Attica

A resident in an apartment at 89 Colony Run, Attica, reports the smell of smoke in the dwelling.

Alexander Fire Department along with Attica being dispatched.

UPDATE 8:04 p.m.: Both Attica and Alexander chiefs on scene. Assignment being held to one truck from each department.

UPDATE 8:15 p.m.: Alexander assignment back in service. No smell of smoke found.

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Tomubari Godswill Gbaraba, 18, of 262 14th St., Buffalo, is charged with rape in the first degree. Gbaraba is accused of having forced sexual intercourse with an 18-year-old victim at College Village. Gbaraba was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Christine A. Woika, 37, of 82 Gilbert St., Le Roy, is charged with reckless endangerment of property and endangering the welfare of a child. Woika is accused of placing a jacket and other clothing in an oven in an apartment and leaving the oven on. The clothes started to burn and if they had caught fire, the fire could have spread causing at least more than $250 in damage. Woika is also accused of allowing herself to become incoherent to the point that she had to be transported to a hospital while she was caring for a 2-year-old child.

John Weston Boddy, 19, of Junction Road, Pavilion, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Boddy is accused of possessing marijuana while on Pavilion Central School property. He was issued an appearance ticket by Deputy Brian Thompson.

A 17-year-old, of Roanoke Road, Pavilion, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth is accused of possessing marijuana while on Pavilion Central School property. He was issued an appearance ticket by Deputy Brian Thompson.

Gary Frank Caccamise, 64, of Attica, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Caccamise was reportedly spotted by Deputy Brian Thompson allegedly drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Upon further investigation, Thompson allegedly found Caccamise in possession of marijuana.

Gerald George Ryder, 50, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Ryder is accused of punching a woman in the head and then smashing her wooden bookcase during an incident at 2:30 a.m., Saturday.

Fire departments from Genesee County are being dispatched to the Village of Attica for a structure fire at 209 Exchange Street.

The building is a commercial structure.

Alexander, Darien, Bethany and Town of Batavia are either being dispatched to the scene or being called in for back up of dispatched departments.

"What's YOUR alternative?"

That's the question Wittnes Smith, of Attica, poses to young people in grades six through 12.

Since moving to the Village of Attica in 2006, Smith and his wife, Tressa, have noticed a couple things: there's not much for young people to do in Attica, and with too much free time on their hands, youths sometimes get involved in things they shouldn't.

So they are working to establish the Club ALT Teen Center in one of the three storefronts of Attica's historic Opera House, which is located at 16 Exchange St. in the village. The aim is to provide teens with alternatives to using alcohol and drugs, and to help them develop a "different outlook on life."

He says there is wide consensus that having a teen center here would be good.

The couple has been actively working on getting the club started for about a year. It would be open during after-school hours to sixth- through 12th-graders in Attica and surrounding areas, including Genesee County.

Village of Attica representatives, while unable to contribute to the project in an official capacity, have said that there are no legal or zoning issues that would prevent a teen center from operating.

Smith has a business license from the state -- which, he says, is all the project requires as far as legal issues go -- and has networked with people and organizations throughout Wyoming County as well as some from Genesee County.

He recently attended a quarterly meeting of the Drug Free Communities Coalition -- a program of GCASA (Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) -- during which people were given a survey and asked what they thought the community should do if given a large sum of money.

Nearly 37 percent of the attendees said they would like to see the money spent on programs for children and youth -- such as after-school programs, more activities for kids during their "down time," education, etc. It was the largest single percentage in terms of support for any one type of program or initiative.

Some supporters have donated money and other necessities to help out. Donations have also come from Batavia businesses. For example, the Batavia Rent-a-Center and BJ's Wholsesale Club have donated equipment and furniture.

The project also has the enthusiastic support of lifelong Batavia resident Mary Ellen Wilber (who is Tressa's aunt).

Wilber is a good voucher for the project. She has decades of insight into rural problems, drug use, youth affairs and public health and worked with the Batavia Youth Bureau for awhile. She served as special advisor to the last four governors.

"Choices for healthy alternatives (to drug use, etc.) are so lacking in rural communities," she said. "The youth need things that will really get them to work together and not just hang out. What Wittnes wants to do is offer fun and inexpensive ways to keep kids occupied."

But there is still quite a ways to go, particularly in terms of funding.

"We need about $5,000 to get started," Smith said. "Right now we have $1,000 -- thanks to the generosity of Attica locals and businesses."

Club ALT's overall start-up budget is $25,000 -- or $5,000 to pay the basic overhead -- and it cannot open until that cost is met. Smith plans to raise money in different ways.

In terms of donations, he hopes, ideally, to have 1,000 people donate $25 each. He also plans on applying for grants and turning to traditional fundraising.

If his record is any indication, Smith's teen center is well worth funding. Before moving to Western New York he lived in Seattle, where he did this same type of work.

In addition to running a teen center for four years -- in partnership with the Metropolitan Development Council -- and doing teen programs in nine middle schools, Smith also created an annual musical event called Gospollo and co-founded a night club called Club Friday. Both are still very successful.

"He was very successful and did great work (in Seattle)," Wilber said. "He knows what he's doing."

At this time, he is in charge of a Cheektowaga-based program called Hype, which gives teens the opportunity to learn about the music industry and develop their artistic skills.

"I'd like to bring these same types of programs to Attica," Smith said.

Attica residents were not quite sure what to expect from Smith's idea. Initially, it was a concern for some people, but not because they didn't think the teen center was worth funding. Like most communities, the village has to prioritize projects and has limited resources for them.

The Village Comprehensive Development Plan was last updated in 2003 and included recommendations for future improvements. One was putting in a courthouse above the new firehouse, which was they did. The plan also called for creating a teen/community recreation/senior center.

Location was one of Smith's first obstacles. According to the village's Comprehensive Development Plan, existing buildings on Main Street should be given priority for appropriate public benefit projects. They ought to be re-used, upgraded and altered to accommodate them, according to the plan.

"There's only one building on Main Street that could be considered for re-use," Smith said, "and that is an old, closed-down coffee house."

Smith considered this option, but the asking price was rather high and it was uncertain whether the owner wanted to sell.

All in all, the Opera House storefront seemed like the best option. Smith is interested in a former Realtor's office that has been vacant for some time. The other two storefronts house a church and a massage business.

If successful, Club ALT will engage teens in a variety of activities, so that there will be something for everyone to get involved in regardless of what his/her interests and needs are.

Examples include film/video production, tutoring and mentorship, field trips to historical sites, a journalism club, prevention programs on alcohol/drugs/tobacco, programs aimed at helping parents better understand adolescents, cooking, recreational activities, and more.

Adults experienced in teaching, and youth and program development would supervise.

"I think people see that (the youth) are our future," Smith said. "What we hope to do (with Club ALT) is gear our future in different directions. Without structure or boundaries, young people can stray into harmful behavior and get into trouble. We hope to give them a different perspective on things that are better for them."

Smith has already set up a website anticipating the center's inception. For more information or to find out how you can help with the project, please visit www.clubalt.org.

Photo submitted by Wittnes Smith

A 40-year-old Attica man who was stopped on East Main Street, Batavia, just 12 days ago, admitted in Genesee County Court this morning that he was driving drunk at the time.

Roland J. Reed admitted to a felony count of driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation. He was charged under Leandra's Law because he reportedly had a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old in his car when he was stopped by police.

He was also charged at the time with unlawful possession of marijuana, refusal to take a breath test and moving from lane unsafely.

Reed also admitted to DWI convictions, one in Le Roy in 2009 and another in Monroe County in 2008.

He faces from one to four years in state prison.

Originally jailed on $25,000 bail, Reed will be released under supervision of Genesee County Justice as a condition of his plea.

In addition to prison time, Reed will be required to have an ignition interlock device for at least six months upon his release.

While out of jail awaiting sentencing, Reed will be undergoing treatment, according to his attorney, and looking for work. Judge Robert C. Noonan imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Fire crews and medics are busy this evening. So many calls, not always enough manpower.

Additional fire crews are asked to assemble in their quarters for Bethany, Alexander, the Village of Attica and Darien to be ready in case they are needed. Their other crews are all out on calls.

An Attica man with two prior DWI convictions was allegedly found driving drunk with children in his car on East Main Street in Batavia last night.

Taken into custody on $25,000 bail and charged with a felony under Leandra's Law was 40-year-old Roland J. Reed, of Exchange Street, Attica.

Reed reportedly had a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old in the car when he was stopped at 11:24 p.m. in the area of 505 East Main St., Batavia, by Deputy Christopher Parker.

Besides a felony DWI and the Leandra's Law felony charge, Reed is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, unlawful possession of marijuana, unlicensed operation, moving from lane unsafely and refusal to take a breath test.

The children's mother was reportedly a passenger in the vehicle.

Joshua John King, 21, of 42 Genesee St., Attica, is charged with harassment, 2nd. King is accused of using his account on Facebook to send threatening messages to another Facebook member.

William D. Hirsch III, 23, of 11025 Buckman Road, Bethany, is charged with burglary, 2nd, criminal contempt, 1st, and stalking, 4th. Hirsch is accused of showing up at the house of a protected person and entering and staying without permission with the intent to stalk that person. He's also accused of sending text messages to that person, whom he was ordered not to contact. He allegedly caused that person to fear for his or her safety. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Philip M. Niccloy, 23 of 75 Summit St., Le Roy, is charged assault, 2nd. Niccloy allegedly punched another person in the face, causing extended pain, numbness and diminished eye sight and multiple fractions of the victim's facial bones. He was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Andre Leigh Little, 21, of Ham Road, Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. Little allegedly stole three pre-paid phone cards from the TA Travel Plaza.

Jasmine Lynn Oliver, 20, of Water Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Oliver was taken into custody on a bench warrant out of Niagara County.

Bianca Hervey, a 20-year-old student at GCC and former Batavia resident, was put in an awkward, and potentially dangerous, situation by the Attica Police Department recently, according to the Buffalo News.

Hervey, who's only apparent criminal record is a traffic ticket or two, and who was not known to police as a drug user, was apparently coerced into becoming a snitch -- going undercover to help catch drug dealers.

Now, there is little disagreement that illegal drug dealing is a bad thing, but the News rightly editorializes against the Village of Attica Police Department for employing tactics that sound much like those used by the Stasi, the East German Secret Police.

... the apparent drafting of a neophyte drug informant is not only cruel behavior, it is astoundingly bad police work. If the relevant officials are unwilling to strongly renounce what could have been an anomalous misstep in an otherwise professionally run operation, then their own professional judgment must be called into serious question.

The idea that law enforcement officers chasing drug dealers can do absolutely anything they want is itself a kind of drug, one that is as addictive and as destructive of society as any amount of heroin or cocaine.

Hervey was saved the fate of entering an underground world she knows nothing about because her attorney father was able to intervene, but the News reports an unnamed young man was not so fortunate, and now he fears for his safety.

Officer Christopher Graham, who is also the officer accused of trying to recruit Hervey into undercover work, reportedly told the young man that the minor charges against him could keep him out of the military. He offered the youth a way out -- help catch a drug dealer. The young man followed through, according to the News, but when the police asked him to get involved in a second drug deal, the informant refused to cooperate. A short time later, he was arrested for failure to appear on the original charges.

Informants are used by law enforcement all the time. It was an informant that helped local law enforcement break up an apparent meth ring here in Genesee County last week. But reliable informants are usually people who step forward on their own because they know something, or are people recruited from the drug world they already know. 

It seems to smack of incredibly poor judgment and an abuse of power to try and recruit informants from among young people who have little experience either in the drug world or in dealing with the criminal justice system. We trust our local law enforcement officers use better judgment.

Patrick L. Gugliuzza, 30, of 94 Exchange St., Attica, is charged with DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance and following too closely. Deputies were in the area of 104435 Route 98 in Alexander investigating a motor-vehicle accident. The deputies received a report of a minor property-damage accident on southbound Route 98 near the accident scene. Upon investigation of that accident, Deputy J.M. Graff concluded that Gugliuzza was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Further investigation allegedly revealed that Gugliuzza had a small quantity of heroin. His passenger, Brandon Eck, 29, of 51 Bunnel St., Attica, was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and unlawful possession marijuana.

Keith A. Finan, 44, of 10501 Bonnie Brae Drive, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone. Finan was reportedly stopped on Bonnie Brae Drive in Darien on Friday. The investigation was conducted by Deputy Jason Saile.

William Daniel Nix, 48, of 55 Riverview Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal mischief, harassment and disorderly conduct. Nix is accused of causing a disturbance at 48 Deli Express at 8204 Park Road. Nix was reportedly using foul language and was asked to leave. Nix allegedly continued to use foul language and got involved in a physical struggle with a clerk, tearing his shirt.

Ariana M. Busch, 19, of 10876 Bowen Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlights. Busch was arrested following a traffic stop on Route 20 in Darien at 2:25 a.m. on Saturday.

Dylan C. Miller, 21, of 3883 Eagle Harbor Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving an unregistered car and failure to yield right-of-way. Miller was stopped by Officer T.S. Mart on Oak Street at 2:18 a.m. on Saturday.

Brian L. Smith, 47, of 8655 Jones Road, Houston, Texas, is charged with DWI and driving with improper tail lamps. Smith was stopped by Officer Dan Coffey at 1:05 a.m. on Sunda. Smith was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Scott D. Kingdon, 43, of 6243 Sparks Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Kingdon was reportedly involved in a verbal argument with a friend. The friend called the Sheriff's Office and reported that Kingdon might be at her house. While Deputy Kevin McCarthy was checking the residence, Kingdon reportedly pulled into the driveway. McCarthy allegedly found Kingdon was driving while intoxicated.

Two teenagers, one from Alexander and another from Bethany, are charged with petit larceny for an alleged theft in Alexander. The original incident was reported to State Police on Sept. 15.

David H. Robinson, 45, of Corfu, and Amber M. Robinson, 40, of Batavia, are charged with identity theft. Amber is also charged with forgery of a public record. David and Amber were arrested by State Police at 3 p.m. on Thursday. No further information is available.

James S. Gibbs, 39, of Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, insurance fraud and offering false instruments for filing and a violation of the worker's compensation law. Gibbs is accused of collecting full disability related to an on-duty injury while drawing income from plowing driveways and sealing parking lots in Batavia. Gibbs was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Kathleen M. McBride, 44, of 115 State St., lower, is charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon. McBride is accused of cutting her husband's face during a domestic dispute. Her husband was not seriously injured in the alleged attack. After he was cut, her husband allegedly pushed her onto the bed and held her there, not allowing her to get up. McBride was jailed on $3,000 bail.

Jean Marie Lorenz, 49, of 7907 Allegheny Road, Corfu, is charged with two counts of assault. Lorenze allegedly attacked and cut two people with a knife Saturday night. Lorenz was reportedly drunk at the time. She was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Karen Ann Garcia, 45, of 13535 Miller Road, Albion, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Gardia allegedly allowed her daughter to shoplift at Kmart. Garcia also reportedly lied about her daughter's name and age.

Jamie Luis Santiago, of 5057 Hundredmark Road, Elba, is charged with assault. Santiago was taken into custody for an alleged incident July 12. Santiago allegedly punched his wife in the face causing injury on that date.

Sath P. Dhanda, 29, of 219 Washington Ave., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and assault. Dhanda allegedly instigated a fight. At the time of his arrest, Dhanda allegedly made verbal threats to a police officer. Dhanda was arrested at 7:48 p.m. on Friday.

Dylan A.J. Dembrow, 18, of 14 Pearl St., Akron, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Dembrow is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at a location on Akron Road in Pembroke on Saturday night.

James M. Wisniewski, 19, of Attica, was charged by State Police with harassment. The charge stems from a Sept. 19 incident in the Village of Alexander. No further retails are available at this time.

Thomas J. Preedom, 21, of Wyoming, is charged by State Police with rape in the second degree and acting in a manor to injure a child. According to the State Police blotter entry, Preedom is accused of raping an underage girl. The alleged incident took place in the City of Batavia on Sept. 25. He was subsequently charged with bail jumping, criminal mischief, escape and harassment. Cash bail was set at $50,000.

Ronald G. Albertson, 51, of Albion, is charged with DWI. Albertson was stopped by State Police in Elba on at 10:03 p.m. Saturday.

Attica was able to convert two Oakfield-Alabama turnovers in the second half into big plays to literally run away with the game in Oakfield last night, capturing a 34-21 win.

Spirits were high for Oakfield when the team emerged from the locker room on homecoming night with a 14-7 lead, but on its first possession of the third quarter, a fumble gave Attica the ball well into Hornets' territory and a few plays later, Brandon Rollings squirted into the end zone on a 14-yard run. It was Rollings' second TD of the night.

Attica Head Coach Jeff Cusmano said turn overs and the Blue Devils' ability to convert those turnovers into big plays was the key to the game.

"We got the running game going," Cusmano said. "They were clogging up the middle and we got to the outside a bit. We were just digging down and grinding it out."

The game remained tied until the third quarter when another fumble by Oakfield, now 1-4, was followed by a 56-yard dash by Brad Clark. It was Clark's first of three TDs of the night.

"The first half we came out like I expected them to, and just like Notre Dame last week, we came out firing on all cylinders," Coach Brian Palone.  "We’ve just got to find a way to finish games. Right now we’re not playing four quarters of football."

Oakfield pulled even again on an 84-yard run by Jason Stanley. It was Stanley's second long TD run of the night. He also scored in the first quarter, going 64 yards for the TD.

But it was all Attica (4-1) from that point on in the game. Clark scored twice on runs of 62 and 81 yards to seal the victory.

Cusmano said Clark, who had 296 yards on 27 carries, was the star of the game, but also praised the offensive line.

"They just did a tremendous job," Cusmano said. "They dug down and just ground it out. I would have to say it all starts up front and Brad will be the first guy to tell you that without the blocking up front, he wouldn’t have had what he had."

It was some of those big plays that helped Clark run up so many yards that were the undoing for Oakfield, Palone said.

"We can’t allow big plays," said the Oakfield Coach. "Attica was able to get some big plays on us and put together some big drives on us and it was tough for us to battle back."

The turnovers, of course, were crucial mistakes.

"It came down to what we preached for the past couple of weeks – we’ve got to protect the ball and we weren’t able to do that, and defensively, we can’t allow big plays," Palone said. "Attica was able to get some big plays on us and put together some big drives on us and it was tough for us to battle back."

Next week, Alexander goes against undefeated Holley. Cusmano thinks his team will be ready.

"We’re making progress every week and you know the kids are growing," Cusmano said. "They’re going to make mistakes; you know, you roll out a bunch of young kids and they’re going to make mistakes. We’re getting better every week and cutting down on our mistakes. We'll go into the Holley game next week and see what happens."

Besides Clark, for Attica, Brandon Rollings had six carries for 37 yards. Brandon Banks led the defense with nine tackles. Alex Arnone had seven tackles and two fumble recoveries.

For OA, Jason Stanley rushed for 199 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. Matt Osmancickli rushed for 36 yards and Matt Smith carried the ball a total of 35 yards.

James D. Henry, Jr., 54, of 8296 E. Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with a felony count of criminal possession of a forged instrument and a felony count of attempted grand larceny. Henry, a former Village of Le Roy employee, allegedly entered the village office on Monday possessing a forged doctor's prescription. It stated that Henry "would be out until further notice" in an attempt to gain sick leave compensation, which would have totaled more than $3,000. Henry was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Robin L. Pirdy, 50, of 588 Route 98, Attica, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI with a BAC of .08 or greater. Pirdy was reportedly found parked on the side of Molasses Hill Road in Bethany by Deputy Kevin McCarthy. Upon investigation, McCarthy determined that Pirdy had allegedly been driving while intoxicated.

Steven Robert Gorecki, 23, of 106 Tracey Ave., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gorecki is accused of shoplifting from Target.

Willie A. Sabb, Jr., 35, of 19 Porter Ave., Apt. 2, Batavia, is charged with assault in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. Police picked up Sabb at his residence on warrants issued by City Court. The charges stem from three separate alleged incidents. No further details were released.

A reader sent along a link to the USGS site about an earthquake in Attica on Sept. 23 because no media reported the event.

Granted, it was a small one, but still worth noting.

The 2.4 shaker was actually 3 miles southeast of Attica.

There was also a temblor reported in Attica on June 5.