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A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in the area of 6344 Main Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A manure truck was involved in an accident in the area of 5050 Cacner Road, Bethany, this afternoon.

A utility pole was damaged but there were no injuries.

The road remains closed at this time.

Photographs by Glenn Adams.

Legendary local broadcaster Wayne H. Fuller, 70, was lain to rest today.

He died Friday.

Following a service at H.E. Turner Funeral Home, Fuller was loaded by his pallbearers into the cargo hold of a Trailways bus for transport to a cemetery in Bethany.

Fuller worked for 50 years as a dispatcher at Trailways. It was one of his final wishes that a Trailways bus carry him and people attending his funeral to the cemetery.

A graduate of Batavia High School in 1965, Fuller is best remembered for his work at WBTA both spinning records and broadcasting sporting events, as well as his decades-long work as a public address announcer at Batavia sporting events, including Batavia HS basketball and Batavia Muckdogs games.

For his full obituary, click here.

For our prior story about his passing, click here.

Under new ownership, Batavia's oldest company is going to get lean.

That doesn't mean layoffs at P.W. Minor. Far from it. It means implementing a process of production that eliminates waste and increases productivity.

"Lean manufacturing is nothing fancy at all, but it is a set of fundamentals that if you follow them you know your production will go way up," said Hundley Elliotte, the new CEO of P.W. Minor. "It has been proven time and time again. It's not the solution to all problems but when you're in a challenging manufacturing environment and you have price pressures and cost pressures and all those kinds of things, lean is a very good way to root out waste and boost productivity."

Elliotte is a partner with Tidewater + Associates, the investment company that acquired P.W. Minor from Pete Zeliff earlier this month. Zeliff and then-partner Andrew Young saved P.W. Minor from certain closure in 2014. More than 100 jobs that were outsourced to China were returned to Batavia as a result and Zeliff instituted a program of equipment upgrades to the plant, including increasing automation.

Tidewater's acquisition of the company, Elliotte said, is just the next step in a process of growing the company, Elliotte said during an interview with The Batavian this morning.

There's no plan to cut the workforce, move the production out of Batavia, or do anything other than grow, Elliotte said.

"We felt like there was something powerful here in the fact that this company has been here for so long," Elliotte said. "I think you bring bad luck and find yourself in a bad spot when you break up something like that. It's almost like firing a legacy coach. You know when you watch it happen, whether it's Bobby Knight or Bear Bryant, or whomever, when they leave it's always a void. You know it's hard to pick up the momentum again."

The reception to the transition, which took place at the beginning of the month, seems to have been positive among employees, Elliotte said.

"We felt like the response was very positive and I think everyone knows this has been a journey and there's still some journey left," Elliotte said. "There's still choppy waters out there. We have to work hard. We have to get better. We hope to get better every day but I think I think everyone's bought into that.

It's only been a week since the lean manufacturing process was introduced and it hasn't spread yet throughout the entire organization but already there are charts on boards that provide employees with metrics to measure their performance.

Employees are also being trained on processes that will boost productivity.

An example shared by Elliotte was establishing a process for getting a machine ready for production before the next shift so when the shift starts, production can ramp up quickly.

"It's just about getting that discipline of how we operate and making clear who has responsibility for what and making sure that it's done, so that when the machine is supposed to be running you know it's running," Elliotte said.

The process of tracking and measurement helps motivate employees to meet goals, he said.

"Everybody wants to do a good job," he said.

To help keep these jobs in the United States, Empire State Development provided P.W. Minor with an incentive package and the Local Gateway Development Corp. provided the company with a loan. Zeliff said as part of the acquisition deal he is personally paying off the loan.

Tidewater was attracted to P.W. Minor as an acquisition target because it already fits the profile of the kind of companies the investors like in their portfolio -- sustainability and promoting U.S.-based jobs.

The welt constructed by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for P.W. Minor boots, for example, means they will last a long time. That's good for the environment, Elliotte said.

He would like to see the Batavia plant eventually become sustainability certified. It's what consumer surveys and buying preferences say a large portion of the market wants, Elliotte said, and financially there is little reason for a company like P.W. Minor not to pursue that course.

"I'm not necessarily a big environmentalist but we all care about the planet," Elliotte said. "There are other things we can do. You know course A is better than course B and you know each of them has the same kind of financial outcome; course A is much more sustainable so do that.

"It's something that people care about," Elliotte said. "It's not that it has to overwhelm the business, but if you can run the business that way, every day make yourself more environmentally sustainable, that's a good thing, right?"

He said Tidewater is also committed to creating and sustaining U.S.-based jobs.

"There's no reason for P.W. Minor to go away and just to make all those boots in China," Elliotte said. "I understand that it makes sense in certain situations where you have you know a lower price point shoes or things like that, but there's no reason not to make boots that retail at $250, $300, or $400 in the United States. That's kind of where we've drawn the line and are trying to do our part to keep those jobs here."

     Jason Giuliani

Jason M. Giuliani, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and Ian K Leblanc-Chatt, 32, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and moving from lane unsafely. Sgt. Colin Reagan and Deputy Amy Nowak, of the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office, initiated a traffic stop on Route 19 in the Village of Wyoming, at an unspecified time on Sunday. Giuliani was a passenger in the vehicle. During the investigation he was allegedly found in possession of 60 bags of heroin, leading to a felony charge related to the intent to sell narcotics. Leblanc-Chatt was allegedly under the influence of multiple narcotics while driving by a drug recognition expert. Giuliani was jailed on $25,000 bail. Leblanc-Chatt was released to a family member.

Nicholas John Stefaniak, 36, of Westview Drive, Perry, is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Stefaniak is accused of seriously injuring another person during an incident reported at 8:18 p.m. Thursday in Byron, and of damaging property of that person. Stefaniak was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

 

Before most of the snow melted, the Miller, Ivison, and Randall families got together to build a big snowman.

Mandy Miller is taking the selfie. Linsey Ivison on the left, holding Frank Morrison, Carter Morrison, Lacie Ivison, Natalie Randall, and Curt Randall.

Submitted photo.

Should New York ban Tide Pods?

Reason Magazine: New York Legislators Unveil Legislation Banning Tide Pods

Alexander wrestler Nick Young won a Section V title yesterday at 132 pounds and will advance to the state championship rounds.

Young beat Le Roy's Andrew Englerth on a 7-2 decision.

He was one of two Section V champions representing local schools. Josh Barber won at 285 pounds for Attica/Batavia.

Young now has four class sectional championships making in the most decorated active high school wrestler in the area. 

He's qualified for the state tournament four times. Earlier this year he placed fourth in the Eastern States tournment. He's ranked #2 in the state in his class.

Besides winning the title yesterday, he won the Brad Paddock Memorial Scholarship Award and Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Submitted photos.

Coaches Tom Aldinger and Dee Gugel with Nick Young.

Invictra, arguably the best local band right now (they are, after all, (the reigning champs of the only local battle of the bands showcase in the area), will be among the more than dozen local and nationally known acts to take the stage at The Ridge in Le Roy in the first days of June for the annual American Warriors Concert.

The concert honors veterans and raises money to assist them. All veterans and active military can attend for free.

Also on the bill, Madison Rising, James Wesley, JB Aaron, Alyssa Trahan, BC Psychos, Pete Griffith, Jon Dretto, Jack West, Dylan Desmit, Kenny Drury, and Vinyl Orange Ottoman.

The two-day concert event is June 1 and June 2.

Campers, click here.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Here's a press release about the event:

AWC is known for its "Celebration of our Troops, Veterans and American Way of Life." We pride ourselves on offering free admission to veterans and active/reserve military personnel.

This event also donates to a nonprofit veterans' organization of its choice. This year's beneficiary is WNY, Heroes Inc. It's an organization that provides veterans, members of the armed services, and the widows and children of deceased veterans with access to essential services, financial assistance and resources that support their lives and sustain their dignity.

The American Warrior Concert is possible by partnering with The Ridge NY, and sponsorship from by local businesses including Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, TJV Mechanical, CAM Construction, Oliver’s Candies, Livingston Associates, Batavia Legal Printing, Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet, Stan's Harley Davidson, Genesee County SCOPE, Watson Guitars, Leroy Hardware, Orcon Industries and Genesee Valley Penny Saver to name a few.

We will have many bands from many genres of music, many local vendors and other organizations aimed at servicing the needs of our veterans.

We will also be featuring an Honor Wall with local submissions made by people wanting to honor their military friend/family hero.

We hope to make this year's event bigger and better and would love to see more veterans come and enjoy our concert for free.
 

James Wesley

Madison Rising

Alyssa Trahan

Dan Adams was named Firefighter of the Year for the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department at the department's annual awards and installation dinner Saturday night.

Pictured with Adams are Jamie Fluker, Jeff Pietrzykowski and Jeff Fluker.

The 2018 officers are: Jeff Pietrzykowski, chief; Jeff Fluker, first assistant chief; Jamie Fluker, second assistant chief; Kyle Rombaut, captain; Christopher Page, lieutenant; Mel Davis, first aid captain; Jim Duval, first aid lieutenant; and George Larish, fire police captain.  

The board officers are: Christopher Page, president; Kyle Rombaut, VP; Corie Rombaut, secretary; Jeff Wolak, treasurer; with board directors -- Vicki Wolak, Peggy Johnson, Wayne Walker, Todd Mogenhan, Mel Davis, Bill Shea. The chaplain is Rev. Walter Whenhold.

Jamie Fluker received the Chief's Award.

The department responded to 132 calls. Jim Duval responded to 91 of those calls, the most of any member.

Greg Johnson put in 107 training hours, the most of any member.

The dinner featured a ceremony honoring all of the first responders in Bethany. A plaque will be hung in the Fire Hall that reads, "We Are All Heros."

Pictured, Jeff Fluker, Mel Davis and Peggy Johnson.

Jeff Fluker, who just finished a three-year stint as chief, and has been chief for nine of the past 11 years, received a gift from the department.

A driver spotted a German shepherd wearing a bandana walking along the roadway in Bergen and stopped, opened her car down and the dog jumped in.

The dog seemed friendly at first, the caller told a dispatcher, but now it's growled a couple of times.

The caller is parked at the 7-Eleven in Bergen awaiting the arrival of Animal Control.

UPDATE 2:45 p.m.: As Animal Control was showing up at the 7-Eleven, so did the dog's owner. Owner and dog reunited.

A group of veterans being treated at the PTSD clinic in Batavia got a special Valentine this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.

Students participating in a history class there presented each of the veterans with a patriotic Valentine's Day card that they made themselves.

Anne Marie Starowitz also presented a $250 check to the veterans, a donation to the clinic or however they want to use it. She said they could throw a party for themselves if that's what they wanted to do with the money.

The money comes from the sale of her book, “Back in the Day, Snapshots of Local History, the Way I See It!”

Starowitz said she was inspired to make the donation and support the veterans after a group from the PTSD clinic in Batavia visited the museum and she felt so moved to meet them and learn something about them.

Several of their veterans expressed their gratitude, including ones who said the gesture was so meaningful because they are currently separated from their own children while undergoing treatment and they miss their kids.

"One of the symptoms I deal with is kind of numbing everything out, but this really cracked through the ice," said one veteran. "This is special."

Carl, who served two terms in Iraq, said the cards meant a lot to him but wanted to remind the children that the word "hero" has a special meaning.

"To us, hero means the people who didn't come home," Carl said. "That's something that we hold dear to our hearts and I'm sure you do, too, but on the other hand, it's people like you guys who are willing to do this and support us and happy to do it that make it easy for us to go over there and fight."

Genesee Sno-Packers held their fourth annual Bikini Rally in Oakfield today. The event brings together people with a passion for snowmobiling and also helps raise money to assist in the fight against breast cancer. 

And for the first time in a couple of years, it was also a good wintery day for the event, with plenty of snow and some cold.

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be offering its first annual Teen Academy July 23 – 27 at the Byron-Bergen Central School.

“The Teen Academy is a one-week structured program which consists of instructional classes designed to provide high-school-aged students within our community an introduction to law enforcement training and gain an understanding of law enforcement’s role in their community," said Sheriff William Sheron. "It is our hope that teens will build confidence while learning good decision-making and leadership skills."

Academy instructors are experienced Deputy Sheriffs who will discuss day-to-day operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

Participants will also:

• visit the Jail, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Dispatch Center, and Sheriff’s Office;
• observe displays of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Hostage Negotiation, SCUBA Team, K-9 Unit and Evidence Recovery;
• be provided insight into motor-vehicle accident reconstruction;
• participate in daily physical fitness runs, defensive tactics and team-building exercises;
• participate in a classroom setting and learn about the  NYS Penal Laws and Vehicle & Traffic Laws;
• participate in mock traffic stops and DWI procedures.

Qualified candidates will be selected for an interview screening process if they meet the following requirements:

• must be entering grades 10-12;
• must be in good academic standing with little to no disciplinary issues;
• must be able to participate in physical fitness activities;
• must have a positive attitude;
• must have their parent’s permission.

“This is a unique and forward-thinking opportunity offered by Genesee County Sheriff Sheron and the Department; Teens are invited to immerse and be exposed to the real law enforcement experience," said the chair of the Public Service Committee.

"More than imagining, the academy opportunity is live, in-the-minute learning about today’s community policing needs of an exciting career in law enforcement. Students are encouraged to ‘try on’ a law enforcement career role.” 

There is no charge to attend the academy. Application deadline is March 30.

For more information, contact Deputy Matthew Butler at (585) 345-3000, ext. 3252, or (585) 494-1220, ext. 2304, or via e-mail at matthew.butler@co.genesee.ny.us

Visit http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/sheriff/index.php to learn more and download an application.

Press release:

On Tuesday, local youth from Genesee County met with Senator Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Hawley to get support by investing money in the Youth Bureau System.

The youths asked for help in urging the $1.698 million to be restored for the 2018-2019 Youth Bureau Development Program. The Youth Development Program allows youth bureaus, along with many other community-based organizations to operate after-school prevention programs, which helps young people succeed.

The youths all shared their experiences being involved with the Youth Bureau System and how it has positively impacted their lives.

Blue is missing. Blue is a 2-year-old English pointer who went missing Friday afternoon around Stannard Road, Alexander. He ran off chasing a deer and hasn't been seen by Ben and Christina since. He was last seen wearing an orange collar with an ID and a red collar with a big bell.

If you can help Blue get home to Ben and Christina call either (716) 572-2591 or (910) 382-0341.