Next Thursday's unveiling of a highway sign along Route 19 honoring Gary A. Scott will be brief and there won't be room for very many people to attend, Le Roy's historian says. The dedication will continue at Trigon Park, however, where the community can gather to honor the Le Roy native and Army officer, who lost his life in service during the Vietnam War.
The ceremony will begin with the unveiling of a commemorative sign, honoring Scott, along Route 19, just past Fort Hill Farm and across from Parmelee Road. Additional dedication programs will immediately follow at the Veterans Memorial in Trigon Park on East Main Street in Le Roy.
"The unveiling is at 4 o'clock, but because of the high traffic, that will just be an unveiling with a small group of people that are being shuttled there (to the sign location)," said Historian Lynne Belluscio. "We're encouraging everybody to come to Trigon Park. There'll be several tributes. The Honor Guard will be able to be there. Lots of parking there, both at Main Street and across the street. There'll be a couple of pop-up tents."
There will be speakers at the Trigon Park ceremony and Bruce Bratton, the man Scott sacrificed his life to save during an attack in March 1968.
"There'll be over 250 American flags, each one with the name of a Vietnam veteran who has a connection with Le Roy. We're going to put those out," Belluscio said. "A special tribute will be at the black granite bench that is in front of the Soldiers' Monument. It is made of the same black granite as the Vietnam veterans' wall in Washington D.C. The 250 flags will be grouped around that."
The Women's Auxiliary of the Legion post has a reception planned at the Botts Fiorito American Legion Post 576, 53 W. Main Street, she said.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley will join local officials, community members and the family and friends of Scott on Thursday.
Scott gave his life in service to his country during the Vietnam War. The sign will serve as a lasting tribute to his courage, service and sacrifice and ensure that his legacy continues to be remembered by future generations, Hawley said in a press release.
"Lieutenant Gary A. Scott made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and it is important that we continue to honor his memory and the service he gave to our nation,” said Hawley. “This sign is a fitting tribute to his courage and dedication, and I am honored to join his family, friends and members of the community in remembering his legacy."
Joliee P. John, 23, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated vehicular assault, reckless endangerment 1st, endangering the welfare of a child (two counts), aggravated DWI with a child passenger (two counts), and DWI. John was arrested on July 31 in connection with a serious-injury motor vehicle accident that occurred on Bloomingdale Road in the Town of Alabama on Dec. 18, 2025. She is accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol and impaired by drugs, resulting in serious physical injuries to others. She was also issued traffic tickets for reckless driving, speeding, moving from a lane unsafely, and seat belt violations. The investigation was assisted by the GCSO Collision Reconstruction Unit, NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit, Town of Alabama Fire Department, MercyEMS, Genesee County Child Protective Services, and the Genesee County District Attorney's Office. She was held on $2,500 cash bail.
Andrew Michael Perl, 18, of East Main Street Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Perl was arrested at 5:04 p.m. on July 31 at 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, by Deputy Kaitlyn Englerth. He is accused of stealing money from a cash register while working at Walmart. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Jackson D. Perkins, 32, of Parkway, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd (three counts), criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd (two counts). Perkins was arrested on July 30 at 14 Otis St. upper apartment, Batavia, during the execution of a search warrant by the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force and the Batavia Police Emergency Response Team stemming from a narcotics investigation. He was held for arraignment.
Joseph L. Barclay, 37, of Park Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd (two counts), aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, and failure to stop at a stop sign. Barclay was arrested at 4 a.m. on Aug. 7 on Byron Holley Road in Byron by Deputy Neva Saile. Following a traffic stop, Barclay was found to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine. He was held for arraignment.
Jermain T. Tyson, 26, of Holley, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, false personation, and several traffic violations. Tyson was arrested on July 25 following a traffic stop on Clinton Street. He allegedly was operating a vehicle while intoxicated and gave police a false name. He was released on appearance tickets.
William A. Murray Jr., 55, of Fairport, is charged with felony DWI. Murray was arrested on July 25 following a traffic stop on Pearl Street. He was held for arraignment.
Michael W. VanSlyke, 44, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. VanSlyke was arrested on July 24 following a traffic stop on Sumner Street, where he was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Mary A. McGraw, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. McGraw was arrested on July 28 in Batavia. She was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine during a probation home visit. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Anthony M. Manara, 35, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful fleeing from a police officer 3rd, and numerous vehicle and traffic violations. Manara was arrested on July 25 in Batavia. He allegedly was involved in a domestic dispute at a residence on Vine Street, then left in a vehicle and fled when officers attempted to stop him. He was taken into custody after officers deployed spike strips. He was held for arraignment.
Latashia M. Sanchez, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and harassment 2nd. Sanchez was arrested on July 19 in Batavia. She allegedly shoved another person in violation of an order of protection. She was held for arraignment.
Krasheena L. Watts, 30, of Beaverton, Ore., is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Watts was arrested on July 18 in Batavia. She was allegedly found in a vehicle with another person in violation of an order of protection. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Dustin A. Huffer, 42, of Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd and harassment 2nd. Huffer was arrested on July 30 in Batavia. He allegedly shoved a police officer who was responding to a report of a fight at Austin Park. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Lisa M. Austin, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Austin was arrested on July 28 following a traffic stop on Ellicott Street, where she was allegedly found in possession of cocaine. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Gianna E. Williams, 19, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal contempt 2nd. Williams was arrested on Aug. 2 in Batavia. She allegedly was found inside a residence in violation of an order of protection. She was arraigned and released.
Brian K. Ace Jr., 36, of Wake Forest, N.C., is charged with DWI. Ace was arrested on July 26 following a traffic stop on East Main Street. He was released on traffic tickets.
Trevon L. Armstrong, 41, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Armstrong was arrested on Aug. 1 in Batavia. He allegedly stole a set of vehicle keys and refused to return them. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Taylor R. Bess, 24, of Lockport, is charged with harassment 2nd. Bess was arrested on July 30 in Batavia. She allegedly sent threatening messages to another person on social media. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Tyara J. Davis, 18, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Davis was arrested on July 28 in Batavia. She allegedly struck two people during an altercation on Washington Avenue. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Jessica M. Rivera, 42, of Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd. Rivera was arrested on Aug. 3 in Batavia. She allegedly shoved another person during an altercation on State Street. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Dennis R. Ramsey, 47, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Ramsey was arrested on Aug. 4 in Batavia. He allegedly stole alcoholic beverages from Tops. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Michael D. Snyder, 54, of Otis Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th and criminal nuisance 1st. Snyder was arrested on July 30 at 14 Otis St., Batavia, during the same search warrant execution. He was held for arraignment.
Colleen M. Hutchinson, 51, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th. Hutchinson was arrested on July 30 at 14 Otis St., Batavia, during the same search warrant execution. She was held for arraignment.
Cora L. Lichtenberger, 31, of Golden Pond Estate, Akron, and Willie Lydell Wright, 56, of Progressive Avenue, Buffalo, are each charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Both were arrested at 12:20 p.m. on Aug. 1 at 383 Bloomingdale Road in the Town of Alabama by Deputy Alexander Hadsall. They allegedly possessed crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia containing narcotics residue inside a vehicle. Both were released on appearance tickets.
Joshua A. Nichols, 41, of State Route 89, Romulus, is charged with unlawful surveillance 2nd. Nichols was arrested at 5:45 p.m. on July 29 on Attica Road in Darien by Deputy David Moore. He allegedly placed a USB wall-mounted charger containing a hidden camera in a bathroom of a victim's residence. He was held for arraignment.
Nathaniel S. Salverson, 28, of Buffalo Street Road, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief 4th (two counts) and harassment 2nd. Salverson was arrested on July 29 on Buffalo Street Road in Alexander by Deputy Neva Saile. He is accused of intentionally damaging property and disabling equipment to prevent a request for emergency assistance. He was held for arraignment.
John Byron Lang Jr., homeless, is charged with petit larceny. Lang was arrested on July 30 on South Main Street in Elba by Deputy Nicholas Jennings. He allegedly consumed an alcoholic beverage and exited the store past all points of sale without paying. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Shaun E. Alexander, 20, of Marble Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI with a BAC of 0.18% or more, DWI, and drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway. Alexander was arrested at 12:04 a.m. on Aug. 7 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater following a property damage accident by Deputy John Garlock. He was released on appearance tickets.
Donald Edward Ford Jr., 52, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt. Ford was arrested on Aug. 4 on Perry Road in Pavilion by Deputy Nicholas Jennings. He allegedly went to the residence of a protected party in violation of an order of protection. He was held for arraignment.
Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp. CEP Frank Kittlinger explains the proposed $1.2 million project during the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors meeting. Photo by Brian Quinn
Growth in Le Roy is good, but it comes with a cost for Rochester Davis Fetch Corp. - a lack of space that the company plans to fix with a $1.2 million expansion project.
Frank Kittlinger, CEO of Rochester Davis Fetch Corp., said the proposal before the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) is financial incentives for a building that would allow the company to do more prefabrication work at 9 Lent Ave. in Le Roy.
"Right now, we just keep running out of space. We bought the original building roughly two years ago at 9 Lent Ave. We ran out of space in there," he said Thursday. "We built a pole barn next to it to do our pre-fab. Now, our glass department has grown so much, they need the room in that other pole barn, and now we need another pole barn for prefab."
The building Davis-Fetch originally bought at 9 Lent Ave. was just over 32,000 square feet.
"We filled that space. Then, the pole barn we built was 8,000 square feet. We filled that space. Now, we're looking to put on roughly 16,000 square feet," Kittlinger said. "It's for our glass department and our pre-fab - our carpenters. The glass department's going to take over the pole barn that we built. The pre-fab is moving out of there to the new building."
Rochester Davis-Fetch is requesting assistance from the GCEDC with an exemption from the 8% state and local sales taxes for construction and equipment estimated at $64,000, and a 10-year Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) abating $198,634 of future property taxes generated by the new facility.
"Without it (a PILOT program), we may not move forward right now, with the cost of construction. It's very expensive. The cost of growth, it's expensive to keep up with what we already are growing - trailers and tools, and whatnot. The PILOT program would be huge. We're having a lot of successful growth, but the problem is, you're buying more trailers. We have to keep buying equipment to keep up with the backlog, so everything is getting extremely costly."
GCEDC President and CEO Mark Masse said the building Rochester Davis originally bought had been vacant for a long time and that the company put a lot of work into it.
The board Thursday voted to advance an initial resolution in support of the project and will set a public hearing. The date and time haven't been decided.
The Davis-Fetch CEO said Le Roy has been a great location.
"Genesee County, they've been excellent. That's why we keep building out here. They approved the first two (buildings)," he said.
Kittlinger said the company would like to be done with the project by fall or winter if it gets approval for the work.
"It's a metal building ... We hope by winter to have the exterior walls up," he said.
Davis-Fetch has about 35 school projects going on right now, Kittlinger said Thursday. The company just finished a tech building for Monroe Community College.
"This October, we're going to be starting Marine Drive. That's a huge project in Buffalo," he said of the redevelopment project. Another such project is the Syracuse University Graduate by Hilton hotel project.
"The Graduate is a large, 12-story hotel down in Syracuse," he said.
Davis-Fetch has been in business since 1955. Its main office is on Lyell Avenue in Rochester.
"We've had a lot of success and in the last two years, we wanted to grow the company. We looked in Rochester. We looked all around," he said. "Primarily, most of our work is between Buffalo and Rochester," he said. "When we were looking to expand, we settled on Le Roy. We fell in love with it. We're glad we did. It's right in between, so it's easy to get the guys from either city (Buffalo or Rochester)."
GCEDC board members listen to Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp. CEO Frank Kittlinger's presentation Thursday. Photo by Brian Quinn
From left, Remi Einhiple, 4, her brother Gatlin, 6, and twin sister Mia, 4, hold their backpacks and school supplies after picking them up Wednesday. Remi and Mia will start Universal Pre-K Sept. 2 and Gatlin will begin first grade. Photo by Brian Quinn
Kids in Le Roy will be walking into classrooms Sept. 2 to start the school year. With about four weeks to go, their families brought them to McDonald's, 67 Main St., for the Golden Arches Pack Giveback to get some of their school supplies early and save them some shopping.
McDonald's General Manager Bethany Yockel said there were a lot of kids there Wednesday to pick up backpacks. This was the first time the Le Roy McDonald's hosted the backpack giveaway.
Yockel said Le Roy McDonald's franchise owner Louis Buono bought the backpacks for the students. She said there were a lot of kids early in the giveaway and that the backpacks went pretty fast. The restaurant gave away one backpack per student, and it was done on a first-come, first-served basis.
She also summed up the other activities happening outside the restaurant that afternoon.
"They can pick whatever color they want," Yockel said. "They have bus safety. They have crafts at the library. They've got tutoring out there, too."
Jennifer Ager, the office manager for Buono, said the Hope Center of Le Roy was there with apples and water. Le Roy Central School District Bus Driver Nick O'Geen was there with a school bus so kids could practice getting on the bus. Village Police Officer Louis Scafetta was also on hand to talk to the kids.
"Basically be here to show a presence in the community and be involved in what's going on around the village and town, and just be part of it," Scafetta said. "We try to be pretty tight with the community. We like to come out to events like this and just be around for the kids."
Among the families who turned up at McDonald's was the Einhiple family of Le Roy. Alyson Einhiple came with her twin daughters, Remi and Mia, both 4, and son, Gatlin, 6.
How do they feel about starting school in a few weeks?
"Gatlin's very excited. Remi's a little nervous and Mia's very excited," their mother said. "The girls wanted pink (backpacks) and Gatlin was excited for his blue one."
Remi unzipped her backpack and pulled out school supplies such as a folder, markers and a pouch containing pencils, glue and other items.
"We hadn't heard of any of this," Alyson Einhiple said. "I had a few friends message me and tell me about it. Anything helps."
Remi Einhiple holds up some of the items that were in her backpack Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Brian Quinn
Makenzie Heller, 5, who starts kindergarten at Wolcott Street School in a month, picks out a red-and-black backpack. Photo by Brian Quinn
Many of the 96 backpacks disappeared early in Wednesday's Golden Arches Pack Giveback at McDonald's in Le Roy. Photo by Brian Quinn
The Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post 576 in LeRoy is now accepting applications for the 56th Le Royan of the Year.
The focus of the American Legion “LeRoyan of the Year Award” is to recognize people who demonstrate the following qualifications and attributes:
The man, woman or child who exemplifies the true spirit of Americanism, fostering respect for and the ideals and love of flag and country, regardless of race, creed or color.
Good citizenship – by carrying out their day-to-day activities and principles, often beyond that expected of him or her. Setting that example for others to emulate.
Civic responsibility – service to the community through their individual obligations to the community.
All applications MUST include detailed information on the individual being submitted, such as what local programs, organizations or activities is the individual involved in that impact the welfare of the community.
Examples include service through community organizations, church organizations, food pantries, after school functions, sports events, recreational volunteer activities or volunteer organization(s), Village or Town government, fire department, police department, ambulance service, Le Roy Business Council or the Garden Club, etc.
Also include any position or office the individual may have held within the organization and the amount of service time devoted to the organization. Explain the individual’s impact on the organization or group and the accomplishments this organization has on the community.
Applications are available at the American Legion in Le Roy 53 West Main St., or by emailing d.a.rumsey@hotmail.com.
Deadline for all submission of applications is Saturday August 29, 2026.
Send application to American Legion, 53 West Main St., Le Roy, NY, 14482, Attn: Le Royan Award. Or email to d.a.rumsey@hotmail.com.
Le Roy native Army Lt. Gary Scott, who was killed in Vietnam almost 60 years ago, will have the part of State Route 19 that goes through Le Roy dedicated to his memory in about three weeks, State Assemblyman Stephen Hawley's office has said.
Among those planning to be there, Le Roy Town and Village Historian Lynne Belluscio says, is Bruce Bratton, the man Scott sacrificed his life to save during an attack in March 1968.
Belluscio said she heard from Hawley's office that the dedication will be Aug. 27. The issue to be worked out is where the Lt. Gary A. Scott Memorial Highway sign on the northern end of Le Roy will be.
"We're waiting to hear back for the DOT (State Department of Transportation) to see whether they're wiling to move the sign. Right now, the posts are just south of Stone Church, just inside the town of Le Roy border," Belluscio said. "We have asked it to be moved to a more visible place on Route 19. We have submitted a place we would like to see the sign go up."
Belluscio said Le Roy Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz and the Town Board have submitted a letter to the state DOT, Hawley and State Sen. George Borrello. Town officials are asking that the sign be placed on Route 19 south of the Thruway bridge.
"From what we understand, the town determines where the sign should be, with the DOT's permission," Belluscio said today. "We had to submit an exact location. That request now is at the DOT for their consideration. We have not heard back whether they're agreeable to moving the sign."
The other memorial road sign is to be at the southern boundary of Le Roy as you go into Pavilion, she said.
Scott graduated from Le Roy in 1963 and from Syracuse University in 1967.
"Upon graduation, he had to decide what military (branch) he was going to be involved with. He was with 101st Airborne (Division) Screaming Eagles. He chose to go into a combat unit," Belluscio said. "His classmates tried to talk him out of it. His comment was that the military needed African-American leaders. That was important to him."
At age 22, Scott died during an ambush in the city of Hue.
"He was on a mission with his unit. They were under heavy fire. His medic (Bratton) had to hunker down. Gary went up to cover him," Belluscio said. "As he put his body over Bruce Bratton, Gary was shot immediately. Gary was killed protecting his medic."
Scott's classmates from Syracuse, immediately upon his death, set up the Gary A. Scott Memorial Scholarship Award, she said.
"They've been giving a scholarship every year to a student. They set up a scholarship at Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School," Belluscio said. "They review the applications. That's a really important part of the story, too."
The Le Roy historian said she talked to Bratton earlier this week.
"Bruce is going to be here for the dedication. He's coming with his son and his wife. He will be here for a couple of days," Belluscio said. "As part of this event, the Le Roy American Legion is having a reception that day at the Legion."
The ceremony along Route 19 will be quick and that the plan is to have another memorial before that in Trigon Park, where more community members can safely attend.
"We also have been told that the governor has been invited to attend. It's customary on all of these because she had to sign the bill," Belluscio said of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Belluscio noted Scott is buried in Rochester, where his family moved after he went to Syracuse University.
"This project started over two years ago when Gary Scott's cousin, Kathy Damann, asked me if it would be possible to get a memorial highway named for Gary. She was 8 when Gary was killed," she said. "It's a state project through the DOT. You have to have a bill that is put through both the Assembly and Senate and is passed and signed by the governor to go into effect. The first time, it didn't make it through in time. We started over again. This year, it passed and then went to the governor's desk."
A proposed investment to construct a new facility would be Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp.’s third investment in the village of Le Roy since 2024.
The company has submitted an application for a $1.2 million project to the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC).
The GCEDC’s Board of Directors will consider an initial resolution to assist the projec at its 3 p.m. Thursday meeting. The company proposes expanding its operations by constructing a 16,500-square-foot facility at 9 Lent Ave.
Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp. previously renovated an existing facility at the site in 2024 and completed an expansion in 2025. The company currently employs 17 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions related to those projects, exceeding original job pledges.
The proposed project is estimated to produce $616,097 in future benefits to the local community, including construction wages and an increase in property tax revenue.
The project is estimated to generate a $3 local benefit for every $1 of requested incentives.
Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp. is requesting assistance from the GCEDC with an exemption from the 8% state and local sales taxes for construction and equipment estimated at $64,000, and a 10-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) abating $198,634 of future property taxes generated by the new facility.
If the project application is advanced, a public hearing on the proposed project agreements for Rochester Davis-Fetch Corp. will be scheduled in the village of Le Roy.
The GCEDC board meeting will be at MedTech Center’s Innovation Zone, 99 MedTech Dr., Batavia.
Meeting materials and links to a live stream/on-demand recording of the meeting are available at www.gcedc.com.
Zachary D. Jackson, 27, of New Mashipacong Road, Montague, N.J., is charged with 11 counts of confinement of a companion animal in a vehicle in extreme temperatures. Jackson was arrested at 3:07 p.m. on July 25 at 8315 Park Road in the Town of Batavia by Deputy Richard Flores. Deputies responding to an animal complaint found several dogs locked in a non-running vehicle with no food or water, appearing to suffer from heat exhaustion. He was held for arraignment.
Jamal Y. Ashford, 30, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd while confined in a correctional facility. Ashford was arrested on July 4 at the Genesee County Jail by Deputy Richard Flores. He is accused of striking another inmate with a closed fist, intending to cause physical injury. He was held for arraignment.
Donald D. Ryan, 42, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Ryan was arrested on July 14 following a traffic stop on Harvester Avenue, where he was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Benjamin G. Evans IV, 37, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Evans was arrested on July 17 in Batavia. He allegedly stole an e-bike from the porch of a residence on Manhattan Avenue and was found in possession of narcotics when taken into custody. He was released on appearance tickets.
Thomas A. Culver, 47, of Bergen, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and multiple vehicle and traffic violations. Culver was arrested on July 20 following a traffic stop on State Street, where he was found to be operating a vehicle with switched plates and allegedly in possession of crack cocaine. He was released on appearance tickets.
Maria L. Sanders, 49, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Sanders was arrested on July 15 in connection with a May 18 incident in which she was allegedly found operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs and in possession of narcotics. She was released on appearance tickets.
Zachary W. Williams, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd and menacing 2nd. Williams was arrested on July 15 in Batavia. He allegedly threatened another person with a knife during an altercation on Thorp Street. He was held for arraignment.
Steven J. Godinho, 41, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and aggravated family offense. Godinho was arrested on July 22 in Batavia following an investigation into a domestic incident in which he allegedly violated an order of protection. He was remanded to the Genesee County Jail.
Alex Powell, 30, of Astoria, is charged with DWI. Powell was arrested on July 20 following a traffic stop on East Main Street. He was released on traffic tickets.
David N. Hanna, 50, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Hanna was arrested on July 17 following a traffic stop on Clinton Street. He was released on traffic tickets.
Zachary M. Burk, 29, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Burk was arrested on July 19 in Batavia. He allegedly stole merchandise from Aldi on East Main Street. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Brian Scott, 27, of Buffalo, is charged with harassment 2nd. Scott was arrested on July 17 in Batavia. He allegedly shoved another person during an altercation on North Lyon Street. He was released on an appearance ticket.
John W. Clack, 68, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Clack was arrested on July 17 in Batavia. He allegedly shoved another person during an altercation on East Main Street. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Charlene M. Poole, 55, and Junior D. Benedict, 47, both of Batavia, are each charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Both were arrested on July 15 following a traffic stop on Main Street, where they were allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. Both were released on appearance tickets.
Christopher L. Wissinger, 53, and Diana L. Sponaugle, 52, both of Le Roy, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Both were arrested on July 8 following a traffic stop on Ellicott Street, where they were allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. Both were released on appearance tickets.
Mark E. Flaming IV, 36, of Batavia, is charged with menacing 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment 2nd. Flaming was arrested on July 7 on a warrant in Batavia. He is accused of punching another person in the face with brass knuckles while a child was present. He was held for arraignment.
Dennis R. Ramsey, 47, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Ramsey was arrested on July 8 in Batavia. He allegedly entered a business from which he had previously been trespassed and stole merchandise. He was arraigned and released.
Robert J. Dercqu, 25, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Dercqu was arrested on July 2 in Batavia. He allegedly stole merchandise from Dollar General on East Main Street and resisted officers when they attempted to take him into custody. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Lazarus U. Sims, 54, of Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. Sims was arrested on July 3 following a traffic stop on West Main Street, where he was allegedly found in possession of a stolen license plate. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Torre D. Hamilton, 51, of Columbus, Ohio, is charged with DWI. Hamilton was arrested on July 10 following a traffic stop on Park Road. He was released on traffic tickets.
David B. Hess, 39, of Alexander, is charged with DWI. Hess was arrested on July 13 following a traffic stop on West Main Street. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Steven J. Willis, 60, of Geneseo, is charged with aggravated harassment 2nd. Willis was arrested on July 11 in Batavia. He allegedly called a local gas station and made threats against the store and its employees. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Richard F. Hull, 48, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Hull was arrested on July 12 in Batavia. He allegedly damaged a door during an altercation on Vine Street. He was arraigned and released.
Timothy O. Lee, 45, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Lee was arrested on June 25 in Batavia. He allegedly punched and broke the window of a car during an altercation at Farrell Park. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Josiah M. Smith, 48, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd. Smith was arrested at 1 a.m. on July 3 on Alexander Road in Alexander by Deputy Richard Flores. He is accused of possessing Alprazolam, a controlled substance not prescribed to him, while driving with a suspended license. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Carson C. Ficarella, 25, of Genesee Street, Darien, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful imprisonment 2nd, and harassment 2nd. Ficarella was arrested at 8:59 a.m. on July 16 at 476 Genesee St., Darien, by Deputy James Stack. He is accused of getting into a physical dispute with his child's mother and refusing to allow them to leave the residence. He was held for arraignment.
Kimberly Aponte, 29, of Murray Street, Rochester, is charged with assault 3rd and harassment 2nd. Aponte was arrested on July 12 following a physical altercation at Darien Lake Theme Park, investigated by Deputy Joshua Brabon. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Richard T. Kole, 64, of Lester Street, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 1st and DWI. Kole was arrested at 11:26 p.m. on July 18 at 9993 Alleghany Road, Darien, by Deputy Travis Lambert, following an investigation into a two-car property damage accident. He was held for arraignment.
Michael Ray Powell, 39, of Westgate Road, Splendora, Texas, is charged with grand larceny 3rd. Powell turned himself in at the Genesee County Jail on July 24, investigated by Deputy James Stack. He is accused of stealing more than $8,000 worth of tools from a previous employer. He was held for arraignment.
Brent S. Paylor, 35, of Eagle Harbor Road, Albion, is charged with harassment 2nd. Paylor was arrested at 12:52 a.m. on July 23 on Route 5 in the Town of Batavia by Deputy John Garlock. He allegedly pulled the hair of a victim. He was released on an appearance ticket.
This photo showing part of the Wash Room was taken after the renovation was finished. Photo courtesy of Gary Miller
This is a "before" picture of the space the Wash Room occupies in Le Roy. Photo courtesy of Gary Miller.
The new laundromat at 47 Main Street in Le Roy does not offer the full range of services it plans to - yet.
By September, though, in addition to the 10 washing machines and nine dryers available to customers, there will be a wash-and-fold area for staff to handle customer orders and the business will also be a package dropoff and pickup site.
Wash and fold will begin Aug. 3. Customers will not go directly into the wash-and-fold area, but staff will work in it. Owner Gary Miller is the only one there now, but he says he hopes to hire at least two more people.
There's a procedure staff will follow that includes use of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. With wash and fold, a basket that reads a customer's laundry is connected to the CRM.
"We're not opening until Aug. 3, so some of this stuff is working, but it needs to be fine-tuned," Miller said.
An employee would use the system to create a service order and print out one ticket for the customer.
"The customer receives a text message saying, 'Thank you for your order,'" Miller said. "They're receiving live updates on their order. We are giving out free bags with their wash-and-fold service. These are bags people would consistently bring their wash in to be processed."
The Wash Room owner showed the equipment he would use to fold customers' clothes once they're dry.
"When they go to fold, this process is simplified with something like this," he said, demonstrating how the employee would fold a shirt. "Consistency is key - providing people with the same fold. As efficiency builds, you can see that this gives you a nice, folded shirt."
When the wash and fold is done, the employee would put the clothes in a plastic bag for the customer.
"As soon as we process an order in the system, they're going to get a text message that the order is ready," Miller said.
Every aspect of the Wash Room is automated.
Of being a future package dropoff site, Miller said, "We don't process the package. We take that package in and we're a pickup for UPS."
The look of the Wash Room is intended to remind people of home, its owner said.
"The response, so far, has been the people value it. If you don't value the space, they're not going to," Miller said.
The laundromat owner said he's not a Le Roy native, but that people from anywhere know what Jell-O is. The Wash Room has art on one wall that mentions Jell-O, but also the former Ingham University, which was the first women's college in New York State and the first chartered women's university in the United States, operating from 1837-1892 at Main and Wolcott streets.
Miller said the Wash Room has been open for a little over a week - since July 16. The Wash Room is open seven days a week, from 5:30-11 p.m.
Customers will be able to look at the status of their laundry online.
"You can see if it's got five minutes left, if it's got 10 minutes," he said.
Customers who download the Speed Queen app can also start washers and dryers right from their phones, check machine availability, add funds securely and earn rewards through a loyalty program. They may download the app and enter a location code to be able to use these options.
In the laundromat, there is a kiosk at which customers can add cash.
"People can receive points for every washer that they use, or dryer. Then they get money off, much like you would find with a gas station/convenience store. We can offer the same thing," Miller said.
There is still an issue to work out with the kiosk card reader.
"Ultimately, there will be a card option here. We're just waiting on a couple of parts ... I'm just waiting on the card reader, the parts for it," he said.
Behind the building is an electric-vehicle (EV) charging station which the ChargePoint EV app recognizes.
"This is now recognized as an EV station in Le Roy. Whether it be customers, whether it be people who are going to multiple restaurants here, they can park here and charge their vehicles while they do something," Miller said. "This is a 48-amp station."
Miller said he owns multiple properties next to the Wash Room as well. One of the buildings, a red structure, has a mural near the top of it on one side.
"Yes, it's the corner of the back of a building, but everybody parks here to go eat. You cannot help but see a red building with a mural that says 'Welcome to Le Roy.' You don't see anything else in town, except on your way in, that says, 'Welcome,'" he said.
Owner Gary Miller shows the system that will run the wash-and-fold service when it opens Aug. 3. Photo by Brian Quinn
The EV charging station is at the back of the Wash Room, 47 Main Street in Le Roy. Photo courtesy of Gary Miller
A Le Roy mural is the side of the laundromat building, at the back. Photo courtesy of Gary Miller
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) celebrated the governor signing his legislation, A.8340-C, dedicating the portion of State Route 19 located within the Town of LeRoy as the "Lt. Gary A. Scott Memorial Highway."
Lt. Gary A. Scott was a LeRoy native who served as a second lieutenant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. On March 29, 1968, Lt. Scott was killed while attempting to save the life of a fellow soldier. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his bravery and sacrifice. With the governor's signature, the New York State Department of Transportation will install and maintain signs recognizing the highway's dedication to Lt. Scott.
"Lt. Gary Scott represented the very best of LeRoy and of our nation. He led with courage, placed the lives of his fellow soldiers before his own and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Dedicating this highway in his honor will ensure that his name, his heroism and his connection to the LeRoy community are remembered for generations to come. I am grateful to Senator Borrello, Lt. Scott's family, members of the LeRoy community and everyone who remained committed to seeing this legislation through the process. This designation is a permanent and fitting tribute to a hometown hero whose legacy continues to inspire our community," said Hawley.
On Friday, the 27th Annual Alumni Banquet brought together graduates from LeRoy High School classes of 1946 through 1975 at the former Holy Family School gym.
Patty Stefani Iamon, Alumni Banquet Committee secretary, said that among the 120 attendees, "we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming back Josephine Iannello Nalchajian (Class of 1956), who traveled all the way from Fresno, California." Josephine was accompanied by her seven adult grandchildren, who flew in with her to experience the town and stories they had heard so much about.
At the banquet, the West Coast Iannellos were greeted with hugs and kisses by their LeRoy relatives from the classes of 1946, 1951, 1956 and 1958. It was a wonderful experience for the Iannellos, and a heartwarming moment for everyone in attendance to witness the grandchildren meeting their aunts, uncles and cousins for the very first time.
Planning for next year's banquet will begin in a couple of weeks. As a reminder, the annual banquet is for LeRoy alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. The committee consists of 13 representatives from 10 classes, but representatives from the classes of 1973, 1975 and 1976 are needed.
If you would like to join the planning committee, which meets once a month from April through August, or if you want to ensure you are on the list to attend the next banquet, please contact Patty Stefani Iamon at 585-245-2918 or piamon@gmail.com.
The family of John N. Aramino gathered for a photo in front of the memorial to him dedicated Sunday at Trigon Park. Photo by Brian Quinn
"Greater Love Hath No Man Than To Give His Life For A Friend." That is part of what people will see if they stop at Trigon Park and see the plaque dedicated to John N. Aramino, the Le Roy teenager who died on Memorial Day in 1961 saving a young boy's life.
Sixty-five years have passed since the Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School senior's passing. His family and friends, along some who attended this weekend's Oatka Festival, gathered around for a plaque dedication in Aramino's honor.
Art Aramino, John's younger brother, said the family was thankful and overwhelmed by the plaque dedication.
"It really does mean a lot. I was telling other people, 'What I know about John, I read in the papers. I read in the yearbook,'" he said. "I was 7, going on 8. He was 17, going on 18. We didn't hang out together. I was still into toy trucks and airplanes. I didn't know much about him. His classmates know a lot more about John than I do. I'm still finding things out after all these years."
Aramino said his brother's life meant a lot to a lot of people.
"He died at a very young age. A lot of times, we sit back and wonder, 'What would John be like had he not passed away that day? What would his future have been like.' Would he have been a pilot in the Air Force. He was going to the Academy. Would he have become an engineer - an aeronautical engineer? Would he have a family and I'd have other nephews or nieces?"
John Aramino's parents, John and Margaret, lost three children at young ages on three separate occasions. There were three boys and two girls in the immediate family.
"I can remember my mother sitting at the kitchen table, sobbing, wondering, 'Why did God take my children from me?'" Art Aramino said. "Now, we know that her faith was being tested, but they never lost faith. They never turned their back on God. They continued to praise and worship him, and give him thanks for all that they had."
Aramino's act of bravery on the tracks around Buttermilk Falls - saving the life of another boy, inspired Art and his brother to be the best they could be. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission states that he died saving Louis P. Brady III from being killed by a train on May 30, 1961.
"Louis, 10, followed Aramino (age 17), schoolboy, and another youth onto a railroad bridge and about midway between the ends stood watching them as they fired rifles at a can floating in the shallow creek 45 feet below. All three stood at the open vertical side of the bridge near the track on which a train was approaching. When the train was 300 feet from the bridge, the engineer saw them and sounded the whistle," the commission stated on its website. "The other youth ran to safety at the opposite side of the bridge. Aramino shouted to Louis, who did not comprehend the warning. Aramino then turned, stepping briefly onto the track on which the train was approaching, and lunged at Louis, grasping him by the shoulders. Louis fell face downward on the gravel ballast, which extended to the open side of the bridge. Aramino also fell to a prone position with his head resting on Louis as the train passed at undiminished speed and stopped beyond them. Louis was removed from beneath Aramino, who had died instantly from being struck by a projection of the train."
Village Trustee James Bonacquisti, who co-authored "A Knight's Journey" with John Aramino's cousin, John Mangefrida, said the plaque was installed in the past week at Trigon Park, a few days before Sunday's dedication.
"We wanted to do it this weekend. We thought about doing it yesterday (Saturday) at 3 o'clock, which would have been an absolute disaster (due to the rain)," he said. "The spot is perfect. People pulling through to park, to pick their children up, will see the sign and hopefully look his name up. This is village property, so we didn't need anybody's permission but the mayor's."
It took about six months to complete the project. Bonacquisti said the county paid for the sign.
"Kristina Sanner from the county was absolutely fantastic. She made the sign. She does all the signs for the county," Bonacquisti said. "We worked through the design. We sent it to John's two brothers to look over, to approve it. She walked me through it. Being an older gentleman, I'm not that up on new technology."
The QR code that is on the plaque is not compatible with the village website, Bonacquisti said.
"We just changed servers. There's a couple of things we've got to work through. It'll (the QR code) be active this week. If you click on it, it'll take you to the village site, but there's nothing there for John yet."
During the dedication, he thanked Police Chief Greg Kellogg; village employees Eileen Carmel, John Piazza and Mike Rogers from the village for their work in getting things to Sunday's dedication. He thanked Mayor Greg "Porp" Rogers and fellow Village Board members.
"A special thanks to our DPW (Department of Public Works) chief, Bob Lathan, Bob did all the meticulous work on the posts, went above and beyond to make this special thing happen," Bonacquisti said. "Bob had these ahead of time. He stained them all. He sanded them. He did all the work and it's perfectly level. He dug the holes, filled it in, did the nice mulch here."
Learning about Aramino's short, but impactful, life made Bonacquisti proud to be part of the same community in which Aramino had lived. Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School presents a scholarship each year in Aramino's name, established by his 1961 Le Roy classmates. Aramino's teammate, Dave Paganin, was the first recipient.
"Another Le Roy hero, Gary Scott, who we will be honoring soon with a state road dedication, was the third winner of this honor," Bonacquisti said. "I see a lot of our young men and women who received that honor that are here today. Thank you for joining us."
John Mangefrida said he couldn't express how much the plaque dedication meant to Aramino's family.
"When Jimmy and I started writing the book ("A Knight's Journey"), Jimmy came to me. He goes, 'I had no idea about your cousin,'" Mangefrida said. "I said, 'Well, we didn't talk about him a lot. Growing up, I remember going over to the Araminos'. There was a picture of John, I think it was after his prom. There was a picture of Uncle John and Aunt Margaret (Aramino's parents) with the president, John Kennedy, when he received the Bravery Award from the Department of Justice. I remember, that was always a very somber place in the house. You just had unbelievable respect."
The older he got, the more he learned to appreciate that, Mangefrida said.
The White House ceremony
In May 1963, Aramino posthumously received the Young American Medal for Bravery in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.
Aramino's cousin, Jean Serusa, was one of three people at Sunday's dedication who went to Washington, D.C. when President John F. Kennedy presented the medal. The other two were Art Aramino and his cousin, Joann (Mangefrida) Minor.
"We met President Kennedy when his family got the medal," Serusa said. "We met President Kennedy in the Rose Garden for a beautiful ceremony ... It was instigated by Congressman Harold Ostertag from Alexander. Aunt Margaret and Uncle John had the choice to stand right there, next to him (Kennedy), for the rest of the ceremony. That was quite an honor. We were impressed by his compassion for the situation."
It was a wonderful memory for them, although on sad circumstances, Serusa remembered.
"It was a beautiful day, like today, in May," she said. "I will never forget that ceremony."
Art Aramino, now 73, said the immediate family went to Washington - his first trip there, at age 11 - as did several members of the extended family.
"There were probably 14 of us," he said. "It was probably three days. Not only did we have the ceremony in the Rose Garden, but they gave us the royal treatment. They took us to all the monuments in D.C., to the FBI headquarters, down to the firing range where they fired their Thompson machine guns ..."
There is a picture from the award presentation that includes John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Sen. Jacob Javits from New York, the family said.
"We went up in the Washington Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial,' Art said. "We had a chauffeur. They treated us wonderfully. We had lunch with Congressman (Harold) Ostertag ... and had the famous pea soup. We got a tour of the White House, got a tour of the Capitol, the Smithsonian Institute. We did go to Arlington Cemetery, we saw that."
"A Knight's Journey"
Bonacquisti and John Mangefrida wrote "A Knight's Journey" in 2013.
"It's about the history of Le Roy football, but the significance (is) John and Gary have their own chapter. It talks about those two guys' lives," Bonacquisti said. "Gary Scott was the third recipient of the John Armino Award. Just talking to Gary's relatives, they were so touched by it, because they knew how much Gary respected John (Armino), how much that meant to Gary to win that award."
Bonacquisti said he wasn't even born when Aramino passed away. He said he only became aware of Aramino's act of heroism on the train tracks that day in 1961 much later, when he and Mangefrida were writing the book.
"Doing the research in the book, I got to know about him," Bonacquisti said. "I feel bad that, growing up, I really didn't know the whole details of it until we started doing the research. During the book research, hearing from John's best friend, Joe Calore, along with Ron Rossi, Dave Carmichael, Dave Paganin and many more about how great a person John was. Those same friends, although devastated by his death, were not surprised (at) the actions John took that day, Memorial Day in 1961."
Mangefrida recalled Bonacquisti's passion for writing the book, saying it can't be understated.
"When he said he was going to do this, I said, 'Go for it.' I didn't think much of it," Mangefrida said. "Look at where we are at today. The family is very, very thankful for the community, very thankful for guys like Jim.
"Jimmy took care of all the stories - personal stories, this and that," Mangefrida said later. "I did all the research for the number of wins and who they beat and that type of thing."
The John Aramino Award
The award is based on scholastic and athletic achievement. Bonacquisti said a committee which includes Le Roy teachers and John Mangefrida determines the scholarship recipient.
"They've got to have good grades and have lettered in two varsity sports," Bonacquisti said. The award has been presented since 1961.
"That was his graduating class and they put that scholarship together within ... four or five weeks," he said.
The amount award is recently at $1,000 and its value had increased over the years. The proceeds from book sales the first year after Bonacquisti and Mangefrida wrote it went to the John Aramino Award and the Gary Scott Award.
"It got that scholarship (the Aramino Award) reinvigorated," Bonacquisti said.
"My son, Ryan, won the award in 2013 and that's when we kicked things off a little bit more, making a bigger deal out of it at the awards ceremony. We increased the honorarium," Mangefrida said.
The original award was lost when Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School moved from Wolcott to its present location.
"When they moved the building, the award got put into a box someplace and it wasn't up ... It didn't seem like anybody really cared about it," he said. "Lynda Lowe, who was the assistant principal at the time, went and found it. We were able to present the actual award to Ryan. It was like, 'We can't let this go the way it was going. We put up a brand-new plaque in the atrium."
John Aramino's cousin, John Mangefrida, right, introduces Aramino's brother, Art Aramino, during the dedication. Photo by Brian Quinn
Jean Serusa, right, and Joann (Mangefrida) Minor, left, both went to Washington, D.C. for the Young American Medal for Bravery presentation in May 1963. Photo by Brian Quinn
John Aramino's friend, Joe Collar, left, shakes hands with James Bonacquisti, co-author of "A Knight's Journey." Photo by Brian Quinn
Art Aramino speaks about his brother and the family's gratitude at Sunday's dedication in Trigon Park. Photo by Brian Quinn
James Bonacquisti thanks those who contributed to the dedication to John Aramino's memory. Photo by Brian Quinn
The memorial to John Aramino was placed in Trigon Park last week and dedicated over the weekend. Photo by Brian Quinn)
Solar Liberty's Robert Gauchat, left, and Dean Stanfield explain the company's solar project proposal for the village's wastewater treatment plant roof. Photo by Brian Quinn
Village of Le Roy leaders are considering whether to say yes to spending $6,500 on a National Grid utility study for a solar project on the roof of the village Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Solar Liberty of Buffalo proposes a 670-kilowatt rooftop net metering solar project for the village of Le Roy. The company says the project will cost about $1.452 million, and the village net project cost would be $849,300.55. It would save the village almost $89,900 in the first year, $8,785 a month. The village is considering installing a rooftop solar array at its wastewater treatment facility.
National Grid requires the village to pay $6,500 for a utility study before National Grid completes an interconnection review.
At this week's Village Board meeting, Solar Liberty Commercial Sales Consultant Dean Stanfield said that three years ago he met with Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Steven Carroll to explore ways to protect the town and village from rising electricity costs.
"Whenever you look at a project like this, No. 1, the numbers have to make sense for long-term savings. No. 2, the next step is to conduct what's called a utility study," Stanfield said. "That's submitting the project to National Grid and then they have to approve the project. If there's any utility upgrades that are required, they bring those to our attention, and we say 'Yes' or 'No' from there."
Stanfield noted National Grid had required a $300,000 interconnection upgrade, which Mayor Greg "Porp" Rogers said would not work.
"What we did is, we found another way around that to really mitigate the cost - the $300,000," Stanfield said. "All we're asking for tonight is ... a $6,500 restudy commitment. Once you do that, they (National Grid) will come back to us with their findings, and then we can make a decision from there."
Solar Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Robert Gauchat said the company proposes using net metering for this project. Sunlight would shine on modules. The modules produce direct current power and an inverter converts it to alternating current electricity. The plant building uses the electricity first, and any remaining electricity passes through the meter and is sent to the grid for compensation.
"Essentially, with net metering, you're going to create solar energy on the ground or on a rooftop. The excess energy goes to the grid," he said. "You essentially are reducing the need for any electricity from the grid ... because it's getting fed into the building. Any excess is going out to the grid and then you start to get these credits. It's just a different setup that saves on equipment. National Grid's going to provide credits to you."
Electricity would run the treatment plant first. With the treatment plant being a 24-hour facility, the facility would take electricity from the grid at night.
"During the daytime ... you won't need electricity for that meter from the grid," Gauchat said. "One of the meters at the treatment plant uses more than $60,000 worth of electricity in a year, and the other uses about $4,400 worth. "What we determined is if we tie into this lower-usage meter ... we can generate so much electricity with the same set up, that we can actually end up sending $85,000 worth of credits to offset this $60,000 bill that you have at the wastewater treatment plant and approximately another $25,000 that you can use for whatever - the fire department, police departrment, other meters around the (village)," he said. "Essentially, this reduces cost, gets rid of the secondary service ... that caused the utility upgrades that National Grid said was going to be $300,000. We eliminate a lot of that."
National Grid will credit the village for every kilowatt-hour that goes into the grid. "On average, we figure that's going to be, in year one ... about 13 cents a kilowatt-hour," Gauchat said. "It pays off your demand charges. It pays off your basic service charges. You can just do a lot more with those monies."
National Grid may still say there are upgrade costs even if the village pursues the Solar Liberty proposal.
"What they told us on the phone is that if you go to net metering and you pay for the study, which is $6,500, which is not bad for National Grid ... They'll study that. They said, 'This is the best way to potentially mitigate that," Gauchat said.
A $6,500 cost to understand whether Solar Liberty's proposal is viable is a good investment for the village, he said. "After that, then we come back to the (village) with what their findings are, and we talk about it with you, and you decide, 'Does it make sense?'"
There is a time sensitivity to a decision on whether to pay for the study.
"Part of this proposal that we have for you includes the Direct Pay, which is the 30% payment from the federal government," Gauchat said. "Your system ... we have to get that installed by the end of 2027 in order for you to get those monies. After that ... the ITC (Investment Tax Credit) Direct Pay goes away with the federal government. That's why we wanted to just get it moving if you're interested. We hope you are because you've invested a lot of time at this project."
For $6,500, to see if this still makes sense for the village is a logical investment, according to Gauchat. The lifespan of the system Solar Liberty proposes is about 25 years. The savings for the village over that period will be about $1.7 million, Stanfield said.
"You extend that another 10 years, $3 million for the (village). The village of Le Roy will save, based on the forecast, $3 million in net savings - that's after you pay the system off. That, to me, is attractive, with the electric costs going up."
Trustee William Kettle asked whether, if the study comes back, the $300,000 in upgrades will be needed to "greenlight" the Solar Liberty project. The $300,000 would put the village in the same situation it was in previously, he said.
"Based on our discussions with National Grid and our engineers, they're forecasting much less - meaning, I don't want to commit to $100,000, but it would be less than $100,000 based on our experience," Stanfield said. "We don't know until they come back with the study findings."
Village resident Jasmine Morrow asked whether Solar Liberty's estimates include a possible reduction in return during the winter for snow getting on the panels.
"We have to estimate the production of the system. Our estimate of the production is about 723,000 kilowatt-hours a year. You're going to have lower production in the winter months and you're going to have real high production in the summer months," Gauchat said. "That's when you're going to be generating more credits to send to your other bills. It absolutely incorporates the snow cover and the typical radiance of Le Roy, N.Y., the sunlight that you get here."
Trustee James Bonacquisti said $849,000 is a lot of money. The $3 million in savings over 35 years is speculation, he felt.
"I know there's stuff that's happened here in the village in the past. We thought we were going to make a lot of money on a compost facility," he said. "We finally paid for that after how many years?"
Stanfield said Solar Liberty gave the village contact information for other customers it could call to ask them about their experiences with the company. Bonacquisti said he has some fear when it comes to solar.
"I see what's happening with solar fields in this area and it's out of control," he said. "You look at Elba, Byron ... That farmland is gone. I'm not a big fan of solar."
Stanfield asked if solar panels are better on a roof than on farmland. Rogers said yes and Bonacquisti said yes, in this case.
Rogers told Solar Liberty it would have an answer by next Wednesday on whether the village will approve having the study done for $6,500.
Board members Daniel Vanderhoof, left, and Raymond Yacuzzo discuss the proposal for a consolidation or dissolution study. Photo by Brian Quinn
The village of Le Roy is having a consultant study potential unification - consolidation with the town or village dissolution - before village leaders make any decisions.
The town of Le Roy, on the other hand, does not want to look into consolidation, its supervisor said Thursday.
During Wednesday's Village Board meeting, Mayor Greg "Porp" Rogers said the village received two proposals to do a study on potential unification of the village and town. One was from Laberge Group and the other from CGR of Rochester. The Village Board voted to choose CGR.
Trustee Daniel Vanderhoof, elected in March, said he wasn't part of all the conversations other board members had on unification.
"I read through all the case studies and tried to understand it, took a step back and said, 'OK, why are we doing this? What are we we doing?'" he said.
Vanderhoof said he had questions other board members may have gone over already.
"My first question is, 'What's driving the need for the study?' My understanding is, if there's a committee or a group that goes out there and they get signatures on a petition, they would submit it to us and say, 'Hey, you've got to bring it up for a vote ... to see if the community wants to do a study. At that point, if it passes, we would be driven to do a study to understand what the plan would look like to do either consolidation or dissolution."
According to the New York State Department of State, if reorganization is voter-initiated, Article 17-A of General Municipal Law says only voters registered in the local government entity may sign consolidation petitions, or serve as the contact person for the petition.
In a voter-initiated process, the consolidation agreement or dissolution plan will not be developed until after the referendum on whether to consolidate or dissolve passes. The plan must contain the same information as one prepared in a board-initiated process. Once the governing bodies propose a plan, voters have the opportunity to conduct another petition drive to require a second referendum, this time on the plan itself. If that drive is successful and another referendum is held, it too must pass in order for the reorganization to take effect.
If the governing bodies are unable or unwilling to prepare and approve a reorganization plan, five voters who signed the original petition may bring an Article 78 action in state Supreme Court. The state court system says an Article 78 proceeding is generally used to challenge an action, or inaction, or decision made by an officer or agency of New York State or local governments. This proceeding must begin within four months after receipt of a final determination letter.
Depending on its findings, the court may refer the matter to mediation or issue an injunction compelling the governing bodies to act. If the governing bodies still fail to act, the court may appoint a judicial hearing officer to develop and approve a plan.
Police Chief Greg Kellogg, who had been looking up information while the meeting was going on, read what he found in Article 17-A concerning the process.
"If you're presented with signatures, the village clerk has 10 days after the petition to determine whether or not it's valid," he read. "If the petition is certified as sufficient, the Village Board has 30 days to accept a resolution to call for a referendum (for consolidation or dissolution). The referendum must be held no sooner than 60 days and no later than 90 days after the adoption of the resolution."
The law says a petition must contain, for each government to be consolidated or dissolved, the signatures of 10% of the registered voters in that entity or 5,000 signatures, whichever is less. However, if a government to be reorganized has 500 or fewer registered voters, signatures of at least 20% of the voters are required.
Rogers said this would most likely be driven by the people going door-to-door and doing everything.
"You don't have this third party (the consultant) like we're going to have. We're going to have this third party that's going to gather the information, but they're not strong-arming anybody. They want to know what you think," he said. "I, personally, whatever the people want and they're willing to pay for, I'm going to give them. It's just as simple as that, for me."
Kellogg said he has read case studies also.
"I think the big difference between us and some of the other municipalities is, we already got rid of our village court, where these other ... village of Attica, town of Attica, they have their own separate courts right now. We don't," he said.
The Department of State says that under a board-initiated reorganization, the process begins with a resolution by the governing bodies endorsing a proposed joint consolidation agreement or dissolution plan.
However, reorganization may start many months before the statutory process begins. With board-initiated reorganization, the board(s) may conduct a study to determine the possible impacts associated with reorganization. By taking the time to study the impacts, both the governing body and the public will be able to evaluate the impacts of reorganization before deciding to reorganize
The proposed joint agreement or dissolution plan must be displayed within five business days after it's adopted.
Within 35-90 days of adoption of a proposed agreement or plan, one or more public hearings on the proposed agreement or plan must take place. These hearing(s) may be held jointly or separately and public notice must appear in a newspaper of general circulation within each entity, and on any entity’s website.
If a board initiates reorganization or dissolution, after the final hearing on the proposed joint consolidation agreement or proposed dissolution, the board may amend the proposed agreement or it may choose not to proceed further.
"At the end of the study, we could determine not to move forward," Kettle said.
Rogers said there could be a point when the consultant finds people want to have a separate town and village.
"The time could come when they get in this study and realize, 'You know what? We like to have a village and like the separation. At that point in time, you just don't do it (reorganization or dissolution)," Rogers said.
Trustee James Bonacquisti asked if the decision on hiring a firm to do a study could wait until after the town of Le Roy finishes its next budget.
"I think there's some factors in there that determine whether we really want to move forward with this," he said.
Rogers said the village already passed a resolution for the intent to do this, which means the village can do it anytime it wants.
"I'm prepared to go forward with it right now," Trustee William Kettle said. "Get the answers."
As to what's driving the need for a study, Rogers said he's the catalyst for this.
"I've always thought there's one too many levels of government. I see where there could be savings to the municipality," he said. "I think there's efficiencies. I like the idea."
Vanderhoof said he doesn't have an opinion either way.
"I'm just looking at ... reading through the case studies, the first thing they say is, most of the economies of scale from combining the two (municipalities) is not there," he said. "You're still going to have an expectation of services. You might be able to reduce some redundant equipment if you combine the DPWs. You're probably not going to reduce labor."
Vanderhoof mentioned the possibility of selling assets.
Kettle said there are three members of the board looking to move on and noted what would be coming down the road.
"You're going to have increased costs with the Police Department. You've got increased costs that are going around. Who's going to be filling the gaps with this board as you see it?" he said.
On Thursday, Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz said the Town Board is not in favor of reorganization or consolidation of the town and village.
"If the village chooses to dissolve, we have no voice in the matter," Farnholz said. If the village dissolves on its own, the town would have to absorb village according to law, he said.
"Really for the town to absorb the village, it would be a significant tax increase for town taxpayers outside the village - in the neighborhood of over 100%," Farnholz said. "It's just not financially beneficial for the town, at this point, to move forward with consolidation. The incentives from the state that were there several years ago are no longer."
The town has had discussions with those who do its annual audits and financial consulting on what it would do if the village dissolves.
"We've had some initial discussions on it. If you merge all of the financing you absorb all of their (the village's) fund balance along with their debts. They would literally cease to exist and would have no voice in the reconstruction of government that would occur," Farnholz said. "If this happens, will you take on this additional workload of straightening out the finances to reorganize. We do have people on board should this happen."
Courtney Eck asked several questions about the Senior High School Learning Center during Wednesday's Board of Education reorganization meeting. Photo by Brian Quinn
The Le Roy Central School District Board of Education reorganization meeting drew community members who brought questions and concerns about the future of the Senior High School Learning Center.
The Learning Center will continue next year, but will look different. Jennifer Bertrand, the teacher assigned to the Learning Center, resigned in June rather than be reassigned to the Wolcott Street School to fill a teaching vacancy due to a retirement, Superintendent Merritt Holly has said.
"I currently work in the Brighton Central Schools, in a position that is nearly identical to the work previously performed by Jen Bertrand," said Courtney Eck of Le Roy.
It's a resource, she said, that has been critical to the success of many district students.
"I know firsthand the tremendous amount of planning, coordination, communication and follow-through that is required to effectively support students with executive functioning deficits and academic needs," she said.
Eck noted that in the past school year, the Learning Center served or oversaw about 80 students in a district with a graduating class of 93.
"That represents a significant percentage of young people who relied on this program," she said.
Eck said effective student support programs require appropriate staffing, meaningful ongoing professional development, consistent administrative support and significant dedicated time for planning, collaboration and implementation.
"I ask that the following questions be considered thoughtfully," she said. "How will the district ensure that teachers have the preparation, time and resources necessary to assume these additional responsibilities, while continuing to meet the demands of their own content-area classrooms? What professional development and ongoing support will teachers receive to ensure that they are prepared to deliver the higher levels of tiered intervention previously provided by the Learning Center? How will this be accomplished before the start of the new school year? Will teachers follow a district-wide model for providing these supports or will implementation be left to individual teachers?"
Eck asked how Le Roy will ensure consistency and effectiveness across classrooms.
"What data and benchmarks will be used to evaluate student outcomes from the new model? What processes are in place to make adjustment if those outcomes are not successful?" she asked. "I'm curious as to what other areas of the district budget were considered before deciding that restructuring the Learning Center was the best path forward."
For many students, the Learning Center was not simply an extra resource.
"It was the support that allowed them to access their education," Eck said. "My hope is that, as the changes move forward, it remains a priority to preserve comprehensive services that these students need in order to achieve academic success."
Molly Iten of Le Roy, a special education teacher at the Mary Cariola Center in Rochester, said she had questions and comments similar to Eck's.
"One of the biggest things I wanted to ask was simply about what other thoughts were put into place, what other actions were looked at before we decided the Learning Center would be revamped," she said.
If the changed Learning Center is not effective, what will be done to revamp it, she asked.
"Both of my sons had used the Learning Center when they were in high school. They certainly benefited from the information that was given at the Learning Center," she said. "The executive function skills that were taught in that group, the emails that went back and forth to families during the times our kids were in the Learning Center were remarkable. As an educator, I was like, 'I think I could learn some of this stuff.'"
Iten said she feared that piece would be lost with the way the Learning Center is going to be redone.
"There won't be one teacher dedicated to setting up the emails - 'This is what we worked on. This is what we've talked about,'" she said. "I know that at the Learning Center, Jen (Bertrand) would go get all the assignments for grades nine through 12 and post it on the whiteboard. I don't think that's going to be a feasible option for teachers who are just going to be dropping in or ... however that's been assigned. I would like to know who's been assigned - will it be the same person every period? Will it rotate through on a rotating basis? It doesn't seem like one teacher being assigned third period every day is an effective way for them to have to spend their time if nobody else has to do that as well."
Easton Thomas, who will be a junior at Le Roy this fall, said he wanted to speak about the Learning Center and about Bertrand, who he said helped him.
"She (Bertrand) helped me throughout the year, so much. I was in and out of the hospital this year ... since February. She was the only one who reached out to me," he said.
Thomas asked how the announcement about the Learning Center was made on short notice.
"Nobody got told anything. It just happened on the last day of school," he said.
Board President Jacalyn Whiting asked Thomas to leave contact information so the district could get back to him. She and Holly told him he did a great job speaking to the board at the meeting.
Whiting said speakers had three minutes to talk and that Open Forum was not a give-and-take with the board.
"If there's questions that need to be answered, Mr. Holly will get back to you in the very near future after tonight," she said.
Before the board went into executive session, Holly told The Batavian he last contacted families Tuesday regarding the Learning Center. He said he would follow up specifically with those who spoke Wednesday evening.
Holly previously sent a districtwide letter on June 22 and spoke to The Batavian the same day. He wanted to share information “regarding the Senior High School Learning Center and the support services that will continue to be available to our students in the 2026-27 academic year."
“It is important to understand that the Senior High School Learning Center is not being eliminated. However, it will look different from a staffing perspective moving forward," he said at the time.
Molly Iten brings her concerns about the Learning Center to the Board of Education's attention during Wednesday's meeting. Photo by Brian Quinn
Easton Thomas shares his experiences with the Learning Center and former Le Roy teacher Jennifer Bertrand. Photo by Brian Quinn
Board members and administrators listened to speakers regarding the Learning Center and told speakers that Superintendent Merritt Holly would follow up with them on questions the speakers had. Photo by Brian Quinn
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The 2026 Oatka Festival has some new bands or solo performers at this year's event, set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 18-19 at Trigon Park. The longtime crowd favorites are back, too, of course.
"We have the Oatka Trio, Side Eye, Bad Sign, Nate Yauchzee (a Le Roy Jr.-Sr. High School graduate) - we have four new bands this year," said Festival Chair Kate Flint. "The performers apply every year. We usually get over 100 applications."
Among the other musical entertainment, the Batavia Swing Band, Knight N Gals and Swinging Knights have been to Oakta Festival before. Knight N Gals and Swinging Knights are Le Roy Central School District groups who, traditionally, open the Sunday portion of the event. They will do that again, performing from 11 a.m. to noon July 19 on the main stage. The Lambertbilly Band, performing from 1 to 2:30 p.m. July 19 in the Gazebo, has been there before as well.
The LeRoy Ambulance Service has a cooling structure at the EMS station on the festival grounds, another new feature.
"They're going to be doing a teddy bear-doll clinic - they get kids used to medical professionals," Flint said. "They're going to be having a 10-15 minute presentation every hour they're at the festival. They're going to have an educational component when they (adults) can speak with public health professionals and get a break from the heat."
"The Duck Derby ( 5 p.m. July 19) has been part of the festival a long time. The Methodist Church Chicken Barbecue has been there since the festival started and so has the Presbyterian Church's beef on weck," Flint said. "The festival started because it was a festival so that non-profits could raise money for their organizations. People look forward to them every year. The Duck Derby is the last event that closes out the festival every year."
As of last week, there were at least 60 vendors signed up, the festival chair said.
"Everything's on target, so I don't think it will be much of a problem. We probably have 15 new vendors," she said. "I like to see it all come together. It's really fun to see the non-profits doing their fundraising. It's great to see all the class reunions that happen during the weekend."
The Festival Committee has done a great job planning this year's festivities, Flint said.
"It's been going smooth - the whole planning process has been going well this year, so we're excited to see what happens," she said. "It's something that's been a staple and part of the community. Many of the vendors that we have are local. I feel like it's the community helping the community."
Flint has been involved in Oatka Festival planning since 2013, becoming chairperson in 2023.
"I started off as entertainment, I would get all the bands to play under the big tent and line them up," she said, adding she would also be at the festival to help as needed. She has lived in Le Roy since moving there in 2001 with her husband, Jeremy, and son, Nathan.
Flint said she went to the festival while growing up in Pavilion.
"I did go to it as a kid. The first festival I went to was in 1989," she said. "It's cool to see how the festival has changed. We still do the face painting and stuff, but we don't have the horses or the people who camp out on the creek bank anymore."
The biggest challenge has been financial, the chairperson says.
"It really does cost a lot of money to run a festival. It's pretty close to $36,000," she said. "We fundraise, we do sponsorship letters. The vendors pay fees to be vendors, so that helps with the cost. They pay $110. After that, what they make is theirs to keep. The food vendors pay a percentage of what they make to the fest. I think they pay 15%. We're always looking for new volunteers to help set up and clean up. We have a lot of great volunteers. That's what makes it run so smoothly."
Le Roy Fire Department First Assistant Chief Josh Pfendler said the Excelsior Hook & Ladder Co. will run the "Cory" Fry booth.
"They use the proceeds to support their Volunteer Fire Company members during the year. The booth is always a highlight of the festival, serving hundreds of pounds of fresh-cut fries. It will be open both days," he said.
We will also be displaying our trucks after the parade. This should be a nice opportunity to view some of our new equipment.
There will be craft vendors, food vendors and a dunk booth. On both days, there will be an inflatable obstacle course, mini-golf, ninja wall, sports shootout, nerf battle, free-play area, face painting, balloon animals and hair tinsel. The schedule for the two-day festival is as follows:
Saturday, July 18
Parade, 11 a.m.
Side Eye, noon-2 p.m., main stage
David Knaudt, 1-2:30 p.m., gazebo
Emmalee's Memories Show, 1 p.m.
Mega Bubble Man, 2:15 p.m.
Bad Sign, 3-5 p.m., main stage
Nate Yauchzee, 3:30-5 p.m., gazebo
Prehistoric Reptile Show, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19
Fishing Derby, 8 a.m.-noon
Cara Weinman: Dance/Movement Class, 10:30 a.m.
Car Show, 11 a.m.
The Art of Mandy, 11 and 11:45 a.m. (pre-registration required)
Knight N Gals/Swinging Nights, 11 a.m.-noon, main stage
Clair R. Cupler, 72, of Starr Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and harassment 2nd. Cupler was arrested twice on June 30 on Starr Road in the Town of Pavilion by Deputy Kaitlyn Englerth. He is accused of possessing crack cocaine and, separately, making threatening comments to an individual, causing that person to become fearful. He was held for arraignment.
George N. Jeffries Jr., 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Jeffries was arrested on June 23 following a traffic stop on Otis Street, where he allegedly was found in possession of narcotics. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Thomas A. Culver, 47, Jessica L. Culver, 36, and Brodes J. Gibson, 65, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. All three were arrested on June 22 following a traffic stop on Oak Street, where they allegedly were found in possession of narcotics. They were released on appearance tickets.
Frank P. Bellucci, 28, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Bellucci was arrested on June 23 following a traffic stop on East Main Street. He was released on traffic tickets.
Jason W. Whitehead Jr., 28, of Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd and aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd. Whitehead was arrested on June 27 during a traffic stop on West Main Street. He allegedly got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee from police. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Demauri J. Humber, 26, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Humber was arrested on June 26 in Batavia. He allegedly violated an order of protection by having contact with the protected person. He was held for arraignment.
Alan D. Tidd, 66, of Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to register address. Tidd allegedly failed to register his address as required. He was held for arraignment.
Gerald A. Mattison, 33, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Mattison was arrested on June 26 in Batavia. He allegedly destroyed property and threw items around a residence while a child was present. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Jill M. Turner, 44, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Turner was arrested on June 27 in Batavia. She allegedly operated a vehicle with the passenger door open while a child was in the passenger seat. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Jason G. Moneau, 49, of Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass 2nd. Moneau was arrested on June 25 in Batavia. He allegedly entered a residence on Hutchins Street without permission. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Kodey R. Mills, 32, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI with two prior convictions within 10 years, speed not reasonable and prudent, moving from a lane unsafely, operator leaves scene of a property damage accident, and aggravated unlicensed operation 1st. Mills was arrested at 2:17 a.m. on June 21 on Perry Road in Pavilion by Deputy Richard Flores. He allegedly operated a motor vehicle with a revoked license while intoxicated by alcohol, traveled at an unsafe speed, moved from his lane unsafely striking a utility pole, and left the scene. He was held for arraignment.
Andrew D. Janas, 28, of Williams Street, Middlesex, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Janas was arrested at 1:03 a.m. on June 14 at the Six Flags Darien Lake campground by Deputy Kevin McCarthy. He allegedly damaged a tire on another person's vehicle in violation of an existing order of protection. He was held for arraignment.
James Albert Chase, 46, of East Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with failure to register an address change as a sex offender with a prior conviction of the same within 10 years. Chase was arrested on May 19 in Batavia by Deputy Jeremy McClellan. He was held for arraignment.
Kiha S. McNear, 28, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with attempted assault 2nd while confined in a correctional facility. McNear was arrested at 10:54 a.m. on July 4 at the Genesee County Jail. He allegedly struck another inmate in the face. He was held for arraignment.
The Le Roy Central School District Board of Education meeting scheduled for this morning has been changed to begin at 9 a.m. in the library of Le Roy Junior/Senior High School.
