Le Roy

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.

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.

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.

Edward Jordan White, 21, of Michigan Street, Lockport, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. White, who is currently on parole, was stopped by Batavia police officers after being observed driving in the city. During the traffic stop he was allegedly found to have a suspended license and in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was jailed on $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. The Local Drug Task Force assisted in the investigation.

Billy Joe Johnson, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with forcible touching. Johnson allegedly forcibly touched the intimate parts of another person while in a store on Veterans Memorial Drive at 9:15 p.m., Feb. 14.

Sergio Antonio Forte, 51, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant stemming from a charge of unauthorized of a use of a vehicle, 2nd. Forte turned himself in at the Sheriff's Office on the warrant. He was jailed without bail.

Le Roy opened its bid for a 2017 Section V title with a convincing win over Holley, 59-35.

Canyon Roster scored 14 points for Le Roy. Josh Laurie had 13 and Ryan Boyce, 11.

Holly's Dylan Hillabush led all scorers with 17 points. 

Billy Joe Trantham, 78, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with forcible touching. On Feb. 18, following the investigation of a sex offense that allegedly occurred in the Town of Alabama, Trantham was arrested. He allegedly touched the intimate parts of another person without the person's consent. He was released on an appearance ticket and is to be in Alabama Town Court at 2 p.m. on March 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

A complaint that a vehicle allegedly ran another vehicle off the road almost causing an accident, on Route 19 in Le Roy, led to a traffic stop of 32-year-old Brandon S. Beil, of 6370 Hawks Road, Pavilion by the Le Roy Police Department. The complaint was received on Saturday Feb. 18 about 7 p.m., at which time the Le Roy Police Department started looking for Beil’s vehicle and located it on Clay Street where the vehicle stop was initiated. During the stop, it was determined that Beil was allegedly intoxicated; he was uncooperative during the arrest process and allegedly struggled with the officers at the scene. Beil allegedly refused all field testing and the chemical test. Beil was charged with one count each of inadequate head lights, felony driving while intoxicated (with previous conviction within 10 Years), refusal to take the breath test, failure to keep right and resisting arrest. Beil was arraigned before the Le Roy Town Court and committed to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.     

Last night 15 teams from Section V, Class C gathered at Victor High School for sectional finals. Byron-Bergen-Le Roy represented Genesee County, placing 13th overall. 

Combined Team Rankings:

1. Avon
2. Marcus Whitman
3. Dansville
4. Wayland-Cohocton
5. Bath-Haverling
6. Addison
7. Attica
8. Gananda
9. Midlakes
10. Letchworth-Perry
11. Cuba-Rushford
12. North Rose-Wolcott-Red Creek
13. Byron-Bergen-Le Roy
14. Williamson-Sodus
15. Warsaw

The Section V swimming sectionals wrap up tonight in Bath-Haverling with the Section D finals, where Genesee County will be represented by Pembroke and Alexander. 

Photos by Destin Danser Photography. Click Here to view more or purchase prints. 

Davon Shaquille St. John, 18, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd. St. John is accused of assaulting somebody while confined at the Genesee County Jail at 8:49 p.m., Monday. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Wayne L. Pierce, 75, of Alexander, is charged with forcible touching. Pierce is accused of inappropriately grabbing a female employee at the Ben Go's gas station in Attica.

Bishop Williams, 23, of Genesee Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 4th. Williams is accused of selling Suboxone in May while in the Village of Wyoming. He was arrested by Wyoming County Drug Task Force following an investigation. He was jailed on $15,000 bail.

Odanis Betances, 21, of Morris Avenue, Bronx, is charged with petit larceny. Betances is accused of stealing $125.99 in merchandise from Kmart.

Brian James Lipinski, 33, of Richley Road, Darien, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument. Lipinski allegedly used a counterfeit bill to pay for food delivered to his residence.

Jarvis Davon Seymore, 33, of Michigan Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unlicensed driving, aggravated unlicensed driving, and speeding. Seymore was stopped at 1:51 p.m., Monday, on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Chad Cummings.

A teen from Le Roy has been charged with multiple counts of rape in the first degree following a joint investigation between Attica PD and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation began with a single complaint when a student revealed information about an alleged sexual encounter to a school official in Attica.

During the investigation, additional children came forward and made similar allegations. 

Leonard E. Hahn IV, was subsequently arrested by Attica PD.

Assisting in the investigation were investigators Tim Wescott and John Dehm of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The victims are all under age 11.

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center in Batavia assisted in the investigation.

Hahn was jailed on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond. He is being held in Genesee County pending further proceedings in Genesee County and Wyoming County.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact his or her local law enforcement agency.

Bryn Luckey once again came up with the winning shot, hitting a three-pointer at the close of the game to give Le Roy a 37-34 win over Warsaw.

Luckey finished with eight points, as did Libby Loftus. Lydia Borrelli and Ceci Tillson each had seven.

There's no better way to celebrate National JELL-O Week than by visiting the JELL-O Gallery in Le Roy! “America’s Most Famous Dessert” was invented in Le Roy in 1897. Visit the Museum dedicated to all things JELL-O, and pick up unique JELL-O-themed souvenirs in their gift shop. 

The gallery is open Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours beginning in the Spring.

JELL-O Gallery, 23 E. Main St., Le Roy, NY; 585-768-7433.

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions.

Tour this mansion-turned-museum for over 100 years of unique history! The Historic Le Roy house was built in 1822 by Jacob LeRoy and later owned by the chancellor of Ingham University, which was the first female university in the United States to grant a four-year degree.

Learn more in this week's historical society feature and be sure to pay a visit! The museum is open Monday -- Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours beginning in the Spring.

Historic Le Roy House, 23 E. Main St., Le Roy, NY; 585-768-7433.

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions.

Girl Scouts with Trop 42123 in Le Roy created a Bright Board for students at staff at Wolcott Street School. The board is filled with positive messages on bright sticky notes. Students and staff are invited to take a note to brighten their days or leave positive words for someone else to take. The scouts made a prototype and presented it to the principal, scheduled shifts and created the final project. The project took hours and hours to complete.

The Le Roy Central School District’s Board of Education (BOE) has named Merritt Holly as the district’s next Superintendent. Pending final contract negotiations, Holly is expected to begin in his new post on April 1.  

“I am excited and honored to have been chosen as the new superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District and look forward to working collaboratively with the school board, teachers, staff, parents and community. I’m committed to providing all students with exceptional educational experiences, which will assist them in having a varied skill set in order to be college and career ready," Holly noted.

School Board President Don Hobart said Holly possesses the key qualities that the Board is seeking in a Superintendent.

“As a visible and engaged leader, we are confident that Merritt Holly is the best choice for our district. We look forward to working with Merritt as we deliver the best education possible for our students,” Hobart said.

Merritt Holly has served as principal of Caledonia-Mumford High School (HS) since 2011. Previously, he was the principal of Oakfield-Alabama Middle School and was the Dean of Students at Oakfield-Alabama Middle and Senior High School from 2007-2008. Holly started his teaching career in 1999 as a ninth-grade Social Studies teacher at Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools, a position he held for eight years.

As principal, Holly is responsible for the supervision of faculty, staff, and students for grades 9-12. During his tenure as principal of Caledonia-Mumford HS, the school was designated a New York State Reward School three times. The New York State Department of Education presents this award to schools that are high achieving and high-progress schools. He is presently a Central Committee member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and represents Section V.

Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts from The College at Brockport, a Master of Science in Education Curriculum and Instruction from Medaille College and a master’s in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport. Holly holds a number of certifications including New York State Provisional and Permanent Certification in Secondary Social Studies grades 7-12 and an Advanced Certificate as School District and School Building Leader.

Kevin MacDonald, District superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, acted as the search consultant and noted that the search process was a true collaboration between the Board of Education, district staff and community.

A building permit for a duplex near Presidential Acres in Le Roy was legally issued, a judge has ruled in a multi-party lawsuit over the development in the subdivision.

The ruling is a victory of Pete McQuillen, a Le Roy businessman, who has been embroiled in legal battles with property owners in the area for years.

The latest round of legal action began in 2014 when 11 property owners in Presidential Acres filed an Article 78 proceeding against the Village of Le Roy, various officials in the village, and McQuillen and his business.

At the time, McQuillen had already completed two duplexes on 10 lots he owned on the west end of Presidential Acres, near Robbins Road. There had been no challenge to the building permits for those structures.

When a code enforcement officer issued a permit for Lot 18, that's when neighbors got together and tried to stop further development of duplexes in the neighborhood.

David Boyce, one of the plaintiffs, said in an affidavit that when he bought his lot on Filmore Drive, nothing in the record nor in the documents he researched, indicated that the neighborhood was zoned for anything other than single-family residences. He believes, he said, the presence of the duplexes lowers the value of his property. 

The plaintiffs also alleged that the duplexes run contrary to the comprehensive plan for the village.

In his affidavit, McQuillen said he relied on village board meeting minutes from when the subdivision was created to conclude that the subdivision was planned from the beginning to include 10 duplexes.

Judge Emilio Colaiacovo, who inherited the case from Judge Robert C. Noonan upon his retirement, ruled that based on the fact that the first two duplexes went unchallenged, that the code enforcement officer was acting within his authority to issue the permit, and nothing in the record indicated that the zoning board of appeals, upon reviewing the permit, acted in an "arbitrary and capricious manner" so he was compelled to rule in favor of McQuillen. 

Case law is clear, he said, that in the absence of evidence of an arbitrary or capricious decision, courts should respect the decisions of local bodies, such as the ZBA.

Before the duplex issue, McQuillen was involved in another legal battle over a planned senior community on property he owns next to Presidential Acres called Robbins Nest. He eventually lost that case, then subsequently built a storage shed on the back property line of Town Supervisor Steve Barbeau. A dispute over that structure resulted in a bit of shoving and the arrest of Barbeau. The storage shed was a subject of this lawsuit, alleged to be an illegal auxiliary structure, but Colaiacovo ruled that issue became moot once McQuillen built his single-family home on the lot once intended to be Robbins Nest.

We emailed Amy Kendell, an attorney for the plaintiffs, to ask if there was going to be an appeal of the ruling and we have not received a response.

UPDATE: We received an email response from Amy Kendell. She said there will be an appeal of the decision.

A 17-year-old resident of Le Roy has been accused of sexual intercourse with a person less than 11 years old and charged with rape in the first degree.

Leonard Edward Hahn, of South Street, was arrested by the Sheriff's Office and jailed on $25,000 cash bail or $25,000 bond. 

The alleged crime reportedly occurred on April 15, 2016 at a location in Alabama.

We've not reported on the dismissal of Rick Rapone as head coach of the Le Roy boys varsity basketball, a story first reported by Batavia's Best, in part because we wanted to try and get a better idea of what happened.

We checked with sources and couldn't get even a hint of what might have happened and the school never replied to an email seeking comment or even confirmation.

Today, another news outlet threatened to boycott coverage of the Le Roy High School athletic program because reporters and editors there feel the school district hasn't been forthcoming with information and they expect the school to apologize for firing Rapone.

Though some might like us to join such a boycott, we are not going to engage in such theatrics. 

• First, we don't know what happened, and we're never going to know. The school district or the school can't tell us and it's unrealistic to demand such disclosure from administrators;
• Second, while I admire many coaches in our community, and Rick Rapone always treated me well, The Batavian doesn't cover sports to highlight coaches. We cover sports to highlight players. It's about the kids, not the coaches, and I believe that's how Rick Rapone would want it as well.  

So, we will continue to cover Le Roy athletics in the same manner and frequency we always have (which is to make it part of our rotation of coverage of trying to provide some coverage to all the schools with our limited resources).

NOTE: As a matter of transparency, I read the column in question at about 12:30. There's a timestamp on it now that it was last updated at about 1 p.m.,  I posted this just before 4 p.m., but, frankly, did not think at that time to check to see if the column had been altered. The threat to boycott coverage has been removed.

State Police are looking for this man to question regarding a larceny at Crocker's Ace Hardware on Route 19 in Le Roy.

The theft occurred sometime around 5:45 p.m., Thursday.

The subject was driving a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee/Dodge Durango type of vehicle and wearing a Bass Pro baseball hat.

Those with information to assist in the case can call Trooper Mark Catanzaro at the State Police Barracks in Batavia, (585) 343-2200

Thomas A. Carson, 40, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with first-degree coercion, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and criminal obstruction of breathing. Carson was arrested on Feb. 2 following a domestic incident at 4:59 a.m. on Wood Street. He was put in jail on $10,000 bail and is due in City Court on Feb. 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Darryle Streeter, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Morgan L. Cox Sr., 48, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with third-degree menacing and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. Cox was arrested on Feb. 1 following an investigation into a domestic incident which occurred at 9:20 p.m. on Jan. 30 on Dellinger Avenue. Cox was put in jail in lieu of bail and was due in City Court on Feb. 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Nicole Salamone.

Shuvon J. Williams, 41, and Daniel M. Carter (no age provided), both of Hutchins Street, Batavia, are charged with second-degree harassment. They were arrested on Batavia City Court warrants issued on Dec. 30 in regard to an unspecified incident at 4 p.m. on Dec. 2 on Hutchins Street. They were both issued appearance tickets for Feb. 7 in Batavia City Court, then released. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

Melissa M. LeSage, 37, of 31 Gilbert St. in Le Roy, was charged with DWI in the early morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 29, by the Le Roy Police Department. She was stopped at about 11:42 p.m. for allegedly speeding on East Main Street in the village. LeSage was found to be allegedly intoxicated. LeSage was also charged with DWI-BAC .08 percent or more, speed in zone, unlicensed operation, and aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree. LeSage was issued appearance tickets and is to appear in the Town of Le Roy Court on Feb. 27.

Robin Dart, 44, of Carroll Lane, Commerce, Mich., is charged with driving while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more, and driving without headlights. At 1:27 a.m. on Feb. 2, on Park Road in Batavia, Dart was arrested for DWI following a traffic stop for vehicle and traffic law violation. Dart was issued an appearance ticket for March 6 in Town of Batavia Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Howard Carlson.

Nikayla Cheyenne Jackson, 19, of Slusser Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree. The defendant was arrested for allegedly taking and subsequently using her mother's credit card information to make unauthorized purchases at 9:40 p.m. on Jan. 15 on East Main Street in Batavia. Jackson is due in City Court on Feb. 21. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Parker, assisted by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Brian J. Hawkins, 37, of Pries Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with prohibited sale of alcoholic beverage. Hawkins was arrested for allegedly serving alcohol to a person under 21 at midnight on Jan. 31 on Oak Street in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket for Feb. 7 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by Officer Darryle Streeter.

Jaylyn S. Strong, 21, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear after an appearance ticket was issued. Strong turned himself in on an outstanding City Court warrant after initially failing to appear for a scheduled court date. Strong posted bail and was released on an appearance ticket for Jan. 31 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Ian C. Lawlis, 36, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on Feb. 2 on an outstanding Batavia City Court bench warrant. It was for an unspecified incident which occurred at 12:52 p.m. on Sept. 24 on West Main Street, Batavia. He was processed at BPD headquarters and released on an appearance ticket for Feb. 7 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Eric Foels, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.