On 04/12/14, State Police investigated a one-vehicle fatal collision that occurred at approximately 4:47 a.m. on Furnace Road in the Town of Wolcott. A vehicle being operated by Charles R. Geiwitz Jr., age 28, of 6354 East Port Bay Road, Wolcott, New York was traveling east on Furnace Road. The vehicle left the north side of the road for an unknown reason, struck a utility pole and overturned. Geiwitz was pronounced dead at the scene by Wayne County Coroner Doctor David Hannan. A passenger in the vehicle, Maranda Bean, age 21, of North Rose, New York was flown to Upstate Medical Center by Mercy Flight. She was being treated for multiple fractures and listed in serious, but stable condition. The cause of the collision is still under investigation. The Wolcott Fire Department, Lakeshore Rescue and Fair Haven Rescue assisted at the scene.

On Thursday, animal cruelty agents were on hand to rescue a large number of animals from a debris-strewn property on 7093 North Centenary Road in Sodus, where many horses had injuries due to the grounds conditions.

Among the 16 horses, 1 cow and a number of chickens and hens, was a horse with a puncture wound from walking on the debris, a horse with a broken leg, and two dead horses.
One miniature horse, one cow and all of the fowl that were seized were taken to the Cracker Box Palace Rescue facility.

According to Tom Littlefield, a Wayne County Animal Abuse Investigator, Lollipop Farm in Rochester was able to accommodate and board 15 of the horses.

Littlefield has been to the farm on previous occasions, but said the conditions he witnessed on Thursday had never reached this severity.

According to officials on the scene, a warrant to search the property and evaluate the animals’ condition was secured after the property owner, Cindy Denninger, refused to cooperate with authorities. A veterinarian accompanied both police and the Animal Abuse Investigators and said because of the animals’ and property conditions, the animals had to be seized immediately.

Denninger was visibly upset at the seizure. She told Littlefield she got the horses “off the track from Finger Lakes’ (race track). At one point Denninger’s daughter reportedly called Littlefield while he was on the scene, launching “a number of ‘F’ bombs via the phone. The daughter told Littlefield some of those horses were hers and were her “money makers”.

“Horses are an unbelievable amount of work and can be a lot of money to keep up. When you have 16 of them, it is just a tremendous amount of work, said Littlefield. He added that Denninger, who told him she only receives workman’s compensation, probably set out with good intentions for the animals. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” he added.

Wayne County District Attorney Rick Healy said charges against Denninger will be filed this week. He added that unfortunately there is not much of a market for horses. At the present time, Cracker Box Rescue in Sodus is at capacity and was unable to take more of the seized animals. Denninger reportedly signed over the animals to the Humane Society of Monroe County.

Neighbors helping neighbors. That was the way things got done on Sunday night (4/13/14) following a barn fire call that went out at 3976 Walworth Ontario Road in Walworth.

“It was about 7:30 at night and I had just putting the kids to bed,” said Kate Worthingtin. Her husband Bill was just coming into the house from milking the cows in the barn. She said he went up to shower and check on the kids (4 year old Jacob and 1-1/2 year old Annabelle).

“Some time went by, and looking out the window from my seat on the couch, I saw the light behind the barn and was admiring how the sunset was very bright. I finally realized it was flames. I called 911 immediately and called to Bill,” Kate explained.

The family exited the house and stood in the neighbor’s driveway to the south, to let firefighters do their job. “I would not let Bill run back to the barn to try to save things.”

Kate was surprised at the number of neighbors, other farmers, and strangers who came out to quickly help move vehicles, farm equipment and just do what they could to help.

“All of this happened so quickly – some people were there before the firefighters even arrived. I noticed the license plate on my car was sort of melted.” One firefighter mentioned that the recycling bin on the porch of the house had melted.

“My friend, Beth, who I have known since Kindergarten, hurried over to  help and kept the kids safe. At their neighbor’s house, the children were sitting down, and drinking water and trying to be remain calm. Jacob, the Worthingtin’s 4 year old son called the neighbor’s house the “stabilizer house”, because he heard they were supposed to be calm and stabilize themselves there.

Flames engulfed the barn quickly and, in the end, the building was a total loss, as well as a bulk milk tank, some of the milking equipment, a tractor, hay and straw.

The miraculous thing, to Kate and her family, as well as many of the firefighters, was that the Worthingtin’s home was saved. With the proximity of the residence to the barn and the wind so prevalent earlier in the day, firefighters continued to soak and monitor the home to save it. Other residences were also close by, but, other than the barn, no one lost property.

Amazingly, 50 cows, who apparently hunkered down in the basement of the barn, were still safe when the flames were doused. Three calves died. Quick thinking neighbors helped to load trailers and transport the rest of the cattle to a nearby dairy farm to be sheltered.

Chad Amsler of Lincoln agreed to shelter the 50 cows and has allowed Bill Worthingtin to milk and feed his cows at the Amsler farm. “Chad has been so generous, as have many area farmers who have donated hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of hay and straw and equipment.

“We are grateful to all the firefighters who turned up that night to fight and put out the fire, and later the next day to check on hot spots”, said Kate. “The Walworth fire chief Dave Osborne has given us his phone number in case of any flair ups.”

The Worthingtins will now wait for insurance inspection, demolition and clean up, but definitely plan to get back into the dairy business. Bill is originally from Canton, NY. Kate (whose maiden name is Austin) is a Macedon native.

“This is all my husband knows. He has done it all his life. We will be milking cows again.”

She started to name all the people who helped…Tom Packard, Kyle Kraft, John Deisenroth, all the firefighters, their friends and neighbors.  “I just can’t remember them all or thank them enough,” Kate stated.

The Wayne County Office of the Sheriff reported the arrest on Saturday (4/19) at 10:04 p.m. of Jeffrey M. Eygabroad, age 38, of 2798 Quaker Roiad in Palmyra for DWI/BAC, Aggravated DWI with a BAC over .18%, Failure to Stop at a stop sign, Open Container, and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.

State Police responded to a report of a vehicle that went in to Mill Pond in the Village of Red Creek on Sunday (4/20) at about 7:30 p.m.

A vehicle operated by Alexander Verburg, age 21, of County Line Road in Red Creek apparently lost control at Canada and South Street, crashed through a street sign and guardrail and ended up in the pond. One large piece of guard rail was thrown into the waterand was left standing upright after the car hit the street sign,guard rail and went into the fence into the water. The vehicle ended up close to the north side of the shore a distance away from the entry point.

Two witnesses, one man filling up on gas at the nearby Pit Stop convenience store and another passerby immediately jumped in and were able to break the window of the vehicle and open the door. The Good Samaritans were Chad Acomb and Zachary Ingelston were later identified by police.

Both Red Creek and Fairhaven Fire and rescue personnel responded to aid in the rescue.

It was believed Verburg suffered some sort of seizure from a medical condition. The accident is still under investigation.

Newark Village Police responded to a disturbance on Madison Street on Sunday (4/20). According to police, Chad Murray, age 35, of 100 Hope Avenue in Newark was upset with his ex-wife and her new friend.

Murray was located in front of the house after he allegedly attacked the tires on both his ex-wife’s and her friend’s vehicles with a knife. When confronted by police he took off on foot, stopped and dropped the knife when ordered to do so.

Murray was subsequently arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, arraigned and remanded to jail on No bail. An Order of Protection was issued for the victims.

On Friday morning (4/27/14), former Savannah Supervisor Donald Colvin passed away at the Wayne County Nursing Home. Don was Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors from 1966 until 1972, serving as a member of the board for 48 years and 1 month. Don was the longest continually serving Town Supervisor in New York State (1959-2007). He was a Korean veteran, having served for 15 months during the Korean conflict. He was a member of the Savannah American Legion Post and the Montezuma Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

Don was born on January 18, 1927 in Butler, New York. He married his wife Lynn in 1949.

In 1957, Don purchased his first funeral home in Savannah and in 1973, he bought the Robertson Funeral home in Sodus. He would eventually sell both funeral homes to Norton Funeral homes in 1997.

Very involved in community service, Don was a member and past Master of the Savannah Lodge 764 F & AM (Masonic Lodge), a member of the Royal Arch of the Masons, a member of the Commandry and the Damascus Shrine.  Don served for 56 years as a member of the Savannah Fire department, and was on the Board of Directors of the Butler-Savannah Cemetery Association, and the Board of Directors of the Newark Wayne Community Hospital, He was also a member of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce and Wolcott Rotary Club. In 1966, Don founded the Wayne County Action (WAYNECAP) program, and was a past Director of the program and Board member Emeritus. He retired from the Wayne County Board of Supervisors in 2007.

Butler Supervisor, Dave Spickerman said of the man with whom he served for 20 years,”Don  remembered everything. If I asked him about some   event that happened on the board, he wouldn’t even hesitate; he would just say, “Oh, yeah, I remember that.”

Spickerman had known Colvin even before their time serving on the Board of Supervisors. “He grew up in Butler.”

A few long time friends and colleagues were at Don’s bedside on Friday when he passed, including Dave Spickerman and close friend, former Planning Director Sharon Lilla.

“He was in the Nursing Home recovering, but he expected to go home soon. I will miss him very much. “Don was a surprising man, in that he was very thrifty, and yet he would always make sure people in need were helped,” Dave mused. “He never would let someone lose their home for back taxes. He would bend over backwards to help them find a way to keep their home. He was a very caring man.”

Assemblyman Bob Oaks said: “Over 48 years as Savannah Town Supervisor, Don Colvin used his energy, time and talent to serve the Town of Savannah and all of Wayne County. I worked with Don for many of those years and witnessed his ability to come up with a rational option when others saw no solution. Wayne County has lost a political icon and one who dedicated most of his life to public service.”

The Palmyra Village Board is in the final negotiations to bring retired Palmyra Police Officer Sherman Yates back, and appoint him to the position of Palmyra Village Police Chief. The Board met early last week and offered the position to Yates, who worked with the Palmyra Police from 2005 until his retirement in 2012.

“An offer was made to him (Yates) and he made a counter offer, said Palmyra Mayor Chris Piccola. Although the final “period” has not yet been put down on paper, the Board is expected to finalize the deal with Yates this week. A special Village Board meeting to go into an executive session to discuss a personnel matter is set for Monday (4/28) night. “We need to have someone in place by May 7th, the day former Palmyra police Chief David Dalton is set to retire.

Dalton was forced out by the Board after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 last August, set by his tier retirement plan. The Board was only notified by the State recently and decided not to ask for a two-year extension on the forced retirement.

Yates, who was the former Police Chief in the Mt. Morris Police Department, before having a falling out with the Mt. Morris Board. He began his law enforcement career in the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and had compiled a total of 18 years of police duty before being hired by Dalton.

Mayor Piccola said he has learnedmore about the state retirement system over the past week than he ever wanted to know. Questions of how Yate’s retirement delay/suspension of benefits would be implemented came into question. Dalton’s gross pay last year was $87,500 plus benefits. He had been with the Palmyra Police for a total of 33 years and will be two weeks shy of a 45 year career  in law enforcement. There was no information on the pay/benefits package offered to Yaters.

With the impending appointment of Yates and retirement of Sergeant James Showman this month the Village will be left with three officers, David Smith, Adam Husk (son of Village Trustee David Husk) and Brian Parkison.

Clyde Village Police Officers Brian Ritchie and Mike Fera received a traffic complaint of someone being hit on Friday (4/25) at 6:13 p.m. An investigation was conducted and found Stephen C. Sibley, age 61, of 179 Lock Street in Clyde was intoxicated. Sibley was subsequently arrested for DWI/BAC with a blood alcohol level of .14%

Help support the Wayne Central Soccer Alumni Fund by participating in the Alumni Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 18th at Brookwoods Country Club. The start time is 1:30 p.m. and the tournament is open to anyone who would like to participate. Parents, alumni, former coaches and friends are welcome.

The tournament costs $75 if registered by May 4th, $85 if registered between May 5th and May 16th, or $30 for dinner only. The fee includes 18 hole scramble, cart, buffet lunch before and dinner after golf, one drink coupon, prizes for closest to pin and longest drive, and prizes for low team score. There will also be door prizes.

To register for the tournament, please send a check (made out to Wayne Soccer Alumni Association) or cash and the names of your 4-some or 2-some and contact information to the Wayne Soccer Alumni Association, 363 Jacobs Road, Macedon, NY 14502. Please include your contact information (name, email and phone number).
For more information, email the soccer alumni association at soccer2123@hotmail.com
Proceeds raised from this event will help fund the alumni scholarship given to a senior boy and girl in the Wayne soccer program.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in association with the Badge of Honor Association of Western New York held a ceremony on Friday, April 25th at the Public Safety Building, to honor the memory of Wayne County Law Enforcement Officers killed in the line of duty.

The ceremony recognized Carl Clingerman, an Investigator with the Sheriff’s Office who was killed when he was struck by another vehicle on November 3, 1971, while on his way home from an investigation.

Also, the Village of Lyons Police honored Chief Amedeo Lese (2/2/1974), the Village of Sodus Police honored Constable Edward Pullman (3/23/1906) and the Village of Wolcott Police honored Constable William DeGreff (9/11/1919), all who died while serving their communities.

Dozens of uniformed officers, past members of local departments, and residents from across the area, all gathered to honor these four men as well as unveil 4 signs to be placed around the county.

Investigator Carl Clingerman – Date of Death Nov 3, 1971
Investigator Clingerman had been working on a Burglary investigation with Investigator Richard Kise and had just made two arrests. After dropping Investigator Kise at his home, Investigator Clingerman headed home to his family. Investigator Clingeman headed north on Rt 414 out of the Village of Clyde. Southbound on Rt 414 was a vehicle whose driver had just dropped off a friend.

As the two vehicles approached each other in a curve in the roadway, only seconds apart, the southbound vehicle suddenly veered into the oncoming lane of travel occupied by Investigator Clingermans car. The two vehicles collided, throwing Investigator from the vehicle which subsequently caught fire and was destroyed. Investigator Clingerman was only 34 years old and was survived by a wife and two infant children.

Chief of Lyons Police Amedeo Lisi – Date of Death January 2, 1974
Chief Lisi had just completed business in Canandaigua and was returning to Lyons. A motorist that was southbound on Pre-emption Road, just outside of the village of Lyons said that the weather was bad, the roads were slipperly and the snow was drifting.

The motorist said that she was being tailgated and when she came to an open spot in the road, the vehicle suddenly passed her. Looking up, the motorist observed a vehicle who she later came to know as Chief Lisi, approaching from the opposite direction. The motorist stated that Chief Lisi had no choice but to either hit the car head on or drive into the ditch. Chief Lisi’s vehicle spun around and struck a post, throwing him from the vehicle.

Edward Pullman – Date of death March 23, 1906.
During a snowstorm, Pullman, a constable and night watchman was checking buildings in the Village of Sodus.
A band of criminals who had been committing crimes throughout the North East was already at work trying to crack the safe in the Knapp Bank. Earlier, the same band had opened the safe at the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg rail station a few blocks away and had found less than a dollar. Hungry for more money than they were able to get out of the rail station the five moved downtown.

Three men stayed inside the bank while two stood watch outside. Constable Pullman discovered the break and challenged the perpetrators. Shots rang out, one round from Pullman’s gun striking one of the criminals and one round from the criminals weapon striking Pullman in the chest. The thieves hastily dragged the body inside and fled the scene, stealing horses along the way back to Rochester where three of the five were captured by the Rochester Police Department. After a 7 month trial that had national coverage, the three were convicted. Edward “ Big Ed”Kelly was sentenced to life and eventually walked away from a work detail at Sing Sing but was never captured. Fred Schultz, sentenced to life was transferred to the Clinton County Prison. James McCormick was sentenced to 15 years at Auburn and Later to Columbus, Ohio.

William DeGreff – Date of Death 9/11/1919.
DeGreff was Constable in the Village of Wolcott and was checking doors when he found that the door for Buckminsters and Graves clothing store was open. A family of thieves from Rochester was already hard at work burglarizing the store. DeGreff drew his pistol and entered the store. The next morning, when the bakery next door opened for business, the owner noticed that Buckminsters had been entered. Summoning help, they found DeGreff, dead on the floor with a flashlight and pistol in his hand. Suspects were developed through the investigation and they were located, one in Erie, Pa and the other who’s bullet was attributed to the death of DeGreff, was located in Binghampton. A trial followed and Howard Baker a 19 year old father of three was found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution occurred December 9, 1920 at the Sing Sing State Prison.

On Monday (4/28) Clyde Village police Officer Ross Younglove arrested Anthony K. Bracey, age 46 of 55 ½ Maple Avenue in Sodus for Criminal Trespass 2nd after he entered a former girlfriend’s apartment and refused to leave. He was arraigned before Judge Carr and released to return to court on 5/28/14. On Tuesday, at 7:20 p.m. police arrested Bracey again, this time for Criminal Contempt 2nd after he violated an active order of protection against his former girlfriend by going to her apartment. He was arraigned before Judge Carr and held in Wayne County Jail on $2000 cash $4000 bond.

Macedon Village Mayor Marie Cramer decided one trail along the Erie Canal was not enough for the Village. Although a north side trail already existed, Cramer had pushed canal side landowner, Jeff Beckenbach, stating a clear trail existed on his property and the Canal Authority, with the Village’s push, could create a new trail along the canal frontage.

Beckenbach, who purchased a 150 acre parcel several years ago, had the property surveyed and said the land the canal once claimed as a right-of-way had eroded away and the old markers were now several feet off his property and  in the canal itself.

Beckenbach claimed the Mayor put him through many hurdles on his way to build a $300,000 home on the site.  “I did everything they asked, but that wasn’t enough for her (Cramer). The confrontation even lead to Beckenbach receiving a call from a neighbor stating Cramer was on his property with another individual. He arrived and ordered them off his property.

The Village of Macedon landowner said he spent about $5,000 in survey and attorney fees to ensure the facts concerning his property were right. At one point the Mayor allegedly threatened Beckenbach that he would never get all the go-ahead he needed to develop the property for his own use, without granting her an easement.

“I do not want to build a $300,000 home only to have people walking by, or fishing off my property,” said Jeff.

After many calls, cancelled meetings and alleged veiled threats, Beckenbach pleaded his case with several other Macedon Village Board members. Two weeks ago, after an impassioned plea to hold off a decision, the Board shut down the Mayor’s stand and unanimously approved the plans for the new home, without any consideration of granting an easement for a future trail.

Still carrying out the fight for another trail along the Canal, on Tuesday (4/29) Mayor Cramer assembled representatives from the Canal Authority, a member of the Village’s Department of  Public Works, the Macedon Trail Committee and Beckenbach. Jeff also brought his lawyer and engineer/surveyor to the meeting. “After all I’ve gone through, I wasn’t going to show up alone, I don’t trust her (the Mayor),” commented Jeff. He also asked Macedon Village Board Member Don Lohse to attend.

Before the meeting started, Mayor Cramer told Lohse to leave, or she would have him arrested. “I wanted this to be a small, friendly meeting. He (Lohse) was not invited to the meeting. I don’t understand how it escalated to this,” said Cramer concerning the Times questioning her ordering Lohse to leave. “I was going to gather information and report back to the Board,” she added.

Lohse confirmed Cramer threatened to have him arrested if he stayed. “I don’t know why, perhaps she is trying to hide something,” said the Village Board member. He confirmed the location pins on Beckenbach’s property were “on the money” and that some of the old markers, along with some of Beckenbach’s own land is now under water.

After being pressed about the legality of threatening to have a fellow Board member arrested, Cramer replied “I felt I was being harassed and I think I can.” (…threaten to have Lohse arrested).

At the meeting, the State Canal representatives confirmed what their GPS search and what Beckenbach, his lawyer and engineer, have stated from the very beginning.

Mayor Cramer stated that the problem, she feels, came when the land’s previous owner and others, did not affirm what she considered as a verbal confirmation, sometime in the past, of an existing foot path, along what is now Beckenbach’s property.

The Mayor said she just wanted confirmation of the State’s GPS findings and that is why she held the meeting at the Village Hall. “I just wanted to get all the facts together.” She was asked how much money the Village had spent in the fight with Beckenbach. “A few thousand dollars,” she stated. Later she e-mailed the Times a corrected amount of “$37” spent by the Village.

“There were no restrictions on my deed. There was not enough property of the old shoreline for an easement and we knew that five years ago. What this woman has put me through…” said Beckenbach. “She had all the facts two, or three months ago, but I had to hold off building. It is the Village taxpayers who are suffering,” he added. Jeff said the rest of the Village Board and Planing Board have been “fantastic”. She and those trail people just had it in their heads they wanted another trail on the village side of the canal and they could use an old path as a trail.”

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Special Department of Social Services (DSS) Fraud Unit reported the arrest on Monday (4/28) of Randolph R. Chavis, age 41, of 4127 West Walworth Road in Walworth. Chavis, originally from the New York City area, was picked up by Deputies after a joint investigation conducted with several DSS departments.

It was found that Chavis was receiving a cash grant from DSS, issued on Randolph’s behalf, to help with his child care costs, while he worked. Chavis was also receiving food stamps for what he reported was his single parent household. In reality, investigators were able to show that the day care was provided by a family member who also resided in the home with Chavis and his wife, Doris.

The wife, who told police she resided in Binghamton, lied and is also employed full time. The couple was not eligible for public assistance. From 2011 through 2013, the Chavis family received just shy of $40,000 in cash and food stamps that they were not entitled to. “They worked the system like pros,” said Investigator Alan Graham. While being questioned, Chavis admitted to the crimes. He has a prior conviction out of the New York City area for drug sales.

Investigators charged Randolph with one count of Felony Welfare Fraud and 5 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the first degree. He was arraigned on all counts and was committed to the County jail in lieu of bail. Further court process is expected in the Lyons Village court.

Doris Chavis, age 33, was arrested on Thursday evening and charged with Offering a False Statement for Filing in the 1st Degree. She was released to appear in the Village of Lyons Court.

Investigator Alan Graham gave credit to the DSS caseworkers “For doing an exceptional job in researching this case.”

On Sunday (5/4) at 12:30 a.m. the Macedon Police reported the arrest of Joseph P. Uglialoro, age 25, of Atlantic Avenue in Walworth. Uglialoro was observed speeding in the Town of Macedon, going 72 MPH in a posted 55 MPH zone. When the suspect noticed the police car had made a u-turn, Uglialoro pulled into a driveway and turned his lights off. After investigation it was determined that the driver was intoxicated. Uglialoro failed sobriety tests and was arrested for DWI with a BAC of .16%.

It took a while to set up. The drugs would be transported down from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation that straddles boundaries on both the intersection of international (United States and Canada) borders and provincial (Ontario and Quebec) boundaries on both banks of the St. Lawrence River. Two people would be hired as “drug mules”. They would be recruited from the unemployed and given $100 per pound to transport 59 pounds of marijuana and 1000 MDMA/Ecstasy pills to a pre-selected location in Wayne County, where the transfer would take place. The reservation is a big importation traffic site for contraband on the northern border, according to Macedon Police Chief/WayneNet Co-Commander, John Colella. Federal focus in the past years has been to interrupt the flow from the north. “We had a similar case to the one we did in 2007 with over one million a month coming down…,” said Colella.

The “mules” selected have no prior police records. They really have no idea who, or how the drug trafficking affects anyone, or anything outside their own financial gain. If the mules get picked off, it is hard to tie the drug transaction back to the dealer. Arrests are seen as the cost of doing business. If the two mules had been successful, the money handed over for the drugs would have been headed back towards the reservation.

Monday (5/5), WayneNet, the County-wide, multi-police drug enforcement team, assisted by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), sprung the trap at a local mini-storage facility. After almost two years of work, the two drug mules were taken into custody. Teresa Herne, age 47, of Quebec, Canada and Dean Frary, age 41, of Hogansburg, New York were both charged with Class C Felony Criminal Possession of Marijuana in the 1st Degree, with other charges pending. Both were arraigned in Macedon Court and remanded to the Wayne County jail on $75,000 cash/$150,000 bond.

The drugs seized had a reported street value of $250,000 for the marijuana and $20,000 for the pills.

David Murphy of Newark was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle in   July of 2013  through Fairville, when he was hit by a 17 year old driving an SUV. He was taken to Strong by Mercy  Flight where he spent a total of 9 weeks, 2 unresponsive and 4 in the  Rehabilitation unit.

According to his wife, Tracy, she was told he had less than a 1% chance of walking again.

“This man is one of the most active people I know. He hunts and fishes, and when he’s not doing that he is working. He is a funeral director in Newark but helps  out all of the funeral homes between Buffalo and Syracuse,” said Tracy.

The Murphy’s friends and family rallied around them and helped them raise money to build a new deck and  a wheelchair ramp. The money also helped them make renovations to their bathroom so that it was more accessible for his wheelchair.

In January 2014, David went to a  Sportsman’s Show and was introduced to the “Action Tracker” chair. This chair would allow him to maneuver over any outdoor terrain with ease. It is a wheelchair that resembles a tank.

Once again friends and family have rallied around the couple to help them  achieve their goal of $13,000 to purchase that chair.

Last week their was a “ Zumba-thon” fundraiser at Refuel in Newark and that event raised just shy of $1,000. The family’s “Go Fund Me “ fundraiser came in at $4,000. The rest of the money they borrowed.

Tracy reported that last week, her  husband got up and went out on his action tracker chair and got a turkey.

“He was so happy. I’m pretty sure that the spinal docs didn’t have this in mind when  they told me my husband would be independent in a chair,” said a grateful Tracy. “I am  so proud of my husband for not giving up, but for our friends, family and community for not giving up on us! Sometimes it’s the little things in life we take for granted, and sometimes the little  things aren’t so little.”

The Pultneyville Yacht Club was inundated with dead fish and plump, happy seagulls last week leaving local boaters with questions. Why all the dead and dying fish and just how many seagulls can fit in to one square foot?

Yacht Club members and customers of the adjacent Landing at Pultneyville became victims of sudden bird flights and accompanying cars also felt the brunt of bird droppings.

Jim Deatsch, member and Environmental Officer for the Yacht Club said he noticed struggling and dying fish cropping up about 10 days ago. “The gulls were having a field day. I even saw a couple of turkey buzzards come by, but they were chased off by the seagulls,” said Deatsch. “This is not a good thing. The gulls won’t eat the dead ones,” he added.

Yacht Club member Don Byrnes of Walworth said he noticed the tens of thousands of dead fish and accompanying seagulls last Wednesday. The main channel of the Yacht Club remained clear, but the offshoot dock areas remained cluttered with dead and dying fish.

The small fish, known as alewives, often exhibit seasonal die-offs and can be seen, usually in mid-May, washed up on the shorelines of the Great Lakes. Alewives were introduced to the Great Lakes as food fish for the species such as lake trout and the introduced Pacific salmon.

Ironically, the DEC (Department of Conservation) had poured thousands of 4” to 6” brown trout off the Pultneyville Point a week before.

Was this a case of nature taking its course and an alewives die-off, or was there something amiss with the fish? Why did the fish die just in the Pultneyville channel and nowhere else along the shoreline in either direction?

The DEC was not taking any chances. On Tuesday (5/13) the DEC took samples of the dead fish and sent them to Cornell for testing. Some on the scene believed it could be viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a deadly infectious fish disease that afflicts over 50 species of freshwater and marine fish in several parts of the northern hemisphere.

Webster (Web) Pearsall, the Regional Fishery Manager for the DEC out of the Avon Office, was leaning more to the natural cause of the fish die-off. “This is part of a normal cycle.” The cold winter and warm waters feeding the lake cause a sudden rift in water temperatures that the alewives simply cannot tolerate. He noted that since the fish die-off in the Pultneyville channel, similar reports are now coming in from other Lake Ontario feeds, including the Genesee River outlet. “It is an issue of thermal shock on the fish,” concluded Pearsall. He added that the fish scoop-up and samples sent to Cornell was just to confirm what he believed. Sodus Town Supervisor and longtime boat captain, Steve Leroy, said he has seen this type of fish kill numerous times in his boating career. “I could be wrong, but I believe they will find no contaminants in the fish.”

The Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District sponsored the Wayne County Envirothon at the Montezuma Audubon Center on Wednesday April 23 The Envirothon is a competition for high school students designed to test their knowledge and understanding of natural resource issues and to cultivate a desire to learn more about natural resources and environmental issues. The five topics tested were: Wildlife, Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, and Current Issue along with an Oral Presentation. Moving from station to station in an outdoor setting, teams of three to five students work together answering 25 multiple choice questions on each topic.

This was the first year a team from Lyons has taken place in the Envirothon. The team was composed of five competing members:  Emily Gifford, Erica Hunt, Anne Galbraith, Ben Wunder and Fred Finewood, two alternates: Tarah Granger and Alexandra Marr, and advised by Denise Skinkle. The team won the competition, scoring higher than the other three participating teams.

Each member of the 1st place team that competed received a $100 scholarship to  go towards their future accredited college. The win also made the team eligible to participate in the New York State Envirothon, at Morrisville State College on  May 21 and 22.

The Wayne County Office of the Sheriff reported the arrest on Monday (5/19) at 12:55 a.m. of MaryKay Voll, age 55, of 5 Callingham Road in Pittsford following a traffic stop in the Town of Walworth.
Deputies subsequently charged Voll with DWI/BAC, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a BAC .18 percent or greater, Operating Vehicle with an Open Container of Alcohol and Moving from Lane Unsafely.