elba

Photos and information submitted by Laura Luft.

ELBA — Three contestants are in the running for the 2019 Elba Onion Queen.

This is the 72nd year of the pageant and the winner will be crowned Saturday July 13th, at the Elba Betterment Committee Family Fun Fest, immediately following the parade at noon in the Elba Park.

Contestants are:

Morgan Harrington (photo above)

I am Aaron and Danielle Harrington's first daughter. My dad grew up in Elba and is well known for our family’s produce/nursery business. Although my mom did not grow up in Elba, she makes sure to be very involved in our community activities, events, and groups.

Both my parents are Air Force veterans. Their bravery and strength has always inspired and pushed me to be the best I can be. I have a younger sister, Madison Harrington, and many, many, different kinds of pets. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. I love my family more than anything.

I enjoy reading, writing, and playing soccer. I am the officer for almost every club at school: Class of 2020, student council, SZA, SNHS, GSA, SADD, and Revue Staff. I also enjoy participating in mock trial and Page Turners. I am a future teacher and play soccer year-round. I am also involved in 4-H with showing, raising and breeding rabbits. 4-H has brought a lot of joy to my life.

After graduating high school I hope to attend the NTID college at RIT or Keuka College. I plan on majoring in American Sign Language/English Interpreting. My goal is to be specialized in legal interpreting.

Kelly Mickey (photo above)

My parents, Joe and Sarah, along with my sisters Halle and Laney share interesting family dynamics. Juggling different sports, babysitting my sisters, and caring for my family pets are all par for the course.

My father is my biggest role model inspiring me during soccer while teaching me work ethics, and helping me during hard times. There is never a dull moment with my siblings. I am the oldest and it is my job to be their role model. Despite their energetic personalities I love them very much. My mother is a source of encouragement and honesty, I would not have made it through this far without her. Although our hectic schedules we always make time for family.

I love spending time outdoors. I like hunting and fishing and playing many sports. Soccer, basketball and track take up most of my free time. Soccer is my main passion, and I have been playing since I was 4 years old. In school I play sports year-round.

I also take advantage of as many volunteering opportunities as I can during the school year. Outside of school I spend time with my friends and family members. I enjoy working out and attending sporting camps.

I plan to attend college and become a dental hygienist. I really want to play soccer at the college of level. I want to do a lot of traveling, but eventually come back and live in Elba.

Isabella Riner (photo above)

My name is Isabella Riner, but everyone calls me Izzy. I grew up in Elba with my mom, dad, dog and two cats.

My dad is a farmer while my mom is the Elba school counselor. Being an only child has allowed me to have a special bond with my parents, and has pushed me to be extremely close to all of my cousins. My grandparents, on both sides, have lived in Elba.

Being a in close proximity to most of my family has been a blessing especially getting to see my grandparents on a regular basis.

In my limited spare time, I try to fill my time with activities that better myself and my community. You can often find me weight lifting at Pine Hill fitness or jogging through the village of Elba.

Additionally my dad and I hit tennis balls whenever we are both free. I often hang out with my closest friends or take advantage of the National Honor Society volunteer opportunities. I love painting and digging into scientific research papers. My friends and family, however, love that I have a passion for baking.

Eventually I would like to be a pediatrician or a gynecologist. I am an active member of the students against destructive decisions, Student Athletic Association, student council, National Honor Society, Gay Straight Alliance Club and Revue Staff all while being the Class of 2020’s President.

I play soccer and tennis for the school but take tennis lessons frequently.

I also volunteer with Friends of Strong and work at Batavia Sports Park to keep myself busy.

Additionally I attended the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Conference and the World Leadership Conference in Chicago last year.

After graduation I hope to attend a college or university for biology well on a pre-med path. I would love to go out out of state for college in order to broaden my experiences. I would also enjoy the freedom of being out of state.

Hopefully my tennis career continues after high school and I also hope I can coach young children in tennis someday.

Super solid and spacious 3 bedroom 2 and one half bath home in a super peaceful pretty location -- you will want to pull up a chair and enjoy the views:) There is nothing to do-everything is updated and meticulously maintained.

Public water quite literally installed as of the day of listing! Roof was a tear off in 2018 -- interior freshly neutrally painted-carpets look like they haven’t been stepped on!

Basement is full and huge -- great workshop space -- 2-car attached garage -- large deck overlooking peaceful wooded backyard and a great 24 x 32 barn for all the extras or the hobbyist. Just a really nice home! Click here for more information on this listing. List with us, call Reliant Real Estate today.

Click here for more information on 59 Pearl Street Road. 
Click here for more information on 7773 Macomber Road.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported in Elba at 6447 Oak Orchard Road. Unknown injuries. The vehicle came to rest on its side.

Elba Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. A deputy just arrived on scene.

UPDATE 7:43 a.m.: There are two occupants, neither is injured.

UPDATE 7:54 a.m.: The vehicle is large and there are some fluids leaking. Fire police are shutting Oak Orchard Road down at North Byron/Lockport Road and at Watson Road.

UPDATE 9:12 a.m.: The road is reopened. All units back in service.

First responders, including personnel from the Elba Volunteer Fire Department, Mercy EMS, Mercy Flight, and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, conducted a DWI drill Thursday at Elba High School for the benefit of seniors prior to their prom and their first summer after graduation, which is the most deadly 100 days for teens.

A rollover accident with injuries is reported at 5291 Ford Road in Elba. The occupant was able to get out of the vehicle. Elba fire and fire police are responding, along with Mercy medics. A pole and wires are down.

UPDATE 6:41 p.m.: Fire police are going to shut down Route 262 (Ford Road) at Norton Road and at Transit Road.

UPDATE 6:46 p.m.: National Grid has been notified; no ETA provided.

UPDATE 7:16 p.m. The driver was taken by ambulance to UMMC. National Grid arrived on scene a few minutes ago. Byron Repair is en route for the tow.

UPDATE 8:34 p.m.: Command just advised dispatch that the roadway will be closed for the next couple of hours.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee Community College announced that Timothy P. Tomczak has officially been appointed as the College's Dean of Human Communications and Behavior (HCB) effective July 1.

"Having served GCC in a number of capacities for more than three decades, starting as an instructor, then professor and then director, I am honored and excited to take this next step into the role of Dean of Human Communications and Behavior," Tomczak said.

"To be a resource that brings together quality teaching, learning and decision-making while focusing on students and their success is something I am truly passionate about."

Tomczak's history with GCC, which began in 1987, is full of honors and activities and speaks to his lifelong dedication to students, colleagues and the College's campus community.

He is a three-time SUNY Chancellor Award honoree. Last year, Tomczak received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service; in 2007 while working as GCC's associate professor of Psychology, Tomczak received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities; and in 1994 he was first recognized with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

He was also recognized by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Teaching Excellence Award in 1991, and is the author or co-author of more than 20 professional articles and presentations. He is an associate member of the American Psychology Association and the Council of Undergraduate Teachers of Psychology.

Tomczak was a pioneer of the College's distance learning movement, first teaching "telecourses" and moving on to teach sections of psychology courses online. Tomczak was also one of the first full-time faculty members to teach in GCC's ACE program at the program's inception.

Most recently, Tomczak served GCC as a professor and director of Social Sciences. As such, Tomczak co-chaired a 32-member Steering Committee with GCC's Dean of Distributed Learning, Craig Lamb, Ph.D., to develop the College's new Strategic Plan, "Framing our Future."

The plan was approved by the College's Board of Trustees and now governs all seven campus locations, as well as GCC's Online Learning and ACE Programs, and helps guide developments at College Village through 2023.

In 2016 and 2017, Tomczak also co-chaired the Steering Committee for the Middle-States Accreditation self-study, a critical process that involved the whole campus.

Additionally, Tomczak has been serving as interim dean of HCB since 2018, and is helping guide a partnership with the University of Rochester and Nazareth College to develop a collaborative prison education program.

"Tim's leadership experience and his dedication to GCC have been evident in so many valuable projects across our campus," said Kathleen (Kate) Schiefen, Ph.D., provost & executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

"From his interaction with students in the classroom to his administrative responsibilities-he has been a strong asset to the College in many capacities. We are all excited for Tim to begin this next chapter with the Human Communications and Behavior team."

Tomczak's accomplished career has earned him a place in GCC's Recognition Matters series, which highlights the important achievements of the College's faculty, staff and students. Officials at GCC have embraced this series as a way to acknowledge and celebrate the high quality of the recognized individuals who demonstrate GCC's "beyond expectations" brand.

Tomczak holds a B.A. degree from Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania and a M.A. degree from SUNY College at Geneseo and currently resides in Elba.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County presented its annual preservation awards Friday night at the First Presbyterian Church of Byron.

Photo: Matt Gray, partner, Eli Fish Brewing Co., Rev. James Renfrew, First Presbyterian Church, Jermey Liles, Oliver's Candies, and Bill and Lucine Kauffman.

Below, links to writeups and photos (or in the case of Eli Fish, a video) for each of the award winners:

• Landmark Society Preservation Award: Eli Fish Brewing Co.
• Landmark Society Awards, Oliver's Candies, Adaptive Re-use
• Landmark Society Awards, Kauffman residence, Elba, restoration
• Landmark Society Awards, First Presbyterian Church of Byron, tender loving care

Rev. Renfrew with the volunteers from the church who prepared and served Friday night's dinner at the church.

Just watch.

Rodney Lee Harmon Jr., 42, of Church Street, Elba, is charged with: vehicular assault in the second degree; driving left of pavement markings; moving from lane unsafely; reckless driving, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. At 3:16 p.m. on April 15, after the investigation of a motor-vehicle crash in which the car struck a house on Oak Orchard Road in Batavia, Harmon was arrested. Harmon and his passenger were allegedly involved in a domestic incident while Harmon was driving a Chevy Cruze southbound on Route 98. The vehicle crossed over the hazard warnings into the northbound lane of travel and exited the highway, crashing into the north side of a house. Harmon was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital and evaluated. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on May 27. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Wesley Thigpen, 38, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with first-degree sexual abuse. He was arrested on May 1 after an investigation into an incident that occurred in December on Vine Street in Batavia. He turned himself in upon request, was arraigned in Batavia City Court, then released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due in court again at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 23. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Det. Thad Mart.

Christopher T. Sprague, 25, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of third-degree burglary. He was arrested on May 3 for allegedly attempting to burglarize the Salvation Army Thrift Store at 98 Jackson St. in the City of Batavia on Dec. 23. Also on May 3, he was charged with the same crime for allegedly burglarizing Bill's Auto at 101 Evans St. in Batavia. After his arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance but he is in GC jail on other charges. He is due in Batavia City Court on the burglary charges June 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by Det. Eric Hill.

Jonathan Wayne Arce, 35, of Wyoming Street, Wyoming, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI -- operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or higher; moving from lane unsafely. At 7:11 p.m. on May 3 on Francis Road, Bethany, Arce was arrested on these charges. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Bethany Town Court on May 21. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Sgt. John Baiocco.

Donald G. Cooper, 35, and Christine A. M. Wark, of School Street, Le Roy, were arrested by Le Roy police on May 3 and each was charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor. Cooper was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. At about 10:30 p.m. on May 3, Le Roy Police Department received a complaint of two young children sitting on the side of the road on Route 19. When patrols arrived, they located two children, ages 8 and 10. Police were able to identify and locate the parents of the children. It was "discovered that the children were allegedly sent out of the residence to burn off some energy while retrieving a discarded item located on the side of the road approximately a half mile from their residence. During the investigation, an unsecured firearm and bullets for the firearm were located in the residence...in a location that was accessible to both children." Paraphernalia for smoking marijuana was also found in the residence, in a location accessible to both children. As a result of the significant disregard for both children's well-being..." both Cooper and Wark were arrested, without incident. After arraignment in Town of Le Roy Court, the defendants were released under supervision of Genesee Justice. They are due back in Town of Le Roy Court on June 4 to answer the charges.

Steven D. Smires, 23, no permanent address, was arrested on May 2 by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. In the same incident, Leah M. Burrus-Stewart, also no permanent address, was arrested and charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child. At about 11:30 a.m. on May 2, Le Roy PD received a complaint of a subject smoking marijuana in a vehicle with two small children inside. Upon arrival, patrols found Smires and Burrus-Stewart inside along with a 3-year-old child belonging to Burrus-Stewart and a 9-month-old baby that belonged to the couple. Police also allegedly located marijuana and paraphernalia for smoking it inside the vehicle. It was also discovered that the family did not have housing and had been living in the vehicle. Both adults were arrested without incident and Child Protective Services was contacted to assist with the children's care. The couple was arraigned in Le Roy Town Court and jailed in lieu of $750 bail each. They are due back in Le Roy Town Court on June 4 to answer the charges.

Jennifer L. Shaw, 33, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Shaw was arrested at 3:10 p.m. on April 22 on West Main Street in Batavia after an investigation of an incident in which she allegedly left two children unattended in a running vehicle in a parking lot. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Tuesday, May 7. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

William G. Schultz, 45, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. At 11:15 a.m. Schultz was arrested on Evans Street in Batavia on an unrelated charge. While being searched, he was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court then jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash bail or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Stanley F. Wenzel, 30, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with dog running at large. He was arrested on April 26 and is due in city court for arraignment on Tuesday, May 7. It is alleged that on April 7 at 4:28 p.m. a dog that Wenzel was in possession of got loose and attacked another dog on Hutchins Place. Wenzel was issued an appearance ticket. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Tiesha Deon Doward, 32, of Prune Street, Batavia, was arrested on May 4 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court after police responded to an incident on Prune Street. They executed a bench warrant that was issued after she failed to appear in court April 24 on a petit larceny case from 2018. Doward was given an appearance ticket and is due in city court on Tuesday, May 7. The case was handled by Batavia Police officers Marc Lawrence and Peter Flanagan.

A 16-year-old who lives in Batavia is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. The youth was stopped at 12:22 a.m. on April 20 on West Main Street in Batavia for vehicle and traffic violations. During the traffic stop, the youth was allegedly found in possession of marijuana. The youth was arrested and released to a parent and is due in Batavia City Court on Tuesday, May 7. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Paul W. Zeches, 30, of Oak Street, Batavia, was arrested on April 30 when he responded to Batavia Police Department for an unrelated matter. He had an active arrest warrant out of Batavia City Court for an unspecified incident that occurred on Feb. 28, 2017. He was arraigned, he pled guilty and was released. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Anthony R. Piazza, 28, of Pratt Road, Pembroke, was arrested at 2:15 p.m. on April 30 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court. The warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court on a misdemeanor traffic ticket. He was released on his own recognizance and is due in city court May 30. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

A 17-year-old Elba resident and her younger brother were injured Easter Sunday after another reportedly rear-ended the car she was driving in the area of 2102 Main Road, Pembroke.

Theresa M. Gioia, 60, of Auburn, was cited for allegedly following too closely.

The accident sent four people to area hospitals, including Maddison T. Howard, 17, and Zachary D. Howard, 15. Maddison reportedly suffered a minor head injury and Zachary had a complaint of neck pain. Both were transported to Buffalo General Hospital.

Gioia reportedly told a deputy that she "looked back for one minute" while driving 2011 Jeep before hitting a 2017 Mazda SUV driving by Maddison.

Gioia and passenger Julie Wall, 36, were taken by Mercy EMS to UMMC. Gioia reportedly suffered a broken elbow. Wall had a complaint of neck pain.

Also in the car, with no reported injuries, were Jacob Kraatz, 15, and James Gioia, 64.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reversed the drivers of the vehicles and incorrectly stated who was cited. The Batavian regrets the error.

(Initial Report)

A structure fire is reported at 4325 Ridge Road in Elba. The initial call was for the smell of something burning inside the residence. The location is between Fisher and Quaker Hill roads. Elba Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics. A person at the scene is said to have trouble breathing.

Sen. Jessica Ramos, a first-term state legislator from Queens, and sponsor of the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act visited Batavia and Elba yesterday to meet with farmers and farmworkers at the invitation of Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer.

In the morning she and Ranzenhofer hosted a discussion with more than a dozen area farmers and some of their workers in the foyer of the Call Arena at Genesee Community College. That event was closed to the press and a reporter who showed up was asked to leave.

In the afternoon, Ramos visited the Torrey Farms Big-O onion packing facility in Elba and when The Batavian arrived, we were not asked to leave and were able to obtain exclusive coverage of the event. We were unable to interview Ramos at the event because of a scheduling conflict but expect to be able to talk with her soon.

At yesterday's event, we spoke with farmworkers and farmers and were told repeatedly that farmworkers do not favor the farmworkers bill because they fear it will mean fewer hours and less money.  

Farmworkers said they understand the weather-driven variability of farm work and they said that it is critical to their ability to making a living that they be able to pack in as many hours in a week as they can when the sun is shining. They depend on the income to take care of family members back home, their families here, to pay mortgages, send kids to college, and fund their own business-ownership dreams.

Farmers said that if the proposed overtime laws pass, they will be forced to reduce hours worked by their employees and that their migrant employees, who don't have ties to the area, will likely leave for nearby states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, where they can work as many hours as they want.

UPDATE 11:20 a.m.: Sen. Ramos canceled our interview scheduled for this afternoon.

Dorsie J. McGill Jr., 34, of Quaker Hill Road, Elba, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree criminal trespass. McGill was arrested at 4:14 p.m. on March 31 on North Spruce Street, Batavia, after allegedly arriving at the home of a family member and kicking the front door in and entering the residence without permission. After arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed in lieu of $1,500 cash or bond. He was due back in court on April 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Ryan James Wetsell, 25, address unspecified, of Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. At 9:30 p.m. on March 28, he allegedly grabbed another person and struck them in the face while at a hotel on Federal Drive in Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia Town Court on April 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

Paula A. Cipro, 51, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree -- use of a stolen credit card, and petit larceny. Cipro was arrested following an investigation into the use of a stolen credit card at Northside Deli. The alleged incident occurred at 1:01 p.m. on March 21. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on April 9 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Christine A. Wark, 34, of School Street, Le Roy, was arrested April 1 at 4:32 p.m. on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court. She allegedly failed to appear in court on Nov. 28 on two misdemeanor traffic charges. She was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice and was due back in court today (April 3). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.