pembroke

There may be some opposition in Pembroke to placing a veterans cemetery on one of two parcels in the town, according to Bill Joyce, the new veterans services administrator for the county.

Joyce raised the issue with the Public Service Committee today during his first departmental review with the Genesee County Legislature.

He said the Town of Pembroke Planning Board may have some members concerned about taking farm land off the tax roles.

Pembroke Town Supervisor Ed Mileham confirmed this evening that he thinks there may be some opposition to converting farmland to a veterans cemetery, but said the issue hasn't come before the planning board yet.

"There's no doubt in my mind there could be some opposition because Pembroke is a farming community and they like their farm atmosphere here," Mileham said.

There's also likely to be support for the project because it will benefit the community, Mileham said.

"It would be something no other community got and we would be fortunate to get it," Mileham said. "Would we have to give something up, would we give up some tax dollars for it? Sure, but it's something a lot of communities would want to have and we've got good spots right here."

The advantages for Pembroke, Mileham said is attractive properties, close proximity to Buffalo and Rochester and easy access to the Thruway.

These are points in Pembroke's favor that Joyce, a Pembroke resident, also made and said the two locations in Pembroke under consideration make more sense than the location on the short list in Erie County, which is an industrial area.

"To me, not just because it's Genesee County, a veterans cemetary should be peaceful and serene," Joyce said.

Added Legislator Mary Pat Hancock, "and the locations I've seen are just gorgeous."

Mileham said the two locations in Pembroke under consideration by the Veterans Administration are at Indian Falls Road and Route 77, about 135 acres, and a similar-sized location at the end of Cleveland Road. 

About 50 or 60 acres of farmland would be taken out of production for the project, Mileham said.

The supervisor said the indications he's received from officials with the VA working out of Bath -- currently the closest vets cemetery to Buffalo and Rochester -- are that Indian Falls and Route 77 is a favored location.

County Manager Jay Gsell told legislators that the short list of sites has changed a couple of times as the VA came across unwilling sellers, inappropriate locations or environmental issues. Site planning experts with the VA have reduced the list now to these three possible locations.

It will take willing sellers at any one of the three locations to move the project forward.

As it is, construction is at least two-and-a-half years away.

Sarah Patricia Nichols, 29, of Pinehollow Drive, Batavia, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd. Nichols is accused of falsely reporting a larceny from her vehicle while it was parked in the Walmart parking lot. An investigation by Deputy Brad Mazur led Mazur to believe the larceny did not take place.

Patricia M. Anderson, 27, of 6281 Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with petit larceny. Anderson is accused of shoplifting from the Kwik Fill 99 at Jackson and Ellicott streets. Anderson was located at a residence on Central Avenue following a complaint of the theft.

Francis Scott Smith, 18, of Lake Avenue, New York, is charged with petit larceny. Smith was taken into custody in the lobby of city court on a warrant out of Batavia Town Court. Smith was jailed on $250 bail.

Jennifer J. Maggio, 27, of Kingston Road, Leicester, is charged with petit larceny. Maggio is accused of shoplifting $95.32 in merchandise from Kmart by hiding it in her purse.

Raymond Michael Pfalzer, 41, of Brown Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Pfalzer was charged in connection with an accident at Wilkinson Road and Brown Road, Batavia, at 8:20 p.m., July 22, in which he was seriously injured.

Angela A. Starling, 30, of Pembroke, is charged with disorderly conduct/fighting/violent behavior and harassment, 2nd. Starling was arrested by State Police following the report of an incident at Godfrey's Pond at 10:11 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

Richard Russell Vetter, 57, of Main Street, Varysburg, is charged with grand larceny and 10 counts of falsifying business records. Vetter is accused of making false metal purchase entries into business records while employed at Stanley Staba & Sons in Darien and writing himself checks in excess of $7,000.

Brian Mark Mahaney, 24, of Indian Falls Road, Pembroke, is charged with reckless endangerment. Mahaney is accused of being involved in a domestic dispute. He allegedly drove a motor vehicle eastbound on Indian Falls Road, crossed the center line into the path of a westbound vehicle. The westbound vehicle reportedly had to drive off the pavement to avoid a collision. Mahaney then allegedly followed the vehicle to a residence and threatened to fight the vehicle's occupants.

Thomas Jacob Wolcott, 26, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. Wolcott is accused of being involved in a physical altercation with a protected person whom he was ordered not to engage in any criminal act against. He allegedly grabbed the victim by her neck and threw her about a room. Wolcott was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Steven James Scott, 21, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .10 or greater, open container and unlawful possession of marijuana. Scott was taken into custody following a report at 8:36 p.m., Tuesday, of a motorist needing assistance on Route 33 in Bergen. The motorist reportedly attempted to flag down passing cars. Upon investigation, deputies Joseph Graff and Matthew Butler identified Scott as the operator of a motor vehicle who was allegedly driving while drunk.

Triton Adam Drock, 18, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse, 2nd. Drock allegedly had an ongoing relationship with a minor female. Drock is accused of acting in a manner injurious to the physical and moral welfare of a minor. Following arraignment in Darien Town Court, Drock was released on his own recognizance and issued a stay-away order for the minor female.

A prominent Rochester attorney and a former reality TV personality are in the national news today after they were arrested in Pembroke on Tuesday morning.

James Doyle, 54, of Rochester is accused of DWI, refusing a breath test, providing alcohol to a person under age 21 and patronizing a prostitute.

Alicia Guastaferro, 20, of Williamsville, is charged with criminal Impersonation, criminal possession of a controlled substance and prostitution.

At age 16, Guastaferro appeared in the reality TV series "Wife Swap," a series on the Lifetime Network that involves unhappy spouses switching families for a week.

In the episode Guastaferro appeared in, viewers learned the teenage beauty queen received a Christmas present from her parents every single day.

Doyle has made several statements to the media, including WHAM 13, denying all of the charges. He described Guastaferro as a family friend.

State Police conducted a DWI checkpoint Saturday evening on Route 5 in the Town of Pembroke.

Six people were arrested:

• Mark A. Newton, 42, of Batavia, charged with DWI
• Edith S. Williams, 48, of Buffalo, charged with possession of a controlled substance, 7th
• Christopher W. Palmer, 40, of Akron, charged with DWAI
• Armand Cummer, 54, of Amherst, charged with felony DWI
• Frederick E. Perry, 31, of Corfu, charged with DWI
• Nathan C. Swimline, 25, of Corfu, charged with DWI

A dirt-bike accident is reported 1858 Main Road in Pembroke. The location is between Boyce and Cleveland roads. A rider is down and has trouble breathing. Mercy Flight out of Buffalo is flying to the scene, described as way off the roadway, on or near the railroad bed.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The fire crews will use four-wheelers to access the site and set up the landing zone.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: There are two victims. One is a 15-year-old girl being taken to UMMC by Mercy medics. She has a right eye injury. The landing zone is set and the bird is three minutes out. The other patient is a male who is conscious but has a head injury.

UPDATE 3:22 p.m.: Mercy Flight will be transporting to Erie County Medical Center.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: Mercy Flight landed two minutes ago.

UPDATE 3:37 p.m.: Mercy Flight is headed to ECMC.

UPDATE 3:42 p.m.: East Pembroke is back in service.

A convicted criminal in Pembroke was allegedly found in possession of four handguns during the execution of a search warrant at his residence Wednesday.

Members of Local Drug Enforcement Task Force were assisting Batavia PD detectives with the search at a home on Allegheny Road when the guns were allegedly found.

The original reason for the search warrant or why it was a Batavia PD case was not released.

Charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, a Class D felony, is 59-year-old Frederick J. Hensel Jr.

Hensel has a prior criminal conviction, according to the Sheriff's Office, and did not have pistol permit.

Hensel was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed on $25,000 bail.

UPDATE Thursday 3:15 p.m. (by Billie): Good news -- "Pharoah," the orange tabby, has a new home with lots of love and attention and goods things just for him. He's a special boy who will surely bring special joy!

A week or so ago, Shawn Szczygiel, of Pembroke, went to a location -- we won't say where to protect the possibly innocent -- and spotted an orange tabby cat that needed a home.

A few days later, Szczygiel decided to see if the cat was still available, according to his girlfriend Sara Thayer, and discovered somehow, the cat's tail had been cut in half.

A person in a position to observe the cat told Szczygiel, "I think someone has been abusing him."

He took the cat home and he and Thayer took the cat to a vet. What the vet discovered horrified the couple.

The cat's tail was infected, but worse, the cat had been shot with BBs.

"She also mentioned that he would need X-rays -- she said it felt like he had been kicked and he might have kidney damage from it," Thayer said.

In the short time, Szczygiel and Thayer had the cat, Thayer said they fell in love with it. Like a typical orange tabby, it is friendly and loving and demands constant petting.

"She gave my boyfriend and I an estimate of the care the cat would need," Thayer said. "Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, there was no way for us to afford it. It was heartbreaking for us to agree to this option, but the vet offered to keep it there and do the surgeries and try to find him a good home. So I signed him over, with tears in my eyes."

In signing the cat over, Thayer had to agree that the cat cold be euthanized if no home is found for it.

She's hoping somebody will see this article and agree to adopt "Pharoah."

"I would be heartbroken to find out if he did have to get put down," Thayer said.  "He was so, so, so sweet and just a beautiful cat. If I had any way at ALL to pay for the surgery, I would have kept him in a heartbeat."

Thayer is also concerned that a case of animal cruelty happened so close to home.

"I also want people to be aware of what happened here," Thayer said. "It's sickening. This cat was an angel, and according to the vet only 8 to 12 months old. I am praying that he is given to a good home and that this raises awareness of animal cruelty. He wasn't found in a city like Rochester or anything. This happened right here in Pembroke, where it's quiet and calm, seemingly."

"You never really think that cancer could reach your child," Jamie Wasieleski said.

For her, it's become more than just a thought. It's become a reality. Her son, 18-year-old Austin Heinemen, was recently diagnosed with it.

A 2012 graduate of Pembroke, he has always been a healthy kid, into sports, dirt-biking and active all year round, and was unexpectedly diagnosed with a desmoplastic small round cell tumor also known as DSRCT.

It's a rare form of childhood cancer that predominantly strikes boys and young adults. DSRCT is a soft-tissue sarcoma that is aggressive and primarily develops in the abdomen.

Treatment for DSRCT is extensive.

"He has been through six intensive chemotherapy sessions that last four days every three weeks," Wasieleski told us. "The chemo kills everything, good and bad, so between chemo sessions he's at Roswell with anything from a cut on the finger, which leads to a pretty nasty infection, to pneumonia."

On the bright side, the chemo has made a difference and as a result of the PET and CAT scans, the tumors are shrinking.

Currently, Austin is waiting for his mother's health insurance to approve him to undergo surgery in New York City. He will have the tumors removed, and then will go through a 28 day stem cell trial. Following that, he will head to Washington, D.C., for another bone marrow trial.

"His father, myself and his three sisters have tested to see if we are a match and (we are) awaiting results," Wasieleski said. "If we are not, we will be looking for matches elsewhere."

The community support has been outpouring for Austin and he's got a whole army behind him fighting the battle.

" 'Austin's Army' was created to show Austin community support and how many people care about him," Wasieleski said. "At a time like this, community support is huge."

"All the help and support by the community is awesome and well deserving for him," says long-time friend Wyatt Chittenden. "With his recent diagnosis of cancer, it was heartfelt by everyone close to Austin because everyone knows how great of a person Heineman is. He always can put a smile on your face and give you a good laugh as well as always being there for people."

Austin's Army has done many fundraisers to help including a chicken barbecue, benefit gathering, piercing drive, and most recently a Facebook promotion at City Slickers.

Anyone interested, may join the army by making a donation to Austin and Austin's Army, through the Five Star Bank in Batavia.

Photo: Austin at one of his benefits with friend Kaela McMartin, who is one of the many members of Austin's Army.

An 11-year-old reportedly suffered a neck injury in a two-car collision at Alleghany and Main roads in Pembroke (routes 77 and 5). Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics. The accident is not blocking traffic and was initially reported as being without injuries.

UPDATE 7:41 p.m.: A second ambulance, from Darien, is requested to the scene in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 8:06 p.m.: The 11-year-old girl's head slammed into the head rest and she has neck pain as a result. She's being taken to UMMC. She's in stable condition and there was no loss of consciousness. A second patient is also being taken to UMMC by the same Mercy rig. Traffic is reportedly at a standstill at the accident site.

UPDATE 8:10 p.m.: Pembroke is back in service.

UPDATE 8:20 p.m.: The other patients are a 12-year-old with a headache, which has persisted all day, and a 17-year-old complaining of shoulder pain.

A 60-year-old female with diabetic problems is in need of rescue at the top of the falls behind the Log Cabin Restaurant -- on the opposite side.

"She is at the top of the falls ... she's approximately 30 feet down," says a responder.

The county Rope Rescue Team is on standby in case needed. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments responded and gave her some insulin and medical aid.

The woman came to the attention of others because she "was not responding appropriately."

UPDATE 8:32 p.m.: A fireman on scene says her blood insulin level at this point is 43. "We will have to take her up manually unless we can get her blood sugar up higher." Medics are on their way.

UPDATE 8:37 p.m.: For those who don't know, the Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant is located at 1227 Gilmore Road in Corfu.

UPDATE 8:41 p.m.: The rescuers are going to employ a rope and a basket to bring up the woman. Her blood sugar is now reported to be 51. "We'll probably be taking her out of here -- unless it gets better real quick," says a responder. Other responders headed to the scene are requested to continue in full emergency mode.

UPDATE 8:45 p.m.: Rescuers are directed to the north side of the creek to assist with efforts under way.

UPDATE 8:47 p.m.: More rope is demanded "for those coming up and down to hold onto something." Assurance is given that it is on the way.

UPDATE 9:04 p.m.: At this point, "Everybody's topside." In other words, the woman has been brought to the top of the falls, as well as her rescuers, and is ready to be transported to the hospital via ambulance.

UPDATE 9:11 p.m.: Mercy Flight, which was on standby, is back in service and responders from Pembroke and Indian Falls are breaking down their light towers and equipment and returning to service. The patient is being taken to UMMC.

Deputies investigating suspicious activity last night reportedly found a pair of Attica men in possession of a loaded, sawed-off shotgun at a residence in Pembroke.

Both men reportedly have prior criminal convictions.

Charged with criminal possession of a weapon were Benjamin Lambert, 36, and Kayla Tyoe, 23.

Lambert and Tyoe were jailed pending further proceedings.

A motorcyclist "dumped his bike and has a shoulder injury" and he's sitting roadside at Route 5 and Boyce Road in Pembroke. East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The roadway is clear.

UPDATE 2:20 p.m.: He has a lot of road rash on his shoulder. There were no other vehicles involved.

A motorcycle accident is reported at 644 Knapp Road. The motorcyclist is in a driveway and is reportedly conscious, argumentative and "possibly combative." Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics. A responder says the gas tank is leaking. The rider reportedly got up and tried to leave, but fell back down. Mercy Flight is on ground standby.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m.: Mercy Flight will not be needed. The male rider will be transported by ambulance.

UPDATE Noon: Mercy medics are back in service. "The patient left by private vehicle prior to our arrival," the medic said.

Richard Lee Maston, 30, of Colorado Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Maston is accused of possessing two forged business checks at two separate locations within the City of Batavia, one on July 9 and one on July 18. Deputies are  investigating whether Maston allegedly cashed more than 12 other checks at locations in the City of Batavia and one location in the Town of Batavia, all between July 8 and July 17. Maston was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Michael C. Buzzell, 34, of 6 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Buzzell allegedly threatened to kill a person while holding a knife. Police were called the scene at 9:15 p.m., Thursday. Buzzell was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Tyrone N. Thigpen, 35, of 5 Pearl St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Thigpen is accused of violating a "stay away" order of protection.

Ronald J. Murray, 17, of 7 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Murray is accused of stealing a bicycle that was parked outside of a downtown restaurant. Police report later locating Murray with the bicycle a short time later.

Ian C. Blain, 23, of Ashland Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful dealing with a child. Blain is accused of taking a vehicle from the parking lot of the Log Cabin Restaurant in Pembroke and leaving it abandoned in a field off Indian Falls Road. He's also accused of providing alcohol to a person under age 21.

Stephen P. Pahuta, 50, of Oakfield, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, strangulation, coercion, three counts of criminal mischief, and harassment, 2nd. Pahuta was arrested following a report of an incident at 11:40 a.m., Thursday, in Oakfield. State Police responded. No further details were released.

A semi-truck and car have struck on Route 77 near the Thruway, but the accident is believed to be with minor injuries.

There was air bag deployment.

The driver is complaining of head and knee pain.

Indian Falls and Pembroke fire, along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:48 a.m.: A chief on scene reports extrication will be required. It doesn't look like Mercy Flight will be required.

UPDATE 7:59 a.m.: The truck is transporting some sort of hazardous material. There is no sign of damage to the trailer and no external evidence of any leak.

A 50-something male suffered an upper leg injury in a dirt bike accident at the Area 51 motocross track. Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The track is located at 3323 Harloff Road. The patient is in the very back of the riding area.

A two-car accident, with two youths complaining of neck pain, is reported at the intersection of routes 5 and 77. Indian Falls rescue is on scene and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 11:09 a.m.: Both patients are being taken to UMMC.

UPDATE 11:11 a.m.: The Indian Falls assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: The medic says the patients are female friends ages 13 and 16 who were traveling in a Ford pickup truck when it was rear-ended by another pickup truck, occupied by their parents, at 5 miles an hour. The trucks were barely damaged. They live in Ontario.