William Franz performed on bagpipes. Photo by Howard Owens.
The skies may have been overcast, but the local talent shone through in Jackson Square on Friday night with the first of two Homegrown Concerts, hosted by Bill and Kay McDonald.
A second featuring young local talent, and some mature folks, is scheduled for Friday, June 30. The showtime is 6 p.m.
On the bill for the next show: William Franz (bagpipes), Leah Ford (guitar), Nolen Wright (guitar), Ayralynn Thompson (ukelele), and Quinn Karcher (accordion), along with Deanna Spiotta and Don Thomas and Steve Kruppner.
The evening's entertainment is rounded out with the Ghostriders and the Old Hippies.
A two-year-old reportedly ingested chocolate containing marijuana on Thursday and was taken unconscious to the UMMC Emergency Room, according to the Sheriff's Office.
James Zackary Gray, 32, of Park Road, Batavia, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly leaving an edible within the reach of a child.
According to the arrest report, the child was found unconscious multiple hours after the edible was ingested.
Gray was released on an appearance ticket by Deputy Morgan Ewert.
The current condition of the child was not included in the arrest report.
The Batavia Muckdogs beat the Jamestown Tarp Skunks 8-7 on Thursday at Dwyer Stadium on a walk-off wild pitch.
Reliever Trey Bacon picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings.
Henry Daniels went 2-4 with a run scored and a double. Giuseppe Arcuri went 2-4 with a double and two RBIs. Anthony Calabro was 2-4 with a run scored, an RBI, a walk and two stolen bases.
Jeremy Ives is going to have 15 years, in the words of Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini, to contemplate the kind of person he is.
Is he the kind, intelligent, and articulate person of his letters to the court and his appearances in County Court, or is he the man a jury of Genesee County residents said committed a horrible act on Aug. 12, 2022?
Ives was convicted on May 12 at the end of a jury trial of two counts of attempted assault in the first degree and menacing. The jury found that Ives had threatened two people with a shotgun.
In the incident, one person was reportedly injured as a result of Ives firing one shot in the area of 2 Elm St., Batavia.
Since his arrest, through the trial, and into Friday's court appearance, Ives has maintained his innocence.
Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl, who prosecuted Ives, said that one reason Ives deserved the maximum possible sentence on his conviction was his failure to express remorse for his actions on Aug. 12, 2022.
"He's demonstrated he's a danger to the community," Zickl said. "He's expressed no remorse. He's taken no responsibility for his frankly brutal actions."
Zickl said Ives has only spoken in general terms about his conduct, saying he's sorry -- primarily expressed to his family -- in a letter to the court for his behavior.
Joseph Lobosco, the defense attorney, said it wasn't exactly fair to expect Ives to say he is sorry while he is planning an appeal on what he believes is a wrongful conviction.
"He shouldn't be put in a position of needing to express remorse for something he believes he didn't do," Lobosco said.
Zickl said the maximum sentence available, 15 years, wasn't enough. Lobosco asked for the minimum term for his client.
Then Lobosco read a letter from Ives to the court dated June 6.
He expressed his "absolute love" for his family, and said his family extended beyond his blood relations to anybody who had ever helped him in life.
"My family are the people that hold the strongest pieces of my heart that help me focus on my relationship with the gods and the other members of my bloodline and family. My honor is loyalty, and that is my oath, and that is my pride. Concentrating on my family and my faith is what helps me daily in my strive to find inner peace," Ives wrote.
He mentioned his mental health issues, struggles with addiction, and a traumatic brain injury and said he thought he had been doing well with the help of his doctors and medication.
"The issues that I have written about have affected some of the people in my life in negative ways, in different degrees," he wrote. "I have to write these words to these people instead of speaking the words to them and looking into their eyes because of self-inflected situations, but I want each and every one of you to know and believe in your hearths that I am sorry. I apologize for the wrongs I have done."
"I'm a good man, and I love you all with all of my heart," he added.
He promised to return from prison with a greater determination to be good to his family.
"I pray to Odin and all the gods above us to help make me the best man I can be, the best father I can be, the best son I can be, the best brother I can be, and hopefully, the best husband I can be," he wrote. "Over the years, and in the past, I have fallen short of being those things.
"To all the people involved in my life, I swear on my honor I will not allow my addictions or my afflictions to negatively affect my life or my decisions ever again. I will return to my life after this situation more focused than ever before."
After Lobosco finished reading the letter, Ives spoke up for himself. He wanted to address something he saw as a bit of misinformation from Zickl. Zickl criticized Ives for claiming to love his children when, during the pre-sentence investigation, he told an interviewer he didn't know where two of his children currently live.
Ives said he has children aged two to age 25. His two oldest children graduated from college while he has been in custody and he hasn't been able to stay in regular contact with them. That's the only reason, he said, he doesn't know where they are living at the moment.
During the discussion about long-term orders of protection, Ives asked that he be allowed to contact a woman who has children that he considers to also be his children, though he is not the biological father. Cianfrini said if the woman wants to contact the court to modify the order of protection, she could, but Cianfrini said she was issuing a full stay-away order of protection.
Ives also asked for no order of protection for a friend who has helped him during the legal process, but Zickl spoke with the victim's advocate, who was in court for sentencing, and that person reportedly asked for a temporary order of protection to become long-term.
Cianfrini did modify one order of protection to allow Ives' parents to contact a person in order for them to retrieve Ives' personal belongings.
The order of protection will be in place for the length of the sentence imposed by Cianfrini plus eight years. The sentence is for 15 years plus five years post-release supervision.
Cianfrini told Ives his was a perplexing case. He's obviously well-spoken and intelligent, able to advocate for himself, and he has a reputation, which came out at trial, for doing unbidden kind acts for others, such as installing handrails on a stairway that had no handrails.
And though he is mindful that he maintains his innocence and is planning an appeal, he was convicted of a horrific act. He also has five prior DWI convictions and a weapons conviction in Florida.
Those two versions of Jeremy Ives don't fit together, she said.
"You're going to have to reconcile which Jeremy Ives you are going to be when you get out of prison," Cianfrini said. "It's completely up to you as to who you are going to be. You can be the person who does good deeds or you can be the person who commits these kinds of crimes. Only you can make that decision."
Two young men were seriously injured on Thursday evening when their respective pickup trucks collided head-on in the area of 232 Main Road, Town of Pembroke at about 5:31 p.m.
Zachary Miller-Barillari, 19, of Williamsville, was airlifted by Mercy Flight to ECMC and Jacob Brainard, 25, of Browmansville, was transported by Mercy EMS to ECMC.
According to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, the preliminary investigation indicates that Brainard was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram eastbound on Route 5, and Miller-Barillari was traveling west in a 2002 Ford F-350.
Brainard's vehicle was apparently in the middle of the roadway and took corrective action to get back into the eastbound lane of travel. Miller-Barillari directed his pickup truck into the eastbound lane of travel.
The two trucks collided head-on in the eastbound lane and then continued off the south shoulder of the road where they came to rest in a ditch.
Both operators required extrication from their vehicles.
Pembroke Fire and Indian Falls Fire responded to the scene along with Mercy EMS. Corfu Fire assisted with traffic control and a landing zone for Mercy Flight.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the Crash Management Team. Patrol officers assisted at the scene.
Steve, a pitbull mix that resides at 152 South Main St., Batavia, reportedly attacked two people on Thursday afternoon and was taken by animal control officers to the Genesee County Animal Shelter. Photo by Howard Owens
A mail carrier whose route includes South Main Street in Batavia is "the hero of our office right now," said a local manager of the Post Office in Batavia.
The name of the carrier has not yet been released by the U.S. Postal Service, but the manager said this isn't the first time the carrier has stepped up in an emergency. This winter, she called 9-1-1 after a man on her route stuck his hand in a running snowblower.
At about 2:45 p.m., the carrier was outside 152 South Main St., Batavia, when she heard a woman inside screaming, according to a witness. The carrier entered the house where a pitbull mix was attacking a home health care aide and its owner. The carrier deployed her pepper spray and stopped the attack.
A female occupant of the house was not injured.
The dog was secured in a bedroom of the residence, and 9-1-1 was called.
Both the health care worker and the male occupant of the home were seriously injured, but Sgt. Mitch Cowen, Batavia PD, said the injuries are not considered life-threatening. One patient was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment, and the other to Erie County Medical Center.
The dog, Steve, was removed from the home by animal control officers while being restrained by poles and taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.
Cowen said the fate of the dog depends on the outcome of a police investigation. They will check records to determine if there have been prior reports of the dog acting in a vicious manner. Officers will also conduct interviews to determine if the dog has exhibited vicious behavior previously.
An area resident who passes the house frequently said he's often heard a dog inside barking.
Nearby neighbors said they've seen the dog outside but have never seen it act in a vicious manner. They said they've seen other visitors to the house, including health aide workers, and they weren't aware of any issue with the dog on prior visits.
A woman was reportedly attacked by a dog on South Main Street, Batavia, and sustained multiple injuries.
The dog is secured at this time.
City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: A second person may also have been bitten.
UPDATE 3:48 p.m. by Joanne Beck: Two people were bitten. A home health care aide had entered 152 South Main St., Batavia and was attacked by a pit bull mix. A male resident attempted to intervene and was also bitten. A mail carrier heard screams, according to a witness, and entered the residence and maced the dog to stop the attack.
One patient was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital and another patient taken to Erie County Medical Center. They had serious but non life-threatening injuries.
For a time tonight, Kibbe Park was the site of a medieval battle on Wednesday evening.
Members of a Combat Historia, a group of medieval reenactors who stage non-historical battles, met for the first time in Batavia.
The four men came from Batavia, Rochester, and Buffalo.
Eddie Grosskopf got both groups going after moving to Batavia from Florida.
"I started doing this back when I was 13, Grosskopf said. "Originally, I came out to a park and saw a bunch of kids hitting each other with foam weapons. I was gonna make fun of them at first, and then they offered for me to come out, and I've been doing it since then. When I moved up here, I was like, 'Wow, there's not a lot of this up here. I'm gonna sucker these people into doing this.'
Joining him at Kibbe Park on Wednesday evening were Darnell Johnson, from Rochester, Brandon Winchell, from Buffalo, and Andrew Stangl, from Wales.
The Rochester group currently has 12 members, and with some recruiting, Johnson expects it soon to have 20 members. The Buffalo group is about a month old and has 15 members.
While only four members turned out for the first Kibbe Park meeting, Grosskopf said the goal is to use the park as a place for members of both the Buffalo and Rochester groups to meet each Wednesday, and he expects participation to grow.
The focus of the two groups is on the medieval Mongol Empire -- the time of Genghis Khan, the conquest of China, the conquest of the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
Stangl said Grosskopf kept after him to join after he came across the group at a ComicCon, and since he's been practicing martial arts since he was six, it seemed like a good fit for his interests.
Johnson said it's about more than just reenacting battles. There is a historical aspect, too, that is fascinating.
"You see the clothing that we wear," Johnson said. "It is representative of Mongol clothing. This is typical Asiatic steps armor. So I had to go through the process of learning what type of armor they use, the different lanyard patterns and how to actually make it and then source the material and then build this whole thing myself."
Grosskopf said Combat Historia offers a fun activity, a chance to learn and a community. Since the local groups are affiliated with the national non-profit Combat Historia, the group also does charitable community work.
To join, he can be reached at 585-664-4461, or the group can be found on Facebook.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Andrew Stangl, Darnell Johnson, Brandon Winchell, and Eddie Grosskopf. Photo by Howard Owens.
A child fell from a first-floor roof at 104 Jackson St., Batavia, on Wednesday. THe child was not hurt. The dwelling is the yellow structure on the left. The window the child used to access the first-level roof is on the north side and not pictured. Photo by Howard Owens.
A two-year-old child was uninjured after apparently crawling through a second-floor window onto a first-floor roof and then falling to the ground at 104 Jackson St., Batavia.
According to a witness, the child stood up quickly after the fall and started walking.
The window and roof section were on the north side of the dwelling.
Batavia PD, City Fire, and Mercy EMS all responded to the call at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Sgt. Dan Coffey, Batavia PD, said officers are still investigating the incident and didn't have further information available. If warranted, there will be a press release later about the incident.
UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: The investigation reveals the incident is an "unfortunate accident," Coffey said.
The Old Bethany Town Hall, built in 1832, is fated for demolition. Photo by Howard Owens
Even many of Bethany's oldest residents, said Town Supervisor Carl Hyde, have come to accept the unpleasant but unavoidable and undeniable reality of the situation. The old Town Hall, built in 1832, must come down.
The town is currently accepting bids from demolition contractors.
But there is a plan in place to preserve a bit of history and provide residents with a new park where the town hall currently stands.
"It's a hard decision that we had to come to, but the reality is, I can't raise taxes. I can't double everybody's taxes to come up with $2 million to save the building," said Town Supervisor Carl Hyde during an exclusive tour of the structure with The Bataivan. "It's a hard spot as a town supervisor to be in when you have to deal with something like this."
There are several factors that have the town in a seemingly unsolvable dilemma.
The town has been trying to sell the building for many years with no takers, even offering to sell it for $1 if the buyer will ensure it is usefully occupied;
One reason there are no buyers, and why the town can't use the building, is to make use of the second floor for any public purpose, is an elevator needs to be installed, as well as make other ADA-compliant upgrades;
The building isn't connected to water and can't be connected to water unless a new water district is approved for the hamlet, and there's no guarantee that will happen;
Under current state law and regulations, the building needs plumbing connected to a septic system.
The septic system issue is its own set of complications, Hyde explained.
"For this building to be used for anything, somebody's going to have to put in a septic system," Hyde said. "So the property line goes to 15 feet off the back of the property. On the north side, the property line is the edge of the building. And then you have what little bit of property there is out front. So there's no property to put a septic system in."
If the town wanted to install a septic system, it would have to tear down the highway department building behind the structure, and then that building would need to be replaced by a new structure at another location.
That's another "astronomical" expense, Hyde said.
So the price tag to save the building is at least $2 million, and then there's no guarantee the building can get public water.
"We've reached out to Genesee Valley Museum in Caledonia-Mumford, a place on Long Island and a place in New Hampshire, to donate the building to have them come to take it apart, relocate it, and they're not interested because of the cost factors," Hyde said.
It's a beautiful building inside and out, but state officials have said emphatically that it has no historical value. No famous historical figure ever visited it. Nothing of historic significance ever happened inside the building. There is no barrier to tearing it down, and Hyde said the town board feels it's left with no other option.
"So we've got some structural issues plus the ADA issues plus the no septic issues plus the no water issue," Hyde said "We can't use it for anything. What we're going to do is take the building down before it falls down, and we're going to turn the property into a green space."
A green space that preserves the history of the old town hall.
"The cupola is going to stay on the property, the yoke is going to stay on the property, and the bell is going to stay on the property," Hyde said. "That's going to be the centerpiece of a display in the middle of the green space. So the town board has put a lot of work and effort and thought into doing the best we can with what we have to do."
Hyde plans to be on hand during the demolition, especially when work crews get down to the foundation. Nobody knows if there is a cornerstone with a lockbox of 1832 history in it. Hyde wants to make sure the structure is thoroughly searched for such a historical artifact.
As many artifacts as possible from the building are going to be stored by the county for safekeeping.
The request for proposals process from contractors closes on June 27. Hyde said the town has set a budget for demolition but doesn't want to release that figure so it doesn't influence bids by contractors.
Hyde said he's already spoken with some contractors about trying to preserve as much history as possible from the old building.
"We've told them as they're tearing the walls down and stuff, they're gonna be looking for oddities; what's between the walls? We don't know what's between the walls."
It's not easy to be the town supervisor responsible for overseeing the destruction of one of the town's most recognizable landmarks, but Hyde sees no way out.
"I grew up here in Bethany," Hyde said. "The town court was here, the town clerk was here, the town supervisor, the office, this was the town hall. But unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as water, septic, this whole ADA thing -- unless somebody wants to write a check for $2 million and guarantee water, we can't figure anything out."
On the second floor, a stage and a floating hardwood dance floor. Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
One of the artifacts still in the building that will be saved. Photo by Howard Owens.
A rendering of the proposed green space with the cupola, yoke and bell preserved and on display. Photo by Howard Owens.
The first floor, former meeting space and courtroom. Photo by Howard Owens.
Many of the old chairs in the building were sold to local residents. Some are still left. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Navel Reserve travel case of the late William P. Walker will be returned to the Walker family. Photo by Howard Owens.
Display cases and artifacts that will be stored by the county. Photo by Howard Owens.
The handpainted stage backdrop with advertisements for businesses in Genesee County. There were people who wanted to buy it, Carl Hyde said, but they were going to cut it up and the town board didn't want to see it destroyed, so it will be stored by the county., Photo by Howard Owens.
Musicians from throughout the region and a few hundred music fans gathered in Oakfield on Father's Day for the annual Retro Jam and Musicians Reunion. Photo by Howard Owens.
An audience and a chance to play is usually a pretty good reason for local musicians to show up at a venue on a sunny afternoon, and add in a chance to see the guys and gals they are too busy to see on gig nights, and a few dozen are likely to make the scene.
And though the venue had changed since its inception, that's been what has kept the Father's Day Retro Jam and Musicians Reunion going since 1978.
"Most of the musicians playing the jamboree are working musicians," said organizer Bill Pitcher. "They've been in different bands together, but while they're working, they don't see each other much because when they've got gigs, they're playing in different places. This is a chance for musicians to get together to mix and chat and have some fun."
The first jamboree was part of the Stafford Firemen's Carnival and grew bigger each year until the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department discontinued the carnival because of changes in state law forced them to end the annual Corvette Raffle.
Soon, area musicians were calling Pitcher with one question: "Where are we going to jam?"
Scott Graff and his wife Val had a solution, Pitcher said. The Oakfield Rod and Gun Club. There's a pavilion with electricity, plenty of grass for lawn chairs and canopies and parking.
"It's a great venue," Pitcher said.
The Rod and Gun Club sells hotdogs, there are public restrooms available and everything is friendly and laid back.
A 50/50 raffle raised $1,000 for the Center for H.O.P.E. at the VA Hospital in Batavia.
"This is the second year at the Rod and Gun Club," Pitcher said. "They've been very cooperative and friendly, very supportive."
The lineup of bands is a mixture of the old guard and some young musicians, so there's a next-generation ready to move forward with the event in the coming years.
This year's lineup included the Ghost Riders, the Double Image Band, Front Porch Pickers, Rock-A-Bully’s, Prospect, Sounds Good, and Bad Sign.
"We have a waiting list of bands that want to come and play," Pitcher said. "Most of the bands have been playing for years and years but we're getting a couple of younger bands involved."
Jim Fazio at Dwyer Stadium on Monday evening. Photo by Howard Owens.
Health issues and a desire to see his son play more baseball in his final season with the Batavia Blue Devils have led Jim Fazio to step down as head coach of the Batavia High School softball team.
"The team means the world to me," Fazio told The Batavian at Dwyer Stadium during the Batavia Muckdogs game on Monday evening. "Ever since I started coaching, it was a dream to win a sectional title. To finally get it this year, it's just something that, you know, you just dream about."
Fazio has been coaching since 2000 and became varsity softball coach in 2018.
Under the circumstances, coaching in 2024 isn't possible, he said. He's been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and is on two waiting lists for a kidney transplant.
"That's the main reason why I'm stepping down," Fazio said. "I think I should be able to coach tennis, but things right now are up in the air."
His son is also entering his senior year, and in the spring, Fazio wants to take the time to see more of his son's baseball games.
"I miss a lot of his games because their schedule almost mimics ours," Fazio said.
Jim and Nikki Fazio enjoying the moment after Batavia won a Girls Softball Section V title on May 27. Photo by Howard Owens.
During Monday's baseball game at Dwyer Stadium, two fans had wallets stolen from their cars after the windows of the cars were smashed open.
Credit cards from the stolen wallets were later used at local businesses. This has led Batavia police investigators to identify a person of interest in the case.
The public is being asked to help identify the person.
The crime may be linked to similar thefts under investigation by the Sheriff's Office.
To assist in identifying the subject in the photos, contact Officer Austin Davis at 585-345-6350, the Batavia Police Department's confidential tip line at (585)345-6370.
