Le Roy

The Le Roy American Legion Botts Fiorito Post 576 is honoring Nancy Baker as the 46^th Le Royan of the Year. Nancy is the wife of Bruce Baker, the mother of Tom, Bill, Patti, Bob, John and Cindi. She has 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Nancy received her RN and bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester School of Nursing. The Bakers moved to Le Roy in 1963.

Nancy is a “people person,” genuinely interested in and concerned for her family, friends and anyone who might need a helping hand. One of the amazing things about Nancy is her energy. When she commits to something, you can rest assure she will give it her all.

Nancy served on the Le Roy School Board for 18 years including eight year as president of the Board. She is currently a member of the Woodward Memorial Library Board. She was one of the originators of the School Backpack Program.

Nancy has an extensive history of voluntarism and community involvement including the start up of FISH, Friends In Service Here, providing transportation for shopping and appointments; PTSO, Parent Teacher Service Organization to arrange for volunteers to help in the classroom; Community Intervention to assist teachers and parents to understand and help children suffering from alcohol and drug abuse. As a member of the Genesee County Medical Society Auxiliary she brought “Smoking Sam” to the classroom to make children aware of the perils of smoking.

She has served on numerous village, town and county committees including; The Le Roy Recreation Committee; the original Le Roy Community Pool Committee; the Screening Committee to hire a village administrator; The Countywide Stop DWI committee; and as a County Court observer.

For many years Nancy was on stage with the Le Roy Rotary Club musicals to raise money for the Milne Scholarships. As a member of the Le Roy Town and Country Garden Club she helps to maintain the plantings around the village welcome signs and Uptown plantings.

Her commitment as a member of St Mark’s Church reflects Nancy’s volunteerism and reliability. She has been a member of the Church Vestry; representative from St Mark's when LCCP was formed; representative from St Mark's to the Diocese; participant in the Mill Street Breakfast and Lunch programs; advisor to the Sunshine Nursery School; Sunday School teacher; numerous fund drives; and currently is a Lay Eucharist Minister bringing monthly communion to the Le Roy Village Green.

Honors Nancy Baker has received: Genesee County Woman of the Year (1988); Le Roy Woman’s Club Woman of the Month (1966); and Le Roy Rotary Club Paul Harris Award for her many years of community service.

Nancy Baker loves our town and is a very good friend to many. Her 51 years of selfless efforts on behalf of our community and the people in it are remarkable.

 Thank you Nancy Baker!

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at West Main and Clay streets in Le Roy. Law enforcement is on scene. Le Roy fire and EMS are responding.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: The assignment is back in service.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at Keeney and Quinlan roads. Le Roy fire and ambulance responding.

Le Roy fire is responding to a report of the odor of natural gas inside the Jell-O Museum at 23 E. Main Street. The call came from a passerby.

The rain may never have fallen in a deluge, but Cal-Mum was certainly swamped by a relentless Oaktan Knight offense and an immovable defense in a game that took consecutive days to complete because of stormy weather.

Final: Le Roy 40, Cal-Mum 0.

The win assured Head Coach Brian Moran with a career record on the plus side against Le Roy's biggest rival, at 17-15.

Moran said, yes, the winning record against the Red Raiders is important to him.

"I'm proud of that because that (Caledonia) is a great community and great football program," Moran said. "You forget sometimes that Caledonia makes Le Roy better and Le Roy makes Caledonia better. That's been evident over the last 25 years."

The game started on time at 7:30 Friday night under the lights of Hartwood Park, but after the halftime show, officials spotted flashes of lightning to the northeast.

The game was delayed and about a half hour later, it was postponed (along with 11 other Section V games). Play resumed at 9 a.m. today, and by 10, Le Roy officially had a 1-0 record on the season.

The split game didn't bother the players much, said QB Mike McMullen.

"It wasn't a distraction, but it was definitely different," McMullen said. "I don't think anybody on the team has ever done anything like this. I don't think any of the coaches have ever done anything like this, so it is different, but you've got to play through it. So we did and came out and played hard."

To start the half, Cal-Mum tried an onside kick, but the Knights were ready and covered the ball.

Moran thought it was the right call by John Walther. If it had worked, it could have given the Red Raider's a spark.

"That's the way you should start the second half," Moran said. "You're down 21-0 and who knows what the weather is going to do. I give them credit for doing that."

Rather than Red Raider ball, the Knights had possession on about the 50-yard line. Soon, the Cal-Mum defense was looking at the back of #16, Jon Pierce, sprinting toward the goal line for a score that all but sealed the visiting team's fate.

"That was huge," McMullen said. "I told them when we came out there, 'hey guys, we've gotta score first drive. We've got to show them what we're about, make a point.' "

Pierce was the star of the game, always around the ball on defense and racking up more than 100 yards of total offense.

He's emerged, at least in the first game, as the running back Le Roy's coaches always thought he could be. He charges at the line with exceptional lower body strength, quickness and speed.

"We've been expecting this from Jon for quite a while," Moran said. "I'll be honest with you. Jon is a great kid and he has a great ability to move in the hole and then accelerate. Last night we saw it and today, again, we saw it and we're proud of him."

To open the game, Cal-Mum keyed on the McMullen to Ryan McQuillen combination, which isn't a bad strategy. A more mature player in Pierce gives an already powerful offense another weapon.

"He does have great hips," Moran said. "If you just stand behind him at practice you see it. That's what makes a good running back, somebody who can get up into those little small holes and make that cut inside and out. Jon has the capability to do that."

Before the start of the season, Moran and other coaches expressed some concern about an inexperienced offensive line. Friday and Saturday, the line showed it had the ability to move the pile and open holes.

That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement, even after a 40-0 win against a good team.

"There's a lot of things you can do better," Moran said. "You sit back and start to evaluate tape. This is only week one. As we're sitting there and looking at it a little differently on the film, you know there are people who need to read their keys a little better and their footwork needs to be better and the offensive line has to communicate better. We're always thinking about improvement. That's the name of the game."

To purchase prints, click here.

A residential structure fire with people trapped is reported at 7197 Griswold Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire and Bergen fire dispatch.

UPDATE 7:30 a.m.: Stafford fire requested to the scene.

UPDATE(S) by Billie 7:35 a.m.: Everyone is out of the structure. Command reports the fire is possibly out.

UPDATE 7:38 a.m.: Pavilion has also been called and Caledonia is asked to stand by in Le Roy's fire hall.

UPDATE 7:43 a.m.: Caledonia is canceled.

UPDATE 10:36 a.m.: According to Alecia Kaus, Video News Service, who went to the scene, one of the residents (one of the people reportedly "trapped") stayed in the house and put out the fire himself.

The threat of lightning played havoc with the Section V football schedule Friday night, including perhaps the biggest game of the night (certainly, all the Rochester media thought so, turning out in force at Hartwood Park), Cal-Mum and Le Roy.

Officials suspended the game after the half-time show and play will resume at 9 a.m., with the Oatkan Knights leading 21-0.

In all, 12 Section V games were postponed due to weather.

Batavia is down 0-7 to Livonia and play will resume in Livonia at 1 p.m. Elba is beating Pembroke 17-7, and play will resume at 5 p.m.

Top photo: Le Roy's Jon Pierce breaks up a pass by Jake McEwen.

Photos from the first half in the slideshow. To purchase prints, click here.

Coach's final season, a team that enters the 2014 season with a lot of promise, a first game against the school's biggest rival -- it's a good time to remind the players and the fans about the program's highest pinnacle, a state championship.

Five members of Le Roy's 1995 state champion team were invited back home today for a pep rally at the end of the school day.

The former players each took a turn talking about P-R-I-D-E (Perseverance, Responsibility, Involvement, Diversity and Empathy).

The men were wearing T-shirts honoring Coach Brian Moran's 26th and final season leading the Oatkan Knights.

Deputy Joe Loftus told the story of his 13-year quest for a full-time career in law enforcement. Sales Manager Brian Fulmer flew in from Minnesota to talk about responsibility. Bill McKenzie, now a teacher in York, spoke on involvement. Brandon Shaugnessy couldn't leave Texas today because his wife recently had a baby two months earlier than expected, so Coach Jim Bonacquisti read his statement about diversity. Pat Ashley, a corrections officer with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, was assigned empathy.

Ashley remarked that he got assigned the word a lot of people get wrong, confusing it with sympathy, and after giving some examples of how he uses empathy in his career working in a jail and as a small arms instructor, he said maybe he got it wrong, too. (He was spot on: putting yourself in the others' shoes, seeing things from their point of view).

Then the pep of the pep rally began when Student Body President Derek O'Sullivan took the mic.

Derek had members of the marching band beat their drums and then cheered on the volleyball and soccer teams, which also have games today.

He then said, "and I think there's another team playing tonight. Coach Moran, who are we playing?"

"Cal-Mum," Moran said.

Derek noted that the folks in Caledonia probably think they're doing to win. Are they? He asked the crowd? A few kids yelled "no," so he asked again, and the room exploded with a resounding, "NO!"

Afterward, Moran said the rally was "really enjoyable."

"You know, that's why we coach," Moran said. "You take a look at the young people we have up here today, and that's why we coach.

"You talk about the wins and losses," he added, "but we forget about those, you know, shortly after they happen. What you remember are the relationships, the commitment that you have with each other; and for coaches, we want to see what they're doing 10, 15 years from now. Obviously, today, you take a look at these young men and we're just proud of their accomplishments."

The Le Roy-Cal-Mum rivalry is woven into the fabric of both communities, Moran noted, but in a positive way.

"Caledonia and Le Roy is the greatest rivalry in New York State in high school football and we're so close, but that's what leads to great communities," Moran said. "The interest in the game, the interest in each other, the bond that we have with Caledonia and Le Roy. When the game's on, obviously we want to win and they want to win, but when it's over, it's over. And whatever they need, or somebody in our community needs, they're always reaching out. I think that says it all about what both communities are about."

Come on out to the game (7:30 p.m.). It will be a great community, Friday Night Lights experience. If you can't make it, the game will be carried live on WBTA or live streamed over WBTAi.com.

Gregory P. Hamm-Johnson, 24, of Alexander, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Hamm-Johnson was allegedly the driver involved in an accident on Richley Road, Darien. His vehicle reportedly struck a mailbox. Hamm-Johnson reportedly overcorrected, reentered the roadway and spun sideways and rolled multiple times before coming to rest on the roadway. Johnson then allegedly left the scene of the accident. A search of the area, assisted by Corfu Fire Dpeartment, found there were no people around the accident scene. Hamm-Johnson later turned up at the Batavia Barracks of the State Police to report the accident and said he was the operator of the vehicle. Hamm-Johnson reportedly suffered minor injuries.

Jody M. Buck, of Sloan, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, DWI with a child passenger under age 16 and leaving the scene of an accident. State Police observed a vehicle on Route 5 with front end damage. The car was later identified by Corfu PD as one that matched the vehicle description of a car that ran over a mailbox on Route 77. Parts of the vehicle found at the accident scene reportedly matched Buck's vehicle. Buck allegedly registered a BAC of .14.

Charles Robert Lowe, 50, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Lowe was allegedly on another person's porperty without permission at 9:45 p.m., Aug. 19.

A vehicle is on its side following a rollover accident at 107 North St., Le Roy. It's said to be in front of the cemetery.

UPDATE 3:05 p.m.: Patient extricated.

Joseph M. Marranco, 43, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession of controlled substances outside original container. Marranco was arrested following the report of an overdose at 10:40 p.m. Monday at an apartment on East Main Street. Marranco was allegedly found in possession of a hypodermic needle, an assortment of controlled prescription medications outside their original container and marijuana.

Travis M. Blue, 30, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Blue allegedly made a threat of physical contact during an incident reported at 9:35 p.m., Monday, at a location on Ellicott Street.

Randy Kevin Wilmet, 37, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Wilmet allegedly struck another person in the face with his forearm during an incident reported at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.

Jeffrey C. Pero, 31, of Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, turned himself in on a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket. Pero posted $100 cash bail and was released.

Kritin S. Payne, 31, of South Main Street, Batavia, turned herself in on on a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket. Payne paid $45 of a $100 bail and was released.

Michael David Senay Jr., 20, of Valley View Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21. Senay was allegedly in possession of alcohol during a traffic stop at 1:14 a.m. on Clinton Street, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Stephen Bakos, 55, of Alexander, is charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Silver Lake Road, Perry. Bakos was stopped for an alleged equipment violation. According to New York State Police, Bakos operated the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Bakos reportedly failed a roadside field sobriety test and was taken into custody. He is accused of refusing to provide a breath sample for analysis.Bakos was jailed on $1,000 bail. 

Roberto Varona-Gonzalez, 57, of Clifford Avenue, Rochester, is charged with evading or defeating cigarette tax. It is alleged that he possessed 31 cartons of cigarettes or 6,200 cigarettes following a traffic stop on Bank Street Road in the Town of Byron. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Byron Town Court at 5 p.m. on Sept. 22.

Thomas A. Webb, 54, of Gifford Street, Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. He was arrested on the charges after allegedly cashing a forged check at a bank. The investigation was  conducted in coordination with the Le Roy Police Department. Webb was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put then put into Genesee County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. He is set to appear back in court at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11.

Joshua Lee Baltz, 38, of West Main Street, Batavia, is accused of first-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested for allegedly making phone calls from the county jail on Aug. 30 to a protected person, in violation of a stay-away order of protection.

A partially submerged vehicle in a water-filled quarry off Circular Hill Road in Le Roy caught the attention of a Hanson Aggregates employee this morning.

He called the Dispatch Center at about 10 a.m. and reported his find, which generated a response from the Sheriff's Office, State Police and the Le Roy Fire Department. 

"Our first concern was how it got there and if anybody was still inside it by chance," said Sgt. Jon Szumigala, of the Sheriff's Office. "The report we received is that the vehicle looked like it had  been there for quite some time. But we had to check and see if by chance if anybody was in it."

Water rescue teams for Le Roy fire and City fire checked the vehicle and surrounding water and the search indicated there were no victims of a crash.

Firefighters retrieved the vehicle's license plate number and VIN number. It was a 2013 Jeep Wrangler stolen May 20 in Pittsford, Szumigala said.

The vehicle dropped some 40 or 50 feet from the cliff to the rocky shore below.

"It appears that at one one point it was completely submerged and that's why it's taken so long for someone to actually spot it," Szumigala said.

A tow truck from Stella's Collision was called to the scene to retrieve the vehicle.

Satellite image from Bing: This isn't an exact representation of the landscape at the quarry today. There is quite a bit more growth along the northern side of the quarry and on the seemingly manmade plateau in the northeast corner. We've added a red dot for the approximate location of where the vehicle was found.

Deputies are at a residence on Griswold Road in Le Roy and have requested at least three ambulances for "several" victims of an assault.  

Two victims have been mentioned with specific injuries, both women, one wth a head injury who is now in and out of consciousness. 

Le Roy Ambulance and Mercy EMS responding.

An attorney and former Le Roy resident is accused of stealing settlement money from a client for whom he helped win a judgement in November, 2012.

Terrance A. Falk, 49, of 16 Woodsmeadow Lane, Rochester, is charged with charged with grand larceny, 3rd, following an investigation by Le Roy PD.

An investigation began after police received a complaint that from 2009 until the suit was settled, Falk represented the complainant. Falk allegedly received $15,000 from the other party on behalf of the victim, but misappropriated the funds. 

Grand larceny, 3rd, covers thefts of $3,000 or more.

Falk was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.

Forrest Ansel III, 24, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd. Ansel is accused of punching a relative several times, causing physical injury. The alleged victim is over 65 and more than 10 years older than Ansel. Ansel was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Paul C. Ferraro, 19, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd. Ferraro is accused of stealing more than $3,000 over a two-month period while employed at Save-A-Lot. Ferraro was jailed without bail.

Thomas A. Webb, 54, of Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Webb was arrested after a bank employee called about two people in the bank trying to cash forged checks. Webb was apprehended at the scene, but the other person fled before police arrived. Police recovered the checks and the IDs of both suspects. The investigation indicates at least one other person may be involved. That person appears to have supplied the forged checks to the suspects and similar checks that were cashed at another bank branch in the City of Batavia. Le Roy PD and Batavia PD are working together in an ongoing investigation.

Timothy J. Lewis, 20, of Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Lewis is accused of hitting a family member and a friend while in the parking lot of Oliver's Candies at 3:30 a.m., Wednesday.

Katherine S. Thomas, 41, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Thomas is accused of intentionally breaking a glass mug on the sidewalk in front of her residence, causing a physically offensive and hazardous condition.

The morning in Batavia started out kind of gloomy, but by the afternoon, the skies had cleared a bit and it was another beautiful day in Genesee County.

Above, a tree and barn off Selden Road, Le Roy.

A barn on Thwing Road, Stafford.

The view from Clinton Street Road, Stafford.

And below, three shots of Richard Oderkirk's sunflowers in Stafford.

Contractors are continuing work today on the repaving of Route 5 through the Village of Le Roy, creating a bit of a traffic snarl.

Gina Lee Colangelo, 22, of Main Street, Caledonia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to keep right. Colangelo was allegedly the driver in an accident where her vehicle failed to remain in its own lane. Colangelo's vehicle was reportedly westbound on West Main Road, Le Roy, at 9:07 p.m. June 17 when it collided with a vehicle in the eastbound lane. In the course of the accident investigation, Deputy Joseph Graff allegedly found marijauna in Colangelo's vehicle.

Eric Joseph Smith, 29, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Smith is accused of stealing $107 in merchandise from Walmart.

A 16-year-old resident of Parsells Avenue, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

Le Roy resident Mike Risewick, returning from his second deployment to the Middle East, got a grand welcome home tonight, including a shuttle pick-up with friends and family at the Rochester Airport courtesy S&S Limousine. The Le Roy Fire Department provided a lights and siren escort from the I-490 into the village.

It's the kind of welcome, Risewick noted, that only happens in a small town. And only in a small town do friends and neighbors look out for the families of men and women deployed overseas.

"It's incredible," Risewick said of the welcome. "I certainly didn't expect it. It's easy for me to go do this, but all the time in the back of your mind, you're always worried about how the family back home is making out. Le Roy, the town, has just been great. The friends, all the carpooling rides, everybody coming together to make sure my wife and kids were taken care of. I couldn't ask for any more than that."

Risewick, who is with Bravo Company 6442 ASB (helicopter maintenance) has been in the military for 32 years, including three years active duty and the rest of the time attached to the National Guard. He was previously deployed to Iraq. This latest deployment -- which started in October with a trip to Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas -- was to Kuwait.

Risewick with wife Linda and sons Eric and Adam.

Sign outside Spirit's on Lake Street this evening.