A new interim director for Genesee County Community Mental Health Services was announced Monday at the Human Services Committee meeting.

Bernadette Bergman, the agency's board president, told committee members that the resignation of Director Ellery Reaves has been accepted and Augusta Welsh will serve as interim director through July 14 while the position is advertised.

If the job cannot be filled within 60–90 days, another interim mental health director from a neighboring county will fill the gap until a permanent director is appointed.

The prospect of sharing the agency's services with another county was also debated.

Fire in a roof is reported at 20 Liberty St. in the city.

City fire is on scene and a first platoon is called to the station.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department is asked to provide mutual aid. The location is a welding business between Liberty and Center streets -- Strong Forge and Fabrication.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: Checking for extensions; doing overhaul. Town of Batavia told to go back in service.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: Employees are told to stay out of the building for now.

Photos below courtesy of Frank Capuano.

Pembroke High School Social Studies teacher Greg Kinal gets a hug from a former student, Terry Hendry, of Oakfield, after his presentation on D-Day for the Medina Historical Society.

Having taught Social Studies at Pembroke High School or nearly five decades, it’s not surprising Greg Kinal has an above-average interest in World War II, especially D-Day.

Kinal, who will celebrate 50 years as a Pembroke teacher next year, gives about 75 speeches a year and does 40 presentations for historical societies.

“Most of my speeches are to adult groups and I try to pick topics each group would like,” Kinal said. “I have always been infatuated with the events of D-Day and it is a favorite of audiences.”

His interest in D-Day is also fueled by his family’s ties to World War II.

His father was a top turret gunner on a B-25, serving in North Africa and the Italian Campaign. He also had an uncle, Dr. Murl Kinal, who was a neurosurgeon and served as a medic at Normandy. Another uncle, George Frank Schultz, served aboard the USS Quincy and was the first ship to fire on occupied Normandy.

A few years ago, the family arranged for Kinal to take a ride in a B-25 Mitchell bomber at Hagerstown, Md., to celebrate his 70^th birthday, but the weather turned sour and the flight was canceled.

Now they have made arrangements for the whole family to go back to Hagerstown this summer for the airplane ride in a B-25.

Kinal gave his talk on D-Day for a recent meeting of the Medina Historical Society at Lee Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. The presentation was timely as the world commemorates the 75^th anniversary of the attack on Normandy this Thursday, June 6.

He started his talk by explaining prior to World War II, America had an army of 334,000. By 1943, the number had grown to 12 million, and was soon at 16 million.

In 1939, the United States made fewer than 1,000 planes a year. By the end of 1943, they were building 8,000 a month.

By comparison, in Ypsilanti, Mich., the average car built by Ford Motor Company had 15,000 parts. A B-24 Liberator had more than 1,550,000 parts. When Ford started making B-24s, they were turning out one every 63 minutes.

Prior to the Allied invasion of Normandy, the United States set up a fake base in England across from Calais, with fake tanks.

“They wanted the Germans to think we were going to come across the Channel to Calais, and they bought it,” Kinal said. “Instead, our troops were in Southern England.”

The battle for Normandy was called Operation Overlord, and the D-Day beach landings on its coast was code-named Operation Neptune. The invasion was originally scheduled for June 5, 1944, but the weather turned sour.

They finally got a break, and at 9:45 p.m. on June 5. General Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the command, “OK, let’s go” and 800 Allied planes left England with 20,000 paratroopers for the June 6 invasion, which was a Tuesday.

It was the largest seaborne invasion in history.

The 5,000 ships carried 155,000 troops on the first wave. The average age was 22.

The Germans used machine guns which fired 125 bullets per second, Kinal said.

Five hours later, the Americans were in control of Omaha Beach and by night the Allies were 10 miles into Normandy.

Next came the assault on Utah Beach, and when night came, the Americans had taken all five beaches of Normandy, Kinal said.

During the attack, 300 planes bombed the coast and 13,000 paratroopers jumped into battle. There were 800 transport planes and the ships carried 448,000 tons of ammunition.

The Americans thought they were doing the soldiers a big favor by feeding them a big breakfast of steak, eggs, pork chops and potatoes, not realizing they would mostly all become seasick.

The fighting left 4,414 dead on the beaches, of which 2,499 were Americans. German casualties, however, were estimated at 10,000, Kinal said.

Today, 1,700 Americans are still missing.

“This operation was not planned with any alternatives,” Kinal quoted General Eisenhower. “This operation was planned as a victory. That’s the way it’s going to be.

"We’re going down there and we’re throwing everything we have into it and we’re going to make it a success.”

Kinal lives in Elma where he says they have a veteran who was on the first wave of the attack on Omaha Beach. Each year, the fire company has a gun raffle in Elma, and this veteran is asked to pull the first ticket.

Kinal said he was just asked to give his D-Day talk in Bennington and many people showed up to hear him. There were even six or eight people who had fathers who landed in Normandy on D-Day.

Photo by Virginia Kropf.

Effective today (June 4), Ham Road, between Knowlesville Road and Gorton Road in Alabama will be closed for a bridge replacement. It will be closed for approximately two months.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) will consider approving incentives for a project in the City of Batavia and accepting an application for incentives for a project in Le Roy at the board’s Thursday, June 6^th, meeting.

Cedar Street Sales & Rentals (Mucher & Clark LLC) is seeking sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions to support a $165,000 project that would include the construction of a 6,000-square-foot warehouse at 52 Cedar St. Mucher & Clark LLC is seeking incentives totaling approximately $37,000.

The project supports 10 jobs and is located adjacent to a highly distressed census tract in the City of Batavia and is estimated to generate revenues of approximately $28,000 into the Batavia Pathway to Prosperity (B2P) fund over 10 years.

W&M Humphrey Associates LP is submitting an application for incentives for sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions to support a $3.1 million project in Le Roy that would expand the Munson Street facilities leased to the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP). The expansion supports 525 full-time jobs.

W&M Humphrey Associates is seeking a $285,517 property tax exemption, a $149,610 sales tax exemption, and a $30,000 mortgage tax exemption. Since incentives total over $100,000, the GCEDC will schedule a public hearing if the board accepts the application.

The GCEDC Board meeting will take place at its offices on 99 MedTech Drive in Batavia at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 6th. The meeting is open to the public.

Terry Hills hosted the 33rd Annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic.  

Featured in the video, QB Josh Allen, Jim Kelly, Chris Berman, Thruman Thomas, Eric Wood, and Commissioner Roger Goodell, who makes it clear, if Buffalo taxpayers want to keep the Bills, they're going to need to pony up for a new stadium.

Law enforcement is asked to respond to Linwood Road and East Main Street in Le Roy for a report of ATVs and dirt bikes traveling down the roadway.

Press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

On Memorial Day, May 27, Deputy Ryan Young was dispatched to a reported disabled or abandoned vehicle on Peoria Road in the Town of Pavilion.

Deputy Young arrived on scene and located Stormy Watts, 21, of Stafford, and Daniel Lewis, 22, of North Chili, sleeping in the back seat.

Deputy Young made contact with both occupants who stated that they were waiting to call someone to bring them gas.

Upon investigation, it is alleged that Lewis was in possession of a firearm, being a convicted felon.

Numerous confirmed stolen items were allegedly located in the couple's possession. There were many other items allegedly found in their possession, but the Sheriff's Office is still attempting to locate the property owners.

Numerous vehicle electronics, handbags and wallets were seized.

If anyone has not yet reported a theft from their vehicle, please contact Deputy Young at the Genesee County Sheriff's Office (585-345-3000).

It is alleged that the larcenies occurred possibly in Monroe, Livingston and Genesee counties. These larcenies would have occurred between March and Memorial Day this year.

Lewis was charged with: criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony; destroying physical evidence, also a Class E felony; criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, another Class A misdemeanor; and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Lewis was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and is being held in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond.

Watts was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Watts was arraigned in Le Roy Town Court and jailed on $1,000 cash bail or $3,000 bond.

Both subjects are due in Pavilion Town Court at 3 p.m. on June 4.

Genesee County Sheriff's Office was assisted by NYS Police, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

Distracted driving is being blamed for a two-car collision this morning that sent two people to Strong Memorial Hospital, one by Mercy Flight.

Both patients are listed as "under evaluation."

The accident was reported at 11:10 a.m. in the area of 3646 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

According to the accident report by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, the driver of a 2011 Ford sedan was eastbound on Route 5 when the driver "became distracted by moving his phone" and crossed into the westbound lane.

His vehicle struck a 2012 Chevy SUV driven by Patricia G. Bunk, 35, of Graham Road, Elba. She was transported by Mercy EMS to Strong.

The driver of the Ford sedan is identified in the report as William T. Gibbs, 63, of West Main Street Road, Corfu; however, the hospital doesn't have a patient under that name. They do have a patient under a different name who is the same age and lives at the same address as Gibbs but the hospital spokesman said he couldn't disclose the name being used by the patient. 

Gibbs was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong and was conscious at the time of transport.

That driver was cited for allegedly crossing over into traffic, driving left of centerline markings.

(Initial Report)

A man involved in an ATV accident at 8:30 a.m., Sunday, is in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital.

A patient listed as "guarded" at Strong is in the Intensive Care Unit.

The Sheriff's Office identified the rider as Angel L. Claudio Lopez, 43, no address listed.

According to the accident report, Lopez was riding an ATV up a sand hill on property at 2750 Maple Avenue Road, Oakfield, when the vehicle overturned, ejecting Lopez, and then landed on him.

Lopez suffered a head injury but was described as conscious at the time he was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Le Roy beat Wellsville 7-1 on Sunday to win the Class B2 Section V Championship.

Video and photo by Tim McArdle.

A male and female physical altercation has resulted in a request for two ambulances in the area of 344 W. Main St., Batavia.

The first ambulance was requested for the female victim of an assault. The second ambulance was requested for a person having either a panic attack or seizure.

The male suspect ran from the scene and was later located near Denny's.

Press release:

The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is excited to continue offering the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program for young students in the 2019-2020 school year.

UPK provides an opportunity for four-year-old children, at no cost to their families, to be involved in developmentally appropriate educational classes that, following the regular school calendar, meet Monday through Friday during the school year.

Since its implementation, the District has provided a half-day program, with a choice of either morning or afternoon sessions.

Children who are residents of the District and who are 4 years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2019, are eligible to apply.

Applications are available at the District Business Office in the administrative wing of Batavia High School (260 State St.). They also can be downloaded from the District’s website, www.bataviacsd.org, where, under the “Parents” tab, there is a link labeled “Registering Your Child For School.”

That page contains general information as well as a link, in the left column, specifically for UPK registration. (The direct link to UPK registration is here.)

The application should be returned as soon as possible to secure your child’s spot!

If you have questions about the UPK program please call the Curriculum and Instruction Office at 585-343-2480, ext. 1003.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Pembroke Dragons 10U Baseball Team/Cal Ripkin Division won the Abbott Memorial Championship in Perry on Sunday.

The team was one of 15 teams invited to play in the two-day tournament, playing five games total.

Over the two-day tournament, the team scored a total of 50 runs, only allowing five against.

They defeated Letchworth in the semi-final game 7-1, and then defeated Nunda in the championship game 9-0.

Pitchers PJ Reeves, Zachary Hartz and Brayden Lang helped keep the runs to only five scored against the Dragons.

Home runs by Madden Perry and PJ Reeves, bit hits by Austin Post, Jacob DiPalma, along with great fielding by Ryan Zika, Owen Schultz, Leo Lang and the rest of the Dragons helped seal the deal to bring the championship home.

An auger has struck and punctured a natural gas pipeline in the area of Route 237 and Britt Road in Stafford. The gas can be heard "hissing and blowing" out of the ground.

RG&E is the caller to the Emergency Dispatch Center. An RG&E crew has an hour ETA to the scene.

Stafford Fire Department is responding.

The owners of Dave's Ice Cream on West Main Street Road sent us this smartphone screenshot of a cat they saw wandering yesterday around the corner of Union Street and West Main Street in the city.

It has a blue harness on and they figured it might be someone's missing pet. 

Press release:

The Tops Friendly Market at 390 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia will be among 33 of the full-service grocery stores participating in the Stars for Our Troops initiative June 9-22.

The program welcomes the community to donate their worn and tattered American Flags at select Tops Markets locations for proper retirement. Collection bins will be placed in the Batavia store's vestibule for American flag retirement.

In collaboration with partner veterans organizations, including Honor Flight and local VFWs, embroidered stars will be preserved and presented to local veterans who have defended our flag.

“The respect and gratitude we have for the people who serve and have served in the military is immeasurable, and for that we are forever grateful,” said Kathy Sautter, public and media relations manager for Tops.

"With Flag Day approaching on June 14 and the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, Tops wanted to offer the community this service to not only properly retire their flags, but also know they are in some small way extending their thanks and respect to a veteran through Stars for Our Troops.

“Many people don’t know how or where to retire their aged flags and end up just tucking them away in a garage or attic. This program allows us to not only assist the community with proper retirement, but also gives back to our Veterans in a unique and meaningful way."

When stars are removed and presented to a veteran at local VA hospitals, nursing homes, and placed in Honor Flight care packages the following message is tucked along with each star:

"I am part of our American flag that has flown over the USA. I can no longer fly. The sun and winds caused me to become tattered and torn. Please carry me as a reminder that You are not forgotten.”