Officer Frank Klimjack called out of service for the last time this afternoon, ending more than 20 years with Batavia PD and 28 and a half years total working in law enforcement in the state.
The Buffalo native served in the military before taking a job with the state parks police in New York City. From there he transferred to Long Island, then Western New York, and then decided Batavia was a good place in the middle of Western New York to settle in and call home.
"I've had a good long career and I'm leaving on a high note," Klimjack said. "I could have done a few more years but just the way things worked out, it’s a good time to go."
He's loved living and working in Batavia, he said.
"It’s a great place to work," Klimjack said. "It’s a great community. It’s got its up and downs just like any community but it’s a good solid community. A great place to raise kids."
Klimjack and his wife have bought a home in Tennessee and will relocate there soon and he told us with a smile, "I’ll be down in Tennessee spending my New York State pension and paying a lot less in taxes.”
Iszon C. Richardson is indicted for the crime of second-degree burglary, a Class C violent felony. It is alleged that on Dec. 17 Richardson entered a dwelling unlawfully on Jackson Street in the City of Batavia with the intention of committing a crime. In counts two and three, he is accused of first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E felony, for allegedly intentionally violating a stay away order of protection by being in the presence of the protected party and subjecting them to physical contact or attempting or threatening to do so on Dec. 17. In count four, he is accused of attempted assault in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly striking the protected party in the face. In count five, he is accused of another count of second-degree burglary for allegedly entering the same dwelling on Dec. 20. In counts six and seven, he is accused of two more counts of first-degree criminal contempt for allegedly intentionally violating a stay away order of protection by being in the presence of the protected party on Dec. 20 and subjecting them to physical contact or attempting or threatening to do so. In count eight, Richardson is accused of second-degree unlawful imprisonment for allegedly restraining the protected party on Dec. 20. In count nine, the defendant is accused of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a Class A misdemeanor, by allegedly applying pressure on the victim's neck. In count 10, he is accused of second-degree burglary for allegedly entering the same dwelling on Dec. 20 on a second occasion. In counts 11 and 12, he is accused of first-degree criminal contempt for allegedly intentionally violating a stay away order of protection by being in the presence of the protected party on Dec. 20 and on Dec. 16. In count 13, Richardson is accused of first-degree criminal contempt for allegedly intentionally violating a stay away order of protection by being in the presence of the protected party and subjecting them to physical contact or attempting or threatening to do so on Dec. 16.
Shane C. Anthony and Robert N. Pragle are indicted for the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on some time between Jan. 2 and Jan. 3 in the Town of Le Roy that the defendants knowlingly possessed stolen property with a value that exceeded $3,000. In count two, they are accused of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly possessing crack cocaine.
Lynn McGrath, a Rochester-based classical guitarist who has performed on four continents and has upcoming solo performance dates in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Albuquerque, and Miami, performed Thursday night at the Richmond Memorial Library.
Eric Zwieg reads one of his poems during a poetry reading Thursday night at Moon Java Cafe on Harvester Avenue in Batavia.
The "Four Poets in Search of An Answer" reading also featured Jen Ashburn, Jason Irwin, and Scott W. Williams.
Jason Irwin
K-Kids at St. Joe's yesterday filled 4,000 plastic Easter eggs with candy and prizes for the annual Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt at Centennial Park at 9 a.m., April 20.
Hundreds of children from the area are expected to scramble for Easter eggs during the hunt.
From left, Ben Landers, Addison Yasses, Guinnevere Clark, Summer Campopiano, Maria Prattico, Eliana Therrien, and Logan Dryja.
Sen. Jessica Ramos, a first-term state legislator from Queens, and sponsor of the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act visited Batavia and Elba yesterday to meet with farmers and farmworkers at the invitation of Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer.
In the morning she and Ranzenhofer hosted a discussion with more than a dozen area farmers and some of their workers in the foyer of the Call Arena at Genesee Community College. That event was closed to the press and a reporter who showed up was asked to leave.
In the afternoon, Ramos visited the Torrey Farms Big-O onion packing facility in Elba and when The Batavian arrived, we were not asked to leave and were able to obtain exclusive coverage of the event. We were unable to interview Ramos at the event because of a scheduling conflict but expect to be able to talk with her soon.
At yesterday's event, we spoke with farmworkers and farmers and were told repeatedly that farmworkers do not favor the farmworkers bill because they fear it will mean fewer hours and less money.
Farmworkers said they understand the weather-driven variability of farm work and they said that it is critical to their ability to making a living that they be able to pack in as many hours in a week as they can when the sun is shining. They depend on the income to take care of family members back home, their families here, to pay mortgages, send kids to college, and fund their own business-ownership dreams.
Farmers said that if the proposed overtime laws pass, they will be forced to reduce hours worked by their employees and that their migrant employees, who don't have ties to the area, will likely leave for nearby states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, where they can work as many hours as they want.
UPDATE 11:20 a.m.: Sen. Ramos canceled our interview scheduled for this afternoon.
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Press release:
The City of Batavia is “All In” to revitalize our city through economic development and housing programs that will raise our standard of living and make our community one of the most attractive places, to live, work, and play.
The City is considering applying for Federal grant assistance to help income eligible owner-occupied single-family homeowners with essential home improvements.
Sometimes the smallest things we can do for our neighborhoods can have the biggest impact. Home improvements are a catalyst for changing the look and feel of a neighborhood and improving residents’ quality of life.
Here in Batavia, Summit Street is a perfect example of a street coming back to life with vibrancy and is now a model for other transformations across our City. When one resident makes improvements to their home, others follow.
Grant funds would enable homeowners to make home repairs with grant and deferred-loan funding. Any single-family homeowner is encouraged to apply.
If you own a single-family home in need of repairs please download the survey from the City’s “Useful Links” tab on the City’s homepage at www.batavianewyork.com. Click on Residential Rehabilitation Survey or pick up a survey in the City Manager’s office at City Hall.
The deadline to submit surveys to the City Manager is April 19.
The City’s goals include the following:
1. Create a viable urban community with decent housing.
2. Ensure a suitable living environment for all (safe, sanitary and habitable dwellings).
3. Expanding economic opportunities for all including persons of low to moderate income.
4. Rehabilitate the City knowing that it starts with one building at a time.
The City of Batavia is requesting your full cooperation to help us obtain housing rehabilitation grant funding. Please complete and mail in or drop off the surveys to: City Manager’s Office, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY, 14020.
Press release:
What is a GMO? And perhaps more importantly, should you be worried about them? GMOs, or genetically modified organisms have found their way into most of the foods we consume -- from plants and vegetables to animal products such as meat, milk, honey and seafood. So, where can you as a consumer, farmer, gardener or everyday citizen, get information and learn about the variety of perspectives on GMOs?
The Genesee County Farm Bureau and the Science Department at Genesee Community College have partnered to present "Genesee County Talks GMOs" from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 in Room T102 of the Conable Technology Building on GCC's Batavia Campus.
This event is completely free and open to all ages from the entire community!
Guests will see a free screening of "Food Evolution," written and produced by Trace Sheehan and Scott Hamilton Kennedy, and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson. "Food Evolution" is an impactful examination of the world's current, yet vastly varying, views on GMOs, and the risks we take every day in believing or not in the information we are presented with.
Then, listen in as three local panelists share their experiences and perspectives in dealing with this important debate. The panel will include:
Anyone interested in learning even more about how food is produced is encouraged to explore GCC's Food Processing Technologies program (FPT). GCC recently received a highly sought-after State University of New York (SUNY) needs grant and completed significant upgrades to student laboratories and equipment to provide the most up-to-date learning experiences.
GCC's FPT program was designed not only to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately, but to position them perfectly for a seamless transfer into a four-year degree program at any number of institutions both within and outside of the SUNY system. Learn more about GCC's Food Processing Technology Associate in Applied Science Degree or contact Admissions@genesee.edu today.
Press release:
Nominations are currently being accepted for this year’s induction class of the Oakfield-Alabama Alumni Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding OACS alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen field after high school through significant contributions to their career, community or through personal achievements.
If you know a person who meets the following criteria, please consider nominating him/her for this prestigious honor:
Anyone may submit a nomination for any person meeting the criteria stated above. Nominations must be made during the nomination period only -- March 1 – May 31st -- by using the Online Nomination Form or the PDF Nomination Form (see link below). Electronically submitted nominations are strongly preferred over mailed-in, hardcopy nominations.
Access the Online Nomination Form here.
Quentin Marozzi, a resident of Caledonia, can't wait to defend his MMA title in the 135-pound weight class in the Throwdown at The Downs on June 15.
"I am pumped," Marozzi said. "I'm ecstatic. I'm ready to go. I'm so honored to be here to do what I do. It's what I live for."
Batavia Downs is once again teaming up with local mix martial arts promoter Richard Mitchell and Ground Force Fights.
"Oh man," Mitchell said, "obviously last year's show was big, big. This year is going to be bigger. We're going to have 15 to 20 flights again and a lot of exciting fighters. There will be at least five title fights, maybe more."
Local fighters on the card so far include Peter Flanagan, Kenny Hale and Steven Kleckler.
Heavyweight Jon Marconi returns from Canada to defend his title.
Shotzie Doran, from Rochester, is also fighting.
"Honestly, I just love fighting and I'm just humbled by the entire experience, so I'm happy to be here, happy to be a part of it," Doran said.
Marozzi said he's looking forward to taking on the challenge of a fighter who comes to MMA from wrestling.
"He's really tough," Marozzi said. "He's undefeated. I'm looking forward to really going out there with a wrestler. Most wrestlers I've fought have a really good jaw. So we're going to test his jaw and see how good it really is. He's a good guy. He's humble and he's respectable so he's going to be a good opponent. It's going to be a good time."
Marozzi said he's also pleased to be fighting again in one of Mitchell's events.
"He takes care of his fighters," Marozzi said. "He cares about the fighters in the ring and out of the ring, in their lives and at camps. He's not like a lot of promoters who really just care about the fighter to showing up. He actually cares about his fighters. He's the best promoter I've fought for and I've had like 15 fights."
“We are excited to have Ground Force Fights back at Batavia Downs,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/president at Batavia Downs Gaming. “After the success of last year’s event, we began talks almost immediately on putting together another event here in June of 2019. We’re looking forward to another great night of fights that will entertain the passionate MMA fans of Western New York.”
Tickets are on sale now at bataviaconcerts.com. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.; event starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 for General Admission and $55 for VIP seats closer to the cage. Lawn chairs (which are normally permitted for other Batavia Downs events) are NOT permitted for this event. There will be limited chairs and bleacher seating available.
Each concert ticket is also redeemable once at Player’s Club in the three days following the event for $15 Free Play to be used on one of Batavia Downs Gaming’s 800+ gaming machines.
Photo: Quentin Marozzi, Richard Mitchell and Shotzie Doran.
An adult male suffered a gunshot wound to the leg while hunting in Darien. "Sounds like bird shot (type of ammunition)," says a dispatcher. He is said to be in a field, conscious and alert, and making his way toward a house. It's on Broadway Road, between Darien-Alexander Townline Road and Smithley Road.
Mercy Flight is on a ground standby. Darien Fire Department is responding along with its ambulance. Alexander's gator was called to respond, then cancelled.
"Scattered shotgun pattern, right and left lower leg, probably a dozen pellets, minor bleeding at this point," says a first responder.
There were no injuries in a three-vehicle accident at Bank and Main streets, Batavia, at 8 a.m.
Photos by Alex Feig, WBTA.
Press release:
The mandatory referendum on the establishment of Water District No. 6 in the Town of Darien has been completed. The result of the April 10, 2019 referendum is 684 “No” votes, 183 “Yes” votes and one Affidavit vote still pending validation.
While the vote count remains unofficial, the result of the referendum will not change. Therefore, the Establishment of Water District No. 6 in the Town of Darien is not approved, and the Town is proceeding to file the required documents to close out this action.
David Hagelberger, Supervisor
Proposed changes to farm labor practices in New York would likely destroy the state's agriculture industry, with a spill-over effect on many other businesses in local communities, and ultimately lead to families getting out of farming, a group of local farms said Wednesday at a press conference at Stein Farms in Le Roy.
The farmers gathered to raise concerns about the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act now making its way through the New York State Legislature.
"We're at the point I think where this has the potential to be the single greatest economic devastating effect on agriculture in New York in my lifetime," said Dale Stein, senior partner at Stein Farms.
The bill's chief sponsor and supporter, Sen. Jessica Ramos, from Queens, is in Batavia today, as a guest of Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, to meet with area farmers and listen to their concerns. The press conference was called in advance of that meeting so farmers could share their concerns with the broader public.
"We just aren't heard now very well by Downstate And it's not they're not good people and don't care. They do. Our people want to work. They don't want 40 hours a week. They don't want eight hours a day as my staff tell me. I don't want to sit home and watch TV. I'd rather come and work. We offer them extra hours if they want they come and work. They don't want us at home. They want to make all the money they can."
Stein, along with Jeff Toussaint, an Albion farmer, and Jim Starowitz, a farm employee in Byron, not only talked about the potential costs of the bill, which would institute new overtime rules, reduce weekly working hours, and other regulatory burdens for farms, but also how unnecessary the bill is because of laws already in place, the above-minimum-wage pay scales in place at farms now, and the desire of farm workers to work while there's money to be made.
The bill would also allow farm workers to join labor unions.
"I'm here to tell you that apples are a perishable crop and I can't emphasize that enough," Toussaint said. "They have to be harvested on time. If apples are left in the orchard too long they become soft and we're unable to store them. In just a matter of a few days of becoming overripe, they can lose 50 to 75 percent of their original value. A strike during harvest season would ultimately be catastrophic."
Starowitz said the increased costs associated with the bill would eventually put a lot of farm workers out of work.
"The costs are an additional $200,000 a year," Starowtiz said. "That equates to an extra $32 a tonne (aka metric ton), or almost a thousand dollars an acre. If all states where there are growers are on the same level, we could pass our cost along like every other business.
"But this is a state law that puts us in a noncompetitive position with other states. It increases labor cost and over time we will be no longer able to raise our vegetables. We'll have to move to a row-crop-only business or close our doors."
Maureen Torrey, co-owner of Torrey Farms, joined the conversation and said besides making it harder for her to compete nationally, the proposed changes will also make it harder to attract farm labor to New York.
"We have a limited pool even of visa workers," Torrey said. "They're going to go work where they can get a minimum of 60 hours or more."
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