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A car has struck a utility pole in the area of 1390 Erie Street, Darien.

There are multiple injuries and two people require extrication.

There is at least one serious injury.

Responding units are asked to enter the scene from Tinkham Road because wires are down in the roadway.

Darien Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:12 p.m.: An engine from Corfu is requested to the scene.  Dispatchers checking on availability of Mercy Flight

UPDATE 7:54 p.m.: Mercy Flight Central has landed near the scene.

UPDATE 8:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight has departed with one patient, and is headed towards Erie County Medical Center.

Celebrating 110 years of serving the people of Genesee County, the YWCA held its first Women of Inspiration Awards brunch on Saturday at the Batavia Country Club.

Honored were Rev. Roula Alkhouri, pastor of Batavia First Presbyterian Church, Maureen Notaro, principal at Jackson Primary School, Marci Redband, accounting specialist at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, and Jacquelyn L. Swinarski, a retired teacher and community volunteer.

Rev. Roula Alkhouri
In 2000, Alkhouri made history as the first Syrian-American woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church.  She has served the community as a strong advocate for building bridges between people, according to Donna Blake, who nominated her for the award. Blake said she is committed to YWCA's mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, and freedom for all.  She created Los Samaritamnos, a group that provides food, transportation and support for detainees released from the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia. 

Led by Alkhouri, Batavia Presbyterian has built supportive relationships with Crossroads House, Jackson School, Justice for Children, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Little Free Pantry.

During the pandemic, she encouraged her congregation through regular online video messages and services, and members of the congregation encouraged others by delivering cards to nursing home residents. 

In her acceptance speech, Alkhouri admitted she was "down in the dumps" because both her father and mother had recently passed away and her brother was diagnosed with cancer.

"I was at a low point," she said. "All I wanted to say was, 'No, I'm not inspired at this moment.' But then I remembered the power of community. And that's the word that I want to leave you with today -- that community is so important for all of us."

Maureen Notaro
Nominated by co-worker Brian Sutton, Notaro was honored as a role model for students and staff of all ages. 

"I have worked with her for five years and I have witnessed students flock to her, admire her, and strive to make her proud by listening to her sound advice and guidance," Sutton said. 

Notaro credited her mother, a single mom, with instilling in her and her sisters a sense of empowerment. 

"She taught me and my sisters that the world could be ours if we were determined and persistent and never gave up on our dreams," Notaro said. "She taught us that everyone has a story and never to dismiss what someone has to say, and that everyone deserves the right to be respected and treated respectfully. She taught us never to judge anyone and to have an open mind. She taught us that all people are equal and that what matters is how a person treats others. I realized that my mother surrounded us with strong supportive women and led by example."

Marci Redband
Redband was nominated by her husband Tom Redband.

"When I read the nomination criteria for the Women of Inspiration, which includes how the nominee inspires others, how she serves as a role model for women and girls, how the nominee contributes to her community, and how the nominee promotes the mission and vision of the YWCA -- it was a no brainer when I read this," Tom said. I immediately thought of Marci Redband."

He praised Marci, who has coached high school sports -- including alongside her husband until a season ago at Elba in basketball -- since college graduation, as one of the best female role models he has ever met.

He said she contributes to her community as a coach, including that Elba girls basketball team, which won five straight sectional titles under the combined leadership of the Redbands.

"Marci's passion and drive were to encourage and lead these young women to not sell out themselves to society's expectations of what women are supposed to do and act like, and instead push themselves to become their best selves," Tom said.

Marci said that 10 years ago, she was struggling, struggling to get through college, and a counselor encouraged her to reach out more. Marci responded by pointing how involved she was in her church. The counselor told Marci she needed to get out of her comfort zone.

The next day, she got a call to become an assistant softball coach at Elba. 

She said sometimes God places something right in front of you and you've got to do it.

"The biggest lesson that I took from (being a coach) was that consistency, and showing up and being a calm face for some of these young women, is the best thing that you can do for them," Marci said. "It was a life-changing moment for me. And it was how I met my husband."

Jacquelyn L. Swinarski
Swinarski was described as the "energizer bunny" of Robert Morris when she taught kindergarten there for 30 years. She was a role model for other teachers. 

She organized the annual 4th-grade Architectural Drawing Contest for the Landmark Society. She was active in the Batavia Teachers' Association. She's volunteered at Crossroads House and organizes the Mega Garage Sale. She volunteers in the community more than 50 hours a week. And, she's been involved in fundraising at St. Joseph's School.

Swinarski encouraged people to treat other people better and to volunteer.

"When you volunteer, you give yourself to others," she said. "When someone does something to you, it's wonderful for a moment but then it's gone. When you do something for someone else, you always find people that are gracious, and loving, and you make more friends."

Millie Tomidy-Pepper, executive director of the YWCA presented Synia Morrison, a senior at Batavia High School, with the first ever Frances G. Francis Scholarship. Francis was founder of the YWCA in Genesee County,

The winning piece in this year's NY-27 Congressional Art Competition was executed with exemplary technical skill and creative energy, said Mary Jo Whitman, education/SCR director for GO Art!, and competition judge.

The winning painting was a self-portrait by Sarah Durkin, a senior at Iroquois High School. Whitman praised it its technical execution in part because of the difficulty of the medium, oil pastel.

"It's not just traditional portraiture but putting it in the setting and the way she executed the interior of the car,  the complementary colors between the blues and the reds, the sunset in the car," she said. "It was just very well executed and had a kind of very postmodern feel to it."

Heller was unable to attend today's event because she was at a university accepting a scholarship.

Second place went to Kaylee Ziobro of Eden HS, and third to Kendall Heller, also of Iroquois.

Heller's painting will hang in the hallway that leads from the congressional office to the Capitol Building for a year, said Rep. Chris Jacobs, who was on hand to meet the young artists who entered the competition and present the awards. 

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reversed the names of the first and third place winners.  It's corrected now. The Batavian regrets the error.

Colton Yasses tossed a five-inning no-hitter today to help lead Oakfield-Alabama to a 13-0 victory.

He struck out 14 of the 15 batters he faced. 

Yasses was also 2-4 at the plate, scoring two runs.

Kaden Cusmano also had two hits. He also knocked in three runs and scored a run. 

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Leaves are reportedly burning out of control in the yard at 84 Gilbert St., Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire responding.

UPDATE 1:47 p.m.: A Le Roy medic on scene reports that people are pouring water on the fire attempting to get it out.  "It doesn't appear out of control," she says.  The burn area is about 200 to 300 feet.

ABBAmania, Canada's top ABBA tribute band, played Batavia Downs on Friday night, with a Cher tribute artist opening the show.

The Oakfield-Alabama Hornets shut out Attica in baseball on Thursday for a 6-0 victory.

The Hornets notched 14 hits with catcher Aiden Warner going for 4-4. Colton Yasses was 2-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Bodie Hyde also had two hits.

Hyde tossed a complete game (seven innings) shutout, striking out 13 batters and giving up only two hits. He walked to batters.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

Friday was "Drive Your Tractor to School Day" at Elba Central School and several students did just that,

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Children whose parents read to them at home are faster learners, studies show, which is one reason administrators and teachers at Jackson Primary School in Batavia put a strong emphasis on reading.

It's a goal of the school that no child graduates from Jackson to John Kennedy without reading at least grade level, said Principal Maureen Notaro.

"We're promoting early literacy with our "Wild About Reading " theme," Notaro said during the family reading night at the school on Thursday. "Family reading night brings families together to help kids be invigorated and show their love of reading."

Teachers and staff decorated the hallways in a contest to emphasize the "Wild About Writing" theme and Brian Sutton, Steve Hyde, and Officer Miah Stevens judged the wall art, with the winning team getting a pizza party.

This was the first event with a gathering of students and parents at the school in 2 1/2 years.

"Parents who read to their kids get them excited (about reading)," Notaro said. "Kids are so curious. So anything, anything you say or expose them to is just a wonderful experience for them. I always tell parents, any chance you get to read to your children, you know, do it.  Do it in the car, point things out, just involve literacy in everyday life."

Further reading:

• Science Daily: A 'million-word gap' for children who aren't read to at home
• NPR: Why Reading Aloud to Kids Helps Them Thrive

Top photo: Miles McCracken, 5, shows off the book he chose to purchase at Jackson School's "Wild About Reading" night on Thursday.  He said, "Reading is cool." 

Photos by Howard Owens

Officer Miah Stevens.

Superintendent Jason Smith

Teachers with their favorite books from childhood were featured in pictures in the foyer of the school.

Murder suspect Nicholas Marten Maher, 37. accused of killing his 69-year-old father in his Oakfield home on Oct. 18, appeared in court today before Judge Michael Mohun, as the judge and the attorneys discussed procedures in the case. 

District Attorney Kevin Finnell said he is ready for trial but he understood that Public Defender Jerry Ader was awaiting reports that could have a bearing on how the case might proceed and what motions might be made.

Ader said that was correct and acknowledged receipt of the required discovery (potential evidence in the case) and everything seemed to be in order but the discovery material is still under review.

Mohun set May 20 at 2 p.m. for further proceedings.

Martin D. Maher was found dead in his home at 32 Drake St. after deputies were dispatched to his house for a welfare check at 10:57 a.m. Oct. 18 because family members had been unable to contact Maher.

Nicholas was later located in Erie County.  He is being held without bail.

The types of reports Ader is awaiting were not specified but they could have a bearing on whether there is a trial, as well as whether a plea deal is reached.  At the March 20 hearing, the court and attorneys will agree on how to proceed with the case.

A two-car accident with unknown injuries is reported at Lewiston Road and Galloway Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.:Injuries appear to be non-serious. A second ambulance requested to the scene, non-emergency.

There will be no taxpayer-funded trial on criminal mischief charges for a man already serving a life sentence on a jury-trial conviction for attempted murder and arson.

Judge Michael Mohun dismissed the charges against Plush Dozier this morning at the formal request of District Attorney Kevin Finnell.

Finnell cited the inability of Dozier to pay restitution, the cost of a trial, and the fact that, given how sentencing works in New York, if convicted, Dozier would be given credit for time served, since it would run concurrent to the term he's serving now. That means he would get no additional prison time (which could be a factor if he became eligible for parole).

"It's in the public interest not to hold a trial," Finnell said.

The decision apparently came at Mohun's suggestion during a conference on the case, Defense Attorney Fred Rarick suggested during the case and reiterated to a reporter as he was leaving the courtroom.  He said it was the right thing to do and saved the taxpayers the expense of transporting Dozier daily during a trial from Sullivan County.

Mohun, a county court judge in Wyoming County, has been assisting Genesee County since January while also mentoring new County Court Judge Melissa Cianfrini because of a backlog of cases. He inherited more than 80 cases that were more than years old -- going back to Cianfrini's time in the District Attorney's Office.  Much of the delay in the cases can be attributed to COVID-related shutdowns and slowdowns.

He said after court that the last of the cases will be cleared from his calendar on Monday and his duties in helping to catch up Genesee County will be completed. 

Dozier was convicted of attempted murder and arson in October. Dozier intentionally set fire on June 15, 2018, to the house at 35 Maple St., Batavia, in an attempt to kill a person inside the residence.

He appeared in court this morning, accompanied by three state prison guards, including a sergeant. Dozier was dressed in a green state prison jumpsuit, wearing on his head a white knit cap with a band of copper and black stripes knitted in and around it.  Four people, friends and family, sat in court in support of Dozier.  After the hearing, they thanked Mohun for his kindness in handling the case.

It was alleged that on Aug. 4, 2018, Dozier kicked out a plate of glass in a holding cell at the Genesee County Jail, which caused more than $5,000 in damage. He's also accused of causing more than $250 of damage to a Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle on Aug. 20, 2018.  That lead to charges of criminal mischief 3rd and criminal mischief 4th. 

Finnell said he consulted with Sheriff William Sheron on the dismissal and Sheron agreed with the decision.

Sheron said this afternoon, "Dozier is serving a life sentence, therefore in the interest of justice, we agree with the dismissal of the charges."

There have been nine accidents involving the Bell 429, the model helicopter being flown by James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville, and Stewart M. Dietrick, 60, of Prosper, Texas, when it went down in a field near Norton Road in Elba at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined the cause of four of those accidents.  Three of them were the result of human error and one was an apparent mechanical failure.

The preliminary evidence in Wednesday's crash of the Mercy Flight aircraft, said Aaron McCarter, air safety investigator with the NTSB, is that the rear tail section of the aircraft became detached during the flight.

"Onboard (the helicopter) were two pilots and seasoned professionals about 1300 or 1 p.m. local time, several credible witnesses of the helicopter transitioning the area behind me over Elba, New York, at about 2,000 feet observed and heard a loud boom. We don't know which occurred first (the tail separating or the boom). The tail separated from the helicopter and was found 300 feet from the main wreckage."

The main wreckage was in a gully just a few yards from the edge of Norton Road, about a mile north of Edgerton Road.

McCarter said he will be at the accident scene gathering evidence for three to five days.

"The on-scene portion of the investigation is only a small part of a much larger list, or process," he said. "Most of the work being done by the investigative team happens behind the scenes when the on-scene portion is over. In 10 days, I will be completing the preliminary report. In approximately 12 months, the factual report, followed very shortly by the probable cause, signed off by the Transportation Safety Board members (will be released)."

The cause won't be determined until the investigation is complete, and that investigation, regardless of what the evidence shows now, looks at all factors of the case, McCaster said.  That includes mechanical, environmental, and human elements, and how all three elements interacted.

While both Sauer and Dietrick are experienced pilots, they were on a training mission.

"Even though they are seasoned pilots, you know how much time they had in this particular helicopter?" McCarter said. "I'm not trying to equate aircraft with cars, but have you ever gotten to a car rental that was completely different than yours? It takes you a while to kind of figure out where all the buttons are and how how to maneuver. So that's what we're looking at, we're looking at their familiarity with the machine, how much experience did they have in this particular machine, in addition to all the other aircraft that they have flown."

Wreckage to be examined in Delaware
The wreckage, which was spread over a 2,000-foot area from beginning to end, will be transported to Clayton, Delaware.

"It will be transported back to this facility to a two-dimensional assembly of it on a hangar floor and we'll be able to see how the helicopter -- it can assist us in determining how the helicopter came apart and what happened first."

He added, "We will be doing a thorough engine check. We're gonna be checking on the rotor blades. We're gonna be checking the tail rotor. And we're gonna be downloading data."

While the Bell 429 doesn't have a "black box" as most people are familiar with -- its data isn't in a hardened protective case -- McCarter is confident the flight recorder data can be recovered.

Investigators will also look at flight and maintenance logs and any reports on the helicopter's performance on previous flights.

The aircraft was manufactured in Canada so by international treaty, Canadian aviation experts will be participating in the investigation.

McCarter indicated he doesn't believe there was anything of the ordinary for a training mission prior to the crash.  The mission started at the Genesee County Airport at 11:15 a.m. and the crew did a typical training flight pattern around the airport for about an hour before heading toward Elba.

Once the tail separated, McCarter said, the pilot would have found it impossible to maintain directional control over the aircraft.

"That tail rotor is what keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in the correct direction," he said. "Because the torque when the rotor blades are spinning around the helicopter, the fuselage wants to spin in the opposite direction, if you remember your high school physics, so the tail rotor actually keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in a specific direction."

Of the nine prior crashes involving the Bell 429, four claimed six lives.

Prior aviation crashes locally
Of the nine Bell 429 crashes, one was in Batavia on Oct. 6, 2021. That 429 was also owned and operated by Mercy Flight but was not the same aircraft involved in Wednesday's accident. There were no injuries when that helicopter had a hard landing at the Genesee County Airport.  The cause has not yet been determined.

There has been one other helicopter crash in Genesee County over the past 30 years. On Dec. 27, 2003, in Byron, when a pilot practicing autorotations over an airport open field made a hard landing. The pilot was seriously injured. 

The NTSB reported, "The pilot reported that he felt a shudder during the autorotation and tried to regain airspeed by using forward cyclic, but he was unable to regain airspeed. Examination of the helicopter found evidence of low main rotor rpm. No discrepancies were found with the flight controls and engine."

Previous airplane accidents, as reported by the NTSB, in Genesee County:

• March 31, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 182, mechanical failure, four aboard, no injuries;
• Sept. 24, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 152, an unexpected gust of wind on landing, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 7, 1984, Cessna 150H, pilot error at dusk, no injuries; 
• May 17, 1985, Batavia. Piper PA-22-150, commercial-rated flight instructor encountered unexpected wind at takeoff, no injuries;
• May 29, 1985, Batavia, Piper PA-28-235, loss of power during takeoff, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 15, 1986, Le Roy, Piper PA-38, instructor error, two aboard, no injuries;
• June 20, 1987, Batavia, Cessna 177RG, mechanical failure resulting in an emergency landing, no injuries;
• March 17, 1991, Le Roy, Cessna 172M, inexperienced pilot error in poor lighting conditions, four aboard, no injuries;
• Feb. 15, 2004, Batavia, Cessna 172E, the inability of the pilot to maintain control in winds on an icy runway, no injuries;
• June 15, 2007, Cessna 172s, student pilot error, no injuries;
• Feb. 7, 2009, Le Roy, Cessna 172A,  pilot error in heavy winds, no injuries;
• July 15, 2011, Batavia, Murphy Aircraft Elite, pilot error, one serious injury;
• Aug. 2, 2012, Alexander, Piper PA-25-260, pilot error, no injuries;
• Sept. 20, 2014, Bethany Center, Cessna 182A, pilot error, no injuries;
• June 11, 2915, Le Roy, Brandt Leroy E Challenger II, pilot error, no injuries;
• Oct. 27, 2019, Batavia, Beech A36, pilot error in heavy winds, four aboard, no injuries;
• June 1, 2020, Le Roy, Beech 36, pilot error, no injuries.

The only other fatal aviation crash in Genesee County since the early 1980s was on Oct. 2, 2020, in Corfu, which claimed the lives of attorneys Steve Barnes and Elizabeth Barnes. The cause of that crash remains undetermined.

CORRECTION: There was another fatal airplane crash in Genesee County on Aug. 11, 2001.  Two people were killed when a Dominiak Kitfox crashed in Byron. Alcohol and drugs were found in the inexperienced pilot's blood.

East Pembroke Fire responded to a report of a one-vehicle accident at 5:49 p.m. today on Route 5 in Pembroke.

A blue Chevrolet pickup struck a utility pole and then crossed the highway coming to rest on the opposite shoulder. 

The driver may have suffered a medical incident, according to East Pembroke Fire Chief Don Newton. The driver was transported to ECMC by Mercy EMS for treatment and evaluation. The name of the patient has not been released.

Corfu Fire assisted with traffic control. Westbound traffic was shut down between Boyce Road and Indian Falls Road due to low primary wires hanging low over the highway, Newton said.

East Pembroke remains on scene awaiting the arrival of National Grid crews.

Photos by Allison Lang.  

Regional media got a first look at the still-under-construction Wahoo Wave at Six Flags Darien Lake on Wednesday morning.

The 60-foot-tall thrill slide will rank as one of the tallest water rides in Hurricane Harbor.

The ride features a 30-foot vertical plunge.

First, riders will barrel down an enclosed tunnel slide, twisting around tight turns and slipping and sliding downward for 30 feet. Then they will drop three stories into Wahoo Wave’s signature feature, a huge water wave wall. Riders slide vertically up the wall and let gravity pull them back down with weightlessness into the splash pool below

The Wahoo Wave includes a twist through a hairpin turn, followed by a corkscrew, and then without warning, riders in four-person tubes will plunge down a three-story drop.

Darien Lake management promises an "adrenaline-packed adventure that will send riders into near-vertical motions to experience extended hang times and zero g-forces."

The thrill wave is scheduled to open when the park opens on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service

Flower City Union, a professional soccer team in Rochester playing its inaugural season, is coming to Batavia on May at 7:30 p.m. for a game against California United Strikers.

The teams are part of the National Independent Soccer Association, a third division professional soccer league.  The team is partly fan-owned.

"This is very cool to have this game in Batavia," said Michael Bromley, athletic director for Batavia City Schools.

The game will be played at Van Detta Stadium.

The price of the game is $10. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.flowercityunion.com.

Garlyn Maurice Gause, 42, of Brookhaven Terrace, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, tampering with physical evidence, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and insufficient turn signal. Gause was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at 10:20 p.m., April 24, on Swan Street, Batavia, but Deputy Nicholas Charmoun.  Deputy James Stack and K-9 "Rayzor" responded to the stop. Rayzor reportedly alerted on the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, the deputies allegedly located narcotics in the vehicle.  Gause is accused of possession of narcotics with the intent to sell the drugs. Gause is accused of attempting to conceal evidence after he was in custody. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail. 

Lourdes M. Castaneda, 33, of Le Roy, is charged with DWI. Castaneda was stopped by State Police on Transit Road, Lancaster, and troopers reportedly determined that she exhibit signs of impairment.  Castaneda is accused of failing a field sobriety test.  She was processed at SP Clarence where she allegedly registered at .13 BAC on a breath test. She was released on an appearance ticket.

The community spread risk factor for SARS-2-CoV in Genesee County has been raised to medium by the CDC after a seven-day period in which 278 new positive COVID-19 tests were reported.

There were 212 lab-confirmed positive tests during the week and 66 self-reported positive tests from home test kits. There is no way of knowing how many people tested positive with a home test kit and didn't report the results to the health department.

This fifth straight week of increasing positive tests in the county.  

No additional deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses were reported.

The total number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations are no longer reported but UMMC does report being at 70 percent capacity with ICU also being at 70 percent capacity.

If you test positive with a home test kit, you can report the results to the health department through this link.

Le Roy Central School District is planning to increase the tax levy by $66,000 after calculating how much state aid the district can expect to help cover its $27,708,988 spending plan.

The good news for residents of Stafford, who this year reportedly saw a substantial increase in their property assessments, is that if the numbers hold, their property tax rate for public education will go down about $2.37 per $1,000 of assessed value. The anticipated rate is $19.80. That's 13 cents more than it would have been had the Board of Education decided to balance the budget with reserves rather than increase the levy.

Property owners in the district in Pavilion, Bergen, and Caledonia are also looking at a projected tax rate of $19.

However, property owners in the Town of Le Roy pay the same rate they did this year, $24.14. 

State law requires that all property owners in a district share the burden of education equally so a formula will be applied to Le Roy's tax rate to make it equitable.  

Business Administrator Brian Foeller presented anticipated revenue numbers to board members at a Monday afternoon meeting and then all members of the board participated in a discussion about the tax levy before reaching a consensus decision (no motion nor vote was required) to raise the levy by $66,000.

These are all estimates because final assessment numbers will not be available until July, which will affect the total tax levy.

The tax levy is the total amount of revenue raised through property taxes.  The tax rate is the amount per thousand of assessed value that property owners are billed to pay into the levy.

Board President Jacalyn Whiting (top photo) said she was confused by the Town's decision to forego assessment adjustments this year given the state's required equalization rate and that the town must eventually get assessments up to 100 percent of fair market value.

"How is this going to make things better?" Whiting said.

The spending plan is covered by $16,135,963 in state aid, $10,663,025 tax levy, and $910,000 in local revenues.

Local revenues are:

• Fund Balance carried forward
• PILOTS
• Late taxpayer penalties
• Out of district tuition paid by other schools
• Interest earnings of investments
• Medicaid
• BOCES Refund

Budget increases include:

• Professional support and staff salaries, $364,963
• Special Education out-of-district tuition, $282,000
• Staff health insurance, $150,721 (a 12.5 percent increase)
• Grounds/facilities equipment, $81,000
• Debt payment on existing loans, $56,611

The district is adding one full-time equivalent position, replacing a part-time BOCES employee due to an increase in BOCES attendance. 

A part-time BOCES speech therapist position is being eliminated. There is also a reduction in spending on COVID-19 supplies and several retirements, with not all positions being replaced.

"We've done our part to try and keep this in mind with rising costs," said Superintendent Merritt Holly. "It's tough. These are not easy decisions."

 Whiting agreed, saying the district has done the best it can to control costs.

"This is hard, because I feel we've done a really good job, even adding $66,000 to the levy to bring it to $2 lower per $1,000," Whiting said. "But the assessment part is out of our control. By the same token, you know, we have to balance out here, too."

One thing helping the district this year is the state increased the amount of state aid, a portion called Foundation Aid, to offset shortages to the district in previous years. The increase is only temporary and the district cannot count on it in the future.

Trustee Jason Karcher expressed concern that without a levy increase, the district will face a steeper hill to climb at some point.

"That's gonna be a shock to the system when, and we don't necessarily know when, that would happen," he said. "That's lovely."

Trustee William MacKenzie agreed.

"Eventually the Foundation Aid is going to go away," he said. "It's going to happen."

Trustee Denise Duthe said she believes the district has a history of being responsible for taxpayers' money.

"I think has always done a good job of keeping things basically straight or just a little bit up, not these kinds of wild gyrations," Duthe said. "Everything costs a little bit more. Keep in mind that we want to be as fiscally responsible as we can but we also don't want to do a giant jump next year."

The budget public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium.

The vote on the budget and candidates for trustees will be on May 17.

There are four candidates for three open seats.  There are two three-year terms and one two-year term open.  The candidates are  Peter W. Loftus (Incumbent), Randa Williams, Jason Karcher, and Rachael Greene.

Photos by Howard Owens

Lisa Marie Bautista, 37, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Bautista was arrested on a warrant by Le Roy PD on April 21 in connection with an incident reported at 8:28 p.m., Nov. 19. She was released on an appearance ticket. Bautista is also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 5:36 p.m., April 25 on East Main Street, Le Roy.  No further details released.

Jeremy Munn, 40, of Lincoln Avenue, Le Roy, was arrested on two warrants on charges of menacing 2nd and criminal mischief 4th following a traffic stop by State Police. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Kyle Thomas Purdy, 26, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Purdy is accused of violating an order of protection at 3:30 p.m., April 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Michael Zachery Vigrillo, 24, of Smith Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Vigrillo is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection by contacting the protected party at 11:48 p.m., pril 25, at a location on State Street Road, Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and ordered to reappear on May 24.