Connor Kresock, of Elba, was named among the students who qualified for Belmont University's spring 2024 Dean's List. Approximately 44% of the University's 7,338 undergraduate students qualified for the spring 2024 Dean's List.
"Earning a place on the Dean's List is a testament to the unwavering diligence, tenacity and commitment to scholarly distinction exhibited by Belmont's promising students," said Belmont University Provost Dr. David Gregory. "The ability to excel both inside and outside the classroom emphasizes these students' exceptional character and drive, and it is an honor for me to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each one. Whether they are contributing to the arts, pioneering groundbreaking research or championing important causes, they have consistently demonstrated the same level of passion and excellence that has brought them to this momentous academic achievement."
Dean's List eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.
Brea Smith was 4-4 at the plate with three singles and a double, along with six RBIs and a run scored. She also pitched a complete game with six strikeouts and no walks.
Lydia Ross was 3-5, with three runs scored, an RBI and four stolen bases.
Austin Malek, 22, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with strangulation 2nd, assault 3rd, unlawful imprisonment, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Malek is accused of assaulting a female victim at about 2 a.m. on May 2 at a location on North Street in the village of Le Roy. Le Roy patrol officers responded. According to police, the victim displayed visible injuries, and the police describe the incident as "violent." Malek was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing. He was arraigned and ordered held on $20,000 bail, $40,000 bond, or $80,000 partially secured bond.
Brandon March
Brandon J. March, 39, of Batavia, is charged with strangulation 2nd, criminal contempt 1st, assault 3rd, unlawful imprisonment 2nd, menacing 2nd, criminal contempt 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. March is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection during an altercation On May 8 on South Lyon Street by strangling the victim, not allowing the victim to leave the residence, and striking the victim multiple times, causing an injury. March is also accused on the previous day of damaging a car wind belonging to the same victim. He was arraigned and jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond, or $25,000 partially secured bond. March was arrested on similar charges in January.
Shawn Sloan
Shawn M. Sloan, 39, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 2nd, criminal mischief 4th, and harassment 2nd. Sloan is accused of breaking into a residence on Porter Avenue on April 24 while in possession of a pellet gun. He was arraigned and jailed.
Benito A. Gay, 36, of Batavia, is charged with robbery 2nd and menacing 2nd. Gay is accused of using force to steal money from another person on April 21 on Hutchins Street while giving the appearance of pointing a firearm. He was arraigned and jailed.
Benito Gay
Nathaniel R. Davis, 29, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing, and harassment 2nd. Davis is accused of holding a knife to the throat of another person during an incident on Porter Avenue on April 17. He also is accused of grabbing the person around the neck. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held.
Adam T. Shipwash, 44, of Batavia, is charged with attempted robbery 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, menacing 2nd, and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Shipwash is accused of entering the Mobil gas station on East Main Street Batavia on April 15, brandishing a knife and demanding money from the clerk. Shipwash left the store after the clerk refused to give him any money. He was arraigned and released.
Nathaniel Davis
Sharon R. Boyer, 55, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Boyer was arrested on April 20 after she reportedly nearly struck two police officers on foot patrol in a crosswalk at Hutchins Street and Sumner Street. Boyer allegedly failed to yield to the pedestrians, and the officers told her to stop her vehicle. After speaking with her, they placed her under arrest on a charge of DWI. She was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to State Police on a warrant.
Fawn Dockstader, 37, of Batavia, is charged with arranging the welfare of a child. Dockstader is accused of digging her nails into a child's arm, grabbing the child by the hair and punching the child in the fact on April 16. Dockstader was arraigned in City Court and released.
Nicholas L. Stone, 25, of East Pembroke, is charged with DWI, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, criminal mischief and multiple traffic violations. On April 5, Batavia PD responded to a report of a fight involving several people at Copperhead Creek on West Main Street. As patrols arrived, a vehicle was observed leaving the area at a high rate of speed. The vehicle headed southbound on South Lyon Street and failed to negotiate a turn on South Main Street, driving off the road and through a yard, causing damage to the lawn. Stone was issued an appearance ticket.
Jason E. Carpenter, 45, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Carpenter is accused of damaging a toilet inside a residence on West Main Street, Batavia. After being issued an appearance ticket, he allegedly set the ticket aflame and threw an object through a window, leading to another appearance ticket.
Adam Shipwash
Johnathan M. Falk, 25, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Falk is accused of stealing merchandise from Tops on April 7. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Jeanna M. Hattaway, 37, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant on April 15. The warrant stems from a traffic stop in April 2023. She is accused of possessing a controlled substance during the traffic stop. She allegedly failed to appear in court on the charge. She was arraigned and released.
Lance D. Beals, 53, of Batavia, was arrested on two warrants on April 13. The first warrant stems from an incident on July 12 when Beals allegedly stole and damaged a cell phone from a residence on East Main Street. The second warrant stems from an incident on July 30 when Beals was accused of damaging property at the same residence. He was issued appearance tickets in both cases. He allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. He was arraigned and released.
Shane R. Reisman, 54, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Reisman is accused of stealing property from Tops. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Tiffany M. Macey, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on April 8 on a warrant. Macey was ordered to appear in court following a traffic stop on July 3. She allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. She was arraigned and released.
Ann M. Capuano, 39, of Batavia, is charged with menacing 2nd, criminal mischief 4th, and endangering the welfare of a child. Capuano is accused of damaging a neighbor's door and threatening the neighbor with a hammer while in the presence of a child on April 11. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Michael R. Ostrander, 59, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 2nd. Ostrander is accused of violating an order of protection on April 12 at the Genesee County Courthouse. When officers responded to his residence to arrest him, he was allegedly found with the protected party violating the court order, leading to the second criminal contempt charge. He was arraigned and ordered held.
Eric R Sawyer, 36, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Sawyer was charged following a traffic stop by Batavia PD on Bogue Avenue. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Tanisha N. Gibson, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Gibson is accused of violating an order of protection on April 8 by engaging in a verbal argument. She was arraigned and released.
John H. Bush, Jr., 40, of Batavia, was arrested on April 7 on three warrants. He is also charged with resisting arrest and escape 3rd. A Batavia patrol officer located Bush at the Mobil gas station on East Main Street. The officer began to take Bush into custody on the warrants. Bush then pulled away from the officer and attempted to run. Police were able to stop him and successfully take him into custody. He was arraigned and released.
Trevor N. Christman, 33, of Batavia, is was arrested on April 24 on a warrant. Christman was initially arrested on March 14 for allegedly exposing himself in public. He allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. He was arraigned and released.
Ricky L. Miller, 42, and Ryan M. Arner (no age provided), both of Batavia, are charged with petit larceny. Miller and Arner are accused of stealing merchandise from Tops on April 23. They were issued appearance tickets. Miller was turned over to the Sheriff's Office on an open warrant.
Mark A. Remington, 50, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Remington is accused of stealing merchandise from Qucklee's on Oak Street, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Robert B. Elliott, 50, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and obstructing government administration 2nd. On April 19, police responded to a report of a disturbance inside a residence on Hutchins Street. Elliott is accused of pushing another person and then resisting officers' attempts to detain him. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Shamond R. Adams, 27, of Batavia, was cited on April 21 for a barking dog violation. Adams is accused of allowing his dog to bark continuously. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Shawn T. Rushok, 25, of Batavia, is charged with failure to register within 10 days as a sex offender. Rushok is accused of failing to register a Snapchat account as required as a registered sex offender. He was also charged with offering a false instrument for filing 1st for allegedly submitting false payment records to probation as proof of employment. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Miyear M. White, 22, of Buffalo, was arrested on April 26 on two warrants. In one warrant he is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 4th. In the other, he is charged with petit larceny. He is accused of stealing a credit card on Feb. 12 and using the card in a local store. He was arraigned and released.
Nicholas J. Wright, 31, of Pavilion, is charged with DWI. He was stopped on April 28 for allegedly speeding on Ellicott Street. Following the traffic stop, he was arrested and issued an appearance ticket.
Julie L. Williams, 29, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Williams allegedly sent numerous text messages to another person for "no legitimate purpose." She was issued an appearance ticket.
Paul W. Zeches, 35, of Caledonia, is charged with failure to report a change of address as a sex offender. Zeches is reportedly a Level 2 sex offender and he allegedly failed to report a change of address. He was arraigned and released.
Thomas Predmore
Thomas L. Predmore, 71, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th and petit larceny. Predmore is accused of stealing a wallet from another customer at a business on East Main Street on May 7. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Justin M. Wotherspoon, 37, of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd. Wortherspoon is accused of pushing another person and dragging her to the ground during a fight on Clifton Avenue, Batavia, on May 7. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Jessica L. Maye, 30, of Riga, was arrested on May 5 on a warrant. Maye is accused of failure to appear on a misdemeanor traffic ticket thwas issued in February. She was arraigned and released.
Johnathan M. Falk, 25, of Batavia, was arrested on May 5 on a warrant. Falk was initially charged with petit larceny on April 23. He was accused of stealing merchandise from tops. He allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. He was arraigned and released.
Perrion T. Swan, 33, of Rochester, was arrested on April 27 on a warrant. He allegedly failed to appear on a traffic ticket that was issued in August. He was arraigned and released.
Nathan W. Campbell, 43, of Batavia, was arrested on May 2 on a warrant. He was initially charged with trespass on March 28. He allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Ryan Christopher Cook, 46, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with failure to report a change of address within 10 days as a registered sex offender and failure to verify address every 90 calendar days as a Level 3 registered sex offender. Cook was arrested April 23, arraigned and released.
David Andrew Zwolinski, 70, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Deputies were dispatched to Zwolinski's home at 10:50 p.m. on April 23 to investigate a reported motor vehicle accident. As a result of the investigation, Deputy Jacob Kipler arrested Zwolinski. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Brian Meyers, 53, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with harassment 2nd. Meyers is accused of pushing another person to the ground at 6:45 p.m. on April 22 at a location on Bethany Center Road, Bethany. Meyer was held pending arraignment.
Jackie M. Shade, 34, of Le Roy, was arrested on May 6 on a warrant. Shade was issued a misdemeanor traffic ticket in March. She allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. She was arraigned and released.
Alexander James Young, 29, of East Main Street, Corfu, is charged with failure to stop at a stop sign; Young, along with David Michael Hawk, 39, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, and Brandi Rose Hough, 29, of Bank Street, Elba, are each charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Young, Hawk, and Hough were charged following a traffic stop by Deputy Jacob Kipler on East Main Street, Batavia, at 1:52 a.m. on April 25. All three were processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Fernando Campos, 28, of Flamingo Road, Sunrise, Fla., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Campos was stopped at 12:50 a.m. on April 29 on South Lake Road, Bergen, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Compos was released on an appearance ticket.
Matthew Joel Sanchez-Sanquiche, 27, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Sanchez-Sanquiche is accused of possessing a handgun without a valid permit, also in violation of an order of protection, at 3:09 p.m. on April 23 at a location on West Main Street, Batavia. Sanchez-Sanquiche was arraigned and released.
Jason A. Armstrong, no age or residence released, is charged with an undisclosed crime. Armstrong is accused of damaging the windshield of a vehicle and punching a person in the face during a fight on Route 5 in the town of Pembroke on April 20. Armstrong was arraigned and held without bail.
Megan June Courtney, 28, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 3rd, grand larceny 4th, and criminal possession of a forged instrument 2nd. On April 4, Courtney is accused of possessing a forged check and of stealing a credit card. She allegedly withdrew $7,284.5 from a victim's bank account without permission. Courtney was arrested on May 1 and held pending arraignment. Courtney was also arrested on May 7 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Courtney is accused of leaving a three-year-old child at home with no adult supervision at 6 p.m. on May 7. The child was found running outside near the residence by himself. Courtney was held pending arraignment.
Kenneth Dwright Robinson, 50, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlicensed driver, and unsafe turn. At 2:17 a.m. on May 5, deputies were dispatched to Batavia Downs on Park Road, Batavia, for a motor vehicle accident. Robinson was charged following an investigation by Deputy Zachary Hoy. Robinson was released on an appearance ticket.
Joseph Jonathan Kuzma, 44, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and aggravated unlicensed operation. Kuzma was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance by Deputy Jonathan Dimming during a traffic stop at 8:01 p.m. on April 29 on Cockram Road, Byron. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Thomas Shameek Taylor, 37, of Munger Street, Bergen, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Taylor is accused of violating an order of protection at 11:55 a.m. on May 6 by communicating with the protected party. He was held pending arraignment.
Yannott Kishickatigqua Lone, 33, of Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Lone is accused of entering a building on Bloomingdale Road without permission at 4:55 p.m. on April 22 and, in the process, damaged a door. Lone was arrested on May 5, transported to the Genesee County Jail, and held pending arraignment.
Ronald Paul Dixon, Jr., 45, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd. At 11:41 p.m. on May 4, Deputy Jacob Kipler observed a vehicle parked on the shoulder of West Main Street Road, Batavia, and upon investigation, determined there was evidence of assault that had just taken place inside the vehicle. Dixon was arrested, transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and held pending arraignment. Kipler was assisted in the investigation by Sgt. Mathew Clor.
Hector Martinez, Jr., 20, of Long Wood Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 3rd. Martinez was allegedly found in possession of a stolen four-wheeler at 4:45 p.m. on May 2 at 8400 Buffalo Road, Bergen, by Investigator Chad Minuto and Investigator Howard Carlson. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.
Kathleen Melissa Pritchard, 45, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with harassment 2nd. Pritchard allegedly had physical contact with another person during a fight reported at 6:17 p.m. on May 10. Pritchard was held pending arraignment.
Todd Jeffrey Hodgins, 37, of East Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Hodgins was stopped at 9:45 p.m. on May 10 on Broadway Road, Bethany, by Deputy Joshua Brabon. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Pitcher Mia Treleaven lead the offense for Notre Dame. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Press release:
Sophomore Mia Treleaven got the start in the circle for the Lady Irish tonight and pitched a gem, going seven innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs (0 earned) and striking out 9 batters while only walking one.
Brea Smith took the loss for Elba, pitching 6 innings, giving up 11 hits, 10 runs (7 earned) and striking out 1 batter and walking two.
Leading the way offensively for the Lady Irish were Emma Sisson, Katie Landers and Anna Panepento, each contributing 2 hits. Sisson also added a run scored and an RBI, Landers had a double, runs scored and an RBI, and Panepento scored 2 runs. Loretta Sorochty, Mia Treleaven, Sofia Falleti, Amelia Sorochty and Olivia Gillard each contributed hits. L. Sorochty had a run scored, and an RBI, Treleaven had a double and 2 RBIs, A. Sorochty added a run and 2 RBIs and 7th grader Gillard added a double, a run scored and 2 RBIs, along with drawing a walk.
For the Lady Lancers, Smith and Thompson each had a base hit, and Thompson drove in 2 RBIs.
The win moves the Lady Irish to 13-2 on the season and drops Elba to 7-7.
Louis Esten of Elba stands by a row of Farmall tractors ready to participate in Plow Days Saturday and Sunday at the Torrey Farm at 7411 Oak Orchard Rd., Elba. Photo by Virginia Kropf
A love of antique tractors and the desire to show them off prompted Louis Esten of Elba to found Plow Days 26 years ago.
With help from most of his family, including son Michael, grandson Ayden and a family friend Daniel Gerould of Elba, Esten has held Plow Days one weekend every May at the Torrey Farm at 7411 Oak Orchard Road, about one-half mile south of Elba.
The first day of Plow Days was on Saturday and it continues on Sunday.
John Torrey is also an avid collector of antique tractors, with a collection of about 85 Farmalls and an extensive collection of die-cast toy tractors and pedal tractors.
One of the antique tractors expected to take part in the plowing demonstrations is a 1938 McCormack Deering 04 owned by Larry Boyle of Medina. Larry’s son Terry worked with Esten at Path Truck Lines in Oakfield, and Esten convinced Terry to get his father’s tractor running for Plow Days.
Terry has spent the last three months working on the tractor, which hadn’t been run in 50 years. The tractor is No. 24 out of only 104 built. Terry estimates he has put at least $5,000 in it. Friday afternoon, Esten loaded it on his trailer and brought it to the Torrey Farm to take part in the demonstrations.
Plow Days started Saturday with 15 to 20 tractors working in the field, all of them McCormick Deering and Farmall, with the exception of one Cockshoot, a Canadian/Oliver brand.
There is no charge to attend Plow Days, which runs until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Esten said they have been rained out only once since 1998, and people still came to view tractors in the barn, enjoy the camaraderie and visit the vendor booths. Breakfast and lunch are available from food trucks on the grounds.
John Torrey of Elba lines up a portion of his collection of antique tractors along Oak Orchard Road every spring. He lends his farm for Plow Days every May, a plowing demonstration of dozens of antique tractors, mostly Farmalls and McCormack Deerings. Photo by Virginia Kropf.
These are just some of the antique tractors lined up over the weekend to take part in Plow Days Saturday and Sunday at the Torrey Farm, just south of Elba on Oak Orchard Road. Photo by Virginia Kropf
Louis Esten of Elba, right, founded Plow Days 26 years ago and has held it every year except during Covid with help from son Michael, left, and grandson Ayden. Second from left is Terry Boyle of Medina, who restored the 1938 McCormack-Deering to participate in Plow Days. Boyle learned about Plow Days while working with Esten at Path Truck Lines in Oakfield. Photo by Virginia Kropf
The Elba Lancers won their match against the Attica Blue Devils with a score of 3-2.
For the Blue Devils, Kathryn Metzger beat Jason Row 7-5, 6-4 at first singles. Joaren Anetrini beat Alexa Ocampo 6-4, followed by a tiebreaker score of 7-3 to take the match to second singles for the Blue Devils.
The Lancers, however, took the remaining three matches. Clara Torrey won in third singles with a score of 6-0, 6-1 over Joseph Tarapacki.
At first doubles, Abrahaam Izucar Hernandez and Alex Mendoza defeated Ruby Baratta and Ellie Gominiak 6-4, 6-1.
In second doubles, Amy Garcia-Vasquez and Lucy Torrey won 6-0, 6-2 over Brooke Luck and Juliana Keicher.
The Elba Lancers won their match against the Holley Hawks on Friday afternoon by a score of 4-1. Cavin Bennage won the 1st singles match for the Hawks at 6-2, 6-1 against Jason Rowe, but the Lancers took the remaining matches. Alexa Ocampo beat Kai Kennedy 6-2, 6-0 at 2nd singles. Clara Torrey beat Josmar Hernandez 6-0, 6-0 at 3rd singles. Abraham Izucar Hernandez and Alex Mendoza beat Carissa Klossner and Brooke Waldron 6-2, 6-0 at 1st doubles. At 2nd doubles, Amy Garcia-Vasquez and Lucy Torrey took the fourth match for the Lancers with a score of 6-3, 6-3 against Nico VanLoyten and Sheelsy Gonzalez.
The Elba Lancers came out on top over the Byron-Bergen Bees on Friday afternoon.
Jason Rowe pulled in a match for Elba after a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Megan Zwerka-Snyder at 1st singles.
For the Bees, Riley Shallenberger beat Alexa Ocampo 2-6, 1-6 at 2nd singles. At 3rd singles, Clara Torrey of Elba defeated James Heick 6-2, 6-0.
Abrahaam Izucar and Alex Mendoza fell 1-6, 4-6 against Byron-Bergen's Erron Kimble and Josiah Hiscutt in 1st doubles, but Elba's 2nd doubles team of Amy Garcia-Vasquez and Lucy Torrey put the Lancers on top. They won 6-3, 6-3 against Erron Kimble and Josiah Hiscutt and led the Lancers to a 3-2 victory.
Captain Bing Zuber went 2-3 with RBIS and four stolen bases. Fletcher Norton went 2-2 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Eliseo Lagunas was 3-3 an RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases.
Sophomore Nick Scott and freshman Mason Vigiano combined for the no-hitter. Scott got the win, going four innings and fanning eight hitters.
Both of Holley's runs were unearned.
"I'm super happy and proud for our boys to get one in the win column," said Coach Andrew Boyce. "We've played some really good teams early in the season. Because of this, our record may be a little lopsided, but our boys have no quit, and I'm excited to see where this first win takes us as a group. Anytime you get outings like that from your pitchers, you're set up for success."
Elba beat CG Finney 16-1 on Tuesday in Girls Softball.
Stats:
Maddie Thompson was 3-4 and scored twice
Maddie Hall was 2-5, 2 RBIs and scored 3 times
Madison Marks and Madilyn Marks each had 2 RBIs
Adi Norton was 2-4 and 2 RBIs
"Offensively our team had 19 hits and ran the bases well," said Coach Dean Gottler. "Defensively, our fielding was outstanding to back up another great outing from winning pitcher Brea Smith, who struck out four and walked only one."
During the period of totality, Genesee County was in a night-like darkness, including in Elba, where community members gathered at Elba Central School to experience the event together. Photo by Howard Owens.
There seemed to be mixed reactions to Monday’s big event as those few minutes passed — depending on where you were — around 3:20 p.m. debuting this area’s total solar eclipse under gray cloud cover.
Social media posts varied from exclamations of having witnessed the best thing ever and feeling awed by the eerie cloak of darkness that descended and lifted as if someone dimmed the light switch and ever so gently rolled it back up.
Still others heaved with palpable sighs of disappointment after all of these past weeks and months of education, promotion and preparation for what was to come due to those nasty clouds that arrived and settled in for a stay.
John King of Gettysburg, Pa., in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens
Locals that ventured out to one of the many gathering spots in Genesee County, or others that drove in from out of state, such as John King, seemed to glean some good out of the day no matter how mired it was in foul weather.
King, all packed up with his recording equipment, came from Gettysburg, Pa. because Batavia “was the closest to me that was in the path,” he said.
He traveled to Tennessee for the partial eclipse in 2017 and, even though he considers himself “a complete amateur,” is prepared with a mount for his telescope and cameras to track the sun, he said.
Despite the clouds, he wasn’t disappointed and, in fact, had come to expect them from experience.
“I went to the 2017 eclipse in Tennessee, and it was a perfect, beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. And we went to the Watts Bar Nuclear Facility, which is on the Tennessee River. It released a cloud into the sky out of the smokestack that completely blocked my view, even though there was not a cloud anywhere in the sky. I did not get to see the eclipse there either,” King said. “So at least this time, when I came here, I expected that the clouds were going to be like this, and I probably wouldn't get any pictures. But this is my second one that I've brought nothing back.”
Did you think about going somewhere else when you heard what the weather would be like here? “I looked from Indianapolis to here, and they all said about 90 percent cloud cover,”he said. “We’d already reserved the rooms. I said, what the heck, it's still an event, it still turns dark, you still get to see it. And it only happens, you know, every five, six years.”
He was “amazed” at how little traffic he encountered on his way here compared to Tennessee in 2017.
“Every road around there for 60 miles, every shoulder was covered with cars that had pulled over and parked, and it took me 16 hours instead of eight hours to get home because the traffic was so bad,” he said. “And we cruised up here in normal time, five hours.
“I think the weather, people just said it's just not worth it to travel that distance, and it's gonna be cloud-covered. I was committed, though, just for the heck of it. I'm coming,” he said, sharing that his wife’s daughter stayed put and had a much different view. “My wife, she FaceTimed her daughter who's in Columbia, Maryland, and they have scattered clouds, so they saw it perfectly.”
On the other hand, Tom Jones of Brigantine, New Jersey, drove quite a few hours to get here, he said. He paused when asked if it was worth it.
“Seeing nighttime in the middle of the afternoon was a freak. I’ve never seen that. That was an experience,” he said. “And I brought everything in preparation: my Corona beer, my bottle of champagne, my cereal box viewers. I even brought the little index card thing. Let down.”
He was figuring out when the next total was, as he had heard it was in Spain in a few years, though his parking lot compadres thought it was in Iceland in a different year. Here you go, Tom Jones: the next total solar eclipse is slated for Aug. 12, 2026, with a path of totality limited to Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal.
Over in the village of Elba, Clerk Jerah Augello manned a booth at Elba Central School as part of eclipse activities. She enjoyed watching the eclipse in action despite the gray matter obscuring it.
“This is amazing, even though we didn't get to see the full eclipse because of the clouds. The fact that we're on top of the football field with a big crowd of the community, and it's dark, and it really got dark very quickly,” she said. “And then, within a matter of minutes, it was bright again. And then we did get to see a sliver. It was really amazing. I really wish we could have seen the whole thing but what we did get to experience was pretty cool itself.”
That seemed to be the consensus, including for Molly Anderson, who noted that “we’ve got people from all over the country, from Virginia and Georgia and New Jersey.”
“I think this is awesome that everybody came together up here. And, you know, we're up here on the football field and got to see the little sliver there at the end. But it's nice,” Anderson said. “It was great that the community put this together. And you know, we're all out here, and it’s something to remember forever: darkness in the middle of the afternoon.”
Photo by Howard Owens.
School, village and community members worked together to provide the day, which included musical entertainment by the Front Porch Pickers, homemade onion soup, fried dough, a lemonade stand and the Sports Boosters firing up the grill, to name a few of the offerings.
“We had a great turnout today. I believe that this was because there was something for everyone to enjoy at our school and throughout the village. So many of the Elba community members came out, but there were many from the surrounding area, too,” School Superintendent Gretchen Rosales said. “We even had some out-of-state guests; they had no connection to Elba but really wanted to experience the eclipse, so they picked the Elba community as their place to enjoy the moment.
“Although we didn't get to see too much due to the cloud cover, the darkness was impressive. The best part was being in a crowd with children and adults alike who were in awe of the experience.,” she said. “I am thankful that our community turned out for the event and so pleased that guests decided to join us in our Elba home for this fun. It was an honor to host everyone today for this once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Elba Elementary School student John Anderson, 10, thought it was “cool.”
“Just because it got so dark. All of a sudden, just in the afternoon, when it’s not nighttime,” he said. “I think it was fun. I got to play football with my friends.”
Being part of an eclipse is “just one of those moments that you’re never gonna forget,” Jessica Beck, a graduate student from Philadelphia, said. She saw the partial in 2017 after she and her family made a last-minute dash to Nashville to go see it as the clouds started coming in with the totality’s path.
“But we found a spot that was clear. You know, you can you can say what happens, like, the crickets started chirping, the birds went quiet. You saw a rainbow all around the horizon; the stars came out. But just the goosebumps, like I'm feeling right now just recounting this, I felt total goosebumps, just totally in awe of the fact that we're on this little speck of a planet and it just happened to line up right with its own moon,” she said at DeWitt Recreation Area. “And we're witnessing the heavenly bodies moving into position. It's just so cool. It's hard to put into words, but it pulls you back.
“I’m kind of banking on the fact that it's definitely going to be like sudden nightfall; we're gonna have sudden night for about three and a half minutes here in Batavia, and the wildlife, I’ve been hearing the Red-winged blackbirds chirping since we got here to the park, and they're gonna stop that,” she said. “So we are gonna hear the wildlife kind of going crazy. It is going to be total darkness. And I think it's still going to be an experience even though you're not getting the full view of the sky that you would have otherwise.”
And why did you choose Batavia? So Philadelphia's closest to this area in terms of where the region of totality is. I had some familiarity with the region as my mom is a U or R alum, and my sister is a U of R alum, so I spent some time in upstate New York and kind of wanted to see Niagara again,”she said. “So I knew there would be stuff to do in and around here, even if we had cloud cover on the actual day, so we've actually been here since Friday just been enjoying what the Finger Lakes region has to offer.”
After the total eclipse, there was a brief period where a sliver of the sun from behind the moon could be seen through the haze of the clouds. Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Elba's own, The Front Porch Pickers, provided musical entertainment prior to the total eclipse. Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Jesse Hawley at DeWitt Recreation Area in Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
The village and school district of Elba collaborated to host an eclipse event Monday. Here are some of the visitors and participants, and activities that took place on school grounds.
The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble (GVWE) will be performing their Spring Concert & Premiere at Elba Junior/Senior High School on Saturday, April 27 at 4 p.m. There will be a pre-concert chat beginning at 3:30 p.m.
The GVWE Spring Concert's featured works include:
Celebration - William Palange
Dark Ride – Laurence Tallman *World Premiere*
La Bamba De Vera Cruz – Terig Tucci
O Magnam Mysterium – Morten Lauridsen
Selections from Encanto- Lin-Manuel Miranda, arr. Paul Murtha
On An American Spiritual- David R. Holsinger
Mambo- Leonard Bernstein, arr. Michael Sweeney
Glee Showstoppers: Jump, Total Eclipse of the Heart, The Safety Dance, Dream On- arr. Jay Bocook
Firebird Suite- Igor Stravisky, arr. Robery Longfield
The Stars & Stripes Forever- John Philip Sousa
Conductors for the spring concert are:
Philip J. Briatico, conductor & founder of the GVWE
Harold McJury- Member Conductor
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors(55+) and veterans, $5 for students (with ID), and free for children under 5 years old.
John P. Volpe, 71, of Buffalo Street Road, Alexander, is charged with predatory sexual assault against a child, course of sexual conduct against a child 1st, two counts of criminal sexual act 1st, attempted rape 1st, aggravated sexual abuse 2nd, aggravated sexual abuse 1st, aggravated sexual abuse 3rd, three counts of sexual abuse 1st, rape 3rd, two counts of criminal sexual act 3rd, and two counts of forcible touching. Volpe is accused of engaging in numerous acts of sexual conduct involving a child beginning in 2012 and continuing until 2024 with a known victim. Volpe was arrested on March 7. He was arraigned and ordered held on $20,000 bail. This is an ongoing investigation and additional charges are possible, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office was assisted in the investigation by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Police. The FBI also participated in the investigation.
Randolph Byrd
Randolph R. Byrd, 60, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, assault 3rd, unlawful imprisonment 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal mischief 4th, and resisting arrest. Byrd is accused of illegally entering a residence on East Main Street on March 5 and attacking a victim. He allegedly resisted arrest and damaged an officer's portable radio. He was arraigned and held in the Genesee County Jail.
Anthony Michael Gabri, 28, of Long Wood Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal impersonation of a public servant and front windshield non-transparent. Gabri was stopped at 11:30 a.m. on March 18 on an alleged traffic violation on West Main Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan. During the stop, Gabri was allegedly found to be wearing the badge of a village of East Rochester constable and an outer carrier tactical vest typically used to carry body armor while traveling to Batavia to serve paperwork for his privately owned business and not under the direction of village authorities. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Alicia M. Lyons, 44, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Lyons is accused of being at Kwik Fill, 99 Jackson St., Batavia, on March 11, after being previously barred from the property. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Trevon L. Armstrong, 38, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant on March 11. Armstrong was initially arrested on Nov. 16 on a charge of criminal mischief 4th after allegedly damaging property during an incident on Denio Street. He is accused of failure to appear in court on the charge. Armstrong was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.
Ronald W. Lewis, 36, of Ogden, was arrested on March 8 on two warrants issued by City Court. The first warrant stems from an incident on July 7, when Lewis was charged with petit larceny after allegedly stealing merchandise from a local business. The second warrant is the result of an incident reported on Sept. 24, when Lewis was charged with trespass after allegedly refusing to leave United Memorial Medical Center. Lewis was arraigned and released.
Niranh S. Woods, 29, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant on March 8. Woods was initially charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd on Aug. 5. The warrant was issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court. Woods was arraigned in City Court and released.
Robert J. Schultz, 66, of Elba, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Schultz is accused of damaging another person's car on March 8 during a fight on Liberty Street. Schultz was issued an appearance ticket.
Christopher G. Marr, 55, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Marr was stopped on March 3 on South Main Street by a Batavia patrol officer. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Shamond R. Adams, 27, of Batavia, is charged with a barking dog violation. Adams is accused of allowing his dog to bark for an extended period of time on March 9. He was issued an appearance ticket.
John Carl Ireland, 39, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Ireland is accused of damaging the property of another person with a value in excess of $250 during an argument reported at 11:40 a.m. on March 12 at a location on Sumner Road, Darien. Ireland was arraigned and released.
Torres Epifanio Nazario, 47, of Church Street, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and improper turn signal. Nazario was stopped at 9:57 p.m. on March 9 on Route 19 in Bergen by Deputy Zachary Hoy. He was issued tickets and released.
Khadija Aisha Wilson, 27, of Freeman Street, Buffalo, and Shakayla Monique Williams, 29, of Petters Street, Buffalo, are charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Wilson and Williams are accused of shoplifting from Ulta Beauty on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, at 12:39 p.m. on Feb. 27. Deputy Ayrton Blankenship and Sgt. Michael Lute investigated the case.
Mark W. McWethy, 56, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and failure to keep right. McWethy was allegedly found in possession of cocaine during a traffic stop at 9:47 p.m. on March 18 on Main Street, Batavia. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Dustin James Brown, 22, of Raymond Road, Ontario, Canada, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle, and unregistered motor vehicle. Brown was stopped following traffic complaints at 5:50 p.m. on March 14 on Byron Holley Road, Byron, by Deputy Stephen Smith. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Michael Anthony Sweet, 38, of Raymond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and driving without an inspection certificate. Sweet was stopped at 1:09 a.m. on March 19 on Oak Street by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Sweet was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.
Vincenne Elizabeth Mendrysa, 68, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and falsely reporting an offense to law enforcement 3rd. Mendrysa was arrested on March 14 after allegedly reporting an incident to law enforcement that did not occur. Mendrysa was allegedly found in violation of an order of protection at the time of her arrest. She was jailed pending arraignment.
Sharon Renee Boyer, 55, of Alexander, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. Boyer was stopped by State Police at 11:28 p.m. on March 15 in the Town of Alexander. She was released to a third party.
After trailing for most of the game, a fourth-quarter surge pushed Northville over Elba on Saturday in Troy to end the Lancers’ season in the state semifinal game.
Northville won 42-34 after scoring 17 points to just five for Elba in the fourth quarter. At the end of three quarters, Elba led 29-25.
Hailey Monroe, a leading scorer for Northville, was only 2-18 from the field for the first 28 minutes of the game. She drained her final five shots of the game to propel her team to victory.
Maddie Hall scored 10 points for Elba, Lydia Ross, nine, and Sydney Reilly, seven.
Monroe finished with 24 points.
Photos by Debra Reilly
Adi Norton received the Sportsmanship Player of the Game award.
Sydney Reilly with the finalist plaque award to the Elba team.
