batavia

City crews were on State Street late this morning dealing with dirt and an old stump where a tree once stood.

The tree was among 30 dead or dying trees removed from around the city over the winter.

More than 400 middle-school students were at Genesee Community College this morning for the 2011 Genesee County Youth Conference.

Students heard a keynote speech by bullying expert Michael Nerney (pictured below during a workshop later in the morning with teachers) called "Taking the Bully by the Horns."

Then they broke into a series of workshops lasting less than an hour each in three consecutive sessions. The workshops included "Hmmm ... is this the right decision?", "Energy Smart Choices," "Who Wants to Make a Good First Impression?", "Building Your Potential," "Nutritional Jeopardy" and yoga.

Above, Joni Yaskulski leads a class through a yoga session.

Nerney's talk focused on adolescent brain development and the negative effects of bullying on development. The message was geared to the concept of changing social norms among middle-school students so that everyone, especially bystanders, understand that bullying is not acceptable nor is it harmless.

Students from Holy Family, Oakfield-Alabama, Batavia, Elba, Alexander, St. Joe's, Byron-Bergen, Le Roy and Pavilion participated in the program.

The conference was organized and sponsored by Genesee Youth In Action, 4-H, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Genesee County Stop-DWI.

A dozen city school students in second through fifth grade met at Jackson School today for a spelling bee to determine the top speller at each grade level.

Students represented Jackson, John Kennedy and Robert Morris.

Pictured here are fourth graders Jonathan Slezak (John Kennedy), Ellen Fulton (Robert Morris) and Caitline Kingston (Jackson).

Fulton won the fourth-grade round.

Also winning today were Brandon Bartz, second grade, John Kennedy; Madeline Taggart, third grade, John Kennedy; and, Carli Reynolds, fifth grade, Jackson.

Right on schedule, the migratory gulls that have plagued downtown buildings the past few years -- most notably the former Latina's location on Ellicott Street -- are returning.

This March, they're getting a slightly different reception.

The one-time Montgomery Ward store has a new owner, V J Gautieri Constructors, Inc., and CEO Vito Gautieri is determined both to get new tenants in the building and keep the gulls away.

"The key is to keep them from nesting," Gautieri said. "Once they nest, we can't touch them."

To that end, employees of Gautieri's were recently on the roof installing streamers and decoy owls (mean-looking ones at that).

Today, the gulls circled the building and cried their perpetually angry sounding cry, but none were landing on the roof.

Friday, Don Burkel, executive director of the Business Improvement District, sent a message to BID members asking them to deal with any developing gull problems promptly.

As the gulls return downtown we should be prepared to resolve any problems that may develop. If they are beginning to nest or create a problem with your property do not hesitate to contact us. We can put in touch with the Wildlife Services who professionalyl deal with these issues promptly.

As for the building on Jackson, Gautieri said he is weeks away from signing at least one new tenant for the building, and possibly two. He said he's had interest in the building from two or three grocery store operators and discount retailers. One particular retailer and one grocery store would be a particularly good fit as neighbors in the building, he said.

"They would be a draw for each other," Gautieri said.

Gautieri recently closed his purchase of the building from Tom Lewin's LKLWL Properties. Lewin made regional headlines late last summer as the city took steps to condemn the building and press code violations charges against the Buffalo-area resident.

Gautieri said it's in his best interest to keep the property clean and gull free, especially if he hopes to attract a grocery store to the location.

The second floor, Gautieri said, will also be available for office space or apartments. The plans are still being drawn up but, in either case, Gautieri said he is planning to install an elevator to help draw tenants to the location.

Gautieri was the contractor who built the structure and he said because of a high water table under the building, it was too expensive to put in a basement, so the second floor was originally designed as warehouse space with the ability to hold a150 lbs.-per-square-foot load.

Lorrie B. Fischer, 32, of 128 W. State St., Albion, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, three counts of aggravated DWI (children in the vehicle), criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, moving from lane unsafely, and improper or unsafe turn. At 5:19 p.m., Sunday, Fischer was reportedly observed driving in an erratic manner by an off-duty Batavia police officer. Fischer was stopped by Officer Chris Davis. There were children ages 11, 12 and 14 in the car.

Robert L. Williams Jr., 20, and Shante R. Williams, 27, and Sarah L. Marcello, 18, all of Batavia, are all charged with harassment, 2nd. Officers Marc Lawrence and Chris Camp investigated an alleged incident at 4:45 p.m., Saturday, in the area of 112 State St., Batavia. Robert Williams accused Marcello of hitting him. Marcello accused Shante Williams and Robert Williams of hitting her. All three were issued appearance tickets for Batavia City Court on March 15.

Tyler Alan Cole, 18, of Alley Road, Darien, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Cole is accused of hosting a party where people under 21 were allowed to consume alcohol. The party was investigated at 5:06 a.m., Sunday.

Michael Roberrt Turturro, 32, of Jeffery Drive, Depew, was arrested on a family court warrant and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and no seat belt. Turturro was stopped by Deputy Chris Parker on Alleghany Road in Alabama.

Billy Joe Budziszewski, 19, of Alleghany Road, Corfu, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Budziszewski allegedly threated another person during a phone call.

Shane I. Crosby, 34, of 62989 W. Main St., Byron, is charged with a felony count of DWI, aggravated DWI, speeding and unlicensed operation. Crosby was stopped at 3:45 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street, Batavia, by officer Kevin DeFelice.

Thomas M. Pillo, of 8991 Alexander Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, no tail lamps. Pillo was stopped at 11:57 p.m., Friday, by Det. Richard Schauf on School Street, Batavia.

Tiffany J. Howard, 20, of 210 S. Swan St., Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Howard is accused of unlawfully entering an apartment on West Main Street at 8:42 p.m., Saturday, and punching a person in the face.

Timothy K. Schiffmaker, 20, of 19 Hyde Park, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 3rd. Schiffmaker is accused of breaking into a house in the city at 6:15 a.m., Saturday, damaging a door in the process. Schiffamker was confronted and held by the resident until police arrived.

Lauren E. Charache, 31, of 3 East Ave., Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. Charache was issued a citation for unlicensed operation following a traffic accident in the city on Sept. 3. Charache was taken into custody by Trooper Bentley outside of the city and turned over to city police. She was jailed on $500 bail.

Gary R. Sitarski, 48, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI. Sitarski was stopped by State Police at 10:07 p.m., Saturday, on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

Michelle L. Cramer, 26, of Canton, Ohio, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Cramer is accused of having physical contact with another person. The alleged incident took place in Byron on March 4. Cramer was arrested by State Police. No further details released.

Michael A. Cintron, 47, of Lackawanna, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Cintron was stopped at 11:50 a.m., Friday, by State Police on Route 77, Pembroke.

Dispatch has received multiple calls about a transformer arcing and sparking at 5158 East Main St. Road in the area of the Gravel Pit.

Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 12:21 p.m.: The arcing and sparking appears to be coming from a power line in front of the power plant substation, not a transformer, according to an official on scene. "That's a recurring problem," says another. National Grid has been notified, but no ETA is given. There will need to be portable stop signs placed at intersections on the east end of town because, apparently, the power line problem is affecting traffic lights. For example, the intersection at East Main Street and Clinton is completely out, not even blinking.

UPDATE 12:43 p.m.: Approximately 2,100 customers are without power. National Grid is en route to fix the outage problem.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: A National Grid supervisor in on scene.

UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: The supervisor estimates power will be restored in about one hour.

UPDATE 1:07 p.m.: Town of Batavia fire crew is returning to quarters. Flares will be placed at Route 33 and Seven Springs Road, which is an intersection without power. Elsewhere portable stop signs were placed at intersections on the east end of town by county highway personnel.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: Dispatch has received a number of calls saying power is back on now.

A car fire is reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 386.5 in the eastbound lane.

The caller states she could see flames from the undercarriage and the male operator was getting children out of the car.

Mile marker 385.6 is about 8/10 of a mile east of the Clinton Street Road overpass.

Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 11:01 a.m.: First responder: Fire appears to be out.

UPDATE 11:03 a.m.: The drive shaft appears to have punctured the fuel tank. Fire is out. Engine 24 to respond for the fuel spill.

Batavia police officers made 575 criminal arrests in 2010 and responded to 16,606 calls.

Chief Randy Baker released the department's annual report, which notes that patrols logged more than 100,000 road miles.

Officers also completed 1,685 hours of training.

There were 534 motor vehicle accidents in the city, with 98 reported as personal injury accidents. There was one fatality.

Major investigations included a fatal fire on State Street, the Wiard Plow fire and assisting Elmira police in the investigation of an infant's death.

Full press release after the jump:

DETAILS: The 2010 Batavia Police Department annual report has been completed and can be viewed on the Batavia Police Department’s Web site at www.batavianewyork.com. During 2010, the Batavia Police Department responded to 16,606 calls for service, logged over 100,000 miles on patrol and performed 1,685 hours of training. The police department handled approximately 534 motor vehicle accidents, 98 which were reported as personal injury and 1 fatal accident. The department handled 575 criminal arrests and 196 warrant arrests.

Department training topics included firearms, defensive tactics, taser, emergency response team techniques, domestic violence, patrol procedures, DWI detection, DNA procedures and interviewing techniques. The emergency response team, which includes members of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, traveled to Verona, NY to train with the New York Tactical Officers Association and competed in a SWAT team competition in Erie County in September of 2010.

Major cases and investigations for the year included, a fatal fire on State Street in February, an industrial fire in May at the old Wiard Plow Factory building. Three juveniles were arrested and sent to Family Court after an extensive investigation. Detectives worked with the Elmira Police Department investigating the death of an infant. Detectives also worked with the Kansas City Missouri police department to arrest a sex offender who was texting an underage female in Batavia. An investigation was completed and a subject arrested for fraudulently obtaining $58,000 from an elderly female. Major trials were held for Andre Scott who was convicted and sent to prison for arson and attempted murder for a fire started at a multifamily residence in 2008. Dalton Wilkie was convicted on federal charges for soliciting sex online from what he thought was a minor in Batavia. He was actually contacting a Batavia Police Department Detective.

The county drug task force, which includes a detective from the Batavia Police Department, investigated 95 drug cases, made 86 arrests and executed 18 search warrants. One of the drug investigations coordinated with the FBI disrupted a major methamphetamine drug ring in Genesee County.

Detectives monitored on average 60 Level I, II and III sex offenders in the city.

The juvenile office worked with GCASA on National Night Out, Project 365 and alcohol compliance checks.

Traffic patrols funded by the NYS Governors Traffic Safety Committee for Buckle Up New York and STEP resulted in over 300 hours of extra traffic patrols. The local STOP DWI committee supported over 400 hours of special DWI patrols which resulted in over 439 vehicle stops. There were 48 DWI arrests made by the department in 2010.

The crime rate for the city for Part I crimes at 34.93 per 1000 of population remained relatively stable. There was a slight decrease in the crime rate in 2010 from the crime rate of 37.20 in 2009. Part II crimes, a new rate monitored by the department, was 58.67 and increased slightly from the rate in 2009 at 55.18.

Awards received by department members in 2010 include Officer Camp Kiwanis Club Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for the Batavia Police Department. Officer Mileham was given the GCASA Law Enforcement of the Year Award for his dedicated service to Drug Court.

Hiroshige Yamabe, an exchange student at Batavia High in 1988-89, currently lives in Japan and has been in contact with his former host family following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country two days ago.

Yamabe sent the following e-mails to Jason Smith. Smith said Yamabe has visited Batavia frequently since his high school years. He currently works for Boehreinger Pharmaceutical in Japan.

March 11:

"It was horrible experience in my life. But mostly people in Tokyo are OK. But we can not go back home, just staying at the office. Anyhow, I am responsible for confirm the production sites/plants close to the centre of origin. Hope phone line will be improved. thank you."

March 12:

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your concerns. Yes, I tried to call Jason and James but not made it. Then I called to the funeral home.

We are all safe. Last night I stayed at the office waiting for the recovery of transportation. We could not catch the taxi and I saw people made a long line. Even though catching the taxi, then it seemed to be a heavy traffic. When I come back home this morning by subway, I did not see so much damage on the building except some items fell down.

In Tokyo now all the infrastructure are fine. But the northern part is terrible. Boehringer Japan Group has three plants in Narita, Yamagata and Fukushima. I am a little bit worried about Fukushima Plant. Cause it is just few kilometre away from the nuclear plant. Anyway, I shall be quite busy for the next few weeks. Thank you again and get in touch.

Kind regards,

H. Yamabe

P.S.
Now we have a little shaking again...

UPDATE:  Here's a new e-mail from Hiroshige:

Thank you, Jason. Just I talked with my mother. My brother & sister's family, they are all safe. I just concerned about my colleagues' family in Northern part area in Japan has anything wrong. Public transportation is not recovered. So I am still in the office at mid-night. But pretty fine.

A little bit of old Batavia is going to come back to a new bar on Jackson Street, according to co-owner Derek Geib.

Geib and partner Michael Hyland are busy renovating 9 Jackson St.

Longtime residents will remember the building as the one-time Silver Slipper, and later the Candlelight, before becoming Fuel.  The location was most recently the Jackson St. Grill/Belladessa's.

As a restaurant, Silver Slipper's once gorgeous mahogany bar was boarded over and the back bar painted white.

Geib and Hyland have removed all of that clutter and the dark-brown wood of the bar and walls, as well as a large mirror behind the bar, are visible again. The partners have also partially exposed the brick wall of the original structure.

The duo will dub their new establishment "Bourbon & Burger Co."

And the name reflects what Geib, most recently co-owner of Matty's Pizzeria, hopes people will think of when they think of the tavern -- a place to drink and a place to eat.

"It will be a bar and I don't want people to think just 'food,' Geib said. "I want them to get the idea that it's both."

As for the food, though, Geib is aiming high.

"We'll have the best burgers in town," Geib said. "If you ask 10 people where their favorite place to go for a burger, you'll get eight different answers. We want to be the number-one answer."

If the liquor license process goes according to plan, Geib thinks the doors on Bourbon & Burger Co. will open by May 1. The new tavern's application is going before the Batavia City Council for consideration at Monday's meeting.

Lt. Eugene Jankowski, day-shift supervisor for the Batavia Police Department, recently received a trophy for a sharpshooting contest he participated in last month.

The award was for Jankowski's efforts in the 2011 International Defensive Pistol Association Indoor National Championships held at the Smith and Wesson shooting sports center in Springfield, Mass.

Jankowski tells us, "It was my first major IDPA match and I won First Place Sharpshooter in the Stock Service Pistol Division. This win now moves me up to Expert Class. My goal is to be in the Master Class by the end of the year.

"I used a standard Glock, model 34, 9 mm. Other than caliber, it's very similar to my police duty pistol. This match is one of only two national matches held each year and there were approximately 300 shooters in attendance."

For more on the IDPA, click here.

A motor is reportedly on fire inside an attached garage of the "co-generation building" at the Genesee County Nursing Home.

The address is 278 Bank Street in Batavia.

City Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Apparently the situation was handled without much ado. The fire truck is back in quarters.

A former Batavia resident who was caught in Wisconsin posing as an attorney and stealing money from his supposed clients admitted his crimes in a Milwaukee Court on March 3.

Thomas J. Lyon faces a two-year prison term and then will still need to answer to alleged probation violations out of Monroe County.

Lyon was previously convicted in Monroe County for grand larceny.

Facing 11 criminal counts, Lyon entered a guilty plea to charges of practicing law without a license, theft, identity theft and forgery. The remaining charges where dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

The case made headlines in Wisconsin because Lyon reportedly bragged to an associate that he was like Frank Abagnale Jr., the former con artist depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in the hit movie, "Catch Me If You Can."

In addition to posing as an attorney -- even making court appearances -- Lyon also assumed the identity of a deceased notary public. Police also accused him of running a prostitution ring, but Lyon was never charged with any crimes related to those allegations.

Previously, Lyon was arrested in Genesee County on an alleged bad check charge.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 7.

Previously: Milwaukee's accused "Catch Me If You Can" fake attorney has Batavia roots

Stephen Wade Thompson, 33, of West Main Street, Attica, is charged with criminal mischief. Thompson is accused of slashing tires on two vehicles in the Town of Alexander.

A 17-year-old resident of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The teen is accused of getting into a fight with another person at 9:25 p.m., Thursday, in the area of 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

Amy Lou Platten, 41, of Main Street, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Platten is accused of violating an order of protection.

City Fire Department is responding to a report of wires arcing in the area of 536 Ellicott St., Batavia.

UPDATE 10:53 p.m.: National Grid notified. The primary wire to the house is arcing.

UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: Two National Grid trucks on scene.

View Larger Map

I went to the courthouse this afternoon to cover a case that, as it turned out, wasn't called, but I did spot this giant snow mountain behind the skate park. You really need to stand next to it to appreciate it, but here's a photo anyway.

There is still a flood watch in place for Genesee County, but eyeballing the Tonawanda Creek this afternoon, it didn't look too bad. Of course, if this pile melts off all at once ...

Here's a news release from the Buffalo office of the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service will be conducting a SKYWARN spotter training seminar in Batavia at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at the Genesee County Fire Training Center, 7690 State St. Road.

It's sponsored by the Genesee County Office of Emergency Services and will last about two hours. There is no cost for the training.

SKYWARN is a national effort to save lives during severe weather emergencies with an expanding network of trained volunteer weather spotters. SKYWARN spotters support their local community and government by providing reports of severe weather directly to the National Weather Service in Buffalo through amateur radio or by phone using the the NWS spotter hotline. The services performed by SKYWARN spotters have saved many lives.

The National Weather Service has a number of devices for detecting severe thunderstorms. Included in these are Doppler radar, satellite, and lightning detection networks. However, the most important tool for observing thunderstorms is the trained eye of the storm spotter.

By providing observations, SKYWARN spotters assist National Weather Service staff in their warning decisions and enable the National Weather Service to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property. Storm spotters are, and always will be, an indispensable part of the severe local storm warning program.

The basic training session provides a brief overview of the National Weather Service organization and its responsibilities, severe weather safety, and basic severe weather meteorology including how thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes form.

Anyone can become a severe weather spotter for the National Weather Service. SKYWARN training is free and open to the public.

For further information, you can call the National Weather Service at (716) 565-0204, ext. 223, or to register for the program, please call Genesee County Emergency Services at 344-0078.

More information about SKYWARN is available on the NWS Buffalo Web site at http://www.weather.gov/buf/spt.htm.