Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting its next Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, April 8^th at 7 p.m. In honor of his birthday, the topic will be life and works of William Shakespeare.

You can either join us in person at the museum or via Zoom. Our in-person audience will be limited to 12 people, and masks and social distancing will be required.

The Holland Land Office Musuem welcomes James Black on Wednesday, April 14^th at 7 p.m. for its next edition of its Guest Speaker Series. The presentation will be on edged weapons of the Civil War from both the Union and Confederate armies.

The presentation will be available via Facebook Live and in person to a small group of up to 12 people to come to watch on our big screen. All those in attendance must wear masks and follow social distancing protocols.

If you would like to attend in either event person, please contact the museum by phone at (585) 343-4727 to preregister. If you would like to come in person we are asking for a donation in place of the regular admission.

Please visit the museum’s Facebook page or website, www.hollandlandoffice.com, for more details, and for links to attend the April 8 Zoom event on Shakespeare.

C.M. Barons shared this photo of snow falling on this spring garden in Bergen this afternoon.

From the VA WNY Healthcare System:

Join us for a public "Virtual Listening Session for Veterans" on Friday, April 2, at 11 a.m. Provide your feedback to deliver better VA health care! 

VA Western New York Healthcare System, along with several other local VA medical centers in the region, is hosting a public virtual listening session to hear Veterans on how to design a health care system of the future and grow services for veterans in a way that reinforces VA’s role as a leader in the U.S. health care system.

This listening session represents an exciting opportunity for veterans to help VA reimagine how VA delivers care in an equitable, high quality, veteran-centered manner and develop a plan for investing in VA’s infrastructure. We are looking forward to robust engagement and to hearing the voices and insights of Veterans on the following topics:

• How Veterans want care to be delivered in the future;
• Perception of the quality of health care at VA and VA’s community network;
• Experience with the ability to get care at VA and within VA’s community network;
• Satisfaction with the condition and location of VA’s facilities;
• VA’s role in research, education, and emergency preparedness.

You will be able to participate via phone or computer. 

Please visit VA WebEx Enterprise Site or dial the 1-404-397-1596 USA Toll Number CONFERENCE LINE to join.

Link to the listening session is VA WebEx Enterprise Site.

Session opens at 10:45 a.m.

If you are not able to attend the meeting but would still like to provide feedback, please submit your feedback to:  VHAMAQs@va.gov.

Your feedback will be used to develop the recommendations VA submits to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission in January.

The AIR Commission will also conduct public hearings as part of their review of VA’s recommendations before submitting its recommendations to the President and Congress for review and approval in 2023.

It's April Fools Day, which of course is when the "flame-ously" bright flamingos return to Le Roy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility each year.

It's a goofy tradition, quite unlike, say, the swallows returning to Mission San Juan Capistrano, Calif., annually on March 19. They set out from Goya, Argentina, on their 6,000-mile journey and visitors the world over have, um, flocked to see the miracle at least since the early 1930s.

In his book "Capistrano Nights," Father St. John O’Sullivan, pastor of the Mission from 1910 to 1933, tells how this came to be. A shopkeeper, tired of the messy avians, took a broomstick and began knocking down their cone-shaped mud nests from the eaves of his shop, when who should happen to show up? Father O'Sullivan, who told the swallows: “Come on swallows, I’ll give you shelter. Come to the Mission. There’s room enough there for all.” And the rest is folklore history. (Now why would he go and make up a thing like that?)

In Le Roy, there were never real flamingos -- just the plastic kind with spindly metal legs that stick in the ground -- but they do add that certain je ne sais quois? N'est pas?

But, hey, it's the fulgent and cheery spirit that counts, especially on the first of this month, when opportunists take advantage of a general inclination to eschew taking some things too seriously.

Take, for example, Activities Director Kate Flint (left) and Director Sam Vagg of Le Roy Village Green, in the top photo. Veritable poster children for this sort of stuff, and they have at least one ally, prolly more.

Like Lynne Belluscio, who not only aided and abetted them, she took the photos and sent them to "the media" -- The Batavian!

Belluscio, with an eagle eye for the obvious, pointed out dryly that Flint and Vagg "are dressed to welcome the flamingos back to LeRoy." (Let's hope that's the case and they did not don their standard workday wear.)

They, too, unmistakably add, we know not what, to the photo, as evidenced by the other picture below with them not in it -- before and after.

The yard sign -- in the shape of a cautionary yield sign -- is also a nice touch. It lets people know to watch out for flamingos, for which the collective noun is a “flamboyance.” No kiddin'. Can't make this stuff up.

That's an appropriate term for these colorfully feathered creatures who descend by the thousands on salt flats, lagoons, lakes and swamps around the world, where they filter-feed for shrimp, algae and insects.

The food supply delivers beta carotene, a red-orange pigment that results in the birds' unique vivid hue, which has made them a tropical icon, and for us in Genesee County, a happy harbinger of warm weather ahead.

Nice thought on an afternoon that has had some snow flurries.

National restaurant chain Chipotle, founded in Denver in 1993, has its eye on Towne Center at Batavia for a new location according to a special use permit application filed on its behalf by COR Development Company, owners of the plaza.

The building is the former location Metro Mattress in the same structure as Game Stop and Five Guys.

If approved, the location would be modified to include a drive-thru and outdoor seating.

Chipotle, with more than 2,000 locations nationwide, specializes in Mexican-style cuisine and especially known for its build-your-own burrito bar. 

The application for a special use permit and site plan review will be heard this month by the County Planning Board before being sent to the Town of Batavia Planning Board.

Neither COR nor Chipotle, at least so far, have filed an application with Genesee County Economic Development Center for any tax abatements.

Press release:

In response to data showing women’s increased interest in saving more for unexpected circumstances since the pandemic, Tompkins Financial Advisors is growing its recently launched Women & Wellness financial roundtable discussions across its footprint.

The free monthly program began this fall in Central New York, but interest from beyond the region, along with the virtual format, led to a decision to make the forums open to women in the Western New York area. Each 30-minute session features a female financial expert sharing experiences and tips around financial well-being.

The next presentation will be held on Friday, April 16 at 10 a.m.

Led by Laura Ward, LMFT, CT and the manager of psychosocial services at Hospicare, the April discussion will center around “Professional Self-care for a New Way of Work – an Interactive Discussion.”

It will cover of-the-times issues, including practical ways of maintaining professional wellness and staying motivated, as well as dealing with work and home transitions, during the coronavirus pandemic and now.

To register for the next Women & Wellness Monthly Financial Roundtable Discussions, or future roundtables, please click here.

Previous sessions have been recorded and can also be accessed through the registration link on Tompkins’ website, including presentations on:

• Investing 101
• Managing Your Finances During Periods of Uncertainty
• Financial Planning: Time to Take Control
• The Art of Building Wealth
• Retirement Planning: Living Longer & Saving More
• Estate Planning: Modern Families Need Modern Planning

“The response to the roundtables so far has been incredible,” said Susan Redsicker, Tompkins Financial Advisors' vice president and director of Financial Planning and one of the program’s founders.

“Our goal, when we got started, was to educate women in the community and to create a space for women to talk frankly about money. Including women in the Western New York region is an important step in making sure more women have access to these vital conversations.”

Jenna Read and Ally Scofield will host a charity event with the Easter Bunny on Saturday in Le Roy.

All proceeds will benefit the family that suffered catastrophic loss of all that they owned, not to mention their beloved pets, in a house fire Tuesday on Maple Street in the City of Batavia.

So if you'd like to help them out and have a moment of socially distanced springtime fun, there will be a photo op with the Bewhiskered One from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the gazebo on Wolcott Street across from the elementary school.

All are welcome to come and take pictures and make a donation for this family of six in a time of great need.

Previously: Fundraising effort underway to assist family who lost everything in house fire

Previously: Family loses everything, including three dogs and six cats, in house fire on Maple Street

Previously: Working house fire on Maple Street in the city

Melissa Sacheli spotted the Easter Bunny hopping through Batavia yesterday at the corner of Bank Street and North Street.

Submitted photo, taken prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and press release:

The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute will begin its annual Honorary Membership Drive in Genesee County within the next 10 days, according to Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr.

The Institute was established in 1979. It is a not-for-profit corporation, tax-exempt organization, and contributions to the Institute are tax deductible.

While the Sheriff’s Office is a unit of county government, many of the concerns of sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies are best addressed on a statewide level. The Sheriffs’ Institute provides centralized training programs and services for all Sheriffs’ Offices, where those programs and services would be unavailable or impractical on a single county basis.

The flagship program of the Sheriffs’ Institute is the Sheriff's Summer Camp for economically challenged children.

The Sheriffs’ Camp, in its 45^th year of operation, is located on Keuka Lake and 840 children from across New York State attend each summer. The Sheriffs’ Institute pays the entire cost of the camp stay and transportation. Most children attending would not otherwise have an opportunity for vacation travel or a summer camp experience.

The Sheriffs’ Camp program combines summer recreation with activities designed to teach an understanding of, and respect for, our laws and the men and women who enforce them. The strong camper-to-counselor ratio allows for individual attention with an emphasis on the development of self-esteem.

“In these difficult economic times we cannot forget our youth who will not have the opportunity for a summer camp experience or a summer vacation,” Sheriff Sheron said. “By becoming an honorary member, you are supporting the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically disadvantaged children.”

In addition, the Sheriffs’ Institute operates a scholarship program that provides one scholarship to each of New York State’s Community College’s Criminal Justice programs.  This program is designed to help attract the best and the brightest to the criminal justice vocation.

For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other Sheriffs’ Institute Programs, visit www.sheriffsinstitute.org or simply Google “Sheriffs’ Institute kids” and it will be your first option.

Financial support for many of the Sheriffs’ Institute programs comes from Honorary Membership dues. Invitations for Honorary Membership are extended on a non-partisan basis, and the invitees are selected at random.

Any persons interested in supporting the efforts of the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute by becoming an Honorary Member should contact the Sheriff if they do not receive an invitation in the mail, or visit our website at www.sheriffsinstitute.org to download an application.

All donations made to the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute are tax deductible. In addition, Sheriffs’ Institute is registered with the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today signed a bill legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and over in New York State, action that will be the subject of much debate until and following the new law’s implementation, which is expected in about 18 months.

The Batavian reached out to local government representatives, substance use prevention professionals, hemp producers and retailers, law enforcement and the chair of the Genesee County Libertarian Party for their thoughts on New York becoming the 15^th state with legal recreational marijuana.

Chris Van Dusen, president, Empire Hemp Co., Liberty Square, Batavia:

“I think it is really exciting news. The legislation that they have come up with, I think is pretty fair and it doesn’t cut out the potential for small businesses to get into the industry. I think it is a good plan, and the taxation is not too out of control on it.

“I am looking forward to expanding our business into the ‘rec’ market through another corporation that we will start – not Empire Hemp Co. – but we will plan on being involved in a processing capacity.”

Van Dusen said the facility in Liberty Square is for processing – “where we turn all of the raw hemp into CBD oil” – and he is close to opening a retail store on Main Street.

When asked about the legislation having safeguards against marijuana getting into minors’ hands, he said he believes that a new Office of Cannabis Management will implement guidelines similar to what are in place for alcohol use.

“And I think that a lot of the tax dollars will be going back into treatment programs and social programs, and that will be a benefit to the community as well,” he said.

The law, which was passed on party line voting in the Democratic Party-controlled Assembly and Senate on Tuesday, calls for a 13-percent excise tax, with 1 percent going to the county and 3 percent earmarked for the municipality (town, city, village) of the dispensary.

“The growers and the processors are going to get into it, there’s going to be an upfront investment. But as far as the end user costs at the retail level, I don’t think it’s going to be much outside what you are seeing in the other legal states as far as what you get for what price or, frankly, what you find on the black market. I think it hopefully will take more out of the black market – having it regulated like this will allow for a cleaner, safer product that’s regulated versus what’s coming off the street – imported from who knows where.

Batavia City Manager Rachael Tabelski:

“Without having a chance to read the entire bill yet, I can safely say that if there were a dispensary within the City of Batavia, it is my understanding that the city would gain 3 percent of the tax revenue related to that dispensary.

“That certainly is a brand-new revenue source … but it is all hypothetical until you have one. I want to continue to read through the legislation and we’ll be working with NYCOM (New York Conference of Mayors) – the city’s association. So, we’ll wait and see what their guidance looks like. The local level does have some decisions to make in this. We don’t have any decision-making on adult use, but we do have decision-making on whether the city allows for a dispensary and then we can regulate the times, place and manner through local zoning.

“Whether Batavia has a distribution point in the city or not, people will now be allowed to use it per the regulations and guidelines that came out. If that is the case, it might warrant a legislative choice (by City Council) to be made or the choice to do nothing, and just let it happen. I certainly will be getting information to City Council to help them understand the legislation and how communities align with the legislation.

“There’s growing, there’s retail and there’s use. No matter what happens with the growing and the retail, there is going to be use in our city. It’s going to happen, in that, if we have the ability to bring in revenue, that may be an option for us. We certainly will have some growing pains associated with legalized use and, especially, kind of the edible product that might be included in this.”

Shannon Ford, director of Prevention, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse:

“From a Prevention perspective, I’m very concerned about this. Legalizing marijuana will have a negative impact on our youth for sure. Although youth will not be able to use marijuana legally, we know there will be an increase in access if the adults in their lives are possessing and using it.

“In addition, over the last couple of years, youth perception of harm of smoking marijuana has decreased. With more media messages and legalization/commercialization, I anticipate the perceived risk of harm will further be reduced. Both access and a decreased perception of harm will likely increase youth marijuana use.

“As it is legalized for adult use where it will be monitored for ‘purity,’ youth will still be seeking it on the streets, where we know there is a higher potential of risk.”

Mark Potwora, Genesee County Libertarian Party chair:

“My opinion -- and I would say it is the opinion of the Libertarian Party -- is that it is something that should have been legal a long time ago, and for some reason, what was not legal years ago is legal now. A lot of people suffered because of marijuana laws (on the books). A lot of families and 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids got a marijuana charge that kind of ruined their lives for a while.

“The problem I have with the legalization of the whole thing is that they’re doing it for the wrong reasons. They’re doing it because they want money. They want to raise revenue. They’re not doing it because it’s the right thing to do. That kind of bothers me, but I’m glad that they’re legalizing it.”

Potwora compared marijuana use to alcohol use.

“It’s just like alcohol. It shouldn’t be administered to young kids and there is an age limit. And, along the lines of medical marijuana -- which a lot of people have – it is not a negative. It’s probably a good thing. Whoever smokes marijuana or pot now, I don’t think they’re going to create a whole new industry of pot smokers. If you didn’t smoke it before – because it’s so easy to get – I don’t see any big problem coming up that they aren’t already addressing.

He also said the current marijuana laws give police “an in” to search people.

“They (police) say, ‘Oh you’re smoking pot. Come here, I want to pat you down.’ And they always took it farther and farther. This is one less thing for them to have a reasonable cause to mess with you, I guess.”

Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Genesee Orleans Public Health educator:

“Public Health has had a standing position in opposition of legalization of marijuana in New York State for several years. Our state association, The New York State Association of County Health Officials, officially has maintained opposition to legalized adult use of cannabis, based on the quantifiable adverse impact it will have on public health.”

She then offered the following bullet points for consideration:

• Legalization will create a similar path to tobacco with the need to build infrastructure and systems around dealing with the downstream issues that will come.

• Legalization does not mean safe and healthy, it creates a false sense of security and belief, especially in youth that it is safe since it is legal.

• There has been general support for medical use of cannabis, which has been in place for over five years, and has been effective in helping those with identified medical conditions.

• Evidence indicates that long-term cannabis use can lead to addiction. There is cannabis withdrawal syndrome, which makes cessation difficult and contributes to relapse.  Adolescents are particularly susceptible as compared to those who begin use in adulthood. Adolescence are approximately two to four times as likely to have symptoms of cannabis dependence within two years after first use.

Jeremy Almeter and Pavel Belov, co-owners, Glass Roots, 12 Center St., Batavia:

"While today is certainly a step in the right direction, we are still far from declaring this our 'milestoned' moment. We at Glass Roots have been committed to destigmatizing and normalizing cannabis for over 15 years. By building trust and serving our community, we have seen there are no applicable stereotypes for cannabis usage.

“ ’Recreational’ cannabis is a misleading term; adult-use is what we are truly achieving today. This legislation specifically addresses and builds the foundation for an infrastructure, which ensures that cannabis products will be handled in a safe and secure manner from seed to sale.

“The fight has just begun. Access to plants and the many benefits they offer us and our animal friends is a basic right. To all the people who grew up indoctrinated with lies that compare cannabis to heroin use or its ‘gateway’ -- we are here to say the light at the end of the tunnel is upon us.

“Moving forward, we plan on working closely with community leaders to cultivate a safe and educational environment for cannabis culture within Genesee County.”

Glass Roots is an on-site glass-blowing facility that sells art pieces as well as CBD oils and other hemp products.

An email and phone call to Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron Jr. were not returned at the time of the posting of this story.

More about the today’s legalization, called the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act:

• The new law erases convictions for marijuana possession that would now be legal, and directs 40 percent of pot tax revenue to communities of color that excessively faced pot charges.

• Possession of up to three ounces of cannabis or 24 grams of concentrated forms of the drug will be allowed for recreational use.

• Three Senate Democrats voted against the bill, which passed 40-23, while no Democrats voted against it in the Assembly, where it passed by a 100-49 tally.

• State officials are indicating that marijuana sales are expected to generate $350 million in revenue to the state per year, and around 50,000 jobs will be created.

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. announces the appointment of Deputy Sheriff Kyle J. Tower.

Deputy Tower recently completed the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office field training program and is assigned to the road patrol division.    

Deputy Tower brings over eight years of public safety experience to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to being previously employed as a Police Officer with the Rochester Police Department, Deputy Tower also has held the positions of jailor recruit with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Police Officer with the Chesterfield Police Department in Virginia, and EMT with the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance and Rural Metro Medical Services.  

Deputy Tower currently resides in Darien. 

He received an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Erie County Community College and is a 2006 high school graduate from Cleveland Hill School in Cheektowaga.

There's a change of plans for Batavia football on Friday night, with the Blue Devils getting a guaranteed win, making the team, 3-0, because of a Geneva forfeit.

Head Coach Brennan Briggs said Geneva will be unable to field enough players for the game.

So, Batavia will play Burgard, a team from Buffalo, at 6:30 at Van Detta Stadium.  

The game does not count as part of the regular season but, Briggs said, "it gives the kids a chance to play."

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department has been assisting the Batavia City Fire Department in the investigation of the fire at 37 Maple St. that occurred on March 30 at approximately 10:38 a.m. The investigation has currently shown that the individual who had stopped at the residence to pick up refrigerators did not have anything to do with the fire’s origin. The fire is still under investigation and no further details will be released at this time. 

Press release:

Genesee County reporting 17 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s. 
• Four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Five of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 
• Three of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Genesee County Jail.

Orleans County reporting 12 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their, 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s.
• One of the new positive individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Oneof the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive individuals is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley joined other members of the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences on Wednesday in calling on Gov. Cuomo to release $1.3 billion in CARES Act housing assistance funding to aid tenants and landlords.

If the money were to go unused by the end of September, it is possible the federal government could take the funds back, leaving tenants and landlords without much-needed assistance. Tenants have struggled to pay rent due to the pandemic, causing many small landlords to face difficulty in paying their mortgages.      

“People need this money now more than ever, and to leave it sitting around during this time of great need is unconscionable,” Hawley said. “Helping every day New Yorkers should be our number-one priority during these times, and for most people their priority number one is keeping a roof over their heads.

"This money will go a long way toward keeping people’s rents and mortgages paid, and I see no reason we should wait any longer in getting it to those who need it most.”  

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“What passed in the Assembly today has no basis in justice or science, and I fear that the revenue this bill projects our legal marijuana program will bring in has blinded them to the real costs of this legislation.

"What we know is that in other states, driver impairment rates have risen nearly universally, and these factors have caused states like Colorado to pay about four dollars in damages for every dollar earned in revenue.

"The passage of this legislation will come with real consequences that we will be left to pay for in the years to come, both financially and in terms of human health and human lives. I feel this will be a decision we look back on, wishing we had given it more thought.”

The New York Power Authority Board of Trustees’ decision Tuesday to allocate low-cost hydropower and funding to Plug Power’s expansion project at the Western New York Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park is another vital step in the Genesee County Economic Development Center’s efforts to promote the 1,250-acre mega site in the Town of Alabama.

That’s the way Steve Hyde, GCEDC president and chief executive officer, sees it after learning that the NYPA board approved a 10,000-kilowatt hydropower provision along with $1.5 million in funding from the Western New York Power Proceeds program.

Plug Power, based in Latham, will be investing $290 million on the construction of a green hydrogen fuel production plant and a 450-megawatt electric substation to serve the STAMP complex.

“Funding from the Western New York Power Proceeds program and the allocation of low cost hydropower from the Niagara Power Project are critical components to Plug Power’s $290 million investment at the STAMP site,” Hyde said.

“The collaboration among NYPA, National Grid and Plug Power to build a 345-115kv electrical substation, which will allow access to 100-percent renewable and reliable low-cost power, will provide our agency a significant advantage in our marketing and promotional efforts on behalf of STAMP against other sites nationally and globally.”

Hyde said he was “extremely grateful” for NYPA’s support of the project, which reportedly will create 68 jobs and produce 45 tons of green hydrogen daily.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the NYPA board approved economic development awards to 23 entities that will support 2,292 jobs across the state — with 870 jobs being newly created — and spur more than $580 million in private capital investments.

Eighteen operations are receiving awards through ReCharge NY energy allocations, while the remaining five are receiving Niagara hydropower allocations and funding awards to enterprises in Western New York.

Included among the awards is a 5,100-kW power allocation to Plug Power for its expansion project in Monroe County that will create nearly 380 jobs.

The community is pulling together, rallying around a family of six that was burned out of their home at 37 Maple St., Batavia, yesterday morning.

There are a few donation and fundraising efforts that have started since news of the fire hit local news home pages yesterday.

A new store, the Junk Drawer, at 238 Ellicott St., is accepting item donations for the family, and Ally Scofield has set up a GoFundMe page for the family.  

Items that can be dropped off at the Junk Drawer include clothing items for boys age 3- to 6-months and age 10 to 12. Size 14 and 16 women's pants, 2x-3x women's shirts, men's 32 and 34 pants, women's 12-15 pants, and women's large shirts. They also need personal items such as shampoo, soap, etc.

The GoFundMe campaign has set a goal of raising $5,000 and has already exceeded $3,000.

The family had lived at the residence for three years but did not have renter's insurance. They lost seven pets and all of their personal belongings and household items.

Top photo: City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano comforts Bentley Sherman, who lived at the residence with his mother and grandmother.