Le Roy

Route information from Bill and Jeanne Freeman​:

Cruising for Mercy Flight is a car-cruise fundraiser that will be held on Sunday, June 7, escorted by Genesee County Sheriff's deputies.

Participants -- including classic automobile enthusiasts, hot rodders, vintage car owners, and people with way cool rides -- will assemble at the Genesee County Fairgrounds at 5056 E. Main St. Road (Route 5) in Batavia, and the procession will leave at approximately 1 p.m.

And this cavalcade surely must include thankful everyday operators who carry a valid license to drive in New York, have a vehicle that has adequate gasoline in the tank, is inspected, insured and runs.

They can all rally around Mercy Flight, a really good reason to enjoy some fresh air with people for a change, whether the weather cooperates or not weather weather permitting.

The Route

• From fairgrounds, turn left onto Route 5 westbound (about 1 p.m.);
• In Batavia, turn right on Route 98 north to Elba (1:15 p.m.)
• In Elba, turn right onto Route 262 going through Byron and into Bergen (1:35 p.m.);
• In Bergen, turn right onto Route 19 southbound through Le Roy (1:45 p.m.);
• Keep on Route 19 south to Pavilion (1:52 p.m.);
• Turn right on Route 63 westbound in Pavilion to go to junction of routes 63 & 20 (1:55 p.m.);
• Turn left onto Route 20 at Texaco Town (2 p.m.);
• Take Route 20 through Bethany and Alexander, to Route 77 westbound to Darien Center (2:15 p.m.);
• Take Route 77 northbound from Darien Center to Alabama (2:35 p.m.);
• Turn right on to Route 63 in Alabama and go to Oakfield (2:45 p.m.);
• Approximately 1 mile down the road, turn left onto Route 262 to Elba;
• In Elba turn right on to Route 98. This will take you back to Route 5 and also to the Batavia Exit on the Thruway.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR MERCY FLIGHT!

We would like to thank the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, especially Undersheriff Brad Mazur, the Genesee County Agricultural Society, and the Batavia and Le Roy police departments!

We certainly appreciate your support in being a part of this cruise. Be careful on your way home.

We sure hope to see everyone next month.

Stay Healthy and Be Safe,

Bill and Jeanne Freeman

UPDATE 12:28 p.m. May 21: A Mercy Flight Helicopter on a truck and trailer will be in the convoy, being held "in memory of all the former cruisers that have passed before us." A goodwill collection for Mercy Flight will be taken at the start of the event.

Here are the rules:

1. If you get out of your car you have to wear a mask.
2. If you do get out of your car be sure to practice social distancing.
3. If you bring a snack and a beverage with you, please take home any trash. 
4. CARRY IN AND CARRY OUT PLEASE!

Questions, call Jeanne Freeman at (585) 548-7197 before June 7.

   Alejandro Arteaga

Alejandro Andreseaga Arteaga, 22, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third-degree -- methamphetamine, with intent to sell, a Class B felony; criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony; driving while ability impaired by drugs -- with a previous conviction, a Class E felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh-degree (marijuana), a Class A misdemeanor; using a vehicle without a required interlock device, a violation. On May 18, following a traffic stop on Lake Street in the Village of Le Roy during which a firearm and narcotics were allegedly found, Arteaga was arrested. It is also alleged that he had an open container of alcohol in the vehicle at the time. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released to Genesee Justice. He is due back in court at 2 p.m. on July 1. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Rachel Diehl, assisted by Le Roy Police Sgt. Greg Kellogg.

Tyshon L. Taylor, 23, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with: aggravated family offense; third-degree criminal mischief; endangering the welfare of a child; and third-degree menacing. Taylor was arrested May 15 on the charges that stem from a domestic incident at 4 p.m. on May 14 on Walnut Street. It is alleged that Taylor cracked the windshield of his girlfriend's vehicle during an argument while her child was in the vehicle. While being taken into custody, he reportedly stated that he had been quarantined and "began intentionally coughing at officers." He was processed at Batavia Police Headquarters, arraigned in Batavia City Court via Skype and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He was held at Genesee County Jail on a Parole Detainer Warrant. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Joshua Girvin, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger, Officer Peter Post and Officer Alec Roberts.

Jason A. McFollins, 42, of North Spruce Street, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief and second-degree harassment. McFollins was arrested at 5 a.m. on May 17 on Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, following a domestic incident. It is alleged that he damaged property and struck another person during the incident. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due back in city court on June 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Kaitlyn M. Rector, 22, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Rector was arrested following an investigation into a domestic incident that occurred at 10:41 p.m. on May 16 on Liberty Street. It is alleged that she struck another person during the incident. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and is due to return there on July 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Kelli E. Wallace, 57, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The defendant was arrested following the investigation into a physical altercation between two people under age 17 that occurred at 1:06 p.m. on May 8 on South Jackson Street in the City of Batavia. It is alleged that Wallace was present at the altercation and encouraged the physical altercation to occur. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on June 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Stephen Vance Recco, 29, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief -- intentionally damaging property. It is alleged that Recco intentionally smashed a laptop belonging to his roommate after a dispute at 10:45 a.m. on March 28 on Vine Street. He was processed at Batavia Police Headquarters, then issued an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia City Court on June 9. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Matthew Jacob Reid, 26, of Buck Road, Warsaw, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and moving from lane unsafely. Reid was arrested at 11:30 p.m. on May 16 on Telephone Road in Pavilion after a single motor-vehicle accident. It is alleged that he possessed a controlled substance at the time. Reid is due in Pavilion Town Court on June 9 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

William George Silpoch, 46, of Ridge Road, Holley, is charged with driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He was arrested at 7 p.m. on May 14 on Sautell Road in Bergen after he allegedly drove a motor vehicle and then passed out in the vehicle in the driveway of a residence. He allegedly resisted arrest while being taken into custody by Sheriff's deputies. Silpoch was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Town of Bergen Court on July 8. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assistef by Deputy Erik Andre.

Tina M. Caracci, 49, of Hilltop Road, Rochester, is charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated DWI -- with a BAC of .18 or higher. Caracci was arrested at Richmond Memorial Library, 220 Richmond Ave., Batavia, after a complaint. She was processed at Batavia Police Headquarters and released. She is due in Batavia City Court on June 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Kahel S.D. Suttles, 23, of Dodge Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree and possession of burglar's tools. Suttles was arrested for allegedly taking items during a larceny at a store on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia at 5 p.m. on Feb. 23. The defendant was arrested at mile marker 397.6 on the Thruway and is scheduled to be arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court on June 23. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Christopher Parker, assisted by Deputy David Moore and Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Matthew C. Olcott, 41, Clinton Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on three bench warrants out of Batavia City Court following a traffic stop (location not disclosed) by the New York State Police and Genesee County Sheriff's deputies on May 13. He was arraigned in Alabama Town Court at 12:15 a.m. May 14 and released on his own recognizance. He is due to return to Batavia City Court on June 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson.

Student photos and information from the Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation:

For the first time ever, the Paulo Busti Cultural Foundation has had to cancel its annual Scholarship Dinner and COVID-19 is the reason.

"It is with great sadness, that for the first time in our history, this event will be cancelled," said foundation board President Michele Fuller. "Italian’s are synonymous with family, generosity and love. These students are our family. The Board of Directors wanted to do something special for them during this tumultuous time. We cannot think of a better way of taking care of our young than to award each one with a monetary scholarship.

The students have met all the necessary requirements, according to Scholarship Chair Annette LaBarbera, who has worked diligently to file all their applications.

The six awardees will be featured in the foundation upcoming newsletter, and their accomplishments will be celebrated at their next event.

They are: Kiaya Marie Condidorio, Rhoori Adea Fix, Christopher Gualtieri, Isabella Marie Riner, Megan Elizabeth Smith and Jacob Torcello.

The Gautieri family is also awarding each student with a monetary scholarship. This is given annually, in honor of their late father, Vincent Gautieri, an avid supporter of the foundation, and proud of his Italian heritage.

"We hope the kids take this opportunity to reflect on the hardships, prejudice, poverty and loneliness their ancestors endured when they came to America," Fuller said. "Their sacrifices made it possible for them to live The American Dream. They prevailed and they will, too!”

The Foundation also honors the 2020 Outstanding Italian American at the annual dinner. This year the recipient is Raymond San Fratello, formerly of Genesee County, and currently a resident of Clermont, Fla., who will be recognized at a future date (inset photo, right from his Facebook Page).

"He is an incredible man and we look forward to showcasing his many accomplishments," Fuller said.

Kiaya Marie Condidorio (left), graduating senior from Le Roy Jr./Sr High School, is the daughter of Thomas and Charity Condidorio. Software Engineering will be Kiaya’s major attending Genesee Community College in the Fall.

Responsibility, passion, courage and accountability are the values Kiaya demonstrates with strong Italian roots. Both sets of grandparents arrived to the United States shores from Italy and Sicily.

Kiaya has learned to balance her academics and sports to achieve the Honor Roll consistently. She played soccer, softball, and basketball during her high school years and will continue to play soccer in college. Kiaya said that playing sports helped her realize her strengths and weaknesses, and grew from these challenges. Kiaya was awarded Scholar Athlete in soccer and basketball.

Volunteering at the school sports concession stand, cleaning and organizing at the fire hall, working at the Knights Closet, teaching youth basketball camp, and school peer counselor has helped to be a better leader.

Rhoori Adea Fix (right) is a graduating senior at Batavia High School, daughter of Aaron and Kristen Fix, and is the best version of a kind, hardworking student, whose involvement in school and community has helped her to accomplish her goals.

Rhoori’s goal is to achieve her bachelor of science degree in Nursing with a specialty in Obstetrics -- Labor and Delivery. This demonstrates her desire to apply integrity, leadership and caring to her goal. Rhoori will be attending Genesee Community College in the Fall in Health Studies.

She's a member of the National Honor Society, qualified for the National Art Honor Society, and a Public Relations officer of the National Art Honor Society. Rhoori was the communication liaison between students and teachers on society events and the recipient of the BHS Silver Award.

As an active member of Ascension Parish, she assists in various parish events, assisting as an instructor for the younger students in the Faith Formation classes, student tutor for the district’s Extended Year program, assistant teacher/mentor at Center Stage Dance Company, and a volunteer for Ricky Palermo Foundation.

Rhoori said she feels “caring for others, no matter what, is something that I grew up valuing on a day to day basis."

A 2020 Le Roy JR/Sr High School graduate Christopher Gualtieri (left), son of Michael and Deborah Gualtieri, possesses a strong Italian heritage.

His great-grandparents arrived in the United States from Italy, Sicily and Capri and settled in our community. This has instilled in Christopher the importance of family.

His plan in the Fall is to attend Fredonia College, majoring in Computer Science, with a minor in Athletic Coaching. He will be participating in track.

During his years at Le Roy HS, he participated in indoor / outdoor track team, and cross-country and was the captain on all three teams.

He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, National Honor Society, Design Club and Mock Trial.

Christopher appreciated the time he volunteered at Our Lady of Mercy Parish as an altar server, student volunteer for Religious Education, Vacation Bible School and fish fry dinners. At summer Camp Stella Maris, Christopher was a leader in training and counselor in training.

“I am a person of strong faith, a community giver, driven and dedicated to achieve my goals,” Christopher said.

Isabella Marie Riner (right), a proud graduating senior from Elba Central School, is the Class of 2020 Valedictorian. The daughter of Michael and Alison Riner, Isabella's ancestors arrived in the United States in the early 20^th century, raising their family in Genesee County.

Participating in extracurricular activities was a big part of her high school years. She received a Sportsmanship Award from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association; attended a World Leadership Conference; was a participant in the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadershiop Foundation program and named an Air Force Scholarship Athlete.

Isabella was Class President, Student Council Officer, President of National Honor Society, participated in the Page Turners, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Student Athletic Association, and Masterminds.

Sports was also a part of Isabella’s High School years, participating in Soccer, Basketball and Tennis.

Volunteering contributed to Isabella qualifications, a Bell Ringer for The Salvation Army, waitressed for Byron Presbyterian Turkey Dinner Church, Brayden Day of Play, Christmas Craft Show, Halloween in the Park, Secret Santa, cleanup at the cemetery, and Friends of Strong.

Isabella has been accepted at University of Rochester majoring in Bio-Medical Sciences and Anthropology. Her ultimate goal is Pediatrics.

Isabella states ”I am a strong Italian-American, and I take everything my family worked towards and I will keep it close to my heart."

Batavia High School Class of 2020 senior Megan Elizabeth Smith (left) is the daughter of Jason and Lori Smith and the oldest of three. She's an excellent role model for her siblings.

Megan will be attending Niagara University in the Fall majoring in Education, specializing in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

A member of Resurrection Parish, where she is a kindergarten and first-grade Faith Formation instructor. This opportunity brightens her day, reassuring Megan that the choice of teaching will fulfill her.

Megan's accomplishments include: membership in the National Honor Society; working in Student Government and serving as a Student Representative; and participating in Rochester Youth Broadway Theatre, where she received Tip of the Hat recognition for stage crew exhibits.

She also participated in JV soccer, JV track, and band.

Volunteering is also a part of Megan’s life, she assisted at the John Kennedy Primary School Pasta Night, Applebee's Pancake Breakfast, Meals on Wheels, BHS Stage Crew and Link Crew Leader.

"Without my family, I would not be the person I am today!" Megan said. "Now that is Italian!"

A graduating senior of the 2020 Class of Batavia Senior High School, Jacob Torcello (right), is the son of Jack and Danielle Torcello.

"Being a member of an Italian family encourages everyone to work together to keep it running," Jacob said, and he exemplifies this in his studies, volunteer services and sports.

He's a member of the National Honor Society and participated in indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, summer soccer, BHS soccer and cross-country.

Jake demonstrated his leadership as a team captain for indoor and outdoor track and field.

Jacob has volunteered for Team Literacy Extended Year program, Breakfast with Santa, Z-club, Spring cleanup at St. Joseph Cemetery and at the Bethany Presbyterian Church.

A member of Ascension Parish, Jacob has helped at fundraisers and Bingo.

Jacob said “that his family has taught him to trust and love them and himself and it will help to overcome any problems that comes his way!”

Jacob will be attending SUNY Brockport, majoring in Education.

Tim McArdle, Le Roy High School principal, created a series of videos celebrating the Oatkan Knights spring sports teams, which had their spring seasons canceled by the pandemic. For the full playlist, click here.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee Community College Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2020 recipient of the Alpha Medal of Service will be Robert L. Boyce, of Le Roy

Boyce will receive this honor as part of the College's first Virtual Commencement Ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, which is being livestreamed at www.genesee.edu.

Since it was established in 2006, the Alpha Medal of Service has honored individuals who have provided extraordinary volunteer and/or philanthropic support to Genesee Community College.

This distinguished Medal recognizes recipients that exemplify high levels of service to the College and the community and expresses appreciation to individuals whose influence positively impacts the growth and well-being of Genesee Community College.

Boyce served as president of the Genesee Community College Foundation from 2012-2015 and a board member since 2005, during which time he volunteered his time and energy in a number of different capacities including serving on: the Finance Committee and the Fund Development Committee as chairman; the Risk Management Committee; several Annual Campaign committees; as well as the search committees for GCC's annual fund director. 

Now a retired insurance broker from Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Boyce was the president and CEO of Ernest Townsend and Son Inc. from 1972 through 2000, when he sold his interest in the firm to the Tompkins Holding Company.

His other civic leadership commitments include: nine years on the United Memorial Medical Center Group Board, including a term as president; 10 years serving as president with the Le Roy Emergency Ambulance Service; and 50 years as a member and past president of the Le Roy International Rotary Club, where he is also a Paul Harris Fellow.

He was a member of the Town of Le Roy Board of Assessment and Review for 15 years and a trustee of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Le Roy. He was recently named the LeRoyan of the Year in 2018.

Boyce served in the Army and graduated with a Business degree from the University of Buffalo.

In his spare time, he enjoys time with his wife, Elizabeth (Beth), their three adult children and six grandchildren. He is also a 50-year veteran season ticket holder for both the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres.

The Genesee Community College Foundation promotes philanthropy and volunteer support on behalf of Genesee Community College. The Foundation Board is comprised of leading civic and business leaders, all volunteers, who guide the Foundation's fundraising programs, endowment funds, and stewardship activities, and who serve as advocates for Genesee Community College.

To learn more about how you could support the Genesee Community College Foundation, please visit online here.

From Genesee County Clerk Michael T. Cianfrini:

In light of the recent announcement that Genesee County has been included in the Governor’s Phase I plan to begin lifting restrictions in the Finger Lakes Region, I would like to clarify that unfortunately this does not apply to the Genesee County DMV.

Pursuant to the Executive Orders issued by the Governor in March, every DMV in the state was closed to the public and thus far none have been cleared to reopen.

In recent days we have fielded hundreds of calls from individuals inquiring as to whether we will be reopening to the public on May 18^th, so I would like to clarify and state that unfortunately the Phase I plan does not include the DMV.

Therefore, until the state lifts the closure, we must remain closed to the public until further notice.  

However, while we are prohibited from opening our doors to the public at this time, we remain committed to serving the public to the extent possible.

Our office continues to handle a wide range of transactions submitted through the mail or deposited in one of our drop boxes. If you need to do any of the following transactions, please feel free to submit your paperwork either through the mail or preferably through one of our DMV drop boxes located on Court Street in Batavia or Main Street in Le Roy:

• Registration renewals 
• Transferring plates from one vehicle to another vehicle owned by the same individual
• License plate surrenders
• Driver’s license renewals, provided an electronic eye test has been submitted, or a form MV-619 Vision test is included.

If you drop off or mail any of these transactions to us, please remember to include your full name, physical address and a phone number in case we need to reach you.  

Also, please rest assured that if your driver’s license or registration expired in March they are still valid and you cannot be ticketed for the expiration.

Governor Cuomo, through executive order extended all of those expiration dates “until further notice."

I, along with other County Clerks, have advocated to him and our state Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to continue extending those expirations so that when we do reopen, we can do so in a measured, controlled manner. Otherwise, a situation may be created where maintaining order and social distancing in our office would be extremely difficult with the surge of customers.

Once we are cleared to reopen the DMV to the public, we are putting measures in place to help ensure the safety of both the staff and our customers through limiting the number of customers in the office, identifying safe distancing locations for those in line, and requiring the wearing of masks to enter the building and our office.

Further, we are restricting entrance to only the door on the west side of building, between County Building #1 and the Old Courthouse. The exit will be on the east side of the building on Court Street. This will minimize the risk of contact between people passing in the hallways.  

We appreciate everyone’s patience through this difficult time, and I remain confident that we can get through this together until some semblance of normalcy returns.  If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email at:   county.clerk@co.genesee.ny.us

Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship in Le Roy hosted a drive-thru parade today to benefit Crossroads House.

Taken this afternoon in Le Roy.

Press release:

St. Ann’s Community at The Greens, located at 1 West Ave. in Le Roy, will be holding a car parade on Sunday, May 10^th at 10:30 a.m. in honor of Mother’s Day.

Cars will line up beginning at 10:10 a.m. and the parade starts at 10:30 a.m.

Families will be able to participate in the parade as a way to say, “Happy Mother’s Day!” to the moms in their lives who live at The Greens, while still respecting current social distancing guidelines.

The parade will drive through the parking lots on campus, pausing every few minutes to allow waving, sign displays, and more. Decorations, instruments, singing, and other tributes to the residents are strongly encouraged.

Employees at St. Ann’s Community at The Greens who had the idea of organizing the Mother’s Day parade hope it will bring a much-needed smile to not only the moms on campus, but all of the residents who live there.

“Mother’s Day is an opportunity for us to honor the many women of influence in our lives,” said Jennifer Blackchief, vice president of Housing at St. Ann’s Community.

“The ways we can do that this year has changed, but it certainly isn’t stopping us. This parade will bring our residents, families, and community together for one beautiful and memorable celebration.”

The lights may have gone out on the academic year yesterday but the lights shown brightly at Hartwood Park to honor all of Le Roy's Oatkan Knights.

Video by Principal Tim McArdle.

From the Commander of the American Legion Botts-Fiorito Post #576, Le Roy:

It is with a deep sense of regret that the Commander and Post members announce the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Memorial Day Parade, originally scheduled for May 25.

Due to social uncertainty surrounding this date, it is felt that it is in the best interest of the safety and well-being of all involved to cancel the celebration at this time.

This decision did not come lightly, nor without the consideration of the involvement of so many individuals, organizations, and entertainment providers.

The Post members are developing a simple, but significant program that will serve to observe the holiday that was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service.

We, like several other organizations in the area are taking this same action. There is just too much uncertainty and risk at this point (due to the coronavirus pandemic), and not enough confidence that to continue with the program would be in the best interest of all involved.

Submitted by Principal Tim McArdle.

Video submitted by Principal Tim McArdle.

From the Rotary Club of Le Roy:

It is the Rotary International vision statement that perhaps says it best “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”

Rotarians are a collection of people of action, and we share a strong sense of purpose. In troubled times such as these, Rotarians will rise and meet the needs of their community and the world. It is with that sense of purpose that the Rotary Club of Le Roy has begun the “Rotary Community Reinvestment Fund.”

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt across the globe, but signs of the effects can be seen in our community. In the interest of public safety, nonessential local businesses have been forced to close.

The impact of these closures may not be evident to the naked eye, but the ramifications are impacting our friends and neighbors who own these businesses. As both state and national levels begin to restart the economy, those same businesses that have supported Le Royans in the past will need our support more than ever.

The Community Reinvestment Fund will take donations made by local individuals and families, and direct them to the Le Roy businesses most in need. The Rotary Club of Le Roy, which has served the community for more than 75 years, will oversee the collection and distribution of funds.

There will be a short application for businesses to complete, and a committee of Rotarians will review the applications and submit approved applications to the Board of Directors. The form is available on our website. Fellow Rotarians and their families are not eligible to receive funds through this process.

Individuals or businesses interested in supporting our community can make contributions by mailing a check to: Rotary Club of Le Roy, Attn.: Community Reinvestment Fund, P.O. Box 141, Le Roy, NY 14482.

Any questions can be directed to Jim Ellison (717) 503-5749, or:   jdellison@gmail.com 

Press release:

During these unprecedented times when the directive is to stay at home and to limit your interaction with others, the demand for both curbside pick up as well as home delivery has seen a sudden spike.

In fact, since the onset of COVID-19 impacted our nation, services like Instacart saw longer wait times than usual, noting order volumes increased by 300 percent last week alone compared to the same period the previous year.

Recognizing the impact to these services on its own customers, Tops began working closer with its partner Instacart to monitor the situation and increase the number of options to lighten the impact.

A number of measures were put into place early on to help alleviate the wait times including:

• Expanding the hours in which its Instacart employees (known as “shoppers”) can shop Tops stores, allowing them to more readily fulfill the orders being received;
• Continuously hiring and on-boarding thousands of new shoppers each week.

Additionally to help with the high demand for online orders, Tops own associates began picking online orders to assist Instacart shoppers in a pilot store yesterday, Thursday, April 16, with more stores immediately to follow.  

Vice President of Instacart Care, Mark Killick, said "Over the course of the last few weeks, the customer demand for our service, and the sheer number of shoppers on our platform has surged in the wake of COVID-19. In my 38 years in the customer support industry, I’ve never seen anything quite like this.

"From a Care operations perspective, most natural disasters and emergencies are high stakes, sudden but localized. In contrast, COVID-19 is affecting every one of us over a sustained period of time, and, as a result, we’ve had to reimagine and rescale our Care operations overnight to best serve customers and shoppers across North America."

Due to the pandemic, Instacart has become an essential service for millions of people in the United States and Canada who are depending on the platform to safely, reliably, and affordably get the groceries and household goods they need in a contactless manner.

Over the past few weeks, Instacart has launched new features to help minimize friction and increase safety and convenience for employees and customers including:

• An employee Safety Center to provide masks, hand sanitizer and thermometers at no cost;
• “Leave at My Door” default option for contact-less customer delivery;
• Fast and flexible option where customers receive an estimated delivery window and are notified when a shopper starts to work on their order ;
• Extended the ordering window from 7 days to 14 days;
• Evolving their Help Center and significantly increasing their number of agents.

"The last few weeks have been busier than we’ve ever imagined and our Tops team, along with Instacart, are working around the clock to serve all of our customers in this time of need,” said Ed Rick, director of digital and e-commerce for Tops.

“We will continue to be here for them and do everything we can to make their experience with us a positive one.”

Press release:

During these unprecedented times all Tops Friendly Markets locations are raising a cup of kindness as a way to say thank you to essential workers at all of its 162 locations in New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

From now until June 13, Tops is offering all essential workers a 50-percent discount on any single-serve coffee or handcrafted beverage at any of its locations.

“We can’t thank these dedicated men and women enough for their tireless efforts,” said Karri Zwirlein, director of bakery, deli, & prepared foods for Tops Friendly Markets. “Raising a cup of kindness is just our small token of appreciation for all they are doing each and every day to keep our communities safe.”

The discount is being given in good faith (no I.D. required) and is applicable to all first responders, healthcare workers, frontline personnel, and essential workers.

Press release:

Beginning this week, Tops will be rolling out additional safety measures at all of its 162 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Those safety measures include providing all of its associates with American made cloth face masks to ensure their associates health and well-being while serving the community as essential workers.

This safety measure is in addition to the 5,000 face shields already distributed to its workforce. These masks have been ordered from multiple providers in order to ensure that the quantities needed are available.  

The masks that Tops is providing to their associates are American made, which was important to Tops as a company. An added bonus was that some masks were even made locally in Buffalo, where Tops is headquartered.

Tops is confident that the masks will be distributed to all associates by the end of this week. In the meantime disposable masks will be available. 

“There is nothing more important to Tops than the health and safety of our associates, customers, vendors, and their respective families,” said Chairman and CEO Frank Curci. “We have been laser-focused on COVID-19 since it became clear that the United States was going to be greatly impacted by this pandemic and can assure the public that we are implementing the safety and sanitation protocols that are being recommended by the experts available to us.

"As this crisis has unfolded, I know that our protocols have evolved to stay abreast of the latest medical and scientific advice coming from these health experts and Tops can pledge to you that we are fully engaged on this task for the sake of all involved.”   

Tops is also 90-percent complete with the installation of plexiglas on both sides of its registers as of today, and is complete with the installation of Plexiglas at all of its customer service desks, pharmacy, and fuel stations. In total the company will have installed nearly 1,000 plexiglas safety shields by close of business on Wednesday, April 15.

Additional safety measures rolled out at all stores include providing gloves for their associates, hand sanitizer and wipes for their associates and customers respectively, and the newly instituted Comfort Zone areas at the registers, pharmacy, and deli areas, which provides more social distancing between customers as well as the customer and Tops associate.

Further, an associate is assigned at each store specifically in charge of sanitization of the front end registers, check stands, conveyor belts, customer service desks, point of sale devices, restrooms,and other frequently touched surfaces most accessed by customers on a continual basis during operating hours.