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Bethany

Christmas Eve services

By Howard B. Owens

Here are the services for tonight we were notified about:

  • The barn service originally scheduled for tonight at the Partridge Farm has been moved to the United Methodist Church at 8221 Lewiston Road. 
  • There is a candlelight service with carols and the Christmas Story at 7 p.m. at the East Bethany Presbyterian Chruch, 5735 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany.
  • The Yunker family continues a 36-year tradition hosting a barn service for the Presbyterian Church in Elba. The service begins at 7 p.m. on the Yunker Farm on Transit Road, Elba. Lighted candles will lead cars along the road to the barn. Rev. Barbara Tipton will renew the Christmas message. Traditional Christmas hymns will be sung, accompanied by Fran Woodworth on flute. Barn STAIRS will lead to the service benches. Members and visitors are welcome.
  • City Church holds two services this evening, at 6 p.m. at the City Church on East Main Street, Batavia, and at 8 p.m. at St. Anthony's on Liberty Street.

Process to replace Bethany Center Road bridge could begin soon

By Howard B. Owens

The process of replacing the crumbling Bethany Center Road bridge over Route 20 will begin soon, according to Lori Maher, spokeswoman for the NYS Department of Transportation.

The project has long been on the DOT's capital program list but it wasn't scheduled to begin until October, however when asked about a report that the DOT was moving the project up, Maher said, "yes."

Maher said in an email, "Our engineering team will be advancing the contract plans and will be implementing a public outreach component to keep the community informed of the project."

While the original completion date was fall of 2018, the new completion date isn't available yet.

Previously:

Photo: FIle photo.

Wire down, power reported out around Chaddock Road and Silver Road, Bethany

By Howard B. Owens

A wire is reported down and on fire in the area of Chaddock Road and Silver Road, Bethany.

Power is reportedly out in the area.

Bethany fire responding.

UPDATE 7:26 p.m.: Bethany assignment back in service. National Grid has not reported on a power outage in the area, so we have no further information in that regard.

Law and Order: DWI suspect accused of bringing marijuana into jail

By Howard B. Owens

Joseph Dwayne Powell, 49, of Telephone Road, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, promoting prison contraband, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and insufficient tail lamp. Powell was stopped at 9:10 p.m. Sept. 16 on Black Street Road, Pavilion, by Deputy Ryan DeLong. Powell was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and was allegedly found in possession of marijuana inside the jail.

Kevin Michael Horn, 49, of Conway Road, Bethany, is charged with trespassing. Horn allegedly walked onto posted property on Molasses Hill Road, Bethany.

Law and Order: Bethany man accused of sexual abuse

By Howard B. Owens

Jordan Paul Fleming, 28, of East Bethany Le Roy Road, Bethany, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse. Fleming is accused of subjecting another person to sexual contact without that person's consent.

Fawn Lynn Marie Kaczmarek, 28, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument. Kaczmarek was allegedly found in possession of a needle during an investigation by Deputy Matthew Clor.

Car hits pole on Ellicott Street Road, Bethany

By Howard B. Owens

A car vs. pole accident is reported in the area of 6049 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

Injuries are reported.

The pole is down, but the wires are still in the air.

Bethany fire, Stafford fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:38 a.m.: National Grid notified.

UPDATE 11:51 a.m.: Photos by Glenn Adams. We've heard no more details on this accident and Glenn said he didn't have any details.

Law and Order: Complaint of excessive marijuana smoke leads to arrest

By Howard B. Owens

Jerard L. Wilson, 18, of Roycroft Drive, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Wilson was charged following a complaint of excessive marijuana smoke coming from a vehicle in the parking lot of 337 Bank St., Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Shanley Street, Cheektowaga, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, inadequate exhaust, uninspected motor vehicle and unlicensed operator. The youth was stopped at 1:43 a.m. Saturday on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Eric Meyer. Also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana was Megan Lynn Murby, 18, of Aurora Street, Lancaster.

Shawn P. Burns, 38, of Oak Orchard Street, Albion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Burns was charged after police responded to a disturbance complaint at 12:17 a.m., Nov. 10 at 301 North St. Burns is accused of having driven to that location while intoxicated. The incident was investigated by Officer Nicole Salamone.

Reginald C. Sampson, 50, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Sampson allegedly stole a purse containing credit cards.

Brian J. Miller, 35, of Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, is charged with assault, 3rd, unlawful imprisonment and criminal obstruction of breathing. Miller was arrested following an investigation into an incident reported at 1 a.m. Saturday on Edward Street, Batavia.

Jordan R. Bradley, 23, of Colby Road, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan is accused of shoplifting from Tops. Bradley was held on an alleged parole violation.

Bernard Thomas, 57, of Whitney Avenue, Pittsburgh, is charged with sex offender failure to report an address change. Thomas, a Level One sex offender, reportedly moved to Pittsburgh without notifying officials of his address change within 10 days. After speaking with investigators, he returned to Batavia and was charged. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Brandon D. Delelys, 18, of Hartshorn Road, Corfu, is charged with burglary, 2nd, conspiracy, 4th, and petit larceny. Delelys is accused of committing a burglary on Hutchins Street in August. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice. Also charged was Michael E. Welchman, 21, of West Main Street, Batavia.

Patricia A. Sand, 59, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and conspiracy, 5th. Also charged, Michael R. Ostrander. Sand and Ostrander are accused of stealing a wallet while at Aldi's. Sand was issued an appearance ticket. Ostrander was jailed without bail.

Cheryl M. Lyons, 51, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 1st, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 1st.

Fawn Lynn Marie Kaczmarek, 28, of Thorpe Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kaczmarek allegedly stole the tip cup of a waitress at Batavia Downs.

Williams T. Gibbs, 61, of West Main Street, Corfu, was arrested on a a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Gibbs allegedly failed to appear in City Court on traffic tickets. 

Kenneth W. Cook III, of Galloway Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Cook allegedly violated an order of protection.

Jacklyn M. Ganzhorn, 29, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Ganzhorn was located by a Sheriff's deputy and transported to Batavia PD. He was jailed on $1,000 bail or $2,000 bond.

Law and Order: Le Roy resident accused of selling oxycodone

By Howard B. Owens
     Robert Kingsbury

Robert C. Kingsbury, 39, of East Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd. Kingsbury is accused of selling a quantity of oxycodone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. He was arrested Thursday by members of the task force with assistance from Le Roy PD. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail.

Jonathan E. Seiger, 55, and Scott H. Spencer, 52, both of West Main Road, Stafford, are charged with one count each of grand larceny, 4th, and identity theft, 2nd. Seiger and Spencer are accused of unlawfully possessing and using a debit card of a friend. The men were also charged with 11 counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and conspiracy, 5th. Between Aug. 5 and 15, the duo allegedly used the debit card at an ATM machine, along with the friend's PIN identification, to withdraw $1,660. They were jailed on $2,500 each.     

Cassandra Marie Neal, 32, of Lapp Road, Fillmore, is charged with first-degree perjury and filing a false instrument, 1st. Neal was called upon to testify before a grand jury about an alleged domestic incident in Genesee County Park in 2015. Neal allegedly lied about the incident during her testimony. She also allegedly filed a false instrument with the Sheriff's Office. She was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Gregory Joseph Rodak, 32, of Winterroth Street, Rochester, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driving left of pavement markings. Rodak was reportedly involved in a two-car accident at 8:11 p.m. Thursday on Townline Road, Bergen. Deputy Kevin Forsyth reports he detected the odor of alcohol and that Rodak admitted to drinking earlier. Rodak submitted to a field sobriety test. He has a prior conviction for DWI within the past 10 years, leading to the felony charges.

Fire in smokestack reported at Baskin Livestock

By Howard B. Owens

A fire is reported in a smokestack at Baskin Livestock on Creek Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire, Town of Batavia and Stafford requested to the scene.

UPDATE 8:39 a.m.: The fire is in the cyclone.

UPDATE 8:51 a.m.: Le Roy to stand by in quarters with ladder truck. 

UPDATE 10:30 a.m.: Batavia firefighters, with their hook-and-ladder truck, were able to get up to the top of the cyclone while others worked below. The fire was brought under control at 10:30 a.m.

Photos by Glenn Adams, Bethany FD.

Law and Order: Sex offender arrested for alleged failure to register new Bethany address, trio of DWI arrests

By Billie Owens

Christopher J. Campbell, 38, of Chaddock Road in Bethany, is a registered sex offender who, on Oct. 18, was charged with failure to report a change of address as required by law. It is a felony. He formerly resided on West Main Street Road in Batavia. Campbell was arraigned in Bethany Town Court and jailed in lieu of $5,000 cah bail. He is due to return to court at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Parker, assisted by Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Saile.

Teresa M. Bosdyk, 54, of Water Street, Perry, is charged with DWI, speeding lane violation and not wearing a seat belt. The defendant was involved in a motor-vehicle accident at 11:50 p.m. on Oct. 18 on Ellicott Street Road in Bethany. It appears she crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a tractor-trailer. Further investigation revealed she was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Bosdyk was transported via Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital for evaluation of her injuries. She will return to Bethany Town Court at a later date. Additional charges are pending. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Howard Carlson, assisted by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Douglas Duane Brown Jr., 34, of Meadow Farm, North Chili, is charged with insufficient tail lamp, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, aggravated DWI, per se, with a BAC of .18 or more, DWI. The defendant was stopped on Alexander Road in the Town of Alexander at 11:50 p.m. on Sept. 22 for an alleged equipment violation. Further investigation allegedly revealed that the defendant was driving while intoxicated. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan, assisted by Howard Carslon.

Adam Louis Zichitella, 18, of Cole Road, Colden, is charged with DWI, operation of a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more, and stopping, standing or parking upon a highway. The defendant was found parked roadside in the southbound lane of Route 77 in the Town of Alabama at 12:43 a.m. on Sept. 25. An investigation allegedly revealed that the defendant was allegedly driving while intoxicated. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan, assisted by Deputy Howard Carlson.

Rollover accident on Ellicott Street Road, one person trapped and unconscious

By Billie Owens

Bethany Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding to 5402 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, for a rollover accident in which one person is out of the vehicle and another is unconscious but breathing and trapped inside.

UPDATE 11:57 p.m.: Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia is on ground standby.

UPDATE 11:59 p.m.: Stafford Fire Department's extrication equipment, "their jaws," are requested to the scene to expedite extraction. Possibly more than one person is entrapped. State Police are en route.

UPDATE 12:17 a.m.: Mercy Flight is called to the scene and the roadway is being shut down.

UPDATE 12:19 a.m.: It is confirmed only one person is trapped inside the vehicle. Mercy Flight transport is being done primarily for precautionary reasons. The vehicle with the person trapped inside is on the east side of the road and there's a semi-truck on the west side.

UPDATE 12:26 p.m.: A responder at the scene has corrected the incident location to 5405 Ellicott Street Road.

UPDATE 12:30 a.m.: They are going to shut down traffic at Route 63 and Little Canada Road.

UPDATE 12:58 a.m.: The victim who was entrapped is a female who regained consciousness by the time she was transported by Mercy Flight as a precaution to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

UPDATE 1:03 a.m.: The female victim was driving a sedan southbound on Ellicott Street Road when she drifted into the northbound lane. The male driver of a northbound semi-truck saw the sedan drifting into his lane and pulled to the right but could not avoid contact. The vehicles clipped each other, sending the semi off the west side of the roadway, partially into some woods. The sedan continued off the roadway in an easterly direction and struck a utility pole. There were no passengers in either vehicle. The truck driver was walking around at the scene, uninjured. The road closures are expected to remain in place for about an hour until the vehicles and debris can be removed.

UPDATE: The driver of the sedan has been charged with DWI, speeding, lane violation and no seat belt. She is Teresa M. Bosdyk, 54, of Water Street, Perry.

Chris and Michelle Krtanik, 4835 Linden Road, East Bethany, Renovation

By Howard B. Owens

Chris and Michelle Krtanik

4835 Linden Road, East Bethany

Renovation

Article by Molly Grimes

Chris and Shelly Krtanik purchased their home in 1994.  This federal style house was built in 1833 and used as a tavern for many years. Other uses included a stagecoach stop, a barber house and a boarding house for travelers.  The parcel of land where the house stands was purchased from the Holland Land Company in 1811 and 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Faunce acquired the property and erected this house. This house is typical of the federal style. The Italianate features of the bay window and oversized scroll brackets are believed to have been added sometime in the 1870s or 1880s.  Interestingly, the home was used by the New York State troopers as headquarters during the unsolved Linden murders in 1922 and 1924. 

The house was in rough condition when Chris and Shelly bought it in 1994.  They have spent countless hours stripping paint on both the inside and outside of the house.  The entire outside of the house had the paint stripped down to the original wood on the clapboard and repainted the colors of Gingko Tree, peach and spice.  This task was undertaken by not only Shelly and Chris but other family members using a heat gun and scrapers over countless hours.  Chris was able to take sections of the original moldings and have reproductions made in places where sections were missing.  The original windows and storms remain on the first floor of the house, while the second floor has replacement windows.  There was an addition on the back of the house at one time; it has since been removed and replaced by a deck.  The side porch also has a huge roof overhang that Chris is still working on restoring and putting the tongue and groove ceiling back in place.    A hole has been cut in the porch floor to accommodate an existing shrub.  The landscaping has been going on as projects have been completed, the garden beds have been beautifully defined with rock walls hand placed by Chris.  Originally there was a barn when the Krtaniks purchased the home in 1994, but due to the dilapidated condition of the structure it has been taken down and removed. 

Their work on their house is ongoing.  Projects include working on the side porch as well as working on restoring the inside.  The staircase has been stripped and sanded, along with the hard wood floors, trim and moldings inside the house.  Stripping the molding in the living room took Shelly two summers to complete using tiny tools to get within the grooves.  The house continues to be a labor of love.

Report of smoke in the building at Rolling Hills Asylum

By Howard B. Owens

There is a report of smoke in the building at the Rolling Hills Asylum, on Bethany Center Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire and Alexander fire dispatched.

The building is evacuated.

UPDATE: We've heard nothing further on this.

Town of Bethany GOP committee hosts pulled pork BBQ Friday evening at county park, Pavilion A

By Billie Owens

The Town of Bethany Republican Committee is hosting a pulled pork BBQ starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Genesee County Park & Forest, Pavilion A. Event ends at 8 p.m.

Food is being catered by Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew, of Le Roy. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-12, kids under 5 eat free. Take-outs available.

There will also be prize raffles and 50/50 raffles.

The park is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

GCEDC board to consider two ag projects at next meeting

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) will consider two applications for GAIN! revolving loan funds for agricultural projects in Pavilion and East Bethany.

Cottonwood Farms LLC in Pavilion is seeking to install a wind turbine system that would combine wind and solar power in one turbine in order to increase efficiency and electric energy output. The GCEDC is considering a GAIN! loan in the amount of $65,000 to Cottonwood Farms for the acquisition of the dual system equipment.

The GCEDC also is considering another GAIN! loan for $177,139 for Sandvoss Farms LLC -- First Light Creamery in East Bethany. The loan will be used for the construction of a new refrigeration and storage facility, site work to improve access and traffic flow as well as a new hoop house for feed and materials storage and a new goat nursery facility. Sandvoss Farms processes pasteurized cheese, milk and yogurt from raw goat’s milk.

The Growing the Agricultural Industry Now! (GAIN) initiative is a $400,000 revolving loan fund for Genesee County farms and agribusinesses. It is designed to follow existing revolving loan funds that return investments directly back into a pool for the next round of projects. Projects can receive between $25,000 and $200,000 in gap financing at a 1 percent interest rate.

THE GCEDC will also review an application from Empire Pipeline to terminate their existing PILOT agreement, and instate a new 15-year fixed PILOT for their compressor station and pipeline in Oakfield. As the project incentives are more than $100,000 a public hearing will be set if the GCEDC Board accepts the application.

The GCEDC board meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6th, at the MedTech Center, across from Genesee Community College, on the first floor at the Innovation Center, Suite 107. All board meetings are open to the public.

Photos: 2016 Run of the Acorns in Genesee County Park

By Howard B. Owens

Once again, hundreds of runners and walkers turned out for the annual Run of the Acorns at Genesee County Park.

The event features 5K and 10K races and was sponsored this year for the first time by Alex's Place.

Proceeds benefit the county parks.

Volunteer firefighters converged on Baskin Farms in Bethany Monday for training

By Billie Owens

 

Photos and information submitted by Glenn Adams, a member of the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department.
 
On Monday evening, Sept. 26, the Bethany, Alexander, and Wyoming Volunteer Fire departments held a joint training exercise.
 
They met at Baskins Farm on Creek Road in Bethany to practice tanker drills, bringing water from distant locations to a fire. The water source may be a pond, such as the one at Baskins, or a creek, a lake, or a fire hydrant. These sort of constant drills are a part of the preparedness volunteer fire departments bring to our local communities.
 
They are always looking for new members.

Lei-Ti campers raise more than $8K to assist camp for children with cancer

By Howard B. Owens

The Lei-Ti Campgrounds Association and Lei-Ti, in Bethany, hosted a charity auction on Labor Day and raised nearly $8,400 for Camp Good Days and Special Times.

Located on the shores of Keuka Lake in Branchport, Camp Good Days provides camping and recreational activities for children stricken with cancer and their families.

Photo: From left, Sandra Sekuterski, Gerald Sekuterski, Val Rosehart, Peggy McVea, Sheila Hollwendel (Lei-Ti's co-owner), Bob McVea and James McCauley, a coordinator at Camp Good Days.

Monarch Butterfly Watch

By Genesee County Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center

Genesee County Park & Forest is back at it with yet another awesome educational event.

Join the county park for Monarch Watching from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17th. Learn about the fascinating lives of Monarch Butterflies. Explore their world and find out what people are doing to help out!

$5/person, $10/family. Space is limited, pre-registration is required! Call 585-344-1122!

Five Fun Facts about Monarch Butterflies to prepare you for migrating season:

1. Monarch Butterflies migrate through our region in mid-September.

2. A monarch caterpillar can eat a whole milkweed leaf in under 4 minutes! Monarch caterpillars gain about 2,700 times their weight in two weeks.

3. Monarch butterflies smell with their antennae.

4. Monarch butterflies taste with their feet, using special receptors called tarsi.

5. Monarch butterflies ride updrafts of warm air to help complete their 3,000-mile migration at the end of each summer. Monarchs have been seen gliding at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet!

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more...

There are seven sheep lost in Bethany near Cackner Road

By Howard B. Owens

We just received this message:

There are 7 white sheep wandering around lost in the Bethany area after escaping through an open gate. Last sighted on a trail cam near Cackner Rd. and Bethany Center Rd. Please contact Barbara Hollands 585-734-2236 if you see them. They are a bit shy of people but like grain and will come to someone shaking a bucket of grain.

UPDATE Friday, 10:23 a.m.: Thanks to the help of neighbor Pat Pietrzykowski, all seven sheep have been located, rounded up and returned home, where they are safe and sound.

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