Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 5

AND CHRONICLE TOWNS VILLAGES FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2001 3B NEIGHBORHOOD NOTEBOOK WAYNE, MONROE Two boys going to spelling bee Two Rochester-area boys plan to be in Washington, D.C., next week to compete in the 74th annual Scripps Howard Nation- al Spelling Bee. Ian Johnson, an eighthgrader at Sodus Middle School in Sodus, Johnson Wayne County, and Ryan Menezes, a sixth-grader at State Road Elementary School in Webster, will be among 248 spellers vying Menezes for the title. Preliminary rounds of the competition will start Tuesday. The finals of the competition will be broadcast live on ESPN from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m.

Thursday. Johnson is sponsored by the Geneva Finger Lakes Times and the Wayne-Finger Lakes Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Menezes is sponsored by the Democrat and Chronicle. The winner of the national contest gets $10,000. For more information, visit the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee Internet site: www.spellingbee.com CANANDAIGUA Balloon festival looming today A 170-foot-high hot-air ballon replica of a space shuttle will be the featured attraction of Mercy Flight Central's sixth annual hotair balloon festival.

More than 30 balloons are scheduled to participate in the today with a launch festival, which begins weather permitting. Mercy Flight Central's base at 2420 Brickyard Road, next to the Canandaigua Airport, is the festival site. Other scheduled balloon launch times are 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.

The space shuttle balloon will not be in the Sunday morning launch. A balloon glow (interior illumination) and fireworks are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. tomorrow. The rain date is at dusk, Sunday. The craft fair, featuring work by 80 to 100 artisans, will be from noon to dusk tomorrow and Sunday.

There also will be helicopter rides available and more than 20 food vendors on hand. The festival is free. Balloon flights will be offered to the public at $175 per person. The flights last about an hour. Proceeds benefit the helicopter ambulance service.

To reserve a ride, call Mercy Flight Central at 396- 0584. MACEDON United Way exceeds goal United Way of Wayne County has exceeded its annual fundraising goal by $41,000. Campaign officials announced yesterday that $878,000 has been raised. The goal was $837,000. Campaign officials celebrated the accomplishment at Miceli's Restaurant and Party House in Macedon on Wednesday.

Among the companies recognized for support of the United Way were ExxonMobil which has a facility in Macedon, and Garlock Sealing Technologies, which is in Palmyra. IRONDEQUOIT Playground shut at Helendale The playground at Helendale Road Primary School, 220 Helendale Road, will be closed for about two weeks for construction. The playground was closed Wednesday to allow work on a nearby sewer construction project. a NEWS TIPS: Call Assistant Metro Editor Marketta Gregory for regional or suburban tips: Outside Monroe County: (800) 767-7539 Man admits killing He Henrietta a retiree Jacob A. Kovacevich to manslaughter in BY STAFF WRITER MATT LEINGANG HENRIETTA- When Roy McCaffery was beaten to death in his Henrietta home Jan.

23, the killer left behind a note. Yesterday, 27-year-old Jacob A. Kovacevich of Rochester admitted in state Supreme Court to being the author of the note and pleads guilty January slaying. killing McCaffery, 65, because their relationship had soured. Kovacevich, who fled New York after the killing and was arrested a day later in Michigan, had been charged with seconddegree murder.

But he was allowed to plead guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter, largely because members of McCaffery's family did not want details of the crime to become public at trial. "The family did not wish to have Mr. McCaffery's name dragged through the mud," said Kenneth C. Hyland, second assistant district attorney of Monroe County. Kovacevich alleged in his note that he had had a romantic relationship with McCaffery, a pastor at the United Methodist Church in the Syracuse area from 1955 to 1985.

Under the plea agreement, CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer Winslow Elementary fifth-grader Sean Thornton jumps yesterday as teacher aide Kellie Hall-Bloom, classmate Nathan Van Vleck and Nathan's brother, Matthew, keep track. Winslow students jump at chance to help classmate Fitness test unites the school, raises cash to send ill child to Disney World. BY STAFF WRITER the dreams of critically and HENRIETTA When students at Winslow Elementary School counted how many times they could jump rope in one minute, their motivation went beyond physical fitness. The exercise was part of an event this week to raise money for classmate Nathan VanVleck, an 11-year-old who suffers from rare form of muscular dystrophy. The money will help send Van Vleck to Disney World in September, courtesy of Rochester's chapter of the Dream Factory, a national nonprofit organization that fulfills Train stop in Lyons is nearer reality BY STAFF WRITER Kovacevich will receive a prison term of 20 years when he is sentenced June 21 by state Supreme Court Justice Donald J.

Mark. Kovacevich would be eligible for parole after 17 years. Kovacevich claims to have known McCaffery for more than seven years, Hyland said. On the day of the crime, Kovacevich was doing laundry in the basement of McCaffery's home at 165 Vollmer Parkway. Hyland wouldn't comment on BENNETT J.

LOUDON LYONS Plans for a passenger train stop in Lyons are chugging along nicely. Amtrak, which would operate the service, and CSX, the company that owns the tracks and the property where a station would be built, have agreed on the site for the station. The 85-mile stretch between Rochester and Syracuse is the longest span without a stop between New York City and Buffalo. Trains last stopped in Lyons in the 1960s. Trains last stopped in Newark, about six miles to the west, in 1967.

The agreement was spurred by a meeting between U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, and Amtrak President and CEO George Warrington, who promised that Amtrak would work with CSX and local officials to develop a plan and would provide the service. "It's very significant. It cements the location of the station.

From here on there will be no confusion about where it's sited," said Wayne County Planning Director Sharon Lilla. The station is to be built on the south side of the railroad yard with access from Franklin Street. "Even though we had chosen this location, we didn't know this area would be acceptable to both CSX and Amtrak," Lilla said. State Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, Seneca County, has secured $1 million in state funding for the project.

"We won't know if this is enough money until the railroads sign off on the design and chronically ill children. By the end of today, all 630 students at Winslow will have participated in the jumping rope event. The kids spent previous weeks lining up sponsors. "It's building unity at the school," said Barbara Thorogood, a school social worker who coordinated the event. "It's a way for students to do their part by providing something that Nathan can look forward to." Nathan's mother, Lisa Van Vleck, said the school approached her with the idea.

Last year, the school worked with Dream Factory to raise $9,000 to Former Wayne County Sheriff Paul Byork dies Swedish missionaries working in India when he was born there on Sept. 27, 1918. His parents later settled in Yates County, where he was raised. Mr. Byork served in the U.S.

Navy from 1940 to 1960. During World War II and the Korean War, he served in the submarine force. After retiring from the Navy as a chief petty officer, Mr. Byork went to work for the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. He started out as a road patrol deputy and worked his way up through the ranks.

In 1976, when he was chief deputy, Mr. Byork was send a student with a brain tumor to Disney World. "It's a nice gesture, and Nathan will get a thrill out of the trip," Lisa VanVleck said. Nathan suffers from a disease similar to Krabbes (kra BAYZ), the rare and fatal genetic disorder that is degenerating the nervous system of Hunter James Kelly, son of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. Nathan has very limited mobility.

He uses a wheelchair and has no use of his hands, but that hasn't dampened his spirits, his mother said. "He goes to a lot of sporting events and loves to watch basketball," Lisa Van Vleck said. The school expects to have a tally of how much money it raised sometime next week, Thorogood said. a Paul D. Byork served 20 in the Navy, submarines during two elected sheriff.

The sheriff served a three-year term in those days and he was re-elected in 1979. He retired in 1983, when Richard Pisciotti, the current sheriff, first took office. "Paul always commanded a lot of respect, just because of his demeanor. He was a very fair individual. He had a heart of WOLCOTT Former Wayne County Sheriff Paul D.

Byork died Monday at his home in Wolcott. He was 82. Mr. Byork, who was active until a few days before his death, had been receiving cancer treatments since August, said his son, David. Mr.

Byork's wife, Lois, died in 1997. A memorial service will be 1 p.m., June 2, at the FarnsworthKeysor Funeral Home, 5025 Main North Rose. Mr. Byork's parents were gold," Pisciotti said. "I felt that he treated everyone fairly.

He was soft when he had to be and stern when he had to be," Pisciotti said. Before his election, Mr. Byork was a Republican. But his party endorsed another candidate. So he switched to the Democratic Party, where he stayed for the rest of his career.

"He was a quiet and private individual, very understanding," said his son, David, of Wolcott. "He just had a lot of grace and he had the same grace and dignity the day he died," his son said. "He believed in discipline. He ran a tight ship in the Navy. He 'Celebrity squares' quilt offered for sale on eBay quilt and bind the edges.

Now eBay is taking bids on the red, white and blue cotton quilt, Namely Americans. It's item and the top bid at 10 p.m. yesterday was $265. All proceeds from the sale of the quilt will be donated to Alternatives for Battered Women. MOMS chapter president Heather lannone said each of the 13 chapters of her organization in the Rochester area must perform at least one community service project every year.

Note to Phyllis Pagano's eye doctor: Please call her granddaughter, Dawn Gubiotti, at 637-8541, and arrange to get her Phyllis's eyeglass prescription. Phyllis has advanced Alzheimer's disease and is in a what immediately preceded the killing. Kovacevich said in court that he strangled McCaffery and kicked him in the head. Kovacevich then left behind a three-page, double-sided note, admitting that he killed McCaffery and was stealing his car and other property so he had money to live on. Police found Kovacevich sleeping in McCaffery's 1991 Chevrolet Caprice in Petersburg, about 40 miles south of Detroit.

Sen. Charles Schumer has been credited with helping Lyons get a passenger train station. they have the final say I certainly hope it's enough," Lilla said. "We're certainly hopeful that a million dollars will go a long way toward building an adequate station to serve the central Finger Lakes," Nozzolio said. Nozzolio is confident the public announcement in October of a $1 million commitment helped push CSX and Amtrak to agree to the project.

Lilla is hoping to have the station under construction some time next year. "But I'm the eternal optimist. I think 18 months would be something reasonable to shoot for," she said. The next step is for Wayne County officials to solicit design proposals. Local officials have been trying to get a passenger train stop in Lyons 1 for at least 10 years.

The efforts were stalled when Conrail, which used to own the tracks where the station is to be located, insisted on conditions that were too expensive. The new owner, CSX, has promised not to make similar demands, Schumer's office said. "Senator Schumer deserves great praise for his efforts in making this a reality He specifically helped us to get CSX to understand that CSX is important to our region. He achieved the final objective," Nozzolio said. MATT LEINGANG BY STAFF WRITER BENNETT J.

LOUDON You have until 9:25 p.m. Sunday to bid on eBay for a 35- inch-square celebrity signature quilt made by members of the Henrietta-West Chapter of MOMS, a club for stay-at-home mothers. Women in the group wrote to 100 celebrities in December, enclosing fabric squares and asking that they be signed and returned by April 1. When the deadline arrived, 24 signatures had been received from people including Steve Martin, Tim Allen, Jim Kelly, Barbara Streisand, Gerald Ford, Al Pacino, Rosie O'Donnell, Bill Cosby, Mary Engelbreit and Elizabeth Dole. The club members got together to lay out the quilt pieces, sew them together, hand-tie the years on wars.

CAROL RITTER Contact her Democrat and Chronicle 55 Exchange Rochester, NY 14614 258-2309 critter Somewhere in the move to that home or possibly when she was in another place, her glasses disappeared. Her Alzheimer's makes it impossible for her to have a new eye exam because she can't follow a doctor's instructions. Her last eye exam was a few years ago, and nobody seems to know who performed it and prescribed the glasses. Brockport nursing home. ran a tight ship at home and I'm sure he ran a tight ship at the Sheriff's Department," his son said.

"You couldn't corner him. He had control of the situation no matter where he was. You couldn't rattle his cage. He was a presence, that's the only way I can describe it." Mr. Byork was a member of the New York state and Florida sheriffs associations.

In addition to his son, Mr. Byork is survived by two daughters, Karin Cook of Port Charlotte, and Sue Brayer of Rochester, 10 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. You read here last week that Dick Clar of Irondequoit planned to ride his bicycle 69 miles on his 69th birthday last Saturday. He dropped me a note to say he accomplished that. Starting from home at 4 a.m.

with two of his sons riding along, he followed a route to the airport, then picked up the canal path and rode west to about five miles from Brockport. The trio rode back to the airport, added another son, and stayed on the canal path to Pittsford. There, some other relatives joined the group for a ride to Fairport and lunch at Riki's Restaurant. The whole bunch rode back to Pittsford, but everyone except Dick and son Kevin pedaled back to the airport, completing the 69-mile trip. Dick's wife, Mary, followed along by car with a supply of water and fresh clothing.

At All Saints Episcopal Church on Winona Boulevard in Irondequoit, a committee is compiling a 75-year history and wants to find past communicants, old photos etc. Call Phil Maples evenings at 266-9034 or the church office at 342-1605. Turning 25 on the 25th: Nicholas LoVerso, Rochester. Turning 26 on the 26th: Michael Kenny, Greece. Shared birthday: James Colley, 55, and daughter Jana, 13, Greece.

Anniversary: Phyllis and Ralph Buechel, Rochester, soth. Belated wishes to Danica F. Smith, Geneseo, Livingston County, 23 on the 23rd. a.