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2010 Red Kettle Campaign was a record-breaker

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from The Salvation Army.

Christmas 2010 was a record-breaking year for The Salvation Army, says local Captain Patricia Kurtz.

The 2010 Red Kettle Campaign goal was set at $65,000. With the bad weather losing a weekend of fund raising, and a hurting economy it was uncertain if the goal was attainable.

However, thanks to the generosity of the community $69,329 was raised exceeding the projected goal by $4,329.

It was also a record-breaking year for the number of families served for the holiday season.

“This year we assisted 1,324 families with food and toys," Kurtz said. "That is a 58 percent increase over last year.We knew there would be an increase but we did not project such a large percentage.”

These families represent 101 seniors and over 4,000 children receiving more than 9,000 meals and more than 10,000 gifts and toys.

Captain Kurtz expressed her appreciation to the community:

“This type of activity does not happen without a community wide effort. The Salvation Army and each family that received assistance owes a debt of gratitude to all the bell ringers, donors, Angel Tree sponsors, Adopt-A-Family sponsors, and stocking stuffers.”

Special thanks to the 312 bell ringers for providing over 1,200 volunteer hours and the 50 volunteers who served 403 hours in the toy shop. 

For more information contact: "Captain Patty" at 343-6284 or email at patricia.kurtz@use.salvationarmy.org

Police Beat: Oakfield man accused of exposing himself at drive-thru window of coffee shop

By Howard B. Owens

Richard Wolfe, 33, of 36 Garibaldi Ave., Oakfield, is charged with public lewdness. Wolfe is accused of exposing his genitals to a female employee of a West Main Street coffee shop in Batavia while he was sitting in his car at the drive-thru window.

Nathan D. Stephens, 43, of 6258 North Lake Road, Bergen, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, unlicensed operation and speeding. Stephens was stopped by Deputy Colin Reagan of the Wyoming Sheriff's Office at 6:22 a.m., Thursday, on South Main Street in the Village of Warsaw.

Justin William Bird, 22, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlawful possession of marijuana, inadequate headlights and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Bird is accused of being involved in a property damage accident at 2:26 a.m. in the area of 43 S. Main St., Elba. Allegedly, Bird left the scene without proper notifications and was later located driving in the Village of Elba.

Stove fire erupts on North Lyon Street in the city

By Billie Owens

A stove fire is reported at 44 N. Lyon St. in the City of Batavia.

"The caller is pretty excited and they're told to get out of the house," says a dispatcher.

City firefighters are en route.

UPDATE 11:53 a.m.: The resident has put out the fire and the firefighters are investigating the incident.

Meet Batavia's 'Cupcake Lady'

By Howard B. Owens

Yvonne Burgess has a real talent -- she can turn an ordinary cupcake into a work of art.

She stopped by The Batavian office Thursday afternoon to show of the decorative "flower box" of cupcakes she had with her and showed off mobile phone pictures of several other designs she's come up with.

The owner of Fry Dogz, a mobile food service, Burgess is looking to expand her business to offer customers cupcakes designed to fit any occasion.

"I feel a lot of enjoyment making these," said Burgess, explaining why she would like to make this speciality her primary business.

She would like to open a retail location, offering other baked goods, as well, in Downtown Batavia, but first, she said, she needs to demonstrate that she can make money making cupcakes.

A cancer survivor (she said she had a brain tumor), she said she's recently found it easier to work for herself, and making beautiful cupcakes is what she enjoys doing most.

"I couldn't find work that suited me (after getting cancer) and this does," Burgess said. "I love creating things and helping others. That's just me."

To contact Burgess, call either 585-591-7911 or 585-861-0414.

Man in maroon sedan exposes himself at coffee stand

By Billie Owens

A man exposed himself, sometime within the last hour, to the worker inside the Hot Shots coffee drive-thru on East Main Street in Batavia, according to police.

They are looking for him now. He is described as a white male, wearing a hoodie with a Yankees baseball cap. He is driving a 1999 Ford Contour. It is a four-door sedan, color is maroon/burgundy.

His address is listed as a P.O. Box in Batavia.

Local entrepreneurs plan teen nightclub at former gym location on East Main

By Howard B. Owens

Tim Walton, the 21-year-old entrepreneur behind Top Line Shirt Company, is planning another business venture.

He and a partner, Mike Marchese, are planning to open a teen nightclub at 624 E. Main St., Batavia, in the spring.

The building is owned by Ken Mistler and once housed his gym, which is now located at the corner of East Main and Jackson streets, downtown.

Impulz Teen Nightclub is expected to open in the spring, Walton said.

The space is 7,350 square feet and Walton said it is already well set up for a DJ booth and dance floor.

The club will cater to teens in high school and middle school and be similar to iTeen, a popular nightclub in Buffalo that draws young people from throughout the region.

Walton said he first conceived of the idea when was 18 because he and his friends felt there weren't enough entertainment options in Batavia. But until now, he said, he couldn't afford to open such a venue.

To avoid the need of a loan to fully fund the venture, Walton turned to Marchese as a business partner to help get the doors open.

There will be extensive renovations inside the building before the club can open, Walton said.

Originally, Mistler intended to put a nightclub in the space, Walton said, but Mistler has become busy with his business ventures downtown, which include The Daily Grind, Next Level Fitness and South Beach Restaurant. Mistler has been providing advice and pointers during the start-up process, Walton said.

Police Beat: Batavia resident accused of burglary in Byron

By Howard B. Owens

Nicholas Adkins, 20, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with burglary, 2nd. Adkins allegedly forcibly entered a house on Swamp Road, Town of Byron, and stole money. Adkins was jailed on $5,000 bail.

A 17-year-old resident of Transit Road, Elba, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth is accused of becoming physically abusive toward a 14-year-old boy while the boy was in the area of 430 E. Main St., Batavia. The Elba youth may be eligible for youthful offender status.

David Paul Bartholf, 19, Kelsey Road, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bartholf was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Deputy Patrick Reeves at 4:58 p.m., Nov. 11.  Bartholf was allegedly found in possession of a marijuana pipe.

Gregory Seppe, 52, no permanant address, is charged with petit larceny. Seppe is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General at 8:08 p.m., Wednesday. Seppe was jailed on $750 bail. (For previous reports on Seppe, click here.)

Donna M. Croft, 57, of 56 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Croft is accused of trying to hide several items of merchandise from Dollar General  in her purse. The alleged crime was reported at 9:54 p.m., Wednesday.

Batavia man sentenced in child porn case

By Howard B. Owens

A Batavia man who admitted in federal court to storing and receiving sexually explicit images and video involving children is being sent to prison for five years.

Samuel W. Nigro, 33, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Nigro was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to two victims and will be on supervised release for five years after his prison term is completed.

In December 2009, the Nigro's computer was seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence. A forensic analysis revealed a total of 5,239 images and 113 videos of child pornography stored on the computer.

Bergen man accused of 10-month crime spree

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATE: The original press release on this said Brett M. Blair would be in court on March 11 for "sentencing." But the release didn't include any information indicating that he had entered a guilty plea to any charges. After the initial post, I spoke with Sgt. Steve Mullen of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Blair and his attorney were in negotiations on a plea arrangement -- with Blair agreeing to detail his criminal activitiy -- prior to his arrest on Tuesday. So, the March 11 appearance will be for sentencing. His sentence on all charges will run concurrently. Further details on the plea arrangement are not available at this time.

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A 27-year-old Bergen man has been charged with multiple felonies following an investigation by local and state law enforcement agencies into a series of crimes.

Taken into custody Tuesday was Brett M. Blair.

Blair is charged with:

  • Burglary, 2nd. Blair is accused of breaking into a Route 33, Town of Batavia, home Oct. 15 and stealing cash and jewelry. He was arrested on this charge by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.
  • Burglary, 2nd. Blair is accused of breaking into a home on North Street, City of Batavia, on Oct. 22, and stealing electronic equipment. Batavia PD arrested Blair on this charge.
  • Grand larceny, 4th. Blair is accused of reporting a burglary to his residence on March 3 claiming that $2,475 in electronics and cash were stolen. Police say he had actually stole the items himself and filed a false report. Batavia Police made the arrest on this charge. (UPDATE: Blair was a resident of the city, on Lyons Street, at the time of this offense.)
  • Criminal mischief, 3rd. Blair is accused of breaking a window of an East Main Street business on Oct. 4. Batavia PD made the arrest.
  • Identify theft, 1st, and forgery, 2nd. Blair is accused of using a credit card stolen from his employer and using it at Kmart. The alleged crimes occurred between August and September. Blair is also charged with petit larceny. State Police arrested Blair on this charge.

A Sheriff's Office press release says that the three law enforcement agencies involved pooled their resources to help identify Blair as the suspect and make the arrests.

Blair was already in custody for unspecified reasons at the Monroe County Jail. 

After being taken into custody, Blair was arraigned in the town and city courts of Batavia and then brought before Judge Robert Noonan in Genesee County Court. He was returned to Monroe County Jail and is scheduled to reappear in county court at 1:30 p.m., March 10.

Police Beat: Oakfield resident accused of drowning cat

By Howard B. Owens

Adam M. Kreutz, 22, of Fisher Road, Oakfield, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony, and criminal mischief, 4th. At 4:40 a.m.,Tuesday, while in the Village of Oakfield, Kreutz allegedly drowned a family cat. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Jeffery Leonard Wheeler, 18, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Wheeler is accused of visiting a residence he is barred from visiting by court order. Wheeler was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Elba gets dinged in state audit for use of cash from scrap sales

By Howard B. Owens

As soon as the Elba Town Board found out about cash from scrap metal sales being used to buy a flat-screen TV, popcorn popper and coffeemaker for the highway department, the board instituted new accounting controls to better track funds from the sales, according to Town Supervisor Lucine Kauffman.

Disclosure of the sales and purchases were part of an audit report on nine Western New York governments and the Batavia School District by the NYS Comptroller's Office.

Investigators specifically looked into how procedures for scrap material sales were handled. The finding: Of the $132,000 in scrap sales, there was inadequate tracking and accounting of more than $27,000 in cash.

Elba had the distinction of the only flat-screen TV purchased with the cash.

"It was not a practice we (the board) knew about and we put a stop to it immediately," Kauffman said.

According to the report, the highway superintendent for Elba at the time, Allan Totten, made $5,605 in scrap sales from June 2006 to July 2009. The scrap buyer paid with a check for $1,119 in purchases and paid cash on 18 occasions, totalling $4,486.

When he got checks, Totten reportedly turned the checks over to the town and the money went into the general fund.

Kauffman says the Town of Elba contracts with a vendor to pick up scrap metal from its transfer station and it rents a receptacle from the vendor. Proceeds from the sale of this scrap metal has been in the form of a check mailed directly to her.

The scrap metal sold by the highway department employees for cash consisted of items they transported to the vendor. When he got cash, Totten treated it as a "coffee fund" -- petty cash to use within his department.

After auditors questioned this practice, Totten reportedly turned over $1,113 to the town. He didn't have receipts for the purchase of the TV and small appliances, but auditors said they visually confirmed those items were in the highway offices.

Kauffman said in response, that the town notified the scrap buyer that all purchases must be paid for by check from now on, that specific accounting of each transaction must take place. Furthermore, there is no "coffee fund" now.

Purchases for refreshments are reimbursable only under specific conditions, one of which is that the refreshments are for highway department employees from other municipalities assisting with Town of Elba projects.

These purchases will be specifically regulated as to how much money can be spent on authorized items. The town also adopted a code of ethics and wrote a scrap metal policy.

And writing the policy was made a bit harder, Kauffman said, because she couldn't find another jurisdiction that could provide an example of their own (written) scrap sales policies. They just didn't exist, Kauffman said.

That was one of the issues the comptroller's office apparently was trying to address in its audit of government agencies.

In the Batavia School District, auditors identified nearly $4,700 in cash sale proceeds for the period September 2006 through November 2008 that were not recorded or documented.

Some of the sales were recorded in the names of district employees and employees included personal scrap in the pile.

The City of Batavia and Town of Oakfield were found to have informal procedures for accounting for scrap sales and the audit report suggests that formal procedures be adopted.

St. Joseph's School teaching duo to be honored

By Billie Owens

John and Margaret Volpe, husband and wife, and teachers for more than 20 years at St. Joseph School in Batavia, will be honored later this month at a WNY Catholic Education Dinner.

They will receive the "Making a Difference Award" on Thursday, Jan. 27 at the Adam's Mark Hotel, Buffalo.

The award was established by Buffalo native and NBC newsman Tim Russert, as a way of honoring his former teachers for the difference they made in his life. It is given to a Catholic schoolteacher in the Buffalo diocese.

This is the first time two teachers will be recipients.

Police Beat: Woman accused of calling her grandmother vulgar names

By Howard B. Owens

Melissa Ann Peterson, 25, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Peterson is accused of placing a phone call to her grandmother and calling her "filthy, vulgar words," according to Deputy Brian Thompson, who reported that he was at the grandmother's house at the time of the phone call and was a "direct witness to this harassing, annoying call." Thompson was on scene investigating a report of stolen keys. Peterson was arrested and released on her own recognizance.

Tracy A. Niemi, 35, of 8510 Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with forgery, 2nd. Niemi is accused of altering a prescription form and attempting to pass it at a pharmacy in the city.

Jonathon James Breu, 19, of Meadow Drive, Geneseo, is charged with petit larceny. Breu is accused of stealing $63 worth of cigarettes from the Totem Pole Smoke Shop.

BID hands out 'Shop in the Zone' shopping spree prize

By Howard B. Owens

Christmas came twice for Jan Nichols of Batavia.

Nichols picked up a big present at the Batavia Improvement District Office today -- a $500 gift certificate for a shopping spree at participating downtown businesses.

The prize was the award of a contest sponsored by the BID called "Shop in the Zone."

Thirty-five downtown businesses took part, with entrants being required to stop at at least 12 businesses and fill out a participation card.

The winner was drawn from all qualifying entrants.

The contest ran from Dec. 1-24.

Sheriff Maha helps bring alleged ice cream thief to justice

By Howard B. Owens

Sheriff Gary Maha helped corral an alleged ice cream thief this afternoon.

Following a report of a theft of $7.27 in ice cream from the Arrow Mart on Clinton Street in the Town of Batavia, Maha spotted the suspect vehicle, a Chevy Venture, heading east on I-490.

Maha, driving an unmarked car, confirmed the description with dispatch and then stayed behind the suspect vehicle until it was intercepted by a State Trooper in North Chili.

Charged with petit larceny was Louis Edward Gary, 19, of Hopkins Street, Mount Morris.

Following the traffic stop in North Chili, Gary was brought back to Batavia where he was issued an appearance ticket.

Traffic jam at Monument in Batavia

By Billie Owens

A disabled vehicle is reported to be in front of the Monument at Ellicott and Main streets. It is blocking the roadway and creating traffic problems. A police officer is en route.

UPDATE 2:53 p.m.: An officer reported about 10 minutes or so ago that the disabled vehicle has been removed and is no longer blocking.

Another two-car accident on West Main Street

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident is reported in front of Clor's Meat Market, 4169 W. Main St., in Batavia.

There are no injuries. It is partially blocking the roadway.

Batavia fire is responding.

Two-car accident on West Main Street

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident is reported at 230 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia.

One person is complaining of leg pain.

City fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

Police Beat: Man accused of shoplifting packages of meat

By Howard B. Owens

Steven Noel Paladino, 50, of Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Paladino is accused of shoplifting three packages of meat from Tops Market.

Mark Wilhelm Hanel, 39, of Swamp Road, Bergen, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Hanel was charged following an alleged domestic incident at 8:10 p.m., Friday, in Bergen. Bail was set at $1,500.

Jamie Scott Wolbert, 22, of Lovers Lane, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right and improper turn at an intersection. Wolbert was charged after his car was reportedly found in a ditch off Lovers Lane at 1:29 a.m., Saturday, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Bruce Karl Knepper, 26, of Forestall Lane, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and driving left of the pavement markings. Knepper was stopped at 6:08 a.m., Saturday, on Broadway Road, Alexander, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Kyle W. Nash, 23, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with disorderly conduct. Nash is accused of failing to leave the property of another person. He was arrested Saturday.

Mickey H. DeJesus, 22, of Perry Road, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. DeJesus is accused of threatening another person.

Amy R. Sellhorst, 25, of York Road, Le Roy, is charged with assault, 2nd. Sellhorst is accused of hitting another person in the face with a blunt object during an incident on Sunday. The other person was reportedly injured. Bail was set at $1,500.

Amber L. Pellett, 27, of 11642 Platten Road, Lyndonville, is charged with DWI and inadequate headlamps. Pellett was stopped at 2:26 a.m., Thursday, on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

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