Le Roy

Town and village residents in Le Roy are being asked to consider a new tax for 2010 to help support its local ambulance service, which has been running at a deficient in recent years.

The tax would help offset an anticipated $25,000 shortfall in 2010.

"In order for us to continue to operate in the community, we need tax support," said Bob Boyce, president of the Le Roy Ambulance Service board of directors. "We're only asking for a minimal amount, but if the town residents object and don't allow the tax, the alternative is for us to close the doors."

Boyce said the service is being squeezed by increasing costs and declining revenue from reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare.

While donations might help, Boyce said even in the best years, the 38-year-old ambulance service raised only $20,000 in contributions.

There will be a public hearing within weeks on the proposal.

Under current state law, it is up to the town to create a tax district and then the village board can enact a local law to extend its authority into the village.

If only the town enacts the new tax, it would mean an addition 12.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or about an average of $14.43 per property. If both the town and village adopt the tax, the rate would be 6.5 cents per thousand, or $7.50 annually on each tax bill.

As the new ground ambulance service being set up by Mercy Flight, Boyce expressed concern that with all the ambulances being based in Batavia, the service won't be able to match the under-five-minute response times of the current Le Roy service. He said it takes 10 to 20 minutes for an ambulance from Batavia to respond to a Le Roy call.

At one time, the Le Roy service was staffed entirely by volunteers, but over the years, the organization has relied more and more on paid professionals, either in terms of its own full-time staff (two people) or a rotation of professionals who live in the area, work on a per-diem basis while maintaining full-time jobs with commercial ambulance services.  There are still 4 or 5 volunteers with the service, Boyce said.

The service generates nearly $400,000 annually insurance billing to help support its operations.

The proposal was presented to the town board on June 25. (We'll get back to you on the date of the public hearing).

PDF: Map, Plan and Report for the Establishment of an Ambulance District

Audio: Portion of an interview with Bob Boyce

The Oatka Festival in Le Roy yesterday may have been the place for all the fun, but the former Creekside Inn -- soon to be the Creekside Tavern & Inn -- was where you heard all the buzz.

The site of many grand times, and no small bit of history, was jammed with people looking over what Bill Farmer and his son are doing to the rustic stone building set against the falls of Oatka Creek.

Farmer is a man passionate about restoration, having put a whole career into working on some of the landmark restoration projects in Rochester. The Creekside project was supposed to be a hobby project, but has become Farmer's full-time avocation. 

For those who think entrepreneurs won't invest in Genesee County, Farmer will have sunk more than $1 million into the project by the time the restaurant and tavern opens next spring.

I spent at least 30 minutes just chatting with Farmer.  He's passionate about the project and believes it will become a destination point, drawing diners and beer lovers from Buffalo and Rochester to a village that has seen better days.  Farmer believes, and I think he's right, the Creekside restoration could spark interest from other developers in the village, which he thinks is one of the great undiscovered villages in WNY. 

The Village of Le Roy is well located, with some great older buildings and plenty of local history to be a draw for shoppers and diners from all over the region.  It's great to see an entrepreneur like Farmer take such a huge step to help save one great building and hopefully spark a new economic era for Le Roy.

I stopped by the Oatka Festival in Le Roy briefly yesterday.  It was a great crowd and everybody seemed to be having a great time. The weather was prefect.

A Bergen woman is accused of stealing more than $58,000 using Internet transfers from an acquaintance.

Renee E. Rowan, 45, of 7527 Gilbert Road, Bergen, allegedly initiated four different transfers of at least $9,000 each.

Rowan was arraigned in Le Roy Town Court and is held in Genesee County Jail on $10,000 bail.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Matthew Butler and Investigator Timothy Weis, with assistance from Deputy Joseph Graff.

UPDATE: I'm not sure if this is related or not, but a reader points out that Rowan owns staubitzofbuffalo.com (WHOIS database).  The other domains that seem affiliated with that business are registered via an off-shore source that apparently hides the true identity of the domain owners. Here's the WHOIS for hartmanmodelboats.com and loyalhannadockyard.com and taubmansonline.com. All three sites have contact information for Rowan.

UPDATE: I just spoke to Investigator Weis and he said the alleged theft was unrelated to Rowan's businesses and there is no further investigation going on related to those businesses.  He said Rowan allegedly had direct access to the victim's account, but it wasn't business related.

Two Churchville men were arrested and charged in LeRoy with petit larceny by Sargeant Michael J. Hare at 1:39 a.m. today (July 3).

The arrests were made after police noticed a suspicious vehicle in LeRoy Village at the Department of Public Works on North Street.

Daniel J. Gray, 28, of 5839 Chili Riga Center Road and 25-year-old Nathaniel M. Dean of 5 Willowbrook Drive allegedly loaded their car with various kinds of scrap metal, sewer grates and new sign posts, all property of the DPW.

Both men were arraigned in Town Court by Justice Charles Dusen and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail. They were scheduled to appear again in court at 1 p.m. Aug. 3.

Two cars  hit head-on on Route 5 near Kenny Road in Le Roy on Tuesday about 8 p.m.

Both drivers were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

Deputy M. R. Butler investigated the crash and reported that Paul D. Bennett, of 15 Myrtle St., Le Roy, was attempting to make a left-hand turn into the Kwik-Fill station when she spotted a vehicle in the oncoming lane. She reportedly attempted to swerve back into her own lane but didn't make it.

The other driver  was George J. Vagg, of 10321 Creek Road, Pavilion.

Bennett was driving a 2007 Nissan sedan and Vagg was behind the wheel of a 2001 Chevy SUV.

Vagg, 76, reportedly suffered minor cuts to his face. Bennett reportedly complained of abdominal pain.

James Piersma, 49, of 7577 Townline Road, Bergen, is accused of stealing television cable service. He is charged with theft of service. Piersma allegedly stole the service between April 21 and June 24. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Bratcher, 19, of 88 Lake St., Le Roy, is charged with assault in the third degree. Bratcher allegedly fought a man from Alexander, hitting him in his face and fracturing his cheek bone. Bratcher was issued an appearance ticket.

A 17-year-old from Bergen is accused of damaging the property of another person valued at more than $250. He is charged with criminal mischief. The youth was issued an appearance ticket.

A 16-year-old from Oakfield is charged with coercion and disorderly conduct. Allegedly, the youth was involved in a domestic dispute with his mother. He allegedly threw items inside the house, threatened his mother and prevented her from entering the house.

A 50-year-old Le Roy woman previously accused of dealing drugs is now charged with murder.

Joann M. Rusby, of 92 Lake Street, Le Roy, is accused of contributing to the death of Yvonne M. Hart, 53, whom Rusby allegedly supplied with Fentanyl.

Rusby was originally arrested March 11 and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Today, Rusby was charged with manslaughter.  The charge was brought after an autopsy report by the Monroe County Medical Examiner was filed.

Le Roy investigators allege that Rusby recklessly supplied the victim with a Fentanyl patch that could cause death if not properly used and failed to notify the woman of the dangers.  The woman's death is believed to be a direct result of the Fentanyl patch.

Rusby is under supervision of Genesee Justice.

When I drive through the Village of Le Roy, I see nothing but potential. It's a quaint "downtown" -- couple of blocks set against a scenic creek and a sense of history.

It's a shame there are so many vacant store fronts in Le Roy.

So, when I got this announcement today from Janice Revier, I was quite happy.  It's great to see a pair of entrepreneurs investing in Le Roy:

Take a walk down Main Street, number 70 to be exact (between the Wiss Hotel  and Townsend Oil), and you’ll find a new shop in town – “the Locally Made shop.”  This venture, started by Colleen O’Connor from Stafford and Jan Revier from LeRoy, will be a teaching gallery, displaying and selling items made by artisans from Genesee and surrounding counties.

It expects to be open starting July 10th and while in its infancy, it currently has some hand-woven products, hooked rugs and mats (traditionally hooked, not latch hooked), handspun and hand-dyed yarns, and some knit items. While this inventory is currently made up of fiber-related output, the goal is to have more artisans from different quality crafts represented –  artwork, pottery, jewelry, basketry, quilting, photography and any other  medium which blends well with the store’s other merchandise. Applications  to be represented at the shop will be available at the store itself or you can email locallymadeshop@aol.com for information or a copy of the application.

The shop will be open Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other times by appointment. Ultimately. they expect to have some supplies related to their handwork available, possibly an evening gathering where you can bring your project to work on, a small lending library of related books and magazines, and to conduct classes when there is enough interest. In the meantime, drop in and say hello and watch an heirloom being created. Any and all encouragement will be greatly appreciated and just maybe this can breathe a little life into downtown LeRoy. At least “the Locally Made shop” is 
going to try.

Le Roy Fire Department is responding to a report of a home being struck by lightning at 7989 Oatka Trail Road.  The possible lightening strike apparently set off the fire alarms at the house.

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UPDATE: 2:10 p.m.: State police have released the names of the victims in this morning's double fatal vehicle accident on Route 19 in LeRoy.

The victims are Martin Muszak, 64, of Rochester, who drove a Nissan Altima and was struck head on by a Dodge van driven by the other victim, Raymond Sissel, 84, of LeRoy.

Here's what the state Police determined:

A Nissan Altima operated by Muszak was traveling southbound on Route 19. A dump truck operated by Steven W. Ebner, 55, of Hamlin, was traveling southbound behind the Altima. A Dodge van operated by Sissel was traveling northbound on Route 19. 

The Dodge van crossed over into the southbound lane striking the Nissan Altima head on. The Nissan was then pushed into the front of the dump truck and came to rest on the east shoulder of the roadway. After striking the Nissan, the Dodge van then struck the dump truck coming to rest on its driver side on the west shoulder of the roadway.  The driver of the van, Sissel, and the driver of the Nissan, Muszak, were both pronounced dead at the scene by the Genesee County Coroner. The driver of the dump truck, Ebner, was not injured. There were no other passengers in any of the vehicles. The LeRoy and Bergen Fire Departments assisted at the scene of the accident. At this time the investigation ongoing.

UPDATE 10: a.m.: An accident this morning on Route 19 near North Road is confirmed a double fatal by Rebecca Gibbons, spokeswoman for the New York State Police.

The victims have not been identified pending family notifications.

Apparently, a northbound passenger vehicle strayed into the southbound lane striking another passenger vehicle head on.  A dump truck traveling behind the southbound vehicle was also involved in the accident.

The drivers in both passenger vehicles are confirmed dead.

No details on either vehicle are available at this time.

Shortly before the report of the accident came in, there had been numerous calls to Genesee County dispatch of a black van driving recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic, northbound on Route 19.  Gibbons could not confirm that this was the northbound vehicle involved in the accident.

Initial Reports:

Mercy Flight is being dispatched to the scene of a head-on collision on Route 19 near the Thruway in Le Roy. The Bergen Fire Department is being requested to the scene with extraction equipment.

The initial report had two vehicles and a dump truck involved.

Prior to the call, a van driving erratically had been reported in the area.

UPDATE: Mercy Flight was reportedly cancelled.

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Gary Engle, 24, of 7549 Mechanic St., Byron, is charged with reckless endangerment. Engle is accused of shooting his .22 calibre rifle and 12-gauge shotgun in his backyard on June 13 at 3:15 without properly checking his backstop in the direction he was firing. The bullets reportedly entered the backyard of a neighbor where adults and children were present. No injuries were reported.

Jayson M. Connolly, 35, of 135 S. Main St., Apt. 10, is charged with assault in the third degree and criminal contempt in connection with three alleged incidents over a three-day period. On June 17, at about 7:30 p.m., Connolly allegedly swatted a stick from a bonfire hitting a female acquaintance with the stick and causing burn and blister on her right and left thigh area. On June 18, at about 11:45 p.m., Connolly allegedly phoned the woman in violation of an order of protection. On June 19, at about 11:45 a.m., Connolly allegedly tried to speak to the woman again in violation of the order of protection. Connolly was arrested and placed in Genesee County Jail without bail.

Jon M. Dambra, 21, of 22 Berry Grove Lane, Brockport, is charged with DWI and unlawful possession of marijuana following a traffic stop for allegedly speeding in the City of Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jason Flansburg, 32, of 139 Woodlands Way, Brockport, was reportedly a guest at the Holiday Inn early yesterday morning when he began cussing and making loud noises at about 3:30 a.m.  Flansburg was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He was also reportedly had some marijuana and was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Cory Jones, 26, of 5965 Main Road, Stafford, was stopped yesterday a little after midnight for an alleged traffic violation. Sheriff's deputies allegedly found him with marijuana and he was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Jerad M. Stalker, 25, of 8874 Hartshorn Road, Batavia, was stopped on Lovers Lane Road yesterday morning around 2 a.m.  He was charged with DWI, having a BAC of .08 or greater, improper parking on a road way and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Toni White, 28, of 14 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with trespassing. The trespassing charge stems from a previous accusation of shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Following the initial charge, it was discovered that White had reportedly been banned from Wal-Mart, leading to the trespass charged on the date of the alleged shoplifting incident.

Terrance Dolan, 22, of 88 Woodcrest Blvd., Buffalo, and Sean T. Hennessy, of 41 Neuman Parkway, Buffalo, are charged with trespass in relation to events at the No Doubt concert at Darien Lake June 19 at 10:50 p.m. Dolan is accused of trying to enter a private area of the concert area and Hennessy is accused of trying to go backstage.

Andrew Paul Weick, 22, of 116 State St., Tonawanda and Paige Marie Fagan, 23, of 116 State St., Tonawanda, are accused of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Weick and Fagan were reportedly at the No Doubt concert at Darien Lake when they were allegedly found in possession of hydrocodone, cocaine and marijuana.

Scott D. Larnder, 32, of 3 Jerome Place, Batavia, is charged with DWI, speeding and failure to take pre-screen test.  He was reportedly stopped on Route 5 near Sanders Road in Stafford. Larnder was arraigned the morning of June 19 and released.

Caitlin E. Mahoney, 22, of 84 Walter St., Tonawanda, is charged with DWI and a BAC of .08 or more. Mahoney was reportedly stopped at the side of the road on Route 33 in the Town of Batavia when contacted by deputies. Mahoney stated she was looking for the Thruway. Upon investigation, deputies concluded Mahoney was allegedly operating a motorvehicle while intoxicated.

William Briggs, 42, of 15 Savannah St, Apt. 6H, is charged with petty larceny for allegedly shoplifting from Target.

Bridget K. Grayson, 41, 8272 Gully Road, LeRoy, is charged with felony DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater along with driving to the left of pavement markings in a no passing zone, improper turn signal, driving slow and impeding traffic and failure to notify DMV of address change. Grayson was reportedly stopped on Route 237 in Stafford on June 19 just after midnight.

A car has reportedly run into a tree at the intersection of Maple and Church in Le Roy. The accident was originally reported as a non-injury accident.  Several emergency units are responding.

UPDATE: "All victims have been removed from vehicle."

UPDATE: National Grid has been called to the scene.

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I took this picture last week, but I have the same thought every time I reach the intersection of Main St. and Lake St. in Le Roy: What good is Walgreens going to do for Le Roy? What where village planners thinking when they agreed to see two buildings that fit the village torn down and replaced by one that intentionally doesn't fit?

The Walgreens will do nothing to help the existing businesses in the village or help fill up the 10 or so vacant store fronts there.

The parking lot in front of the building is designed to make Walgreens a drive in, buy, and leave location.  The black metal fence further imprisons Walgreens customers, sending a clear message: Don't park here and walk to the village.

A new company coming into an existing business district couldn't send a more hostile message to the local community than this parking lot and fence.

A Dodge Caravan driven by Theodis Hill, Jr., 40, of Medina, allegedly failed to stop yesterday around 2:30 p.m. when he came upon a line of stopped cars on Route 5 in Le Roy, causing a three-car accident.

There were injuries, but State Police Spokeswoman Rebbeca Gibbons did not have information available this morning on the extent of the injuries.

A 2000 Monte Carlo driven by Timothy Vanhouter, of Le Roy, was struck in the rear by Hill's vehicle, causing the pick up to slam into a 2003 Chevy S-10 pick up driven by David Agnello, 64, of Webster.

The cars were stopped in the road because highway crews were painting new lines on the State Route.

It looks like John Garner is still putting his DOT variable message sign to good use. I spotted it outside his home on West Bergen Road today advertising an area garage sale for this weekend.  Previously, the DOT required Garner to remove it from Route 19, where it was promoting Village of Le Roy events and businesses.