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Le Roy

Preschool Storytime Tuesday evening at Woodward Library

By Trisha Riggi

Tuesdays, Apr. 7 - May 19, 6:30-7:00 p.m.

This group is for ages 3-6. Listen to stories and sing songs.  Learn rhymes, fingerplays, and sign language.  Tell stories with puppets and the flannel board.  Each story time ends with coloring and bubbles.

Registration is required.  Children must be at least 3 by the first session.  This session begins Tuesday, April 10 and runs through Tuesday, May 19.

Limit of 15 children. Register online at www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org or by calling 585-768-8300.

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"African Drumming" at Woodward Memorial Library

By Trisha Riggi

On Thursday, March 24 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. we will start a four session adult program hosted by Katie Selig. You will experience the tradition of music in West Africa through authentic instruments. The next sessions will continue, April 28, May 26, and June 30. You may attend one or all of the sessions. Registration is required and there is a $3.00 fee per session. Please call 585-768-8300.

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"Coming to America" at Woodward Memorial Library

By Trisha Riggi

On Tuesday, March 22 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Greg Kinal, Pembroke Central High School teacher and local historian will conduct this interesting exploration into the life and times of European immigrants at the turn of the century. Registration is required. Please call 585-768-8300.

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"Intro to Facebook" at Woodward Memorial Library

By Trisha Riggi

Monday, March 21, 11:00-11:30 a.m. or Wednesday, March 23, 7:00-7:30 p.m. Intro to Facebook is an adult program that includes creating an account, changing your profile and uploading and posting photos. Registration is required. Please call 585-768-8300.

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Driver who allegedly fled scene of accident may face charges

By Howard B. Owens

Charges may be pending following a one-car accident at 10:38 p.m. Saturday, on North Street Road, Le Roy.

The driver has been identified as Philip M. Niccloy, 24, of 75 Summit St., Le Roy.

According to initial reports, the car Niccloy was allegedly driving, was found unoccupied at the accident scene and several law enforcement officers were involved in a search for the driver.

The Sheriff's Office accident report does not include information on how Niccloy was identified as the driver nor how he was found, though on Saturday night, the owner of the vehicle, also a Summit Street resident, said she wanted charges pressed against the driver.

The vehicle involved was a 2010 GMC pickup.

The truck hit a tree at the bend of the road in the area of 8471 North Street Road. The driver-side airbag was deployed.

The accident is being investigated by Deputy Matthew Butler wrote on his report that the investigation is ongoing and there are "charges pending."

Driver has reportedly left the scene of an accident on North Street Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A car has gone off the road and hit a tree in the area of 8481 North St. Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire and ambulance dispatched.

A first responder says there has been air bag deployment, but she says, "I haven't located the driver yet."

A deputy reports that the driver has apparently left the scene.

UPDATE 11:02 p.m.: The registered owner has been located and wishes to press charges against the driver. Police seem to have some idea who the driver is and are searching for him.

UPDATE 11:16 p.m.: The suspect has not been located yet. He is likely on foot and may be within the village boundaries.


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Photos: Loose geese on Britt Road

By Howard B. Owens

When I turned onto Britt Road (Le Roy), I spotted two women wading through knee-deep water in a field seemingly herding three geese.

It turns out that Sid, Sally and Sandy had escaped their pen and decided to go for a swim. Shannon Yauchzee and daughter Kari had to go into the cold, swampy field and round up the wayward fowl.

Grand Jury Report: Woman faces 25 counts for using stolen gift cards

By Billie Owens

The following indictments were issued by the Genesee County Grand Jury:

Deanna Leach is indicted on 25 counts. Of those, 19 are for forgery, 2nd, a class D felony. Five are for petit larceny, a misdemeanor. And one is for falsifying business records, 1st, a class E felony.

She is accused of illegally using gift/debit cards valued at $50 each at a store in the Village of Le Roy on or about Jan. 6, 15, 21, 26 and on about Feb. 7 and 21, all in 2010.

As for the petit larcenies, she is accused of stealing gift/debit cards from the same store on multiple occasions.

Lastly, she is accused of falsifying business records at the same store by not making "a true entry in the business record" that a gift/debit card had been activated.

David W. Wells is indicted on two counts, both class E felonies. He is accused of driving his Chevy Silverado while intoxicated on or about Sept. 17 on Byron Holley Road in the Town of Byron. He is also accused of aggrevated driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .18. He was convicted of DWI in August in the Town Court of Bergen.

John T. Reagan is indicted on one count of driving while intoxicated, a class E felony. He is accused of driving his Audi while intoxicated on or about Aug. 27 on Sumner Road in the Town of Darien.

James Kosiorek is indicted for assault, 2nd, a class D felony, stemming from an incident on or about Oct. 13 in the Village of Le Roy. He is accused of intending to cause serious physical injury to another person and then causing serious injury to that person by means of a dangerous instrument (which in this case was his sneakers).

Peter S. Brigzna is indicted for driving while intoxicated, a class E felony. He is accused of driving his Ford Tempo on Bank Street Road in the Town of Byron while intoxicated on or about Nov. 12.

Police Beat: Driver accused of plowing through yards on Seven Springs Road

By Howard B. Owens

Wade D. Godlove, 47, of 5733 Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and moving from lane unsafely. Godlove was allegedly observed by Deputy Howard Carlson at 1:44 a.m., Friday, driving through the front yards of houses on Seven Springs Road, knocking down mailboxes, a street sign and a fire hydrant. Godlove's car eventually returned to the roadway, according to Carlson's report, and continued on Seven Springs to Route 5. Godlove was stopped by Carlson on Route 5 near Fargo Road.

Bernard Lee  Evans, 40, of 12 Myrtle St., Le Roy, is charged with grand larceny. Evans is accused of stealing a car from a person he knew. The vehicle was recovered. Evans was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Jodi Mae Coe, 35, of Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Coe is accused of pawning stolen property at the Pawn King on Veterans Memorial Drive.

Javier Eduardo Ocana-Reyes, 30, no address listed, is charged with illegal entry. Ocana-Reyes was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Estaban Mata Martinez, 30, no address lsited, is charged with illegal entry. Martinez was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Theodore P. Boylan, 18, of 32 Elm St. Le Roy, is charged with criminal nuisance, 2nd. Boylan is accused of hosting an underage drinking party Saturday at his residence.

Winter Running!

By Jennifer Keys

Make no mistake. I LLLLLLLLLLLOVE Winter!! Love it, Love it, Love it! I love the fresh crisp air. I love the beautiful white snow. I don't even really mind driving in it when necessary. The best days are the ones that are cold AND sunny, though rare. It's also very enjoyable when it's warm enough to run outside. My threshold for running is about 9 degrees, give or take a couple depending on the day. This is due to my asthma and not the fact that it's cold out.

Today was a great day for a run. I run on the sidewalks when they are clear, but in the winter I run in the roads. I try to stay on side streets, but since I live on a main street that is impossible 100% of the time. Running on the black top is much easier on the body than running on the cement, but I still go for the sidewalks when possible.

It felt good to get out today. Last week was a killer and I didn't get out at all. I was so excited to get out today! It was even worth getting soaked by the slop.

Thank you to all of the drivers who moved over when they saw me coming. It is greatly appreciated by both me and my family. It was wonderfully kind and considerate of you!

The snow will eventually leave until next season. The temperatures will warm above 40. Then you will see me out on my bike too!!!!! I saw someone on a bike on Friday. What a sincerely brave and amazing soul.

Isn't it awesome to share the roads with everyone?!

Have a wonderful day!

Cars slides off road, strikes tree on eastbound 490

By Billie Owens

A car slid off the roadway and struck a tree on eastbound Route 490 near milemarker 2.0. There is reportedly a leg injury.

Bergen and Le Roy fire and ambulance are called to the scene. State Police are there now.

Taste of New York expected to be another big hit

By Brittany Baker

If the March 26 Taste of New York is anything like the previous Brew Fest, it should be certainly be a fun time.

“Last year there were people who were having so much fun they didn’t want to leave,” Sue Bobo said.

As part of the planning committee, she expects the night to be as popular as the first wine, beer and local food sampling fundraiser in 2010.

After the Brew Fest provided about 250 guests with an enjoyable evening of mingling with friends and tastings from a few local hot spots, planners at Holy Family School are excited to bring the event back.

“We hope for more this year, a lot of people were really excited to get their tickets," Bobo said. "If they came last year, they’re happy to do it again but there’s a lot of people who heard how much fun it was and would like to give it a try this year."

Tickets cost $20 each or $15 for designated drivers. With the admission ticket, beverage tickets are given to sample wine and beer. Based on sobriety, more beverage tickets will be available for purchase.

The night will start with tasting from 7-10 p.m. and there will be entertainment from 8-11 p.m. by the Le Royan band called Exit 47. Raffles and door prizes will be given throughout the evening.

All funds raised will go to support Holy Family School.

Arna Tygart helped plan the event last year because she has two children enrolled at Holy Family. She spoke highly of the staff at the small school.

“Everyone goes above and beyond for the students,” she said. “The school is wonderful. The principal, secretaries and teachers are all so welcoming. You could go in and eat lunch with your child and celebrate birthday parties and you feel like you’re walking in to family.”

Most businesses which participated will be returning because they liked being able to meet and greet local customers.

"It was a huge success," Tygart said. "We had so many good responses and so much great feedback. Someone even said it could be the best kept secret in Genesee County!"

Safety: Cause for Pause!

By Jennifer Keys

Wow what a day! I’m a planner. I never planned for this, though.

While at work my husband texted me that the kids had been evacuated from the elementary school. I was on the phone with a very understanding client. I listened to my voicemail and learned that the school had followed the procedures they had outlined for emergencies and my children were at the Church of the Living Waters’. This was somewhat comforting because I’m somewhat familiar with the building and I knew that their teachers and school staff were looking out for them and I was sure they had plans for this.

What I didn’t know was whether or not my son or his staff had an Epi-Pen with them. I was certain there would be food as it was lunch time and how better to pass the time and keep people calm than to feed them. You see for us safety has an entirely different meaning than it does for most. Shelter and caring, competent staff are awesome, but then there’s the food thing. As a child with an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts and tree nuts he was in danger of being exposed to a deadly, yes deadly, allergen in this environment and I had no control over it. So began my nightmare. My in-laws aren’t on the robo-call list, so they were completely unaware. The chief of police, who I am lucky to know, was busy, of course. What was the point in calling the school, after all it was evacuated? I could try the church, but wouldn’t all of the parents be doing that? I tried the village clerk, thank goodness, and Java’s. It made me feel better to know that someone with authority knew that I was a little panic stricken by the thought of my son in a potentially uncontrolled, hazardous environment and let’s face it, if you want to know anything you contact the local coffee shop, no matter where you live. I also tried the one teacher’s cell number I had just-in-case. Of course she didn’t answer; it was probably in her purse locked in the drawer of her desk, because who goes to work thinking they need to carry everything with them in anticipation of evacuation.

Fortunately for me, the school nurse had my cell number. She called. She had an Epi-Pen with her, but there was going to be food and we could come get him if we wanted to. Of course! Fortunately, having called my in-laws first they were waiting and ready to go when I called to pick him up. I thought I was breathing then, but when my father-in-law called to say he was in their car I suddenly realized that I still hadn’t been breathing; not even after the nurse’s call. In my mind, even though there was an Epi-Pen and competent people taking care of him, it was still a tenuous situation because there was going to be peanut butter, but once he was in his grandparents’ car that threat was gone and suddenly I really was breathing again.

Before I even got back to Le Roy I received the robo-call stating that the school was clear. There was no longer a threat and they had returned the children back to school for the day. Wow! Wow, because until that moment it had never really occurred to me that there could actually be a bomb there. I thought it was likely a hoax by a disturbed child who didn’t really realize what it meant. All of a sudden it occurred to me that precautionary measures have roots in reality. It could have been a true threat. It suddenly seemed more real. Wow, because the person who apparently put forth this hoax really did not have a true understanding of the depths, the varying levels at which this threat could go. Wow, because apparently with all of the planning we have done to make school safe for my son I realized I had no clue what the plan was for evacuation in regards to him. But mostly, Wow, because we are fortunate enough to live in a society that so proactively plans and is able to mobilize in such a quick fashion to ensure the safety of our most precious resources. We have staff at our school and in our village who know how to take care of business quickly and who do so without thought of harm to themselves. After all, whoever investigated this was taking a personal risk; there really could have been a bomb and it really could have gone off causing serious injury or worse…

When I arrived at my in-laws to pick up my children one was without backpack and hat and the other was without everything. That was probably the happiest I have ever been to see my children on a cold March day without proper outside attire. Will they end up with colds? Probably. Will those colds be a pain? Undoubtedly. Do I care? NOPE, because they are alive and colds are temporary!

So, what was the purpose of today’s rambling blog? Selfishly, I had to just kind of have diarrhea of the fingertips and get it all out because I don’t seem to be able to wrap my head around this entirely, even with all of my professional experience to back me up. Also, I hope that it made someone laugh because we all have our breaking point and I definitely know mine! I also hope it puts everything in perspective for everyone involved; it has for me.

Finally, I write this to thank everyone involved with keeping our children safe and for understanding the concerns of all of us panic stricken parents. What a truly hard, but worthwhile job you have, that I’m sure is not yet complete as I write this. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! We are all indebted to you!

I’m so grateful for living in such an advanced society!

What if we didn’t have cell phones? Or even worse, evacuation plans? Sure I would still be at work enjoying my ignorant bliss, but what if he was exposed to peanut butter? In hindsight, I’ll take today’s chaos over ignorant bliss any day!

As always, thanks for reading!

Unknown situation at Le Roy elementary school

By Howard B. Owens

We've heard from several residents of Le Roy and parents that Wolcott Street Elementary School has been evacuated.

We do know some time ago, the Le Roy Fire Department was asked to assemble at its fire hall for an "incident."

We don't know if the two items are related.

Attempts to reach the Le Roy Police or school district officials have been unsuccessful.

We have no further information at this time.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: "The situation is resolved. Units are released." That's the scene as it stands. After receiving a threat in the form of a written note, the school was evacuated, according to district employee Brian Fuller. State police arrived and other emergency responders and nothing was found after a thorough search. A canine was used in the process.

UPDATE 1:27 p.m.: The children are being escorted back into their classrooms.

UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: The school principal declined to comment.

UPDATE 1:52 p.m.: Fuller said at around noon graffiti was found in a bathroom claiming a bomb was in the building. The 630 students were evacuated and parents were notified via an automated districtwide phone call. The bomb-sniffing canine found nothing and now the students have resumed what's left of their school day.

Chris Charvella granted permission to start attending county legislature meetings again

By Howard B. Owens

Chris Charvella can start attending Genesee County Legislature meetings again.

Town of Batavia Justice Mike Cleveland today adjusted the order of protection barring him from showing up at the place of business of Legislator Jay Grasso.

Grasso has accused Charvella of harassing him for leaving a message on his home phone that said, "Thanks for reading my blog."

Charvella is charged with harassment, 2nd. Under the statute, he is accused of making a phone call with no legitimate purpose.

Along with attorney E. Robert Fussell, Charvella, a Democratic committee member, appeared in Town of Batavia Court today for a status hearing.

Fussell indicated he is preparing motions to challenge the constitutionality of the charge, but the only request today was to change the order of protection issued in Town of Le Roy Court when Charvella was first arrested. The order prohibits Charvella from having any contact with Grasso.

"It's certainly has been my practice to attend meetings of the legislature," said Charvella, who ran for a seat on the county board in 2009. "That's a practice I would like to continue."

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini object to the change in the order, saying that Charvella was offered a plea deal that would have altered the court order and given Charvella a conditional discharge of the case.* Since Charvella turned down that offer and the case may go to trial, Cianfrini said, Charvella should be kept away in all circumstances from Grasso, since Grasso is both the alleged vicitm and a potential witness in any trial.

(UPDATE: Cianfrini called to clarify: Charvella was offered an adjournament in contemplation of dismissal, meaning the case would be dismissed with no record (all court records would be sealed) if Charvella stayed out of trouble for six months).

Grasso, a Republican, is Le Roy's elected representative on the legislature.

Outside of court, Fussell wouldn't confirm that he and his client intend to take the case to trial. He would only say, "I'm preparing motions." He said the motions would be based on constitutional issues.

During the hearing today, Fussell gave some indication of what those arguments will be, telling Cleveland, "If a politician doesn't like what a constituent has to say, it would be very, very chilling (to block meeting attendance). He (Charvella) should be allowed to attend these things."

Those motions must be filed by April 15 and Charvella's next court appearance was set for 4:30 p.m., May 23.

For previous coverage of the Chris Charvella and Jay Grasso case, click here.

'A Taste of New York' at Holy Family School, Le Roy

By Billie Owens

"A Taste of New York" will be presented again this year at Holy Family School in Le Roy. It is for adults only, from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 26.

Sample several great beers, New York State wines and local specialty foods and enjoy live entertainment. There will be raffle prizes all evening.

Tickets are $20 per person, and $15 for designated drivers. Proper ID required, must be 21 to attend.

For tickets and information, contact Sue Bobo at 768-6543. The school is located at 46 Lake St.

Propane truck and another truck crash in Le Roy

By Billie Owens

A propane truck and another truck have crashed at 8053 Lake St. Road in Le Roy. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance are called. Injuries unknown.

Bergen Fire Department is asked to standby in its quarters.

UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: Bergen is now requested to go to the scene. A second ambulance is called. State Trooper is on scene.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: Bergen is told to go back in service. A trucker trying get through the clogged traffic is reportedly "in a hurry," to which someone replies "no doubt."

Photos: Le Roy schools and library

By Howard B. Owens

Tonight I went to the Le Roy Central School District board meeting to see if anything interesting happened. Nothing did, but as I was leaving, I saw this wonderfully shaped tree with the great mural in the well-lit hallway in background and thought it should make a good picture. As long as I had the tripod out, I took the picture below of the Woodward Memorial Library.

Two Le Roy students named to Elmira College Dean's List

By Billie Owens

Elmira College named two Le Roy students to its Dean's List for academic achievement for the fall 2010 term. The Dean's List recognizes students who have a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher for the semester.

Matthew Gale is majoring in childhood education, sociology and anthropology and is the son of Mr. Christie and Mrs. Cynthia Gale.

Megan Lowe is majoring in adolescence education -- mathematics, and is the daughter of John and Lynda Lowe.

Elmira College is located in the Finger Lakes Region. To learn more about what Elmira College has to offer, navigate to www.elmira.edu or call 1-800-935-6472.

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