elba

Submitted photos and press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

At approximately 2:35 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center (9-1-1) received a report from a teller at Elba M&T Bank, 7133 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98), Elba, that the bank had been robbed.

A description of a vehicle involved in the robbery was given to dispatchers and patrols from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police responded.

The bank teller observed the get-away car and license plate number and reported it to dispatch, along with a discription of the two robbers. The car was described as a silver Dodge Stratus, which traveled northbound on Route 98 upon leaving the bank.

The two suspects were wearing face masks, gloves and dark-colored hoodies. The get-away car was located approximately 1/10th of a mile north of the bank and it looked like the suspects got into another vehicle and fled.

Investigation revealed that the silver Dodge Stratus was stolen from the Spencerport area and the license plates were stolen from the City of Rochester.

The amount of money stolen is unknown, but it is believed to be not substantial.

Investigation is continuing by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and FBI.

For more information, contact Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster, (585) 345-3000, ext. 3503.

A bank robbery is reported at the M&T Bank on Route 98 in Elba. Elba High School is on lockdown. The suspect vehicle left heading northbound on Route 98. Sheriff's deputies are responding.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: In a field north of the bank, money is strewn about. The area is cordoned off. Some of the currency is bunched in a packet, streaked with dye.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: No one is injured. The bank is located at 7133 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98).

UPDATE 3:23 p.m.: There are at least two suspects, both of whom were completely covered up and wearing ski masks and gloves. One person matching an eyewitness's description has been spotted walking along a road in Bergen -- a male wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark pants.

UPDATE 3:43 p.m.: The school is no longer on lockdown.

UPDATE 3:56 p.m.: The man spotted walking in Bergen was found to have no connection to this crime.

UPDATE 3:59 p.m.: According to Sheriff's Gary Maha, the call came into dispatch at 2:35 this afternoon of a robbery at M&T Bank. State Police and Sherifffs deputies responded and spoke with the tellers, who "were very good" at providing law enforcement with details about the suspect vehicle, including the plate, and a description of the two suspects at the scene. The vehicle was reported stolen in Rochester. The men both wore hooded sweatshirts, gloves and carried black handguns. They "appeared very nervous" and verbally demanded money and handed tellers bags for them to put it in. One suspect is described as black and the race of the other is uncertain. They left with some money, some of which was ruined by the dye packets, and some was left scattered on the ground. They fled north on Route 98 a short distance, then ditched the vehicle. Whether they were picked up by someone else or had another vehicle parked in the vicinity is unknown at this time. Maha said they ought to have photos to release later today. Investigators are poring over the bank's video and still pictures. They are going to process the abandoned vehicle for clues. Maha said this was the same bank that was robbed in 2009 and the tellers handled it as well as can be expected. "They are shook up, as you would be if someone pointed a gun at you, I'm sure," Maha said. "Fortunately, nobody got hurt. That's the main thing."

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $55,000 in state funding to establish a new joint agriculture education program for Oakfield-Alabama Central and Elba Central School districts.

The mission of the new program is to encourage more high school students to explore agriculture and consider a career in the industry.

“This important program will serve as another tool for educators to cultivate student development and success, and I am proud to have been able to jump start this new program," Ranzenhofer said. "Now, our students will have better opportunities to learn more about agriculture and be inspired to start a career in the industry."

The start-up funding will cover equipment, field trip expenses, instructional resources and materials, and instructional salaries. Enrolled students, in grades nine through 12, will experience classroom instruction, hands-on projects and opportunities to visit local businesses with a connection to the agriculture industry. The program will be administered by and located at the Oakfield-Alabama School District.

“We appreciate the support of Senator Ranzenhofer in this new program. Our students are surrounded by agriculture and now have the opportunity to learn about the careers of the industry. We hope the program will motivate some of our graduates to remain in the area as well,” said Oakfield-Alabama Superintendent Mark A. Alexander.

Agriculture and its related industries are the number one economic driver for Genesee County and New York State, and industry demand for a properly trained workforce is greater than ever. According to the Land O' Lakes Foundation, food production in the next 50 years will need to be higher than the prior 500 years.

Senator Ranzenhofer’s office received letters of support from the local agriculture industry, including: Cornell University Cooperative Extension Genesee County; Lamb Farms Inc.; CY Farms LLC; East Pembroke Grange; Wayne E. Phelps Ent. Inc.; Offhaus Farms Inc.; and Z&M Ag and Turf.

The Oakfield-Alabama Board of Education will publicly recognize Senator Ranzenhofer for his efforts to establish the new program during tonight’s board meeting.

The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble will perform its Autumn Concert "First & Final Steps" beginning at 4 p.m. in the Elba Central School Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 13.

The school is located at 57 S. Main St.

The purpose of the ensemble is to serve and 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.

Admission is:

• $25 -- Family Deal -- for immediate family and children defined a mother and/or father and up to four children
• $10 -- Adult
• $8 -- Senior (55+) & Veteran
• $5 -- Student with ID
• Free -- Children age 5 and younger

Also, printed on the back of the tickets will be a coupon for Chap's Elba Diner, which can only be used immediately following the concert for 10 percent off their bill.

To contact the ensemble, email    geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com 

The concert will feature these works:

"A Movement for Rosa" by Mark Camphouse

"Music for a Darkened Theatre" by Danny Elfman

"Over the Rainbow" by E.Y. Harburg & Harold Arlen

"Commando March" by Samuel Barber

"A Fifties Time Capsule" -- arrangements by Paul Jennings

"Chorale and Shaker Dance" by John Zdechlik

"Library of Congress March" by John Philip Sousa

"Star Trek: Into Darkness" -- arrangements by Michael Brown

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba ruined an otherwise perfect homecoming night for Notre Dame to end the season by scoring 16 fourth quarter points to seal a 22-6 win.

It was the first win of the season for OA/Elba, so both teams finish the year at 1-6.

QB Reice Woodward was only 1-7 passing for one yard, but he gained 149 yards on the ground on 14 carries and scored twice. Tucker Bezon rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries.

For the Irish, Brendan Klotzbach was 10-16 passing for 107 yards.

To purchase prints, click here.

A caller to dispatch reports three girls about 8 years old are walking westbound on West Avenue in Elba and they are allegedly taking other people's mail and carrying it with them.

UPDATE 3:12 p.m.: The caller "is concerned that they are going to be injured," perhaps due to their proximity to oncoming traffic.

UPDATED 5:25 p.m., Oct. 16: Here's the email we received from a parent; we withheld the name.

Please post an update on news of the trio of Elba girls stealing mail.  

I'm one of the fathers of the three girls that were delivering the mail in Elba on Saturday. I just wanted to leave a note saying that my daughter and I went door to door and apologized for the action. I realize the person who called it in to the sheriff thought they were stealing the mail but they were delivering it to the front door of each home trying to be helpful. I have discussed it with my daughter and she knows the consequences of her actions.

Press release:

For students, the junior and senior years of high school are filled with many critical decisions about the future. The College and Career Counseling Center at Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School is working hard to make preparing for life-beyond-school easier for students and their families.

This is the second year for the school’s dedicated Center, led by counselor Rob Kaercher. The Center is busy in the fall with a full schedule of visits and special presentations from a wide range of regional and national two- and four-year colleges, trade schools, and military branches.

(A Financial Aid Night is scheduled at 6:30 on Oct. 20 to help families from Byron-Bergen, Elba, and Oakfield-Alabama with the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.It will be held in the Byron-Bergen High School auditorium.)

Jr./Sr. High School Principal Patrick McGee said, "Our goal is to provide a wide variety of opportunities for our students in the areas of college and/or career. I feel we are ahead of the curve in this area as our students now have a daily chance to identify a pathway and gain a much better sense of what their post-secondary plans will be."

Students at the school not only have access to extensive in-person and online resources in the Center; they also get invaluable hands-on, one-to-one guidance from college-and-career expert Kaercher.

“This is a small school, and I can really get to know our kids as individuals,” Kaercher said. “I start as early as possible with them, so they have more options. I can help them find educational and career directions that match up with their interests and values.

"I enjoy working with them and their parents on financial aid, exploring scholarships, and completing their college applications. The commitment our district has to this initiative is extraordinary—kids at B-B can have a similar support experience to what they might find at a private school or with a paid independent college counselor.”

The College and Career Center has greatly expanded its services this year:

• Instant Admissions Week is being offered Nov. 7-10. Participating colleges include Erie Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, Genesee Community College, Monroe Community College, Niagara Community College, The College at Brockport, and SUNY Alfred State. “It is an exciting opportunity for kids to present themselves, have a short interview, and potentially get an on-the-spot decision from that college,” Kaercher said.
• Students will be ready for that interview thanks to another innovation the Center offers: virtual interviews with online avatars. The district’s teachers use an interactive professional development tool called Mursion, which employs practice with avatars to improve teaching technique. The Center has adjusted and expanded the program for students to use to develop better interviewing skills.
• The Naviance Family Connection, which was introduced to seniors last year, is now available to juniors, too. The online program helps students inventory their interests, research careers, search for colleges, create resumes, and submit applications. "Our current focus has been working with upperclassmen,” Kaercher said. “But as the Center continues to become established, more opportunities, including Naviance, will be available to junior high school students."
• The Center has also increased its college and industry visits this year. “We have found these to be very important,” Kaercher said. “Students have the chance to make connections directly with the actual decision makers, the admissions counselors and company human resources directors.”

“This can be a difficult and confusing time if you are trying to navigate it all by yourself,” Kaercher said. “We want to help make the process much easier. We are reaching out to parents and families—we hope they will contact the Jr./Sr. High School office to get more information.”

Press release:

The Wellness Committee at Elba Central School is sponsoring its second annual Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 5^th. About 100 students from Elba Central School will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day.

Parents, teachers and community members will join them. They will gather at 7 a.m. at the Elba Baptist Church, located at 31 S. Main St., Elba. Upon arrival to the school cafeteria at about 7:20 a.m., there will be special activities associated with the walk.

Genesee County's Safety Officer, Tim Wescott, will give a talk to the students. There will be a healthy light snack that has been donated by Harrington’s Produce, Yancey's Fancy Cheese, Alpina Yogurt, and Post Farms. Every student participant will be allowed to enter a drawing to win a backpack full of school supplies. They will also be given a one-day pass to the YMCA. Thank you to our sponsors!

Walk to School Day raises awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling. It emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. This event builds connections between families, schools and the community.

The Wellness Committee at Elba Central School organizes events such as this to promote health and wellness among our staff, students and community through healthy events.

For additional local information, please contact Jennifer at jmanley@elbacsd.org, 757-9967

For additional information, please visit these websites:

Walk to School Day in the USA:    www.walkbiketoschool.org              

National Center for Safe Routes to School:    www.saferoutesinfo.org

Mark your calendars for the Dig Pink Game on Oct. 6 when Oakfield-Alabama and Elba high school volleyball players compete again Wheatland-Chili to benefit The Side-Out Foundation.

The JV matchup starts at 5 p.m. and the varsity game begins at 6:30. They will take place inside the Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School Gymnasium, located at 7001 Lewiston Road in Oakfield.

There will be 50/50 raffles, refreshments, raffles items and a serving contest.

This is the sixth year of the Dig Pink Game and to date more than $7,000 has been raised locally for the nonprofit foundation, whose mission is to enhance breast cancer research and awareness.

Somebody is stealing batteries from large trucks, buses, and heavy equipment and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office is looking for the public's help in identifying the culprit.

These are known as Type 31 batteries. They retail for as much as $300 and have resale and recycling value.

Investigators say the series of thefts seem confined to Genesee County, particularly in Elba, Oakfield, Batavia, Byron, Alabama and Alexander.

The Sheriff's Office has received more than a dozen complaints of such thefts, which occur overnight.

Anyone with information that may pertain to the case can call (585) 343-5000.

(Submitted photos.)

We'll cut to the chase and tell you: Sam Tambe popped the question to Christina Strang after the ARC 5K race in Elba on Saturday and she accepted his proposal of marriage.

"I was hot and sweaty and she was hot and sweaty, and I couldn't tell if I took her breath away or she was just out of breath," Tambe said this afternoon, with the comedic delivery of a vaudevillian.

At any rate, he thought the venue was apropos.

"We met a year and a half ago at a running club in Oakfield and it grew from there," Tambe said. "I thought it would be appropriate to propose after a race."

He also liked the element of surprise afforded by the 12th annual Genesee ARC Friends & Family race, which raises money for its Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship. 

So after crossing the finish line, on bended knee with ring at the ready, he gallantly asked for Christina's hand and she gasped and covered her mouth in shock, letting the moment sink in a second, before answering in the affirmative.

Onlookers seemed delighted by the turn of events. Many clapped and voiced hearty approvals.

The couple plans to have a long engagement. They currently are without firm plans about the kind of wedding they want to have and when they want to have it.

Meanwhile, the 46-year-old fiance and his 41-year-old fiancee run together practically every day and both live in Oakfield, where she owns a home and he rents an apartment. (Strang was three children ages 14, 17 and 20 from a previous marriage. Tambe was also previously married.)

Matrimony will come in its own time.

"I wanted her to know I am serious about my intentions," Tambe said.

Peggy Zambito felt blessed that she, her daughter and her two young grandchildren walked away without any serious injuries from an accident on Transit Road in Elba a week ago.

This evening, she said she felt a sense of closure now that a person has been located, arrested and charged in the terrifying accident.

Jose Francisco Ortega-Hernandez, 46, of Transit Road, Elba, has been charged with: aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; no insurance; unsecured license plate; uninspected motor vehicle; unregistered motor vehicle; failure to yield at a stop sign; inadequate brakes, and failure to report a motor-vehicle accident with more than $1,000 in damage.

Following his arrest today, he was arraigned in Town of Batavia court and jailed on $2,500 bail.

He is also being held on an immigration warrant for past driving offenses.

According to accounts Zambito shared exclusively with The Batavian earlier this week, she was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her daughter Mercy Caparco, and her two grandchildren, Maggie, 5, and Molly, 2, when they saw a red SUV flying toward the North Byron and Transit Road intersection. There was no way to avoid the vehicle, Zambito said, and, she said, the other driver couldn't have stopped in time, even if he had tried.

The SUV slammed broadside into the Ford Explorer the family was in and caused it to roll over several times.

It was only by the grace of God and the safety features of the Explorer that the two women and two children walked away without any serious injuries, Zambito said. 

She hoped that publication of the story and photos from the accident would help lead to the arrest of the suspect.

The Sheriff's Office press release does not state how the suspect was located.

ICE Supervisory of Deportation Officer A. Castro assisted the Sheriff's Office in the investigation.

Eric Boyce had the best time for the men.

Kim Mills had the best time for the women (she also had the best women's time in the GLOW Corporate Cup).

Somebody knows who was driving this vehicle at 10:40 a.m., Saturday, when it T-boned a car with two small children in it at the intersection of North Byron Road and Transit Road, Elba.

The driver fled the scene and the vehicle was found in a wooded area the next day off of Spoil Bank Road, in the mucklands.

The car had Ohio plates that didn't match the VIN number. There were receipts for Verizon calling plans in the vehicle.

Peggy Zambito, the grandmother of the two children, said her family is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver.

It's a miracle and only through the grace of God, she said, that she, her daughter, Mercy Caparco, and her two grandchildren, Maggie, 5, and Molly, 2, were uninjured in the accident.

The Ford Explorer Caparco was driving rolled over multiple times and narrowly missed hitting a fire hydrant and a tree.

The other driver, Zambito said, was speeding and though they saw him coming, couldn't avoid getting hit.

"I knew he was going so fast he wouldn’t have been able to stop if he tried," Zambito said.

Zambito said the safety features of the vehicle -- strong seatbelts and side airbags -- helped keep them all safe.

"I will always be haunted by the face of my daughter looking, craning her neck as we're rolling over to look (at her children)," Zambito said. "She said, 'Mom, I don't see blood. I don't see blood.' That will haunt me to my dying day."

She was able to find her mobile phone and call 9-1-1 as soon as the car stopped rolling over.

"I'm a retired nurse," she said. "I tend to stay calm in an emergency and then fall apart later."

The rear axle with a tire attached snapped off and landed 30 feet from the vehicle.

"It's a miracle we were able to just get out of that vehicle," she said.

Incredibly, the insurance company originally said it wouldn't total the car, but only pay for repairs, but then later today, Zambito said, she got word the decision was being reconsidered by another department.

Zambito realizes the red SUV that struck them may have been driven by a migrant worker, perhaps undocumented, which is why he fled, but she also realizes, she said, most migrant workers are decent, hard-working and family oriented. Perhaps if this story makes the rounds or a worker sees the posters the family plans to post at the Yellow Goose in Elba, somebody will come forward and identify the driver.

Apparently, one person did tell a deputy who he thinks usually drives the vehicle, but that person has witnesses who say he was at work at the time of the accident, Zambito said.

A caller to dispatch believes he may have discovered the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident shortly after 10:30 Saturday morning on Transit Road in Byron.

Law enforcement units are responding to Spoil Bank Road in Elba, in the mucklands, where the caller found a vehicle well off the roadway with heavy front-end damage. 

There were no serious injuries in the accident, which resulted in one vehicle rolling over multiple times and landing on its side.

For initial report click here.

Clifford Adam Keene, 38, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with three counts of second-degree burglary. Keene was arrested following an investigation into two residential burglaries. It is alleged that Keene is responsible for a burglary in the Town of Batavia which occurred at noon on March 8 on West Main Street Road. He is accused of entering a residence and stealing a television. It is also alleged that he entered a residence on Marble Road in the Town of Pembroke on two separate occasions on March 4, stealing a crossbow and long guns. Keene was arrested and arraigned Sept. 8 and is due to return to Batavia Town Court Sept. 27 and to Pembroke Town Court Oct. 6. He is presently incarcerated in Genesee County Jail on unrelated charges. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Graff, assisted by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Francis W. Derenzo, 60, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with depositing trash and having an open container of alcohol. At 9:11 a.m. on Sept. 8, Derenzo was arrested on Ellicott Street for allegedly consuming an open container of Coors Light beer while walking on the sidewalk. Derenzo allegedly also threw the beer can, causing litter. Derenzo was issued two appearance tickets for City Court on Sept. 27. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Davis.

Jaime B. Janiga, 55, of Bank Street Road, Elba, is charged with failure to appear in connection with an incident which occurred at 1:28 a.m. on July 10 on Vine Street in the City of Batavia. Janiga was arrested following an accident investigation into an unrelated matter. Janiga was taken to BPD headquarters, processed, arraigned in City Court, and is due to return to court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

Register today for the 12th annual Genesee ARC Friends & Family 5K on Sept. 17! This event is a memorial to Mary Anne Graney -- parent, educator, advocate and friend of the ARC. Her dedication to the people with development disabilities and their families have enriched countless lives. The Graney family is pleased that funds raised in this event will help benefit education through the Mary Anne Graney Memorial Scholarship. For more information, visit us online at www.genenseearc.org. For questions, please contact Sandy Konfederath at 585-343-4203, ext. 223, or by email: skonfederath@geneseearc.org.

Submitted photos.

Press release:

The 2^nd annual Elba Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Sept. 24^th at Batavia Downs. Social hour starts at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7.

The 2016 Hall of Fame class inductees are Stan Sherwood, Donald Ames and Robert Norton.

Stan Sherwood:

Sherwood was a Physical Education and Health teacher as well as a coach at Elba Central School for 35 years. He was a great teacher, coach and supporter of all Elba students. He taught young people not only the skills necessary for a particular sport, but more importantly the values required in life to be successful. Sherwood, also an Elba resident, passed away six years after his retirement leading the students of Elba to sign a petition to name the gym after Sherwood, honoring all that he did for the community and student body.  

Donald Ames:

Ames is an alumnus of Elba Central School. He was involved in many school activities while attending Elba such as class officer, student council, athletics and FFA. Ames was Salutatorian of his class and continued on to Alfred State College. He was also a staff sergeant in the National Guard. Ames has helped with Little League, Boy Scouts and sat for numerous years on the Elba Central School Board of Education, as well as serving as president.  

Robert Norton:

Norton is a 1955 graduate of Elba. He has both his master in Education and Ph.D in Agricultural Education from Cornell University. He has been influential in thousands of students’ lives through his additional teaching and curriculum at Ohio State University, where he has served as the curriculum director. Norton has taught seminars all over the world and has trained other teachers as well. He has contributed to the education of Agriculture for thousands.

Last year’s inductees were Dorothy Couglin, Roosevelt Muhammad Brown, Suzi Egeli House, Thomas Nowack and Chester Gabriel.

Tickets are available now through Sept. 21^st in the Elba Central School District Office or may be reserved by calling 757-9967. Ticket prices are $30 and include a $10 free play pass to the Batavia Downs Gaming Center.