Bergen

Pictured from left are members of the scholarship committee and the 2019 recipients: Karen Hall, Hannah Kujawski, Peg Patterson-Case, Melissa Vinyard, Chelsea Elliott, Todd Rapp, Amy Swanson, Kari Heidemann and Melinda Rodriguez.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee County Interagency Council awarded two $1,000 scholarships at their annual picnic last month at the DeWitt Recreation Area.

This year’s recipients are Melinda Rogriguez and Melissa Vinyard.

Special Thanks to the Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford for catering such a wonderful meal for our council, scholarship recipients and their guests.

Salvatore M. Tornabene, 26, of Ross Street, Batavia, (inset photo right) is charged with third-degree assault. He was arrested following a domestic incident on Ross Street at 11:30 p.m. on July 1. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. Tornabene was due back in city court July 8. 

Salvatore M. Tornabene, 26, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and second-degree menacing. At 11:05 p.m. on July 6, Batavia police responded to Ross Street for a report of subjects fighting, possibly with weapons. He was arrested after he allegedly threatened a woman with an imitation pistol. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. Tornabene was due back in city court July 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Kyle Allan Hawley, 29, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with: two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; possession of a hypodermic instrument; and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree. At 8:10 a.m. on July 10, the GC Emergency Dispatch Center received a report of a larceny that just occurred at a business on West Main Street in the City of Batavia. The suspect vehicle was located entering the Thruway at the Exit 48 interchange. Hawley was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. Following a search of the vehicle, and after allegedly observing stolen property in plain view, Hawley was found to allegedly possession two different kinds of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested, arraigned in Batavia Town Court and processed, then released on appearance tickets. He is due back in town court on July 25. The investigation was assisted by members of the NYS Troopers and City of Batavia Police Department. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Mitchell Edward Bryan, 27, East Bethany -- Le Roy Road, Stafford, is charged with: aggravated driving while intoxicated; DWI; driving left of pavement markings; moving from unsafely; and failure to keep right. At 12:12 a.m. on July 11, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office investigated a one-car accident on Bernd Road in the Town of Le Roy. The driver and sole occupant, Bryan, was arrested on the charges listed. He was driving northbound on Bernd Road when he cross over into the southbound lane and continued off the west shoulder, striking a tree. Further investigation allegedly revealed he had a BAC of .18 percent or higher. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in the Town of Le Roy Court on Aug. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore.

David M. Raines, 37, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. He was arrested at 7 p.m. on July 5 after an incident on Bank Street. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on July 16 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Brian Keith Dyer, 52, of North Street, Batavia, (inset photo, right) is charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. Dyer was arrested on July 5 after he allegedly hit another person over the head with a blunt object, causing an injury, during an altercation at 6:07 p.m. on North Street. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. He was due back in court today (July 8). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

O.V. Murphy, 60, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Murphy was arrested after allegedly striking another person on the front porch of his residence at 14 Highland Parkway at 5:51 p.m. on July 3. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket for July 16 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Linda A. Snyder, 36, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Snyder was arrested after a physical altercation at 14 Highland Parkway. She allegedly struck another person while on the front porch at 5:51 p.m. on July 3. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket for July 16 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Damien Cole Clark, 18, of Lemoyne Avenue, Syracuse, is charged with second-degree harassment. On July 6, Clark was arrested at Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park after he allegedly slapped an employee in the head. He was issued an appearance ticket for Darien Town Court and is due there on July 23. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor.

William T. Hughes, 62, no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Hughes was arrested at 4 p.m. on July 5 on Spruce Street, Batavia, after being allegedly found in violation of an order of protection. He was located in the residence of the protected party. Hughes was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and jailed without bail. He is due in Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Christopher Camp.

Wesley Thigpen, 38, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested at 4:30 p.m. on July 7 on Vine Street in Batavia after he allegedly had unwanted contact with an individual in violation of an order of protection. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash or bond. He was due back in court this afternoon (July 8). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Samuel N. Sciascia, 47, of Dewey Avenue, Rochester, is charged with four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, one count of criminal possession of burglar tools, and one count of criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument. He was arrested following a complaint of suspicious activity at the Tops Friendly Market parking lot on West Main Street in Le Roy. Upon arrival by a Le Roy patrol, Sciascia was allegedly found in possession of multiple different types of controlled substances along with a crack pipe and hypodermic needles and a vehicle access tool used to enter locked vehicles. He was arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of unspecified bail.

Scott D. Higgins, 38, of Ganson Avenue, Batavia is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- with a previous conviction; operting a vehicle without an ignition interlock device; DWI with a BAC of .08 or more; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; and aggravated inlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree. At 2:36 a.m. on July 6, Batavia Police responded to the area of 5 Maple St. for a truck into a utility pole that left the scene. Subsequent investigation located the vehicle and operator on Ganson Avenue and Higgins was arrested. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. He was due back in court this afternoon (July 8). The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Jonathan Henry Cordeiro, 32, of McIntyre Road, Le Roy, is charged with: driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI -- first offense; expired inspection; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree. Cordeiro was arrested at 1:33 a.m. after a traffic stop on West Main Street in Batavia. He was issued several tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on July 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Ross Miller, 59, of Rochester Street, Bergen, is charged with driving while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more, failure to keep right, failure to use designated lane, and illegal signal -- less than 100 feet from turn. Le Roy Police arrested Miller on July 3 after being observed allegedly operating his vehicle erratically and failing to maintain his lane of travel. A subsequent investigation allegedly found Miller to be intoxicated and he was ticketed and released.

Gregory James Savino, 36, of Oak Lane, Lockport, is charged with: aggravated driving while intoxicated; DWI; moving from lane unsafely; failure to keep right; and driving left of pavement markings. At 8:58 p.m. on July 4, Savino was arrested on Alleghany Road, Alabama. He allegedly crossed the center line into oncoming traffic while traveling southbound on Route 77 in the Town of Alabama. Further investigation allegedly determined he was driving with a BAC of .18 percent or more. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Alabama Court on July 24. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore.

Christine M. Wagner, 38, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with having an unlicensed dog and having an unvaccinated dog. Wagner was arrested at 6:11 p.m. on July 1 following an investigation into a dog bite complaint on Jackson Street. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on July 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Jodee M. Henderson, 34, of Broadway Road, Darien, was arrested and arraigned in Batavia City Court at 1:45 p.m. July 5 on an outstanding bench warrant. She was released on her own recognizance and is due back in court on July 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice.

BERGEN -- A plexiglass window painting by artist David Burke (in photo above) was dedicated in Bergen’s Sage Pavilion last week. Titled "Technicolor Woodland Sunset," the work was completed thanks to a Ripple grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

About 25 people attended the dedication ceremony in which the artwork was unveiled. 

Those present included the mayor, village administrator Cortney Gale, town councilwoman Anne Sapienza, village trustees Bob Fedele and Vickie Almquist, Jodi Fisher from GO ART! and friends and family of Burke. Fisher is coordinator of the Decentralized Grant Program, which provided funds for the art work. 

The window is the “jewel” of the Sage Pavilion, said Bergen Mayor Anna Marie Barclay.

The Sage Pavilion was created when the village allowed the Department of Public Works to rehabilitate its old, deteriorating water pump building and turn it into an all-season pavilion, which Barclay said has become the hub of the community.

On May 5, the village was awarded the New York Conference of Mayors Local Government Achievement Award for its innovation and efficiency exhibited by the project. By that date, the Sage Pavilion had already hosted 65 events by local residents.

Photo by Virginia Kropf.

Four free movies will be shown outdoors this summer behind the Gillam Grant Community Center in Bergen.

Bring a chair or blanket. Movies begin at dusk. Concessions will be available.

Here's the lineup:

• July 12 -- Disney’s "Mary Poppins Returns," sponsored by Rochester Regional Health and GO ART!
• July 18 -- "Instant Family"
• July 26 -- "Fantastic Beasts – The Crimes of the Grindelwald"
• Aug. 1 -- "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," sponsored by GO ART!

Dates may change due to weather. Movies scheduled are subject to availability.

Gillam Grant Community Center is located at 6966 W. Bergen Road. Phone is 494-1621.

Sponsored by GO ART! and Rochester Regional Health.

Three ambulances have been dispatched to a two-vehicle accident at South Lake Road and Clinton Street Road, Bergen.

There is entrapment in at least one vehicle. There are possible head injuries. No word on how serious the injuries might be.

Bergen fire and Bergen ambulance are on scene.

The road is blocked.

Le Roy fire is also requested to the scene.

A gray Jeep Liberty is fully engulfed in flames 7133 Town Line Road in Bergen. A mother and her two children are safely outside. A medic is called for a person having a seizure.

The location is between Tripp and West Bergen roads.

Bergen Fire Department is responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

The vehicle fire is partially blocking the roadway.

UPDATE 1:59 p.m.: The patient was transported to a hospital.

Guillermo J. Torres-Acevedo is indicted for the crime of second-degree rape, a Class D violent felony. He is an adult accused of engaging is sexual intercourse with a person under 15 years old sometime during October at or near the County Meadows Manufactured Home Community in the Town of Batavia. In count two, he is accused of the same crime during September or October, on a different occasion. In count three, he is accused of the same crime in October while in the parking lot of a hotel in the Town of Batavia. In count four, he is accused of the same crime sometime between Nov. 25 and 26 in the Town of Batavia. In counts five, six and seven he is accused of criminal sexual act in the second degree, also a Class D violent felony, for allegedly engaging in oral sexual conduct with a person under age 15 sometime during October or November in the Town of Batavia on three different occasions. In count eight, Torres-Acevedo is accused of another count of criminal sexual act in the second degree, for allegedly engaging in oral sexual conduct with a person under age 15 sometime between Nov. 25 and 26 in the Town of Batavia. In count nine, the defendant is accused of second-degree kidnapping, a Class B violent felony, for allegedly abducting a person in the Town of Bergen on Nov. 29. In count 10, he is accused of second-degree criminal contempt, a Class A misdemeanor, for intentionally disobeying a court order of protection to stay away from the victim. In count 11, the defendant is indicted for endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, for acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of child less than 17. In count 12, Torres-Acevedo is indicted for the crime of first-degree custodial interference, a Class E felony. It is alleged in count 12 that on Nov. 29, the defendant unlawfully took a child from her lawful custodian and removed her from the state. In count 13, he is accused of unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly taking a 2012 Dodge Journey without the owner's consent.

Darius L. Jones is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on Feb. 22 in the City of Batavia that Jones knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug -- cocaine -- with the intent to sell it.

Marquise L. Lee and Derek E. Wilcox are indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on March 27 in the City of Batavia that they knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug -- cocaine -- with the intent to sell it.

Christopher L. Burns is indicted for the crime of driving while intoxicated, as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Feb. 16 in the Town of Le Roy that he drove a 2014 Fiat on Route 5 while intoxicated. In count two, burns is accused of DWI, per se, as a Class E felony, for allegedly having a BAC of .08 or more at the time. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney, Burns is accused of having been convicted of DWI, as a misdemeanor, on Sept. 24, 2012 in County of Monroe Court and that conviction is within 10 previous to the crimes alleged in the current indictment.

Shah L. Zajic is indicted for the crime of driving while intoxicated, as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Dec. 27 in the Town of Le Roy that Zajic drove a 2012 Toyota on Route 19 while intoxicated. In count two, he is accused of aggravated DWI, per se, as a Class E felony, for allegedly having a BAC of .18 percent or more at the time. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney, Zajic is accused of having been convicted of the crime of DWI, as a misdemeanor, on Feb. 14, 2017, in City of Batavia Court and that conviction is within 10 years of the crimes alleged in the current indictment.

There were dozens of vehicles on display Saturday for the Bergen Park Festival Classic Car Show. Our video features Batavia resident Darell Mase and his 1957 Ford Fairlane.

 

 

Saturday residents of Bergen enjoyed perfect weather for the 30th Bergen Park Festival and the annual parade.

Watch for two more videos we'll post later from the Bergen Festival.

Benjamin Santiago Jr., 30, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. After a larceny investigation at Crocker's Ace Hardware in Le Roy, Santiago was arrested May 18 for allegedly stealing $800 worth of tools from the store at 3:25 p.m. on May 14. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Le Roy Town Court on June 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Heather Nicole Holbrook, 34, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; endangering the welfare of a child; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree; and having an indequate muffler. At 10:08 p.m. on May 16, deputies conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Main Street and River Street in the City of Batavia. Following an investigation, Holbrook was arrested. She is accused of operating a motor vehicle while her driver's license was suspended and while in possession of a controlled substance, with two children as passengers. She was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on May 29. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Robert Henning.

Heather Nicole Holbrook, 34, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with failure to appear. She was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court and arraigned at 10:58 a.m. on May 17. She is accused of failing to appear in Batavia City Court on May 9. She was released on her own recognizance and is to return to city court on May 29. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan.

Michael David Senay Jr., 25, of Overlook Drive, Batavia, is charged with: third-degree menacing; fourth-degree criminal mischief; criminal obstruction of breathing; unlawful imprisonment in the second degree; and second-degree harassment. At 9 p.m. on May 17, following the investigation of a domestic incident in the Town of Batavia, Senay was arrested. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court. He is due back in court on June 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Lee Christopher Clark, 39, of 8202 Lewiston Road, upper, Batavia, is a convicted sex offender charged with failure to report a change of address/status within 10 days as required. It is alleged that Clark failed to register Internet accounts with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services within 10 days. He was transported to the GC Sheriff's Office for processing and released on an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia Town Court on June 4. The case was handled by GC Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Sara Tea Cupler, 26, of Starr Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlawful possession of marijuana. Cupler was arrested at 8:33 p.m. on May 18 after a call to the Emergency Dispatch Center for a welfare check on a female unconscious in a vehicle on South Lake Road, Pavilion. Cupler was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Pavilion Town Court on June 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Robert G. Whitehead, 28, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court on May 13. He is accused of failure to appear in court on Sept. 13, 2012. He was arraigned at 1:54 p.m. and then put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. He was due back in city court on May 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Katrina Lynn Drake, 29, of Locust Avenue, Lockport, was arrested on May 21 and charged with trespass. It is alleged that at 5:39 p.m. on May 9 there was a disturbance on Tracy Avenue in Batavia and Drake allegedly went onto a porch and kicked a door. She is due in Batavia City Court on May 21 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Bryan Jose Alvarado-Arce, 22, of Studley Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Alvarado-Arce was arrested at 6:29 p.m. on May 17 after a traffic stop on Townline Road in Bergen. He was a passenger in the vehicle. He was released on an appearance ticket and he is due in Bergen Town Court on June 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Christian Arieras Wilson, 21, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree, fifth-degree conspiracy and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Following an investigation into smuggling contraband into the Genesee County Jail, Wilson was arrested, released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on May 20. It is alleged that Wilson delivered a quantity of a controlled substance into the jail in a concealed manner at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Michael Shawn Wahl, 53, of Jordan Avenue, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree and possessing or transporting or offering for sale unstamped cigarettes. At 10:32 p.m. on May 10, following a traffic stop on Indian Falls Road in Pembroke, Wahl was arrested. Allegedly, he was driving a motor vehicle and his driver's license was revoked and he possessed unstamped cigarettes for sale. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on May 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Jenna Ferrando.

Tammy Kay Zasowski, 51, of Clinton Street, Elma, is charged with petit larceny. Following an investigation of a larceny on Shanks Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, Zasowski was arrested. It is alleged that she stole cigarettes at noon on May 3. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Alabama Town Court on June 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Ira Leroy Mercer, 72, of Oakwood Road, Rochester, is charged with possession of unstamped cigarettes for sale. At 10:32 p.m. on May 10, Mercer was arrested on Indian Falls Road in Pembroke following a traffic stop. He allegedly possessed unstamped cigarettes that were for sale. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on May 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sherjiff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Jenna Ferrando.

Ramon S. Gilliam, 44, of Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, and having an uninspected motor vehicle. Gilliam was arrested following a traffic stop for uninspected vehicle at 9:04 a.m. on May 10 on East Main Street Road in Batavia. He is due in Batavia Town Court on May 23. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

Joshua Dale Thomas Jr., 34, of Post Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree. At 12:29 a.m. on May 11, Thomas was arrested on Route 490 in Le Roy. He was the passenger in a motor vehicle stopped for alleged vehicle and traffic violations. "During the stop criminal indicators were observed which led to a subsequent search of the vehicle and its occupants." Thomas was allegedly found in possession of more than two ounces of marijuana. He was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Le Roy Court and is due there on June 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Thomas Sousa, 55, of 7th Avenue, St. Petersburg, Fla., is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 2:51 a.m. on May 10 on South Lake Road in Bergen, Sousa was arrested after a traffic stop for alleged vehicle and traffic violations, which included failure to keep right. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Bergen Town Court on June 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

BERGEN – The Village of Bergen has received its second award for restoring and repurposing a historic building in the village.

Mayor Anna Marie Barclay has announced they have been notified that the New York State Conference of Mayors has selected Bergen as winner of NYCOM’s Local Government Achievement Award for 2019. The awards program, in its 32^ndyear, recognized the village for its Sage Pavilion. 

The Sage Pavilion in January also earned Bergen the honor of being named the American Public Works Western New York Project of the Year.

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy, president of NYCOM, said in a press release, “The Village of Bergen is to be commended for its desire to improve the village through innovation and efficiency.

"The Sage Pavilion Project will benefit Bergen for years to come and is just one example of how local officials continue to work diligently to enhance their communities and the quality of life for their residents. Congratulations to Mayor Anna Marie Barclay on this important accomplishment.”

 The Sage Pavilion was formerly an old, deteriorating water pump building, which the village rehabilitated into an all-season pavilion, which has now become the hub of the community, the mayor said.

In its first year after restoration, 65 events were hosted at Sage Pavilion, providing a versatile gathering space at a fraction of what it would have cost the village to build new.

Other winners of NYCOM’s Local Government Achievement Award for 2019 were the villages of Ellicottville and Rockville Centre and the cities of Corning, Poughkeepsie and Syracuse. 

The awards were presented May 5 at NYCOM’s annual meeting in Cooperstown. NYCOM represents 573 cities and villages in New York State.

There is smoke reportedly coming from a wall both inside and outside at 6280 Clinton Street Road, Bergen.

Bergen fire, along with Stafford and South Byron dispatched.

UPDATE 3:32 p.m.: The fire was apparently contained within a wall. It appears to be out. Checking for extension.