Oakfield

Up next for the county's tri-annual update to our Smart Growth Plan is a presentation Feb. 13 to the Public Service Committee of the Genesee County Legislature.

Planning Director Felipe Oltramari and planning staff have toured the county, providing interested residents at town-hall-style meetings information and maps outlining the proposed changes to the plan.

The final such meeting was Tuesday at the community center in Oakfield and covered the proposed plan for Oakfield and Alabama.

The goal of the plan is to protect farmland from suburban-like sprawl and guide population centers toward a denser, mixed-use, more pedestrian-friendly environment.

These are the types of communities younger generations of families and workers are looking for, Oltramari said. Younger families want to have more amenities and services within walking distance of their homes and have a stronger sense of neighborhood than offered by traditional suburban development where all lots are the same size, all homes have the same floor plan and residents come home from work, pull into their garage and never say "hi" to a neighbor.

The plan for Oakfield (pdf) includes allowing development along Pearl Street out to Batavia Oakfield Townline Road.

In response to a resident's question, Oltramari suggested this area is well positioned for the kind of denser, mixed-use, walkable neighborhood many people want these days.

A resident brought up a decades-old housing development in Le Roy that is more than a mile outside of the village and noted residents just drive to Tops, and "what's wrong with that?" and Oltramari said those are the kind of developments that contribute to the decline of villages such as Le Roy.

Islands of suburban-like development tend to encourage people to move out of older villages and don't bring in new residents, he said, and then the old Victorian homes in the village become multi-unit rentals.

"What happened along with that is their downtown died," Oltramari said. "A lot of people who used to walk into the shops, a lot of families whose kids used to walk to school and go downtown are not there anymore. They’re being bussed and they’re being driven and a lot of people who live in the village are transient people. There are consequences to doing that, but when you build little neighborhoods, you tend to attract people from the outside."

The Smart Growth Plan contemplates new homes being built that fit into a hamlet's or village's character (differing lot sizes, different architectural treatments), but helps keep homes clustered around the village, which will encourage rehab of the remaining older homes.

For Alabama (pdf), growth could mean a demand for more housing, but instead of converting farmland into housing tracts, the plan is designed to grow the existing hamlet into a village.

None of this -- like any planning document -- is written into stone, Oltramari noted after Tuesday's meeting. There are processes to override the plan, but those are difficult barriers to overcome. A town's board, the county planning board and the County Legislature would all have to approve a development not fitting in the current development boundaries, and if that happened there would be legal challenges.

The Smart Growth Plan development process dates back to 2001 and was part of the agreement to bring Monroe County Water into Genesee County. The county is required to update the plan every three years in order to continue to expand the public water supply flowing from Monroe County Water.

There are future funding mechanisms dependent on abiding by the plan, and the Sierra Club is on record, Oltramari said, of claiming it is prepared to file a lawsuit if the county doesn't develop and abide by the plan to protect farmland.

For more on the Smart Growth Plan, and to view maps for each community that outline development areas, click here. The Feb. 13 meeting, likely to start at 4:30 p.m. at the Old Courthouse, is open to the public.

Eric Keith Ricks, 38, of Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, driving on a suspended registration and driving without insurance. Ricks was stopped at 5:22 p.m. Jan. 11 on Swan Street, Batavia, by Officer Chad Richards. During the traffic stop, Ricks allegedly became confrontational with police and refused to obey verbal commands. He was then taken into custody without further incident.

Sadie D. Waala, 25, of Colonial Boulevard, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle. Waala was stopped at 2:25 a.m. Sunday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Dustin W. Bogue, 34, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with trespass, 2nd. Bogue is accused of refusing to leave a residence at 10:55 p.m., Sunday.

Timothy J. Wood Sr., 27, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Wood allegedly struck another person during an argument reported at 5 p.m., Jan. 9.

Shane K. Borton, 44, of Chase Park, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Borton is accused of hitting another person during an argument, reported at 2:31 p.m., Friday.

James M. Spangler II, 40, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Spangler allegedly violated an order of protection by mailing a letter to the protected party.

Jonathan S. Cassidy, 45, of Highland Park, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear.

Rorbert L. Jordan, 70, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan allegedly stole a King Size Reese's Cup from the Kwik Fill at 99 Jackson St. at 6:19 p.m., Jan. 1.

Adam L. Rumley, 26, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated DWI and multiple traffic violations. Rumley was stopped by State Police on the Thruway at 10:22 p.m., Sunday. He allegedly had a BAC of .22.

Linda Ann Martin, 64, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing, 2nd. Martin is accused of claiming she did not make a bank transaction in August 2015.

Ryan James Emery, 19, of Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Emery was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for an equipment violation at 8:35 p.m., Saturday. He was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Investigators continue to work leads in the case of a series of battery thefts from trucks and farm equipment in Genesee County, and as a result previously arrested suspects face new charges.

Bart Towne, 48, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. He was first arrested Sept. 27 and has been charged in the jurisdictions of Byron, Oakfield, Alabama, Elba, Pembroke and Alexander. 

He allegedly stole batteries in each of those towns.

He is being held without bail.

Amber L. Heveron, 28, of Rice Road, Albion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. She was first arrested Dec. 6. She was previously charged in Alabama, Pembroke, Oakfield and Elba. 

She is out of jail under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.

A house fire was reported at 7506 Lewiston Road, Oakfield about 15 minutes ago. 

There were flames showing and heavy smoke.

Oakfield fire along with Elba, East Pembroke, Town of Batavia and Alabama responding.

UPDATE (By Billie) 2:26 p.m.: A man at home alone heard the smoke detector alarm and discovered fire in the master bedroom. He got out safely along with a pet cat. The cause of the fire is not yet known and is being investigated A quick response by volunteer firefighters is credited with keeping the blaze contained to one room before it was extinguished.

A resident of Oakfield found these dogs in her yard this afternoon. She lives just outside of Oakfield near Z&M on Route 63. Both dogs have collars. One has tags. The phone number rings at the Town Hall. Both are white/cream color.

Both dogs are being picked up by animal control and will be available at the shelter.

Thomas Eugene Nudo Jr., 37, of Edgemont Circle, Panama, Fla., is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief, 4th. Nudo allegedly stole cologne from Kohl's Department Store. He also is accused of damaging the packaging. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Brian David Draper, 27, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to register Internet account. 

Jamall George Mikel O'Neil, 19, of Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. O'Neil was stopped for an alleged traffic violation in the City of Batavia by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Randall Arthur Bennett, 70, of Bennett Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Bennett was arrested following a report of a driving complaint in the Village of Oakfield at 9:02 p.m., Monday. He was stopped on Bennett Avenue by Deputy Matthew Clor.

Peter Robert Brounscheidei, 23, of Henskee Road, Alden, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, failure to stop and moving from lane unsafely. Brounscheidei was stopped at 3:18 a.m. Monday on Route 77, Alabama, by Deputy Ryan Young.

As students at Oakfield-Alabama Elementary left school yesterday, they were given a "High-Five Goodbye" from six NYS Troopers and K-9 "Paris."

Photo and info submitted by Lynn Gehlert.

A start-up in Oakfield made the front page of the The Wall Street Journal today (account required) as part of a story on a game that seems to be growing in popularity in some part of the country, even though it has been around a long time.

We've told you before about MöbileSchlägen, the portable version of a game that involves, traditionally, a tree stump, a nail, a hammer, and beer. MöbileSchlägen was invented -- they actually got a patent on the key technology -- by Marc Johnson, James Betters and Dan Mangus. Their big innovation was the sturdy stand that holds a stump-like piece of wood into which game players pound nails.

A reporter for The Wall Street Journal visited Oakfield a couple of days ago to learn more about the game and wrap mention of it into a story she was working on about the rise in popularity of Hammerschlagen, or Stump.  

The game has become popular enough, as reporter Rebecca Davis O'Brien notes, that there has even been a little legal wrangling over who owns the rights to it. Jim Martin, of Lake Elmo, Minn., asserts he owns the trademark for Hammer-Schlagen. According to the WSJ article, Martin has sent a cease-and-desist letter to a competitor, The Stump Company, and has also sent messages to Johnson and his partners. (He also contacted The Batavian demanding that we correct our previous story and include mention of his company and what he says are the true origins of the game.)

Johnson said their version of the game is gaining interest and they should have a product ready for market soon.

Also, here's a couple of photos Johnson supplied from the Oakfield Historical Society, from a company picnic for U.S. Gypsum in the 1950s, showing a similar game being played locally.

Here's the company's promotional video:

Photos: File photos

Press release:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the club's Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, at the club's facilities at 50 Main St. (Route 63), Oakfield (above the M&T Bank). The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The club's facilities feature operating layouts in O Gauge (Lionel), HO & N scale as well as push trains for the little ones. Refreshments will be served and club members will be available to answer your model railroading questions. Fun for kids of all ages. Stairway access only.

"The Christmas holidays seem to bring back those childhood memories of a model train around the Christmas tree," says club President Mike Bakos. "Our members are keeping the traditions of trains and the holidays alive. We invite you to visit and enjoy one of Genesee County's best kept secrets." 

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers is located at 50 Main St. (Route 63), Oakfield, (above the M&T Bank) and is open Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Business meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month. Visit www.gsme.org.

Frederich Welch, 57, and Doncella Loyd, 53, both of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Welch and Loyd are accused of making several trips in and out of Kohl's, taking merchandise worth $719.91. Troopers stopped the vehicle in the Batavia Towne Center parking lot. Welch was jailed on $2,500 bail and Loyd was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jonathan Dylan Jacob, 23, of Meadville Road, Alabama, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Jacob was arrested following a report of an incident in the Town of Alabama. During law enforcement contact, he was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

James Rosie Thomas, 20, of 367 West St., Lake George, is charged with resisting arrest, escape and he was arrested on a warrant out of Elba. Thomas allegedly ran and resisted arrest when Deputy John Dehm attempted to take him into custody on a warrant at a location on South Main Street, Oakfield.

Tracy L. Miller, 32, of South Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Miller is accused of stealing a purse, which contained several debit and credit cards. 

Nicholas Price, 29, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Price was stopped by a trooper after a report of an erratic driver, including a witness reporting seeing the vehicle hit a mailbox and continue down the road. Price was stopped and administered a field sobriety test before being arrested. He was also charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Daniel Hinca, 21, of Alexander, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and speeding. Hinca was stopped by State Police in Byron. A trooper administered a field sobriety test prior to his arrest. 

Joshua Taro, 38, of Auburn, is charged with petit larceny. Taro is accused of shoplifting from a store in Pembroke. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Brandi Heidenreich, 26, of Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Heidenreich was arrested by State Police for allegedly stealing items from Walmart worth $45.18.

A rollover accident with injuries is reported in the area of 2821 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:28 a.m.: A patient is bleeding, but it's not severe, according to a first responder.

"Charlie" decided to go on a little unsupervised adventure yesterday while in Oakfield and has been missing since.

The beagle, who lives in Batavia, ran off from his owner while on Farnsworth Avenue, with green collar and leash still attached.

Somebody spotted Charlie yesterday on Maltby Road between the school and North Pearl, but the spotter doesn't think Charlie was dragging his leash along with him at that point. 

If you know anything about Charlie's whereabouts, call (585) 344-0787.

A possible chimney fire is reported at 7126 Fisher Road, Elba.

No flames showing, but the residence is filling with smoke.

Elba, East Pembroke and Oakfield dispatched.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: Corfu to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 6:33 p.m.: Fire police are closing Fisher and Drake.

Karl R. Samuelson, 62, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Samuelson was arrested at 5:27 p.m. on Oct. 27 on Lewiston Road in Batavia after he allegedly stole a bottle of liquour from Mr. Wine & Liquor in Tops Plaza. He was released with an appearance ticket for City Court on Nov. 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

A 16-year-old who lives on Liberty Street in Batavia is charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly engaging in a physical altercation with another student at Batavia High School at 3 p.m. on Oct. 28. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket for Nov. 8 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Miracle Angel Patterson, 25, no permanent address, of Rochester, was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court on Oct. 30 after being located in Rochester on an unrelated incident. Patterson is charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property stemming from an incident on Jan. 26, 2015 on Park Road Road, Batavia. Patterson was arraigned and held in Genesee County Jail without bail. Patterson was due in City Court on Oct. 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Joseph M. Marsceill, 31, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on Oct. 31 on a bench warrant out of Batavia Town Court. He was advised to appear in Batavia City Court at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 and was subsequently arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail on $350 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Richard E. Stafford, 76, of Orange Grove Drive, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear in court regarding an unspecified incident on May 9 on East Main Street, Batavia. Stafford was arrested Oct. 31 on a warrant out of Batavia Town Court after being released from UMMC. He was arraigned in City Court then put in Genesee County Jail on $500 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Ryan R. Hernandez, 19, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with failure to appear on a bench warrant. During an unrelated investigation, Hernandez was located inside a residence on Walnut Street in the City of Batavia. He was subsequently arrested, posted cash bail, and was released from custody. He is scheduled to be in City Court on Nov. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

The second of two men arrested the day the 7-Eleven in Oakfield was robbed in March was sentenced to three years in prison for his part in the crime.

Tyler Penepent, 22, avoided a possible 25-year term by accepting a plea deal.

Co-defendant Justin Smith also entered a plea deal previously and has already been sentenced to three years in prison.

The duo was captured because a clerk in the 7-Eleven recognized Smith and they were taken into custody within hours of the robbery. 

They were charged with robbery in the first degree after entering the store at 2:30 a.m. March 14 wearing ski masks. They confronted the clerk and demanded the code to the cash register. They took off with an undetermined amount of cash.

Via our news partner WBTA.

It's been 22 years since a woman who grew up in Oakfield disappeared, but yesterday, State Police investigators took a fresh look at the case with a search of a pond on property once owned by her husband.

There's been no update on the search, but several troopers participated in the search, according to our news partner, 13WHAM.

Sandra Sollie, formerly Sandra Cervone, was nearly seven months pregnant when she disappeared after last being seen at a shopping mall in Macedon.

Sollie was a resident of Macedon and Ralph Sollie's former property on Weidrick Road, Macedon, is the subject of the search. The property has been searched several times over the years, according to 13WHAM's report.

Sandra still has family living in Genesee County.

A caller reports a vehicle on its roof in the area of 6042 Fisher Road, Oakfield.

Unknown if any injuries.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:58 a.m.: Mercy Flight #7 is on a ground standby.

UPDATE 9:01 a.m.: Patient out of the vehicle.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: Cancel Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 9:21 a.m.: The road can reopen.

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $55,000 in state funding to establish a new joint agriculture education program for Oakfield-Alabama Central and Elba Central School districts.

The mission of the new program is to encourage more high school students to explore agriculture and consider a career in the industry.

“This important program will serve as another tool for educators to cultivate student development and success, and I am proud to have been able to jump start this new program," Ranzenhofer said. "Now, our students will have better opportunities to learn more about agriculture and be inspired to start a career in the industry."

The start-up funding will cover equipment, field trip expenses, instructional resources and materials, and instructional salaries. Enrolled students, in grades nine through 12, will experience classroom instruction, hands-on projects and opportunities to visit local businesses with a connection to the agriculture industry. The program will be administered by and located at the Oakfield-Alabama School District.

“We appreciate the support of Senator Ranzenhofer in this new program. Our students are surrounded by agriculture and now have the opportunity to learn about the careers of the industry. We hope the program will motivate some of our graduates to remain in the area as well,” said Oakfield-Alabama Superintendent Mark A. Alexander.

Agriculture and its related industries are the number one economic driver for Genesee County and New York State, and industry demand for a properly trained workforce is greater than ever. According to the Land O' Lakes Foundation, food production in the next 50 years will need to be higher than the prior 500 years.

Senator Ranzenhofer’s office received letters of support from the local agriculture industry, including: Cornell University Cooperative Extension Genesee County; Lamb Farms Inc.; CY Farms LLC; East Pembroke Grange; Wayne E. Phelps Ent. Inc.; Offhaus Farms Inc.; and Z&M Ag and Turf.

The Oakfield-Alabama Board of Education will publicly recognize Senator Ranzenhofer for his efforts to establish the new program during tonight’s board meeting.

Bill Chase, a tour guide today, stands on "the big rock" near the site of what was once one of the largest Native American settlements in the region, on property now owned by Lamb Farms in the Town of Oakfield. The rock may have served as a grinding stone for the Indians, but there is little evidence to support that supposition. At one time, Town of Oakfield considered moving the stone into Triangle Park.

The visit to the big rock was part of four tours today of 30 people each to the site known to later generations of Seneca as Tegat Ainea Aghgue, or town with two forts.  It's the first time the Oakfield Historical Society organized a tour of the site and it proved to be hugely popular. All four tours were sold out and another 30 or 40 people wanted to go on the tour.

The location of the other fort has never been confirmed, but the Oakfield fort was occupied for about 100 years during the 12th and 13th centuries.

The fort was located on the banks of a creek in an area that may have been cleared of trees by fire. Evidence suggests that the Indians waited for new saplings to grow big enough and tall enough to serve as a fence for the fort. They also dug a ditch around the five acres of the fort.

Reverend Samuel Kirkland first visited the site in 1788 and found large trees growing in the area, but the mound and ditch were clearly visible. 

Sixty years later, E.G. Squire mapped the fort, even though part had been cleared by that time for farmland. 

The woods were filled with trees of enormous size and age, he reported. 

Kirkland may have found the second fort, but it has never been located since.

In 1958, a team from University at Buffalo, led by professor Marion White, assisted by amateur archeologist Stanley Vanderlaan, dug a portion of the site and discovered the remains of three longhouses. 

Many residents have known about the area their whole lives and one person on the tour said for a long time it was still possible to find arrowheads in the farm field right after the spring plowing.

The land is privately owned, but that doesn't stop motorcyclists and ATV riders from using the trails in the area. 

The guide reminded everybody they should not visit the site without permission. There may come a day in the future when archeologists want to return, perhaps with better and more sophisticated equipment to help uncover more about the lives of these early settlers. 

The embankment to the right is part of the ditch that surrounded the fort.

This white oak -- the white oak is what gives Oakfield its name -- is possibly the largest and oldest still standing in Oakfield. It's more than 300 years old. Each member of the tour was offered an acorn from a white oak to take home and try and grow.