Hello Everyone!

I think it’s high time for me to officially introduce myself. My name is Phil Ricci and I am running for the Batavia City Council At Large seat this November. As in the past I come to you all with great humility and an eagerness to serve this city through the next phase of its evolution. Even though I would be considered to many as the “newcomer”, I am confident that you will find my ideas and ideals very much in line with what is needed for this position.

My young public service career has seen me thus far as a member of the Batavia City School’s Board of Education, President of the Batavia Youth Board and member of the School’s Audit Committee. As a whole, I have strived to be the positive young voice that stands for controlled spending and forward thinking initiatives that benefit us in the long run, not just the short term. It is my belief that we must act responsibly not just for the current generation, but to our future ones as well. My two young children, Delilah and Vivian, serve as my constant reminder that my actions carry more weight than just a day’s vote, but in fact could help or harm them for years to come.

In my private profession I have been in finance and business management for almost ten years, running and creating profitable businesses that produce jobs and opportunities for many. I am also a small business owner and financial consultant and realize the detriment that our expanded governments cause on the very life blood of our economy.    

My platform is simple: It’s time to get “Back to Basics!” It has been my experience that the more government is involved, the more complicated and difficult it becomes to get anything done! It’s not government’s job to solve every problem we have, but it is the responsibility of that body to provide a safe and reasonable place for us to live and grow our families. Even though we have done a good job of reducing our past debts, we are not done by far! It is one thing for any prospective candidate to sit before you and make promises to maintain tax levels and continue to do good works, but that is just not good enough anymore! We must find sensible, pragmatic and realistic solutions to become more efficient and effective in how we govern. We must also do whatever we can to clean up our neighbors so that not only can we can be safe, but reduce our taxes and create real growth through economic development.

If I am given the honor to serve the City of Batavia, I will do my best to represent the public’s interests and remain open to any and all ideas that are brought to my attention. I know that I am new, but I believe that it is time for my generation to stand and put our hands to the plow. I thank you for allowing me this brief time with you and welcome any questions you may have. I look forward to meeting you all as I put the rubber to cement this summer!

Respectfully Yours,
Phil Ricci

Matt Carpenter and Ryde Rodriguez  each collected three hits while Xavier Scruggs homered to lead the Muckdogs to a 9-2 victory over Jamestown Saturday.

Sunday's game against Williamsport was rained out.

At 5-2, the Muckdog's are in first place in the Pinckney division, a half game ahead of Mahoning Valley.

Carpenter is leading the league with a .483 batting average. Rodriquez is the early RBI leader with nine.

The Muckdogs play a double header in Williamsport today (making up Sunday's rain out), and face Williamsport again tomorrow. The team returns home Wednesday and Friday to host Jamestown (with fireworks following Friday's game, of course).

Patrick Wolff, 18, 34 Vine St., Batavia, is charged with trespass. He is accused of entering College Village after being banned from the area.

Brian Griffin, 24, 14 Orchard St, Oakfield, is charged with criminal contempt. Griffin allegedly violated an order of protection by visiting the protected person at home.

Daniel J. Berhow, 23, 1640 Carmen Road, Barker, is accused of criminal mischief, harassment and DWI following an incident Friday night on Route 33 in the Town of Batavia. Berhow allegedly choked another person and punched out the window to her car. Further investigation revealed that he apparently drove while intoxicated. An order of protection was issued following the incident.

Michael J. Hoffman, 40, 5106 Parker Road, Hamburg, was charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Colby Road in Darien for allegedly driving without tail lamps. Hamburg is accused of having a BAC of .08 or greater.

Phillip Ehnot, 30,  23 Harvester Ave., Batavia, is in jail on $2,000 bail. According to Batavia police, Ehnot reportedly grabbed his wife and threw her to the ground, pulling her hair. He also allegedly pushed his son into some stairs. He is charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. The alleged incident occurred Saturday night just after 10 p.m.

I shot this today after it rained, something good did come of the rain! More photo details at my blog.

Make sure you stop and say "hi" to Jim if you see him at any local carnivals; parades and other events as he explains the virtues of the Fuel Car.  Let him know you read about it at thebatavian.com

Found this video on GCASA's blog.

In another item, there's also this:

GCASA held the annual DWI Victim Impact Panel Recognition Dinner on Friday, June 19, 2009 at Bohn's restaurant in Batavia, NY. At that dinner, Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Howard J. Carlson was honored for his exeptional service having made 22 DWI arrests in 2008 with a 98% conviction rate.

New York State Trooper, Eric J. Daigler was also honored. He had 19 DWI arrests.

Jackson Square concert series kicked off with the Ghostriders.There were quite a few people out last night.I thought i'd add the seagull picture too.They've taken over downtown.I did a short video but the sound is bad cause i was by the speaker.And used auto mic setting.When i should have set the mic manually.

The Genesee County Chapter of the American Red Cross is recruiting volunteers to help staff emergency shelters at area high schools.

Loren Penman provided the video and the following information:

The Genesee County Chapter of the American Red Cross is one of only 128 chapters in the nation (and 6 in New York State) to have been awarded a competitive grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation.  The funds support grassroots efforts for disaster response and projects to build local capacity in our communities.  According to a Wal-Mart Foundation press release, the goal of the disaster readiness effort funded by this donation is to ensure that smaller, rural communities can respond to the needs of its residents in the first few days of a disaster.

The grants will help the Red Cross chapters acquire and maintain material and human resources necessary to manage relief operations and will also be used to improve community relationships.  Being prepared with trained people and adequate supplies on hand prior to a disaster event can help save lives, time and money, the press release goes on to say.

A total of $5 million was awarded to Red Cross chapters in 44 states and 3 U.S. territories.  Grant proposals were evaluated at the national level; local Wal-Mart stores were not involved in the process.

The Genesee County Chapter's project involves the purchase of critical disaster supplies and equipment, particularly for use in emergency shelters.  Another part of the project will recruit and train high school students in Batavia, Byron-Bergen and Oakfield-Alabama to serve as shelter volunteers in their respective school buildings.  Included in the grant are monies to support AmeriCorps positions (one in each district) to work with faculty advisors in order to develop full-fledged, student emergency response teams.

A video has been created to help prospective student volunteers understand how they can become involved.  For more information, contact Loren Penman at lpenman1@yahoo.com

Assemblyman Steve Hawley says he's pleased with what he was able to get done during the recently completed legislative session, despite all the chaos in Albany recent.

Fifteen pieces of legislation sponsored by Hawley were approved by the Assembly, including five aimed at helping local communities.

"Despite all the chaos, changes in leadership and gridlock, I was able to get some common-sense and important pieces of legislation passed that will greatly help the communities in Western New York, as well as the rest of the state," said Hawley in a statement.

Among Hawley's locally targeted legislation is a bill to help town court proceedings in the towns of Elba, Oakfield and Batavia as well as the City of Batavia.  The measure will pave the way for these communities to build a shared court facility, which, according to Hawley, will help save taxpayer money.

Full press release after the jump:

As the regularly scheduled legislative session drew to a close, Assemblyman  Steve Hawley (R, I, C - Batavia) was pleased to have been able to have over a dozen pieces of his legislation passed, despite a banner year for Albany's notorious dysfunction.

"Despite all the chaos, changes in leadership and gridlock, I was able to get some common-sense and important pieces of legislation passed that will greatly help the communities in Western New York, as well as the rest of the state," said Hawley.

Of the 15 pieces of legislation that Hawley sponsored, which passed the Assembly, five bills specifically helped local communities in Western New York.  These bills include measures to help town court proceedings in the towns of Elba, Oakfield and Batavia, and the city of Batavia.  These four municipalities are leading the way in the state for finding an innovative solution, to their individual need for new and upgraded court facilities,
will help local governments save taxpayer dollars by sharing services and building a joint court facility.

Perhaps Hawley's largest statewide initiatives that passed were measures to help firefighters.  Assembly Bill 2733-A establishes the volunteer firefighter and volunteer emergency services recruitment and retention fund. Assembly Bill 6051-A allows firefighters to operate a fire truck without possessing a commercial driver's license, saving fire districts endless amounts of time, which can be better spent training, as well as thousands of dollars annually.  This measure was passed by both houses and signed into law.

Hawley's passed legislation also includes a number of initiatives to help those with disabilities.  Assembly Bill 7848 requires access aisles of handicapped parking spaces to be marked with a sign and stripes; and Assembly Bill 7849 requires that handicapped parking spaces be at least 8 feet wide.

The Assemblyman also played an instrumental role in leading the fight against some of the more dangerous bills that came to the floor, such as the "Farm Death Bill."  Hawley stated, "The fight against this harmful bill, brought together farmers, farm workers, and agribusinesses, and bipartisan legislators from across the state.  This opposition was an  example of Albany at its finest.  Unfortunately, its passage in the Assembly highlighted the standard dysfunction in the State Capitol, but I am hopeful that our collective voices will help prevent this bill from coming to fruition in the Senate."

Hawley also lead the charge for other important measures, such as property tax relief.  During and after budget negotiations the Assemblyman stood on the Assembly floor to demand relief for overburdened homeowners and businesses, specifically calling on both houses and the Governor to reinstate the STAR Rebate Check and restore cuts made to the traditional STAR programs.  Hawley also called on the Governor to make smart usage of the $1 billion in federal stimulus dollars which have not yet been appropriated.  He commented, "We need to begin looking at ways to make it easier for residents and businesses to survive.  Maintaining jobs, and attracting new ones, are necessary to keep our economy moving."

The backlog of unprocessed disability claims at the Veterans Administration now exceeds one million and the pile grows daily.  Veterans are waiting months to have benefits administered.

Congressman Chris Lee is taking up the cause of veterans waiting for claims to be processed.

“The VA’s backlog of unfinished disability claims is clearly unacceptable and unsustainable. With the VA drowning in red tape, our veterans are forced to go to extreme lengths in order to make ends meet while waiting on benefits they have earned,” Lee said in a statement released this week. “Whether it’s hiring and training more processors or updating technological capabilities, the VA needs to have a detailed plan in place to tackle this problem and expedite its implementation.”

Full press release following the jump:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26) is urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to step up its efforts to address an “unacceptable and unsustainable” backlog of unfinished disability claims that compromises the VA’s ability to improve services and often leaves veterans waiting in limbo for months before receiving benefits they have earned.

In a letter to General Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congressman Lee pointed out that with roughly 900,000 pending claims, including 7,168 in Western New York alone, the VA’s caseload is on pace to reach the 1 million mark this year. While the average wait time for a claim to be processed is approximately 120 days, a number of veterans have reported to Congressman Lee’s office that their cases have gone unresolved for more than a year. In these tough economic times, veterans have no choice but to take extreme steps to make ends meet, including paying bills with credit cards.

“The VA’s backlog of unfinished disability claims is clearly unacceptable and unsustainable. With the VA drowning in red tape, our veterans are forced to go to extreme lengths in order to make ends meet while waiting on benefits they have earned,” Congressman Lee said. “Whether it’s hiring and training more processors or updating technological capabilities, the VA needs to have a detailed plan in place to tackle this problem and expedite its implementation.”

This issue was front and center during a meeting Congressman Lee convened last month in Batavia with an advisory board  comprised of area veterans committed to improving the lives of fellow vets and their families. That discussion keyed on the fact that this growing claims backlog can have a ripple effect through the entire system.

Congressman Lee added: “The severity of this situation demands more than just an acknowledgment of the problem. I will continue to be a vocal advocate for forceful action that puts the VA on a path to ensuring that each of our veterans – and their families – have access to the services they deserve and the benefits they have earned.”

Visit http://chrislee.house.gov/veterans to learn more about Congressman Lee’s efforts to honor and support our nation’s military veterans and their families.
 
The text of the letter is below.

June 23, 2009
 
The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki
Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Office
810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20420
 
Dear Secretary Shinseki:
 
I write to you today to express my deep concern with regards to the growing number of outstanding claims to be processed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
This large backlog is the result of more than 722,000 current claims along with more than 172,000 appeals, totaling 900,000 claims to be processed, including 13,000 pending in New York State. In a recent appearance before the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance, VA Deputy Undersecretary Michael Walcoff testified that the Department receives approximately 80,000 new claims each month. With the current backlog and this large influx of new claims, the nearly 900,000 claims could reach the one million mark by the end of summer. 
 
This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed before the problem is just too large to solve. Our veterans deserve not only the best health care, but health care that is accessible and responsive. The average wait for a claim is more than 120 days, and veterans in my district have informed me they have waited more than a year for their claims to be processed.  In these tough economic times, veterans waiting on their claims to be processed are forced to take extreme steps, including paying bills with credit cards.
 
While efforts to revamp the Department’s electronic claims system are to be commended, our veterans cannot wait any longer. Our servicemembers returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the nearly eight million veterans already enrolled in the VA health care system, deserve immediate care and timely claims processing. We have made a promise to care for our veterans, and we must meet this obligation.
 
I appreciate the burdens your agency must bear in this matter, and look forward to hearing from you on your plan to reduce this backlog and ensure accessible health care for our veterans.
 
Sincerely,
 
CHRISTOPHER J. LEE
Member of Congress

Genesee Community College is nearing the day when it will include a school of nursing.

After eight years of planning, securing funding  and pre-development work, ground was broken yesterday on the Dr. Bruce A. Holm Upstate Med-Tech Center.

The new facility is being build across the road from GCC. It will house the new school of nursing as well as UMMC's Occupational and Physical Therapy program and new offices for the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

The initial complex will be 43,000 sq. ft.

Start-up med-tech companies will also be able to apply for space in a 7,000 sq. ft portion of the building intended to help new businesses get off the ground.  The hope is that up-and-coming companies will launch in the med-tech center and then move into new buildings on the adjoining land as their businesses grow, keeping the companies and the jobs in Genesee County.

The center is named for former Batavia resident, Dr. Bruce A. Holm, a former Batavia resident and a SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pharmacology and Toxicology.  He is also the Executive Director of the NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences and Senior Vice-Provost at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Dr. Holm previously held the positions of Senior Associate Dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Senior Associate Vice President for Health Affairs at UB.

From a news release prior to the ground breaking:

“Dr. Holm has been a pioneer and leader in Life Sciences innovation and commercialization here in Western New York and we felt it was fitting to honor him for his vision, dedication and hard work,” said Steve Hyde, President and CEO of the GCEDC.  “Life Sciences is a thriving industry in the region and now Genesee County is well positioned to participate in its growth and our economy will benefit from good paying jobs in a facility that has ties to GCC, the hospital and regional university centers.”

(WBTA contributed to this report)

Seven people who attended the Def Leppard/Poison concert last night at Darien Lake Theme Park were reportedly arrested.

• Murad Ramaden, 35, 66 Huetter St., Buffalo, was charged with disorderly conduct after reportedly wrestling with a security officer who was trying to evict him for reportedly urinating on a seat.
• Terence C. Wilson, 32, 186 Ashbrook Circle, Webster, was charged with harassment for allegedly shoving a security officer while trying to find a lost friend.
• Jeanine A. Kless, 36, 295 Tampa Drive, West Seneca, was charged with Harassment after allegedly poking a person in the eye with her finger.
• Jeffrey S. Ellis, 41, 89 Marymont St., Buffalo, was charged with trespass for allegedly climbing on the stage after the concert was over.
• Joshua L. Martinez, 28, 70 Black Creek Road, Rochester, was charged with harassment for allegedly punching another person in the face and knocking him to the ground.
• Sharon J. Williams, 33, 70 Black Creek Road, Rochester, was charged with harassment for allegedly punching a security guard in the chest and attempting to kick him in the groin.
• Scott D. Quigley, 37, 1356 Drexmore Ave., Charlotte, N.C., was charged with trespass for allegedly gaining access to the back stage area without a proper pass or permission. He was jailed on $200 bail and scheduled to appear in court next on July 15.

Three men from Buffalo were arrested yesterday in connection with two daytime residential burglaries in Darien in which $3,000 in cash, plus jewelery and other valuables were stolen.

One of the suspects, Justin M. Falter, 19, is reportedly a former Genesee County resident who knew the families victimized by the burglaries.

All three men were picked up yesterday based on a tip from a concerned citizen who spotted a suspicious vehicle outside a Darien residence. The vehicle matched the description of a vehicle seen by a witness at one of the previous burglaries.

Sheriff's investigators believe the suspects were preparing for another burglary at the time of their arrest.

The other two suspects are (name redacted upon request), 19, and (name redacted), 22. All three men reportedly resided at 138 Marion St., Buffalo.

The first burglary reportedly occurred June 11 on Harlow Road. The victim reported $3,000 in cash stolen. On June 18, another burglary was reported on Seven Day Road. In this case, jewelry, liquor, electronics and clothing were reportedly stolen.

When Deputy Brian Thompson came upon the suspicious vehicle yesterday, all three suspects were reportedly in the vehicle. Upon further investigation, some of the reportedly stolen items were in the vehicle.

Yesterday evening a search warrant was executed at the Buffalo residence of the suspects and more allegedly stolen items were recovered.

(name redacted upon request) and Falter were charged with two counts of burglary in the second degree. (name redacted faces one count.

(name redacted) and Falter are held in Genesee County Jail on $15,000 bail. xxxx's bail is $20,000.

The investigation is ongoing.

Participating in the investigation, arrests and search were the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police and the Buffalo Police Department.

(Pictured, Top: Falter, (name redacted upon request), (name redacted).

The VA Medical Center opened in Batavia on April 30, 1934. Today, with a parade and a formal program at the facility, the center will celebrate 75 years of service to area veterans.

The parade begins at the gate property, 222 Richmond Ave., at 1:30 p.m. with the formal program will follow, emceed by Assemblyman Steve Hawley and  with a keynote address by William F. Feeley, director of the VA for WNY.

The celebration will include a fly-over, military displays on the lawn, band concerts and historical displays in the Building 4 recreation hall and patio area.  Free parking will be available at Batavia Downs on Park Road with shuttles beginning at noon.  Redfield Parkway and Richmond Avenue will be closed during the parade. 

Today, we are offering TWO gift certificates from Herbly Wonderful, the place in town to shop for herbs, teas, mixes and spices.  Also, Herbly Wonderful's Herb and Flower Festival is coming up July 11 & 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Herbly Wonderful is located at 3701 Pearl Street Road.

These are $25 gift certificates for $12.50 (each, plus a $1 PayPal service fee).

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value.  People who have won a certificate in the past 30 days are not eligible to win a certificate from the same business as before.  By state law, gift certificates cannot be used for alcohol purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Ideally, the winner will arrange to stop by my office on Main Street to pick up gift certificate. Mail is an option, but it would be better to hand you the gift certificate. 

If you want to be notified via e-mail of future Deals of the Day, sign up for the Deals of the Day e-mail list by clicking here.

Merchants: If you would like your business featured in Deal of the Day, call Howard Owens at 260-6970.

Batavia (4-2) got them on, but couldn’t get enough in as they lost 3-2 to Jamestown (2-5).  They stranded 13 runners on base, reaching on eight hits and ten walks.

Things got dramatic in the bottom of the 9^th when the Muckdogs got a two out rally.  Matt Carpenter and Xavier Scruggs had back-to-back walks and came in to score on a triple off the bat of Ryde Rodriguez.  Niko Vasquez then reached on another walk, but Jack Cawley followed him going down looking to end the game.

Batavia also had threatened in the 6th.  Rodriguez led of the inning with a base hit.  Bases became loaded later after both Cawley and Beau Riportella drew walks.  However, with two outs, Rodriguez ended the inning at home when he attempted to slide in on a ball in the dirt.

The Jammers got on the board first in the top of the second after Ricky Orton walked, Sequoya Storecipher singled and Jose Ceballos got them both in on a two RBI base hit.  They added one more in the 6^th when Kyle Jenson singled and came home on an error.

Michael Blazek (1-1) suffered the loss as the starter, going four innings with two runs, four hits, three walks and three strikeouts.

Beau Riportella was effective at the plate tonight, going 1-for-2 with a double and two full-count walks.

Last week while leaving the Aldi's store, an older woman was standing outside by the shoppong carts looking at a man in the parking lot who was walking towards her pointing at me, while I was returning my shopping cart.  The lady said she needed a shopping cart but did not have a quarter.    OK, we've all been there.... I usually end up juggling items in my arms, hoping when I'm ready to cash out, someone will let me cut in front of them as I have let others do in the past when I have a full cart full and someone just has Milk, eggs and bread.

I looked at the woman and thought she probably would not be able to juggle too many items, just a guess ... so I told her "here, you can have my cart."  She seemed panicked and said "but, I don't have a quarter".  I told her, "don't worry, you can pay it forward".  She just stared at me blankly.  I asked her if she knew what that meant?  "No", was her reply.  I told her, "to pay it forward means to just turn around and do a act of kindness to someone else, usually a stranger and not expect to be repaid in any way".  Her husband reached me as I was walking away and had a dollar bill in his hand trying to give it to me, I simply said "no, we're good" hoping his wife would explain.

Yesterday, while driving home on Main St, in front of Tops Markets, I wittnessed a woman waiting at the stoplight  leaving Tops, whose trunk had just popped open but she was unaware... the young man in the car behind her got out of his car  walked up and was knocking on her window, pointing to the back of her car, again an act of kindness to a stranger.

Which leads me to saying "thank you" when someone holds open a door for you, or holding the door open for the person coming in behind you rather then letting it slam in their face.   I've been seeing that happen a lot when coming in/out of a certain store at the City Center lately.  My husband held the door open for 2 women who did not say thank you, then they let the door slam in a very elderly woman's face.  I was shocked, but what do you say?   It's not a law that you should do this.  But, when it doesn't happen you sure do take notice and puts you in a different mood.  This little act of kindness is actually paying it forward if you stop and think about it.  You hold the door open for me, I say thank you.. I feel good, I remember to hold the door open for someone the next time and so on.    If we all "keep paying it forward", how great would that be? 

A farm worker in Darien has been accused of stealing and selling 150 head of cattle from Herdsman at Reyncrest Farms and selling them for more than $250,000.

Charles G. Baldwin, 37, 4 John St., Akron, is charged with grand larceny and now held at Genesee County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Baldwin allegedly stole the cattle between July 2007 and May 2009 from the farm located at 9666 Route 77, Darien. The farm is owned by the Reynolds family, who reportedly employed Baldwin.

The alleged crime was investigated by William T. Ferrando, an investigator with the Sheriff's Office.

A fire alarm is sounding at 28 Cedar St., Batavia. A caller reports no smoke or flames are visible.

UPDATE: The alarm is apparently in an unoccupied apartment. No signs of smoke.

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On the way home for lunch, I noticed two DOT employees standing by the train tracks at Ellicott Street and Jackson Street, so I stopped and asked if they were planning on improving the intersection.

Anybody who has driven over or walked past the train tracks knows the road is in bad shape there.

Troy Sampson, a civil engineer with the DOT, said the state will rip out the asphalt along the rail line and replace it with concrete panels, just like the railroad crossing on Route 98 now.

The work was supposed to start next week, but there has been a delay. The state hopes now to start work in August. The project will take 6 weeks to complete.

"It's 100 percent going to happen," Sampson said. "It's just a matter of how it's going to happen. There's lots of logistics here."

UPDATE: Well, not so fast.  The project that looked so certain this morning is now on hold. I just received this e-mail from Troy Sampson:

We spoke, in brief, earlier today at the rr crossing on Ellicott St.  The  proposed work will be done by the Railroad's contractor, not DOT forces.  Myself and a RR representitve were onsite to investigate some issues that have come up that need to be resolved in order for that project to progress.   Because of those changes, the project is currently on hold until all the  necessary parties can meet to evalute the new scope of work.  The orginal  plan that was all set to go is now on hold.  We intend to do a project, but  are not "100%" as noted.