batavia

It's not often that the CEO of a multinational corporation drops in on a Town of Batavia Planning Board meeting, but Alpina Product's Julian Jaramillo just happened to be in town today.

Jaramillo (above, left), lives in Colombia, but as he guides his company toward its first expansion into the United States, he needs to visit the area where he hopes to soon employ more than 50 people.

He said he is very excited about the opportunity for Alpina in Western New York.

"We've gotten great support," Jaramillo said. "This is a huge opportunity. It is our future and success in this country is important to the growth of our company."

Based in Bogata, Alpina is a food processing company that specializes in dairy products.

Early reports about Alpina's expansion focused on the opportunity for the company to market its products to the growing Hispanic population in the Northeast. But Jaramillo shook his head and said no when asked if that was the marketing plan for the company's new yogurt product.

Managing Director Carlos Ramirez Zavarce (above, right) jumped in and said the company's goals go far beyond a niche market.

"To be honest, we can leverage our brand to create cash flow by selling to Hispanics, but when we did our research three years ago, we found we could have the confidence to go mainstream," Ramirez said. "Instead of fighting for small pieces of the pie by creating a niche market, we're going after a mainstream market."

The company is planning to go big in the U.S., Ramirez explained through what he called an "insurgent" strategy.

Currently, two companies, Yoplait and Dannon, control 80 percent of the yogurt market. To compete, Alpina must offer a product that is different enough from the established brands to find new customers.

To that end, Alpina hired a New York-based chef with an expertise in health and wellness recipes to come up with new yogurt products for Alpina.

It is those new products that will be made and distributed from the Batavia plant.

"They're (Yoplait and Dannon) are great, they’re big and they're awesome, but it's (all the) same stuff, same models," Ramirez said. "If you look at a company like Chobani Greek Yogurt, they started three or five years ago and they do things differently. That’s what I mean by insurgent. Insurgent is just a way of thinking. Do things differently, not just from a marketing perspective, but from the products you launch."

If the strategy is successful, Alpina sees expanding beyond just New York, Toronto and the Tri-State market, and going into the South and then nationwide.

The expansion would mean adding additional refrigerated storage to the Batavia plant.

The plant as initially constructed is expected to be 40,000 sq. ft., expandable to 120,000 sq. ft.  

The site plan was presented to the Town of Batavia Planning Board on Tuesday evening and the plan was approved by a vote of 6-0.

Alpina hopes to complete its purchase of the 10-acre parcel in the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park by Aug. 15 and break ground immediately.

The goal is to get the structure built before winter sets in and then take care of interior construction during the cold months. If all goes according to plan, the company can start gearing up for production in May with the first product shipments in June.

Ramirez said Alpina picked Batavia (over the other finalist, Scranton) because: there is easy access to both raw product and shipment of finished product; there is a local labor pool with expertise in dairy products; the great people the company worked with at GCEDC; generous tax abatements; the close proximity to Cornell University and RIT; the two million people between Rochester and Buffalo as well as being centrally located to the markets Alpina wants to target first.

There is a great market to pursue here, Ramirez told the board.

"You see companies trying to go national at some point, but there is a narrow market we can pursue here and just concentrate on here for a few years and become profitable."

For our previous coverage of Alpina, click here.

UPDATE: WBTA's Geoff Redick produced a video about Tuesday's meeting.

UPDATE: Strong says upon further review, medical personnel were notified by Batavia Police.

On the night that a 49-year-old Le Roy woman stepped in front of a moving car on East Main Street, apparently on purpose, a Batavia Police officer, according supervisors, notified Strong Memorial Hospital that the woman may be a danger to herself.

Less 48 hours after the woman was struck by a late model, black Saturn, the woman was dead. The victim of a self-inflected gunshot wound.

The woman's seemingly quick discharge from Strong has raised questions in the community about what happened at the hospital while the woman was under treatment.

Federal law prohibits the hospital from discussing details of patient care, but a spokeswoman for Strong, contradicting police statements, said she doesn't believe caregivers were made aware of the woman's mental status.

"We're deeply saddened to learn of this woman's death, but do not believe that staff caring for her in our emergency department were aware that the injuries may have been intentional," said Teri D'Agostino, communications director for Strong. "We are conducting a thorough review of this patient's care."

Lt. James Henning, Batavia PD, said the investigating officer, Chris Camp, called Strong immediately after he completed taking written statements from witnesses.

The statements, Henning said, were consistent enough to believe the woman intentionally stepped in front of a moving car, so Camp placed a phone call to Strong.

"The appropriate notifications were made," Henning said.

Camp, he said, kept careful notes about whom he spoke with at Strong.

Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS personnel are also prohibited by HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) from discussing the specific case, but Vice President and CFO Margie Ferrentino explained that a medical record is created and transported with the patient and given to hospital personnel.

The record would contain any information gathered about the patient relevant to how injuries were sustained.

"The record includes any observations our medics made or statements they heard, from either the patient, police or bystanders," Ferrentino said.

If medics were told the woman may have intended to injure herself, that information would typically be contained in the written medical record transported with the patient.

Sgt. John Peck, Batavia PD, said Mercy EMS personnel were made aware at the scene, before the woman was transported, of witness statements indicating the injuries may have been intentional.

D'Agostino said the hospital has very definite guidelines about how to deal with patients that may intend to harm themselves, if staff know about the mental state of the patient.

"Strong Memorial Hospital is devoted to treating each patient’s immediate illness or injury, and we always seek to better understand how the injury occurred," said D'Agostino said as part of an ongoing e-mail interview. "Our staff are especially sensitive to the possibility of self-injurious behavior. 

"Most often, first responders, family members, and patients themselves provide clues that indicate when injuries have been deliberate or self-inflicted," she added.  "Whenever we have concerns that people might be dangerous to themselves or to others, we provide, without hesitation, a formal psychiatric evaluation."

When medical personnel become aware that a patient is a threat to him or herself, the patient can be held, under state law, for observation.

"If a patient is thought to be a danger to themselves or others, our physicians have the ability to detain patients here against their will – until they are evaluated, have received care, and our staff is comfortable that it is safe for them to leave," D'Agostino said.

However, D'Agostino also said that sometimes, patients hide or deny their intentions, which could complicate the hospital's ability to legally hold the patient for evaluation.

Both Peck and Henning agreed, and discussed how in their experience, people taken to hospitals because of suicide threats often turn right around and deny the intent or say they no longer have such an intent, leading to the patient's discharge.

In the case of the 49-year-old woman from Le Roy, D'Agostino said Strong takes seriously the sad turn of events and is reviewing its care of this patient.

Press release:

Batavia, NY -- With the Batavia Downs Casino wiener races scheduled for Aug. 28, “Rudy” a veteran of the Batavia races, begins his training.

The now 8-year-old dachshund has been one of the top competitors in the Downs' dog races. He sports a win and then back-to-back seconds over the last three years, for his owner Ron Schiller.

Jane Smart’s “Jake Arnold” has been Genesee County’s fastest dachshund. He’ll look to three-peat when the races are contested after the last harness races on Aug. 28. Post time for the harness races is 1:15 p.m. The wiener dog races, sponsored by Petco of Batavia, begin approximately 4:15 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

The wiener dog races are part of Family Fun Day at the races with all activities for the kids running from 2 until 4 p.m.

Anyone wishing to register your dachshund should call Arna Tygart at 585-343-3750, ext. 437, beginning normal business hours on July 25. The field will be limited to 64 dogs; the first 50 dogs that sign up receive doggy bags courtesy of Petco.

Press release:

Due to extreme weather conditions predicted for Thursday, July 21, the Batavia Summer Recreation Program (Parks Program) will possibly close for the day. The weather is predicted to be 95 to 100 degrees and humid, which makes being outdoors unsafe for people of all ages. The number one concern of the Batavia Youth Bureau and Summer Recreation staff is the safety of the program participants…therefore the Youth Bureau reserves the right to close for conditions that pose a threat to the staff and the participants.

Please tune in to WBTA AM 1490, Thursday morning, for the final decision.  Youth Bureau staff will alert WBTA of our decision by 8 a.m. on Thursday morning. Should you have further questions or concerns, please call the Youth Bureau at 345-6420.

The Town of Batavia Fire Department is gearing up for its 12th Annual Harley-Davidson Raffle.

The raffle drawing is July 30 at the fire hall on Lewiston Road. Once again, there will be great food (from Alex's Place this year), live music, a beer tent and, of course, the raffle.

The Harley this year is a 2011 Fat Boy Low. Tickets, if you can still get them, are $20 each. For information on availability, write to tbfdraffle@townofbataviafire.com or call 344-3284, ext. 12.

Besides the Harley, four tickets will be drawn for cash prizes of $500 each.

Pictured are 2nd Assistant Chief Nate Fix, front left, firefighter Josh Finn, firefighter Ben Fisher, back left, firefighter Scott Washburn and Chief Randy McIntier.

I spotted this giant field of hay bales off Bank Street Road this morning on my way to the fire in Bergen and made a mental note to return at my first opportunity to take pictures. That opportunity arrived this afternoon.

According to Donna McAuley, for 45 years she managed to live her life without ever getting so much as a traffic ticket, and now she has people drive past her house and yell "crack head."

McAuley was arrested July 13, 2010 and accused of being part of a methamphetamine ring that included a dealer from Le Roy now serving more than 17 years in a federal prison.

McAuley was charged, along with four others, of conspiracy with intent to distribute narcotics. She was facing a maximum sentence of 40 years and a $2 million fine.

A few weeks ago, the charges against McAuley, aka Donna L. Boon, were dismissed.  

The Batavian spent a few weeks trying to get an explanation for the dismissal from the U.S. Attorney's office in Western New York and today we managed to contact Brett Harvey, who was prosecuting the case.

Harvey said he can't discuss the specifics behind the prosecution's motion to dismiss the charges because of the ongoing investigation (two defendants in the alleged ring still face charges), but that the case was dismissed "without prejudice."

That means the federal government could refile charges against McAuley, Harvey said.

"We dropped complaint, but have we have leave to pursue additional charges if circumstances warrant," Harvey said.

McAuley's Rochester-based attorney said he doesn't think that's going to happen.

"Donna McAuley's life has been in turmoil for more than a year, including the execution of a search warrant of her home," Robert Napier said. "In the end, the government concluded it does not have sufficient legal basis in which to pursue an indictment before a grand jury. 

"My conclusion," Napier added, "is that the government did not have enough evidence to pursue any charges against Ms. Boon."

According to Napier and McAuley, no drugs were found in her home at Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road when it was searched as part of an early morning raid by local and federal law enforcement on July 13, 2010.

That day, local law enforcement and the DEA and FBI along with Bill Hochul, the U.S. Attorney for Western New York, held a press conference attended by region-wide media. They announced the arrests of McAuley along with Donald G. Vanelli, 47, of 8394 Lake St., Le Roy; David H. Cohen, 49, of 918 Goodman St., Rochester; Andrew W. Chapman, 40, of 5 Cedar St., Batavia; and Kerry A. Ball, 51, of 7202 Meadville Road, Basom.

Vanelli eventually entered a guilty plea. The former Road Agents motorcycle club president admitted to procuring from suppliers and distributing between 5 and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine from 2004 through July 2010.

He was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in federal prison.

The charges against two of the three other defendants are still pending (at time of posting, we didn't have details on which two).

McAuley has admittedly mixed feelings about media coverage of her case being dismissed.

She feels vindicated -- she is adamant that she was not involved in any meth dealing and was not criminally associated with Vanelli, whom she characterized as a friend of 15 years.

She would also just like the case to go away, get her life back and not draw further public attention to her name.

And her name has drawn some attention.

It's been part of media reports every time Vanelli's case has made it through the federal court system.

It came up again when her husband, 62-year-old James Henry McAuley Jr. (aka "Mitch") was charged in a racketeering case stemming from the baseball-bat beating of a man in Rochester more than five years ago and an alleged plot to murder members of a potential rival motorcycle gang.

According to federal authorities, Mitch McAuley, who is currently confined to Elkton Federal Corrections Facility in Elkton, Ohio, on other charges, is vice president of the Rochester Hells Angels.

Donna McAuley said that even with her ties to Mitch McAuley and Donald Vanelli, she herself has never been involved in criminal activity. She has held down respectable, professional jobs for most of her adult life, she said, and she came to Genesee County 15 years ago to establish a reputation for herself as a good citizen.

The case against McAuley was apparently based entirely on wiretaps that recorded conversations between her and Vanelli. FBI agents claimed McAuley and Vanelli used a coded language to arrange for meetings to exchange drugs and/or cash. For example, there was one time when Vanelli, supposedly out of meth to sell, received a call from  McAuley.

According to the transcript, McAuley said, "I, um, what did I want last night, oh geez, I don't know, oh my friggin', I, can you stop by today and check my lawn mower? This mornin'?"

Agents took that to mean that McAuley had acquired a supply of meth.

Vanelli allegedly went to McAuley's house later that morning and when returned to his own home in Le Roy, allegedly arranged for a customer to make a buy.

McAuley said her contact and conversations with Vanelli were never about drugs. There was no coded language. Vanelli was just a longtime friend.

Robert Napier said his client is "an innocent, hard-working professional."

A 39-year-old Ellicott Street resident is in jail following an alleged domestic incident during the early morning hours in which a victim reportedly received cuts to his hand.

Taken into custody was Andrew A. Crimes, of 334 Ellicott St..

The name of the victim, who was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC, has not been released.

The alleged incident occurred near the intersection of Ellicott Street and Goade Park at 12:21 a.m.

Crimes was charged with assault, 3rd, menacing, 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and harassment, 2nd.

Following arraignment in Batavia City Court, Crimes was jailed on $5,000 bail.

(initial report)

Frank Nichols Vitagliano, 28, of Luther Road, Silver Springs, is charged with a felony count of DWI, refusal to take a breath test and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Vitagliano allegedly drove past officers at the front gate of the Buffalo Federal Detention Center on Federal Drive and entered the parking lot. Vitagliano's vehicle was stopped and detained by several detention center officers. Vitagliano was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Randy L. Sanfratello, 41, of 3322 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sanfratello is accused of failure to appear in Batavia City Court and was arrested on a warrant.

Rebecca L. Santiago, 25, of 5955 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. Santiago is accused of failure to appear in Batavia City Court and was arrested on a warrant. She was jailed on $250 bail.

Brandon M. Maldonado, 22, of 35 Maple St., lower, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd. Maldonado was arrested on a bench warrant related to his criminal trespass, 2nd, charge out of Batavia City Court. Maldonado allegedly violated probation and failed to report to Genesee County Jail on June 25 as directed by the court. Maldonado had been sentenced to intermittent jail time. Maldonado was released after posting $500 bail.

Matthew R. Hernandez, 18, of 129 State St., Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Hernandez is accused of displaying a knife in a threatening manner toward a young child during an alleged incident at 7 p.m., Friday.

Mark Laney, 31, of S. Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Laney was reportedly observed operating an ATV at 9:46 p.m., Saturday, in a parking lot at 49 S. Pearl St., Oakfield. Upon investigation by Deputy Howard Carlson, Laney was found to allegedly be driving drunk.

Amanda Le Carlacci, 20, of East Eden Road, Eden, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under age 21. Carlacci was cited during an investigation at 10:20 p.m., Saturday, into a report of an underage drinking party at 710 Broadway Road, Darien.

Amber Marie Williams, 20, Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under age 21. Williams was cited during an investigation at 10:20 p.m., Saturday, into a report of an underage drinking party at 710 Broadway Road, Darien.

Anibal Rodriguez, 55, Brayton Street, Buffalo, is charged with forcible touching. Rodriguez is accused of grabbing the intimate parts of a woman while at Darien Lake. Rodriguez was jailed on $500 bail.

A 17-year-old of Dean Road, Depew, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing a carton of Marlboro cigarettes valued at $59.50 from the Arrowhawk Smoke Shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

Call of Duty II is one of the hottest video games on the market, and at least one person in Batavia has a copy that doesn't belong to him.

The game, a version known as Modern Warfare II, was stolen from a residence on Maple Street within the past week, along with an Xbox console and a controller.

The residents were out of town from the July 12 thru 18, returning home early this morning to find that their house had been broken into and the Xbox, controller and game all missing.

Nothing else was touched.

"Sometimes when a report like this appears in the press, a parent or somebody is alerted and they notice a child has something that they can't explain where or how they got it," Det. Pat Corona said.

To reach Corona with any tips, call (585) 345-6373.

Someone has reportedly been stabbed on the street, prompting City of Batavia police to respond to a location on Ellicott, just south of Hutchins Street. The victim, an adult male with a laceration to his right hand and middle finger, has just arrived at UMMC via Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 12:55 a.m: The incident may be a domestic situation and the suspect is in custody, according to a police officer.

A full tank of gas has reportedly leaked from a vehicle at the Kwik Fill, corner of Jackson Street and Ellicott Street.

The car is reportedly parked next to the gas pumps.

City fire is responding.

UPDATE 4:07 p.m.: Only about a quart of fuel spilled. It's cleaned up. Ladder 15 staying on scene until AAA tow arrives.

A caller on Tracy Avenue reported smoke behind a house on Bank Street and City Fire has responded to investigation.

It was possibly an unintended fire, such as a controlled burn.

The address originally reported was 154 Bank St.. A first responder reports the fire is behind 148 Bank St.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m.: Fire's out. City Fire back in service.

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Judy Essig and her two daughters, Jenna and Nicole, were texting away in front of St. James Episcopal Church yesterday.

St. James is in the running for a Pepsi Refresh grant -- the same grant that Robert Morris and Byron-Bergen elementary schools won for the construction of new playgrounds earlier this year -- $50,000 each.

If the St. James community wins the grant, they will use the money for the restoration of the church's bell tower, a project that is still in its early phases.

Laurie Oltramari, president of the Landmark Society of Genesee County, said that the church is getting ready to choose a contractor, and that the Pepsi Refresh grant will fund masonry repairs, architectural and engineering fees, and promotion of the overall project.

Oltramari applied for the grant on behalf of the church out of a desire to preserve one of Batavia's most impressive landmarks. Built by Robert North in 1908, it is based on the Gothic architecture of churches North studied while living in England.

Unfortunately, the tower has been slowly deteriorating over the last 10 years due to water infiltration and very hard mortar in its structure. As you can see in pictures below, parts of the stonework have actually fallen off.

According to Marcia Gann, a member of St. James who is also on the committee for the tower's restoration, "the church has pledges of $350,000 directed toward the repair of the bell tower" as a result of the 2010 campaign.

These pledges have been earned through campaigning and fundraisers, as well as a $40,000 grant commitment from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

As far as the project's current phase goes, "I'd say we're going to need about $250,000 just in order to have a safe environment (for people to work in for repairs)," Essig said. 

Right now, they are still working on removing those parts of the tower that need to be removed just in order to "get it up to code," as Oltramari put it.

Starting Monday at 10 a.m., volunteers will man a free Pepsi stand in front of the church -- at 405 E. Main St. in Batavia -- and hand out voting instructions. People can drop off Pepsi bottle caps any time in a designated barrel at the church.

Voting for the project will continue through July 31. To place your vote:

1) Go to refresheverything.com/savethetower, or

2) Text 107740 at 73774.

You will notice a "Power Vote" option on the Pepsi Refresh site. This allows you to vote up to 10 times a day, according to Oltramari.

If you click on this option -- which is right above the normal voting tab -- you will be asked to enter the code on your specially marked Pepsi product cap.

At the moment, the church's rank is 69 out of 250 runners-up. So get online and start voting to hear those church bells ring!

SUPPLEMENTAL PHOTOS

Kids enjoy what the new playground has to offer at Robert Morris Elementary School -- also funded by the Pepsi Refresh grant.

 

The 49-year-old woman who, according to witnesses, purposefully stepped in front of a moving car on East Main Street on Thursday night has taken her own life.

According to a source in law enforcement, the woman used a gun this morning not long after being released from Strong Memorial Hospital, where she was taken for treatment by Mercy Flight after being hit by the car.

We've come into that part of the season where there is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at the local farmers markets. Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the Genesee Country Farmers' Market at Batavia Downs and took a few pictures.

The market is open Tuesdays and Fridays.

While out at the Genesee County Airport tonight, I noticed the beautiful full moon right after a Mercy Flight helicopter landed.

An airplane has rolled over on the west-end runway at the Genesee County Airport and the pilot is still inside. Unknown injuries. No fire seen.

Mercy medics and Town of Batavia firefighters are responding. The airport is at 4705 E. Saile Drive, Town of Batavia.

UPDATE 8:48 p.m.: No extrication needed. The pilot is conscious and alert but medical attention is required.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: Medics will need assistance in getting the pilot out.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m.: A "hydraulic rescue cutter" is needed and will be brought to the scene.

UPDATE 9:03 p.m.: A pumper truck out of Oakfield is asked to stand in at Town of Batavia's fire hall. Mercy Flight is responding to the scene.

UPDATE 9:05 p.m.: The patient has been extricated.

UPDATE 9:10 p.m.: There's a 10 minute ETA for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 9:12 p.m.: The Mercy Flight pilot says the airfield is in sight and it should arrive in about three minutes. The injured pilot is said to be in stable condition with a head laceration and an "open fracture" on one of his legs.

UPDATE 9:17 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne, en route in Strong Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: Town of Batavia firefighters returning to service and so is Oakfield. The runway and taxiway are being checked, and swept, as per Federal Aerospace Adminstration requirements. State police will be the last to leave and then the runway will be reopened.

UPDATE 9:51 p.m.: The airport runway is clear of debris.

UPDATE: WBTA's Geoff Redick was still on scene when a State Trooper conducted a short press conference. Watch the video here. The pilot is Patrick McCabe, 54, of Caledonia. McCabe suffered a compound fracture to his leg. The trooper said this flight was McCabe's maiden voyage with the plane. The crash occured before take-off for an unknown reason.

Cheer Camp, sponsored by the Batavia Bulldawgs Youth Football League, is going to be held from 9:30 to 11:30 Saturday morning, July 30, at Kibbe Park. Drop-off starts at 9 at the check-in table.

Cost is $15. Participants must be between 6 and 12 years of age. Birth certificate is required to register.

Registration is 6 to 8 tonight and also from 9 to 11 a.m. tomorrow at Batavia City Centre. To register by mail, send check or money order no later than July 23 to:

Batavia Bulldawgs Football

Atten: Cheer Camp

7 Highland Park

Batavia, NY 14020

Regarding attire, each athlete should come dressed and ready to play. Please wear workout apparel, including T-shirt, shorts, socks and athletic shoes or cleats. NO JEWELRY.

There will be plenty of water but kids are welcome to bring their own drinks.

This two-hour camp will teach the basics of cheerleading. It will include stunts, tumbling, jumps, cheers and dancing! The camp will be coached by Batavia High School Cheer Coach Krista Shamp, along with a few of her alumni cheerleaders and present varsity cheerleaders.