elba

Tracy Lynn Miller, 32, of South Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Miller was taken into custody on a warrant after being released from the Erie County Holding Center. Miller allegedly failed to appear in County Court after being indicted by a grand jury. The indictment stems from an alleged theft/or use of a stolen credit card. She was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Jeffery Lee Tennity, 52, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Tennity was charged following an investigation into an unspecified complaint at 4 p.m. Thursday on North Byron Road, Elba. The complaint was investigated by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Kendra Quinette Thomas, 29, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with driving on a suspended registration. She was arrested on a warrant for the charge following a traffic stop by Deputy Cory Mower.

Nikayla Cheyenne Lee Jackson, 19, of Slusser Road, Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Jackson was located outside of Walmart at 12:42 p.m. Monday by Trooper Brian Pritchett and Sgt. Ron Meides. She was wanted on a City Court warrant so the officers attempted to take her into custody. Jackson allegedly became abusive and disorderly and physically struggled with officers and did not comply with commands. Once restrained and placed in the back seat of a patrol vehicle, she allegedly kicked the rear passenger door and plexiglass cage. She then reportedly used her forehead to strike the cage several times. The cage was not damaged. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Charles S. Ganoung IV, 33, of Transit Road, Elba, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd. During an investigation of an unrelated incident by Deputy Howard O. Wilson, Ganoung was allegedly found in possession of an unregistered assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine. Following arraignment, he was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Samuel Gene Coughlin Jr., 21, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 4th, speed exceeding 55 mph, and driving on a suspended registration. Coughlin was stopped at 10:06 p.m. on Main Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Kevin Forsyth. He was allegedly found in possession of more than two ounces of marijuana.

Carl M. Vander, 22, formerly of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with burglary, 3rd, and criminal mischief, 4th. William J. Hixenbaugh, 27, of Lake Street,  Le Roy, is charged with burglary, 2nd, petit larceny, and criminal mischief, 4th. Vander, who is currently an inmate in the Wyoming County Jail on unrelated charges, and Hixenbaugh were arrested by Le Roy PD following a six-month investigation into a forced-entry burglary to a tenant room on Lake Street. A television and mobile phone were stolen and later recovered. Hixenbaugh was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Students from Elba's kindergarten class took a field trip today to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. The trip was paid for by the Salvaterra family in remembrance of their son, Brayden Salvaterra, as an expression of gratitude and thanks to the Elba School District, the Elba community and surrounding community, for the support and contributions made to the family in Brayden's honor.

Brayden passed away unexpectedly Jan. 23. Many donations were made to Brayden's memorial and this is the first event paid for by the memorial.

Photos and info submitted by Kristi Bennetti.

Press release:

The Elba Central School Board of Education has moved its April 2017 meeting to Monday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Library Media Center.

Also, District residents interested in running for membership on the Board of Education can pick up candidate petitions in the District Office on any business day between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Each petition must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District. There are two seats available, each for five-year terms. Petitions nominating candidates for the office of Board of Education member must be filed with Donna Harris, Clerk of the Board, in the District Office of Elba Central School, 57 S. Main St., Elba, NY 14058 no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, April 17.

The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble will hold its Spring Concert in the auditorium of Elba Central School at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.

Philip J. Briatico is the conductor.

It will feature these works:

• "A Copeland Tribute" -- Clair Grundman
• "Barnum & Bailey's Favorite" -- Karl King
• "Ghost Train" -- Eric Whitacre
• "New York: 1927" -- Warren Barker
• Highlight's from Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel"
• "When Jesus Wept" -- William Schuman
• Sounds of the Carpenters
• "Hymn to a Blue Hour" -- John Mackey
• "Bond...James Bond" -- arrangements by Stephen Bulla

Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors age 55 and up, and veterans; $5 for students with I.D.; children ages 5 and under are free. Get a Family Deal for $25 for mom and dad and up to four children.

Also, there will be a Meal Deal printed on the back of the tickets, offering a deal at Chap's Elba Diner, which can only be used immediately following the concert for 10 percent off the dining bill.

This program is made possible, in part, by the Reach Grant program administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

The purpose of the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble is to serve and to provide the Greater Genesee Valley audience with new and familiar live music, to serve its membership with the opportunity to perform challenging wind ensemble literature and to create the opportunity for the conductor and musicians to grow their collective musical talents.

To contact the ensemble, email  geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com

A truck vs. tree accident with possible injuries is reported in the area of 7382 Starowitz Road, near Bank Street Road, Elba.

Elba Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Elba had plenty of chances to beat C.J. Finney in the Section V Class D consolidation game. They had second and third and fourth chances -- the kind of chances you get by snagging offensive rebounds and putting them back for baskets.

But in the third and fourth quarters, those balls weren't rolling in.

"We stressed crashing the offensive rebounds," said Head Coach Ciaci Zambito. "We felt we would have an advantage on the glass tonight. The first half, we capitalized on some those and in the second half, we didn't. That's just how the game is. The ball didn't roll our way and that's the unfortunate part of the story of the night."

Putting in more of those shots would have helped the Lancers overcome the sharpshooting of Finney's guards, who netted 13 three-point shots helping Finney advance to the Far West Regional Championship with a 52-48 win.

Max Harris hit six three-pointers for Finney and Dylan Occur hit four, all in the first quarter.

All those swishes put Elba in a mood to try a little outside shooting to start the second half and that got them in a little trouble.

"We haven't been a great shooting team all year," Zambito said. "Our thing is we need to attack the basket. Sometimes when other teams do things well you try to match them. They shot the ball well tonight and we tried to match them doing that and we came up short."

Finney's guards can also handle the ball well, so the Lancer's attempt to trap and press wasn't as effective as Zambito would have liked, so Elba dropped back into a half-court offense.

"They're just such good shooters," Zambito said. "There isn't much you could do about that."

Zambito praised his seniors, who came up in a program that a few years ago only got five or six wins, but starting last year, when Zambito became coach, they bought into the new scheme of things and worked hard to come together as a team and help Elba get its first Section V title in boys basketball since 2005.

"To end their career with a sectional championship just goes to show you how hard they've worked," Zambito said. "It's incredible."

For Elba, Tucker Bezon scored 20 points. He hit three threes. Shane O'Hallaran scored 10. Jon Boyce scored nine.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today (March 10) proudly announced that the Village of Elba in Genesee County has received $3.5 million for a water improvement project, $2.1 million of which is a New York State Water Grant.

The project involves connecting to the Genesee County Water Supply by installing a new pressure-reducing valve, decommissioning the Chapel Street Well, and rehabilitating the Village’s finished water storage tank. More than 21,000 feet of aged water main will also be replaced.

“Water quality is a major issue across the state,” Hawley said. “This affects not only the water our residents use to drink and cook with, but also the water in our schools and businesses.

"Old lead and cast iron pipes were reliable technology 50 years ago, but they now need to be replaced, and I applaud state leaders for taking a proactive approach to mitigate costs. The more we invest upfront to swap out old pipes and water infrastructure, the more we will save in the long run and families will have peace of mind knowing the water they drink is safe and clean.”

Whether through fatigue, Notre Dame's defense or just that's the way the ball bounces, a dearth of scoring in the fourth quarter last night cost the Elba Lady Lancers a chance to advance to the regional championship round of post-season basketball.

The Lady Irish prevailed in the Class D consolidation game between the two Section V champions. The final, 44-31.

Elba had a first half lead after scoring 15 points in the second quarter, going into the locker rooms up 19-18, were down by only two points, but a four-point fourth quarter for Elba enabled Notre Dame to pull away and secure the win.

Head Coach Tom Redband said his girls struggled with free throws and layups in the second half and fell out of rhythm.

"I don’t think it was adjustments they made," Redband said. "We just missed free throws and some layups that normally we make and that’s basketball. Sometimes they fall, some times they don’t. It just kind of caught up to us."

Tom McCulley, head coach of Notre Dame, said he thought Elba trying to guard a couple of his bigger players, such as Callie McCulley and Margaret Sutherland, took a toll on Elba.

"Eventually our size and strength just wore them down to where we could get the ball to where we wanted to and make our shots down the stretch," McCulley said.

He said he was exceptionally proud of his team.

"All season long I’ve been telling the girls, 'we just have to do what we do,' " McCulley said. "We are going to have nights where we can’t find the basket and nights where we’re a little sluggish but if we stay to who we are, we just don’t press and try to relax, these girls are good enough to where eventually it’s going to happen for them.

"That’s what you’ve seen in the second half of the season. We’ve figured out what works and doesn’t work and these girls are playing phenomenally well together and it’s nice to watch."

For Notre Dame, Sutherland scored 16 points, McCulley, 13, Morgan Rhodes, 9.

For Elba, Maddie Muehlig scored seven, as did Nicole Boldt. Tatum Draper scored six and Madison Howard scored five.

Notre Dame plays for the Far West Regional Championship in Class D at 3 p.m., Saturday, at Buffalo State.

Top three photos by Destin Danser. For more photos of the game and a chance to purchase game photos, click here. Bottom photo by Howard Owens.

The Elba Volunteer Fire Department held its 2017 installation banquet on Saturday night and Don "Rat" Reinhard was honored for this 23 years of service as assistant chief. He was presented a handmade trophy by all the officers (trophy made by John Mudrzynski).

Michael Pfendler and Nathan Tabor were recognized for achieving the most training hours and Mike Schad Jr. responded to the most calls.

Photos and info submitted by Carrie Mudrzynski.

Elba's fire police officers for 2017: Mark Wiatrowski, Mike Banks, Leonard Peterson Sr. , Kenny Miller and Kevin Dart.

The firematic officers for 2017 who were able to attend the dinner: Caitlin Zipfel, Nick Esten, Mandy Esten, Jennifer Cardinali, George Underhill, Mike Schad Jr., Ryan Hart, and John Mudrzynski. Unable to attend: Mike Heale and Chris Lane.

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Corporate officers: Mark Wiatrowski, Kenny Miller, Don Gavenda, Linda Loder, Bob Zipfel, Sue Dart, Donna Hynes, Leonard Peterson Sr., and Glenn Bloom.

The officers of the Ladies Auxiliary: Linda Loder, Lynette Gregori, Joyce Zipfel, Bobette Hyatt, Irene Griffith-Pierce and Marylou Andrews.

The Elba Lancers didn't dominate Prattsburg in the Section V Class D1 match at Alfred State yesterday, but there was never a time when it didn't seem like the squad was anything but in control of the game.

That comes from experience, said Ciaci Zambito, in his second year as head coach of Elba.

The Lancers started four seniors.

"They’ve played in a lot of big games," Zambito said. "They don’t get rattled by this kind of environment. Obviously, this is the biggest game they’ve ever played in up to this point, but it’s hard work. If you work hard and prepare yourself for moments like this, when you get to it it’s going to be a little bit easier."

Four seniors and a freshman, Collin O'Halloran, a point guard who scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four assists and four steals to make him the most valuable player of the tournament.

The low score on both sides -- Elba won 50-38 -- really shows the game was really a defensive battle, Zambito said.

"When you hold a team that good to 38 that just speaks volumes to the effort and the defensive attitude that we have as a program," Zambito said.

The other top scorer for Elba was Tucker Bezon, who had 12 points to go with 13 rebounds. Shane O'Halloran had seven points and six rebounds, and Jon Boyce had seven points and seven rebounds. 

This is the fourth sectional title for Elba and the first since 2005, when Zambito was a junior on the team. That year both the boys and the the girls won Section V titles, a feat repeated this year.

Zambito said he wanted to acknowledge last year's seniors because they really helped make this year's championship possible, he said, by embracing a young coach and setting the example of hard work and leadership for the younger players.

"They kind of created the blueprint to our program and these guys just took it and put up the building, if that’s the way you want to look at it," Zambito said.

Next up for Elba, a Class D consolidation game to be played Wednesday. The time and location is not yet available.

There's nothing like getting your star player back from injury right before the championship game to give your team a boost of confidence and that's exactly what happened for the Elba Lady Lancers, who captured the Class D2 Section V championship Friday night with a 49-39 win over Romulus.

Emily Reynolds, who missed the previous six games with a knee injury, was named the tournament MVP after the win.

"Having the best player in the class back helped a lot," said Head Coach Tom Redband. "Just the morale boost alone, but she's also definitely a dominate force inside."

Reynolds scored 19 points and pulled down five rebounds.

"She worked really hard to strengthen her knee and she loves the game," Redband said. "I was just so happy for her that she was able to come back and play full strength."

Romulus opened the game with a full-court press and while Elba was successful at breaking the press, it did slow the Lancers down and helped keep Romulus within a basket or two of the lead through the first half. When Romulus dropped the press, Elba fell into an offensive rhythm and was able to pull away.

"It helped us a little bit get into our half-court offense and relax a little bit," Redband said. 

Tatiana Draper scored eight points for Elba and handled 12 rebounds. Maddie Muehlig scored seven points and had three assists.

Redband replaced the legendary Tom Nowak, who coached teams to 10 sectional titles, for the 2014 season. Redband is now one for one in Section V title games.

The Lady Lancers will next face archrival Notre Dame in a Class D consolidation game at Cal-Mum on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m. The last time the two teams met in post-season was 2013 when Notre Dame upset Elba in a semifinals game on its way to an eventual state championship. Elba hadn't won a Section V title since 2012 when they went on to become state champs.

To purchase prints, click here.

The Elba Volunteer Fire Department wants the public to know that it is starting up Bingo again for the year at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, at the fire hall, located at 7143 Oak Orchard Road, Elba.

Ken Miller, president of the fire department, notes that the Queen of Hearts is now more than $6,400! Also, there will be other jackpots offered.

Elba advanced in sectional play Saturday night, beating Genesee Valley at home, 60-45.

Tucker Bezon scored 19 points. Henry Pflaumer got 15 and Shane O'Halloran, 9. 

Noah Windus had 14 for GV and Logan Glover, 13.

The Elba Central School Drama Club is presenting the musical "Hello, Dolly!" this weekend.

The show opens at 7 p.m., Friday. Additional performances are at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, in the school auditorium.

Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. Tickets available at DailyNewsTickets.com, Roxy's Music Store, and at the door before the show.

In Elba on Friday afternoon, an unknown person approached a local homeowner and asked her questions about her mortgage and then handed her a manila envelope with a phone number on it advising her to call the number.

The man said he was a representative of Bank of America.

The woman called Sheriff's dispatch and investigators contacted Bank of America and searched for a listing for the 1-800 number on the envelope.

Based on their finding, investigators concluded the man was apparently running some sort of scam and the Sheriff's Office is warning other residents to be on the lookout for similar scam attempts.

The man was driving a silver minivan. The man had been parked across the street from the Elba residence and when the homeowner attempted to leave, the van pulled into her driveway.

He is described as a white male, average height, thin build, wearing glasses and a baseball cap.

Once she confirmed she was the homeowner, the man informed her he was from the Bank of America and said her mortgage was in default.

The number on the envelope was 1-800-669-0102.

Anyone with additional information or experience this type of activity, call the dispatch center at 9-1-1 or (585) 343-5000.

Shawn M. Twardowski, 34, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with: animal cruelty; second-degree harassment; third-degree robbery; fourth-degree criminal mischief; obstruction of governmental administration; and resisting arrest. Twardowski was reportedly involved in an incident at his residence on Bank Street at 12:15 a.m., Thursday. He allegedly strangled and punched a beagle, subjected a female at the location to physical contact, stealing and attempting to disable her mobile phone and then, upon police arrival, barricaded himself in a bedroom. When police gained access, he allegedly struggled with officers. He was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Salvatore M. Schwable, 19, of Webber Avenue, Oakfield, was arrested on a warrant. Schwable allegedly violated the terms of his release-under-supervision contract. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Ronald J. Murray Jr., 22, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Murray allegedly pushed another person during an argument, reported at 8:30 p.m., Thursday.

Alan P. Ellis, 36, of Lewis Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing, endangering the welfare of a child and cruelty to animals. During an argument reported at 5:15 a.m., Sunday, Ellis grabbed victims by their throats, with one being under age 17, and he allegedly threw and kicked a dog, causing it to limp.  

Charles J. Rodriguez Sr., 40, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Rodriguez was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court at Buffalo City Court when he appeared there on an unrelated matter. He was jailed on $1,000 bail or $2,000 bond.

Michael J. Antonucci, 34, of Alexander Road, Attica, is charged criminal contempt, 2nd. Antonucci was arrested on a warrant for allegedly violating an order of protection.

Jeanna M. Hattaway, 29, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hattaway allegedly stole two pairs of sunglasses from the 7-Eleven at 505 E. Main St., Batavia.

Diane M. Fiorentino, 67, of Grandview Terrace, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Fiorentino was arrested Nov. 13 following the report of an incident at 5:30 p.m. that day at her residence. No further details released.

Nikayla C. Jackson, 19, no permanent address, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a disorderly conduct charge.

Willie A. Saab, 42, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal contempt and two counts of aggravated family offense. Saab allegedly violated a pair of stay-away orders. He was jailed without bail.

Grayson Jordan Albert Finnin, 20, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, obstructing emergency medical services, and unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21. Finnin was allegedly involved at a disturbance at a local hotel at 12:12 a.m., Tuesday. He was transported to UMMC and allegedly became combative with medical staff and police officers.

Gerardo Carrera-Sanchez, 31, Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, unlicensed operator and moving from lane unsafely. Carrera-Sanchez was arrested by Deputy Howard Wilson following the investigation into a motor-vehicle accident reported at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 22 on Shelt Road, Byron.

Timothy Michael Weinstein, 44, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Weinstein allegedly violated the terms of an order of protection.

Yahaira Ann Marie Brown Diaz, 18, of Old Telephone Road, Bethany, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Diaz was allegedly found in possession of marijuana while at a location on West Main Street Road, Batavia, at 7:04 p.m., Sunday.

Two former Genesee County football stars have been selected for induction into the Section V Hall of Fame.

David Boyce, of Le Roy, and Mark Shardlow, of Elba, will both be inducted during the 20th-anniversary ceremony April 6.

Joining the 2017 class are:

• Mark Baniewicz, Fairport
• Trent Bridges, Irondequoit
• Mike Butler, Irondequoit
• Keith Downing, Fairport
• Danny Gilardi, East Irondequoit Eastridge
• Thomas Nacca, Jefferson

Three coaches from Section V and two others who have contributed to Section V football will be inducted: 

• Jim Haugh, Victor and Livonia
• Mike Nally, Edison
• Ron Rucker, East Rochester
• Marc Remillard, game official
• Kevin Pino, athletic trainer, in contributor category

The ceremony will be at RIT Inn and Conference Center. Tickets to the induction ceremony and dinner are $40 per person or $350 for a table of 10. They may be ordered before April 1 with checks payable to Section 5 Football by mailing to: Frank Marafino, 4 Georgetown Drive, Apt. C, Rochester, NY, 14617.

Despite the 15-point differential in the final score, this game was a nail-biter through the first three quarters. Pembroke lead by 2 at half time; however, Elba's defense came up big, holding the Dragons to just 11 points in the second half.

Leading scorers for Elba were Emily Reynolds with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Madison Howard with nine points.

Elba has now won 14 games in a row.

Photos by Destin Danser. Click Here to view more and purchase prints.

A big second-quarter scoring put Le Roy in command on their way to a 71-61 victory over Elba to snap the Lancers' seven-game winning streak. CORRECTION: Byron-Bergen beat Elba in OT on Friday, 51-47.

In that second quarter, Ryan Boyce knocked down three three-pointers to fuel the rally.

Boyce, who had a total of five three-pointers, finished with 28 points, four rebounds and three assists. Josh Laurie added 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.

For Elba, Jon Boyce scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Jordan Miller had 17 points and Tucker Bezon had eight points and seven rebounds. 

Photos by Destin Danser. For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.