Pavilion

“I find when I bring people here, I’ll get a parent who will be like, ‘what’s that?’ and we’ll go into a 20-minute conversation about the history of the house,” said Kate Wilcox-Rodwell, who owns a newly renovated mansion in Pavilion called The Hillcrest Estate.

Twenty minutes may just scratch the surface of the history of mansion, which sits on 120 acres at 1940 Craig Road.

It was built in the late 1800s in the Country Place Era, a time according to The Cultural Landscape Foundation, in which large, opulent residences were built by affluent families in pastoral settings, often serving as getaways from city life during the warmer months of the year.

The Hillcrest Estate has welcomed notable guests like President Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain and Ethel Barrymore.

And for nearly four decades it has stayed in the Wilcox family, which has hosted many public and private events for friends and family.

Kate Wilcox-Rodwell (inset photo below) grew up in the home and last year she and her husband, Matthew Rodwell, moved to the property to devote themselves to extensively restoring it.

The 32-room mansion is spacious at 9,500 square feet. It features 11 bedrooms, a grand ballroom, stone fireplaces and its original wooden floors. Historic antiques are showcased with natural lighting, bookshelves, flower arrangements and vintage furniture.

The estate’s grounds are groomed and landscaped, but they still feel walk-able and casual. The secluded property has a reflecting pool, covered veranda, tiered terraces and various locations suitable for photography like the woods.  

“There’s a lot of unique character here that you can’t get in a brand-new facility,” said Wilcox-Rodwell. “You can’t get authentic character everywhere, but you can here.”

The ballroom and lawns are available for weddings, bridal parties, corporate meetings, small and large social gatherings and community events. The ballroom can accommodate 120 guests, and the outdoor reception tent can host approximately 300 guests.

“One of the things I love about this place is the flexibility and different areas to choose from [for your event]. You’re not subject to one spot for one thing,” Wilcox-Rodwell said.

Upgrades to the estate include new landscaping, roofing, masonry work and an ADA-accessible ramp. To use the space to its fullest potential, the owners are renovating the restrooms, foyer and bridal lounge. Future plans include remodeled bedrooms for guests and year-round housing for the owners.

The Hillcrest Estate recently joined the Chamber of Commerce in Genesee and Livingston counties to enhance its business culture and grow closer to the community.

“I have to commend both of the chambers because they have been great — resources and spreading the word about what we are trying to do — I can’t thank them enough for that,” Wilcox-Rodwell said.

“They can really connect you with other individuals who share similar values because they’ve got businesses in their respective counties that want to grow and thrive and connect with other business owners.”   

The owners plan to also support charitable causes with their event space going forward. In September, The Hillcrest Estate will host the Town of York Historical Society to celebrate the town’s bicentennial.

Wilcox-Rodwell describes a rewarding part of owning the mansion as “being able to share this property with other people. There are people who live five minutes from here that don’t know that there’s this amazing house in their backyard that has all this history that 100 years ago was a big part of their town. I’m excited to share it.”

To contact The Hillcrest Estate, phone (585) 356-7164 or visit online here.

Photos courtesy of Kate Wilcox-Rodwell.

Press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

On Memorial Day, May 27, Deputy Ryan Young was dispatched to a reported disabled or abandoned vehicle on Peoria Road in the Town of Pavilion.

Deputy Young arrived on scene and located Stormy Watts, 21, of Stafford, and Daniel Lewis, 22, of North Chili, sleeping in the back seat.

Deputy Young made contact with both occupants who stated that they were waiting to call someone to bring them gas.

Upon investigation, it is alleged that Lewis was in possession of a firearm, being a convicted felon.

Numerous confirmed stolen items were allegedly located in the couple's possession. There were many other items allegedly found in their possession, but the Sheriff's Office is still attempting to locate the property owners.

Numerous vehicle electronics, handbags and wallets were seized.

If anyone has not yet reported a theft from their vehicle, please contact Deputy Young at the Genesee County Sheriff's Office (585-345-3000).

It is alleged that the larcenies occurred possibly in Monroe, Livingston and Genesee counties. These larcenies would have occurred between March and Memorial Day this year.

Lewis was charged with: criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, a Class E felony; destroying physical evidence, also a Class E felony; criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, another Class A misdemeanor; and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Lewis was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and is being held in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond.

Watts was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Watts was arraigned in Le Roy Town Court and jailed on $1,000 cash bail or $3,000 bond.

Both subjects are due in Pavilion Town Court at 3 p.m. on June 4.

Genesee County Sheriff's Office was assisted by NYS Police, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

Benjamin Santiago Jr., 30, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. After a larceny investigation at Crocker's Ace Hardware in Le Roy, Santiago was arrested May 18 for allegedly stealing $800 worth of tools from the store at 3:25 p.m. on May 14. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Le Roy Town Court on June 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Heather Nicole Holbrook, 34, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; endangering the welfare of a child; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree; and having an indequate muffler. At 10:08 p.m. on May 16, deputies conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Main Street and River Street in the City of Batavia. Following an investigation, Holbrook was arrested. She is accused of operating a motor vehicle while her driver's license was suspended and while in possession of a controlled substance, with two children as passengers. She was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on May 29. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Robert Henning.

Heather Nicole Holbrook, 34, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with failure to appear. She was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court and arraigned at 10:58 a.m. on May 17. She is accused of failing to appear in Batavia City Court on May 9. She was released on her own recognizance and is to return to city court on May 29. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan.

Michael David Senay Jr., 25, of Overlook Drive, Batavia, is charged with: third-degree menacing; fourth-degree criminal mischief; criminal obstruction of breathing; unlawful imprisonment in the second degree; and second-degree harassment. At 9 p.m. on May 17, following the investigation of a domestic incident in the Town of Batavia, Senay was arrested. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court. He is due back in court on June 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Lee Christopher Clark, 39, of 8202 Lewiston Road, upper, Batavia, is a convicted sex offender charged with failure to report a change of address/status within 10 days as required. It is alleged that Clark failed to register Internet accounts with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services within 10 days. He was transported to the GC Sheriff's Office for processing and released on an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia Town Court on June 4. The case was handled by GC Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Sara Tea Cupler, 26, of Starr Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlawful possession of marijuana. Cupler was arrested at 8:33 p.m. on May 18 after a call to the Emergency Dispatch Center for a welfare check on a female unconscious in a vehicle on South Lake Road, Pavilion. Cupler was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Pavilion Town Court on June 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Robert G. Whitehead, 28, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court on May 13. He is accused of failure to appear in court on Sept. 13, 2012. He was arraigned at 1:54 p.m. and then put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. He was due back in city court on May 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Katrina Lynn Drake, 29, of Locust Avenue, Lockport, was arrested on May 21 and charged with trespass. It is alleged that at 5:39 p.m. on May 9 there was a disturbance on Tracy Avenue in Batavia and Drake allegedly went onto a porch and kicked a door. She is due in Batavia City Court on May 21 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Bryan Jose Alvarado-Arce, 22, of Studley Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Alvarado-Arce was arrested at 6:29 p.m. on May 17 after a traffic stop on Townline Road in Bergen. He was a passenger in the vehicle. He was released on an appearance ticket and he is due in Bergen Town Court on June 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Lyla Bynum from Le Roy Central School District is the First Place winner in The DIGIES' PreK-3 Audio category with her submission "Cats and Kittens."

Submitted photo and press release:

LE ROY -- The DIGIES is an annual digital media conference and festival run by the School Library Service, a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. 

This year’s festival awards event was held on May 16 at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.

The mission of The DIGIES is to strengthen the digital media continuum between Pre-K-12 schools, higher education and professional institutions. The DIGIES recognizes student potential in an annual festival format and draws student entries from throughout the region and the Upstate New York area.

Emilee Williamson and Andrea Fetterly, Library technologies’ specialists; and Brian Mayer, game librarian, coordinate this conference. Mayer noted how this year’s festival drew a variety of entries.

“We had another wonderful year with strong submissions from both the Genesee Valley Region and beyond," Mayer said. "Submissions continue to come in from both school and public libraries, with students not only sharing curricular projects but personal work as well."

Below is a listing of all the event categories, age groupings, award winners and their school districts.

Congratulations to these imaginative students!

AUDIO

PreK-3

1^st Place – Lyla Bynum -- "Cats and Kittens" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Ben Knapp -- "The Pink Fluffy Unicorn’s Problem" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Sophie Beikirch -- "The New Old Book" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Matthew Parry -- "Nintendo Designer" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Mina Stevens – "O’er Th’ Loch" – Pittsford Central School

2^nd Place – Trey Prevost, Kailyn Tresco, Amara Condidorio, Lola Forte, Hailey-Jay Michel, Alli Privatera, Angela Allen, Adele Feeley, Ashley Michel – "Las Excusas"  – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Evie Babcock – "Quien Soy Yo" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Peyton Martin – "Lost At Sea" – Mount Morris Central School

2^nd Place – Leslie Arneth, Katie Carmichael, Kassidy Steffenilla – "ASMR: An Episode of Knightly Knews" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Hailey Grasso, Alexis Pfendler – "Real Feminism Podcast" – Le Roy Central School

GRAPHIC ARTS

PreK-3

1^st Place – Reese Koukides – "Reflection of Fire" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Sean Kantorowicz – "Altered Photos" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Broton Folts – "Best Part of Me" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Kayden Sweet – "Egyptian Pyramid" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Paolo Quintana – "Altered Photos" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Seaenna Ford – "The Chipmunk" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Victoria Feng – "Platonic Sculpture" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

2^nd Place – Nhu Tran – "Giraffe" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

3^rd Place – Mackenzie Pustulka – "Virtual Gallery" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

3^rd Place – Kaylen Petramalo – "Credo Stellae" (latin) (Believe in Stars) – Rush-Henrietta Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Nathan Coy – "Layne Staley" – Pavilion Central School

2^nd Place – Jayde Wilkin-Smith – "Grandparent’s View in Germany" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Ella Sexton – "The Water View" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Allana Knopp – "Teepee" – Holley Central School

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

PreK-3

1^st Place – Cora Weaver, Bailey Caton, Kylie Wilson, Leah Cashin – "It’s Time for a Change" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Peyton Bennett – "Crossing the Delaware" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Lily Sharp, Hannah White, Leah Whittel – "Jack and the Hairy Beanstalk" – Livonia Central School

2^nd  Place – Nadja Emmendorfer – "Greece" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Matthew Covert, Andrew Greene, Fernando Cacho – "Space: Our Galaxy, Universe and Beyond!" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Casey Wurtz – "College Photo" – Pembroke Central School

2^nd Place – Faith DesRoches – "An Exploration of New Social Landscape" – Pembroke Central School

3^rd Place – Evan McCoy, Sam Heck – "Rent-a-Pet" – Livonia Central School

VIDEO

PreK-3

1^st Place – Pedro Segatto, Wyatt Sattora, Rivers Thomas, Mason Patterson, Ceci Prince, Mackenzie Partridge, Sainelys Diaz, Scott Ho, Jagger Lee, Mason Bowick, Trenton Konzel, Finley Weingaertner, Sandy Godinez – "Composite Shapes in Spring" – Geneseo Central School

2^nd Place – Chloe Richardson, Dylan Bogdon, Justin Ferguson, Kylee Wonsey, Noah Johnso – "Blooper Reel" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Jane Fischer – "Fun with Animations!" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Helio Quintana, Carson Beardsley – "A Quick Trip" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Leila Haines, Leona Savino, Anna Reilly, Lucas Savino – "Ridiculous Ocean" – Victor-Farmington Public Library

3^rd Place – Taila Cavalcante-Bezerra, Isabella Hennessy, Chloe Meys – "Viruses Going Around" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Mina Stevens – "The Monster in My Closet" – Pittsford Central School

2^nd Place – Amy Eck – "Clearly" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Jack Tonzi, Jake Marcello, Nate Yauchzee – "Bohemian Immigrant" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Jacob French – "Dominos" – Geneseo Central School

2^nd Place – Alexis Verrall – "What You Don’t Know About ME" – Tonawanda Central School

3^rd Place – Marquise Bennett – "Ageism" – Pittsford Central School

About the School Library System

It is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, based in Le Roy. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

A caller reported heavy black smoke in the area of Dillon and Perry roads, Pavilion, and one firefighter responding reported hearing explosions.

A fire chief has located two old campers on fire in the woods.

Pavilion fire is responding.

A chief on scene is requesting contact with law enforcement, either in person or by phone.

Willis Floyd Miller Jr., 59, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. He was arrested on April 18 and arraigned in Pembroke Town Court at 4:30 p.m. for allegedly stealing tools belonging to his former employer on Dec. 5 on Genesee Street in Pembroke. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Pembroke Town Court again on April 30. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

Elizabeth Rose George, 28, of Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with: unauthorized use of a vehicle; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; and moving from lane unsafely. George was arrested on April 18. It is alleged that she drove a vehicle on April 18 without the owner's consent and that she was subsequently involved in an accident at 5:13 a.m. on Bloomingdale Road. It is also alleged that she left the scene of the accident. George was issued traffic tickets and released on appearance tickets. The defendant is due in Alabama Town Court on May 8 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Brandon Eugene Matteson, 25, of Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree harassment. Following a domestic incident that occurred at 7:56 a.m. on April 17 on Ellicott Street Road in Pavilion, Matteson was arrested and arraigned at 11:41 p.m. on April 17 in Le Roy Town Court. He was jailed in lieu of $500 cash or $3,000 bond. Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Meyer handled the case, assisted by NYS Police.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Route 20 and Asbury Road, Pavilion. It is blocking traffic. Pavilion Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

A motor-vehicle rollover accident is reported in the area of 11025 S. Lake Road in Pavilion, just north of Route 63. The vehicle went into water; unknown injuries or how deep the water is.

The roads in the vicinity are "nothing but complete ice," says a first responder, adding that the Mercy unit approaching should use caution because it's so slippery.

Another one says "(Route) 20 is no better than 63."

Pavilion Fire Department is responding, along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 8:41 a.m.: Everyone is out of the vehicle and walking; injuries, if any, appear to be minor. The occupants are heading to a nearby residence.

UPDATE 8:42 a.m.: "No injuries." A deputy is going to stop at the residence to check on them.

UPDATE 8:43 a.m.: Mercy Flight had been contacted; then canceled.

UPDATE 8:44 a.m.: Mercy medics are to continue in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 8:56 a.m.: A deputy calls for a tow of the vehicle, which he says is an SUV, 10 feet down an embankment, partially submerged in water.

UPDATE 8:59 a.m.: Two trucks from Stella's towing service will be responding with a 15-minute ETA.

UPDATE 9:13 a.m.: Stella's two trucks are on scene.

From Hollwedel Library Trustee Deb Davis:

The Hollwedel Memorial Library Friends and Trustees will be hosting an Open House from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 honoring their retiring manager, Suzanne Schauf.

Schauf has been the Library Manager since 2003 and has worked at the library since 1999.

She will be greatly missed.

Please stop in to wish Suzanne well and enjoy some refreshments with us.

The library is located at 5 Woodrow Drive in Pavilion.

A search for a new library manager is underway.

(Photo of Suzanne Schauf courtesy of Richard Schauf.)

Pavilion Central Schools board meeting scheduled this evening has been canceled due to the weather. The district's schools are closed today; an alert went out this morning.

Number 8 seed Pavilion knocked off #9 seed Dundee on Wednesday night at home in a Class 3 Section V playoff game, 36-31, in girls basketball.

For the Golden Gophers, Lindsay Lowe scored nine points, Aprile Beehler and Bri Hirsman each scored eight points, Lauren Kingsley scored seven, and Karlee Zinkievich scored four.

For Dundee, Mckenzie Strait scored 11 points and Megan Sutherland scored 10.

Pavilion is now 10-11 on the season and plays #1 seed South Seneca (18-1) on Saturday at South Seneca at 2 p.m.

In other girls basketball action Wednesday:

• Pembroke 68, Bloomfield 56
• Alexander 72, Rochester Academy 49

Tomorrow's games:

• Batavia vs. Livonia, 7 p.m. at Batavia HS
• Notre Dame vs. PalMac, 7 p.m., at PalMac

Top photo: Karlee Zinkievich.

Photos by Ryan Paddock.

 Lauren Kingsley

Aprile Beehler

Jordan Barrett

Colby Tillotson scored 17 points to help lead Pavilion over Keshequa 59-46  in a first-round  Section V playoff game in Pavilion on Tuesday night.

The #6 seed in Class C3, the Golden Gophers have been without Zach Wiedrich, a top scorer on the team, since the 10th game but Tillotson, Ryley Elliott, Cameron Milligan and Luke Milligan have all stepped up to help fill the gap, said Coach Rob Milligan.

Weidrich, a junior, was diagnosed with a heart condition and may not be able to play competitive basketball again.

As an example of Weidrich scoring prowess, Milligan said he got hot one game last season and scored 36 points.

Tuesday, Elliott scored nine points, as did Cody Penders. Nate Swede scored six points. Tillotson hit three three-point shots.

For Keshequa, Cameron Chestnut scored 17 points. He also hit three three-point shots.

Submitted photo and press release:

Karl Steffenilla, a Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center student enrolled in the Building Trades Program, was recently awarded a $500 School-to-Work scholarship from the Electrical Association, a Rochester-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the electrical trades. Karl is a senior from Pavilion Central schools.

Rich Monroe, Batavia CTE Center Building Trades instructor, described Karl as "an extremely dedicated and dependable student who is detail-orientated and eager to learn." 

After graduation, Karl's plans include applying to IBEW Local 86, the local Electricians' Union.

"I'm honored to receive this scholarship," Karl said. 

In photo, from left, are: Rich Monroe, Karl Steffenilla, Jon Sanfratello, executive principal, and Catherine Bennett, assistant principal.

About the CTE Center

The Batavia Morris Career and Technical Education Center, located in Batavia, is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.