batavia

Two drivers from Holley, Orleans County, collided on Oak Orchard Road/Route 98 in Batavia this afternoon.

Doris Lusk, 78, was operating her Subaru Forester northbound on Route 98 when she slowed to allow another driver to make a left-hand turn into a driveway. Robert Blosenhauer, 63, was also northbound in a Jeep Wrangler and failed to stop. He rammed into the rear of Lusk's vehicle.

Both were able to exit the roadway safely. No serious injuries were reported.

Blosenhauer was charged with failure to yield following too closely.

Trooper Mark Catenzaro responded along with Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS.

Kayla M. Tyoe, 22, of Market Street, Attica, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, parking on pavement/roadway and no seat belt. Deputy Ron Meides was dispatched at 8:35 a.m., Monday, to a complaint of a car parked in the middle of Colby Road, Darien. Upon arrival, Meides reportedly found Tyoe sleeping in the driver's seat. A male was sleeping in the passenger seat, according to Meides. It was determined, Meides said, that Tyoe was "driving under the influence of some type of drug."

Benjamin Wiliam Muntz, 22, of Knowlesville Road, Alabama, is charged with attempted petit larceny and trespass. Muntz is accused of being on property in Byron without permission and attempting to steal items from the property.

Michael Abdullah Jamil, 27, of School Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Jamil is accused of violating an order of protection by allowing his girlfriend and son to stay at his residence. Jamil was jailed on $500 bail.

Randy K. Wilmet, 34, of 75 Franklin St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. Wilmet is accused of damaging property inside the apartment of another person. Wilmet was arraigned in Batavia City Court, where he allegedly refused to comply with police officers' orders and had to be physically removed from the court and restrained. Wilmet was jailed on $3,000 bail.

Martin F. Jones, 40, no permanent address, is charged with four counts of petit larceny. Jones was arrested on a warrant. He is accused of stealing beer from an Ellicott Street business on four separate occasions. Each incident was reportedly recorded by surveillance cameras. Jones was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Batavia PD is looking for information on three individuals suspected of being involved in a theft and an attempted fraud locally.

The three individuals may also be suspects in similar thefts at hospitals and colleges from Geneva to Buffalo.

In the local case, a male subject wearing a white T-shirt and a necklace went into UMMC at 11:30 a.m., Sept. 11, and stole a wallet from a purse belonging to an employee.

The suspect was driven to the hospital in a maroon four-door sedan (possibly a Ford Fusion).

The male suspect and two female suspects allegedly used the victim's credit cards at a local business.

The three suspects are described as African-American and in their early 20s.

Anybody with information that may assist in the investigation can call the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

The week 3 winner was Joseph Duganier. While Duganier's pick, Carolina, had only the fourth-best defensive stats in Week 3, Carolina was #1 among the 10 teams available for picking in the contest. Duganier wins for four free large subs.

Two suspects have been taken into custody in connection with a pair overnight burglaries on Williams and Swan streets, according to Batavia PD.

Police are investigating whether the pair were involved in other recent residential burglaries.

On Tuesday, the alleged burglars entered occupied residences on Williams Street and Swan Street in the early morning hours.

Take into custody shortly after the first reported burglary, at 2:09 a.m., on Swan Street, was Kurt H. Hawkins Jr., 18, who has no permanent address. Hawkins was charged with burglary, 2nd.

Hawkins was located in the area of Williams and Ellicott streets shortly after a homeowner reportedly observed the suspect in his residence. Hawkins reportedly initially tried to flee from police and was taken into custody after a foot chase.

While police were investigating the Williams Street burglary, police received a report of a residential burglary in progress on Swan Street.

The alleged burglar fled the residence and could not be immediately located. Investigators indicate that evidence led them to Michael J. Hilton, 20, no permanent address.

Both Hawkins and Hilton were jailed without bail.

Both Hawkins and Hilton are suspected in other recent residential burglaries and additional charges may be pending.

Top photo, Hawkins; bottom photo, Hilton.

A group of about 12 parents concerned about proposed changes to elementary schools in Batavia gathered at the Richmond Memorial Library on Monday evening to start organizing an effort to offer alternatives to the school board.

The hour-long meeting ended on a message of "let's show the board we want to work with them," after some in the group expressed concern that if parents are willing to cooperate, negotiate and listen, school board members won't take them seriously.

"This is not about us versus them," said Jennifer Burke, one of the organizers of the meeting. "It's not a game. It's about our kids. If we all have that as our focus then we should be able to accomplish something."

The school district is looking for a way to save as much as $1 million in annual expenses and has publicly discussed closing the current administration building on Washington Avenue and moving the district administration into one of the current elementary schools -- such as Robert Morris -- leaving the school district with only two elementary schools.

Hardly a parent in Batavia can be found who supports the idea. Primarily, they are concerned about losing their neighborhood schools, having children in the same household attending three or four different schools and how frequent school changes will affect the chance for children to succeed in school.

The meeting on Monday included a break-out session with parents making a list of concerns and ideas.

A universally shared concern was moving fifth-grade students into the middle school.

"The age difference is just too much," said one parent.

Burke expressed optimism that board members have been willing to discuss concerns with parents. Superintendent Margaret Puzio called her earlier to provide some updates in advance of the Monday meeting, which Burke considered to be a sign of administration officials' willingness to work with parents.

Among the updates is that the decision about consolidation that was supposed to be made in November has been pushed back until March.

"That's another step in the direction that they're offering parents a voice," Burke said.

But the parents still want even more time. They're passing a petition to ask for the decision to be put off until after another school year passes, dipping into the district's reserves, if necessary, to balance the budget.

"When they do make a decision, they need to make an informed decision," Burke said. "They need to make the best decision, the best decision for the whole community."

Burke noted that in opposing consolidation, it opens up a wide array of options for the district to cut, from teachers (bigger class sizes), music and arts, teacher aides, sports and elective courses.

"If we move forward with certain recommendations, we may see ramifications on the other side," Burke said. "We do realize that we may need to sacrifice some, but our children come first."

The next group meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 13. 

The next meeting the district will host to discuss consolidation is Wednesday at Batavia HS.

Just over six months and more than $2 million later, the much-anticipated indoor water park at the Clarion Hotel on Park Road is ready for splashing, laughing and high-energy fun.

Today, various community leaders and local and regional media were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Palm Island Indoor Water Park.

The park opens to the public at 3 p.m., Friday and will open at 9 a.m., Saturday (for more about park operations, visit the website).

The brainchild of Chan Patel, owner of the Clarion, will offer recreation to guests year-around.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Patel told visitors that 95 percent of everything in the park was made in the U.S. Local and regional contractors worked on the project.

The 12,000-square-foot facility includes a 197-foot and a 169-foot waterslide, a pool equipped with basketball hoops, a spa, a play lagoon with waterfalls, small slides and dumping buckets, as well as birthday party rooms, a food and beverage concession and an arcade room with 15 games.

Patel said he planned the park so that there would be activities that would appeal to all ages.

The bottom photo is Chan Patel, center, with his business partners on the project, Hagish Patel and Amit Shah.

Rhiannon J. Graff, 16 Oak St., Room #7, Batavia, 31, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd. Graff was reportedly found by Batavia PD at 9:30 a.m., Sept. 17, in possession of a metal, collapsible baton. NYS Parole assisted in the case. Graff was jailed on $5,000 bail.

William J. Galliford, 51, of 200 State St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and resisting arrest. Galliford was arrested after allegedly harassing a neighbor on repeated occasions. Galliford allegedly struggled with the arresting officer, James M. DeFreze. Galliford was jailed on $500 bail.

Walk into Jerry Arena's new bar and grill and you might be greeted with a question, "Are you a millionaire?"

If the answer's yes, well, Arena's new place on Park Road might not be the place for you.

The Ten Cent Millionaire caters to those of us who want good beer, good food and a place to hang out with good people in an unpretentious atmosphere.

The menu doesn't even fill up both sides of a 5x7 card. It's standard bar grill food -- hot dogs, hamburgers, hoagies, mozzarella sticks, etc.

"What we make, we want to make right," said Arena, pictured right, explaining the limited menu.

It's a full-service bar with mixed drinks, more than half-dozen beers on tap, bottled beer and soft drinks.

Arena has completely remodeled the former hot dog stand, adding a curved bar, new booths, tables, a pool table, dart boards and five televisions.

He said getting the business open was a big job and he wanted to thank all the people who made the Ten Cent Millionaire possible.

Pictured with Jerry are Heather Robinson, left, and Amy Walker.

A passerby reported seeing smoke coming from the second-story window of a white house on Walnut Street in the City of Batavia. No numerics were given. The location was described as being on the "east side of the road, just south of the bend." Firefighters checked the area and initially reported finding nothing. A moment later they reported smoke coming from a vent.

Here's a pair of pictures I took on my way back from Elba yesterday morning. The top is on Norton Road near Route 262, Elba, and the bottom is on Bank Street Road, Batavia.

Batavia Downs had a packed house Saturday night for Batavia Rotary Club's annual October Brew Fest and Corvette Raffle.

No word yet on the raffle winner.

The Batavia Blue Devils travelled to Le Roy last night to take on the Knights. It was a close game from the start, with each team scoring a touchdown on its opening possession. Le Roy's offensive line became a key factor early on by creating some huge holes in the defense for Tommy McQuillen to run through, allowing him to run for 336 yards on the night, and score six touchdowns (school record).

Batavia's offense was able to keep the score close for most of the game, however QB Brett Scheuerlein threw three very costly interceptions that may have cost them the game. One was intercepted by Tommy McQuillen, and the other two by Ethan Olsowski. Le Roy's offense scored touchdowns as a result of all three interceptions. Both teams appeared strong, and the game could have easily gone the other way if Batavia had maintained better control of the ball.

In the end, Le Roy came out on top, 48-35.

Andy Lowe and Marcus Mistersare also scored touchdowns for Le Roy. John Difante, James Soggs and Justin Washington scored for the Blue Devils. 

Batavia is now 1-3, and will travel to Hornell next week. Le Roy is 2-2 and will host Perry at home next Friday night.

Four people were arrested Thursday for allegedly possessing various drugs following a "traffic drug interdiction" detail by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

A traffic interdiction detail uses the probable cause of a traffic stop to detect possible drug activity.

Arrested where:

Jonathan B. Marvin, 35, of Hall Street, Batavia. Marvin is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Marvin was allegedly found in possession of heroin along with a hypodermic needle. Marvin was jailed on $1,000 bail.

David A. Showler, 43, of West Main Street, Batavia. Showler is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Showler was allegedly found in possession of heroin along with a hypodermic needle. Showler was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Ryan M. Bobzin, 22, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bobzin was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and issued an appearance ticket.

Warner Lee Love Jr., 18, of Chandler Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Love was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and issued an appearance ticket.

Assisting in the interdiction detail were uniformed members of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and K-9 "Pharaoh."

Michael John Merrill, 46, of West Ferry Street, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny. Merrill is accused of stealing a can of beer from 48 Deli Express at 1:53 p.m., Thursday. When confronted by the owner, Merrill allegedly ran. Merrill was jailed on $500 bail.

William Ronald Tombari, 40, of Roanoke Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and failure to keep right. Tombari was allegedly driving drunk when he was involved in a motor-vehicle accident at 12:05 a.m., Friday, on Route 63 in Pavilion. The accident was investigated by Deputy Eric Seppala.

Shuvon "Bonnie" Williams, 35, of 5 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. Williams is accused of violating an order of protection by allegedly threatening the protected person with bodily harm. The incident was reported at 3:08 p.m., Thursday.

The release of a surveillance tape by the Batavia PD appears to have helped lead investigators to a pair of alleged thieves.

Charges are pending against Trevor M. Pilc, 18, of 404 Jackson St., Batavia, and Michael A. Ames, 19, of 508 Dale Road, Dale.

The duo is accused of burglarizing a number of Batavia businesses during the summer and is currently being held in a Wyoming County jail on similar charges.

The videotape, published on The Batavian, didn't lead to a tip with a name attached, but it did lead to information that helped investigators put some pieces together, Sgt. Pat Corona said.

"(The video) kept people interested in the case and got people talking about it," Corona said. "As a result of that, I did get information about a person talking about one of the burglaries and a name was mentioned in that conversation."

Corona expects burglary charges against Pilc in connection with break-ins at Neptune’s Gardens, 33 Liberty St., occurring on, June 3; Blondie’s Sip and Dip, 670 E. Main St., occurring on July 8; The Batavia Youth Center, 12 MacArthur Drive, occurring on July 23; and Batavia’s Original Pizzeria, 500 E. Main St., occurring on Aug. 6.

Ames also faces probable charges in connections with break-ins and larcenies from Batavia’s Original on Aug. 6 and again on Aug. 30.

Corona said Ames and Pilc both confirmed they are the two people seen in the video.

A two-car accident with one person complaining of chest pain is reported in front of the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union on Jefferson Avenue in the City of Batavia.

There was air-bag deployment and one vehicle is, or was, spewing smoke.

City fire and Mercy medics responding.

A two-car accident is reported at Liberty and Ellicott streets in the City of Batavia. There is believed to be one minor injury.

Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

A Batavia man known for his love of waterfowl died Wednesday at the age of 62 at Strong Memorial Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Ronald P. “Grazo” Grazioplena, an Oak Street resident, was first featured on The Batavian in articles by Jim Nigro in the Spring of 2010 for his efforts on behalf of ducks and geese (Part 1, Part 2).

Later, Grazioplena would get caught up in a dispute with neighbors over the ducks he kept in his back yard and the general state of his property. The case would eventually go to court and in early 2011, Gazioplena was ordered to clean up his yard and make other changes to his property.

(Full Obituary)