The county has suspended STOP-DWI funding for the Village of Corfu Police Department, and the issue made for a contentious village board meeting Monday night.

A village board member asked for disciplinary action against the police chief One police officer blamed the village board for dragging his name through the mud. And the mayor blamed Board Member Ralph Peterson (inset photo) for costing the village $3,000 in funding.

Peterson claims he only went to county officials to ask questions about how STOP-DWI vouchers should be processed. He said he didn't ask for a criminal investigation.

But after Peterson raised the issue, a State Police investigator opened a fraud investigation, which included visiting the home of at least one part-time village police officer.

The investigation concluded with no charges filed.

"There was no evidence of malfeasance," said village Attorney Mark Boylan.

Mayor Todd Skeet characterized the mishandled paperwork as a mistake, a misunderstanding between the village and the STOP-DWI committee that approves the vouchers.

"The STOP-DWI panel didn’t seem to understand the Corfu Police Department," Skeet said. "They didn't understand how it worked until this came along."

In a letter to the village, Frank Ciaccia, assistant county manager and the STOP-DWI coordinator, informed the village that recently submitted vouchers wouldn't be paid and 2012 funding for the village was suspended. The letter also states:

"Unlike the other police agencies with full-time officers, I believe that the Corfu Police Department is a unique operation that doesn't lend itself to easily comply in a verifiable manner with the requirements of the STOP-DWI program."

Funds for the STOP-DWI program come from DWI fines paid and are distributed to departments to help pay for equipment that can be used in apprehending suspected drunken drivers, such as radar units and license plate readers.

Agencies submit vouchers and time cards indicating times officers spent on road patrol with a specific intent of looking for drunken drivers.

The allegation is that the village submitted vouchers for times when officers were on general patrol, not specifically DWI patrol.

Skeet said the village completed the paperwork exactly as Ciaccia trained officials to do several years ago.

Officer Gene Nati spoke up at the meeting and complained that the whole village is gossiping about recent allegations of corruption in the village. And with State Troopers showing up at his door on a supposed criminal investigation, he feels like he's getting his reputation soiled when he didn't do anything wrong.

"My neighbors are talking about how the Corfu court is corrupt, the Corfu Fire Department is corrupt and the Corfu Police Department is corrupt," Nati said. "I'm not going to have my name dragged through mud for any wrongdoing for anything anybody else is doing.

"This is a part-time job," added Nati, who is also an Erie County Sheriff's deputy. "I don't need the money. I do it so I get a little extra money and buy a few cigars.

"I come here write a few tickets and generate some revenue for the village, but I and the other officers don't need our names dragged through the mud. It's the Village of Corfu, and you guys can't even get along at your own meetings."

Peterson opened the meeting by reading from a lengthy statement expressing his doubts that the problems with the STOP-DWI program paperwork were just an oversight. Peterson said that Chief James Meier, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, should already know how to complete the paperwork.

At the end of his statement, Peterson made a motion for "some sort of disciplinary action" against Meier.

Attorney Boylan told Peterson he couldn't make such a sweeping motion, and then explained that because of the finding of the State Police investigator and the lack of evidence of any intentional wrongdoing, there was no basis to discipline anybody.

"My personal feeling is that I believe that Ralph Peterson is the cause of the village losing $3,000 in funding," Mayor Skeet said. "He didn't ever come to the board once, never once saying there is a problem with the STOP-DWI program. Instead, he went straight to Batavia and got Frank Ciaccia all boiled up over it."

After the meeting, Peterson said he still isn't satisified that there was no wrongdoing in how the funds were handled. He said the reason he didn't come to the board first is that, in the past, issues he's raised with the board haven't been taken seriously.

Skeet said Peterson started pursuing the STOP-DWI issue only after the village board asked state auditors to look into potential problems with the village court.

Officials expected Village Justice Robert Alexander to go to Monday's meeting and address the recent NYS audit report on alleged missing funds in his court, but Peterson informed the board at the onset that Alexander was sick and unable to attend.

CLARIFICATION: Chief Meier said neither he nor his officers prepare the STOP-DWI vouchers. They are completed by the village clerk. There were no errors in the paperwork, but rather a "procedural problem" over how patrols were designated.

An accident involving multiple vehicles is reported on Route 63 near Transit Road. It is completely blocking the roadway. There is no entrapment. Wires are everywhere. National Grid is called. Bethany Fire Department is responding along with Mercy EMS.

Pavilion Fire Department is asked to respond as mutual aid and shut down Route 63 at Bethany Center Road. Southbound traffic is to be shut down at Bethany Center Road / Batavia Stafford Townline Road at Route 63 by Town of Batavia Fire Department, responding as mutual aid.

The roadway is slippery and wet. One person in a minivan has minor injuries, according to law enforcement on scene. At least one car is off the road.

UPDATE 1:33 a.m.: Traffic on Transit Road is backed up at least all the way to East Bethany Le Roy Townline Road. Pole number 6084 6072 is damaged.

UPDATE 1:36 a.m.: The person in the minivan is "all set," and medics are asked to check on the driver of a tractor-trailer. The transformer on the damaged pole is leaking. National Grid has an ETA of 35 minutes. Northbound traffic is also shut down on Route 63 at the juncture with Route 20.

UPDATE 1:50 a.m.: One car struck the utility pole. And a tractor-trailer that followed pulled down the wires. (It is considered two separate accidents, and other drivers involved responded to that sequence of events.) Mercy medics are back in service. The mother of the minivan driver responded to the scene.

UPDATE 1:59 a.m.: At this point, it appears to be just a matter of getting vehicles towed as needed and clearing the roadway so traffic flow can resume.

UPDATE 2:08 a.m.: There will be no further updates to this post.

Top executives from Alpina Products were in Batavia on Monday touring the site of their future Greek yogurt plant in the Genesee Agri-Business Park, and they heard from Jim Billington, project manager, that construction is right on schedule.

A mild winter has certainly helped, Billington said.

"We've been pouring concrete every day, and according to some of the locals, that's quite unusual," Billington said. "We've been trying to take advantage of that."

CEO Julian Jaramillo (top photo, left) was all smiles during the tour and nodded enthusiastically when Managing Director Carlos Ramirez (top photo, right) said they consider it a good sign that Project Wave is under construction (The Batavian has previously reported Project Wave appears to be the work of PepsiCo).

"It says we made a good decision in coming here," Ramirez said.

He added that with the milk supply, the transportation, the labor pool and now the chance to be in a location with a complimentary business will only benefit Alpina and could lead other yogurt makers to come to the same conclusion.

"I think developing a yogurt cluster is a really good idea – the Silicon Valley of yogurt," Ramirez said.

With Jaramillo and Ramierz was Alpina' Colombia General Manager Ivan Lopez, who was seeing the location for the first time.

"It’s going to be great," Lopez said. "We have a huge operation in Colombia and when I see this, we can see the future in United States. I think we can do good things here, just like in Colombia."

The 40,000-square-foot plant should open in early spring and initially employ 50 people, with the first shipment of product going out in June.

Ramirez said Alpina remains excited about the opportunity to sell Greek yogurt in the United States.

"It’s one of the few categories where America is an emerging marketing," Ramirez said. "It's grown like crazy over the past three or four years and we think there is still room to grow."

For previous Alpina coverage, click here.

Press release:

Java Farm Supply is expanding its operations to the City of Batavia by subleasing the entire two-plus-acre property located at 45 Center St., formerly known as United Rental. Java Farm Supply will be hiring up to 15 sales and service employees for this new tractor dealer location. Renovations to the property will begin immediately in preparation for a late February opening.

“I have been working to secure this lease for a while,” said Tony Mancuso, of Mancuso Commercial Realty. “We are really happy to be filling another vacant downtown building and creating jobs. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Java Farm Supply represents more than 20 different brands of new and used farm equipment from advanced agriculture machines and compact tractors to lawn and garden equipment.

“Opening the Batavia location is a leap of faith for us,” said John Bookmiller, owner/partner. “Our business has grown steadily but, it is still a big commitment for our family-run operation.”

Mancuso Commercial Realty coordinated the transaction with help from the Genesee County Economic Development Center and the Batavia Development Corporation. City Manager Jason Molino also helped the process by highlighting the favorable zoning and daily drive-by traffic counts at the corner of Ellicott and Center streets. The summer farmers’ market across the street from the site was also a factor in closing the deal.

"The GCEDC is excited to have assisted Java Equipment on securing a site for their expansion into Genesee County", said Chris Suozzi, VP Business Development for GCEDC.  "It's a perfect use of the former United Rentals building in the City of Batavia."

Java Farm Supply has been in business since 1951 in North Java, Wyoming County, and currently employs 25 people representing two locations. The first company expansion was the opening of a sales office in Yorkshire, Cattaraugus County. The City of Batavia will host Java Farm Supply’s third sales office as well as the company’s second equipment servicing location.

Both the Batavia Development Corporation and the GCEDC are likely to support the project through financing and/or tax exemptions.

Interested job seekers should visit www.javafarmsupply.com to download an employment application.

Whatever drama there was at the Town of Batavia Court today, it was all outside the Town Hall building, both before and after Jacquetta Simmons made her appearance there.

This was the first appearance for the 26-year-old Simmons following her initial arraignment Dec. 23 on two felony counts of assault, 2nd.

Simmons is accused of punching a 70-year-old Walmart employee in the face on Christmas Eve, knocking her several feet across the floor and causing facial fractures.

Television crews from Rochester and Buffalo were on hand for her appearance. After the crews milled about for nearly an hour waiting for her after her scheduled 2 p.m. appearance, several supporters of Simmons pulled up in a sedan and came out of their car and shouted, "Jesus saves!" -- with one member of the group reading aloud from a Bible while waiting for Simmons' arrival.

When Simmons did drive up, the supporters met her at her car, covered her with a jacket and formed a human shield to escort her into the Town Hall building.

Television cameramen tried to position themselves to get a shot of Simmons who had her face covered (listen to audio courtesy WBTA of the jostle).

In court, Simmons' case was called quickly after an attorney, Jerry Ader, from the Public Defender's Office, conferred with her.

Ader was filling in for Public Defender Gary Horton. Ader told Justice Michael Cleveland that Horton had not yet had conferred with Simmons. The case was continued until 2 p.m., Feb. 27, so Horton and Simmons can talk before she enters a plea.

Simmons left by a side door, and in the parking lot, a couple of Simmons' supporters decided to address the media. One gentlemen invited reporters to a new church he said is opening at 47 Swan St., Batavia.

He asked reporters repeatedly, "Are you saved?"

Then a young man came up demanding to know where the media was when his family was slandered. It was unclear what incident or situation he was talking about.

Previously:

• Walmart greeter, age 70, seriously injured after allegedly being punched by 26-year-old woman
• Witnesses describe combative situation after Walmart employee asked to see receipt
• Fight reported in Walmart

A tree entangled with primary power lines is reportedly down and blocking the roadway at 7444 Reuben Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Traffic is being shut down at Reuben and Ledge roads.

Alabama Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: A Sheriff's deputy on scene says the power lines are intact but they are pinned underneath the tree. National Grid is being contacted so it can shut off power on the lines and thereby enable crews to remove the tree.

UPDATE 8:41 p.m.: Power is restored, the tree is removed, the road is open and Alabama fire units are back in service.

Gary A. Goodwin, 51, of Hamlin, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08. Goodwin was reportedly involved in a motor vehicle accident at 11:12 p.m., Jan. 21, on Cockram Road, Town of Byron. The accident was investigated by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Rene Peres Roblero, 46, of McGregor Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, operation by an unlicensed driver, operating without insurance. Roblero was arrested following the report of a one-vehicle accident at 11:24 p.m., Jan. 17, on Richley Road, Darien. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Debra G. Fields, 43, of 18 South St., Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child, 1st. Field is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at her residence.

Uriah Ian-Charles Smoke, 27, of Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Smoke was arrested on a warrant and jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.

Jerod P. Norcross is indicted on a charge of criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony. Norcross is accused of smashing the windows of a 2003 Toyota Camry on July 21 in the Town of Alexander, causing more than $2,500 damage.

Name redacted upon request, is indicted on two counts of aggravated DWI, a Class E felony. xxxx is accused of driving drunk on July 24 on Route 33, Town Batavia, while a child under age 15 was in the vehicle, and of driving with a BAC of .08 or greater.

The following projects were approved for tax abatements by the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board:

Premier Credit of North America: Total capital investment, $150,000; Sales tax exemption on equipment purchases, $12,000; Anticipated new jobs, 50; Premier will be leasing 8,500 square feet and up to 13,500 square feet at 1 Mill St., Batavia (the former Pioneer Credit location). Premier will be hiring 50 full-time employees with a target start date of March 1; Premier originally sought locations in Hamburg, Springville, East Aurora, Orchard Park and West Seneca, but not Batavia; GCEDC won the bid with the sales tax exemption, according to the GCEDC-produced project summary.

Tri County Welding: Total capital investment, $111,000; Sales tax exemption, $4,440, Mortgage tax exemption, $938, PILOT, $24,945; Jobs retained, five, new jobs, two and a half; Tri County is expanding its facility to support an increase in business. The expansion includes a 35 x 85 foot addition during the first quarter of 2012.

Als Enterprises (Batavia Pediatrics): Total capital investment, $150,000; Sales tax exemption, $6,000; Retained jobs, eight, new jobs, two; Batavia Pediatrics is planning on renovating its office space of 6,700 square feet, including 1,000 square feet of space not currently being used. The sales tax exemption will apply to new equipment purchases.

The following project received a loan from GCEDC's revolving loan fund:

Batavia Enclosures, Inc: Batavia Enclosures is moving from the Batavia Industrial Center (Harvester Center) to 6 Treadeasy Ave., Batavia (the former Prime Materials Manufacturing location). GCEDC is providing a $50,000 loan from the revolving loan fund, payable over seven years at a fix rate of 80 percent of prime, with a floor of 3 percent. The loan will be used to assist with purchase of the building. Batavia Enclosures intends to create three new full-time positions (a punch press operator, programmer and press brake operator).

County Treasurer Scott German has released the list of properties in Genesee County slated to be auctioned off as a result of unpaid tax liens.

There are 20 parcels with a total assessed value of $579,500. The total unpaid taxes on the 20 parcels is $174,259.28.

The auction is set for 10 a.m., March 3, at Bontrager's Auction Center, Wotendyke Road, Batavia.

Location Accessed Value Taxes Notes 1281 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama $69,300.00 $6,222.13   3544 West Main Street Road, Batavia $38,000.00 $5,359.81   7645 Dublin Road, Bergen $17,200.00 $12,298.92   6865 McElver Street, Byron $67,600.00 $13,312.08   6896 Route 262 $12,500.00 $39,652.25 .78 acres of land with more than $22,000 in fire clean up costs 1322 McVean Road, Darien $83,900.00 $8,682.67   East Hundredmark Road, Elba $5,200.00 $752.85 9.3 acres of vacant land Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield $5,600.00 $1,317.98 No house on the property Telephone Road, Pavilion $7,800.00 $1,169.86 8.3 acres, vacant land Telephone Road, Pavilion $1,000.00 $736.73 No house on the property Boyce Road, Pembroke $20,100.00 $3,316.99 50.2 acres, vacant land, two parcels Boyce Road, Pembroke $40,300.00 $4,532.38 88.9 acres, vacant land Angling Road, Pembroke $5,500.00 $988.47 10.9 acres, vacant land Anglng Road, Pembroke $8,500.00 $1,197.84 15.3 acres, vacant land Ellinwood Road, Pembroke $74,000.00 $20,964.30 63.6 acres, vacant land Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford $100.00 $442.55 No house on property 27 Le Roy Street, Bergen $55,000.00 $7,932.49   West Main Street, Le Roy $10,000.00 $2,495.87 No house on property West Main Street, Le Roy $6,100.00 $1,454.60 No house on property 27 South Pearl Street, Oakfield $50,800.00 $5,660.89  

 

This afternoon, Billie and I went for a drive -- she drove, stopped the car occasionally, and I took pictures. Here are seven of the photos from today.

Above, a barn and tree on Warboys Road, Bergen.

A falcon on Sackett Road, Bergen.

White horse on Swamp Road, Byron.

Dock on Mill Pond, Mill Pond Road, Byron.

Barn, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

Steer, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

Daws Cemetery, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia.

Scott C. Fauth, 24, who lives at 106 Evans St. in Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated, having a BAC of .08 percent or greater, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident following an incident at 1:54 a.m. this morning.

Fauth was arrested by Batavia police after a report of a car accident in which the defendant's car allegedly struck a house at 6 Watson St. in the city. This caused damage to the enclosed front porch. Fauth allegedly fled the scene by driving off.

Fauth and his damaged vehicle were located at his residence by Officer Darryle Streeter. Subesquently, the defendant was deemed to be intoxicated at the time of the accident.

He was also charged with driving at a speed not reasonable and prudent, failure to keep right, driving on a sidewalk, unsafe backing, and displaying a forged/fictitious inspection sticker.

Fauth was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1.

In addition to Streeter, the incident was investigated by Officer Eric Bolles.

The Corfu Fire Department held its annual installation and awards dinner Friday night.

Honored were Ben Trapani, Most Calls (left); Greg Lang, Service Person of the Year (center); and, Mitch Bates, Firefighter of the Year (right). Pictured with Trapani, Lang and Bates are Kathy Skeet, president of the fire department and Chief Dean Eck.

Three-year-old Ethan Dawson received a toy fire truck as a present from the department. Ethan was born Aug. 1, 2008, at the Corfu Fire Hall, delivered by Karen Lane, Kathy Skeet and Mary Beth McMartin. With Ethan were his mother, Amanda, and father, Ken (not pictured).

A driver injured in an accident after he allegedly failed to stop for a deputy on Batavia Stafford Townline Road was jailed on $15,000 bail after he was released from the hospital Friday.

Keith Edward Povitch, 29, of Coward Road, Byron, was charged with felony DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, refusal to take a breath test, failure to yeld right of way to emergency vehicle and failure to keep right. 

The incident started at 4:08 p.m. after Deputy Brad Mazur allegedly observed Povitch's car blow through a stop sign at Batavia Elba Townline Road.

Povitch allegedly failed to stop after Mazur turned on his emergency lights.

As Povitch allegedly attempted to flee, he lost control of his car on Batavia Stafford Townline Road.

Mercy EMS transported Povitch to UMMC with facial injuries.

Upon his release from medical care, Povitch was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and then jailed.

(Initial Report)

When I stopped in to Bourbon & Burger Co. this afternoon, co-owner Derek Geib said, "You want to try a clear whiskey? It's the smoothest whiskey you'll ever drink."

He poured me a shot and I took a sip -- it was good. On my first taste, I thought, there's nothing to it, it's water. But the finish retained that satisfying whiskey burn, followed by a lingering vanilla sweetness. A nice complex flavor that is smooth, but still with some bite.

The whiskey is called Kansas Clean, and it's distilled in Kansas and not sold much outside of America's middle state.

After Geib heard about Kansas Clean through a friend, he contacted the distiller's CEO and she helped find a distributor in New York who could get it bottled and shipped to Bourbon & Burger -- making Bourbon & Burger the first, and so far the only, bar in New York to serve Kansas Clean.

Pierce Malone, a 10-year-old Batavia boy, has suffered since birth from Neurofibromatosis (NF for short), a nerve disorder which causes tumors to grow anywhere and at any time throughout the inside and outside of his body. Pierce currently has multiple tumors throughout his body, including many on his brain and spinal cord.

A 7-inch tumor has recently been discovered in Pierce's throat. It has started to wrap around the two main arteries that supply the brain as well as his verterbrae, and is very close to his voice box. Doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital are extremely concerned about this, and Pierce is in desperate need of surgical treatment. However, the doctors at Strong are not equipped to handle the treatment, and there are no NF clinics in the area.

There is one doctor at an NF clinic in Boston who specializes in throat tumors. The doctor has been contacted, but unfortunately Pierce's insurance would not cover the cost of the treatment and the family is unable to afford the procedure without assistance.

To raise funds for Pierce's procedure, local entrepreneur Jason Lang has organized two benefits through his businesses. Throughout the month of January, patrons of the Batavia Cab Company will be asked to donate $1. At the end of the month, Jason will match all donations up to $2,500. Additionally, on January 29th, The Laughing Buddha tattoo and piercings shop will host an event called "Piercings for Pierce," the proceeds of which will go toward the treatment of Pierce's throat tumor. 

For more information regarding the benefits or to make a donation, contact Jason Lang at the Laughing Buddha at (585) 250-4175 or visit the "Passion for Pierce" page on Facebook.

A two-car accident is reported in Le Roy on East Bethany -- Le Roy Road, between Munson Street and Cole Road.

No word on injuries. Le Roy Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 12:06 p.m.: Le Roy Ambulance Service is on scene. Responders are told to come in non-emergency mode. The accident involved a utility pole.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: Traffic is being slowed to one lane, but the scene will clear very soon.

UPDATE 12:14 p.m.: Le Roy assignment is back in service.