Le Roy won its season opening-boys basketball game Friday night at home beating Haverling 53-51.
Andrew Loftus scored 19 points and had 13 rebounds. Cody Lytle scored 16 points and Mitchel Hockey scored 12 points.
Also in boys basketball on Friday, Batavia beat Honeoye Falls 62-57.
Photos and game information for Le Roy submitted by Tim McArdle.
Oakfield-Alabama senior Ryan Schildwaster won two Class D sectional titles in swimming yesterday. He took first place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:10.44. He also won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57 seconds.
In addition to the titles, the coaches selected Schildwaster as Swimmer of the Meet.
"This is a well-deserved honor for a very dedicated young man and an exceptionally talented athlete," said Coach Patricia Buczek. "Congratulations Ryan on a swim well done."
Photo and information submitted by Patricia Buczek.
The annual Polar Plunge at Lake Ontario was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but staff at Batavia Middle School didn't want to see Special Olympics lose out on such a vital part of their annual fundraising campaign.
So they came together today, at the prompting of Eric and Krista Knapp, who organized everything, for their own polar plunge with the help of City fire and Batavia PD.
Press release:
Genesee County will be replacing the Darien Alexander Townline Road Bridge over Tannery Brook just south of Attica Road in the towns of Darien and Alexander.
Construction is expected in Spring 2022, with an anticipated construction duration of four to six months. The bridge will be replaced with new prestressed box beams with cast-in-place abutments.
All work is to be completed within the existing highway boundary. The bridge is funded with 80-percent federal aid and a 20-percent local match.
For details of the project, click here (pdf).
Press release:
Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined Reps. Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), Andrew Garbarino (R, NY-2), Nicole Malliotakis (R, NY-11), Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21), Claudia Tenney (R, NY-22), Tom Reed (R, NY-23), John Katko (R, NY-24) in calling on Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson to open a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration following bombshell reports that a top aide to Governor Cuomo just admitted that their office, in an effort to block a DOJ investigation, hid from federal authorities information on nursing home deaths caused by the Governor’s nursing home mandate.
“The Governor and his staff made a calculated and potentially criminal decision to withhold information of his reckless order forcing COVID-positive patients back into nursing homes, "Congressman Jacobs said. "Grieving New York families and elected officials have tried for months to get answers, only to be brushed aside by the Governor while he shamelessly accepted book deals and awards for his handling of the pandemic.
"This is now not only an investigation into the true toll of his disastrous directive but a criminal investigation into obstruction of justice. This new reporting details willful corruption of the highest degree and represents one of the greatest betrayals of public trust we have seen during this pandemic – the Department of Justice must launch a federal investigation immediately, and Governor Cuomo and his staff must face justice.”
“The Department of Justice needs to immediately open an Obstruction of Justice investigation into Governor Cuomo and his administration. It's now being reported there has been a direct admission of their nursing home cover-up with the intent of blocking a DOJ investigation.
Congressman Zeldin said: "The families of thousands of dead New York seniors deserve accountability and justice for the true consequences of Governor Cuomo’s fatally flawed nursing home policy and the continued attempts to cover it up. It’s clear what's happening here is criminal.”
Congressman Garbarino said: “It is clearer now more than ever that the Department of Justice needs to conduct a full investigation into the Cuomo Administration’s handling of nursing homes and COVID-19. Gov. Cuomo not only recklessly put New York seniors in harms’ way, he and his Administration admittedly hid the facts from the Department of Justice.
"This, along with the refusal to respect the several Freedom of Information Law requests, turned a misjudgment in policy into what very well may be one of the largest criminal cover-ups in New York’s history. On behalf of every New Yorker who lost a family member or loved one in one of these nursing home facilities, I am demanding answers and justice.”
Congresswoman Malliotakis said: "This admission of a coverup proves what we’ve known all along; Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) made a calculated political decision to avoid answering questions and being the subject of legal investigations. The Governor should immediately resign, and the Department of Justice should hold Governor Cuomo and his administration accountable so justice can be served for the thousands of families who lost loved ones.”
Congresswoman Stefanik said: "After yesterday’s bombshell report, there is absolutely no question that an immediate independent investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice is warranted. If there is no Department of Justice investigation into the Secretary to Governor Cuomo's public admission of federal crimes, a stain will remain on the entirety of the Biden Administration. I also call for a full transcript to be released of President Biden's meeting with Governor Cuomo at the White House, so the American people can be assured that President Biden is not complicit in this apparent criminal cover-up and admitted obstruction of justice.”
Congresswoman Tenney said: "The latest revelation that Governor Cuomo’s administration deliberately concealed data related to nursing home deaths is unconscionable. I have been raising the alarm around this issue for more than a year and am proud to now stand with my New York colleagues in Congress to call for an immediate federal investigation into this matter. New York families need the truth and they deserve justice.”
Congressman Reed said: “The mountain of evidence, lies, and criminal conduct cannot be ignored any longer. The Biden Department of Justice must conduct an independent and thorough investigation into Governor Cuomo, Secretary DeRosa, and New York State. Regardless of our party affiliation, we should all be able to agree such an investigation is an essential step if we are going to achieve justice for the thousands of grieving New York families.”
Congressman Katko said. “The revelations being reported regarding New York State’s handling of nursing home deaths represent a massive breach in public trust. Hundreds of families across New York State lost loved ones as a direct result of the State’s disastrous nursing home policy. Reporting now shows the Cuomo Administration deliberately withheld this critical information from federal authorities. The individuals responsible for perpetuating this cover-up must be held accountable.”
This report came after it was revealed more than 9,000 coronavirus patients were sent into New York nursing homes. In addition, New York Attorney General James released a report two weeks (ago) revealing the state had underreported nursing home deaths.
Press release:
Senator Rath has called for a full, independent investigation into the Cuomo Administration, the Department of Health, and any other government official complicit with covering up information.
“What we are seeing regarding the reporting of deaths in nursing homes is extremely disturbing," Rath said. "Questions surrounding the number of deaths in nursing homes have swirled since March and for almost a year, the Governor and the DOH have ignored the cries for clarity.
"We need all the facts and that is why an investigation is critical. We need to know who knew what and when, and if the information was kept from the Department of Justice.
“In an ironic shift, Senate Majority members are now calling for the Governor’s executive powers to be revoked. After months of my colleagues and I (calling) for the repeal of the powers and being accused, by the Majority, of playing games and being political, now they see the true effects of centralized control.
“Furthermore, after members of the majority dismissed our conference’s calls for transparency as political, it now appears we were correct and that there was a coordinated effort to cover up facts for political gain.
“It is extremely troubling to me if the public cannot trust our top elected officials during a public health crisis."
Nicholas B. Turnquist is indicted for the crime of third-degree rape, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 23, 2014, that Turnquist, being 21 year old or more at that time, engaged in sexual intercourse with another person less that 17 years old in the Town of Darien. In count two, he is accused of first-degree sexual abuse, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged in count two that on that day he subjected a person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion.
Dean M. Nohle is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Sept. 13 in the City of Batavia that Nohle knowingly possessed stolen property with a value exceeding $100 -- a 2014 Chevrolet. In count two, Nohle is accused of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a Class D felony. It is alleged in count two that he knowingly possessed stolen property with a value exceeding $3,000 -- the Chevrolet. In count three, he is accused of aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree, as a misdemeanor, for operating the Chevrolet on Clinton Street while his license to do so was suspended by the NY Commissioner of the DMV.
Andrew L. Kosiorek is indicted for the crime of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on June 22, 2019, in the Town of Le Roy, Kosiorek stole property valued at more than $100 -- a 2018 Nissan Rogue. In count two, he is accused for criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two that the defendant knowingly possessed stolen property -- a Rigid 5-gallon ash vacuum.
A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 8250 Park Road, Batavia.
Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
Traffic is blocked.
Press release:
Rochester Regional Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center announced plans to resume restricted hospital visitation. Rochester Regional Health will begin visitation on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at its five hospitals while URMC will start visitation the day before.
Visiting Hours
Visitation Guidelines
Patients may designate two visitors throughout the patient’s stay;
Data Update –
Please be advised both Genesee and Orleans County Health departments will be closed on Monday, Feb. 15, for the Presidents’ Day holiday. We will not be reporting out or updating the websites. We will report the long weekend data along with Tuesday’s data Tuesday afternoon.
Orleans County received 14 new positive cases of COVID-19.
Press release:
As this week comes to a close in Le Roy, folks are still talking about all the fun things that happened during Le Roy’s first celebration of National Jell-O Week.
Plans for the event were a last minute idea of Lynne Belluscio, director of the Le Roy Historical Society and Village Historian, who also serves as the director of the world’s one and only Jell-O Museum.
For those people who aren’t acquainted with Jell-O history, Jell-O was introduced in LeRoy in 1897 by a carpenter, Pearle Bixby Wait. Belluscio is quick to point out, that Jell-O wasn’t really invented in Le Roy.
Dishing Up the Right Name
For hundreds of years, people had been making flavored gelatins, which were called “jellies” but in the 1800s, several gelatin products were developed and sold in stores. The names of these jellies weren’t too appetizing. Who would want to eat "Bromongelon," or "Tryphosa." Wait bought powdered gelatin, sugar, flavoring and coloring. Mixed it together and. according to the Wait family history, his wife, May, came up with the name: J E L L hyphen O – and it has to have the hyphen.
Wait didn’t patent his new product. He trademarked the name. For two years he tried to find interested customers to buy Jell-O but was discouraged.
In 1899, he sold the rights to Jell-O to a businessman in Le Roy, Orator Woodward for $450. By 1907, a year after Woodward died, Jell-O was a million dollar a year industry in Le Roy. And the rest is Jell-O history, which is on display, of course, at the Jell-O Gallery.
The history of National Jell-O Week began in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2001 when the students of Brigham Young University petitioned the state legislature to declare Jell-O the state food. The state legislature agreed and Jell-O became the official Utah State Snack. This is because the people of Utah consume more Jell-O than another other state, and for a curious reason, they also eat more lime Jell-O than any other state. (Iowans give them a run for their money though.*)
Celebration Time -- the Second Week in February
It seems that the students at Brigham Young decided that National Jell-O Week would be the second full week in February (and one declared nationwide was in 2009**). which in 2021 would be from Feb. 14 through the 21.
This year, the second week in Februaryt runs from the 14th to the 21st. As Belluscio explained, that posed a problem in Le Roy, because the plans included Jell-O week at the school, and school would be closed for Presidents’ Holiday, so she decided that Le Roy would jump the gun and start the celebration a week early.
Le Roy’s Jell-O Week included activities in the fourth-grade classes. Virtual tours of the Jell-O Gallery were organized by the Mrs. Bertrand, the technology coach at the school.
These tours were followed up with new Hands-On-History booklets written and printed by the Historical Society and given to each student in the fourth grade. All the teachers sported new Jell-O t-shirts for the week, and students performed several Jell-O science experiments.
Probably the most surprising experiment took place on Monday when student attempted to build structures that would survive an earthquake. The structures were built on a large plate of Jell-O and the “earthquake” would occur when the Jell-O was shaken. Much to their surprise, early the next morning, a 2.2 earthquake occurred just north of Le Roy in Byron!
Students at the high school participated in Jell-O box stacking and a variety of other challenges.
In the meantime, Jell-O Days were declared at the Le Roy Village Green nursing home.
On Thursday, Ruth Harvie, a former employee at the Jell-O Gallery, and a recent resident at the Village Green, was recognized for her dedication to America’s Most Famous Dessert, and was crowned the “Jell-O Queen” in a special coronation ceremony. Special Jell-O displays were installed at the nursing home and at the Woodward Memorial Library.
The D & R Depot had a special Jell-O dessert on the menu this week (and today's the last day to get it, according to restaurant co-owner Sean Valdes. It's a dark and delicious Mandarine orange treat***).
Vote for Your Favorite Flavor
Belluscio also initiated a “Vote for Your Favorite Flavor” campaign. Usually, several thousand visitors would come to the Jell-O Gallery and vote for their favorite flavor, but the museum has been closed most of the year because of the pandemic, so the Gallery is accepting votes through a variety of facebook sites.
Hundreds of votes have been cast, and the polls will remain open through Feb. 21, the last day of National Jell-O Week.
At this time, Belluscio reports that lime has a slight lead over cherry, followed by raspberry. The Gallery is also asking that people share their zip code, as if they had visited the Gallery. Each year, until 2020, the Gallery would record votes from almost all of the 50 states. This year, votes have been received from 40 of the 50 states -- including Hawaii.
The last part of Le Roy’s 2021 celebration has been the construction of the largest paper Jell-O Jigglers barn quilt. A 4 x 4 barn quilt, in a colorful pattern named Jell-O Jigglers, has been on display at the entrance of the Jell-O Gallery since 2011.
This unique pattern, was duplicated on the back page of the Le Roy Pennysaver this past week, and folks are instructed to color in the appropriate pieces and to drop off their quilt squares at the Le Roy House. All of the squares will be assembled into a large quilt and put on display at the Jell-O Gallery this year.
Belluscio also mentioned that a large 8-foot wooden barn quilt was painted last year, and when the weather allows, it will be placed on the Le Roy Town Highway garage on Asbury Road.
Plans for Le Roy’s National Jell-O Week in 2022 are already underway.
* / ** / ***(Editor's notes) (Plus here's a link to 36 old-school Jell-O recipes.)
Michael J. Stack Jr., 44, of Le Roy (no address provided) was arrested by NYS troopers out of Warsaw Feb. 7 for driving while ability impaired by drugs. It is alleged that Stack exhibited signs of impairment during a traffic stop on Route 246 in Town of Perry. According to their police report, Stack failed standardized field sobriety tests. He was transported to SP Warsaw barracks where he was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) from the Warsaw Police Department. Stack was released with appearance tickets for the Town of Perry court, where he is due at a later date.
A male who lives on Garfield Street in Holland and a female who lives on Cherry Tree Lane in Alden, both age 18, were arrested Feb. 16 in connection with an incident that occurred at Six Flags Darien Lake at 1 a.m. on Dec. 12. Their names are not disclosed because they may qualify for youthful offender status (at the time of the incident). It is alleged they climbed over multiple fences and trespassed in restricted areas of the Six Flags property. They were released with appearance tickets to be in Town of Darien Court at a date to be determined.
Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley speaks on bombshell New York Post report that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top aide admitted to covering up nursing home deaths:
“It is hard to find the words to express my frustration with the details of this report," Hawley said. "I am incredibly saddened by how families who have already lost their loved ones have been disrespected by this administration after already going through the painful process of grief.
"We now know for certain that the governor put his reputation before the lives of over 15,000 nursing home residents, and we must keep all options on the table to hold him accountable, along with everyone else responsible for this tragedy and the ensuing cover-up.
"At this point, any excuses made to not rescind the governor’s emergency powers and immediately investigate this matter as thoroughly and independently as possible are entirely disingenuous, and we must now all put politics aside to do what’s right for the thousands of families who had their loved ones taken from them.”
Oakfield-Alabama beat Kendall on Thursday 70-35, with Gaige Armbruster scoring 16 points and Kadon Cusmano scoring 12.
Jordon Schlagenhauf scorred 11.
In other games in boys basketball:
In girls basketball, Honeoye Falls beat Batavia 64-50.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos from the O-A game, click here.
Entering tonight’s league bowling competition, 36 bowlers had registered 900 series – 36 consecutive strikes over three games – that have been offici
And if it wasn’t for one stubborn 6-pin on the final delivery of the final game, Batavian Rich Wagner, one of the best bowlers in the Genesee Region USBC over the past 20-plus years, would have added his name to the list.
The 38-year-old left-hander rolled games of 300, 300 and 299 for an 899 series while competing on lanes 23-24 for the Toyota of Batavia team in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man League at Mancuso Bowling Center.
“On the last ball (on lane 24 at the 24-lane center), I was thinking just hit the head pin; don’t throw it in the gutter,” Wagner said. “My legs were shaking. I couldn’t feel them. I didn’t want to fall down on the lanes. It was just get it there. I tugged it just a little bit, but it could have gone.”
Wagner said he was grateful to have the opportunity to potentially etch his name into the record book.
“The more I’m thinking here, processing it a bit, I had a chance. I can’t complain,” he said. “I can’t get upset or anything like that.”
He said he used two different balls throughout the night -- a DV8 Turmoil II Solid on lane 23 and a Turmoil II Pearl on lane 24, balls drilled by Brian Green of Striking Effects Pro Shop last year.
“I was swinging 23 a little bit and I was pretty straight up the boards on 24,” he said.
Wagner said every ball was in the 1-2 pocket, some driving the 5-pin into the 10-pin (a “swishing” strike) but most packed solidly in the sweet spot. He said he caught a break in the sixth frame of game three.
“I drifted just a little to the right and hit the pocket a little soft, but a messenger came back (off the side wall) and ripped out the 7-pin,” he said. “Other than that, every shot – minus a few swishers – was just dead on.”
Wagner actually had three perfect games in a row in the league as he finished with a 300 last week in a 751 series on lanes 17-18. Ironically, he tripped a 6-pin on the last ball.
Tonight’s outburst raised his league-leading average to 236, and shattered his previous high series of 812.
Mancuso Bowling Center manager Mike Sputore called the feat of 35 straight strikes "the most impressive three-game set I'll ever see."
"It was unbelievable and I'm really glad for Rich as he's just a great guy," he added. "You could see how very humbled he was by it, which says a lot about his character."
A sergeant at Albion Correctional Facility, Wagner said he appreciated the support he received from his teammates – Tom Fluker, Matt Buckley, Leon Hurd and Nathan Cordes – as well as from the other league bowlers.
His team won its match against the Eastown Beverage team of Geoff Harloff, Jim Pursel, AJ Allenbrandt, Mike Johnson and Matt Balduf -- rolling 3,334 scratch with Cordes chipping in with 697. Pursel rolled 697, starting with a 279 game, for Eastown Beverage.
“It didn’t get all quiet. They kept it loud and not making it as nerve-wracking, even though it was,” he said, adding when the messenger took out the 7-pin in the sixth frame, “I didn’t feel my legs the rest of the night.”
One of those who was looking on was Wagner’s wife, Jenn, who bowls with another team in the league.
“I hid behind two people so he wouldn’t see me,” Jenn said. “It was pretty amazing. Afterwards, I told him it didn’t matter whether he got that last strike or not because it was incredible either way. It’s bittersweet, but incredible at the same time.”
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Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley visited the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia to drop off valentines that were made by first-grade students from Jackson Primary School as part of the Assemblyman’s “Valentines for Vets” program.
A veteran himself, and a member of the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Hawley remained outside of the facility as he left the valentines due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“In what has been a challenging and isolating year for us all, it was my pleasure to facilitate the delivery of these valentines to let our veterans know how much their service is appreciated by the young people of our community,” Hawley said.
“The messages written by the children for our veterans were heartwarming and an encouraging sign for our future, and I am proud of these young patriots for what they’ve done to show our veterans how much their service means to them.”
At first glance, one might think that a major metropolitan area such as Austin, Texas, or Phoenix, Arizona, would have major advantages over the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park – better known as STAMP – when it comes to convincing an international corporation to build a semiconductor facility in the Town of Alabama.
But not so fast, says Steve Hyde, chief executive officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, who participated in a video interview with Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, earlier today.
Hyde, when given the opportunity to “sell the STAMP site,” didn’t hesitate -- coming up with several reasons why it would be beneficial for a company such as Samsung, for example, to build a $13 billion chip manufacturing plant at STAMP.
Recent published reports indicated that Samsung was considering STAMP – as well as the Austin and Phoenix areas – for a new semiconductor plant and that the Albany-based Plug Power was planning on operating a “green hydrogen” facility at the Genesee County park.
“STAMP can really compete and they (potential tenants) have got to take a serious look at us,” Hyde said. “That’s why we’re seeing opportunities in a big way right now in the marketplace.”
Hyde backed up that statement by pointing out that STAMP is located between two metropolitan areas (Buffalo and Rochester), has a growing and hungry workforce, and has access to low-cost green energy, and also the fact that New York does not impose “personal property taxes” on manufacturing equipment – a significant savings to these mega companies.
“There are very discreet advantages here in Western New York that you want to seize upon and emphasize,” Hyde said. “And they also need to consider that against some of the challenges in a market that has been a boomtown for 25 years (speaking of Austin) … that you have incredible competition for the workforce there right now.”
He noted that in Austin, the home of Tesla, Oracle, Texas Instruments and Samsung, big companies are competing for the same set of workers.
“Plus, the infrastructure there is overwhelmed and the congestion is crazy. So, there’s some challenges there relative to workforce,” he said. “When you look at us, we’re at a distance of a mile a minute you can literally travel on the highways. And there’s a well-qualified workforce from New York’s second- and third-largest metros. And for the pay rate at STAMP (estimated at $75,000 to $100,000 annually) … those workers will drive 30 to 45 minutes.”
Hyde also said another big advantage is that New York doesn’t charge “personal property taxes.”
“All of the manufacturing equipment in Texas is taxed as personal property taxes. So, when you really look closely at it, we’re going to be really aggressive on the incentive side with the state … and will be far less expensive than Austin because we don’t tax the equipment that will be two-thirds the cost of the project,” he explained.
He also pointed out that this area has good workforce solutions, noting that area colleges, including Genesee Community College, and Genesee Valley BOCES are building degree programs for high-tech industry.
“These big projects that we’re talking about, whether it’s a big renewable project or semiconductor, (they’re) huge power users,” Hyde said. “They want green power and we’ve got the New York Power Authority and we’ve got Niagara Falls less than 30 miles away. We have some of the lowest-cost green energy available in all of North America – like half of what it costs in Austin.
“So, you look at power, you look at operating costs, our labor is about 10 percent cheaper than Austin right now because the market has run up so much. Those factors are a huge part of the cost profile of running an operation like this.”
Hyde’s comments come in the face of a story in the Buffalo-based Investigative Post that indicates Samsung is leaning toward Austin as the site for the microchip factory that would employ about 1,800 people.
According to the Investigative Post report:
Hyde remains optimistic, stating:
“We’ve been eating this elephant a bite at a time as capital becomes available. You know what, though, we’re finally just now arriving at the season where we built the initial pieces of the infrastructure for the site and we can accommodate smaller projects. But we’ve got all of the big infrastructure fully designed, fully permitted and fully ready to build … and now the big projects are inside that window.”
Thermory is in need of an artsy, imaginative, weird type of person that has graphic design abilities and experience.
We need an exceptional human to illustrate creative concepts, be a part of our creative development teams and work in tandem with our marketing agency.
If you value being able to draw a box and then jump outside it, please send your resume to: kevin@thermoryusa.com, amber@thermoryusa.com, and alicia@thermoryusa.com.
Be prepared to talk aliens, best binge worthy TV shows, and why life is best lived to the beat of your own drum....and graphic design, but we can get to that in the second interview.
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