Bergen

Bergen staple, Ralph and Rosie’s Deli, is opening a new Batavia location. Ralph and Rosie’s has operated in Bergen on North Lake Avenue for 42 years with Mike and Kelly Marsocci continuing the family's legacy of operating the business since 2012.

The couple began plans for the Batavia location at the end of 2019 with hopes of opening the location by early spring, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic their plans were put on hold. Now, they are hoping to open within the next few weeks. 

“Expanding during this time has its stressors, but it’s a blessing to be expanding and not have to worry about closing our doors,” Kelly Marsocci said. 

Like many other restaurants and small businesses, Ralph and Rosie’s has been adjusting to the pandemic by offering curbside pickup and assisting the community by ordering products that have been difficult to find and selling them to members of the community at cost. 

They have had a tremendous amount of support during this time and excitement for their new location.

“It’s always been a dream to open a second location and we appreciate all the support and love from the community,” Kelly Marsocci said.

The Batavia location will offer the same favorites as their Bergen location, "Home of the Original Sweet Sauce," including their homemade meatballs, mozzarella wedges, dough, and their signature sweet sauce, which are made fresh daily. They offer subs, too.

Ralph and Rosie’s new Batavia location address is 3845 W. Main Street Road and will be open daily from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Phone is (585) 494-2049.

Photo by Sarah Whitehead.

Each region of Italy is known for their particular style of pasta sauce. Just as in Italy, Western New York has its own style of sauce and its popularity has led a local maker, Albanese’s Finest, to start producing sauce locally for everyone to enjoy.

The Albanese family is renowned for its sauce.

Sauce maker Darrin Albanese (in photos) learned how to cook mostly from his mother and father, David and Theresa, and also learned some cooking from aunts and uncles at his family's restaurant, Albanese’s in Albion.

So eight months ago Albanese parlayed his legacy into crafting a classic Marinara Sauce, Meat Sauce and Pizza Sauce. They are made the same as he made them in his own kitchen, with the finest ingredients (hence the name Albanese’s Finest). He uses fresh herbs, not dried, and no added sugar or salt.

The simple straightforward approach wins customers with its result -- fresh, homemade taste.

Albanese plans to add at least three more varieties before the end of 2021. 

He has his sauces made at Permac Enterprises, owned by Pauly Guglielmo. It's a specialty small-batch food production facility that operated for 15 years in a pizzeria. In May, Guglielmo closed the deal then moved operations to a new 5,000-square-foot facility on Appletree Avenue in Bergen.

Permac is one of only six USDA cannery manufacturing plants in New York State that specializes in taking recipes from individuals, restaurants or food production brands, and adjusting it for large production. Guglielmo has increased the staff by 30 percent this year and expects to grow more in near future.

Albanese has plans to grow, too, and hopes to sell his sauces nationally someday. For now, most of his sales are in Western New York and can be found in 60+ locations.  

The first store to take on his sauce was ANG Shur Save in Churchville and it is now also available around Genesee County at:

• Harrington's Produce and Market Cafe, Batavia
• Southside Deli, Batavia
• Save-A-Lot, Batavia and Le Roy
• Tops Friendly Markets, as a specialty item in a display case, Batavia and Le Roy
• The Divine Tree, Le Roy
• Sweet Life Country Store, Elba

Albanese says without the help and support of his daughter, Kaleigh, and the encouragement of his close friends and some family, his sauce still might only be served at his house. 

You can follow Albanese's Finest Sauce on Facebook

Photos by Jim Burns.

Sammy H. Esaleh, 18, of Bucyrus Drive, Amherst, is charged with trespass. He was arrested at 3:33 p.m. on July 17 at Indian Falls on Gilmore Road in Indian Falls. He is due in Pembroke Town Court on Aug. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Haydar A. Esaleh, 18, of Glenden Place, Williamsville, is charged with trespass. Esaleh was arrested at 3:33 p.m. on July 17 at Indian Falls on Gilmore Road in Indian Falls. He is due in Pembroke Town Court on Aug. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Rohin Ramin, 18, of Ayrault Drive, Amherst, is charged with trespass. Ramin was arrested at 3:33 p.m. on July 17 at Indian Falls on Gilmore Road in Indian Falls. He is due in Pembroke Town Court on Aug. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Benjamin P. Rogemoser, 18, of Forbes Avenue, Tonawanda, was arrested at 3:33 p.m. on July 17 at Indian Falls on Gilmore Road in Indian Falls. He is due in Pembroke Town Court on Aug. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

William J. Galliford, 60, of Reed Road, Bergen, is charged with: unauthorized use of a vehicle -- operating without owner's consent; resisting arrest; driving while intoxicated -- first offense. At 7:19 p.m. on July 20, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies were investigating a complaint of an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. They located the vehicle on Reed Road in Bergen and Galliford was allegedly operating it while being toxicated. He allegedly fought with deputies. He was released with appearance tickets and is due in Bergen Town Court on Aug. 12. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported in the area of 7743 Sackett Road, Bergen.

A pole was struck. Lines are down in the roadway. There is no sparking.

The car is on its roof but the driver is out of the vehicle.

Bergen fire and ambulance responding.

UPDATE 10:56 p.m.: No injuries. 

Photos by Philip Casper.

Press release:

The 20^th Annual Van Hulburt Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the comfort care home Crossroads House and Masonic Charities will take place on Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Batavia Country Club.

It will be hosted by Hesperus Masonic Lodge #837, Bergen. The cost is $70 per person and includes: 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, dinner, and prizes. Guests are welcome for a $25 fee.

The tournament is a four-person scramble. Sign in is at 11 a.m., lunch is at 11:30, and shotgun start is at noon. All teams must be paid by Aug. 14^th to guarantee placement in this event.

For more information, contact: Marty Krause at (585) 730-2809; Ralph Marsocci at (585) 397-9313; or Cortney Gale at (585) 444-6764.

The tournament is sponsored by Triple-O Mechanical of Bergen.

Other sponsors include: Alexander Country Deli, Bergen C-Store, Ashley Capital, Bonduelle USA, Jerry Hulburt & Family, and Ralph & Rosie’s Deli & Pizzeria who have provided lunch all 20 years!

The tournament’s namesake, Van Hulburt, worked for 35 years at Byron-Bergen School as a teacher, counselor, and he coached golf for 25 years. He was a Past Master of Hesperus Lodge and a beloved member of the Masonic community.

Lyndsey Jean Wilcox, 36, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more; driving while intoxicated; unlicensed operator; failure to keep right; and moving from lane unsafely. Wilcox was arrested at 3:03 a.m. July 17 after a motor-vehicle accident on Clinton Street Road in Bergen. The defendant was released with appearance tickets for Sept. 2 in Bergen Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

Athena M. Hanley, 33, Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. On July 16 at 4:45 p.m. on Main Road in the Town of Pembroke, Hanley was arrested after the investigation of a motor-vehicle accident. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on Aug. 12. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Two teenagers were seriously injured in a 5 a.m. accident on West Bergen Road, Bergen, after the 17-year-old driver reportedly fell asleep, according to a Sheriff's Office accident report.

Sierra Raye Kast, of Albion, was driving a 2008 Ford sedan southbound on West Bergen Road when the car veered off the south shoulder and ran over the top of a cement culvert before heading further into the embankment. Kast was apparently able to steer the car back onto the pavement but overcorrected, according to Sgt. Jason Saile, of the Crash Management Team, causing the car to exit the roadway on the south shoulder again, where it overturned, struck a tree that spun it around, before it struck another tree and came to rest on its roof.

Driver-side back seat passenger Arianna N. McGurn, 17, was ejected from the vehicle and was trapped in the drainage ditch under the trunk portion of the car.

Bergen volunteer firefighters used airbags to life the car off of McGurn so she could be extricated. She was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight with a leg injury. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening. 

Kast was also injured in the crash and transported to Strong by Mercy EMS.

The other two passengers were Cory Wallace, 15, and Alonso Storey, 17.

Only Kast, the driver, was wearing a seatbelt, Saile said.

No citations have been issued.

Asked if there is anything teenagers in the community can learn this accident, Saile said: “As a young driver, how much experience do you have as a 17-year-old driving at five o’clock in the morning? Unless you’re going to work or have a good reason, there really isn’t a reason to be out and about. Five o’clock in the morning as a 17-year-old, if you’re not going to work or doing something important, you should be home in bed.”

A one-vehicle rollover accident with injuries is reported at 7311 W. Bergen Road in Bergen. There are four occupants and one is entrapped underneath the vehicle. All are said to be conscious. Mercy Flight out of Buffalo is called to the scene. Bergen and Byron fire departments are responding, along with Mercy medics and law enforcement.

The helicopter landing zone will be at Byron-Bergen Central School.

A heavy wrecker tow is called to be expedited to the scene. The location is between Lyman and Dublin roads.

UPDATE 5:35 a.m.: Mutual aid from Churchville Fire Department is requested.

UPDATE 5:41 a.m.: There's is a second vehicle involved in this accident.

UPDATE 5:44 a.m.: Churchville is asked to expedite their response and to bring airbags. Mercy Flight has an eight to 10 minute ETA.

UPDATE 5:57 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 6:02 a.m.: They are still working to extricate the entrapped person. One person is being taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

UPDATE 6:05 a.m.: Mercy medic #3 is taking a patient to Strong.

UPDATE 6:13 a.m.: The entrapped patient has been extricated.

UPDATE 6:22 a.m.: Medics are taking the extricated patient from the crash site to the landing zone at the school for hospital transport by Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 6:42 a.m.: "Mercy Flight is airborne to Strong with one."

UPDATE 6:43 a.m.: The assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 8:13 a.m.: There was no second vehicle involved. This incident involved a black Ford sedan southbound on West Bergen Road, occupied by four teenagers, according to Sgt. Jason Saile of the county's Crash Management Team. No alcohol or drugs were involved, Saile said. The preliminary investigation indicates the accident was possibly caused by inattentiveness and/or sleepiness. The vehicle went off the road and clipped the edge of a concrete culvert and continued southward for more than a 100 yards, partially off the road. The driver then managed to get the vehicle back onto the roadway, before overcorrecting. The car went off the shoulder of the road, overturned, clipped a tree, causing it to overturn, then it struck another tree and rotate on its roof coming to rest facing east. Of the four in the car, only the driver was wearing a seat belt. A female backseat passenger was ejected and pinned in a ditch, under the trunk of the vehicle. Airbags were deployed to lift up the car and extricate the victim. That 17-year-old female was airlifted to Strong Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including a leg injury. Another victim was transported by ground ambulance; the two others were uninjured. 

The band Judah played at The Ridge NY on Thursday night. We recorded one of the songs as part of our series, "The Batavian Sessions."

Judah is: Anthony Blood (vocals/guitar), Brody Schenk (guitar), Joe Fornieri (bass), and Quintin Rich (drums). Rich is a resident of Bergen.

Jeremy M. Fairbanks, 42, of Main Street, Batavia, is 306 (three hundred and six) counts of second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested July 2 after a complaint of violations of a City of Batavia Court order, beginning at 4:31 p.m. on March 17. Fairbanks was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court at 1 p.m. on Aug. 25. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig.

Leah Rose Helen Kelly, 35, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with 306 (three hundred and six) counts of second-degree criminal contempt. She was arrested July 5 after a complaint of violations of a Village of Bergen Court order, beginning at 4:31 p.m. on March 17. Kelly was scheduled for arraignment in Genesee County Court this morning (July 6). The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig.

Richard J. Wendt, 59, of Batavia (no address provided), is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment. He was arrested June 26 after Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Harding and Sgt. Aaron Chase responded to a domestic incident reported at the Yogi Bear Campground on Youngers Road in the Town of Java. Wendt was transported to Wyoming County Sheriff's Office for processing, then released with tickets to appear in Town of Java Court at a later date.

David James Loiacono, 40, of Buffalo Street, Bergen, was arrested following a domestic incident at 1:02 p.m. on July 5 on Buffalo Street in Bergen. He is charged with obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, and unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree. Loiacono was issued appearance tickets for Aug. 19 in Bergen Town Court then released to a third party. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Elis Salkic, 22, of Adele Drive, Greece, is charged with: unlawful possession of marijuana; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree; operating a motor vehicle while using an electronic device; unlicensed operation of a vehicle; and failure to stop at a stop sign. Salkic was arrested at 5:44 p.m. on June 29 after Genesee County Sheriff's deputies stopped his vehicle on Richmond Avenue in the City of Batavia. Salkic was issued an appearance ticket for Aug. 18 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Gavin J. Yauchzee, 28, of Le Roy (no address provided), is charged with petit larceny. Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Hope responded on June 29 to a report of a larceny at the Walmart in the Town of Warsaw. It is alleged that Walmart's Asset Protection assistant observed him concealing items in his pockets, then exiting the store without paying for them. He was arrested and released with an appearance ticket for Warsaw Town Court, where he is due at a later date.

A two-car accident, unknown injuries, is reported at North Lake Road and Peachy Road, Bergen.

The accident is blocking the intersection.

Bergen fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:10 p.m.: One car blocking.

UPDATE 1:13 p.m.: No injuries; medics are put back in service.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: Bergen Fire Police are called to Route 19 and Sackett Road to shut the road down.

A 2013 BMW allegedly failed to yield coming off of North Bergen Road around noon today crossing West Sweden Road. The BMW reportedly hit a trailer being hauled by a 2016 Nissan pickup causing the trailer to flip over.

Reader-submitted photos and information.

Press release:

The New York State Department of Transportation today announced construction activities are underway along the Route 33 corridor in the Town of Bergen, Genesee County to resurface pavement in the area and enhance safety through the implementation of a new striping pattern.

Work will include the resurfacing of Route 33 between Route 237 and the Monroe County Line, a portion of Route 33a in the Town of Riga, Monroe County near the I-490 interchange, and Route 19 between Route 33 and Route 262 in the Village of Bergen.

As part of this construction, new left-turn lanes will be incorporated into the intersection of Route 19 and Route 33, with a two-way center turn lane just to the east. On Route 19, there will be one through lane in each direction to provide for new left-turn lanes.

Construction is expected to last approximately three weeks at this location, and two-way traffic will be maintained using single alternating lane closures. Motorists may encounter delays during this time and are advised to seek an alternate route.

All construction activities at this location are weather dependent and subject to change.

For real-time travel information, motorists should call 5-1-1 or visit www.511NY.org or the mobile site at m.511ny.org, New York State’s official traffic and travel information source.

A working barn fire is reported in Bergen at 7181 W. Bergen Road. It's gone to a second alarm. Bergen Fire Department is responding, along with mutual aid from Byron, Elba, and the Town of Batavia.

UPDATE 12:07 a.m.: The barn fire is out. The cause is under investigation.