pembroke

A possible serious injury one-car accident is reported in Pembroke at 555 Akron Road. A male in the back seat of a vehicle is inconscious. Mercy Flight in on standby. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding, along with Mercy medics.

The location is between Marble and Remsen roads.

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.: East Pembroke Fire Police are called to set up a landing zone near the crash site.

UPDATE 7:13 p.m.: One patient is being transported to ECMC by Mercy medics.

UPDATE 7:16 p.m.: A patient is being transported to a hospital by Mercy Flight. The assignment is back in service.

Pembroke Fire Department is holding its annual boot drive today while conducting traffic control at Route 5 and Lake Road in Pembroke for the Ride for Roswell. All proceeds will be donated to the Ride for Roswell.

"The fire department is urging everyone traveling today to use extra caution to give the riders the right of way," a firefighter said.

Submitted photo.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Pembroke Dragons 10U Baseball Team took to the tournament held in Nunda June 13-18 with one goal set in their mind and that goal was to win.

In order to achieve the goal they set for the GLOW All Stars tournament, it would take blood, sweat, tears and applying the hard work that they started in the gym many months ago.

To lead off the tournament Pembroke relied on the pitching of Brayden Lang, who struck out 23 batters in the first two rounds of play while going 9 for 10 at the plate with six singles, two doubles and a triple.

Along with the smart at bats and huge catches in the field by Gavin Liss, Ryan Zika, Austin Post and Trevor Rheinheimer the Dragons made their way to the semifinal game.

The game of the semifinals set for a tough task ahead facing a talented Nunda team and defeating them in extra innings.

The semifinals round was led by explosive hitting and base running by Owen Schultz. Owen sparked the Dragons when they needed it most with a massive double, clearing the bases and setting up the Dragons for the comeback that they needed.

In the bottom of the seventh inning Owen got on base and used his speed and heart to steal home, sealing the win for the Dragons to advance to the Championship round against a loaded Perry team led by the great coaching of Steve Deaton.

During the championship game the Dragons started Zachary Hartz on the mound who kept the scoring and the hitting to an astounding low against a team that had put up 62 runs thus far throughout the tournament.

Madden Perry made a huge double play at first by catching a ball and touching the bag before the runner had time to tag up to inch the Dragons even closer to achieving their goal.

To close the game on the mound Pembroke then turned to Aydaen Windnagle, who struck out batters and played with great composure and confidence right to the end.

With Pembroke holding onto a 7-to-4 lead in the sixth inning of the game with bases loaded you could almost hear the hearts pounding.

The winning play that ended the game sent the Dragons into celebration mode was made by none other than Mason Wetherbee.

A player from Perry took a deep shot to left field and the feeling of time almost stopped as Mason took off toward the ball and made an amazing glove catch before going to the ground.

As Mason came up with the game winning catch the celebration began and the emotional Dragons ran about the field in all their glory. Overall the Dragons played with heart, determination and most importantly as a team lifting each other up a when needed and grinding to the very end brining home the first ever Glow Championship to Pembroke.

The coaching staff of Manager Dan Lang and assistant coaches Lee Hartz, Dan Zika, Arron Post, Luke Windnagle, Ian Wetherbee and Norm Liss would like to congratulate the boys on this hard-fought journey and rising to the challenges they faced to become the Champions that they are.

As we say, you need to over-believe to overachieve and that’s exactly what happened to get the win.

A driver's brake line apparently broke causing an accident at 9:36 a.m., Monday, on Route 77 at Cohocton Road, Pembroke, according to a Sheriff's Office accident report.

Only one driver in the two-car accident was injured. 

Kendra L. Cain, 48, of Main Road, Corfu, suffered an elbow injury and was transported to UMMC for evaluation.

According to the accident investigation by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Cain was driving a 2002 Ford SUV eastbound on Cohocton Road when she came to a stop sign at Route 77.

She was unable to stop the vehicle and her SUV traveled into the intersection where it struck a 2015 Chrysler SUV driven by Mary Saleman, 69, of Clover Place, Cheektowaga.

Neither Saleman nor Cain's passenger, Demetrius A. Cing, 16, were injured in the crash.

No citations were issued.

Volunteers from fire departments in Pembroke, Indian Falls, East Pembroke, Darien, and Corfu, along with personnel from the Sheriff's Office, Coroner's Office, C.B. Beach Mortuary, Mercy EMS, and Mercy Flight, conducted a DWI drill Friday afternoon for the benefit of seniors from Pembroke High School in advance of tonight's prom.

Previously (ICYMI):

• Elba High School
• Le Roy High School

Pembroke High School Social Studies teacher Greg Kinal gets a hug from a former student, Terry Hendry, of Oakfield, after his presentation on D-Day for the Medina Historical Society.

Having taught Social Studies at Pembroke High School or nearly five decades, it’s not surprising Greg Kinal has an above-average interest in World War II, especially D-Day.

Kinal, who will celebrate 50 years as a Pembroke teacher next year, gives about 75 speeches a year and does 40 presentations for historical societies.

“Most of my speeches are to adult groups and I try to pick topics each group would like,” Kinal said. “I have always been infatuated with the events of D-Day and it is a favorite of audiences.”

His interest in D-Day is also fueled by his family’s ties to World War II.

His father was a top turret gunner on a B-25, serving in North Africa and the Italian Campaign. He also had an uncle, Dr. Murl Kinal, who was a neurosurgeon and served as a medic at Normandy. Another uncle, George Frank Schultz, served aboard the USS Quincy and was the first ship to fire on occupied Normandy.

A few years ago, the family arranged for Kinal to take a ride in a B-25 Mitchell bomber at Hagerstown, Md., to celebrate his 70^th birthday, but the weather turned sour and the flight was canceled.

Now they have made arrangements for the whole family to go back to Hagerstown this summer for the airplane ride in a B-25.

Kinal gave his talk on D-Day for a recent meeting of the Medina Historical Society at Lee Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. The presentation was timely as the world commemorates the 75^th anniversary of the attack on Normandy this Thursday, June 6.

He started his talk by explaining prior to World War II, America had an army of 334,000. By 1943, the number had grown to 12 million, and was soon at 16 million.

In 1939, the United States made fewer than 1,000 planes a year. By the end of 1943, they were building 8,000 a month.

By comparison, in Ypsilanti, Mich., the average car built by Ford Motor Company had 15,000 parts. A B-24 Liberator had more than 1,550,000 parts. When Ford started making B-24s, they were turning out one every 63 minutes.

Prior to the Allied invasion of Normandy, the United States set up a fake base in England across from Calais, with fake tanks.

“They wanted the Germans to think we were going to come across the Channel to Calais, and they bought it,” Kinal said. “Instead, our troops were in Southern England.”

The battle for Normandy was called Operation Overlord, and the D-Day beach landings on its coast was code-named Operation Neptune. The invasion was originally scheduled for June 5, 1944, but the weather turned sour.

They finally got a break, and at 9:45 p.m. on June 5. General Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the command, “OK, let’s go” and 800 Allied planes left England with 20,000 paratroopers for the June 6 invasion, which was a Tuesday.

It was the largest seaborne invasion in history.

The 5,000 ships carried 155,000 troops on the first wave. The average age was 22.

The Germans used machine guns which fired 125 bullets per second, Kinal said.

Five hours later, the Americans were in control of Omaha Beach and by night the Allies were 10 miles into Normandy.

Next came the assault on Utah Beach, and when night came, the Americans had taken all five beaches of Normandy, Kinal said.

During the attack, 300 planes bombed the coast and 13,000 paratroopers jumped into battle. There were 800 transport planes and the ships carried 448,000 tons of ammunition.

The Americans thought they were doing the soldiers a big favor by feeding them a big breakfast of steak, eggs, pork chops and potatoes, not realizing they would mostly all become seasick.

The fighting left 4,414 dead on the beaches, of which 2,499 were Americans. German casualties, however, were estimated at 10,000, Kinal said.

Today, 1,700 Americans are still missing.

“This operation was not planned with any alternatives,” Kinal quoted General Eisenhower. “This operation was planned as a victory. That’s the way it’s going to be.

"We’re going down there and we’re throwing everything we have into it and we’re going to make it a success.”

Kinal lives in Elma where he says they have a veteran who was on the first wave of the attack on Omaha Beach. Each year, the fire company has a gun raffle in Elma, and this veteran is asked to pull the first ticket.

Kinal said he was just asked to give his D-Day talk in Bennington and many people showed up to hear him. There were even six or eight people who had fathers who landed in Normandy on D-Day.

Photo by Virginia Kropf.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Pembroke Dragons 10U Baseball Team/Cal Ripkin Division won the Abbott Memorial Championship in Perry on Sunday.

The team was one of 15 teams invited to play in the two-day tournament, playing five games total.

Over the two-day tournament, the team scored a total of 50 runs, only allowing five against.

They defeated Letchworth in the semi-final game 7-1, and then defeated Nunda in the championship game 9-0.

Pitchers PJ Reeves, Zachary Hartz and Brayden Lang helped keep the runs to only five scored against the Dragons.

Home runs by Madden Perry and PJ Reeves, bit hits by Austin Post, Jacob DiPalma, along with great fielding by Ryan Zika, Owen Schultz, Leo Lang and the rest of the Dragons helped seal the deal to bring the championship home.

Mark Dibble has been found alive, according to Tim Yaeger, GC Emergency Management Services coordinator.

He is breathing but not alert and was found behind 1031 Ledge Road in Basom -- the Totem Pole Smoke Shop. Mercy Flight was called, then cancelled. A ground ambulance is heading there now.

The location is about 270 yards south of the smoke shop.

The 58-year-old Indian Falls resident was reported missing late yesterday afternoon after he failed to show up at work and no one had heard from him.

Up to 70 firefighters, law enforcement personnel, volunteers and family members scoured the area until after 9 last night before calling off the search until daylight. It resumed about 10:30 this morning.

UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: A fire chief at the scene said when the ambulance arrived, Dibble was alert and able to walk to the ambulance, which is taking him to ECMC for evaluation.

UPDATE 6:19 p.m.: A group of about a dozen friends and family members decided to search the area around the Totem Pole Smoke Shop and they are the ones who found Dibble, says one of his friends.

GC Emergency Management Services Coordinator Tim Yaeger said up to 70 people are involved in the continuing search for Mark Dibble, including family members.

Dibble was identified as "almost certainly" the person seen walking northward on property owned by Sunrise Farm LLC, Kreher's egg farm in Basom. That is where the search is being staged today.

They have searched wooded areas, a rock quarry and ponds, and Diver Lake. No clues, clothing or footprints were found.

NYS Police aviation was deployed as well as their divers and nothing found after extensive investigation this morning.

They have widened the search from a quarter mile of where Dibble was seen on the farm video, to beyond a half-mile range. They are rechecking cabins, barns, and outbuildings that were inspected yesterday.

The search area also includes open fields, hedgerows, and ditches, private residences, campers, vehicles, and thick brush, with participants walking in swaths five feet apart.

Dibble grew up here; has been here his whole life; knows the area very well. Some of the geography is difficult terrain.

Next, they will check the property of his longtime employer.

They have spoken with colleagues, friends, family members and others who are acquainted with Dibble.

Anyone with information about Dibble is asked to call the Emergency Dispatch Center at 9-1-1.

As darkness fell Tuesday night, members of local law enforcement and volunteer firefighters stood down from a search for Mark Dibble, a 58-year-old Indian Falls man who was last seen at 6 a.m. at his mother's house on Alleghany Road.

Dibble didn't make it into work this morning and nobody apparently had any contact with him after he was seen getting out of his truck wearing work boots and jeans (a shirt description isn't available). Chief Deputy Brian Frieday said Dibble left his wallet and mobile phone in his truck.

The family became concerned when Dibble didn't come home from work and they realized he hadn't been heard from all day.

Before the search began, family members tried locating him by checking with friends and at places he might frequent.

Volunteers from fire departments in Alabama, Indian Falls, Pembroke, East Pembroke, and Darien all responded to the scene along with personnel from the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management. Erie County provided a helicopter to assist in the search and two state troopers used a drone to supplement the aerial reconnaissance. State Police and the DEC also provided K-9s to assist in the search.

Frieday said a decision will be made in the morning about how, when, and where to continue the search in the morning.

UPDATE 8:30 a.m.: The search will resume this morning, according to Chief Deputy Brian Frieday.

Previously: Search and rescue team deployed to find missing man in Indian Falls

Photo of Mark Dibble provided to law enforcement by his family.

Lyla Bynum from Le Roy Central School District is the First Place winner in The DIGIES' PreK-3 Audio category with her submission "Cats and Kittens."

Submitted photo and press release:

LE ROY -- The DIGIES is an annual digital media conference and festival run by the School Library Service, a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. 

This year’s festival awards event was held on May 16 at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.

The mission of The DIGIES is to strengthen the digital media continuum between Pre-K-12 schools, higher education and professional institutions. The DIGIES recognizes student potential in an annual festival format and draws student entries from throughout the region and the Upstate New York area.

Emilee Williamson and Andrea Fetterly, Library technologies’ specialists; and Brian Mayer, game librarian, coordinate this conference. Mayer noted how this year’s festival drew a variety of entries.

“We had another wonderful year with strong submissions from both the Genesee Valley Region and beyond," Mayer said. "Submissions continue to come in from both school and public libraries, with students not only sharing curricular projects but personal work as well."

Below is a listing of all the event categories, age groupings, award winners and their school districts.

Congratulations to these imaginative students!

AUDIO

PreK-3

1^st Place – Lyla Bynum -- "Cats and Kittens" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Ben Knapp -- "The Pink Fluffy Unicorn’s Problem" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Sophie Beikirch -- "The New Old Book" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Matthew Parry -- "Nintendo Designer" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Mina Stevens – "O’er Th’ Loch" – Pittsford Central School

2^nd Place – Trey Prevost, Kailyn Tresco, Amara Condidorio, Lola Forte, Hailey-Jay Michel, Alli Privatera, Angela Allen, Adele Feeley, Ashley Michel – "Las Excusas"  – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Evie Babcock – "Quien Soy Yo" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Peyton Martin – "Lost At Sea" – Mount Morris Central School

2^nd Place – Leslie Arneth, Katie Carmichael, Kassidy Steffenilla – "ASMR: An Episode of Knightly Knews" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Hailey Grasso, Alexis Pfendler – "Real Feminism Podcast" – Le Roy Central School

GRAPHIC ARTS

PreK-3

1^st Place – Reese Koukides – "Reflection of Fire" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Sean Kantorowicz – "Altered Photos" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Broton Folts – "Best Part of Me" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Kayden Sweet – "Egyptian Pyramid" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Paolo Quintana – "Altered Photos" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Seaenna Ford – "The Chipmunk" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Victoria Feng – "Platonic Sculpture" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

2^nd Place – Nhu Tran – "Giraffe" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

3^rd Place – Mackenzie Pustulka – "Virtual Gallery" – Rush-Henrietta Central School

3^rd Place – Kaylen Petramalo – "Credo Stellae" (latin) (Believe in Stars) – Rush-Henrietta Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Nathan Coy – "Layne Staley" – Pavilion Central School

2^nd Place – Jayde Wilkin-Smith – "Grandparent’s View in Germany" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Ella Sexton – "The Water View" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Allana Knopp – "Teepee" – Holley Central School

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

PreK-3

1^st Place – Cora Weaver, Bailey Caton, Kylie Wilson, Leah Cashin – "It’s Time for a Change" – Le Roy Central School

2^nd Place – Peyton Bennett – "Crossing the Delaware" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Lily Sharp, Hannah White, Leah Whittel – "Jack and the Hairy Beanstalk" – Livonia Central School

2^nd  Place – Nadja Emmendorfer – "Greece" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Matthew Covert, Andrew Greene, Fernando Cacho – "Space: Our Galaxy, Universe and Beyond!" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Casey Wurtz – "College Photo" – Pembroke Central School

2^nd Place – Faith DesRoches – "An Exploration of New Social Landscape" – Pembroke Central School

3^rd Place – Evan McCoy, Sam Heck – "Rent-a-Pet" – Livonia Central School

VIDEO

PreK-3

1^st Place – Pedro Segatto, Wyatt Sattora, Rivers Thomas, Mason Patterson, Ceci Prince, Mackenzie Partridge, Sainelys Diaz, Scott Ho, Jagger Lee, Mason Bowick, Trenton Konzel, Finley Weingaertner, Sandy Godinez – "Composite Shapes in Spring" – Geneseo Central School

2^nd Place – Chloe Richardson, Dylan Bogdon, Justin Ferguson, Kylee Wonsey, Noah Johnso – "Blooper Reel" – Livonia Central School

3^rd Place – Jane Fischer – "Fun with Animations!" – Livonia Central School

Grades 4-6

1^st Place – Helio Quintana, Carson Beardsley – "A Quick Trip" – Livonia Central School

2^nd Place – Leila Haines, Leona Savino, Anna Reilly, Lucas Savino – "Ridiculous Ocean" – Victor-Farmington Public Library

3^rd Place – Taila Cavalcante-Bezerra, Isabella Hennessy, Chloe Meys – "Viruses Going Around" – Livonia Central School

Grades 7-9

1^st Place – Mina Stevens – "The Monster in My Closet" – Pittsford Central School

2^nd Place – Amy Eck – "Clearly" – Le Roy Central School

3^rd Place – Jack Tonzi, Jake Marcello, Nate Yauchzee – "Bohemian Immigrant" – Le Roy Central School

Grades 10-12

1^st Place – Jacob French – "Dominos" – Geneseo Central School

2^nd Place – Alexis Verrall – "What You Don’t Know About ME" – Tonawanda Central School

3^rd Place – Marquise Bennett – "Ageism" – Pittsford Central School

About the School Library System

It is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, based in Le Roy. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

Christian Arieras Wilson, 21, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree, fifth-degree conspiracy and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Following an investigation into smuggling contraband into the Genesee County Jail, Wilson was arrested, released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on May 20. It is alleged that Wilson delivered a quantity of a controlled substance into the jail in a concealed manner at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Michael Shawn Wahl, 53, of Jordan Avenue, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree and possessing or transporting or offering for sale unstamped cigarettes. At 10:32 p.m. on May 10, following a traffic stop on Indian Falls Road in Pembroke, Wahl was arrested. Allegedly, he was driving a motor vehicle and his driver's license was revoked and he possessed unstamped cigarettes for sale. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on May 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Jenna Ferrando.

Tammy Kay Zasowski, 51, of Clinton Street, Elma, is charged with petit larceny. Following an investigation of a larceny on Shanks Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, Zasowski was arrested. It is alleged that she stole cigarettes at noon on May 3. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Alabama Town Court on June 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Ira Leroy Mercer, 72, of Oakwood Road, Rochester, is charged with possession of unstamped cigarettes for sale. At 10:32 p.m. on May 10, Mercer was arrested on Indian Falls Road in Pembroke following a traffic stop. He allegedly possessed unstamped cigarettes that were for sale. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court on May 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sherjiff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Jenna Ferrando.

Ramon S. Gilliam, 44, of Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, and having an uninspected motor vehicle. Gilliam was arrested following a traffic stop for uninspected vehicle at 9:04 a.m. on May 10 on East Main Street Road in Batavia. He is due in Batavia Town Court on May 23. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

Joshua Dale Thomas Jr., 34, of Post Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the fourth degree. At 12:29 a.m. on May 11, Thomas was arrested on Route 490 in Le Roy. He was the passenger in a motor vehicle stopped for alleged vehicle and traffic violations. "During the stop criminal indicators were observed which led to a subsequent search of the vehicle and its occupants." Thomas was allegedly found in possession of more than two ounces of marijuana. He was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Le Roy Court and is due there on June 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Thomas Sousa, 55, of 7th Avenue, St. Petersburg, Fla., is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 2:51 a.m. on May 10 on South Lake Road in Bergen, Sousa was arrested after a traffic stop for alleged vehicle and traffic violations, which included failure to keep right. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Bergen Town Court on June 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

It was a perfect day for the Lang family in Pembroke yesterday. 

Ten-year-old Brayden Lang didn't give up a hit or and walked only one batter in four innings of work to record his first perfect game on Cal Ripken League team coached by his father Dan Lang.

Brayden wears number 46, just like his great-grandfather, Harry Pilarski, when he was a minor league pitcher in the Red Sox organization in the 1940s.

"He pitched a perfect game," Dan said. "His number is 46. He threw 46 pitches. His grandfather wore number 46. It all kind of chimed together for me after the game."

Yes, Dan is a proud father but the most meaningful moment came when Brayden told him, "Papa Harry would have been proud."

"That means more to me than anything," Dan said. "That he's thinking about the history."

After that, dad said he took his coach's hat off for a second and gave his son a hug.

"He pulled away from me and I said, 'what, you can't hug your dad in front of your friends?' " Dan said. "He said, 'no, your pencil behind your ear is poking me in my cheek.' "

Pilarski began his professional baseball career after World War II, pitching for Oneonta in 1946, Lynn in 1947, and Roanoke in 1948, posting records of 13-13 with an ERA of 2.97, 14-9 and 3.98, and 7-8 and 3.22.

He didn't play in 1948 and in 1950 he joined an independent team, Kingston in the Border League, and posted a record of 19-6 with a 2.81 ERA. He played for two separate Border League teams in 1951 before retiring from baseball. Overall, his career record was 65-45 with an ERA of 3.29.

He served in the 11th Airborne. Dan Lang said he was in the raid of Los Banos as a paratrooper and he was part of the rescue of P.O.W’s there. He played baseball while in service, then was recruited after his honorable discharge.

Brayden's game last night was called after four innings because his team was up 15-0. In his previous start this year, he gave up only one hit, struck out 12, in another 15-0 four-inning game.

CORRECTION: The first person who contacted us about this game said it was a perfect game. After the story was first published, we learned Brayden did walk a batter.

Submitted photos.

Not too many 18-year-olds run for elective office and even fewer decide to challenge their dad's bid for reelection but that's just what Samantha Ianni plans to do in the May 21 Pembroke Central School District Board of Trustees election.

Dad, Art Ianni, facing reelection for the first time after a single five-year term, is fine with it. Though he really doesn't want to lose.

"I have a lot of respect for my daughter and her decision making has always been pretty good so I'm going to stick behind her," Ianni said. "At the same token, over the five years, I've developed a lot of relationships with people on the board. So, through my experience and knowledge, I think that I can finish."

That sounds like a challenge, he's told.

"At age 55,I might know a few more people than my daughter. But again, it'll be interesting to see what she brings."

For Sam, being young is an advantage, she said. She's only a year removed from high school and will be a student herself throughout her entire term, if elected, first as an undergrad in education at the University at Buffalo and then working on her master's in education.

She also thinks that while her classmates are pretty tied up with their own studies and possibly in college out of the area, the students who were just a year or two ahead of her might be around and they might be eager to come out and support her candidacy.

Sam was the student ex-officio member of the school board a year ago and in January one of her former teachers, Alexis Langheier, suggested to Sam that she run for the seat.

"I was talking to her about how school was going and everything and she brought it up to me," Sam said. "She was like, 'I think this could be a really cool opportunity for you. You would learn a lot. I think that you also have a lot to offer the board.' "

Art was bemused when Sam first mentioned the idea to him but quickly decided it was a good thing for her and the community.

"Well, after I laughed a little bit I said, 'You know, I'm happy that one of the products of the school, any student, would want to be that involved in their community and want to come back is a wonderful thing,'" Art said. "That's what we do as a school board. That's what we try to accomplish. It's cool that it's my daughter but any 18-year old who would run against me I would be very proud of."

There is only one seat open in this election and Art and Sam aren't the only candidates. There's also Jeanna Clark. (Strassburg before her recent marriage). 

The natural question for Art is whether having Sam on the ballot might split any potential vote against him but he said he doesn't think Sam running helps him. She could bring in her own voters.

"I'd like to think that my experience on that board will push me all the way through," Art said. "Sam may bring in another 50 voters, which may not be the whole scale but it'll be close. Yeah, it'll be close. It'll be heartbreaking either way. Someone's losing whether it's myself whether it's Sam whether it's the other one obviously someone is losing. So, yeah, I'll feel bad but not for long."

Four churches in the Corfu/Pembroke area are combining efforts to make people aware of hunger in their own hometown.

On Saturday, May 11, the Corfu United Presbyterian Church, Indian Falls United Methodist Church and St. Maximilian Kolbe Church Corfu and East Pembroke are sponsoring a Walk Hunger Away 5K.

Deborah Russ, of Corfu, a member of the Corfu United Presbyterian Church, is the event organizer, with help from volunteers in the other churches.

She explained there used to be a Crop Walk in Genesee County, which is an international effort to fight hunger.

“But there is such a need in our own area,” Russ said.

Proceeds from Saturday’s 5K will be divided among three food programs in Corfu, Pembroke and Falls.

The Corfu United Presbyterian Church maintains a food pantry, which is open at 9 a.m. the third Saturday and at 5:30 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month.

The Pembroke Bagged Meal Program provides weekend meals to more than 65 children in the Pembroke Central School District.

“We started out with middle school and have expanded to include high school kids,” Russ said. “Now we are hoping to include the primary school.”

St. Maximillian Kolbe Church supports the Food Pantry with a monetary donation every month, Russ said. She said a lot of senior citizens benefit from the Food Pantry.

The third program to be helped by Saturday’s walk is the Rise Against Hunger, for which Indian Falls United Methodist Church packs thousands of meals for people in developing nations.

Russ said it is their hope participants in the Hunger Walk will get sponsors, but it isn’t a requirement.

“We just want people to come and learn about hunger,” she said. “They can walk with no money or they can make a $5 donation.”

There are no expenses incurred so every penny made will be distributed to the three programs.

Also on Saturday, the Corfu Girl Scout Troop 42035 will sponsor a food drive at the Corfu United Presbyterian Church.

Donations of nonperishable items or single-serve items for the Pembroke Bagged Meal Program are suggested. Examples of requested single-serve items are mini cereal bars, fruit cups, granola bars, noodle/pasta cups and juice boxes.

For information, contact Valerie Mutka at (585) 813-4075.

Registration for the Hunger Away 5K is at 9:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. The route starts at Corfu United Presbyterian Church and returns there. It is located at 63 Alleghany Road.

The walk is unique in that six stops are planned along the route, where walkers can stop and learn important facts about the three programs the 5K supports.

Press release:

On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Genesee County law enforcement agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.  

Bring your pills for disposal to:

Pembroke Town Hall, Route 5 at Route 77 in Pembroke

• received by Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies

Batavia Police Department Headquarters, 10 W. Main St. (rear parking lot) -- Batavia

• received by Batavia Police Officers

Le Roy Police Department Headquarters, 3 W. Main St. -- Le Roy

• received by Le Roy Police Officers

Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites—liquids and needles or other sharps will not be accepted. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards.

A 17-year-old Elba resident and her younger brother were injured Easter Sunday after another reportedly rear-ended the car she was driving in the area of 2102 Main Road, Pembroke.

Theresa M. Gioia, 60, of Auburn, was cited for allegedly following too closely.

The accident sent four people to area hospitals, including Maddison T. Howard, 17, and Zachary D. Howard, 15. Maddison reportedly suffered a minor head injury and Zachary had a complaint of neck pain. Both were transported to Buffalo General Hospital.

Gioia reportedly told a deputy that she "looked back for one minute" while driving 2011 Jeep before hitting a 2017 Mazda SUV driving by Maddison.

Gioia and passenger Julie Wall, 36, were taken by Mercy EMS to UMMC. Gioia reportedly suffered a broken elbow. Wall had a complaint of neck pain.

Also in the car, with no reported injuries, were Jacob Kraatz, 15, and James Gioia, 64.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reversed the drivers of the vehicles and incorrectly stated who was cited. The Batavian regrets the error.

(Initial Report)

Matthew A. Oakes, 39, and Kailyn M. Oakes, 24, both of Boston State Road, Hamburg, are each charged with these misdemeanors: three counts of petit larceny; three counts of endangering the welfare of a child; and three counts of sixth-degree conspiracy. Between 11:20 and 11:50 p.m. on April 6, 12 and 15, the subjects allegedly stole several cartons of cigarettes from the Two Eagles Smoke Shop on Bloomingdale Road in Basom. They allegedly had their small child with them on each occasion. The parents were arrested, issued appearance tickets and are due in Alabama Town Court on May 8. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon, Sgt. John Baiocco, and NYS Police Officer Michael Machniak.

Kayla Frances Twardowski, 29, of Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with third-degree attempted grand larceny. Twardowski was arrested at 3 p.m. on April 16 after it was alleged that she allowed two fraudulent checks totaling more than $3,000 to be deposited into her bank account. She was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on May 7 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Minuto, assisted by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Michael Scott VanBuren, 51, Wesley Drive, Akron, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; aggravated DWI -- operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .18 percent of higher; moving from lane unsafely; speed not reasonable and prudent. VanBuren was arrested at 5:55 p.m. on April 19 on Knapp Road in Pembroke following the investigation of a motor-vehicle accident. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Pembroke Town Court on May 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor.

Gary Alfred Rynkowski, 50, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .18 percent or greater; DWI; open container; and inadequate plate lamp. On April 20, Rynkowski was arrested at 2:33 a.m. on West Main Street in Batavia following a traffic stop. He is due in Batavia City Court on May 15 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Ar-Rahmaan M. Jones, 38, of East Avenue, Le Roy, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Jones awas arrested at 10:29 p.m. on April 20 on East Main Street Road in Batavia. It is alleged that while a deputy was checking the welfare of a motorist parked roadside on Route 5 in the Town of Batavia, Jones was found behind the wheel of a vehicle with its motor running. At the time, Jones allegedly was under the influence of alcohol and had an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on May 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan, assisted by Brabon Joshua.

Jordan R. Rose, 18, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Rose was arrested after he was allegedly found to have been in the presence of two parties protected by a stay away order of protection at 4:30 p.m. on April 10 on Maple Street in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Tuesday, April 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Joshua David Capwell, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment and criminal mischief. Capwell was arrested following an investigation into a domestic dispute on West Main Street in Batavia at occurred at 11:45 p.m. on April 18. He was issued a computer-generated appearance ticket and is to be arraigned in Batavia City Court on Tuesday, April 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

Heidi L. Harder, 43, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant following an unrelated incident. She was located at her residence and taken into custody with incident. After arraignment in Batavia City Court on April 16, she was jailed in lieu of $1,500 cash or bond. She is due to return to city court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Marc Lawrence.