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Stafford Fire Department sponsors waterball tournament

By Howard B. Owens

The Stafford Fire Department sponsored its annual waterball and volleyball tournaments Saturday at its facility in Stafford.

Alden's department won the waterball tournament this year. 

Waterball is a competition between two teams with fire hoses trying to shoot a ball on a rope from one end of the field to the other. When a team can push the ball against the other team's backboard, that team gets a point.

The charity event helps raise money for Stafford's health and education fund. The fund recently distributed $500 each to cancer patients so they have fuel money to get to and from treatments. Also, each year the fund provides $1,000 college scholarships to a pair of Stafford high school seniors.

Two teams from Stafford and one each from Alden and Elba participated.

Assistant Chief Scott Kibler submitted the pictures.

More photos after the jump:

Police Beat: Stafford man allegedly threatens Village of Corfu court staff

By Howard B. Owens

Karl Matthew Churchill, 29, of 6018 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with harrassment. Churchhill allegedly made a threatening phone call to the Village of Corfu Court after receiving a traffic ticket for allegedly tinted windows.

Robert E. Magoffin Jr., 37, 3717 Broadway Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI with a BAC of .08 or greater. Magoffin was allegedly doing 84 m.p.h. in a 40 m.p.h. zone on Route 20 in Darien when he was stopped.  He was ordered to appear in Darien Town Court on Aug. 18.

Police Beat: Man accused of stealing winning lottery tickets from father's car

By Howard B. Owens

Daniel Nathan Bernard, 20, of 6083 Route 5, Stafford, is charged with petty larceny. Bernard is accused of stealing $60 in winning scratch-off lottery tickets from his father's locked car, which was parked at his father's house.

Eileen Barbara Ferrando, 37, of 53 W. Main St., Corfu, was picked up on a bench warrant issued in the City of Batavia for alleged unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Ferrando was turned over to the Batavia Police Department.

Scott Webb, 19, of 12 Grote St., Buffalo, is charged with petty larceny. Grote is accused of stealing game prizes from a game stand at Darien Lake Theme Park.

A 17-year-old from Corfu is accused of reckless driving and endangering the welfare of a child.  The youth allegedly drove at a high rate of speed down Chapel Street in Elba, losing control and coming within feet of striking a child riding a bicycle. The youth was issued an appearance ticket.

Driver reportedly distracted while admiring another car, causing two-car accident

By Howard B. Owens

One person suffered minor injuries in a two-car accident on Route 19 at East Park Street in Pavilion on Saturday when the driver of one car reportedly failed to see another car and pulled out in front of it.

David J. Reschke, 18, of 9741 Transit Road, Stafford, was driving a 1999 Chevy sedan owned by Cynthia Reschke, when he reportedly stopped at a stop sign on westbound East Park Street, and then proceeded onto Route 19.

Reschke was reportedly distracted while admiring a passing Chrysler 300.

Three witnesses reported seeing him pull out in front of the on coming car.

The other car, a 2001 Ford sedan owned by Patricia Malone of Batavia, was driven by Tyler Kilgore, 19, of 9366 Sheppard Drive, Batavia. Kilgore reportedly suffered minor injuries and as transported to UMMC.

Following the accident investigation by Deputy Mazur, Reschke was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21.

Police Beat: Two women charged with shouting obscenities in public

By Howard B. Owens

Jazzmyne M. Heard, 21, of 965 E. Glide St., Rochester, is charged with disorderly conduct. Heard allegedly shouted obscenities while on the sidewalk on South Main St. The alleged incident occurred Thursday at 11:45 a.m.

Megan J. Dowd, 26, of 16 Church St., Le Roy, was charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly shouting obscenities in a public place. The alleged incident occurred at 337 Bank St.

James S. Gibbs, 33, of 34 Vernon Ave., Batavia is charged with criminal contempt. Gibbs allegedly made contact with a person he was ordered not to contact.

Jay R. Cummings, 23, of 10565 Harper Road, Darien, is charged with felony DWI. Cummings was stopped on West Main Street by Batavia police following a report of a road rage incident in the Town of Batavia.  Officers Coffey and Klimjack report Cummings was allegedly intoxicated. He is also charged with felony unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Cummings reportedly has a prior felony DWI conviction. He is held on $5,000 bail.

Ryan P. Sutton, 19, of 8290 Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with making graffiti. Batavia Police Officer Matthew Baldwin reportedly observed Sutton carving something into plastic play equipment in Pringle Park with a folding knife on Thursday night.

Stephan A. Lewis II, 29, of 541 E. Main St., is charged with petty larceny. Lewis is accused of stealing beer from Wilson Farms, 506 E. Main St.

John J. Smalley, Sr., 46, of 32 S. Main St., Oakfield, is charged with harassment. Smalley is accused of making harassing phone calls to another person. He was arrested by Batavia police officers.

Timothy Ryan McJury, 22, of 334 W. Main St., #5, is charged with petty larceny. McJury is accused of shoplifting three DVDs and a video game from Target.

Travis W. Zeidler, 29, of 502-2969 Kingsway Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, is charged with DWI and DWI with a BAC of .18 or more. Zeidler was arrested following a Sheriff's Office investigation into a reported car accident inside the parking lot of Darian Lake Theme Park. Zeidler is held on $500 bail. The incident was investigated by Deputy Jason Saile.

David J. Reschke, 18, of 9741 Transit Road, Stafford, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21. Reschke was reportedly found to possess alcohol following a car accident at Route 19 and Cato Street in Pavilion on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Stephanie L. Hagen, 26, of 3259 Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI. Hagen was reportedly stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Erie Road in Darien on Saturday morning about 1 a.m. She reportedly had a BAC of .08 or greater.

Ronald J. Tombari III, 21, of Pavilion, is charged with felony unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Tombari allegedly struck a parked car in Le Roy and then left the scene. Le Roy Patrolman Daryl Robb made the arrest.

Police Beat: Two men part of alleged scrap metal heist slapped with drug charge

By Howard B. Owens

Christopher H. Monfort, 37, of 113 Pine St., Rochester and Timothy M. Stone, 29, of 3735 Chili Ave., Rochester are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Monfort and Stone were part of the alleged scrap metal heist earlier this week. At the time of their arrest, they were allegedly found to have crystal meth in their possession. This additional charge has now been filed.

Nathan D. Bernard, 20, of 6084 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with attempted criminal trespass. A Sheriff's deputy reported that he was dispatched to 6084 Main Road, Stafford for a possible burglary in progress where a person was trying to gain access to the building through a basement window.  The deputy allegedly found Bernard with something in his hand and he was attempting to gain entry through a backdoor.  Bernard is held on $300 bail.

Steven Edward Ball, 35, of 11 1/2 Meadowcrest Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Ball allegedly tried to contact his ex-girlfriend through her mother. There is reportedly an order of protection against Ball on behalf of the ex-girlfriend.

Stafford Trading Post may move to new building

By Howard B. Owens

As long as just about anybody can remember the Stafford Trading Post has been located in the Odd Fellows building at the corner of Main and Transit, but that may change before long.

The Stafford Planning Board approved a site plan last night for the adjoining lot, 6167 Main Road.

Owner Tom Englarth has been seeking approval for construction of a building suitable to a convience store and deli for nearly a year. Englarth expects Shelley Macan-Mouery, the current owner of the Stafford Trading Post, to move her store to the new location.

Laughing after the meeting, Englarth said, "I've never worked so hard to spend so much money in my life.

The new building will be fronted by 17 parking spaces and have a dining area for up to 25 people.

The site plan application says the proposed business will employ three people fulltime. The board stipulated that the occupant cannot be open for business between midnight and 5 a.m.

Macan-Mouery said this morning she isn't ready to discuss the possible relocation.

The lot is part of the four corners area, which has been designated a historical district.

Linda Call, president of the Stafford Historical Society, expressed concern during the meeting that the new building won't fit within the historical nature of the district.

"This is the most historic section of the Town of Stafford," Call said. "Doesn't this represent a modern intrusion into the district?"

Code Enforcement Officer Lester Mullen noted the current lot is vacant.

"It would be nice to fill that lot with something that would be good for the town," Mullen said.

"We're certainly mindful of the historic nature of the district," said board member Sharon Valyear-Gray, "but the current owner of the Odd Fellows building hasn't done anything with it."

The site plan passed on a unanimous vote.

Storage facility approved for parcel on Main Road in Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

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The land at 5981 Main Road is Stafford isn't good for much, according to Zoning Enforcement Officer Lester Mullen. You can't build a house on it and it's no good for agriculture because of the rocky structure under the surface.

The problem for years, though, is that it's zoned Agricultural/Residential.

Now the land has a use, and the Stafford Planning Board gave its blessing, after months of wrangling, to Bruce Scofield's plan to build a warehouse on the land.

Scofield runs roll-off container, fuel oil truck and refuse collection business. He plans to build a six-bay facility to store his trucks.

The facility is a perfect fit for the location, Mullen said, because unlike a house, it won't require septic. Septic requires digging, and apparently, you can't dig that deep on the parcel in question.

Two major considerations in the special use permit is that Scofield will not be allowed to store anything outside of the building and he must attractively landscape the front of the building along Route 5.

"The Town of Stafford gave a chance for him (A.D. Call) a chance to thrive, to succeed and that's all Mr. Scholfield is asking" his attorney Reid Whiting told the board. "He's just looking for an opportunity for his business to take off. It's a business that will be beneficial to Stafford. It will create jobs and tax revenues."

Police Beat: Man accused of striking member of his family

By Howard B. Owens

Andrew Kosiorek, 37, 53 W. Main St., #101, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt and harassment following an alleged incident in Batavia. Kosiorek reportedly following a family dispute in which he allegedly struck another person. The person allegedly attacked is covered by a protection order.

Patricia M. Morris, 58, 5359 Horseshoe Lake Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI , driving with a BAC of .18 or more and driving left of road markings in a no passing zone. Morris was stopped following reports of erratic driving in the City of Batavia and Stafford.

Jennifer L. Heil, 26, 5690 Eagle Harbor Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI,driving with a BAC of .18 or more and driving left of pavement markings. Heil was charged following a traffic stop in Stafford.

Police Beat: Man charged with recklessly firing guns in Byron

By Howard B. Owens

Gary Engle, 24, of 7549 Mechanic St., Byron, is charged with reckless endangerment. Engle is accused of shooting his .22 calibre rifle and 12-gauge shotgun in his backyard on June 13 at 3:15 without properly checking his backstop in the direction he was firing. The bullets reportedly entered the backyard of a neighbor where adults and children were present. No injuries were reported.

Jayson M. Connolly, 35, of 135 S. Main St., Apt. 10, is charged with assault in the third degree and criminal contempt in connection with three alleged incidents over a three-day period. On June 17, at about 7:30 p.m., Connolly allegedly swatted a stick from a bonfire hitting a female acquaintance with the stick and causing burn and blister on her right and left thigh area. On June 18, at about 11:45 p.m., Connolly allegedly phoned the woman in violation of an order of protection. On June 19, at about 11:45 a.m., Connolly allegedly tried to speak to the woman again in violation of the order of protection. Connolly was arrested and placed in Genesee County Jail without bail.

Jon M. Dambra, 21, of 22 Berry Grove Lane, Brockport, is charged with DWI and unlawful possession of marijuana following a traffic stop for allegedly speeding in the City of Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jason Flansburg, 32, of 139 Woodlands Way, Brockport, was reportedly a guest at the Holiday Inn early yesterday morning when he began cussing and making loud noises at about 3:30 a.m.  Flansburg was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He was also reportedly had some marijuana and was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Cory Jones, 26, of 5965 Main Road, Stafford, was stopped yesterday a little after midnight for an alleged traffic violation. Sheriff's deputies allegedly found him with marijuana and he was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Jerad M. Stalker, 25, of 8874 Hartshorn Road, Batavia, was stopped on Lovers Lane Road yesterday morning around 2 a.m.  He was charged with DWI, having a BAC of .08 or greater, improper parking on a road way and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Toni White, 28, of 14 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with trespassing. The trespassing charge stems from a previous accusation of shoplifting at Wal-Mart. Following the initial charge, it was discovered that White had reportedly been banned from Wal-Mart, leading to the trespass charged on the date of the alleged shoplifting incident.

Terrance Dolan, 22, of 88 Woodcrest Blvd., Buffalo, and Sean T. Hennessy, of 41 Neuman Parkway, Buffalo, are charged with trespass in relation to events at the No Doubt concert at Darien Lake June 19 at 10:50 p.m. Dolan is accused of trying to enter a private area of the concert area and Hennessy is accused of trying to go backstage.

Andrew Paul Weick, 22, of 116 State St., Tonawanda and Paige Marie Fagan, 23, of 116 State St., Tonawanda, are accused of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Weick and Fagan were reportedly at the No Doubt concert at Darien Lake when they were allegedly found in possession of hydrocodone, cocaine and marijuana.

Scott D. Larnder, 32, of 3 Jerome Place, Batavia, is charged with DWI, speeding and failure to take pre-screen test.  He was reportedly stopped on Route 5 near Sanders Road in Stafford. Larnder was arraigned the morning of June 19 and released.

Caitlin E. Mahoney, 22, of 84 Walter St., Tonawanda, is charged with DWI and a BAC of .08 or more. Mahoney was reportedly stopped at the side of the road on Route 33 in the Town of Batavia when contacted by deputies. Mahoney stated she was looking for the Thruway. Upon investigation, deputies concluded Mahoney was allegedly operating a motorvehicle while intoxicated.

William Briggs, 42, of 15 Savannah St, Apt. 6H, is charged with petty larceny for allegedly shoplifting from Target.

Bridget K. Grayson, 41, 8272 Gully Road, LeRoy, is charged with felony DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater along with driving to the left of pavement markings in a no passing zone, improper turn signal, driving slow and impeding traffic and failure to notify DMV of address change. Grayson was reportedly stopped on Route 237 in Stafford on June 19 just after midnight.

Horse greeting in Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

There was a field with horses by where I parked my truck in Stafford this afternoon. I started snapping some pictures and this horse came over to check me out.

Stafford tees off 58th annual Jon Lynn tournament

By Howard B. Owens

Brian "Elvis" Dengler, a Rochester resident, takes a practice swing off the 10th tee at Stafford Country Club where a three-day invitational tournament got underway at 12:30 p.m. today.

It's the 58th Annual Jon Lynn Invitational, which allows members of the private club to bring in non-members for the big tournament.

Jon Lynn was pro at the club for 25 years, according to current pro Eric Haille, who has been with the club for 12 years.

Eric will be sending us results for the tournament over the next three days, so look for them in the sports section.

Police Beat: Bethany teen charged with possession of stolen ATV

By Howard B. Owens

Bradley R. Jordan, 16, of Bethany, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Jordan is allegedly involved with the theft of a 2004 Polaris Sportsman Pro H.O. Four-Wheel ATV from a residence in Stafford. Deputy P.J. Reeves reported he found Jordan in possession of the ATV, which went missing March 11. Previously, we reported Steven Peckenpaugh, 17, of Attica, had been arrested and charged with the theft of the vehicle. Jordan is held on $10,000 bail. The value of the ATV was placed at $3,700.

Abdullah H. Shareef, 27, of Rochester, is accused of damaging a door to City Centre on May 4. He was taken into custody by Batavia PD at 8:05 p.m last night. He is being held in Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

Jarred Brannan, 24, of Churchville, was taken into custody based on a bench warrant. No details are provided on the nature of the warrant. He is held in Genesee County Jail on $1,000 bail.

Stafford Fire Department offering up Corvette in annual, money-making raffle

By Howard B. Owens

Bob Fitzsimmons and Mike Boyle get a little sun sitting next to an eye-catching jet black 1963 Corvette Convertible. Fitzsimmons and Boyle said they will be in the same spot everyday, outside the Stafford Fire Department building, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. selling raffle tickets for the vehicle (or $50,000 in cash) until the drawing on Father's Day.

This is the 26th year the SFD has raffled off a Corvette. Fitzsimmons said it's a very successful fund raiser for the department.

"We own all our own engines, the building and the land behind it," Fitzsimmons said. "The town gives us a little bit of money, but not much. It (the raffle sure helps with my taxes, I'll tell you that."

The raffle is known throughout the world, Fitzsimmons said. They publicize it through their own mailing list as well as magazine ads.

Tickets are $1 each, or three for $2, or $10 for a book of 15.

Roll over accident Saturday leads to minor injuires

By Howard B. Owens

The driver and one passenger suffered unspecified facial injuries and complained of pain following a roll over accident on Route 5 on Saturday near Buckley Road in Stafford.

The driver, L.M. Schellenberg, 18, of Le Roy, said she served to avoid a deer when she lost control of the vehicle.  The car was a 2001 Chevy sedan.

Her passenger also reportedly injured in the accident was 16-year-old D.M. Schellenberg, also of Le Roy. 

Both were taken by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment.

Gymnastics enthusiast's dream of a training facility in Stafford, but neighbors object

By Howard B. Owens

Amy Mathisen has a dream -- to build a facility for gymnastics and offer them after-school programs on her parents' farm in Stafford.

Karen Nostrant and Paul Hendel don't necessarily want to stomp on that dream, but they aren't eager to see such a facility close to their home on Caswell Road. The prospect of increased traffic and car lights shining into their windows is not appealing to them.

On Mach 24, Mathisen sent a letter to the Stafford Town Council outlining her plans, which will require land-use changes.

Mathisen's dream starts with converting three or four acres of the farm into a lot for the facility, which would be 9,000 square feet with 400 square feet dedicated to before-and after-school programs and recreational activities.

Parking would be a gravel lot.

In a letter dated May 1, Nostrant and Hendel say the proposed location would be less than 100 feet from their front porch, that the parking area would significantly increase noise and lights adjacent their property, traffic on Caswell would increase from three vehicles per hour to more than 30 and the value of both properties would decrease as a result.

Rather than try to shut down Mathisen's dream entirely, however, Nostrant and Hendel, who are both volunteers with the Stafford Fire Department, suggest the facility be shifted to Griswold Road, which would put a barn between it and the two houses on Caswell.

Mathisen's a 33-year resident of Stafford and has been involved in gymnastics since age 13. She wrote to the town council:

"Gymnastics is a sport that prepares youth for any sport through gross motor skill development, strength training, flexibility and balance. Gymnastics is for both boys and girls of all ages and with the afterschool program right at the center, some parents will have one less stop to make in their busy schedules, which in turn strengthens the family unit. I want gymnastics in Genesee County to have a facility that will be around for years to come with the tools it needs for gymnasts to excel. I have been involved in a program that has moved at least 8 times in the last 10 years. I want there to be a permanent home for gymnastics in Genesee County."

We tried calling Mathisen three times, but she has not returned our calls.

No hearing date has been set to review the proposal.

Stafford council agrees to buy $250 in plants for Illette Park

By Howard B. Owens

Illette Park in Stafford could soon benefit from a little sprucing up thanks to the quiet persistance of Jean Ianni, member of the Stafford Garden Club.

Ianni came to the Town Council meeting Monday night representing the club with no specific request for help from the town, but walked away with a promise of $250 to help plant either trees or bushes along the property line of the park.

When a council member asked Ianni what the garden club expected, what the plans were, how much money or help was needed, Ianni simply said, "We don't do anything until we get some help."

After some discussion about whether to plant trees or bushes, or maybe using some available paving stones to create a walkway, Highway Supervisor Steve Boldt looked over the budget for his department and said that between the maintenance for the part and weed removal, he might be able to free up $250 for the project.

That led more discussion on when to plant trees, if that was the plan.

"If you wait until Memorial Day, you will be water them all summer," said Councilman Ronald Panek. "The time to plant is now."

Soon, a motion was made, seconded and a unanimous vote cast to set aside $250 for the garden club to buy some plants for the park.

Stafford accepts bid to buy piece of heavy equipment

By Howard B. Owens

The Stafford Town Council approved the purchase of a John Deere Model 644 Loader Monday night for $98,000.

The piece of heavy machinery can serve a number of uses in the town, from earth movement to snow removal.

The full price is $166,000, but the town will get $68,000 trade in value for its current loader.

The winning bid was submitted by Five Star Equipment of Rochester. It was the only bid of four that met all of the criteria of the bid request, according to Highway Superintended Steve Boldt.

Police Beat: Attica teen accused of stealing ATV from Stafford home

By Howard B. Owens

Steven Peckenpaugh, 17, of Attica, is accused of stealing a 2004 Polaris H.O. Four-Wheel ATV from behind a residence on Seven Springs Road in Stafford. The alleged theft took place March 11. Peckenpaugh is charged with grand larceny.

Derek Leach, 29, of Byron is charged with possession of stolen property. Leach is accused of having three stolen New York State vehicle inspection stickers.

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