Elba student Sam Lamont, who was picked to represent Genesee County as a student attending Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State Speech (writing about it here), received another honor from the New York Legislature today. Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented him with a flag that has flown over the state capitol in Albany.
Sam Lamont, a student in Elba, was selected to attended Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State speech earlier this week.
He was one of 62 students selected from throughout New York. The Elba Central School District was asked by the governor's office to select one of its student.
Sam was selected because of his leadership qualities, involvement in the community and was a Boy's State representative last summer.
Above, Sam is pictured with his parents, Skip and Mari-Ellen Lamont.
Below is his report on attending the event.
Being chosen to attend the "State of the State Address" was an honor. This was my first trip to Albany and yes it was impressive. This was a moment in history.
Seeing Governor Andrew Cuomo outline his plan to bring New York forward and reduce spending was inspiring and rang true with those present.
He is an emotional speaker and today, in Albany, it didn't matter if you were a Republican or Democrat.
He does care about the future of our state. Rochester's own Robert Duffy, taller than I had expected, gained the respect of everyone in the room.
As I sat on the stage, I was immediately impressed by the number of black power suits and the presence of the press. Cameras were everywhere. It seemed everyone was making contacts and later being interviewed as to their opinion of the speech.
The receptions were filled with a cross section of New Yorkers looking forward to a canoli or cheesecake while discussing politics.
I came to the realization that Albany is a powerful place and those individuals in dark suits are many of our elected officials. They are powerful people and are decision makers in our future. Let them hear your viewpoint; vote, contact your representatives and be informed.
Nicholas Adkins, 20, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with burglary, 2nd. Adkins allegedly forcibly entered a house on Swamp Road, Town of Byron, and stole money. Adkins was jailed on $5,000 bail.
A 17-year-old resident of Transit Road, Elba, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth is accused of becoming physically abusive toward a 14-year-old boy while the boy was in the area of 430 E. Main St., Batavia. The Elba youth may be eligible for youthful offender status.
David Paul Bartholf, 19, Kelsey Road, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bartholf was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Deputy Patrick Reeves at 4:58 p.m., Nov. 11. Bartholf was allegedly found in possession of a marijuana pipe.
Gregory Seppe, 52, no permanant address, is charged with petit larceny. Seppe is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General at 8:08 p.m., Wednesday. Seppe was jailed on $750 bail. (For previous reports on Seppe, click here.)
Donna M. Croft, 57, of 56 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Croft is accused of trying to hide several items of merchandise from Dollar General in her purse. The alleged crime was reported at 9:54 p.m., Wednesday.
As soon as the Elba Town Board found out about cash from scrap metal sales being used to buy a flat-screen TV, popcorn popper and coffeemaker for the highway department, the board instituted new accounting controls to better track funds from the sales, according to Town Supervisor Lucine Kauffman.
Disclosure of the sales and purchases were part of an audit report on nine Western New York governments and the Batavia School District by the NYS Comptroller's Office.
Investigators specifically looked into how procedures for scrap material sales were handled. The finding: Of the $132,000 in scrap sales, there was inadequate tracking and accounting of more than $27,000 in cash.
Elba had the distinction of the only flat-screen TV purchased with the cash.
"It was not a practice we (the board) knew about and we put a stop to it immediately," Kauffman said.
According to the report, the highway superintendent for Elba at the time, Allan Totten, made $5,605 in scrap sales from June 2006 to July 2009. The scrap buyer paid with a check for $1,119 in purchases and paid cash on 18 occasions, totalling $4,486.
When he got checks, Totten reportedly turned the checks over to the town and the money went into the general fund.
Kauffman says the Town of Elba contracts with a vendor to pick up scrap metal from its transfer station and it rents a receptacle from the vendor. Proceeds from the sale of this scrap metal has been in the form of a check mailed directly to her.
The scrap metal sold by the highway department employees for cash consisted of items they transported to the vendor. When he got cash, Totten treated it as a "coffee fund" -- petty cash to use within his department.
After auditors questioned this practice, Totten reportedly turned over $1,113 to the town. He didn't have receipts for the purchase of the TV and small appliances, but auditors said they visually confirmed those items were in the highway offices.
Kauffman said in response, that the town notified the scrap buyer that all purchases must be paid for by check from now on, that specific accounting of each transaction must take place. Furthermore, there is no "coffee fund" now.
Purchases for refreshments are reimbursable only under specific conditions, one of which is that the refreshments are for highway department employees from other municipalities assisting with Town of Elba projects.
These purchases will be specifically regulated as to how much money can be spent on authorized items. The town also adopted a code of ethics and wrote a scrap metal policy.
And writing the policy was made a bit harder, Kauffman said, because she couldn't find another jurisdiction that could provide an example of their own (written) scrap sales policies. They just didn't exist, Kauffman said.
That was one of the issues the comptroller's office apparently was trying to address in its audit of government agencies.
In the Batavia School District, auditors identified nearly $4,700 in cash sale proceeds for the period September 2006 through November 2008 that were not recorded or documented.
Some of the sales were recorded in the names of district employees and employees included personal scrap in the pile.
The City of Batavia and Town of Oakfield were found to have informal procedures for accounting for scrap sales and the audit report suggests that formal procedures be adopted.
A motor-vehicle accident is reported in the area of Transit Road and Route 262. A car that was headed toward Byron is in the ditch.
Elba fire personnel are on location.
A trailer fire is reported in the area of Oak Orchard and Hundredmark roads. Elba Fire Department is called -- all manpower and equipment to the scene. Medics are also responding
UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: Injuries are minor.
Ricky Allen Marsceill, 46, of 174 Ross St., Batavia, is accused of being a fugitive from justice. Marsceill was arrested by Batavia Police Det. Pat Corona on a warrant out of Florida. The underlying charge of the Florida warrant was not released. At 1:10 p.m., Wednesday, Corona approached Marsceill's residence on Ross Street and spotted Marsceill on a bicycle. Marsceill allegedly tried to flee on foot. Corona pursued Marsceill and Officer Jay Andrews responded to the scene. Marsceill was apprehended by Corona and Andrews on Manhatten Avenue. Marsceill was jailed without bail pending extradition to Florida. (Initial Report)
Randy K. Braun, 48, of Maier Lane, Caledonia, is charged with DWI, failure to keep right, moving from lane unsafely and uninspected vehicle. At 9:04 p.m., Wednesday, Deputy Matthew Butler responded to Route 63 in Bethany to investigate a report of a car off the road in a ditch. Braun was allegedly found to be the driver of the vehicle. He was arrested on suspicion of DWI and jailed on $1,000 bail.
Vesna Brongo, 41, of Cadillac Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged aggravated unlicensed operation. Brongo was taken into custody by Rochester Police and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Brongo was arraigned in Town of Elba Court and jailed on $250 bail.
A 14-year-old boy from Byron is charged with criminal sexual act with a child 11 years old or younger and endangering the welfare of a child. The name of the suspect was not released by State Police. The crime was reported Dec. 21. No further details were released.
A two-car accident partially blocking the roadway is reported in the Village of Elba south of the intersection of Route 98 and Chapel Road. No word on injuries.
Elba Fire Department is responding and/or a Sheriff deputy.
UPDATE 5:02: About 20 minutes ago, the first responder reported no accident was located in the vicinity.
For the 30th year, the Elba Presbyterian Church will gather in a barn on Transit Road to celebrate Christmas Eve. One hundred candles in milk jugs will line the roads leading to the Yunker Farm.
A star at the top of the loft window can be seen at the approach. A rough wooden manger will be the focal point, while a newborn baby and the parents will portray the Holy Family. Rows of seats for the congregation will be wooden planks held up by onion crates.
Robert David Cassatt, 23, of South Main Street, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and driving at a speed that is not reasonable or prudent. Cassatt was charged following a vehicle accident at 1:20 a.m. in the area of 7733 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jason Saile.
Collin M. Camp, 19, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unsafe speed for conditions and uninspected motor vehicle. Camp was charged following a traffic accident at 12:20 p.m., Dec. 5, on Byron Road, Stafford. Three people, including Camp, were injured in the accident.
Mandy Jean Fogarty, 21, of North State Road, Nunda, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Fogarty was charged following a vehicle accident at 11:30 p.m., Dec. 14, on Route 63 in Pavilion after Deputy Brian Thompson reported smelling the odor of marijuana coming from her car. Also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana was Amie Lynn Fogarty, 23, of North State Road, Nunda.
Mark Laney, 30, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, speeding (49 mph in a 30 mph zone) and unlawful possession of marijuana. Laney was stopped at 11:50 p.m., Dec. 12, by Deputy Brian Thompson on Route 262 in Elba.
A driver says he swerved to avoid a deer on North Byron Road this morning, which caused his car to go of the road and strike a tree.
The driver suffered minor facial cuts and did not require transport to a hospital.
Deputy Chris Parker, however, writes in his report, that he couldn't find evidence of a deer in the area.
"Investigating officer was unable to observe any fresh tracks near the roadway at the scene," Parker writes in his report. "No evasive maneuvers able to be observed prior to vehicle exiting the roadway. Appeared as driver may have fallen asleep as the tire tracks indicated a linear exit from the paved surface."
The driver, Joseph T. Bortle, 39, of Knowlesville Road, was not cited.
The accident occurred at 7:11 a.m. in the area of 5335 North Byron Road, Elba.
Dorsie M. McGill Jr., 26, of 21 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with theft of services and resisting arrest. McGill allegedly got into an argument with a taxi driver over the amount of fare due, then struggled with police officers Frank Klimjack and James DeFreze when they attempted to take him into custody. McGill was jailed on $2,500 bail.
Vincent D. Henning, 33, of 610 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Henning is accused of renting two laptop computers at two different rent-to-own stores and then selling the laptops to a pawn shop.
Veronica Garcia, 30, of 2414 Walker Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and speeding. Garcia was stopped at 10:59 p.m., Friday, on Pearl Street Road by Officer Dan Coffey.
Melissa Courtney Kent, 19, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and consumption of alcohol inside a motor vehicle. Kent was charged following a call at 1:56 a.m., Saturday, of a car off the road on Route 5 in Pembroke.
Ricky Dean Newbould, 52, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right and improper right turn. Newbould was arrested following the investigation of a motor-vehicle accident at 5:01 a.m., Sunday, on Hundredmark Road, Elba.
Troy Damien Schimley, 17, of Clifton Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and operating a vehicle in violation of a restricted license. Schimley was stopped at 2:39 a.m., Sunday, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy on Wortendyke Road, Batavia.
Vidis E. Malejs, 73, of Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to yield right-of-way. Malejs was charged following a report of a property damage accident at 6:20 p.m., Saturday, on Park Road.
Tammy J. Green, 40, of Attica, is charged with DWI, aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, unsafe start. Green was reportedly involved in a property damage accident at 9 p.m., Saturday, in the parking lot of Alabama Tee Off, on Route 77 in Alabama.
Adam Lee Leaton, 20, of Caswell Road, Byron, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Leaton is accused of hosting an underage drinking party.
Jamie L. Broadbent, 27, of 60 Swan St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Broadbent is accused of shoplifting a six-pack of soft drinks and over-the-counter medication from Tops Market.
Tyler P. Schroeder, 18, of Oak Street, Oakfield, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Schroeder is accused of allowing a 14-year-old to drive the car of another person. A 17-year-old was also in the vehicle. The car was stopped by Deputy James Diehl at 6:36 p.m., Saturday, at the intersection of Pratt and Kelsey roads, Batavia. The 14-year-old was referred to Genesee County Family Court.
Here's a news release sent today from the NY Farm Bureau.
ALBANY -- Dean Norton, a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Elba, was re-elected as president of New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general farm organization, during the organization’s state annual meeting in Melville, Long Island.
“I am proud to have the opportunity to continue to lead this organization as we face a time of tremendous challenges in the agricultural community,” Norton said. “It’s an opportunity to make a difference in the ability of our farms to continue into the next generation.
"We face both unparalleled challenges and unparalleled opportunities, and need to find better ways, quickly, to maximize the connection between New York farmers and New York consumers, in order to keep the next generation farming.”
Norton is a senior agriculture consultant for Freed, Maxick & Battaglia in Batavia. His family dairy farm also manages a custom trucking operation for forage and commodity harvesting.
He has served as New York Farm Bureau’s president since 2008. His term lasts two years.
New York Farm Bureau is a statewide agricultural organization that represents nearly 30,000 member families.
Photo: File photo of Dean Norton.
A 17-year-old from Le Roy and a 16-year-old from Stafford are charged with petit larceny, trespass and conspiracy, 6th. The two youths were allegedly observed by officers Robert Tygart and Emily Clark of the Le Roy Police Department running through backyards on Hilltop Drive. The two youths were allegedly going through vehicles in the area and taking items from the cars. The suspects were located by following footprints in the snow. A 15-year-old was also involved and he was referred to Family Court. (Note: In most cases The Batavian does not release the names of youths under 18 involved in minor crimes. In this case, the Le Roy Police Department did not release the names.)
Alissa A. Fodge, 21, 7705 W. Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Fodge was stopped at 3:25 a.m., Saturday, on Ellicott Street by Officer Kevin DeFelice.
Martin F. Jones, 39, of 10 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Jones is accused of striking a woman at her residence on Spencer Court.
Jamie Marie Hamill, 33, of Lockport Road, Elba, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and offering a false instrument for filing, 1st. Hamill was arrested following an investigation by Genesee County Social Services stemming from an incident first reported in June 2009.
A 25-year-old Elba man is being charged with sexual abuse in the first degree following his arrest for allegedly having sexual contact with a child under 11 years old.
Rigoberto Aguilar, of Oak Orchard Road, was jailed on $25,000 bail.
Aguilar was taken into custody following a 9-1-1 call at 3 a.m., Friday.
A tree limb has fallen across electrical wires in the area of 6173 Quaker Hill Road.
The wires are arcing and sparking.
Elba Fire is responding.Here's a news release submitted by Elba resident Chantal Zambito, co-coach of Elba's FIRST Lego team; please see the Aug. 5 article:
On Saturday, Nov. 20 the NXT Lancers Team from Elba competed in the Finger Lakes Regional Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Qualifier Tournament.
It took place at Churchville-Chili High School.
Five students made up the Lancers' team: Christian Gerould, Garrett Sinemus, Evan Hare, Colin Hunt and Johnny Zambito.
They used LEGO kits to build robots programmed to perform specific tasks.
Over the course of eight weeks, they designed, researched, built, programmed, tested and refined a fully autonomous robot capable of completing various missions.
This year’s theme, "Body Forward Challenge," explored the cutting-edge world of biomedical engineering.
Participants learned about innovative ways this science is used to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body’s potential -- with the goal of helping people lead healthier, happier lives.
The NXT Lancers designed a hockey helmet with a visual warning, airbag, and damping system to help a player avoid a concussion if they were body checked during a game.
The boys performed a newscast skit using themselves as "emergency medical technicians" and expert "doctors" to present their invention to a panel of judges. They were limited to five minutes.
The team was then asked questions about their project for another five minutes. The judges commented, “Great presentation and teamwork. We really like how you researched concussions and included an explanation of them in your skit.”
Next, the robot design judges interviewed the team. They talked about the construction of the robot and its programming. The judges were interested in what the team came up with to solve problems and what they considered to be the best parts of the robot.
The NXT Lancers demonstrated several of the robot's programs during their interview. The technical presentation judge commented: “Sturdy robot, nice consistency with the robot arm and good documentation.”
Then it was on to the robot performance rounds. Each team performed in three rounds, each lasting two-and-a-half minutes.
The team scored a total of 205 points, winning one of the three rounds -- an exceptional accomplishment for their first qualifier event.
In all, there were 21 teams, seven of which will go on to the RIT competition.
Saturday was a nonstop day of preparing and presenting. The team members worked hard and their determination was amazing, according to co-coach Evelyn Hunt.
Next, they will be preparing for an exhibition competition at Genesee Community College on March 17 during the GLOW region Tech Wars.
The Elba team is looking for more members, especially girls. Robotics are not just for boys! (In fact, there were two all-girl teams at the Nov. 20 competition and one of them earned the highest award. Both are going on to the next round.)
Deputy Tim Wescott and Youth Officer John Dehm were at Elba School this morning to talk with students about cyberbulling and Facebook and mobile phone safety. They explained how to avoid cyberbullying and the legal implications.
Photo and information submitted by Jason Smith.
A structure fire, believed to have begun in a bedroom, is reported at 7154 Pine St. in Oakfield. It's off of Maple Avenue, the last street coming out of the village.
Oakfield, Alabama and Elba fire units are called to respond.
UPDATE 12:56 a.m.: Firefighters are working on extricating people from the building.
UPDATE 12:58 a.m.: An investigator requested to the scene. At least one person is out of the building and requires medical attention.
UPDATE 1:06 a.m.: National Grid notified. No ETA.
UPDATE 1:24 a.m.: Fire's been knocked out.
UPDATE: Further updates on this fire will be available in the morning.
The smell of a possible electrical fire is reported at a house located at 30 Chapel St. in Elba.
Elba Fire Department is called to respond.
UPDATE (7 p.m.): Firemen on scene say nothing was found. Elba fire is back in service.
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