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There will be an informational open house at Bethany Town Offices from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, about the planned reconstruction of the Bethany Center Road Bridge over Route 20 in Bethany. CORRECTION: Time is 4 to 6 p.m.

There are no formal presentations, but NYT Department of Transportation engineers will be on hand to share details of the project and answer questions about the scope of the work, impact on travel during the six-month construction period, and other concerns residents might have about the project.

The current bridge was built in 1932 and is marred by cracking and crumbling cement and exposed rebar.

The new bridge is expected to have a functional life of at least 75 years and have two standard lanes that are 11-feet wide and shoulders with railings that are six-feet wide.

The $1.4 million project is expected to begin construction in the spring of 2018 and be completed by the fall of 2018.

Since Bethany Center Road ends three miles south of the bridge, detour signs will not be posted. There are parallel alternative routes.

When the current bridge is demolished, Route 20 will be closed for about two weeks. The detour will be Old Telephone Road, which runs parallel to Route 20.                

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation has appointed Genesee County Legislator Gregg Torrey to the organization’s Board of Directors. Torrey represents the towns of Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion. 

Torrey is a commercial real estate agent and licensed real estate appraiser across New York state and is the managing partner of Springbrooke Properties LLC.

“I look forward to applying my years of experience in real estate to enhance opportunities for development at the various industrial parks throughout the county and in particular our continued efforts to make STAMP shovel ready,” Torrey said.

Torrey is past president of the Batavia Development Corporation and past member of the City of Batavia Planning and Development Committee. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District, Genesee Cancer Assistance and the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union.

A 1994 graduate of Notre Dame High School, he graduated from Canisius College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Finance.

Torrey and his family reside in Bethany.

Audio and visual fire alarms at Batavia Downs have been set off.

The building has been evacuated.

City fire is on scene, investigating.

Town of Batavia fire responding.

A possible pull station was activated. Investigating.

UPDATE: I thought I updated this earlier: False alarm. 

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) continues to pursue a $1.2 million phase one shovel-ready project to build a business park on a 75-acre parcel in the Town of Le Roy. Similar efforts in the towns of Batavia, Pembroke and Bergen have yielded major corporate investment. The plan for the GCEDC is to replicate this business attraction model in Le Roy.

The GCEDC has purchased the land for the project, requested a rezoning of the property from the Town of Le Roy and has received an award through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process administered by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council for $420,000 to begin site engineering and infrastructure construction.

The GCEDC estimates that at full build out, the Le Roy Food & Tech Park will have approximately 600,000 square feet for office, advanced manufacturing and distribution/warehousing space that could employ as many as 1,000 people.

“The GCEDC has a proven track record in making sites shovel ready through smart investments and market these sites to businesses locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and we are confident that this can be accomplished in Le Roy,” said Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein (Le Roy). 

“Collaboration is critical to this type of effort and it’s good to see how our local government leaders and economic development and education professionals are working together to make this project a reality,” said Genesee County Legislator Robert J. Basuch (Elba, Byron and Bergen).

“We continue to move forward with the GCEDC to make this site shovel ready,” said Le Roy Town Supervisor Stephen R. Barbeau. “We have the real potential to create new jobs, secure new investment and grow the tax base in our community.”

“We think our strategy of building a shovel-ready site in Le Roy will enhance market opportunities for existing buildings and infrastructure in the vicinity of the park,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “This is similar to the development strategy deployed around the county where shovel-ready parks are located at the edge of population centers.”

The Le Roy Food & Tech Park is located on a 75-acre parcel on Route 19 and West Bergen Road in the Town of Le Roy bordering the Village of LebRoy. The GCEDC estimates that when developed it will be able to attract companies and investment to the site that will enable additional commercial infill into the Village.

To prepare the local workforce for these new jobs, the towns are partnering with Le Roy Central School and Byron-Bergen Central School through a Professional Skills Training program.  The program is being funded through a grant from America’s Best Communities award that the towns of Le Roy and Bergen won in 2015. 

Professional skills include various interpersonal skills such as how to interact with people, emotional intelligence, verbal communications skills and other skills to help people perform in the workplace. The lack of professional skills has been identified by employers as one of the biggest challenges for the next generation of workers. 

“We need to work together to not only bring new jobs to our community but also to provide the next generation of our workforce the tools to be successful once they graduate from school,” said Donald S. Cunningham, Town of Bergen supervisor.

“There are a number of exciting initiatives taking place in Bergen and Le Roy and this project has the potential to really have a positive impact on both communities,” said Anna Marie Barclay, Village of Bergen mayor.

Nicholas Anthony Esposito, 31, of North Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd, menacing and harassment, 2nd. Esposito was reportedly involved in an incident at 2:55 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Walmart where he allegedly damaged the property of another person, struck the owner of that vehicle with a closed fist and placed a woman in the vehicle in fear of physical injury.

Tomy Lee Velasquez, 24, of Fisher Road, Warsaw, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, false personation, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and rental vehicle without an ignition interlock device, and loud muffler. Velasquez was stopped Feb. 20 for an alleged traffic violation by Le Roy PD.

Cassy Drury, 23, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of rape, 3rd. Drury, being a person over 21, allegedly had sexual intercourse with a person under 17 years old between Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. She was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Douglas Edward Artman, 26, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Artman was stopped at 7:44 p.m. Thursday on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Eric Meyer. He was allegedly found in possession of a marijuana smoking pipe containing marijuana.

Alexander's wrestlers went to the state meet this weekend, came home today with two state titles and a fifth-place finish and got a hero's welcome. Friends, fans, and family turned out at the school following a siren-blasting escort through the village from the Alexander Fire Department and Sheriff's patrols.

Pictured are Dane Heberlein, Nick Young and Matt Gaiser

Gaiser collected his first state title; Young came in fifth; and for Heberlein, a senior, it was his third consecutive state title.

"It means a lot for the coaches, for the parents, even for the school," Heberlein said of the three-peat.

Asked what it means for him more personally and what he will reflect on in the future about it, Heberlein said, 'It's not so much the state titles, but what it took to win those state titles. I think that’s what is going to remembered the most. I mean all the hard work, practices, drill partners, and coaches, grinding through and in the end, a state championship is what we got."

Alexander has a long history of success in wrestling, and Heberlein said that's because a culture of dedication is built into the program.

"We set a good standard and I think that’s something to stand by," Heberlein said. "Every time you go in for a practice, you go in that room you know what you’ve got to bring. There are no easy days or days you slack. You’re going into work and that’s something we take pride in, working every day."

There are always young wrestlers coming up behind Alexander's current crop of champions and Heberlein has advice for them.

"Stay strong mentally," he said. "It easy to be mentally weakened and that’s when bad things will happen, so stay strong mentally and keep it together and things are fine."

Batavia Downs hosted a bridal show today.

The inventors of MöbileSchlägen hosted a party at Ken's Charcoal Pits & Bar-B-Q to kick off their Kickstarter campaign, aimed at raising $150,000 so they can begin production of their hammer, nail and log game based on a popular game with a German ancestry. 

Photos: Co-owner Marc Johnson demonstrates how to play the game.

Elba advanced in sectional play Saturday night, beating Genesee Valley at home, 60-45.

Tucker Bezon scored 19 points. Henry Pflaumer got 15 and Shane O'Halloran, 9. 

Noah Windus had 14 for GV and Logan Glover, 13.

The Blue Devils are moving on in the post-season with a Section V playoff win today over Honeoye Falls, 59-49.

Antwan Odom scored 22 points, hitting two threes along the way. Tee Sean Ayala scored 14 points, hitting two three-pointers. Jonathan Liciaga scored 11. John Kindig added six.

For HF-L, Owen VanNewkirk hit 15 points, including a trio of threes.

It was the 400th win for Head Coach Buddy Brasky (submitted photo below).

To purchase prints, click here.

It was all action on the home court of the Hornets last night as Oakfield-Alabama and the Pavilion Golden Gophers staged a shootout in a quest to advance in the Section V tournament. 

O-A came out on top, 75-70.

For Oakfield-Alabama, Tylor Ohlson scored 17, Ryan Douglas, 16, Reice Woodward, 15, Dalton Carlsen, 13, Joey Burdick, 11.

For Pavilion, Luke Milligan scored 20, Hunter Seaman, 15 (hitting four three-pointers), Ryley Elliott, 12 (two three-pointers), Caleb Milligan, 11 and Rob Cutcliffe, eight.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

 

Le Roy easily dispatched North Rose-Wolcott in its quest for possible Section V title with a 79-32 win on its home court. 

Ryan Boyce scored 13 points, hitting two of two three-point tries. Canyon Roster added 12, Josh Laurie, 11, and T.Y. Williams and Jason Doemling each had nine. Boyce and Roster also each had seven rebounds.

Rose-Wolcott's Tyler Norris, who had been averaging more than 30 points a game recently was held to 15 points. He was 0-6 from beyond the arch.

Photos by David Boyce.

Boys Basketball

• Le Roy 79, North Rose-Wolcott 32 FINAL
• Geneseo 42, Pembroke 40 FINAL
• Lyons 80, Byron-Bergen 45 FINAL
• Cal-Mum 53, Alexander 43 FINAL
• Oakfield 75, Pavilion 70 FINAL
• York 59, Lyndonville 43 FINAL
• Mt. Morris 65, Notre Dame 64 FINAL/OT

Girls Basketball

• HF-L 53, Batavia 36 FINAL
• Elba 65, Hinsdale 26 FINAL

Firefighters from Pembroke, Indian Falls and Corfu have been dispatched for a second time this morning to 8854 S. Lake Road, Pembroke, for a fire.

The first call was at 1:54 a.m. for the report of a controlled burn.

A person on social media posted about the fire. He said, "What I learned tonight 12 gallons of gas on a big bonfire will get the whole fire department to come and put it out." He later added, "thank you to Pembroke Fire Department, you guys rock."

Reader-submitted photos and info.

UPDATE: Pembroke firefighters returned later in the day for overhaul of the scene (reader submitted photos):

Returning from an appointment in Le Roy today, I stopped to snap a few scenic shots on a beautiful afternoon.

Top, along Hebbard Road.

Along North Road.

And the two shots below, along Route 19.

Deputy Cassidy Longhini, Deputy Jenna Ferrando, Chief Deputy-Road Patrol Gordon L. Dibble, Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr., Undersheriff Gregory H. Walker, Deputy Travis DeMuth and Deputy Howard O. Wilson.

The Sheriff's Office announced the following personnel changes:

The following four Deputy Sheriff's graduated from the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy at Niagara University on Jan. 11:

Deputy Sheriff Cassidy Longhini was presented with the Physical Fitness Award in his graduating class from the academy. He is a 2010 high school graduate from Byron-Bergen High School and received an associate degree in Physical Education from Genesee Community College in 2013. Deputy Longhini was previously employed as a Correction Officer with the Genesee County Jail before being appointed a Deputy Sheriff.

Deputy Sheriff Jenna Ferrando is a 2007 high school Regents graduate from Le Roy High School. In 2009, she graduated with an associate degree in Criminal Justice & Liberal Arts from Genesee Community College; and in 2011, Deputy Ferrando graduated from Buffalo State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish. 

  Kyle Krzemien

Deputy Sheriff Travis M. DeMuth graduated with a Regents Diploma in 2011 from Alden High School. In 2016, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. Deputy DeMuth was previously employed as a Security Guard.

Deputy Sheriff Howard O. Wilson V is a 2004 Regents high school graduate from Batavia High School. Deputy Wilson was previously employed as a Correction Officer with the Genesee County Jail until 2014. During that time, he received a Commendation Award for his actions off duty that involved attempts to calm a patron making verbal threats to other surrounding customers and assisted with taking the subject into custody.

Appointment:

Deputy Sheriff Kyle D. Krzemien has been appointed Deputy Sheriff, and is a 2013 Regents Diploma graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster.  He enlisted in the Army National Guard in August 2012 and continues to remain enlisted. Deputy Krzemien attended college at Buffalo State and then enrolled in classes at the Erie Community College Police Academy, graduating in December 2015 from Pre-Employment Basic Training. He graduated from Phase 2 of the academy on May 12, 2016.  

Pastor Allen Werk, Road Patrol Chief Deputy Gordon L. Dibble, Deputy Sheriff Jeremy M. McClellan, Deputy Mathew J. Clor, Undersheriff Gregory H. Walker, Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr.

The following two Deputy Sheriffs graduated from the Monroe Community College Law Enforcement Academy on Jan. 27:

Deputy Sheriff Jeremy M. McClellan graduated in 2000 from Alexander High School. After high school, Deputy McClellan enlisted in the Navy where he achieved a rank of Petty Officer First Class and served until 2011. While in the Navy, Deputy McClellan received the following medals: Joint Service Achievement, Navy & Marine Corps Achievement, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Good Conduct three times, National Defense Service, Global War of Terrorism Expeditionary, W/FMF, Navy “E” Ribbon, Humanitarian Service, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon five times, Expert Pistol Shot, and Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist. He was previously employed as a Detention Officer at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. 

Deputy Sheriff Mathew J. Clor is a 2011 graduate from Batavia High School. Since graduation, Deputy Clor has been an active member of the Army National Guard and has earned the rank of E-4 Specialist. He received an award for volunteering his duties during Operation Blackhawk, providing security following Hurricane Sandy in New York City.  Deputy Clor is also a summer coach for the Batavia Junior Baseball League.

Promotions:

Deputy Sheriff Jason E. Saile has been promoted to Sergeant. He is a 12-year veteran who started his law enforcement career as a Deputy Sheriff on July 8, 2005.  

Investigator Bradley D. Mazur was promoted on Jan. 1, 2017, to the position of Sergeant. He is an 18-year veteran who began his career with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 31, 1999.

Deputy Sheriff Christopher A. Parker was promoted on Jan. 1, 2017, to the position of Investigator. He is a 19-year veteran who began his career with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 29, 1997.

Part-time appointment:

Justine M. Reed was appointed a part-time Emergency Services Dispatcher on Jan 1.

Jail appointments:

Matthew Bailey with Sheriff Sheron

Part-time Correction Officer Jason M. Buck has been appointed full time.

Part-time Correction Officer Corey J. Cieszki has been appointed full time.

Correction Officer Matthew J. Bailey was appointed on Aug. 27 and graduated from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Basic Corrections Academy on Dec. 2. C.O. Bailey is a 2001 Regents diploma graduate from Batavia High School. Following high school, he attended Genesee Community College and received an associate degree in Criminal Justice in 2014. In May 2014, Bailey enlisted in the Army National Guard where he is an E-4 Specialist assigned to the 105^th Military Police Company based out of Buffalo. C.O. Bailey was previously employed as a Buffalo Federal Detention Officer.

Eric T. Wagner was appointed to a part-time Correction Officer on Nov. 8.

National retailer JCPenney reported today a continued decline in sales and as a result the intention to close from 130 to 140 stores nationwide.

The list of stores that will be closed has not been released, so we don't know yet if the Batavia location will be on the chopping block.

The Batavia store has survived a previous round of JCPenney's cost-cutting.

According to Reuters, JCPenney continues to struggle in an era of dying shopping malls and increased competition from online retailers.

The store in Batavia is the lone anchor tenant of the long-struggling City Centre Mall in Downtown.

City Manager Jason Molino told WBTA, “We just spoke with JCPenney as early as last week. They did not relay that message to us and they did not tell us that was going to be the case, so as far as we know that is new news or it's nothing that I can confirm.”

The Business After Hours gathering for the Chamber of Commerce yesterday was also a celebration of the arrival of a news director for Business Improvement District.

Beth Kemp moved into the BID office more than a month ago and she and her husband, Brian, co-owners of T-Shirts Etc. and both artists, went right to work redecorating the space, so for many of the people attending the event were seeing the bright and attractive revamped space for the first time.

Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to blow through Genesee County on Saturday.

A wind advisory has been issued from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gusts up to 50 mph are possible.

The National Weather Service warns that winds of this speed could result in downed tree limbs and isolated power outages. Travel in high profile vehicles could be difficult.

A person is reportedly pinned under shelving that tipped over at Graham Manufacturing, 20 Florence Ave., Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:01 a.m.: The patient was freed and City fire is back on service. No word on injuries, if any.