Alyssa Wolford, of Colonial Boulevard in Batavia, submitted this photo of the perfect sheet of ice molded by her mailbox cover.
A news photo by Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, has been selected by the National Press Photographers Association as the best spot-news photo in the nation for the month of January.
The photo, of Eddie Miles in handcuffs being taken from the scene of an apartment fire on Washington Avenue he is accused of starting, was previously selected as the NPPA's best spot-news photo in the New York/International Region.
The NPPA divides its membership among several regions and photographers are invited to submit photos in regional monthly contests for spot news, general news, sports, features, and other categories. The regional winners are eventually judged in a national contest.
Over the past five years, Owens has had several pictures selected for first, second, or third place in spot news and general news.
He isn't the only Batavia-based news photographer who competes in the contest. Mark Gutman of the Batavia Daily News, is also a frequent entrant. He's won several awards from NPPA and in January captured three third-place awards in sports feature, sports action, and general news. Many of Gutman's awarding-winning shots, which includes prizes from the Associated Press, can be seen on his website.
In an era of fewer local news outlets and smaller photography staffs at newspapers around the country, Genesee County is one of the few news markets in the nation with still-news photojournalists working at competing news organizations.
The photojournalism of Owens is also featured in the current edition of News Photographer Magazine, a publication of the NPPA. A photo he took in October of the Wilson High School Football Team pushing against a school bus that had become stuck on a sidewalk was printed across two pages in a section at the front of the magazine called "Opening Shots." The picture was the region's winner in October for spot news. It took second place nationally that month.
UPDATE: I completely missed this at the times the awards were announced -- the two shots Mark Gutman had for sports feature and sports action that took third place in the regional competition actually moved up to second place in the national competition -- so for January, he had two-second place shots nationally.
Next Saturday, April 21, the Oakfield Historical Society will host its Grand Opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the 2018 season, which also marks its 20-year anniversary.
"Oakfield-Alabama Schools Through the Years" is the year's theme and the corresponding exhibit will debut, plus there will be other new exhibits and updated favorites.
Reenactors representing the late 18th and early 19 centuries will be there, too. There will be several knapping demonstrations where OHS Member Bill Chase will work a piece of raw flint, with the goal of creating an arrowhead.
The museum is located at 7 Maple Ave. in Oakfield.
GSO Conductor S. Shade Zajac led a group of young musicians today in a string workshop at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia.
The students will perform May 6 with the Genesee Symphony Orchestra at Elba Central School on Sibelus, "Andante Festivo."
The program that day includes featured soloist Mimi Hwang on cello joining the orchestra for Elgar's "Concerto for Cello & Orchestra in E-minor."
The orchestra will also perform Wagner's "Siegfried's Death & Funeral March," Howard Hanson's "Symphony No. 2 'Romantic," and Holst's "St. Paul's Suite for String Orchestra."
The concert, "Romantic Masterpieces," begins at 4 p.m.
Tickets are available through geneseesymphony.com or GO Art!, Roxy's Music Store, YNGodess, and Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew in Le Roy.
Students from more than a dozen high schools in the NY-27 Congressional District entered the annual Congressional Art Show and when the top four winners were announced at GCC this morning, all four students came from Batavia High School.
Kiara Cherry won top honors and her work, "Out from Underneath," will be displayed in the Capitol Building for 12 months and she will travel to Washington, D.C., for the show's opening.
Rep. Chris Collins was on hand for the awards presentations after visiting with the students in the Roz Steiner Gallery and viewing their work.
Runner-up was Tara Clattenburg and honorable mentions went to Stephanie Hoy and Sophia Dinehart.
The art show judges see only the pictures. They don't know the artists' names or what schools they go to.
Kiara said her work is meant to reveal how people are different and everyone has a story.
The work didn't come together easily. First, she spent nearly three months working on it and as she neared completion she spilled "a ton" of India ink on it. Rather than give up on the project, she reimagined it, using pages from an old dictionary to help frame the painting of the two girls in the picture.
"I had completely different plans," Kiara said. "It was just unbelievable how everything changed, and so quickly, but it actually ended up better than my original conception."
Ask what lesson she learned from that process, she said, "Not to be cheesy or anything, but it’s like the Bob Ross quote, 'we don’t make mistakes, just happy accidents.' That was a happy accident because it paid off in the end."
Kiara wasn't surprised BHS swept the awards.
"At Batavia, everyone there is so amazing and they work so hard for what they do," she said. "We all encourage each other and Mrs. A (Mandi Antonucci) is an amazing art teacher."
Sophia Dinehart tells Collins about her painting, which is a portrait with bees and a honeycomb. She is showing, she said, how we all have ideas and thoughts always buzzing around in our heads.
Stephanie Hoy
Eva Jensen, Perry High School, with a painting of a national park in Utah, where she once lived.
Tara Clattenburg
Press release:
Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today signed a letter that will be sent next week to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer urging him to put an end to Canada’s Class 7 pricing program and dairy tariff walls during ongoing NAFTA negotiations. Canada’s pricing program has created an unfair playing field and has essentially eliminated U.S. exports of certain dairy products.
Collins also voiced support for provisions in the draft of the 2018 Farm Bill released on Thursday, which makes the voluntarily Margin Protection Program (MPP) more effective and more affordable. This program was passed into law in the 2014 Farm Bill and has provided milk producers and processors with critical protections as milk and feed prices fluctuate.
“It is an unfortunate reality that our dairy industry has taken a hard hit in recent years due to unfair trade practices with Canada,” Collins said. “Dairy has always been a vital industry in Western New York and I’ve been a staunch supporter of programs that will help our nation’s farmers get by during tough times. We must continue to make reforms that benefit the agriculture industry, in turn, strengthening and growing our nation’s economy.”
In the letter to Lighthizer, Collins stresses the urgency of tackling issues with Canada’s unfair trade practices. While the Trump Administration has condemned Canada’s actions on dairy trade over the past year, Collins emphasized the millions of workers with jobs tied to agriculture and the importance of the dairy industry in Western New York.
The proposed changes to the MPP include higher coverage levels, lower premiums, and providing more flexibility to farmers when it comes to the length of their coverage. Additionally, the draft proposes changing the name of the program to Dairy Risk Management Program (DRMP) for Dairy Producers and authorizes it through 2023.
Collins added: “Holding Canada accountable and demanding fair treatment needs to be top of mind as NAFTA negotiations continue. And as we work in Congress to pass a Farm Bill, we will make sure dairy farmers have the protections they need as we continue to survive in this unfair market.”
Sheriff William Sheron has issued a travel advisory for all of Genesee County because of current and forecasted weather conditions consisting of high winds and icy roads with possibly downed power lines and trees over the next 24 hours.
A person driving a black pickup truck apparently tried to steal a trailer from a residence in Alabama.
The son of the owner followed the truck and managed to get him stopped at Lewiston and Meadville roads. The pickup driver unhooked the trailer and took off.
The plate of the truck comes back to a residence in Niagara County. The Niagara County Sheriff's Office has been notified. Deputies there are familiar with the subject.
With as much as half an inch of ice accumulation in the storm the National Weather Service says is heading our way, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens is recommending local residents treat this as a significant weather event and "stay put" for the night.
"Most of the area will be getting about half an inch of ice, which will be heavy enough to bring down trees and power lines," Hens said. "Combined with a strong northeast wind, which is opposite of our normal prevailing wind, there is likely to be major tree damage and sustained power outages.
"There is likely only a few hours left to gather last-minute supplies," he added. "After that, I would recommend staying put."
Unnecessary travel, he said, will only make matters worse for highway departments, emergency vehicles an utility crews.
He advises that those running generators use safe fueling and operating methods.
"Do not run a generator indoors under any circumstances," he said.
National Grid also sent out this advisory:
In preparation for strong winds, freezing rain and ice accumulation across much of Upstate New York over the next 24 hours, National Grid has more than 2,000 line, service and tree workers on alert, including additional support from the company’s New England workforce and from neighboring New York utilities.
Crews are being deployed across upstate as needed, particularly in areas where the weather is expected to be the most severe. We urge customers to be prepared and remain safe.
Safety Tips:
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An ice storm is forecast for today starting at 2 p.m. with significant icing and gusty winds expected.
The ice storm warning is in effect until 2 p.m., Sunday.
Power outages and tree damage are likely, according to the National Weather Service, due to the wind and ice.
Travel will be difficult at times. Drivers should expect ice-covered surfaces and be on the lookout for downed tree limbs and power lines.
More than seven years ago, Michael J. Piasta stood before Judge Robert C. Noonan and said he thought he could turn his life around.
"At this point, I just want to say I don’t feel that I’m hopeless," Piasta told Noonan before receiving a maximum state prison term of seven years for burglary. "Regardless of what happens today, I think I can make things better."
Piasta served the maximum term. He was released Oct. 24.
In March, he allegedly robbed the Arby's Resturant in Batavia. Today, he was arrested by Batavia PD with assistance from members of the Local Drug Task Force.
He is charged with robbery in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and grand larceny in the third degree.
He allegedly got away from the Arby's robbery March 23 with more than $6,000 in cash.
When he was arrested on West Main Street, three other individuals were in the truck with him. Batavia PD did not release any information on those individuals or whether they were charged with any crimes.
Piasta was jailed without bail following arraignment in City Court.
When he appeared before Noonan in 2010, Piasta already had a lengthy criminal record.
On Nov. 5, 2010, Piasta entered a guilty plea to burglary, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument. Piasta also admitted that he broke into a business at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia, and stole a credit card -- running up more than $500 in charges -- and checks. He attempted to forge the checks at two local banks.
That summer, Piasta was also accused of stealing DVDs from Pandora's Boxx and shoplifting from Wilson Farms.
The snowfall was pretty heavy just before midnight, Saturday, Dec. 10, 1977. That hour was shift change for Batavia PD then and Officer Douglas D. Squires manned the only patrol car on the road in the city. He was parked at Main and Oak watching the green, yellow, and red lights change, swirls of big snowflakes fall, and any cars that might pass through the intersection.
Down the street, at Quik-N-EZ Food Mart, 40 Oak St., employees were about to close up for the night. The little shop had recently hired some new employees and Squires remembers that two or three times that week they had accidentally triggered the alarms while trying to get them set.
Carl Salway, the only law enforcement officer shot in the line of duty in Genesee County
A police-involved shooting is generally defined as a police officer discharging his weapon in the line of duty.
Based on a search of historical records and conversations with law enforcement professionals in the county who have worked locally for decades, it appears that Officer Doug Squires and Deputy Ryan Young are the only LEOs in Genesee County history to be involved in an officer-involved shooting.
It also appears that only once in Genesee County history has a police officer been shot.
In August 1921, Officer Carl Salway, Batavia PD, came within an inch of his life, literally.
That night, shortly after 10 p.m., he stumbled upon a burglary in progress of an auto storage warehouse owned by Raymond M. Walker at 241 West Main St., Batavia.
Inside were Harold W. Pratt, 27, of 128 South Main St., Batavia, who owned a cider mill, and Earl Lee Smith, of Law St., Batavia, 27.
Pratt shot Salway with a .45-caliber automatic pistol. The bullet passed through Salway's chest, just missing his heart.
Salway would eventually retire from the police department, but not before serving a suspension in 1931 for insubordination.
Squires, now 64, grew up in Batavia but graduated from Byron-Bergen High School. That night in 1977, he was more than a year into his five-year stint with the Batavia Police Department. He would go on to work security for Kodak before moving into sales and marketing with the company. As he moved up, Kodak moved him, first to Orlando, then Birmingham, then Atlanta, and eventually Charlotte, N.C., in 1989, where he lives in with his wife.
He didn't realize until told today that what would transpire just before midnight that Saturday night in 1977 would stand as the only officer-involved shooting in Genesee County history until two nights ago.
As the minutes drew tighter toward midnight that night, a Batavia dispatcher informed Squires the alarm at the Quik-N-EZ Food Mart had gone off again.
Squires put his patrol car in drive and drove down Oak. As he approached, he turned off his lights. The store lights were on and the parking lot was empty.
As he pulled up, he remembered a news story out of Buffalo from a couple of days before. Two police officers had been shot and killed responding to a robbery alarm at the Holiday Inn by the airport.
"I remembered that when that alarm came in for that store, that incident came to mind and I thought I’m not going to just wheel in there and think they made a mistake and set off the alarm again," Squires said.
As he approached, he unholstered his revolver.
Peering in, he saw two female employees, Edwina Heschke, of Batavia, and Debbie Maskell, of Indian Falls, lying face down on the floor. Behind the counter, pulling money out of the cash register was a male in a ski mask.
The man in the ski mask turned out to be William M. Timoney, who was 34 at the time, recently released from Attica on parole, and a resident of Dewey Avenue.
Squires pushed the door open, identified himself and yelled, "freeze."
Timoney looked at Squires, pointed his 14 shot .22 long rifle calibre handgun with a full magazine, at the back of one of the clerks and told Squires, "Pig, you get out of here or they’re both as good as dead."
"At that point," Squires said, "the gloves were off. He's threatening a third party with physical harm and possibly their lives."
Squires fired at Timoney and missed. Timoney ducked behind a counter, popped up again and Squires fired again, missing again.
As the gun battle ensued, another Batavia officer, D.G. Kopper, arrived as back up.
When the perp's head popped up from behind the counter again, between the cash register and orange drink dispenser, Squires fired again. This time he caught Timoney in the face, the bullet hitting his cheek and ear.
"He was quite a mess," Squires said. "He lost his right ear. The shot picked him right up off the floor. The money went one way and the gun went another."
As Sheriff William Sheron noted today, police officers go to work every shift knowing this may be the eight hours where they get shot at or they may have to shoot another person.
Just because there have only been two incidents in Genesee County history, and now three, where an officer either shot someone or has been shot himself, doesn't mean it isn't an ever-present danger. Every chance encounter, when you're in law enforcement, can turn deadly with very little warning.
“Law enforcement officers go to work every day knowing that they may be required to sacrifice their own lives, or take the life of another human being in order to fulfill their obligation of protecting the citizens of our communities," Sheron said.
Two nights ago, Deputy Ryan Young faced the challenging decision of whether to fire his weapon after responding to a report of a disturbance and shots fired at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Indian Falls. As Young and other officers pulled into the parking lot, Keith Kent, 61, of Albion, fired another shot. Young and his colleagues yelled at Kent to drop his weapon. He didn't. Rather, Kent turned -- according to information available so far -- toward Young and pointed his pistol at him.
As Undersheriff Gregory Walker put it describing the incident while talking with reporters on Gilmore Road early Thursday morning, "Our officer did take the shot and the suspect was killed."
Timoney, the 1977 robber, was lucky. He lived. After he was shot, Squires and Kopper rushed to his side and cuffed him.
Timoney, who used a gun stolen from a home in Alexander, was treated at St. Jerome Hospital then hauled before County Court Judge Glenn R. Morton, charged with robbery in the first degree along with several other charges, then jailed without bail.
The district attorney in 1977 was Ronald L. Fancher. He settled on a plea agreement for Timoney, attempted robbery. Timoney entered a guilty plea and was sent to state prison for less than four years. He was released in 1982. By 1984, he was back in prison for an armed robbery in Queens, serving a maximum 15-year sentence. He was released in 2000. In 2000, his name pops up in a couple of stories in the New York Daily News about homeless people in the city.
Squires described shooting Timoney as "a surreal experience." He was put on paid leave and he had to turn over his revolver for ballistic testing.
"I had a lot of sleepless nights," he said. "It was quite an experience. Most police officers never even draw their weapons or let alone fire their weapons over a 20 or 30-year career. Here, I'm on the job for at most a couple of years and I run into something like this."
Eugene Jankowski, who served Batavia PD for more than 35 years, starting in 1978, was a corrections officer in the Genesee County Jail the night Squires shot Timoney. He remembers Timoney coming into the jail with a big bandage on his ear.
Now City Council president, Jankowski is a firearms expert and led in the creation of the county's Emergency Response Team.
Even though Jankowski never encountered a situation that escalated into the need to shoot somebody, he faced many life-and-death decisions during his career. Training and experience are critical to helping officers handle the unexpected, he said.
"I’ve found scenario-based firearms and defensive tactics training, combined with state law and department policy, was the most beneficial to me," Jankowski said. "That, along with real-life experience helped me to physically and mentally prepare for many types of use-of-force encounters."
Squires said he thinks about Dec. 10, 1977, every time another police shooting hits the news.
"Until you're a police officer and you go through it, there's really not much you can think about to know what it's like," he said.
His advice for Young or other officers who must fire their weapon at suspects: Don't second guess yourself.
"And don't let others second guess you. Just know that it's your job and you have to do what you have to do to defend yourself or innocent bystanders. You have to know what you did is right."
Deputy Ryan W. Young has been identified by Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. as the officer involved in Wednesday night's shooting at the Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant.
Deputy Young is a six-year law enforcement officer who joined the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in 2016.
Sheriff Sheron said: “Law enforcement officers go to work every day knowing that they may be required to sacrifice their own lives, or take the life of another human being, in order to fulfill their obligation of protecting the citizens of our communities. Deputy Young’s actions on Wednesday night did just that.”
ADDITIONAL INFO: Deputy Young was with the Le Roy Police Department prior to joining the Sheriff's Office. On Dec. 1, 2015, he distinguished himself at a crime scene on Seldon Road, Le Roy, where Kyle G. Johnson had already killed a neighbor and set his own house on fire as Young arrived on scene. After he arrived, Johnson fired in his direction toward a fire chief. Young immediately took command of the situation, took cover, instructed neighbors to seek shelter in their basement, and kept other responding units informed of Johnson's movements and whereabouts, even, while at times, under the threat of being fired upon. He received a Distinguished Service Award from Le Roy Chief Chris Hayward for his valor. Johnson was eventually taken into custody without further shots fired.
After the duty-related death of Deputy Frank Bordonaro in 2014, Young made rope bracelets with brass plates honoring Bordonaro and sold them to others in the law enforcement community to help raise funds to donate to Bordonaro's sons.
Earlier this year, Young received his first Commendation from the Sheriff's Office.
The 2018 GO ART! spring awards gala will be held in a new venue this year -- at GO ART! itself, in historic Seymour Place in Downtown Batavia.
The theme of "Swing Fling" is "Come back to the 1940s," it will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 28, and feature music, dancing, appetizers, a cash bar, live radio show and awards.
Geneseean Awards will go to:
Tickets: $20 for non-members, $15 for GO ART! members.
Contact GO ART! at goart.org, 343-9313, or stop in at Seymour Place, located at 201 E. Main St.
Platinum Sponsors for the Swing Fling are: WBTA, and Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel.
Gold Sponsors are: J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, Jim Burns Photography.
Silver Sponsors are: Carrotman Productions, St. Joseph Catholic School.
(To help attendees prepare with flair for this affair, we offer this link about the 1940s -- here -- and it's a real Humdinger, as they used to say. And also, for your listening pleasure, this obscure oldie, here.)
Press release:
The BCSD Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2018 scholarship.
You are invited to nominate a Batavia High School graduating senior for the Batavia City School District Foundation Scholarship. The nomination deadline is May 11 and the scholarship will be awarded at the BHS graduation in June.
The candidate should be a senior who is academically successful, who has tried to improve on skills to further his or her career goals, and who is a role model for others in creating a school climate of "Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be Connected and Be Ambitious."
The nomination form, as well as further information on the BCSD Foundation, may be found on the District’s website (www.bataviacsd.org) by clicking on the District Information tab, then on the link labeled “More” for the alphabetical District Information Directory, then on the BCSD Foundation link.
If you have any questions, please contact Julia Rogers at foundation@bataviacsd.org.
Press release from Frank Panepento:
There will be a free music concert to show thanks and appreciation for Crossroads House and its 20 years of community service. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, at the Attica High School Auditorium.
Over the span of two decades, the nonprofit Crossroads House, providing comfort care for the dying, has helped more than 470 residents and their families.
This will be "a celebration concert" featuring original and longtime supporters -- the Attica High School Marching Band, and Amanda Hofheins and Don Rogers, plus the Hamburg Kingmen Drum Corps, Batavia Jazz Ensemble, St. Joe’s Brass Ensemble, Alexander Fireman's Band, and the St. Joe’s Alumni Drum Corps.
The Attica Marching Band has been one of the very first and longest supporters for the house. The house took a few years of planning and fundraising to put all the necessary pieces in place before the house was able to open. The Attica Free Music Concerts were building blocks that helped fund the house and educate the communities that Crossroads served. These concerts were an avenue to help explain what Crossroads House was able to do for its residents.
Rogers, while spearheading the earlier shows moved into retirement while Hofheins took his place literally and figuratively. She took over filling in for Rogers’s duties and supporting Crossroads House and the Free Musical Concert.
Come on out to enjoy the music! This is going to be a great afternoon while supporting Crossroads House and Gateway House (Attica’s own soon-to-open comfort care home). Attica High School is located at 3338 E. Main St. in Attica.
Press release:
The Batavia Police Department, along with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Genesee County Probation, Le Roy Police Department and the New York State Troopers – Troop A, would like to thank Dave Lumberg, Owner/Operator of Tim Horton’s (20 Main St.) for their daily donation of fresh, hot, coffee to our officers and instructors during the last two weeks of Active Threat Training, which is concluding today. The added level of convenience aided in the productivity of the training.
Press release:
This week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, appeared before Congress where lawmakers took turns asking how (and if) Facebook respects our privacy. One Congressman, however, seemed less concerned about privacy and more concerned about using his seat to make another rich friend.
Chris Collins said, after hearing his fellow members of Congress interrogate Zuckerberg, "I sincerely know in my heart that you do believe in keeping all ideas equal. You may vote a certain way or not, but that doesn't matter."
Reacting to that response, Collin’s Congressional opponent Nate McMurray says, “In his heart? His heart? No one cares about his heart. We care about what’s in his servers. That company collects and searches every little detail of our lives. And we know that this data has been used for malicious purposes.”
McMurray further adds, “I’ve been to Facebook's headquarters. It’s an amazing company, with great power. And that's the point. We need to understand how that power is used and whether it is being manipulated. Collins, once again, failed to do his job. Indeed, it seems Collins was more worried about control and manipulation than about Facebook's actions."
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