You read that right - we now offer a gluten free plain bagel option on our breakfast sandwich! Just the latest addition to our menu with the wildly popular bubble teas and fruit juice cocktails. Click here to view our menu or order! #PubHub
The proposed budget for the Le Roy Central School District for 2023/24 is $30,227,508 in expenditures, and if the district receives the amount of state aid it anticipates, there will be no need to increase the tax levy, according to Superintendent Merritt Holly.
The Board of Education approved the spending plan on Tuesday. The final levy tally and tax rate will become available after state aid is approved and the district knows exactly how much property values have changed, which will be some time before voters are asked to approve the budget in May.
The district expects to spend nearly $10 million on professional and teacher salaries. That's an increase of $324,906 dollars. The increase is mostly driven by negotiated salary increases. Six teachers are being replaced. There will be two new positions in special education, a new half position in elementary literacy, and a half position less in music.
Salaries for K-3 teachers will increase by $61,478, up $27,576 for grades 4-8, and up by $50,266 for grades 7-12.
The superintendent's salary will increase by $6,000, to $179,542.
Salaries for principals and assistants are going down by $33,117 to a total of $387,206.
Fees paid to BOCES are based on prior year charges and the district will pay BOCES $2,612,766, which is $240,930 more than the prior year.
Support staff salaries are up $194,462 to a total of $3,203,908.
The cost of health care is increasing by $53,544 to more than $2.9 million.
Retirement costs are up $53,544 to more than $1.3 million.
Contributions to the capital fund will increase by $563,369 to $663,369. Contributions to the capital fund pay for small building projects that are eligible for NYS building aid.
The Le Roy football program is a program with a lot of wins, a lot of history, a lot of tradition, and Mike Humphrey has been a part of it.
This week, the Board of Education approved Humphrey's appointment to head coach of the Oatkan Knights, making him the first former player to be named head coach in the program's history.
Humphrey was a wide receiver and defensive back with the Knights through three championship seasons -- 2006, 2007, and 2008. He's been part of the coaching staff, including head JV coach, for a decade, and has worked for the past five years at the elementary school as a physical education instructor.
"I'm excited," Humphrey said. "This is something I've been a part of for a long time, as a player and as a coach.
"This is something that has always kind of been on my mind, and so here we are," he added. "I'm excited to get the process going."
One of his assistants, Jim Bonaquisti, who was also once his coach at Le Roy, said Humphrey clearly has a plan and is already moving forward to get the team ready for the 2023 season.
"He knows what he needs to do," Bonaquisti said. "He knows what it's supposed to look like. He's going to do a great job."
With Humphrey and assistants Pete Green and John Whiting, Bonaquisti will be working alongside three coaches he coached when they were high school players.
"Either I've been here a long time or I'm getting old," Bonaquisti quipped.
But that's all part of the tradition, said Bonaquisti, who serves as the team's historian.
"He was a hell of a player," Bonaquisti said. "He was an all-state player. He was a really good college player at Cortland. He's in the Top 10 among receivers in several categories at Cortland. He's young, and hopefully, he's going to stay a while."
Humphrey replaces Brian Herdlein, who has been head coach since 2015. Herdlein, who previously served as an assistant under Brian Moran, lives in Batavia, and Bonquisti said Herdein's sons are coming of age in Batavia's football program, and he wants to be around to be part of their football careers.
"We all get it," Bonaquisti said. "When I was JV coach, I had to miss one of my son's Little League games, and I said, 'Never again.' We love him. I loved coaching with him, and I understand."
It's been a few years, however, since the Oatkan Knights claimed a sectional title. There was even talk earlier this year, because of declining participation numbers in football, of merging the Le Roy program with Cal-Mum. That isn't going to happen, and Bonaquisti thinks Humphrey has the experience, knowledge, and commitment to return Le Roy to championship football.
"It's time for another title," he said.
Humphrey said he feels good about the program. He coached winning teams at the JV level for five years and said there are players coming up who can help the team win.
"We have a lot of skill position players coming back at the varsity level, and while we lost some on the lines, we've got great players coming," Humphrey said. "I'm confident in their skill and their ability. I've got nothing but confidence and enthusiasm for our kids."
Photo: Mike Humphrey on left. Photo by Ed Henry.
In the Le Roy Central School District, any student who wants to put forth the effort to graduate Summa Cum Laude, regardless of their academic or career interest, will have that opportunity, said David Russell, principal of the Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School, after the Board of Education approved a change to the Laude System at Tuesday's meeting.
"You can map that out with this system from your eighth-grade year," Russell told The Batavian after the meeting. "You just sit down with your counselor, and you say my goal is to be Summa because again, as I said in the previous meeting, maybe this means the world to you, right? Truthfully, maybe it does, and maybe it means nothing to you. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Either way, it gives you a chance to just compete against yourself."
The district changed from a Top 10 student achievement ranking system to a Laude System in 2018, but the Laude System replaced by the board on Tuesday should make it easier for students' parents to understand if they're on a path to graduation with distinction -- Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude.
Under the 2018 system, each year, administrators had to decide which courses were worth two points and which were only worth one.
This created some problems, Russell said. It caused rifts between departments -- why was this course worth two credits and another course worth only one? And because each year, there are courses added and dropped, students and parents had to be informed each year of the changes, and whether a student was acquiring enough credits to achieve a Laude recognition had to be hand calculated. The transcript for each student had to be counted against which courses were listed with which values in a particular year.
The big switch under the plan approved Tuesday is that a student need only look at his or her transcript and add up all the classes that provide credit toward graduation. Every class with credit -- whether Advance Placement or Regents -- is weighted the same. There's no worry about classes going away, new classes being added, or course credit values changing.
If that makes it sound easier for students to graduate with distinction, it's not, Russell said, because in order to get enough credits to graduate Summa Cum Laude -- currently 32 -- you will need to fill your schedule with credit-producing classes. To get that many credits, there simply aren't enough school hours in the day to allow a student to sit in study hall, and if you're going to get that many credits, you can't avoid more challenging classes, no matter what your career path or area of interest.
"It naturally pushes you towards challenging classes because in order to fill your schedule, there's only so many intro-level courses you want to take, right?" Russell said. "It's still going to mean something to get to Summa Cum Laude. I'm saying, in order to get to Summa, if you're going to fill your schedule every year, it's going to naturally push you to the higher levels."
That applies equally to students who are trying to get into top science and engineering universities, students on a skills and trade track, as well as students who are potential art, music, and athletics majors -- they all have a chance to achieve Summa Cum Laude, or one of the other Laude tiers without, first, competing for the top GPA in their class, and second, taking classes that are of less interest to them personally just because they are worth more credits.
"Now, there's nothing preventing you (from graduating Laude) because you're not worried about competing for the top 10 in a class that might be loaded with complete scholars," Russell said. "Then, you might say, 'I have no shot at ever getting there. So what's the point?' No, I'm competing against myself. And whatever matters to me, now I can build it into my schedule."
The maximum possible score for a student from 8th grade to 12th would be 36 total credits with a 100 GPA. To achieve Summa Cum Laude, a student would need at least 32 credits and a 95 GPA. Magna Cum Laude would be 30 credits and a 90 GPA. Cum Laude would be 28 total credits and an 85 GPA.
Cum Laude is Latin for "with distinction." Magna Cum Laude means "with great distinction," and Summa Cum Laude means "with highest distinction."
The Class of 2023 will be the last class to graduate under the Top 10 system. The classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026 are under the Laude system but will be eligible to move up to a higher Laude if they qualify for a higher Laude under the proposed revisions. The Class of 2027 would be the first class to graduate under this new Laude system.
The board approved the policy change on a 6-1 vote, with Trustee William MacKenzie voting no.
MacKenzie expressed concern that members of the Class of 2024 will find it more difficult to achieve Summa because of course restrictions during the COVID-19 years.
"My biggest concern is just any student getting slighted," MacKenzie said. "I know of several who possibly could. So it's just how I feel."
Superintendent Merrit Holly said before the vote that what the board was being asked to approve was a policy -- primarily that change from weighted credits to a transcript-based count of credit-worthy classes -- and there was flexibility based on circumstances for each class to adjust credit totals.
Both Holly and Russell indicated there is room to consider changes for the Class of 2024, but there was no commitment by the administration or the board to make any immediate changes.
Russell said he hasn't spoken to the same families MacKenzie may be concerned about but that he believes there is still the opportunity, without making changes to the credit count, for any member who has been focused on achieving Summa to still do so. Those students will need to make sure they fill their course schedule with the classes that help them reach that goal.
Also, members of the Class of 2024 have a chance to reach Summa either under the system approved in 2018, or the one approved Tuesday -- whichever one is most favorable to them in terms of credits or points.
"If there's a student who has a study hall going into their senior year, and they're a credit shy of Summa, then my contention would be, you still have an opportunity to reach Summa, that would be my response," Russell said. "If you have a student who's a credit or credit and a half shy of Summa, and they have more than one study hall their senior year, again, you have an opportunity to get to Summa. It might be more challenging, but again, that's part of what Laude is. It should mean something to get to Summa."
Previously:
Photo: File photo of Principal David Russell. Photo by Howard Owens.
Press Release:
As we edge closer to celebrating another Earth Day here at Tops we are excited to announce the advances we continue to make not only in our day to day efforts to adopt practices that help protect our environment, but also efforts that will make a lifelong impact.
It’s All in the Bag Tops prides itself on working with partners who share the same commitment to environmental
practices so it was a no brainer when Tops had the opportunity to employ BioFlex™ bags instead of traditional plastic bags for its potatoes.“BioFlex™ ticked all the boxes for us” said Jeff Cady, director produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets. “A quality product solution that is engineered to break down in landfills all while diverting greenhouse gas emissions. A win-win.” BioFlex™ is a sustainable technology that increases the natural microbial activity in modern landfills and contributes 19 times more energy than that of regular plastic. The packaging is FDA compliant and safe for food contact. Furthermore, BioFlex™ packaging can be designed to maintain recyclability.
“This new packaging is 100% recyclable and also biodegrades in landfills and converts into renewable methane gas,” said president, David Masser of Sterman Masser, Inc. “Tops was the first retail chain to adopt this technology and has the most distribution to date.”
Kinder Way to Clean
When you think earth day you think about what changes you can make to your daily routine to help mother earth. Recycling your plastic bottles and newspapers, but did you stop and think about the cleaning products you’re using also helping in these efforts?
Tops proudly provides you with products with mother nature in mind year round! Tops Full Circle line of products are non-toxic, plant-based, and free of dyes and fragrances which are not only better for you and your family but the environment. From detergent and ecofriendly paper towels, to all purpose cleaning sprays and bath tissue, a kinder way to clean-is simply that.
Let the Sunshine
In 2022 Tops continued to increase its use of solar energy by partnering with EDP Renewables to provide solar power to even more of our stores. Together with Convergent Power + Energy and now EDP, 82 stores will have energy saving solar power.
Tops originally teamed up with Convergent in 2021, the most dependable provider of energy storage solutions in North America, to deliver more renewable energy to upstate New Yorkers in the form of community solar paired with battery storage. The partnership allows Tops stores to be powered by solar farms, which reduces the stores’ carbon footprint. The solar-plus-storage projects developed by Convergent provide Tops and upstate New Yorkers access to solar energy whether or not the sun is shining and reduce the state’s reliance on power plants during peak demand hours.
“Convergent and EDP are dedicated to mitigating the impact of a warming planet on current and future generations by advancing the clean energy transition, so expanding a partnership of this nature seemed only fitting,” stated Sautter.
Running on Clean
In 2022 Tops further enhanced its fleet of trucks by converting over to 48 new CNG trucks with impressive sustainability benefits. Fueled with clean burning natural gas, opposed to diesel fuel, these new trucks will eliminate 3,246 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by fueling 1,000,000 DGEs of RNG.
To put that into perspective that is equivalent to eliminating 33,389,607 miles driven by a passenger vehicle, 502,034 incandescent lamps switched to LED’s or 563,607 trash bags of waste recycled instead of being placed in a landfill.
“Our ongoing commitment to sustainability is met with enthusiasm and resolve every day, as we work to ensure we leave our communities—and our planet—better for the next generation,” said John Persons, president, Tops Friendly Markets. “We are excited to be working with so many business partners whose values align with our environmental conservation vision."
To learn more about all of Tops sustainability efforts, visit https://www.topsmarkets.com/sustainability
Press release:
The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it has updated and expanded the Barn Quilt Trail of Le Roy, in cooperation with Le Roy Historian Lynne Belluscio and the Le Roy Historical Society, by launching a new website and new self-guided trail brochure.
The original 2012 Barn Quilt Trail began as a bicentennial project for the Town of Le Roy, with the first being painted in 2011 at the annual Oatka Festival. In the following 10 months, the trail surpassed its goal of 25, with over 70 barn quilts being painted and erected.
Today, the trail features a collection of over 100 hand-painted barn quilts along four driving tours in and around LeR oy. Explore the scenic countryside while spotting each unique barn quilt that’s displayed on an array of barns, garages, homes and other outbuildings. Each quilt pattern has a story to tell, and these stories, along with full size images, can be found on the new LeRoyBarnQuilt.org website.
Barn Quilts are known to drive heritage tourism for rural communities as visitors search out authentic experiences that represent the stories and people, past and present, of the area. For Genesee County, the barn quilts have come to represent the pride shared by the people of LeRoy, a town with a rich agricultural heritage, deep appreciation of its history and immense pride in family heritage.
The Barn Quilt Trail expansion is supported through the Tourism Matching Funds program, administered by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State's Division of Tourism.
The Chamber invites everyone to explore the trail and discover the beauty and history of the area. The brochure can be requested online at LeRoyBarnQuilt.org or picked up at the Chamber’s Visitor Center at 8276 Park Road in Batavia. This, and other local brochures, can be found in our vestibule, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will also be available in LeRoy this spring at the Town Hall, Village Hall, McDonald’s, The D&R Depot Restaurant, JELL-O Gallery Museum and the Woodward Memorial Library. Watch for special Barn Quilts programming at the Woodward Memorial Library this spring.
In 2018, Le Roy started phasing out the traditional ranking of top students based on GPA, instituting instead a system that would also take into account challenging coursework.
A senior could no longer skate by on easy electives or study hall to preserve a high GPA. In the new system, students would need to acquire points in Advance Placement classes, for example, to achieve Summa Cum Laude.
High School Principal David Russell, who was hired after the 2018 revisions, introduced modifications to the Laude System to the Board of Education at its last meeting that would further encourage students to aim for high achievement instead of competing with classmates.
"We want to push students to make sure they're pushing themselves," Russell said.
The proposed revisions would be based on the total number of credits a student takes and a cumulative GPA. Each course would be valued the same as the number of credits the course is worth on a transcript. Students taking AP courses and CTE courses that have college credit would continue to receive an additional five points added to their average for that course.
The maximum possible score would be 36 total credits with a 100 GPA. To achieve Summa Cum Laude, a student would need at least 32 credits and a 95 GPA. Magna Cum Laude would be 30 credits and a 90 GPA. Cum Laude would be 28 total credits and an 85 GPA.
Cum Laude is Latin for "with distinction." Magna Cum Laude means "with great distinction," and Summa Cum Laude means "with highest distinction."
The Class of 2023 will be the last class to graduate under the Top 10 system. The classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026 are under the Laude system but will be eligible to move up to a higher Laude if they qualify for a higher Laude under the proposed revisions. If the revisions are approved, the Class of 2027 would be the first class to graduate under this new Laude system.
The goal of the Laude system is to give every student who makes the effort, regardless of life or career goals -- whether in a STEM field, the arts, or athletics -- to graduate with a Laude distinction. Every pathway, Russell explained, gives students who work hard to achieve distinction for the effort.
"One of our fundamental pillars as a public school is to create opportunities for whatever pathway students take on, we're helping prepare them for whatever future they want to go into," Russell said.
The Laude system, Superintendent Merritt Holly noted, is the antidote for "senioritis."
"When we look at the class rank, what we're in right now, that one ends at the end of the first semester," Holly said. "So in January, the Top 10 is really set and done at that point. One of the things you'll hear from the committee and our teachers always is 'senioritis' sets in. As Dave mentioned, what I like about this is it can run all the way up to the end of the school year."
The class rank system does require some hand calculation, Holly said, which is why the class rank is set after the first system. And Russell noted that the class rank is made public, which encourages students to compete against each other.
In the Laude system, only the student, his or her parents, and school counselors will know if a student is headed toward a Laude tier. There is no competition.
"That (competition) can really be unhealthy at times," Russell said.
The rank system also produces the graduation speakers -- the valedictorian and salutatorian. In the new system, students can nominate themselves or others to speak at graduation. School administrators will review those nominations to ensure those truly worthy of speaking will be given the opportunity to be selected as class speakers in a vote of their peers.
The Board of Education will vote at its April 11 meeting on whether or not to accept the proposed revisions.
Photo: Principal David Russell. Photo by Howard Owens.
By policy, every student in the Le Roy Central School District has an opportunity to be served a lunch or breakfast every school day that is healthy and meets established nutritional guidelines.
If they can't pay for it, there's no shame.
These two policies sometimes contradict each other. In circumstances where a child isn't eligible for a free or reduced-price meal but doesn't have any money -- even if they haven't paid for previous meals -- they get served if they step into the meal line. No staff member is allowed to remind a student of past-due bills. That's the district's "no shaming" policy.
However, the district is now in the red on unpaid meal bills this school year to the tune of $2,751.58, Superintendent Merritt Holly informed the Board of Education at this past week's meeting.
Currently, staff members are contacting families with unpaid bills. If a family reports back, "geez, we're really going through a rough time right now," the parents are encouraged to apply for the free or reduced-priced meal program.
"Many times, family situations change," Holly said. "Our job is to help families and bring them in through it."
There are families who aren't paying the bill but don't qualify for the program, so they're expected to pay their past bills.
"Right now, there's no conversation or take anybody in small claims court are doing those type of things," Holly said. "We're trying to generate, 'Hey, are you aware?' Then if we can, we will work out a payment plan for those families. Sometimes, they're not aware that their child has racked up that bill."
If a parent or guardian doesn't want to keep running up the tab, they can inform the school in writing not to serve a meal to their children.
Even for students not getting free or reduced-priced meals, breakfast and lunch in the cafeterias on each campus are inexpensive.
At the elementary school, breakfast is $1.70. At the middle/high school, it is $1.75. Lunch is $2.25 to $2.40.
Holly said the district tries to be as nice as it can be about approaching parents with bills for unpaid meals, but even so, they've had at least one parent indicate she was offended by the debit letter.
The district has been helped at times by community members making donations to pay meal balances for families, Holly said.
The current no-shaming policy was approved by the Board of Education in 2022 and prohibits students from being stigmatized while in line to get a meal, and students can't be required to wear wristbands, hand stamps or other identification to indicate they have an unpaid meal bill.
Parents are supposed to be notified when a student has reached five unpaid meals and informed they can apply for the free or reduced-price meal program.
Any student from a home receiving government food assistance or aid for needy families automatically qualifies for the free or reduced-price program. Other families may qualify but must submit an application and be approved by the district.
The district also has a policy that states, "The Le Roy Central School District wishes to establish a school environment that promotes wellness awareness and is conducive to healthy eating and physical activity for all." The policy is aligned with state and federal guidelines.
Press release:
Press Release:
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit #576 of Le Roy has selected a local High School Junior girl to attend this year's Empire Girls State the week of July 3rd at SUNY Brockport.
Victoria Rogoyski of Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School has been selected to attend. As part of the premier ALA program, citizens of the New York Girls State will study local, county, and state government processes during this five-day nonpartisan political learning experience.
Victoria was selected to attend Girls State based on selection criteria through the Auxiliary unit and/or high school, which includes being in the top 1/3 of her class, along with consideration given to scholastic achievements, leadership, character, honesty and physical fitness. Her mother, Brandie Rogoyski, works for Le Roy Central School District. The Botts-Fiorito unit is happy to be sponsoring a girl with a local connection.
ALA Girls State attendees, known as “citizens,” receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure and organize themselves into two mock political parties. The young women then campaign, hold rallies, debate, and ultimately vote to elect city, county, and state officials. Once elected to office, delegates are sworn in and perform their prescribed duties. Attendees not elected to office are given appointments and visit the offices of those elected to share their viewpoints as citizens.
Every spring, approximately 25,000 young women across the country are selected to attend ALA Girls State programs in their respective states. Two outstanding citizens from each of the 50 ALA Girls State programs are then chosen to represent their state as “senators” at ALA Girls Nation held in Washington, D.C. in July.
Jessica L. Holtz, 39, of Austin Street, Rochester, was arrested on two bench warrants out of City Court. The first bench warrant stems from a petit larceny charge at Kwik Fill, 99 Jackson St., on Nov. 18, 2021. She was issued an appearance ticket at the time of her arrest on Nov. 27, 2021. She was subsequently arrested for alleged failure to appear on Feb. 2, 2022. She was arraigned in City Court and released. She was subsequently arrested on May 1 for alleged failure to appear. She was arrested again on Jan. 29 for alleged failure to appear and arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court, release status unknown. The second warrant stems from a petit larceny from a church on South Swan Street on Nov. 27, 2021. She was arrested on a warrant on Feb. 2, 2022, arraigned in City Court and released. She was arrested on May 1 and on Jan. 29 for alleged failure to appear on that charge. She was again arrested on March 11 on both warrants. She was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. Her release status is unknown.
Alexandro Rodriguez, 26, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Rodriguez allegedly violated an order of protection during a disturbance at a location on East Main Street on March 9 at an undisclosed time. He was arraigned in City Court on his own recognizance.
James N. Laurich, 37, of Buffalo Road, East Aurora, is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unlicensed driver, and open alcohol container in a motor vehicle. Laurich was arrested by Officer John Gombos on March 11 following an investigation into a disturbance at an undisclosed location and an undisclosed time. Laurich was stopped on Washington Avenue. He allegedly failed a field sobriety test. He was processed at Batavia PD and issued traffic tickets.
Carolyn L. Kurek, 80, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Kurek is accused of shoving another person during a disturbance on State Street at an undisclosed time on March 10. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Shawn Lewis Anderson, 42, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, unregistered motor vehicle, unlicensed operation, uninspected motor vehicle, and moving from lane unsafely. Anderson was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Travis Demuth into a single-vehicle rollover accident on Linwood Road at 1:51 p.m. on March 14. Anderson was issued traffic tickets.
Steven Andrew Wasielewski, 39, of Phelps Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and assault 3rd. Wasielewski is accused of violating an order of protection and hitting another person, causing an injury at 10:07 p.m. on March 19 at a location on Phelps Road in Pembroke. His release status was not provided.
Mark Samuel Robbins, 41, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with two counts of harassment 2nd. Robbins is accused of shoving one person and striking another during a disturbance reported at 9:44 p.m. on March 16 at a location on South Lake Avenue, Bergen. Robbins was issued an appearance ticket.
Press release:
The American Legion Auxiliary will be displaying artwork by Wolcott Street School 4th through 6th graders during the Botts-Fiorito American Legion Post #576 open house.
It will be the kick off to our Poppy Program and the center of the auxiliary's outreach to the public to see what the Legion has to offer.
The posters will be on display at the Legion from March 25 until Memorial Day.
A two-car motor vehicle accident is reported at Vallance Road and Route 19 in Le Roy.;
Injuries are reported.
It is partially b;ockijg
Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance responding.
UPDATE 8:26 a.m.: Stella's towing both pickup trucks. Law enforcement is clearing the scene.
Le Roy lost its Class B2 championship game to Wellsville at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Saturday, 52-43.
There are no game statistics available.
Maveric McKenzie received the sportsmanship award, while Merritt Holley and Andrew Pocock were named to the all-tournament team.
Photos by Jason Coniber.
The ideals of courage and love, the life lessons of heartbreak and passion, the resilience of the human spirit, these are the themes that play out in the musical "Les Miserables," said Jacqueline McLean, the artistic director of the Le Roy High School production of the classic Broadway show.
Le Roy will perform a version adopted for high schools next weekend.
"The most important theme, in my opinion, is the importance of standing up for the dignity of the human person," McLean said. "Victor Hugo wrote the novel Les Misérables to exploit and criticize the injustice of 19th century France. This novel transcends time and still speaks of ideals that are important today, such as the rights of women, intergenerational conflict, and conflict with the government. This show is meant to renew the human spirit.
"We hope that this show and these amazing students will help you to reflect on how precious life is and how beautiful it can be even in the darkest of days and nights," she added.
Jean Valjean is played by Evan Williams. Williams starred in last year's production of "Newsies" and was a finalist in "Stars of Tomorrow" in Rochester in 2022.
Additional roles:
For more information on the production and full cast, click here.
The play is being performed in the Le Roy Jr.-Sr. High Auditorium, 9300 South Street Road, Le Roy.
In-person show times:
Tickets: Pre-sale Student/Senior Citizen: $10 Pre-sale Adult: $12. For pre-sale tickets, click here.
At the Door Student/Senior Citizen: $12; At the Door Adult: $15.
There are also two virtual performances:
Ticket prices are $10 for one viewer and $30 for family viewing.
To purchase virtual performance tickets, click here.
The Oatkan Knights put together a balanced attack against Dansville on Wednesday to advance to the finals of the Class B2 finals.
It was a close game, with Le Roy posting a final score of 49 points to 47 for Dansville.
Merritt Holly Jr. posted a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Andrew Pocock had 12 points and six rebounds. Maveric McKenzie had 10 points and four assists. Jean Agosto scored eight points.
The Knights play Wellsville at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Blue Cross Arena.
Photos by Jason Coniber.
Ronnel Simien Agee, Jr., 20, of Depew Street, Rochester, and Jaquel Rashod Gibson, 21, of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment 1st, unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Agee and Gibson are accused of fleeing from Deputy Kevin Quackenbush in a stolen 2022 Jeep Cherokee after Quackenbush attempted a traffic stop on Route 33 in Stafford at 8:16 p.m. on Feb. 16. The pursuit continued through Bergen, RIga, Chili, and into the Town of Le Roy, where Le Roy PD deployed spike strips. The vehicle stopped on Randal Road and Agee is accused of running from the vehicle on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later. Both men were held pending arraignment.
Brian Tyler Stachewicz, 27, of Porter Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing 1st. Stachewicz is accused of providing false information on a pistol permit application filed on Aug. 22. He was arrested on Feb. 21 and released on an appearance ticket.
Michael John Vanbuskirk, 49, of Union Street, Le Roy, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Vanbuskirk is accused of failure to appear in court as ordered on a felony charge and then not turning himself in within 30 days. Vanbuskirk was released on an appearance ticket.
Kevin Michael Monell, 31, of Horan Road, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Monell is accused of stealing a carton of cigarettes from a smoke shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation on Feb. 23. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Andrea Michelle Kreutter, 33, of East Bethany Le Roy Road, Bethany, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and driver's view obstructed. Kreutter was arrested on Feb. 22 and accused of possessing illegal narcotics during a traffic stop by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun at 11:50 p.m. on May 13 on East Main Street Road, Batavia. She was ordered to appear in Town of Batavia Court on March 14.
Justine Denae Wood, 36, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Wood is accused of failing to appear in Town of Stafford Court on a criminal matter on Jan. 23. She was arraigned and ordered held on $2,000 bail.
Jayne B. Liotto, 63, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Liotto was reportedly involved in a single-vehicle accident at 1:01 a.m. on Feb. 24 on Drake Street Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell. Liotto was released on an appearance ticket.
Hector Yaidal Hernandez, 22, of Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester, is charged with DWI and speeding. Hernandez was stopped 3:34 a.m. on Feb. 25 on Apple Tree Avenue in Bergen by Sgt. Mathew Clor. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Press Release:
More than 2,700 undergraduate students at Coastal Carolina University were named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2022 semester, including Brady Fix, from Le Roy. Students who make the Dean's List have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher (3.25 for freshmen) for the semester.
Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, located just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
CCU offers baccalaureate degrees in 104 major fields of study. Among the University's graduate-level programs are 27 master's degrees, one educational specialist degree, and the doctorates in education and in marine science: coastal and marine systems science. CCU boasts a growing array of internship, research, and international opportunities for students, as well as numerous online programs through Coastal Online.
More than 10,300 students from across the country and around the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 180 student clubs and organizations.
Route 33, passing through Batavia, Stafford, Le Roy, and Bergen, is a favorite patrol corridor for local law enforcement. Traffic stops along the corridor frequently lead to arrests, such as DWI, narcotics, or stolen property, and once in a while, perhaps it might lead to officers uncovering potentially bigger crimes.
Deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Chamoun aren't quite sure what they uncovered when they stopped North Carolina resident Michael Alan Jones and a passenger from Rochester when the officers encountered his vehicle on March 19 in Le Roy, but the involvement of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) the evening of the arrest and the FBI eventually taking over the case suggests Jones wasn't just another guy with an illegal firearm.
Yes, the two deputies were just doing their job, but part of the job satisfaction of being a police officer is knowing that you might have made a difference, even if you don't know what may have changed because you did good police work.
"There's certainly a sense of satisfaction that we know that we're a part of something larger, though we probably won't ever know what that was," Quackenbush told The Batavian. "But at the end of the day, you know, we don't know why they were here. We don't know what they were doing. And based on their behavior, it was something not good. And so we were able to intervene in that and at least delay plans if nothing else."
What Quackenbush and Chamoun found in a car owned and operated by Jones was a Palmetto State Armory AR15 .223 caliber rifle and a 30-round magazine. That was enough for a SAFE Act-related arrest.
They also found, according to police documents, officer statements, and video from the scene, two brand new compound bows, tactical combat casualty care gear, casualty care manuals, handwritten copies of the Russian alphabet, right-wing extremist literature, assorted paramilitary gear, two-way radios, along with bolt cutters, a crowbar and gloves in a backpack.
"There was definitely a lot going on there that raised a lot more questions," Chamoun said. "None of those are in and of themselves a crime, but it kind of raised our questioning."
Even so, given the officers' training and experience, they weren't trying to uncover a terrorist plot during the traffic stop -- an agent of the JTTF would explore that while questioning Jones later back at the Sheriff's Office -- they were more focused on the potential for possession of stolen items, drugs, illegal firearms, or just what crime one of them might have committed that made them so nervous about talking with the deputies.
While 24-year-old Jones was accused of violating the SAFE Act, he was never prosecuted locally. Soon after his arrest, he was charged with a federal crime because he was a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty in federal court and is expected to be sentenced on May 16.
Reporter Jordan Green, of Raw Story, picked up on the arrest of Jones because of his interest in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C., which Green has reported, Jones participated in (at least in the march), and he has identified Jones as a member of the Proud Boys and Patriot Front.
Given the interest in Jones by federal authorities and his potential involvement in extremist political groups, and the fact he was arrested locally, The Batavian requested from the Sheriff's Office through the Freedom of Information Law the arrest and investigation-related documents as well as body-worn camera footage of all law enforcement interactions with Jones and his passenger.
Federal authorities also expressed a strong interest in the man who was with Jones, but Green told The Batavian he has yet to uncover any ties between that man and any extremist organizations. The Batavian in its own search did not find any connection. Because he is not facing any criminal charges at this time, The Batavian is withholding his name and blurred his likeness in the accompanying video.
That's weird, right?
At 4:36 p.m. on March 19, Quackenbush and Chamoun were on patrol on Clinton Street Road when they spotted a silver Nissan Sentra with no front license plate (required in New York) and no inspection sticker or registration sticker visible in the windshield.
Quackenbush turned around to follow the vehicle.
A Sheriff's patrol vehicle turning around apparently caught the attention of Jones, who turned onto a side road. The patrol followed. He made at least two more turns, and at least on one, he didn't use a turn signal.
With that, the deputies had probable cause for a traffic stop.
Jones pulled over on School Road, and the officers approached the vehicle, Quackenbush on the driver's side, and Chamoun on the passenger side.
Quackenbush asked where they were going. Jones told him they were going to Rochester, and Quackenbush wanted to know if that was the case, why Jones didn't stay on Route 33. Jones said he thought he was on the road to Rochester.
In the midst of the discussion about directions, Chamoun said, "You took three turns rather than just staying on the same road that you were on? See what I'm saying? It's a little weird, right?"
He then asked the passenger to step out of the vehicle so he could question him separately from Jones.
"So we do this a lot," Chamoun tells the passenger once they're standing in front of the patrol vehicle. "It's a little weird when we see a car see us and then decide to turn onto back roads, as beautiful as they are, and then divert back to the same road that they're on, you know what I'm saying?"
"I see how you can think that," the passenger said.
"Well, I mean, it usually results in felony drug arrest, guns, warrants, that kind of stuff. We do this all the time."
Chamoun then asks several questions -- who owns the car, how long have you known him, where had they been, where they were going.
They had apparently been to a residence on Harvester Avenue in Batavia to purchase a Chevrolet Express Van, which the passenger did purchase, and then it was towed to a Batavia repair shop for maintenance. At least, that's the passenger's story.
But some key information the passenger shared with Chamoun didn't match what Jones was saying.
The passenger said he and Jones had recently met and they met online. Jones said they had known each other for years. He couldn't say how long. But they met through "just random stuff," and through a mutual friend whom they hadn't seen in a long time.
"I will say this your guys' stories are completely different," Chamoun tells Jones. "Weird, right? .... Typically, when a motorist is in a vehicle with a passenger who they claim they've been friends with for years, they should have the same story. So you understand that it's weird, right?"
Jones said he didn't have the best memory.
Then the officers start questioning both men about the bow in the back seat. Neither claim ownership but said it wasn't stolen.
Then they wanted to know about the backpack in the front passenger seat with bolt cutters sticking out. Jones said it belonged to the passenger. The passenger, when asked if it's his bag, says, "I plead the fifth."
The dance for information continues, with Jones telling the officers repeatedly, "nothing against you guys," as he evades straightforward answers to yes or no questions, claiming he generally doesn't trust police officers. He tells them, "I'm sure you guys are great. You're just doing your job." But remains evasive. He dodges questions. When he is seemingly caught in a lie, he says he's nervous because he's not experienced in dealing with police officers.
Quackenbush tells Jones, "I've been pulled over by police before, and I wasn't nervous, and I didn't lie, right? So when someone's lying to me, that seems to me, 'okay, there's something that he's hiding that he doesn't want me to catch."
Is there a gun in the vehicle?
At first, he's willing to let the deputies search the backseat of his car. They inform him that since he is the owner and operator of the vehicle, he's responsible for its contents.
Eventually, Quackenbush asks directly if he can search the backpack. He pulls it out and finds not just the bolt cutters but a crowbar, flashlights, and gloves. He notes the items look like burglary tools. The questions zero in on whether anything in the car is stolen.
As Quackenbush looks at the contents visible on the front seat, the broken glove compartment opens, and Quackenbush spots a box of ammo.
"Is there a firearm in the car?"
"There shouldn't be," Jones says.
Chamoun goes back to the patrol car and reads the passenger -- who has already been detained and is handcuffed -- his rights.
The passenger says he understands his rights and he wants a lawyer.
Chamoun heads back to the passenger side of the vehicle, where Quackenbush is continuing to examine the contents of the backpack.
"He just lawyered up," Chamoun says.
From this point on, Jones is a lot less willing to let the deputies search his vehicle.
Chamoun questions the passenger again.
"Is that 762 yours?"
"I plead the fifth."
"Are you comfortable back here? Can I get you anything?
"I plead the fifth."
Chamoun then returns to Jones and Quackenbush, who are standing in the roadway next to the Sentra.
"He says the rifle in the vehicle is yours," Chamoun tells Jones.
"So there is a rifle," Quackenbush says.
Jones shakes his head no.
"He just told us there was," Quackenbush says. "What are we doing here?"
"He's scared," Jones says. "What do you want him to say?"
"What's the deal with a gun?" Quackenbush asks Jones. "Are you not supposed to own a gun? Is that what's up? Like, are you on felony probation? Have you been arrested for something that you're not supposed to own a firearm? Is that what this is all about? I mean, I'm just I'm done. I don't want to beat around the bush anymore."
Jones denies there's a gun in the vehicle.
"So you're saying that absolutely, no way, shape or form there is a gun in this vehicle?"
Jones shakes his head.
The deputies then turn their attention to the mismatched license plate and VIN number on the car. Quackenbush charges Jones with driving an unregistered vehicle on a highway. The deputies now have the authority to impound the vehicle, which requires that its contents be inventoried.
While going through the items in the trunk, Chamoun pulls out a brand new, never been fired, AR15.
At this point, the officers were not aware of the suspect's felony conviction in North Carolina on sex crime charges, so they couldn't arrest him for a violation of probation. But the weapon and its magazine violated the SAFE Act. Jones was charged with two counts of criminal possession of an assault weapon in the third degree.
In the patrol car, while in custody, Jones reportedly admitted to the felony charges in North Carolina, something that hadn't come up when dispatchers searched for any records on Jones during the traffic stop.
Friends in New York
The agent from the Joint Terrorism Task Force who questions Jones at Park Road really wants to know what Jones is doing in Western New York.
It can't be for the weather, the agent tells Jones.
"I really liked the snow so far," says Jones, who hadn't been in the Rochester area for even two weeks at that point, according to earlier statements to the deputies. "I got tired of the ice pretty, pretty fast. But it is nice. And, you know, I already have friends. I mean, you know, it's not like I moved into some random state."
The agent wants to know, if Jones is released, where he will stay. Jones doesn't know but assures the agent he has plenty of contacts in the area, and he has no doubt he can find a couch to sleep on. All he has to do is text a few people once he gets his phone back.
The agent asks if Jones there is a group in the area that he is a part of, or if he's linking up with a group while in the area.
"I would be more comfortable answering that after I talked to a lawyer," Jones says. "I can definitely say (long pause) I can definitely say (long pause) a lawyer would be good."
The agent presses Jones to tell him if there are any kinds of nefarious plots afoot. Rather than say he couldn't possibly know such a thing, denying any contact with terrorists, Jones says he would be willing to answer such questions but not under present circumstances. He is in cuffs, and he wants to speak with an attorney.
"I more than understand," Jones says. "I mean, I don't think anyone here wants anything like that to happen. No one wants people to get hurt. No one wants -- your counter-terror, right? ... no one here likes terror. I mean, I hate to say the obvious. It is objectively a bad, immoral thing, speaking as a Christian, personally. But again, it's not that I don't want to help you. But my situation right now is -- handcuffs. And I would like to, I guess, not sleep here. I want to help you. But I want to help you in a way that helps both of us."
Later, another agent asks, "You don't think there are any immediate concerns?"
"I don't think there's anything that's going to pop up the next day or two, before talking to a lawyer, that would actually give you cause for concern, at least not to my knowledge, mind you, in my very limited time here," Jones tells him.
The FBI, though a public information officer, declined a request for an interview citing the pending sentencing for Jones.
Good police work
Sheriff William Sheron is proud of his men. He chalks up the arrest to doing, well, exactly what they're trained to do (and both have received extra training through Sheriff's Office on exactly these kinds of traffic stops, called 'interdiction'). Both followed their training, he said, and their intuition, and doggedly tried to put the pieces together when clearly something was amiss.
In fact, the arrest played a role in both men receiving awards from the Sheriff's Office command staff two weeks ago at the department's annual awards luncheon.
Quackenbush was named Officer of the Year, and Chamoun received a meritorious service award. There were other actions by the deputies in 2022 that contributed to the awards, but the Jones arrest was cited as among the reason for the awards.
"It is good police work," Sheron said. "That's exactly what it is, you know, being inquisitive and acknowledging that when the hair stands up on the back of your head, and you're thinking something's not right here, probably something isn't."
Note About The Video: The Batavian received more than two hours of body-worn camera video. It's been edited down to 33 minutes. Most of the footage came from two deputies and duplicated events. We edited to produce a chronological narrative, leaving out parts where wind noise made it impossible to hear speakers. Sometimes we used the better-quality audio from one officer's camera with video from the other officer's camera. We also removed some information involving personal medical information about the suspect and discussion that was repetitive or revealed personal details about the passenger who wasn't arrested.
Brittany Leann Hollaert, 26, of Saint Paul Street, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny, unlawful fleeing a police officer, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unsafe passing on left, speed not reasonable and prudent, and failure to obey a police officer. Deputy Mason Schultz attempted to stop a vehicle on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia at 1:22 a.m. on Feb. 3. As a result of the incident, Hollaert was arrested. Information on what was allegedly stolen was not released. Release status was not included in a press release.
Justin Swift, 43, of Gilbert St Le Roy, is charged with grand larceny 3rd. Swift was charged after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi. It is alleged that Swift failed to report that he had earned wages through employment, resulting in him receiving $3,324 in SNAP benefits he was not entitled to. Swift was arrested and arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released on his own recognizance.'
David Michael Wahl, 57, of Scottsville, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, no left-side mirror, unsecured license plate, and uninspected motor vehicle. Wahl was allegedly found in possession of narcotics following a traffic stop by Deputy Andrew Mullen on Feb. 6 at 9:08 p.m. on South Lake Road in Bergen. He was released on an appearance ticket.
James Dean Conway, 36, no residence provided, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 4th. Conway is accused of operating and possessing a stolen vehicle on Route 20 in the Town of Bethany on Feb. 6 at 1:34 p.m. He was apprehended by Deputy James Stack. He was released on an appearance ticket.
While Le Roy's Merritt Holly Jr. reached a significant career milestone, Le Roy couldn't quite get past Avon for a win.
The Knights lost 74-55.
Holly scored 16 points, giving him 456 points on the season.
Boys Basketball:
Photos by Jason Coniber.
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