batavia

John Corey Wolcott, 27, of Day Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08, refusal to take pre-screen breath test, failure to change address on license. Wolcott was stopped at 8:14 a.m., Tuesday, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Shaina Denise Heeks, 22, Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Heeks is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.

Victoria Ann Sumlin, 26, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Sumlin is accused of shoplifting at Walmart. Sumlin was also arrested on a warrant out of City Court related to an unreasonable noise charge.

Brandon L. Doward, 28, of 12 Gray Birch Court, East Amherst, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Doward was arrested on a warrant out of City Court.

Michael F. Geer, 22, of 11 Willow St., Batavia, was arrested on a warrant out of Drug Court and jailed on $100,000 bail.

Robert D. Griffin Sr., 35, of 319 E. Main St., lower, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI and failure to take breath test. Griffin was arrested following a motor vehicle accident at 5:37 p.m., Wednesday, in the area of 38 Vine St., Batavia.

Press release:

The City of Batavia hosted its first-ever Real Estate Developers' Forum on Tuesday Oct. 1, showcasing redevelopment opportunities in the Batavia’s Opportunity Area (BOA). The Forum was well attended, with more than 60 guests from across Western New York interested in learning more about the City of Batavia and surrounding areas. Potential investors and developers were invited to look at infill and redevelopment sites that have proven to be lucrative development projects statewide.

“The response we received from this Forum has been very encouraging” said Jason Molino, city manager. “Not only was there excitement and interest from what the City has been working on in recent years, but there was an overwhelming reception to the positive activity within Genesee County overall. Investors throughout Western New York are realizing Batavia has a vibrant future ahead.”

Included in the Forum were stats and figures related to the continued growth projected for the area along with presentations demonstrating successful redevelopment projects in Batavia, Genesee County and Buffalo suburbs. The speakers highlighted numerous incentive programs and creative financing measures to demonstrate how underutilized properties can be transformed or restored into high-value real estate for the community. The half-day Forum concluded with a bus tour of the City of Batavia’s Downtown, BOA priority redevelopment sites and the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

“This event was intended to put Batavia on the radar for investment, we believe it worked,” said Julie Pacatte, Batavia Development Corporation. “Everyone left knowing we are getting ready for growth in the next 10 years.”

Pacatte made reference to Moody’s analytics economy.com projections that Genesee County will outpace the employment growth projected for the Finger Lakes Region in the next 10 years. Using Moody’s growth rates by industry and New York State’s 2012 employment by industry data, this translates into approximately 2,600 new jobs by 2022.

“We need to be sure the City is ready to capitalize on this anticipated growth,” she emphasized.

"The Developers' Forum related to inner-connectivity about redevelopment, re-utilization and infill projects in the City of Batavia. It was another example of the collaboration between the City, Genesee County, various economic development entities and the private sector needed to grow our economy," said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

We are excited to see the continuation of adaptive reuse and redevelopment projects in the City and we are confident that this will compel developers to explore additional opportunities for investment now and in the future."

Vincent Esposito, Empire State Development, regional director for the Finger Lakes Region and presenter at the program commented, “Today’s Developer Forum was a terrific chance to learn about the Batavia Opportunity Area. The strategic and coordinated efforts of the BOA will greatly enhance the continued redevelopment prospects of Batavia’s historical and economic assets.”

About the Batavia Opportunity Area (BOA) Program: In 2011, the City of Batavia was awarded $266,508 from the NYS Department of State to determine the best opportunities for redevelopment within a 350-acre area downtown. The objectives of the program include redevelopment of underutilized, vacant and Brownfield properties, clean-up of select contaminated sites, continue revitalization of downtown and advance neighborhood stabilization.

Over the past 12 months the steering committee has developed priority reinvestment opportunities with conceptual renderings, preliminary engineering, solid market data and outlined incentive packages for motivating owners and developers to begin new projects within the City. This information was shared with the public at a July 29th meeting.

The Developers' Forum was intended to connect with developers interested in future investment within the City. For more information see HYPERLINK "http://www.bataviaopportunity.com" www.bataviaopportunity.com.

Law enforcement is looking for an alleged Walmart shoplifter, who is believed to live in the State Street area. He is described as white, possibly with a ponytail, wearing jeans and a yellow and blue Sabres cap and toting a camouflage camel backback. He was last seen riding a pink bike near the Hess Mart headed eastbound.

He allegedly stole jeans, some bike parts and a Sabres hat.

Worked crews were out on Route 5 earlier today restriping Route 5 on the east side of Batavia to create center turn lanes and left-hand turn lanes. This is an NYS DOT project aimed at creating safer traffic patterns near the entrance of the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

East Pembroke's volunteer firefighters arrived at the fire hall last night expecting just another Monday night of training and extrication practice.

Typically, a car would be parked behind the fire hall and firefighters would rip it apart as it sat, flat on flat ground.

Last night, Chief Don Newton thought he would throw them a curve. Just as they had unloaded the department's extrication equipment from the heavy rescue, East Pembroke's tones went off.

The report: A rollover accident on Stegmen Road.

It was a drill, but Newton figured the expected change of plans would get his firefighters in a different frame of mind.

"When we set something up as a drill, they're in response mode, they're in call mode, they're in extrication mode, they're looking for something better to do while on scene," Newton said.

Rather than dealing with a car on all four tires on flat ground, the firefighters are practicing in something like a real-world scenario: A car on its roof on a creek bank.

It makes for better training, Newton said.

To find out more about becoming a volunteer firefighter, visit ReadyGenesee.com.

We are told that Rotary Annie is typically delivered to the unsuspecting victim in stealth, but Ray Shirtz and Ed Leising were caught in the act -- dropping off the sacred cow at Seymour Place/GO ART! early this evening.

Our highly confidential source informs us that since GO ART! is host to Rotary meetings, it's unlikely anybody in the building is facing a fine for having the cow on display.

Typically, the fine for a Rotary member who gets the cow is $60, though it's possible to purchase insurance for $30.

There should probably be some fine for getting your picture on The Batavian moving the cow.

Press release:

Batavia Downs announced today that the gaming floor portion of its highly anticipated expansion project will open on Friday, Oct. 4.

"We are very excited to open this first phase of our expansion,” said Michael D. Kane, president and CEO of Batavia Downs. “As a public benefit corporation, the expansion of the gaming floor and the addition of three new restaurants will allow us to generate more revenue for local municipalities.”

As a public benefit corporation, all profits from Western OTB and Batavia Downs Gaming net expenses are contributed back to the 15 counties and two cities of Western New York.

Pictures and videos from the expansion as well as updates can be found on Batavia Downs’ Web site (www.bataviadownsgaming.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/bataviadowns) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/bataviadowns). A grand opening celebration with a ribbon cutting and other events will occur in a few weeks.

Press release:

GO ART! presents its 13th annual Genesee-Orleans Community Arts Awards Gala Dinner & Auction at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility, 5122 Clinton Street Road (Route 33), Batavia. Each year, GO ART! recognizes the extraordinary contributions in art and culture made by individuals and organizations in the Genesee-Orleans region at this unique event. This year’s honorees are:

Community Arts Awards:

• Business -- Laura Gardner, “a lily & a sparrow” in Medina
• Business -- Howard Owens, The Batavian
• Cultural Organization -- Barb Toal & Friends of Batavia Peace Garden
• Artist -- “The Humans” – John Dumrese, Richard Doolan, Gar Trusselle, William Kuhns, Martin Busch and the late Danny Long
• Artist -- Carol “Kay” McMahon, musician from Genesee County

GO ART! Board of Directors Special Recognition: Mary Pat Hancock, chair of the Genesee County Legislature

Linda L. Blanchet Award: To be announced

Tickets are $27/non-members, $25/members, and advance reservations are required. Enjoy a delectable dinner and desserts while local band “The Old Hippies” featuring Bill McDonald provides musical entertainment. Dress is business casual.

A silent auction featuring quality work by local artists, artisans and cultural organizations will be held throughout the evening, and the annual Gala Raffle will be held as well. The Grand Prize this year is 14K white gold pendant necklace with black and white diamonds .50ptw, compliments of Valle Jewelers; Value $1,250.

The Raffle tickets have a requested donation of $5 each or five for $20, and are available at GO ART! and at the event. Winners will be selected in a random drawing at the GO ART! Gala on Oct. 26; you do not need to be present to win.

For more information, call 585.343.9313, e-mail info@GOart.org, or visit www.GOart.org.

Thomas Richard Ellis, 46, of Kings Lane, Rochester, is charged with DWI, failure to keep right, speed not reasonable and prudent, unapproved/no face shield on motorcycle and driving without corrective lenses. Ellis was charged following a motorcycle accident at 8:06 p.m., Friday, in the area of 4491 Old Ford Road, Elba. (initial report)

Ronald Jason Scroger, 33, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts petit larceny and criminal mischief, 4th. On Friday, Scroger allegedly went to Walmart and removed merchandise from its packaging, damaging the item's package. He then allegedly left the store with $170.82 in stolen merchandise. He then allegedly returned with a stolen item and exchanged it for a gift card with a value of $34.97.

Kelly James Rhim, 35, of Eller Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and DWI. Rhim was stopped at 2:15 a.m., Saturday, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Jeffrey Scott Vandusen, 24, of Chapel Avenue, Cheektowaga, is charged with resisting arrest. Vandusen is accused of fleeing from law enforcement during an attempted traffic stop at 8:05 p.m., Sept. 18, on Phelps Road, Pembroke, for alleged traffic violations.

Kory James Towne, 23, of Phelps Road, Corfu, is charged with resisting arrest, speeding and failure to yield. Towne is accused of fleeing from law enforcement during an attempted traffic stop at 8:05 p.m., Sept. 18, on Phelps Road, Pembroke, for alleged traffic violations.

Samuel J. Singletary, 50, of Alphonse Street, Rochester, was arrested on warrants for alleged aggravated unlicensed operation and speeding. Singletary was arrested upon his arrest from the Monroe County Jail on unrelated matters and arraigned in Town of Elba Court. Bail was set at $500.

Kevin Albert Roberts, 22, of Perry Road, North Java, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy, 6th. Roberts is accused of conspiring with another person to shoplift at Walmart.

Mathew Lee Klein, 19, of Dodgeson Road, Alexander, is charged with trespass. Klein was allegedly seen atop the roof of the bus garage at Alexander Central School at 1:48 a.m., Sept. 21.

Jerell J.T. Jones, 25, and Nathaniel R. Davis, 18, both of 20 N. Spruce St., Batavia, are each charged with two counts of petit larceny. Jones and Davis are accused of shoplifting from YNGodess on two separate occasions. Jones and Davis were jailed on $1,000 bail each.

The following individuals were cited for alleged possession/consumption of alcohol under age 21 following a Batavia PD investigation into a complaint of a loud party at 25 Trumbull Parkway at 12:23 a.m., Friday: Eric J. Soto, 19, Ian J. Legares, 18, Emmanuel Garcia, 20, Jessie C. D'Paula, 20, Stephanie E. Griffin, 20, Carlton RV Lampe, 18, Michael A. Archer, 19, Leofal Soto, 19, Jared R. Wansart, 19, Troy R. Pakusch, 19, Jah-Neel A. Warner, 17, Adam T. Pratt, 19, Lasania S. Hyatt, 19, Jared J. Midwick, 18, Carrie M. Curry, 19, Randy O. Mutt, 19, Andrea F. Parravano, 19, Shanique Y. Headley, 18, Ashley R. Makowski, 18.

Dennis A. Edson, 49, of 17 Porter Ave., Batavia, is charged with trespass. Edson is accused of entering a neighbor's property without permission.

Dajuandrick C. Gardner, 36, of 22 East Ave., Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Gardner was allegedly found in possession of a crack pipe.

Andrew DeMara Hewitt, 29, of North Street, Churchville, was arrested on a warrant related to a petit larceny charge. Hewitt allegedly did not appear on a petit larceny charged in Town of Byron Court. He was jailed on $150 bail.

Jeremy L. Jones, 20, of Hammonsport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Jones was arrested by State Police in the Town of Pavilion. No further details released.

About 30 people are, or were, reportedly fighting on State Street in the vicinity of Lewis Place. Police are on scene.

The Rotary Club of Batavia hosted its annual brewfest again this year, but with Batavia Downs being remodeled, the club set up tents along Alva Place instead and served brews to hundreds of attendees.

The first of four planned "Coffee Talk" events sponsored by Vibrant Batavia was held this morning at City Hall. The events are designed to collect feedback on what residents think needs to be done to improve life in Batavia and identify potential neighborhood leaders. Today's event was focused on residents from the Northside.

Above, Vibrant Batavia Director Leanna Di Risio.

William Gregory, of State Street, pictured below, said he came out to the event this morning because he's concerned about his commmunity.

"I think it would be nice to know more of my neighbors and hopefully we can solve some of the issues we have," Gregory said.

The next Coffee Talk is from 10 a.m. to noon, Oct. 5, at Williams Park.

For more on the event and the schedule, click here.

The Child Advocacy Center sponsored a 5K run/walk in Downtown Batavia this morning. The event was held in conjunction with a dozen other 5Ks sponsored by CACs in cities around the state.

We've not received race results yet, but we do know that Todd Masters won and all of the top four finishers are all members of the Kiwanis Club's 5K team.

Todd Masters

Batavia PD is investigating reports of shots fired on State Street last night, Chief Shawn Heubush confirmed today.

The reports came in some time after 11 p.m. and officers searched the area, according to radio traffic, for a couple of different vehicles in order to question subjects.

Heubusch did not confirm whether any interviews took place.

There is no report of any injuries at this time nor confirmation that a gun or guns were fired.

Head Coach Jeremy Mettler of Batavia’s varsity volleyball team knew last night’s match-up would be a tough game going in. 

Batavia jumped ahead of Gates Chili in the first two sets 25-17 and 25-19. Senior Ashlee Yasses led the night for the Blue Devils with seven aces, 14 assists and seven digs. Seniors Haley Case had eight kills and Maggie Saquella five kills. Sophmore Tessa Engel added eight kills to the squad.  

Batavia was down by eight in the third set and was not serving well. Coach Mettler said, "We dug ourselves in a hole and battled back to finish close but lost 22-25."

Gates Chili had some new life and took one set at a time. Gates Chili Head Coach Cindy Hay said, "it has happened to us a couple times this season and the girls never give up. We wanted to win that third set and come back like we have before in games and prove it can be done."

5”2’ Freshman Jess Giannoccaro tallied eight kills, six aces,12 digs and one block while Lizzy Thrasher recorded nine kills and six blocks to help them turn the game around in the fourth set. Batavia lost that momentum and the set 15-25, which tied the night 2-2 for a fifth and deciding set.

Batavia came ahead early 5-1 and played aggressively serving like they did in the first two sets. Gates Chili came back to tie then went ahead 13-11 when both teams switched sides. Batavia got close to being down by four, but ended 17-25 in the last set. Gates Chili moved ahead to 7-2 on the year and Batavia’s record is 7-5.

Senior Night will finish Batavia’s next and last home regular season game on Oct. 17 vs. Brighton.

Great location for this 3 bedroom 3 bath ranch located across the street from Centennial Park. This home includes 3 large bedrooms, two with attached baths. Beautiful living room with wood burning fireplace and formal dining room. Convenient first floor laundry and attached garage are among the great features of this home. Large deck overlooking Centennial Park which you can enjoy all year long without the hassle of upkeeping.

List Price: $104,900
Address: 14 Park Ave., Batavia, NY 14020

For more information about this listing, please contact Mike Sisson, Sales Agent, Mancuso Real Estate at 585-409-4172 or email mike@mancusoproperties.com. Visit us online to view all of our current listings: www.mancusoRE.com

Present Tense books and gifts, on the corner of Washington and State, Batavia, will be closed as of Nov. 1, owner Erica Caldwell announced today in an e-mail to customers.

The store will start selling items at marked down prices on Oct. 8. Store fixtures will also be fore sale.

Here's a portion of the e-mail:

Present Tense could not have flourished for eight years without the help and support of many people:

• YOU, our customers. It has been a privilege to provide books for you for these past eight years. We have enjoyed reading, talking, and sharing with you and treasure the many friendships we have made.
• TERRI MARCHESE and MARCY RUBIN, my dependable, enthusiastic, book-loving sidekicks. Also, thank you to CHASITY MOORE, KELLY DUDLEY, and MARCIA GANN, who were willing to help out when needed.
• MY FAMILY, especially my parents and sister, who spent quite a lot of time arranging, rearranging, hanging, shelving, fixing, proofreading, baking, and generally improvising to help me create the space and materials I envisioned for Present Tense. Thanks to my father-in-law for his willingness to put on a red suit and white beard every year for our Holiday Open House.
• DARRICK COLEMAN, my husband, who was not only willing to let me try running an independent bookstore but has also been the one I call for all the worst jobs, like fixing the printers, hanging Christmas lights in high places in the freezing cold, correcting my endless bookkeeping errors, and once even donning the black robe and wig of Severus Snape. Malcolm Gladwell says that creative success is often highly contingent on the efforts of others, and that creative individuals’ stories are invariably love stories. That has certainly been the story of Present Tense.

A lot's changed since Gary Diegelman became an emergency dispatcher 33 years ago.

When Diegelman started there was one computer in the dispatch center. There was a manual typewriter for incident reports and a handwritten blotter book.

Today, a dispatcher sits in front a multi-line phone with six computer screens to track calls, incidents and the location and availability of first responders.

On his first day on the job, Diegelman was told, "here's a chair. Here's your training manuals. Sit down and shut up."

On his second day on the job, there was only one other dispatcher scheduled to work, Tom Graham (now town justice in Oakfield). Graham turned to Diegelman and said, "I hope you know what you're doing because you've got fire dispatch."

Today, a dispatcher is put through a minimum of four months of training before they're allowed to take calls and make dispatches on their own.

All of the changes that have taken place to make the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center what it is today is enough change for Diegelman, he said.

"Everybody says you know when it's time, and it's time," Diegelman said during his retirement party at the Sheriff's Office on Park Road. "I've been through so many changes I don't want to go through any more changes. With this new radio system coming and everything else, it's time."

Sheriff Gary Maha praised not only Diegelman's persistence in a very stressful job but the experience and dedication he brought to the department.

"I think he enjoyed the job," Maha said. "He learned a lot and we will miss his experience and his expertise. Like any job, you've got to be able to enjoy the job to be able to stick with it as long as he did."

During his 33 year career, Diegelman received four commendation awards, a certificate of appreciation, a meritorious award for continuous excellence, and a distinguished service award.

The job of a dispatcher alternates between times quiet and calm and then moments if not hours of overwhelming call volume.

Computers, Maha said, haven't necessarily made the job easier. There's more information to track.

It takes a person uniquely suited to the job to make it as a dispatcher, Diegelman said. You've got to be able to handle the lulls as well as the times of frantic work. You've also got to be able to deal with a public that can sometimes be surly and uncooperative.

"You need to be able to hear the public, what they want and be able to help them," Diegelman said. "You get people won don't really know what they want and you need to stir them and help them get to the right spot and then you get people who are belligerent and don't treat you well on the phone and you've got to control your emotions."

And then, he said, "there are a number of people who don't often call an emergency dispatcher and when they do, they want something and they need something and you're the first one they talk to."

The job is all about serving the public, Diegelman said.

One call Diegelman remembers the most is the night a woman called and thought there was an intruder breaking into her house. It's not an unusual kind of call and often such calls prove to be unfounded, but this time, somebody had broken into this woman's house and while Diegelman was still on the phone with her. Somehow during the attack, the intruder realized the woman was on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator and fled.

The intruder was never caught, but the woman suffered no serious injuries and thanked Diegelman later for being there for her.

"You've got to be that person who can take the call and not let it get to you because the next day you've got to go on," Diegelman said.

After 33 years of service, Gary Diegelman will no longer be taking those calls.

LISTEN: Gary DIegelman's final transmission as a dispatcher.

A car carrier semi-truck is disabled and blocking traffic at Oak and Richmond.

Batavia PD responding.

The Yngodess Shop shows off the building facelift and new sign!  We're gearing up for the Wine Walk next weekend. Stop in a see us! Stay update on what's happening at The Yngodess, located at 73 Main St., in the City of Batavia. Visit us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TheYngodessShop