Oakfield

Clients of ARC of Genesee-Orleans paid a visit to the Sno-Packers clubhouse today for rides on snowmobiles around the track in the neighboring field. 

It's been a couple of years since there was enough snow for the otherwise-annual ride. Even today, the snow cover was thin and the ground was just frozen enough to handle the weight of the snowmobiles.

Several children enjoyed multiple rides around the track.

Press release:

Children who reside in the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2017 are eligible to be registered for our Universal Pre-Kindergarten program for the 2017-2018 school year. Registration packets have been mailed.

If you do not receive a packet by Feb. 3, 2017, please call the elementary office at 585-948-5211, ext. 3211, or email kfisher2@oahornets.org to request one.

Carl M. Vander, 22, of Spring Street, Bergen, is charged with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and petit larceny. He was arrested on Jan. 24 in the Town of Covington following a burglary complaint at Empire Livestock on Route 19. The initial complaint was of a suspicious male in the area at 10:09 p.m. on Wyoming Road near Route 19. Deputies responded and checked the area and found footprints around the Empire Livestock building leading to the back door. The company was contacted, and a follow-up investigation the next morning determined the business had in fact been burglarized and damage had been caused to the interior of the business. Then on Jan. 25 at 3:23 p.m., Wyoming County deputies located a suspicious male walking on Route 19 at Mungers Mill Road in the Town of Warsaw. Upon approaching the male, he was observed wearing a baseball cap with "Empire Livestock Marketing" embroidered on it. A subsequent investigation allegedly determined the male, identified as Vander, had burglarized Empire Livestock the night before. Vander allegedly damaged the business inside and stole a baseball cap from inside a dump truck parked in a garage on the property. He was put in Wyoming County Jail and bail was set at $5,000 cash. He is due in Town of Covington Court on Feb. 27. The case was handled by Wyoming County Sheriff's Sgt. Colin Reagan, Deputy Renee Ficarella and Investigator Aaron Anderson.

Meghan Kathleen Gould, 33, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. Gould was arrested following an investigation into employee theft at the Batavia Target store. It is alleged that over the course of time she stole $1,130 in revenue from Target while employed there. The incident report is dated 1:59 p.m. on Oct. 4. Gould is due in Town of Batavia Court on Feb. 9. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Graff.

Steven R. Colombo, 30, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with: criminal contempt in the first degree with a prior conviction; strangulation in the second degree; and criminal contempt in the first degree with physical contact. Colombo was arrested at 3:12 a.m. on Jan. 25 on East Main Street in Batavia following a domestic incident wherein he is accused of punching the victim in the mouth and choking her to the point where she nearly lost consciousness. There is an order of protection in effect ordering Colombo to stay away from the victim and he has previously been convicted -- within the last five years -- of violating that order of protection. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison and Officer Darryle Streeter.

Ryan R. Hernandez, 20, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with first-degree coercion, second-degree aggravated harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon. Hernandez was arrested at 11:55 a.m. on Jan. 24 on Walnut Street in Batavia following a domestic incident wherein he allegedly threatened a former significant other via text message. At the time of his arrest, metal knuckles were allegedly located inside his vehicle. He was put in jail in lieu of $10,000 cash or bond and was due in City Court this morning. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer James DeFreze, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

Carlton L. Beardsley, 22, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and attempted petit larceny. Beardsley was arrested at 11:15 a.m. on Ellicott Street in Batavia. Patrols were attempting to arrest Beardsley for allegedly attempting to steal property from a local business. Shortly after this complaint, patrols located Beardsley after he allegedly stole property from a second business. He was arrested and jailed in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond. He was due in City Court this morning. The case was handled by Batavia Police Office Jason Davis, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Adam Jacob Warren, 30, of Manhatten Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt in the second degree. Warren was arrested at 4 p.m. on Jan. 24 on West Main Street Road, Batavia, following an investigation that allegedly revealed he was in violation of an order of protection. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

A 16-year-old who lives on Farnsworth Avenue in Oakfield is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. The teen was arrested at 7:52 a.m. on Jan. 24 on Judge Road in Oakfield after allegedly contacting a protected party in violation of a Genesee County Family Court order. The defendant is due in Town of Oakfield Court on Feb. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Dpeuty John Dehm.

Jennifer Lynne Greck, 47, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass. She was arrested at 1 p.m. on Jan. 18 on West Main Street Road after she was allegedly found trespassing on Mark Trail Motel property after being told she wasn't welcome there. She is due in Town of Batavia Court this afternoon to answer the charge. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Howard Wilson, assisted by Andrew Hale.

Zoe Anne McClure, 47, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Following the investigation of a larceny complaint, McClure was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 for petit larceny for allegedly shoplifting from a department store on Veterans Memorial Drive in the Town of Batavia. She is due in Town of Batavia Court on Feb. 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Rachel Diehl.

(File photo.)

The Town of Oakfield's renovated and expanded Community and Government Center will receive a 2016 Project of the Year Award for small cities/rural communities from the Genesee Valley branch of the American Public Works Association.

The award will be presented at RIT on Jan. 26.

A letter to Alan Dennis, Oakfield's public works administrator, said the award was based on the project's excellence, creativity, ingenuity and efficiency. The award recognizes the alliance between the managing agency, the engineeer, and contractors who worked together to successfully complete the project.

Previously: Town of Oakfield showcases new community and government center with County Legislature meeting

Press release:

A state-mandated 30-day public review period has begun for Agricultural Districts No. 2 in the towns of Alabama, Batavia, Byron, Elba, Oakfield and Pembroke.

The Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board announced that Agricultural District No. 2 will embark on its eight-year review with a 30-day public review period beginning on Jan. 26.

As with every eight-year review, landowners with lands in the district under review will be asked to complete a worksheet where they will be given the option to enroll or withdraw property from the district. Only entire parcels can be included or excluded.

Landowners will receive the worksheet, along with a letter, informational brochure, and map of the current district boundaries in the next couple of days. Each landowner will have until Friday, Feb. 24th of this year to mail the worksheets to the Department of Planning in the envelopes provided. This deadline also coincides with the deadline for the Annual Enrollment Period, which allows for inclusion of predominantly viable agricultural land to any of the County’s Agricultural Districts pending review by the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. In addition, nearby landowners that are receiving Agricultural Tax Assessments and are not part of the Agricultural Districts Program will be mailed a letter and form inviting them to join the program.

During this 30-day period, a map of the District will be on file and open to the public in the office of the Genesee County Clerk and at the Genesee County Department of Planning.Any municipality whose territory encompasses the above Agricultural District, any State Agency or any landowner within or adjacent to the District, may propose a modification of the District during this period. The District and any proposed modification will be submitted to the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board for review. Consequently, a public hearing on the District and any proposed modifications will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, at the Genesee County Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

At the conclusion of this review, the Genesee County Legislature will vote on any modifications to the District and send the proper materials to the State Department of Agriculture and Markets for recertification. The public is encouraged to attend all open meetings.

By enrolling land in the Agricultural Districts Program, participating farmers can receive relief from nuisance claims and certain forms of local regulation. Enrollment is free and voluntary. For a free informational brochure, please contact the Genesee County Department of Planning. Phone: (585) 815-7901; fax: (585) 345-3062; email: planning@co.genesee.ny.us. Visit us on the Web at www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/planning.

Up next for the county's tri-annual update to our Smart Growth Plan is a presentation Feb. 13 to the Public Service Committee of the Genesee County Legislature.

Planning Director Felipe Oltramari and planning staff have toured the county, providing interested residents at town-hall-style meetings information and maps outlining the proposed changes to the plan.

The final such meeting was Tuesday at the community center in Oakfield and covered the proposed plan for Oakfield and Alabama.

The goal of the plan is to protect farmland from suburban-like sprawl and guide population centers toward a denser, mixed-use, more pedestrian-friendly environment.

These are the types of communities younger generations of families and workers are looking for, Oltramari said. Younger families want to have more amenities and services within walking distance of their homes and have a stronger sense of neighborhood than offered by traditional suburban development where all lots are the same size, all homes have the same floor plan and residents come home from work, pull into their garage and never say "hi" to a neighbor.

The plan for Oakfield (pdf) includes allowing development along Pearl Street out to Batavia Oakfield Townline Road.

In response to a resident's question, Oltramari suggested this area is well positioned for the kind of denser, mixed-use, walkable neighborhood many people want these days.

A resident brought up a decades-old housing development in Le Roy that is more than a mile outside of the village and noted residents just drive to Tops, and "what's wrong with that?" and Oltramari said those are the kind of developments that contribute to the decline of villages such as Le Roy.

Islands of suburban-like development tend to encourage people to move out of older villages and don't bring in new residents, he said, and then the old Victorian homes in the village become multi-unit rentals.

"What happened along with that is their downtown died," Oltramari said. "A lot of people who used to walk into the shops, a lot of families whose kids used to walk to school and go downtown are not there anymore. They’re being bussed and they’re being driven and a lot of people who live in the village are transient people. There are consequences to doing that, but when you build little neighborhoods, you tend to attract people from the outside."

The Smart Growth Plan contemplates new homes being built that fit into a hamlet's or village's character (differing lot sizes, different architectural treatments), but helps keep homes clustered around the village, which will encourage rehab of the remaining older homes.

For Alabama (pdf), growth could mean a demand for more housing, but instead of converting farmland into housing tracts, the plan is designed to grow the existing hamlet into a village.

None of this -- like any planning document -- is written into stone, Oltramari noted after Tuesday's meeting. There are processes to override the plan, but those are difficult barriers to overcome. A town's board, the county planning board and the County Legislature would all have to approve a development not fitting in the current development boundaries, and if that happened there would be legal challenges.

The Smart Growth Plan development process dates back to 2001 and was part of the agreement to bring Monroe County Water into Genesee County. The county is required to update the plan every three years in order to continue to expand the public water supply flowing from Monroe County Water.

There are future funding mechanisms dependent on abiding by the plan, and the Sierra Club is on record, Oltramari said, of claiming it is prepared to file a lawsuit if the county doesn't develop and abide by the plan to protect farmland.

For more on the Smart Growth Plan, and to view maps for each community that outline development areas, click here. The Feb. 13 meeting, likely to start at 4:30 p.m. at the Old Courthouse, is open to the public.

Eric Keith Ricks, 38, of Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, driving on a suspended registration and driving without insurance. Ricks was stopped at 5:22 p.m. Jan. 11 on Swan Street, Batavia, by Officer Chad Richards. During the traffic stop, Ricks allegedly became confrontational with police and refused to obey verbal commands. He was then taken into custody without further incident.

Sadie D. Waala, 25, of Colonial Boulevard, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle. Waala was stopped at 2:25 a.m. Sunday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Dustin W. Bogue, 34, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with trespass, 2nd. Bogue is accused of refusing to leave a residence at 10:55 p.m., Sunday.

Timothy J. Wood Sr., 27, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Wood allegedly struck another person during an argument reported at 5 p.m., Jan. 9.

Shane K. Borton, 44, of Chase Park, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Borton is accused of hitting another person during an argument, reported at 2:31 p.m., Friday.

James M. Spangler II, 40, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Spangler allegedly violated an order of protection by mailing a letter to the protected party.

Jonathan S. Cassidy, 45, of Highland Park, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear.

Rorbert L. Jordan, 70, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan allegedly stole a King Size Reese's Cup from the Kwik Fill at 99 Jackson St. at 6:19 p.m., Jan. 1.

Adam L. Rumley, 26, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated DWI and multiple traffic violations. Rumley was stopped by State Police on the Thruway at 10:22 p.m., Sunday. He allegedly had a BAC of .22.

Linda Ann Martin, 64, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing, 2nd. Martin is accused of claiming she did not make a bank transaction in August 2015.

Ryan James Emery, 19, of Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Emery was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for an equipment violation at 8:35 p.m., Saturday. He was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Investigators continue to work leads in the case of a series of battery thefts from trucks and farm equipment in Genesee County, and as a result previously arrested suspects face new charges.

Bart Towne, 48, of Alleghany Road, Alabama, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. He was first arrested Sept. 27 and has been charged in the jurisdictions of Byron, Oakfield, Alabama, Elba, Pembroke and Alexander. 

He allegedly stole batteries in each of those towns.

He is being held without bail.

Amber L. Heveron, 28, of Rice Road, Albion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. She was first arrested Dec. 6. She was previously charged in Alabama, Pembroke, Oakfield and Elba. 

She is out of jail under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.

A house fire was reported at 7506 Lewiston Road, Oakfield about 15 minutes ago. 

There were flames showing and heavy smoke.

Oakfield fire along with Elba, East Pembroke, Town of Batavia and Alabama responding.

UPDATE (By Billie) 2:26 p.m.: A man at home alone heard the smoke detector alarm and discovered fire in the master bedroom. He got out safely along with a pet cat. The cause of the fire is not yet known and is being investigated A quick response by volunteer firefighters is credited with keeping the blaze contained to one room before it was extinguished.

A resident of Oakfield found these dogs in her yard this afternoon. She lives just outside of Oakfield near Z&M on Route 63. Both dogs have collars. One has tags. The phone number rings at the Town Hall. Both are white/cream color.

Both dogs are being picked up by animal control and will be available at the shelter.

Thomas Eugene Nudo Jr., 37, of Edgemont Circle, Panama, Fla., is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief, 4th. Nudo allegedly stole cologne from Kohl's Department Store. He also is accused of damaging the packaging. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Brian David Draper, 27, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to register Internet account. 

Jamall George Mikel O'Neil, 19, of Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. O'Neil was stopped for an alleged traffic violation in the City of Batavia by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Randall Arthur Bennett, 70, of Bennett Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Bennett was arrested following a report of a driving complaint in the Village of Oakfield at 9:02 p.m., Monday. He was stopped on Bennett Avenue by Deputy Matthew Clor.

Peter Robert Brounscheidei, 23, of Henskee Road, Alden, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, failure to stop and moving from lane unsafely. Brounscheidei was stopped at 3:18 a.m. Monday on Route 77, Alabama, by Deputy Ryan Young.

As students at Oakfield-Alabama Elementary left school yesterday, they were given a "High-Five Goodbye" from six NYS Troopers and K-9 "Paris."

Photo and info submitted by Lynn Gehlert.

A start-up in Oakfield made the front page of the The Wall Street Journal today (account required) as part of a story on a game that seems to be growing in popularity in some part of the country, even though it has been around a long time.

We've told you before about MöbileSchlägen, the portable version of a game that involves, traditionally, a tree stump, a nail, a hammer, and beer. MöbileSchlägen was invented -- they actually got a patent on the key technology -- by Marc Johnson, James Betters and Dan Mangus. Their big innovation was the sturdy stand that holds a stump-like piece of wood into which game players pound nails.

A reporter for The Wall Street Journal visited Oakfield a couple of days ago to learn more about the game and wrap mention of it into a story she was working on about the rise in popularity of Hammerschlagen, or Stump.  

The game has become popular enough, as reporter Rebecca Davis O'Brien notes, that there has even been a little legal wrangling over who owns the rights to it. Jim Martin, of Lake Elmo, Minn., asserts he owns the trademark for Hammer-Schlagen. According to the WSJ article, Martin has sent a cease-and-desist letter to a competitor, The Stump Company, and has also sent messages to Johnson and his partners. (He also contacted The Batavian demanding that we correct our previous story and include mention of his company and what he says are the true origins of the game.)

Johnson said their version of the game is gaining interest and they should have a product ready for market soon.

Also, here's a couple of photos Johnson supplied from the Oakfield Historical Society, from a company picnic for U.S. Gypsum in the 1950s, showing a similar game being played locally.

Here's the company's promotional video:

Photos: File photos

Press release:

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the club's Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, at the club's facilities at 50 Main St. (Route 63), Oakfield (above the M&T Bank). The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The club's facilities feature operating layouts in O Gauge (Lionel), HO & N scale as well as push trains for the little ones. Refreshments will be served and club members will be available to answer your model railroading questions. Fun for kids of all ages. Stairway access only.

"The Christmas holidays seem to bring back those childhood memories of a model train around the Christmas tree," says club President Mike Bakos. "Our members are keeping the traditions of trains and the holidays alive. We invite you to visit and enjoy one of Genesee County's best kept secrets." 

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers is located at 50 Main St. (Route 63), Oakfield, (above the M&T Bank) and is open Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Business meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month. Visit www.gsme.org.

Frederich Welch, 57, and Doncella Loyd, 53, both of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Welch and Loyd are accused of making several trips in and out of Kohl's, taking merchandise worth $719.91. Troopers stopped the vehicle in the Batavia Towne Center parking lot. Welch was jailed on $2,500 bail and Loyd was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jonathan Dylan Jacob, 23, of Meadville Road, Alabama, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Jacob was arrested following a report of an incident in the Town of Alabama. During law enforcement contact, he was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

James Rosie Thomas, 20, of 367 West St., Lake George, is charged with resisting arrest, escape and he was arrested on a warrant out of Elba. Thomas allegedly ran and resisted arrest when Deputy John Dehm attempted to take him into custody on a warrant at a location on South Main Street, Oakfield.

Tracy L. Miller, 32, of South Lake Road, Pembroke, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Miller is accused of stealing a purse, which contained several debit and credit cards. 

Nicholas Price, 29, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Price was stopped by a trooper after a report of an erratic driver, including a witness reporting seeing the vehicle hit a mailbox and continue down the road. Price was stopped and administered a field sobriety test before being arrested. He was also charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Daniel Hinca, 21, of Alexander, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and speeding. Hinca was stopped by State Police in Byron. A trooper administered a field sobriety test prior to his arrest. 

Joshua Taro, 38, of Auburn, is charged with petit larceny. Taro is accused of shoplifting from a store in Pembroke. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Brandi Heidenreich, 26, of Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Heidenreich was arrested by State Police for allegedly stealing items from Walmart worth $45.18.

A rollover accident with injuries is reported in the area of 2821 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:28 a.m.: A patient is bleeding, but it's not severe, according to a first responder.

"Charlie" decided to go on a little unsupervised adventure yesterday while in Oakfield and has been missing since.

The beagle, who lives in Batavia, ran off from his owner while on Farnsworth Avenue, with green collar and leash still attached.

Somebody spotted Charlie yesterday on Maltby Road between the school and North Pearl, but the spotter doesn't think Charlie was dragging his leash along with him at that point. 

If you know anything about Charlie's whereabouts, call (585) 344-0787.

A possible chimney fire is reported at 7126 Fisher Road, Elba.

No flames showing, but the residence is filling with smoke.

Elba, East Pembroke and Oakfield dispatched.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: Corfu to stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 6:33 p.m.: Fire police are closing Fisher and Drake.

Karl R. Samuelson, 62, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Samuelson was arrested at 5:27 p.m. on Oct. 27 on Lewiston Road in Batavia after he allegedly stole a bottle of liquour from Mr. Wine & Liquor in Tops Plaza. He was released with an appearance ticket for City Court on Nov. 22. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

A 16-year-old who lives on Liberty Street in Batavia is charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly engaging in a physical altercation with another student at Batavia High School at 3 p.m. on Oct. 28. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket for Nov. 8 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Miracle Angel Patterson, 25, no permanent address, of Rochester, was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court on Oct. 30 after being located in Rochester on an unrelated incident. Patterson is charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property stemming from an incident on Jan. 26, 2015 on Park Road Road, Batavia. Patterson was arraigned and held in Genesee County Jail without bail. Patterson was due in City Court on Oct. 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Joseph M. Marsceill, 31, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on Oct. 31 on a bench warrant out of Batavia Town Court. He was advised to appear in Batavia City Court at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 and was subsequently arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail on $350 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Richard E. Stafford, 76, of Orange Grove Drive, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear in court regarding an unspecified incident on May 9 on East Main Street, Batavia. Stafford was arrested Oct. 31 on a warrant out of Batavia Town Court after being released from UMMC. He was arraigned in City Court then put in Genesee County Jail on $500 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Ryan R. Hernandez, 19, of Albion Road, Oakfield, is charged with failure to appear on a bench warrant. During an unrelated investigation, Hernandez was located inside a residence on Walnut Street in the City of Batavia. He was subsequently arrested, posted cash bail, and was released from custody. He is scheduled to be in City Court on Nov. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.