John Matthew Stassen, 67, of Moscow Road, Hamlin, is charged with petit larceny. Stassen is accused of stealing a gas can full of gas from a vehicle that was parked in the Batavia Downs parking lot at 7:32 p.m., Aug. 26.
A concern about spending taxpayer money has prompted the Village of Corfu Board to assign trustees Art Ianni and Keith Busch the task of contacting Mayor Ralph Peterson to find out if he intends to take a leave of absence.
Peterson did not attend Monday's village board meeting.
The village received a copy of a doctor's note Aug. 29 that said Peterson was advised to take a leave of absence through the end of the year, but Peterson has not communicated to the trustees or anybody else official whether he intends to follow the doctor's advice.
There's been no communication from him since.
"We need something signed by him," Bielec said.
Deputy Mayor David Bielec suggested the board have Village Attorney Mark Boylan contact Peterson to clarify the leave of absence situation and reiterate the board's request that Peterson resign from his post.
Ianni asked if he could just contact the mayor himself.
"If you think you can make headway, go ahead," Bielec said.
Busch said rather than spend money on an attorney, both he and Ianni should contact Peterson, he said.
"We don't want to spend too much taxpayer money," Busch said.
He took the same stand on the notion of filing a petition to the Supreme Court to have Peterson removed.
"The court procedure, from what I understand, is very expensive," Busch said.
Bielec said Boylan told him it only has a 50-50 chance of succeeding.
Peterson has been under fire throughout the first year of his first term, being accused of lying to the board, harassing employees, exercising authority he doesn't have and trying to cover up for his friend Robert Alexander. Alexander is a former village justice. His daughter, Brandi Watts, was indicted on grand larceny charges for allegedly stealing more than $10,000 in court funds while working as a clerk for Alexander.
Peterson would continue to draw, by law, his mayoral stipend, while on medical leave. Trustee Ken Laurer said he continues to work at his day job.
Peterson is reportedly suffering from medical issues related to stress. He was reportedly hospitalized for a time prior to trustees receiving his doctor's note.
For prior Ralph Peterson coverage, click here.
A motor-vehicle accident occurred in front of Denny's restaurant on West Main Street in the city. There's one minir injury due to air bag deployment. Law enforcement is on scene for traffic control. Mercy medics and city fire are also there. Two flat-bed tow trucks are needed.
UPDATE: Photo submitted by Doug Yeomans.
UPDATE: Photo submitted by Joe Bradt.
There are a few openings left, so the Batavia City School District has extended the deadline to submit an application for participation in the Universal Pre-kindergarten (UPK) program for the 2013-2014 school year.
UPK provides an opportunity for 4-year-olds to be involved in half-day, developmentally appropriate educational classes at no cost to their families. The District offers morning and afternoon programs at Jackson Primary School and partners with the Batavia YMCA to provide pre-kindergarten for children at that location.
Children who are residents of the District, are 4 years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2013, and who are not enrolled in a special education program with the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership are eligible to apply.
Letters/applications were mailed to all known eligible families, but also are available for pick-up at the District’s Business Office in the administration wing of Batavia High School; by calling Kelly Snyder at 343-2480, ext. 2008, and requesting that one be mailed; or on the District’s Web site by going to www.bataviacsd.org, using the pull-down menu under “District” and clicking on the link for Curriculum and Instruction, then the link for Universal Pre-k Information.
Applications for the remaining openings will continue to be processed through early October and students placed in the order that they are received. Please return the completed application to the BCSD Business Office, 260 State St., Batavia, NY, 14020.
If you have any questions, please call 343-2480, ext. 2008. for assistance.
Join us this weekend for our open house to celebrate our 20th anniversary of being in business, and our 1st anniversary of being in our new showroom! Stop by to see our new 3,000-square-foot showroom of the latest in kitchen and bathroom products. We will have several promotions on cabinetry and countertops that will run thru the month of September!
Refreshments and several door prizes to win all weekend. Sale hours are Friday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Book your order by the end of September and we'll install it before the holidays!
Kreative Design Kitchen & Bath is located at 5582 E. Main Road, (corner of Fargo Road and Main Street Road) in Batavia. Visit us online at: www.kreativedesignkitchenandbath.com or by calling (585) 345-0012.
Press release:
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to expeditiously complete the cultural resource study that must be performed on a potential veteran cemetery site, before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can choose to establish and construct a national veterans’ cemetery in Western New York.
The VA was in the process of performing due diligence on a proposed site on Indian Falls Road when they discovered the need to do a more in-depth archeological study, to be overseen and reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), in order to finalize the selection. The cultural resource survey is the third phase of the archeological process, and concludes whether land contains historical artifacts and if so, how they must be addressed.
Once the study has been reviewed and a determination made by SHPO, the VA will have the information needed to proceed to their final site decision. Schumer noted that with a lack of a national veterans’ cemetery within a 75-mile radius, and hundreds of thousands of veterans living in the region, the time is long past to establish a national veterans’ cemetery in Western New York.
“It is time that hundreds of thousands of deserving veterans from Buffalo to Rochester and beyond are afforded a site for proper military burial near their home in Western New York. The delay has gone on too long, but the end is in sight: I am focused on breaking through this hurdle in order to get to a final site decision,” Schumer said. “The State Historical Preservation Office should swiftly complete the review of this archeological study so that a decision can be made posthaste, and so that our dedicated veterans can have a final resting place worthy of their service. Western New York veterans have a proud tradition of military service, and I’m going to keep pushing the VA to move full speed ahead and offer my support to knock down any barriers that may stand in the way of establishing this cemetery.”
For the past three years, the VA has been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with property owners in order to purchase land for establishment of a National Veterans Cemetery. After the SHPO’s review and determination, the VA will be able to move forward with the selection of one of the final three candidate locations.
The cultural resources study includes taking subsurface samples of the land, and thus can only be performed between harvest and planting of crops; which is the reason the study has been so far delayed. The potential site in question is a 132-acre farm located at Route 77 and Indian Falls Road in Pembroke. The VA is also considering two other sites in the area.
Schumer has long argued that it is critical for the veterans’ cemetery location to be decided on and for acquisition to begin immediately. Half of New York Veterans are 65 years of age or older, and now is the time to start planning for the future of those veterans, and ensuring that they are treated with the honor they deserve. Schumer has heard from local veterans groups that veterans in Western New York desprately want to be buried in a national shrine, but don’t want to force their families to travel long distances to visit, potentially at great hardship to do so.
Today, there are more than 22 million veterans who are eligible for the honor of burial in a National Cemetery. Veterans with discharges other than dishonorable, their spouses and dependent children may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. Those who die on active duty may also be buried in a national cemetery.
Senator Schumer has joined with Western New York vets for years in calling for the VA to locate the first federal veterans’ cemetery in the region. Around 2009-2010, the VA updated its burial policy, which changed the threshold of veterans required to construct a new national cemetery to 80,000 veterans within 75 miles of a proposed site. With this new policy, the region was more than qualified, there are nearly 100,000 veterans in Orleans, Niagara, Erie and Chautauqua counties alone, approximately 200,000 veterans in the Rochester region, and additional veterans who live more than 75 miles from the nearest available National Cemetery in Bath, NY. Schumer has fought to keep the VA moving forward in finding a site for this cemetery ever since, and has pushed the process through a variety of roadblocks.
In particular, throughout the process, Schumer has urged the VA to be more transparent about its selection timeline and site preferences. As a result of the Senator’s efforts, the VA has released information about the process to the local community, and after a personal meeting in Schumer’s D.C. office in 2012, committed to an expedited timeline. Schumer vowed to continue his efforts to speed up the selection process and is now urging the State Historic Preservation Office to expedite its archeological study so that the VA can finally close on a property.
Press release:
Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) announced today that the Genesee County Airport, located in Batavia, will receive two grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) totaling more than $1 million. The first grant, for $973,800, will fund the construction necessary to relocate the airport’s apron. An apron is the area of the airport where planes are parked, unloaded, refueled and boarded. This project includes 77,500 square feet of new pavement and the reconstruction of 44,000 square feet of existing pavement.
The second grant, for $63,000, will provide funding for the design of a new taxiway leading to the T-hangar at the airport.
“Supporting local governments with the cost of maintaining, repairing and building critical infrastructure is an appropriate use of federal tax dollars,” Collins said. “Local taxpayers send a lot of their hard-earned money to Washington and it is only proper that we get a share of it back to assist with projects that are important to our local communities.”
The Congressman’s office remains available to assist any local government pursuing a federal grant.
Press Release:
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) officials will host a public hearing Thursday to detail proposed safety improvements at the intersection of Route 20 and East Road in the town of Bethany, Genesee County. NYSDOT will present the preferred alternative for the project, which includes construction of a modern roundabout and lowering the hill.
The public hearing will convene at 6:30 p.m. at the Bethany Community Center, located at 10510 Bethany Center Road. A short project overview including engineering, traffic and environmental, and right-of-way aspects of the project will be presented. Verbal comments will be recorded and written comments will be received. Comments received by September 23 will be made part of the official project record and evaluated prior to finalizing the design alternative.
Highlights of the project design proposed under this alternative include lowering the profile of the hill on Route 20 just west of the intersection as well as building a modern roundabout to replace the existing dual stop signs and flashing red light. A roundabout will require vehicles approaching the intersection from both roads to decrease travel speeds. More information about the safety benefits of roundabouts can be found online at www.dot.ny.gov/20eastroad.
Accident statistics since 1998 show 36 total collisions including three fatal crashes. The accident pattern shows right angle and sight-distance related collisions, mainly from vehicles entering the intersection from East Road and often times failing to yield. The purpose of the project is to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes at this intersection.
The Draft Design Report is now available for public review. It is a comprehensive document that presents details of the preferred design alternative along with all the required supporting engineering evaluations and environmental studies. A copy is available for viewing at the Bethany Town Hall or at the DOT Regional Office, located at 1530 Jefferson Road in Henrietta. Portions of the report are also available on the project Web site at www.dot.ny.gov/20Eastroad .
Construction for this $2.5 million project is scheduled for the summer of 2015. Under this proposal, traffic would be maintained on Route 20 with construction of a temporary by-pass road. East Road traffic would be detoured.
The location for the meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. If anyone requires special accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Eric Thompson at 585-272-349.
A motor vehicle accident believed to be with injury is reported at Route 77 and Ledge Road.
Alabama fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE (by Billie) 10:45 a.m.: There is entrapment. The accident is blocking traffic. One vehicle has three adults and a child inside. A second ambulance is called. Three vehicles are involved, one of which is towing a small trailer.
UPDATE 10:49 p.m.: Indian Falls is called as mutual aid to provide traffic control, and aid with extrication if needed. Law enforcement is on scene.
UPDATE 10:52 a.m.: There is a total of four patients.
UPDATE 10:54 a.m.: Alabama commands reports there is no entrapment.
UPDATE 10:56 a.m.: A third ambulance is called in.
UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: The child's injuries are minor. One ambulance is going to Erie County Medical Center. Three patients, including a 75-year-old female, are being taken to UMMC.
UPDATE 11:42 a.m.: The two other patients bound for UMMC are a 2-year-old boy and a 42-year-old male. Indian Falls is back in service. Most, if not, all Alabama units have cleared the scene.
UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: The Alabama assignment is back in service.
Press release:
The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Monday Sept. 9 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area south of West Main Street and west of Jackson Street.
Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.
Press release:
The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2014 at its board meeting today, adopting a balanced budget that totals $1.2 million.
Approximately $1.041 million in revenues will be realized through grant revenue, sale and lease back fees, interest income, and county funding. Another $175,000 in cash payments will be collected through project participation fee annuity streams. Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) interest will generate approximately $22,000 in revenue through 13 active loans in RLF 1 and five active loans in RLF 2. Meanwhile, workforce development activities continue to be self-sustaining due to grant funding.
“The GCEDC was created to retain and create jobs and generate new revenues for local government by increasing the property tax base,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “For every dollar of public money that supports the GCEDC, there is an $18 return on investment to the community as a result of various economic development projects supported by our agency.”
As a public benefit organization, the GCEDC generates fee revenues from economic development projects. The GCEDC also projects continued funding from Genesee County as well as other sources to run its operations, programs and services. The funding provided by Genesee County helps the GCEDC with core base-level operational funding while the remaining project revenue is raised through the ongoing work of the GCEDC.
“Genesee County is a vital partner in our efforts to bring new business and growth to our region,” Hyde continued. “We are extremely grateful to the members of the Genesee County Legislature who support the GCEDC’s ongoing growth strategy.”
Expenditures have been controlled and reduced wherever possible, however compliance with New York State mandates continues to cause significant cost increases for the operating budget. For example, a 13-percent increase in health insurance premiums is anticipated based on current estimates from health insurance brokers.
“The GCEDC’s budget assumptions are conservative due to uncertainties related to future project activity levels, but we anticipate that 2014 will be another great year,” said Lezlie Farrell, CFO of the GCEDC.
Katherine J. Briggs, 34, of 172 S. Main St., #112, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Briggs allegedly damaged property of another person during an argument. The alleged incident was reported at 2:16 a.m., Saturday.
Kyle E. Kirtley, 24, of 6 Pine Tree Road, Central Square, is charged with assault, 3rd. Kirtley is accused of punching another person in the head several times causing substantial pain. The alleged incident was reported at 2:16 a.m. Saturday at 172 S. Main St., Batavia. Kirtley was jailed on $1,000 bail.
Tracey Lynn Brewer, 48, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Brewer is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.
Sara Marie Zilliox, 38, of South 7th Street, Lewiston, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Zilliox was charged following a traffic stop at 1:05 a.m. Saturday on Lake Road, Bergen, by Deputy Joseph Corona.
Christine Marie Osborne, 38, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Osborne is accused of stealing $62.78 in merchandise from Walmart.
Mark Anthony Rebmann, 24, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Rebmann is accused shoplifting $24.99 in merchandise from Kmart. During the investigation by Deputy Joseph Graff, Rebmann was allegedly found in possession of heroin.
April Marie Palmer, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a grand larceny, 4th, charge.
Dale A. Hollwedel, 26, of 9983 Francis Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Hollwedel was stopped at 1:42 a.m. Thursday following a complaint in the MacDonald's drive thru by Officer Jason Davis.
Kimberly M Volk, 24, of 111 Liberty St., Apt. A, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Volk is accused of shoplifting at Tops.
Willie F. Irvin II, 31, of 22 Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Irvin is accused of verbally threatening another person while on State Street. He was jailed on $750 bail.
Jason E. Carpenter, 35, of 137 State St., Batavia, is charged with disobeying a mandate. Carpenter allegedly contacted another person in violation of an order of protection.
Rosemary R. Waters, 27, of 23 Forrest Ave., Oakfield, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Waters allegedly picked up a mobile phone from the floor during an altercation and threw it back down, breaking it.
Froylan Hernandez, 26, from California, is charged with trespass. Hernandez was arrested by State Police following a report at 2:14 p.m. Aug. 10 on Wilkinson Road, Batavia. Hernandez was jailed on bail. No further details released.
Maurice G. Leach, 37, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Leach was arrested in the Town of Batavia by State Police. No further details released.
The following individuals were arrested by State Police at 11:30 p.m. Friday at a location in the Town of Bergen, and charged with trespass: Alana M. Diefendorf, 16, Olivia R. Sweet, 16, Jacob M. Hillabush, 19, Danielle C. Zelazny, 17, Joseph T. Burr, 20, Dakota Troy Harlach, 20, Hannah M. Feary, 19, Kyle K. Shultz, 19, Daniel J. Ognibene, 19, Payton V. Conley, 18, Richard S. Streiff, 19, and Matthew C. Ferris, 18. Diefendorf, Sweet, Hillabush, Zelazny and Burr were also charged with possession/consumption of alcohol under age 21.
A 52-year-old Oakfield resident who was involved in a motorcycle accident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation on Sunday night was treated and released after being flown by Mercy Flight to ECMC.
Louis M. Biro, of East Shelby Road, was driving a 2011 Honda east on Bloomingdale Road when he allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign at Reuban Road and continued east into the Arrowhawk Smoke Shop parking lot. The Honda continued through the parking lot and struck a dirt embankment and a pile of cut trees.
The accident was reported at 10:14 p.m.
Charges are pending, according to the accident report.
The accident was investigated by Deputy James Diehl.
A motorcycle accident with injuries is reported at 852 Bloomingdale Road. A first responder reports the rider is "up into the brush" of the back parking lot of the Arrowhawk Smoke Shop. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are called to the scene.
UPDATE 10:23 p.m.: Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia is called to the scene. A clerk at the store reports seeing the rider in the wooded area behind the store. A responder located the rider underneath some brush.
UPDATE 11:08 p.m.: Mercy Flight is in the air.
Bob Will, of Leon, had one of the more interesting vehicles at the Steam Show in Alexander this weekend. He agreed to pose with his 1930s-era Ford pickup truck. Rusty gold, indeed.
To purchase prints of these photos, click here.
A working house fire is reported at 6908 East Bethany - Le Roy Road. Le Roy and Pavilion fire departments are responding. Stafford is asked to stand by in their hall. Town of Batavia fire is called to shut down traffic at Route 63 and East Bethany - Le Roy Road.
UPDATE 8:08 p.m.: Stafford is called to the scene.
UPDATE 8:18 p.m.: After calling for assistance from York, Caledonia and Bergen, with a standby from Mumford, command tells responders on the road to back it down. The fire appears to be contained to a corner of the structure. They have accessed the attic and are ventilating it.
UPDATE 8:23 p.m.: There is residual heat but no active fire. York and Caledonia are told to go back in service. Bergen can continue to the scene non-emergency.
UPDATE 9 p.m.: Le Roy and Pavilion are back in service along with other responders. The fire is out. The roads are reopened.
UPDATE (by Howard): A quick response by volunteer firefighters helped contain the fire to the southeast corner of the house. The cause is undetermined at this time. A resident was fighting the fire with a garden hose when Le Roy firefighters arrived on scene. There was some smoke extension into the attic. The property is owned by Peter Paliani.
A vehicle has struck a guard rail and injuries are reported at 6104 Route 63, north of Transit Road. The vehicle is blocking the roadway. Bethany Fire Department and Ambulance Service are responding. The road is being shut down. After this accident, a tractor-trailer reportedly hit something, like a pole, in the area. Town of Batavia Fire Police are asked to close southbound Route 63 at East Road. Pavilion Fire Police are asked to shut down northbound Route 63 traffic at Texaco Town.
UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: Responders are back in service. Roads reopened. No word on status of victims(s).
A total of 22 fire companies from four counties arrived in Pavilion at 6 a.m. to start a morning-long drill to test, learn and practice in case of a fire that requires a substantial amount of water.
The goal was to pump 5,000 gallons of water. The exercise was also a chance for the departments to work together across communication networks and to test the reverse 9-1-1 system in the area.
The location was the Griffith Oil Company storage terminal on Pearl Creek in the Town of Covington, which is in the Pavilion Fire District.
"This is a drill to move a large volume of water in a rural area," said Pavilion Chief Paul Dougherty. "Even in our downtown area here, we have a limited number of hydrants. Originally the drill was going to be at our high school because that's one of the biggest concerns in town, but in the process of planning there was that event in Mumford at their propane facility, so we decided to take the lessons learned there, good and bad, and do the same thing here."
If there was a fire at Griffith, it would take a large volume of water to keep the propane tanks cool until firefighters could get a handle on the event and Griffith workers could manage the situation.
Griffith participated in the drill, even working through its own internal notification protocols.
Daniel Stowell had the following statement from Griffith:
Griffith Energy is pleased to participate in this morning's drill. The safety of our customers, employees and communities we service is our absolute top priority. We happily partner with local officials and first responders in support of their efforts to prepare, train and learn. WE are delighted to be here today to show our support of the fire companies involved in this collaborative effort and thank everyone for their time and dedication.
Dougherty thanked all the volunteers for coming out on their Sunday morning.
In addition to Pavilion, other participants this morning were:
Le Roy, Caledonia, Alexander, Bergen, Bethany, Stafford, York, Perry, Perry Center, Town of Batavia, Byron, South Byron, Darien, Cuylerville, Mumford, Attica, Castile, Gainesville, North Java, Silver Springs, Brockport, Wyoming, Warsaw, Geneseo, Genesee County Office of Emergency Services, Wyoming County Office of Emergency Services, dispatch centers in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties, Wyoming County Sheriffs Office, Rochester Southern Railroad, Pavilion Central School (provided buses for mass transportation), SUNY Geneseo (housekeeping) and Mercy Ambulance.
To find out how to become a volunteer firefighter, visit ReadyGenesee.com.
To purchase prints of photos, click here.
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