batavia

Mike Klotzbach and Mike Corona showed up at the Batavia Elks Lodge #950 today, they said, for a sense of closure.

Klotzbach had been involved with the lodge for more than a decade and Corona for nearly 15 years.

They had a lot of good times in the lodge building, they said, and they enjoyed serving the community through Elks.

In February, the Grand Lodge shut down Batavia's 105-year-old lodge for reasons that have never been fully explained.

Today, the Bontrager auction service took bids on many of the items left in the lodge building at the corner of East Main Street and Wiard. Both Klotezback and Corona said they wanted some memento of their dedication to the lodge. For Klotzbach, he walked out of the back door with an American flag. Corona successfully bid on a set of red velvet chairs.

"It's just  a keepsake," Klotzbach said, "just something to remember the club by, the time and effort."

Klotzbach said there were 200 members in the lodge, 35 or so who were active and essentially kept the lodge running, and among those, he said he would count himself as the top three most active. As a trustee and board member, he said, he was deeply involved in the issues surrounding the Grand Lodge's decision to pull the local charter.

He said it came as a total shock when it happened.

"I felt let down," he said.

As Corona loaded the last of his dozen or so chairs in the back of his black pickup truck, he said he would miss his time at the lodge. For him, it wasn't just a place to hang out, it was a place that enabled community involvement.

"I'll remember the time we gave to the community," he said.

The local Elks were involved in fund raising for local youths, including scholarships for deserving high school students.

Klotzbach added that everybody involved in the lodge misses the camaraderie.

"People just don’t know what to do now,"  Klotzbach. "Where do you go? It was more than just a neighborhood bar.

"With the closer of something you’re intimately involved with there is a hole," Klotzbach added. "The schedule of our lives revolved around this place. We’re doers. We’re leaders. We weren’t followers."

Both Klotzbach and Corona expressed concern about some items not being put up for auction (which resumes at 9 a.m., Wednesday) and those are the plaques upstairs that list the names of deceased members. They said auctioneer Todd Jantzi only told them the plaques weren't being put up for auction, but he doesn't know what will happen to them.

"The last thing I want to see," Corona said, "is for them to wind up in the basement of some other lodge."

The Batavian attempted to contact Kenneth Perry, one of the trustees appointed to the closure of the Batavia lodge by the Grand Lodge, but he was not available when we called.

"We knew a lot of the people on those plaques," Corona said.

An unshaven Scott F. Doll appeared in City Court this afternoon to deny a charge of promoting prison contraband.

Doll is accused of hiding on his body a green balloon containing a white powder when he was admitted to Genesee County Jail on May 21 following his conviction by a jury of murder, 2nd, for killing Joseph Benaquist.

Lab results on the white powder are not yet available.

After Doll's attorney, Daniel Killelea, entered Doll's not guilty plea, Judge Robert Balbick set an other hearing date for June 29, giving the county ample time to produce the lab results.

Even though Doll, who appeared in the jail's orange jumpsuit and shackles, is locked up without bail on the murder conviction, Killelea ask for a nominal bail in the case so that Doll might get credit for time served on the contraband charge.

Balbick declined to set bail since Doll showing up for future appearances in the case is not in doubt.

Lee Earl Galton, 31, of East Main Street, Angelica, is charged with criminal mischief and trespass. Galton is accused of allowing a vehicle to be driven onto a farmer's cornfield, then setting up camp on the field and burning a wood campfire while camping overnight on the recently planted field, all without permission of the landowner. The field is in the area of 9666 Route 77, Darien. Also arrested and charged in the alleged incident was Bethanne Marie Brown, 27, of Angelica.

Michael John Johnson, 19, of Sprucewood Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with assault, 3rd. Johnson is accused of using Super Glue on a person who was sleeping. He is accused of trying to glue one of the person's eyes and ears shut. Johnson was jailed on $500 bail.

Joseph M. Miano, 20, of Akron Road, Corfu; Joseph N. Striegel, 19, of Main Road, Pembroke, as well as a two 17-year-olds from Pratt Road, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21. At 2:49 a.m., Tuesday, Deputy Jason Saile was dispatched to the TA Travel Center where a group of people were reportedly causing a disturbance. Striegel was also charged with petit larceny for allegedly stealing a laser pointer.

Sandra Lynn Pearce, 51, of Genesee Street, Corfu, is charged with disorderly conduct. Pearce is accused of interfering with a police investigation of a reported disturbance at an address on Genesee Street.

Robert Gehron McCarthy, 52, of Belvadere Lane, Batavia, is charged with harassment.  McCarthy is accused of getting into a fight with another person while at the dog show in Alexander Fireman's Recreation Hall.

Johanna Marie McCarthy, 60, of Belvadere Lane, Batavia, is charged with harassment. McCarthy is accused of getting into a fight with another person while at the dog show in Alexander Fireman's Recreation Hall.

James Ross Sweet, 49, of Shady Lane, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Sweet was taken into custody at 2:59 a.m., Monday, after the Sheriff's Office was called to the Country Meadows Trailer Park on three separate occasions within an hour's span. Sweet was reportedly playing his music too loud, honking a car horn more than 10 times and using profane language. Sweet was jailed on $250 bail.

A 17-year-old from Depew is accused by Batavia City Police of providing a false identification to a police officer on May 19, even after being warned that it was a crime to provide a false identity. Her true identity was later learned by police and she was located on Monday and arrested. She was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Kevin J. O'Connell, 29, of 433 E. Main St., Apt. 8, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. O'Connell was charged following a domestic incident in which he allegedly hit another person and the child was knocked down.

Judson James Adamski, 42, of 142 Pamona Drive, Rochester, is charged with disorderly conduct. Adamski is accused of walking into a Subway restaurant in Pembroke at 9:02 p.m., Monday and yelling profanities.

Michael Cameron Humphrey, 19, of East Bethany Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child and criminal nuisance, 2nd. Humphrey is accused of hosting an underage drinking party. The alleged party was discovered while the Sheriff's Office investigated a 9-1-1 hang up call.

Cheryl A. Wittman, 40, of Bergen, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17. Wittman was arrested by State Police following an alleged incident reported at 3:16 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

Matthew L. Hume, 19, of Silver Creek, and Joshua Fisher, 24, of Warsaw, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Hume and Fisher were cited by State Police at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, on Route 19 in Le Roy.

Eric J. Chaffee, 28, of Akron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC. of .08 or greater with two priors and unsafe turn. Chaffee was stopped at 11:46 a.m., Wednesday, by State Police on Akron Road in Pembroke.

Accidents reported in the State Police blotter:

9 p.m., Friday, Gillate Road, Alexander, one vehicle; Driver 1: Gary R. Ewert, 58, of Corfu. No injuries reported.

10:18 a.m., Thursday, West Main Street Road, Batavia, two vehicles; Driver 1: Michelle L Konieczny, 41, of Batavia; Driver 1: left the scene. No injuries reported.

4:11 p.m., Thursday, Home Depot parking lot, Batavia, two vehicles; Driver 1: Walter C. Purtell, 73, of Retsof; Driver 1: Lawrence P. Steen, 83, of Le Roy. No injuries reported.

There was a nice turn out on a bright sunny day for Batavia's Memorial Day Parade.

More pictures after the jump:

 

 

 

A residential fire has been reported 5050 Batavia-Elba Townline Road, Batavia.

Batavia Fire and multiple other fire departments are being dispatched to the scene and for standby.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m.: Some fire units breaking down. The porta-pond is being broken down.

UPDATE 9:44 p.m.: Fire out. Town of Batavia Fire picking up.

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Keith J. Lyman, 37, of 47 Clark St., Brockport, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Lyman is accused of contacting a City Court employee by telephone and threatening that person. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Keith Joseph Lyman, 37, of 41 High St., Brockport, is charged with harassment, 2nd.  Lyman is accused of kicking a corrections officer while being booked on another charge.

Duffy Starks, 17, of 20 N. Spruce St., Batavia, was arrested for alleged failure to comply with the conditions of his release on a previous harassment and unlawful imprisonment charges. Starks was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Nicole M. Dellapenna, 23, of 6120 Byron-Elba Road, Byron, is charged with disorderly conduct. Dellapenna is accused of repeatedly yelling obscenities outside Billy Goat's bar on West Main Street. She was arrested at 12:48 a.m., Sunday.

LaToya D. Jackson, 24, of 4036 W. Main St., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Jackson is accused of yelling obscenities while on State Street. She was arrested at 9:50 p.m., Friday.

Kelly A. Sparks, 27, of 235 Orland Road, Rochester, is charged with DWI and refusal to take breath test. Sparks was stopped at 2:45 a.m., Monday, by Le Roy PD Officer Robert Tygart for alleged failure to give half of the roadway and alleged failure to stop for a stop sign.

Michael J. Tobias, 19, of 131 State St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Tobias is accused of shoplifting at Tops Market.

Markeda D. Starks, 19, of 5 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Starks is accused of approaching a person whom she was ordered to stay away from.

Jonathan Chad Sisk, 37, of Chili-Riga Center Road, Churchville, is accused of petit larceny. Sisk is accused of taking a BB gun from Walmart without paying for it.

A 16-year-old Batavia boy is charged with trespass. The youth is accused of entering a building on West Main Road, Town of Batavia, without permission of the owner.

Jose Juan Santiago Burgos, 21, of Telephone Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief. Santiago Burgos is accused of breaking the window of a tractor on Bethany Center Road.

Carly A. Herzog, 29, of 25 Morven Road, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and having a suspended registration. Herzog was stopped at 3:14 a.m., Saturday, on Church Street in Le Roy by Sgt. Michael J. Hare.

Over the last several months, I've been spending some of my free time exploring Batavia. Not just walking along the side of the road, but finding trails and paths that are relatively untraveled and unknown for the most part. As of late, my exploring and roots in technology have lead me to the OpenStreetMap (OSM) project.

My latest cellphone features a built-in GPS radio and a 5MP camera. Earlier today (yesterday), I went out and mapped part of an abandoned railroad track that was previously owned by Conrail for the OSM project. The tracks were removed long ago and if it weren't for still being listed as part of the Conrail railroad on several mapping services, there would be no way to know otherwise. Eventually, the trail intersects with the Conrail tracks that are still presently used (the tracks that go under part of Rt. 5, intersect with Seven Springs Road/Rt. 63, etc).

While I was out, I took (geotagged) pictures. I've chucked them all into a Picasa album ingeniously labeled "Batavia". Do keep in mind that this isn't the first time I've been out to this location. Most of the pictures in the album were taken in the same general area and the geotags will reflect this. When looking at an album/picture, Picasa shows a terrain view map in the bottom-right corner of the page with a mark point showing the GPS location(s) of the picture(s) being looked at. 

Some of the better pictures are shown after the jump.

Multiple grass fires were reported late this afternoon in the wooded area between the lake at Dewitt Park and Western New York Concrete, 638 E. Main St., Batavia.

The fires were spotted nearly simultaneously by a passerby and a State Trooper.

Town of Batavia Supervisor Greg Post was called to the scene by the passerby and Post said he counted at least 12 separate hot spots.

Officials suspect the fires were set intentionally. 

There was also a series of small fires near the railroad tracks in the area of Buell Street and Webster Avenue yesterday afternoon, which may also have been intentionally set.

The initial call for today's fire came in around 5:35 p.m. The largest of the first was contained some time after 6 p.m.

Three companies of city firefighters and Town of Batavia Fire were called to the scene.

(The Batavian's Initial Report)

More pictures after the jump:

A large grass fire has been reported behind Western New York Concrete at 638 E. Main St., Batavia.

A State Trooper on scene says there are several small grass fires. "It was definitely started by somebody," he said.

City fire is responding, as well as city police.

UPDATE: 5:45 p.m. (Billie): The Second Platoon is handling the fire now. The First and Third platoons are requested to stand in at the main fire hall. It is reported that fire has spread eastward, nearing the sand wash.

UPDATE 5:53 p.m. (Billie): Now declaring a general alarm fire. Requesting a Town of Batavia grass/brush fire truck to the scene.

UPDATE 6:03 p.m. (Howard): The fire is now along the back of DeWitt Park. Flames are up to five-feet high. It is reported that at least 12 different fires were most likely intentionally set.

UPDATE 6:06 p.m. (Billie): Fire crews from the Town of Batavia are asked to stand-by at the town's fire headquarters.

UPDATE 6:55 p.m. (Howard): Left the fire scene about 6:30. Fire crews were checking for hot spots. Pictures to come in a separate post shortly.

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For the past two days, young ball players from all over Western New York converged on the ball fields at MacArthur Park for the annual Michael Napoleone Memorial Baseball Tournament.

The tournament is named after a Batavia boy who succumbed to a form of leukemia and raises funds for a foundation in his name that assists families of children with cancer.

Ten teams in the 9-10 year old range and 10 teams in the 11-12 year old range competed. There was also a tournament for T-ball-age players.

More pictures after the jump:

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Overheard on the scanner:

"Clear CAD, no report, blotter item only. They were arguing over who gets to ride shotgun in the car."

Dispatch: "The important things in life."

Terry Ross affixes brand new flags to the Upton Monument in preparation for Memorial Day.

Scot Geoffrey Judd, 27, of Caroline Street, Albion, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Judd was stopped for an alleged traffic violation by Sgt. Brian Frieday on West Main Street Road in Batavia.

Lee J. Zawicki, 22, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Zawicki was cited by State Police at 1:05 a.m., Thursday, in Pembroke.

An apparent fight broke out in UMMC's emergency room Thursday evening, and two men were jailed as a result on $7,500 bail each.

The incident started around 7:35 p.m. while a Batavia Police officer and a State Police officer where at the ER on unrelated and separate investigations. The officers observed a commotion in the waiting room and moved to intervene and separate the parties.

One of the men in the waiting room struggled with officers and a woman who was in the ER for treatment of an earlier head injury jumped on the back of the Trooper.

She was Tasered by police.

Another man apparently involved in the altercation is accused of threatening to kill hospital staff.

Backup was called in from Batavia Police and State Police to help get the situation under control.

Charged with disorderly conduct and menacing, 3rd, was Ryan M. Norton, 35, of 45 Summit St., Le Roy. Norton is accused of threatening hospital staff.

Kyle W. Nash, 22, of 38 Church St., Le Roy, is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Alexandria M. Zarty, 18, of 38 Church St., Le Roy, is charged with obstructing governmental administration.

Norton and Nash were jailed. Zarty was released on her own recognizance so she could receive treatment in ER for her earlier head injury.

No he's not high on drugs, he is high in the air! Richard Ohlson, Founder  and the kids from the Ride to Recovery  were invited to the neighborhood cookout held at St. Paul Lutheran Church Wednesday evening. Ride to Recovery is a non  profit mountain biking  organization. Their mission is to share the love of Jesus Christ, promote physical activity, and help keep todays youth on the right track and off of drugs.

They take the kids out and show them that they can have fun without the use of drugs and alcohol. They do weekly rides, go on trips and even have an annual camp held in Varysburg. Extreme Faith Fridays is held the third Friday of the month at the Assembly of God church from 7PM until 9 PM where they do devotions, games eat pizza and fellowship. If you know of a youth that would like to get involved, give Rich a call at 585-993-2180

Just so you know, girls can do it too!

 

Opthamalic surgeon Alan Siegel made a difference in the lives of countless patients over the course of his career and when he stopped performing surgery, it was because he had their best interests at heart.

After being diagnosed a year and a half ago of pancreatic cancer, he worked as long as he could using 100 percent of his skills. But when he grew weaker, he decided the delicate microsurgery he performed was no longer something he ought to do -- the last thing he wanted was to harm a patient.

"He loved his job, he really did," said Rosemary Siegel this afternoon, his wife of 28 years. "He had a wonderful practice with very fair and supportive people."

Dr. Siegel was with University Eye Specialists, on Summit Street in Batavia, for 15 years. He was known to be honest, intelligent and caring -- the rare kind of doctor who typically called patients after surgery to ask how they were doing.

Born in Brooklyn, raised in New Jersey, his first practice after medical school was on Long Island. Before that, he had been a physician's assistant, which is what he was when he met a certain registered nurse named Rosemary at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx.

They fell in love, got married and he went to medical school.

"He went into opthamology because he liked microsurgery, he enjoyed that," Rosemary said. "And he had big hands, too, it's amazing."

The couple have two children, 26-year-old Jacqueline, and 22-year-old William. Both are residents of Millport, NY, and have taken leaves of absence to stay with their mother awhile. For nearly seven years, Rosemary has contended with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's disease."

"Everyday when he'd come home from work, he'd pick me up off the couch and put me in my wheelchair. He took care of me. He never, ever once complained. That's the kind of man he was."

She said at times she felt like she was a burden, and told him so.

"He said 'I never want to hear you say that again. Ro, this is what we've been dealt in life and we just have to deal with it.'"

Like every couple, they occasionally had their differences but they never had a fight. At some point it dawned on William as a boy that his parents didn't fight like a lot of other parents.

"Mom, you and Daddy never fight. Why?" he asked.

I don't know, she told him, "maybe because we're best friends."

You've got to love a guy whose wife is so proud of the way he always loved and cared for his own mother, who lives in Florida. And who never missed his children's school plays or dance recitals or hockey games.

"Al loved hockey and he would scream so at the high school hockey games that he'd come home hoarse."

When the local team went to the state competition, the distinguished surgeon went wearing war paint on his face, toting a specially designed hockey stick.

"Oh God, they were a riot."

At the pro level, he was a die-hard fan of the Buffalo Sabres and in baseball, the Yankees.

His daughter has an extra-special memory of the time she spent with her dad on The Great White Way.

"My dad took me all over for auditions when I was applying for undergraduate (studies)," Jacqueline said. "We had to fly all around to private schools. One time we got off the plane, got on the subway, got a hotel and then went to see a couple of shows -- "The Producers" and "Chicago."

"My audition was the next day. I didn't get in, but we didn't care because we had a great vacation together, just the two of us."

Another great vacation took place three years ago at Christmas, when the whole extended family went on a cruise to the Mexican resort of Cozumel and Belize, in Central America.

The last vacation they would take as a family was last summer, after Alan had already been diagnosed with cancer. They rented a house in Hilton Head, S.C., were William was working as a lifeguard. They stayed a week, went parasailing, had a ball.

Great times were also had when Dr. Siegel and his friends jumped in their cars and went on a "road rally," a sort of mystery game.

"They'd get a clue, and blast off to the next clue," Rosemary said. "It took weeks to figure out the clues. People got lost, went to the wrong place. When they got all the clues, then they'd go back over the route.

"One year Al and Dr. (Gary) May put on masks and wigs on the road rally. They went into an old church. Then Dr. May didn't see or hear Al. Al had dropped through the floor. The next day he couldn't move his arm and Dr. (Matthew) Landfried had to give him a shot."

Whether it was electronics or snow skiing or any of the above, Dr. Siegel was a "take charge kinda guy" who enjoyed the camaraderie of friends. He didn't talk about doing things, he did them.

But this take-charge man also made a mean meatloaf, a tradition which began when Rosemary used to work nights on Mondays back in Long Island. Monday was meatloaf night.

Anytime was cookie time, however.

"He was a Cookie Monster," Rosemary said. "I made the chocolate chip cookies and he ate them."

This activity, more often than not, may have occurred while Dr. Siegel was in the company of his three-pound "terror." A rescued chihuahua named "Oji," who was his best pal and fiercely guarded him in his final days.

"When my husband was dying, 'Oji' never got off the bed," Rosemary said. "And if anybody tried to touch him, he went crazy. He protected him so much."

It's safe to say "Oji" is grieving for his master. Dr. Alan Siegel was only 57. He will be missed by many.

Dr. Siegel's obituary is available here.

Late this afternoon, Chris Hamel and his friend James Bonning were on the Tonawanda at the falls fishing.