Le Roy

A pickup truck in the area of Circular Hill Road in Le Roy was reported at a rock pile and the driver was loading rocks into the bed of the truck. A Le Roy police officer says he found tracks from the truck, which has left the scene. The rocks are said to belong to the Town of Le Roy.

LE ROY -- Generations of children and their families have grown accustomed to the yearly Easter Egg Hunt at Hartwood Park. This month, plans have changed but Le Roy's community spirit has not, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing.

At high noon on Saturday, April 11th, a drive-thru distribution of prepackaged bags of candy-stuffed eggs will take place at Trigon Park in the village, a site selected for its ability to handle the large volume of expected traffic.

The folks putting this thing together aren't fooling around.

An estimated 8,000 eggs with 24,000 pieces of candy have been sequestered since April 1st.

They will be given out to an estimated 800 children who've all had their childhoods disrupted. As luck would have it, three Easter baskets will be given to the occupants of the 50th, 100th and 150th car in line.

Also, several bags will contain a highly coveted "Golden Egg" -- with special instructions for a Special Prize.

The outsized Easter Bunny will be there, as always, flopsy-eared front and center, assisted by at least 10 members of the Rotary Club of Le Roy and their families, wearing latex gloves and masks 2020 style. The pros at the Le Roy Police Department will handle vehicle traffic and safety.

Many hours of work and strategic planning by volunteers, village officials and civic-minded citizens makes this possible.

Earlier this year, the Le Roy Business Council put the Rotary Club of Le Roy in charge of the project, and they formed a committee, led by Shannon Karcher.

The committee explored avenues to safely distribute the treats. But when schools and a backup location closed due to "New York On PAUSE" mandates, the event was in jeopardy and its cancellation considered.

Working with the Village of Le Roy Board and using the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State, the Rotary Club of Le Roy hatched its plot to put safety first while using a village street and park for a massive distribution of seasonal goodies.

Taking the trouble to do this matters because American traditions matter here.

Nearly 30 years ago, through the efforts of the Le Roy Business Council, they started holding an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter at Le Roy Central School’s Hartwood Park.

The date of Easter itself varies. It is observed on the Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon that occurs on or after the March 21 spring equinox. So Easter will always occur on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25.

This year Easter Sunday is April 12. And the day before, a midday queue of automobiles in Le Roy might in itself be a testament to something unseen, like COVID-19, but way bigger.

Distribution will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Rain, shine or high water.

Information used in this post was provided by the Le Roy Rotary Club.

Service Above Self Mission Statement: The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Mooney's Sports & Bar Grill in Le Roy, which in 2019 went through a pubic health crisis that forced it to close for awhile and is now, like all restaurants, forced to reduce services because of another public health crisis, has announced on its own sign that it is for sale.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Scott Roblee, guitarist of Audibull plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Village of Le Roy. Scott said he wanted to “boost everyone’s morale“ during these difficult times because “we only have this one life, and we need to cherish every second."

Dozens of townsfolk came to watch live, and a video was also streamed on Facebook live.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Submitted photo and information:

LE ROY -- Some good news to report -- working ventilator parts destined for New York City are being manufactured right here in Le Roy. Aluminum Injection Mold Co. LLC was contacted regarding building a mold one week ago with a challenge to mold plastic over an aluminum extrusion being produced in Ohio.

Typically it would have taken five to seven weeks to construct a mold like this to produce a ventilator part. But Aluminum Injection Mold knew of the urgency that was required and decided they were all in, whatever it took.

The ventilator part was one of several from an MIT design. An engineering firm from Long Island was the driving force, coordinating and building the ventilators to go into hospitals treating coronavirus patients.

By Tuesday evening, Aluminum Injection Mold made their first attempt to mold the ventilator part and continued long exasperating hours straight through the night until they succeeded.

By the yesterday morning, they had achieved making the ventilator parts that were then driven to the engineering firm in Long Island for trial.

Today (April 2), Aluminum Injection Mold received word that the ventilator parts are working well and has been given the go ahead to start producing more.

The company is owned by Gerald Ayers, president, and Tom Bergman, vice president.

Press release: 

On Sunday, Dec. 8th, 10:30 a.m. the bells at Our Lady of Mercy rang out for the first time since spring of 2017, after extensive work to replace the mechanisms that ring the bells, including the motors, the striker, and controller. The ceremonial ringing included a blessing of the new system by Fr. Matthew H. Phelan, O. de M., pastor.

Since that time, each day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the bells have tolled in clock tower fashion at the top of the hour with a single toll at the bottom of the hour. In addition, the Angelus bell — a call to prayer for Catholics — has rung at noon and 6 p.m. [The traditional 6 a.m. ring is bypassed out of respect for local codes.] On weekends, a call to prayer rings 5 minutes before each Sunday Mass.

This past weekend, a request was made by some neighbors to alter the ringing schedule out of consideration for health care professionals who were working overnight hours due to the COVID-19 crisis. The pastor decided to temporarily silence the bells in order to consult with the pastoral council and weigh the opinions of parishioners and the citizens of Le Roy. After a weekend of consultation, lively discussion through social media, silence, and prayerful consideration, it has been determined that bells shall be programmed according to the following parameters:

While the COVID-19 (coronavirus) social distancing guidelines are in place for the State of New York:

• The church bells will continue to ring the Angelus at noon and 6pm.
• In addition to the Angelus, the bells will ring a traditional “death knell,” or funeral tollat 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to call to mind those who of have died due to this pandemic and as

• reminder to pray for all those who place their lives in danger for others.

The first day social distancing guidelines are lifted:

• The bells will ring in celebration at 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

• The funeral toll will ring at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

• The Angelus will ring at noon and 6 p.m.

Following this day of both celebration and prayer, the bells will return to the previous ringing pattern that followed the repairs.

Our Lady of Mercy Parish, 44 Lake St., Le Roy, is a ministry of the Order of the B.V.M. of Mercy - Mercedarian Friars.

The folks at Wolcott Street School made this morale-boosting video.

Press release:

Beginning as early as today (March 26), Tops will be rolling our additional safety measures at all of its 162 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. There are two Tops stores in Genesee County, in Batavia and Le Roy.

Those safety measures include installing plexiglas shields on as many of their front-end registers as possible. Where plexiglas cannot be affixed because of equipment limitations, associates will be provided with protective face shields which will also be used by Tops associates working in our pharmacy department and at our customer service desk.

This installation process will take place over the course of the next few weeks.

These safety measures are in addition to Tops existing PPE (personal protection equipment) procedures, which 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 providing more social distancing between customers as well as the customer and Tops associate.

Additionally there is an associate 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 and other frequently touched surfaces most accessed by customers on a continual basis during operating hours.

From Patrick S. Privatera, MS, PT, ATC, president, Village Physical Therapy & Village Fitness, 3 West Ave., Le Roy.

To our valued patients:

Like most other businesses, organizations, and government agencies, we at Village Physical Therapy and Village Fitness continue to monitor the developing situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). I’d like to take this opportunity to provide some updates.

Our physical therapy operations, deemed “essential services” by New York State, are continuing. We want our patients to know that we are still here for them now — and always — during this crisis and beyond. However, we have made some adjustments intended to protect our staff, patients, and communities.

Although our offices remain open on a limited basis and with enhanced measures in place to reduce the risk of infection, we’re encouraging our patients to transition to telehealth services so that they can remain safe at home. You can initiate a telehealth appointment by:

• Send an email to info@villagefit.com
• Calling our Le Roy office at (585) 768-4550 or our Batavia office at (585) 343-9496;
• Visiting our website and completing the Request An Appointment form.

We’re using a teleconferencing app, called Zoom, which can connect with a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other audio/visual-capable device. You can connect at home, at work, or anywhere else you have access to the internet. To initiate a connection, we will simply send out an email containing a secure link from Zoom; you click on the link, and then we’re automatically connected.

If you are unable to connect this way, we can also connect by phone. Most insurance companies have waived co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance for telehealth visits while the state of emergency is in place.

Behind the scenes, the local healthcare systems have begun making emergency preparations for a large influx of critically ill patients. Many are cancelling routine visits, elective surgeries, and nonemergency tests and procedures so that they can deploy their staff and resources to the “front lines” of the crisis where they are needed most. We, as physical therapists, stand ready to fill that void. You can see a physical therapist without a physician’s prescription for up to 30 days in most cases, so please don’t hesitate to call upon us if we may be of assistance.

We at Village Physical Therapy and Village Fitness will continue to strive to meet our clients’ needs while mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Amanda S. McDonald, 26, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with making unreasonable noise. She was arrested at 9:13 p.m. on March 13 after she allegedly played unreasonably loud music at her residence, an upstairs apartment in the 100 block of Ellsworth Avenue, which "could be heard several houses away." McDonald was processed, issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court, and she is due there on March 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Derrick Roy Kio, 29, of North Road, Le Roy, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. The defendant was arrested at 12:45 p.m. on March 19 on North Road in Le Roy after he asked law enforcement for help in removing a person from his residence who was not welcome there. Upon arrival, it was discovered that an order of protection was in place directing Kio to stay away from the other person and that they had been living together for quite some time, in violation of the order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Le Roy and is due there May 11. The case was handled Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Josie R. Panepinto, 18, of Ellicott Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Panepinto was arrested after allegedly damaging another person's property during a domestic incident at 8:45 p.m. on Maple Street in Batavia. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on May 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Miah Stevens.

Douglas J. Taylor, 31, of Church Street, Medina, is charged with petit larceny and possession of a hypodermic instrument. At 11:11 a.m. on March 20, Douglas was arrested on the charges at the Dollar General Store on East Main Street in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on May 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Taylor L. Finnin, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of drug paraphernalia in the second degree. Finnin was arrested at 3:49 p.m. March 12 on Swan Street in Batavia. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on March 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Connor Borchert, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.

(name redacted -- charge dismissed) and John R. Gorton (no age or residence provided) are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. They were arrested at 1:12 a.m. on March 14 in the Eastown Plaza parking lot on East Main Street in Batavia after a complaint of two males smoking marijuana in a vehicle. Both men were issued appearance tickets then released from custody. They are due in Batavia City Court on March 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Alec Roberts, assisted by Officer Jordan McGinnis.

The Le Roy Town Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 26th has been cancelled.

The Le Roy Rotary Community Kitchen will be serving its regular hot dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. today at Le Roy Masonic Community Center, 12 Bank St.

Organizers said meals – pulled pork or ham, potatoes, salad, desserts -- are being served via a drive-thru process and bags of groceries will be given to their patrons.

There is no charge for the dinners and take-home items will also be available at no cost.

The Le Roy Rotary Community Kitchen is a biweekly dinner that is available at no cost. The meals are served on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at the Le Roy Masonic Community Center, 12 Bank St. in Le Roy.

A tanker carrying liquid fertilizer has leaked about a thousand gallons of liquid fertilizer by the Circular Hill Road railroad crossing in Le Roy (not sure if it's from a railroad tank car or a truck tanker). Le Roy fire and ambulance service are dispatched. No word on how or why the leak occurred.

UPDATE 4:10 p.m. (By Howard): Le Roy Fire Chief Tom Wood said about 13,000 gallons of fertilizer spilled. The Department of Environmental Conservation and Genesee County Emergency Management also responded. The location is a transfer station and employees were operating a valve when there was a leak and fertilizer got on them. They shut off the valve and left to wash and change and when they returned, they discovered the valve had failed, causing the leak. Heavy equipment is on scene now beginning remediation.The spill area is about 50 yards wide and the soil will need to be removed and taken to a remediation site.

Press release:

While the current situation hasn’t been easy on anyone, if you find yourself or someone you know looking for a job, Tops Friendly Markets is hiring for temporary and permanent positions and they welcome your application.

Stop by any one of Tops' 162 stores, their warehouse in Lancaster, NY, or visit here online to learn more.

At about 3 p.m., we're talking with Jennifer Blackchief, VP Housing, St. Ann's Community in Le Roy.  We're going to talk about St. Ann's providing their employees with a generous bonus as well as what they're doing to keep their residents safe.

Press release:

St. Ann’s Community has announced that it will give approximately $400,000 in bonuses to 875 employees this week in a major show of appreciation and support. The organization’s workers are helping to provide around-the-clock care to residents and patients – the most vulnerable and at-risk populations of the rapidly spreading coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic.

“The extraordinary performance of our employees during these unprecedented times deserves appreciation and recognition,” said St. Ann’s Community President and CEO Michael McRae. “We can only hope that the bonuses, along with other measures, help acknowledge their service and sacrifice. We would not be able to provide care to those most in need without our dedicated and brave healthcare workers.” 

Appreciation bonuses will be paid on Friday, March 27, to all full-time and part-time workers. Full-time workers will receive $500 and part-time workers will receive $250. Senior managers are excluded from the bonus.

In addition to the bonuses, smaller measures are also being implemented to show support for staff members. St. Ann’s is providing complementary food to all workers while on duty, and has also relaxed the uniform and dress code for all employees.

“Our team members are balancing work with the support and care they need to provide to their own families, especially during this anxious and difficult time for all of us,” McRae said. “They are incredible, and we are completely in awe of their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.”

NOTE: St. Ann's operates in Le Roy what was formerly known as the Greens of Le Roy.

DECLARATION OF A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY

A State of Emergency is hereby declared in the TOWN OF LE ROY, effective at 12 p.m. today, March 19, 2020.

This State of Emergency has been declared due to the existing and continuing declared States of Emergency at the Federal, State, County, and Town of Le Roy, related to COVID-19.

This situation threatens the public safety.

This State of Emergency will remain in effect for thirty (30) days or until rescinded by a subsequent order.

As the Chief Executive of TOWN OF LEROY, County of Genesee, State of New York, I, James R. Farnholz,exercise the authority given me under Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being, and health of the citizens of this Municipality.

I hereby direct all departments and agencies of TOWN OF LEROY to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure, and provide such emergency assistance deemed necessary.

James R. Farnholz

Le Roy Town Supervisor

March 19, 2020