Pavilion

Beniluis Ruiz didn't say he is sorry. He expressed no regret or remorse. Convicted by a jury of 12 Genesee County residents of sex abuse, Ruiz told Judge Robert C. Noonan at his sentencing that he wanted to return to work and his family life.

Noonan acknowledged that Ruiz continues to profess his innocence, but said based on the jury conviction and the evidence he heard during the trial in May, Ruiz needed to go to prison, so he ordered him locked away for four years.

Ruiz, of Pavilion, was convicted of sexual abuse, 1st, criminal sexual act, 2nd, rape, 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful dealing with a child.

According to statements by ADA Kevin Finnell, Ruiz introduced a female relative to cigarettes and liquor and took advantage of her when she was drinking. He called the 40-year-old Ruiz dangerous and said he would take advantage of other teenage girls if given the chance.

As a result of being victimized, the teenager returned to Puerto Rico to live with her mother rather than continue her education in Genesee County.

As part of restitution, there was a request to order Ruiz to pay for a quality education for her in Puerto Rico, but Noonan agreed with the defense attorney that the issue should be taken up in Family Court.

There were dozens of letters of support for Ruiz and his attorney noted that his wife continues to stand by him, but Finnell said he's often observed that sexual predators are able to lead dual lives.

"I'm not surprised by the numbers of letters attached to (the pre-sentencing report)," Finnell said. "I've often seen defendants able to present two faces. One a public face and one a private face. Whether people don't want to believe the charges are true even after a jury conviction, or if he has somehow convinced them he didn't commit these acts, a jury was convinced he committed these crimes against (the family member)."

(To support a local cause, Bruce Gerould wore a Navy jersey and Mark Proia wore an Army jersey for the "Men of Courage." The organization is a ministry of the Batavia Assembly of God Church that coordinates free hunting and fishing trips for wounded veterans. The ministry set up a Facebook page so people could track their progress and make donations.)

Bruce Gerould, of Oakfield, and Mark Proia, of Pavilion, pedaled more than 4,400 miles from Oregon to Virginia in the 2015 Trans Am Bike Race.

They set out to finish the bike race in 33 days and rode an average of 132 miles per day to accomplish their goal. They crossed the finish line on July 9. 

The race started in Astoria, Ore., on June 6 and ended in Yorktown, Va. The course was composed of all roads and went across 10 states.The race was self-supported so there were no entry fees, official checkpoints or prizes. Participants rode at their own pace and were responsible for their own food and lodging.

The two friends started their journey each day at 6 a.m. During the day, they took short breaks every three hours and a longer break for lunch. Their lunch typically consisted of prepackaged muffins and sandwiches from a convenient store. After lunch, they continued biking until they found a hotel around 11 p.m.

Gerould enjoyed riding through the Rocky Mountains and seeing the scenery of each state.

"It's a good way to see the country and can be very relaxing," Gerould said. "There is so much that you see from a bike as opposed to a car whizzing by at 60 mph. We seen moose and had a bear encounter in Virginia. The people you encounter along the way are great, too."

They were constantly biking through mountains and rural areas. The only time Proia remembered biking on flat land was in Kansas but that even proved to be a challenge due to strong winds.

"One particular day going across Kansas there was a 20-mile stretch where we had to jog south directly into the wind," Gerould said. "It took three and and a half hours to go 20 miles."

They also encountered heavy rain and flooding traveling through Kentucky.

"We would get up in the morning and put on our rain gear," Gerould said. "By midday, if we were lucky, it would stop raining but usually by evening it would start raining again. There was a lot of days we would put the same wet clothes back on and start riding again."

Gerould considers it a huge accomplishment to not only finish the race but to do it within their set goal of 33 days. In the beginning, 41 people were riding in the race but only about half crossed the finish line.

Even though they both extensively trained for the race, they still are recovering from minor injuries. Gerould is recouping from a pinched nerve in his right shoulder and Proia spent a couple days in the hospital on antibiotics for an infected foot blister. They are both resting up before they participate in several local mountain bike races later this summer.

A two-car accident with one person injured is reported at Telephone and Ellicott Street roads. Pavilion Fire Department is responding. A person has a four- to five-inch laceration of the left arm.

Trees and power lines are down due to a line of thunderstorms that swept through Genesee County early this morning.

As of 9 a.m., National Grid has reported hundreds of customers affected from the power outages in Le Roy, Pavilion and Attica. There are also scattered outages in other areas affecting less than 10 customers each.

Law enforcement advises motorists to use caution because debris could still be blocking some roads.

(Storm damage on North Street in Le Roy. Photo taken by Lucie Griffis.)

Gilbert Street at the corner of West Main Street in Le Roy is closed due to power lines down across the street. According to Tom Wood, 2nd assistant chief for Le Roy Fire Department, three power lines are down. Residents are waiting for National Grid crews to restore their power.

Pictured below a tree down on South Jackson Street, Batavia.

A proposed expansion of the O-AT-KA Milk Products plant at Cedar Street and Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, received a vote of approval from the County Planning Board on Thursday night.

O-AT-KA is contemplating adding a 194,543-square-foot building and a 35,279-square-foot building that will serve as warehouse space and a distribution center.

A spokesman for O-AT-KA repeated several times to reporters last night that the expansion remains a proposal at this time. There's no information available on how O-AT-KA's business might be expanding as a result of the new space.

The location of the new structures would be on the east side of the plant with vehicle access off of Ellicott Street Road.

The board recommended approval of a site plan review with recommended modifications for a stormwater pollution-prevention plan prior to final approval by the city.

Also on Thursday:

The board recommended approval of a site plan review for a 1,620-square-foot addition to the Pavilion Public Library. The expansion, which will include a new children's wing, is funded in part by a $200,000 donation from Edgar Mary Louis Hollwedel. Deborah Davis said the library is also seeking a state grant. The size of that grant could exceed $200,000.

The board recommended disapproval of a zoning map change on South Lake Road in Pavilion. Superior Plus Energy Services was seeking the change to develop a bulk storage and truck distribution center for bulk propane. The 32-acre site is currently zoned agriculture-residential and Superior Plus Energy is seeking a change to industrial. Staff's recommendation was for disapproval because the change would be inconsistent with the town's comprehensive plan and the Future Land Use Map, which plans for agriculture use or residential with minimum lot sizes of five acres.

A planned Dollar General store in Pavilion received recommended approval for its sign. The sign design presented previously by Moeller Sign Co. wasn't approved because it would have meant a sign larger than currently allowed in the zoning code. The new design complies with the code.

Kindergarteners from all over the county took a field trip to Grassland Dairy in Pavilion to learn about milk production and other aspects of farming for the annual Kinderfarmin' Day.

The purpose of the farm tour is to teach children where their food comes from.

"The tour helps to inform kids in the community about agriculture," said Jeff Post, president of the Genesee County Farm Bureau. "They need to understand food doesn't come from the supermarket."

Grassland Dairy is owned and operated by Brent and Polly Tillotson. The Tillotson family milks 190 organic Jersey cows. They provide natural feed for the cows by farming 300 acres of organic land.

More than 400 kindergarteners and 100 teachers, parents and chaperones visited the farm. Children from schools in Batavia, Oakfield, Elba, Pavilion, Alexander and Byron-Bergen participated in the tour. The four suggested learning stations that all of the groups were scheduled for included the milkhouse, milking parlor, comfy cows and cow cuisine. At other stations around the farm children could experience what it's like to milk a cow using a milk simulator, make s'mores using a hi-tech camp stove and pet various farm animals.

Barb Sturm, agriculture in the classroom educator from Cornell Cooperative Extension, visits schools in Genesee County to educate students in agriculture and set up the stations to go along with agricultural lessons she has taught them.

"The learning stations have keywords that align with the Common Core curriculum," Sturm said.

As a part of the Common Core farming unit, Amand Wachter's kindergarten class at Pavilion has been learning about cows, chickens and crops that farm animals eat.

"The tour connects to what we have talked about in class," Wachter said. "Kids can see how to milk a cow and what goes into their food."

Julie Tryon, a mother from Jackson Primary School, went through the barns and stations with her children. Their favorite part about the tour was getting to see the baby calves.

"It's a great opportunity for my kids to learn about agriculture and become familiar with it," Tryon said.  

Kinderfarmin' Day was sponsored by the Genesee County Farm Bureau and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County helped organize it. Some of the other contributors to the event included Upstate Niagara who donated cartons of milk and Cargill Animal Nutrition who donated ice cream for the kids to enjoy.

The dairy days have been going on for more than 30 years and different farms have taken turns hosting the event. For future years, the farm bureau welcomes any farm that would be interested in volunteering to host the event to contact them.

Photos by Howard Owens.

To purchase prints, click here.

A rollover accident is reported at 7871 Big Tree Road, south of South Street Road, west of Wallace Road. Unknown injuries, but possible entrapment. Pavilion Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 1:34 a.m.: Driver is out of the vehicle. This is in Covington, Wyoming County.

UPDATE 1:50 a.m.: The patient is being transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. There is a lot of broken glass and debris in the roadway as a result of the accident, according to a responder on scene.

Press release:

The Town of Pavilion Republican Committee is still seeking candidates for the following positions, which will appear on the election ballot in November:

• Town supervisor
• Highway superintendent
• Town justice
• and a Town Board seat.

Another endorsement meeting is being held on May 7.

Any town resident interested in one of the positions is asked to send a letter to:

Town of Pavilion Republican Committee

c/o Dorothy Wentland, Chair

10511 Asbury Road, Le Roy, NY 14482.

Letters must be received by May 4 for consideration.

Ann Rita Pokornowski, 54, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Pokornowski is accused of stealing a pair of boots from her boyfriend's house on Bennett Avenue, Oakfield.

Sade Henderson, 20, of New York City, is charged with petit larceny. Henderson is accused of stealing an Internet router from a dorm room at College Village. 

Danielle G. Bryant, 41, of Stewart Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Bryant is accused of violating an order of protection in Le Roy.

At least one person is injured, with a possible neck injury, in a motor-vehicle accident on Route 63, Pavilion, in front of Pavilion High School.

Pavilion fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:52 a.m.: Two patients. Both are alert and conscious.

Dakota R.L. White, 16, of South Lake Street, Bergen, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. White is accused of possessing and selling a controlled substance at Byron-Bergen High School. White was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

A 17-year-old resident of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing an item from Pavilion High School.

Amer Jusufbasic, 37, of Mohawk Street, Utica, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes, aggravated unlicensed operator, 2nd, unlicensed operator, driver's view obstructed and driving without an interlock device. Jusufbasic was stopped at 12:48 p.m. Wednesday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Jusufbasic was allegedly in possession of 2,600 untaxed cigarettes. He was jailed on $1,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Christine Amnita Soler, 37, of Phelps Road, Pembroke, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operator, 3rd, improper left turn, unlawful possession of marijuana and unlicensed operator. Soler was stopped at 10:16 a.m. Friday on Phelps Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Christopher Allen Sewar, 28, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Sewer is accused of stealing merchandise valued at $10 from Walmart.

Todd Vincent Amico, 51, of Burritt Road, Hilton, is charged with possession of 400 untaxed cigarettes. Amico was a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 10:08 a.m. Friday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Amico was allegedly in possession of 2,300 untaxed cigarettes.

Jerell J. Jones Sr., 26, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. Jones was allegedly involved in two verbal arguments that required police intervention to prevent two separate physical confrontations. Jones was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Joshua H. Currier, 30 of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Currier was stopped by State Police on the Thruway in Henrietta on Thursday. He allegedly had a BAC of .12. 

Crystal L. Wojtkowiak, 19, of Attica, is charged with obstructing governmental administration and reporting false information regarding an incident. Wojtkowiak was arrested by State Police in regards to an unspecified incident in Alexander.

Laquasia M. Orr, 19, of Bronx, is charged with identity theft, 3rd. Orr was arrested by State Police in relation to an unspecified incident Saturday.

Jeffrey M. Johnson, 27, of Batavia, is charged with obstructing firefighting operations. Johnson was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 5:20 a.m. Sunday at 26 Overlook Drive, Batavia. No further details released.

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An accident with injuries is reported at 1195 Taylor Road, Pavilion. Pavilion fire is called to respond.

Thomas E. Hensel, 31, and Tonya D. Smith, 29, are charged with grand larceny, 4th, and conspiracy, 6th. Hensel and Smith were allegedly caught stealing items from the Target store. Upon further investigation, they were found to have allegedly committed additional larcenies during March at Target and Walmart. Hensel was charged with four counts of petit larceny and Smith was charged with one count of grand larceny, 4th, and two counts of petit larceny. Some of the stolen items were recovered.

Amir D. Gifford, 19, of Cherry Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged violation of probation. Gifford turned himself in. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Jessica M. Rivera-Mann, 31, of Liberty Street, was arrested on a pair of warrants related to alleged parking violations. Rivera-Mann turned herself in and entered a guilty plea in City Court. and was ordered to pay a $100 fine within 60 days.

Kerri L. Forsberg, 43, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a harassment, 2nd, charge. Forsberg was arrested following a reported incident at UMMC on April 3.

Laura J. Reed, 23, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Reed was allegedly found in possession of marijuana at 6:18 p.m. April 10 by Officer Jamie Givens.

Kenardo R. Fields, 25, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Fields was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 9:20 a.m., Sunday.

Zachary Michael Burk, 18, of Sparks Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Burk allegedly stole a 30-pack of Busch beer from Pavilion Farm Market.

Charles H. Wroten, 54, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated DWI (Leandra's Law), DWI, improper right turn, improper signaling a turn. Wroten was stopped at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Ron Meides. Wroten is accused of driving while intoxicated with a child less than 15 years old in the vehicle.

Michael Robert Sigl, 22, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Sigl was arrested on a warrant. He was jailed without bail.

Taylor Nicole Tillotson, 19, of Perry Road, Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Tillotson allegedly returned to College Village after being banned from the property.

Cindy Lou Bush, 53, of Route 98, of Elba, is charged with five counts of criminal contempt, 2nd. Bush was allegedly at a residence with five people under an order of protection forbidding her not to contact the individuals. She was jailed on $2,500 bail, $5,000 bond. Bush was also wanted for alleged failure to appear on five prior counts of criminal contempt stemming from a single incident.

Barbara Jean Salmon, 44, of Coal Hill Road, Taberg, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes, tinted windows and plate obstruction. Salmon was stopped at 11:38 a.m. Tuesday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Amanda Christine Paige, 24, of Park Street, Pavilion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Paige is accused of stealing from a business.

Jonathan Chris Shirley, 33, of Council House Road, Basom, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, failure to comply with lawful order, unlicensed operation, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and no use of signal lamps. Shirley was stopped at 8:24 a.m. Sunday by Deputy Chad Cummings following a complaint of shots fired in the neighborhood on Council House Road, Basom. Shirley's vehicle was stopped and he was found to allegedly be a felon in possession of a weapon. He was jailed without bail. Deputies Christopher Parker, Brad Mazur and Cory Mower, along with State Police assisted in the response and investigation. 

Alexander D. Sweeney, 23, of Redfern Drive, Churchville, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Sweeney was stopped at 1:20 a.m. Sunday on Lake Street, Village of Le Roy, by Le Roy PD.

Timothy L. Freeman, 46, of Pavilion, is charged with menacing, 3rd. Freeman allegedly threatened a woman during an argument at a residence in Covington. State Police responded. He was jailed on $2,500 bail. An order of protection was issued.

William S. Smith, 47, of Main Road, Pembroke, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Smith was allegedly found in possession of marijuana during a traffic stop at 10:57 p.m. Saturday on Main Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Kenneth Russell Hernandez, 49, of Adams Street, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant stemming from a petit larceny charge. Hernandez was arrested upon his release from the Monroe County Jail, arraigned in Bergen Town Court, and jailed on $1,000 bail.

Kristine Elizabeth Harmon, 37, of Lincoln Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, speeding and driving a vehicle without an inspection certificate. Harmon was stopped at 12:36 a.m. Friday on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Allyn Jay George, 49, of Council House Road, Basom, is charged with menacing, 2nd. George allegedly threatened another person with a firearm during an argument, which was reported at 5:53 a.m., Friday. He was jailed on $500 bail.

A possible controlled burn of a residence is reported at Roanoke and Keller Road, Pavilion. A state trooper in the area saw a house burning and stopped and talked to people at the site who informed him that they had called authorities to say they were doing a controlled burn there, but Genesee County dispatchers say they have no such record or information. Pavilion fire is responding.

Kirk Arnold Thomas Jr., 30, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and escape, 1st. Thomas was the subject of an investigation by Le Roy PD and the subject of a Town of Batavia Court warrant and was located by Batavia PD at Days Inn. At the time of his arrest he allegedly possessed a large quantity of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Peter John Olander, 41, of Rochester Street, Bergen, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, 2nd, and resisting arrest. Olander was arrested after deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the Village of Bergen. Olander allegedly failed to comply with numerous lawful orders and/or warnings from deputies and physically resisted arrest when they attempted to place him in custody. Olander was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Christopher M. Colantonio, 35, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and petit larceny. Colantonio was arrested as a result of an investigation in April 2014 into a complaint of stolen, forged and cashed checks. Colantonio is also charged with criminal sale of a firearm, 3rd, criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. The charges stem from a criminal complaint in November 2013 in which a family member reported a gun was stolen and sold.

Bryon Gilbert Keller, 20, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. Keller was allegedly involved in an altercation with a family member, which was also a violation of a court order. Keller was jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.

Samantha Jean Glendhill, 24, of Chapel Street, Mt. Morris, is charged with petit larceny and possession of burglar tools. Glendhill is accused of shoplifting from Kmart and using a bag to conceal the stolen items.

A 17-year-old resident of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The youth allegedly struck another person during an argument.

Erick Antonio Castaneda, 18, of Redman Road, Brockport, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Castaneda is accused of shoplifting from Kohl's.

A pole and unknown type of wire are reported down across the roadway in the area of 11338 Lake Road, Pavilion.

That's across from the Pavilion Fire Hall.

Pavilion fire dispatched.

A one-vehicle rollover accident, unknown injuries, is reported at 6698 Ellicott St. Road. Pavilion fire and Mercy medics responding. The location is between Sparks and Starr roads.

UPDATE 11:14 p.m.: There are no injuries.

UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: The Pavilion assignment is back in service.