Stafford

Volunteers from at least four fire companies -- I saw Le Roy, Batavia, Stafford and South Byron while I was there -- were on hand Sunday at The Home Depot to raise a flag in honor of the 9/11 victims and give community members a chance to meet with local volunteers and learn about fire safety. Children could tour the firetrucks and receive hats and coloring books.

Eric Michael Duda, 49, of Main Road, Stafford, and Summer Ogden, 35, of State Street, Batavia, are both charged with criminal contempt. Duda and Odgen were seen walking together on Main Road, Stafford, at 4:15 p.m., Wednesday. There are court orders in place barring Duda and Odgen from being in contact with each other.

Dennis Kaijage Stambuli, 19, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass and unlawful possession of marijuana. Stambuli was allegedly found on College Village property after being banned.

Scott E. Hodgins, 47, of 9394 Creek Road, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, passing a stop sign, speed in zone and obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. Hodgins was stopped at 8:40 p.m., Thursday, on Blakely Place, by Officers Jerry Casper and Chris Camp. Hodgins was allegedly observed speeding on South Jackson Street. Hodgins allegedly tried to flee on foot following the traffic stop and was located after an extensive search of the area. New York State Police assisted in the search. Additional charges may be pending. Hodgins was jailed without bail.

Benjamin Gove Evans, 22, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Evans is accused of shoplifting at Kmart in April.

Kristen L. Brightenfield, 18, of 6559 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Brightenfield is accused of stealing a box of hair dye from Tops Market during the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Micaheal J. Elmore, 20, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Elmore was arrested by the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office following an investigation into thefts in Orangeville. Elmore was identified as the suspect with the help of a pawnshop in Batavia. Another piece of stolen property was recovered in the Village of Attica.

Diane E. Winger, 46, of 329 Eva Road, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, is charged with driving while ability impaired and failure to keep right. Winger was stopped at 11:43 p.m., Sunday, on Snipery Road in Darien by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Fifteen volunteer firefighters from five companies in Genesee County are headed east this morning to assist in relief and recovery efforts in one of the hardest hit areas of the state from Hurricane Irene.

The volunteers gathered at the Emergency Servcies Training Center on State Street Road at 6:30 a.m. to be briefed on their mission by County Coordinator Tim Yaeger.

The group then headed to the Thruway to make it to Schoharie County by noon for a 72-hour deployment.

"They're in bad shape down there and now they've got more rain coming," said Yaeger, who was among the state's emergency coordinators dispatched to the region right after the storm hit.

The firefighters will be relieving other volunteers who have been working in the county since the storm hit last week.

"There's still places that are getting drops by Blackhawk helicopters of food and water because they're still isolated," Yaeger said.

Yaeger said it's amazing what these guys have signed up for with no pay. They will likely be sleeping on cots, living on pizza and pumping sewage out of basements during their 12-hour shifts.

They might also be called upon to deliver relief supplies to residents isolated by storm damage or just help with general clean up and recovery.

"And they're offended if I don't offer them a chance to go," Yaeger said. "These guys have been waiting for this for a week."

Darien Chief Dale Breitwieser couldn't make the deployment, but he was at the training center this morning to see off the three volunteers from his department.  He said it's events like this where you see that volunteers are a special breed of person.

"There will be volunteers there from all over the state and they'll all pull together," Breitwieser said.

Besides Darien, participating departments are Bergen, Town of Batavia and Stafford along with staff from Emergency Services.

Yaeger is not joining this group, though he may be deployed later today to Green County where a village of 700 people in the Town of Plattsville was wiped off the map. The town supervisor lost his house and his gas station and now he's trying to help his town through the devastation, Yaeger said.

The Albany Times Union has a photo slide show of the damage in Schoharie County.

On Tuesday, Jim DiSalvo invited me to his house on Fargo Road, Stafford, to meet his son, Jason, and Jason's racing team. I thought I'd get a picture and share a little bit about the great season Jason is having.

I set up a shot with a couple of bikes in the background and just as we were getting ready to make a photograph, Jason asked, "When will your picture run?" I told him, "probably tonight."

Well, that would never do. See that Triumph in the background -- the racing world didn't yet know that Jason would be running it this week at the final race of the season in New Jersey.

I agreed to hold the picture until the bike change was officially announced, and I also redesigned the shot to better include the bike in the picture.

This evening, the DiSalvo team officially announced that for the last race as well as next season, Jason will race a Triumph 675 Triple in Daytona Sportbike class races.

Jason said the team felt they would get great support from Triumph and he was excited about the switch.

Race 1 on Saturday will start at 2 p.m., and Sunday's race starts at 2:15 p.m.  Live timing for both events can be viewed at www.amaproracing.com.

Speed TV will air the races at 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Jason is currently third this season in points standing with three wins and four pole positions.

Pictured with Jason are Jordan Fielder, left, Bubba Evoy, Chase McFarland and Ronnie Saner.

A motorcycle accident, possibly with injuries, isreported on Assemblyman R. Stephen Hawley Drive, Batavia, just west of Batavia-Stafford Townline Road.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS dispatched. 

UPDATE 9:38 p.m.: Batavia fire back in service. No fluid leaks, not blocking traffic.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported in front of the Red Osier Restaurant, Route 5 near Roanoke Road. Stafford Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:16 p.m.: There is one person injured. Law enforcement on scene says there are a lot of fluids in the roadway. Tow truck(s) are en route.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: A 34-year-old man is being transported to UMMC complaining of pain in his neck, lower back and wrist.

A paving company suspected last year of doing substandard work is reportedly back in the area approaching local homeowners with the same "leftover asphalt" offer it's used before.

State Police Investigator Leo Hunter said the company, Stanley Paving, completed a paving job for a couple in Stafford on Friday. After the job was done, the couple remembered a media report from last summer about the company.

A Google search led them to contact Hunter, though they're not making any sort of criminal complaint.

The job, Hunter said, was more or less completed as promised, though there was reportedly a price increase in the middle of the job and the couple is unsure of the quality of the work.

Hunter said a representative of the company, which also goes under the name Bithumus, approached the husband on Friday. He said he had some asphalt left over from another job and could repave his driveway for $75 per square foot. The man agreed to the job.

When the job was half completed, the company rep claimed they didn't have enough asphalt to finish the job and would need to buy more at a higher price. It would take another $3,800 to complete the job. The price was negotiated down to $3,300.

The company rep was driving a new white pickup truck.

People are reportedly crossing the roadway in the area of Fotch Road and Byron Road in golf carts with no headlights.

The caller states she "almost hit one."

A deputy is dispatched.

The Genesee County Grand Jury issued these indictments today:

Shonnon J. Jefferson is indicted on one count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, a Class E felony. Jefferson was stopped on Feb. 3 on I-90 in the Town of Stafford while driving a 1995 Dodge and allegedly had a revoked or suspended driver's license. Further, Jefferson had in effect 10 or more suspensions imposed on at least 10 separate dates for failure to answer, appear or pay a fine. To wit, in the Town of Irondequoit, on July 29, 2009. And the City of Rochester on: March 16, March 20 in 2006; Jan. 24, Sept. 7 and Oct. 31 in 2007; March 13, May 19 and June 2 in 2008; Feb. 12, April 8 in 2009; and Jan. 19 this year.

Andrew L. Dailey is indicted on one count of DWI and one count of aggravated DWI for allegedly driving with BAC of .18. Both are Class E felonies. Dailey is accused of driving a 2010 Hyundai on Roanoke Road in the Town of Stafford on April 3 while intoxicated.

Deborah Maniace would have turned 48 today, but she wasn't give that chance.

Nearly a year ago, early in the morning on Aug. 8, Maniace somehow plummeted more than 30 feet to her death from a bridge on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, where it crosses the CSX railroad line.

Today, her family gathered on the bridge to grieve, remember and ask the community for help -- somebody saw something or knows something that could help close this case.

"I don't feel it was accidental, and I don't feel it was intentional," said Justina Maniace, Deborah's oldest daughter. "I feel that somebody did something. And we don't know who...or what."

Deborah's son, daughters, grandchild, sister and other family members gathered for about an hour on the bridge, placed flowers at the scene, and wrote messages to her on balloons before releasing them to float skyward.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said officially, investigators don't know if Maniace jumped, fell or was pushed. They only know the cause of death was blunt force trauma from the fall.

Other than that, there isn't much evidence to explain what happened. 

Officials believe that Maniace had been to the Onion Festival in Elba earlier that day and then went to her boyfriend's house in Stafford. She left the house around 2 a.m. after some sort of dispute and began walking home.

She was carrying her shoes in her hand as she walked over the bridge, Brewster said.  It's a detail he hopes might jar a memory of somebody who drove by and maybe saw something, anything.

And investigators know there was vehicle traffic on Clinton Street Road in those early morning hours because surveillance cameras of nearby businesses recorded passing traffic.

Anybody who has any information that may assist the case, no matter how insignificant the information might seem, should call the Sheriff's Office at 343-5000. Tips can be made anonymously.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported on Sweetland Road in Stafford, near Bater Road. No one is around the accident scene. The car is on its roof in a field.

Stafford Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: The driver has been located and is not injured. He's at the location with an off-duty deputy.

A two-car accident with one injury is reported at the intersection of Route 19 and Griswold Road, Le Roy.

One person may have a neck injury.

The accident is not blocking traffic.

Le Roy Fire Department dispatched.

UPDATE 9:53 a.m.: Le Roy back in service.

Frank Nichols Vitagliano, 28, of Luther Road, Silver Springs, is charged with a felony count of DWI, refusal to take a breath test and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Vitagliano allegedly drove past officers at the front gate of the Buffalo Federal Detention Center on Federal Drive and entered the parking lot. Vitagliano's vehicle was stopped and detained by several detention center officers. Vitagliano was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Randy L. Sanfratello, 41, of 3322 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sanfratello is accused of failure to appear in Batavia City Court and was arrested on a warrant.

Rebecca L. Santiago, 25, of 5955 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. Santiago is accused of failure to appear in Batavia City Court and was arrested on a warrant. She was jailed on $250 bail.

Brandon M. Maldonado, 22, of 35 Maple St., lower, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd. Maldonado was arrested on a bench warrant related to his criminal trespass, 2nd, charge out of Batavia City Court. Maldonado allegedly violated probation and failed to report to Genesee County Jail on June 25 as directed by the court. Maldonado had been sentenced to intermittent jail time. Maldonado was released after posting $500 bail.

Matthew R. Hernandez, 18, of 129 State St., Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Hernandez is accused of displaying a knife in a threatening manner toward a young child during an alleged incident at 7 p.m., Friday.

Mark Laney, 31, of S. Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Laney was reportedly observed operating an ATV at 9:46 p.m., Saturday, in a parking lot at 49 S. Pearl St., Oakfield. Upon investigation by Deputy Howard Carlson, Laney was found to allegedly be driving drunk.

Amanda Le Carlacci, 20, of East Eden Road, Eden, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under age 21. Carlacci was cited during an investigation at 10:20 p.m., Saturday, into a report of an underage drinking party at 710 Broadway Road, Darien.

Amber Marie Williams, 20, Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under age 21. Williams was cited during an investigation at 10:20 p.m., Saturday, into a report of an underage drinking party at 710 Broadway Road, Darien.

Anibal Rodriguez, 55, Brayton Street, Buffalo, is charged with forcible touching. Rodriguez is accused of grabbing the intimate parts of a woman while at Darien Lake. Rodriguez was jailed on $500 bail.

A 17-year-old of Dean Road, Depew, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing a carton of Marlboro cigarettes valued at $59.50 from the Arrowhawk Smoke Shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

Mark D. Tooley, 28, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with a felony count of DWAI-Drugs, felony aggravated unlicensed operation and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. At 2:28 p.m., the Sheriff's Office received a report of a red Dodge Caravan being driven erratically on Westbound Route 33, Bergen. The vehicle was located driving on Route 33 in Stafford and observed crossing a double solid center line and weaving within its own lane. The car was stopped and Tooley was charged with the offenses listed above along with criminal impersonation, 2nd, for allegedly giving a false name and date of birth to a deputy and driving left of pavement markings. Tooley was was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Steven Keith Snyder, 46, of Westside Drive, Chili, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to reduce speed and refusal to submit to breath test. Snyder was arrested during an investigation into a property damage accident reported at 12:02 a.m. Thursday on Walker Road, Darien, by Sgt. Brian Frieday.

Earl Shateek Anthony Lockhart, 18, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Lockhart is accused of shoplifting from Kmart on June 21, but he could not be apprehended that day. He is accused of stealing $54.23 in merchandise. Lockhart was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Derek Todd Hanchett, 21, of Arnold Road, Elba, is charged with unlawful dealing with fireworks. Hanchett was charged following an investigation by Deputy Jason Saile about a complaint of loud fireworks at 1:33 a.m., Monday, in the area of 4238 West Ave., Elba. Hanchett was allegedly found setting off fireworks and in possession of fireworks.

Edward Woods, 18, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Woods is accused of stealing money from Darien Lake Theme Park while employed at the park.

Nicole Lynn Poler, 26, of Zig Zag Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or more and driving left of pavement markings. Poler was reportedly involved in a one-car accident in the area of 23 Allegany Road, Corfu, at 2:25 a.m. Saturday. The accident was investigated by Deputy Howard Carlson (initial report).

Benjamin Jeffery Kitanik, 26, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and driver's view obstructed. Kitanik was stopped at 2:25 a.m. Sunday on Route 77 in Darien, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Cody Lee Pahuta, 19, of Williams Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Pahuta is accused of shoplifting $22.88 in merchandise from Walmart.

Braydon Mitchell Edwards, 20, of Waterloo Street, Clyde, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol under 21 years of age. Edwards was charged following an investigation into a disturbance at 5:53 p.m. Sunday at Darien Lake Theme Park.

Patrick Gregory Potwora, 26, of Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford, is charged with a felony count of DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Potwora was stopped at  1:52 a.m. Monday, in the area of 20 W. Main St., Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Chad Michael Henning, 18, of Main Street, Akron, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21. Henning was charged following a traffic stop at 12:38 a.m. Saturday by Deputy Jason Saile on Route 77, Darien. Henning was a passenger in the car and allegedly had a container of alcohol in his hands.

A grass fire is reported at Route 33 and Griswold Road in Stafford. Stafford Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:11 p.m.: The fire is a small one in a hedgerow, possibly a controlled burn. Now investigating.

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: The fire is a controlled burn, about 400 feet from the roadway. Stafford units are back in service.

William E. Gratehouse III, is indicted on charges of criminal mischief, 2nd, reckless endangerment, 2nd, menacing, 2nd, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. Gratehouse is accused of intentionally striking a 1998 Dodge Intrepid owned by another person on March 17. Gratehouse allegedly forced the car off the road after striking it. He also allegedly brandished a semiautomatic pistol during the incident and prevented the alleged victim from leaving the area. There allegedly were children in the car at the time.

John R. Sherman is indicted on charges of felony DWI, aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and driving with a BAC of .08. Sherman is accused of driving drunk Jan. 7 on Route 5 in Stafford.

Kevin C. Heschke is indicated on charges of felony DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Heschke is accused of driving drunk April 7 on Church Street, Le Roy.

Ricky L. Miller is indicted on a charge of burglary, 2nd. Miller is accused of entering a residence on Jackson Street, Batavia, on June 7, with the intent to commit a crime.

Dana D. Hagen is indicted on charges of felony DWI and aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Hagan is accused of driving drunk Jan. 12 on Fotch Road, Stafford.

No Bill: The grand jury found insufficient evidence to charge Thomas B. Streamer with assault, 2nd, and assault, 3rd, stemming from an alleged incident in the Town of Le Roy on Jan. 23.

A resident in the area of Randall and Buckley roads, Stafford, is apparently burning a fiberglass boat.

A caller reported seeing a column of black smoke. A first responder found the fire and said that it appeared somebody was burning the boat.

Stafford Fire Department is being dispatched to 6590 Randall Road.

UPDATE 6:41 p.m.: Photo submitted by Donna Hall.

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