Le Roy

A caller spotted a car in a swamp about a quarter mile west of 7445 Griswold Road, Le Roy.

Initially, Le Roy Fire Department was dispatched, but cancelled after a deputy who responded found the car unoccupied.

UPDATE 6:38 p.m.: The tow truck company inquired about how wet the driver would get retrieving while the vehicle. Deputy: "Not wet at all."

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A car-versus-pedestrian accident, believed to be with serious injuries, is reported at 13 Lake St. in the Village of Le Roy. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance Service and Le Roy police are on scene.

Mercy Flight was called and pilots advised that it needed to be dispatched now to go to Rochester or it would be unable to fly due to weather. Subsequently, Mercy Flight was cancelled.

The location is in front of the Sugar Creek convenience store.

UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: Le Roy fire is back in service.

UPDATE 9:09 p.m.: Le Roy ambulance is now at Strong Memorial Hospital after transporting one patient there.

As I was leaving Le Roy yesterday, I saw this crop-duster flying over a field off Route 5.

In Le Roy for a bit yesterday afternoon, and I went down to Oatka Creek and saw an opportunity to snap this picture.

A former Batavia resident who has had a few run-ins with the law the past couple of years is back in jail, this time with bail set at $15,000.

Robert J. Eppolito Jr., 29, of 61 Church St., Apt. #2, Le Roy, is being charged with one count of assault, 2nd.

Last night, Le Roy Police responded to multiple calls about a disturbance in the area of Bacon and Lake streets.

Eppolito is accused of striking another person several times on the head and face with his fists, knocking the victim to the ground and then kicking the victim in the face with his foot.

The victim reportedly suffered a possible eye socket fracture.

In September, 2009, Eppolito was accused of having sex in public with a woman and in a separate incident of slamming another woman against a wall.

Eppolito lived in Oakfield at the time.

In June, 2010, Eppolito was accused of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd, while a resident on Maple Street, Batavia.

This past Monday, law enforcement officials were heard on the scanner chatting about Eppolito being released from jail that day.

If you've never thought of Frost Ridge Campground in Le Roy as a great place to see live music, it might be time to change your perception.

Last summer, one of several live shows in the open-air music venue was Confederate Railroad.

On Sept. 23, country music superstar Marty Stuart -- a multi-talented, five-time Grammy Award winner -- and his Fabulous Superlatives will stop at Frost Ridge for a show that already has people from all over the Northeast requesting tickets.

"Each year we do this it just seems to get bigger and now we're really trying to grow it," said David Luetticke, who bought the campground in 2008 with his brother Greg.

Live music shows started with local bands a few years ago, which helped the brothers meet Brian Chase, who was able to bring in several regionally popular bands and he was also able to help them book W.C. Edgar, a former sideman for Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson.

The Edgar connection led to the hit-making country band Confederate Railroad getting booked at Frost Ridge last June.

The booking agent for Confederate Railroad also represents Marty Stuart, so when it turned out that Stuart would be passing through Western New York, the agent called David and Greg to check on the availability of a tour date.

After the show was booked, word spread fast among Stuart's fans. VIP seating was sold out before the tickets were even printed and there's only six premium seats left. The first ticket sold went to a fan from Germany.

The brothers -- fellow refugees from Southern California -- have been slowly making improvements to Frost Ridge, adding more recreation programs and reconfiguring the park. They're pretty proud of this music venue -- they call it "Jam at Frost Ridge" -- that's coming to fruition on their secluded and rustic property.

"It has amazing acoustics," Greg said. "Every sound engineer that comes through here says the acoustics are amazing. Anywhere you go on the hill, it doesn't lose the sound at all."

Aaron Tippin has already been booked for next June and the brothers' hope to add more big name acts to the lineup.

Opening for Stuart will be Bush Hogs and Closing Times. Gates will open at 3 p.m. and the music starts at 4:30. Frost Ridge is located at 8101 Conlon Road.

Ruby Shooz will play Frost Ridge on Sept. 17.

Tickets can be purchased online with no service charge at frostridge.com.

Linda Jean Desnatis, 42, Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of DWI with a child passenger under age 16, DWI, driving with a BAC of .10 or greater and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Following a complaint of a possible drunken driver, Desnatis's car was stopped at 7:45 p.m., Saturday, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Graff.

Francis T. Lacko, 29, of Johnstown, Pa., is accused of being a fugitive from justice. Lacko was arrested in Le Roy on Friday. Lacko was stopped in the Village of Le Roy after police received reports of a suspicious person going door-to-door selling magazines without a permit. Upon investigation, police found outstanding warrants for Lacko from three different states, including Pennsylvania. Among the charges faced by Lacko is fraud. Lacko was jailed without bail.

Paul Konieczny, 47, of 144 Harvester Ave., Batavia, is charged with DWI and three counts of failure to keep right. Konieczny was involved in a motor-vehicle accident at 9:20 p.m., Friday. He is accused of striking a street sign and two parked cars. The vehicles reportedly sustained significant damage. Konieczny reportedly suffered cuts on his face and was transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

Thomas Tyrone Gantt, 54, of Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, was arrested at 8:04 p.m., Friday, on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, on a bench warrant out of Town of Gates Court. Gantt is accused of petit larceny.

Kerry Michael Simpson, 49, of Getman Road, Alden, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone and speeding. Simpson was stopped at 1:33 a.m., Saturday, on Erie Street, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Thomas Z. Wilson, 19, Michael A. Albini, 19, and Patrick W. Moran, 18, all of 113 S. Swan St., Batavia, are all charged with criminal nuisance and unlawful possession of alcohol under age 21. Wilson, Albini and Moran were arrested after allegedly hosting an underage drinking party at 12:22 a.m., Saturday.

Edward M. Davis Jr., 46, of 23 Oak St., lower, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Davis is accused of remaining unlawfully in the apartment of a female acquaintance.

Latoya D. Jackson, 25, of 112 State St., lower, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jackson is accused of shoplifting $12.50 in merchandise from the Dollar Store on East Main Street.

A 17-year-old resident of State Street is charged with disorderly conduct. The youth is accused of shouting obscenities while attending a football game at Vendetta Stadium at 9:45 p.m., Friday.

Volunteers from at least four fire companies -- I saw Le Roy, Batavia, Stafford and South Byron while I was there -- were on hand Sunday at The Home Depot to raise a flag in honor of the 9/11 victims and give community members a chance to meet with local volunteers and learn about fire safety. Children could tour the firetrucks and receive hats and coloring books.

Press release:

At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, the Le Roy Police Department received a report of an unsupervised/suspicious duffle bag located near the U.S. Post Office on Main Street.

During the investigation, Main Street (between Bank and Wolcott streets) was closed for a short time while bomb squads from the New York State Police and the Rochester Office of the FBI responded and determined that the item was non-hazardous.

Main Street was reopened and no charges are pending. The Le Roy Fire Department assisted with traffic control during the incident.

The 2011-2012 school year has started. It is September 8 and the community pool has gone another summer without being opened. What makes this September 8 different from last September 8, though, is that there has been action taken.

In July at a very well attended open meeting, local attorney Mike Welsh made a proposal to the Le Roy Village Board to fix the pool with donations (thank you to the Giambrones) and volunteer labor. The village board in turn voted 4-1 to rescind the previous official closing of the pool and then in another vote of 4-1 made the pool and its buildings surplus, freeing them to be sold to an entity for one dollar and pledging $11,000 per year to maintain the pool.

The problem is that there has not been an entity willing to buy the pool, nor was there one at the time of the vote. A petition was also presented to the board by a concerned citizen signed by concerned citizens who pledged to fund raise and keep the pool going. In addition, the village board voted to create a pool committee to explore all of the options and try to get some answers to questions that have been asked. To date this committee has not been formed, perhaps because of the potential outlined below.

The last word that I have received indicates that the same group of concerned citizens who has been working with Mike Welsh will present an option to the Le Roy Town Council this evening. It involves the town taking over the pool with the support of the proposal made to the village board and the money the village board has pledged.

This is, of course, one of the options suggested in comments to my previous blog about the pool.

As I promised during the same discussion, I have found out more information about a referendum. The village could attach a referendum to the March 2012 public vote for little cost, whereas if we were to hold a separate referendum it would cost us about $20,000. Yes, there are town and county elections in November, but as they are not village elections, the village would have to pay to hold a referendum.

The problem is that March is a little too late to get it open for next summer. Also, I learned that a referendum is NOT binding, though it would show what the voting public wants.

I am writing today’s blog to update everyone who is interested in the pool. The Le Roy Town Council meeting takes place tonight at 7 (Thursday, Sept. 8). The pool is not a dead issue, unless you want it to be. I hope to see you there.

A Facebook group has been created to support the family of Andrea Lynn Mangefrida, the 3-year-old Le Roy girl who drowned Saturday at a residence in Alexander.

Nearly 120 people have joined the group so far to express their sympathies to the Mangefrida family. There's also a PayPal donation link on the site.

M. Gary Guiste appears to have formed the group and writes, "This group is set up for the sole purpose of assisting the Andrea Lynn Mangefrida family in easing the financial burdens of medical costs and the financial burdens associated with the tragic loss of Andrea Mangefrida."

Guiste's note indicates that Andrea was an autistic child.

In an unfortunate accident that is the #1 cause of death in autistics, Andrea was taken from her family too prematurely. As a group, we want nothing more to have her back safe in her family's arms.

As a community of friends and families of police/law enforcement, EMS and fire professionals we stand ready to help the Mangefrida family with anything we can do.

Benjamin Gove Evans, 22, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Evans is accused of shoplifting at Kmart in April.

Kristen L. Brightenfield, 18, of 6559 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Brightenfield is accused of stealing a box of hair dye from Tops Market during the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Micaheal J. Elmore, 20, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Elmore was arrested by the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office following an investigation into thefts in Orangeville. Elmore was identified as the suspect with the help of a pawnshop in Batavia. Another piece of stolen property was recovered in the Village of Attica.

Diane E. Winger, 46, of 329 Eva Road, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, is charged with driving while ability impaired and failure to keep right. Winger was stopped at 11:43 p.m., Sunday, on Snipery Road in Darien by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A 3-year-old Village of Le Roy girl died Saturday evening after being found unresponsive in the pool of a relative's house on Broadway Road in Alexander.

Alexander fire and Darien fire and ambulance responded to the scene at 7:09 p.m. as friends and family members performed CPR on the child.

Darien ambulance transported the girl, Andrea L. Mangefrida, to UMMC. She was then flown by Mercy Flight to Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

Andrea was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m., Sunday.

The girl's parents are Philip and Christina Mangefrida, Village of Le Roy.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the drowning.

Alicia M. Lyons, 31, of 17 1/2 Central Ave., Batavia, is  charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Lyons was allegedly observed scratching the paint of a vehicle parked off of Central Avenue. Lyons was taken into custody by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Timothy Garrick Fitzgerald, 45, of Windsor Drive, North Tonowanda, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to signal lane change and moving from lane unsafely. Fitzgerald was stopped at 9:53 p.m., Friday, in the area of 4016 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Graff.

Sarah White Gilmartin, 35, of Norwalk Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, dazzling headlights and no/insufficient tail lamps. Gilmartin was stopped at 2:10 a.m., Aug. 27, on Main Road, Pembroke, by Deputy James Diehl.

Russell R. Miles, 43, of 12 Lake St., Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt. Miles was arrested following a report of a disturbance at 12 Lake St. Miles was allegedly involved in the disturbance with a person who was the subject of a stay-away court order. Miles was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Brett A. Simcick, 27, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI. Simcick was stopped by Le Roy Police in the early morning hours Saturday for allegedly failing to stop for a stop sign on Hilltop Drive, Village of Le Roy. Simcick was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Matthew Alvin Johnson, 28, of Prestige Crossing Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlawful possession of marijuana and no plate lamps. Johnson was stopped at 1:46 a.m., Sunday, on Seven Springs Road, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A possible vehicle fire is reported on the westbound Thruway near mile marker 384.0. Le Roy Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The vehicle reportedly went off the roadway and then began to smell like something was burning inside.

Dispatch advises that the accident happened awhile ago and now the driver is complaining of pain.

UPDATE 7:39 p.m.: The Le Roy chief put his units back in service, since apparently there was no fire.

UPDATE 7:52 p.m.: Mercy medics are headed to UMMC with the driver.

Raymond S. Woeller, 51, of 66 Lake St., Apt. 2, Le Roy, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. Woeller is accused of forging a friend's signature and withdrawing money from that person's bank account. Woeller was picked up at 11:26 p.m., Wednesday, on a warrant out of Batavia City Court. He was jailed without bail.

A 16-year-old of Mechanic Street, Byron, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth allegedly ran away from a foster home with two juvenile females.  The youth was jailed on $250 bail.

A 16-year-old of Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing $52.58 worth of merchandise from Kmart.

Russell Ray Miles, 43, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Miles is accused of pushing another person during an argument in the parking lot of the Le Roy Country Club. The incident was reported at 8:11 p.m., Wednesday.

Kayla L. Rapone, 20, of 24 Holland Ave., Batavia, is charged with person under 21 purchasing alcohol. Rapone is accused of using a fake ID to purchase beer at a local store.

Kurt H. Hawkins, 18, of 3 Tracy Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Hawkins is accused of punching another person in the face.

There is a reported fight, both verbal and physical, on Church Street in Le Roy near the footbridge.

One subject may need medical attention.

It is unclear how many subjects were involved, though it appears the fight is over.

Police officer on scene reports, "There's a bunch of people here on the footbridge."

Le Roy Police have arrested a man who reported that he was robbed and that a suspect was chasing him with a gun.

The man later admitted that he fabricated the story.

Charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd, was Donald J. Pettit, 27, of Friendship.

Pettit allegedly called 9-1-1 in the early morning hours of Sunday and made the report.

He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released on an appearance ticket.