest. It was struck by a sedan driven by a young woman who was given and passed a field-sobriety test. The driver of the sedan is being charged with following too closely and speed not reasonable and prudent. The Alexander assignment is back in service.

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Alexander Central School's Class of 1940 holds 75th reunion

By Traci Turner

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Eight members of Alexander Central School's Class of 1940, along with family and friends, met to celebrate their 75th reunion at Bohn's Restaurant this afternoon.

Robert Meyers attended Alexander High School for two years and formed close friendships with his classmates.

"We were a small school with a graduating class of 36," Meyers said. "Everybody knew each other." 

According to Meyers,10 members are alive today.

Irene Johncox organized the reunion and enjoys catching up with her old classmates every year.

"The fact that we have stayed in touch all these years is great," Johncox said.

The class looks forward to next year's reunion.

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