A group of local supporters of President Donald Trump say the Pledge of Allegiance before riding off in a "Trump Train" of five semi-trucks volunteers in Pembroke painted to read "Trump 2020." The five traliers were parked in strategic locations on Route 5 and Route 33 after the caravan.
Pembroke Town Park was filled with classic cars today -- perhaps more than ever -- for the 13th Annual Pembroke Corfu Darien Kiwanis Club Annual Car Cruise & Fall Festival.
Rep. Chris Jacobs and Assemblyman Steve Hawley were on hand for the opening ceremonies, to meet constituents, and admire the beautiful cars.
Letter from Ed Levinstein:
I am writing in response to your recent editorial article; “School boards get a failing grade on transparency with voters.” Contrary to your claim of “group conformity,” I am writing this without asking for approval from my fellow Pembroke Central School District board members or our superintendent. I want you and your readers to know, I have never felt the need or pressure to seek approval. Speaking only for myself, but with a suspicion that my fellow board members at Pembroke and elsewhere may agree, I take exception to your article.
I wish to begin by noting where you and I agree; that school board members are elected individually and that the public has a right to know where we stand. I wholeheartedly agree and there is no debating this in my mind. However, our board’s decision to ask our President to answer your questions about reopening school on our behalf, in no way equates to avoiding public accountability. Please keep in mind that the board and administration grappled with this plan for weeks. As a team, we developed a plan that everyone had input on and is fully supportive of and unanimously approved. The lack of any disagreement does not indicate that any of us are hiding our true opinions or having them suppressed.
I would like to add that I did respond to Mr. Pettinella’s email after your exchange with our President, John Cima, where you asked again for individual responses. Granted, my response was still in agreement with John, but this should not imply that I was in some way unwilling or not allowed to give my opinion. I believe my fellow board members also replied after your second request but this was not included in your follow up Facebook post.
With all due respect to you and other journalists who play an extremely important role in our society, board members are not obligated to respond to your questions. Your inference from our individual silence that we are being stifled or manipulated is speculative at best, deceptive at worst. The tone of your article and the responses you gave John imply that you think we are answerable to you and that if our responses don’t conform to your formatting and expectation, then we are being obstructive or just too stupid to understand our “assignment.” This unfair treatment by some media may be why some board members and districts prefer to have a gatekeeper of sorts to prevent being misunderstood.
As a Pembroke Central School Board member, I very much recognize my responsibility to the students and constituents. I applaud that you and other publications are covering important matters including the reopening plans of districts. However, I feel you are doing a disservice to the community by creating a perception about our transparency that in my opinion, is not fair or accurate. If you had cared about the original topic, I imagine we would have seen an article that discussed the reopening plans of districts in the region.
Your perception is based simply on our group responses to a couple open-ended questions that I imagine most board members agree on anyway by this point. Regarding our transparency, please know that the discussions and vote on the plan were held in open meetings that you and the public are always welcome to attend. Also, the minutes to those meetings are available on our website and upon a request. I’m also personally available to any constituent who wants to know where I stand on a school issue.
Finally, I want you and your readers to understand that aside from the satisfaction of working to provide opportunities for and improve the lives of children, being on a school board is a tough job that we take on cheerfully but very seriously. It includes a lot of hard work, long hours, long meetings and is completely volunteer. Most of us do not have high aspirations for public office. We just want to help the kids in our district be successful and lead happy, productive lives.
I feel that it is a great privilege to work with a board that is able to work so well together and I hope that the voters in my district will entrust me for another term when the time comes. It seems almost out of place in this day and age that a group of elected officials can work so well together, which is maybe why you felt the need to create the perception of controversy where there is none.
Sincerely,
Ed Levinstein
Vice President
Pembroke Central School Board
Previously: EDITORIAL: School boards get failing grade on transparency with voters
Previously: Genesee County central school districts unveil plans for reopening this fall
Here is the response received from John Cima, school board president for Pembroke for the questions we sent each individual board member of the school district. Cima said he was responding as school board president and the response reflected the views of the school board.
The school board members who failed to provide their own responses:
Do you support the District’s policy and reopening plan? Why or Why not?
As Board President of the Pembroke Central School District, I have been asked to give you our Board’s response. At Pembroke, and across the State, school boards operate as one unit not as individuals. We set policy and work in conjunction with the Superintendent and administrative team to effectively and efficiently operate our district. Individual opinions and ideas from all are listened to and discussed as we formulate policies and plans affecting the District as a whole. It is through these rich and respectful discussions that our policies and plans are developed. By adhering to this process, we examine situations and, in the end, develop policies and plans that we feel best meet the needs of our District. So, with that being said, our Board and the individuals who serve on our Board strongly believe in and support the District’s policy and reopening plan.
The reopening plan offers options to our school community to address various comfort levels while providing our students the challenging education and safe environment they richly deserve whether they choose virtual or in-person learning. We have also provided a structure to allow parents to change the initial option chosen for their children on a quarterly basis and our district the flexibility to adjust on the fly to a hybrid or 100% virtual model should the health numbers change.
No plan developed will completely satisfy everyone’s concerns but, we listened to all stakeholders and feel that our reopening plan comes very close to addressing those concerns in a manner providing educational opportunities and a safe environment for all of our students and staff.
What feedback have you received from parents in your district?
We have surveyed parents numerous times throughout the process of developing the reopening plan and used that feedback to effectively formulate the plan. The feedback received has been extremely positive. Also, the Superintendent and administrative team held a series of question and answer sessions via Zoom to answer questions and receive feedback. The valuable feedback has allowed for some tweaking of the plan to address concerns. Our Board feels strongly that the Superintendent and Administrative team has done a highly effective job communicating the elements and expectations of our district’s reopening plan and has welcomed the community feedback we have received,
A semi-truck has rear-ended a sedan in the Easy Pass lane of Exit 48 of the Thruway in Pembroke.
Unknown injuries.
Pembroke and Indian Falls along with Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: The occupant of the sedan is likely a sign off.
Robert D. Woods, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment, endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree burglary. Wood was arrested at 7:17 p.m. Aug. 18 on Wood Street after he allegedly pushed another person and did so in the presence of two children. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court via Skype and released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on Oct. 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Miah Stevens.
David James Leroy, of Gabbey Road, Pembroke, is charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated harassment. On Aug. 26, following a complaint of harassment, Leroy was arrested at 8:40 p.m. on Gabbey Road. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on Oct. 7. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy is Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.
Brian Keith Dyer, 53, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degress harassment. At 7:11 p.m on Aug. 25, Dyer was arrested after a domestic incident that occurred at 7:35 p.m. Aug. 13 on North Street. He allegedly shoved another person. Dyer was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer John Gombos, assisted by Officer Miah Stevens.
Brian Keith Dyer, 53, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degress harassment -- with physical contact. At 7:12 p.m on Aug. 25, Dyer was arrested after a domestic incident that occurred at 7:20 p.m. Aug. 13 on North Street. He allegedly subjected another person to unwanted physical contact. Dyer was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer John Gombos.
Maurice G. Leach, 44, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest and failure to use sidewalk. At 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 25, Leach was arrested after an incident that occurred outside a residence on State Street. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan, assisted by Officer Joshua Girvin.
Jacqueline Raj Garrett, 41, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with illegal use of toxic vapors. Garrett was arrested at 1:07 p.m. on Aug. 21 after she was allegedly found outside a business on West Main Street in Batavia huffing a can of compressed air used to dust electronics. Garrett is due in Batavia City Court on Dec. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Peter Post.
Latiqua S. Jackson, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jackson was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Aug. 20 on an arrest warrant out of Batavia City Court. She was located at a residence on Highland Park while patrols were there on an unrelated matter. Jackson was arraigned in Batavia City Court via Skype then released on her own recognizance. She is due to return to court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Joshua Girvin, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.
Canton -- Quinn D. Audsley has been selected for inclusion on St. Lawrence University's dean's list for academic achievement during the Spring 2020 semester.
Audsley is a member of the Class of 2020 and is majoring in Sociology. Audsley attended Pembroke Central School.
To be eligible for the dean's list, a student must have completed at least four courses and have an academic average of 3.6 based on a 4.0 scale for the semester.
About St. Lawrence University:
Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,500 students located in Canton, NY. The educational opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit of themselves, humanity and the planet.
Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. Visit www.stlawu.edu.
A house fire is reported at 2552 Pratt Road, Pembroke. East Pembroke fire is responding, along with the Town of Batavia fire, the city's FAST team, Oakfield, Alabama, Indian Falls, Corfu and Elba.
The city's first platoon is called to headquarters on Evans Street.
Command is calling for the road to be shut down.
UPDATE 1:18 p.m.: Stafford Fire Department is requested to stand by in Town of Batavia's Station #2.
UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: A neighbor near the blaze called dispatch to complain that fire trucks and volunteer firefighters are on his lawn.
UPDATE 1:22 p.m.: Command reports no flames at this point after attacked by interior crews; fire was heavy in the basement near the dryer; crews are venting the heavy smoke. A rehab unit is called in.
UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: Heavy char is reported on the kitchen floor, a result of fire in the basement, according to command. National Grid is called to the scene.
UPDATE 1:32 p.m.: A standby unit out of East Shelby is called to Town of Batavia's Station #1.
UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: The fire is out. Firefighters starting overhaul.
UPDATE 3:03 p.m. (photos and info from Alecia Kaus/Video News Service): According to East Pembroke Fire Chief Don Newton, the homeowner arrived on scene and found smoke coming from the house. No one was home at the time. The family dog, Camo, was found in the garage and is OK. However, Patches the family cat did not make it out. Fire investigators are on scene looking into the cause of the fire.
A 21-year-old Alden resident has identified himself to Sheriff's Office investigators as the driver of a car that struck a motorcyclist who was down in the roadway following a collision just before 9 p.m. on Friday in Corfu.
Alexander J. Wuerch has been charged with leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in serious physical injury.
Investigators believe Wuerch was the driver of a 2012 Hyundai Tucson that struck Travis R. Hartloff, 26, of Attica.
Hartloff was driving a motorcycle southbound on Route 77 when a car ahead of him slowed to turn into an ice cream shop. Hartloff's bike reportedly struck the vehicle and Hartloff was thrown from the bike into the middle of the roadway.
Another southbound vehicle then struck Harloff causing serious physical injuries. He was flown by Mercy Flight to ECMC where he is in critical condition.
Wuerch turned himself in at about 5 p.m. today.
The charge he's facing is a Class E felony. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.
The incident remains under investigation.
Previously:
Photo submitted by Jaime Tuchek of a double rainbow over Vision Parkway in Pembroke.
Paul William Tuttle, 49, of Route 237, Byron, is charged with: second-degree burglary; fourth-degree criminal mischief; and petit larceny. At 4 a.m. on Aug. 17 Tuttle was arrested following an investigation. It is alleged that Tuttle damaged and stole property after entering a residence unlawfully on Sautell Road in Bergen at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 16. He was virtually arraigned at Genesee County Jail on behalf of Bergen Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due in Bergen Town Court on Oct. 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.
Melissa Dawn Woods, 39, of South Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with fourth-degree stalking. On Aug. 16, Woods was arrested after a harassment complaint alleging that she stalked someone at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 14 on Alleghany Road in Alabama. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on her own recognizance. Woods is due in Alabama Town Court on Sept. 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon.
Brice Addison Lehtonen, 23, of Fargo Road, Corfu, is charged with: aggravated driving while intoxicated; DWI; failure to keep right; moving from lane unsafely; and refusal to take a roadside breath test. Lehtonen was arrested at 2:13 a.m. Aug. 15 on South Lake Road in Pembroke following an accident investigation. He allegedly drove while intoxicated and went off the roadway on South Lake Road. He was issued an appearance ticket for Pembroke Town Court and is due there Sept. 30. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.
Gage Scott Oliver, 28, of Griswold Road, Bergen, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI -- with a BAC of .08 percent or more; and having an inadequate headlight. Oliver was arrested following a traffic stop on Route 19 in the Town of Le Roy at 9:52 p.m. Aug. 16. He was issued traffic tickets returnable to Town of Le Roy Court on Oct. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Clor, assisted by Deputy David Moore.
Investigators are looking for information on a vehicle that struck a motorcyclist who was down in the roadway last night on Alleghany Road in Pembroke following a collision involving another vehicle.
The vehicle that struck the motorcyclist, believed to be a Hyundai sedan, fled the scene southbound.
Travis R. Hartloff, 26, of Attica, was seriously injured in the accident and transported by Mercy Flight to ECMC.
The initial investigation indicates that Hartloff was northbound on Route 77 just before 9 p.m. when a vehicle in front of him slowed down to make a right-hand turn into the parking lot of an ice cream shop.
His 1983 Yamaha motorcycle struck a 2009 Honda Pilot driven by Garrett A. Stevenson, 20, of Clarence. In the vehicle with Stevenson were Samantha P. Kolbert, 18, of Cheektowaga, and Hope E. Stevenson, 17, of Clarence. None of the occupants of the Pilot were injured.
After Hartloff's bike struck the Pilot, Hartloff was thrown from the bike and he fell in the middle of the roadway.
Anyone with information that might help identify the driver and the vehicle that struck Hartloff are asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at (585) 345-3000.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The accident is being investigated by Sgt. Andrew Hale, Sgt. Jason Saile, Investigator Joseph Loftus, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, and Deputy Brock Cummins.
Assisting at the scene were State Police, Corfu Fire Department, Pembroke Fire Department, and Mercy EMS.
Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.
Edward George Ruckdeschel, 58, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony. The defendant was arrested after an investigation into the theft of a vehicle at 8:54 p.m. on Jan. 13 on Genesee Street in Pembroke. He was arraigned in Pembroke Town Court at 11 a.m. Aug. 11 and ordered held on cash bail (unspecified) and put in jail "where he is currently residing." He is due in Genesee County Court at a later date. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Howard Carlson.
Edward George Ruckdeschel, 58, of Liberty Street, Batavia is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, and third-degree criminal trespass. On Aug. 10, the defendant was arrested after an investigation into the theft of a vehicle at 1:05 a.m. on Dec. 10 from West Main Street Road in Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on Sept. 24. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth.
Brian L. Dutton, 62, of Pavilion, is charged with unlawfully growing cannabis (marijuana) and unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. He was arrested Aug. 12 following a joint investigation by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office. A U.S. Border Patrol helicopter allegedly located cannabis growing inside a metal enclosure behind Dutton's residence on Aug. 7, and the pilot led deputies to the location. The plants, allegedly grown by Dutton, were seized and destroyed. Dutton was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Covington Court on Aug. 31. The case was handled by Wyoming County Sheriff's Sgt. Colin Reagan, Deputy John Button, and Investigator Aaron Anderson.
Jordan R. Difilippo, 27, of Pratt Road, Pembroke, is charged with possessing sexual performance of a child less than 16 years old. Difilippo was arrested for allegedly possessing three images of a sexual performance of a child under age 16, a Class E felony, at 2 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2017. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Pembroke Town Court at 1 p.m. on Sept. 9. The case was investigated by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office personnel -- Youth Officer Timothy Wescott, Chief Deputy Joseph Graff. They were assisted by the FBI, the Chesterfield, Va., Police Department, and the Genesee County District Attorney's Office.
Robin S. Brooks, 58, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with second-degree assault. The defendant was arrested after an investigation of an incident at 8 p.m. July 27 on Hutchins Place in which Brooks allegedly kicked a door shut on a female's hand, causing serious physical injury. Brooks was arraigned at 9:30 a.m. July 31 in Batavia City Court and jailed on $2,500 cash bail or $10,000 bond. Brooks was due to return to city court on Aug. 5. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Samuel Freeman.
David P. Grossman Sr., 37, of Maple Street, Batavia, (below left inset photo) is charged with second-degree harassment. He was arrested at 8:32 p.m. Aug. 3 on Maple Street after a harassment complaint that alleges he struck two different males during an altercation. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released with a return date of Aug. 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.
Paul James Feitshans, 22, Siehl Road, Akron, is charged with: endangering the welfare of a child; harassment; and criminal obstruction of breathing. Feitshans was arrested at 5:59 p.m. Aug. 5 following the investigation of a disturbance on Coe Avenue in the Village of Oakfield. He allegedly struck a person and obstructed their breathing while in the presence of a child. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due in court at a later date (unspecified). The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Mathew Clor.
Isaac J. Floyd Jr., 56, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, menacing in the second degree, and obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree. Floyd was arrested after an investigation into a disturbance that occurred at 7:07 p.m. July 26 on State Street. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail (bail status not provided). He is due back in court Aug. 27. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.
William J. Hixenbaugh, 30, of School Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief in the fourth degree and criminal contempt in the second degree. He was arrested Aug. 1 after an investigation of a domestic incident July 29 on School Street. It is alleged he damaged another person's property. He was released with an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Nov. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.
Janice Lynn McGuire, 46, of Galloway Road, Batavia, is charged with: driving while intoxicated, first offense; operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more, first offense; speed not reasonable under special hazard; moving from lane unsafely; consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway; and failure to notify the DMV of an address change within 10 days. After a personal injury accident on Cleveland Road in Pembroke at 9:28 p.m. on Aug. 5, McGuire was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. She was released with appearance tickets and is due in Pembroke Town Court on Sept. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Matthew Clor.
Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley is celebrating the recent passage of two bills that have renamed highways in Genesee and Orleans counties for citizens of the region.
The Genesee Bill (A.8900B) designates Route 77 between Pembroke Town Park and the intersection of Indian Falls Road in the Town of Pembroke, County of Genesee, as the "SP4 C. Jay Hall Memorial Highway."
The Orleans Bill (A.9639) designates the highway system constituting State Route 31 from the intersection of Route 31 and Transit Road to the intersection of Route 31 and Wood Road, in the Town of Albion, Orleans County, as the "Charles W. Howard Memorial Highway."
“I’m proud that the Assembly passed these bills to help us recognize the men of our community so they will be remembered now and forevermore,” Hawley said. “It’s times like these that remind me why I continue to work in state government; to give back to the community in any way I can.”
A motor-vehicle accident has been reported in the westbound lane of the Thruway near mile marker 400 with four people trapped in a vehicle.
Unknown injuries.
Pembroke fire, Indian Falls fire, along with East Pembroke and two ambulances from Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE 10:07 a.m.: The only reason the four people can't get out of the vehicle is they are blocked in by trees. No injuries.
UPDATE 10:14 a.m.: All occupants out of the vehicle.
A caller reports a person is videotaping at the TA Travel Center in Pembroke, saying he plans to post to YouTube, and is threatening to harm truckers and/or their vehicles. Law enforcement is responding. The Center is located at 8420 Alleghany Road.
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