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Photos: Crossroad House basket raffle

By Howard B. Owens

The Crossroads House hosted a basket raffle today to help raise money for the hospice.

CORRECTION: This event was a vendor blender. More than 35 local crafters, artisans, and small businesses were featured.

Photos by Rebecca Grela.

Photos: Civil War Ball

By Howard B. Owens

The Daughters of the American Civil War sponsored a Civil War Ball on Friday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

The event commemorated:

  • 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812
  • 200th Anniversary of the Holland Land Purchase
  • 150th Anniversary of the End of the Civil War
  • 100th Anniversary of the City of Batavia

Photos: Muckdogs Boosters annual Hot Stove Dinner

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Muckdogs Boosters held their annual Hot Stove Dinner Saturday night at Sacred Heart.

Club President Brian Paris gave a state-of-baseball-and-the-Muckdogs speech and talked about his trip recently to the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

The trip, he said, had him reflecting on the major transition baseball went through in the 1950s as Negro League stars and rising stars were finally admitted into Major League Baseball, and the transition facing baseball now as it tries to appeal to younger generations.

The way to ensure continued interest in the game is to bring children to baseball games. As an act of symbolism he surprised his son Zach with a gift from the Negro Museum, a jacket, that he said represented both baseball's past and its future by honoring its past in a memorable way.  

Bill Kauffman discussed Bill Dougherty's book about the history of baseball in Batavia.

Previously: Batavia's rich baseball history recalled in new book by Bill Dougherty

Hal Mitchell, representing the boosters and local Vietnam vets, along with Paris for the Muckdogs board, made donations to the PTSD program for women at the VA Hospital. Accepting the donations was Caryn DiLandro, the program manager.

Todd Jantzi, owner of Bontrager's Auctions, conducted the live auction.

Farm safety course culiminates in testing day at Empire Tractor

By Howard B. Owens

Greg Merrell gets ready for his tractor safety test while instructor and evaluator Tim Adams looks on this morning at Empire Tractor, where students participating in the 4-H Youth Development Tractor and Machinery Certification program were put through their paces. The eight-week course provides 14- and 15-year-olds the opportunity to learn how to safely operate farm machinery.

Possible apartment fire on Waldon Creek Drive

By Howard B. Owens

A possible structure fire is reported at 337 Waldon Creek Drive, an apartment complex, City of Batavia.

There is smoke coming from the residence.

Engine 11 is on scene.

The caller reports the it's probable there is nobody home at this time.

City Fire dispatched. The second and fourth platoons are requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:09 p.m.: Fire is knocked down.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m.: City Fire is back in service.

Law and Order: Wanted suspect accused of heroin possession at time of arrest

By Howard B. Owens

Kirk Arnold Thomas Jr., 30, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and escape, 1st. Thomas was the subject of an investigation by Le Roy PD and the subject of a Town of Batavia Court warrant and was located by Batavia PD at Days Inn. At the time of his arrest he allegedly possessed a large quantity of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Peter John Olander, 41, of Rochester Street, Bergen, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration, 2nd, and resisting arrest. Olander was arrested after deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the Village of Bergen. Olander allegedly failed to comply with numerous lawful orders and/or warnings from deputies and physically resisted arrest when they attempted to place him in custody. Olander was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Christopher M. Colantonio, 35, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and petit larceny. Colantonio was arrested as a result of an investigation in April 2014 into a complaint of stolen, forged and cashed checks. Colantonio is also charged with criminal sale of a firearm, 3rd, criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. The charges stem from a criminal complaint in November 2013 in which a family member reported a gun was stolen and sold.

Bryon Gilbert Keller, 20, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. Keller was allegedly involved in an altercation with a family member, which was also a violation of a court order. Keller was jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.

Samantha Jean Glendhill, 24, of Chapel Street, Mt. Morris, is charged with petit larceny and possession of burglar tools. Glendhill is accused of shoplifting from Kmart and using a bag to conceal the stolen items.

A 17-year-old resident of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. The youth allegedly struck another person during an argument.

Erick Antonio Castaneda, 18, of Redman Road, Brockport, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Castaneda is accused of shoplifting from Kohl's.

Batavia City Schools looking at reduced budget

By Howard B. Owens

From The Batavian's news partner, WBTA:

Batavia City School District is looking at a reduction in their budget in comparison to last year’s. Benefit costs to retirement systems have decreased, allowing the school to save money in those areas.

Business Manager Scott Rozanski says the school is changing their philosophy on savings since their current reserve is expiring.

"The board has authorized the creation of a new capital reserve and has set the level at a 10-year reserve for $7.5 million. That's the maximum amount of money that can go into it. It's not how much it's going to be funded or funded initially. It will be funded through surplus or future-year budgetary appropriations," says Rozanski.

If the school has a surplus of money, it will be stored in the fund.

Rozanski says the board wants a flat tax levy.

In terms of administration, the school does not anticipate any major changes outside of three expiring board seats.

The budget vote will occur May 19th.

Thruway Authority announces repairs on I-90 through Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

There will be emergency roadwork between exit 48A (Pembroke – Medina – NY Route 77) and exit 48 (Batavia – NY Route 98) on I-90 eastbound the Thruway Authority announced today.

Work is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, continuing through Monday, March 23 at 6 a.m.

Isolated pavement repairs will be performed in both eastbound lanes. Motorists should expect single lane closures and a posted work zone speed limit of 45 mph.

In the event of inclement weather, work may be delayed or postponed.

Variable message boards (VMS) and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR – 1630 AM) will provide updates for motorists about possible delays in the area.

The Thruway Authority appreciates motorists’ patience during this emergency work following a winter of bitter cold temperatures and extreme winter weather.

Photos: Family Night at Batavia Middle School

By Howard B. Owens

There was a big turnout for the Mexican-themed Family Night at Batavia Middle School, which featured a Mexican food feast (until the tacos ran out), crafts around Mexican themes, along with a raffle (prizes donated by local businesses) and community group booths and activities.

Hawley bill would exempt farmers from unemployment insurance for immigrant workers

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he has become a co-sponsor on legislation, Assembly Bill 06256, that will ease the financial burden placed on farmers. The bill would forgo the requirement that farmers who employ aliens admitted to the United States to perform farm labor pay unemployment insurance for such workers. Under state law, alien laborers are not eligible for unemployment insurance, so there is no need for employers to pay into the unemployment insurance fund.

“I have introduced this legislation with Assemblyman Bill Magee (D-Madison County), current Chair of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, after meeting with Farm Bureau representatives from my district,” Hawley said. “As the former owner of Hawley Farms, I know firsthand how hard farmers work for their profits and that sustainability of their business is not guaranteed year to year. This is common-sense legislation that will correct a glaring deficiency in the labor law that mandates farmers pay unemployment insurance for workers who are ineligible. My district contains many farm operations and I will do everything I can to help them keep more of their profits.”

Photos: Farmers visiting local schools for Ag Literacy Week

By Howard B. Owens

It's Ag Literacy Week and farmers from throughout Genesee County are participating by going to their local schools and sharing about their careers and reading from a book picked especially for the occasion.

The book is "Weaving the Rainbow," by George Ella Lyon and Stephanie Anderson. The picture book is the story of a young woman who raises sheep, shears them, cleans, cards, spins and dyes the wool, using it to create works of woven art. The story is aimed at helping students make the connection between agriculture and its many uses and influences.

Above, Sharon Fuerch reads to a group of second-graders at Byron-Bergen Elementary School this morning.  

Below, Colleen Primm and her daughter Madelynn introduce a pair of their lambs to Byron-Bergen students.

Collins and Esty introduce legislation to expand manufacturing

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) issued the following statement after joining Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) and others in introducing the bipartisan Manufacturing Universities Act.

“As a small business owner who worked in manufacturing for over 35 years, I understand the difficulty in training and finding qualified manufacturing workers,” Congressman Collins said. “To expand manufacturing in Western New York, we need to have a workforce capable of filling these skilled jobs. I am proud to join Rep. Esty in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will provide partnering colleges and universities the resources necessary to equip their students with the skills needed to succeed in manufacturing.”

“I’m proud to join my friend and colleague Rep. Collins in introducing our bipartisan Manufacturing Universities Act,” Congresswoman Esty said. “Manufacturers provide good-paying jobs for our hard-working families, but manufacturers often struggle to find workers with the right skill sets. By providing additional support for manufacturing in engineering programs at colleges and universities, we can prepare the next generation of engineers for exciting — and in-demand — manufacturing jobs.”

“SUNY proudly supports the Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015 as it helps pave the way for the advancement of manufacturing efforts across the country,” SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said. “We thank Representative Collins and Representative Etsy for their leadership recognizing the valuable role public universities play in educating and training students for the 21st Century workforce.”

The bill would establish a Manufacturing Universities program within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. Colleges and universities with existing engineering programs would be eligible to apply for the Manufacturing University designation, which would: include up to $5 million annually for four years to improve engineering programs with an emphasis on manufacturing; increase the number of joint projects with manufacturing firms; and support students who participate in cooperative education and apprenticeships with manufacturers.

The Manufacturing Universities Act has been referred to the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. The bill is bipartisan and bicameral. The other House cosponsors are Reps. Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Mike Thompson (D-CA). The companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).

Corfu votes for mayor and two trustees

By Howard B. Owens

A total of 118 people cast ballots in yesterday's Village of Corfu election for mayor and two trustees.

The lone mayoral candidate, Dave Bielec received 93 votes.

The trustee winners were Jenny McMartin-Eck, with 101 votes, and Al Graham, with 62 votes. Joseph Biggs Johnson was third with 58 votes.

Law and Order: Man accused of stealing medication from co-worker

By Howard B. Owens

Joshua Allen Grosskopf, 24, of Porter Road, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Grosskopf allegedly stole medication from a coworker at a business in Pembroke.

Robert L. Williams Jr., 24, of West Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Williams was turned over to Batavia PD by State Police. Williams posted bail.

James A. Hancock, 45, of Porter Avenue, Batavia, is charged with aggravated criminal contempt, 1st. Hancock is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Charles GT Williams, 36, of Robinson Road, Lockport, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a charge of aggravated unlicensed operation. Williams posted $500 bail and was released.

Cristal Lee Miranda, 23, of Myrtle Street, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an aggravated unlicensed operation charge. Miranda turned herself in and posted $200 police bail.

Dustin T. Holman, 27, of Edgewood Drive, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Holman allegedly stuck another person while at a location on Lewiston Road, Batavia.

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