batavia

A low-hanging wire that is arcing has been reported in the area of Main Street and Porter Avenue.

There have apparently been some power issues at the pump house on Main Street.

At the same time, there's a fire alarm at the Blind School on Washington Avenue. The school attributes the alarm to a power fluctuation. 

City Ladder 15 is responding to Main Street. Engine 12 is going to the Blind School as a precaution.

UPDATE 8:20 a.m.: There is a sort of low-hanging wire, but nothing arcing, and it's not impeding traffic, City Fire reports. National Grid being called in to check the wire. Also, Engine 12 cleared the Blind School.

It wasn't just sleigh bells you heard ringing in the days before Christmas. It was also cash registers.

Downtown merchants say they are quite pleased with their 2010 holiday season and hope it means there are good things to come in 2011.

"The numbers aren't official, but it was probably our strongest Christmas in a couple of years," said Greg Gluck, owner of Alberty Drugs. "It was certainly better than last year and probably better than the year before, which is probably a good sign for everyone."

Besides filling prescriptions, Alberty sells gift items and greeting cards.

Owners of The Enchanted Florist, Charles Men's Shop, Glass Roots, Adam Miller Toy & Bicycles, Valle Jewelers and 3D Wine and Spirits all say sales were up a bit this year, though nobody is saying "Wow, I can't believe how great it was!"

But any improvement over the past few years is a welcome sign that at last some people have money to spend and they're spending it.

"The top shelf wines sold and the wines on the bottom shelf sold, but the wines in the middle didn't sell as much," said 3D's owner, Dave Buchholtz. "The people who have the money are spending it, and the people who don't, aren't."

At Charles Men's Shop, owner Dave Howe agrees to a point. He said 2010 was a good improvement over 2009's Christmas season, but he said he heard from a lot of customers who were looking for quality from a local shop. He said people seem tired of overpriced, overhyped "buy one get six free" sales.

"People are less apt to drive all over the countryside," Howe said. "They gave us a shot first to see if we can help."

Next door, at The Enchanted Florist, Kathy Saile, said Christmas sales were up and met her expectations for the season.

"We didn't have any product left over and we were able to make all of our deliveries," Saile said.

At Adam Miller, people came in looking for bikes, hobby items, puzzles and unique toys you just can't get in the chain stores, said John Roche.

"The last two weeks we were swamped," Roche said. "It was way better than what I expected."

The strong sales locally matches reports of strong holiday sales nationally. The New York Times reports:

After a 6-percent free fall in 2008 and a 4-percent uptick last year, retail spending rose 5.5 percent in the 50 days before Christmas, exceeding even the more optimistic forecasts, according to MasterCard advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks retail spending.

The rise was seen in just about every retail category. Apparel led the way, with an increase of 11.2 percent. Jewelry was up 8.4 percent, and luxury goods like handbags and expensive department-store clothes increased 6.7 percent.

There was even a slight increase in purchases of home furniture, which had four consecutive years of declining sales. The figures include in-store and online sales.

The day before Christmas, Valle's Jewelers was packed with customers, and co-owner Mary Valle said the store was busy throughout the holiday season.

The store ran several promotions and advertised heavily for Christmas shopping, Valle said, and it seemed to pay off.

"We saw many new people in the store," Valle said. "People wanted to shop in the county and they verbalized it."

Advertising also paid off for Jeremy Almeter, owner of Glass Roots. For the first time in the five-year history of his business, he ran advertising -- exclusively in The Batavian -- promoting his handmade glass Christmas ornaments.

"For the first time, we sold out of ornaments," Almeter said. "We saw at least 20 faces in the store we'd never seen before."

Top: Mary Valle and Kamilla Kabel. Kabel, the former owner of House of K, is helping out at Valle's.Top inset, Dave Howe; bottom, Dave Buchholtz.

WBTA's Geoff Redick contributed to this story.

Haven J. Armstrong, 26, of 25 Harvester Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from an alleged domestic incident on Summit Street at 6:40 p.m., Monday. Armstrong was jailed on $1,500 bail.

James Kenneth Goodenow, 39, of South Academy Street, Wyoming, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. Goodenow was taken into custody on a bench warrant from Town of Stafford Court after being turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office by Monroe County deputies.

More than 320 area residents were served a Christmas Day dinner at T.F. Brown's, making it the largest turn out for the annual free meal in the event's 22-year history, according to an announcement by organizers.

Toys were given to more than 140 children.

The annual event, open to anyone in the community, is hosted by Rick, Ben and Mark Mancuso and Joe Teresi with the support of the Batavia Lion's Club.

The meal is a traditional holiday supper with all of the trimmings.

In past years, two seatings were sufficient to meet the demand, but this year, three seatings were required.

The meal was prepared by the staff of T.F. Brown's.

Also contributing to the event this year were Jeffrey “the breadman” Condidorio; Kathy Pettinella of Flower City Produce; US Food Service; Sysco and Jocobstein.

Randy Johnson, 22, of 110 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Johnson is accused of striking a family member during a domestic dispute at 11 a.m., Saturday.

Kurtis J. Worthington, 29, of Broadway Street, Rochester, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Worthington was stopped at 7:35 p.m., Friday, on Route 33 in Stafford by Deputy Matt Butler.

The odor of smoke is coming from a four-apartment structure at 25 Vine St. in the city.

City fire department is on scene. A firefighter says nothing is showing, but they are investigating.

One woman has been evacuated. She said she was not sure if anyone else was at home in the other three apartments.

UPDATE 12:05 p.m.: After investigating the building, nothing was found amiss and units are returned to service.

A one vehicle rollover accident has been reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 392.

The driver is not injured, but unable to get out of her car.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:43 a.m.: A fire chief reports roads are slick and icy. Also, the driver has gotten herself out of the vehicle. She's seems to be injured.

Representatives of Arcadia Publishing have been traveling to communities across the country for at least 10 years for their "Images of America" series, and last winter they approached Larry D. Barnes, Batavia's resident historian.

According to Barnes, the South Carolina-based publishing company, which published another book on Batavia -- simply titled "Batavia" -- about 10 years ago, wanted to "take another look" at the city and its history.

Barnes' book, "Batavia Revisited," will explore different topics and feature different photos -- of which there are about 220 in all -- from the first book. It covers many of the major events that reshaped the city's appearance, including:

• The relocation of the railroad tracks to the outskirts of town;

• The construction of the Oak Street Bridge; and

• The Urban Renewal of the 1960s and early 1970s

As a book that relies heavily on the use of photographs, "Batavia Revisited" is mainly focused on the period from 1860 onward. However, Barnes includes an introduction dealing with Batavia's earlier history, which goes back to the early 1800s.

"I also try to straighten out some misinformation over the years (about Batavia's history)," Barnes said. "For example, I've found over and over again in my research, that the person most people think built the Old City Hall had been dead for two years (before it was built). It was his son who built it."

Barnes is a retired Genesee Community College professor and a volunteer with the Genesee County History Department. He taught psychology, but describes history as a "second career."

"It's a personal interest of mine," he said. "I do a lot of (historical) writing and research."

The book will be on sale starting Jan. 17, and will be available for purchase at Present Tense books on Wasington Avenue (and probably at the Holland Land Office Museum as well).

For more information on the book, please visit its page on Arcadia Publishing.

A Batavia woman faces up to 10 years in federal prison after admitting in a Buffalo court today that she forged more than 100 business checks, pocketing more than $85,000.

Deborah Dutton, 55, entered a guilty plea to a charge of check forgery.

Dutton was accused in October of making out checks to herself and others for her benefit, drawn on her employer's business account.

Sentencing is set for 9 a.m., April 11, in Buffalo.

Somebody reportedly threw a cat from a moving vehicle in the area of Sport of Kings on West Main Street.

Police are looking for a gray Ford utility truck with a ladder rack on it.

A unit is being dispatched to the Sport of Kings area to see if he can find the cat and check on its welfare.

UPDATE 4:40 p.m. (Billie): The truck was last spotted eastbound on Route 5. So far, the cat has not been located.

A 1978 Ford sedan is reportedly somewhere in the city being driven erratically.

There have been calls on it, but so far it's evaded law enforcement attempts to locate it.

Officially it's "dark colored," but one description of it said it looked like an old-school black and white police car.

Perhaps dispatch should put a call out for "1-Adam-12" and see if either Malloy or Reed answer.

Robert David Cassatt, 23, of South Main Street, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and driving at a speed that is not reasonable or prudent. Cassatt was charged following a vehicle accident at 1:20 a.m. in the area of 7733 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jason Saile.

Collin M. Camp, 19, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unsafe speed for conditions and uninspected motor vehicle. Camp was charged following a traffic accident at 12:20 p.m., Dec. 5, on Byron Road, Stafford. Three people, including Camp, were injured in the accident.

Mandy Jean Fogarty, 21, of North State Road, Nunda, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Fogarty was charged following a vehicle accident at 11:30 p.m., Dec. 14, on Route 63 in Pavilion after Deputy Brian Thompson reported smelling the odor of marijuana coming from her car. Also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana was Amie Lynn Fogarty, 23, of North State Road, Nunda.

Mark Laney, 30, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, speeding (49 mph in a 30 mph zone) and unlawful possession of marijuana. Laney was stopped at 11:50 p.m., Dec. 12, by Deputy Brian Thompson on Route 262 in Elba.

A driver apparently took his car into the car wash on Liberty Street, got his car washed, then tried to leave, but the door won't open.

There's an emergency button inside to open the door, but the door won't stay open long enough for the driver to get his car out.

Police are responding to check on the situation. Dispatchers are trying to locate a phone number for the owner.

UPDATE 7:26 a.m.: With police on scene, the emergency button finally worked, the door stayed open, and the driver left.

UPDATE 7:45 a.m.: Owner arrived and spoke with police. Apparently, if you're in the car wash too long -- say, for example, you sit in their talking on your mobile phone instead of leaving -- the car wash will need to go through another cycle before the door will open.

A roll over accident with injury has been reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 395 in the eastbound lane.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:27 p.m.: In the same area of the roll over, several other vehicles off the roadway have been reported.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: It sounds like one person injured, minor injury.

In my drive around this evening looking for Batavia's interesting Christmas lights, I found this handsomely decorated tractor on Roosevelt.

And below, a brightly lit house (the back yard is also decorated) on Ellicott Place.

More pictures after the jump:

South Main Street

South Lyon Street

Redfield Drive's Christmas trees in nearly every yard.

Belvedere Drive

Speed is being considered a factor in an accident this morning on Creek Road that led to a resident of the area being taken by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center.

Robert G. Woodhouse, Jr., 51, of Creek Road, was partially pinned under his 2007 Jeep Wrangler after it rolled over, down an embankment at 8943 Creek Road.

The accident was reported at 10:07 a.m.

There is evidence at the scene that Woodhouse was involved in two property damage accidents just prior to his Jeep rolling down the embankment and ejecting him from the vehicle.

He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Sheriff's Office.

A utility pole was knocked down and a mailbox was damaged.

It's not clear why his vehicle left the roadway and the investigation is ongoing.

Charges are pending.

The investigation is being conducted by Deputy John Baiocco, Deputy Lonnie Nati and Sgt. William Scott of the Genesee County Crash Management Team.

Assisting at the scene were Mercy EMS, Town of Batavia Fire, City of Batavia Fire, Mercy Flight, Batavia Police and Bethany Fire Police.

(Initial Report)

Security cameras have been installed at the Holland Land Office Museum.

The upgrade in security comes after a Dec. 10 alleged theft of a historic gun by an Alden man.

"In light of recent events, cameras are a welcome measure to provide security not only to the museum collection, but to the staff, volunteers and guests at the museum," said director Jeffrey Donahue in a statement.

In the statement, Donahue and Board President Bob Turk thanked Assemblyman Steve Hawley and County Legislator Hollis Upson for contributions to help get the cameras installed.