Brush fire reported on Maltby Road, Oakfield
A brush fire has been reported well behind the residence at 3693 Maltby Road in Oakfield.
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Oakfield
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Police Beat: Pot bust in Oakfield
A sheriff's deputy says he saw a bong fly from the window of a vehicle on Route 63 in Oakfield on Monday evening.
In the vehicle, which was stopped for allegedly having improperly tinted windows, were a group of young people and reportedly three more partially burned marijuana cigarettes.
Two Alabama teenagers were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana: Joseph D. Bauer, 18, of Oakfield, and a 17-year-old from Oakfield.
A third person was identified as the young man who threw the item from the window, which deputies say was a marijuana pipe. The third person was not charged with a crime, nor were two other passengers in the car.
The 17-year-old reportedly told deputies the marijuana cigarettes belonged to him.
The two teenagers charged were issued appearance tickets for Town of Oakfield Court.
Oakfield woman injured by horse kick
Barb Falker of the Lazy Redneck Ranch in Oakfield suffered a fractured vertabrae to her spine when she was kicked by her own horse Thursday night.
She was flown by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester were she remains in stable condition. She is expected to be released Saturday.
Her daughter Nina Regan said the incident happened when Barb's niece's horse, Chief, got out of his inclosure. Barb rounded up the horse and put it in her pasture with her horse, Sheba.
When Barb went to retrieve Chief at about 7:30 p.m., Sheba tried to kick Chief. The commotion resulted in the lead getting twisted around Barb and she got a couple of hard kicks from Sheba.
"It was kind of a weird accident," Regan said.
Her family called Oakfield Fire/EMS who had to cut the lead of Barb before she could be taken for medical treatment.
"She was awake and talking when I saw her in the hospital," Regan said. "The doctor said she's going to be fine but she'll be pretty bruised up."
Previously: Out on Lazy Redneck Ranch.
Police Beat: Alleged robbery at target, man threatens mother and reported forged checks
Marcos Juan Gomez, 31, of Rochester (pictured, right), is being charged with robbery in the 1st degree after allegedly being caught shoplifting at Target, and when security personnel there tried to stop him, he reportedly pulled a knife and fled. He was subsequently apprehended in the Home Depot parking lot. He is being held in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.
Michael F. Geer, 18, of Batavia, is in jail on $5,000 bail and charged with harassment in the second degree and menacing in the second degree after allegedly wielding a knife and threatening to kill his mother. He is also charged with possession of a controlled substance He was taken into custody yesterday at around 5 p.m.
Benjamin Muntz, 20, of Oakfield (pictured, left), is accused of forgery after allegedly trying to pass forged checks at a local bank. He was arrested Thursday by a Sheriff's deputy while at Batavia City Court. He allegedly possessed two forged checks while at a Batavia bank in September. He is held in custody in lieu of $5,000 bail.
A 17-year-old girl from Stafford is in custody and held on $1,000 bail after allegedly entering a residence and taking $300 worth of property. She is charged with burglary in the second degree, a felony, and petty larceny. An order of protection was also issued.
Clint L. Stafford, 27, of Basom, was charged with DWI and felony unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle early Sunday morning. He was also ticked with an improper left turn and an open container.
A 17-year-old from Bergen is being charged with possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree. A K-9 reportedly found hydrocodone in the teenagers possession in November and a subsequent lab test confirmed the substance was hydrocodone. The teenager was issued an appearance ticket.
A 17-year-old girl involved in a motor vehicle accident in Stafford last week was allegedly found with a switch blade knife and several marijuana pipes. She is being charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the 4th degree and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Oakfield man arrested in Orleans County after slow-speed ATV chase
Steve Moore, 47, of Oakfield, reportedly led law enforcement officers on a low-speed ATV chase Saturday.
The chase started in Murray and Moore was eventually apprehended in Barre, News 10 reports.
At one point Moore got off his ATV and approached a police sergeant. The sergeant tasered him, but it had no effect and Moore got back on his ATV and drove off.
He also allegedly struck a police vehicle.
Moore was charged with DWI.
Two-acre grass fire reported on Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road
An "out of control" grass fire is being battled at 3186 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road.
The fire covers an estimated two acres and additional crews have been request.
No report on whether any structures are threatened.
UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: I'm on scene. Fire seems pretty much under control. Manpower-only crews were called in from Stafford and Pembroke (Pembroke's brush truck was reported out of service). The fire started as a controled burn, according to homeowner Michael Cusmano. "It just took off," he said. I'll post a picture or two shortly. Also, there is another reported brush fire near Stafford (I didn't catch the exact address) and a grass fire at 10346 Hartwell Road in Pavilion.
UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: I didn't make it out to the Pavilion fire. It sounds like it's under control at this point. Some crews are returning to station.
11 Oakfield students to attend County Band
The following students from Oakfield-Alabama are attending the All County Band at Batavia High this Saturday.
Kevin Beuler
Joe Natalizia
Garth Hinkson
Ashley Colopy
Marc Remsen
Kelsey Korzelius
Katie Joslyn
Christopher Abdella
Samantha Denton
Police Beat: Teen arrested following ATV accident that left passenger injured
A Bethany teen-ager is facing charges after losing control of an ATV he was allegedly driving and getting into an accident that left a 16-year-old passenger injured.
The teen-ager, also 16, left the scene of the accident in Spring Road in Alexander, according to a Sheriff's office report.
No word on the seriousness of the injuries the passenger sustain. The driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the report.
The driver has been charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree and may face other charges.
A 16-year-old from Oakfield is charged with trespass after entering the driveway and yard of another person in Oakfield.
Sarah J. Moutrup, 29, of Oakfield, is charged with felony DWI following her arrest in Alabama. Moutrup is charged with aggravated DWI and driving with a BAT of .18 or greater.
Brian M. Glor, 36, of Oakfield, was arrested Monday for possession marijuana and obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree. Glor allegedly interfered with a DWI investigation in Alabama. Glor was arrested and during a search, the marijuana was found.
A look at the Oakfield fire of 1895
I knew the village of Oakfield has been around for a long time, but I never really thought about what might have happened before everybody living there was born.
While looking at some history sites I came across one called GenDisasters, which posted a story from an Ohio Newspaper called The Mansfield News from 5-12-1895.
Buffalo, May 11. -- The little village of Oakfield was entirely destroyed by fire this morning. Not a house is left standing. The fields about the burning village are occupied by the refugees who have saved nothing from the flames. Shortly after 3 o'clock this morning a telegram was received here asking for assistance but none could be sent. The telegraph, telephone and railway dispatch offices are all burned out and no wire communication can be had with the village. The fire started in the rear of HARRIS & CHAPIN'S hardware store about 1:30 a.m. and burned till 3:30 o'clock. Among the buildings destroyed are:
CHAMBERLAIN'S block, dry goods and grocery store.
HARRIS & CHAPIN'S hardware store.
WEAVER'S furniture and undertaking establishment.
B. C. MARTIN'S dry goods and grocery store.
The ARNOLD Hotel.
The BARNES House.
Odd Fellows Hall.
DR. TUGTUIS' drug store, and a number of dwellings. The loss will be about $75,000.
Oakfield - which was originally known as Cary or Caryville - had a population of over 1,000 when the first recorded store opened in 1833 by Colonel Alfred Cary.
The village's name was changed to Plain Brook in 1837 and was soon after changed to Oakfield. The first village meeting was held in August of 1887.
There is a fascinating piece written on the history of Oakfield here.
Oakfield United Methodist Church Winter BBQ
Oakfield United Methodist Church
Annual Winter Chicken BBQ
March 21st 4-6
Take outs only
$5.00
1/2 chicken and salt potatoes
Call 948-5550 for tickets and information
Spring Into Nature at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Alabama, NY, will be holding its Spring Into Nature celebration on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission and parking are Free.
Located at the refuge headquarters on Casey Road the event offers activities for the whole family with over 20 nature related exhibits plus live birds of prey, retriever demonstrations, guided bird walks and door prize drawings. For the kids there will be crafts, face painting and nature activities. Guest speakers include: Wendi Pencille on wildlife rehabilitation (more are being finalized). In addition, spotting scopes will be set up at Cayuga Overlook with volunteers on hand to help identify birds in the area, including bald eagles.
Planned exhibits include: Ducks Unlimited, the Lower Great Lakes Fisheries Resources Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, the New York State Bluebird Society, Ron Pastor – custom flies, Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor, Niagara County Trappers (NYSTA) the Historical Club of the Tonawanda Reservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation, the Buffalo Audubon Society and more.
Please contact refuge staff at 585.948.5445 or visit our web site at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/iroquoisfor further information.
Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester, NY and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact the Refuge at 585/948-5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Free Nature Programs at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge invites everyone to “Go Outside” and enjoy nature. As spring arrives office hours for Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will be expanded to include weekends 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Saturday, March 28 through May 9. This is in addition to our regular office hours of Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, except holidays. The refuge office/visitor contact station, located at 1101 Casey Road, Alabama, NY has maps and other information about the refuge as well as exhibits of native wildlife. Be sure to stop by the Flyway Nature Store, operated by the Friends of Iroquois NWR, Inc., for unique gift ideas for yourself or the nature lover in your life.
Weekend hours will coincide with the spring schedule of “Iroquois Observations”, a series of free nature programs which are presented in partnership with the Buffalo Audubon Society. On March 28 the season opens with a bald eagle watch and an owl prowl. Visitors are invited to join knowledgeable volunteers at Cayuga Overlook for the bald eagle watch, 1 pm – 4 pm to view one of our two nesting pairs of bald eagles. Spotting scopes are provided. That evening bring a flashlight and join the nocturnal trek to look for owls, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Pre-registration is required for the owl prowl. Please, contact refuge staff at 585-948-5445 to register. Programs are free and open to the public.
The refuge’s nature trails, overlooks and fishing areas are open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, year-round and provide many opportunities to view wildlife or just relax and take in the natural beauty the refuge has to offer.
For further information or a schedule of nature programs contact refuge staff at
585-948-5445 or visit our website http://www.fws.gov/northeast/iroquois and click on the link for “annual calendar” and scroll down to “Iroquois Observations”.
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located midway between Rochester and Buffalo, NY and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Novak's ESPN U debut
Oakfield-Alabama grad and Section 5 Talksback legend Matt Novak received national attention on ESPN U.
But, he didn't get the chance to express himself thanks to editing.
Zero in the first, 23 in the second; Smith leads Oakfield-Alabama
If you've ever heard on of Oakfield-Alabama coach Gary Kurkowski's "pep talks", you know what you have to do.
As mild as Kurkowski is away from the basketball court, his passion often turns to a voice that can be heard all over Oakfield during a game. O-A guard Tim Smith didn't score a point in the first half, caused a few turnovers and wasn't himself.
So Kurkowski gave him a little "pep talk" at halftime.
The results were as expected, and even more, as Smith went off for all 23 of his points after the break, leading the Hornets to a convincing 67-46 win over visiting Canisteo-Greenwood in the opening round of the Section 5 Class C1 tournament.
The Hornets were in serious trouble in the first half as the Redskins were able to show off their athletic ability to take a 12-10 first quarter lead. O-A was missing easy shots and turning the ball over at a rate higher than any time this season.
The third seeded team had a real chance to be upset by the No. 14 seed.
Oakfield-Alabama played a little better in the second quarter, but still looked to be trying to figure out Canisteo-Greenwood.
O-A only had a 22-21 lead at intermission.
The words "not a good half" were heard often as the squad walked off the court and into the locker room at the break. Then the team came out with a different attitude in the second half.
Brad Riner and A.J. Kehlenbeck had each scored early, but the Hornets still only had a two point lead. That was when Smith woke up.
He grabbed a loose ball and scored. Then he hit a 3-pointer. Another basket just seconds later and O-A was starting to catch fire.
Riner scored five straight points and Smith hit a pair of 2-pointers in a row to give the Hornets a 45-31 lead after three periods of play. Smith's 11 points and Riner's eight had broken the Redskins.
Smith drained four 3-pointers in the first half of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and Riner converted all four of his free throws down the stretch and a close game turned into a blowout.
Riner wound up scoring 12 points with seven assists and Noah Seward was held to nine points, but grabbed 16 rebounds. Kehlenbeck kept the Hornets in the game early and finished the night with 13 points.
The Redskins (7-14) were led by Bryce Davis, who scored 12 points.
Oakfield-Alabama (18-3) moves on to host No. 6 Bloomfield (17-4) on Friday.
Oakfield-Alabama grad Matt Novak on ESPN U
ESPN U was looking for a Syracuse student to talk with and test his knowledge on how the NCAA selects teams to play in the NCAA Tournament in March.
They picked a pretty knowledgeable freshman to talk with after Syracuse's loss to Villanova on Sunday.
Oakfield-Alabama graduate Matt Novak was picked for the interview and knew how the process works.
Novak was the "ultimate fan" of basketball while at Oakfield-Alabama, where he was the captain of the O-A Crazies, which is the school's student cheering section.
Novak's knowledge of sports has also been shown on Section 5 Talksback, where he has posted over 5,200 times and works as a moderator.
The interview will appear on ESPN U either tonight or tomorrow night between 7 and 10 p.m.
Here is some video footage of the interview, which was taken by a friend. One of the guys stopping to get on camera during Novak's interview is Syracuse starter Arinze Onuaku.
HS girls highlights for Saturday
The 11th seeded Oakfield-Alabama girls basketball team had a 20-6 advantage in the fourth quarter and defeated No. 8 Canisteo-Greenwood 48-44 in the opening round of the Section 5 Class CC playoffs.
Brynn Perfitt hit two foul shots with about 2 minutes left in the game to put the Hornets ahead for good. She scored 12 points in the game.
Hillary Bates scored a career-high 16 points to lead O-A (11-10) and Lindsay Chatt added seven points.
Reagan Ryan scored 20 points for Canisteo-Greenwood (15-6).
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Kelsey Lewis dropped in the game winning basket late in the fourth quarter as No. 8 Pembroke topped No. 9 Caledonia-Mumford 37-36 in the opening round of the Class CC tournament.
Lewis scored five of her seven points in the frame.
Nicole Sharick had eight points and five rebounds with Jackie DuBois and Katie Hackett scoring eight points apiece for the Dragons (13-8).
Christina Harmon had 16 points for the Red Raiders, who end the year 11-10.
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Top-seeded Alexander cruised past winless Red Creek 67-29 in the first round of the Class C playoffs.
The Trojans are 15-4.
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Dundee tipped Kendall 40-28 in the first round of Class C.
Casi Strait had 16 points and Niki Muoio pitched in 10 for Dundee, which improves to 11-10.
Meghan Fahy scored 12 points and Samantha D'Agostino had 11 for the Eagles (7-13).
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No. 3 Avon had little trouble in knocking Byron-Bergen out of the Class CC playoffs with a 58-31 win.
Marcy Manning had 13 points and 10 boards to lead the Braves (19-2).
Kizzy Heale had eight points for the Bees (9-12).
Notre Dame boys get top seed; Rapone set to make more history
Notre Dame coach Mike Rapone will accept Notre Dame's 11th top seed in sectionals Saturday night.
You might think that even though the other 10 plaques are in his basement, because of a lack of room to display them, this one doesn't mean anything. But it does.
"It is nice because it is a nice accomplishment," Rapone said. "I always use the expression, and the kids never get it, that the top seed a $1.61 will get you a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. All it does is put a bulls-eye on your back. It is a nice accomplishment, but it makes you the No. 1 target."
Even though the Genesee Region League has had some strong teams, as have Le Roy and Batavia, this is the only local team to earn a top seed in the boys tournaments.
The Fighting Irish are 17-3 and have been tested, playing strong GR teams like Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke, Elba and Kendall as well as non-league foes like Prattsburgh and Houghton.
"I think my goal is always to get as competitive a regular season as I can," Rapone said. "You want your team to be ready for what the future brings. I think our schedule this year was one that will have us ready."
This postseason could be historic for Notre Dame as Rapone is nearing second on the all-time wins list in Section 5. With just one win, Rapone will tie Scio's Roger Rigby for second on the list with 527 career wins.
Ed Nietopski from Cardinal Mooney leads the Section 5 wins list with 545.
"You don't sit down when you start coaching and say this is what you want to do," Rapone said. "As I get closer, I realize that it is a great accomplishment for the school and our basketball program, as much as for myself. It is also about all the players I've coached over the years. They are the ones winning the games."
Notre Dame's top player right now is senior point guard Kevin Francis, who has been on the team through a top seed and two No. 2 seeds that didn't win titles.
"In the last couple of weeks he's been a little more vocal in terms of what we need to do," Rapone said.
Rapone has seven sectional championships and is looking for an eighth this season. Standing in his way could be fourth-seeded Elba (11-9), which knocked the Fighting Irish out of the playoffs in the semifinals last season.
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Oakfield-Alabama won the GR Division I title with a 17-3 record, but are only a third seed in Class C1.
This might be the best team O-A has ever had, but Avon (19-1) and East Rochester (18-2) are the top seeds in what might be the toughest bracket from top to bottom.
Pembroke went 13-7 and are a ninth seed in that class while Byron-Bergen went 4-16 and are ranked No. 15.
The Batavia boys squad went 17-3 and are relegated to a second seed in Class A1. The Blue Devils are behind Aquinas (17-3) in a very competitive group.
Attica (10-10) are the sixth seed in Class B1 and Le Roy (9-11) are the third seed in Class B2. Holley is 4-16 and ninth in the classification.
Kendall went 12-8 and is a fifth seed in Class C2, with a great shot at pulling an upset and winning a title. Alexander (8-12) is 10th and Lyndonville (1-19) is 16th.
O-A drops one spot in state rankings after loss; ND up one and Batavia stays the same
The Batavia and Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball teams had losses this past week against tough squads and both dipped one spot in the newest New York State Sportswriters Association poll.
The Hornets had the lead for almost the entire game, but lost to Akron in the final minute of the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown Saturday.
Because of the loss, O-A drops from No. 11 to No. 12 in Class C.
Batavia had matchup problems and lost to Class AAA Irondequoit in the opening round of the Monroe County League tournament Monday, but were not faulted in the rankings. The Blue Devils are still the No. 21 ranked team in the state in Class A.
Notre Dame beat Elba and Lima Christian and are bumped from No. 9 to No. 8 in Class D.
Oakfield-Alabama rolls to win over Alexander on senior night
After blowing a lead and the game against Akron in the Genesee Region League/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown on Saturday, the Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball team was looking to end the season on a positive note before going into sectionals.
It was obvious that it was going to happen as the Hornets jumped out to a 17-3 lead in beating visiting Alexander 73-41 on senior night.
Senior stars Noah Seward and Brad Riner got O-A off to a 9-0 start right off the bat as Riner had five points and Seward four, just a couple of minutes into the contest.
Tim Smith scored seven straight points and all of a sudden the Hornets were ahead by 14 points with just 3 1/2 minutes gone off the clock.
Troy Shelnut ended the fierce O-A scoring with a 3-pointer, but Sam McCracken had four points and Seward added another bucket late in the opening frame to give the Hornets a 27-13 lead after a period of play.
McCracken had two quick baskets in the second quarter and Seward had four points, but Oakfield-Alabama played its worst of four quarters. Josh Athoe also hit a 3-pointer in the frame and O-A actually extended the lead to 38-19 despite not being happy with the way they played in the frame.
The "big 3" of Seward, Riner and Smith were able to rest for most of the fourth quarter, but all three contributed in the third.
Seward had six points, Smith had five and Riner hit a 3-pointer late in the quarter and the game was officially a blowout after the third quarter with Oakfield-Alabama leading 61-28.
Athoe had four points in the fourth quarter and O-A rolled to the 73-41 victory.
Seward had yet another double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, with Riner helping out with eight points and 11 assists.
Smith scored 15 points and A.J. Kehlenbeck had 10 points with 13 boards. McCracken finished with 13 points and Athoe chipped in nine.
Kyle Woodruff had 14 points for Alexander, which ends the season with a 7-12 record.
Oakfield-Alabama improves to 17-3 and will be the third seed in the Section 5 Class C1 tournament and should be hosting Canisteo-Greenwood in the first round.
Genesee Region League boys MVPs
It is often hard to choose MVPs because competition is typically so close in the Genesee Region League.
But this season it is pretty simple to pick the best player from each division as Oakfield-Alabama won Division I pretty easily and Notre Dame clinched Division II several games ago.
The Hornets are 16-3 and Noah Seward is a big reason why.
O-A would have still been in the running for the Division I title with solid players like Brad Riner and Tim Smith, but Seward was a problem for the other team in every game this season. The 6-foot-3 center/forward seemed like he had a double-double every time he got on the court.
The only other player in Division I that I had in the running was Pembroke's Ken Babcock, who dominated at times this season in helping his team to second in the division. But Seward wrapped up the award in my mind when he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds when the Hornets clinched the title in a 61-39 win over the Dragons last week.
Kevin Francis was easily the MVP in Division II for the Fighting Irish, who are 15-3.
With several question marks as to which players were going to be regular contributors this season, Francis took on the role as quiet leader early in the season and helped the young players like Vinny Zambito and Matt Thompson find their niche on the team.
His stats were also incredible as he was able to go off for 20 points on any given night at the point guard position while playing a well rounded game. Francis also distributed the ball, caused turnovers and grabbed rebounds.
Who is the overall MVP of the Genesee Region League?( polls)
