Bergen

A car fire is reported at Route 19 and the railroad tracks in the Village of Bergen. Bergen Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 12:48 p.m.: The owner of the vehicle called dispatch and said the car is not on fire it has just overheated. Engine 27 is on location to check things out nonetheless.

UPDATE 12:51 p.m.: A firefighter confirms the car is overheated. Engine 27 is back in service.

Press release:

Assistant County Manager Frank Ciaccia announced he is retiring after 20 years with Genesee County government.

His retirement is effective May 30.

He stated his decision to retire was motivated by his desire to escape these Western New York winters and spend more time in warmer climates to enjoy the outdoor activities and sports he says are too hard to squeeze into three months up here with his present schedule.

He explained, "I am retiring more from the winters than I am from the job."

He also said this will give him more time to visit his brother and his nieces and nephews in Tennessee.

Mr. Ciaccia said while his current position is challenging, he wants to pursue new challenges. One of those challenges is he has accepted an appointment to teach a graduate course in Public Policy and Administration at Buffalo State starting in the Fall semester. He said he is "pretty excited" about starting a new career of teaching at the college level.

Mr. Ciaccia, a Bergen resident, is Genesee County's first and only assistant county manager.

He came to Genesee County in 1992 after 15 years in Monroe County government. With his election to the Rochester School Board in 1972, he is completing a 40-year career in public service.

In addition to his responsibilities as assistant county manager, Mr. Ciaccia is also the county's STOP-DWI coordinator, director of the county's Facilities Management Department, the county's ADA coordinator, fair housing officer and corporate compliance officer. 

County Manager Jay Gsell said he will begin the process to fill Mr. Ciaccia's position.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) recently announced the recipients of this year’s Public Library Construction Grants. More than $327,000 has been committed for projects at the Byron-Bergen, Lee-Wheldon Memorial and Swan libraries, serving as sorely needed support for facility improvements. 

“In a time of staggering unemployment and fiscal crisis that is crippling our educational institutions, these library construction grants will be a boon for the community,” Hawley said.

“Our local libraries deserve the support necessary to provide up-to-date tools and services to the public, and that’s exactly what these grants will do. I know these libraries will put this funding to great use and become an even more integral part of our community.”

In Genesee County, the Byron-Bergen Public Library will receive $7,325 to open the wall via a French door to provide easy and secure access to an additional programming and educational resource space, thereby increasing the effectiveness of library service.

A controlled burn is apparently out of control at 873 Johnson Road in Bergen.

Bergen Fire Department is responding.

Mutual aid requested from South Byron, Le Roy and Churchville.

Approximately one-half acre is burning.

UPDATE 12:05 p.m.: Grass truck from Chili requested to the scene. A chief says the fire is going pretty good, but current response should be sufficient.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: Chili response cancelled.

UPDATE 12:20 p.m.: Stafford requested to standby in the Stafford Hall as a fill-in for Le Roy while Le Roy is on scene in Bergen.

UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: Stafford back in service. Le Roy returning shortly.

UPDATE: Bergen was back in service at 1:06 p.m.

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A teenage boy was assaulted and suffered a head laceration at Byron-Bergen Central School. Sheriff's deputies are responding along with Mercy medics. The bleeding is controlled now. The student is in the art room.

The school is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road in Bergen.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: The student is 16 years old and he is being transported to United Memorial Medical Center. He has a 6 centimeter slash (which is 2.36 inches) in the back of his head. He is alert and oriented and suffered no loss of consciousness.

A car has reportedly hit a pole in the area of 7404 W. Bergen Road, Bergen.

Injuries are reported.

Bergen Fire Department and ambulance along with Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 3:55 p.m.: One patient complains of a hand injury.

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A Batavia resident suffered a minor injury in an accident Friday on Route 33 in Bergen after another car reportedly pulled in front of her car.

Hurt was Kelly J. Poole-Davis, 39, of North Lyon Street, Batavia. She was taken by ground ambulance to UMMC.

The other driver, Loretta E. Miller, 71, of Buffalo Street, Bergen, was uninjured, but was issued a traffic citation.

According to Deputy John L. Baiocco, Miller said she was exiting the Sugar Creek parking lot and never saw Poole-Davis's car. Miller was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Route 33.

On the way out of Bergen this morning I spotted this horse eating dandelions in front of one our area's more attractive barns, so stopped and made this picture.

Dealing with the DMV just got a little bit easier in the Village of Bergen. At the urging of Trustee Anne Marie Barclay, the county (through the efforts of the County Clerk's Office, and the highway department) installed a DMV drop box outside the village hall.

"One of the things we always work to improve is the quality of life in Bergen and to bring more people into the village and we think this will do that," Barclay said.

Mayor Ralph Marsocci praised the effort and thanked county staff for making it possible.

Leslie Krajewski, deputy county clerk, said the clerk's office projects that the drop box will pay for itself by September.

The drop box will make it more convenient for people in the northeast part of the county, as well as areas neighboring that part of the county, to take care of their DMV business.

By using the drop box, DMV customers will cut two or three days off the time it takes to complete a transaction.

Pictured are Barclay, Marsocci, Deputy Mayor Paul Cooper, Krajewski, senior DMV representative Nancy Elmore and Trustee Ginny Adams.

A cap blew off a propane tank at a residence at 7375 N. Bergen Road in Bergen. There's heavy natural gas smell and the house is being evacuated. Byron Fire Department is responding with mutual aid.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: Le Roy was called but then told to stand down.

UPDATE 2:29 p.m.: The 500-gallon tank was overfilled. The company which is responsible for the unit is called. Meanwhile, the firefighters are told to keep water on the tank to cool it down.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: The gas company crew is on location.

UPDATE 3:08 p.m.: Fire units are back in service. Burnwell Gas Co. is handling the equipment problem.

A motor-vehicle accident with air-bag deployment is reported at routes 19 and 33. Medics are responding along with the Bergen Fire Department.

UPDATE 2:27 p.m.: Fire police are called to handle traffic.

UPDATE 2:34: There's only one lane of traffic open.

UPDATE 2:49 p.m.: One patient is being transported to UMMC complaining of pain in both wrists after the patient's vehicle was allegedly struck by the other vehicle involved.

UPDATE 3:06 p.m.: Fire crews are back in service.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: The roadway is clear and reopened.

The picture that emerged in Genesee County Court this afternoon of Stephen Irving Stone was that of a 45-year-old man with little remorse and with little understanding that sexual abuse of children is wrong.

The only positives Judge Robert C. Noonan found in Stone was that he has no other criminal history and that by pleading guilty Feb. 24 to predatory sexual abuse he saved his victims from the torture of testifying in open court.

For those "limited reasons," Noonan said, he took a little time off the possible maximum sentence and sent Stone to prison for 20 years to life.

Stone's only words in court came after Noonan asked if he wanted to make a statement.

"No, your honor. It is in your hands, sir," said Stone, who came into court with a fully grown beard and shackled and in a jail orange jumpsuit.

The sentencing range available to Noonan was from 10 years to life to 25 years to life.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Finnell spoke at length about Stone.

"When I read the PSI (pre-sentence investigation report), I came away with three thoughts," Finnell said. "This is a defendant who rationalizes, who minimizes and who fails to accept responsibility."

"I saw nothing," he added, "that said he expresses any kind of remorse or concern for his victims."

Defense Attorney William Harper said he had a slightly different read of the PSI, that Stone had "in his limited ability to do so" expressed remorse and that just prior to his arrest, he had come to the realization that what he was doing was wrong.

"Mr. Stone was indoctrinated into this behavior from an early age by multiple abusers," Harper said. "By his teenage years, he thought it was normal. In my last conversation with him, he told me he is full of regret."

Noonan said Stone's prior abuse was no excuse for his behavior, but noted that his own victims stand a better chance of being able to move on with their lives because Stone was caught, and they were willing to tell investigators what happened and will now benefit from more modern treatment programs.

"This case is one of the most vile set of circumstances I have had the responsibility to be involved in," Noonan said.

"It's amazing to me," he added, 'that a person could have such callous disregard for other human beings."

Noonan said the details of the crimes -- more than 100 acts over a several year period -- that Stone admitted to as "so disturbing" that he couldn't refer to the descriptions in public.

Thomas L. Hill Jr., is indicted on four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd. Hill is accused of possessing cocaine with the intent to sell it Oct. 8 while at 335 Bank St., Batavia, and again on Jan. 7 at 174 Ross St.,  Batavia.

Albert A. Ackerman is indicted on a charge of felony DWI. Ackerman is accused of driving drunk Nov. 6 on Route 5 in the Town of Le Roy. Ackerman is accused of a prior DWI in 2009 in Florida.

Danielle Hendrickson is indicted on a charge of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Hendrickson is accused of possessing, with the intent to defraud, a forged check in the amount of $50 drawn on the account of a local couple.

Shawn J. Scheg is indicted on a felony count of DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Scheg is accused of driving drunk Jan. 8 while on West Sweden Road, Bergen. Scheg is accused of having a prior DWI conviction in the Town of Batavia in May 2002.

A motorcycle accident with possibly serious injuries is reported at 6328 Route 19 in Bergen. Bergen Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:07 p.m.: Law enforcement is responding. Traffic is impacted.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: Fire police are called to shut down traffic on Route 19. The motorcycle is on fire.

UPDATE 12:12 p.m.: Southbound Route 19 will be shut down at Sackett Road. The accident is between Sackett and Bissell roads, by the gun club, on the bridge.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: A crew from Churchville is requested to fill in at the Bergen Fire Hall.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: The motorcycle fire is out.

UPDATE 1:36 p.m.: (Provided by Howard, who is at the scene.) This was a fatal accident. One man from Monroe County was killed. There were no other injuries. According to Sheriff's Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster, a 2006 Honda motorcycle was headed northbound on Route 19 north of the Village of Bergen when it collided with another northbound vehicle. Witnesses said the motorcyclist had been speeding. Upon impact, "the motorcycle dropped to its side and skidded quite a distance down the roadway before hitting a guard rail, ejecting the driver," Brewster said. The victim was dead by the time emergency crews arrived. The other vehicle was a full-size SUV.

UPDATE 2:20 p.m.: Authorities say the roadway will be reopened in about a half hour.

UPDATE 2:57 p.m.: Route 19 is reopened. Bergen units are back in service.

UPDATE: The driver has been identified as 26-year-old Gregory P. Healy, of 18 Keith Terrace, North Chili. Healy was riding a 2006 Honda and investigators believe he attempted to pass a 2007 Toyota SUV at a high-rate of speed in a no-passing zone.  Healy's bike struck the SUV's left rear tire. The motorcycle tipped and skidded into a guardrail over Black Creek on the highway's west edge. Healy was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Roberrt Yungfleisch.  The driver of the SUV, Denine Scott of Batavia, was not injured.  The investigation is being handled by Deputy John Baiocco, Sgt. James Meier and Sgt. William Scott of the Crash Management Team. Bergen Fire assisted at the scene.

Press release:

Approximately 700 National Grid customers in the Byron-Bergen area will experience a brief electrical service interruption on Saturday (April 14) morning to allow technicians to safely replace a vital transformer in a substation servicing that region.

Affected customers are receiving automated telephone calls from the company prior to the outage, which is scheduled from 4 to 6 a.m. on Saturday.  In addition, National Grid has notified local police and fire officials.

National Grid makes every effort to minimize both the number and length of planned service outages, and attempts to schedule events during times that will have the least impact on most customers.  Work in the Byron-Bergen station is part of the company’s commitment to provide safe and reliable service.

The brief interruption should have no lasting impact on service, but customers may wish to disconnect sensitive electronic equipment during the outage as a precaution.

Carrile L. Mahon, 37, of Townline Road, Bergen, is charged with felony DWI, failure to keep right, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and refusal to take breath test. Mahon's vehicle reportedly left the roadway and went into a field on Route 98 in Elba at 9:48 p.m., Monday. The accident was investigated by Deputy James Diehl and Sgt. Greg Walker.

Kimberly E. Stack, 34, of 3 Morton Ave., Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Stack was stopped on Ellicott Street at 10:32 p.m., Monday, by Officer Chris Camp after police received a report of an erratic driver.

A brush fire is reported behind 37 Gibson St. in Bergen. Bergen Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: The fire is out. Bergen is back in service.