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Two dozen GC fire volunteers learn 'fireground strategies and tactics'

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Responding to concerns over the length of firefighting training programs, the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control has redesigned the Fire Officer I (FOI) program into five individual modules. Completion of all five modules will earn the participant a Fire Officer 1 certificate. 

The latest offering in the Fire Officer program held at the Genesee County Fire Training Center was "Fireground Strategies and Tactics for the First Arriving Companies." 

The Fireground Strategies and Tactics course prepares fire officers to act as the leader of a company or as an initial incident commander. The students received instructions in both fire and non-fire emergency operations with an emphasis on risk vs. benefit analysis while conducting operations.

The fifteen-hour module was completed by 26 volunteer fire personnel, nine of whom earned their Fire Office 1 certification. 

The 24 Genesee County participants were:

ALEXANDER

  • Anthony R. Johnston (FOI)

TOWN OF BATAVIA

  • Russell S. Borden
  • Bryan A. Moscicki
  • Ian A. Sanfratello
  • Tyler J. Stewart

BETHANY

  • Gregory W. Johnson (FOI)
  • Peggy J. Johnson             
  • Rick J. Klunder III (FOI)
  • Christopher M. Page (FOI)
  • Corrie A. Rombaut             

BYRON

  • Victor L. Flanagan (FOI)

CORFU

  • Dean T. Eck (FOI)
  • Daniel P. Smith (FOI)

ELBA 

  • Jennifer A. Cardinali             
  • Timothy J. Hoffarth             
  • Christopher P. Lane             
  • Michael Pfendler  (FOI)
  • Michael J. Schad (FOI)
  • George M. Underhill             

LE ROY

  • Jared Chick
  • Thomas Feeley

SOUTH BYRON 

  • Nicole M. Boldt
  • Chase A. Cone
  • Vito J. Muoio

Visit your local fire department to find out more about volunteer opportunities.

Sponsored Post: Open House Saturday – 6556 Miller Road, Elba

By Lisa Ace


Open House Alert - Saturday 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 6556 Miller Road, in Elba
.

Solid ranch on quiet pretty country road! This 3 bedroom, 1 and a half bath, home has a lot to offer for someone looking for country living. The yard is park-like with small outbuilding that has electric and water run to it and what used to be 4 kennels and large fenced in area for all your animals.

Also small shed and a cute gazebo! Inside features three good size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar!

Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted.

Great home and great location! Click here for more information on this listing & call Lynn Bezon. List with us today!

Law and Order: Pearl Street man accused of refusing to leave a business and resisting his arrest by BPD

By Billie Owens

Joseph Charles Barone, 39, of North Pearl Street, Batavia is charged with: obstruction of government justice; second-degree harassment; unlawful possession of marijuana; and trespass. Barone was arrested at 2:04 a.m. on Sept. 21 at a business on East Main Street in Batavia after he allegedly refused to leave and attempted to strike an employee. He also allegedly physically resisted Batavia police. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Jacob L. Hernandez, 25, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass in the second degree. He was arrested at 5:54 a.m. on Sept. 22 on Prune Street in Batavia after he allegedly entered a residence without permission and refused to leave. He was processed and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Arick Perkins.

Zachary John Gillard, 24, of West Avenue, Elba, is charged with driving while intoxicated, and aggravated driving while intoxicated -- a BAC of .18 percent or more. Gillard was arrested by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post at 2:44 a.m. Sept. 22 on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. He was arrested after a disturbance at a local business. He was subsequently release to a third party and is scheduled to be in Batavia City Court on Oct. 2. Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider assisted in the arrest.

Andrew J. Rock, 33, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. He was arrested at 8:26 p.m. on Sept. 6 while in Genesee County Jail for allegedly contacting the protected party of a stay away order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 1 in Batavia City Court, then released back into custody of the jail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider.

Grace Crystal Murray, 20, of Pratt Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy. She was arrested at 11:06 a.m. on Sept. 18 following a shoplifting incident at Dollar General on East Main Street in Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Sponsored Post: Solid ranch on pretty country road - 6556 Miller Road, Elba

By Lisa Ace


Solid ranch on quiet pretty country road!

This 3 bedroom, one and a half bath home has a lot to offer for someone looking for country living. The yard is park-like with small outbuilding that has electric and water run to it and what used to be four kennels and large fenced in area for all your animals. Also a small shed and a cute gazebo!

Inside features three good size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar! Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted.

Great home and great location! For more information on 6556 Miller Road in Elba, click here.

Road to success: BHS grad earns Class B CDL license, goes to college and works on farm

By Billie Owens

Submitted photo and press release:

Hard working and motivated are just two of the words that instructors used to describe Jay Lewis, who recently earned a Class B commercial driver's license through an Adult Education program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

A 2019 graduate of Genesee Community College (GCC) and 2017 graduate of Batavia City Schools (he graduated from high school at the age of 16), Lewis completed this CDL training while attending college full time.

Though this is no small feat, Lewis is modest about this accomplishment.

“I work part time at Torrey Farms, my cousin’s farm in Elba, and I knew that they needed drivers for their hay trucks, so I knew that it would be helpful to them if I earned my CDL license," Lewis said. "I thought that if I got this license, these skills could also help me to be more marketable in the future."

The 30-Hour CDL Class B License training course was a lesson in time management for Lewis.

“I’m grateful that the instructors were flexible with scheduling my coursework because I was able to fit this into my schedule of GCC classes,” Lewis said.

“The instructors were thorough and detailed," he said."Besides the specific training for this CDL Class B license, I learned so much about being a safe and aware driver, which is valuable training that any driver can apply."

Art Keicher is a CDL instructor for Adult Education at the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, a position he’s held for 23 years.  He described Lewis as a solid student and also explained how the CDL Program is structured.

“Jay was a terrific student; he was eager to learn, always on time and very responsible," Keicher said. "He will be a great driver. We offer full- and part-time programs. The goal is to offer CDL instructional programs that work for everyone.

"So many people in this day and age change careers. We aim to meet the needs of our customers by being as flexible as possible so we can create a plan that works for everyone. That’s what trucking is all about."

The training includes one-to-one instructor-to-student training ratio, field training for highway, rural and city driving including day and nighttime traffic conditions. Defensive driving, backing, emergency procedures and safety are emphasized. Keicher noted the many opportunities available in this field.

“This is a great occupation!" Keicher said. "Where else can you invest six weeks of training and start in a career making between $40-45,000 per year? We see people who were financially struggling before they begin the training and after they completed the training, they now own a trucking company."

Lewis currently attends Rochester Institute of Technology, where he is studying Mechanical Engineering Technology. He continues to work part time at Torrey Farms.

The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership offers four different driving training programs including: two Class A License courses; a Class B course; and a School Bus Driver 42-Hour Program.

For more information about any of these Commercial Driver’s License Programs or any Adult Education Program, contact (585) 344-7704.

Top photo: Art Keicher, CDL Instructor, watches as Jay Lewis completes a tire check before operating a dump truck.

Boy Scout leader from Elba accused of first-degree sexual abuse at summer camp

By Billie Owens

From the New York State Police:

On Sept. 5, State Police arrested Ronald L. Rowcliffe, 55, of Elba, after investigating several reports of sexual abuse.

Rowcliffe, a Boy Scout leader, reportedly had inappropriate sexual contact with several victims ranging in age from 12 to 14 years, who were attending the Massawepie Boy Scout Camp in the Town of Piercefield during the summers of 2017-2019.

Rowcliffe was charged with two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, and one count each of forcible touching and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

He was arraigned in the Town of Piercefield Court, and put in St. Lawrence County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, or $20,000 bail bond.

This remains under investigation, and further charges are pending.

If anyone has information regarding this investigation or believes they may be a victim, they are asked to contact the New York State Police at (518) 873-2750.

Photos: Seniors at Elba welcomed with poster faces

By Howard B. Owens

For the first day of school at Elba Central School, high school seniors were welcomed with poster-sized photos of their faces planted in the front lawn.

Photo submitted by Sharon Cole.

Nominated by local farmers, Elba Central School awarded $10,000 grant to enhance STEM curriculum

By Billie Owens

Press release:

ELBA -- Elba Central School has been awarded a $10,000 grant to enhance its curriculum for STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

By working with farmers, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Program, sponsored by the Bayer Fund, awarded $2.3 million in grants nationwide this year to strengthen STEM education in rural schools.

The schools that received grants were nominated and selected by farmers in their communities and Elba's farmers answered the call to strengthen STEM education.

Elba's grant will allow it to produce and broadcast video announcements.

There will be a check presentation at the Monday, Sept. 9 Board of Education meeting at 7 p.m. at the Elba Central School Library Media Center. (The school is located at 57 S. Main St. in Elba.)

​Grow Rural Education has distributed more than $18 million in grants to more than 1,000 rural public school districts since 2011. 

For each grant-winning school, teachers, students and, oftentimes, community members develop plans to create more engaging and innovative STEM programs.

Grow Rural Education grants have helped schools purchase an array of STEM-related materials, such as augmented-reality sandboxes, weather-forecasting and robotics equipment.

To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a school or school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. School districts that were nominated then submitted a grant application describing their STEM-focused project.

Grow Rural Education’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country, reviewed the finalist applications and selected the winning school districts, including Elba Central School.

About America’s Farmers

The America’s Farmers campaign highlights the importance of modern U.S. Agriculture through communications and community outreach programs that partner with farmers to impact rural America. To learn more, visit America’s Farmers at www.AmericasFarmers.com.

About the Bayer Fund

The Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the overall health and wellbeing in communities where farmers and Bayer employees live and work. Visit the Bayer Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

Driver suspected of blowing through stop sign on Lockport Road leading to serious injury accident

By Howard B. Owens

A 28-year-old driver from Rochester is suspected of running a stop sign on eastbound Lockport Road where it intersects with Route 98 in Elba, causing a two-car crash that led to serious injuries for his female passenger.

Nikitha Ganeshmurthy, 27, of Edison, N.J., is listed in stable condition at Strong Memorial Hospital after being transported there by Mercy Flight following the crash, reported at 6:17 p.m.

Tickets were issued to the driver of the car she was in, a 2017 Subaru WRX, Ashwin Mallikarjunaswamy, 28. Mallikarjunaswamy was cited for alleged failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield right of way.  

The couple was in route to Niagara Falls, according to Sgt. Andrew Hale.

The intersection is a frequent accident location with westbound cars often missing the stop sign at Lockport Road.

"It tends to be people from out of town who tend to miss that stop," Hale said.

Mallikarjunaswamy's sedan was struck on the passenger side by a 2009 Chevy Silverado driven by Edward M. Buczek, 65, of Elba.

Buczek suffered minor injuries and self-extricated from his pickup truck.

Investigators do not believe either driver was under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

Mallikarjunaswamy suffered minor injuries as well. 

The crash investigation is being handled by Sgt. Andrew Hale, Sgt. James Deihl, Investigator Christopher Parker, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, Deputy Mathew Clor, Deputy Erik Andre, Deputy Brock Cummins, and Deputy Jordan Alejandro. Assisting at the scene were volunteers from the Elba Fire Department, Barre Fire Department and personnel from Mercy EMS and National Grid.

(Initial Post)

Two-car accident, possible entrapment, reported in Elba

By Howard B. Owens

A two-car motor vehicle accident, with a one-vehicle rollover, is reported at Lockport Road and Quaker Hill Road, Elba.

One person is reportedly trapped in a vehicle.

Unknown injuries.

Elba fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:28 p.m.: A person in a pickup truck has self-extricated.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m.: A landing zone is being set up for Mercy Flight.

Local licensed NYS notary is 'paying it forward' with free deal for residents of Batavia, Oakfield and Elba

By Billie Owens
If you need a licensed NYS Notary, Oakfield resident Trish M. Johnson announced a special deal on Thursday.
 
"I’m offering FREE Notarial services for next 30 days to people of Batavia, Oakfield and Elba," Johnson wrote in an email. "Celebrating my business. Paying it forward."
 
Find information about her services here.
 
On her Facebook page, she writes:
 
"After 26 years of working in retail, it was time to go after things I felt passionate about. So, finding a job that I can make a good living and also really enjoy at the same time, I became certified as a Certified Loan Signing Agent.
 
"This is an Independent contractor hired to ensure that real estate loan documents are executed by the borrower, notarized (by me), and returned for processing on time all at the customers convenience.
 
"This is in addition to the Notary Services and Officiating services I offer. As a licensed NYS Notary, I can also do your typical Notarial legal documents." 
 
Documents may include:
  • Advanced directives
  • Executorships
  • Custody and guardianship agreements
  • Power of attorney
  • Court documents
  • Memorandum of understanding documents
  • Vendor contracts
  • Commercial leases
  • Employment contracts
  • Construction and loan agreements
  • Real Estate Closings (I do not though do reverse mortgages )

(By the way, she is also available for officiating weddings, unions, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies, special events, celebration of life funerals for all ("HLGBTQIA"). Prices for officiating are based on services needed, travel distance and time of day.)

Contact information for Johnson:

Phone: (585) 469-0284
Email:  obrianmiller74@gmail.com
Travelingtrishnotary&weddingservice

Sponsored Post: New Listing Alert: 6556 Miller Road, Elba

By Lisa Ace


New Listing Alert: 6556 Miller Road, Elba. Solid ranch on quiet pretty country road! This 3 bedroom, 1 and a half bath home has a lot to offer for someone looking for country living.

The yard is park-like with small outbuilding that has electric and water run to it, and what used to be four kennels and large fenced in area for all your animals:) Also small shed and a cute gazebo!

Inside features three good-size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar! Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted.

Great home and great location! Click here for information on this listing or call Lynn Bezon today for a viewing 585-344-HOME.

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