Le Roy

Preservationists in Le Roy still think the former Wiss Hotel building can be saved from the old wrecking ball.

In interviews and conversations this week, Wiss backers said they still don't believe village trustees will want to spend six figures of taxpayer money, creating a vacant lot with an uncertain future and expense, when there is a willing and able buyer ready to step in and rehabilitate the structure.

They hope public pressure over the expenditure -- once the cost is known -- will build, and that more people will come forward both to endorse the Le Roy, NY, LLC, and to express their support for retaining some of the charm of the village.

In fact, according to Bob Fussell, more people may show up at tonight's village board meeting to let trustees know how important the issue is to them.

He said he's heard from at least two such people.

The trustees meet at 7 p.m., and since the Wiss isn't on the agenda, any remarks will come later in the meeting during the public comment time.

Meanwhile, the process of requesting bids from demolition companies was delayed a couple of weeks after village officials learned an asbestos survey was necessary before the village could publish an RFP.

Mayor Greg Rogers said the study was completed -- though he didn't immediately have available the results -- and the RFP has been publicized.

The RFP process will give trustees the truest picture yet of just how much it will cost taxpayers to demolish what is perhaps the oldest commercial building in Le Roy.

Informal estimates have ranged from $150,000 to $250,000.

The Le Roy LLC has offered $10,000 for the building and the promise to shore up the building immediately and raise $400,000 to finance restoration.It's unlikely, according to Fussell, that the building could be torn down any sooner than the LLC could shore it up and begin rehabilitation work, negating any concerns over the building's safety.

"My gut feeling is once the community understands the potential cost to demolish the Wiss, we might get a favorable vote at that point," Fussell said.

Rogers has consistently said he doesn't necessarily back the LLC's plans, but thinks their proposal makes the most business sense for the village.

When trustees see the actual price of demolition, it may persuade one or more of them to change their minds.

"I wouldn't say it's a dead deal," Rogers said.

Trustee Jennifer Keys said she's also optimistic that at least one other board member can be persuaded to support the sale of the Wiss to the LLC.

"I hold out hope that until the building is gone, somebody is going to come forward and say something that is going to resonate with other board members," Keys said.

Meanwhile, she said she feels in an odd position. A Democrat, Keys said she feels like she's to the right of some of her colleagues on the issue.

The three trustees advocating the expense of demolition are either Republicans or Conservatives.

"I'm kind of baffled," Keys said. "I must be missing something. I'm generally seen as the most liberal person on the board and I don't see why we would spend this money and not accept $10,000 for the building."

The trustees who so far been backing spending the money are Robert Taylor, Jim Bonacquisti and Mike Tucci.

We tried to reach each of the three men this week to ask a basic question: Why not give the LLC a chance to see what it can do? What's the harm in letting them try?

Taylor said his biggest concern is the people in the LLC. He doesn't think the building can be saved and the people willing to put their own money in the Wiss will lose their investment.

"It's not a question of giving them a chance," Taylor said. "My firm belief is the building is in a condemned condition and they're just pouring their money into a bottomless pit.

"I grew up in this town," Taylor added. "I've known Bob Fussell since he was 2 years old. I haven't seen the list of people in the LLC, but I've lived here for 70 years, so I assume I know them all. Like I said before, I don't want to see anybody pour money down an empty hole."

Taylor said he has fond memories of going to the Wiss as a boy with his parents.

"I remember it when it was in its quote unquote heyday," Taylor said, "and I know what it looks like now."

He said he has it on good authority that the third floor has been suffering from water damage for 30 years and that beams are soaked with water and won't hold a nail.

"I really believe the building is beyond repair," Taylor said.

He also said, "I don't really care what they build. That's not my concern. I don't want them to spend money needlessly."

Bonacquisti also believes getting the actual cost of demolition will help resolve the issue, but not necessarily in favor of the preservationists.

"Despite the folks coming forward now, I can list three times as many folks that agree with our decision," Bonacquisti said in an interview through Facebook messages.

His position hasn't changed, he said.

"I truly believe that corner is worth a lot more empty than having that old building there," Bonacquisti said. "The traffic flow at that four corners is very high and as I have stated in the past, that corner is screaming for some type of retail where we can generate property tax and add to the employment of folks in this area."

The Wiss with apartments on the second and third floor just isn't a good idea, Bonacquisti. There are already too many apartments in Le Roy, he said, plus he knows the building well (he and his wife once lived within 200 feet of the Wiss) and the odor from vehicles, the noise and high traffic volume makes it an unappealing place to live.

He regrets that the village didn't resolve the issue three years ago (which was before he was on the board).

"I also believe taking that building down can fix that corner once and for all," he said. "Have you ever been on Lake Street in the left-turn lane? Pull up to the stop line, only to have to throw the car in reverse as a truck or bus is coming from the east turning north?"

Tucci did not respond to The Batavian's request for an interview.

Keys said she is still confused by her colleagues' position and thinks the LLC proposal should appeal to conservative politicians.

"It's free enterprise," Keys said. "It's people in the community taking care of an issue. It's a group of people who believe in it so much that they've spent their own money to get this far. It just doesn't make sense economically to spend money unnecessarily, even it's as low as $148,000. We could spend that $148,000 on infrastructure."

History: The Wiss has stood in Le Roy for at least two centuries. The original structure was built by Richard Stoddard. Stoddard died in 1810, so the building had to have been erected prior to 1810, according to an article by Le Roy Historian Lynne Belluscio. The article appeared in the Oct. 3, 2005 edition of the Le Roy PennySaver. John Wiss purchased the building in 1869. The hotel was briefly known as the Michel House after George Michel of Wheatland purchased it in 1904. John Hepps purchased it in the 1920s and renamed it the Wiss Hotel, in honor of the previous owner. Don Pangrazio ran the establishment for 40 years before closing it down in 2005. The county acquired the property in 2010 in tax lien foreclosure and immediately deeded it to the village.

Bergen and Le Roy fire crews responded to a barn fire in Riga this morning. WHAM 13 reports 56 sheep died in the fire.

We didn't cover this initially because it is in Monroe County, but as it turns out, the location is actually in Bergen's fire district.

WHAM 13 had a crew on scene, so we would anticipate more coverage from the news station later today.

The sixth-grade students of Wolcott Street School in Le Roy will be performing "The Jungle Book" at 7:30 p.m., Thursday.

Unique to the Le Roy elementary school, the annual sixth-grade musical is an opportunity for its students to showcase their musical, acting and artistic talent.

This year, 63 students auditioned for various roles in the production, with opportunities made for all.

The stage will be colored by the various characters of the storyline, both human and animal alike.

In addition to acting, students are responsible for creating the set, props and costumes.

With only six weeks of rehearsals, “This is the shortest amount of time I have prepared a musical and the students are doing a fantastic job!” musical director Jessa Dechant said.

She is joined by Andrea Feola, who has been the assistant director for the fourth year in a row.

Several other teachers are also providing support to the production by filling in various roles such as lighting and sound.

The Le Roy PTSO and Le Roy Music Boosters will be doing the hair and makeup for the performance.

Also, several Le Roy JR/SR High School students are volunteering their time as backstage crew.

In addition to the 45 minute show, the school is hosting a food drive the night of the production to benefit local food pantries.

The food drive and the musical became a team two years ago when Disney’s "Cinderella KIDS" was on stage at the school. Its goal was to provide a way to give back to the community.

The idea stuck and has become a yearly tradition as a way to do something nice for those in need within Le Roy.

Donations of nonperishable food items can be brought Thursday evening and will be collected at the door.

This event is open to the community. No tickets are necessary.

An observant resident may have helped the Sheriff's Office yesterday nab a suspect in a series of burglaries in the county.

So far, Jeffery James Leaton, 22, of Caswell Road, Byron, has only been charged with an alleged burglary on Griswold Road, Le Roy.

According to Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster, Leaton was caught in the act at the Griswold Road home after a person reported suspicious activity at the residence.

Brewster said investigators are looking at Leaton as a possible suspect in other burglaries. There have been strings of burglaries reported since early January in Elba, Oakfield, Byron, Bergen and Stafford.

Leaton has been charged with one count of burglary, 2nd, and is accused of making forced entry into the Griswold Road residence. He was allegedly in the process of stealing jewelry.

Following arraignment in Town of Le Roy Court, he was jailed on $20,000 bail.

A thief struck in the area of Vallance Road and North Road in Le Roy overnight, according to reports on Sheriff's dispatch this morning.

Four locations on Vallance Road had items stolen and a computer was stolen from a location on North Road.

A vehicle was stolen from one residence on Vallance Road, but later located down the road.

A suspect footprint was found in the snow and a witness may have seen a suspect vehicle, described as tan in color with a partial plate of FLG.

UPDATE 8:06 a.m.: More information from Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster. It was a van that was stolen on Vallance Road and later abandoned down the road. There were a series of thefts from vehicles along North Road and Brewster said he believes the incidents are related. The thefts this morning are similar to two other vehicle thefts in the past several weeks that have been reported to the Sheriff's Office, Brewster said.

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About a year ago, Selby Davis, a lifelong Le Roy resident, became aware of something -- one in four area school children were receiving free or reduced-priced lunches and breakfasts.

"I figured out there were a lot of hungry people who needed food," Davis said.

Davis sits on the board of the Le Roy Christian Community Project. LCCP runs a backpack program, which sends food home with needy children on Fridays to ensure they have something nutritious to eat over the weekend.

With seed money from The Backpack Club, Davis started Grace's Kitchen, a weekly dinner at the Le Roy United Methodist Church, 10 Trigon Park, Le Roy. The meal is from 5 to 7 p.m. and is free to anybody who walks through the door.

Donations are always welcome from anybody who can afford to make a cash contribution.

In the one year since the kitchen was opened, 4,832 people have been served meals. The largest turnouts have been 210 meals in a night.

Most of the people who show up are older residents.

People have told Davis that the weekly meal is something they look forward to not just because it's free, but it's a chance to socialize and share a community meal.

"I have one table of elderly women who come every week," Davis said. "They stay from 5-7. One of the women is 97. It’s such a Godsend."

There are children in the community who benefit from the charity, and some of them come in for meals but most of the children are served by volunteers who deliver the meals to their homes.

Davis said the volunteers have been key to the success of Grace's Kitchen. Her e-mail list of volunteers is too long to count, she said. On a typical night, eight or nine people show up to work in the dining room, five in the kitchen and a couple to handle deliveries.

"The volunteers have come out of the woodwork," Davis said. "They're devoted. They've been here. They're friendly."

For the volunteers, it's as much about being with friends as serving the community they said.

"It’s really become like a family here," Pavilion resident Debbie Lathan said. "We get to know all the people who come through and when they’re not here, we ask about them and we worry about them. It’s just like a great big family of people that come together every week."

David Mancuso, also of Pavilion, agreed.

"It’s just enjoyable each week," he said. "You kind of look forward to it. You have a lot of fun with the people here and each other, and you really feel like you’re doing something good."

Davis plans each meal and oversees the preparation. Volunteers describe her cooking as fabulous.

There's been tremendous support from the Le Roy community for the program, Davis said. Pastors from various churches stop in and lead prayers; Le Roy Rotary has made donations and Tops donates day-old bread each Tuesday.

There's always a need to feed the hungry of Le Roy, Davis said, and donations are always appreciated.

"I want to say thank you for the support of the community," Davis said. "I hope we're going in another year and in another 20 years."

The menu for each week's meal is posted on LCCP's Facebook page.

Nancy Baker, of Le Roy, mixes the salad.

Debbie Lathan, Dave Mancuso and Nancy Baker.

Summit Street in the Village of Le Roy is shut down after a report of the smell of natural gas coming from a residence there. Le Roy Fire Department is on scene and did detect natural gas with their equipment but are unable to shut off the meter. The fuel company has been notified.

UPDATE 12:22 p.m.: RG&E is on scene.

UPDATE 12:28 p.m.: The gas meter is being shut down at the curb now.

UPDATE 12:29 p.m.: Pavilion fire, which was also called to the scene, is released and back in service. RG&E asked Le Roy to stay there.

UPDATE 12:33 p.m.: There is no longer an odor of natural gas coming from the residence and the commander is sending someone inside to get a reading to be sure it is safe.

UPDATE 12:38 p.m.: A firefighter reports the air inside 51 Summit St. is clear and no natural gas is detected.

UPDATE 12:54 p.m.: RG&E has successfully disconnected the natural gas main line from the residence at the curb. Le Roy fire is back in service. The roadway is reopened.

Stephanie A. Hotchkiss, 36, of 335 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with three counts of forgery, 2nd. Hotchkiss is accused of stealing three checks from a person she knew. She allegedly drafted the checks for $3,000 each. She allegedly cashed one and attempted to cash the other two. Hotchkiss was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jeane M. Hoar, 29, of 419 S. Shore Blvd., Lackawanna, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hoar was stopped by Le Roy PD for allegedly making a left turn onto Main Street without a turn signal.

Ronald K. Smythe, 46, of 38 Church St., Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driving with a suspended license. Smythe was stopped by Le Roy PD after allegedly being observed turning onto Church Street at a high rate of speed and without a turn signal. Smythe was allegedly found to have a BAC of .16.

Nicholas K. Gray, 19, Robert J. Wheeler, 19, and Blair W. Berg, 20, of 2 Olyn Ave., Batavia, are all charged with criminal nuisance for allegedly maintaining a premise where unlawful conduct occurs. Gray is also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The three men are accused of hosting an underage drinking party Saturday night. Batavia PD reports that officers have been dispatched to the same address previously for similar complaints. Besides Gray, Wheeler and Berg, 15 other people where charged with possession of alcohol under age 21. The names of the other people charged were not released.

Anita J. Stiles, 38, of 2731 Galloway Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Stiles is accused of pushing another person.

Nicholas Guy Williams, 36, of Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlawful possession of marijuana and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Williams was stopped at 7:21 p.m., Saturday, on Kelsey Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Brett Adam Scheuerlein, 18, of Richmond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Scheuerlein was stopped at 7:20 p.m., Saturday, on West Main Street Road by Deputy Patrick Reeves and allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Jenna L. Josephite, 24, of West Main Street Road, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Josephite is accused of returning stolen items to Target and taking in exchange two gift cards. Josephite then allegedly pawned the gift cards at Pawn King. Deputy Christopher Parker is conducting an investigation and additional charges may be pending in connection with similar activity at other stores.

Ameer K. Walker, 19, of Buffalo, and Hugo D. Smith, 22, of Buffalo, are charged with petit larceny and false personation. Walker and Smith allegedly stole from Kmart on Friday. The case is being handled by the State Police. No further details released.

Yes, of course, I went for a drive this morning.

Above, barn on Black Road, Le Roy.

Train tracks off Circular Hill Road, Le Roy.

Gulf Road, Le Roy.

Rocks in quarry off Gulf Road, Le Roy.

Quarry, Gulf Road, Le Roy.

Old steam shovel, off quarry, Gulf Road, Le Roy.

Off Circular Hill Road, Le Roy.

Chapel in Machphlah Cemetery, Le Roy.

An accident with a minor injury is reported in the area of 7904 E. Main Road, Le Roy.

Fire police requested to the scene to shut down East Main at Asbury Road,

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched. The ambulance can respond non-emergency.

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Five Star Bank has reimbursed $6,600 to Austin's Army -- a fundraising effort to assist a Pembroke teen struck with a rare form of cancer -- after a local woman allegedly made unauthorized withdrawals from the charitable account.

The alleged theft was discovered by Jason Heineman on Nov. 27.

Jodi M. Coe, 37, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield, was arrested in connection with the alleged theft and charged with 41 counts of possessing a forged instrument.

According to court documents, Coe allegedly acquired blank checks, drafted the checks in her name and forged Jason Heineman's signature on the checks.

Heineman wrote in an affidavit that he never wrote checks to Coe out of the Austin Army's account and that she was never authorized to write checks to herself.

The checks were all allegedly cashed between Oct. 7 and Nov. 5, while Heineman was in New York City with his son, Austin, who was in NYC for surgery and treatment.

The bank balance discrepancy was discovered by Heineman when he visited a Five Star branch in Dansville and needed to transfer funds to another account.

Upon requesting an account summary, Heineman noticed checks being cashed out of sequence. 

When confronted with an accusation by Heineman, Coe allegedly said she had a problem and was in over her head.

Later she allegedly told Heineman that she had a gambling problem.

According to documents, Heineman gave Coe an opportunity to reimburse the account and when that allegedly did not happen by Dec. 5 he contacted the Sheriff's Office.

Coe faces 36 counts in Batavia City Court of possession of a forged instrument and another five counts in the Town of Le Roy.

She is jailed without bail.

If convicted, Coe would likely be required to pay restitution and that restitution would be paid to Five Star Bank.

Austin Heineman still has ongoing medical expenses and anybody wishing to make a donation can contact Five Star Bank.

Jodi M. Coe, 37, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, is charged with 36 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, in the City of Batavia and five counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, in the Town of Le Roy. Coe was allegedly in possession of numerous checks containing forged signatures. Coe allegedly possessed the checks while at various locations within the City of Batavia and Town of Le Roy. Following arraignment in city court, Coe was ordered jailed without bail. Town of Batavia Court set her bail at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond.

Cassi Ann Schutt, 25, of West Crest Drive, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Schutt is accused of stealing $328.23 in merchandise from Kmart. When confronted by Kmart security, Schutt allegedly fled on foot. She was apprehended in the Tops parking lot after a brief foot chase. State Police assisted in the arrest. Investigation by Deputy Tim Wescott.

Rodney Lowee McKenzie, 48, of Buffalo, is charged with inhalation of hazardous inhalants. McKenzie was allegedly observed snorting inhalants while seated in a car in the Flying J parking lot. McKenzie was arrested by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Casino's has been a Le Roy staple since 1940.

That is the year the O'Geen brothers opened the restaurant.

Current owner, Mark Schildwester, who acquired the business six years ago, said the establishment will close its doors for the last time Feb. 20.

Schildwester said he's been trying to sell the restaurant, and one deal did fall through, but it's come time for him to let it go.

He'll keep the fixtures and equipment in place for a couple of months in case a buyer comes along, but after that he plans to hold an auction and then convert the space -- on Mill Street -- into office or retail space.

This week St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Le Roy kicks off a 12-week fund drive to raise money for building repairs and restoration.

Over the next three years, the ultimate goal is to raise $100,000 for the work that needs to be done.

The current building dates to 1872. Necessary repairs include a new boiler system, the repointing and sealing of some exterior stone walls of the church and the bell tower and repair of the protective frames on the church’s stained glass windows.

“A successful campaign will enable us to strengthen our church for its ministry now, and in the future,” says Robert Giacumo, campaign chair.

St. Mark’s ministry to the Le Roy community extends well beyond its beautiful worship space. The Sunshine Nursery School, a nonprofit preschool, has called St. Mark’s home for more than 20 years. The church building also provides meeting space for AA groups, scouting troops, community events, free musical concerts, and more.

St. Mark’s also actively supports the Le Roy Christian Community Project, the Backpack Club, Grace’s Kitchen, a free summer lunch program for children and teens at Mill Street Park, the Le Roy Food Pantry, and the Salvation Army.

You are always warmly invited to join in regular Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m.

Your gift of support, no matter the size, will help insure that St. Mark’s remains a vital place for worship and ministry to the wider community for years to come.

For more information regarding St. Mark’s Restoration and Capital Fund Campaign, please call the church office at 768-7200.

Raymond L. Leach Jr., who in August entered a guilty plea to criminal contempt is facing a new 16-account indictment for his alleged treatment of a local woman and his alleged sexual assault on an inmate at the Genesee County Jail.

Leach, 55, who was the subject of arrest reports in 2012 that listed his home address as both 29 Montclaire Ave., Batavia, and Munson Street in Le Roy, is accused of committing crimes in August (just five days after his conviction in county court) and November, 2012.

The Grand Jury of Genesee County indicted him on five counts of criminal contempt, 1st, a Class E felony, four counts of aggravated criminal contempt, a Class D felony, two counts of harassment, 2nd, a violation, and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, 1st, a Class B felony.

On Aug. 14, Leach allegedly called a woman and told her, "I will kill you if I find out otherwise." An order of protection had reportedly been issued prior to the call.

The alleged incident accounts for the first four charges in the indictment.

On Aug. 15, Leach allegedly had contact with the same woman, in violation of the order of protection.

On that same day, Leach allegedly either struck, shoved and kicked the woman, or threatened to physically attack her.

The alleged incidents of Aug. 15 account for seven counts of the indictment.

On Nov. 21, Leach allegedly forced a toothbrush up the anus of another inmate, causing physical injury to the person. The inmate was allegedly asleep at the time.

The alleged incident in the jail accounts for five charges on the indictment.

Our first arrest report on Leach was in 2008, when Leach was accused of making a threatening phone call.

Police have completed an investigation into a report of a shot being fired near a home on Keeney Road, Le Roy, on Jan. 11 and charged a resident of the street with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Howard Clarence Schultz, 54, was also charged with two counts of illegal discharge of a weapon within 500 feet of a residence.

Deputies and state troopers responded the night of Jan. 11 after a Keeney Road resident reported a shot fired near his home and even thought a person with a gun had been on his porch.

Keeney Road was closed by officers and there were some tense moments as they observed a person in a house who they believed had a gun.

After several minutes the man came out and the situation was resolved without further incident.

Initially, Schultz was arrested on a warrant out of the Town of Greece.

Schultz reportedly has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The two counts stem from the alleged Jan. 11 incident and from an allegation that Schultz possessed a firearm while hunting Dec. 5.

Schultz was issued an appearance ticket and is ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on Feb. 19 for arraignment.

The incident and investigation were handled by Deputy Frank Bordonaro, Deputy Howard Butler, Deputy Joseph Graff, Deputy Eric Seppala, Sgt. Ron Meides, Trooper Holly Hanssel and Trooper Mark Catanzaro, Trooper Ryan Dulkiewicz and Environmental Conservation Officer Rick Rauscher.