corfu

Corfu Mayor Ralph Peterson did not respond to an Aug. 16 letter from Village Attorney Mark Boylan demanding his resignation.

The letter was sent to Peterson at the direction of the board of trustees and alleges Peterson has taken several actions not in the best interest of the village.

Peterson was given a deadline of 5 p.m., Aug. 23, to submit his resignation or face a petition to the appellate division of the NYS Supreme Court seeking his removal from office.

It will not necessarily be easy to convince the court to remove an elected official from office. In prior cases, justices have ruled that removal under Section 36 of the Public Officers Law is a "drastic remedy."

According to a ruling in 2011 on an attempt to remove the mayor of the Village of Middleburgh, the trustees seeking Peterson's ouster will need to build a case that shows "unscrupulous conduct or gross dereliction of duty or conduct that connotes a pattern of misconduct and abuse of authority."

Actions that are considered "minor neglect" or "administrative oversights" and even some violations of the law do not rise to the level of misconduct serious enough for the "drastic remedy."

If the removal case against Peterson goes forward, it will be up to a panel of justices in the 4th Appellate Division to determine if the case presented against him is sufficient.

Boylan's letter to Peterson probably lays out the case the trustees will try to make against the mayor.

The letter accuses Peterson of:

• A general pattern of obstruction and interference with village board attempts to hold Judge Robert Alexander and his daughter Brandi Watts, a former court clerk, accountable for court funds found to be missing by a state audit. "It's clear your relationship with the judge has influenced many of your decisions in this matter."
• Peterson is accused of withholding a settlement offer letter from an attorney representing part-time police officers who have threatened a lawsuit against the village over pay and scheduling issues. Peterson reportedly received the letter in May but kept knowledge of the letter to himself until August despite repeated requests by trustees for updates on the threatened suit. During an Aug. 12 closed session meeting, Peterson allegedly told trustees, with Boylan in the room, that he wanted the suit to go forward so the village's insurance company would pay off the officers.
• During his time in office, Peterson is accused of trying to use his power as mayor to retaliate against former Deputy Mayor Al Graham over a long history of disagreements by getting Graham removed from his job as supervisor, working for Camden Group, of the Corfu sewer plant. Peterson allegedly threatened to "see to it" that Camden's contract with Corfu would be terminated if Graham was not removed.
• Peterson is also accused of harassing and intimidating village employees Sandra Thomas, clerk, and Denise Beal, deputy clerk. The letter states that Peterson's actions have subjected the village to potential litigation.
• During his time in office, Peterson is accused of abusing his authority several times, including hiring police officers without board approval and renewing village insurance policies without board consent.

In example cases we can find, courts have shown some reluctance for removing elected officials.

In a 1976 case, a justice wrote:

The court certainly recognizes the sacred right of the people to choose their elected officials. Section 36 of the Public Officers Law is in no way intended to interfere with this vital aspect of democratic society. Rather, this section has been enacted to protect the citizens from an elected official who by his misconduct, malfeasance, maladministration or malversation, abuses his public trust, harms the public interest and violates his oath of office.

The case cites a prior case with this observation:

The intent of the law is to bestow on the courts discretion to draw a line between an actual intentional breach and mere oversight. Thus, certain administrative oversights and municipal accounting deficiencies by the Mayor of a village, though clearly technical violations of village law, were found attributable to the Mayor's inexperience and did not constitute grounds for removal. (Matter of Pisciotta, supra.) Had the deficiencies continued unabated, such continuation could be found to constitute an intentional disregard of duty.

Removal of an elected official by the court, however, is not without precedent. In 1997, Victor R. Grant, supervisor of the Town of Lake Luzerne was removed from office.

In that case, Grant was found to have engaged in a willful conflict of interest by acting as insurance broker for the town's insurance policy, drawing commissions on the sale and renewal of the policy.

Latoya D. Jackson, 27, of 112 State St., Batavia, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17, assault 2nd, and assault 2nd (recklessly causing serious injury with a weapon). Jackson was allegedly involved in a fight at 121 Liberty St., Batavia, in which she injured two people with a knife at 8:39 p.m., Monday.

Dustin W. Bogue, 31, of 109 Oak St., Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, criminal contempt, 1st, harassment, 2nd. Bogue is accused of violating a no-offensive-conduct order of protect.

Michael S. Lytle, 24, of 11 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, for allegedly violating an order of protection.

Raymond Paul Meshlovitz, 34, of Main Road, Corfu, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, and unlawful possession of a prescription form. During a search of his residence by probation, Meshlovitz was allegedly found in possession of brass knuckles, a switchblade knife and prescription forms.

Jacob Duane Defisher, 17, of Roanoke Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Defisher is accused of stealing money from Darien Lake while employed there.

Amanda Marie Bowles, 28, of Williams Street Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Bowles is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

Tammy L. Draper, 46, of 22 Porter Ave., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Draper is accused of making obscene gestures and yelling obscenities while on State Street at 3:39 p.m., Saturday.

Landrea D. Wroten, 41, of 5 Dellinger Ave., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Wroten is accused of stealing a friend's purse.

Cody D. Cutitta, 26, of 5 Fairmont Ave., Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment and disorderly conduct. Cutitta is accused of standing in the middle of Fairmont Avenue and swearing at 2:15 a.m. He's also accused of making threats by phone.

Nicola Marchesoni, 53, of Hamilton Street, Albion, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana, failure ot keep right and moving from lane unsafely. Marchesoni was stopped at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday on Quaker Hill Road, Elba, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Patrick D. Powell, 27, of 98 Barton St., Rochester, is charged with resisting arrest. Powell is accused of physically interfering with the arrest of Richard Johnson at 9:43 p.m., Saturday, at 45 Swan St., Batavia.

Richard E. Johnson, 53, of 159 Millbank St., Rochester, is charged with disorderly conduct. Johnson allegedly used obscene language and gestures on a crowded public street after being warned by police to cease such conduct.

Jovon C. Johnson, 24, of 960 Gleason Circle, East Rochester, is charged with resisting arrest. Johnson allegedly interfered with a police officer's attempt to arrest another person during following a reported fight involving several people on Swan Street at 9:43 p.m., Saturday.

Willie A. Toney, 26, of Finch Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Toney was stopped at 3:03 p.m., Saturday, on Route 77, Village of Corfu, by Corfu Police Officer Michael Petritz for allegedly driving 48 in a 35 mph zone. Upon further investigation, it was determined Toney's license was allegedly suspended 21 times. A search of his vehicle allegedly turned up a .38 caliber pistol and a crack pipe containing crack cocaine residue.

Jennifer L. Spraugue, 30, of Pringle Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a falsely reporting an incident case. Spraugue is being held on an unrelated charge. She was arrested for allegedly failing to appear in Bergen Town Court on a third-degree charge of falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement. Spraugue entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to time served. She was returned to the jail on the unrelated matter.

Stoan Richard Dietzman, 18, of Dartwood Avenue, Cheektowaga, was arrested on warrants related endangering the welfare of a child and strangulation, 2nd, charges. Dietzman was a passenger in a vehicle stopped in the City of Buffalo and after a records check was arrested on the warrants. After being turned over to the Sheriff's Office, Dietzman was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Barbara Ann Kosciolek, 67, of Osterhout Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, failure to keep right and moving form lane unsafely. Kosciolek was stopped at 11:11 p.m. Saturday on Route 5 in Stafford by Deputy Matthew Butler.

John Edward Ryman, 32, of Macedone Center Road, Palmyra, is charged with possession of untaxed cigarettes. Ryman was allegedly found in possession of 35 cartons of untaxed cigarettes during a traffic stop on Route 5 in Le Roy by Deputy Matthew Butler.

Jeanine Danielle Fuller, 26, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Fuller is accused of shoplifting $33.78 in merchandise from Walmart.

Robert Gordan Woodhouse, 54, of Creek Road, Batavia, is charged with felony DWAI-Drugs and moving from lane unsafely. Woodhouse was stopped following a report at 4 p.m. Friday of a black H3 Hummer operating erratically on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia. The Hummer allegedly crossed the center line and nearly struck an oncoming vehicle. The Hummer was stopped by Deputy Chad Minuto and upon investigation Woodhouse was accused of driving while under the influence of drugs.

Robert Walter Plantiko, 38, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with burglary, 2nd. Plantiko allegedly entered a motel room and stole property. Plantiko was jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.

Mark Robert Willard, 39, of Tinkham Road, Darien, is accused of violating probation. Willard was arrested and held without bail.

Iesha Marie Vetter, 20, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief. Vetter is accused of removing products from packaging as part of an effort to steal items from Target.

Winston A. Lockhart, 18, of 3 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Lockhart allegedly hit a woman at 119 State St., Batavia, during an incident reported at 3:22 p.m. Saturday.

Ashlea M. Harmon, 22, of 665 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Harmon was found in possession of an allegedly stolen bicycle that she admitted to stealing.

Michael S. Lytle, 24, of 11 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal mischief. Lytle was arrested following a reported domestic incident on Wood Street at 11:40 p.m. Friday. Lytle was jailed on $250 bail.

Michael Caputo invited me to appear on WGRZ's Sunday afternoon show, 2 Sides, which airs at noon.

We'll be talking about Corfu and Le Roy. 

If you receive the Buffalo stations on cable or DirecTV, tune in.

A small car fire inside a garage is reported at 59 E. Main St. in Corfu. It has not spread to the structure and is under control. Corfu Fire Department is responding, along with mutual aid from Darien and Indian Falls.

The location is between Lawrence Avenue and Meadowbrook Terrace.

UPDATE 8:40 a.m.: Fire is out; vehicle is cooled down; smoke is gone. Mutual aid companies put back in service.

UPDATE 8:43 a.m.: Some Corfu responders are put back in service.

UPDATE 8:55 a.m.: Corfu command puts the assignment back in service.

Kyle Justin James Jackson, 21, of Slusser Road, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment. Jackson, while incarcerated in the Genesee County Jail, allegedly threw a plastic cup containing feces at a corrections officer. Jackson remains in jail on other charges.

Sandra Rae Marceill, 66, of Sanders Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving too slow/impeding traffic and moving from lane unsafely. Marceill was stopped at 11:04 p.m. Aug. 9 on Main Road, Stafford, by Deputy James Diehl.

David Michael Jackson, 36, of Lake Road, Pavilion, is charged with forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse, 3rd. Jackson is accused of touching the intimate parts of a person less than 17 years old.

April Lynn Walradt, 36, of Westcott Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Walradt was allegedly the driver in a motor-vehicle accident reported at 1:18 a.m. Thursday on Westcott Road, Le Roy. The accident was investigated by Deputy Matthew Fleming.

David Alexander Bramblett, 44, of Chapin Street, Canandaigua, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, unlicensed driver. Bramblett was stopped on Route 77 in Corfu following a report of an apparently intoxicated driver from a witness on the Thruway. Bramblett was stopped at 4:19 p.m. Tuesday by Deputy Eric Seppela.

Corfu Mayor Ralph Peterson is going to receive a letter from the village attorney demanding his resignation.

If he doesn't resign, Mark Boylan, village attorney, is instructed to contact the appellate division of the NYS Supreme Court to begin the process of trying to remove Peterson from office.

Corfu's trustees voted 3-1, with Peterson supplying the no vote and Trustee Keith Busch absent, to take steps to remove Peterson from office.

While there's a long string of complaints that trustees and village residents have about Peterson, the latest alleged action that has angered trustees is an alleged admission by Peterson that he withheld an important letter from the village because he wanted to see a lawsuit against the village proceed.

This allegation came out after a closed session where trustees -- without Peterson, who was barred from the closed session -- discussed their options in the wake of recent events involving the lawsuit, village personnel and an alleged threat made by former village justice Robert Alexander.

Corfu trustees held an emergency board meeting on these topics this evening.

After Boylan raised the allegation that Peterson withheld the letter to perpetuate the lawsuit, Peterson denied it.

Trustee Ken Lauer said, "Oh, you have a different story to tell?"

"Yes, I have a different story to tell," Peterson said.

As Peterson started to speak, Lauer repositioned a microphone from a television news station to point at Peterson and Peterson paused and then said, "I've been advised by counsel not to make any statements."

As soon as the meeting adjourned, Peterson walked out of the building without speaking to anybody.

In May, Peterson reportedly received a letter from Andrew Fleming, the attorney representing a group of part-time village police officers who claimed they were illegally deprived work hours.  The letter was an offer to settle a potential lawsuit before it reached that stage.

Trustees only learned of the letter Monday when Fleming showed up at the village board meeting.

Peterson allegedly made a statement in closed session that night that he wanted to see the lawsuit filed, so he allegedly withheld the letter from the other trustees.

Also stirring the pot for trustees was a letter Peterson reportedly sent out Aug. 8 (PDF) asserting his power as mayor to run the village. He threatened legal action against any trustee, or the board as a whole, if attempts were made to usurp his power.

This evening, the trustees also voted 3-1 on a motion instructing Boylan to send a letter to Peterson barring him from contact with village office staff over concern that Peterson's continued contact with staff will lead to a harassment lawsuit.

The other motion passed Thursday was one instructing Boylan to send a letter to Robert Alexander barring him from village property.

Last night the Town of Pembroke board instructed Boylan, who also represents the town, to send a letter to Alexander barring him from town property.

According to witnesses, at Monday's village meeting, Alexander allegedly threatened to break the neck of a Town of Pembroke board member.

State Police confirm receiving a report of an alleged incident involving Alexander, but decline to disclose any further information pending completion of an investigation.

Two residents spoke at Thursday's village meeting. Charlie Lenhard, who identified himself as a longtime friend of Peterson's, told Peterson it's time for him to resign. Drew Doll said that as a 60-year resident of the village, he's embarrassed by what the village has become. The problems started, he said, long before any of the current trustees were on the board. It's time, he said, to dissolve the village.

We just received this public notice from the Village of Corfu.

NOTICE TO VILLAGE RESIDENTS – EMERGENCY MEETING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THERE WILL BE AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE VILLAGE OF CORFU BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON THURSDAY AUGUST 15, 2013 AT 6:30 PM AT THE VILLAGE HALL.  PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WILL BE TO DISCUSS THE POLICE LAWSUIT, HARASSMENT CHARGES AGAINST THE MAYOR, MATTERS REGARDING THE MAYOR’S CONDUCT AND RECENT THREATS BY ROBERT ALEXANDER AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

SANDRA S. THOMAS

CLERK TREASURER

Joseph Andrew Hernick, 64, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Hernick is accused of being verbally abusive and attempting to be physically intimidating toward a neighbor.

James A. Hancock, 44, of 318 E. Main St., Apt. 6, Batavia, is charged with aggravated criminal contempt. Hancock allegedly violated an order of protection while having a prior criminal contempt conviction within five years.

Patrick O. Spikes, 32, of 16 Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Spikes is accused of damaging property of another person valued at more than $250 during an alleged incident on Holland Avenue at 2:30 a.m., Saturday.

Keluan B. Williams, 24, of 109 Summit St., Apt. 2, Batavia, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 years old. The alleged incident was reported at 3:30 p.m., Saturday. No further details released.

Danny D. Williams, 24, of 18 East Ave., upper, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public highway. Williams was allegedly found driving at 6:54 p.m. Saturday on Hutchins Place by Officer Chad Richards. At the time of the traffic stop, Williams allegedly had an open can of Natural Light beer in the driver's side cup holder.

Brandi A. Watts, 32, of Indian Falls Road, Corfu, is was arrested on a warrant yesterday following a court appearance on an unrelated matter. Watts is accused of failure to pay a fine on an overnight parking ticket in the City of Batavia.

Eric Alexander Ion, 40, of Brant Road, Brant, was arrested on bench warrants related to charges of criminal contempt, 1st, and assault, 3rd. Ion is accused of failing to appear on these charges. Ion is currently being held on bail in the Genesee County Jail on matters in Family Court.

Faith Brenda Obeirne, 45, of Mt. Read Boulevard, Rochester, was arrested on warrants for alleged petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Obeirne was arrested by Rochester PD and turned over to the Sheriff's Office. Obeirne was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Conor Patrick Wilkes, 25, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Wilkes was stopped at 1:31 a.m. Saturday on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Justin Joseph Caryl, 26, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Caryl is accused of stealing $25.94 in merchandise from Walmart.

Jake Philip Myers, 23, of Maple Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08, failure to keep right and no or inadequate headlights. Myers was stopped at 1:48 a.m. Saturday on Edgerton Road, Elba, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Evelio Rodriguez-Santiago, 46, of Bergen, is charged with petit larceny. Rodriguez-Santiago is accused of stealing an item of value at a location on Church Street, Bergen, at 6:15 p.m., Saturday. Rodriguez-Santiago was arrested by State Police. No further details released.

Timothy J. Poblocki, 24, of East Bethany, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Poblocki was stopped at 1:45 p.m. Sunday on Route 20, Alexander, by State Police.

Jennifer N. Bujnowski, 39, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Bujnowski is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.

A 16-year-old Pembroke resident is in critical condition this morning at Erie County Medical Center following an ATV accident in the Village of Corfu last night.

Benjamin L. Falker was riding a 2012 Polaris Sportsman 500 on West Main Street when he attempted to enter the sidewalk south of Prospect Street. He lost control and struck a row of bushes and the four-wheeler flipped over and he was ejected. 

The ATV struck a utility pole and came to rest in an upright position. 

Benjamin, the sole occupant of the ATV, sustained a head injury and was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight.

The investigation is continuing and charges may be pending.

Investigating the accident are Deputy Jason Saile, Sgt. William Scott of the Crash Management Team, Investigator Timothy Weis, Sgt. Brian Frieday and Officer Rich Retzlaf of the Corfu PD.

Assisting at the scene was the Corfu Fire Department and Mercy EMS.

(Initial Report)

A four-wheeler has hit a utility pole in the area of 29 W. Main St., Corfu, near the corner of Prospect Street.

A person is injured. Mercy Flight requested to the scene. A landing scene will be set up at the Corfu Fire Hall.

UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: The patient is seriously injured.

UPDATE 11:24 p.m.: The landing zone is being switched to the area behind the primary school.

UPDATE 11:30 p.m.: Mercy Flight is on the ground.

UPDATE Midnight: Patient transported to ECMC.

Today the Indian Falls United Methodist Church held its annual Community Days -- Blueberry festival. The festival featured a car/tractor show. There were complimentary hot dogs, baked goods and other items for sale by the churches members. 

At 4, the church held a kids peddle kart race for children of all ages to come out and race each other. 

At 5, the church hosted a lawnmower race that was open to everyone to come out to and race. 

The Indian Falls Fire Company also attended community days, bringing along two trucks with them. 

Kyle Jackson, 21, of Slusser Road, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Jackson allegedly drove an electric shopping cart across the Walmart parking lot, onto Route 63 and into the parking lot of Rite Aid at 4:30 a.m., June 12.

Douglas G. Goodwin Jr., of 130 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument, 2nd, grand larceny, 4th, and criminal mischief, 3rd. Goodwin is accused of entering an apartment and stealing a hot water tank, gas and water lines and other items. Goodwin was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Foster M. Brandt, 22, of 20 Tracy Ave., Batavia, was arrested on warrants for obstruction of governmental administration and criminal mischief, 3rd. Brandt was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Christina A.M. Deluna, 33, of 122 State St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Deluna was arrested by Batavia PD following an investigation into a domestic incident reported at 6 p.m, Friday.

Angela S. Bianco, 42, of 137 State St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Bianco was allegedly seen on security footage at Save-A-Lot taking a Red Osier billfold belonging to another customer.

Bryon Gilbert Keller, 18, of Sumner Road, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Keller is accused of stealing a laptop computer from a residence in Darien.

Frank Lyman Stanton, 32, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and no/inadequate exhaust system. Stanton was stopped at 12:32 a.m. Sunday on South Lake Road, Bergen, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Joshua Todd Fullmer, 20, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, and unlawful growing of marijuana. At 5:48 p.m., Saturday, deputies responded to a report of a fight at 3124 W. Main Street Road, Batavia. Upon investigation, Fullmer was allegedly found in possession of brass knuckles and had several marijuana plants growing on his property.

Joshua Christopher Uptegrove, 27, of Meadville Road, Alabama, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Uptegrove allegedly pushed another person during an argument.

Anthony L. Holohan, 77, of Gilmore Road, Corfu, is charged with criminal mischief, 2nd. On July 11, an employee of the Log Cabin Restaurant arrived at work and found a hole in a picture window in the dining room. Later he found another window was damaged. After an investigation, Holohan was arrested and accused of damaging the windows at about 3 a.m., July 11. The estimated damage is $2,260. There's no known motive for the alleged crime. Holohan posted $5,000 bail and was released.

Ryan C. Riggi, 18, no permanent address, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th. Riggi is accused of twice possessing and using a credit card of another person, stealing more than $3,000. Riggi was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Danielle Marie Stevens, 36, of Ford Road, Elba, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Stevens is accused of stealing a bottle of hydrocodone pills from the purse of another person.

Matthew Charles Olcott, 34, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on warrants out of the Town of Pembroke and Town of Batavia, for criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, violation of probation, attempted unauthorized use of a vehicle, 3rd, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, 2nd. Olcott was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court on all charges and jailed on $500 bail on the Town of Pembroke charges.

The two members of the Village of Corfu office staff have formally filed letters of complaint with the trustees accusing Mayor Ralph Peterson of creating a hostile work environment.

In her letter, Assistant Clerk/Treasurer Denise Beal said she believes Peterson's treatment of her is meant to demean her as a woman and is therefore a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Both Beal and Clerk/Treasurer Sandra Thomas said they do not want to take further legal action but may be left with no choice if the trustees are unable to stop Peterson's alleged harassment.

The trustees received the letters Monday and voted to forward the complaints to Village Attorney Mark Boylan for his advice on how to handle the complaints.

Beal's letter indicates that it's mostly a feeling she gets from Peterson that he tries to harass and intimidate her because she is female. The one concrete example she gives of different treatment of her and Thomas is that Peterson allegedly demanded Beal and Thomas give him copies of office and file cabinet keys but has not made the same demand of the all-male maintenance staff.

Both Beal and Thomas said things kind of came to a head in the past week with Peterson's alleged insistence that his criticism of the office staff be included in the village newsletter.

"His subjective comments he wrote in the village newsletter are embarrassing," Beal wrote. "I have been employed by the Village of Corfu for over 5 years. Never have I felt so degraded and harassed by a male. I have always taken great pride in my work and have performed my duties with great confidence, the highest levels of professionalism, efficiency and accountability. I have always enjoyed my job, but the hostile work environment that has been created by Mr. Peterson is making it difficult to be at work."

Peterson has not yet responded to a request for comment sent via text message.

Both Thomas and Beal said they believe at least some of the motivation for Peterson's conduct is the fact that they are potential witnesses in the criminal case against Brandi Watts, the former village court clerk accused of stealing more than $10,000 in court funds.

Special Prosecutor Donald O'Geen has warned Peterson and the trustees that there should be no interference with the investigation.

As part of their complaints, Thomas and Beal cite Peterson's alleged attempt to fire them, his request for passwords and keys, his moving a desk and chair for himself into Beal's office, and constant assertions of authority and intimidation when he's in the office.

"I could go into many detailed examples of Ralph Peterson's barrage of threats, innuendos, accusations, falsehoods and harassment," Thomas wrote. "Some are a matter of public record, and many have been made behind closed doors and in emails. He has now made public his contempt and made insinuations of incompetence of the office staff in the Village Newsletter to Village residents. This is unacceptable."

Thomas concludes, "Although Mayor Peterson is smugly confident that he is untouchable and (can) do and say absolutely anything he wants, I am filing this complaint imploring the Board to put a stop to this deplorable situation and prevent any further harassment and retaliation."