elba

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.

Press release:

A state-mandated 30-day public review period has begun for Agricultural Districts No. 2 in the towns of Alabama, Batavia, Byron, Elba, Oakfield and Pembroke.

The Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board announced that Agricultural District No. 2 will embark on its eight-year review with a 30-day public review period beginning on Jan. 26.

As with every eight-year review, landowners with lands in the district under review will be asked to complete a worksheet where they will be given the option to enroll or withdraw property from the district. Only entire parcels can be included or excluded.

Landowners will receive the worksheet, along with a letter, informational brochure, and map of the current district boundaries in the next couple of days. Each landowner will have until Friday, Feb. 24th of this year to mail the worksheets to the Department of Planning in the envelopes provided. This deadline also coincides with the deadline for the Annual Enrollment Period, which allows for inclusion of predominantly viable agricultural land to any of the County’s Agricultural Districts pending review by the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. In addition, nearby landowners that are receiving Agricultural Tax Assessments and are not part of the Agricultural Districts Program will be mailed a letter and form inviting them to join the program.

During this 30-day period, a map of the District will be on file and open to the public in the office of the Genesee County Clerk and at the Genesee County Department of Planning.Any municipality whose territory encompasses the above Agricultural District, any State Agency or any landowner within or adjacent to the District, may propose a modification of the District during this period. The District and any proposed modification will be submitted to the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board for review. Consequently, a public hearing on the District and any proposed modifications will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, at the Genesee County Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

At the conclusion of this review, the Genesee County Legislature will vote on any modifications to the District and send the proper materials to the State Department of Agriculture and Markets for recertification. The public is encouraged to attend all open meetings.

By enrolling land in the Agricultural Districts Program, participating farmers can receive relief from nuisance claims and certain forms of local regulation. Enrollment is free and voluntary. For a free informational brochure, please contact the Genesee County Department of Planning. Phone: (585) 815-7901; fax: (585) 345-3062; email: planning@co.genesee.ny.us. Visit us on the Web at www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/planning.

Members of the Elba Lancers Girls Basketball teams, varsity and JV, wore T-shirts at their games Tuesday night in Attica to honor Jordyn M. Augello.

Augello, 30, died of cancer Monday just months after giving birth while going through cancer treatment. She coached many of the girls as a youth coach as they came up through the Elba program in fifth and sixth grade.

She is the daughter of Mark Torrey and was a partner in Torrey Farms. She leaves behind a husband, Charles Augello, and children Carmine Frank and Frances Mary. She was a 2009 graduate of Cornell University.

For her full obituary, click here.

Team photos courtesy Tom Redband.

Investigators continue to work leads in the case of a series of battery thefts from trucks and farm equipment in Genesee County, and as a result previously arrested suspects face new charges.

Bart Towne, 48, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. He was first arrested Sept. 27 and has been charged in the jurisdictions of Byron, Oakfield, Alabama, Elba, Pembroke and Alexander. 

He allegedly stole batteries in each of those towns.

He is being held without bail.

Amber L. Heveron, 28, of Rice Road, Albion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. She was first arrested Dec. 6. She was previously charged in Alabama, Pembroke, Oakfield and Elba. 

She is out of jail under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported on Route 98 near Ford Road in Elba.

People are reportedly still in the vehicle.

Unknown injuries.

Elba fire and Mercy EMS responding.

In his legal career, Charles Zambito has been a clerk for a county court judge, a defense attorney, a prosecuting attorney, an attorney in private practice and a county attorney, and last night he took the oath office for what he said may be the most significant role an attorney can play in a democratic society: a County Court judge.

Elected without opposition in November, the lifelong Genesee County resident who resides in Elba took the oath administered by Wyoming County Court Judge Michael Mohun while surrounded by his family.

After being sworn in, Zambito delivered a few remarks.

Judges, he said, play a vital role in protecting the freedoms we all enjoy. Yes, the court is indispensable in protecting law-abiding citizens from those who break the law and providing for victim's rights, but judges must also safeguard the Constitutional rights of those accused of crimes, as well, in order to ensure the rights of us all are protected. 

"It’s just as important if not more important for a judge to be aware of that," Zambito said. "Without an independent judiciary, you wouldn’t have that. It’s really the foundation of a democratic society."

When discussions about his swearing-in ceremony came up, Zambito said his first impulse was not to make much of it, but his friends, including Mohun, who will serve as his mentor, impressed upon him the idea that the job isn't just about him.

"It’s about the position that a county court judge has in the community and the importance and significance that has, not only in this community but in all communities across the state and the country," Zambito said.

Attorney Ben Bonarigo, outgoing president of the Genesee County Bar Association, delivered a few opening remarks in praise of Zambito's service to the community.

Here are the services for tonight we were notified about:

• The barn service originally scheduled for tonight at the Partridge Farm has been moved to the United Methodist Church at 8221 Lewiston Road. 
• There is a candlelight service with carols and the Christmas Story at 7 p.m. at the East Bethany Presbyterian Chruch, 5735 Ellicott Street Road, East Bethany.
• The Yunker family continues a 36-year tradition hosting a barn service for the Presbyterian Church in Elba. The service begins at 7 p.m. on the Yunker Farm on Transit Road, Elba. Lighted candles will lead cars along the road to the barn. Rev. Barbara Tipton will renew the Christmas message. Traditional Christmas hymns will be sung, accompanied by Fran Woodworth on flute. Barn STAIRS will lead to the service benches. Members and visitors are welcome.
• City Church holds two services this evening, at 6 p.m. at the City Church on East Main Street, Batavia, and at 8 p.m. at St. Anthony's on Liberty Street.

A Mexican citizen barred from ever entering the United States again after serving a prison term on a rape conviction has pled guilty to re-entry after deportation in federal court.

Jose Maria Agustin, 43, arrested in Elba a year ago following a raid of a property by the Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security, faces a possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In 2009, Agustin was convicted in California of forcible rape and assault with a deadly weapon. After serving a five-year prison term he was deported. 

Agustin was located in Elba following an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office. He was arrested locally on a charge of sex offender failing to report a new address. He had not registered in New York and was working in the United States without authorization.

Emmaline Long didn't grow up on a farm, but she grew up loving everything about farming. She always wanted to work in agriculture and after graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Agricultural Sciences, Long landed what she describes as her dream job, crop production manager for CY Farms in Elba.

The 2008 graduate of Byron-Bergen High School has a passion for farming that goes beyond just her job. She is chair of the New York 4-H Foundation, co-chair of the Genesee County Young Farmers and Ranchers and serves on the precision agriculture advisory committee at Genesee Community College.

All this passion, all this dedication to farming is why she received the Excellence of Agriculture Award from the New York Farm Bureau at its statewide convention last week.

The award is given annually to a person between the ages of 18-36 who derives most of his or her income from agriculture but doesn't own a farm.

She describes the award as humbling.

"Because I’m passionate about a lot of things, it’s nice to be recognized for the things I have been doing, and that putting myself out there and being a leader doesn’t go unnoticed," Long said.

Although Long didn't grow up on a farm, farming was always part of her life. Her dad had owned a dairy farm before she was born and she and her parents always worked their garden and her dad would ride her around in his lap on their tractor. In high school, she started raising a rare, heritage breed of sheep, Lincoln longwools. She was a member of 4-H and competed annually at the Genesee County Fair.

"(Agriculture) is in my blood," she said. "I've always loved it. It's always been something I've been interested in."

She still has her flock and hopes someday she can make enough from selling wool to pay for her hobby.

Her job at CY Farms, which she started two and a half years ago, affords her the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of ag-related jobs, from managing and planning what crops get planted where, and managing the nutrients they will need, to handling disease and pest control in an environmentally friendly way, plus handling all the ag precision data. She also puts out the farm's newsletter. 

“I found it difficult to find one aspect of the industry I liked more than the others," she said. "I like forage crops and I like vegetable crops and I like grain crops and I couldn’t decide what I wanted to focus on, so I was specifically looking for a farm to work on that I could get involved in all the different aspects of the industry."

She's currently working on her master's thesis for a degree in Animal Science.

When she first graduated, she kind of thought her career path might have her working on a farm for a couple of years and them moving to a job with another, bigger agriculture company, but she's found she loves being involved in the local ag community, where everybody knows everybody and supports everybody, and she loves working at CY Farms, so it's now hard to imagine moving on.

"I love the operation and the opportunity they've been able to give me, so it’s hard to look forward because I’m content to work where I am now,"

Next month, Long will find out if her experience and passion for agriculture helps her win the same title at the national level of the Farm Bureau. She will be among 40 candidates for the award when the national organization holds its convention in Phoenix.

Previously: CY Farms grew from the good land